Preacher slams 'White rage' Republicans at rally attended by progressive Democrats

A preacher with a history of controversial statements slammed "White rage" and Republicans at a rally attended by several progressive Democrats on Wednesday.

The Rev. George C. Gilbert, Jr., founder of the Center for Racial Equity and Justice, made the remarks at a rally in favor of the For the People Act, a Democratic-backed bill in the House that scholars say raises First Amendment concerns. 

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Gilbert invoked the history of American slavery in warning that "every time we come to a place of progress, to a place where we can stand on our own feet, we run into a downpour — lightning and thunder — of the power of White rage, whose job is to push progress back." 

Left-wingers have leaned on racial appeals to gin up support for the bill. 

During his speech, Gilbert said the crowd was assembled to "demand" that America clean "her filthy garments," which he said have been "stained by the hatred of racism, the love of money and the lack of concern for the least, the lost, and the left out."

"We are here today in this historical moment in time deeply disturbed by the overwhelming, troubling dynamics that have converged on God's people in a devastating storm of spiritual, political and cultural chaos," Gilbert said. "To some, this storm appeared suddenly with the emergence of former President Donald Trump’s administration."

Gilbert asserted that whenever "Black men, Black women and God’s abolitionists stand up to be accounted for, it is White rage that strategizes against our community" and claimed "it is the right wing Republican politicians whose calls for a country of morals and values while all the time involved in a child sex prostitution ring."

"The truth about the truth is White rage reacts to every civil rights advancement that takes place in America," the reverend said, pointing to the 1921 Tulsa riots and the crack epidemic, both of which he said were caused by "White rage."

The reverend has a history of inflammatory remarks.

He wrote an anti-Israel blog post in October 2016 with the title "Who Are the Real Jews?" and the subheader "Why Slaves From the TransAtlantic Slave Trade Are God's Chosen" where he called Jewish people "imposters."

"The world has spent much energy and time to paint the picture that white skinned humans from the Caucus Mountains was God’s chosen people. In so much so that America and others stole and created a land from the Palestinian people and named it ‘The State of Israel,’" Gilbert wrote.

"This was the movement of the Zionist/Jew-ish people. However, they know who they really are," the preacher continued. "No other race, culture or religion puts ‘ish’ at the end of who they are except these people."

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Gilbert wrote in the post that people "don't say we are Black-ish, Christian-sih, Muslim-ish" and that if he "said something was blue-ish," he meant it bore a resemblance to something.

"The same principle stands for Jew-ish people that we have been tricked to believe that they can do and say what they want to because they are God’s special people," Gilbert wrote. "In fact, these are persons from the Caucus Mountains who chose Judaism over Muslim, or Christianity for safety. They are imposters."

Multiple progressives from both chambers of Congress spoke at the Wednesday rally outside the Supreme Court.

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Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Bob Casey, D-Penn.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. Additionally, Reps. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y.; Sharice Davids, D-Ks., and John Sarbanes, D-Md.

In lieu of comment, Gilbert sent Fox News a transcript of his remarks from Wednesday. 

The lawmakers did not respond to Fox News' requests for comment by press time.