North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, a lifelong Democrat who this week announced his departure from the Democrat Party to join the Republican Party, told Breitbart News Saturday there is a “certain migration taking place” as people question “where they belong and who they want to align with” ideologically.
Lee on Tuesday announced his formal switch from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party because of what he said is the left’s continued move toward socialism.
“It’s not the party that I grew up with 25 years ago in this environment, and it’s not the party that I can stand with anymore,” he said.
Lee detailed his departure during an appearance Saturday on Breitbart News Saturday, attributing his formal move, in part, to recent state Democrat Party elections, which saw “four of the five people” as members of the “socialists of America organization.” Lee said they essentially took over the whole convention and got elected.
“From that point on, all of the sudden I realized what I hear going on, I think, in Washington, has actually just happened in Nevada, and I have to do something,” he said.
“And being a mayor, you know, most people in this country, they don’t maybe trust their congresspeople, but they do trust their mayors,” he continued, noting that mayors typically have good standing in their communities. Because of that, he rationalized he could use his influence to highlight bad radical left-wing agenda items, such as defunding the police. Lee told host Matthew Boyle that it is crucial for people to begin paying attention to politics at the local level and expressed hope that Americans can change the country from the bottom up.
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Lee said he watched what unfolded in Democrat-controlled cities, such as Portland and Seattle, and worries such radical policies and positions could begin infiltrating his community through the legislature. For example, he said there are half a dozen bills that have everything to do with reducing “crime times in prison and penalties and stuff like that.”
“We’re just taking slow but measured steps in this country to destroy what’s going on, and it will happen so quickly for us, Matt, that if we don’t pay attention, our legislatures are also going to be infiltrated by this kind of discussion, and the decisions they make are going to affect us from here on out,” he warned, adding that the next four years are perhaps “more important” for this country than any term of the presidency we have had in our lifetimes.
“We are going to be an island if we’re not careful, surrounded by states that are just going to destroy our freedom and destroy our country,” he continued. “We have to quit being the silent majority. We’re the knowledgeable majority, but we’re not the active majority.”
Lee also expressed concerns with the prevalence of cancel culture, noting it could deter good people from running for office. As a consequence, “the radical people are going to be the ones that are running this country,” he warned, calling on locals to stand up and lead in their communities because there is no “secret formula.” Leadership, he said, is key.
The mayor appeared to be open to running for a congressional seat, or other positions, in the future, noting he will help others do so but hinting he would be willing to step up and do it if others do not.
While the mayor stands as, perhaps, one of the most high-profile figures to jump from the Democrat Party ship during President Biden’s presidency, he told Breitbart News Saturday migration is taking place.
“Half of my friends used to be Democrats. And they changed years ago, and I never even brought up politics to them. There is a certain migration taking place right now, but it’s not moving fast enough,” Lee said. “A lot of people are moving towards maybe the independent party, which really does nothing for fighting anything in America. You need to be on the front lines. You need to be voting in the primaries.”
He added a lot of conservative Democrats like himself are likely thinking about making the switch, but it is crucial, he continued, to get Republicans involved, branding the new Republican Party one of the people, small businesses, the working man, and freedom.
“I see a lot of people right now questioning where they belong and who they want to align with,” he added.
Breitbart News Saturday airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
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