Rep. Paul Gosar defended his attendance at the America First Political Action Conference hosted by Nick Fuentes, a provocateur who has engaged in Holocaust denialism and made racist remarks.
The Republican congressman from Arizona defended his appearance at the event.
“We thought about it, and we thought: There is a group of young people that are becoming part of the election process, and becoming a bigger force,” he told the Washington Post. “So why not take that energy and listen to what they’ve got to say?”
When pressed on whether he regretted his attendance, Gosar said, “You don’t accomplish anything by isolating.”
“It’s always about the debate,” he added. “That’s how you grow.”
During the Conservative Political Action Conference panel in which Gosar participated, the congressman said, “I want to tell you, I denounce … white racism.”
In a tweet from Fuentes posted on Saturday afternoon, the online personality said, “Great meeting today with Congressman Gosar today!”
It is unclear whether the meeting took place before or after Gosar spoke at CPAC. The Washington Examiner reached out to Gosar’s office for clarification on the meeting’s timing but did not receive a response.
Fuentes has engaged in multiple racist arguments in the past. In one video, he said, “Enough with the Jim Crow stuff. Who cares? ‘Oh, I had to drink out of a different water fountain.’ Big f—ing deal.”
The Republican National Committee said in a statement to the Washington Examiner on Saturday in response to Gosar’s appearance at AFPAC, “There is no place for anti-Semitism or racism in the Republican Party. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office and the Arizona GOP for comment on the matter.
