Because of the abundant antisemitic content that can be found on the website, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania is facing criticism from both sides of the political aisle for his ties to Gab, a far-right social media platform, as well as its founder, Andrew Torba.
After Mastriano, one of the most vocal proponents of the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from President Donald Trump, won the primary election in the commonwealth in May, the criticism is the most recent development in what has become a complicated campaign for Republicans.
Mastriano’s ties to Gab and Torba have attracted new criticism from members of his own party.
At the time, many Republicans were concerned that Mastriano was an extreme candidate who would not be able to win over the suburban swing voters necessary to win statewide.
In November, Mastriano will face off against Josh Shapiro, a Jewish Democrat who serves as the state Attorney General.
According to Matthew Brooks, the executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, “Jewish voters expect candidates to condemn antisemitism regardless of where it comes from — whether it comes from the far left or the far right — and to shun those who espouse it.”
“We are strongly urging Doug Mastriano to end his association with Gab, a social network that is rightly seen by Jewish Americans as a cesspool of bigotry and antisemitism,” said the group.
According to state records that were initially published by Media Matters for America, a watchdog organization with a left-leaning political slant that has documented the relationship between Mastriano and Torba, Mastriano has had a formal relationship with Torba and Gab since at least April, when Mastriano’s campaign paid Gab $5,000 for “consulting” services, according to state records.
Gab, which was established in 2016, markets itself as the “free speech social network,” and it has gained popularity among traditionalists, alt-right figures, and even some extremists as an alternative to more traditional social media spaces such as Twitter and Facebook.
As Aa result of the site’s lax approach to content management, it has become a haven for conspiracy theories associated with QAnon, as well as for antisemitic commentary.
In the state of Pennsylvania, the location has a particularly gruesome past. In 2018, just minutes before the suspected shooter, Robert Bowers, entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, he posted the following message on Gab: “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. I don’t care about your optics;
I’m entering. Eleven people were killed in the shooting, and although the suspect’s profile was removed from the website, his digital footprint was filled with antisemitic content.
After his campaign made a payment to Gab, Mastriano, who rarely engages in conversation with reporters from traditional media outlets, sat down for an interview with Torba and praised the site’s founder, telling him, “Thank God for what you’ve done.” Torba was also appreciative of Mastriano’s comments.
Torba praised Mastriano as well and, as an indication that he was aware that their relationship is controversial, he said, “You may even get called a name for doing this interview with me, so brace yourself with that.”
Mastriano has not commented on his affiliation with Torba or the backlash he is receiving as a result of it. However, Torba responded in livestreamed comments this week, according to Media Matters, in which he continued to push antisemitic tropes.
Torba stated, about a general estimate of the percentage of Jews living in the United States, “We’re not bending the knee to the 2 per cent any longer.” “Listen, buddy, we can’t do this anymore. Our culture is gradually being reclaimed by us.
We are regaining control of our nation. We are reclaiming our government’s authority. So, learn to live with it.
When Torba was questioned on Thursday about the criticism regarding his relationship with Mastriano, he responded by saying that he only speaks to Christian news outlets. Turn from your sins and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness.
Torba is not new to this role and has previously held it. According to The Jerusalem Post, he was quoted as saying recently that his standard practice is “not to conduct interviews with reporters who aren’t Christian or with outlets who aren’t Christian.”
After releasing his statement to CNN on Thursday, Torba then provided a link to a post he had made on Gab in which he stated, “I want to make it very clear that I do not work for the Mastriano campaign.” That does not make me their consultant.
During the primary, the campaign made payments to Gab as a business for advertising space. The campaign, in addition to more than fifty other campaigns from different parts of the country, posts on Gab. “That sums up the entirety of our connection,” he clarified. “I am the sole author of what I say. My thoughts and musings are entirely original. They do not accurately represent Doug or his campaign in any way.”
CNN’s requests for comment from representatives of Mastriano were not met with a response from those representatives. And in response, the Republican Governors Association issued a broad statement on the race, but the statement avoided discussing Mastriano’s connection with Gab.
At least one Republican lawmaker in Pennsylvania’s state house has spoken out against Torba’s recent remarks.
State Representative Todd Stephens, who represents a suburb of Philadelphia, issued the following statement on Facebook: “I condemn Andrew Torba’s comments, and call on my colleagues to reject Andrew Torba, his comments, and company, especially Republican nominee for Pennsylvania Governor, Senator Doug Mastriano.” Stephens’s statement was posted on Facebook. “It is imperative that we all take a unified stance against bigotry and language of this offensive and potentially lethal nature. Nothing less than a complete denial of the proposal is warranted, and I hope that Senator Mastriano and the rest of my colleagues will join me in this.”
Torba gave Stephens a “RINO” label on Thursday, which stands for “Republican in name only,” and he urged his supporters to give “harsh pushback” to the state legislator.
On the social media platform Gab, he stated, “We’re dragging the Republican party to the right and anyone who gets in our way is going to be left behind.”
The Democratic Party has also been critical of Mastriano due to his association with Torba.
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Jill Zipin, who helped found Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania, stated that even though she has spent a significant amount of time working to defeat Republicans, “this feels very different.”
“Josh is not running against your everyday run-of-the-mill Republican in this election. According to zipping in, “He is running against someone who fosters hatred.” “It’s terrifying, and I can speak for the other members of my board as well,” I said.
In the same vein, Shapiro stated earlier this week that the relationship between Gab and Mastriano was “not normal.”
On MSNBC, Shapiro remarked, “This is exactly who Doug Mastriano is.” “He presents such a threat. He goes to such extremes. He goes so far beyond what is acceptable.”
