Boehner Says ‘America First Caucus’ Is ‘One of the Nuttiest Things I’ve Ever Seen’

Former Speaker John Boehner said the “America First Caucus” is “one of the nuttiest things” he’s ever seen.

Chuck Todd asked Boehner about his blunt criticisms of the Republican party and whether he holds any responsibility for how the GOP has changed.

Boehner claimed he “did everything I could” to “push back,” and said, “Most of those so-called Tea Party types, frankly, became very good Republicans.”

Todd asked, then, if Republican leaders like him liked the energy some of these members were bringing to the party, which led them to “ignore the downside until it was too late.”

Todd then brought up the “America First Caucus” that got a lot of attention in the past few days.

Punchbowl News reported on plans for an “America First Caucus” involving Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene (R- GA), that said in part, “America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions.”

The caucus received widespread condemnation, one Republican called it the “white supremacy caucus,” and even House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy sent out a tweet decrying “nativist dog whistles” that seemed to be a response to this caucus.

CNN reported over the weekend that Greene’s office has since said “she is not launching anything.”

Todd told Boehner, “I feel like the Republican Party that you grew up in did a pretty good job of trying to eradicate this. And it creeped back in.”

“Whether it creeped in via libertarian movements or whatever, it creeped back in, and you see it,” Todd continued. “You’ve gone from one problem in Steve King and it’s metastasized. Now they’re trying to start a caucus that’s sort of based on these racist ideas. How did this happen? How did this get mainstreamed a bit in your party?”

Boehner said he doesn’t think it’s “mainstreamed,” but added, “I can tell you that this so-called America First Caucus is one of the nuttiest things I’ve ever seen.”

“America is a land of immigration. We’ve been the world’s giant melting pot for 250 years. And we ought to celebrate the fact that we are this giant melting pot,” the former Speaker continued. “And to see some members of Congress go off and start this America First Caucus is — it’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen. And Republicans need to denounce it.”

You can watch above, via NBC.