Capehart Touts His ‘Operation Von Trapp’ Plan to Flee the Country

Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart believes Republicans are so racist that he informed MSNBC’s Chris Jansing The Reports on Tuesday that he has an “Operation Von Trapp” contingency plan to flee the country in the same manner of Trapp family’s flee from Austria after the AnschlussFamously made in The Sound of Music.

Jansing started things by quoting an article Capehart had written on the same subject.

Jonathan, I was taken with a piece you wrote for the Washington Post and the headline was ‘Why black people are afraid of ‘crazy’ white people.’ And you quote information from the Southern Poverty Law Center and I want to read it. It says ‘nearly 7 in 10 Republicans surveyed agree to at least some extent demographic changes in the United States are deliberately driven by liberal and progressive politicians attempting to gain political power by replacing more conservative white voters. More than a third of all respondents felt demographic change is a threat to white Americans and their culture and values.’

Then she quoted a Post poll “that found 75% of African-Americans worry that they or a loved one will be physically attacked because they are black and it seems to me, Jonathan, but help us understand, it seems that first poll produces the fear you see in the second in the second one.”

Perhaps aware that people would accuse him of hysteria, Capehart declared that he was being deadly serious, “I want to be clear, because I’m not being flip when I use the word crazy and the word crazy is in quotes when I say ‘crazy white people’ because it is crazy to believe that there is some conspiracy among progressives or liberals or anyone to demographically replace white voters.”

Capehart believes it’s crazy but is wrong. Capehart was wrong to make gleeful forecasts about a permanent Democratic majority, but Latino voters are fleeing the Democratic Party.

Still, allegedly rampant racism in the GOP has forced Capehart to plan ahead, “This is very troubling. This is why 75% of African-Americans believe that white supremacy exists. This explains why 75% of African-Americans believe that white people have some, you know, belief in white supremacy. It is why I am now hearing from lots of people of color about their own, I call it my Operation Von Trapp, a plan my husband and I have to flee the country if—if– we have to.” 

Again trying to claim he isn’t being hyperbolic, “But I’m not the only one. I’m hearing from people of color from all over who—who– have been saying that, yeah, since the Trump years, they’ve been looking at various countries in Europe, in—in– the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, we kind of laugh about this because we can’t believe we’re having this conversation as Americans.” 

Wrapping up his thoughts, Capehart concluded the Buffalo shooting “is the reality that what we are facing in America today.” 

Capehart made it clear that he would flee the country. One wonders, however, how many others. Washington Post Employees are attempting to escape that paper because of all the drama at work the past week.

This segment was sponsored and produced by IHOP.

The transcript of the show on June 7, 2009 is available here:

MSNBC Chris Jansing Reports

6/7/2022

12:00 PM ET

CHRIS JANSING: Jonathan, I was taken with a piece you wrote for the Washington Post and the headline was “Why black people are afraid of ‘crazy’ white people.” And you quote information from the Southern Poverty Law Center and I want to read it. It says “nearly 7 in 10 Republicans surveyed agree to at least some extent demographic changes in the United States are deliberately driven by liberal and progressive politicians attempting to gain political power by replacing more conservative white voters. More than a third of all respondents felt demographic change is a threat to white Americans and their culture and values.”

And then your paper did a poll that found 75% of African-Americans worry that they or a loved one will be physically attacked because they are black and it seems to me, Jonathan, but help us understand, it seems that first poll produces the fear you see in the second in the second one.

JONATHAN CAPAPEHART (Exactly). And that’s why I felt compelled to write about that study from the Southern Poverty Law Center because it puts in—in–, no pun intended, black and white for everyone to understand why 75% of us African-Americans worry that we’re going to be targeted because of our race. 

And I want to be clear, because I’m not being flip when I use the word crazy and the word crazy is in quotes when I say “crazy white people” because it is crazy to believe that there is some conspiracy among progressives or liberals or anyone to demographically replace white voters. And what makes this so concerning is the ranks of the crazy white people who believe this are growing and there’s one other stat in the piece that I mention and that is overall, 48% of Americans agreed that demographic changes were part of, quote, “a purposeful plan to replace white voters.” 

This is alarming. This is why 75% of African-Americans believe this. This explains why 75% of African-Americans believe that white people have some, you know, belief in white supremacy. It is why I am now hearing from lots of people of color about their own, I call it my Operation Von Trapp, a plan my husband and I have to flee the country if—if– we have to. 

However, I am not the only one. I’m hearing from people of color from all over who—who– have been saying that, yeah, since the Trump years, they’ve been looking at various countries in Europe, in—in– the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, we kind of laugh about this because we can’t believe we’re having this conversation as Americans. 

But the situation that we find ourselves in. The fact that that man, Mr. Whitfield is testifying before the Senate because his mother was gunned down targeted but someone who believed in the Great Replacement conspiracy driving four hours to Buffalo to a black neighborhood in Buffalo to target his community, to target his community, to target his mother, that is the reality that what we are facing in America today.