Joe Kent, Legal Extraordinaire, Caught on Tape Agreeing with White Nationalists’ 20 Year Immigration Ban After Threatening Lawsuit Against Local Outlet
Yesterday, the Chronicle released proof of Joe Kent’s latest lie – one he’s doubled down on since his last failed run for Congress.
At a 2022 town hall, Kent agreed with a Christian nationalist in the audience who asked whether the far-right extremist would support a 20 year ban on nearly all immigration to the United States, in part to combat “demographic replacement.”
Now, more than a year after the initial reporting, Republicans’ top choice for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is claiming he never agreed with the idea of a 20 year immigration ban, and is threatening legal action against the paper.
The problem? The Chronicle kept receipts – and Kent’s legal threat prompted the paper to release tape of that interaction.
The Chronicle is standing by its original reporting amid a threat of legal action from a Third Congressional District candidate’s attorney over an article published in March 2022.
A lawyer representing Republican candidate Joe Kent sent a letter to Chronicle Publisher Chad Taylor last week demanding the newspaper “promptly retract” an article in which Kent appears to agree with an audience member who suggests the U.S. completely restrict immigration for 20 years because of the “demographic replacement that’s happening.”
Kent has previously requested on multiple occasions that Taylor alter the article, though not until more than a year after it was first published.
The six-page letter, sent by the Dhillon Law Group and dated Aug. 28, alleges “the defamatory statement” made in the article opens The Chronicle up to potential litigation for both defamation and libel. In the letter, the attorney also asked The Chronicle to hand over its recording of the event in question.
“To avoid litigation, a response is demanded by September 5, 2023,” the letter reads.
The Chronicle has instead chosen to publish the recording of the relevant exchange with this article. In addition to its own audio recording, The Chronicle has reviewed video footage of the interaction.
“We had two journalists who observed it, we have audio that confirms it, and we have (seen) video that leaves no question,” Schwartz said. “And we have no plans to alter the story.”
At issue is a March 11, 2022, article about a town hall event Kent held in Onalaska two days prior. According to the article, Vincent James, who spoke at a convention hosted by self-described “American Nationalist” Nick Fuentes titled the “America First Political Action Convention” and is himself a self-described “Christian nationalist,” asked multiple questions.
Below is the excerpt in question from the article, which was headlined “White Nationalists Dominate Discussion at Joe Kent Town Hall in Onalaska”:
James, after first bringing up Fuentes, asked Kent: “Do you support a complete shutdown on all immigration for the next 20 years, at the very least, to give people time to assimilate? Because we have these massive enclaves that are forming all across the country where people don’t even have the most fundamental form of assimilation, which is language.”
In response, Kent said currently the only form of immigration he supports is through marriage because it leads to the formation of more families.
James then pushed the question again, saying, “So a complete shutdown on all immigration for the next 20 years, at the very least. Right?”
Kent responded: “Yep. That’s one of the best ways to keep a tight labor market in favor of American workers.”
James replied: “Well, not only because of labor, because of the demographic replacement that’s happening in this country as well, right?”
Kent responded: “Yeah.”
At the time, Kent vied for Washington’s Third Congressional District in the House of Representatives. In November 2022, he received 49.31% of the vote. Kent has since declared he will again run for the seat — which was won by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez — in 2024.
