There has been a dramatic shift in ideology between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party following the Civil War, with the Democratic Party at one point adopting the current values of the GOP today. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy recently claimed that Democrats should change their party name if they were serious about racism.
Speaking on Fox News, McCarthy claimed that if Democrats are taking racism seriously, the party should consider changing its name. McCarthy cited that during the days of the Civil War, the Democratic Party was the political party that embraced racist values. To note, this has dramatically changed following the Civil War, with the GOP today openly embracing racism.
“If Democrats were really serious about addressing racism, they’d change the name of their party, since Democrats in the pre-Civil War era defended slavery,” said McCarthy.
It should also be noted that during the 1790s, Democrats were known as Democratic-Republicans, as both political parties at the time were one party, opposing the Federalists. McCarthy’s comments have come under fire, with many netizens on social media mocking the House Minority Leader.
“Yes Kevin, but all the racists in the party left when they started supporting civil rights. This is more BS gaslighting,” said one user.
“It’s also weird that they keep insisting that it was the Republicans that freed the slaves but they also want to protect the Confederate monuments. I wonder what their Republican forebears would think of those monuments,” said another commenter.
“If McCarthy was really serious about addressing racism, he’d stop gaslighting and mention that today’s Republicans embrace racism and fight equality,” said another commenter.
Previously, McCarthy is also under pressure as he is expected to recommend five Republican lawmakers to be part of the select committee that will probe the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The first eight members of the 13-member select committee have already been announced recently, with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointing Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney to be among them.
Five members have yet to be nominated by McCarthy. Pelosi has the power to veto any recommendation made by the House Minority Leader, however.


Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Secures Historic Election Win, Shaking Markets and Regional Politics
Taiwan Says Moving 40% of Semiconductor Production to the U.S. Is Impossible
China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran
Antonio José Seguro Poised for Landslide Win in Portugal Presidential Runoff
Nicaragua Ends Visa-Free Entry for Cubans, Disrupting Key Migration Route to the U.S.
Trump Slams Super Bowl Halftime Show Featuring Bad Bunny
Japan Election 2026: Sanae Takaichi Poised for Landslide Win Despite Record Snowfall
U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday
Netanyahu to Meet Trump in Washington as Iran Nuclear Talks Intensify
Trump Allows Commercial Fishing in Protected New England Waters
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal
Trump Congratulates Japan’s First Female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi After Historic Election Victory
Sydney Braces for Pro-Palestine Protests During Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s Visit
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 



