Rep. Jim Banks: GOP playbook for red wave is to own 'culture fights'

Republicans should "lean into" culture fights against the radical left and fight back with an America first agenda as part of the necessary playbook to create a red wave this Fall, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) told the "John Solomon Reports" podcast Thursday.

"The voters expect us to fight back against the radical left that that wants to change our American way of life and our culture," Banks said.

As chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Banks said he told caucus members to "lean into these important culture fights" against ideas pushed by the far left such as "radical gender theories, critical race theory [and] anti-police rhetoric."

He said Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's victory in Virginia is an example of the GOP winning on these issues. 

"Keep that playbook heading into the midterms. I really think we're going to come out of this this midterm election with a historic majority," Banks told editor-in-chief John Solomon.

"2022 is gonna go down in history as a as a giant rejection of the policies of the left and give Republicans a majority that we could hold onto for a long time to come if we stick to the playbook: Keep our focus on the Trump agenda, which is a winning agenda [and] puts America first in trade policy, foreign policy, economic Policy, immigration policy," Banks said. "That's a winning agenda that'll put us in the majority I think for a long time to come."

He also said that supporting police officers as crime rates are at historic highs will help the GOP win this fall. 

"The Republicans are the party of law and order. We stand with our police officers, our men and women in blue. And the Democrats are anti police. They're anti law and order with historic crime waves around the country," the Indiana Republican noted.

Under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Banks said, "Democrats have passed a bill twice that would strip away qualified immunity for our police officers, which is a direct attack on our on our men and women in law enforcement."

The legal system is being used to go after conservatives rather than both sides equally, he asserted, explaining that the Department of Justice is prosecuting Jan. 6 protesters but not those who were involved in Black Lives Matter riots in the summer of 2020.

"They don't believe in an equal justice for everybody," Banks said. "They want to use the Department of Justice, and they want to... manipulate the laws to go after Republicans, but not to go after Democrats. And that's a sad state of affairs that we have in America today as well."

Crime is one of the "top issues" people will vote on in the midterm elections, Banks predicted. 

"They know Democrats are bad on it, Republicans are good on it, and it's one of the reasons this is gonna be a historic red wave election," he said.