As everyone in press acts shocked that President Trump is calling for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza
we need to remember how Islamophobia was used to drive the MAGA agenda for over a decade
Do you remember the Ground Zero Mosque that was neither a Mosque nor at Ground Zero? 
The Story was first spread by Pamela Geller on her blog "Atlas Shrugged" in December 2009.
The "Ground Zero Mosque" would be the first astroturffed campaign funded by the Koch Network after Citizens United vs United States in 2010 
Breitbart News and their new editor and chief Lt Gen (ret) Mike Flynn would take up the cause
Brietbart News, the Mercer backed media outlet, was only three years old at the time
The entire "Ground Zero Mosque" was an emotional appeal and astroturf campaign by Koch network 
There were front groups like Stop the Islamizaton of America that were founded
But this was all funded by the Evangelical and far-right Israeli lobby all attached to Big Oil 
Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, and David Horowitz would lead a massive campaign that mirrored and buikld off of the Tea Party
freedomdefense.typepad.com/leave-islam/20…
Newt Gingrich would claim the "Ground Zero Mosque" was named Cordoba to celebrate a Muslim victory in Spain hundreds of years ago
It was not
This marked a trend among @GOP to lie such as Swiftboaters and Birthers,
Koch et al, mainly Sean Noble and Ed Gillispie took advantage 
@GOP The "Ground Zero Mosque" became an issue across the country.
Especially in the race for NY Goverrnor Rick Lazio
Representative King, a racist firebrand ,got involved early on
deseret.com/2010/7/13/2012…
@GOP But the "Ground Zero Mosque" also played a Central role in races as far away from NYC as Iowa
The American Future Fund would dump stupid amounts of money into the campaign
$20 million and $25 million after Citizens United, much to defeat a Bruce Bartley in Iowa
Over Islam 
@GOP American Future Fund hiredLarry McCarthy, the guy who produced the Willie Horton ad
to make an ad against Bartley
But sure....we don't know how disinfo happens 
@GOP It turns out Robert Mercer dumped millions into the "Ground Zero Mosque" disinformation campaign:
politico.com/blogs/ben-smit…
@GOP Republican strategist Ed Rollins would explain, "Yes we know it is a lie, but it is an emotional issue that resonates with voters"
cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/FTN…
@GOP The "Ground Zero Mosque" would become an issue in North Carolina due to Art Pope, Pete Defazio,and Civitas Action
North Carolina isn't Iowa far from NYC, but it is far
"After the Muslims conquered Jerusalem, and Cordoba, and Constantinople they built victory mosques," 
@GOP "Organic" protests against the "Ground Zero Mosque" happened all over America. These were usually by Tea Party groups with the backing of ALEC, SPN, or American Enterprise Institute
nytimes.com/2010/08/08/us/…
@GOP The Southern Baptist Convention got very involved in condemning the Cordoba House
Richard Land, SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission would set up a website
No 9/11 Mosque and stir up hate in Evangelical Community
web.archive.org/web/2010081809…
@GOP Gary Bauer, of American Values, would get very involved
"Liberal talking heads often suggest that opposition to the mosque at Ground Zero is just thinly veiled bigotry. “How large should the mosque-free buffer zone around Ground Zero be?” 
@GOP Pamela Geller would go on to spend 100,000 protesting Islam and the Mosques by purchasing advertisements on NYC busses 
@GOP And the Southern Baptist Convention were involved early on the protests
web.archive.org/web/2010081818…
@GOP Pamela Geller would import the English Defense League for the 9/11anniversary protest of the "Ground Zero" mosque
theguardian.com/uk/2010/oct/10…
@GOP You could recognize the Christian Nationalists, from America or from England based on all the St. George Crosses 
@GOP In September of 2010 Virginia Gov McDonnell would speak at Family Research Council's Voters Value Summit, which has a Tea Party Theme against the "Ground Zero Mosque"
@GOP The campaign against the Ground Zero Mosque would then be followed up with a much larger campaign about the threats of Sharia Law
But it will be remembered as the first post Citizens United astroturf campaign
npr.org/2010/08/17/129…
@GOP hey @threadreaderapp unroll