In a dramatic turn of events, Republican legislators in Washington State staged a walkout during Governor Jay Inslee's farewell address.
The abrupt exit was triggered by the outgoing Democrat governor's derogatory remarks about President-elect Donald Trump, whom he labeled a "would-be authoritarian." The incident occurred approximately 16 minutes into the address, which was seen by many as an attempt by Inslee to paint a positive picture of his controversial tenure.
According to The Post Millennial, the governor's comments sparked an immediate reaction from nearly a dozen Republican caucus members, including Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen), the state GOP chairman. Walsh expressed his disappointment in Inslee's speech, stating, "I really was hoping the outgoing governor was going to be gracious and high-minded. Instead, we got more of the same. Brittle, nervous sanctimony about his cap-and-trade tax scheme. Weird boasting about his disastrous mishandling of the Covid outbreaks. And then small-minded ad hominem attacks on Donald Trump."
Walsh further explained his decision to leave the chamber, stating, "When an actual 'would-be authoritarian' started attacking others for being would-be authoritarians, I'd had enough. I was either going to stand up and call out his hypocrisy or leave. For the sake of decorum and out of respect for the chamber, I walked off the floor."
Following the walkout, Rep. Chris Corry (R-Yakima) expressed his refusal to listen to Inslee's "false inflammatory claims" about the incoming President. Corry criticized Inslee for being the last governor in the nation to relinquish emergency powers, which he had held for 975 days during the Covid pandemic. These powers were used to enforce mask mandates, close schools and businesses, limit gatherings, and mandate Covid vaccines for state employees, leading to the termination of thousands of workers, including first responders.
Despite these stringent measures, and the controversial decision to place Covid-positive patients in nursing homes, Inslee claimed in his address that if the rest of the country had followed Washington's approach to the pandemic, nearly half a million lives could have been saved. This statement was met with skepticism and criticism from many, including Corry, who said, "When he decided to flip on his pure partisan mode, which he's really good at going into and he started referring to our duly elected president-elect as 'a would-be authoritarian,' I was done.
Corry also accused Inslee of shutting out the legislature and resisting attempts to check his executive powers. He further criticized the outgoing governor for resorting to personal attacks and blame games, and suggested that Inslee's bitterness might stem from his unsuccessful presidential run, which cost Washington taxpayers millions of dollars.
Despite the contentious end to Inslee's tenure, Corry expressed optimism about the future, noting that many people were relieved to see the governor leave office. He criticized Inslee's combative approach, stating, "There was a lot of angst against working with the Inslee administration because it was typical that anytime there was something he disagreed with, he would attack you personally. He did that to, not just to Republicans, he would do that to Democrats. It was his way or the highway.
Under Inslee's leadership, Washington State saw a significant decline in safety, affordability, and homelessness rankings, and a budget deficit of $10-17 billion, despite record revenue. Freshman Rep. Matt Marshall (R-Eatonville), who also participated in the walkout, expressed his commitment to unity and progress, stating, I am here to serve the 2nd District and foster unity, not division. It is disheartening to witness the Governor resort to falsehoods and exclusionary rhetoric in his address. I urge my colleagues to join me in collaborative efforts to bring all Washingtonians together for a shared vision of progress and unity.
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