DOTHAN — In his speech to the Houston County GOP on Monday, Alabama Republican Party chairman John Wahl emphasized taking political action, removing sexually explicit material from libraries and teaching children the meaning of freedom.
"We got Donald Trump elected, but our country is still in a battle for the heart and the soul of what we believe and who we are," said Wahl.
"We got a four-year reprieve, and that's tremendous," he added. "But the battle isn't over. It's just starting… The other side is still fully engaged. They're licking their wounds…and they are going to be back stronger than ever in 2026 and 2028. We have got to stay engaged in the process and make sure that we're fighting for what we believe in."
"Ronald Reagan was fighting…socialism from without the Soviet Union," Wahl continued. "Our battle today is socialism from within… This is no longer a hidden agenda. This is open."
He warned, "They have to do three things… They have to destroy local communities. They have to destroy the family unit, and they have to destroy faith in Almighty God."
Wahl reviewed his work as chairman of the Alabama Public Library Service Board.
"There are so many good librarians and good library board members in the state of Alabama who have been framed by the few who have not stood up for what's right," he noted.
He criticized the former head of the American Library Association, Emily Drabinski, who called herself "a Marxist lesbian" in 2022.
"It is not unreasonable to make sure that sexually explicit books are moved out of the children's sections," contended Wahl. "…Parents should make the decision on what their children are exposed to, not unelected government bureaucrats."
Wahl praised President Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and called for cutting federal funding as the first step to returning control to parents and the state level.
"I would love to see an Alabama First-centered curriculum," he suggested. "…Take Common Core out, critical race theory out, take DEI out, take the social agenda out. Let's actually teach learning again…reading, writing, and arithmetic."
Regarding election integrity, he stated, "Even more important than voter ID is you should have to prove your citizenship… I think that would solve most of the problems."
Wahl encouraged Republicans to follow the bold, winning examples of President Donald Trump, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
"Don't be afraid to be bold," he urged. "…If you're a Republican elected official and you're not being hit, you're probably not in your job… We just need to stand up for what we believe in, have common sense, and speak boldly about it."
Wahl continued, "We had a dinner with Don Jr. back on April 3, and he mentioned Alabama by name. He was like, Alabama's an example of what states could do to be more engaged in the process."
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