Republican politicians and some voters will claim that systemic racism does not exist. My Sociology professor had us watch a video in class and I was grateful to have something I can show the next person who claims that systemic racism is just a “woke” ideology from critical race theory.
I think GOP politicians make those claims as a way of covering for their base, a lot of which happens to be a bit racist. It could also be a way of assuaging the guilt they feel and perhaps they think maybe their voters feel as well.