Samuel Case, FISM News
President Joe Biden is facing backlash for saying Trump-supporting Republicans believe in “semi-fascism” and are a “threat” to democracy, including from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R), who said the president should apologize.
Speaking to Democrat donors in Maryland on Thursday, Biden said the country is seeing “either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy.”
“It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something: It’s like semi-fascism,” Biden said.
On Sunday, Sununu described Biden’s remarks as “horribly insulting,” when appearing on CNN’s State of the Union with Dana Bash.
The Governor said Biden effectively insulted “half of America,” with his comments. “He’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate.”
“It’s insulting,” Sununu added. “And people should be insulted by it. And he should apologize.”
“If I remember, this was the guy, the candidate at the time to be president, that said he was going to bring everybody together. And then to call half of America fascists, come on,” he later said. “He owes an apology. That’s not appropriate. That isn’t leadership.
NBC’s Peter Alexander similarly described Biden’s comments as “problematic” for a president “who said he wanted to be a unifier.”
NBC's Peter Alexander: Biden's insult of Republicans as 'semi-fascists' is "problematic because [Biden] is a guy who said he wanted to be a unifier." pic.twitter.com/4Tb7rJJL2q
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 28, 2022
During the interview, Bash asked if there is an element of fascism in the Republican party.
“Look, you can see elements of fascism and white supremacy in America. Let’s own that as Americans. There’s no doubt,” Sununu replied, saying it would be equally inappropriate to say all Democrats are “ultra-socialist communists that just want to bring down our free capitalistic market.”
On Friday White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended Biden’s comments.
I think he was pretty clear and he was very powerful last night. Look, what the president said last night was that when it comes to MAGA Republicans, when it comes to the extreme ultra wing of Republicans, they are attacking democracy. Right? They are attacking, taking away rights and freedoms.
Biden previously described “the MAGA crowd” as “the most extreme political organization” in modern American history.
Political cartoonist A.F. Branco highlighted the hypocrisy of Biden’s statement.
MSNBC: Biden changes tone calling MAGA the most "extreme political movement in history" pic.twitter.com/2pAHVXVNBp
— Joe McKinley (@bartmckinley) May 9, 2022