GOP: Joe Biden Acting Like ‘Radical Authoritarian,’ Targeting Political Opponents as ‘Domestic Terrorists’

US President Joe Biden speaks about the soul of the nation, outside of Independence Nation
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty
Joshua Klein

Following President Joe Biden’s speech Thursday night outlining the supposed dangers former President Donald Trump and his supporters pose to democracy, Republican officials blasted the inflammatory remarks, accusing the president of viewing his political opponents as “domestic terrorists.”

In his address, Biden called on Americans to “stop” MAGA Republicans, whom he consistently cast as a dark force against democracy in his “Soul of the Nation” prime-time effort near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Much of the president’s dark and brooding speech focused on demonizing MAGA Republicans, and at one point he appeared to suggest Americans take up the mantle of isolating Trump supporters.

Later, the president encouraged Americans to fight against the dark and wicked ideology, as he characterized MAGA Republicans as a minority, despite 70 million Americans who cast their vote for Donald Trump.

In response, Republicans took to Twitter to slam the president’s divisive remarks. 

“Angry man smears half of the people of the country he is supposed to lead & promised to unite,” wrote Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).

“We’ve never had a president so full of hate towards half the country,” wrote Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN).

“Divider-in-Chief!” he added.

“Joe Biden and the Radical Left in Washington are dismantling American democracy before our very eyes,” wrote House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

“Instead of trying to bring our country together to solve the MANY problems he has created, President Biden has chosen to divide, demean, and disparage his fellow Americans—simply because they disagree with his  policies,” wrote 

“Mr. President: you owe millions of Americans an apology,” he added.

“Tonight, Joe Biden vilified millions of Americans in a divisive & angry speech that was detached from the reality of his political failures,” wrote Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

“He isn’t actually interested in restoring the soul of the nation, he’s only interested [in] pitting his fellow Americans against one another,” he added.

“Joe Biden’s hate-filled and menacing rhetoric tonight was disgraceful,” wrote Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “His behavior is increasingly erratic. And his threats against half the country – his fellow citizens – are dangerous.”

“Biden: ‘This is a nation that rejects violence as a political tool.’ WRONG. The Biden administration promotes it,” wrote Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO).

“After much soul searching, President Biden has decided the greatest threat to American values are his political opponents,” wrote Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK).

“It’s audacious for a president who calls his political opponents ‘semi-fascist’ to be lecturing America about decency,” he wrote in another tweet.

“Biden and Democrats have spent the last two years restricting your freedoms in the name of their agenda,” wrote Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

“The extreme MAGA agenda is securing the border, reducing inflation, lowering taxes, and upholding the Constitution,” she wrote in another tweet.

“Never before has a President shown such hatred for his fellow Americans,” wrote Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).

“Biden says, ‘We The People’ but if you don’t agree with him, you’re labeled an extremist,” she wrote in another tweet. 

“Joe Biden labeled parents as terrorists. He had his secret police kick in Trump’s door. Now he’s lecturing us on ‘protecting democracy,’” wrote Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX).

“JOE BIDEN IS THE FASCIST!!” he added.

 

“The only thing worse than Biden’s speech trashing his fellow citizens is wrapping himself in our flag and Marines to do it,” wrote Rep. Darrell Issa (CA).

“Biden is wrong. Loving this country isn’t a threat. It’s an honor,” he wrote in another tweet.

“That was a campaign speech under the guise of a presidential address,” wrote Sen. Tim Scott (R-FL). “Instead of focusing on issues impacting Americans, Biden demonized half the country to distract from his failures.” 

“We need leaders who work to make this nation stronger & safer, instead of tearing us apart,” he added.

“Joe Biden ran on unity and togetherness. Tonight’s divisive and tone deaf speech is a culmination of his team’s work and rhetoric,” wrote Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX).

“This Administration has villainized any American that does not agree with their radical far-left agenda,” he added.

“Tonight, Joe Biden spoke about ‘unity’ and ‘democracy’ after behaving as a radical authoritarian, tearing apart America and using the DOJ to target his political opponents,” wrote Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL). 

“After promising to ‘heal the soul of the nation,’ Joe Biden has resorted to name-calling because the incompetent Marxists running his White House created an inflation crisis, an energy crisis, a border crisis, and a recession,” she added in another tweet.

“Is Joe about to announce the round up of all the Trump voters? Pure hate speech if there ever was one,” wrote former Gov. Mike Huckabee. “Is it a full moon?”

“Joe Biden just declared all of us enemies of the state. Biden is a danger to us all,” wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

“Joe Biden MUST BE IMPEACHED!!” she added.

“Angry. Divisive. Political. Stubborn. Failure,” wrote GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

“Our founding fathers are rolling in their graves,” wrote Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).

“The ‘Unity President’ views his political opponents as domestic terrorists,” wrote Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC).

“I hear this raving lunatic attacked half the country tonight because they don’t agree with his liberal agenda to spend us into oblivion, open our borders, and send an army of IRS agents into our homes,” wrote Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL).

“I’m pretty happy being on the opposite side of that guy,” he added.

This was not the first time the president denigrated tens of millions of American Republicans.

In May, President Biden attacked MAGA in remarks about the then impending Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 abortion case.

Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.

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