McConnell and Johnson condemn extremist rhetoric (Harris)

Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

John Kellywho once served as chief of staff Donald Trumpshocked the political world this week when he said in an interview that his former boss fit the definition of a fascist and warned of the possibility of a second Trump term. “Of course, the former president belongs to the extreme right, he is definitely an authoritarian person, he admires dictatorial people – he said this. So he definitely fits the general definition of a fascist,” he told the newspaper. New York Time.

The words of a retired four-star Marine general quickly took on new life when they were repurposed into advertising. Kamala Harris election campaign and turn it into side remarks from the vice president. During a CNN appearance Wednesday, Harris said that voters “care about our democracy and making sure the United States does not have a president who admires dictators and is a fascist.”

On Friday, Harris’ acceptance of Kelly’s criticism drew a pushback from the Senate Majority Leader. Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnsonissued a rare joint statement condemning her rhetoric. Republican congressional leaders have accused Harris of appearing to be an assassination attempt on Trump, writing that she “only fanned the flames of a seething cauldron of political animosity” despite calls for civility after a foiled attack last month.

“A man caught in an ambush in Florida left a chilling call to arms for others: ‘Now you have to finish the job.’ Labeling a political opponent a “fascist” could result in yet another would-be assassin attempting to rob their chosen voters before Election Day,” they wrote.
McConnell and Johnson say they have been briefed on potential threats to Trump’s life and that they call on Harris to “stop escalating the threat and help ensure that President Trump has the necessary resources to defend against these threats.”

The Republican statement notably made no mention of Trump’s own rhetoric, which has become increasingly inflammatory as Election Day approaches. In recent days, the former president called Democrats “evil” and suggested using the National Guard or Army to fight “Radical left-wing lunatics.” While McConnell and Johnson specifically condemn Harris for using the term “fascist,” they fail to acknowledge that the word is also Trump’s favorite insult. “She’s a Marxist, a communist, a fascist, a socialist,” he said. said Harris during a rally in Arizona last month.

Trump’s allies have also been surprisingly cavalier about potential threats against Harris. Elon Musk joked about someone making an attempt on the life of the vice president, speaking it would be “pointless” to do so. During a speech at a dinner in Georgia last month, Trump’s vice presidential nominee JD Vance, accused the left of incendiary rhetoric noting, “In the last couple of months, no one has tried to kill Kamala Harris, and in the last couple of months, two people have tried to kill Donald Trump.”

“Someone will get hurt by this and it will destroy this country. Someone is going to get hurt,” Vance said at the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition dinner. “And you will think about what an incredible wound this will open up for the United States of America, for all of us, and I promise that I will do everything I can to tone down the rhetoric.”