The White House on Wednesday pushed back against GOP criticism that President Joe Biden has abandoned his promise to unify the country following his condemnation of “extreme” Republicans.
During the daily press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre singled out several Republican lawmakers who have endorsed violence as examples of a dangerous pattern of right-wing rhetoric. She said the president’s messaging against this kind of behavior has been “consistent.”
“Rep. Paul Gosar has posted videos depicting him attacking the President and members of Congress,” Jean-Pierre said. “Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicly expressed support for shooting prominent Democratic elected officials and suggesting physically assaulting transgender school officials.”
Jean-Pierre also named Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) who has pushed baseless election fraud allegations and warned of “bloodshed,” and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor called Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, a “little elf” and said he should be chucked “across the Potomac.”
“There has been a consistent callout from the president about what he’s seeing from an extreme part of — of this party, of the Republican Party. And historians, I would argue, would say the same,” Jean-Pierre said.
Last week, Biden said Trump’s Make America Great Again movement was akin to “semi-fascism,” urging people to come to the polls in November.
“What we’re seeing now, is either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy,” Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser in Maryland. “It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the ... I’m going to say something: It’s like semi-fascism.”
Republicans did not respond well to Biden’s criticism, with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) demanding an apology and accusing Biden of “trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election.”
Jean-Pierre stressed that Biden’s comments did not apply to every single Republican, offering up Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) as an example of a conservative who doesn’t subscribe to extremist ideology.
The press secretary went on to call Trump an “authoritarian figure” and added that Biden won’t shy away from taking a stand against language that incites violence.
The White House has recently gone on the offensive to tout the administration’s record, including the passage of major legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, but also to present a contrast with the Republican Party’s most extreme voices.
The Biden administration used the White House Twitter account to call out hypocrisy by Republican lawmakers who condemned Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan but benefited from Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness during the pandemic.