“You know what I mean”
White House defends accusation of ‘half-fascism’
08/26/2022, 11:13 p.m
With a sensational speech, US President Biden intervened in the election campaign before the congressional elections in November. But a remark he made before journalists also made headlines. The White House is now defending the slogan of “half fascism”.
The White House has defended US President Joe Biden’s fascism comparison with the Republican Party. During an election campaign, the President of the Democrats described the philosophy of parts of the political competition as “almost like half fascism”. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre justified this: “He described it for what it is.” Biden himself was also asked what exactly he meant. His answer: “You know what I mean. “
Biden’s spokeswoman Jean-Pierre replied to several inquiries about his statements that parts of the Republicans wanted to take away people’s rights and freedoms, attacked democracy and the right to vote and threatened violence. “It’s very clear. And that’s why he gave this powerful speech.”
On Thursday evening (local time) in Rockville near the capital Washington, Biden presented the congressional elections in November as a directional decision. Above all, he took on the part of the party that he calls “MAGA Republicans”. MAGA stands for former President Donald Trump’s campaign motto: “Make America Great Again”. At a reception before his actual speech, Biden spoke of an “extreme MAGA philosophy”. Then he added: “It’s almost like half fascism.”
In the congressional election on November 8th – in the middle of Biden’s term in office – all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and about a third of the seats in the Senate will be up for re-election. There are also gubernatorial elections in many states. According to polls, the Republicans have a good chance of gaining a majority in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, on the other hand, it is not clear who will have the upper hand. Without a majority in at least one chamber of Congress, Biden’s Democrats would have little chance of passing legislation. The congressional election is therefore of crucial importance for the remaining two years of the President’s term.