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MaddowBlog-As Trump says he 'hates' Democrats, he's echoing authoritarians (again)
The president wants us to believe that his political opponents literally don’t count, are inherently unpatriotic, and are worthy of his hatred.
As Trump talks about how much he “hates†Democrats and suggests they literally don’t count, remember:
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-07-07T12:01:06.391Z
One of the hallmarks of any authoritarian regime is delegitimizing the political opposition. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-says-hates-democrats-s-echoing-authoritarians-rcna217177
Or put another way, by Trump’s estimation, the Democratic minority in the chamber, in a rather literal sense, didn’t count.
Hours earlier, the Republican spoke at a rally in Iowa, where he shared some related thoughts about his political opposition. NBC News reported:
He didn’t appear to be kidding.
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3lt3ypddnsg26
To be sure, the rhetoric probably didn’t surprise many. After all, during his 2024 candidacy, Trump described Americans he disagreed with as “evil,” and condemned Democrats — not just in Congress, but Democratic voters in general — as “the enemy within.”
But that doesn’t mean his latest rhetorical escalation is unimportant.
Right off the bat, it’s worth noting that the comments generated headlines because they were so unusual: In the American tradition, elected leaders, especially around Independence Day, have never voiced public “hatred” for those who dare to disagree with them. It was a timely reminder that Trump apparently doesn’t see himself as the president of the whole country, so much as he sees himself as the head of “Red America.”.....
But stepping back, as important as these elements are, there’s another angle to this that arguably matters more. Different political scientists define the nuances of authoritarianism in different ways, but I think most would agree that a hallmark of any despotic regime is the delegitimization of political opposition.
It’s against this backdrop that the incumbent president, using language foreign to American ears, wants the public to believe that his partisan opponents literally don’t count, are inherently unpatriotic, and are worthy of his hatred.
Hours earlier, the Republican spoke at a rally in Iowa, where he shared some related thoughts about his political opposition. NBC News reported:
Every Democrat in Congress voted against the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ many fiercely criticizing the expected cuts it would bring to Medicaid. ‘They wouldn’t vote only because they hate Trump, but I hate them, too, you know?’ Trump said. ‘I really do. I hate them. I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country.’
He didn’t appear to be kidding.
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3lt3ypddnsg26
Link to tweet
To be sure, the rhetoric probably didn’t surprise many. After all, during his 2024 candidacy, Trump described Americans he disagreed with as “evil,” and condemned Democrats — not just in Congress, but Democratic voters in general — as “the enemy within.”
But that doesn’t mean his latest rhetorical escalation is unimportant.
Right off the bat, it’s worth noting that the comments generated headlines because they were so unusual: In the American tradition, elected leaders, especially around Independence Day, have never voiced public “hatred” for those who dare to disagree with them. It was a timely reminder that Trump apparently doesn’t see himself as the president of the whole country, so much as he sees himself as the head of “Red America.”.....
But stepping back, as important as these elements are, there’s another angle to this that arguably matters more. Different political scientists define the nuances of authoritarianism in different ways, but I think most would agree that a hallmark of any despotic regime is the delegitimization of political opposition.
It’s against this backdrop that the incumbent president, using language foreign to American ears, wants the public to believe that his partisan opponents literally don’t count, are inherently unpatriotic, and are worthy of his hatred.