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From ‘Deplorables’ to ‘Garbage,’ Democrats Embrace Insults, Intolerance in the Trump Era

Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2024
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Credit: Fox News

Since former President Donald Trump’s first presidential run in 2016, his opponents have thrown an endless series of derogatory terms toward him and supporters. But while some terms attracted scandal eight years ago and even energized the Trump base, the Democrats’ penchant for smearing MAGA supporters and other dissident groups has become a central part of their messaging as Trump appears poised to make a return to the White House.

President Joe Biden’s Tuesday evening comment in which he appeared to refer to Trump’s supporters as “garbage” marked only the latest instance of Democrats affixing a pejorative label to the former president and his supporters.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment during the 2016 campaign backfired spectacularly and saw Trump supporters embrace the label for themselves. The remark drew comparisons to Mitt Romney’s 2012 comment about 47% of Americans, which was similarly a last-minute own goal in a presidential campaign.

Trump’s ascent to the presidency led to further escalations of the rhetoric against his supporters that never let up once he left office. President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and party leaders have used nearly every opportunity to link Trump and his supporters to the Nazi movement, often on flimsy or ahistorical pretexts. 

The former president has argued that the rhetoric prompted two assassination attempts against him and has potentially normalized targeting his supporters. But the Republicans have not been the sole object of Democratic and left-wing attacks, which have spread to other groups out of step with the party line. Here’s a look at some of the biggest examples:

“Garbage”

Biden’s Tuesday evening retort came as Harris delivered her “closing argument” speech on The Ellipse near the White House and amid fallout from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been,” Biden said. The remark drew immediate backlash, managed to largely overshadow Harris’s own event, and seemed to undercut Democratic outrage over Hinchcliffe.

The White House later provided a bowdlerized transcript that read “supporter’s” and Biden himself clarified that he was referring to Hinchcliffe’s comments. Depite the addition of the apostophe, Harris was forced to distance herself from Biden’s comment, saying “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” when pressed on the matter.

Republicans, for their part, aren’t buying Biden’s explanation.

“The most recent comment is outrageous, yeah. But again, it’s nothing new,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast. “But the mainstream media is trying to cover up. ‘Oh, there’s an apostrophe behind that. He was talking about their, you know, the supporter’s rhetoric.’” 

“No, he’s talking about the supporters. It’s obvious. It’s been obvious for a long time,” he insisted. “Biden’s been accusing half of America of being potential domestic terrorists, and Kamala Harris again, Nazi lovers … Hillary Clinton: ‘deplorables.’”

“Nazis” and “Fascists”

While remarks linking conservative figures to Adolf Hitler, fascism, or the Nazi Party have been common for decades, such comparisons rarely found voice with high-ranking politicians until the Trump era. “What we’re seeing now is the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy,” Biden said in 2022, ahead of the midterm elections. “It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the – I’m going to say something, it’s like semi-fascism.”

Harris, for her part, recently agreed that Trump was a “fascist” when pressed on the matter by CNN, responding simply “Yes, I do.”

Democratic allies in the legacy media, moreover, used Trump’s recent rally in Madison Square Garden to further that narrative, drawing comparisons to a 1939 Nazi rally at the same venue, which has also hosted rallies by Democratic icons such as FDR, JFK, Adlai Stevenson, and the Clintons.

“In that place, it’s particularly chilling, because in 1939, more than 20,000 supporters of a different fascist leader, Adolf Hitler, packed the Garden for a so-called ‘pro-America rally,’” MSNBC declared. “Now, against that backdrop of history, Donald Trump … is once again turning Madison Square Garden into a staging ground for extremism.”

Antisemitism

In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas raid on Israel, pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupted across the nation, especially at left-wing universities. The Combat Antisemitism Movement in September released a report documenting 127 antisemitic incidents in a single week, of which 101 or 79.5%, were acts of the political far left. Just this week, an Orthodox Jewish man was shot in Chicago by a man allegedly screaming “Free Palestine” and “Allahu Akbar.”

The surge in such activities prompted concerns of antisemitism and led to a now-notorious congressional hearing in which the leaders of multiple prestigious schools failed to clearly condemn antisemitism.

Harris, for her part, has tried to curry favor with Muslim-Americans by repeating allegations that Israel is conducting a genocide in Gaza amid its ongoing war with Hamas. “How about the billions of dollars to Israel?” a protester recently said at a Harris event. “What about the 19,000 children dead, and you won’t call it a genocide?” “Listen, what he’s talking about, it’s real,” Harris said, according to Fox News. “That’s not the subject that I came to discuss today, but it’s real, and I respect his voice.”

The “basket of deplorables”

Trump supporters have largely brushed off many of the pejoratives and jokingly embraced others. Clips went viral of a multiracial group of rallygoers at Madison Square Garden laughing about being “Nazis” in the eyes of the media. Others have posted videos of themselves arriving to vote while wearing garbage bags.

But of the many monikers thrown at them, Trump supporters have embraced none more than “deplorable,” after Clinton used it to refer to what she viewed as a bigoted component of his base.

“You know, just to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. They’re racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it,” Clinton said.

Trump’s supporters appropriated the term and, in 2016, parodied promotional materials for the “Les Miserables” musical with Facebook cover photos blaring the words “Les Deplorables.”

Reprinted with permission from Just The News by Ben Whedon.

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.

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Max
Max
8 days ago

Again, all the Democrats and supporters are doing is to follow the Nazi antics of taking over Germany and then leading to reducing the country to rubble in World War II. This is what will happen to our nation if the Democrats stay in power — Socialist States of America. A nightmare is coming if the wrong party is put in the WH and Congress.

Marie Saqueton
Marie Saqueton
8 days ago

Satan must be very happy with these Democrats who has nothing to offer but their mean labels on Trump and his supporters. Their brain is so polluted with hate that they cannot articulate well and nothing comes out of their mouths but filth. These are not the kind of people we want to lead us and make us respected again in the world stage. Trump is what God wants us to put back in office as he was saved twice to show us who can do the job, even better than what he even did in his past four years, now that he knows the people in the SWAMP that sabotages his agenda. God is guiding him now and no one can betray him as God will punish them. Thank you Lord for your protection to our hero and for bringing him back to save us. Amen.

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
8 days ago

So they bend over backwards to apologize and rationalize calling half America “garbage” but its ok to call us misogynist racist white supremacist insurrectionists fascist nazi deplorables clinging to our guns & religion? Or is the apostrophes in the wrong place in those words too?

uncleferd
uncleferd
8 days ago

“Democrats” feel entitled to control other people’s personal opinions, observations, and, ultimately, their entire personal lives. Of course, non- “democrats” are far more informed, personally mature, and emotionally stable than “democrats”. “Democrats” need “overseers” to ensure they don’t malfunction so badly as, say, Joe Biden or his wayward son, Hunter. Who would have thought that a laptop computer would require its’ own prophylactic to shield it from all those “contaminants” flying around in that hotel room?? HOW could ANYONE have approved Biden’s Presidential candidacy… or had him (obviously) under supervision of an un-elected party when he was “President”??? Whatever it all means, it’s sick stuff… and, today, we need our voters to be far more judicious than to entertain the candidacy of a non-manager like Harris, who won’t define her policy positions(??!!), or speak honestly of her own past, her political opposition, or her motivations.

anna hubert
anna hubert
8 days ago

Garbage and basket of deplorables, that is the attitude of a feudal lord toward the serf who kept him fed, warm, clean and comfortable. without whom the lord would perish not knowing how to fend for himself totally ignorant of the fact there was such endeavor as work which serf performed form the sunset to the night The true character can’t be hidden behind the fake smiles and jollity. This should be the last drop even for the most obtuse.

Sean Rickman
Sean Rickman
8 days ago

What the democrats call us is kind of a badge of honor.Their insults just show that our side must be an irritation of the intense kind.The main thing is that we know what we stand for and we and the leftists know what their agenda is.It really doesn’t work for the average AMERICAN citizen.

Steve
Steve
8 days ago

So some comic said a negative joke and and the rag free press spun it that Mr . Trump said it . The nutjobs are foaming at the mouth . I commend Uncle Joe to be able to put together a sentence , go back in the basement now . Hilary has no intelligent dialog just hate . Who is the party of hate ??

Lawrence Greenberg
Lawrence Greenberg
8 days ago

The performance record of the Democrats, in all areas of importance, has been disastrous, so they know they cannot discuss the issues or they will be made to look like fools. So they engage in insults and making false accusations, and with the help of their media whores, they are able to get away with most of it.

Randall L. Beatty
Randall L. Beatty
5 days ago

They are trying to do damage control saying that Biden did mean the garbage remark but yes he did they just want to keep Biden looking great till he runs out of the White House since not doing nothing but sitting in the White House and doing nothing he is by far the worst so called president I do not have any respect for him he and Harris have done nothing for this country and now they want her as president show what the Dems up there really care about it for sure is not the people of this country ( citizens ) the do care about illegals more then us, they have made this country weak we need to get them out of the White House and out of Washington before the run this country into the ground.

Shellback1181
Shellback1181
7 days ago

I’d rather be a deplorable and garbage, than a moron democrap.

ref
ref
7 days ago

I wish someone would do a study on Kamala’s use of her her jazz hands. Every time someone challenges her she throws up her hands in a protective posture as if to shield her from any comment that she doesn’t like or that goes against her radical extreme left wing socialist positions.
It’s really irritating, detracting, and very disrespectful. Or maybe it’s just that she has no plan for anything worthwhile for the people of America.

Mark
Mark
7 days ago

The party of “Joy.” x.com/ChiefTrumpster/status/1850583454469025880 This is what the media and the Harris camp have created. While they are being unhinged by a Trump Rally in Madison Square Garden, labeling it a “Nazi Rally”, they seem to forget that Israel has an entire city named after Trump. Oh, how low they have fallen when essentially illustrating Israel is the new Nazi Germany. I am sure many like minded individuals who have been protesting at college campuses across the U.S. calling for the destruction of Israel would likely agree. This is your party of “Joy.” The same party that finds it hard to be a part of group functions such as religion, holidays, the family unit, and even recreation. Yes, it has been said only white supremacist work out. It seems the only group function they don’t find abhorrent is looting, and of course grouping together at a Harris rally using monikers such as “Garbage”, “irredeemable”, “deplorable”, “homophobic”, “transphobic”, “fascists”, “Nazis”, “racists”, “unintelligent”, “weak” “sexist”, “xenophobic”, “Islamiphobic”, and “scum”…just to name a few. Interesting to note that this is the same group of people that doubles down on their monikers and call Trump supporters “cultists”, while not grasping the irony of their own radical following behind a party of “Joy;” while being unhinged, and not to mention a “vote blue no matter who” rally cry. It really is no wonder why the assassination attempts, while also being mostly quiet about it, and not even doing anything about the uncovered Iranian plots of continued assassination attempts. If Geo Political Foes such as Iran, Putin, and China who have all tossed their endorsements to the Harris campaign while also plotting assassination attempts and hacking into the Trump campaign then sharing it with the current administration, it makes one wonder what this party of “Joy” really is.

Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
7 days ago

WHAT IF SHE WINS?… You think Hillary had a meltdown when she lost to Trump. Can you imagine her reaction if Comrade Kamala wins? APOPLECTIC won’t even describe it!! 🙂 LOL

Bernard Paul Giroux
Bernard Paul Giroux
8 days ago

Better a Deplorable than a Reprehensible, leading us down the Road To Serfdom and Marxism.

Granny26
Granny26
8 days ago

Biden needs to be in a home for people with dementia. And he sure shouldn’t be allowed on TV. He doesn’t even know who or where he is most the time. He is a disaster.

Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
7 days ago

Treat “USA American” and the others as I treat the KKK, ANTIFA, and BLM….
YOU IGNORE THEM! answering their rhetoric only empowers them to do even more.

Dan W.
Dan W.
8 days ago

Did anybody actually listen to the speakers at the Madison Square Garden rally?

When it comes to insults, the Dems are rank amateurs.

Scent of orange
Scent of orange
8 days ago

Here’s a group of people that don’t like dudes in makeup voting for a guy that’s all makeup lol

Navy Blue AMAC Action Weekly Update
Donald Trump speaking to supporters at an immigration policy speech at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
“All the nations of the world — friend or foe — will find that America is strong, America is proud, and America is free.” (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

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