Kamala Harris was in the news again recently, inflammatory claims and all.
“There are… many,” she said in a BBC interview about businesses and industries that have chosen to work with the current administration, “that have capitulated since day one, who are bending the knee at the foot of a tyrant….”
Such comments, particularly following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, are not only troubling but seem to forecast difficult times for our republic.
But are these claims warranted? I don’t think so.
The truth is, Democrats are known for making such statements, as a look back at 2024 makes clear.
Harris herself called President Trump a fascist in a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper back in 2024, even as Nancy Pelosi and Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly made similar claims around the same time as Harris. Such timing reveals coordination, which also suggests that the claims reflect a tactic more than a deeply held belief, designed to bail out the Democrats when they are losing. A closer examination of the facts related to both parties regarding the charges of “fascism,” “authoritarianism,” “king,” or what will you, tell a different story than the one Democrats want us to believe.
To begin with, when Democrats accuse Republicans of operating in a dictatorial manner, the circumstances are much more mitigating than when the Democrats are accused of acting in a similar fashion. Take a current issue as an example. When Trump sent ICE agents into towns to enforce our immigration laws – perhaps the most popular reason given lately by the left to prove that Trump is a “king” – what is left out is the fact that it is largely the left itself (as well as establishment Republicans) who are responsible for creating such a crisis by refusing to enforce our immigration laws, and that, at its most basic assessment, the president is arguably only trying to get something under control where others have failed.
The circumstances are not so forgiving when it comes to the Democrats. When considering their most egregious examples of government-overreach – namely Crossfire Hurricane and Arctic Frost – no such mitigating factors exist, and they are revealed as cynical government strongmen, willing to use whatever illegal means necessary to destroy their opponents, as Trump’s numerous acquittals prove. These acts have the added effect of undercutting their second favorite argument for why Trump is an authoritarian, namely, that he weaponized government against his opponents, thereby revealing their own hypocrisy, even while giving Trump a justification for investigations of James Comey, John Bolton, and others.
Be it therefore resolved that, when Democrats and media call the current administration authoritarian, they don’t really mean it, for they have a history of using such talking points when they feel they are losing the argument.
Be it further resolved that, when they claim to want to lessen political violence in our country, they are talking out of both sides of their mouth, because it is they who are verbally contributing to such violence by their inflammatory language.
And be it finally resolved that, whereas the current administration has the benefit of context and history as mitigating factors for its current actions regarding the ICE crackdowns, the Democrats have no such benefit, so in the end it is they – not we – who are more rightly imputed with the designation of fascist.
Along with his father, Allen Keller runs a lumber business in Stevenson, Alabama. He has a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Florida State University and an MBA from University of Virginia. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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