Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe President Biden’s recent statements suggesting supporters of former President Donald Trump endorse “semi-fascism” and “extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic” has increased division across the country, a new poll shows.
An even higher proportion of Democrats — 73% — believe Biden’s comments about former President Donald Trump’s fans were divisive, according to an I&I/TIPP Poll of 1,277 voters published Monday.
By contrast, just 50% of Republicans believe the commander-in-chief drove Americans further apart with his controversial statements.
As Biden kicked off his electioneering drive ahead of the November midterms, he used an Aug. 25 Democratic National Committee rally in Rockville to paint a sharp contract between Democrats and the “semi-fascism” philosophy he said was held by Republicans who back Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.
“We’re seeing now either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA agenda,” Biden raged at the time. “It’s not just Trump … It’s almost semi-fascism.”
Biden bashed Trump and “MAGA Republicans” in an August speech. Getty ImagesThe majority of those polled — 58% — believe Biden’s remarks were “uncouth” and a politically biased use of his White House position.
Only 30% disagreed with that notion, according to the poll.
The poll also found that 55% of Americans feared Biden’s characterization of Trump supporters “endanger Americans’ First Amendment rights to free speech and free assembly,” while only 34% disagreed.
Biden copped widespread criticism for his remarks as he urged Democrats, independents and mainstream Republicans” to turn out to the polls on Nov. 8 to fight off “extreme” Trump supporters.
Over 2/3 of Americans thought Biden’s comments were divisive. REUTERS“We’re at a serious moment in our nation’s history,” Biden said. “The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security, they’re a threat to our very democracy. They refuse to accept the will of the people, they embrace political violence.
“What’s happened is there are not many real Republicans anymore … I respect conservative Republicans, I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.”
Biden’s comments — and the latest poll results — are in stark contrast to the vow he gave during his 2021 inauguration speech in which he said he would “unify” the country after the Trump administration.
Biden urged voters to go to the polls to fend off Trump supporters. AFP via Getty ImagesThe online poll of 1,277 adults, which was taken between Sept. 7-9, has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2.8 percentage points.
