Everyone from PBS to Rachel Maddow on CBS is freaking out over Donald Trump promising to root out the “vermin” from the radical left. Out came the allegedly nonpartisan historians like Ruth Ben-Ghiat to explain that Trump sounds almost exactly like Hitler. It doesn't matter that as president, Trump implemented a range of policies that were pro-Israel. They have to spread that "beware the authoritarian" messaging. They just can't let go...even if it helps Trump. Even if Trump wants them to trash him.
But they can’t find outrage when leftists described Republicans as a “crazed swarm of right-wing locusts.” That reduction of the GOP to insects came from NAACP leader Julian Bond in a National Press Club speech in 1998.
Mr. Bond said: "[Reagan] brought to power a band of financial and ideological profiteers who descended on the nation's capital like a crazed swarm of right-wing locusts bent on destroying the rules and the laws that protect our people from poisoned air and water, and from greed."
Did anyone think Julian Bond was some kind of dehumanizing authoritarian? No. It wasn't a story to them, only to The Washington Times and some conservative news-busters. Bill D'Agostino dug out the video:
The networks that tore their hair out over Donald Trump talking about "vermin" on the radical left paid NO attention in May 1998 when NAACP chairman Julian Bond called Republicans a "crazed swarm of right-wing locusts."
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) November 15, 2023
Detestable pests that destroy. (via @Banned_Bill) pic.twitter.com/zb8w9OFjyb
Bond also tagged Republicans as "the running dogs of the wacky radical right," so are we bugs or dogs? When anyone decries Republican "dog whistles," they're dehumanizing the GOP voters.
Anyone on Twitter knows leftists love to decry Trump's fans as in ignorant “MAGAts,” and maggots are definitely vermin.
Recent tweets from the left included "Trump "Jim Jones'ed" a lot of foolish MAGAts during the outbreak by telling them that Lysol could be consumed to kill the virus many of them were stupid enough to try it." And: "Do you despise MAGAtS like I do? In many ways I loathe them more than this cockroach [Trump pictured]. They are his foot soldiers of stupid….."
Enjoy the podcast below, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
