No MS NOW Pushback As Obeidallah Calls Vance 'The Nice, Softer Side of Fascism'

On Saturday's edition of The Weekend: Primetime on MS NOW, contributor Dean Obeidallah delivered yet another unhinged smear, branding Vice President JD Vance the "nice, warm, softer side of fascism." Notably, none of the hosts pushed back on the outrageous accusation.

The segment began with a discussion of supposed Democrat messaging problems on inflation. After playing a clip of Vance on The View, Obeidallah pounced:

"Can I just say it's nice seeing JD Vance on The View -- it's like seeing the nice, soft, softer, warm side of fascism. I think it's kind of nice to have him out there, the authoritarianism. I'm gonna make it nice, I'm gonna laugh at your jokes and stuff like that. I'm gonna mansplain to you and say what Donald Trump said."

The hosts let Obeidallah's fascism accusation go entirely unchallenged. No need for "fact checking in real time."

While noting that midterms are typically referendums on the president, Obeidallah recommended that instead of just attacking Trump and Vance, Democrats should get "bold":

"Democrats, be bold. Don't be timid. This is your time to lean in. Start laying the groundwork for 2028 [at] this time. I give the example of Zohran Mamdani in New York being specific on policy where people go, if that gets enacted, that will make my and my family's life better."

But whereas Obeidallah recommended that Democrats not focus on the "Trump is terrible" angle and instead talk about what they're going to do [like Mamdani!] to improve people's lives, host Ayman Mohyeldin couldn't stay away from the Trump-bashing, wanting to talk about his "grift."

Obeidallah piled on:

"This is very much like an emperor or a king completely detached from the people. I don't think he views Americans as citizens, he views us as subjects and servants."

This is par for the course for Obeidallah. He previously called ICE raids "fascist spectacles" like those of Hitler and Mussolini. He labeled Project 2025 the GOP's version of Mein Kampf — except worse because it's longer. And in 2021, he compared then-President Trump to Osama bin Laden while calling Fox News "the Al Jazeera of America."

For a self-styled comedian on MS NOW, Obeidallah repeatedly reaches for Nazi analogies, terrorism parallels, and monarchial insults against conservatives. 

Meanwhile, his call for Democrats to follow Mamdani's "bold" lead risks delivering more failed big-government experiments. By 2028, those failures — not Vance soundbites — may prove the real gift -- to Republican messaging.

Obeidallah and company seem convinced the Trump administration is gift-wrapping attack ads for the left. In reality, their reflexive "fascism" and "emperor" rhetoric — tossed out without a hint of pushback — reveals only the depths of MS NOW's derangement and detachment from reality.

Here's the transcript.

MS NOW
The Weekend: Primetime
6/20/26
6:47 pm EDT

CATHERINE RAMPELL: Dean, I want to return to something you said a few minutes ago, where you were talking about how Democrats don't have great messaging chops. 

So clearly, messaging challenge. However, it kinda feels like this administration is doing the messaging for them. I wanna play something that JD Vance said recently.

ANA NAVARRO [On The View]: You just said he loves the inflation. 

JD VANCE: What he said, Ana, what he said, is that he loves the fact that the inflation is gonna come down when this war is over. That's what he said. 

JOY BEHAR: That's not what he said. That wasn't a direct quote. Are you his interpreter or are you his vice president? Come on. [JD chuckles.]

RAMPELL: It does sort of feel like this administration has been gift wrapping attack ads. Like you can imagine the footage of the grocery aisles with the numbers going up for all the price tags, and then you hear a voiceover of Donald Trump saying, "I love the inflation," and you hear something like that from JD Vance. Does any of that actually stick before the election?

DEAN OBEDEILLAH: It does. Can I just say, to see JD Vance in The View is like seeing the nice, softer, warm side of fascism. I think it's kind of nice to have him out there, the authoritarianism. I'm gonna make it nice, I'm gonna laugh at your jokes and stuff like that. I'm gonna mansplain to you and say what Donald Trump said. He said, "I love the inflation." Exact quote, "I love the inflation." That's what Donald Trump said. 

Yes, Democrats are helped by that. And to be honest, most midterms are a referendum on the president. That's generally how it goes, right? So Democrats could run the clock out. Give people a reason to vote for Democrats. Not just because Trump is terrible. But what we're going to do to make your life better.

I give the example of Zohran Mamdani in New York being specific on policy where people go, if that gets enacted, that will make my and my family's life better. Democrats, be bold. Do not be timid. This is your time to lean in. Start laying the groundwork for 2028 this time.

AYMAN MOHYELDIN: The other side to that coin is, while Americans are struggling, the accusations against President Trump and his grift continue to grow. They continue to grow. You just had him announce his jet that he received from the Qatari government that is going to be the new Air Force One. 

Despite these ethics concerns, is that something that actually matters to Americans? Do they see this? Do they see what is happening in places like Albania? Do they see what is happening with crypto and all these other allegations, the ballroom, and say, "This has got to stop."

CALEB SILVER: I think they're used to it. I think we've become desensitized to it because it's in our face all the time.

. . . 

OBEIDALLAH: And look at the quick thing, the split screen there. People are struggling to pay credit card, car payments. Trump's talking about a ballroom, the reflecting pool, his brand new jet. This is a different world. 

MOHYELDIN: The Arc de Triumph.

OBEIDALLAH: This is very much like an emperor or a king completely detached from the people. I don't think he views Americans as citizens. He views us as subjects and servants. And I don't think people are gonna stand for that. I think the midterm is going to be like 2006. Democrats win the House and the Senate. At least, that's what I hope.

RAMPELL: I think one thing that really does break through about all of the stories about corruption is, those in contrast with what's going on with regular Americans.