Regarding the Republican Party and its so-called "MAGA Republicans, President Biden and his administration have been simultaneously promoting two different messages, arguing that the latter has taken over the former and that the MAGA movement does not represent the majority of the party.
Both of these were said by Biden during his speech in Philadelphia last week, two months before the midterm elections in November.
"Not all Republicans—not even the majority of them—are MAGA Republicans. Not all Republicans adhere to their radical ideology, "said Biden.
He continued, "But there is no doubt that Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are dominated, driven, and intimidating the Republican Party today, and that is a threat to this country," two sentences later.
In doing so, the president denigrated the Republican Party, claiming it is "dominated" by MAGA Republicans while also asserting that "not even the majority of Republicans" are a part of that group.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the White House, continued the dual messages after that speech. She described MAGA Republicans as "a specific, particular, extreme, extreme part of the party" while also asserting that they have "taken over" the party in the same interview on MSNBC's "The Sunday Show."
Fox News enquired about this and what the president means when he talks about a MAGA ideology from White House officials, including Jean-Pierre. She didn't respond, but Andrew Bates, the deputy press secretary for the White House, did. His response was directed at "Ultra MAGA Republican officeholders," not Republicans as a whole or even "MAGA Republican" Trump supporters. He did, however, clarify the administration's preferred policies "Republican officeholders who support a fringe agenda that is opposed by a resounding majority of the country and a sizable portion of conservatives are betraying themselves by raising unnecessary objections when called out on it. In the same way that cutting Medicare and Social Security, raising taxes on almost 100 million middle-class Americans, depriving millions of Americans of healthcare so that the wealthy can pay less in taxes, and repealing new regulations to lower Americans' energy and prescription drug costs that have already led to the creation of high-paying manufacturing jobs nationwide, "Bates told Fox News in a statement.
Bates provided polling data to back up his claims, showing that most Republicans opposed cutting social security and Medicare benefits to reduce the deficit, opposed complete abortion bans in their states, and supported the federal government negotiating drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.
Additionally, he cited "dangerous conspiracy theories" and "violent rhetoric" that "are also sharply at odds with the American people and a large share of conservatives," as well as "overturning the 2020 election and future elections."
Only that Biden "is delivering a message that unites the country and is in line with what leading Republican experts like Judge Luttig have also warned about" was all that Bates had to say about the president's message. Several conservatives, including Putting, published a report that said Biden won the 2020 election and did not steal it. He also spoke out against Trump and his attempts to overturn the election resulted in a lengthy statement and testimony before a House committee on January 6.
