Ex-RNC chair torches MAGA’s 'unhinged' talking points on Trump opponents

16 October

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele in Maryland on January 18, 2023 (MarylandGov Pic/Flickr)

President Donald Trump's allies, from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to House Minority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota), are going out of their way to demonize the No Kings Days protests scheduled for this Saturday, October 18 in cities all over the United States. According to organizers, roughly 2500 protests in opposition to Trump's policies will take place.

Johnson is claiming that the protests will be full of Antifa and "pro-Hamas" agitators and have a "hate America" theme. But MSNBC host and former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele, in his October 16 column for MSNBC's website, argues that MAGA's "unhinged" talking points attacking the No Kings events are detached from reality.

"House Republican Whip Tom Emmer claimed that 'you'll see the hate for America all over this thing when they show up' for the rally," Steele explains. "Sen. Roger Marshall claimed protesters were being paid and suggested the National Guard might need to show up. Trust me when I say these comments aren't spontaneous. When I was chairman of the Republican National Committee, I sat in countless meetings where we carefully crafted the talking points for the week, fine-tuning the language so everyone from local lawmakers to friendly cable news pundits could stay on message. But when we did that, it was to keep someone from upending the party message by saying something unhinged."

Steele adds, "This time, the unhinged comments are the message."

The Never Trump conservative goes on to argue that Trump allies are offended by the "No Kings" messaging because they want Trump to have the dictatorial powers of a monarch.

"Organizers of the 'No Kings' protests have a simple message: America is a democracy, not a dictatorship," Steele observes. "It's right there in the name of the rally. So it's bizarre to see Republican leaders seek in advance to paint this as dangerous, unpatriotic astroturfing…. Whether opposing King George or a wannabe king named Trump, our civic resolve to protect this fragile experiment remains the same."

Steele continues, "But Trump-era Republicans do not want to govern for the American people anymore. They want a king. The same party that once celebrated individual liberty and limited government now demands loyalty to a single leader, punishes dissent and attacks the free press. Which is why any unrest this weekend will be used to justify further erosion of our civil liberties. But the protesters gathering on Saturday know this. They are not radicals; nor are they a dangerous threat except to those who seek to strangle freedom of speech. They are citizens who refuse to accept authoritarianism as the new normal."

Michael Steele's full MSNBC column is available at this link.

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