Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, bashed his own party, saying there is “no question” there are signs of authoritarianism in the GOP after President Joe Biden described the “Make America Great Again” movement as akin to “semi-fascism.”
Hogan broke with other members of his party to criticize the GOP, saying there are obvious signs of growing authoritarianism — in stark contrast to other Republican figures’ denouncement of Biden’s recent comments.
“Well, there’s no question we see some — some signs of [authoritarianism in the Republican Party]. And I’m, you know, one of the ones speaking out,” Hogan said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.
‘INSULTING’: GOV. SUNUNU CALLS ON BIDEN TO APOLOGIZE FOR ‘SEMI-FASCISM’ COMMENT
Despite agreeing with elements of Biden’s labeling, Hogan still dinged the president’s rhetoric as divisive.
“You know, I think it’s that kind of divisive rhetoric on both sides that’s really bad for America,” the Maryland governor said of Biden’s comments. “And, you know, I’ve been talking about the toxic politics, and if Republicans are calling Democrats ‘socialists’ and ‘communists’ and we have the president of the United States calling Republicans ‘fascist,’ I don’t think it adds to the overall discussion.”
The Maryland governor was more receptive to Biden’s comments than another vocal anti-Trump Republican, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who found the label “insulting.”
“I mean, the fact that the president would go out and just insult half of America, because, effectively, half of America votes Republican, half of America ultimately votes Democrat — it swings a little bit one way or the other, but effectively, call half of America semi-fascist, because he’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate,” Sununu said. “It’s insulting. And people should be insulted by it. And he should apologize.”
At a Maryland fundraiser last week, Biden accused the Republican Party of “semi-fascism.”
“It’s not just Trump. It’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something, it’s like semi-fascism,” he said, referring to elements of the Republican Party.
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Hogan, a popular Republican governor in a heavily Democratic-leaning state, has been a vocal critic of Trump and his allies, adding in the Sunday interview that he wouldn’t endorse any candidates that deny Biden won the 2020 presidential election.
The anti-Trump Republican stirred speculation about a 2024 presidential run when asked by CBS’s Major Garrett when he was going to announce his presidential bid, saying, “Well, maybe this morning? No, I’m just teasing.”
