Republicans attempting to define extremism in America have homed in on what their political opponents are saying about them — and have begun an aggressive campaign to get them to stop.
In the weeks since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Republicans have regularly and forcefully demanded that Democrats stop calling them “fascists,” arguing it incites violence and its usage is proof that Democrats are politically toxic. The effort has included a broad mix of GOP officials, from the president to political operatives working on the 2026 midterm elections, and has shown little evidence of slowing down anytime soon.
“The Democrat Party is exposing their liberal brain rot by smearing conservatives as ‘fascists,’ and it’s a green light for political violence,” said Mike Marinella, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “They don’t get to wash their hands of it because they have turned political violence into just another talking point.”