Sen. Rubio Says Biden’s Criticism of MAGA Is Reminiscent of ‘Third-World Dictatorships’

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Sept. 13 criticized President Joe Biden for calling those supporting former President Donald Trump “semi-fascists,” saying that such a remark has reminded him of third-world dictatorships.

“When you have the president of the United States telling half the country they’re a fascist because of who they voted for, that’s very reminiscent of some of the things you see in third-world dictatorships,” Rubio told Fox News Digital at Aventura, Florida, where the National Conservatism Conference was being held.

Biden lashed out at the MAGA movement during a fundraiser for Democrats at a private residence in Bethesda, Maryland, on Aug. 26. MAGA stands for “Make America Great Again,” the slogan of Trump’s successful 2016 presidential campaign.

“What we’re seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy,” Biden said. “It’s not just Trump. It’s the entire philosophy that underpins … I’m going to say something—it’s almost like semi-fascism.”

Within days, Biden’s remarks drew criticism from some Republicans, including New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Sununu wanted Biden to apologize for his “horribly inappropriate” and “insulting” remarks. Jordan said Biden’s words had contradicted his promise to unify the country in his inauguration address.

“What you’re seeing now is basically, ‘Yes, we believe in free speech, but if you hold certain views that we don’t like or don’t agree with, those are dangerous views, those views lead to violence, those views lead to a danger to democracy, those views are fascist,’” Rubio said.

Rubio added, “Very few authoritarians go out and say, ‘You have no right to have an opinion.’ What they say is you only have the right to have a certain opinion.”

Biden has continued his criticism of MAGA this month. During a prime-time speech in Philadelphia on

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