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President Biden’s divisive Thursday speech slamming “MAGA Republicans” was a sharp turn from the strategy being used by multiple arms of the Democratic Party to boost those very same Republicans by meddling in GOP primaries across the country.
Despite Biden’s recent rhetoric, multiple Democratic campaign groups have spent more than $46 million to boost candidates who support former President Donald Trump in several primary races, apparently aiming to force out more moderate Republicans and potentially make general election matchups more favorable for Democrats.
“MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards,” Biden said during the speech, referencing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. “Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.”
“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic,” he later added. “MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of the law. They do not recognize the will of the people. They refuse to accept the results of a free election.”
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on what he calls the “continued battle for the Soul of the Nation” in front of Independence Hall at Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, U.S., September 1, 2022.
(REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo)
Just last month, Democrats were celebrating the primary victories of Trump-supported candidates, including Republican nominee to represent Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, John Gibbs, who narrowly defeated moderate incumbent Congressman Peter Meijer.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spent $425,000 in advertising to boost Gibbs, specifically running an ad highlighting his conservative credentials.
In July, the Democratic Governors’ Association (DGA) spent nearly $2 million running ads boosting Trump-backed Maryland Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox, in his primary against former state lawmaker Kelly Schulz, who was backed by outgoing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
BIDEN SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTERS NOT A THREAT TO COUNTRY AFTER SPEECH BLASTING ‘MAGA REPUBLICANS’
Three weeks prior to Cox’s victory, Trump-backed Illinois Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey won the party’s gubernatorial primary after also being supported by the DGA, as well as incumbent Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who spent $35 million combined to boost Bailey over moderate Republican Mayor Richard Irvin of Aurora, Illinois.
John Gibbs a candidate for congress in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional district speaks at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump on April 02, 2022 near Washington, Michigan.
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)
In May, Trump-backed Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano was boosted to victory in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary with more than $840,000 in ads run by the campaign of his now-opponent, current Democrat state Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
Other attempts by Democrats at meddling in Republican primaries in support of “MAGA” Republicans haven’t been altogether successful.
In June, Democratic Colorado, a pro-Democrat super PAC, spent at least $4.5 million to run ads in Colorado’s GOP Senate primary to boost Ron Hanks, a military veteran and a state lawmaker who was an outspoken supporter of Trump’s.
Hanks ultimately lost the race to moderate Republican Joe O’Dea, the owner of Concrete Express, a Denver-based construction company.
Then-President Donald Trump outside the White House in 2020.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
The latest attempt by Democrats to meddle in a Republican primary is ongoing, despite Biden’s speech, as a new party PAC called Democrats Serve has reportedly spent $94,000 to boost Trump-backed New Hampshire congressional candidate Bob Burns, who is running against Keene, New Hampshire Mayor George Hansel.
The Senate Majority PAC, another pro-Democrat group, is also spending at least $3.5 million bashing moderate Republican state lawmaker Chuck Morse in an effort to boost conservative retired Army general Don Bolduc, who Democrats see as the easier candidate to face incumbent Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan.
A reporter asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a press briefing Thursday whether it was “hypocritical” for Biden to call some Republicans threats to democracy while Democratic groups boosted Trump-backed candidates.
“I mean I can’t talk about campaigns and what another, another, candidate is doing or committee is doing,” Jean-Pierre answered. “I can’t speak from that from here. Look, I can say this. The president has always been clear, there are going to be people who disagree with his programs and legislative priorities, and that’s what democracy’s all about, like we understand that, right. But people accept elections and we move forward as a nation, right? But there is a growing number of people who refuse to accept the results of free and fair elections. People who actually openly talking about subverting elections in the future.”
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The New Hampshire primary will be held Tuesday, Sep. 13.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
