The Democrats are engaged in reflection on the causes of Kamala Harris’ defeat which give rise to difficult but cordial exchanges most of the time. There are exceptions, of course, as former Jill Biden spokesperson Michael LaRosa (pictured right) demonstrated in responding to a statement by well-known civil rights attorney Sherillyn Ifill (pictured by left), about Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of Defense.
In an interview Thursday evening with MSNBC host Chris Hayes, Ifill, former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, called Hegseth a “white supremacist.” “This is someone who, you know, is known to be a white supremacist, known to be an extremist. His program, his book is very much about his opposition to the promotion of black officers into the senior ranks, when the military is actually a very important area for the promotion of black people,” she said.
Hayes felt the need to note that Hegseth “would categorically deny being a white supremacist.” “I want that to be said as part of this show,” he added.
“Trump denied it too,” Ifill interjected.
LaRosa, who served as spokesperson for the first lady from 2021 to 2022, reacted Friday on : “This bullshit needs to stop. Opposing DEI initiatives does not make you a white supremacist. This guy’s conversations and demonization are a big part of why we got our asses kicked. The answer to extremism is not more extremism. Voices like this on the left are making the Democratic Party a joke. We need to stop this and find serious guests who will diagnose political problems, not make them worse. Insults, defamation of candidates we oppose, even if there are very good reasons to oppose them, are everything the Democratic Party should avoid. »
This is obviously only an overview of the reflection in which the Democrats have been engaged since November. It’s up to you to debate whether the issue LaRosa raises is as important as he claims or whether it is ultimately secondary to inflation, the economy, immigration and frustration with the ruling party in the White House, among other reasons why Democrats “got their ass kicked.”
PS: Ifill’s defenders will no doubt say that we must call a spade a spade. The Associated Press reported Friday that Hegseth, a National Guard veteran, was flagged as a possible “insider threat” by a fellow service member because of a tattoo associated with white supremacist groups. Hegseth complained that he himself had been labeled an extremist by the Washington National Guard. He said he was prevented from serving at Joe Biden’s inauguration, weeks after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, because of a cross tattooed on his chest. He said he decided to end his military service shortly afterward, out of disgust. “But a fellow Guard member who worked as a security guard before the inauguration gave the AP an email he sent that showed him raising concerns about another tattoo », Specifies the AP.
(Screenshot photos)
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