MSNBC guest says Republican Party has been 'leaning' toward 'fascism' for '7 decades'

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MSNBC guest suggests GOP has been sliding toward 'fascism' for '7 decades'

David Corn said it's been "seven decades of the GOP encouraging and exploiting extremism" on MSNBC's The Beat with Ari Melber.

Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones David Corn claimed Wednesday on MSNBC's "The Beat with Ari Melber" that Trump wasn't "an aberration," there's been "seven decades of the GOP encouraging and exploiting extremism." 

Corn talked about "the history of the dark side of the GOP," and said, "Tribalism, bigotry, paranoia, conspiracy theory" isn't "the totality of the Republican Party, but it isn’t something that started with Trump."

He warned further that "Trump is not an aberration. He is a continuation, a culmination, it’s always been there and it’s always been essential to the Republican Party’s strategy to win elections."

The author and commentator explained that Biden slamming Trump supporters in his speeches has made a new book he's promoting extremely relevant to America's national conversation.

President Donald Trump dances after a campaign rally at Pensacola International Airport, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Pensacola, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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"This book is very timely and relevant because it gives us this historical context as we consider what MAGA extremism means within the Republican Party and we debate whether Biden is wrong or right when he talks about Trump leading the Republican Party in the direction of fascism or semi-fascism," Corn said. 

"My point is that the Republican Party, is they’ve been leaning in this direction for seven decades through basically every presidency and presidential campaign," he continued.

He also warned that there is no easy switch towards "your father's Republican Party" because the very idea is a sham.

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

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"What I discovered in doing this book is, that there was no golden age of the Republican Party in the sense that this was not an issue within the party. It was just not talked about. The media didn’t cover it as much and the Republican Party itself didn’t acknowledge it and was able to keep it to the side," he claimed.

Corn said, "If you go from Sarah Palin to the Tea Party to Trumpism, and as the Republican Party has accepted and encouraged this part of its base, it’s thrown it out sort of bloodier and bloodier red meat until Donald Trump comes along and says, 'I know what you want.'"

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - JULY 09: Republican U.S. House  candidate former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (L) speaks as former U.S. President Donald Trump (R) looks on during a "Save America" rally at Alaska Airlines Center on July 09, 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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He concluded that this aforementioned aspect of the GOP has "always been there" but "it’s been growing and each kind of iteration becomes more intense and so you can’t go back. I don’t think you can sort of recover a kinder, gentler Republican Party at this point."