Democrats running in Trump country don't disavow Biden "semi-fascism" comments

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Biden facing scrutiny for calling MAGA philosophy 'semi-fascism'

Fox News contributor Karl Rove, Fox News political analyst Juan Williams, Axios senior politics reporter Josh Kraushaar, and Wall Street Journal White House reporter Catherine Lucey joined 'Fox News Sunday' to discuss his remarks ahead of midterms.

Democratic incumbents running in districts won by former President Donald Trump would not put distance between themselves and comments made by President Joe Biden comparing the Republican philosophy to "semi-fascism," when asked by Fox News Digital on Monday, a move that could prove problematic for the thousands of Trump voters they may need to win over in November. 

During the President's speech at a campaign rally in Maryland Thursday, Biden said, "What we’re seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of extreme MAGA philosophy," Biden continued, "It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something, it’s like semi-fascism."

Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine., Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio., Rep. Matt Cartwrigth, D-Penn., and Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa., who are all running in Trump districts, did not respond when asked by Fox New Digital for their response to Biden's recent comments.

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Biden rallied supporters for Democratic candidates running in Maryland and to encourage Democratic voters nationwide to turn out in the November midterm elections.  (Photo by Drew Angerer)

Fox News Digital also asked the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the campaign arm responsible for electing House Democrats, if they agreed with Biden, but they also failed to respond.

BIDEN SAYS ‘EXTREME’ MAGA PHILOSOPHY IS ‘LIKE SEMI-FASCISM’: 'IT'S NOT JUST TRUMP'

Following Biden's remarks at the DNC rally, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked if Biden respects the American's who voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential election. 

"I think he was pretty clear, and he was very powerful last night. Look, what the president said last night was that when it comes to MAGA Republicans, when it comes to the extreme ultra wing of Republicans, they are attacking democracy. Right? They are attacking, taking away rights and freedoms," she said. 

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a rally hosted by the Democratic National Committee. (Photo by Drew Angerer)

Jean-Pierre continued to defend Biden, saying MAGA Republicans are "using threats of violence. They are taking away voting rights. And he called it what it is. That's what he did. He called it what it is and what many, would argue, historians would agree with us on," she added.

Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison said on Sunday said that President Biden was being "consistent" when he called the MAGA philosophy "semi-fascism." 

"Well, the one thing that President Joe Biden has been is always been consistent," Harrison said. "He has always been somebody who does what my grandfather used to do, which is speak it plain, say it plain to the American people."

Biden's comments come just days after announcing his student loan handout, a move that several political strategists speculate is an attempt from the Biden administration to "buy" votes and sway more young Americans to vote Democrat in the fall.

Biden was calling former President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement "semi-fascism," firing shots at all those who support it. (James Devaney)

"Forgiving student loans is a transparent, last-ditch attempt to buy back the votes of a group that has grown cynical and disenchanted with the left," Turning Point USA (TPUSA) contributor and Gen Z voter, Isabel Brown, told Fox News Digital.

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A Penn-Wharton report released last week estimated the total cost of the Biden student loan handout could cost $1 trillion.

Fox News' Adam Sabes, Stephen Sorace and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.