Hillary Clinton Suggests MAGA ‘Cult Members’ May Need ‘Formal Deprogramming’
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton drew controversy after saying MAGA “cult members” might need “formal deprogramming.”
For Context: In an interview with CNN’s (Lean Left bias) Christiane Amanpour, the former Democratic candidate pointed to a “sane part of the Republican caucus in the House,” but said they were “intimidated.” Clinton continued: “That’s the way it used to be. I mean, we had very strong partisans in both parties in the past, and we had very bitter battles over all kinds of things… But there wasn’t this little tail of extremism wagging the dog of the Republican Party as it is today, and sadly, so many of those extremists, those MAGA extremists, take their marching orders from Donald Trump, who has no credibility left by any measure. He’s only in it for himself. He’s now defending himself in civil actions and criminal actions, and when do they break with him?”
Key Quote: Then, Clinton added, “You know, because, at some point, you know, maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members. But something needs to happen.” When asked about “deprogramming,” Clinton said defeating Trump and his allies in elections was the solution.
How the Media Covered It: Similar to coverage of President Joe Biden’s speech earlier this month, some coverage differed in framing the subject of Clinton’s remark. A Fox News (Right bias) headline said she floated deprogramming “Trump supporters” — which could include millions who voted for him in 2020. However, other outlets highlighted her exact “MAGA extremists” quote. Either way, it was not entirely clear who Clinton was discussing, specifically.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Hillary Clinton calls for ‘formal deprogramming’ of Trump ‘cult members’Failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called supporters of former President Donald Trump “cult members” who require “formal deprogramming” while explaining in a CNN interview why Democrats needed to defeat the Republican front-runner and his allies.
“We had very strong partisans in both parties in the past, and we had very bitter battles over all kinds of things — gun control and climate change and the economy and taxes — but there wasn’t this little tail of extremism, waving, you know, wagging the dog of the Republican Party as it is today,” Clinton told...
From the Left
Hillary Clinton Calls for ‘Formal Deprogramming’ of MAGA ‘Cult Members’Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called for a “formal deprogramming of the cult members” who support former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
During an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Clinton said:
You saw the number of Republicans who voted along with Democrats to keep the government open, so there’s clearly a common sense, sane part of the Republican caucus in the House. But I think they are intimidated. They oftentimes, you know, say and do things which they know better than to say or do, and it will require us defeating...
From the Center
Hillary Clinton's Cult 'Deprogramming' Comments Spark MAGA OutrageSupporters of former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement are criticizing Hillary Clinton for comments she made during a Thursday interview.
While speaking negatively about Trump on CNN, Clinton addressed "MAGA extremists" and said "maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members."
Clinton, the first lady during her husband Bill Clinton's presidential administration as well as a secretary of state under former President Barack Obama, has continued to be a vocal critic of Trump after she was defeated by him during the 2016 presidential election.
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