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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged Vice President Harris to extinguish incendiary rhetoric that has likened former President Trump to dangerous figures from dark chapters of modern history, pinned him with the “fascist” label and depicted him as a threat to democracy.
“The latest rhetoric from Kamala Harris invokes the darkest period of the 20th century. They’re [Democrats] comparing Donald Trump to Hitler and Mussolini. It’s desperate, but it’s also very dangerous, and it’s very irresponsible,” he said, appearing alongside U.S. congressional candidate Kevin Coughlin, R-Ohio, on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“President Trump has survived two assassination attempts in a three-month period already. It’s like a boiling cauldron out there, and you’ve got the vice president using her platform right now to turn the heat up. It’s a really dangerous thing.”
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to reporters in Houston, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., penned a rare joint statement on Friday, demanding Harris cease such rhetoric about the former president while reminding her of two attempts on his life in recent months.
“Labeling a political opponent as a ‘fascist’ risks inviting yet another would-be assassin to try robbing voters of their choice before Election Day,” the statement read in part.
It continued later: “We have both been briefed on the ongoing and persistent threats to former President Donald Trump by adversaries to the United States, and we call on the Vice President to take these threats seriously, stop escalating the threat environment, and help ensure President Trump has the necessary resources to be protected from those threats.”
When Fox News Digital asked the Harris campaign to respond to the statement, they initially declined.
During a recent town hall with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Harris agreed with retired Gen. Mark Milley, who described Trump as “fascist to the core” in journalist Bob Woodward’s latest book.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson penned a joint statement with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urging Harris to tone down her rhetoric. (Getty Images)
Speaking in Houston on Friday, Harris insisted she has been “very clear” that speaking out against all forms of political violence is crucial when asked about criticism of her rhetoric made by Republican leaders.
She continued, saying, “Some of the people closest to Donald Trump when he was president, generals, including most recently John Kelly, a four-star Marine general, have been very clear about the danger and the threat that Donald Trump poses to America, and the fact that he is unfit to serve, and the American People deserve to hear that and know about that…”
At the same time, The Atlantic, which endorsed Harris for president, likened Trump to multiple fascist dictators, including Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin.
Others, including actor Robert de Niro and MSNBC host Joy Reid, have drawn similar comparisons in the past.
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Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.