ROOKE: Democrats Need To Put Down The ‘F’ Word

Democrats were told they needed to be fighters, stand up to the Trump administration, and beat back the growing cultural and political changes happening in the U.S.

Their base demanded it. Typically, this would mean that you would introduce or block legislation or conduct civil discourse against your opponent to combat their ideas with which you disagree. But for some reason, they’ve chosen a different path: calling everyone they disagree with a fascist.

Similar to their efforts to label everyone a nazi, bigot, racist, transphobe, etc., fascist has become their favorite moniker for anyone right of former President Barack Obama. Still, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, there was hope (even if born of naivete) that the left would lay down their harmful rhetoric.

But they haven’t, despite one of the casings found with the gun allegedly used to shoot Kirk having an engraving that read “Hey fascist! Catch! ↑ → ↓↓↓.”

One week after Kirk was killed, Hillary Clinton shared a post encouraging people to go buy American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten’s new book: “Why Fascists Fear Teachers.”

“Congratulations to my friend @rweingarten on Why Fascists Fear Teachers. From banning books to controlling curriculum, authoritarians go after public education because it’s a cornerstone of democracy,” Clinton said. “Randi’s new book is a critical read for this moment.”

Congratulations to my friend @rweingarten on Why Fascists Fear Teachers. From banning books to controlling curriculum, authoritarians go after public education because it’s a cornerstone of democracy.

Randi’s new book is a critical read for this moment. https://t.co/UPlL4KjNLd pic.twitter.com/DMMpWwzMY9

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 17, 2025

No one expects Weingarten to stop her book tour or change the name of her book, which had been decided on and scheduled long before Kirk’s murder. Still, Clinton’s promotion of Weingarten’s book is a reminder to the left that it’s ok to continue claiming falsehoods against the right that lead to violence. (Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)

Clinton is not alone in this, and her comments were quite mild compared to those of other Democrats.

While joining the “Getting Better” podcast Thursday, Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett tells host Jonathan Van Ness that everyone needs to stick together and that all the harmful rhetoric was actually coming from the right, not the left.

“It’s the fascist. It’s the wannabe, um, dictator. It is, you know, the hater-in-chief. It is the racist chief,” Crockett said.

This echoes statements she made Sept. 12 on the Breakfast Club, where she dismisses claims that the use of Hitler or fascist name-calling adds to the rise in political violence.

“We got to talk about, like that, that is next level,” she said. “Me disagreeing with you, me calling you, you know, ‘wannabe Hitler,’ all those things are, like, not necessarily saying, ‘Go out and hurt somebody.’ But when you’re literally telling people at rallies, ‘Yeah, beat them up’ and that kind of stuff, you are promoting a culture of violence.”

Democratic Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost said that Republican policies enacted by President Donald Trump and his administration were signs that fascism is already in America when speaking to reporters Thursday at a Democratic press conference in support of Jimmy Kimmel.

“Donald Trump doesn’t want a democracy. He wants a throne, and his cronies are clearing the way. The president and his lapdogs here in the United States Congress, the vice president, the FCC chair, the attorney general, secretary of state, and congressional Republicans are implementing a dangerous agenda to punish their opposition. Fascism is not on the way. It is here,” Frost said.

Democrat Rep. Maxwell Frost: “Fascism is not on the way; it is here.”

Democrats continue to shamelessly use the exact same rhetoric that led to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/4W2sVRm9RP

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 18, 2025

Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar criticized the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling those who wish to rewrite his history “full of shit,” which elicits a standing ovation from the audience.

“I do believe those of you interested in rewriting this hateful man’s history are full of shit,” Omar said, referencing Kirk.

Omar also came under fire for retweeting a video urging Democrats not to tone down the “fascism” name-calling.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom stopped short of calling Trump a fascist dictator in response to ABC suspending Kimmel’s show, but still fanned the flames by insinuating he’s running an authoritarian regime.

During a heated exchange at a House Oversight Committee hearing Thursday, Democrat Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib accused Republicans of enabling a “fascist takeover” through the Trump administration’s National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., leading to a shouting match with Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, who rebuked her rhetoric as reckless, especially in the context of the recent assassination of Kirk.

JUST IN: Rep. Rashida Tlaib starts screaming at the top of her lungs after being confronted for saying it’s a ‘fact’ that the United States is experiencing a ‘fascist takeover.’

“We need to stand up against this fascist takeover. That’s not a bad word, it’s a fact, and here in… pic.twitter.com/GyBBA7hkCy

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 18, 2025

Their use of fascist incites their base, making them froth at the mouth in hatred and anger against conservatives. But I would venture to guess that not a single Democrat using this word can actually define it. Much like “racist” and other ad hominem attacks, they’ve oversold “fascist” to such a degree that it doesn’t mean anything anymore. It’s time to retire it. (ROOKE: Charlie Kirk’s Death Sparks New Calls For National Revival)

It does not make the right cower in fear like they’d hope we would, except to the extent that whenever it is used, conservatives understand that Democrats are telling their base that there’s likely some justification to commit violence or murder against them.

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