Former US President Donald Trump drew sharp criticism for calling political opponents “vermin.” US President Joe Biden’s campaign team accused the Republican on Monday of “emulating the autocratic language of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.”
Many US soldiers lost their lives fighting these two “dictators” in World War II, explained campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa, referring to the fact that Trump made the comments on Saturday and thus on US Veterans Day. The soldiers fought to “defeat the un-American ideas that Trump now advocates.”
“Donald Trump believes he can win by dividing the country,” Moussa continued, referring to the Republican’s bid for the presidential election in a year’s time. “He’s wrong, and how wrong he’ll find out next November.”
A White House spokesman also condemned Trump’s “vermin” remark. Such a term would have been “horribly recognizable” to soldiers donning the US uniform in the 1940s, explained Andrew Bates.
Trump gave a speech at a campaign event in the state of New Hampshire on Saturday. He said: “We will eradicate the communists, Marxists, fascists and radical left-wing gangsters who live like vermin in the borders of our country, who lie, steal and cheat in elections and who will do everything in their power – legal or illegal – to To destroy America and destroy the American dream.”
The English word “vermin” can be translated as “vermin”, “pest”, “parasite” or “pack”. After Trump’s comments, historians recalled that such terms were used by the Nazis in Germany to dehumanize Jews. Trump’s campaign team responded to criticism that those making such historical comparisons would have their “sad, miserable existence squashed if President Trump returns to the White House.”
Trump, who is known for provocations, has repeatedly caused outrage with his choice of words over the years. The right-wing populist wants to run again in the presidential election on November 5, 2024 and is the clear favorite in the race for the candidacy of his Republican Party. Critics fear that the 77-year-old could take an increasingly authoritarian course if he wins the election – including in his dealings with political opponents.
