Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has reignited controversy with her recent remarks on CNN, calling for a “formal deprogramming” of many supporters of former President Donald Trump. In an interview with Christiane Amanpour, Clinton highlighted what she perceives as a growing divide within the Republican Party, distinguishing between the “sane” faction and what she labels as the “cult” wing devoted to Trump.
According to Clinton, the GOP is now being influenced by an “extremist” tail, which she attributes to the sway of Trump. She criticizes Trump’s credibility and suggests that many of his supporters are part of a “cult” that needs formal intervention to break their allegiance.
Clinton went on to express her belief that Trump will be the 2024 Republican nominee, despite facing legal battles, but she remains confident that President Biden would defeat him. She characterizes Trump as an authoritarian populist who resonates with a portion of the population due to their emotional and psychological needs.
Describing Trump’s base as cult-like, Clinton suggests that they are drawn to him for various reasons, including potential aversions to migrants, LGBTQ individuals, Black people, or perceived workplace injustices. She frames Trump’s politics as “negative” and “nasty,” asserting that Joe Biden’s victory in the 2024 election would break the momentum of this supposed cult.
Clinton’s comments draw parallels to her infamous 2016 characterization of Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables.” In that statement, she claimed that half of Trump’s supporters were motivated by racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.
I want to be deprogrammed by Hillary Clinton. pic.twitter.com/2nWDV3hKhA
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) October 6, 2023
While Clinton has consistently called for the defeat of “election deniers” who contested Biden’s 2020 victory, she has also maintained her stance that Trump is an “illegitimate president.” Throughout her political career, Clinton has consistently attributed her 2016 loss to a combination of factors, including alleged interference from Russia.
Clinton’s recent remarks add fuel to the ongoing debate over the ideological divisions within the Republican Party and the enduring influence of Donald Trump. As the political landscape continues to evolve, Clinton’s perspective sheds light on the challenges and fractures that persist within the American political landscape.
