Biden Labels ‘MAGA Crowd’ The ‘Most Extreme Political Organization’ In U.S. History

Topline

President Joe Biden on Wednesday called former President Donald Trump’s supporters “the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history,” suggesting a leaked Supreme Court ruling shows conservatives plan to chip away at the rights of marginalized groups.

President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday in Washington.

Evan Vucci/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Key Facts

Biden made the comments about what he called the “MAGA crowd” at a news conference where he condemned a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that suggests the court is going to overturn Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the right to an abortion nationwide.

The president warned of a slippery slope from such a ruling, claiming the right could next target the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Biden indicated the conservative-majority Supreme Court could in the future choose to uphold state laws that would ban LGBTQ students from being in classrooms with “other children,” for example, though it doesn’t appear such a measure has been proposed in any state.

Surprising Fact

The author of the leaked draft is conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who was nominated to the court by former President George W. Bush in 2006—nearly a decade before Trump adopted his “Make America great again” slogan.

Crucial Quote

“What are the next things that are going to be attacked?” Biden said.

Key Background

Democrats have widely slammed the draft opinion as an attack on women’s rights from a court that took a hard right turn under Trump, who nominated three of the court’s nine justices during his four years in office, while Republicans claim the leak undermines the integrity of the Supreme Court. Trump as president vowed to appoint justices that would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had long been a top priority for the Republican Party’s large, extremely conservative Christian base.

What To Watch For

Thirteen states have so-called “trigger bans” that would ban abortion either immediately or shortly after a Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade.