Neither Barack Obama nor Joe Biden had to contend with angry conservatives cheering America’s enemies, hoping they would strike some fatal blow against US personnel or interests so the president would look bad. The left didn’t do it when President George W. Bush sent troops into Iraq and Afghanistan. They may not have approved, but they weren’t openly rooting for Saddam Hussein or the Taliban. Today is different, though, and congressional Democrats are now faced with a question of how to handle protests targeting President Donald Trump that turn into chilling pep rallies for Iran. Can you despise the commander-in-chief but still back America against its foes? There was a time when you could. For the current crop of lawmakers, that is perhaps no longer an option.
Supposed “anti-war” protesters in Philadelphia recently revealed themselves to be very much on the side of Iran. One speaker at the event suggested that American military personnel coming home in caskets should be a cause for celebration.
Democrats, one would reasonably assume, surely condemn such sentiments, no matter how much they dislike the current president. It seems entirely correct – perhaps even obligatory – that elected representatives from both parties can and should object to this openly offensive and anti-American posture, expressed on American soil, no less. Not so, however.
John Fetterman: The Last Sane Democrat?
The man with perhaps the last voice of sanity on the left side of the political divide made his feelings known. “Here in Philadelphia. Truly appalling. These a–holes chanting for the death of our servicemembers,” wrote Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) on X (but without the language filter). “Where’s the Dem outrage and condemnation?”
To say that Fetterman may have a point would be an understatement. Protesting a specific administration policy – or even its entire agenda – is one thing. Demonstrating against US military action would also be a legitimate reason to take to the streets. But the Philadelphia protesters weren’t simply expressing opposition. They were doing something far more egregious.
One speaker talked of doing “everything in our power to bring the United States to its knees.” He added, “For every US military base that crumbles and for every US soldier who returns home in a casket, we cheer.” He also urged that the terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and Ansar Allah should be celebrated, calling them “popular forces on the ground” that “spend every waking moment in direct confrontation with Zionism.”
Rooting for Iran
That same speaker then got to the heart of why the progressive left and its radical Muslim allies are so opposed to America’s dismantling of the regime in Iran and its military capabilities. He pointed out – and not incorrectly – that those same terror groups he wanted to extol “rely on a strong Iranian state to maintain their fighting capacity.”
So this is really about two things: the survival of the Iranian regime, and especially if it inflicts casualties on American forces, would damage Trump. Perhaps more importantly, though, the left’s rabid antisemitism – which it mostly disguises as “anti-Zionism” or opposition to Israeli government policy – compels it to support the one Middle Eastern country, Iran, that funds, equips, and trains the groups dedicated to Israel’s destruction.
It is not at all hyperbolic to say that the Philly protesters clearly hate America. The statements were clear – the sentiment unambiguous. Video posted to X showed the speaker, wearing a red hoodie, being asked after he addressed the crowd, “Do you hate America?” He responded by saying, “May a Hamas rocket blow up your family’s home.”
This startling event raises many questions: Why are these people even allowed to be here? The speaker had an accent that suggests he was not born in this country and is likely a Middle Eastern immigrant. Why do elected Democrats avoid condemning such language, which could be interpreted as both giving aid and comfort to the enemy – an act of treason – and inciting acts of terrorism (“everything in our power to bring the United States to its knees”).
Remaining Silent Means Picking a Side
It would have been a simple thing to call out those who are openly wishing for the destruction of the United States. One could do so and still oppose what the president is doing. In another era, it would have been political suicide to refuse to condemn supporters of the regime that brutalizes its own people and patronizes the terrorist groups sworn to crush not only Israel but the United States.
Yet, with the exception of Fetterman and, it is hoped, at least a few others, the Democratic Party has lost its way entirely. Objecting to the military action President Trump is taking against Iran is quite different from remaining silent as protesters call for the deaths of American soldiers and essentially the destruction of the United States.
If Democrat leaders refuse to condemn agitators who are now openly siding with Iran, it will be no easy task for them to convince voters they have America’s – and Americans’ – best interests at heart.
