There’s a word out there being wielded by the right to describe everyone who’s opposed to Donald Trump and “Trumpism.” It’s a word increasingly in vogue on Fox News, and it’s been propagated by pro-Trump folks like Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and many others.
The word is “uniparty.” And—wait for it—you are likely a member. Now an epithet being indiscriminately employed by the far-right to castigate not only Democrats, but anyone, including Republicans, who deviate from the extremist, nihilistic “Trumpian” philosophy, its origins are not particularly mysterious. Back in 2017, Wall Street Journal columnist Ben Zimmer, in an article for Politico, called it out after hearing it emitted from Steve Bannon’s mouth:
And yes, the assertion of a globalist “uniparty” unmistakably echoes the same dog-whistle connotations as the “global elites” trope.
Somewhat ironically, and as Zimmer recounts, the word is a bastardization derived from terminology once used by the Green Party and its then-standard bearer, Ralph Nader, to attack what they perceived as an “unsavory” collaboration between Democrats and Republicans that operated to thwart their agenda. But its usage today by far-right Republicans has a new meaning. As most recently employed last week by Fox News personality, fish stick prince, and Vladimir Putin apologist Tucker Carlson, it currently denotes a sinister, united purpose underlying the reaction of the U.S. “establishment”—be it Democratic or Republican—to Putin’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine:
Right-wing Trump acolytes, seemingly flustered at recent Democratic successes such as the bipartisan passage of the omnibus budget bill, appear to have embraced the term as a type of rallying call to focus their base’s ire. Here’s Rep. Andy “Sweepstakes” Biggs, for example, writing for the Daily Caller, declaring “[T]he establishment is rather indifferent to the consequences of the Swamp’s policies on Americans, just so long as the Establishment, the uniparty remains in power.”
And here’s Rep. Matt Gaetz, “guest columnist” for the Florida Daily, railing this month against that same uniparty:
Just prior to the midterms, sad right-wing rag Breitbart jumped on the “uniparty” bandwagon as well, with their headline supporting New Hampshire Senate hopeful (and loser) Dan Bolduc’s effort against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan:
Not to be outdone, yet another rising face of the Republican Party, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, also adopted this terminology in May, as reported by Fox News.
The prospect of right-wing Trumpers driving a wedge between themselves and the rest of the GOP—those who refused to endorse their less-than stellar effort in 2022 to “purify” the party by nominating a panoply of like-minded, unelectable losers—can’t do anything but help Democrats in 2024. As explained by reporters Charles Homans, Jazmine Ulloa, and Blake Hounshell, writing for the The New York Times, an analysis of the 2022 midterm elections shows:
Anything that drives “ordinary” Republicans from Trump helps us, because Trumpian Republicans continue to dominate their own primaries.
So, by all means, Trumpites, please proceed with demonizing your fellow Republicans by calling them members of this sinister “uniparty,” or anything else to keep fomenting division.
We’ll be here to reap the rewards.
The word is “uniparty.” And—wait for it—you are likely a member. Now an epithet being indiscriminately employed by the far-right to castigate not only Democrats, but anyone, including Republicans, who deviate from the extremist, nihilistic “Trumpian” philosophy, its origins are not particularly mysterious. Back in 2017, Wall Street Journal columnist Ben Zimmer, in an article for Politico, called it out after hearing it emitted from Steve Bannon’s mouth:
And yes, the assertion of a globalist “uniparty” unmistakably echoes the same dog-whistle connotations as the “global elites” trope.
Somewhat ironically, and as Zimmer recounts, the word is a bastardization derived from terminology once used by the Green Party and its then-standard bearer, Ralph Nader, to attack what they perceived as an “unsavory” collaboration between Democrats and Republicans that operated to thwart their agenda. But its usage today by far-right Republicans has a new meaning. As most recently employed last week by Fox News personality, fish stick prince, and Vladimir Putin apologist Tucker Carlson, it currently denotes a sinister, united purpose underlying the reaction of the U.S. “establishment”—be it Democratic or Republican—to Putin’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine:
Right-wing Trump acolytes, seemingly flustered at recent Democratic successes such as the bipartisan passage of the omnibus budget bill, appear to have embraced the term as a type of rallying call to focus their base’s ire. Here’s Rep. Andy “Sweepstakes” Biggs, for example, writing for the Daily Caller, declaring “[T]he establishment is rather indifferent to the consequences of the Swamp’s policies on Americans, just so long as the Establishment, the uniparty remains in power.”
And here’s Rep. Matt Gaetz, “guest columnist” for the Florida Daily, railing this month against that same uniparty:
Just prior to the midterms, sad right-wing rag Breitbart jumped on the “uniparty” bandwagon as well, with their headline supporting New Hampshire Senate hopeful (and loser) Dan Bolduc’s effort against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan:
Not to be outdone, yet another rising face of the Republican Party, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, also adopted this terminology in May, as reported by Fox News.
The prospect of right-wing Trumpers driving a wedge between themselves and the rest of the GOP—those who refused to endorse their less-than stellar effort in 2022 to “purify” the party by nominating a panoply of like-minded, unelectable losers—can’t do anything but help Democrats in 2024. As explained by reporters Charles Homans, Jazmine Ulloa, and Blake Hounshell, writing for the The New York Times, an analysis of the 2022 midterm elections shows:
Anything that drives “ordinary” Republicans from Trump helps us, because Trumpian Republicans continue to dominate their own primaries.
So, by all means, Trumpites, please proceed with demonizing your fellow Republicans by calling them members of this sinister “uniparty,” or anything else to keep fomenting division.
We’ll be here to reap the rewards.