Democrat Tim Ryan calls for Americans to 'kill and confront' GOP 'extremist' movement



Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan said Tuesday that Americans need to "kill and confront" what he asserted is an "extremist" movement within the Republican Party.

“The Democrats aren’t right on everything. And I’m willing to sit down and have conversations about how we can move out of this age of stupidity and into an age of reconciliation and reform,” Ryan said during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"Some of those answers will come from Republicans, not the extremists that we are dealing with every single day, we’ve got to kill and confront that movement, but working with normal mainstream Republicans, that’s going to be really, really important,” he said.

\u201cTim Ryan is a maniac...\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got to kill and confront\u201d the MAGA movement\u201d
— Citizen Free Press (@Citizen Free Press) 1663090100

His comments echo those of President Joe Biden, who came under fire earlier this month after delivering a speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in which he insisted Donald Trump and "MAGA Republicans" are "a threat to this country."

"As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise," Biden said. "There’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. And that is a threat to this country."

The president's comments were denounced by Republicans, who accused him of demonizing the 70 million Americans who supported former President Trump in the 2020 presidential election. In the days following his address, Biden clarified that he does not believe most Trump voters are extremists, insisting he was only condemning Republican Party office-holders and elected representatives.

Biden said that those who would use violence for "political purposes" or those who refuse to accept the outcome of free and fair elections are the ones who threaten the country.

Ryan made his remarks Tuesday after highlighting his record as "one of the most bipartisan members of Congress." He has attempted to portray himself as a centrist in the race against Republican candidate J.D. Vance, a venture capitalist and best-selling author of "Hillbilly Elegy." Vance is endorsed by Trump

Polls show a tight race in Ohio, where Vance has led Ryan by an average of 2.3 percentage points over the last 30 days or so, according to RealClearPolitics. A USA Today Network Ohio and Suffolk University poll released Monday found Ryan leading Vance 46.6% to 45.6%, within the poll's 4.4 percentage point margin for error.

According to the poll, 54% of likely voters disapprove of President Joe Biden's job performance, while just 41.8% approve.

Ryan has distanced himself from the unpopular president, suggesting to a local radio station last week that Biden should not run for president in 2024 and that it is "time for some generational change."

Ohio Senate candidate Mike Gibbons says middle-class Americans don't pay 'any kind of fair share' of income taxes



Mike Gibbons, who is currently the leading Republican Senate candidate from Ohio, finds himself in hot water for previously saying that the American middle-class doesn't pay "any kind of fair share" of the country's income taxes.

Gibbons, a millionaire investment banker turned politician, made the comments in a September episode of "The Landscape" podcast at a media event in 2021.

Gibbons said, "The top 20% of earners in the United States pay 82% of federal income tax — and, if you do the math, and 45% to 50% don't pay any income tax, you can see the middle class is not really paying any kind of a fair share, depending on how you want to define it."

The Associated Press reported that Gibbons's comments could "take on new resonance" after United States Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) — who leads the Senate Republicans' campaign apparatus — debuted a policy strategy that called to raise taxes on Americans who currently don't earn enough money to pay federal income taxes. The tax hike would increase taxes on millions of Americans.

In the video where Gibbons makes this comment, the candidate is sitting in front of a campaign backdrop and condemns Democrats for spreading an "absolutely false" narrative suggesting that "the middle class is getting screwed and the wealthy, the elite, are cheating everybody."

Ohio GOP Senate candidate Mike Gibbons on a Crain\u2019s Cleveland Business podcast: \n\n\u201cThe top 20% of earners in the U.S. pay 82% of federal income tax \u2014 and, you do the math, and 45% to 50% don\u2019t pay any income tax\u2026 The middle class is not really paying any kind of a fair share.\u201dpic.twitter.com/VUYzPTlqmX
— Heartland Signal (@Heartland Signal) 1649459301

Gibbons suggested that the Democrats use this rhetoric because they "need the middle class to win an election."

He also went on to say that he doesn't mind the utilization of a "progressive tax system structure" but went on to say that wealthy Americans already pay a lot in taxes.

Gibbons's comments garnered considerable ire online.

Steve Cortes — a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump and Newsmax host — lambasted Gibbons as a "gazillionaire who made a fortune doing business with the Chinese Communists."

Nan Whaley — the former Democratic Mayor of Dayton who is currently running in Ohio's Democratic gubernatorial primary — said, "This is exactly why we need to elect more leaders from the middle-class."

Riley Moore — the State Treasurer of West Virginia — said, "Ohio, please don't elect this man. He will continue failed policies that have been destroying the middle class of this great country."

A spokesperson for Gibbons's campaign told TheBlaze that "Mike Gibbons does not support tax increases on any Americans – and never has."

"Mike is a businessman, not a career politician and he understands economics and how to implement smart ideas and strategies that will benefit all Americans," the spokesperson continued. "As a conservative Mike has pledged that he will not raise taxes and will put forth pro-growth, America First policies."

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