Joe Scarborough Directly Connects Brazilian Insurrection to Trump, Steve Bannon and CPAC’S Promotion of Fascism

Joe Scarborough opened Morning Joe by directly connecting the political unrest in Brasilia to the international packaging of fascism by CPAC, the U.S. conservative political action group led by embattled Matt Schlapp.

Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro ransacked the top government buildings in Brazil’s capitol, primarily inspired by an ongoing disinformation campaign that the election was rigged, much of that information promoted by Bolsonaro himself. Still, some emanating from U.S. figures like former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.

“Got to start in Brazil with the Bolsonaros and the fight for freedom and the fight for sovereignty,” Morning Joe viewers heard Bannon say in a clip from mid-December. He continued, “The criminal Lula, the international criminal, the partner of the Chinese Communist party, is on the cusp with the aid and assistance of the United States government and national security apparatus who brag about, you know, CIA going down there in the summer wanting the Bolsonaros…” which was then cut off by Scarborough mid-sentence.

Scarborough used the clip to lament how some – specifically Donald Trump and his advisers – have started exporting fascism.
“After 240 years of exporting democracy from this country, Jeffersonian democracy around the world, we’re now, through Donald Trump, we’ve got people supporting fascism, election denialism, hatred of the press, hatred of the courts,” he said, tossing to Michael Steele. “All the things that Bannon was saying right there, and that’s what the people of Brazil picked up on.”

“Look, they’re packaging this stuff,” the former RNC Chairman turned MSNBC contributor replied. “We’ve seen it. We’ve seen it extend into organizations like CPAC, where they’re now going out globally, holding these big events to further instigate and install this mindset. In fact, to be honest, Joe, I was surprised that what we’re witnessing now in Brazil did not happen last fall after the election.”

“Well, and let’s be very clear about what you say CPAC and other pro trump organizations are promoting. This is fascism. This is the use of violence to undermine democratic outcomes,” Scarborough continued.

“That’s why CPAC goes to Mexico and has Steve Bannon give instructions to the fascists in Brazil about how to overturn a democratic election, how to overturn a democratic government. It’s why they go to Hungary, where they have [Viktor] Orban and Hungary, bragging about the fact that they hate liberal democracy. They’ve moved away from liberal democracy, from western-style democracy.”

“This is — there are a group of fascists in America, and, I mean, if you feel like your job is to overthrow democratic elections through the crews of violence, and I can’t call you a fascist? Then just redefine the term fascist, and we’ll get a better term for you,” Scarborough concluded. “Whatever it is, it’s anti-democratic, and they’re trying to — they tried in the United States, and they failed.”

Watch above via MSNBC.

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