FORMER RNC CHAIR MICHAEL STEELE CALLS MAGA REPUBLICANS “LICE, FLEAS, AND BLOOD-SUCKING TICKS.”

As you can tell from the timeline of his leadership of the Republican Party, he is firmly aligned with the George W. Bush wing of the Party, as is Nicole Wallace, who worked for President Bush. As a former supporter of Bush I regret my two votes for him immensely.

Steele was not a particularly popular or effective Chair of the Party, having only won his race for the Chairmanship on the 6th ballot. Once in office he promptly started a war with Rush Limbaugh, attacking him as using “ugly” and “incendiary” rhetoric. Limbaugh won that battle and Steele apologized.

Steele never really recovered from his tiff with Limbaugh and despite running for reelection for Chair, he was ejected from the position. Deservedly so.

Ever since Steele has held a grudge, particularly exacerbated by the ascendance of Trump and the MAGA movement. His comments yesterday were in line with his previously expressed opinions, but crossed a line into dehumanizing rhetoric that is disqualifying for any commentator. He is not supposed to be an outrageous Twitter warrior using “ugly” and “incendiary” rhetoric, but rather portrays himself as a representative of Republicans from another era.

Comparing human beings to “lice, fleas, and blood-sucking ticks” has a rather nasty history. I hesitate to compare anybody to the Nazis because it is so rarely true, but this is exactly the same rhetorical move that Hitler used to “other” the Jews. Insects are to be exterminated, not reasoned with or afforded human rights. Steele knows this as well as any educated human being, and yet chose this rhetoric in a moment of clarity on national TV, with a TV news person nodding along.

We’ve been here before. Since Steele sat passively in 2009 while then-CNN host D. L. Hughley said that John McCain supporters ‘literally look like Nazi Germany,’ which Republicans does he support?