RCP's Phil Wegmann asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to be a little bit more specific about what the president meant when he labeled the "MAGA" Republicans led by former President Trump a <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/08/25/biden_maga_republicans_are_a_threat_to_our_democracy_embrace_political_violence.html">"semi-fascist"</a> political party. Jean-Pierre said during Wednesday's briefing" "It is not just Republican leadership, it is not just that blanket, right? He is talking about an extreme portion, an extreme part of the party." "We want to be very clear here. This is not a blanket statement," she also said. <blockquote>PHIL WEGMANN: When it comes to voters, how does the president differentiate between the "Ultra-MAGA" folks who he sees as an extremist threat to democracy and the average GOP voter? KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Can't talk about voters from here, as you know... I get you. Not gonna -- I just need to say that, right? Just to be clear. The president has been really clear about the leadership -- the "MAGA" Republicans in leadership -- they're the ones who have the platform. They're the ones who, again, the extremist part of the Republican Party, they're the ones who folks listen to. And by inciting violence, by trying to take away -- they're the ones who are the legislators who are trying to take away our rights, trying to take away our freedoms, and that's who the president is speaking to. He's being very targeted in that way and calling that out and saying we can't allow our democracy to be attacked in this way. And they have a responsibility in how they are doing their business on behalf of their constituents. PHIL WEGMANN: So for the folks sitting at home, when the president is talking about preserving the soul of the nation and these threats to democracy, he's not referring to those individuals, he's talking about Republican leadership? KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Well, let me be very clear. It is not just Republican leadership, it is not just that blanket, right? He is talking about an extreme portion, an extreme part of the party. He has been very, very clear about that. He was just in Maryland... and he talked about Gov. Larry Hogan, and how he is a conservative Republican who is not in that bucket. He was very clear and very purposeful in saying that and being respectful to conservative Republicans who are not part of that extreme. So, again, we want to be very clear here. This is not a blanket statement. This is calling out what we have seen for some time, since 2017, as the president wrote about in his article. Right? When you are supporting an authoritarian figure, as we have seen, who is currently leading, the former president and saying and inciting the violence that you are, or wanting to take away our freedoms. He needs to say something, he's not going to shy away from that. </blockquote>