Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin ignited a wave of backlash in conservative media and MAGA circles after he compared the United States under President Donald Trump to Iran’s Islamic theocracy — a statement that quickly drew condemnation on TV, in editorials, and across social media.
The controversy began as protests spread following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother of three Renee Goode in Minnesota by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Fox News reported Friday. With demonstrations unfolding in Minneapolis and other cities, Martin posted a message to X.
“From Tehran to my birthplace of Minneapolis, people are rising up against systems that wield violence without accountability,” he wrote, accusing both governments of authoritarian behavior over the weekend. He went on to describe Iran as “a far-right theocratic regime that crushes dissent and denies basic freedoms.”
The comparison set off immediate outrage from Trump allies and conservative commentators.
“Number one, Ken Martin is a worthless piece of c**p,” Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.” “Can you imagine this guy fighting for freedom? To compare President Trump and the Trump regime to the ayatollah means you got the worst case of Trump derangement syndrome in the world. Go to hell.”
The conservative-leaning Wall Street Journal editorial board also criticized the remarks, calling them “morally obtuse” and a “slur against his own country.” Fox News, meanwhile, noted that Martin’s post came against the backdrop of deadly unrest in Iran, reporting that protests there have resulted in more than 2,600 deaths.
Online, conservative users piled on, labeling Martin’s comparison “disgraceful” and “insanely ridiculous” in a flurry of posts aimed at the DNC leader.
“What an absurd and deluded comparison!!!” infectious disease doctor Neil Stone wrote on X.
“If this is the messaging that the Democrats are going with, I’m amazed. Just an insanely ridiculous comparison,” historian Mike Cote posted.
“Still absolutely insane that Ken Martin compared a bunch of LARPers in Minneapolis getting pepper sprayed for opposing deportations to Iranians being murdered by the thousands for standing up to the Islamic regime,” Townhall.com columnist Dustin Grage wrote.
