Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) drew criticism this week after describing the United States under President Donald Trump as “the Great Satan” during a conversation on The Dean Obeidallah Show, a SiriusXM program that also posts clips online. (Mediaite)
The remarks came as Johnson and host Dean Obeidallah discussed controversy over Trump administration strikes on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean. According to reporting on the segment, Obeidallah argued the episode was “redefining” the U.S. internationally in a way that resembled authoritarian governance, prompting Johnson to broaden the critique. (Fox News)
“Yeah, we are the world’s No. 1 bully, and we’re using our immense, unrivaled power to rule over those who have less power, and we’re doing it with impunity,” Johnson said, according to multiple accounts of the exchange. He then reached for a phrase he said America’s critics have used in the past: “This sends a shocking message to the world that America is indeed the — what did they used to call? The great hand of Satan, or something like that? I mean, America under the Trump regime is demonstrating that that moniker was entirely accurate. The Great Satan…” (Fox News)
Johnson added that the situation was “shocking to the conscience” and argued it undercut claims of American “exceptionalism,” as described in coverage of the interview. (Fox News)
Why the phrase sparked backlash
“The Great Satan” is a loaded political epithet most commonly associated with anti-U.S. rhetoric in Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and it has been used for decades as a propaganda term to portray the United States as an immoral or malicious global force. (Mediaite)
That association is one reason Johnson’s comments spread quickly among political media outlets and partisan commentators, with some framing his remarks as echoing language used by America’s adversaries. (Mediaite)
