Former Bush adviser Richard Haass said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” the U.S. may be in the “most dangerous time” since the Civil War.
Haass and host Joe Scarborough were discussing American democracy, with Scarborough praising bipartisan support of legislation geared toward Ukraine while Democrats have pushed through legislation with reconciliation. Haass added that while the U.S. may be functioning better than other nations, the biggest threat to the country is “ourselves.”
Scarborough then said “38-39 percent of the [Republican electorate]” wants to”replace the U.S. government. They want to throw away American democracy.”
Haass called the existence of an opposition a necessary part of American democracy because “it holds those with power accountable. It forces compromise that hopefully leads to widespread public support for policy.”
“But it’s also got to be loyal. There’s got to be an acceptance of the rules. And for the first time in, you know, what more than half a century, we have an opposition that no longer does that,” Haass continued, arguing that individuals who “don’t accept the basics” will lead the country down a bad path.
“I don’t think this is an exaggeration to say this is potentially the most dangerous time since the turn of the century and the run-up to the Civil War.” (RELATED: ‘Gross Irresponsibility’: Left Leaning Media Slams Republican Response To Mar-A-Lago Raid)
It is unclear which poll Scarborough was referencing in regards to his comment about a Republican faction wanting to upend the government, though a 2021 survey by the American Enterprise Institute found 39% of Republicans agreed that “if elected leaders will not protect America, the people must do it themselves, even if it requires violent actions.”
The New York Times recently conducted a poll in conjunction with Siena College and found 58% of respondents think the U.S. government needs to be “upended” completely or see major reforms.