{O/C} President Joe Biden delivered a clarion call today against those who champion former President Trump's "MAGA extremism" in a prime-time address to his nation.
But that culminated with one Republican dishing it right back.
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Against the backdrop of Philadelphia's Independence Hall was where President Biden unleashed a merciless barrage of criticisms against the Trump extremism.
As Trump advocates resorted to taunting the President outside the building, the President disparaged Republican efforts to tatter the democratic fabric.
{Soundbite}
JOE BIDEN, U.S. President:
Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal.
Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.
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While he stopped short of bruising pro-Trump voters in the 2020 Presidential Election, Biden said MAGA had infected every nook and cranny of the Republican Party.
Then, he called for unity.
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That's why tonight, I'm asking our nation to come together, unite behind the single purpose of defending our democracy regardless of your ideology.
{VO}
But one Republican fought fire with fire and outright accused Biden of inflaming political divide.
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KEVIN McCARTHY, House Minority Leader:
President Biden has chosen to divide, demean, and disparage his fellow Americans.
We must change the direction of Washington before it is too late.
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While the White House admitted Biden's speech did raise some hackles, it clarified, the President only condemned MAGA Republicans.
{Soundbite}
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, White House Press Secretary:
We understand we hit a nerve. We get that.
The President has always, always squarely targeted his criticism on electedleaders. This is about what they're doing in Congress, those extreme MAGA Republicans, those who are...who hold office.
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