When ‘Great Satan’ Becomes a Democratic Talking Point – RedState
Decades ago, the phrase “Great Satan” resonated in Tehran as Iranian hardliners vilified the United States, portraying it as the root of global evil. Now, in a twist that would amuse even the most jaded Washington watcher, a longtime Democratic congressman has dusted off the term to describe his own country — under the leadership of President Trump, no less.
Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), who has served in the House since 2007, made it clear last Sunday on the “Dean Obeidallah Show” podcast: America, he said, has become the “Great Satan,” a nation that kills with impunity and bullies the world into submission. Johnson’s remarks stemmed from a discussion of the Trump administration’s recent strike on a boat suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean. The operation, which targeted vessels linked to cartel activity, drew criticism from progressive circles for its audacity.
WOW! Democratic Representative Hank Johnson calls Trump’s America the great hand of Satan: “[America] is the number one tyrant in the world. We use our immense and unmatched power to rule over those with less power… This sends a shocking message to the world: America is indeed the great… pic.twitter.com/MHp7WsHlPB
– David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) December 9, 2025
Host Dean Obeidallah, a SiriusXM radio personality, presented it as proof of America’s transformation into a “Putin-like” power. Johnson weighed in on the issue, acknowledging that the United States now ranks as “the world’s No. 1 tyrant,” wielding unparalleled power against the weak. “America under the Trump regime demonstrates that this nickname was completely accurate,” he added. “The Great Satan – that’s what we’ve become in this country when we can start killing people with impunity.” It’s a stark statement – one that demands unpacking.
The left is completely broken. Hear what a top Democratic congressman thinks about America ⬇️ https://t.co/009vpMqoAc
– Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) December 9, 2025
Johnson, speaking from a district that includes parts of metro Atlanta, claimed the strike shattered any pretense of American exceptionalism. According to him, citizens abroad – or at home – can no longer look to the United States as a moral model. Instead, we embody the very arrogance our adversaries denounce: a superpower that imposes order by force, without regard for consequences. He called it “shocking to the conscience,” an affront to basic humanity.
However, this critical line reveals more about the critic than the criticized. Johnson’s rhetoric is not only hyperbolic; it’s a symptom of a deeper malaise within Democratic ranks, where Trump’s unabashed pursuit of American interests clashes with a preference for multilateral tensions. Consider the context: The Caribbean strike, administration briefings detailed, disrupted a narco-boat route linked to fentanyl flows that have ravaged American communities.
This isn’t an interview with a terrorist…it’s with Democrat Hank Johnson. And damn, he really doesn’t like America. pic.twitter.com/uHLPnSHyRj
– Le🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) December 9, 2025
Federal data from the Drug Enforcement Administration shows that seizures in the region are up 40% this year alone, crediting bans like this with saving countless lives on American soil. Yet for Johnson, such actions are not defensive; these are imperial excesses that validate the old insult of Iran. This is not the first time Johnson has faced excessive language. In 2010, during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, he warned that stationing more troops on Guam could cause the island to “tip and capsize” under its own weight – a gaffe that still circulates in conservative lore.
READ MORE: Oh My God: Rep. Hank “Guam” Johnson’s Song About The Epstein Files Is As Bad As You’d Think
Watch: Hank “Guam Might Capsize” Johnson Releases Anti-Trump Song and Damn, Make It Stop
He compared Israeli settlers to termites eating away at Palestinian land, drawing criticism from across the aisle. These moments paint a portrait of a lawmaker whose passion for justice sometimes veers into caricature, amplifying fringe views that alienate moderates. But let’s give Johnson his premise for a moment: If America is the Great Satan, what does that make of the alternatives? The Iranian regime, which coined the term, hangs dissidents from cranes and funds proxies who target civilians. Venezuelan Maduro, another Trump enemy, is starving his people while smuggling drugs across our borders. Or consider the cartels themselves, whose impunity Johnson denounces – until American determination interrupts it.
It is true that power invites abuse; no administration is immune. Yet Trump’s approach — decisive and sovereignty-centered — restored the deterrence eroded during the Biden years, when border crossings reached record levels and adversaries tested our red lines. The irony is heightened when we forcefully evoke the Democrats’ own history.
It was a Democratic president, James K. Polk, who authorized an attack on Mexican forces to start the Mexican-American War. Barack Obama, hailed as an architect of the Nobel Peace Prize, increased drone strikes tenfold, often in countries that posed no direct threat. Johnson’s selective outrage overlooks these precedents, focusing on Trump as if past sins evaporate.
Ultimately, this episode underscores a conservative truth: force is not satanic; it is essential. In a world of predators – from jihadists to kingpins – hesitation costs lives. Johnson’s laments may be well-heard in progressive echo chambers, but they ring hollow compared to the evidence of safer streets and bolder diplomacy under Trump.
If the Tehran Echo advances its argument, perhaps it is time to remind ourselves who the real bullies are. America is not perfect, but its flaws pale next to the chaos we would cause by feigning fragility. Let America’s aggression against the drug cartels stand. Better the leadership we know, which keeps our coasts safe, than the voids that would follow retirement.
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