Biden pushes 'ultra-MAGA' label on GOP as he defends record

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned voters unhappy with soaring inflation and his stalled domestic agenda against turning power over to "ultra-MAGA" Republicans in the midterm elections as he increasingly tries to cast former President Donald Trump and his adherents as a political foil.Speaking at the White House less than six months before the elections, Biden acknowledged that he could "taste" the country’s dissatisfaction with Washington, particularly over rising prices, but he sought to channel the anger against the GOP."Look, I know you’ve got to be frustrated," he said. "I know, I can taste it.

Frustrated by high prices, by gridlock in Congress, by the time it takes to get anything done."The MAGA Republicans are counting on you to be as frustrated by the pace of progress, which they’ve done everything they can to slow down, that you will hand power over to them ...

so they can enact their extreme agenda," Biden said.Biden's branding of his opposition as "ultra-MAGA Republicans" — a reference to Trump’s "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan — has emerged as a White House trope in recent weeks as the White House hopes for a pre-midterms reset for Democrats, who face stiff headwinds heading into the November elections.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that "it’s the president’s phrase."It is a message seemingly aimed directly at the listless and divided base of Biden's own party, as Democrats struggle to keep their voters motivated, as well as at some moderate voters who still recoil at the memory of Trump’s tumultuous tenure in office."Look, I think Biden needs to motivate his base ahead of the midterms.