After President Joe Biden gave a prime-time address calling out what he described as “MAGA extremism” — Trump-aligned politicians and media personalities promoting political violence and election fraud conspiracy theories — right-wing media figures had a meltdown over the supposedly ominous and even “satanic” stage lighting for the speech. They compared Biden to various authoritarian figures, culminating in the spread of the hashtag #pedoHitler.

On September 1, Biden delivered a prime-time address in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, condemning the former president and his supporters for encouraging political violence. The president called out adherents of what he labeled “MAGA extremism” who continue to promote election fraud conspiracy theories, and he pledged to continue to “fight for democracy with every fiber of my being.”

His speech, which called for unity in the face of threats to democracy itself, followed repeated calls from Trump supporters to “defund the FBI” and an increase in threats against federal agents after the bureau executed a court-approved search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence.

Right-wing figures took particular offense at the optics of the speech, repeatedly sharing the same image of Biden against the red-lit Independence Hall with two Marine guards in the background. (The building was actually lit both red and blue, evoking the colors of the American flag and of the two dominant political parties, and Marine guards are a common sight at presidential speeches.) Conservative media figures called the scene “demagogic,” and even “satanic,” and “quite possibly the most chilling photo ever taken of a U.S. president.” On social media, the image of Biden was repeatedly shared with the hashtag #pedoHitler.

Right-wing figures claimed the speech and setting were authoritarian and “satanic,” ignoring Biden’s calls for unity

While Biden spoke, and in the immediate aftermath, right-wing media figures across cable news and social media condemned the optics and content of his speech as supposedly “divisive,” with particular attention to the impact of its lighting and background. Users claimed the speech was reminiscent of authoritarians, “satanic,” or “demonic.” Criticism of the lighting and background also spread across Facebook private groups and fringe sites.

• During the September 2 edition of Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, Fox contributor Charlie Hurt claimed that angry Democrats “have no one but themselves and their policies that they support to blame” and that the background, with “the blood red bathed in blood red, it looks like that scene from The Shining.” Hurt said if people identified with the optics and tone of the speech, then “we have a lot of very, very, angry, disenchanted people in this country.” He went on to say if the background “speaks for half of our country, man, we are in for some really hard times coming up.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 9/2/22]
• Conservative radio host Erick Erickson tweeted an image of the background and mockingly suggested the staging was done by Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• Breitbart senior editor Joel Pollak characterized the setting during the speech as “full fascism.” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• During the September 1 edition of Fox News’ Ingraham Angle, former Trump administration official and Fox contributor Monica Crowley called the backdrop “almost satanic.” Guest host Raymond Arroyo asked Crowley her thoughts on the optics of the speech, which she described as “almost satanic with that blood red lighting and the two Marines behind him. It was just insane.” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 9/1/22]
• The next day, Crowley shared the image of Biden during his speech and compared it to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. [Twitter, 9/2/22]
• Fox News contributor Sara Carter asked, “What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you see this photo?” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• Right-wing troll and conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich claimed the background was to signal Biden would be “hunting ‘MAGA Americans’ for sport.” Cernovich said the optics “are having the desired result” and that the message was “received.” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• TheBlaze’s Allie Beth Stuckey tweeted an image from Biden’s speech with the caption “Satanic ghoul.” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• LifeSite writer Calvin Freiburger: “Quite possibly the most chilling photo ever taken of a U.S. president.” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• The Daily Caller: “Joe Biden gives Americans a lecture on fascism and political extremism; 2022 (colorized).” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles tweeted that “reasonable people might describe this as ‘dark and divisive’” and included an image from Biden’s speech. [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• Conservative talk radio host Steve Deace: “After desecrating Independence Hall with fascistic Nazi imagery, for his next parlor trick Joe Biden will slaughter a pig on an altar.” [Twitter, 9/2/22]
• The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro tweeted that the background looked “demagogic and demonic.” Shapiro called the background “parodically bad imagistics” for Biden and said it came off as “demagogic and demonic” rather than “powerful and cool.” [Twitter, 9/2/22]
• During his podcast, Shapiro called the stage setting “really dark, really creepy, really fascistic.” [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 9/2/22]
• On his podcast, Steve Bannon compared Biden to “Moloch,” the pagan god of child sacrifice. [Real America’s Voice, War Room: Pandemic, 9/2/22]
• Conservative podcast host and Turning Points USA founder Charlie Kirk called Biden's speech “very Hitlerian.” [Real America’s Voice, The Charlie Kirk Show, 9/2/22]

Right-wing media figures promote “#pedoHitler” following Biden’s address

The hashtag #pedoHitler began trending on various platforms and ranked #2 in the United States on Twitter the following day after being promoted by the right-wing troll account Catturd, which has repeatedly used Twitter hashtags to harass people and spread misinformation. The hashtag spread across social media, including on Facebook pages and by users in private and public Facebook groups. The hashtag also spread on fringe social media platforms, and right-wing media users also began to promote #PedoHitler on Twitter following Catturd’s initial post.

• Right-wing troll account Catturd: “LMAO - #PedoHitler is now the #11 trend in the USA. Let’s make it #1.” Half an hour later, Catturd told his followers that the hashtag is trending at #2 and is “almost there.” [Twitter, 9/1/22, 9/1/22]
• Former Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson retweeted an image of Biden during the speech and added, “Evil no longer hides itself. #pedohitler.” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier tweeted an image of Biden during his speech and added that “#PedoHitler is trending.” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• Cartoonist and right-wing pundit Scott Adams: “#PedoHitler has paved the road for Trump's return to the Oval Office.” Adams went on to imagine the response if Trump gave a speech on unity that lists “all 15 of the major hoaxes from their leadership.” [Twitter, 9/2/22]
• The Gateway Pundit’s Cassandra MacDonald tweeted: “Dude I thought it was just an edited meme. The White House actually chose that lighting? #pedohitler.” [Twitter, 9/1/22]
• Right-wing personality Lavern Spicer tweeted: “The top trend in America right now is #PedoHitler. Nothing really to add there, but that about sums the man up.” [Twitter, 9/2/22]