Republican Senator Mike Lee said the United States is “not a democracy.” Why does that matter?

This appeared in The Millennial Source

Criticisms of his comments have run the gamut from those who argue that Senator Mike Lee is merely splitting hairs to those who say that he is advocating for abolishing democracy.

With a pair of tweets, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah set off a firestorm, with incensed commentators calling him a fascist. His first of two tweets on October 7 was a mere four words: “We’re not a democracy.” On its surface, the tweet could be read as a pedantic assertion that the United States is technically a constitutional republic.

Yet, a follow-up tweet pushed the issue further and has only deepened the controversy. Lee has continued to defend his stance, arguing that his view is, in actuality, opposed to a fascistic, totalitarian government by the majority. However, criticisms of his comments have run the gamut from those who argue that Lee is merely splitting hairs to those who say that he is advocating for abolishing democracy.