Decades ago, the phrase “Great Satan” echoed from Tehran as Iranian hardliners vilified the United States, casting it as the root of global evil. Now, in a twist that would amuse even the most jaded observer of Washington, a longtime Democratic congressman has dusted off the term to describe his own country – under President Trump’s leadership, no less.
Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), who has served in the House since 2007, laid it out plainly on the “Dean Obeidallah Show” podcast this past Sunday: 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 on the Trump administration’s recent strike against a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean. The operation, which targeted vessels linked to cartel activity, drew fire from progressive circles for its assertiveness.
WOW! Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson calls Trump’s America the great hand of Satan: “[America] is the world’s number one bully. We’re using our immense, unrivaled power to rule over those who have less power… This sends a shocking message to the world that America is indeed the great… pic.twitter.com/MHp7WsHlPB
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) December 9, 2025
Host Dean Obeidallah, a SiriusXM radio personality, framed it as evidence of America morphing into a “Putin-esque” power. Johnson leaned in, agreeing that the U.S. now ranks as the “world’s No. 1 bully,” wielding unrivaled might against the weak. “America under the Trump regime is demonstrating that that moniker was entirely accurate,” he added. “The Great Satan – that’s what we have become in this country when we can start killing people with impunity.” It’s a stark claim — one that demands unpacking.
The left is completely broken. Hear what a senior Democrat 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, argued the strike shattered any pretense of American exceptionalism. No longer, he said, can citizens abroad – or at home – point to the U.S. as a moral beacon. Instead, we embody the very arrogance our adversaries decry: a superpower that enforces order through force, heedless of consequences. He called it “shocking to the conscience,” an affront to basic humanity.
However, this line of critique reveals more about the critic than the criticized. Johnson’s rhetoric isn’t just hyperbolic; it’s a symptom of a deeper unease within the Democratic ranks, where Trump’s unapologetic pursuit of U.S. interests collides with a preference for multilateral hand-wringing. Consider the context: The Caribbean strike, as detailed in administration briefings, disrupted a narco-boat route tied to fentanyl flows that have ravaged American communities.
This isn’t an interview with a terrorist … it’s with Democrat Hank Johnson. And gosh, he really doesn’t like America. pic.twitter.com/uHLPnSHyRj
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) December 9, 2025
Federal data from the Drug Enforcement Administration shows seizures in the region spiked 40 percent this year alone, crediting interdictions like this one for saving countless lives on U.S. soil. Yet to Johnson, such actions aren’t defensive; they’re imperial overreach, validating Iran’s old slur. This isn’t Johnson’s first brush with outsized language. Back in 2010, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, he warned that stationing more troops on Guam might cause the island to “tip over and capsize” under its own weight – a gaffe that still circulates in conservative lore.
READ MORE: Oh My: Rep. Hank ‘Guam’ Johnson’s Song on the Epstein Files Is As Bad As You Would Think
Watch: Hank ‘Guam Might Capsize’ Johnson Releases Anti-Trump Song and Good Lord, Make It Stop
He’s likened Israeli settlers to termites gnawing at Palestinian land, drawing rebukes 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 grant Johnson his premise for a moment: If America is the Great Satan, what does that make the alternatives? Iran’s regime, which coined the term, hangs dissidents from cranes and funds proxies that target civilians. Venezuela’s Maduro, another Trump foe, starves his people while smuggling drugs across our borders. Or consider the cartels themselves, whose impunity Johnson decries – until U.S. resolve interrupts it.
True, power invites abuse; no administration is immune. Yet Trump’s approach – decisive, sovereignty-focused – has restored deterrence eroded during the Biden years, when border crossings hit record highs, and adversaries tested our red lines. The irony sharpens when you recall Democrats’ own history with force.
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 a Nobel peacemaker, expanded drone strikes tenfold, often in nations that posed no direct threat. Johnson’s selective outrage overlooks these precedents, zeroing in on Trump as if prior sins evaporated.
At root, this episode underscores a conservative truth: Strength isn’t satanic; it’s essential. In a world of predators – from jihadists to kingpins – hesitation costs lives. Johnson’s lament may play well in progressive echo chambers, but it rings hollow against the evidence of safer streets and bolder diplomacy under Trump.
If echoing Tehran advances his argument, perhaps it’s time for a refresher on who the real bullies are. America isn’t perfect, but its flaws pale beside the chaos we’d invite by feigning frailty. Let American aggression toward drug cartels stand. Better the leadership we know, securing our shores, than the voids that would follow retreat.
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