President Joe Biden and Sen. Lindsey Graham are facing criticism for recent comments they made that some believe are escalating tensions between Democrats and Republicans.

Speaking Thursday at a Democratic National Committee reception in Maryland, Biden said: “What we're seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA (Make America Great Again) philosophy. It's not just (former President Donald) Trump, it's the entire philosophy that underpins … it's almost like semi-fascism, the way in which it deals.”

Biden cited poll numbers saying roughly half of Americans are concerned about the future of democracy in the United States.

“Did you ever think — two years ago, five years ago, 10 years ago — we'd be talking about sustaining democracy in the United States of America?” the president added.

Separately, Graham, R-S.C., in an interview Sunday with Fox News, predicted that if Trump is prosecuted for mishandling classified documents, “there literally will be riots in the street. I worry about our country.”

Graham said such outrage would be fueled by what he portrayed as an uneven justice system that did not charge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over using private email servers that held classified information. 

Trump shared video of Graham’s remarks on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Both Biden’s and Graham’s comments were quickly blasted, largely — but not exclusively — by members of the opposing party. 

A Republican National Committee spokesman called Biden’s remark “despicable.” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, told CNN he found it “horribly insulting” that the president would effectively cast half of American voters as semi-facist.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, tweeted: “Joe Biden went from ‘unity’ to calling Republicans ‘semi-fascists.’”

But even Sen. Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat running for reelection, criticized the president Monday, telling WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire, “I have concerns that some people seem to think that violence is an appropriate way of resolving disputes in our democracy, but I think President Biden's comments just painted with way too broad a brush."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday the president was only referring to the “extreme, ultra wing of Republicans.”

“They are attacking democracy. Right?” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “They are attacking — taking away rights and freedoms. They are using threats of violence. They are taking away voting rights. And he called it what it is. That's what he did.”

Meanwhile, some were interpreting Graham’s comment about riots in response to a Trump prosecution as a threat toward the Justice Department and FBI, which are investigating the former president for allegedly removing classified documents from the White House and storing them at his Mar-a-Lago estate after his presidency ended.

Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official, told CNN on Monday, “I think it’s incredibly irresponsible for an elected official to basically make veiled threats of violence, just if law enforcement and the Department of Justice and a grand jury does their job.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (AP Photo, File)

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., tweeted Tuesday: “Trump is threatening our democracy if held accountable for mishandling classified information. Lindsay (sic) Graham is suggesting there’ll be ‘riots in the streets.’ Their rhetoric is dangerously irresponsible. DOJ cannot be intimidated by these tactics. They must follow the facts.”

The White House on Monday drew a correlation between Biden’s “semi-fascism” remark and Graham’s comments, describing it as another example of MAGA Republicans threatening violence. 

“That is what the president was referring to when you all asked me last week about the semi-fascism comment,” Jean-Pierre said.

Graham’s comments come as the FBI and the judge that authorized the Mar-a-Lago search, Bruce Reinhart, have been the subjects of threats, which followed congressional Republicans, in defending Trump, attacking the search and investigation as political.

On Aug. 11, an Iraq War veteran tried to enter the FBI’s Cincinnati office with an AR-15-style rifle and nail gun, fled and was later fatally shot by police following a standoff, according to authorities. The man, Ricky Shiffer, 42, appeared to have posted messages on Truth Social calling for FBI agents to be killed following the Mar-a-Lago search on Aug. 8.

A day later, a 46-year-old man in Pennsylvania was arrested on charges of making threats of violence against FBI personnel on the social media platform Gab.

A poll last week by The Economist and YouGov found that two-thirds of Americans believe political divisions in the U.S. have gotten worse since the beginning of 2021, and 43% said they believe a civil war is at least somewhat likely within the next decade.

Graham and his communications director have insisted the senator was only make a prediction and that he was not threatening violence.

At a conference in Charleston, South Carolina, on Monday, Graham again compared the Trump investigation to the Clinton probe.

“America cannot live with this kind of double standard,” he said. “I thought what she did was bad, but she got a pass at the end of the day.

In July 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey said the Clinton investigation found “evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information.” The agency, however, chose not to charge the Democratic presidential candidate, determining “no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case” because it did not involve wilful mishandling of classified information, vast amounts of classified documents that would suggest intentional misconduct, evidence of disloyalty against the United States or efforts to obstruct justice.

“I reject violence. I’m not calling for violence,” Graham said, but adding, “The bottom line is there will be a lot of upset people” if Trump is charged.”