I didn't see it until later, but yeah, it's been around for years. It crops up every now and then from right-wingers trying to test the waters for being overtly anti-democracy. What I found scary was how much more common it got, and at higher levels. I remember a fucking senator repeating that line.
I also use the square vs. rectangle analogy. Granted, we're not going to convince fascists acting in bad faith, but it plays to an audience.
Personally, I also like genericizing D&D.
It's a shorthand for folks outside or new to the hobby, it skips a hurdle to talk to people about other RPGs with those people, and it weakens the brand identity. Considering how much D&D has coasted on brand identity as the game suffered, I'm all for that.
I'm less likely to do it places like here, because it causes more confusion, but still. It's fun to say, "Pathfinder is a great way to play D&D." :P