The Era of Trump is iconoclastic for many reasons, but primarily because it is the first time an American leader, the head of one of the two major political parties, took it upon himself to advocate violence. What you’re about to see is a series of vignettes with violence at the core. Trump always walks these episodes back. He attempts to argue that he told his supporters to “protest peaceably” on January 6 or that the word “bloodbath” at a rally was referring only to the automobile industry. His supporters know exactly what he means and so do the rest of us.
— 🌊🇺🇸Alan Smithee🌊🇺🇸⚖️☮️ (@AlanSmitheeDGA) April 4, 2024
Washington Post, January 10, 2024:
Then there was Jan. 6, 2021. The riot that unfolded that day was not explicitly directed by Trump; at no point did he say the equivalent of “please attack Congress.” Instead, he endlessly stoked his supporters’ anger, framing his electoral loss as an attack on America itself. He called supporters to Washington, riled them up and pointed them at the Capitol. Then he sat back and watched — with apparent approval — as the finalization of his loss was delayed.
That is the pattern that’s unfolding now, as Trump seeks reelection and tries to derail the various criminal investigations of his actions. In many ways it’s less important that he give tacit approval to violence than that he actively gives his supporters reasons to feel that violence might be necessary.
On Tuesday, Trump appeared in court in Washington as his attorneys argued that he had immunity from prosecution for his actions after the 2020 election. It went poorly, as might be expected. (When your lawyer is arguing that a president could have an opponent assassinated without facing criminal charges, you should assume that your position isn’t that solid.)
After the hearing, Trump spoke to reporters. He began by noting polling that showed him leading President Biden.
“I think they feel this is the way they are going to try and win,” Trump said, referring to the criminal cases. “And that’s not the way it goes. It will be bedlam in the country.”
“It’s a very bad thing,” he continued. “Very bad precedent. As we said, it’s the opening of a Pandora’s box. That’s a very sad thing that’s happened with this whole situation. When they talk about threat to democracy, that’s your real threat to democracy.”
The “bedlam” line generated a lot of headlines, as did Trump’s failure to respond to a question about asking his supporters not to engage in violence, though that question came as Trump was nearly out of the room. The “bedlam” comment is certainly fraught; the events that led to the Capitol riot were triggered by Trump’s December 2020 tweet calling people to Washington on Jan. 6, with the promise that it would “be wild.” But that latter assertion, that the actual threat to democracy (and by extension, the country) is his legal problems? It’s doing the necessary work of elevating the sense of danger that he and his followers face. It’s gathering the wood and pouring the gasoline so that Trump need not be the one to strike the match.
This is Trump’s MO. He assembles all the elements that could cause a fire, the rags, the gasoline, the old newspaper, the matches — but then when the building is roaring with flames and the fire department is battling the inferno he says, “What arson? I didn’t commit arson. Why, that’s a building that I own and I was just inventorying the closets and chatting with people about how much money the insurance company would pay me if anything ever happened to the place.”
MAGA knows and MAGA wants him to burn it all down. At least they will until they realize that they’re going to get singed as well. And by the time they realize how close to the conflagration they are, it will be too late for them and for the rest of us.
That’s the tragedy of this. MAGA will believe that Trump is who he pretends to be until it’s way too late. We’ve already seen that with different people in Trump world who have gotten burned. Couy Griffin, the head of Cowboys For Trump, was a county commissioner in New Mexico until it was ruled that the 14th Amendment precluded him from holding office. Now Griffin knows that there’s one set of laws for Trump and one for the rest of MAGA.
The MAGA Shaman also did time in prison, but he’s still on the fence, thinking that next time can be different. He wants to run for elective office, such is the depth of his mental derangement. What experience or qualifications does he bring to government? Oh, he was in the Capitol the day that they were all smearing caa caa on the marble floors.
Delusion reigns. Again and always, let’s hope the undeluded outnumber the deluded or we’ll all toast.
It could be interesting if the Orange Utang won the case and the president does have total immunity – then watch SEAL Team 6 sneak over the fence at Marmalado
Like all cowards he talks tough, gets others to do his fighting, then lies his ass off to avoid responsibility. Until the system puts his ass in jail like the 700,000 arrested EACH YEAR FOR SMOKING CANNABIS, he will rinse and repeat until some of us have to pick up a phucking gun to overthrow his dictatorship. Believe it all you phuckers glued to reality shows. VOTE and send his ass to prison for the thousands of crimes he has walked on. Until then…good phucking luck. You’re gonna need it like the Jews needed it in Europe in the 30s.