If you’ve been wondering what the 2024 presidential election is going to be like, Donald Trump answered that question on Saturday at his rally in Waco, Texas. While a video of insurrectionists breaking into the U.S. Capitol played on a huge screen behind him, Trump doffed his MAGA cap and stood with his hand over his heart as a bowdlerized version of the National Anthem sung by a group of Jan. 6 defendants calling themselves the “J6 Choir” played over the loudspeaker, featuring a voice-over of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Trump's cult is loud, it has shown a penchant for violence, but it is not led by brilliant strategists nor is it very large. Sure, it's about 30% of what passes for the Republican Party, but the Republican Party is less than 30% of all voters. That means it is a very small minority of the country.
Time for us to act like it. There are a lot more of us than there are of them. We are the majority. We have put up with their bullshit for far too long. And if they want trouble, I say Bring It On. Sure, there might have been 15,000 of those assholes in Waco last night, but more than a few reports said that they started to leave after 30 minutes of the Dear Leader (I think they really came to see Ted Nugent and Marge, but that's just me). So what? He wanted them out in force in NYC and he got nothing. And in spite of the fact that Garland seems unable to prosecute the big fish, they are going to prison by the dozens in DC. So, let him whine. Let him think that he can rally Y'all Queda to his side. When he loses again, both in court and at the ballot box, we need to make sure we never hear from him again.
As someone who is in my 70's, I cannot comprehend how anyone on the downward arc toward death can continue to lie and hate and provoke harm for others. If you are fortunate to live this long, and if you have not done so before now, it is the time of life to make peace, make amends, love, forgive, make the world better off then when you were born because you don't know when your opportunities to do so will end by your death.
Biden could stop all of it tomorrow. Fire Milquetoast Merrick and hire someone who can do the job. It's one of the main reasons people voted for him, and it's a slap in the face to all of us that he can't say that. It's a big reason why his approval rating is in the toilet. We are up against the Terminator. "It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!" And the sooner Biden recognizes that fact, the better.
I actually think it’s more likely and in character for Trump to be preparing the ground to turn the casting and counting of votes into chaos and into an election steal with the help of the Republican state executive, legislative, and judicial deniers, and then have all of his MAGA minions in the streets demanding and declaring that he won.
Just to give a little context to this slimeball's lies about Jan 6th, NPR had a report on those who have been charged in the Jan 6th insurrection. (I refuse to use the word 'riot', because it was an attempt to subvert our government and only 'insurrection' encompasses the gravity of the event.)
Please note, though-the numbers are still growing, because the feds are still looking for over 1,000 more people who they believe were involved.
This isn't over by a long shot, but read this report and remember, Donald Trump did this.
By the way, to give some nuanced context for the 'rally' a lot of the attendees started leaving half-way through his speech. They'd been waiting all day for him, and they were tired.
" Donald Trump's first major rally of the year as he tries to avenge his 2020 election loss went off without a hitch in Waco on Saturday but fans didn't stick around long, reports the Waco Tribune-Herald. "
He's losing his mojo and he's the only one who doesn't know it.
I strongly suspect that those attempting to “take the White House by force,” will be met this time by massive military force and not by a few lightly armed police.
Forewarned is Forewarned. I'm guessing that this will not play well in suburban voting precincts, but it's too early to tell. My suggestion would be to indict Trump and bring him to trial. And ramp up training the National Guard in riot control. This one isn't going to be like that which occurred at Kent State, Ohio, May 1 - 4, 1970. If any of those rioters brings a weapon to a 'stop-the-steal' rally, there is going to be serious trouble. This needs to be put down forcefully. There are less lethal methods of crowd control than were employed at Kent State, but if protesters are armed, all bets are off.
Ah, the party of "law and order." Isn't that what the GOP thinks of itself? Isn't that their pitch? When did the rot really start festering? With Nixon and the WH Plumbers? And how about Spiro and his grifting? After Nixon's pardon (boy, that really taught the future crooks --here's looking at you, Dick -- a lesson, didn't it?) Then, we got Reagan and Ollie North and Iran-Contra. Toss in an invasion of Iraq based on lies about WMDs (go big or go home). Add McConnell refusing to let Obama get a vote on a nominee to SCOTUS, and lie after lie about "stolen" elections. Don't forget the lies told to get Trump's (who announced his candidacy from the "down" escalator, symbolism which has been proven prescient) nominees to SCOTUS confirmed. I wish that Biden, his administration, the Democrats, and the DOJ were half as "woke" as the GOP claims -- wake up and see that the real crime is the destruction of democratic norms and safeguards, and no one seems to have the wherewithal to stop it. It is a mistake to fail to hold Trump accountable ostensibly because his cult followers would be enraged/mobilized/apoplectic; after all, they already are all that.
His remarks in Waco were less incendiary than his recent social media posts on "Truth" Social. Perhaps some of his unpaid lawyers advised him that he could be held civilly liable were one of his targets to be injured or killed by one of his followers following Trumpian incitement to "get rid of" them. Some DC and Capitol cops are already suing him for the harm done to them by his cult followers on Jan. 6.
Trump's cult is loud, it has shown a penchant for violence, but it is not led by brilliant strategists nor is it very large. Sure, it's about 30% of what passes for the Republican Party, but the Republican Party is less than 30% of all voters. That means it is a very small minority of the country.
Time for us to act like it. There are a lot more of us than there are of them. We are the majority. We have put up with their bullshit for far too long. And if they want trouble, I say Bring It On. Sure, there might have been 15,000 of those assholes in Waco last night, but more than a few reports said that they started to leave after 30 minutes of the Dear Leader (I think they really came to see Ted Nugent and Marge, but that's just me). So what? He wanted them out in force in NYC and he got nothing. And in spite of the fact that Garland seems unable to prosecute the big fish, they are going to prison by the dozens in DC. So, let him whine. Let him think that he can rally Y'all Queda to his side. When he loses again, both in court and at the ballot box, we need to make sure we never hear from him again.
Good God! Nothing is beneath this excuse for a human being. He’s an insurrectionist! He needs to be stopped!
As someone who is in my 70's, I cannot comprehend how anyone on the downward arc toward death can continue to lie and hate and provoke harm for others. If you are fortunate to live this long, and if you have not done so before now, it is the time of life to make peace, make amends, love, forgive, make the world better off then when you were born because you don't know when your opportunities to do so will end by your death.
I recently saw an interview with a Jan 6 rioter, who said with piteous sincerity, “He said I was special.”
He's a joke as a human being, but unfortunately he's not a joke as an inciter of violence.
Biden could stop all of it tomorrow. Fire Milquetoast Merrick and hire someone who can do the job. It's one of the main reasons people voted for him, and it's a slap in the face to all of us that he can't say that. It's a big reason why his approval rating is in the toilet. We are up against the Terminator. "It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!" And the sooner Biden recognizes that fact, the better.
I actually think it’s more likely and in character for Trump to be preparing the ground to turn the casting and counting of votes into chaos and into an election steal with the help of the Republican state executive, legislative, and judicial deniers, and then have all of his MAGA minions in the streets demanding and declaring that he won.
Just to give a little context to this slimeball's lies about Jan 6th, NPR had a report on those who have been charged in the Jan 6th insurrection. (I refuse to use the word 'riot', because it was an attempt to subvert our government and only 'insurrection' encompasses the gravity of the event.)
Please note, though-the numbers are still growing, because the feds are still looking for over 1,000 more people who they believe were involved.
This isn't over by a long shot, but read this report and remember, Donald Trump did this.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/25/1165022885/1000-defendants-january-6-capitol-riot
By the way, to give some nuanced context for the 'rally' a lot of the attendees started leaving half-way through his speech. They'd been waiting all day for him, and they were tired.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-waco-2659656624/
" Donald Trump's first major rally of the year as he tries to avenge his 2020 election loss went off without a hitch in Waco on Saturday but fans didn't stick around long, reports the Waco Tribune-Herald. "
He's losing his mojo and he's the only one who doesn't know it.
The original news article about it:
https://wacotrib.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/trump-draws-thousands-to-waco-rally-sticks-with-familiar-themes/article_1ec36070-cb6f-11ed-9dc9-5739d75d987e.html
I strongly suspect that those attempting to “take the White House by force,” will be met this time by massive military force and not by a few lightly armed police.
Red hats. Brown shirts. Same shit, different century.
I shudder to know that 70 million fools voted for him in 2020.
He will crash and burn. What a waste of time.
Well, we know what political pornography looks like.
Using videos of his brown shirts sacking the Capitol makes it official fascism is alive and well in America and MAGA is its name.
Forewarned is Forewarned. I'm guessing that this will not play well in suburban voting precincts, but it's too early to tell. My suggestion would be to indict Trump and bring him to trial. And ramp up training the National Guard in riot control. This one isn't going to be like that which occurred at Kent State, Ohio, May 1 - 4, 1970. If any of those rioters brings a weapon to a 'stop-the-steal' rally, there is going to be serious trouble. This needs to be put down forcefully. There are less lethal methods of crowd control than were employed at Kent State, but if protesters are armed, all bets are off.
Ah, the party of "law and order." Isn't that what the GOP thinks of itself? Isn't that their pitch? When did the rot really start festering? With Nixon and the WH Plumbers? And how about Spiro and his grifting? After Nixon's pardon (boy, that really taught the future crooks --here's looking at you, Dick -- a lesson, didn't it?) Then, we got Reagan and Ollie North and Iran-Contra. Toss in an invasion of Iraq based on lies about WMDs (go big or go home). Add McConnell refusing to let Obama get a vote on a nominee to SCOTUS, and lie after lie about "stolen" elections. Don't forget the lies told to get Trump's (who announced his candidacy from the "down" escalator, symbolism which has been proven prescient) nominees to SCOTUS confirmed. I wish that Biden, his administration, the Democrats, and the DOJ were half as "woke" as the GOP claims -- wake up and see that the real crime is the destruction of democratic norms and safeguards, and no one seems to have the wherewithal to stop it. It is a mistake to fail to hold Trump accountable ostensibly because his cult followers would be enraged/mobilized/apoplectic; after all, they already are all that.
His remarks in Waco were less incendiary than his recent social media posts on "Truth" Social. Perhaps some of his unpaid lawyers advised him that he could be held civilly liable were one of his targets to be injured or killed by one of his followers following Trumpian incitement to "get rid of" them. Some DC and Capitol cops are already suing him for the harm done to them by his cult followers on Jan. 6.