I’m mad.
For 8+ years, Donald Trump and his allies have promoted, encouraged, inspired, and excused political violence against their foes. And all along the way, they ignored repeated calls to tone it down. Their chickens have finally come home to roost in the form of nutjobs making disgusting attempts on Trump's life, and NOW they say violence is bad; NOW they say the rhetoric is too spicy.
Our memory isn’t this poor, is it?
They created dozens of violent threats in Springfield due to their lies about Haitian migrants. They joked about Paul Pelosi being beaten with hammer. They cheered beating up protesters and reporters. They made excuses when scum tried to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer. They downplayed and rationalized the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6. They repeatedly said Democrats are destroying the country. They inspired dozens and dozens of cases of violence and threats. The list goes on and on and on.
How dare they try to lecture ANYONE on rhetoric. No one should be encouraging violence, period, but I won’t be shamed into being dishonest about who Trump is.
Trump’s the one who said he would be a dictator on day one. Trump’s the one who suggested suspending the Constitution. Trump’s the one who said he might not accept the results of the next election. Trump’s the one who said he would use the DOJ to go after political opponents. Trump’s the one who said he would pardon the rioters who attacked the Capitol on Jan 6. Trump’s the one who said he would use the military against citizens. Trump’s the one who said the elections are stolen (but only when he loses). Trump’s the one who conspired to overturn the 2020 election. Trump’s the one who pushed for complete immunity as President. Trump’s the one who sexually abused a woman. Trump’s the one who committed felonies.
His critics didn’t make up any of that. He said it or did it himself. The notion that being honest about any of that is "dangerous rhetoric” is absolutely idiotic. I’m not having it.
———
Third day of bomb threats inspired by Trump lies sends Springfield hospitals into lockdown (2024)
The times Trump has advocated for violence (2022)
https://www.axios.com/2022/05/02/trump-call-violence-presidency
'No Blame?' ABC News finds 54 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, assaults. (2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889
Trump shares video of supporter saying "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat" (2020)
Trump often passively encourages violence and actively rationalizes it (2024)
Trump’s Threats Against Opponents Are Getting Increasingly Violent (2024)
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-biden-threats/
Trump on protester: ‘I’d like to punch him in the face’ (2016)
https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/donald-trump-punch-protester-219655
Trump on His Supporters Attacking Protesters: ‘That’s What We Need More Of’ (2016)
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/03/trump-punching-protesters-is-very-appropriate.html
Trump Calls the News Media the ‘Enemy of the American People’ (2017)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/business/trump-calls-the-news-media-the-enemy-of-the-people.html
At Montana rally, Trump praises congressman for assaulting reporter (2018)
Trump on political violence in 2024: 'If we don't win, you know, it depends' (2024)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/rcna149981
Trump supporters call for riots and violent retribution after verdict (2024)
Trump team argues assassination of rivals is covered by presidential immunity (2024)
Donald Trump Jr. mocks Paul Pelosi attack (2022)
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3712538-donald-trump-jr-mocks-paul-pelosi-attack/
Trump Mocks Hammer Attack On Pelosi’s Husband In Incendiary Speech as Crowd Laughs (2023)
Trump posts video with an image of a hog-tied Biden
https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-hogtied-post-4fb29b80ed926c20c2fbbed05fd03755
Jan 6 US capitol attack (2021)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack
What insurrection? Growing number in GOP downplay Jan. 6 (2021)
Trump posts disturbing baseball bat photo with Alvin Bragg, threatens ‘death and destruction’ (2023)
https://nypost.com/2023/03/24/trump-shares-pic-holding-baseball-bat-near-das-head/
Trump defends Texas drivers who swarmed Biden bus on highway (2020)
Donald Trump Suggests ‘Second Amendment People’ Could Act Against Hillary Clinton (2016)
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton.html
Project 2025 head says 'second American Revolution' will be 'bloodless if the left allows' (2024)
Trump blasts his trial judges. Then his fans call for violence. (2024)
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-threats-courts/
Trump trying to send ‘threatening message to a foreseeable witness’ in election interference case (2023)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/26/trump-mark-meadows-witness-threats
MAGA Gov Candidate’s Ugly, Hateful Rant: “Some Folks Need Killing!” (2024)
Proud Boys celebrate Trump’s ‘stand by’ remark about them at the debate. (2020)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/us/trump-proud-boys-biden.html
Trump has threatened dozens of times to use the government to target political enemies (2024)
Trump supporters try to dox jurors and post violent threats after his conviction (2024)
Trump’s angry words spur warnings of real violence (2022)
Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes (2019)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/22/trumps-rhetoric-does-inspire-more-hate-crimes/
Trump turns shooting migrants into a punchline at Florida rally (2019)
https://www.vox.com/2019/5/9/18538124/trump-panama-city-beach-rally-shooting-migrants
El Paso Shooting Suspect’s Manifesto Echoes Trump’s Language (2019)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/us/politics/trump-mass-shootings.html
‘MAGA Bomber’ Cesar Sayoc sentenced to 20 years in prison for trying to kill Trump critics, including Obama, Clinton, Biden, Booker, Harris (2019)
Trump Backers Are Talking Up Possible Civil War (2024)
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/07/trump-vance-civil-war-gop-political-violence/
Posted by Safe_Presentation962
3 Comments
Welcome to my world; being a black woman who remembers 2016 and remembers at least most of the shit Trump said back then and even before then, when he was shouting on TV about Obama′s birth certificate. I now get to see a bunch of rose-tinted assholes giving a pass to people who voted for him back then, now transitioning to giving people a pass on 2020, knowing that Trump is going to be just like George Bush where he gets more popular in retirement abd his legacy is sanewashed because white conservative men get that benefit.
That is never going to apply to Hillary Clinton and definitely not Kamala Harris.
> I’m mad.
That’s the entire point of owning the libs. It’s Lucy and the football. We’re Charlie Brown and keep falling for the same bullshit.
Every time.
Forever.
It’s insane that Trump can make 100 statements that each would be political-career-ending in pre-2016 era for any normal politician. He gets a pass because he’s not from “the establishment”.
It’s even more insane how the USA went from historically the first black president who, on top of that, was sending the message of hope right into a pathologically lying clown constantly campaigning on a platform of modern fascism from day 1.
But this isn’t US-only phenomenon. I witness it here in Czechia and in Europe and in other modern democracies.
What happened? Politics wasn’t like that 15 years ago, no?
I struggle with finding coherent enough answer.
Is the world really collapsing just like how Trump and other modern fascists across the world love to present the current situation? Is it really the fault of globalization, multiculturalism, humanism and immigration?
Or is it a radical reaction of conservative-traditional population to the most liberal era in human history?
Or is it Russia winning the hybrid-information war? Maybe post-Cold war soberness?
Or are we witnessing some inherent flaws of democracy combined with mass social media?
What if it’s a combo of all above-mentioned and then some more?
I really don’t know.