Trump Supporters’ Violent Rhetoric in His Defense Disturbs Experts

LewisBraham

https://nytimes.com/2023/06/10/us/politics/trump-supporter-violent-rhetoric.html

In Georgia, at the Republican state convention, Kari Lake, who refused to concede the Arizona election for governor in 2022 and who is an ardent defender of Mr. Trump, emphasized that many of Mr. Trump’s supporters owned guns.

“I have a message tonight for Merrick Garland and Jack Smith and Joe Biden — and the guys back there in the fake news media, you should listen up as well, this one is for you,” Ms. Lake said. “If you want to get to President Trump, you are going to have go through me, and you are going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. And I’m going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the N.R.A.”
The crowd cheered.

Ms. Lake added: “That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.”

Political violence experts say that even if aggressive language by high-profile individuals does not directly end in physical harm, it creates a dangerous atmosphere in which the idea of violence becomes more accepted, especially if such rhetoric is left unchecked.

Old_Joe

As far as I'm concerned, these people have forfeited their right to be citizens of the United States.

Crash

Bingo, OJ.

I do not go along with the current zeitgeist by which someone has decided we must protect ourselves from life itself, with trigger warnings and politically correct speech. What's the newfangled "proper" term going to be, NEXT week, eh? And WARNINGS at the front-end of movies because someone is smoking cigarettes in the film?! Crap. But that kind of Kari Lake talk crosses a line we never had to worry about in this country.---prior to the Trumpster. Lock HER up, too.

hank

I’ll make a bold call here and predict that at some point he pulls out and gives his support to DeSantis. I think Barr’s comments on FOX yesterday may be the first nail in the coffin. There will be more. But it will take months to play out. Notice how most of the primary aspirants are bending over backwards to kiss his behind. That’s because they all want his support if / when he pulls out, which they hope for and expect.

I hope @Old_Joe feels better now that he’s vented his frustration & anger on my otherwise deleted thread. I’ll reiterate here my concern that to repeat threats of political violence in a public forum only serves to make it seem more acceptable to the masses. It should be assumed without argument that the status quo is presumed to be in effect. And the status quo is that we are a nation of laws (including the judicial system) - and that’s what this is all really about.

LewisBraham

The need to pardon himself may make it more, not less likely, he'll stay in the race:

https://washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/06/09/trump-indictment-2024-election/

https://politico.com/news/2023/06/10/trump-vows-to-stay-in-the-race-even-if-convicted-00101403

hank

From the Politico story -

”Trump is not legally prohibited from running for president from prison or as a convicted felon. But such a bid would nevertheless provide a massive stress test for the country’s political and legal systems …”

No kiddin? How soon will Musk have that Mars rocket ready? I’m prepared to board if this comes to pass - even if only a one-way trip.

Ummm …. Of course, DeSantis could promise to pardon him in return for his support. Likely, that wouldn’t be publicly stated for fear of alienating some voters - but it would be tacitly understood to be the case by Trump’s supporters.

Thanks @LewisBraham for providing both links. Not a subscriber to the WP and couldn’t read it.

LewisBraham

There is ample precedent globally for indicted leaders to continue pursuing office in an attempt to exculpate themselves: https://cnn.com/2023/04/04/world/trump-indictment-world-leaders-intl/index.html

BenWP

@LewisBraham: I had a similar reaction as you to the Barr comments. On second thought, I asked myself, “When has DT ever paid any attention to legal advice?”

hank

BenWP said:

@LewisBraham: I had a similar reaction as you to the Barr comments.

I must have missed something. Not sure what comment @BenWP’s referencing. . Perhaps a reference to the WP article I couldn’t access? Barr was a great disappointment as AG. But he is well liked by many who support Trump. They must be scratching their heads over the comments. And he had the balls to drop that on Trump’s home turf (Fox). It there is any significance to the remarks, ISTM, it makes it easier for others in Trump’s orbit to speak out. Give this process some time to work through ….

Old_Joe

Well, here's some excerpts from a recent report in The Guardian. Evidently Barr's comments were not well received in some quarters.

Donald Trump’s former attorney general William Barr believes that the former president may be “toast” as he faces a sweeping indictment of 37 federal criminal charges over his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

Speaking to Fox News on Sunday following the release of the indictment, Barr, who served as the US attorney general under Trump from 2019 to 2020, said that he was “shocked by the degree of sensitivity at these documents and how many there were”.

“I do think we have to wait and see what the defense says and what proves to be true. But I do think … if even half of it is true, then he’s toast … It’s a very detailed indictment and it’s very damning,” said Barr.

Barr has largely broken with Trump since he left office. His comments stand in stark contrast to Trump’s tirade against federal prosecutors who he said are pursuing him as part of a “witch-hunt”.

Barr added: “The government’s agenda was to … protect those documents and get them out and I think it was perfectly appropriate to do that. It was the right thing to do.”

Barr went on to push back against Trump’s narrative that he is the victim of a broader government “hoax”, saying: “Presenting Trump as a victim here, the victim of a witch-hunt, is ridiculous.”

“He’s been a victim in the past. His adversaries have obsessively pursued him with phony claims and I’ve been at his side defending against him when he is a victim, but this is much different. He’s not a victim here,” said Barr: “Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has. They have to be in the custody of the archivist. He had no right to maintain them and retain them. And he kept them in a way at Mar-a-Lago that anyone who really cares about national security, their stomach would churn at it,” he added.

Crash

ding. Now, if we can only find a jury that will CONVICT.

Crash

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/12/donald-trump-indictment-trump-arrives-in-miami-for-arraignment.html

"Delayed" because he could not find a lawyer? Or didn't bother to look for one? Add THAT to the charges: childish crap. But what else is new, eh?

hank

Dominoes

Crash

+1.
I hope you're right!

catch22

The whole far right side from the most rich and powerful, through the everyday laborer remind me of the rise of Stalin in Russia. The powerful attempt to find ways to concentrate power unto themselves and the workers are looking for someone to show them the 'light'. The powerful find ways to literally take opponents 'out' of the picture and the workers need someone to tell them what to do. About 100 years in time, but similar machinations, very similar at all levels of eliminating what is perceived and/or presented as evil and bad, in order to start with a clean slate of full power; as long as one doesn't cross the line. I'm sure you'll find some interesting documented video of this era, within YouTube. that is worth your viewing time. Check the video tab in the link.
Remain curious,
Catch

ADD: They do eat their own, if necessary.

Old_Joe

@catch22- The similarities hadn't occurred to me, but by George, you are right on!

LewisBraham

I don’t think he’s going anywhere:
https://reuters.com/world/us/poll-trump-holds-double-digit-lead-after-federal-indictment-reutersipsos-2023-06-12/

Netanyahu is the likely model;
https://vox.com/platform/amp/2023/3/22/23648925/trump-indictment-arrest-israel-protest-netanyahu-comparison

And a number of pundits think he is the nominee:
https://nytimes.com/2023/06/12/opinion/donald-trump-2024.html

From Vox story:

Netanyahu’s shift speaks to the way the threat of a felony conviction changes one’s incentives. If you think you’re going to prison, you have nothing to lose by fighting with every tool available. When you’re the nation’s leading politician, with a Trump-like fervent following built up over decades, that means trying to turn the government into your personal get-out-of-jail-free card.

Crash

vomit. Brainwashed drones. "Do it to Julia, not me!"
("1984")