39 Comments
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Martha Franklin's avatar

You know, I was never a believer in conspiracy theories before this sick regime came into power, but I distrust anything that is spewed by any of its cruel, self-serving members.

I find that this has the potential to diminish my ability to feel empathy and compassion, and I don't want that to happen. It has become a daily struggle.

No, this is no way to live.

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

One "conspiracy theory" is out there in plain sight: the packing of the Supreme Court with anti-democracy justices. Its Citizens United decision also qualifies: a conspiracy to turn elections over to the highest bidder.

Pattie's avatar

I can't even begin to express how badly I want that orange stain out of our White House. He has done so much damage already in the 15 months of his second term, that I fear we will not have a country left if he's able to somehow survive for the next 33 months.

Truthfully, I am one overwhelmed, stressed out American citizen who urgently needs to be able to sleep through the night like I used to when President Uncle Joe was in charge.

Al Bellenchia's avatar

“I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed, without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today – my own government.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Kathy Schaefer's avatar

Allowing dt, the enemy of journalism, to attend the dinner enraged me and left me feeling more hopeless. More journalists could have boycotted the event and made a real statement. The country keeps playing into his hand.

And yes, again, why is this madman still in office? Who else would talk about a ballroom after a shooting? We should be clamoring for his removal from office.

Maria R Eads's avatar

As I read about what happened on Saturday I believe more and more it was staged. Looking at Melania wearing a business suit in a place where everybody was wearing an evening gown seemed very odd. Having a policeman being shot (thank God he was wearing a bulletproof vest) and nobody knows where the bullet came from; Trump’s willingness to go to the dinner when he considers the press its enemy; listening to him talk about the importance of his ballroom at this time, and having members of his cabinet sending threatening letters to the people who brought the lawsuit to stop its construction. It is shocking to think that there could be such a disregard for the attendees’ fears of the possibility of a mass shooting during the dinner, just to promote the “importance” of the ballroom. It is very sad that the mistrust in this administration is so overwhelming

Nancy Stone's avatar

I’m just sick over what Trump has done to our country since his first term. I can handle only so much news. I get my news from here and the NYT. He is happily destroying our country. He is sick, Hegseth is a monster who loves violence, RFK is sick. At least Noem is gone and Patel may be gone. It will take decades to get our country to what the constitution actually says.

Steven Beschloss's avatar

I hear you. Hang in there. This will be overcome.

GingerLee's avatar

Haven't read any updates as of yet this AM.. when I turned off the lights last night the shooter was on the floor above the dinner ( was that where he always was?) and the secret service should be seriously questioned for the easy access into the building and area. Maybe instead pushing for an obscene ballroom you question the team protecting you with little experience since you fired everyone else because you're so paranoid...he's going to milk this for as long as he can but like the other 2 "attempts" it dries up fast..

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

The Washington Hilton is huge. The alleged gunman had taken a room there. Apparently he didn't get close to the ballroom, which is also huge. However, there are questions about how this guy managed to travel cross-country with an apparent arsenal and travel the streets of D.C. with it.

GingerLee's avatar

he took 2 long distance trains his arsenal may have been hand guns and the hotel, as he stated, has no security

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

What's your source for "no security"? Some have said it was lax, but the shooter was a registered guest. Also, since Trump was attending, the Secret Service was there.

GingerLee's avatar

The man wrote it in his “manifesto”

GingerLee's avatar

I read he took 2 long distance trains

Mary Andersen's avatar

Also, Trump's poorly designed ballroom cannot hold the 2500 the Hilton can.

Barbara Andree's avatar

I believe 47 was dosed with Adderall or other stimulant to get him thru that party and that's why he was so alert at the presser afterwards. But notice he fell after a couple steps leaving the dais. He's slipping farther into frontotemporal dementia, IMHO. So wanting to drop nukes, insulting & erratic behaviors, sundowning, and many other symptoms are typical. Limited inhibitions on top of his malignant narcissism are a very bad combo. So unless/until he's removed from office, we are all in danger. (Your point about gun safety/regulations is spot on - that's where it has to start, as ever.)

Steven Beschloss's avatar

Agreed. The only real question re Trump is how soon will he be removed?

Mary Andersen's avatar

It's a long time to November and swearing in. For or Repulicans ended campaigns

Sam Carson's avatar

The one malignant, festering tumor on the entire 2nd Amendment/ gun control "debate" (such as it is) is the unchallenged presumption that ONLY gun kooks have "rights" worthy of any consideration. Don't I have any "right" to not be menaced by armed crazy people? Is their "right" superior to my survival?

Steven Beschloss's avatar

Exactly, Sam. Freedom “from”

KBinPNW's avatar

Very well said, Steven. America, it seems, has lost its mind.

Steven Beschloss's avatar

Thx. And…it does.

Al Draycott's avatar

What can one say, Violence begets violence. You have an administration full of hate and violence, ICE gestapo agents running around grabbing innocent folks out of their homes, apprehending and deporting them to unknown countries,, warehousing them in concentration camps feeding them bug , and maggot rich food.. Please tell me one thing this administration has done to benefit the common folks., Zero. Trump, Stephen Miller, Russell Vought , Scott Bessant, Brendan Carr, Pete Hegseth and others are the so called White Supremacist , Christian Nationalist vermin . The violence stems right out of the White House. Whiten up the population, pay no attention to the constitution , rule of law or democracy. The Heritage Foundation along with Project 2025 have got to be countered. The number one threat is your personal health with JFK Jr. running the HHC its only time before a pandemic will happen. Please vote in the mid terms, don't sit this one out,

Barbara Shields's avatar

The circus surrounding the incident felt choreographed but Dana Bash’s insinuation that Jamie Raskin’s measured, lawyerly criticism of the administration was a cause stopped me cold. How have we fallen so far so fast?

Ellen Deschatres's avatar

Wow! There’s a lot to unpack there; the ills and remedies for authoritarianism, gun violence, press freedom…hoo, boy. These are all themes that return over and over again and that have been crowding out our efforts to have a safe and sane political environment. Both our individual and collective sanity is at risk…everywhere and all the time. It’s in the air. We breathe it, eat it, sleep with it…we are choking on it every minute of every hour of every day. No wonder we’re all exhausted. Remedies are hard to find because the smoke never clears, so we can’t think through anything fully or comprehensively. It has a name. It’s called chaos. It’s Trump’s secret weapon against democracy. I don’t know how to win this battle. The only anti-authoritarian weapon I have is my vote. I just pray they’re not going to take that away. It’s all I have left (pardon the pun) and it’s hanging by a thread.

Ms. Jayne's avatar

Every time I read about the "epidemic of gun violence" I shake my head in disbelief. It's my view that we have a human heart problem, exacerbated by a madman using chaos as a weapon. And do count me among those who believe this entire thing was staged!

Seriously people, we have a fascist regime doing its best to force an authoritarian state upon us, and removing firearms from the hands of civilians would certainly make that agenda easier to accomplish. And this is the time we're supposed to give up our last-ditch tool of resistance? If the nonviolent protests don't work and he refuses to accept the results of the midterm election, what then do we do? Use stronger language? Bow down and hope to not be noticed? Or get it over with and defend our freedoms? Sheesh!

Nancy Stone's avatar

We do have a human heart problem. Since Trump’s first term the violence has increased, the hatred has increased, civil conversations don’t happen, and Congress is useless.

Sharon C Storm's avatar

There is much speculation concerning this shooting. Almost everyone is suspecting that it was a setup. Every “attempt” on the felon’s life has been at a time when he was in serious trouble, with no discernible way out. At least the shooter was taken into custody instead of being killed, and no one died. But the timing is very suspicious.

Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA)'s avatar

I think those thoughts are very valid.

Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

Did the shooter's bullets really fly through the air? A Secret Service agent wearing a bullet-proof vest was shot; he's already been released from hospital, and there seems to be some doubt about whose bullet hit him. Clearly it'll be awhile before we know what happened, but some dinner attendees are already claiming creds as survivors, even though they didn't know what was happening until it was over.