Numbness would have been less likely had charges been brought right away against the masterminds of January 6, some of whom still hold office. Instead, we have delay after delay after delay, orchestrated to wear everyone down.
If I had done anything like what they did to promote an insurrection, I would have long ago had a trial and I suspect, been convicted. I have lost a lot of respect for our so-called justice system.
That’s one of his objectives: destroy trust in all our institutions.
The justice system had many flaws before DJT came along. I’m sure you know that. The GOP and its allies focused years ago on shaping the courts to their liking. But that’s not the root of his delays or lack of prosecution except in FL. Criminal cases allow more rights for defendants - the consequences are larger. They can take a long time, years, even at the state level.
I think the biggest problem is that the laws being used to prosecute, just like the 14th Amendment, were written to protect the government from being overthrown & not with a sitting president in mind because a president is the head of the government. The Consitution provided other safeguards against a mob boss president that have all failed us. Voters mostly gave the legislators involved a pass. In addition he speaks and works indirectly though others — Come to DC “it will be wild”.
So civil cases can usually move faster because the level of proof is lower due to the lesser penalties. In the news today, his filing in NY that he cannot obtain a bond to secure an appeal because 30 companies have refused to accept his property as collateral. They want cash. Apparently the irony is lost on him. But I appreciate the system of civil litigation that he abused and used to abuse others for over 40 years grabbed him by the $$$.
Good point. He's not intelligent enough to appreciate irony (or even to have a sense of humor). I certainly don't begrudge anyone a fair trial, but growing up where we got broadcast New York City news, we saw him on television often, and saw what a terrible person he was and is.
I guess I'm still dumbfounded at the support he has. He would be the first one to cheat the people who feel "left behind". It's unchecked capitalism that is the problem, not democracy.
He is looting the GOP and weakening the party at every turn. As fearful as I am that this monster is as close as he is in the polls, I strongly believe he will lose badly is 2024. He appears to be self-destructing.
He obviously is running out of cash and must start selling real estate but potential buyers know he is desperate and will offer half of the normal value, if at all. So he will milk the Party instead to pay multi/millions of dollars to lawyers who must be demanding “up front” payment! Proof of all of this is that he immediately fired 60 staff. His “main game” at this point is to raise enough cash to save his real estate empire while he tries to delay these trials. He’s always been all about money so that’s number one on his mind!
To your point on his finances — The RNC is operating on a line of credit and has few funds of its own. Several state parties are in chaos and/or broke. His court filing today says 30 bond companies refused him. He cannot obtain a bond because they won’t accept his property as collateral. They want cash. The irony of trying to obtain a bond to appeal a fraud judgement based on property proven to have inflated values. (I suspect if he had more liquid assets and could put up half? It would be easier to get a bond.)
Michael Cohen pointed out that selling property involves more than considering what could be fluctuating market value & what is unencumbered. There are tax issues including capital gains taxes which take a big bite out of fire sale net proceeds.
First @StevenBeschloss, thank you for the political therapy. Seriously, though, 45 called January 6 a gathering of peaceful patriots expressing free speech. We all know it was violent insurrectionists. If he is now saying that if he doesn't get elected there will be a bloodbath, he is clearly saying the quiet part out loud, the part where he is telling us that he is telling his cult followers to act violently if he isn't elected, to do whatever it takes to ignore the election results and put the country in such distress and kill off anyone who didn't support him and scare us into allowing him to be president. Well, I am not going to let that happen. I am not numb to his words and his speech and use of the word bloodbath shook me to the core. Also, how dare he use the word hostages to describe the people who were arrested for breaking the law on January 6 and desecrating the Capitol and harming and killing police officers who were there to keep the peace !!! Hostages are the people who are being held in Gaza by the Palestinians. Hospitals are the people who were held for more than 100 days by Iran during the Carter administration. I am so upset; and I am so outraged. I AM NOT NUMB TO HIS WORDS AND HIS SPEECH INCITING VIOLENCE. AND I WILL NOT LET OUR GREAT COUNTRY BECOME THE AUTOCRACY THAT HE DESIRES !!! It is going to take more than voting. It is going to take getting out there and reaching out to anyone and everyone who can be persuaded, anyone and everyone who is horrified by 45's words and actions but afraid to do anything about it that they can support what is correct and good and they can support the Constitution and they can vote their conscience, and they can make our country everything the founding fathers created. Because we will not be bullied by the 45th president of the US. and btw: not he wants special privileges because he can't find an insurance company to bond over the $464 million he owes in the civil case. NO. NOP SPECIAL PRIVILEGES FOR HIM AS HE IS A CITIZEN WHO MUST ABIDE BY THE LAWS JUST LIKE EVERYO OTHER CITIZEN. He must pay the fine, find some entity to bond over it, or have the government seize his properties with a value of the $464 million. God Bles America, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave 🇺🇸
An insurrectionist and terrorist. With malice forethought. On ballots for the CEO of a constitutional democracy. Is the Sup Ct deaf and dumb? As well as compromised?
Some of the supremes need to put democracy ahead of their collusion to get on the court. Put on your big boy/girl pants and do the right thing. Young loving people are dying in the fight for our democracy every day in our Armed Forces. Those compromised supremes should be ashamed. They don't have the courage to own up to the fact that they were bought to get the job. You can change your calendar today to put the immunity case earlier but will you or change your mind and agree with the lower court? Nothing is stopping you is it?
Every accusation is projection. Every failure is always somebody else fault. Every credit he takes (economy and COVID) he steals from those who did the work. He has a messiah complex mixed with the bitterness of victimhood and is too dumb to realize if he were such a savior, he would not be the victim. Any other person screaming this on a street corner would be committed to a mental health facility because it is so unhinged from reality to pose a danger to himself and others.
A simple, direct assessment of the man is needed. He is a person with a highly destructive personality disorder. Why does the media avoid mentioning that Donald Trump is a psychopath? His patterns of speech and behavior indicate so at every turn. According to "Psychology Today," "Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy and the blunting of other affective states. Callousness, detachment, and a lack of empathy enable psychopaths to be highly manipulative." Journalists and commentators should write and talk about this in direct and simple ways to educate the public. Yes, a significant segment of the public not only can be educated, but want to know what is really going on with Trump and people like him. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/psychopathy
We cannot remain silent . This is not normal and we cannot let those that don’t participate stay uninformed. This is everyone’s responsibility to stop him.
Reading your comments takes my mind to Germany in 1938, just when Hitler was rising. The sane German population seemed to “just let it happen”. Is that going to be an American story?
I honestly don’t think so, Stuart. The Germans were brainwashed, like many of Trump’s supporters, however, we have the internet and social media. Word of mouth travels very fast nationally and internationally in the 21st Century. Right now, the Biden Admin has amassed millions more than Trump has in his war chest. I do feel we will prevail and that also means if he doesn’t go to any of his trials before November. People are tired of his rhetoric. He makes everyone depressed. He’s going ⬇️!
Our need to outnumber them instead of counting on MAGA faithful changing their minds is captured in a MAGA protest in Northern NJ this weekend where one sign proclaimed "Trump was right about everything." We won't convince them but our votes can overwhelm them.
How are we left with so little recourse in the face of his escalating sociopathy? Even if he’s defeated there is so much work to be done - laws passed to prevent another deranged individual from assuming- let’s face it - unlimited power.
There has been much discussion about whether this election will be a referendum on Biden or Trump. As I wrote last week, I think one of the biggest political developments in recent days has been the drying up of the GOP’s big attacks on Biden. Consider:
-- The economy is remarkably strong, not weak
-- Inflation has come way down, not soaring
-- Crime, violent crime and murder rates are down across the US, not raging
-- Domestic oil and renewable production is setting records, and US is more energy independent than in decades - there is no “war on energy” causing rising gas prices and loss of independence
-- Democrats are for order at the border, they are for Trumpian chaos
-- The “Biden crime family” narrative was a fake Russian info op, once again laundered by Republican useful idiots
-- And now we see in the State of The Union Biden strong, smart and vigorous; and it turns out, of course, that Republican Special Counsel lied about Biden’s memory challenges
Republicans have no clear shot at him any more. There is no longer a strong case against Biden’s re-election. With that, I think what we are beginning to see is the election is increasingly becoming a referendum on Trump and not Biden. And that my friends is an election Republicans cannot possibly win.
Simon Rosenberg and Robert Hubbell are extremely helpful to me to keep me focused and motivated. It’s critical to remember that we can do this. We can gather the forces needed to reelect President Biden and to get out the vote and elect Blue all the way down the line. Simon says stop worrying and start working.
I'm actually not sure how you can "normalize" things like the bloodbath and immigrants are animals speech beyond recognizing that that is the crap trump says and BTW he MEANS it and be afraid, very afraid. We NEED to "normalize" fear of trump. ASAP. Biden's ads are doing so amazingly. We all can do so with any family and friends who are not already in agreement with those trumpian claims.
The following is my post yesterday on another site. It may be "too strong" for some, but a madman by any other name is still a madman.
As one who attempts to follow this Mafia-style Trump world without getting too upset or too exercised over it, I know damned well what he means by bloodbath: Blood flowing down the streets of America, baby! Hell, yeah! He literally thirsts for violence; revenge; retribution (one of his favorites). Those who follow this violence-oriented monster are just as bad as he is. They, too, want to see the blood of citizen America flow freely down the streets. Let NO man or woman be fooled: Trump wants terrorism on steroids. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to decipher the evil that Trump wants to set in place throughout our republic. He is a psychopath on steroids. He wants to be a dictator from day one (his words). He wants to punish his opponents and his critics. Trump wants to turn our country inside-out and upside down. Borrowing a phrase from a comic strip character from long ago, Pogo: “I have seen the enemy and he is us.”
Fascism rejects assertions that violence is inherently negative or pointless, instead viewing imperialism, political violence, and war as means to national rejuvenation.
The "rejection that violence is inherently negative" underwrites the fascist embrace of authoritarianismm. Fear is its operative. "National rejuvenation" is at the center of Christian nationalism, although sorely misguided; and, very dangerous.
There is no coherent theme to any of his speeches, but for his increasingly malignant narcissism, insecurity and victimhood. He cannot even pronounce words written on a teleprompter, or remember basic facts or timelines (he is still running against Obama in his mind). He does not even know basic science that a 10 year old knows. All he does is spew a word salad of hate, victimization, lies that have no semblance of reality that belies his advancing dementia.
His cheering, adoring crowd reminds me of Hitler’s Germany. I know that’s awful to say but how else do you explain these people?
I’ve been saying this for a while. The time to stop him is NOW.
Thank you!
Trump is normalizing violence, hopelessness and projection!
The choice is starkly clear: Biden or Dictatorship!
Numbness would have been less likely had charges been brought right away against the masterminds of January 6, some of whom still hold office. Instead, we have delay after delay after delay, orchestrated to wear everyone down.
If I had done anything like what they did to promote an insurrection, I would have long ago had a trial and I suspect, been convicted. I have lost a lot of respect for our so-called justice system.
That’s one of his objectives: destroy trust in all our institutions.
The justice system had many flaws before DJT came along. I’m sure you know that. The GOP and its allies focused years ago on shaping the courts to their liking. But that’s not the root of his delays or lack of prosecution except in FL. Criminal cases allow more rights for defendants - the consequences are larger. They can take a long time, years, even at the state level.
I think the biggest problem is that the laws being used to prosecute, just like the 14th Amendment, were written to protect the government from being overthrown & not with a sitting president in mind because a president is the head of the government. The Consitution provided other safeguards against a mob boss president that have all failed us. Voters mostly gave the legislators involved a pass. In addition he speaks and works indirectly though others — Come to DC “it will be wild”.
So civil cases can usually move faster because the level of proof is lower due to the lesser penalties. In the news today, his filing in NY that he cannot obtain a bond to secure an appeal because 30 companies have refused to accept his property as collateral. They want cash. Apparently the irony is lost on him. But I appreciate the system of civil litigation that he abused and used to abuse others for over 40 years grabbed him by the $$$.
Good point. He's not intelligent enough to appreciate irony (or even to have a sense of humor). I certainly don't begrudge anyone a fair trial, but growing up where we got broadcast New York City news, we saw him on television often, and saw what a terrible person he was and is.
I guess I'm still dumbfounded at the support he has. He would be the first one to cheat the people who feel "left behind". It's unchecked capitalism that is the problem, not democracy.
I love your last sentence Ann! It’s perfect. I agree with the rest of what you said as well.
He is looting the GOP and weakening the party at every turn. As fearful as I am that this monster is as close as he is in the polls, I strongly believe he will lose badly is 2024. He appears to be self-destructing.
He obviously is running out of cash and must start selling real estate but potential buyers know he is desperate and will offer half of the normal value, if at all. So he will milk the Party instead to pay multi/millions of dollars to lawyers who must be demanding “up front” payment! Proof of all of this is that he immediately fired 60 staff. His “main game” at this point is to raise enough cash to save his real estate empire while he tries to delay these trials. He’s always been all about money so that’s number one on his mind!
To your point on his finances — The RNC is operating on a line of credit and has few funds of its own. Several state parties are in chaos and/or broke. His court filing today says 30 bond companies refused him. He cannot obtain a bond because they won’t accept his property as collateral. They want cash. The irony of trying to obtain a bond to appeal a fraud judgement based on property proven to have inflated values. (I suspect if he had more liquid assets and could put up half? It would be easier to get a bond.)
Michael Cohen pointed out that selling property involves more than considering what could be fluctuating market value & what is unencumbered. There are tax issues including capital gains taxes which take a big bite out of fire sale net proceeds.
Maybe the greatest example yet that the Orange Emperor has no clothes. Good point on the irony. Oh what a tangled web….
First @StevenBeschloss, thank you for the political therapy. Seriously, though, 45 called January 6 a gathering of peaceful patriots expressing free speech. We all know it was violent insurrectionists. If he is now saying that if he doesn't get elected there will be a bloodbath, he is clearly saying the quiet part out loud, the part where he is telling us that he is telling his cult followers to act violently if he isn't elected, to do whatever it takes to ignore the election results and put the country in such distress and kill off anyone who didn't support him and scare us into allowing him to be president. Well, I am not going to let that happen. I am not numb to his words and his speech and use of the word bloodbath shook me to the core. Also, how dare he use the word hostages to describe the people who were arrested for breaking the law on January 6 and desecrating the Capitol and harming and killing police officers who were there to keep the peace !!! Hostages are the people who are being held in Gaza by the Palestinians. Hospitals are the people who were held for more than 100 days by Iran during the Carter administration. I am so upset; and I am so outraged. I AM NOT NUMB TO HIS WORDS AND HIS SPEECH INCITING VIOLENCE. AND I WILL NOT LET OUR GREAT COUNTRY BECOME THE AUTOCRACY THAT HE DESIRES !!! It is going to take more than voting. It is going to take getting out there and reaching out to anyone and everyone who can be persuaded, anyone and everyone who is horrified by 45's words and actions but afraid to do anything about it that they can support what is correct and good and they can support the Constitution and they can vote their conscience, and they can make our country everything the founding fathers created. Because we will not be bullied by the 45th president of the US. and btw: not he wants special privileges because he can't find an insurance company to bond over the $464 million he owes in the civil case. NO. NOP SPECIAL PRIVILEGES FOR HIM AS HE IS A CITIZEN WHO MUST ABIDE BY THE LAWS JUST LIKE EVERYO OTHER CITIZEN. He must pay the fine, find some entity to bond over it, or have the government seize his properties with a value of the $464 million. God Bles America, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave 🇺🇸
An insurrectionist and terrorist. With malice forethought. On ballots for the CEO of a constitutional democracy. Is the Sup Ct deaf and dumb? As well as compromised?
Some of the supremes need to put democracy ahead of their collusion to get on the court. Put on your big boy/girl pants and do the right thing. Young loving people are dying in the fight for our democracy every day in our Armed Forces. Those compromised supremes should be ashamed. They don't have the courage to own up to the fact that they were bought to get the job. You can change your calendar today to put the immunity case earlier but will you or change your mind and agree with the lower court? Nothing is stopping you is it?
Every accusation is projection. Every failure is always somebody else fault. Every credit he takes (economy and COVID) he steals from those who did the work. He has a messiah complex mixed with the bitterness of victimhood and is too dumb to realize if he were such a savior, he would not be the victim. Any other person screaming this on a street corner would be committed to a mental health facility because it is so unhinged from reality to pose a danger to himself and others.
A simple, direct assessment of the man is needed. He is a person with a highly destructive personality disorder. Why does the media avoid mentioning that Donald Trump is a psychopath? His patterns of speech and behavior indicate so at every turn. According to "Psychology Today," "Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy and the blunting of other affective states. Callousness, detachment, and a lack of empathy enable psychopaths to be highly manipulative." Journalists and commentators should write and talk about this in direct and simple ways to educate the public. Yes, a significant segment of the public not only can be educated, but want to know what is really going on with Trump and people like him. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/psychopathy
I agree Aurora. I could be wrong, but it finally
dawned on me that corporate owned media
outlets have made a deal with the devil (DT).
They help fund his campaign and if he wins he’ll
give them another tax cut. They want the Trump
win so they aren’t going to say anything bad
about him. It’s disgusting!
Greed "trumps" morality, again!
Exactly!
We cannot remain silent . This is not normal and we cannot let those that don’t participate stay uninformed. This is everyone’s responsibility to stop him.
Reading your comments takes my mind to Germany in 1938, just when Hitler was rising. The sane German population seemed to “just let it happen”. Is that going to be an American story?
I honestly don’t think so, Stuart. The Germans were brainwashed, like many of Trump’s supporters, however, we have the internet and social media. Word of mouth travels very fast nationally and internationally in the 21st Century. Right now, the Biden Admin has amassed millions more than Trump has in his war chest. I do feel we will prevail and that also means if he doesn’t go to any of his trials before November. People are tired of his rhetoric. He makes everyone depressed. He’s going ⬇️!
Our need to outnumber them instead of counting on MAGA faithful changing their minds is captured in a MAGA protest in Northern NJ this weekend where one sign proclaimed "Trump was right about everything." We won't convince them but our votes can overwhelm them.
How are we left with so little recourse in the face of his escalating sociopathy? Even if he’s defeated there is so much work to be done - laws passed to prevent another deranged individual from assuming- let’s face it - unlimited power.
I think there are clear ways forward to a big win for democracy in the 2024 elections.
Please check out a couple of helpful substack newsletters:
Robert Hubbell at https://roberthubbell.substack.com
Simon Rosenberg at https://www.hopiumchronicles.com
A recent article: "Booming American Economy, The Republican Party Is Broke and Broken"
https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/biden-leads-in-6-new-polls-the-booming
There has been much discussion about whether this election will be a referendum on Biden or Trump. As I wrote last week, I think one of the biggest political developments in recent days has been the drying up of the GOP’s big attacks on Biden. Consider:
-- The economy is remarkably strong, not weak
-- Inflation has come way down, not soaring
-- Crime, violent crime and murder rates are down across the US, not raging
-- Domestic oil and renewable production is setting records, and US is more energy independent than in decades - there is no “war on energy” causing rising gas prices and loss of independence
-- Democrats are for order at the border, they are for Trumpian chaos
-- The “Biden crime family” narrative was a fake Russian info op, once again laundered by Republican useful idiots
-- And now we see in the State of The Union Biden strong, smart and vigorous; and it turns out, of course, that Republican Special Counsel lied about Biden’s memory challenges
Republicans have no clear shot at him any more. There is no longer a strong case against Biden’s re-election. With that, I think what we are beginning to see is the election is increasingly becoming a referendum on Trump and not Biden. And that my friends is an election Republicans cannot possibly win.
Simon Rosenberg and Robert Hubbell are extremely helpful to me to keep me focused and motivated. It’s critical to remember that we can do this. We can gather the forces needed to reelect President Biden and to get out the vote and elect Blue all the way down the line. Simon says stop worrying and start working.
I'm actually not sure how you can "normalize" things like the bloodbath and immigrants are animals speech beyond recognizing that that is the crap trump says and BTW he MEANS it and be afraid, very afraid. We NEED to "normalize" fear of trump. ASAP. Biden's ads are doing so amazingly. We all can do so with any family and friends who are not already in agreement with those trumpian claims.
The following is my post yesterday on another site. It may be "too strong" for some, but a madman by any other name is still a madman.
As one who attempts to follow this Mafia-style Trump world without getting too upset or too exercised over it, I know damned well what he means by bloodbath: Blood flowing down the streets of America, baby! Hell, yeah! He literally thirsts for violence; revenge; retribution (one of his favorites). Those who follow this violence-oriented monster are just as bad as he is. They, too, want to see the blood of citizen America flow freely down the streets. Let NO man or woman be fooled: Trump wants terrorism on steroids. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to decipher the evil that Trump wants to set in place throughout our republic. He is a psychopath on steroids. He wants to be a dictator from day one (his words). He wants to punish his opponents and his critics. Trump wants to turn our country inside-out and upside down. Borrowing a phrase from a comic strip character from long ago, Pogo: “I have seen the enemy and he is us.”
Fascism rejects assertions that violence is inherently negative or pointless, instead viewing imperialism, political violence, and war as means to national rejuvenation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism
The "rejection that violence is inherently negative" underwrites the fascist embrace of authoritarianismm. Fear is its operative. "National rejuvenation" is at the center of Christian nationalism, although sorely misguided; and, very dangerous.
There is no coherent theme to any of his speeches, but for his increasingly malignant narcissism, insecurity and victimhood. He cannot even pronounce words written on a teleprompter, or remember basic facts or timelines (he is still running against Obama in his mind). He does not even know basic science that a 10 year old knows. All he does is spew a word salad of hate, victimization, lies that have no semblance of reality that belies his advancing dementia.
Thx as usual for a great essay. All I can say is I’m so sorry you had to sit through it. But thank you so I didn’t have to.