29 Comments
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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar

CNN should be ashamed of itself. That wasn't a town hall, it was a Republican National Committee Infomercial free of charge. No 'town hall' is filled only with people from the candidate's party. Shameful and completely void of any journalistic standards. Did CNN really think that will pull in Fox viewers? For how long? And at what cost to America's sanity?

That said, this is a truly thoughtful analysis and summary of the nightmarish societal state Trump & Co. have brought to the forefront of America. Well written, concise, and right on target. Rings so true, almost painful to read, but well worth it. Thanks.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar

I would love to visit the US again. I love the country and it’s people. We lived and worked in Denver for a very short time in 2007, visiting the great national parks every weekend and soaking up the warm welcome of new friends. New York is one of my favourite places in the world. There are so new places I would love to see. But I will not return until America renounces Trump for good.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar, Noah Berlatsky

Obviously Trump calls his supporters to their worst selves. But unfortunately so does CNN and the propping up of fascism this way (by allowing only his supporters in a supposed town hall) is why it continues to thrive.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar

I, like many Americans, have had difficulty believing my generous father-in-law, friendly neighbors, co-workers at the water cooler, and fellow PTA members are fascists. Fascism gives them power as a group. Power to be support malevolent leaders and behave abhorrently. It's is individuals who allow fascism to thrive. It is time for each of us to be brave and call out each fascist.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar

Chris Licht stated (I'm paraphrasing here) that Trump and his supporters should be acknowledged. That's so ham-handed. Of course most folks know they are out there, diminishing our country. Trump mowed over Kaitlyn Collins with lie after lie. It wasn't news. It wasn't making news. I followed it on the NYT feed and I am done with CNN.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar

Public Notice here will then need to take on more help to inform us if CNN turns completely. But Biden (and others) leaned into this indicating that people can see again who Trump is; it's a reminder, another reveal. This was a disgusting display, even to the moderator, according to reports and replays. The clips should work as a scare and can and should be used to get the vote out.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar, Noah Berlatsky

CNN hosted a Trump rally, period. Kaitlin Collins was a sacrificial lamb who was never up to the task of questioning Trump, but when a steamroller has a cheering audience of fans it’s a tough position to be in. If Tapper or Cooper or ANY stronger news person was given the assignment, I think Trump would have refused. Thanks, Noah, for this insightful piece on a disastrous debacle of deplorables.

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The topic should have been CNN’s so called town meeting! They didn’t even try to put the truth out there. This was nothing but a free campaign add for trump right down to the hand picked trump supporters. Shame on anyone trying to talk about what we know is a scummy man rather than hold CNN’s, a want to be FOX, feet to the fire.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar, Noah Berlatsky

This is really helpful. Thanks.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Aaron Rupar

I'm cautious of considering large numbers of people you disagree with as being morally inferior. It's something conservatives do all too often and there's no reason for liberals to join them. I haven't yet gone through Aaron's no doubt good but depressing clip about the CNN 'Town Hall' atrocity.

What I will say is that Trump appeals to the worst insticts of his supporters and strengthens them considerably. He is the great debaser of his side of politics. May Merciful Jesus protect us from another 4 years of him in the White House....but I encourage all right thinking Americans to not leave it to prayars and divinities but to do all they can to ensure wavering Democrats get to vote and that undecided voters are influenced to vote against the morally decling Republicans. (Hint: saying you hate Trump and his supporters probably won't be effective.)

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May 13, 2023Liked by Noah Berlatsky

β€œWhat kind of a woman meets somebody … and within minutes you’re playing hanky panky in a dressing room,” he sneered. The next day he says he never met her.

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If you look into the signs of fascism you will see the GOP is turning us towards it. Look at what DeSantis is doing in Florida. Slowly it begins until it's too late before most people realize what is happening. We must be vigilant so this doesn't happen. There is a lot of money behind this but our votes are more than there dollars so we need to get out the vote to defeat them.

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Thank god for every American who realizes who Trump is and what Trumpism is. There seem to be two kinds of Trump supporters - those who are no better than he is, and those who still have enough of the remnants of a conscience to know he is evil yet believe the lies about how "good" he and his policies were for the country. I find both of these equally revolting and the latter even more dangerous to our democracy.

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May 12, 2023Β·edited May 12, 2023

Thank you - excellent.

It sounds like CNN and Trump are appealing for more lawsuits. Burying Trump and now CNN in lawsuits won't change solid prisoners of this fascism. I fear CNN's betrayal of the country and its responsibility might add more fans, more positivity to Trump's path if this continues under CNN's new leadership. It might come to attempts to steal the coming election one way or another as well.

It occurs to me that using the term fascist is problematic even though it's the convincing name for what is happening now. It can be taken as just name calling. Name calling is Trump's specialty. So you have the sides shouting names at each other. But we have to shout back I suppose. The bigger question is what do we do about this? How do we defeat it? Now CNN is a problem along with Fox. Will Jim Acosta be fired or quit or will CNN be shamed and boycotted enough as it turns this way? Robert Reich's latest on this is excellent as well. All hands on deck.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/after-last-night-anyone-still-trust

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Thank you Noah for speaking aloud, the threat of fascism in our country.

History, the past, is always in our rear view mirror. It also serves as a guide post of warning, of things that must

never be repeated for the

safety and success of the present and future.

A democracy is destroyed from within. America is a

democracy and within our

borders fascist/authoritarian

edicts are taking root, state to state. The warning signs

are clear. SCOTUS, CNN's/Trump's town hall were a huge DANGER sign flashing red.

You just have to review how an unknown corporal, with a

manic personality and a way

with words, took over an entire country and brought

about one of the most

disastrous periods the world

had ever known.

History, if we're not very careful, can repeat itself.

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I have been saying for a while that the GOP is made up of fascists and/or fascist enablers. If you’re a member of the Republican Party you’re complicit in everything that TFG does and says.

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