It's incomprehensible HOW SLOW the public at large is to notice-discern political dirt-danger-derangement. NOW they're realizing it? The moment Trump boasted about the size of his junk on stage at one of the 2015 GOP presidential debates, a move which accorded with his whole birther smear of Obama, it was obvious to me that this guy was an existential danger to our country, not to mention a disgusting human being and no one I'd want as a leader of the free world.
But NO, the public? We the people? The electorate? The media? As a whole, it has taken TEN YEARS of incessant lying, constant smearing of others, spewing of ideas and views that any conscientious parent would punish their children for espousing, leading an insurrection, getting convicted of felonies, sex abuse, and participating in a pedophile ring with its primary leader - this racist-fascist-despicable excuse for a human being has always been an existential danger to our values, no matter how far apart the culture wars have made them. We the People ELECTED this monster - TWICE! And only NOW, the public, the media is coming to its senses that, "yah, this guy is a racist monster... blah blah blah." Collective blindness takes SO LONG to overcome.
I agree that the Republicans criticism of Trump is a sign of him losing his political power over them. My suspicion is that quite a lot of them have felt that way before but are now fearing his retribution less. And let's be frank: the condeming choir of Republicans was a small one however nicely they sang...As for their efforts to distance themselves from Trump. Well I can see the strategy but it's much, much too late for that!
Being one of his unfortunate constituents, after reading the senior senator from Louisiana's limp-wristed, kid gloves response to the disgusting racist video I left a scathing voice message. WTF: thanking Drumph for taking down the video? That's a bit like Cassidy thanking Drumph for not endorsing him in his reelection bid coming in the November midterms. Pahleeze. Whatever backbone the senator had when he voted to convict Drumph in impeachment 2.0, it has clearly gone bye bye. The kowtowing is truly disgusting. I guess being stabbed in the back is not enough for the senator.
On the other hand, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard with my very own ears the response to the video by Hakeem Jeffries. Whoah! He finally dropped all of the vague talking points and platitudes we usually get from him and he went off like a Roman candle. More fireworks please sir.
Gratitude for your points of optimism. Yet, you also have noted the possibility that the limited gop backlash may have signaled only that 'it's racism because he's losing and toxic'. They would have 'excused' it had, for ex., his poll ## been 50%/higher. Admittedly a cynic about gop 'principles', I respectfully refer all to HCR's LFA today. To paraphrase, Joe McCarthy's baseless assault on many reputable Americans was acceptable because it enabled republicans to win political office. So, is the party in power signaling now that this is still its civic standard-??
I also read HCR's informative post today. It is chilling how much our current Dark Age has in common with the McCarthy era. We can only hope that the existing sociopathic fascist will some day share a place in the dumpster of history with the late junior senator from WI among other vile demagogues.
At a minimum. / However, with concentration 'camps' popping up all over - to note only 1 current danger, I fear that even if this hope is realized, it will not be enough to sustain the society.
You shouldn’t limit that to a hope, you should think about working towards it.
If you’re looking for the connection between McCarthy and the current Trump regime, it’s Roy Cohn, who was Donald Trump’s mentor and fixer back in the 70s and early 80s.
Cohn was one of the principal attorneys for McCarthy back in the 50s during the army McCarthy hearings.
Wow, Twyla! Thank you for pointing out the blatantly obvious connection between these 2 monsters: the sick, closet case Roy Cohn. Duh.
I'm all in: letters to the editor of the local newspaper, posting on various Substack sites, harassing my members of Congress with calls and emails, contributing to candidates who are opposed to the current reign of terror, attending No Kings and other rallies but most important of all: voting.
And may I add that you are fortunate enough to live in the only sane country in north America. The speech PM Mark Carney gave at Davos last month aimed at our sociopathic fascist and his dangerous rhetoric and actions was awesome. I know he's struggling domestically, but Mr. Carney spoke out against the rantings of the lunatic we're all having to endure.
I plan to visit your country later this year to reconnect with an old grad school chum who lives east of Vancouver. I hope Canadians know that there are millions of us who abhor the monster in the White House and is compliant minions. I'm thinking about wearing an "I'm sorry" sign around my neck during my visit.
We know, Steven. We’re aware that very few Americans truly support the regime. We struggle to watch what’s happening in US and I wish we could invite all decent people find refuge in Canada.
We’re rooting for the good people to take back the US and make it the beacon on a hill that your founders envisioned.
I respectfully submit that the commentary is missing the most important point and the most fundamental principles. When Trump and his mouthpiece tell the truth, we should listen.
Trump admitted this particular video was all about how Trump sees himself as the "King." He says, "The Lion King," but the point is "The King." His mouthpiece admitted “This is" about presenting "President Trump as the King" and about presenting America as "the Jungle."
This is far from mere racism. This is most fundamentally about domination by a self-proclaimed king based on race and color. This is (as Trump and Leavitt openly admitted) about a self-proclaimed king and his power in an America that they want us to see as a mere "jungle." Trump and his supporters are all about the domination of a self-proclaimed king dominating people he perceives (and wants us to see) as apes.
No one is surprised that Trump would post a stupid video. What I find so alarming and sad is that horrifying things are happening to innocent people everyday now and no Republicans seem to care. Aside from the atrocities heaped on kidnapped children and parents, stripping a detained man down to his underwear and releasing him out in the cold in the middle of nowhere in MN in January is a crime against humanity. I am so done with this government.
The trump racist Obama video did accomplish one thing for trump; it took the Epstein files off the news cycle for a couple days. It does seem that republicans are fine with trump's close friendship with the pedo Epstein and trump's thousands of mentions in the Epstein files. After all, republicans can fondly look back at Dennis Hastert and Larry Craig as moral guideposts when it comes to trump. But an in your face, flagrantly racist, repulsive video is something you ca't say isn't real. It's easy to called the ICE murdered victims Renee Good, and Alex Pretti agitators or some other flimsy excuse that approves of their murders. But there is no denying that trump was foll-on racist with the disgusting Obama video. Maybe the repulsive trump noticed that Michelle Obama's bio pic on Netflix came back to life in a big way at the same time as the money losing, Melania snooze fest . trump is a little man and hates to see someone not named trump upstaged.
Yes! Gym worked alongside an active pedophile for eight years … now he’s going for another eight (although just how active our failing [flailing] Donald is, is up for debate).
The corruption and sexual misconduct and abuse is flagrant, yet maga voters love them some trump and gym jordan nonetheless. It must be a mental illness...
It's incomprehensible HOW SLOW the public at large is to notice-discern political dirt-danger-derangement. NOW they're realizing it? The moment Trump boasted about the size of his junk on stage at one of the 2015 GOP presidential debates, a move which accorded with his whole birther smear of Obama, it was obvious to me that this guy was an existential danger to our country, not to mention a disgusting human being and no one I'd want as a leader of the free world.
But NO, the public? We the people? The electorate? The media? As a whole, it has taken TEN YEARS of incessant lying, constant smearing of others, spewing of ideas and views that any conscientious parent would punish their children for espousing, leading an insurrection, getting convicted of felonies, sex abuse, and participating in a pedophile ring with its primary leader - this racist-fascist-despicable excuse for a human being has always been an existential danger to our values, no matter how far apart the culture wars have made them. We the People ELECTED this monster - TWICE! And only NOW, the public, the media is coming to its senses that, "yah, this guy is a racist monster... blah blah blah." Collective blindness takes SO LONG to overcome.
Better late than never, though, no?
You\re absolutely right Maureen, but a hell of a lot of damage has been done and some of it will require more than a normal 2 term Presidency to undo.
Yes, so the sooner we get rid of the whole regime, the sooner we can get started.
And many people voted for him three times! Appalling.
I agree that the Republicans criticism of Trump is a sign of him losing his political power over them. My suspicion is that quite a lot of them have felt that way before but are now fearing his retribution less. And let's be frank: the condeming choir of Republicans was a small one however nicely they sang...As for their efforts to distance themselves from Trump. Well I can see the strategy but it's much, much too late for that!
Being one of his unfortunate constituents, after reading the senior senator from Louisiana's limp-wristed, kid gloves response to the disgusting racist video I left a scathing voice message. WTF: thanking Drumph for taking down the video? That's a bit like Cassidy thanking Drumph for not endorsing him in his reelection bid coming in the November midterms. Pahleeze. Whatever backbone the senator had when he voted to convict Drumph in impeachment 2.0, it has clearly gone bye bye. The kowtowing is truly disgusting. I guess being stabbed in the back is not enough for the senator.
On the other hand, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard with my very own ears the response to the video by Hakeem Jeffries. Whoah! He finally dropped all of the vague talking points and platitudes we usually get from him and he went off like a Roman candle. More fireworks please sir.
Gratitude for your points of optimism. Yet, you also have noted the possibility that the limited gop backlash may have signaled only that 'it's racism because he's losing and toxic'. They would have 'excused' it had, for ex., his poll ## been 50%/higher. Admittedly a cynic about gop 'principles', I respectfully refer all to HCR's LFA today. To paraphrase, Joe McCarthy's baseless assault on many reputable Americans was acceptable because it enabled republicans to win political office. So, is the party in power signaling now that this is still its civic standard-??
I also read HCR's informative post today. It is chilling how much our current Dark Age has in common with the McCarthy era. We can only hope that the existing sociopathic fascist will some day share a place in the dumpster of history with the late junior senator from WI among other vile demagogues.
At a minimum. / However, with concentration 'camps' popping up all over - to note only 1 current danger, I fear that even if this hope is realized, it will not be enough to sustain the society.
You shouldn’t limit that to a hope, you should think about working towards it.
If you’re looking for the connection between McCarthy and the current Trump regime, it’s Roy Cohn, who was Donald Trump’s mentor and fixer back in the 70s and early 80s.
Cohn was one of the principal attorneys for McCarthy back in the 50s during the army McCarthy hearings.
Wow, Twyla! Thank you for pointing out the blatantly obvious connection between these 2 monsters: the sick, closet case Roy Cohn. Duh.
I'm all in: letters to the editor of the local newspaper, posting on various Substack sites, harassing my members of Congress with calls and emails, contributing to candidates who are opposed to the current reign of terror, attending No Kings and other rallies but most important of all: voting.
Yep, and Trump has another insidious connection to Traitor Joe- they shared the same noxious lawyer, Roy Cohn. Go figure
Apologies if you felt my comment was condescending, that wasn’t my intention.
None taken, Twyla.
And may I add that you are fortunate enough to live in the only sane country in north America. The speech PM Mark Carney gave at Davos last month aimed at our sociopathic fascist and his dangerous rhetoric and actions was awesome. I know he's struggling domestically, but Mr. Carney spoke out against the rantings of the lunatic we're all having to endure.
I plan to visit your country later this year to reconnect with an old grad school chum who lives east of Vancouver. I hope Canadians know that there are millions of us who abhor the monster in the White House and is compliant minions. I'm thinking about wearing an "I'm sorry" sign around my neck during my visit.
We know, Steven. We’re aware that very few Americans truly support the regime. We struggle to watch what’s happening in US and I wish we could invite all decent people find refuge in Canada.
We’re rooting for the good people to take back the US and make it the beacon on a hill that your founders envisioned.
Not at all! You connected the dots, thank you for that!
Watermelon Man, a 1970 movie, depicted a White racist waking up to being a Black person.
If I were a mighty sorcerer, I would cast such a spell on millions.
We all know who would be the first.
I respectfully submit that the commentary is missing the most important point and the most fundamental principles. When Trump and his mouthpiece tell the truth, we should listen.
Trump admitted this particular video was all about how Trump sees himself as the "King." He says, "The Lion King," but the point is "The King." His mouthpiece admitted “This is" about presenting "President Trump as the King" and about presenting America as "the Jungle."
This is far from mere racism. This is most fundamentally about domination by a self-proclaimed king based on race and color. This is (as Trump and Leavitt openly admitted) about a self-proclaimed king and his power in an America that they want us to see as a mere "jungle." Trump and his supporters are all about the domination of a self-proclaimed king dominating people he perceives (and wants us to see) as apes.
With a soupçon of Latino ethnic cleansing by deportation.
The Project 2025 MASSTER Plan: Make America Safe by Supporting Trump Exploiting Racism
No one is surprised that Trump would post a stupid video. What I find so alarming and sad is that horrifying things are happening to innocent people everyday now and no Republicans seem to care. Aside from the atrocities heaped on kidnapped children and parents, stripping a detained man down to his underwear and releasing him out in the cold in the middle of nowhere in MN in January is a crime against humanity. I am so done with this government.
It must have been posted by John Baron.
The trump racist Obama video did accomplish one thing for trump; it took the Epstein files off the news cycle for a couple days. It does seem that republicans are fine with trump's close friendship with the pedo Epstein and trump's thousands of mentions in the Epstein files. After all, republicans can fondly look back at Dennis Hastert and Larry Craig as moral guideposts when it comes to trump. But an in your face, flagrantly racist, repulsive video is something you ca't say isn't real. It's easy to called the ICE murdered victims Renee Good, and Alex Pretti agitators or some other flimsy excuse that approves of their murders. But there is no denying that trump was foll-on racist with the disgusting Obama video. Maybe the repulsive trump noticed that Michelle Obama's bio pic on Netflix came back to life in a big way at the same time as the money losing, Melania snooze fest . trump is a little man and hates to see someone not named trump upstaged.
Let’s not forget Jim “I saw nuzzing” Jordan.
Yes, an oversight on my part forgetting the willful blindness of Gym Jordan.
Yes! Gym worked alongside an active pedophile for eight years … now he’s going for another eight (although just how active our failing [flailing] Donald is, is up for debate).
The corruption and sexual misconduct and abuse is flagrant, yet maga voters love them some trump and gym jordan nonetheless. It must be a mental illness...
It’s a cult. Jim Jones was adored … until he killed everyone in Guyana.
Indeed. As trump noted, he could shoot someone on 5th Ave and not lose a vote. It's amazing how many a susceptible to the being part of a cult.
Correction: Sen. Cassidy's first name is Bill, not John.
Trump: “No, I didn’t make a mistake. It was a take on The Lion King.” There were no apes in The Lion King. Dumbass.
“… said and promoted vile racism …” also indicted for the racist refusal to rent to blacks, alongside daddy.
“Fuck Donald Trump and his vile, racist, and malignant behavior. This guy is an unhinged bottom feeder."
G'wan! Sir Hakeem, the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As Sir Lancelot, was actually BRAVE for once? THIS guy...?
https://youtu.be/4wrbhX_rE9g?si=sCdigiGWAYTLEuXd
Sir Hakeem, who's always Packing it In, and Buggering Off, and Braving Throwing in the Sponge?
G'WAN! I cannot credit such bravery from the likes of him!
Next, you'll try and tell me Schmuck Schumer actually took a stand on Something Not "My Israel, Right or Wrong"!
Thank you, Noah Berlatsky, for a refreshing, well written commentary. Most encouraging.
That “staffer” must be very, very close to Donald—using his phone, from the White House, late at night.
Let’s not forget that Donald Trump, plumped up by the Christian Nationalists and Projected 2025 boyz is their proof that whites are superior.