As soon as William Barr indicated that Donald Trump had been exonerated in the probe into suspected collusion between his campaign and Moscow, we suggested the president would begin to push the limits even further in terms of what is and isn’t acceptable from the executive in a democracy.
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His Victory Complete, Trump Faces A New Challenge: Defining ‘American Autocracy’
Not to put too fine a point on it, but we were correct.
So far this week, Trump has, among other things, accused the FBI of “treason“, suggested in no uncertain terms that he intends to launch a “witch hunt” of his own into those responsible for the special counsel probe, compelled his campaign communications director to advise television producers on which lawmakers are acceptable when it comes to on-air appearances and demanded the resignation of House Intelligence chair Adam Schiff.
Hours after Trump called for Schiff’s resignation, all nine committee Republicans signed a letter in support of the president’s demands, prompting an impassioned rejoinder from Adam who is, for lack of a better description, wholly incredulous at the predicament America now finds itself in.
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Adam Schiff Wants To Know If Everybody Has Completely Lost Their Minds
Meanwhile, Barr is stonewalling Congress on demands that he produce the full, unredacted Mueller report, which is apparently some 300 pages long.
Well, if you had any doubts about whether an emboldened Trump intends to keep pushing the envelope, you can put them to rest because at his first post-Mueller rally – held on Thursday evening at Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan – the president said this about Adam Schiff:
And it got worse – much, much worse. Here is what demagoguery looks like:
At one point, Trump promised to hold “all of the former officials” involved in the investigation accountable, to which a rabid crowd of MAGA hat-clad white people chanted “Lock them up!”
On the border, Trump is going to close the “damn” thing – it’s just that simple, apparently.
The president doubled down on the “us versus them” narrative, telling the crowd how much “better” they are than everyone else and how he’s more “elite” than “some little schlepper”.
He also plugged Fox News, eliciting cheers from the crowd when he proclaimed that Jeanine Pirro is back after being suspended for an egregious Islamophobic rant aimed at Ilhan Omar.
To be clear, there is nothing “great, great” about the people Trump mentioned there. They are purveyors of what amounts to state-sponsored propaganda that everywhere and always plays to voters’ worst instincts and ingrained prejudices.
The bottom line: Trump was feelin’ himself to the absolute MAGA-max on Thursday evening. Here’s your “mood”:
As ever, you don’t know whether to laugh, cry or be scared to death.
Scared, I think. Do not rely on your government to protect you.
I would think most people in that audience are good Americans. Good neighbors, caring employees, teachers, doctors, etc. if you saw them in the real world they would be fine to be around. But trump seems to bring out the worst in people, the mob mentality. It really is scary and sad.
Wake up people!!!
I was 13 years old in an environment plagued by sectarian violence and civil war, your friendly neighbours and people you knew all your life, you called them with respect and affection as uncles, the children you played with all your life, become bloodthirsty enemies, they had no love or compassion left for you, they wanted you killed, have your homes burned and looted, total irrationality and craziness ruled the day. the current situation here in US of A brings those memories. Really scary stuff.
God bless us all and god bless United States of America
Sadly, God has nothing to do with it or we wouldn’t have Trump in the first place.
My Mom once told me in the 1930’s she was at a Hitler rally in Hungary inadvertently,, and everyone cheered insanely. She never could understand the mob psychology.and was greatly embarrassed to have been present.even for the sake of curiosity….. Ring a bell anyone????
No one should be surprised with this performance by Trump he was in his element. He’s the rich kid who can hang with “tough” guys and the wannabe’s, then sneak back to his digs laughing his ass off. It will get worse.