A show-stopping takedown of Donald Trump

BREAKING: Democratic star Congressman Jamie Raskin delivers a show-stopping takedown of Donald Trump’s lawless mass pardon of violent January 6th insurrectionists.

This is exactly what all of us are thinking right now…

“The chairman began by saying that the point here is to restore the rule of law… restore the rule of law… Can you even pretend to do that if you stand by and support Donald Trump who on day one — as the chairman of the committee just said — day one of his presidency, pardoned fifteen hundred insurrectionists including hundreds of people who violently assaulted and attacked American police officers?” said Raskin during a hearing of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement.

“Let’s just take one person who is free today, Julian Khater, who had been convicted after having every due process protection, the right to counsel, the right to cross-examine witnesses, the right to introduce evidence, but they had him completely,” said Raskin.

“They knew exactly what happened. Most of this was videotaped so the whole world could see it,” he continued. “Well, Julian Khater repeatedly violently assaulted our officer protecting us in Congress, Officer Brian Sicknick, who then proceeded to have several strokes and died on January the 7th, 2021, the next day.”

“The family of Officer Sicknick is absolutely devastated and demolished by what’s just happened,” Raskin went on. “I invite any of my colleagues, including the members new to this committee who maybe weren’t here on January 6th and didn’t experience the trauma of that violent insurrection when we saw a mob marauding through here yelling ‘Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!’ and looking to assassinate Nancy Pelosi.”

“And now you have the temerity to come forward and say this is about public safety? How much safer are we now with these fifteen hundred criminals at large in Washington D.C. and going out into the country?” asked Raskin.

“Are you vouching that these people are not going to be attacking any other police officers?” he added. “Are you vouching that they’re no longer a threat to public safety? What an outrage! What a scandal!”

The truth is that there is no defending Trump’s pardons on anything other than purely partisan grounds. He released these criminals because they support him. He doesn’t care that they attacked police officers. He doesn’t care that they might do it again. All that matters is that they’re in his MAGA cult.

Republican Liz Cheney hits back Hard at Donald Trump

BREAKING: Republican Liz Cheney hits back hard at Donald Trump for his “assault on the rule of law” after he threatens to imprison those like her who served on the House January 6th committee.

And she wasn’t done there…

“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power,” Cheney said in a statement provided to several outlets.

“He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building and halted the official counting of electoral votes,” she went on.

“Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave,” Cheney continued.

“This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history,” she stated. “Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”

Over the weekend, Trump told Meet the Press that Cheney’s actions were “inexcusable” and said “honestly, they should go to jail” of the members of the January 6th committee.

The fact that these people have done nothing wrong and were simply trying to protect our democracy matters not to Trump. He’s beginning his revenge tour.

I Did Not Vote for Kamala Harris

Let me be clear. I marked by ballot for Kamala Harris. I was not a supporter. I did vote against Donald Trump. I believe many other people were of the same mind.

Now that Donald Trump has won my fears of what will happen to my country are becoming true.

Look at his appointments and you should be appalled. Following are four that should alarm everyone.

Attorney General: Matt Gaetz: Accused of sex with a minor. In 2020, he was accused of child sex trafficking and statutory rape. Following an investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to pursue charges against him. Prior to his resignation as representative, Gaetz was also under ethics investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of underage sexual abuse, illegal drug use, sharing inappropriate images and videos on the House floor, misusing state identification records, converting campaign funds for personal use, and accepting impermissible gifts. Gaetz has denied all of the allegations.

Before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2010, he briefly served as an attorney with the Keefe, Anchors & Gordon law firm, reported the Pensacola News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. He was shortly suspended from practicing law in 2021 due to unpaid fees in 2021 but was later reinstated.

Attorneys general usually have experience as federal prosecutors. During Trump’s first presidency, some top lawyers in his administration threatened to quit over his proposal to elevate someone without prosecutorial experience to attorney general, USA TODAY previously reported.

Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth: The Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep that’s associated with white supremacist groups.

Hegseth told radio host Hugh Hewitt in June that he believes roughly a third of the military’s most senior officers are “actively complicit” in the politicization of the US military. Speaking about his new book, Hegseth railed against what he described as “woke, CRT, DEI things, gender stuff” that has “seeped into” the military.

Just last week, he echoed much of the same complaints in an interview on a podcast hosted by Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL, saying one of the first actions the Trump administration should take is to fire the Joint Chiefs chairman.

“Well first of all you’ve got to fire the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and you’ve got to fire — I mean obviously you’ve got to bring in a new Secretary of Defense, but any general that was involved — general, admiral, whatever — that was involved in any of the DEI woke shit has got to go,” Hegseth said.

Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard: She has been accused of amplifying Russian propaganda and would come to the job having never worked in the intelligence world or served on a congressional intelligence committee.

Reported by NBC that she has been accused of amplifying Russian propaganda and would come to the job having never worked in the intelligence world or served on a congressional intelligence committee.

Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Kennedy’s baseless claims have included that Wi-Fi causes cancer and “leaky brain”; that school shootings are attributable to antidepressants; that chemicals in water can lead to children becoming transgender; and that AIDS may not be caused by HIV. He’s also long said that vaccines cause autism and fail to protect people from diseases. Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health fears if Kennedy is confirmed as HHS head, “thousands of children may die of measles and many other infectious diseases for which children have been vaccinated for many decades.” (Kennedy recently told NPR that he won’t “take vaccines away from anybody.”)

Unfortunately, a GOP controlled Senate that is supplicant to Trump, his selections will be approved.

My America Is Gone!

America fell for gaslighting.

Like so many of you I am gagging.

Nine days before Election Day, Donald Trump delivered his closing argument at a Madison Square Garden rally that drew comparisons to a 1939 pro-Nazi rally in the same arena and characterized by similar anti-democratic themes: demonization of immigrants and political enemies, invocation of strongman leadership, threats of violent retribution, denunciations of the press.

Responding to criticism of this self-evident hate-fest, Trump characterized it as “a lovefest.” He wasn’t just lying. That’s too simple an explanation of how Trump behaves in general, and what he’s doing here. Lying is deceiving people about the state of the world, and Trump routinely does that too. But simply tallying up the lies gives no insight into their purpose. Bulls***ting is deceiving people about one’s motives — using true or false claims indiscriminately — and is a more accurate description of his routine behavior. But calling that rally calls a “lovefest,” is doing something more: That’s gaslighting, an effort to undermine people’s entire sense of reality and impose an invented reality in its place.

Trump was saying, in effect: The hate you saw was really love, and if you can’t see that, you’re the hateful one. It’s the kind of upside-down logic commonly found in abusive relationships, whenever the abuser is challenged. They may lie all the time, but when the chips are down, they gaslight.

“I’m not perfect” = Your expectations I behave like a human being are unreasonable

“I’ve never pretended to be someone I’m not” = You fell in love with me so it’s your fault

“This more than decade old video” = It was a long time ago, why the fuss? You’re so unreasonable.

“These words do not reflect who I am” = The reality you just experienced didn’t actually happen.

“I said it … I apologize” = Get over it already — I said I’m sorry, you’re being hysterical.

A Dream Come True for Donald Trump

I had a nightmare last night where I dreamed that Donald Trump won the election. Then I woke up and found out and realized it was more than a dream. He won the election 277 to 224 electoral votes.

Trump was elected by the will of the people, and democracy demands we accept that.
The most troubling promise Trump has made is that he will immediately begin a massive deportation of undocumented people.

Even worse the GOP now will have control of both house of Congress. U.S. Senate 42 Democrats 52 Republicans. U.S. House 181 Democrat 201 Republicans

I anticipate that Donald Trump will implement all the things he promised during the campaign. That includes deportation of millions of undocumented people, outrageous tariffs, lowered taxes for corporations and the wealthy, withdrawal from NATO, refusal to aid Ukraine, refusal to aid South Korea, refusal to provide protection for Taiwan, national anti-abortion law, no LGBT protection.

The GESTAPO is coming after you if you resist his directions.

Fed up with U.S. politics, some Californians are making plans to move abroad was a headline in today’s print edition Los Angeles Times. I am in that category.

New York Times Editorial Board Rips Apart Donald Trump in Single Paragraph

The editorial board of The New York Times just eviscerated Donald Trump in a single paragraph.

Here it is in full, with its original hyperlinks to other Times’ coverage of Trump preserved:

“You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to those who know him best. He tried to subvert an election and remains a threat to democracy. He helped overturn Roe, with terrible consequences. Mr. Trump’s corruption and lawlessness go beyond elections: It’s his whole ethos. He lies without limit. If he’s re-elected, the G.O.P. won’t restrain him. Mr. Trump will use the government to go after opponents. He will pursue a cruel policy of mass deportations. He will wreak havoc on the poor, the middle class and employers. Another Trump term will damage the climate, shatter alliances and strengthen autocrats. Americans should demand better. Vote.”

The owners of the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times fear the retribution of a Trump presidency and refuse to endorse Kamala Harris. The NYT has no fear as it has been owned by the same family for more than 100 years.

The Fear of Donald Trump

Then-President Donald Trump holds a roundtable with tech executives at the White House in 2017. From left, Apple CEO Tim Cook; Trump; Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella; and then-Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Many billionaires watching the polls fear that Donald Trump, if elected to a second term as President, will identify them as the “enemy within.”

In a conversation with CNN‘s Jake Tapper on Sunday morning before the Madison Square Garden rally, Trump’s VP running mate J.D. Vance denied that Trump’s “enemy within” rhetoric was referring to the Democratic Party. “He did not say that, Jake,” Vance responded when Tapper asked about Trump’s words. “He said that he was going to send the military after the American people? Show me the quote where he said that.” (During a Fox News town hall earlier this month, Trump specifically pledged to use either the National Guard or the military against “the enemy within,” whom he described as “radical left lunatics.”)

The Democratic Party is not the only “enemy” for Trump. As he’s said many times previously, he also places the press in that camp — a profession whose freedom is protected by the Constitution’s First Amendment, in case Trump needs reminding. While in the midst of calling Harris a liar, saying she lied about working at McDonald’s, without any evidence, and claiming she’s said he doesn’t want fracking, without evidence, he went after the press.

Is it any wonder that Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, and Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, stopped endorsements of Kamala Harris?

Incendiary Rhetoric Likely to become more Harsh as Election Day approaches

J.D. Vance warns calling a candidate a ‘fascist’ can lead to violence but doesn’t mention that’s what Trump calls Harris. Trump also called Harris a communist.

Presidential historian on Monday’s CNN NewsNight panelist Tim Naftali suggested in the aftermath of the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump that Trump made himself a bigger target by “using the rhetoric of the 30s.” Fortunately, New York Post reporter Lydia Moynihan and CNN commentator Scott Jennings were also there to recall the violent rhetoric and “bunch of lies” directed towards Trump over the past several years.

Naftali declared, “I remember so well July 13th. And I remember the conversations in the days that followed. I remember President Biden’s speech about toning down the rhetoric, and I saw the rhetoric toned down on both sides and then 20 minutes into his acceptance speech, Donald Trump turned up the volume.”

Both Vance and the former president, who said Democrats calling him (Trump) a “threat to democracy” is “what is causing me to be shot at,” have been cited for the hypocrisy of their pleas to deescalate incendiary discourse.

Could someone get shot and killed? The answer is YES! There has already been two efforts to kill Donald Trump.

Democrats rushed to avoid disarray. But crowning Harris was a mistake.

When President Biden courageously ended his reelection bid, he gave Democrats a golden opportunity to win in November. Now, many Democratic leaders and delegates seem intent on squandering that opportunity by rushing to make Vice President Harris the party’s nominee.

Their aim is to coalesce quickly around Ms. Harris as the heir apparent and forestall a nomination fight at the party’s convention next month. But for all her achievements and admirable service, Ms. Harris carries all the baggage of the Biden administration.

She, like Mr. Biden, has been trailing Donald Trump in polling and is unlikely to carry the handful of states — Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania — where this election will be decided. Democrats should take a deep breath and consider their options. If they are guided by data and political instinct, they can choose the candidate most likely to defeat Mr. Trump.

Name calling like saying Trump and Vance and their supporters are “weird” is playground nonsense.

I have yet to hear one thing that a President Harris will do once she is elected.

DONALD TRUMP IS UNFIT TO LEAD

BY THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD

Next week, for the third time in eight years, Donald Trump will be nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for president of the United States. A once great political party now serves the interests of one man, a man as demonstrably unsuited for the office of president as any to run in the long history of the Republic, a man whose values, temperament, ideas and language are directly opposed to so much of what has made this country great.

It is a chilling choice against this national moment. For more than two decades, large majorities of Americans have said they are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, and the post-Covid era of stubborn inflation, high interest rates, social division and political stagnation has left many voters even more frustrated and despondent.

The Republican Party once pursued electoral power in service to solutions for such problems, to building “the shining city on a hill,” as Ronald Reagan liked to say. Its vision of the United States — embodied in principled public servants like George H.W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney — was rooted in the values of freedom, sacrifice, individual responsibility and the common good. The party’s conception of those values was reflected in its longstanding conservative policy agenda, and today many Republicans set aside their concerns about Mr. Trump because of his positions on immigration, trade and taxes. But the stakes of this election are not fundamentally about policy disagreements. The stakes are more foundational: what qualities matter most in America’s president and commander in chief.

Mr. Trump has shown a character unworthy of the responsibilities of the presidency. He has demonstrated an utter lack of respect for the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people. Instead of a cogent vision for the country’s future, Mr. Trump is animated by a thirst for political power: to use the levers of government to advance his interests, satisfy his impulses and exact retribution against those who he thinks have wronged him.

He is, quite simply, unfit to lead.

The Democrats are rightly engaged in their own debate about whether President Biden is the right person to carry the party’s nomination into the election, given widespread concerns among voters about his age-related fitness. This debate is so intense because of legitimate concerns that Mr. Trump may present a danger to the country, its strength, security and national character — and that a compelling Democratic alternative is the only thing that would prevent his return to power. It is a national tragedy that the Republicans have failed to have a similar debate about the manifest moral and temperamental unfitness of their standard-bearer, instead setting aside their longstanding values, closing ranks and choosing to overlook what those who worked most closely with the former president have described as his systematic dishonesty, corruption, cruelty and incompetence.

That task now falls to the American people. We urge voters to see the dangers of a second Trump term clearly and to reject it. The stakes and significance of the presidency demand a person who has essential qualities and values to earn our trust, and on each one, Donald Trump fails.