There was/is always going to come a day when, setting aside everything that’s repulsive about Trump, people were simply going to get tired of him. I hope that day is here; it’s definitely coming. But he’s a not-very-bright toddler in a 78-year-old body. Screaming louder is the only thing he’s ever known how to do, so that’s what he’s going to keep doing.
I just hope he doesn’t get anyone else killed. He and Vance are actively trying. And as I keep saying, if you still don’t think this is how the Nazis got started, tell me how you think the Nazis got started.
The Nazis studied the United States treatment of blacks and Jim Crow laws for pointers on how to persecute the Jewish population.
"Awful as it may be to contemplate, but the reality is that the Nazis took a sustained, significant, and sometimes even eager interest in the American example of race law," James Q. Whitman wrote in his landmark 2017 book, Hitler's American Model. "Nazi lawyers regarded America, not without reason, as the innovative world leader in the creation of racist law."<>from "PrequeL" by Rachel Maddow
"It is no accident that Adolf Hitler used America’s policies to extirpate its Indian population as a model for his own extermination of the Jews. He equated his quest for Lebensraum in the East with America’s ethnic cleansing of its Indians in the West. In addressing the Jewish problem, the Fuhrer was inspired by America’s use of forced resettlement, starvation, deprivation and detention in expunging its own indigenous peoples. 'The Volga must be our Mississippi,' he declared."
The attempts of the Nazis are ongoing and the Orange monster is only their current face. There will be more to come if we stop this one. Democracy takes constant maintainence, but is it worth the effort? Let us believe!
There have always been and always will be - which is my caution about every day. It's simply there. It is stunning to me how many people hate and fear others. And then use it to do great harm because people 'need' to believe them. I hope if he does go to Springfield, there will be a turnout of GOOD people - not on 'both sides' since there are none on his side. They are unwilling to learn.
A woman interviewed on PBSNewshour said she was a "good Christian" and was voting for Trump because he was too. He worships no one but himself and displays what even this older Jewish woman with many Christian clergy friends knows is NOT the tenets of what is said to be what Jesus said.
Joan, I’m a 180 degrees out from you being an Alta cocker goy with many older Jewish female—and some male—friends. These relationships work great because my friends ID themselves as cultural Jews and I rejected all religions decades ago. Nevertheless, I have gone to several Jewish holiday services with different female friends.
So here is what I have to say: I’m shocked that you are shocked.
Going back in time, I warned my culturally Jewish girlfriend more than two decades ago about rising hate and bigotry in this country but she didn’t believe me. Now she does. She asked how I knew. I told her it was simple that if one stopped believing in the Pollyannish belief in the overall goodness in all human beings and just opened one’s eyes to everything around us, this dark underbelly in this country has always been there and always very visible.
The link Jay gave about "acid throwing" also has a marvelous clip by John Legend, born in Springfield, who besides pointing out the benefits the Haitians have brought to Springfield, also amplifies his own Christian ethos, which is so far from that of the Christianists as to constitute completely different religions.
Following Jesus' actual teachings is very far from Christianity which is based on Paul's teachings and opinions of a Roman Emperor. Otherwise they would be posting the Beatudes instead of the 10 Commandments.
Christianists are fixated on the Old Testament, particularly Leviticus, leaving out the bits about eating shellfish, etc. That, of course, is due to Paul, who really should be known as St. Cherrypicker.
I’m kind of surprised that trump hasn’t tried to establish his bona fides by telling how he fell off his golf cart on the way to the fabled 18th Hole, and was stricken with a great Light.
Hating and fearing others is as old as humanity itself, if not older. In college I read some monograms by anthropology students. On cited an informant who related this experience: He was a bow and arrow hunter on one of the more remote Philippine islands. While out hunting one day he encountered another hunter from a group he did not know, but they did speak the same or similar languages. They sat down and recited genealogies for hours because if they could find no ancestors in common they would have to fight until one of them was dead. With some relief they found one.
“That is the issue that will continue in this country when these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself shall be silent. It is the eternal struggle between these two principles -- right and wrong -- throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time, and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings.” — Lincoln
I am trying to stop myself from going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy with the theory that Thiel and our other tech bro oligarchs (most of them transplanted from other countries, but hey, whatever) are actually hoping, perhaps even planning an assassination of Trump that works.
That way, they get compliant little man Vance leading the charge, they get to blame Biden/Harris bitterly for security failures, on and on.
Vance is no Trump, though. And these guys will always overreach, no matter what they do their egos will swing into the way and make them stumble.
I've been saying that is the plan. I'm not sure if it's the Thiel/Musk guys or the Christian Nationalist guys, probably both, but I am as sure as I can be that the plan is to just get Trump elected and then, as his cognitive abilities decline, they can invoke the 25th and get a compliant JD as president.
You’re absolutely correct in your thinking re tfg and JD. They are rapidly wearing out their welcome in a country that has seen too much violence, whether directly or indirectly caused by the GOP leadership. The stochastic terrorism by tfg and his toadies is disastrous to his cause, and innocent people may be harmed by their hateful rhetoric. It’s time to put a stop to the violence and hate.
I agree. Still far too many willing to look the other way at all he is doing and saying. I just hope there are a lot of sleeper cells out there who just are going to remain silent then show up to vote his ass out
There is an increase in voter registrations, particularly among women and young people. Those voters are much more inclined to vote Harris/Walz due to Dobbs and climate change. Don’t lose hope, we will win.
I read once that no good idea falls apart all at once. I think Trump and Vance will prove the opposite of that—they’ll seem to be going along fine and one day the bottom will drop out. I only hope it’s before the election, but I think it will be. By 2026 or 2027 I think it’s possible you won’t find 10,000 people in the country who will admit they voted for Trump.
The second assassination attempt seems to have produced a collective yawn.
Coming out against Taylor Swift was not only stupid, but it promotes violence against her by his crazies just as his craziness with the cats and dogs has caused Haitians who are legally residing here and the whole Springfield community great damage. And he continues to implode.
I don't believe it was an assassination attempt. The guy didn't even fire a shot, just the Secret Service, so really, he's some random old white guy nutjob wandering around a golf course with an assault rifle that he doubtless purchased legally - hell, that describes half of Florida these days. But Trump wanted attention, so...
Charging Routh with two firearms-possession infractions...about as minimalistic as federal charges go, sort of like Hunter Biden's lying on a gun license form.
A white guy in Florida? Good luck with that. And forget about any Federal charges. Merrick Garland is so inert he could qualify as a rock. Lord, I hope when/if Harris wins, the AG is the first Cabinet post she replaces. It has been beyond frustrating to watch this go for YEARS with absolutely no action by Garland until the screaming gets loud enough. We wouldn't even be in this mess if he had just done his damned job.
Correct, those two counts are what I too heard. Which, considering the first, a felon is possession of a gun, brings up a months long question for which I have yet to find an answer:
The other question I keep asking, finding no answer or response, is when is convicted felon DT going to turn in his hand gun he has at Mar-A-Largo? Owning or possessing a gun as a felon is a felony under federal law and most if not all state laws. It is also a violation of all of his various bail conditions. The state of New York and New York City are in the process of revoking his gun permits.
It occurred to me using the metaphor of suicide bombers, there are so many totally wackie MAGAs out there, there must be some, just thinking in terms of probability, out there willing to give up their own lives to stage assassination attempts to help get their god get elected.
He cares only about himself, could not care less about the impact of his rantings on anyone, from Taylor Swift to innocent civilians in Springfield. If causing bombings, even mass deaths was the result of his manipulative lying, he wouldn't care. anything to stay out of prison. Anything to rally his base, many of whom, unfortunately would like to see the entire country come crashing down. The man is evil.
Vance, along with all other Republicans in Congress, voted against the bipartisan immigration reform bill because Trump told them to vote against it. He knew immigration reform would benefit Democrats, and he wanted to continue to demonize immigrants. Vance doesn't lie about immigrants, spread hateful propaganda, and stoke violence to bring attention to "the issue of immigration". He lies because he is a power hungry bigoted, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic monster.
I simply can't "heart" this - it is correct and it is terrifying. Speaker Johnson is horrific as well and spreading this viciousness. Were they Jewish, I'd say "may they be refused to go through the gates" at Yom Kippur.
Jay, like you said, if you told me that I really wouldn’t care about an assassination attempt on a past president, I would say that you would be wrong. Trump’s rabid, dissonant, violent and hate-filled TV show has gone on too long and it’s tired, it’s boring, it’s predictable. Except, it’s not TV, it’s real life. Surreality? When you go around whipping up violence, don’t be surprised when you become the target. We all need to return to some semblance of decency. Vote Blue!💙
Until proven otherwise, i believe it was a stunt that is working because this is all MSM is talking about including MSNBC. There are NO SAFE HARBORS with any MSM.
Trump is MASA: Make Americans Slaves Again. DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose. We cannot afford to fail. The world is counting on us to show the way.
Trump has said he wants to imprison his enemies. Is Taylor Swift one of them? Does he intend on trying to throw Taylor in jail if elected? Someone needs to ask him. I'm sure the Swifties will want to know the answer.
Chinese idioms — the four-character phrases called "chengyu" — have their origins in classical Chinese history or literature, some of it dating back 2400 years or more. I smile as I Imagine a thousand years from now a dictionary of American idioms explaining "jumped the shark." "In the 1970s, there was this television show called "Happy Days," featuring a charming rogue named "Fonzie," and....
I'm sure Trump pictures himself as The Fonz, but I can't get the image of Lenny and Squiggy out of my head when I think of Vance & Trump now. Thanks for that, Jay.
I'm certainly old enough but as I was working 3-11 pm in those days I rarely saw the show. I didn't know the expression had anything to do with the Fonz. Makes more sense now, thanks to Jay.
I appreciate you explaining Jumped the Shark. Didn't see the episode and didn't know where it came from till now. It's funny how Trump prefers to be electrocuted to actually jumping his continually present Shark 🦈. 😄
I am beyond sick of the Trump train - Munchausen by media, and they fall for it every single time. It sounds as though they had the fundraising emails going out (blaming Democrats) before they even knew who the suspect was. And now that they do know, they're STILL blaming the Democrats. Can he please just melt down into a puddle of orange goo already and get out of our lives????
Isn't it ironic that both "assassination attempts" have been carried out by white disgruntled Republicans? Maybe it's because Democrats are nowhere near stupid enough to attempt something like that. Still, Trump et al milk it for everything possible.
We can’t deny that there may be a “crazy” out there who is willing to die to save our country. We don’t know all the facts yet, so perhaps we should not judge the situation until we do.
Oh, yeah, the fundraising emails started as soon as the SS went after the guy, before Dumpy and Justa Dick had posted anything. Why waste an opportunity to raise money like this?
When he did the Taylor Swift post, I honestly wondered if he was trying to lose the election for some reason. That seems illogical on its face, but it is impossible to know what is going on in his head. I next expected to hear that he was on Trump Air to leave the country, but nope. They're all just doubling down on the mindlessness.
My guess is he was showed some internal polling done by the campaign which showed he is losing, and he went berserk. He's a sniveling coward, so he directs his rage at a woman.
I don't think Kamala Harris could have said anything else (or at least nothing PG rated) that could have punctured his "fragile as egg shells" ego worse than her comment about his boring rallies where attendance is sparse and people leave early. Which happens to be absolutely true!!
Then the chef's kiss was Taylor Swift's endorsement and the immediate spike in voter registration.
You have to wonder how he is going to react to Thursday's Oprah Winfrey virtual rally with Kamala Harris. FYI, a link to sign up can be found here: https://events.democrats.org/event/693000/
Then there was a moment in the debate when we thought she was going to call him <expletive deleted>. But she had the strength of will to say "former president".
Maybe he thinks he doesn't need to actually win. Maybe he is relying on plan b. Attack the results of the election with the help of his cronies. Throw the country into chaos until the House declares him the winner?
I won’t dismiss anything. I think Joyce Vance has touched on the reality of him being able to make a plan B happen, though. But that could be his game, anyway. They’re clearly all in on the far right, extreme crazy.
Durham here. I checked the NC State Election Board website yesterday because I was still freaking out about it. As I understand it, BOE staff worked through the weekend and absentee ballots for overseas will go out Friday 9/20 and the rest will be mailed Tuesday 9/24. Later than planned, but will meet NC regulations. Looks like Early Voting will still start on Oct. 17.
Cheryl, you truly are a wonder. We don’t know each other, but I feel like I know you from reading your amazing comments on so many of the substacks I read! I feel comforted knowing that you and I are on the same team!
I realize I was really worrying (I can worry and work at the same time) about Early Voting and the thousands of postcards sent or about to be sent with EV info… that might change! Gah! We seem to have dodged this bullet for now. Primarily thanks to those election workers!
In 2020, the NCSBE dictated that the number of early vote (EV) sites had to be tied to # of registered voters in the county because of Covid. The GOP legislative members were up in arms about this and I suspect that many red counties reduced the number of EV sites for this upcoming election. Some counties only have the county BoE office (usually at the county seat) during regular business hours M-F. Others added Saturday hours but still only have the one site!
On the other hand, blue counties still have lots of EV sites. In 2020, Mecklenburg county had 40+ EV sites. This year we still have 33 EV sites!! Guilford Co. has 28 EV sites and Wake Co. has 22!!
A similar analysis comparing the 2018 and 2022 midterm elections showed that mail-in ballots represented 8.5% of early vote (5.0% of total vote) in 2022 midterms, while in 2018 it was just 4.7% of early vote (2.6% of total vote).
You can find the closest EV site here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite/. Just pick a county from the drop down list. This is a dynamic site so everything will say “closed” until early voting actually starts.
Thank you, Colleen. It's appreciated. My heart fell when I read about the delay in the NC absentee ballots going out to NC overseas voters. We all know the huge pride magas take in finding even the smallest opportunity to destroy procedural guardrails. Very glad to know the outbound mailing time will still be within NC state law requirements. That's a relief. I wonder if Kennedy merely meant to cause a problematic ballot delay, or if he pushed for the removal of his name from the NC ballot despite causing a delay because he (and trump) could see how close the NC race is between Harris and trump and Kennedy's name would draw votes away mostly from trump?
Truth right here. The election results mean nothing to them. It’s the “game” of saying it was rigged and letting the corrupt SCoTUs declare him the winner. The roller coaster rides starts after they call it for Biden. Then they start filing in the courts. I can’t even….
I’ve encountered more than once the idea that Trump and his circle and indeed the whole party know they’re going to lose and that their true focus is on is creating chaos and stealing it.
Makes sense when you see the lengths they’re going to subvert the election.
There is a concerted effort amongst grassroots organizations to get their voters out to vote as early as possible "on Day 1". One of the benefits is that it makes it harder for the GOP to sow Chaos!!
The substack Grassroots Connector recently did a 2-part series on it:
Funny about these "assassination" attempts having minimal media legs...sure, the first one in PA was quickly overtaken by Joe Biden pulling out of the race and Kamala Harris' rapid rise, but this latest one? A "rifle sticking out of the bushes", the alleged perp meekly surrendering, then any charges to be laid are pending full mental-health assessment...and we move on, because violence and tRump have been linked so closely ever since he came down that escalator 9 years ago, that this latest whatever-it-was is just more noise, and maybe - just maybe, shhh! - people don't give a shit if tRump is getting targeted.
I'm shocked, shocked I say, that the Republican are making any kind of to-do over this 2nd attempt. You'd think they'd see it the same way they see school shootings - as a fact of life and something to just 'get over.' Ho hum.
Yes, and it is violence I fear more against the Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants. In a PBSNewshour feature about the Haitian people in Springfield, they were there to get better lives for themselves and their families, longing to go back to a Haiti restored to sanity. Here now they face a different insanity and my heart hurts. I fear for every person of color not just immigrants. The hate is so real and then I wonder where are those on the Right in the Senate and House who ARE people of color and are silent?
Thank you Jay. You do a gret job of keeping thngs in perspective. I was at a Swing Left gathering last night where Robert Hubble and Jessica Craven were there to energize and answer questions and both had you on their short lists of valueable commentary and insight. Keep it up.
Awww, that’s wonderful! My fanboy moment came when Heather Cox Richardson cited my work and left me a FB comment saying SHE was a big fan. I felt like I was back in Junior High with a blush on my face.
My two favorite sources of news are you, Jay, and Gabe F. at his Wake Up to Politics Substack newsletter. You both do the research, are concise, inform, educate and write with your own voice.
I follow other Substack newsletters that focus on the news which I highly recommend (Radley Balko, Kevin Kruse, Dan Rather, Dan Moynihan, Adam Serwer & Tom Nichols) but your Substack and Gabe’s are the two I read first.
I have long believed that there would come a moment, like that of Joseph Welch in calling out Joe McCarthy, after which Trump's aura of power and invincibility would suddenly begin to dissipate. Trump's steepening descent into madness, coupled with his lifelong socio-pathology, is almost certainly going to result in his increasing the magnitude of his attempts at control instead of backing off and trying to appear more normal.
As an aside, Mar-a-lago is right across the street from a gun club.
So maybe he's a innocent felon gun nut who went to the store to have the id # filed off, very innocently of course, and was walking home past the golf course. 🤪
Violence begets violence. You reap what you sow. Oh and within minutes/hours they were fundraising off of this latest “attempt”? I’m having a hard time conjuring up any sympathy for the orange turd. Let’s just flush him down the toilet in November and maybe someday we can also eradicate the orange stain he left behind when he circled the drain.
I made that statement on FB after the first attempt and was blasted for "inciting hate" and "maybe my hateful statements were part of the problem". Of course IQ45 supporters who don't see his rhetoric as devisive or hateful
There was/is always going to come a day when, setting aside everything that’s repulsive about Trump, people were simply going to get tired of him. I hope that day is here; it’s definitely coming. But he’s a not-very-bright toddler in a 78-year-old body. Screaming louder is the only thing he’s ever known how to do, so that’s what he’s going to keep doing.
I just hope he doesn’t get anyone else killed. He and Vance are actively trying. And as I keep saying, if you still don’t think this is how the Nazis got started, tell me how you think the Nazis got started.
"if you still don’t think this is how the Nazis got started, tell me how you think the Nazis got started" YES!!!!
The Nazis studied the United States treatment of blacks and Jim Crow laws for pointers on how to persecute the Jewish population.
"Awful as it may be to contemplate, but the reality is that the Nazis took a sustained, significant, and sometimes even eager interest in the American example of race law," James Q. Whitman wrote in his landmark 2017 book, Hitler's American Model. "Nazi lawyers regarded America, not without reason, as the innovative world leader in the creation of racist law."<>from "PrequeL" by Rachel Maddow
And also the removal of Native Americans.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-the-nazis-learned-from-americas-indian-removal
"It is no accident that Adolf Hitler used America’s policies to extirpate its Indian population as a model for his own extermination of the Jews. He equated his quest for Lebensraum in the East with America’s ethnic cleansing of its Indians in the West. In addressing the Jewish problem, the Fuhrer was inspired by America’s use of forced resettlement, starvation, deprivation and detention in expunging its own indigenous peoples. 'The Volga must be our Mississippi,' he declared."
Yup. They were also inspired by the eugenics movement that started here, in the good ol' US of A.
The attempts of the Nazis are ongoing and the Orange monster is only their current face. There will be more to come if we stop this one. Democracy takes constant maintainence, but is it worth the effort? Let us believe!
There have always been and always will be - which is my caution about every day. It's simply there. It is stunning to me how many people hate and fear others. And then use it to do great harm because people 'need' to believe them. I hope if he does go to Springfield, there will be a turnout of GOOD people - not on 'both sides' since there are none on his side. They are unwilling to learn.
A woman interviewed on PBSNewshour said she was a "good Christian" and was voting for Trump because he was too. He worships no one but himself and displays what even this older Jewish woman with many Christian clergy friends knows is NOT the tenets of what is said to be what Jesus said.
Joan, I’m a 180 degrees out from you being an Alta cocker goy with many older Jewish female—and some male—friends. These relationships work great because my friends ID themselves as cultural Jews and I rejected all religions decades ago. Nevertheless, I have gone to several Jewish holiday services with different female friends.
So here is what I have to say: I’m shocked that you are shocked.
Going back in time, I warned my culturally Jewish girlfriend more than two decades ago about rising hate and bigotry in this country but she didn’t believe me. Now she does. She asked how I knew. I told her it was simple that if one stopped believing in the Pollyannish belief in the overall goodness in all human beings and just opened one’s eyes to everything around us, this dark underbelly in this country has always been there and always very visible.
Tfg has simply given permission to the vile underbelly that is just fine to hate whoever you want.
And do so publicly without fear of retribution or accountability.
The link Jay gave about "acid throwing" also has a marvelous clip by John Legend, born in Springfield, who besides pointing out the benefits the Haitians have brought to Springfield, also amplifies his own Christian ethos, which is so far from that of the Christianists as to constitute completely different religions.
Following Jesus' actual teachings is very far from Christianity which is based on Paul's teachings and opinions of a Roman Emperor. Otherwise they would be posting the Beatudes instead of the 10 Commandments.
Christianists are fixated on the Old Testament, particularly Leviticus, leaving out the bits about eating shellfish, etc. That, of course, is due to Paul, who really should be known as St. Cherrypicker.
I’m kind of surprised that trump hasn’t tried to establish his bona fides by telling how he fell off his golf cart on the way to the fabled 18th Hole, and was stricken with a great Light.
Brilliant!!
Hating and fearing others is as old as humanity itself, if not older. In college I read some monograms by anthropology students. On cited an informant who related this experience: He was a bow and arrow hunter on one of the more remote Philippine islands. While out hunting one day he encountered another hunter from a group he did not know, but they did speak the same or similar languages. They sat down and recited genealogies for hours because if they could find no ancestors in common they would have to fight until one of them was dead. With some relief they found one.
That's really interesting!
Yes. But they worship trump, not Jesus.
Yes!
Lincoln said it this way:
“That is the issue that will continue in this country when these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself shall be silent. It is the eternal struggle between these two principles -- right and wrong -- throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time, and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings.” — Lincoln
I am trying to stop myself from going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy with the theory that Thiel and our other tech bro oligarchs (most of them transplanted from other countries, but hey, whatever) are actually hoping, perhaps even planning an assassination of Trump that works.
That way, they get compliant little man Vance leading the charge, they get to blame Biden/Harris bitterly for security failures, on and on.
Vance is no Trump, though. And these guys will always overreach, no matter what they do their egos will swing into the way and make them stumble.
I've been saying that is the plan. I'm not sure if it's the Thiel/Musk guys or the Christian Nationalist guys, probably both, but I am as sure as I can be that the plan is to just get Trump elected and then, as his cognitive abilities decline, they can invoke the 25th and get a compliant JD as president.
!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!!!
Thiel has more money than God, and he’s Vance’s puppeteer. I think that if he wanted Trump dead, Trump would be dead.
They can't "win" without him Vance doesn't have that idiot-whisperer talent about him. Everyone finds him charisma-less.
He’s worse than charisma-less, he has negative charisma. He’s a charisma black hole.
If elected, he'll be playing golf. Vance will be president.
You’re absolutely correct in your thinking re tfg and JD. They are rapidly wearing out their welcome in a country that has seen too much violence, whether directly or indirectly caused by the GOP leadership. The stochastic terrorism by tfg and his toadies is disastrous to his cause, and innocent people may be harmed by their hateful rhetoric. It’s time to put a stop to the violence and hate.
Exactly!!!
I think you are right but I don't see any evidence of it yet.
I agree. Still far too many willing to look the other way at all he is doing and saying. I just hope there are a lot of sleeper cells out there who just are going to remain silent then show up to vote his ass out
There is an increase in voter registrations, particularly among women and young people. Those voters are much more inclined to vote Harris/Walz due to Dobbs and climate change. Don’t lose hope, we will win.
I read once that no good idea falls apart all at once. I think Trump and Vance will prove the opposite of that—they’ll seem to be going along fine and one day the bottom will drop out. I only hope it’s before the election, but I think it will be. By 2026 or 2027 I think it’s possible you won’t find 10,000 people in the country who will admit they voted for Trump.
Eventually, the shark will jump tRump, and that will be the end of this sorry PAB...and it can't come too soon.
Classic "What goes around comes around" environment created BY tRump FOR tRump.
The second assassination attempt seems to have produced a collective yawn.
Coming out against Taylor Swift was not only stupid, but it promotes violence against her by his crazies just as his craziness with the cats and dogs has caused Haitians who are legally residing here and the whole Springfield community great damage. And he continues to implode.
I don't believe it was an assassination attempt. The guy didn't even fire a shot, just the Secret Service, so really, he's some random old white guy nutjob wandering around a golf course with an assault rifle that he doubtless purchased legally - hell, that describes half of Florida these days. But Trump wanted attention, so...
They’re not charging him as it was an attempt. Carrying is legal in Florida, ironically.
Although they are charging him in federal court with possession of a firearm by a felon.
Charging Routh with two firearms-possession infractions...about as minimalistic as federal charges go, sort of like Hunter Biden's lying on a gun license form.
I don’t believe they are done with charges yet, they are still investigating. He is also a convicted felon, so the gun charges are serious.
A white guy in Florida? Good luck with that. And forget about any Federal charges. Merrick Garland is so inert he could qualify as a rock. Lord, I hope when/if Harris wins, the AG is the first Cabinet post she replaces. It has been beyond frustrating to watch this go for YEARS with absolutely no action by Garland until the screaming gets loud enough. We wouldn't even be in this mess if he had just done his damned job.
More serious than Hunter Biden's firearms charges?
Are they just letting him go?
So far he is charged with possession by a felon and obliterating the serial number. That doesn't mean he won't be charged with attempt.
But if I walk past a basketball court at the park dribbling a ball did I intend to take a shot?
Correct, those two counts are what I too heard. Which, considering the first, a felon is possession of a gun, brings up a months long question for which I have yet to find an answer:
The other question I keep asking, finding no answer or response, is when is convicted felon DT going to turn in his hand gun he has at Mar-A-Largo? Owning or possessing a gun as a felon is a felony under federal law and most if not all state laws. It is also a violation of all of his various bail conditions. The state of New York and New York City are in the process of revoking his gun permits.
Maybe, maybe not. The standard of proof is beyond a reasonable Doubt.
Thank you, you are a voice of reason in this upside down political farce.
BANG! The sound of FREEDOM!
He is convicted felon and not allowed to own a weapon.
Ummm, even in Florida? I thought that was a state designation and Florida being Florida.....
There’s also a federal prohibition against felons possessing firearms: 18 U.S.C. sec. 922(g).
I’m not yawning. Why?
It occurred to me using the metaphor of suicide bombers, there are so many totally wackie MAGAs out there, there must be some, just thinking in terms of probability, out there willing to give up their own lives to stage assassination attempts to help get their god get elected.
He cares only about himself, could not care less about the impact of his rantings on anyone, from Taylor Swift to innocent civilians in Springfield. If causing bombings, even mass deaths was the result of his manipulative lying, he wouldn't care. anything to stay out of prison. Anything to rally his base, many of whom, unfortunately would like to see the entire country come crashing down. The man is evil.
Vance, along with all other Republicans in Congress, voted against the bipartisan immigration reform bill because Trump told them to vote against it. He knew immigration reform would benefit Democrats, and he wanted to continue to demonize immigrants. Vance doesn't lie about immigrants, spread hateful propaganda, and stoke violence to bring attention to "the issue of immigration". He lies because he is a power hungry bigoted, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic monster.
I simply can't "heart" this - it is correct and it is terrifying. Speaker Johnson is horrific as well and spreading this viciousness. Were they Jewish, I'd say "may they be refused to go through the gates" at Yom Kippur.
Don't think of it as a heart, think of it as an "acknowledgement" that helps boost the post higher up the chain for further consideration.
Jay, like you said, if you told me that I really wouldn’t care about an assassination attempt on a past president, I would say that you would be wrong. Trump’s rabid, dissonant, violent and hate-filled TV show has gone on too long and it’s tired, it’s boring, it’s predictable. Except, it’s not TV, it’s real life. Surreality? When you go around whipping up violence, don’t be surprised when you become the target. We all need to return to some semblance of decency. Vote Blue!💙
Until proven otherwise, i believe it was a stunt that is working because this is all MSM is talking about including MSNBC. There are NO SAFE HARBORS with any MSM.
Well said!
Thank you!
And the Swifties for Kamala replied "Who the f&%$ is this guy?" Hahahahahahaha
Trump is MASA: Make Americans Slaves Again. DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose. We cannot afford to fail. The world is counting on us to show the way.
And I’m sure Team Harris will be doing more of these collaborations with Taylor Swift.💃🏼Brilliant !
https://www.tiktok.com/@kamalahq/video/7413804594331127086
Trump has said he wants to imprison his enemies. Is Taylor Swift one of them? Does he intend on trying to throw Taylor in jail if elected? Someone needs to ask him. I'm sure the Swifties will want to know the answer.
The Kansas City Chiefs may have feelings about throwing her in jail. She goes to their games.
🎯❤️
"The shootings will continue until my poll numbers improve!" - DJT (Probably)
Yes, I said it; but everyone is thinking it.
Yes… and let’s not forget how many times he’s said publicly:
“If I don’t WIN, there’ll be WWlll”.
In between saying that if Harris is elected, she'll take us into WW III.
So...damned if we do, damned if we don't.
May as well vote for Kamala and democracy. 😊😺🌴
Chinese idioms — the four-character phrases called "chengyu" — have their origins in classical Chinese history or literature, some of it dating back 2400 years or more. I smile as I Imagine a thousand years from now a dictionary of American idioms explaining "jumped the shark." "In the 1970s, there was this television show called "Happy Days," featuring a charming rogue named "Fonzie," and....
I remember watching this show and having the “he jumped the shark” feeling.
I too, am old enough to get the reference.
I'm sure Trump pictures himself as The Fonz, but I can't get the image of Lenny and Squiggy out of my head when I think of Vance & Trump now. Thanks for that, Jay.
🤣😂 Turning them into a comedy act is great! They absolutely HATE to be laughed at.
Ditto.
I'm certainly old enough but as I was working 3-11 pm in those days I rarely saw the show. I didn't know the expression had anything to do with the Fonz. Makes more sense now, thanks to Jay.
I appreciate you explaining Jumped the Shark. Didn't see the episode and didn't know where it came from till now. It's funny how Trump prefers to be electrocuted to actually jumping his continually present Shark 🦈. 😄
Seeing The Fonz always gives me grade-school feelings from the late 70s.☺️
🦈🌊🚤⛷️
Have you seen him as the scary principal in Scream? Sinister middle-aged Fonzie is a strange experience.
Yes!😅
I am beyond sick of the Trump train - Munchausen by media, and they fall for it every single time. It sounds as though they had the fundraising emails going out (blaming Democrats) before they even knew who the suspect was. And now that they do know, they're STILL blaming the Democrats. Can he please just melt down into a puddle of orange goo already and get out of our lives????
Isn't it ironic that both "assassination attempts" have been carried out by white disgruntled Republicans? Maybe it's because Democrats are nowhere near stupid enough to attempt something like that. Still, Trump et al milk it for everything possible.
And note that there is no call from the MAGA Republicans for an assault weapons ban.
White disgruntled Republicans with assault rifles.
We can’t deny that there may be a “crazy” out there who is willing to die to save our country. We don’t know all the facts yet, so perhaps we should not judge the situation until we do.
Oh, yeah, the fundraising emails started as soon as the SS went after the guy, before Dumpy and Justa Dick had posted anything. Why waste an opportunity to raise money like this?
Did the campaign get advance notice of the "assassination attempt"?
“Munchausen by media” - omg, a horrifying thought, but I think you’re right… 🙀
Apt metaphor given his (deranged) obsession with sharks.
When he did the Taylor Swift post, I honestly wondered if he was trying to lose the election for some reason. That seems illogical on its face, but it is impossible to know what is going on in his head. I next expected to hear that he was on Trump Air to leave the country, but nope. They're all just doubling down on the mindlessness.
It's all a pretty wild campaign strategy.
He wants to be president of the 5th Grade, according to Michael Steele.
Sounds about right. He seems to have the vocabulary and intellect of a 4th grade bully.
Revive the game show "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" And watch him lose there too.
Michael Steele had the best post-debate analysis, Jen Psaki asked him to repeat what he said to her to her audience. He said:. "She spanked that ass."
My guess is he was showed some internal polling done by the campaign which showed he is losing, and he went berserk. He's a sniveling coward, so he directs his rage at a woman.
I don't think Kamala Harris could have said anything else (or at least nothing PG rated) that could have punctured his "fragile as egg shells" ego worse than her comment about his boring rallies where attendance is sparse and people leave early. Which happens to be absolutely true!!
Then the chef's kiss was Taylor Swift's endorsement and the immediate spike in voter registration.
You have to wonder how he is going to react to Thursday's Oprah Winfrey virtual rally with Kamala Harris. FYI, a link to sign up can be found here: https://events.democrats.org/event/693000/
Then there was a moment in the debate when we thought she was going to call him <expletive deleted>. But she had the strength of will to say "former president".
Enrolled!!
His whole campaign seems to be imploding, which is good but scary at the same time. The chance for violence from his cult followers is high!
Maybe he thinks he doesn't need to actually win. Maybe he is relying on plan b. Attack the results of the election with the help of his cronies. Throw the country into chaos until the House declares him the winner?
I won’t dismiss anything. I think Joyce Vance has touched on the reality of him being able to make a plan B happen, though. But that could be his game, anyway. They’re clearly all in on the far right, extreme crazy.
https://open.substack.com/pub/joycevance/p/what-if-trump-tries-to-steal-the?r=3nv7i4&utm_medium=ios
@Charles and all others on here, here’s Joyce Vance’s writing on this.
Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
Only too likely now that North Carolina has been delayed
Durham here. I checked the NC State Election Board website yesterday because I was still freaking out about it. As I understand it, BOE staff worked through the weekend and absentee ballots for overseas will go out Friday 9/20 and the rest will be mailed Tuesday 9/24. Later than planned, but will meet NC regulations. Looks like Early Voting will still start on Oct. 17.
https://www.ncsbe.gov/
Thanks for that information, it’s reassuring.
Fellow North Carolinian and resident data nerd. ;-)
Vote by Mail spiked in 2020 due to Covid, but traditionally most of the early voting has come from in-person early voting.
2016 NC Results:
Early in-person....................................................................2,955,609
Total Mail-in (Civilian, Millitary & Overseas..............191,601
COMBINED "early" vote..................................................3,147,210
Total Votes cast....................................................................4,769,640
Total Registered Voters....................................................6,914,248
2020 NC Results:
Early in-person......................................................................3,627,779
Civilian Mail-in...........................................................................974,121
Military Mail-in.............................................................................11,234
Overseas Mail-in..........................................................................16,046
COMBINED "early" vote.....................................................4,629,200
Total Votes cast.......................................................................5,545,848
Total Registered voters.......................................................7,359,798
Cheryl, you truly are a wonder. We don’t know each other, but I feel like I know you from reading your amazing comments on so many of the substacks I read! I feel comforted knowing that you and I are on the same team!
I realize I was really worrying (I can worry and work at the same time) about Early Voting and the thousands of postcards sent or about to be sent with EV info… that might change! Gah! We seem to have dodged this bullet for now. Primarily thanks to those election workers!
Thank you for the great info! Press on, Friend.
Hey Colleen, thank you for your kind words.
I'm hoping that this delay will actually backfire on the MAGAts. Most of the red counties have far fewer in-person early voting sites than the blue counties. Check it out here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite/. The master file which includes the hours open at each site for each day can be found here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/One-Stop_Early_Voting/2024/Early-Voting-Site-List-2024-General.pdf
In 2020, the NCSBE dictated that the number of early vote (EV) sites had to be tied to # of registered voters in the county because of Covid. The GOP legislative members were up in arms about this and I suspect that many red counties reduced the number of EV sites for this upcoming election. Some counties only have the county BoE office (usually at the county seat) during regular business hours M-F. Others added Saturday hours but still only have the one site!
On the other hand, blue counties still have lots of EV sites. In 2020, Mecklenburg county had 40+ EV sites. This year we still have 33 EV sites!! Guilford Co. has 28 EV sites and Wake Co. has 22!!
A similar analysis comparing the 2018 and 2022 midterm elections showed that mail-in ballots represented 8.5% of early vote (5.0% of total vote) in 2022 midterms, while in 2018 it was just 4.7% of early vote (2.6% of total vote).
My husband and I live in N.C., and we are definitely planning to vote early. It just makes so much sense, which is probably why the GQP is against it.
You can find the closest EV site here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite/. Just pick a county from the drop down list. This is a dynamic site so everything will say “closed” until early voting actually starts.
But you can find the hours for each site on each day here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/One-Stop_Early_Voting/2024/Early-Voting-Site-List-2024-General.pdf.
I will correct my earlier comment. After reading Democracy Docket, I see the “rest of the mail ballots” will go out Tuesday 9/24. Sorry about that.
At least we are one of the earlier states to mail out ballots...
Thank you, Colleen. It's appreciated. My heart fell when I read about the delay in the NC absentee ballots going out to NC overseas voters. We all know the huge pride magas take in finding even the smallest opportunity to destroy procedural guardrails. Very glad to know the outbound mailing time will still be within NC state law requirements. That's a relief. I wonder if Kennedy merely meant to cause a problematic ballot delay, or if he pushed for the removal of his name from the NC ballot despite causing a delay because he (and trump) could see how close the NC race is between Harris and trump and Kennedy's name would draw votes away mostly from trump?
Both, no?
We absolutely need to elect Justice Allison Riggs to NC Supreme Court. (Riggs is currently on the Court, appointed by Roy Cooper.)
NC friends, help get that word out. Thank you.
Yeah, our local paper ran an article yesterday about ballots being delayed (I live in NC.) Damn RFK Jr.
I think his campaign should at the very least cover ALL the expenses. Especially the well-deserved overtime pay, which I hope election staff receive!
Truth right here. The election results mean nothing to them. It’s the “game” of saying it was rigged and letting the corrupt SCoTUs declare him the winner. The roller coaster rides starts after they call it for Biden. Then they start filing in the courts. I can’t even….
I’ve encountered more than once the idea that Trump and his circle and indeed the whole party know they’re going to lose and that their true focus is on is creating chaos and stealing it.
Makes sense when you see the lengths they’re going to subvert the election.
There is a concerted effort amongst grassroots organizations to get their voters out to vote as early as possible "on Day 1". One of the benefits is that it makes it harder for the GOP to sow Chaos!!
The substack Grassroots Connector recently did a 2-part series on it:
https://grassrootsconnector.substack.com/p/when-we-vote-early-we-win-part-1
https://grassrootsconnector.substack.com/p/when-we-vote-early-we-win-part-2
Also Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles (https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/early-in-person-voting-starts-friday) and Network NOVA (https://networknova.substack.com/p/vote-early-day-1-why-focus-on-voting) have been focusing on it.
Heck, there was even a piece on NPR's Morning Edition today focussing on it! https://www.wfae.org/2024-09-16/besides-the-postal-service-what-other-options-do-voters-have-to-cast-early-ballots
Funny about these "assassination" attempts having minimal media legs...sure, the first one in PA was quickly overtaken by Joe Biden pulling out of the race and Kamala Harris' rapid rise, but this latest one? A "rifle sticking out of the bushes", the alleged perp meekly surrendering, then any charges to be laid are pending full mental-health assessment...and we move on, because violence and tRump have been linked so closely ever since he came down that escalator 9 years ago, that this latest whatever-it-was is just more noise, and maybe - just maybe, shhh! - people don't give a shit if tRump is getting targeted.
I'm shocked, shocked I say, that the Republican are making any kind of to-do over this 2nd attempt. You'd think they'd see it the same way they see school shootings - as a fact of life and something to just 'get over.' Ho hum.
Good point..."fact of life" - LOL!
Yes, and unlike the kids and teachers he's not dead. The suspect was taken into custody and never fired a shot. Djt needs to get over himself.
Yes, and it is violence I fear more against the Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants. In a PBSNewshour feature about the Haitian people in Springfield, they were there to get better lives for themselves and their families, longing to go back to a Haiti restored to sanity. Here now they face a different insanity and my heart hurts. I fear for every person of color not just immigrants. The hate is so real and then I wonder where are those on the Right in the Senate and House who ARE people of color and are silent?
And help the failing economy and falling population in Springfield.
There aren't many of those!
Oh god, I hope you are right!
Ditto!!
Thank you Jay. You do a gret job of keeping thngs in perspective. I was at a Swing Left gathering last night where Robert Hubble and Jessica Craven were there to energize and answer questions and both had you on their short lists of valueable commentary and insight. Keep it up.
Awww, that’s wonderful! My fanboy moment came when Heather Cox Richardson cited my work and left me a FB comment saying SHE was a big fan. I felt like I was back in Junior High with a blush on my face.
My two favorite sources of news are you, Jay, and Gabe F. at his Wake Up to Politics Substack newsletter. You both do the research, are concise, inform, educate and write with your own voice.
I follow other Substack newsletters that focus on the news which I highly recommend (Radley Balko, Kevin Kruse, Dan Rather, Dan Moynihan, Adam Serwer & Tom Nichols) but your Substack and Gabe’s are the two I read first.
I'm pretty sure I found your substack through Jessica's "Chop Wood Carry Water".
Thank you for your always-keen insights.
I have long believed that there would come a moment, like that of Joseph Welch in calling out Joe McCarthy, after which Trump's aura of power and invincibility would suddenly begin to dissipate. Trump's steepening descent into madness, coupled with his lifelong socio-pathology, is almost certainly going to result in his increasing the magnitude of his attempts at control instead of backing off and trying to appear more normal.
As an aside, Mar-a-lago is right across the street from a gun club.
Actually it is the golf course that is across the street from a gun club, not MAL, but your point is correct.
I stand corrected. Thank you.
So maybe he's a innocent felon gun nut who went to the store to have the id # filed off, very innocently of course, and was walking home past the golf course. 🤪
It IS? Across from a gun club? And FL with few restrictions? OY!
Violence begets violence. You reap what you sow. Oh and within minutes/hours they were fundraising off of this latest “attempt”? I’m having a hard time conjuring up any sympathy for the orange turd. Let’s just flush him down the toilet in November and maybe someday we can also eradicate the orange stain he left behind when he circled the drain.
I made that statement on FB after the first attempt and was blasted for "inciting hate" and "maybe my hateful statements were part of the problem". Of course IQ45 supporters who don't see his rhetoric as devisive or hateful
Great piece, Jay