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Donald Trump’s First Term Apparently Doesn’t Count
Don’t you find it interesting that Trump is being accused of wanting to commit all kinds of abhorrent actions and behaviors that he has never demonstrated? That if you look at his first term, his policies were quite good? That he didn’t abuse his power or meddle with the powers of others?
I continue to marvel at the number of people who are crying out about his “fascist” or “autocratic” nature. When did he act that way? He never misused the military; when he recommended to Nancy Pelosi that the National Guard be called up prior to January 6, he was ignored. When he suggested that state governors use the National Guard in June 2020, men like Tim Walz ignored him. And he didn’t interfere with their decisions.
He does sometimes talk hyperbolically. Well, he does it a lot, and that’s Donald Trump. He’s never abused the Constitution. He has always (in spite of the rumors) shown respect for the military, especially our men and women on the ground. Some people will say that now that he knows how the Executive Branch works, he will become more aggressive. I suspect instead that he’s less likely to make mistakes and will pick more qualified and supportive people.
And yet people, from Congress, the military and even his cabinet repeatedly attacked him. They have apparently assumed that their cause is so great that they can lie about just about anything.
If people would only look at his first term and judge him on what he accomplished, they wouldn’t be wringing their hands over actions he would never take.
Published in Domestic Policy
Asking for coherence from someone whose entire toolkit rests on incoherence is admirable in its optimism.
I don’t plan on it, but I am praying for it!
The argument seems to be this: Well, he was constrained in his first term because he wanted to be re-elected, But this time, when he can’t run again, he’ll unleash his inner-Hitler.
Counterargument: If he unleashed his “inner-Hitler” in the first term, he wouldn’t have had to run for re-election.
Good point, MWD!
Projecting these kinds of things on any person who shows no inclination to these kinds of behaviors is disgusting. Trump can get on my nerves, but these attacks are beyond the pale.
Susan, you’re asking a question for which Joseph Goebbels is the answer.
I disagree. Comparing Trump to Goebbels is unacceptable. There were a lot of people who did abhorrent things in Germany because the environment allowed for it. I’ll bet there were signs that Goebbels was a monster even before the camps.
We could go on. People blame him for how he handled COVID. He shut down the country under advice from the experts in our bureaucracy. But he opened it back up, Federally, two months later, as he had said he would. Then he left it to the State Governors to make the decisions in their States…as the Constitution says it should be. The Democrat States kept everyone locked down while the Republican Governors opened their States up.
He didn’t push to prosecute that ingrate, Hillary Clinton after he beat her in 2016, even though she broke so many laws that she could spend the rest of her life in jail. Now she is calling Trump Hitler and all of his supporters Fascists. She’s doubling down on deplorable.
In several cases, the military Generals who are critical would be facing court marshalls for attempted coups in many other countries. Gen Mark Milley would be shot. He contacted his Chinese counterpart and told him that he would notify him of any Trump actions. Really? He also went to our commanders in major parts of the world and told them to report to Milley first, before Trump. The Chief of Staff has no authority over field commanders. That was a coup.
The bottom line is unsettling because it is such a constant truism. Everything the Democrats accuse the Republicans or in this case, Trump, of doing is exactly what they are doing or intend to do. These Democrats salivate over fascism.
Thank you so much, @cdor! It is all so outrageous. The Dems should look in the mirror!
Oh no no no; the other way around. The Dems are accusing Trump of the abhorrent actions and behaviors that they themselves are guilty of.
“Accuse the other of that you are guilty.” — Joseph Goebbels
The Dems, however, do it to a weirdly high level of specificity.
Thanks for clearing that up, Don. I feel much better. And you’re right about the Dems. They’ve gone beyond what anyone would have believed they could do. And each day they keep ramping it up!
Goebbels’ “Tactical Projection” explains everything and is completely consistent with what we’re seeing.
We have them here on Ricochet>.
It is no wonder that the Commies want to outlaw one side of the conversation because, when there are two sides, truthful factual evidence comes into play, and words become insufficient to carry the argument.
When the Biden Administration had plenary control of the media platforms through federal bureaucracy influencing censorship processes, they were winning. When that process was exposed as violating free speech they moved to the more radical proposal to eliminate free speech rights.
Well stated on Twitter:
I think a reasonable case can be made that Trump abused his power in attempting to impose alternate electors. As ugly as things got, they almost certainly would have gotten uglier, and constitutionally mirkier, had Pence caved to Trump’s demands (meddling with the powers of others?) and refused to certify the election. The fact that the guard rails held is fortunate, but that was in spite of Trump, not because of him.
The “dictator” and “insurrection” talk is nonsense on stilts. Much of that began before Jan 6 (some of it even before Trump took office). But I think a reasonable person can look at Trump’s actions and conclude that he abused his power, and I can understand concerns about what he might try next time, especially given Vance’s statement that he would have refused to certify were he in Pence’s position.
Wow, does that speak volumes!!
I see your point, Freeven, but that whole certifying process has been clarified and is unlikely to happen again, IMHO.
This is just the screams of incompetent leaches losing their rice bowls. Imagine the adjustment in the Biden grift flow just from the Xi account. That Hunter 2028 campaign will be tough sledding.
Simple image form, for easy sharing by email etc:
The alternative is what amounts to a second Biden term, and/or a fourth Obama term.
I don’t think you see my point. :)
I made no suggestion that he would do THAT again, only that if he did that, it’s not unreasonable to be wary of what he might try next time.
Yep.
Were not the slates of alternate electors created in the event any state certifying officials decided that evidence indicated the vote counts were inaccurate in terms of votes being legitimate at a level warranting a reevaluation of the certification process? Maybe I missed it but I don’t recall hearing very much about any actual inquiries Pence made of those holding certifying authority in various states. Considering Pence’s lack of action on his Covid assignment, inaction is probably the expected outcome. I personally think the most Pence could have asked for was a second look and then a resubmission. Trump’s raising the issue was a good thing because state legislative officials have been very casual in delegating this responsibility to state executives with little oversight by the legislature.
I suppose it’s not unreasonable, but that doesn’t make it likely. Just sayin’….
Maybe I haven’t had enough coffee this morning, but I’m having trouble parsing you question. I’m pretty sure, however, that the answer is “I don’t know.”
Kamala wants to call Trump fascist every chance she gets. The shorthand is that the government may not own the means of production, but they control it. The government dictates what the press and individuals / groups can say in public.
Somebody please ask Kamala what role she played in the lawfare waged against Trump. Did she meet with Smith, Bragg, Willis or James? Did she discuss the cases with them? Did she order White House counsel to advise those prosecutors? As a former prosecutor, she should be able to explain why it’s all right to raise bail money for violent rioters while her Justice Department (and local Democrat prosecutors) indicted Trump on legally absurd grounds, threatening him with life imprisonment for victimless crimes. Those actions are fascism. I think we’ll know by her answer.
How about Kamala’s role in suppressing information on Twitter, Facebook and Google? Very fascist.
What was her involvement in having US carmakers declare that they will not build gas powered vehicles after a date certain? Does she believe the power to do so by the executive branch is constitutional?
After all, she’s said there was nothing she’d have done differently from the Biden administration.
Pot meet Kettle. That’s why she can’t sit down with Rogan for two hours.
Good points you make here. But she only answers scripted questions with scripted answers.
We’ve had four years of that with Biden, except when he gets confused or angry.
Past behavior is usually the best indicator of future behavior.
Given that Trump thinks he did the right thing, my assumption is that he’d have no qualms about doing something (while not the same) comparable going forward.
I’m pleased that we had a Trump presidential term because it revealed to me that our federal government is loaded with elected, appointed, and civil service bureaucrats who take oaths to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution with no intention of honoring those oaths.
I knew before there was likely some of this but I never imagined how wide-spread it had become.
I think it is a positive that we now have a chance to reconsider if we want to continue in this direction.
Great point, Susan.
We don’t have to wonder what Trump is likely to do as President.
He’s already done it. And it was very good.
Which creates a real problem for Democrats, obviously…
Don’t mean to be difficult, but I think the saying is talking about patterns of behavior, not a one time effort.