Category: Violence

Trump’s Rally Remarks Draw Parallels to ‘The Purge’, Spark Outrage

 

Donald Trump proposed a controversial policy during a rally in Pennsylvania, which many critics have likened to legalizing “The Purge.” This remark drew significant backlash on social media, with commentators and journalists drawing parallels to the dystopian film series that portrays a government-sanctioned free-for-all of crime for a 12-hour period.

At the rally, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with current policing practices, claiming that police are not permitted to effectively perform their duties. He suggested that to curb crime, a singular day of extreme violence would be necessary, stating, “one really violent day” would send a message to deter criminal activity.

Responses to Trump’s comments were swift and critical. Political analysts and media figures noted the alarming nature of his suggestion, with some questioning whether he had been inspired by the film series itself or independently arrived at such an idea.

Among the critics was University of Texas law professor Lee Kovarsky, who highlighted the distinction between asserting hard truths and making reckless statements. The overall sentiment on social media reflected deep concern about Trump’s call for what many interpreted as an endorsement of police brutality.

Former presidential speechwriter Dan Cluchey remarked on the gravity of the situation, suggesting that a presidential candidate calling for a violent day of police action should warrant significant media attention. The implications of Trump’s rhetoric sparked discussions about law enforcement practices and the potential consequences of such extreme proposals.

The rally further illustrated the challenges Trump faces in maintaining audience engagement, as reports indicated that some attendees were leaving during his speech, suggesting a disconnect between his messaging and public interest. Overall, the incident raised serious questions about the direction of political discourse in the United States.

 

Trump Mocks Pelosi’s Husband Attack at Rally, Trivializes Violence

At a recent rally in Anaheim, California, former President Donald Trump made remarks that appeared to mock Paul Pelosi, who was attacked with a hammer in 2022. Trump referenced Pelosi’s condition, asking, ‘How’s her husband doing, anybody know?’ This comment has been interpreted as an attempt to trivialize the violent incident that left Paul Pelosi severely injured.

Trump’s remarks come nearly two years after the attack, which has been a point of contention within political discourse. His comments were met with laughter from the audience, indicating a troubling normalization of violent rhetoric among some Republican supporters.

In the aftermath of the attack, Trump initially downplayed the incident, diverting attention to crime rates in cities like San Francisco and Chicago. He later propagated unfounded conspiracy theories regarding the circumstances of the attack, inaccurately suggesting that the glass was broken from the inside, which contradicted evidence from law enforcement.

This pattern of behavior reflects a broader trend among various Republican figures who have often dismissed or made light of violence directed at political adversaries. Trump’s continued references to the attack, almost two years later, signal a troubling disregard for the severity of political violence.

As Trump continues to face scrutiny over his comments and actions, this incident highlights the ongoing challenges of political rhetoric in the United States, particularly regarding the treatment of violence and its implications for public discourse.

(h/t: https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/shows/maddow/blog/rcna170242)

Trump Endorses Call for Capitol Police Who ‘Beat the Hell Out of Innocent J6 Protesters’ to Be Prosecuted

 

Former President Donald Trump endorsed a call for Capitol Police officers who confronted rioters on January 6, 2021, to be prosecuted for their actions. The call came after videos surfaced showing officers using force against protesters. The riot, incited by Trump’s false election claims, led to the assault of around 140 police officers. Nearly 300 defendants have been charged in connection with the riot, which occurred while Congress was certifying the election results.

During the riot, Trump criticized Vice President Mike Pence for not overturning the election results, further escalating the situation. The violence forced Pence and Congress to evacuate the Capitol. Trump’s tweet endorsing the prosecution of Capitol Police officers follows ongoing investigations and charges related to the events of January 6.

The Department of Justice has identified numerous individuals charged with assaulting or impeding officers during the riot. Trump’s involvement and rhetoric during the event have faced scrutiny and criticism for potentially inciting the violence that unfolded on that day.

This development adds to the ongoing controversy surrounding the events of January 6 and the repercussions faced by those involved. Trump’s recent endorsement of prosecuting Capitol Police officers highlights the continued division and legal proceedings stemming from the riot.

 

Republicans Are Increasingly Calling For A Civil War

Over the past several years, a number of prominent Republicans and right-wing commentators have called for a civil war or have used coded language like “national divorce.” This rhetoric is dangerous and anti-democratic, and it is important to be aware of it.

It is important to call out this rhetoric whenever we hear it or see it from our friends and family on social media or in person. We need to make it clear that violence is not the answer, and that we are committed to resolving our differences peacefully through the democratic process.

The examples are many, but include:

  • Trump tweeted during his first impeachment, “If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.”
  • Greg Gutfeld called for a new Civil War because “elections don’t work.”
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed on Hannity, “The last thing I ever want to see in America is a civil war … but it’s going that direction.”
  • Ned Ryun on Jesse Watters’ Fox News show said “we are in a cold civil war with the left” as a reaction to Donald Trump’s arrest and mugshot.
  • Chip Roy said if Warnock and Ossoff win Georgia: “If we have a Democratically-controlled Senate, we’re now basically at full-scale hot conflict in this country, whereas right now we’re in a cold civil war.”
  • Clay Higgins made a call to arms over Trump’s indictment for stealing America’s classified documents.
  • Greg Gutfeld said gender affirming care will cause Christians to engage in a civil war.
  • Tucker Carlson threatened civil war if Republicans did not win in 2020.
  • Tucker Carlson again threatened a civil war.
  • Tucker Carlson said any gun control legislation should result in a second civil war.
  • Peter Navarro says a Second Civil War is coming because of Trump’s indictments, and says to Democrats that what they are doing “will come back to haunt you as soon as Republicans take back Trump’s America from your cold, woke hands.”
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene said “We need a national divorce where we can split into red states and blue states. No, that doesn’t mean civil war. Doesn’t mean you can’t travel to different states. There would still be trade and commerce.”
  • Republican State Senator Colton Moore said on Steve Bannon’s podcast he was ready to take up arms and said a civil war was coming if Trump was convicted.
  • At a fundraiser for the indicted Michigan fake electors, State Rep Matt Maddock, the husband of one of them, is on audio tape saying that if the government keeps prosecuting right-wingers then someone is going to get shot or a civil war will happen.
  • Has-been actor Jon Voight responded to Trump’s trial date announcement by claiming only Trump can lead Republicans in Civil War 2.0.
  • Conservative commentator Doug Hagmann called for violence against poll workers in the next Civil War, which he was bringing his own guns and providing body bags for his victims.
  • The mother to murderer and conservative hero Kyle Rittenhouse, said lawyer Lynn Wood left Rittenhouse in jail despite having bail money to save him from Civil War and Armageddon. In reality Wood was grifting the Rittenhouses out of money.
  • Actually, Lynn Wood, who was part of Trump’s failed “Kraken” team has been promoting a Civil War against liberals, independents, and non-Trump loyal Republicans quite regularly.
  • Domestic terrorist and Proud Boy leader, regularly promoted by Fox News and right wing media, Enrique Tarrio, expected a Civil War before January 6th which he tried to accelerate.
  • January 6th rioters were seen wearing Civil War shirts.

Trump Mocks Paul Pelosi, Undermines Attack’s Severity at Rally

During a recent rally in Anaheim, California, former President Donald Trump made controversial remarks mocking Paul Pelosi, the husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was injured in a hammer attack last year. Trump questioned the well-being of Paul Pelosi, stating, ‘How’s her husband doing, anybody know?’, in a context that appeared to trivialize the severity of the violent incident he endured.

Paul Pelosi suffered serious injuries, including a skull fracture, after an assailant broke into their home and attacked him while looking for Nancy Pelosi. Despite initially calling the attack a ‘sad situation’, Trump later indulged in far-right conspiracy theories surrounding it, undermining the attack’s seriousness.

At the California Republican Party fall convention, Trump also criticized the state’s Democratic leaders and referred to Nancy Pelosi as ‘crazy’, further escalating the hostility towards the former Speaker and her family. His comments were met with laughter from the audience.

Amidst these remarks, Trump asserted that he would work to reverse California’s perceived decline, labeling it a ‘dumping ground’. He emphasized his intent to engage with the state’s Republican base, which is significant for the upcoming GOP nomination process, despite acknowledging his unlikely chances of winning California in a general election.

Trump’s comments reflect ongoing tensions within U.S. politics, particularly regarding the aftermath of the Pelosi attack, which has been a focal point for discussions about political rhetoric and violence. The incident has drawn attention to the impact of misinformation and its potential consequences on public safety and political discourse.

(h/t: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-paul-pelosi-hammer-attack-b2421604.html)

Trump Mocks Paul Pelosi Hammer Attack

During a recent rally in Anaheim, California, former President Donald Trump targeted Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her family, referencing the violent attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi. Trump questioned the status of Paul Pelosi, who suffered significant injuries in the assault, stating, “We’ll stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi, who ruined San Francisco — how’s her husband doing, anybody know?” This comment drew cheers from the crowd of California Republicans.

Trump’s remarks included a mix of criticisms aimed at prominent Democrats in the state, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Adam Schiff. While he expressed a somewhat positive sentiment about California Governor Gavin Newsom, he labeled him a “crooked Joe Biden’s top surrogate” without providing evidence to support his claims.

Despite the recent death of Dianne Feinstein, a significant figure in California politics, Trump refrained from mentioning her during his speech. Instead, he focused on the perceived decline of California, describing it as a “dumping ground” and expressing a desire to reverse its current trajectory.

The rally served as a platform for Trump to solidify his support among California Republicans ahead of the GOP primary, scheduled for March 5, 2024. Although Trump faces multiple legal challenges, including indictments related to the 2020 election, he remains a dominant figure in Republican primary polling.

Other candidates scheduled to speak at the state party convention included Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, but Trump’s ability to energize the audience at the event highlighted his continued influence within the party.

(h/t: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/29/trump-mocks-pelosi-family-as-he-rallies-conservative-support-in-california-00119243)

Trump Tweets Video of St. Louis Couple Aiming Guns at Protesters

President Donald Trump on Monday retweeted a widely scrutinized video of a St. Louis couple aiming guns at a protest march.

The couple, who are White, stood in front of their home, both armed with guns, shouting back and forth with a march that included Black Lives Matter protesters, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. One of the people was aiming a gun directly at demonstrators, who were marching on the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson to demand her resignation after she read aloud names and addresses of protesters who wanted to cut police funding.

Trump retweeted the ABC News video without comment, appearing to endorse the couple’s stance. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Sunday, Trump retweeted a video of his supporters arguing with critics in Florida, including one who shouted “white power.” Trump later deleted his tweet, and the White House said he hadn’t heard the phrase.

The president on Monday also retweeted a series of wanted posters from U.S. park police seeking to identify people suspected of vandalizing statues near the White House.

[Bloomberg]



Trump relaunches attack on 75-year-old protester who suffered fractured skull

Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester who suffered a fractured skull after being shoved to the ground by police in Buffalo, has once again become the target of President Donald Trump’s ire.

As flagged by CNN fact checker Daniel Dale, Trump told the Wall Street Journal this week that Gugino was a “professional agitator” who had put himself in harm’s way when he confronted officers during a protest against police brutality.

“I don’t like to see people hurt,” the president said. “But he put himself right into the midst of the soldiers. These police, they meant business. They were walking and he puts himself right there. And you could tell they knew him. They knew him. But he’s had a long history. Too bad he had to get hurt.”

Gugino is a longtime antiwar activist in the area, though there is no evidence that he is part of antifa or that he deliberately provoked police into shoving him to the ground, as the president has alleged.

Gugino is recovering from his wounds in an undisclosed location, as his attorney said this week that he has received several death threats since a video of him cracking his skull on the sidewalk after being shoved by an officer went viral.

[Raw Story]

Trump threatens protesters ahead of Tulsa rally

President Donald Trump threatened to crack down on protesters expected to show up at his campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, the first such event since the coronavirus pandemic sidelined his campaign schedule.

“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis,” Trump tweeted on Friday. “It will be a much different scene!”

Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, said Trump was referring to “destructive” protesters, noting that buildings have been burned, looted, and vandalized during recent demonstrations against police brutality.

“These things are unacceptable,” she said. “And we will not see that in Oklahoma.”

The president’s tweet came hours after Tulsa mayor G. T. Bynum imposed a curfew, citing expected rally crowds of more than 100,000, planned protests and the civil unrest that has already erupted in the city and around the nation this month.

Trump drew widespread and bipartisan criticism for his last interaction with protesters, when U.S. Park Police and other law enforcement agencies used force to clear Lafayette Square near the White House so the president could pose with a Bible in front of the historic St. John’s Church.

The latest threat also drew fire.

William Kristol, former editor of The Weekly Standard, posted on Twitter that the constitutional right “of protesters are the same in Tulsa as elsewhere in the US. So are the 1A rights of Trump supporters. It’s up to OK and Tulsa authorities to follow the law and protect all citizens. But what Trump’s doing is inciting his followers to extra-legal action.”

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Trump of “threatening peaceful protesters standing up for justice.”

[USA Today]

Trump calls use of tear gas, other force on Minneapolis protesters a ‘beautiful scene’

President Donald Trump praised the use of tear gas and other force to disperse Minneapolis protesters, calling it a “beautiful scene” and describing the National Guard’s actions “like a knife cutting butter.”

“I’ll never forget. You saw the scene on that road … they were lined up. Man, they just walked straight. And yes, there was some tear gas and probably some other things,” Trump said in opening remarks at a roundtable on policing and race. “And the crowd dispersed and they went through. By the end of that evening, and it was a short evening, everything was fine.”

Trump’s event at a conservative, evangelical and predominantly white church in Dallas on Thursday afternoon came as the White House has yet to announce what new measures it might support in response to the protests against racial injustice that have gripped the nation since the killing of George Floyd by a police officer.

Trump did not mention Floyd by name in his remarks but suggested the work of confronting bigotry and prejudice will “go quickly and it’ll go very easily.”

“But we’ll make no progress and heal no wounds by falsely labeling tens of millions of decent Americans as racist or bigots,” the president said.

He has largely criticized the protests that took place in cities across the United States, including Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed. Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz activated its National Guard after three nights of protests and violent riots; on Thursday, Walz endorsed a package of sweeping police reforms.

In response to the national reckoning over police brutality and America’s systemic racism, Democrats unveiled sweeping police reform legislation, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black Republican member of the Senate, is spearheading proposals in his chamber.

Trump offered some broad outlines of the steps he might embrace to answer the national demand for action. He told the roundtable participants he was working on an executive order to “encourage police departments nationwide to meet the most current professional standards for the use of force, including tactics for de-escalation.”

He defended police officers and slammed calls to “defund” them, saying it means people want to get rid of law enforcement. Most advocates use the term to mean the reallocation of police budgets to social services including housing and education.

“We have to respect our police. We have to take care of our police. They’re protecting us. And if they’re allowed to do their job, they’ll do a great job,” Trump said. “And you always have a bad apple. No matter where you go, you have bad apples and there not too many of them.”

Hours after the event, Trump weighed in on the debate in more provocative terms. “The Radical Left Democrats: First they try to take away your guns. Then they try to take away your police!” he tweeted.

The president’s more concrete actions in the past 24 hours appear aimed at his political base rather than the multiracial nation he governs.

That includes publicly rejecting the idea of renaming military bases whose names honor Confederate military figures — an idea that had been under consideration at the Pentagon — and threatening a federal response to “ugly Anarchists” protesting in Seattle.

Trump’s campaign released an ad Wednesday focused on his self-proclaimed credentials as a law-and-order president while seeking to cast Biden as overly supportive of those who have protested Floyd’s death.

“Antifa destroys our communities. Rioting. Looting. Yet Joe Biden kneels down,” the narrator says, as footage of Biden kneeling at a church in Wilmington, Del., is superimposed over images of violent protests.

Biden, who held an event Thursday in Philadelphia related to recovering economically from the coronavirus crisis, issued a statement ahead of Trump’s trip to Dallas questioning the president’s motives.

“For weeks we’ve seen President Trump run away from a meaningful conversation on systemic racism and police brutality,” the former vice president said. “Instead, he has further divided our country. Today’s trip to Texas won’t change any of that. President Trump is more interested in photo ops than offering a healing voice as our nation mourns.”

[Philadelphia Inquirer]

1 2 3 4 … 15