So, what did Trump say about “death and destruction”?
Trump has written a couple of things lately in response to Bragg that have created the familiar storm of indignation.
Let’s take this one first:
Potential death and destruction? He continued to step on the rake…wow. ?????? pic.twitter.com/W8dXZmG6qP
— Rocky (@wavechaser2024) March 24, 2023
Trump has long had a propensity for saying outrageous things that are often true and that send a lot of people through the roof. You might say it’s his stock in trade.
In this case, I don’t think it’s true that Bragg is a “degenerate psychopath” – I think he’s a typical leftist. You might say that those two things – “degenerate psychopath” and “typical leftist” are not mutually exclusive, but neither are they identical. Bragg has been making some tactical moves that may have backfired, but they are moves that many on the left have been trying and will continue to try against the right.
Does Bragg “truly hate” the US? That may indeed be the case, just as most people on the left truly hate the US in its present form. They think, or seem to think, they can improve things by throwing out the protections that have made this country a defender of liberty. Whether they sincerely think this (some do) or whether they are merely into their own power (some are), this is also business as usual for the left.
How about the “death and destruction” part? That’s gotten a lot of response, as though Trump were inciting an insurrection – or still another insurrection, depending on one’s view of January 6th. But again, what he’s saying is simply true in the objective sense: for someone of one party to arrest a former president and current leading candidate in the other party, on (forgive the pun) trumped-up charges, would indeed have the potential (that’s the word Trump uses) of leading to some sort of violence on the part of the arrested candidate’s supporters. Such an arrest would be a coup attempt under legal cover, and should be recognized as such if it were to occur, and might indeed generate a violent response. So Trump is merely describing something rather than calling for it.
But of course there’s a fine line between the two. Trump’s supporters are not robots, programmed to obey the call to violence – if indeed there is a call. They are already plenty angry, however, and with very good reason. Trump’s statement isn’t designed to calm them down.
Trump also posted two side-by-side photos [see *ADDENDUM below] that he has apparently taken down, but here’s what they looked like:
That’s juvenile and stupid, in my opinion, as well as needlessly provocative. It’s an own goal, and I think Trump may on second thought have agreed, because as noted he took it down.
Trump has continued to disappoint in several ways in recent months. But I’m amazed he’s kept it together as well as he has, considering the war against him (and I’m deliberately using provocative language there). He is who he is; we know his strengths and weaknesses. He has both, and displays both quite regularly. His critics on left and right go nuts – or pretend to go nuts – when Trump does this sort of thing. All of it is theater and a distraction, but the issues are very real and very serious. “Potential death and destruction” is not a far-fetched possibility, whether or not Trump says a single word about it.
*ADDENDUM: About the photo of Trump with the baseball bat, next to one of Bragg’s head – apparently Trump didn’t purposely combine those photos, and perhaps didn’t even intend to post them. They were part of an article he was linking to:
The National File chose to juxtapose the image of Trump holding a bat in 2017 with a picture of Alvin Bragg. That editorial decision makes it seem as if Trump is swinging the bat in Bragg’s direction.
What’s important to emphasize is that the photo comes from The National File and appeared automatically in Trump’s “truth” sharing the article about Bragg’s unpopularity and lack of mandate[.]
Thing is, he had to have noticed it and didn’t immediately delete it, although he later did delete it.
Agreed on all points.
I pretty much agree with all of this but if he is going to act this way he shouldn’t run for president again because this only hurts his already miniscule chances at winning a general election against anybody.
And yet somehow Trump is the center of media attention again.
“Thar she blows! To the boats me hearties! We’ll get The Great Orange Whale this time!”
Arrest a former president and candidate for office in the next election on a flimsy, partisan, pretense of “justice?” Wouldn’t be prudent.
Trump is insulting Bragg. Most people being railroaded mind their manners and accept a plea deal.
Somehow, Trump feels it is in his best interest to challenge the evil left again. I suspect it is to make the general public more aware of what is going on.
When the media showcases his seemingly psychotic statements, many will wonder what in the heck he is talking about \.
However, the media generally cherry -picking and mis-quoting him does not work in his favor.
I agree, he made a mistake holding that rifle. He should have been behind one of these
Ma Deuce
Fullmoon:
There are many ways to challenge Bragg. No one here is suggesting for a moment that Trump should roll over. But there are smart ways and own-goal ways. The photo was definitely an own-goal way – and Trump seems to have realized that, at least for the moment.
Death and destruction is what bragg and a dozen others have wrought in every major city why is there nowhere near as much agita over that graves in dc as procurator over a delta house stunt known as j6
Did Trump realize those posts were a problem or did his lawyers call him and tell him that if he didn’t take those posts down immediately, he was going to end up with additional charges on the Bragg indictment?
neo – I think you give Trump too much credit when you suggest that Trump figured out on his own that these posts were over the edge.
And this sort of nonsense is why Trump is a boat-anchor for 2024. Good grief, we’re really arguing about whether it is incitement to predict “death and destruction” and then post a picture of yourself wielding a baseball bat towards an elected official. With all of the problems and serious issues we have in the country, this is what we’re arguing about.
What a perfect example of Trump shooting himself in the foot too. Notice that we’re no longer talking about how Bragg’s legal position is laughably weak, that his case depends on a serial liar, or that the statue of limitations has already run. Apparently that wasn’t enough for Trump. He had to bring the spotlight back to himself. And in doing so, he may well have handed Bragg a new charge that doesn’t suffer from any of those defects.
Bauxite:
You do realize that The Great Orange Whale has unalienable rights under the First Amendment? So how is Bragg going to prosecute him for his protected speech?
Sorry Bauxite the image dosen’t show all you imply. Suggestions are not the same as actual things.
OMB appears again.
}}} You might say that those two things – “degenerate psychopath” and “typical leftist” are not mutually exclusive, but neither are they identical.
Identical? No. But the Venn diagram leaves very slender crescents outside of each other… The two indisputably *rhyme*.
om – There is no 1st Amendment right to threaten a public official.
Further:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/03/trump_posts_then_deletes_item_threatening_death_and_destruction_if_indicted_showing_him_holding_baseball_bat_with_braggs_head_nearby.html
Even right-wing sources are beginning to realize how nuts this is.
But the Venn diagram [of degenerate psychopaths and typical leftists] leaves very slender crescents outside of each other… The two indisputably *rhyme*.
OBloodyHell:
Not really. I was a leftist for most of my life and most of my friends still are. We’re not psychopaths. Not many humans of any politics are.
Unless one prefers, as many on the left and the right do, to declare one’s political opponents seriously mentally ill by definition.
I don’t recommend that.
Trump has been involved with Vince McMahon in the wrestling world and how it works. He also had his successful TV show, The Apprentice, for several years. Those experiences have made him a student of mass psychology. He knows how to appeal to the masses of middle-class working people. They are his base. He knows he’s ticking off the intellectuals and elites, and he doesn’t care. He knows where his strengths lie, and he accentuates them.
I would not say or do many things he does because I know they offend some people that otherwise might vote for me. He doesn’t see it that way.
He could end this vendetta against him if he would step down from running again. It’s not in his DNA. He is pissed. (And who could blame him?) He has been wrongfully impugned and criminalized from the day he began running in 2015. The facts have shown he is far more honest and has better policies than Biden. He has nothing to be ashamed of or apologize for. I admire a man who will stand up to his enemies as he has.
He may or may not be able to win the nomination, but if he is the nominee, I will support him and vote for him. With all his faults, he’s a far, far better choice than any candidate the Democrats can field.
Bauxite:
Your reading skills need some work. Still haven’t learned anything from Jan. 6, 2021 it seems.
“But I’m amazed he’s kept it together as well as he has, considering the war against him “
Agreed. I respect that toughness.
Actually, I like the way Trump was able to get all those anti-riot police vehicles to line up in front of that NYC court house! The man is a MASTER!
Anyway…related?
(Aw, what difference does it make…?)
https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1639624710370541568?cxt=HHwWgIC2qZX_jsEtAAAA
A leak. Don’t know why/where/who, but it appears that it’s clearly something from “the inside”.
The whole thing is pretty weird, at least it would be weird to the uninitiated.
Things kinda get super interesting at about minute 7:00…
The long and short of it?
“Biden” (and Bragg, of course) is only trying to help Trump stay alive.
Trump is responding by saying “Make my day!”
“Biden” then has to decide whether “he” should take Trump up on it. (But it’s best for “him” to tie Trump up in knots and then just dump him in the slammer. For now, at least….)
@ Barry – Bonchie expands on Kelly’s tweets.
https://redstate.com/bonchie/2023/03/25/new-video-shows-police-officers-inciting-crowd-on-january-6th-prosecutors-desperately-try-to-hide-footage-n721425
JJ – I think you’re right about the WWE act, but it is not good politics. He’s created a fanatical following among a sliver of the voting public, while driving the rest away. Enough of “the rest” held our noses and voted for him anyway in 2016. Not so much since.
When you call for massive protests to “take back our country” on January 6th, and a bunch of your supporters show up and riot, you’re going to be (rightfully) blamed for that. It doesn’t matter that the feds had moles in the crowd egging them on. It doesn’t matter that the DOJ’s prosecutions have been abusive. It doesn’t matter that Democrats are lying about what actually happened. What actually happened is bad enough. Trump’s WWE bombast handed Democrats a golden opportunity, and they have run with it.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, he has learned absolutely nothing from it. The “death and destruction” and baseball bat posts go well beyond Trump’s January 6th behavior. At least in 2021 Trump had a cursory statement about keeping the protests peaceful. What do you think is going to happen when, in entirely predictable fashion, Trump’s supporters show up to protest his indictment in NYC, Georgia, and/or by the feds? Do you think that there won’t be Trumpers who go too far? Do you think that there won’t be fed “assets” in the crowd egging them on? Do you think it will be played as anything other than “Insurrection II, The Sequel?”
And Democrats will love it! Every elected Republican in the country will be grilled about whether they support Trump and whether they condone the “new Insurrection.” We will spend months talking, not about inflation, not about the banking crisis, not about crazy woke social issues. Instead, all of the oxygen in the room will be taken up with Trump’s own criminal trials and the criminal trials of all of the poor Trumpers who answer his call to protest. Of course there will be prosecutorial abuses – all the better to suck up the news cycle oxygen – probably through the general election campaign, whether Trump is the nominee or not.
So yeah, Trump is playing the WWE game – and if Republicans don’t kick him to the curb, he’ll be playing it right through the second Biden administration too.
You said, ‘I don’t think it’s true that Bragg is a “degenerate psychopath” – I think he’s a typical leftist.’
Bragg may not even be a regular psychopath but once in office it seems the current typical leftists pursue policies that are just as bad as if they were. They create policies that support the degenerate psychopath community. So maybe he is just a “degenerate psychopath ally”.
bragg and co, are a clear and present danger to the lives of any american, so has the congress been for the last four years, much more than putin, certainly nearly as much as xi,
True, but at the same time, it’s not Bragg who’s letting all that fentanyl into the country…
(though as a man with a mission desire ‘n ambition, maybe that’ll be his next stunt….)
In Bauxite world The Great Orange Whale is, bad x11, and his followers are cretins incapable of adapting or learning from the past. And then Bauxite adds some personal agnst and panic. The sky is truly falling because of OMB.
I’m seeing lots of extreme comments on Trump. His rally at Waco was a smart move because he was reminding people of the abuses that a leftist government can inflict. There is an entire generation that probably knows nothing about Waco and Ruby Ridge. The LA Times, of course, blames the victims at Waco for the murders.
Facing a potential indictment, former President Trump took a defiant stance at a rally Saturday in Waco, disparaging the prosecutors investigating him and predicting his vindication as he rallied supporters in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.
Those children burned to death did it to themselves.
I’m not defending everything Trump does but there is much to come.
i compare him to the duke from escape from new york, but that’s insulting the duke, he wanted his level of security,
it really is tantamount to a war crime, yet we can only speak about it obliquely,
look at the parallelism, what was the lead up to waco standoff, well the first wtc plot, the bureau had an agent inside the sheikhs cell, (it was never clear if he was an independent operator, or an agent of bin laden) but for some reason, they had cut the former egyptian army officer off, hence a few months later, this event happened,
there’s a similar parallelism to september 11th, the entire apparat seemed more focused on a little hut in little havana, then a clear and present danger, posed by the four cells,
another forever prisoner,
https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/andrew-tate-says-he-has-to-protect-stone-cold-food-from-bugs-during-ramadan-fast-2095765/
Bauxite, I’m tempted to do a Turtler fisk of your comment, but I’m not as sharp as he is, nor as skilled a typist. 🙁
Your dislike of Trump is very deep, that’s clear. Have you ever sat down and compared Trump to Biden? Or to Whitmer, or Gruesome Newsom, or Harris, or Bernie, or any Democrat that’s likely to run? If you can’t see that Trump, with all his faults, would be a far superior President, then I can’t reason with you.
To you, if a candidate doesn’t say exactly what you want to hear, it turns you off. What many see as Trump’s problem is what I call his “toxic masculinity.” He is a man who stands up and takes on all comers. Unfortunately, he punches down, which isn’t an attractive look. And it bothers you and others. He won’t back away from any skirmish. You and others see that as an unforced error. He makes fun of his opponents. You and others find it unattractive. Yet, all those things you detest endear him to his base.
The issues are on our side, but so were they in 2020. We now know that winning elections requires more than attractive candidates, being right on the issues, and winning debates. It’s the grass roots ground game that elects candidates like Warnock, Fetterman, Hobbs, Murray, etc. Those candidates had no charisma, were pushing awful policies, and lost every debate. That’s where the GOP needs to concentrate – on the ground game, not on the usual campaign tactics that have failed us in recent elections.
If he wins the nomination, what choice do you have? If you want to stop the destruction of our economy, our military, our energy industry, our law and order, our place in the world, and much more; why would you not vote for him, as opposed to any Democrat?
Death and destruction are common in our politics. And justified by the left in terms of, “Well, what can you expect in the face of such oppresion!?”
See https://thewashingtonstandard.com/antifa-plants-deadly-traps-in-georgia-park/
Any complaints from the ever-so-peaceful left?
Why would Trump supporters be presumed to be immune to such impulses in the face of massive injustices? Whichever side you’re on, to expect exactly nothing to happen is stupid.
After the discovery that it took twelve feds to get the Whitmer plot off the barstools, and the increasing number in J6, the more aggressive guys in one or another small group might want to change addresses pretty quick. Because they’re always the Czar’s secret police. Er, I mean, they’re always the feds.
Bragg’s an idiot.
Main problem? He doesn’t know whom he’s dealing with.
Not that it matters—he gets his huge salary, gets to endanger NYers and gets to laugh at them as they try to avoid being wrecked by his policies.
But with Trump, he just doesn’t know whom he’s dealing with.
Trump just sicced a black hole on him.
That’s right.
A black hole. Aimed right at Bragg.
Take that, you dumb sonufagun…
https://nypost.com/2023/03/26/a-supermassive-black-hole-now-faces-earth-scientists/
+ Preposterous bonus:
Biden tries some humor for a change…
“Biden blasted for claiming GOP would slash border funding: ‘Must be a parody’;
“Biden previously said ‘there are more important things going on’ than border crisis”—
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-blasted-claiming-gop-would-slash-border-funding-must-parody
Even more shocking: Honest A. Blinken grudgingly emits a bit of truthfulness.
Yep, a real shocker….
Good thing they have that on video. Would never have believed it….
(Probably just transitory, though.)
“He’s created a fanatical following among a sliver of the voting public…”
Over seventy-four million votes in 2020. At least. Twelve million more than in 2016. That’s one big-ass sliver.
Captain Kangaroo may have screwed up the Donald J. Trump Prime-Time Show Trial (though it may be too soon to say—the fat lady may still have an aria or two left in ‘er).
BUT here’s one grand achievement that NO ONE take away from him:
“NYPD Overtime Budget On Pace For Record As Cop Shortage Worsens”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nypd-overtime-budget-pace-record-cop-shortage-worsens
At least he can bask in that victory, secure in the knowledge that he did his very best to torpedo the city.
They say increasingly more absurd things
https://twitter.com/GrabienMedia/status/1639987988162650113?cxt=HHwWgoC95duYtMItAAAA
I thnk we can hold off, barry from panicking now if the goauld ships come well maybe not if it were a neutron star that might be a problem
Not sure about that.
OMB has even managed to get the planets in alignment.
Amazing!
I tell ye’ the man’s cookin’ with…nuclear fusion.
He’s pumped. He’s chomping at the bit. And rarin’ to go.
Not sure anything or anyone can stop him now….
(Just hope he doesn’t go all Lear on us…)
“Get your telescopes ready: Five planets to align on Monday”—
https://www.jpost.com/science/article-735415
dogs and cats, living together, mass hysteria,
Zounds!
Will the tables be turned?
“James O’Keefe Suggests He Has Multiple Insiders In Manhattan DA Case Against Trump”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/real-question-how-many-james-okeefe-suggests-he-has-multiple-insiders-manhattan-da-case
Opening grafs:
‘James O’Keefe, the founder and former head of undercover reporting and whistleblower organization Project Veritas, has suggested that he has multiple insiders in the Manhattan DA’s case against former President Donald Trump – either on the grand jury, or otherwise familiar with (or involved in) the case.
‘ “NY DA Bragg likely hid exculpatory evidence from the Trump Grand Jury as their meetings have been postponed,” said political influencer Ryan Cunningham, adding “The real question is has @JamesOKeefeIII got to someone on the inside?”…’
What? Hiding exculpatory evidence!!
My, my, but, but—sputter,sputter,sputter—that’s the Democratic Party’s (and their judges’ and their pals’—lookin’ at you clowns, Cheney, Kinzinger) MODUS OPERANDI. That’s how they work. That’s how they party. That’s their raison d’etre. If they didn’t hide exculpatory evidence, they’d have no reason to go on living!
(Their latest judgeship nominee, bless him, didn’t even KNOW what “Brady” was(!) when the question was posed… Sounds like he’s super-qualified to be a Democratic judge!!)
So hiding exculpatory evidence?
Really…what IS the big deal??
(Can’t say it isn’t entertaining, though…)
Ah, but one can feel Bragg’s pain: DJT, AKA OMB, is NOT the most amenable ham sandwich, is he now…?
Related:
” ‘The Witch Hunt Against Me Is DEAD’: Trump Says Manhattan DA Tricked By ‘Fraud’ Star Witness, Wasn’t Into ‘Horseface’ Stormy”;
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/witch-hunt-against-me-dead-trump-says-manhattan-da-tricked-fraud-star-witness-wasnt
Gosh, one might even start to feel a wee bit sorry for that poor, poor Manhattan DA….
…but one would surely get over it pretty quickly…and then just start laughing at him.
Uproariously…
(The question, though, is—as always—WHO will get the VERY LAST laugh….)
So who you rootin’ for?
Fat Alvin has caused too much pain for the citizens of gotham, to really laugh at him, now four years ago, they had the then current us atty recuse, and a slithy tove from deutsch bank and the sec, (what’s that deutsch might be going under again!) named khuzaimi, persecute that schlemiel cohen, who forgot to declare a couple million in income, (that something that only works for turbo tim geithner or charlie rangel,)
Hubert:
I think the point was the word “fanatical” modifying “following.” Most of the people who voted for Trump are not “fanatical.” Many prefer DeSantis at this point. I agree, though, that Trump’s fanatical following is not a sliver, it’s a significant wedge of the pie.
Hubert – I’m one of the 74 million. That more or less refutes your point.
I’m reminded of the pop definintion of insanity – doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.
We’ve all seen this movie before. We saw it with January 6th. We saw it in 2022 when Trumper candidates tried to run on a stolen 2020 election. Now here we go again. There’s no reason to believe that it will end any differently this time.
What I’m describing is not “Bauxite world,” it’s the world outside of the Trump bubble.
The belarus move was like when brezhnev put backfire bombers in cuba, so intimidated was he by carter (sarc)
Bauxite:
Events make predicting the future somewhat uncertain. But you be you; it gives you something to do.
“Juvenile and stupid” – that sums up D.J. Trump perfectly. Bauxite is right – Orange Man is a boat anchor to the Republican Party. By the way does Trump even proofread what he writes before he hits “send”?
Neo: yes, I did notice the modifier. When it comes to support for Trump, I suspect that Bauxite’s use of the word “fanatical” is both generous and elastic. My point was that that is still a large group of voters (certainly more than Biden’s margin of victory in the five-six key swing states), even if we assume attrition since 2020 and especially since last November. I don’t think anybody really knows what the degree of attrition is, and it is even possible that Trump’s recent antics have gained him some new voters who don’t like or trust DeSantis or the other GOPe dog food on offer. What we do know is that Trump got more votes in 2020 than any Republican presidential candidate in history–long after his caddishness, propensity for junior high school insults, and disastrous taste in key personnel appointments were well known. And he still has considerable drawing power, as his recent rally in Waco (well played, by the way) showed.
Bauxite: “I’m one of the 74 million. That more or less refutes your point.” So am I and no, actually, it doesn’t. You voted for Trump in 2020 and would not vote for him in 2024. I voted for him in 2020 and would vote for him in 2024 if he should emerge as the nominee. Depending on the competition and the state of the country, I may even vote for him in the primary. Does that make me a member of the “fanatical sliver”? If so, I’m betting I’ve got plenty of company. In any case, you and I are a massive sample of two.
Now let’s all quibble about the precise meaning of “sliver”. Just kidding.
Apologies for the delayed response and for (yet again!) prolonging a dead thread, but you both responded to my very brief post and I generally try to answer when someone does that. I meant to comment on the original topic of this post–Trump’s “death and destruction” tweet and the revealing reactions to the juxtaposed photos–but my day job is getting more demanding and I’ve been trying to spend less time online in my off-hours. I’m thinking of following former commenter DNW’s example and just fading into the woodwork. Also, somebody said recently, and I have to agree, that there really isn’t much point in spending a lot of time and energy on political argument. Finally, I have to say that the recent level of acrimony and pointless nit-picking on this forum is discouraging, and I’ve been lurking here since (I think) 2005 or 2006. I started commenting regularly after the 2020 election because I felt a strong need to express my views on that appalling event in thoughtful company. I’ve done that and then some, so: mission accomplished. But circling back to this post: I was disappointed to learn that the juxtaposed photos weren’t Trump’s doing. I got a kick out of the combination of the baseball bat and Bragg’s extremely well-fed visage. I guess that makes me a fanatic. Maybe even a cad.
(P.S. I hope Bunge doesn’t get banned. Given my ill-fated advocacy last year on behalf of Zaphod, another controversial commenter, I’m afraid this won’t help. My support = kiss of death.)