Donald Trump showed at last night’s TV appearance with Joe Biden that he perceives himself as commander-in-chief of the white supremacists whom his own Department of Homeland Security warns are the greatest domestic security threat facing our nation. Asked by moderator Chris Wallace to explicitly condemn white supremacist groups, Trump instead deflected and directed the Oregon radical white-supremacist group Proud Boys to “stand by“:
Chris Wallace: (41:33)
You have repeatedly criticized the vice president for not specifically calling out Antifa and other left wing extremist groups. But are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists and militia group and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland.President Donald J. Trump: (41:57)
Sure, I’m will to do that.Chris Wallace: (41:59)
Are you prepared specifically to do it.President Donald J. Trump: (42:00)
I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing not from the right wing.Chris Wallace: (42:04)
But what are you saying?President Donald J. Trump: (42:06)
I’m willing to do anything. I want to see peace.Chris Wallace: (42:08)
Well, do it, sir.Vice President Joe Biden: (42:09)
Say it, do it say it.President Donald J. Trump: (42:10)
What do you want to call them? Give me a name, give me a name, go ahead who do you want me to condemn.Chris Wallace: (42:14)
White supremacist and right-wing militia.President Donald J. Trump: (42:18)
Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right wing problem this is a left wing [problem] [Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Chris Wallace, First “Presidential” “Debate”, as transcribed by Rev.com, Cleveland, Ohio, 2020.09.29].
Stand by for what—orders from the White House to conduct vigilante raids on women and people of color trying to enter polling places? on peaceful protestors waving rainbow flags? on civilians with Biden signs in their yards?
An informed, civilized leader doesn’t ask thugs to “stand by.” President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama never asked al-Qaeda to “stand by.” They never asked the Klan or friends of Timothy McVeigh to “stand by.” They never equivocated and changed the subject. They stood against un-American ideas and actions.
The next man on South Dakota’s ballot, Senator Marion Michael Rounds choose switches on his own Trumpian deflector shields in the face of evil:
He should have been very clear, and he should have made it very clear that there’s no room for people on the far left or the far right when it comes to either an antifa or these white supremacist groups. He should have been very clear [Senator Mike Rounds, quoted in Ursual Perano, “Tim Scott Says Trump ‘Misspoke’ When He Told Proud Boys to ‘Stand By’,” Axios, 2020.09.30].
Good grief, Mike: can we drop the false-equivalency fiction? Not only are there not “very fine people on both sides” in the debate over whether blacks, Jews, and other minorities deserve equal rights, there is no threat from “antifa” equivalent to the demonstrated threat from the white supremacists to whom Trump is giving aid and comfort and now, apparently, direction. As Joe Biden said last night, and as I said back in June when Trump poured gas on the fire lit by the extra-judicial execution of George Floyd, “antifa” is not an organization. It is at best a loose idea, and at worse a convenient straw man slogan used more by Trumpists to distract us from the real crime and violence conducted and condoned by Donald Trump and his followers.
Proud Boys suck. They espouse hate toward women, Muslims, immigrants, and other good Americans. They are bad for America. They should stop hurting others, stop hating others, and start acting like real Americans.
That’s all a leader needs to say about the Proud Boys. That statement doesn’t require any codicil about other social ills, perceived or real, to be valid and useful, any more than I have to include an epilogue about how my dog needs a bath or how I should stop slacking and mow the yard or about how I haven’t done enough to prepare for an invasion from Mars (more canned goods, wooden bats in every room).
But to go the other direction, not only to bury the most vital message in shrugging false-equivalency, but to put on the general’s cap and tell the Nazis, the thugs, the bad guys to “stand by”, is alarming, appalling, and a calling to fire Donald Trump right now.
Tell the Proud Boys and Trump both (and when you speak to one, you’re apparently speaking to both) to sit down, shut up and let America be good again.
Here’s what Ruthie who was in an undecided focus group said about trump the crackhead.
“”I don’t think it’s important that someone can stand up to Trump or not. That’s irrelevant. It’s like me thinking I can win an argument with a crackhead,” said Ruthie from Pennsylvania, an undecided voter in Frank Luntz’s focus group.
Anyone that supports trump (looking at you EB5 Rounds), is the same as a crackhead. What a disgrace to this country.
Sen. Chuck Schumer: “Shakespeare summed up in MacBeth Trump’s performance last night: ‘A tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing.'”
I agree jerry although I forgot to watch. The world witnessed a dry drunk in full and untreatable fury. Clear as a bell to those who understand, with “the wisdom to know the difference,” untreatable because nobody has an intimate attachment to him and his “wealth” shields him from intervention. Cracks me up that a grown mature Democratic elder called him a clown, and is being blamed for Trump’s narcissistic two hour tantrum. The GOP did the same when hit job after HRC called his base “deplorables”.
So has Rounds declared support for Trump’s authoritarian tendencies? Rounds reportedly said:
Antifa is short for “anti-fascism.” Does the above comment means Rounds is “profa,” or “pro-fascism?”
It is one thing to argue about the behavior of certain renegades regardless of their political views. It is quite another to summarily dismiss a philosophy (“antifa”) that opposes repressive authoritarian political structures such as fascism.
Bingo bcb, EB5 Short Rounds is like the rest of the dumb arse trumpian republicans, clueless on what Anti Fascists’ really mean and what they are against. Here is a clue EB5 Short Rounds, Fascism is you and we are all against that. Look it up to see what World War Deuce was all about, it was against Proud Boys, like Rounds. Another hint, we whooped them all over the world.
Surprise,drumpf now professes he doesn’t know who prowd boys are.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-now-claims-proud-boys-doesnt-know-explicitly-tell-stand-by
Oh, he knows. It’s like back when David Duke was ecstatic over Trump’s election. Trump claimed to not know who he was, too.
“a degradation of the presidency itself, which Trump had degraded so thoroughly already. He put on a performance so contemptuous, so puerile, so dishonest and so across-the-board repellent that the moderator, Chris Wallace, morphed into some amalgam of elementary-school principal, child psychologist, traffic cop and roadkill.”
Frank Bruni, NY Times
I watched it all and I think Bruni is much too generous.
Another writer, whose name I forgot, called it a textbook display of toxic masculinity.
3 Minnesota AGs have written an op ed in opposition to Bloviating Bigot. Lori Swanson was attorney general of Minnesota from 2007-2019. Mike Hatch was attorney general of Minnesota from 1999-2007. Hubert H. “Skip” Humphrey was attorney general of Minnesota from 1983-1999.
What astounds me is how slim johnny thune disgraced the service of his father, slim johnny’s own reputation, and whatever family legacy he had for his children and grandchildren.
Similarly for EB5 short Rounds. I cannot imagine their grandkids and great grandkids having anything other than contempt for their public behavior, statements, and letters supporting the nation’s worst president and pussy grabber. Lesser shortcomings terminate family relations.
They, and several senate republicans, are the George Wallace’s of our era – to be shamed by generations of their progeny.
Trump lineage goes back to monied elites Fred Trump and Daddy Koch and Morgan hating the “evil socialist”new deal and FDR efforts toward integration. PBS Ken Burns Roosevelt series.
Al Jazeera woman reporter was asking drumpf’s lying press secretary a question which the liar wouldn’t answer. So the reporter sdays, “Okay, you don’t want to engage.”
Fake Noize jumped on board and claimed she called the press secretary a lying b-word, which not even the WH transcript would agree with Carlson or Hannity.
Always trying to throw monkey poo on everyone not in their corner.
“I don’t know who the proud boys are.”
Any rational person who less than 24 hours earlier had used their name and instructed them to “stand by,” would at least look up some info in the ensuing hours.
The orange ballon is too stoooopid to act rationally.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/proud-boys-arrest-trump-stand-by_n_5f74ac08c5b66377b27c1edd
This guy committed his crimes awhile back and cops refused to arrest him at that time. He has six felonies and six misdemeanors staring him in the face now.
Only black wingnut in the US Sinate said drumpf misspoke about prowd boys. One delusional black man. drumpf allegedly told prowd boys late today to stand down.
Jerry, thank you for the comment from Ruthie. She captures the problem neatly. We can’t reason with crackheads, belligerent drunks, white supremacists, or Donald Trump. We have to ignore him and vote him out. We have to disengage from the racists, not give them the attention and affirmation that Trump gives them, and return to behaving like a civilized nation.
We need to vote like bouncers at the bar.
John, that progeny better stand up and vote in droves this year. The historical shaming needs to start now, before Trump rallies his brownshirts to march for total dictatorship.
If we resort to Wiki: “Antifa is an anti-fascist and left-wing political movement in the United States comprising an array of autonomous groups that aim to achieve their objectives through the use of both nonviolent and violent direct action rather than through policy reform.”
The ambiguity inherent in that definition is whether there are some groups in the Antifa movement that use violent action while other groups in the Antifa movement use non-violent action, or whether *all* groups within the Antifa movement will resort *both* violent and non-violent action.
I’m guessing the former is the case–there are some violent groups while others are non-violent.
Wiki sez, more or less that modern left wing terrorism died off and the Southern Poverty Law Center, only lists right wing terrorists as a threat.
“Modern left-wing terrorist groups in the United States developed from remnants of the Weather Underground and extremist elements of the Students for a Democratic Society.[citation needed] Between 1973 and 1975, the Symbionese Liberation Army was active, committing bank robberies, murders, and other acts of violence.[17] Other terrorist groups such as the small New World Liberation Front resorted to death threats, drive-by shootings and planting of pipe-bombs in the late 1970s.[18] During the 1980s, both the May 19th Communist Organization (M19CO) and the smaller United Freedom Front were active. After 1985, following the dismantling of both groups, one source reports there were no confirmed acts of left-wing terrorism by similar groups.[19] Incidents of left-wing terrorism dropped off at the end of the Cold War (circa 1989), partly due to the loss of support for communism.[20]
Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/terror-from-the-right
You be the judge from last night, who are the trouble makers and who are not. https://crooksandliars.com/cltv/2020/09/cnn-takes-look-trumps-pals-proud-boys
My take: Trump is not racist. He is simply and completely disdainful of people he must try to see below him (everyone he possibly can) so in that respect they are all equal: Equally below him, though obviously that is not the kind of equality our county is seeking. But he is also completely aware of his perceived base which accounts for his statement “Stand Back Stand By” which must entirely backfire in any civil society.
No wonder EB5 Short Rounds comments were muted as are the rest of the racists in the trumpian republican party. When you defend trumps racism, you are a racist.
“But few Republicans voiced outrage in the wake of Trump’s norm-shattering spectacle in Cleveland on Tuesday, including his statement that the extremist Proud Boys, a male-only far-right group known for street violence, should “stand back and stand by.” Responses ranged from silence to muted criticism, reflecting how the GOP remains convinced that an alliance with Trump and his voters is crucial for its survival.” Washington Post 9.30.20
EB5 Short Rounds would throw the country under the bus to save his arse and the “GOP party”. That is about as Un-American as you can get. Throw the bum out in November.
For your listening pleasure “I am Woman”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5CHIlv9yeo
Yeah. Unfortunately Helen Reddy died today. She was 78 and a hero to lots of women. RIP Ms. Reddy.
Happy: as your take often weirdly misses the mark, two things:
1.)The Hill
@thehill
·
3h
Sen. Markey after debate: “Donald Trump won’t condemn white supremacists because he is one”
2.) The New York Times Retweeted
@ByMikeBaker
·
6h
“The biggest surprise was that the president of the United States was the single largest driver of misinformation around Covid,” says researcher.
Perhaps you have a view on the difference between white supremacist vs. white nationalist as Bundies, MAGA mad hatters, Proud Boys, III%ers, Oath Keepers ect prefer; since we have discussed racism deeply here?
And of course Charlotte Unite the Right as*holes RAM in federal court now under anti-protestor riot charges.
Mitch McConnell seemed to call out Trump’s failure to call for white supremacists to “stand down” but will he understand that applies to GOP/Trump’s “Army” call to assemble at polls and intimidate likely Democratic voters? Uhhhh….How does Thune position his Senate chair and his deep SD family lineage (like Rounds) with respect to the high profile White Supremacy racism in SD. Kristi salutes the para-military militias with her public appearances donning her camo tactical caps with tear off “live free or die-bullsheit”type dog whistle patches so popular with the open carry AR15 brandishers and intimidators. She also uses a sexy black tactical import semi-auto 12 gauge shotgun rather than an esteemed Browning in her stupid game ranch miss, miss, pheasant shoot twitter video where Lew embarrassingly (for SD hunters) screams “GREAT!!!”
Mac Davis passed yesterday as well. He was 78, too. His male anthem was funn y as hell….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYKWch_MNY0
Guess we know why prowd boys and other white scumacysts feel so comfortable with drumpf’s outfit….
https://the-immoral-minority.com/internal-documents-show-that-hhs-pressured-law-enforcement-to-only-make-supportive-comments-about-kenosha-shooter-kyle-rittenhouse/
kkk Kenosha Killer Kyle.
BBC is labeling Proud Boys as neo-fascist.
Hope Hicks has the trump virus. Hope Hope Hicks didn’t give old Chubby bear hugs and a bunch of big wet smoochy’s on their travels.
npr featured a union pipefitter moaning about 8 miserable years for blue collars under obama so he voted for trump and is going to, again. Again. He fears biden is no better than obama. He was a Lifelong Dem. Is this real?
What did obsma do? What did Rush say he did those 8 years.
No, you’re missing it. Trump is simply a Supremacist. He “must” think he is Supreme. He isn’t, none of us are, knowlege and understanding is ever expanding but he can’t stand to accept his own limitations, which all us have, rather than embrace the greater unknown. Helen Reddy was a symbol to everyone striving to be more.
Helen is dead, like the 215,000 Americans killed by the trump virus. That pipefitter has been breathing in way too much of those fumes, he is brain dead like most trumpians.
The Roger Cornelius Memorial Cartoon by Marty Two Bulls.
https://www.gocomics.com/m2bulls/2020/10/01
Mr. Two Bulls heard Orange Embarrassment’s racist encouragement along with the rest of the world. He depicts them accurately, imo.
The Biden/Harris sign in my yard in Lennox lasted one week. I had three random people stop and thank me, honk and wave and give the thumbs up. The morning after the “debate”, the sign had been pulled up from the ground and was gone.
leslie – What Obama did was be unfortunate to inherit the BushW economic mess. Too many people associate their financial/life experiences directly with the administration in power during that experience, and do NOT associate it with the causative faction.
If Biden wins, and spends 8 years dragging us up out of the gooey ooze that Trump has spread throughout the Federal system(s), it will be the dragging out and not the dragging down that will be “remembered” by 2028.
A little take off from a Woody Gurthrie song “All You Fascists Bound to Lose”. I like them both https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN0w0ubeOWE&feature=emb_title
https://dakotafreepress.com/2020/10/09/fbi-stops-right-wing-plot-to-attack-michigan-governor-whitmer-says-trump-bears-blame/