In this week’s moral dequivalence, do Republicans really worry about sexual predators or not?
For years, South Dakota Republicans have been hyperventilating about the danger they allege transgender folks, drag queens, and other sexual nonconformists pose to our children, despite the fact that there is no evidence of any wave of sexual violence perpetrated by transgender South Dakotans or men in dresses against our children. If anyone needs protection from sexual assault, the evidence says it’s transgender people themselves.
Meanwhile, a jury looking at evidence concluded yesterday that Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll and said he ought to pay $5 million for that crime. In a way, that jury’s finding is not news: we all know Donald Trump is a sexual predator. He said so himself in 2005, and we all heard his brazen declaration of his entitlement to sexually abuse women in 2016:
Trump: Yeah, that’s her. With the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
Bush: Whatever you want.
Trump: Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything [Donald Trump and Billy Bush, filmed conversation, 2005, transcribed by Penn Bullock, New York Times, 2016.10.08].
Trump reaffirmed his declaration of sexual entitlement as a fact of human nature in his deposition, under oath, for the Carroll v. Trump trial last year:
Lawyer (39:53): And you say it again, this has become very famous in this video. “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet, just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the [inaudible 00:40:08] you can do anything.” That’s what you said, correct?
Donald Trump (40:10): Well, historically, that’s true with stars.
Lawyer (40:13): It’s true with stars that they can grab women by the [inaudible 00:40:15]?
Donald Trump (40:15): Well, if you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true. Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately or fortunately.
Lawyer (40:27): And you consider yourself to be a star.
Donald Trump (40:29): I think you can say that [Donald Trump, deposition in E. Jean Carroll case, 2022.10.19, transcribed by Rev.com].
We know Donald Trump is an unapologetic sexual predator. He has abused women before, and given a chance, he’d do it again. Yet Republicans ignored Trump’s proven sexual predations in 2016, and they ignore them now. Republicans maintain that this sexual predator was a fine President and would make a fine President again. Republicans maintain that putting a sexual predator in the White House won’t set a bad example or do any harm to anybody.
Every Trump rally, every Trump broadcast, is actually what Republicans pretend drag shows are: a sexual predator dressed up as something he’s not whom we point at and shout, “Kids! He’s fabulous! Be like him!”
We should not allow any Republican to make any speech or any public comment about the need to protect kids from sexual predators without first answering one question: “Is Donald Trump a sexual predator?” If a Republican respond with anything other than “Yes”, we should ignore, if not drown out with our own protest, any warnings that Republican may try to give about sexual predators, because clearly, that Republican wouldn’t know a sexual predator if a real sexual predator came up and grabbed her by her private parts.
Color me shocked that Republicans would do anything for money.
Two words: Nick Tilsen.
Donald Trump has caused more REAL injury and trauma to women than ALL the trans-women participating in women’s sports cumulatively EVER have. How about an executive order from our Governor banning HIM! Let’s start protecting SD girls from REAL threats.
He is still number 1 on the list of Republican Presidential Candidates…by far and away…no one is gaining. Republicans have become nearly totally corrupted. Let them have him as their candidate and Democrats win, even with the doddering Biden.
Mr. H, the way your write your blogging infers that all Republicans feel the way you project your feelings on to them.
You are very wrong. You should admit that, or be more careful in crafting the language of your bloggings, sir.
Watching Republicans writhe in their own filth is the way.
Writhing, sniveling, conniving and lying is the Republican way to oblivion.
grudznick’s close personal friend Lar has very small goats, but they are always tasty.
🐐
As long as you’re divulging all the sordid details, and since you are a blogging journalist, why not tell us what E. Jean Carroll was doing during this time? I haven’t heard that part of the testimony. What did she do when Trump just started kissing her, when he didn’t even wait? What did she do when he grabbed her, or was that in regard to another testimony? Enquiring minds want to know. We’d like to get all the facts, but if your service does not provide them here they can likely be search engined elsewhere. But I should forewarn you that Snopes has lost much of its credibility for me, and wikipedia has worn me out with all its donation requests.
grudznichts has swallowed whole the first thing Trump preached. (There was another leader in Europe that Trump copied this edict from.) The first thing the majority of Republicans learned from Trump was,
“Don’t believe the media. It’s fake news.” After they swallow this anything you do can be justified by simply saying it didn’t happen.
Mr. Mowry, Ms. Car rolls testimony is public record. Jean Carroll testified that before Trump pushed her into the dressing room, they had a chance meeting at the department store, where they recognized each other and had a brief conversation. She said that Trump gave her a compliment on her appearance, which led to him suggesting they go to the lingerie department to pick out a gift for a woman. Carroll further testified that she reluctantly agreed to go with Trump, thinking it was harmless as she knew him as a public figure. However, after they entered the dressing area, she said Trump suddenly became aggressive and assaulted her.
Mowry: He penetrated her. Lisa Birnbach https://the-last-word-with-lawrence-odonnell.simplecast.com/episodes/jury-orders-trump-to-pay-e-jean-carroll-5-million
Mark brings the typical misogyny which Trump trades on for votes from frustrated old white men: blame the woman for the man’s sexual abuse. She had it coming, right, Mark? Men are entitled to touch women whatever way they want, right Mark? Women are objects for men’s pleasure, right, Mark?
Mark is just one more Republican who not only can’t discern the real sexual predators and threats to our children and our moral fabric but who give those predators safe harbor and hold them up as role models.
Mr. grudznick, the way you write your posting infers that a meaningful number of Republicans feel the way you project your feelings on to them.
You are very wrong. You should admit that, or be more careful in crafting the language of your postings, sir.
DONALD TRUMP is not a sexual predator. The whole case was b.s and will be over turned soon. You democrats are goofy.
Donald Trump is not only a sexual predator, he’s a genocidal maniac who tried to erase Native America.
That “Pocahontas” thing Trump does to Senator Elizabeth Warren doesn’t just betray his hatred for women; it’s a tell that he loathes American Indians no matter how much or how little Native blood a person has. That Republicans continue to prop up his assault on the courts and stoke his criminal race baiting is the most telling aspect of this march toward the abyss. Trump’s erasure of protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments was cruel retribution targeting Indigenous peoples. It’s called ethnic cleansing even genocide elsewhere but in Trump’s America it’s called patriotism.
Charlie Hoffman and his fellow Earth haters are over at Pat’s Pissoir working themselves into a froth over Mike Rounds’ condemnation of Herr Trump.
Mark Mowry wasn’t stupid enough for District 30 statehouse voters. They picked Julie Frye-Mueller over him. Granted, it was not an easy choice.
Is MLZ John Dale’s long lost 5g brain cell on drugs?
why not tell us what E. Jean Carroll was doing during this time?
Let’s figure this out together, Mark Mowry. He was assaulting her, she was being assaulted at that time, in real time. Now go stand in the corner and take a timeout, tool.
For Messrs. Zitterich, Mowry, grudznik, and like minded conservative readers,
Ah, the beauty of a public forum lies not only in its open platform for the exchange of ideas and beliefs, but also in the invaluable diversity of opinion it fosters. Despite the prevailing sentiments of the majority, the presence of dissenting voices is a great blessing to any such forum. It is through the clash of opposing ideas, after all, that true enlightenment often emerges – the spark that ignites true conversation and facilitates the evolution of a community’s collective understanding. As jazz requires dissonance to create harmony, so too does a public forum require discordant viewpoints to achieve coherence. And so we must ever be grateful for those brave enough to stand apart from the crowd, to offer their unique perspective and to challenge the status quo. For they are the ones who keep us honest, who force us to examine our own convictions more closely, and who ultimately enrich the fabric of our shared intellectual and cultural life.
Thank you conservative gentlemen and ladies for your newly increased presence among we on the middle ground.
Cory is right, Mike Z. It’s one thing to believe county apparatchiks should be able to violate First Amendments rights, but you’re way out of line when you apologize for Trump’s multiple and serial criminal sexual perversity. Let’s discount the Golden Shower episode he had with some Russian prostitutes, because it comes to us from Trump’s buddy, Putin, like Trump, a known fabulist. But that leaves 26 women who have come forward with credible accusations, many of which follow his own description of his approach to sexual abuse in the famous taped conversation with Billy Bush. Not only is Trump a sexual predator, but he thinks he’s entitled to be a sexual predator, just as he thinks he’s entitled to violate many other laws, including those involving government records, elections and the peaceful transfer of power. He’s a star, according to him, and that allows him, he states, to prey at will on women, just as he preyed on our democracy at will. Let’s not forget Trump does not prey just on women. He was part of the Jeffrey Epstein ring of child molesters, all of whom were rich, entitled and powerful. And, yes, that ring included some Democrats and some royals. His criminality did not end with women who were adults. Trump, let’s not forget, preyed on girls when he was a beauty pageant impresario. He even stated he thought he had rights to walk in on these teen girls as they were dressing.
Mr. Mowry, Mr. Zittrich: Buck up boys and admit it…Donald Trump is a Pervert. The Jury is in.
That Mike Rounds has the courage to condemn the Orange Julius suggests the catholic Jesus convinced South Dakota’s junior US Senator that backing a Protestant for POTUS is probably a stupid idea.
The new pro-Trump mantra seems to be “if the courts rule against Trump” the judges, juries, courts, etc are fixed, crooked, biased, or whatever label can justify rejecting decisions of the justice system. Sixty or more judges ruled against claims that the election was fixed, but do any of these decision mean anything to pro-Trumpies – no. Various courts have found that Trump has repeatedly committed fraud – pro-Trumpies don’t seem to care. So why would a unanimous jury finding Trump sexually assaulted some woman mean anything to pro-Trumpies?
But, if a Court makes a decision the pro-Trumpies like, such as Dobbs or Heller, etc, then the judges have suddenl;y become honest and fair and these court decisions must be locked into place. How convenient.
Come on folks, Trump thought it was Marla and she likes it that way.
It isn’t fun or beneficial to accuse any man of rape, let alone one with money, aka power. 26 women aren’t humiliating themselves for kicks. Donald Trump is a rapist and, by his own well documented comments, is probably an incestuous little daughter diddler. He says so himsownself. Any person who supports that guy is a devil dong worshipper.
Larry, Senator Rounds said: “You never like to hear that a former president has been found in a civil court guilty of those types of actions,” the South Dakota senator told reporters Tuesday. When asked if he could support somebody who’s been found liable for sexual battery, he said: “I would have a difficult time doing so.”
That is not a “no” when it comes to supporting Trump. I’m sure the Senator will work through that “difficulty” to support his party’s nominee.
Agreed and $20 says Trump won’t be the Earth hater nominee in 2024 so door is wide open for Liz Cheney.
As it should be the Trump campaign will have to sue to even get on the ballot in blue states like Colorado and New Mexico, probably Minnesota, too.
That’s my name, Cory. Don’t wear it out, okay Cory?
Don’t forget, Thomas and Kavernmouth got appointed to the Scotus despite credible evidence of sex crimes against them.
@Bob Newland – You seem to have my campaign confused with another; would have expected you to be better informed about 2022 primaries since you are such a committed Dakota Free Press reader and commenter.
Better talk to Cory; he’ll bring you up to speed.
Conservatives like Mr. Mowry and his compatriots should flee the RINO-glutted SDGOP and mount candidacies as unaffiliated contenders.
In fact, if Mr. Mowry can file petitions, run and recruit unaffiliated candidates for statewide general election offices every cycle I will send them all some money.
To answer Mark’s question about Carroll’s reaction(after a quick Google Search), The NYT Reports: “. . . the attack followed a chance encounter one evening at Bergdorf’s, a fashionable department store on Fifth Avenue. Mr. Trump, she said, asked her to help him buy a present for a female friend.
They ended up in the lingerie section, where he motioned her over to a dressing room, shut the door and began assaulting her. He shoved her against the wall and, using his weight to pin her, he pulled down her tights and forced his fingers into her vagina and then, she said, his penis.
She pushed back, stamped with her heels and used her knee to push Mr. Trump off her, and she fled the store.”
I presume your question was did she do enough to make it clear that she did not wish to be raped by Trump? This seems to be Trump’s presumption of status as well: women want it from him — so proceed as he would wish.
Maybe? Maybe not.
The only Democrat Trump could beat was Hillary and the only Democrat Liz can beat is Joe Biden.
Democrats are more pragmatic and less stubborn than Republicans and maybe Liz could win.
But she IS a Cheney and trusting a Cheney has a track record of being a poor choice.
Think about it Republican primary voters.
As far as we know Liz Cheney has never raped a man or woman.
P.Aitch, I respectfully take issue on two points:
First, in my view Hillary gave Trump a greater challenge than any other Democrat in 2016 could have. After all, Hillary won the popular vote by a large margin, and I have no info at this time that any other Democrat could have either won the popular vote or shifted the votes in enough of the swing states to win the electoral college. In my view, Hillary was both an extradordinary leader and the very best candidate in 2016, far about Bernie and the other highly qualified contenders for the Democratic nomination. For reasons beyond my comprehension, many rational Democrats and progressives got it in their heads that there was something wrong with Hillary, while Trump the sexual predator and serial prevarcator manage to confuse enough Republican voters to squeek by despite losing the popular vote.
Second, although I am no fan of Liz Cheney’s policy positions in general, I have no reason to believe they are not her own. And I would never measure or question her trustworthiness based on the sins of her father, i.e. her surname. His atrocious actions moving the U.S. into a harmful and non-productive war with Iraq deserve condemnation in their own right, but are not something that should be deemed some sort of generational defect.
I supported Hillary, too. She had Comey and Russian bots tilting the election (especially noticeable in Wisconsin), and she made huge tactical mistakes at the end of her campaign. Just a couple trips to Wisconsin and she would have won it. Biden didn’t make that mistake, and he won the next election. And he’s been showing up here from time to time during his Presidency, which is nice. Too many Democrats think Wisconsin is in the bag. Nope, it’s always going to be close, so the more a candidate shows up here the better.
There’s an old Vulcan proverb. “Only the daughter of a war criminal could save American democracy.”
BCB and Donald, let it be known that I hold your opinions in the highest regard and have the utmost respect for your exceptional integrity, intelligence, and unique perspectives.
Mark Mowry, I hope you are never sexually assaulted.
Trump is a filthy pervert and always has been. Don’t even question the victim/survivor like you did or you’re just as bad.
Likewise P.
Mowry and Zitterich would like to imagine that Ms. Carol – if she were a proper ‘Murican – would have had a derringer stashed in her purse and kilt Herr Trump with it had she been assaulted. So, since Trump suffered not anything life threatening in the moment, the moment had to have been sanctified bliss for all involved.
Yeah, P. I might disagree with you sometimes, but you always bring interesting points to consider. And that’s true for all of the regulars, even grudz. And if you want the truth, I appreciate Mike Z, for being willing to engage here. I used to work with a lot of conservatives in West River. I may have disagreed with on many issues, but those west river conservatives were often the strongest allies you could have on any issue you did agree on.
There are no interesting points to ponder about women and sexual assault, especially from a male audience. Unless you know someone who has been assaulted or you have been assaulted, you have no idea what you are talking about.
WHERE ARE ALL THE WOMEN’S VOICES ON THIS TOPIC?
Richard, yes! I was thinking something sillier: if Carroll had shot Trump in response to his aggression, she would be a MAGA hero (a good-guy with a gun standing her ground).
M, I believe the lack of female voices in this discussion is for the same reason that there is a lack of accusations after assaults: this is all very nasty business, traumatic business, and those most affected prefer not to stir all that up in themselves.