Trump is showing just how divisive a new White House run would be - CNNPolitics
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
(CNN)Only Donald Trump knows whether he will mount a run for the White House in 2024. But it's already clear what such a campaign would look like. It would be built on a lie that he was cheated out of office and would relentlessly politicize and monetize America's ideological, social and racial divides.
As a political neophyte in 2016, Trump tapped into a seam of discontent with the economy and a sense that the Washington establishment was ignoring millions of people. His victimization of Mexican and Muslim immigrants in that campaign played on a fear of outsiders. Some Democrats believe his win was also born from a racist backlash to the country's first Black commander-in-chief that benefited from his racist and false accusations about ex-President Barack Obama's birthplace. Already, what looks like a new attempt by Trump to reclaim the White House is shaping up as an even more sinister affair, not least because a twice-impeached President who already incited an insurrection and tried to subvert US democracy to stay in office would be seeking to regain the awesome powers of the presidency. In the wake of Trump's attack on democracy, election officials fear for the future of American elections In recent days, Trump has appeared to sense an opening, with President Joe Biden heavily criticized over his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and with the pandemic resurgent, to accelerate his own political aspirations. The former President hasn't offered any political plans or useful suggestions, for example, of how to tackle the country's greatest crisis -- the Covid-19 emergency that he so badly botched while in office. Rather his statements and attacks most often suggest that a new presidential campaign would be a vehicle for personal vengeance and the wounded vanity of being rejected by voters after a single term. That was clear this weekend when the country solemnly marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the former President unleashed a string of political assaults on his successor. There was something rather sad that the most recent ex-President felt unable to join Biden and ex-Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama at official commemorations of the attacks. Trump has never been interested in being a member of the ex-President's club. And his political brand as an outsider often relies on attacking pillars of the establishment like former Presidents. But his absence underscored gaping divides in a nation that is now unable to even join as one to mark the most unifying event in modern history: the national response to the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Read More
How Trump politicized 9/11 commemorations
Trump did visit police officers and fire fighters in New York City on Saturday after being criticized for avoiding national observances and for later moonlighting as a commentator at a boxing match. But even then he could not risk political digs, boasting about his previous campaign and his administration, lying that the election in 2020 was "rigged" and delivering a broad hint that he would mount another presidential campaign. "I know what I am going to do, but we are not supposed to be talking about it yet from the standpoint of campaign finance laws," Trump told a questioner, before adding, "I think you are going to be happy, let me put it that way. I think you are going to be very happy." The former President also savaged Biden over the withdrawal from Afghanistan -- a subject that is worthy of debate and critiques but perhaps not on a day devoted to memorializing the victims of the 2001 attacks. "I hate to talk about it on this day," Trump said, but then launched into a prolonged attack on Biden and claimed that had he been in charge, the situation would have been different -- even though he set the stage for the pullout by capitulating to the Taliban's withdrawal demands in a deal with the group. Those waiting for Trump to behave with decorum or to become "presidential" have long since been disappointed. But his conduct in recent days has been radical even for an ex-President who spent four years tearing down the conventions of the presidency and political and legal norms.
Bush draws analogy between terrorists and domestic extremism
While Obama, Clinton, Bush and Biden attended official 9/11 events, Trump spent his time sending out a flurry of political statements. "This is the 20th year of this war and should have been a year of victory, honor, and strength. Instead, Joe Biden and his inept administration surrendered in defeat," Trump said in one, sent through his political action committee. "We will live on, but sadly our Country will be wounded for a long period of time. We will struggle to recover from the embarrassment this incompetence has caused," the former President wrote. Trump's defenders may point out that Bush delivered a politicized speech at the memorial site in Pennsylvania dedicated to victims of the fourth hijacked airliner on 9/11 that was brought down when heroic passengers stormed the cockpit. But Bush was defending democracy -- not attacking it as Trump did for much of Saturday. The 43rd President compared domestic violent extremists to the hijackers of 9/11 and clearly drew an analogy between the attacks and the storming of Congress by Trump supporters on January 6 that followed a rally by the outgoing and defeated president. "There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home," Bush said. "But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit."
Weaponizing race
Far from confronting such extremism, as Bush counseled, Trump is still seeking to co-opt it, not just with his lies about election fraud that have convinced millions of people but also in its continued weaponization of race. His attacks on the integrity of the 2020 election have left millions of his supporters believing a general election that even Trump's own Justice Department said did not contain serious corruption was stolen. This is not only a grave threat to faith in the US political system, it is an important part of what it means to be a Republican in 2021. A new CNN poll published Sunday found that about six in ten of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believed that supporting Trump and believing that he won in 2020 are at least a somewhat important part of identifying with the party. The ex-President's power in the GOP -- which means he would be a prohibitive favorite in any new campaign for its nomination -- can be witnessed in the way candidates who wish to have his endorsement must buy into his false claims of election fraud. Those who tell the truth about what happened in November 2020 and the Capitol insurrection — like Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney -- are likely to find themselves with Trump-backed primary races. The House Republican Conference under its leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy has become a wing of the Trump political movement, embracing his falsehoods about the election, whitewashing history and adopting his authoritarian conservatism. Some of Trump's most damaging behavior comes when he weaponizes race in the service of his political goals. In a statement last week, for instance, the former President condemned authorities in Richmond, Virginia -- the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War -- over the removal of a statue honoring Gen. Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general who took up arms against the United States in a war to defend slavery. "Our culture is being destroyed and our history and heritage, both good and bad, are being extinguished by the Radical Left, and we can't let that happen!" the former President wrote. It was not the first time Trump had defended the Confederacy. He did so in the 2020 campaign when he seized on the removal of statues to racist historical figures to fuel the fears of those of his voters who fear their traditional White culture is being overwhelmed as part of the country's growing diversity. Trump's belief that Lee was a great general is also challenged by history -- and he appeared to unintentionally expose himself to criticism by arguing that had Lee commanded troops in Afghanistan, "that disaster would have ended in a complete and total victory many years ago." Of course, the commander in chief who ran that war from 2017 until January was none other than Trump himself. Trump's statements lack the immediacy and platform that he enjoyed as president, partly because his insurrectionist rhetoric caused him to be kicked off social media platforms. But they are relayed by his spokespeople and supporters on Twitter and Facebook. The ex-President also appears to have an open invitation for softball interviews with Fox News opinion hosts. Some of his most notable interventions in recent days have occurred as he highlighted the anguish of several parents of the 13 US service personnel killed in a suicide bombing last month outside Kabul airport who support him and criticized Biden. In normal circumstances, it would be more than appropriate for a former President to comfort those mourning the fallen. But Trump has done it in politicized statements that leave the impression that he is exploiting their grief. This adds to a growing impression -- evident in his mismanagement of the pandemic when he trashed public health advice and throughout his presidency -- that there is nothing that the former President will not do in support of his personal goals, including in a possible new bid for the White House.
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Like Covid, Trump needs to finally go the hell away!
Whatshisname wasn't invited to the 911 commemorations and rightly so. He still found a way to let his stupid shit be heard.
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Not s chance in the hot place that’s going to happen….
When Trump tries to sneak a sip of water in Hell Andrew Breitbart will slam the lid on his head.
Whatshisname and his supporters appear to be living in an alternate universe. Or is it alt-right?
Larry Kudlow Says He Misses 'Calmness' Of Donald Trump. Twitter Critics Can't Even.
Twitter critics were quick to slam Larry Kudlow on Sunday after the former White House economic adviser said he “yearns for the calmness of Donald Trump.”
Even Kudlow seemed to be aware of how incredible that sounded, because he instantly added: “I’m being actually quite serious here.”
Kudlow — who, incidentally, also declared 18 months ago that the Trump administration had shut down COVID-19 “pretty close to airtight” — said during an appearance on Fox Business that the former president was a “good, hands-on decision-maker.”
Kudlow acts like his pants are too tight and are cutting off blood flow to his brain...which is in his ass
If Trump runs on a foundation of his utterly ridiculous ‘big lie’, he will fail to get the nomination.
Yet, polls show most republicans still support him!
Imagine the credibility, in a 2023 campaign, of Trump still claiming —in spite of worldwide ridicule— that he really won in 2020 but was robbed due to unevidenced election fraud. Imagine the first debate question.
The electorate (especially the R base) has been shockingly disappointing to me. While I accept the possibility that this would continue to the point of supporting that sack-of-shit again, I think there is a limit as to how long people can continue to defend —against all evidence to the contrary— Trump's 'big lie'. If that is his foundation, I see no nomination.
Time will tell though he is still the frontrunner.
Agreed. Given Trump was elected once, it is clear that almost anything imaginable could happen.
If Trump runs do you think he will actually have a primary challenger? I find that very unlikely. With the majority of Republicans buying into the Big Lie, and the slavish devotion of the Trumpist Republican base, I don't see it happening.
Yes, but it would be someone like Tom Cotton or Marco Rubio. How far past Iowa or not is another question.
trump totally emasculated marco 5 years ago and he never recovered...
One can only hope. The question really is how much of the R party truly will be behind Trump. Seems to me that the field is open for a decent human being to step up to lead the more sane side of the R party.
Anything is possible, but a primary challenger to Trump will be denounced as a traitor and given the Liz Cheney treatment by the other Republicans. As sick and disgusting as it is, Trump owns the Republican Party.
You're assuming that there is a more sane side of the Republican Party consisting of enough voters to make a difference. Given the state of today's Republican Party, I don't think that's the case
White grievance was behind Trumps run in 2016. White grievance was behind the Jan 6th insurrection. A kindler gentler GOP candidate does not appeal to them at this point in time. They are worried about the white race being replaced.
Study indicates the Jan. 6 riots were motivated by racism ...
Jan.6 The first major comprehensive study of those arrested for participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol strongly indicates that the true …
You would think this would be the case.
But power abhors a vacuum. It will depend on if the Republicans have a strong alternative.
If he wins the nomination, I think he's the favorite for the general election. I don't see Biden running again and I don't see Harris beating him.
I do not see Harris getting the nomination. However, as with Trump getting the nomination, I recognize the electorate is capable of great stupidity so all one can do at this point is hope for good candidates.
You may be right.
I just don't see either side with a compelling alternate candidate. Without Trump, I would guess the favorite to be De Santis. But obviously there is a lot of time between now and the election.
It is amazing, is it not, that we have evolved a system that effectively filters out the quality individuals before we even have the opportunity to vote.
That is exactly what we have. I agree it's amazing, but I would add "tragic".
It is amazing given the care that our framers put into devising our system and the fact that our nation has had free and fair elections. There simply is no reason why we would devolve to our current state unless the electorate itself grew lazy and apathetic. It is natural for opportunists to rise to political positions of power and it is the people who are supposed to be the agents who hold them accountable to actually do their jobs.
Over the weekend, Trump sat down for an interview with The Gateway Pundit, a far right conspiracy site that is one of the most despised and fake news sources on the internet. Can't put the content up here because Gateway Pundit is banned on Newstalkers.
The Gateway Pundit - Wikipedia
The Gateway Pundit (TGP) is an American far-right fake news website. The website is known for publishing falsehoods, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories..
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The former president of the United States willingly agreed to be interviewed by this site.
I suppose the morons will now say it is "TDS" to bring this up.
But yet you posted a link from Daily Kos
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