Trump Fans: US 'Not A Democracy'-'Civil War' If Trump Loses
By: tommyxtopher (Mediaite)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
In a series of stunning interviews, fans of former President Donald Trump told CNN's Donie O'Sullivan that the U.S. is "not a democracy" and predicted a "civil war" if Trump loses.
O'Sullivan specializes in reporting on the fringes of the conservative and pro-Trump movement, and frequently finds himself on the receiving end of some stunning quotes.
On Thursday night's edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, O'Sullivan rolled out his latest parade of jaw-dropping MAGA sound bites — a gaggle of Trump supporters who were happy to tell him we're not a democracy — but had a tough time explaining the difference:
COOPER: President Biden is billing his reelection campaign as a fight to preserve democracy. Tonight, how that notion is going down with Trump supporters, as well as one noted author who's made describing how democracies fail her specialty. More from CNN's Donie O'Sullivan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (voice over): What happens if Trump loses?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see him losing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think he lost the last election, to be honest.
O'SULLIVAN: Do you think he's going to win?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Without a doubt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No doubt.
O'SULLIVAN: What if he doesn't this time? What happens to the country?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're in trouble. We're in big trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done. If Biden talks about democracy, you know, saving democracy, they're the ones that are killing democracy.
O'SULLIVAN: Obviously, there's a lot of criticisms of Trump that he is bad for democracy, that he's bad for American democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I say something? We are a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not a democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're a representative of the republic. We're not a democracy. (END VIDEO CLIP)
O'SULLIVAN (voice over): One thing we've been hearing at Trump rallies like this over the past few months is that America isn't really a democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: America's not a democracy as a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a democracy. Okay? Democracy is actually not as good as you think it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'SULLIVAN (voice over): But for centuries, America has celebrated its democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Democracy is worth dying for.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Democracy remains the definition of political legitimacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'SULLIVAN (voice over): But some Republicans and pro-Trump media are pushing the idea that America is not a democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United States of America is not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic.
JOHNSON: The United States of America is not a democracy. You don't want to be in a democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not a democracy. We are a republic.
O'SULLIVAN (on camera): Is America a democracy?
ANNE APPLEBAUM, AUTHOR, "AUTOCRACY, INC.": America is a democracy. It was founded as a democracy.
O'SULLIVAN: I've heard a lot of conspiracy theories. I hear a lot of things out on the road. But to hear Americans, people who would describe themselves as patriots, say that America is not a democracy, that stopped me in my tracks.
APPLEBAUM: You are hearing people say America is not a democracy because there are people around Trump who want them to be saying that, who've been planting that narrative.
O'SULLIVAN: Is America a democracy? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't - I think we're a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, not right now. But we're - yes, we're a republic.
O'SULLIVAN: What's the difference?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like democracy - I think this is true, that it's government control. I don't see freedom in democracy. I see freedom in the republic.
APPLEBAUM: Honestly, the word democracy and the word republic have often been used interchangeably. There isn't a meaningful difference between them.
O'SULLIVAN: So much of the warnings and criticism about Trump is that he is a threat to democracy, that he is anti-Democratic.
APPLEBAUM: Absolutely. If they can convince people that we don't have a democracy, then it's okay that Trump is attacking democracy, because it doesn't really matter.
O'SULLIVAN: So why - like, why has democracy become a bad word?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it's being used in a way to change the flavor of our country, which is a republic.
APPLEBAUM: These words were used in different ways in the 18th century and it's true the founders didn't want direct democracy, by which they meant people gathering on the town square, they wanted representative democracy.
But I think the reason why this conversation about language has risen now is because there is a part of the Republican Party that would like to rule as a minority, and they need an excuse for why that's okay. And so they have begun to say, we're not a democracy, we're a republic. And it's not a hundred percent clear what that means, but I think they mean, we want Donald Trump to be able to do whatever he wants.
O'SULLIVAN: Some people I've been speaking to at Trump events recently …
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: … have been saying, America is not a democracy, it's a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've always been a democracy, first of all,
O'SULLIVAN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, we have - we used to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, we used to have that too, now they're picking on the Christians and the Jewish people. I mean, how much more can we take?
O'SULLIVAN: Are you concerned if Trump loses …
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: … that there will be another January 6th?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I think there will be a civil war. That's what I think will happen.
Watch above via Anderson Cooper 360.
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The interviewer asks one of these people what the difference is between a democracy and a republic. She walks away and says I have to think about that.
To be honest yet kind, most of the people on this video have no idea what they are talking about, they just know MAGA's should say we are not a democracy.
The gop have stopped being Americans and became MAGA Landers!
Well then, you radicals better keep your powder dry then. Myself, I’ll be enjoying a nice cigar and a nice scotch. Watching you idiots kill each other off.
Natural selection taking its course.
Do you think that is a response to the seeded article?
Is America a democracy ?
Yes it is. Unless you are one of the idiots I speak of I suppose
Thanks to progressives, not as much as it used to be.
Strictly speaking, no, it's not a true democracy. But it's more complex than that. Democracy - Wikipedia
Our form of government can be more precisely defined as a Constitutional or representative republic.
Republic vs Democracy – U.S. Constitution.net (usconstitution.net)
Thanks to progressives, not as much as it used to be.”
A lot to unpack there. Are ‘progressives’ somehow undermining our democratic principles or are ‘they’ exercising their right granted under those same principles?
I have qualms with those that spend their energy throwing out a myriad of partisan accusations, but am accepting in their right to do so…simply because that is what one does in a democracy.
Too often a forgotten tenet.
I have “qualms” about entire groups of people who have no shame. Who will do whatever it takes to force their narratives down everyone’s throats. Lie, cheat, deny, deflect, project, gaslight, propagandize to no end.
I give you …. Our loudest American progressives.
It’s humorous to hear the democracy vs republic debate. In common usage, they are interchangeable. I view that democracy is to republic as monarchy is to kingdom.
Well, to be fair it's the loud-mouthed extremists from all sides of the political spectrum. The two parties have the loudest microphones but all the parties have their extremists who push their brand of bullshit.
“I have “qualms” about entire groups of people who have no shame.”
No, you have demonstrable ‘hatred’ for those who are not politically in step with your beliefs. A rather frustrating, unproductive and ultimately sad way to negotiate these already decisive times.
#4 above doesn’t exclude either side.
Pure projection. A better case I have not seen in awhile.
“A better case I have not seen in awhile.”
While yours is but a bitter case, and sadly, one trumpeted far too often…and ironically by those who consider themselves patriots…and thus bastardizing the meaning of all we hold dear.
Yawn ….. when people on NTers question my patriotism I yawn.
Because it’s ill informed, boring nonsense ….
Displays a real lack of a cogent rebuttal.
Oh, boy, another round of selective edits. Wonder who was left on the cutting room floor? (Yeah, that's an old fashioned term when a film actually required film.)
Consider this ---> A wartime President assumes dictatorial powers. A wartime President can set aside democracy. During wartime democracy becomes an obstacle for defending democracy. The United States in a condition of war cannot be a democracy.
The United States has become entangled in how many wars during three years of the Biden Presidency? How does that compare to Trump's time in office? And why does Biden want to become a wartime President?
Now explain to all the kiddies why reelecting a war loving President is going to protect and defend democracy. We get the B&M about Trump trying to remove the US from the battlefield and isolating from the rest of the world. But the perpetually outraged won't accept that democracy only functions with peace; democracy won't work in times of war.
Nerm, I believe you've done it again.
As I said, there is a woman in the video who says the US is not a democracy, it is a republic. When she asked what the difference is she doesnt know.
MAGA have taken to saying this is a republic because, and really only because, they think that position is favorable to Trump.
That is the point of this article.
I wonder how many of you watched the video.
I disagree. I think the point of the article was to pretend that Trump supporters are dumb.
To the contrary: Trump supporters know the difference between the Trump Presidency and Biden's presidency.
I say that is the required knowledge needed for voting this year.
I think that most native born would flunk a basic civics test. Our schools do a lousy job teaching it.
Done what?????????????????
There's no pretending.
Which is fine with me. Makes for a more satisfying crunch when you smush em like a bug. Metaphorically speaking of course.
Oh, for a second there I thought you were talking about FDR …..
what's b&m? bowel movement regarding your comments?
or I mean your comments resemble a bm