What does Trump’s staying power in politics say about the country?

[Mycroft]

If Trump becomes President again, he will very likely use the National Emergencies Act of 1976 again.

In 2019, Trump used the National Emergencies Act to declare a national emergency on the southern border in order to get more funding to build more border wall. Congress didn't have the two-thirds majority to terminate Trump's emergency on the southern border. Trump was able to use the power of the purse to build more border wall. It is a bad law that needs to be repeal and replace, and Congress should have already done it.

If Trump becomes President again, I expect him to use that law again for him to go around Congress to do what he wants to do. He will very likely rule as a dictator.

First of all, the National Emergencies Act has been around for a long time and has been used by every President since its enactment...including Biden. Getting rid of that Act simply because of the way Trump used it is like shooting off your foot because a toe itches.

Second, Trump only used the Act because he felt a border wall was important enough and that he received total opposition from Congress to fund it. It wasn't his first choice to use the Act.

Third, the Act is very specific on what the President can use it for and how it can be used. It's not something that gives a President the power to be a dictator.

And finally, regardless the spin and nonsense from the media in reaction to Trump trolling, Trump has no desire to be a dictator. In fact, everything he did during his first term was according to the law.

In any case, the next Trump term won't be without Congressional and legal opposition. That's a given. You can certainly expect Trump to use all of the legal tools at his disposal to accomplish his agenda.

 

[Absentglare]

Blaming it on the media is a cop out. If someone can’t or won’t inform themselves it isn’t the media’s fault.

We see it here everyday where people avoid the truth and are willfully ignorant.

We are in the middle of the modern Information age where each one of us must battle to determine the truth. One hell of a lot of Americans are going into battle unarmed. Who’s fault is that?

The truth is out there. It may require a bit of grunt work to find, but people do find it. Most who find the truth are willing to look for it and practice deductive reasoning in their effort.

I very much disagree that blaming the media is a cop out.

Trump relies on two-tiers of support, he does this kind of triangulation with his offensive-by-design statements.

When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems...they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

The media came out with headlines like “Trump called Mexicans rapists”, taking his bait. And his second-tier supporters, not the folks who would eat the shit coming straight from his ass but folks who might hold their nose and vote for him, came out “but actually he didn’t call all Mexicans rapists, the liberal media is being unfair.”

Here, this is an actual headline:

From 'highly offensive' to 'he's not wrong,' GOP senators respond to Trump's remarks about Jewish voters

From 'highly offensive' to 'he's not wrong,' GOP senators respond to Trump's remarks about Jewish voters

Trump invoked a dual loyalty trope this week when he said that "any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion" and "hates" Israel.

www.nbcnews.com

It wasn’t a “poor choice of words”, it’s a very keen choice of words. He uses this vague, veiled language, he shields himself from taking a clear stance. You know how you can see a really good soccer player fake out a defender? Trump does something kind of like that at the informational level. He takes something that could be interpreted as horrible/racist/whatever, or that could be defended as taken out of context/poor choice of words/etc., it’s by design.

You can see during the debates when he was challenged to condemn white supremacy, he could not do it. The media failed to stay on this point, they did his work by skittering from one controversy to the next, never letting the dust settle and the cold light of truth shine through his unrelenting stream of verbal diarrhea.

 

[Brack]

First of all, the National Emergencies Act has been around for a long time and has been used by every President since its enactment...including Biden. Getting rid of that Act simply because of the way Trump used it is like shooting off your foot because a toe itches.

Second, Trump only used the Act because he felt a border wall was important enough and that he received total opposition from Congress to fund it. It wasn't his first choice to use the Act.

Third, the Act is very specific on what the President can use it for and how it can be used. It's not something that gives a President the power to be a dictator.

And finally, regardless the spin and nonsense from the media in reaction to Trump trolling, Trump has no desire to be a dictator. In fact, everything he did during his first term was according to the law.

In any case, the next Trump term won't be without Congressional and legal opposition. That's a given. You can certainly expect Trump to use all of the legal tools at his disposal to accomplish his agenda.

It doesn't change the fact that it is a very bad law. Republican Senator Lee is for repealing and replacing the National Emergencies Act of 1976.

Sen. Lee Introduces ARTICLE ONE Act to Reclaim Congressional Power

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the ARTICLE ONE Act, a bill that would reclaim significant legislative powers delegated to the executive branch by the National Emergencies Act of 1976.

www.lee.senate.gov

 

[Str8shooter]

Trump glided through the Republican Primary, and he didn’t face a real challenger. Haley won a couple contests but, Trump never felt the pressure at all. All of this despite 4 felony cases, being found liable for sexual assault and defamation, being proven in court to be a financial fraud, losing and then trying to steal the 2020 election, and flirting with dictatorship the entire way. Yet, he remains the odds on favorite to win the Presidency this November.

He’s openly telling you he will become a dictator, or try to, and a majority of the country prefers that to Democratic governance.

What does this say about the country?

Why the drama with the dictator comment? It was obvious in his last term that he was not a dictator and he could not become one in this country. Get away from your echo chamber for a little time and think.

 

[Winston]

Why the drama with the dictator comment? It was obvious in his last term that he was not a dictator and he could not become one in this country. Get away from your echo chamber for a little time and think.

Only someone with their head in the sand would deny Trumps own dictator comments

 

[Perotista]

Trump glided through the Republican Primary, and he didn’t face a real challenger. Haley won a couple contests but, Trump never felt the pressure at all. All of this despite 4 felony cases, being found liable for sexual assault and defamation, being proven in court to be a financial fraud, losing and then trying to steal the 2020 election, and flirting with dictatorship the entire way. Yet, he remains the odds on favorite to win the Presidency this November.

He’s openly telling you he will become a dictator, or try to, and a majority of the country prefers that to Democratic governance.

What does this say about the country?

I think it says more about the two major parties than the country as a whole. Both major parties have shrunk to less than 30% of the electorate each. When they gain power, both major parties govern just for their base forgetting the other 70% of America. Then recently both major parties have offered up presidential candidates that most Americans disliked and didn’t want. Beginning in 2016 with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Trump ran for reelection, at that time in 2020 Biden was seen as a very acceptable alternative to Trump. But most Americans have soured on Biden as once again he and the democrats governed only for their base. Today, for 2024 we have once again two candidates most Americans dislike and don’t want as their next president.

Then we have congress. Most Americans want to see more bipartisanship, compromise, having the two major parties work together. That isn’t happening, not in today’s modern political era of polarization, the great divide, the super, mega, ultra-high partisanship.

Trump’s staying power lies only with the republicans. But in our two-party monopoly electoral system, that is enough to get him the GOP nomination. Around 60% of all Americans dislike and don’t want Trump. But the problem is we have approximately the same percentage of dislike and don’t want Biden.

Both major parties have lost touch with most Americans. Perhaps this is why we seen independents rise from 30% of the electorate in 2006 to 43% today.

 

[The Hairy Fiddler]

The Party of pure hate and blatant Racism was kick-started bay college dropout Rush Limbaugh. That movement was curtailed for a decade or so and then taken to a whole new level by Trump and his band of toadies. If elected, democracy will end in the US.

 

[Blue Dog]

This country has too many people more interested in being entertained than governed.

It is like there are too many cats chasing those red laser lights without paying attention to whats important…

 

[Visbek]

What does this say about the country?

Keep in mind that Trump lost the popular vote, quite badly, 2 elections in a row. Republicans have also lost numerous midterms where Trump was in the mix.

• The right wing has an authoritarian streak. This is not new. E.g. a lot of right wingers were actually on the side of Nazi Germany, Franco, and others before WWII, including leading figures like Charles Lindbergh and Father Coughlin.

More Americans Supported Hitler Than You May Think. Here’s Why One Expert Thinks That History Isn’t Better Known

"We want to remember ourselves as always having been on the right side in this war"

time.com

We should note that Presidents of both parties have supported authoritarian leaders abroad, as long as it met some other goal (primarily anti-communist). The left has also had similar authoritarian tendencies over the years, but despite hysterical right-wing accusations, that was largely dropped in the 80s.

• The left has largely won the "culture wars" for decades. Civil rights, LGBT rights, women working, culture more open about sexuality, drug legalization, no-fault divorce, diversification, medical abortion, and so on. While Trump could not get away with most of his nonsense in a stricter time, he is still seen as "pwning teh libz," even when his policies utterly fail.

• The Republican leadership knows its policies are deeply unpopular in many parts of the US. This means that they rely more and more on the politics of white male grievance, and leveraging the anti-democratic elements of the US political system. Trump clearly plays off that.

• Republican officials believe they can't afford to turn off the "Trump base." At first, they seemed to be mostly holding their noses, and assuming they could control the situation. In some respects, they were right -- e.g. they got a big tax cut for the wealthy and corporations, lax regulation, and general ineptitude in governance. Now, the tail is wagging the dog, and they feel like crossing Trump will end their political career.

• Partisanship is a hell of a drug. Politics is becoming more and more salient to identity, thus a stronger influence. Trump can get away with anything as long as he doesn't violate the racist and xenophobic preferences of his base. It remains to be seen how his waffling on abortion will impact evangelicals, though I suspect they'll give him a pass.

 

[The Hairy Fiddler]

Trump bond reduced to $175 million. Almost 40% less. I guess the original was just to "Get Trump". Another strike against a corrupt judge, AG, and legal system in NY.

Do you know how to read. 175 million is just the initial installment. He's still on the hook for the entire amount. My God you people.

As far as "getting Trump" yes that's a wonderful idea, The guy is a career criminal that will finally face the punishment for all his crimes. You should be happy that our judicial; system is working so diligently to get criminals off our streets.

 

[The Hairy Fiddler]

Keep in mind that Trump lost the popular vote, quite badly, 2 elections in a row. Republicans have also lost numerous midterms where Trump was in the mix.

• The right wing has an authoritarian streak. This is not new. E.g. a lot of right wingers were actually on the side of Nazi Germany, Franco, and others before WWII, including leading figures like Charles Lindbergh and Father Coughlin.

More Americans Supported Hitler Than You May Think. Here’s Why One Expert Thinks That History Isn’t Better Known

"We want to remember ourselves as always having been on the right side in this war"

time.com

We should note that Presidents of both parties have supported authoritarian leaders abroad, as long as it met some other goal (primarily anti-communist). The left has also had similar authoritarian tendencies over the years, but despite hysterical right-wing accusations, that was largely dropped in the 80s.

• The left has largely won the "culture wars" for decades. Civil rights, LGBT rights, women working, culture more open about sexuality, drug legalization, no-fault divorce, diversification, medical abortion, and so on. While Trump could not get away with most of his nonsense in a stricter time, he is still seen as "pwning teh libz," even when his policies utterly fail.

• The Republican leadership knows its policies are deeply unpopular in many parts of the US. This means that they rely more and more on the politics of white male grievance, and leveraging the anti-democratic elements of the US political system. Trump clearly plays off that.

• Republican officials believe they can't afford to turn off the "Trump base." At first, they seemed to be mostly holding their noses, and assuming they could control the situation. In some respects, they were right -- e.g. they got a big tax cut for the wealthy and corporations, lax regulation, and general ineptitude in governance. Now, the tail is wagging the dog, and they feel like crossing Trump will end their political career.

• Partisanship is a hell of a drug. Politics is becoming more and more salient to identity, thus a stronger influence. Trump can get away with anything as long as he doesn't violate the racist and xenophobic preferences of his base. It remains to be seen how his waffling on abortion will impact evangelicals, though I suspect they'll give him a pass.

The parallels between the 3rd Reich and MAGA are extremely disturbing. That movement has to be destroyed this November.