Trump identifies a new enemy: Americans he doesn't like

[babylonsister]

Trump identifies a new enemy: Americans he doesn't like
Over the holiday weekend, Trump largely ignored the pandemic and instead sought to exploit national divisions to boost his struggling candidacy.
July 6, 2020, 8:00 AM EDT
By Steve Benen

snip//

As the New York Times put it, Trump used the 4th of July weekend "to mount a full-on culture war against a straw-man version of the left that he portrayed as inciting mayhem and moving the country toward totalitarianism."

That assessment wasn't hyperbolic in the slightest. "Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children," the president declared. "Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities."

Far from trying to unify the country or honor American traditions, Trump told his followers, "In our schools, our newsrooms, even our corporate boardrooms, there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras, and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted, and punished.... Make no mistake: this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution."

As part of the same tirade, Trump added, "One of their political weapons is 'Cancel Culture' -- driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism."

Happy Independence Day, one and all. What used to be a non-partisan day of celebration has become the latest arrow in Trump's quiver.

The broader political context was far from subtle: against a backdrop of a public-health crisis he has no idea how to address, the president largely ignored the deadly pandemic ravaging his own country and instead sought to exploit national divisions to boost his struggling candidacy.

more...

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-identifies-new-enemy-americans-he-doesn-t-n1232942

[lagomorph777]

1. "a public-health crisis he has no idea how to address" - that's way too charitable.

Turd knows exactly what to do if he wants to save lives. But Turd wants to kill us. Putin is paying him a bounty to kill us.

[Stuart G]

2. Donald Trump doesn't care about anyone but himself.

...It is always about him, and no one else. In my opinion he does not want to kill us, Trump wants to somehow make himself acceptable for another 4 years. But in the end, he doesn't have a clue.
....Much too late, to change the narrative.

[lagomorph777]

3. You are way too kind toward that monster.

We ignore his obvious psychopathy at our peril.

[Stuart G]

5. His sick character is clear and plain to everyone. Donald Trump has been at it,

as president for over 3 & 1/2 years. Most people see Trump as that monster. They will not vote for him, no matter what he says or does. Trump will lose, and will lose big.

[DFW]

4. Well, that should be a manageable problem. There are only a couple of hundred million of us

Maybe two fifty, tops.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. Oh for those days when America was still great and the Republicans defeated Hitler

[LakeArenal]

7. Hey Donwad, say totalitarianism real fast three times.

[Brother Buzz]

8. While drinking a glass of water with one hand, walking down a ramp

[LakeArenal]

10. Well now that's just silly. He can't do more than one thing at a time.

His attention span makes it hard to even stick to a TelePrompTer.

[Wounded Bear]

9. Trump has pretty much always felt like my enemy...

but then I took an oath similar to the one he took and I still take it seriously, even 40 years later.

[FakeNoose]

11. So he's channeling Richard Nixon now

Nixon was the first one with an "Enemies List." It all came out during the Watergate Hearings.

[Midnight Writer]

12. Today, Monday, there are dozens of hate radio jocks telling us it was a great, momentous speech.

These guys will be on the air 24/7, and they will be joined by a cable news network and thousands of pundits, internet cowboys, phony preachers and "intellectual conservative" talking heads telling us that Trump is a hero for standing up to the real villains.

The Right Wing media machine, controlled and paid for by our American oligarchs, is dividing our country.

Trump is just another tool in their arsenal, a frontman, the host of the show.