Trump thinks he'll be better off as things get worse (Timothy Snyder)

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

The Republican National Convention painted a strikingly negative picture of the United States. Speaker after speaker conjured up lurid images of turmoil — all of which would seem to indict the man who has been responsible for executing the laws these past 3½ years.

President Trump seems to believe that stirring up “American carnage” benefits him. He imagines he’ll be better off as things get worse for the rest of us. Is that a winning strategy?

It would be a mistake to overestimate Trump’s ethics (non-existent) and to underestimate his political talent (considerable). He beat down the Republican establishment and defeated a favored opponent in 2016. Four years ago, he knowingly took advantage of foreign interference in the campaign. Back then, Americans wondered whether the Russian intervention was about Trump or about chaos. It was about both.

Chaos was the plan. The worse for America, the better for Russia.

Today, Trump faces a totally different situation in this campaign than he did in 2016, and he knows it. Four years ago, he did not have to win. Had he lost, he could have claimed victory, mocked Hillary Clinton on Twitter, and schlocked his way to retirement. The carefree attitude he evinced back then is notably absent today. The advisers of 2016 are now convicted felons or charged with felonies. By now, Trump himself has been thoroughly investigated, and the prosecutors are lining up. Only the office of the presidency saves him, as he understands.

*snip*

[msongs]

1. alleged protestors could help by standing down til after the election although one

suspects people who like roaming the streets and tossing molotovs at 2 in the morning may
not think strategically

[Rhiannon12866]

2. How much worse??

Thousands of Americans are sick and dying, our mail system is in trouble and vets aren't getting their meds, our election system is in trouble, he's rolled back environmental protections and wild fires are raging, our long time allies have abandoned us and we're prevented from entering most other countries, the list goes on... What's next on Trump's agenda??

[demosincebirth]

4. Rioting and burning won't help, just detracts

[Doodley]

3. The worse things are, the more we look to a leader like Donald Trump

to fuck it up even more!

[jmowreader]

5. I believe I see the flaw in this stragedy

Campaigning on the basis that you alone can fix the mess America is in only works if no one asks him, "weren't you the asshole who let it get this way?"

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Really, then no need for all the voter suppression and intimidation right?

Nope, The Maggot knows the majority are sick of him, won't vote for him. Cheat bigly is his winning strategy. Cheat to "win"