I had mixed feelings about the Trump town hall on CNN, but I think he did a fantastic job

[lees1975]

demonstrating why he is the single most unfit, unqualified individual in the entire country to be President again. And he provided mountains of direct quotes that will be replayed over and over again, convincing even uninvolved, apathetic voters to register and vote for President Biden.

If you watched, and I held my nose, got out the pepto and sat through most of it, there were multiple places where he lost track of his train of thought, slurred words, and had blank-outs, all signs of dementia. He has a facial tic that reminds me of one that my grandmother had when she had alzheimer's.

The biggest mistake he made, and it was a gigantic one, was opening the door to the Access Hollywood clip. If his campaign advisors haven't already told him how huge a mistake it would be for him to bring that up and put it into play, they are incompetent and should be fired.

I think he just turned over large numbers of votes in the suburbs of swing states to President Biden. And this morning I think there are a lot of Republicans who realize that they're going to go down with him.

[Silent Type]

1. +1. Hope CNN keeps rerunning it. And Democrats are already running ads about much of that.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

2. Yep.

Give Trump enough rope.

[moose65]

3. Dems need to capitalize on it

Biden should use clips in his ads (which I think he's already doing).

[lees1975]

5. Every Democrat running for office should run clips of it.

It will have far-reaching effects.

[betsuni]

4. K&R

[CrispyQ]

6. Good for you for watching & thanks for reporting back!

There was a lot of chastising last night, of those watching. I don't have cable & was glued to DU for reports on just how awful the POS was & I'm delighted to hear he didn't disappoint. Before I went to bed, the Biden campaign already had an ad out with footage from the event.

[Cracklin Charlie]

7. You could write this up into a book.

I believe I will read this a few more times.

I think you should go to the Greatest Page.

[BComplex]

8. Those were my exact thoughts, lees1975! I say CNN did us a big favor.

First, trump lost the republicans a ton of seats, and many that were taken in the last election were squeakers.

Second, it's obvious that, as of now, MSNBC is the sole major cable news channel that actually provides "news", and not bullshit.

[Eyeball_Kid]

9. While you're right, I suspect that the cost of this tomfoolery was too great.

Sure Trump is an evil SOB. We know that. But he raised the risk of political violence, he endangered the safety of individuals who haven't kissed his ass, he foamed up the lather of people enamored with the phony political parameters of "owning the libs," and he absolutely lowered the level of political discourse to a purely emotional state: fear and hate.

We don't need this. Rather, we need indictments and verdicts and prison sentences. Events like this "town hall" are not constructive, and certainly not "news." It was "Trump spreads evil." And CNN gets all of the credit.

[robbob]

11. What really bothered me

Was the audience of cheering, laughing idiots. THAT is the very definition of “normalizing”. We are repulsed by it, but there are a lot of ill informed, dare I say low IQ, voters out there who see that and figure he can’t be that bad.

I swear, you could run the Nuremberg Rallies with cut aways to cheering MAGATS and half your country would get on board with Hitler.

[pirsquared]

14. Melania, Barron?

Nobody is talking about how humiliated, hurt, and angry Melania is.

She desperately wanted all this to go away, but trump keeps throwing the Stormy, Karen McDougal, Hollywood tape back in her face. Remember how he humiliated her for her Mar-a-lago decorations, the deep hurt he inflicted to make her effort to please him torn out before her eyes. He didn't even wait one day.

Melania wanted to shield their son Barron, who bears the stains. Imagine having Melania for a mother and Donald for a father.

Trump's affairs, adulteries, violence
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/03/20/meet-19-women-who-claim-affairs-trump-accuse-him-unwanted-advances/443685002/

[babylonsister]

26. That's because Melania apparently isn't hurt,

angry, or humiliated. I know I'm not wasting any sympathy on her...

From 2 days ago...

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/05/melania-trump-donald-trump-2024

Levin Report
Melania Trump Says She and Her Sexual Predator Husband Want to Lead America “With Love”
The former first lady insisted in an interview that she totally supports Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.

By Bess Levin
May 9, 2023

[groundloop]

15. I totally agree with comparisons of THE RAPIST to Hitler.....

Any reasonable person listening to Hitler's speeches would conclude that he was a menace, but over time his cult grew and grew and even those who weren't drinking the cool-aid were forced to keep their mouths shut and follow along. While WE see that THE RAPIST is an evil liar, I worry that he is constantly being given platforms to spread his lies and grow his cult.

[lees1975]

19. I'm a strong advocate for getting those indictments as soon as possible and then using the power of

the DOJ and the Presidency if necessary, to get the trials done and convictions in place as soon as possible.

He's got a core group of nutsos and crazies and insane, ignorant idiots (like my alliteration?) who are capable of violence and who don't have a clue about politics, just insensate loyalty to a depraved, demented demagogue like Trump or Hitler, or Lenin or any one of a dozen authoritarian autocrats. But compared to what is even an "average" Trump voter, who is basically an uneducated person isolated from cultural influences, you won't get violence. If Trump isn't around, they're not going to risk prison or death for his ambitions.

Basically, the leadership core of the potentially violent Trumpie militarists is headed to prison as a result of January 6th. And I think there are branches of the military and national guard that are being prepared to make sure where their loyalties lie if this ignorance and stupidity rears its ugly head against American Democracy.

[KPN]

28. Yup. It might strike many of us that CNN did the nation a huge favor. On the other hand,

all of the gun humping, slob-father loving MAGAts revel in Trump's toxicity and are only emboldened by seeing and hearing his shit on a national stage. People will be hurt and killed because of this evil dynamic; meanwhile,CNN cares only about its bottom line.

[cally]

10. AND he's proud of overturning Roe v. Wade

That will be played over and over in ads

[Joinfortmill]

12. And the Feds were watching

[ashredux]

13. I watched a bit of it, and it was a train wreck. But Trump did not look well....

It’s like he has soundbites he’s memorized to some extent and just spits them out. It’s all his own internal canned speech so to speak… he can’t actually hold a conversation.

His body language, his posture and rambling appears to show a decline in his mental abilities. And this is not some just negative concept because I hate the guy, but I’ve seen it in other people.

What he said, and rambled about last night will be what he says, and rambles about going forward. Nothing new, no conceptual understanding of the world, just his grievances.

[pirsquared]

16. trump sitting on a toilet

He always takes his sitting position as if he is sitting on a toilet, having a BM.
It's really weird.

[ashredux]

18. He might be wearing additional coverings. There's no way his body has not declined....

[Just A Box Of Rain]

17. Last night was another nail in Donald J Trump's political coffin.

I'm totally unsurprised by that result.

[Martin68]

21. That's what they said when the Access tape was first released...

[MrsCoffee]

32. +1

[lees1975]

39. Yeah, but I was kind of frustrated that the Democrats seemed to just let that fade down the stretch.

Hillary's campaign focused on attacking Trump on the issues, and backed off of doing things like that. Maybe it was because of Bill, I don't know. Remember he brought in the women that had accused Bill of sexual assault or harassment to one of the debates? I thought that Hillary had an opportunity to do the same thing, maybe he would have remembered E Jean Carroll if she were sitting in the balcony at a debate. But her campaign didn't want to do things that way. At the time, I didn't think it would make much of a difference, but now, after the closeness of that election, I think it might have done some good.

There was a ton of stuff in that town hall, if you call gathering a half dozen Republican clubs together a "town hall," that would make outstanding television ads that will be quite effective in either turning off the marginal voters who will decide to stay home rather than make an effort on his behalf, or who see the need to switch.

[Martin68]

20. It boggles the mind that Trump is so far outside the norms of civilized behavior that he actually

doesn't understand how damaging the Access Hollywood tape is. Of course, he was helped in that estimation by being elected president in spite of it.

[housecat]

22. CNN turned shit into gold for Dems--you are probably right. I hope you are.

[Johnny2X2X]

23. CNN deserves criticism

But this was not a good night for Trump.

[Mad_Machine76]

24. One of the weirdest things he said last night (all that I watched)

was him telling some lady that his solution to energy independence is "Drill, Baby, Drill. That was like soooooo 2008. Was he just trying to echo Sarah Palin?

[W_HAMILTON]

25. We are well past the point of people deciding whether he is fit for office.

Once people realize that, maybe they will then finally understand how dangerous it is for once-respected journalistic outfits like CNN to give him a platform like this.

Trump has moved beyond coming off as fit for office. He has moved beyond winning over voters.

He is a full-blown wannabe fascist dictator who is at the stage where he is simply trying to further radicalize his supporters into installing him into office. Cheerleading them on to make sure they are successful at their insurrection this time around. Telling them that he will pardon those already in jail for trying to force him into power and thus sending the message to all of his other supporters that they won't have to worry about legal repercussions if they are successful in overthrowing the government and installing him as dictator this next time around.

When people finally realize that is what his ultimate goal is now, maybe then they will realize the damage CNN inflicted on our democracy with their pitiful attempt at ratings last night.

[yellowdogintexas]

27. for once I was more than happy to be at a party where no one cares

about any of the things we do.

It was a real relief

[deelee]

29. With all due respect - people such as yourself watching it fuels the problem

We need to STOP giving this despicable human any ratings/attention at all. I know it's hard - like not watching a trainwreck....but there's really so much at stake, can't we at least make that little sacrifice?

I will however watch any and all coverage of his trials and sentencings

[Warpy]

30. Advisors? He doesn't listen to them, HE advises THEM

but only if he feels like it. I'm sure they tried to prep him thoroughly, but once a narcissist has a crowd, lights, and cameras, he's on top of the world and can do no wrong, no matter what he riffs on. The colossally stupid people who comprise his fan club still think he's the anointed savior of the country, their preachers told them so.

He won't stop until he is stopped, and I mean put somewhere there are no lights, cameras, or crowds.

[leftyladyfrommo]

31. At least Trump is clear about being a total asshole.

There's no questioning about his ethics and morals. He is very plain about being a total sewer rat.

[grantcart]

33. Thanks for the update

I don't think there are going to be many people "flipping" their votes BUT there will be many who will just not vote on their side, which will be an even bigger benefit in the down ballot races.

If just 6% of the R voters stay home it becomes a landslide.

Also the big donors see what is happening and will sit this one out.

[rubbersole]

34. Every time tfg appears on TV he loses support.

Diehards won't leave but low information voters can't find inspiration in anything he says/does. Keep it comin' orange boy.

[progressoid]

35. The Access Hollywood clip didn't hurt him the first time with voters and it won't now.

Link to tweet

[lees1975]

41. Clinton didn't use it as a political cannonball.

It died down too soon. But with Trump bringing it up himself and attempting to defend his comments, it opened a door that was closed before.

[Ray Bruns]

36. and I held my nose, got out the pepto and sat through most of it, there

You have a stronger stomach than I do.

[maxsolomon]

37. The question is whether the Stigginit is worth it to enough people to put him back in the WH.

His myriad flaws are of no importance to his voters. The flaws of Autocrats usually aren't.

Fascists want someone to stick it to the people they hate. Trump will certainly do that; he'll burn the Federal Govt to the ground without a moment's consideration.

[MarcA]

38. I don't want to see it help desantis. n/t

[lees1975]

40. Desantis is to pitiful for this to help him.

He dipped his toe into the national campaign waters and got bit big time. I am not, in any way, surprised at that.

What surprises me is that Democrats have seemed to let Florida go. High numbers of unregistered voters and high numbers of Democratic no-shows at the polls leave me scratching my head. The Democrats from there in the house seem to have cocooned into their own districts, leaving statewide candidates to fend for themselves. I have an idea that Desantis' current fascist rampage will cause a lot of voters to move back the other way, things like that usually do. He's toast as a national candidate and he hasn't even announced yet.