Stupidity aside, Trump's statements about the Civil War are terrifying.

[Bleacher Creature]

I know it's easy to focus on the ignorance of history, but it's actually key to understanding how he operates. In Trump's world, Andrew Jackson could have singularly stopped the Civil War from occurring - if only he had come along a little later.

This is no different from his "I alone can fix it" line. He truly believes that one individual can force others to bend to his or her will, so long as that person is strong enough. Trump wants to be that strong man, and it's truly frightening.

[furtheradu]

1. I agree.

Thanks for this.

[Sculpin Beauregard]

2. He's fucking gunning for another one, trying to distract from his imminent demise.

This is horrible. He's fucking burning down the country.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Yes, and he probably thinks that if *he* had been around at the time,

he could have prevented the Civil War.

[underpants]

4. He's applying his own disasters to life in general.

Remember he pushed the USFL to go head to head with the NFL in the fall. It killed what was really a thriving league. As 24/7/365 as football is now imagine games being played right now.

Trump was a very powerful owner in the USFL. Like Jerry Jones (Dallas) or Robert Kraft (Pats) who can exert influence across the league. Some owners just own teams as an investment or to cement their place in the community, some make a lot of the calls. The owner (name?) of the Tampa or Orlando team in the USFL was seen as the only one interested or able to push back against Trump but he was just coming out of cancer treatments and didn't have the energy. Trump got the USFL to switch to the fall and it ruined them. Trump did actually win a lawsuit against the NFL (they lose almost every court case) and was awarded a whole $4.

[Laxman]

5. John Bassett.....

owner of the Tampa Bay Bandits. By all accounts a really good person who wanted to keep playing in the spring. When he got sick, Trump took advantage of his illness to pressure the other owners, especially those with financial difficulties into suing the NFL. Trump just wanted to use the law suit to get an NFL franchise for himself. He took the entire league down with his selfish gambit. Just another in a long line of ass-hole moves from our....well, you know where he's ended up.

[underpants]

6. Yep. Thanks.

Trump was never going to own a NFL franchise. The other owners don't want someone stealing the limelight - the Maras specifically would have frozen him out - and with Pete Rozelle any association with gambling was not allowed.

Bassett, thanks I should have googled that. I think it was 30 for 30 that did a documentary on it. I'd forgotten how well the USFL was doing. They got 3 straight Heisman winners to sign with their teams. It was right in the edge of taking off and Trump killed it.

[Bleacher Creature]

9. Bills fan here.

When the team was up for sale a few years ago, Trump made a lot of noise about putting up a bid. I know he didn't have much of a shot, both because of the USFL debacle and lingering questions about his true net worth, but I was always just a little uneasy.

At the time, I kept thinking "what cold be wise than Donald Trump owning my favorite football team?" Unfortunately, I got an answer to that question!!!

[underpants]

11. Tom Clancy tried to buy the Ravens when they started

The NFL owners said No. I'm not sure if it was about his worth or something else. They are very picky about who they let into that club.

[smirkymonkey]

7. I said it in another post and I'll say it here. I really think Trump believes he

is the second coming of Andrew Jackson. His quote "He was tough, but he had a big heart" is what Trump believes about himself, even though every sane person knows it's bullshit.

Besides, what made him think Jackson had a big heart? Being an abusive slave trader? The massacre of Native Americans? How can you look at those things and say someone has a big heart? However with all the evil, horrible things he has done in his life, I honestly think he thinks this is true about himself.

[underpants]

8. It was a goof that works out as a wink to the white supremacists

BTW - my father in law looks remarkably like Andrew Jackson but he's a much nicer man.

[former9thward]

10. Do you not know about the 1832 nullification crisis?

Where S. Carolina threatened to leave the Union? Jackson did act, by himself, and threatened to send troops to take over the state. S. Carolina backed down and the Civil War was put off for 30 years. There are a lot of people who need to learn about American history.

[oasis]

12. But if a "United States" would threaten to outlaw slavery, Jackson would

be first in line to secede and risk civil war in order to hang on to his "property".

[Bleacher Creature]

14. The nullification crisis was much narrower.

Josh Marshall of TPM referred to it as the "dry run for the Civil War." It focused on tariffs - although slavery was ultimately a looming question - and happened only at the very outset of the type of fire breathing talk by pro-South leaders, which ultimately led to secession.

I did my Masters work in modern U.S. history, but know enough to understand that a simple Google search will tell you that a number of Civil War historians have already addressed the substance of Trump's remark and found in non-sensical.

But thanks for playing.

[ProudLib72]

13. He may see himself as the second coming of Andrew Jackson

I see him as Taft with half his brain removed and on a diet of pure Twinkies.