Trump's Second Amendment dog whistle was to Militia, and Threatens Civil War, not Assassination

[Land Shark]

In the attempt to spin out of Trump's Second Amendment threat, Trump's handlers referred to the "unification" of Second Amendment defenders as being a force that could stop Clinton gun control judges or measures. This too is a dog whistle attempting to explain Trump's comment while still satisfying the right wing base.

The "Second Amendment people" are the members and supporters of the militia movement, not so much the NRA. The NRA will expend all of its political power in the national election, and they will lose. The real sub-headline of Trump's comment could well be "Trump Contemplates Losing, and a Clinton Presidency" and "Muses About How to Stop Gun Control."

But though the NRA will have blown it's wad on the election, the right wing militia movement has been literally threatening "bloody civil war" if any new gun control legislation is passed. These are the same folks who took over via armed occupation the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. But this fizzled only because the rest of the movement condemned the takeover ON TACTICAL GROUNDS, saying that this was not the time or place for their bloody civil war. But they quickly went on to add that their long promised civil war was definitely still coming.

If you want a string of quotes about bloody civil war threats, and the terrorist plots and broken windows in Democratic Party offices that have already happened because of the leader of just one od these militia groups, read the Southern Poverty Law Center bio on this leader. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/michael-brian-vanderboegh-0

I hate to say it, but those saying this is simply a reference to assassination are wrong. Trump is the king of dog wbistles, and what he knows well are his dog whistles and extreme right symbolism and politics. The militia has been promising "bloody civil war" for years if there is new gun control law, and the threat here is not limited to assassination.

What makes sense of the gun control context, the post-election Clinton presidency context, as well as the subsequent spin about the "unification" of Second Amendment people, is that Trump is dog whistling civil war, AFTER HE LOSES. An assassination is usually a small number of people acting alone, but it takes "Second Amendment PEOPLE" to prosecute armed resistance and fight a "bloody civil war." Once again, Trump dog whistles to what's left of his base. "Bloody civil war" can include, but is not limited to, assassination.

Those who have some exposure to militia rhetoric about the Second Amendment will certainly understand Trump in the above way, and Trump is adept enough at extreme right dog whistles that this interpretation has the major advantage of making sense of everything he and his campaign said, other than the lie that this was about mobilizing people for an election....

[cry baby]

1. Just what I thought when I heard him say it.

Much like Michele Bachman when she foretold of 2nd amendment remedies.

[radical noodle]

8. It was Sharron Angle (who ran against Harry Reid)

who talked about 2nd amendment remedies. Michelle Bachman has said a lot of stupid things, but as far as I know, she never said that.

[cry baby]

13. Ah, yes...I forgot about Sharon Angle. You are right.

Cheers

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. It seemed to me Trump was simply referring to

Pissed off gun nuts that might be relied on to snuff Hillary.

[Land Shark]

5. You got it. Bt those folks don't have the illusion that one assassination would stop LAW.

Most likely the support for the law would only increase by any attempt on the life of any federal official. It can't be limited to such surgical precision.

[greyl]

3. Well put thoughts there. nt

[Land Shark]

12. Thanks. Living in a certain rural area, I have heard this kind of stuff so I "got it" right away

And as long as the MSM is musing about what he said, why they aren't rattling off this interpretation, at least as one of the possibilities.

[SDANation]

4. I mean that's like a worst case scenario.

There are a lot of blow hards that talk a big game but when it comes down to putting their money where their mouth is, I would like to think 98% of them think about their jobs, families and lives. Sure this may invite a few extremely unhinged individuals that may target her which in itself is fucked but a civil war/revolution would have to triggered by much bigger issues. And the majority of the American people would have to side with them. IMHO.

[Land Shark]

6. They are heavily armed, organizing, training, and ideologically ready to roll.

But yeah, I hope and pray nothing comes of it. Maybe cooler heads will prevail. But dog whistles don't help cooler heads to prevail.

[SDANation]

11. Exactly...

But like I said, a majority of those yahoos talk organization, civil war etc... But then they think, oh shit then I wouldn't make money to support my family, I might die, etc.

[tonyt53]

34. But then that little oath many of us took gets in the way.

I,........, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Once a Marine, always a Marine. If those idiots wanted to play army, then they should have joined - or in the case with Trump, not been a draft dodger. i had a deferment but joined when that deferment no longer applied. Fat guys running around in the woods wearing camo don't scare us much.

[Land Shark]

37. It's too bad these guys combine some good principles with extreme right-wing cliff-diving

They believe their three percent or whatever Trumps 50.1%, 60%, and even 99%. Thanks for your comment.

[es35]

7. Charge the trump campaign for the extra security it is making necessary

It's too bad they can't prosecute Trump for this crime. But they might be able to charge his campaign for the extra security it will make necessary to keep Hill secure. Hit him in his pocketbook!! do it hard!!

[Land Shark]

27. And find out if he truly supports the police or not. Good idea. nt

[orwell]

9. Terrorism is okay...

...if you are a RepubliCon.

[Land Shark]

10. Watch AR sales surge even higher now....

[Mz Pip]

14. No longer just a dog whistle

It's a fucking bullhorn.

[Land Shark]

24. True, but remains dog whistle in the sense that 1 side gets it right off, other has to figure it out

[Jerry442]

15. You say "insurrection" and I say "assassination".

Either way, let's call the whole thing off.

[Land Shark]

30. Sounds excellent to me. nt

[DemonGoddess]

16. I think it more likely he called for both

Think about it. Look at what happened with the nut in CO and the PP clinic. AFTER Fiorina said her lies in the strongest possible terms about abortion. He quoted her directly.

It's the lone nut lunatic he's looking to appeal to.

[Land Shark]

23. Agreed. My title says not both, but the OP admits one is likely part of the other. nt

[Tsiyu]

17. Hell yes it's a call to rouse the mouthbreathing, violent sorts!

Hell, yes!

However, if you noted the audience after he made his remarks, many were shocked into silence. The drooling, bewhiskered drunks who want to shoot everybody up and live some cholera-laden revolution fantasy are in the severe minority.

There are more liberals with guns than there are "patriots" who would be willing to go on a fatal lust-for-glory shooting spree.

They'll be cleaned up and sorted fast; just don't tell them that.

[yellowcanine]

18. Could be both. Trump deliberately is unclear.

[joshcryer]

19. I've made parallels to Trump and the militia as well.

[Land Shark]

20. Right. Thanks. mt

[joshcryer]

21. Can't recall the context exactly.

But I believe the most commentary I made was with regards to the Breexit vote.

Nice post btw...

[Land Shark]

22. Thank you. I guess. Sometimes it's a pleasure to expose the other side, but not this time. nt

[joshcryer]

25. Indeed.

It's alarming to say the least. This is very much the Turner Diaries fantasy.

[Land Shark]

29. Trump is thinking about his upcoming loss. Not happy. Sad. Sadistic. Seditious. nt

[JoePhilly]

26. He's shaking the crazy tree trying to get some nuts to fall out.

[bigtree]

28. yep

...sedition.

[joshcryer]

31. That's one way to be eternally in the history books...

[Land Shark]

32. And to keep his little cult of violence going, post-election. nt

[joshcryer]

33. Oh yes.

Your post makes that quite clear.

[Land Shark]

35. Well, we can all say more things are clear to ourselves than we make clear to others

Glad it was clear. Lol

[joshcryer]

36. I'm now seeing the comments to CSPAN from Trump fans.

And other comments people are seeing online. Yeah. They are going to be a problem if Trump can't keep his fucking mouth shut.

[Land Shark]

42. Already a big problem. Trump not waking them from total slumber

Much more like they are looking for the right set of conditions for their own deployment, but only to wish themselves success. They like Trump on the belief that his election would save themselves time and trouble.

[Orsino]

38. His pronouncements are usually vague like that.

For all that he is excoriated for saying outrageous things, there's usually not much there there. I don't think he's sly; he just doesn't have much on the ball mentally, and this happens to reach conspiracy theorists, racists, gun nuts and others who love dog whistles. They think he's saying more than he is.

I suspect in this case he was just trying to talk tough, trying and failing to come across as a gun person.

[Land Shark]

39. Some are, but I didn't find this one especially vague. nt

[anamandujano]

40. "I'm ready for my straight jacket now Mr. DeMille."

I see his statement as a cry for help. The GOP would be doing Trump a favor by removing him now at all costs.

[Land Shark]

41. Well he keeps asking Mr. DEMILLE for the traditional closeups, but perhaps he will change....

[anamandujano]

43. I don't think he can change back from totally looney tunes.

He should be imprisoned for suggesting his gun nut followers shoot Hillary or have a shoot 'em up when he loses.