The Cult of Donald Trump

[TopHatter]

Feeling Betrayed, Far-Right Extremists Have A New Message For Trump: 'Get Out Of Our Way'



For months, President Donald Trump’s message to his supporters was clear: The election was being stolen from him, and they needed to fight to take it back.

So on Jan. 6, during a Trump-promoted rally to “Stop the Steal,” thousands laid siege to the U.S. Capitol in a stunning attempt to do just that. The fallout of their failed insurrection, which resulted in five deaths, was swift: Trump was deplatformed from nearly every major social network and, on Wednesday, impeached for a historic second time.

When he emerged on camera a short while later, tail tucked between his legs, to condemn the rioters whom he himself had incited, and to call for a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden, his base felt betrayed.

“So he basically just sold out the patriots who got rounded up for him,” one person wrote in a 15,000-member pro-Trump Telegram group. “Just wow.”

In online havens for MAGA extremists, including Gab, CloutHub, MeWe, Telegram and far-right message boards such as 8kun, the tone toward Trump is shifting. HuffPost reviewed thousands of messages across these platforms and found that a growing minority of the president’s once-devout backers are now denouncing him and rejecting his recent pleas for peace. Some have called for his arrest or execution, labeling him a “traitor” and a “coward.” Alarmingly, many of those who are irate about Biden’s supposed electoral theft are still plotting to forcibly prevent him from taking office — with or without Trump’s help.

“We don’t follow you,” another Telegram user wrote, addressing Trump, after the president put out his video urging calm and order. “Be quiet and get out of our way.”

It has become apparent that now — after his mass radicalization campaign of voter-fraud disinformation and conspiracy-mongering — even Trump can’t stop the dangerous delusion he’s instilled across the country, or the next wave of violence it may soon bring.


In online fringe communities, some far-right Trump supporters are plotting to keep him in power by any means necessary. (Photo: Telegram)

Federal authorities are urgently warning of armed protests being planned in all 50 state capitals in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration. Politically motivated extremists “will very likely pose the greatest domestic terrorism threats in 2021,” according to a new joint intelligence bulletin from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center. The document, first obtained by Yahoo News, attributes this threat to “false narratives” that Biden’s victory “was illegitimate, or fraudulent,” and the subsequent belief that the election results “should be contested or unrecognized.”

Ahead of last week’s riots, Trump supporters openly planned their attack on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other mainstream platforms, where they shared materials including flyers titled “Operation Occupy the Capitol.” These sites have since cracked down aggressively on such behavior, causing extremists to migrate to lesser-known corners of the internet to plan their next move.

While this has hindered their ability to spread propaganda and enlist new recruits, their new social channels are subject to less scrutiny and have already exploded in reach. CloutHub, MeWe and Telegram shot to the top of the charts of popular free apps on the App Store and Google Play Store in the wake of the siege. Gab has also reported a massive surge in new users, with about 10,000 people signing up every hour.

In these spaces, HuffPost has observed calls to “burn down” the Capitol, launch “an armed revolt,” “pop some libtards” and “TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK WHATEVER IT TAKES!!” Some posts are more specific: “Civil War is here. Group up locally. Take out the News stations,” one person declared. “LET’S HANG THEM ALL,” another implored. “LET’S FINISH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.”

The Boogaloo Bois, a far-right militia organizing to foment civil war, is capitalizing on the unrest to issue online a renewed call to arms. The FBI has warned specifically of potential Boogaloo violence during planned rallies at state Capitol buildings in Michigan and Minnesota on Sunday.

“Theres a war coming, and cowering in your home [while] real patriots march with rifles ... will make you a traitor,” commented a member of an encrypted Boogaloo chat.

Some extremists, however, are urging each other not to attend any of the upcoming armed protests. The Proud Boys, a rabidly pro-Trump neo-fascist group that helped storm the Capitol, is cautioning its followers that such demonstrations could be “fed honeypot” events set up by authorities in order to seize attendees’ guns.

It seems that even the Proud Boys are losing faith in Trump: A Telegram channel run by the group reposted a message with Trump’s video along with the text “The Betrayal of Trumpist base by Trump himself continues.”


Many in Trump's base feel abandoned and betrayed by his condemnation of the Capitol rioters. (Photo: Telegram)

For four years, the president’s supporters have worshipped him like a god. His rallies have been likened to cult gatherings. Nearly half of his campaign donations came from small donors, trouncing Biden’s 39%. For most of his presidency, Trump enjoyed strong support from the Republican base, polling well above 90% with that group. But after the Jan. 6 riots, his support is plummeting at record rates.

MAGA world has stood unwaveringly by Trump’s side through multiple allegations of sexual assault (including rape), an impeachment for abuse of power, revelations that his administration literally caged children, a historic rise in national debt, countless lies, blatant self-enrichment by him and his family members, a pandemic that has claimed close to 400,000 American lives under his leadership — nearly a fifth of all deaths worldwide — and more.

So to see his “America First” army suddenly begin to turn on him is truly remarkable. It’s happening broadly among his supporters, and even among the far-right extremist communities that have flourished online during Trump’s presidency.

Among the recent messages excoriating Trump in dedicated pro-Trump networks: “tbh I hope they hang Trump at this point”; “He deserves what’s coming to him”; “he is literally done he will die in jail”; “Seriously hoping they’ll lock him up or lynch [him]”; “Guy is the biggest cuck ever at this point”; “Can’t wait til the left locks up his bitch ass. Rot in prison.” Several people have proclaimed that at this point, Trump can only redeem himself by declaring martial law to maintain power by force.

After losing to Biden, Trump systematically attacked the allies that propped up his presidency in a desperate effort to keep his re-election fantasy alive.

He first turned his adherents against Fox News, which stoked his ire by accurately projecting Biden’s electoral victory in Arizona before a few other networks did so. Then, when some Republicans ― including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ― declined to play along with his unsupported claims of mass voter fraud, Trump sicced his base on them. After that came Trump’s own vice president, Mike Pence, who refused Trump’s unconstitutional demand to reject votes in favor of Biden. (“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution,” Trump tweeted on the afternoon of Jan. 6, provoking chants of “Hang Pence” during the riots.)

Now that Trump himself appears to finally be backing away from his “Stop the Steal” hoax, a growing faction of his supporters is through with him, too.

But after the dramatic failure of his slow-motion coup, as he counts down the days until his return to life as a private citizen, Trump presumably has more pressing concerns than maintaining his followers’ devotion. Aside from the hundreds of millions of dollars in personal debt hanging over his head, it seems increasingly likely that he could face criminal prosecution, from which he will no longer be immune. And following his latest impeachment, if the Senate convicts him, it can also vote to disqualify him from ever running for office again.

With so much at stake and no sane hope of clinging to power, it’s now in the president’s best interest for his base to avoid further violence, which could increase his chances of conviction. But the reality is that the monster Trump created doesn’t need him anymore.

“He can promise and call for peace all he likes,” one Gab user wrote. “Won’t make a blind bit of difference.”
__________

Aaaaand I'm smirking....

[Oracle]

These people have forgotten that it was their grandfathers who fought against the Nazis and the Japanese for democracy and freedom. They are going the same way for the fault of one man. Trump. Meanwhile, China is smirking and lecturing about democracy since they think America is in chaos, and will be for the foreseeable future.

If US can track a terrorist in Pakistan 24X7, I don't understand why is it taking so much time to arrest these thug groups. Boogaloo Bois, Proud Boys, Gab - they can't even name their group aesthetically. Sounds like porn production companies.

[TopHatter]

These people have forgotten that it was their grandfathers who fought against the Nazis and the Japs for democracy and freedom.

Let's use Japanese instead of Japs please :-)

If US can track a terrorist in Pakistan 24X7, I don't understand why is it taking so much time to arrest these thug groups. Boogaloo Bois, Proud Boys, Gab - they can't even name their group aesthetically. Sounds like porn production companies.

You're assuming that the US can track a terrorist in Pakistan 24X7. That's not always the case.

As far as why it's taking so long, you should recall the story of the Old Bull and the Young Bull:

The Old Bull and the Young Bull standing on a hill. A bunch of heifers graze into the meadow below and the Young Bull says “Let’s run down there and f--k a couple of 'em!” The Old Bull gets up, stretches and says “I've got a better idea, let’s walk down there and f--k 'em all.”

In addition though, these groups have to do something worthy of arrest. Until the Capitol Building assault, they've been fairly careful as a group to stay within the boundaries of the law.

[Oracle]

Let's use Japanese instead of Japs please :-)

I edited my post. Didn't knew that word was racist. Apologies to Japanese brothers and their hot sisters.

You're assuming that the US can track a terrorist in Pakistan 24X7. That's not always the case.

The people that fills up the NSA are very skilled. Might not always be the case, yes, but do remember how Usama was killed.

As far as why it's taking so long, you should recall the story of the Old Bull and the Young Bull:

The Old Bull and the Young Bull standing on a hill. A bunch of heifers graze into the meadow below and the Young Bull says “Let’s run down there and f--k a couple of 'em!” The Old Bull gets up, stretches and says “I've got a better idea, let’s walk down there and f--k 'em all.”

In addition though, these groups have to do something worthy of arrest. Until the Capitol Building assault, they've been fairly careful as a group to stay within the boundaries of the law.

Good story. I was actually thinking that since the Capitol Building assault, can arrests be not made faster, those people charged, and groups shut down. I think your lawmakers are trying to piece together a comprehensive case without any leaks, so that when arrests are being made, no one gets away for a lack of evidence.

[Bigfella]

I edited my post. Didn't knew that word was racist. Apologies to Japanese brothers and their hot sisters.



The people that fills up the NSA are very skilled. Might not always be the case, yes, but do remember how Usama was killed.



Good story. I was actually thinking that since the Capitol Building assault, can arrests be not made faster, those people charged, and groups shut down. I think your lawmakers are trying to piece together a comprehensive case without any leaks, so that when arrests are being made, no one gets away for a lack of evidence.

A few points:

* This isn't just one person, its thousands, not all of whom have committed a crime. Simply identifying everyone involved is quite tricky. Then evidence scattered in thousands of places all over the internet has to be trawled. It takes time.

* Unlike the terrorist hunt, this is all happening from a standing start. A handful of people from groups on the FBI radar were in & around the Capitol, but most people involved were not members of those groups. There is no background to work with here, as evidenced by the number of people turned in by people who recognized them from pictures. There is also not a big, well funded unit familiar with all of this in the way there would be for the terrorist.

* When the US tracks the proverbial terrorist, they probably aren't looking to haul him/her in front of a judge next week with all the protections of US law in place. The people investigating this need to take their time so that they have enough evidence to charge or hold the person in the short term. Other charges will likely follow.

* There isn't a high level of urgency. DC is full of soldiers and most of the potentially dangerous groups are known. If a 'lone wolf' wants to try something there are .50 cals in the area and a lot of people with guns.

Over the next few weeks quite a few poeple who seem to think laws only apply when they want & to people they don't like are going to get a rude shock.

[TopHatter]

Shirtless, Horned QAnon Supporter Says He Regrets Getting 'Duped' by Donald Trump

It didn't take long for some pro-Trump rioters to (supposedly) turn on their commander-in-chief.

Following the arrests of more than 100 Capitol rioters, legal teams are preparing their defense after Donald Trump left office without pardoning anyone charged in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol building.

With no presidential pardon in sight, the attorney for one of the most notorious rioters, the horned, shirtless QAnon follower Jake Angeli, says his client evidently regrets being "duped" by Trump, pushing the blame on the former POTUS who is now facing his second impeachment proceeding because of the deadly riot.

“The request was of extraordinary value in that it accorded Trump an opportunity to do what his followers believed would have been the ‘honorable’ thing to do,” Angeli's attorney Al Watkins said, according to KMOV4. “Mr. Chansley, along with many others who were similarly situated, are now compelled to reconcile a betrayal by a man whose back they felt they had for years."

Angeli, whose legal name is Jacob Anthony Chansley, was made infamous in part thanks to his attire during the failed coup, where he was photographed wearing buffalo horns and grossly appropriating indigenous culture.

Trump issued a series of pardons before leaving office to Lil Wayne, Kodak Black, and others, but none to his supporters who stormed the Capitol building following the "Stop the Steal" rally.

"He regrets very, very much having not just been duped by the President, but by being in a position where he allowed that duping to put him in a position to make decisions he should not have made," Watkins said in an interview with local news station KSDK.

The 33-year-old previously made headlines for refusing to eat after being arrested because he demanded an organic diet. Infuriatingly, the cops later gave in.

Angeli is facing federal charges of civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, demonstrating in a Capitol building, entering a restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
_____________

He "regrets getting duped by Donald Trump" Yeah, I bet you do. Asshole.

Crocodile tears are so pathetic...

[JRT]

Arizona Republicans Censure Cindy McCain, GOP Governor

by Jonathan J. Cooper
23 January 2021

Phoenix (AP) -- Arizona Republicans voted Saturday to censure Cindy McCain and two prominent GOP members who have found themselves crosswise with former President Donald Trump.

The censures of Sen. John McCain’s widow, former Sen. Jeff Flake and Gov. Doug Ducey are merely symbolic. But they show the party’s foot soldiers are focused on enforcing loyalty to Trump, even in the wake of an election that saw Arizona inch away from its staunchly Republican roots.

Party activists also reelected controversial Chairwoman Kelli Ward, who has been one of Trump’s most unflinching supporters and among the most prolific promoters of his baseless allegations of election fraud.

The Arizona GOP’s combative focus has delighted Trump’s staunchest supporters and worried Republican insiders who have watched the party lose ground in the suburbs as the influence of its traditional conservative establishment has faded in favor of Trump. A growing electorate of young Latinos and newcomers bringing their more liberal politics from back home have further hurt the GOP.

“This is a time for choosing for Republicans. Are we going to be the conservative party?” said Kirk Adams, a former state House speaker and chief of staff to Ducey. “Or is this a party ... that’s loyal to a single person?”

It’s a question of Republican identity that party officials and activists are facing across the country following Trump’s 2020 loss, and particularly after a mob of his supporters laid siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Nowhere is the question more acute than Arizona, where the state GOP’s unflinching loyalty to Trump stands out even in a party that’s been remade everywhere in the image of the former president.

Ward has relentlessly — but unsuccessfully — sued to overturn the election results. The party has used its social media accounts to urge followers to fight and perhaps even to die in support of Trump’s false claims of victory. Two of the state’s four Republican congressmen are accused of playing a role in organizing the Jan. 6 rally that turned violent.

After dominating Arizona politics for decades, Republicans now find themselves on their heels in the state’s highest offices. President Joe Biden narrowly eked out a victory here, becoming just the second Democrat in more than five decades to win the state. Consecutive victories in 2018 and 2020 gave Democrats control of both U.S. Senate seats for the first time in nearly 70 years.

Ward, a physician and former state legislator who lost two Republican primaries for the U.S. Senate, defeated three challengers to win a second term.

In a brief interview, Ward acknowledged “disappointment at the top of the ticket” but said she and many other Republicans still question the results showing victories for Biden and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. Judges have rejected eight lawsuits challenging Arizona’s election results.

Ward pointed to GOP successes down the ballot, noting Republicans defied expectations in local races.

Ward said she’s a “Trump Republican” who will “always put America first, who believes in faith, family and freedom.” The way forward for the GOP, she said, is keeping Trump’s 74 million voters engaged.

“Yes, I will be radical about those things because those are the things that keep this country great,” Ward said. “The people who are complaining are the people who actually put us in this spot where we are in Arizona, people who have been mamby pamby, lie down and allow the Democrats to walk all over them.”

The censures target some of Arizona’s most prominent Republicans,

Cindy McCain endorsed Biden and became a powerful surrogate for the Democrat following years of attacks by Trump on her husband. After the vote, she wrote on Twitter that “it is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well."

“I’ll wear this as a badge of honor,” she wrote.

Also after the vote, Flake tweeted a photo of him with McCain and Ducey at Biden's inauguration and wrote: “Good company.”

Flake was one of the few congressional Republicans who was openly critical of Trump for failing to adhere to conservative values. He declined to run for reelection in 2018 and endorsed Biden in last year’s election.

“If condoning the President’s behavior is required to stay in the Party’s good graces, I’m just fine being on the outs,” Flake wrote on Twitter before and after the vote.


Ducey is being targeted for his restrictions on individuals and businesses to contain the spread of COVID-19. While it’s not mentioned in the proposed censure, he had a high-profile break with the president when he signed the certification of Biden’s victory.

“These resolutions are of no consequence whatsoever and the people behind them have lost whatever little moral authority they may have once had,” said Sara Mueller, Ducey's political director.

Many traditional conservatives fret that the censures and Ward’s combative style turn off the swing voters and ticket-splitters who handed Democrats their recent victories. But they say the party’s decisions will reflect only the views of about 1,500 committed activists.

John McCain was censured by the state GOP in 2014 and went on to comfortably win a Republican primary over Ward and a general election. The self-described maverick, known best for his willingness to buck his party, had strained relations with the state party for much of his career but was consistently reelected by wide margins.

___

Associated Press writer Paul Davenport in Phoenix contributed.

.

...

[Albany Rifles]

...

These clowns censure the only statewide elected GOP politician....the governor...who is guilty off..squints...certifying the election IAW the Arizona Constitution.

I am Twitter "friends" with Jack McCain....Cindy & John's son. He is a Navy helicopter pilot. To say he is angry is an understatement. He is most upset that this is what happens after all that his family has done for this country. If you don't know the McCain family story I highly recommend you look it up.

[Bigfella]

These clowns censure the only statewide elected GOP politician....the governor...who is guilty off..squints...certifying the election IAW the Arizona Constitution.

I am Twitter "friends" with Jack McCain....Cindy & John's son. He is a Navy helicopter pilot. To say he is angry is an understatement. He is most upset that this is what happens after all that his family has done for this country. If you don't know the McCain family story I highly recommend you look it up.

What is happening in Arizona is emblematic of where the GOP has been heading since before the Tea Party got going. It has just accelerated under Trump. The purging of people who would have been considered perfect Reaganites and the narrowing of the definition of 'patriotism' to 'votes Republican'. What was once relatively fringe within the GOP has become mainstream and heading for dominant.

This is one of the reasons why the GOP is so determined to gerrymander, suppress votes and destroy trust in the system. Normally moving this far from the mainstream would ultimately lead to severe punishment at the ballot box and a reckoning requiring decisions about changing course. Republicans have decided that they should never have to compromise or change course. The only way to achieve that long term is to make sure Democrats can't vote them out. Keep an eye on places like Arizona. Republicans will try every dirty trick in the book to stop Democrats voting or to stop their votes counting for as much.

[tbm3fan]

What is happening in Arizona is emblematic of where the GOP has been heading since before the Tea Party got going. It has just accelerated under Trump. The purging of people who would have been considered perfect Reaganites and the narrowing of the definition of 'patriotism' to 'votes Republican'. What was once relatively fringe within the GOP has become mainstream and heading for dominant.

This is one of the reasons why the GOP is so determined to gerrymander, suppress votes and destroy trust in the system. Normally moving this far from the mainstream would ultimately lead to severe punishment at the ballot box and a reckoning requiring decisions about changing course. Republicans have decided that they should never have to compromise or change course. The only way to achieve that long term is to make sure Democrats can't vote them out. Keep an eye on places like Arizona. Republicans will try every dirty trick in the book to stop Democrats voting or to stop their votes counting for as much.

Never having to compromise, because this is war, goes back to Gingrich which is the point where I forever stopped to ever consider a Republican...

[TopHatter]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Running For Governor Of Arkansas

For reasons that are unknown to us, former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders made an effort, after leaving the White House, to downplay the "Huckabee" portion of her name. This was, for example, the subject of quite the edit war on her Wikipedia page. But she's not downplaying it anymore (see her Twitter account for an example). That may just have something to do with the fact that, as of Monday, she is running for governor of Arkansas, a job that her father Mike Huckabee held for over a decade, from 1996 to 2007.

Let us now review Sanders' qualifications for such a high elective office:

• She's never run for, or won, any elective office prior to this.
• She's an inveterate liar, from her claim that she heard from many FBI officers they were pleased by the firing of James Comey (this was later proven to be a complete fabrication) to her insistence that Stormy Daniels was never paid for her services to Donald Trump.
• She has no problem using religion as a political weapon, when convenient, such as the time she claimed that God clearly wanted Trump to become president.
• She has a great deal of experience appearing on various media outlets, if by "media outlets" you mean "Fox News."
• She is comfortable using her office to punish perceived "enemies," such as when she pushed for a boycott of the restaurant who asked her to leave due to her work for Trump.
• She's got no issue with mocking others' disabilities, such as the time she tweeted "I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about," making fun of the then-candidate's stutter.
• Her entire political career is pretty much based on the fact that she's got a famous name inherited from her father.

In short, Sanders is basically a female clone of Donald Trump, who has already endorsed her bid. And if there is anywhere that is going to work out just dandy, it's Arkansas, a state Trump won by 27 points both times he ran. That said, Sanders has some competition for the GOP gubernatorial bid, including Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Arkansas AG Leslie Rutledge (but not Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is term limited). And the Trump brand is currently damaged, and could become more so depending on the impeachment and other sundry lawsuits and controversies. So, other folks who have "qualifications" similar to Sanders, but who are thinking about running in less Trumpy states, will be watching closely to see how she does. That list includes Lara Trump (aspiring U.S. senator from NC), Ivanka Trump (aspiring U.S. senator from FL), and Donald Trump Jr. (aspiring U.S. senator or governor from...well, whatever state he can find, possibly also FL). (Z)
___________

I'm not going to dignify Sanders run for governor by posting this in the American Politics thread, even though she has an excellent chance of winning (it's Arkansas for Chrissake )

At any rate, this will be a good litmus test to see if the Donald Trump model of politics/cancer is able to mutate and spread...

[tbm3fan]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Running For Governor Of Arkansas

For reasons that are unknown to us, former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders made an effort, after leaving the White House, to downplay the "Huckabee" portion of her name. This was, for example, the subject of quite the edit war on her Wikipedia page. But she's not downplaying it anymore (see her Twitter account for an example). That may just have something to do with the fact that, as of Monday, she is running for governor of Arkansas, a job that her father Mike Huckabee held for over a decade, from 1996 to 2007.

Let us now review Sanders' qualifications for such a high elective office:

• She's never run for, or won, any elective office prior to this.
• She's an inveterate liar, from her claim that she heard from many FBI officers they were pleased by the firing of James Comey (this was later proven to be a complete fabrication) to her insistence that Stormy Daniels was never paid for her services to Donald Trump.
• She has no problem using religion as a political weapon, when convenient, such as the time she claimed that God clearly wanted Trump to become president.
• She has a great deal of experience appearing on various media outlets, if by "media outlets" you mean "Fox News."
• She is comfortable using her office to punish perceived "enemies," such as when she pushed for a boycott of the restaurant who asked her to leave due to her work for Trump.
• She's got no issue with mocking others' disabilities, such as the time she tweeted "I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about," making fun of the then-candidate's stutter.
• Her entire political career is pretty much based on the fact that she's got a famous name inherited from her father.

In short, Sanders is basically a female clone of Donald Trump, who has already endorsed her bid. And if there is anywhere that is going to work out just dandy, it's Arkansas, a state Trump won by 27 points both times he ran. That said, Sanders has some competition for the GOP gubernatorial bid, including Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Arkansas AG Leslie Rutledge (but not Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is term limited). And the Trump brand is currently damaged, and could become more so depending on the impeachment and other sundry lawsuits and controversies. So, other folks who have "qualifications" similar to Sanders, but who are thinking about running in less Trumpy states, will be watching closely to see how she does. That list includes Lara Trump (aspiring U.S. senator from NC), Ivanka Trump (aspiring U.S. senator from FL), and Donald Trump Jr. (aspiring U.S. senator or governor from...well, whatever state he can find, possibly also FL). (Z)
___________

I'm not going to dignify Sanders run for governor by posting this in the American Politics thread, even though she has an excellent chance of winning (it's Arkansas for Chrissake )

At any rate, this will be a good litmus test to see if the Donald Trump model of politics/cancer is able to mutate and spread...

I saw that. Now imagine she actually wins in 2022. Want to guess what will be on her mind come 2028 and I'm sure it will be.

[TopHatter]

US issues terror alert over anti-government extremists


More than 150 people, including members of armed extremist groups, have been arrested since Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021

Wed, January 27, 2021, 12:12 PM
The US Department of Homeland Security declared a nationwide terrorism alert Wednesday, citing the potential threat from domestic anti-government extremists opposed to Joe Biden as president.

"Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence," the department said.

The National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin said a heightened threat of attack "will persist in the weeks following the successful presidential inauguration," which took place on January 20.

"DHS does not have any information to indicate a specific, credible plot," it said.

"However, violent riots have continued in recent days and we remain concerned that individuals frustrated with the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition... could continue to mobilize a broad range of ideologically-motivated actors to incite or commit violence."

The alert said there had been mounting threats since last year from domestic violent extremists motivated by Covid-19 restrictions, Biden's defeat of Donald Trump in the November election, police brutality and illegal immigration.

DHS said these motivations could remain in place for the coming months and that the January 6 attack by Trump supporters on Congress could embolden extremists "to target elected officials and government facilities."

More than 150 people, including members of armed extremist groups, have been arrested since the attack, which has been branded as an insurrection.

The department urged the public to report suspicious activity and threats of violence.

[astralis]

several weeks ago, a lot of media commentators were going on and on about how there was gonna be this impending civil war within the GOP led by Lynne Cheney against the Trumpists.

here's the state of play on that:

- Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Wyoming, Michigan, Minnesota, Wyoming, Hawaii state GOP have essentially sworn undying loyalty to Trump, placing even more Trump loyalists within positions of power in their party and attempting to oust anyone who voted for impeachment or talked about moving on from Trump
- Texas GOP literally uses a QAnon slogan ("we are the storm") as their own, while talking about secession
- House minority leader McCarthy went from condemning the attempted coup and dressing down Trump...to dressing down Lynne Cheney, and then flying down to Mar a Lago to beg Trump's forgiveness
- Impeachment conviction went from "looks like McConnell might come along and bring a few senators with him!" to 5 Senators, not including McConnell
- Matt Gaetz is now leading the House GOP effort to eliminate Cheney and actively campaigning against her in her own state
- Adam Kinzinger, who talked a brave game about rallying the GOP to fight against Trumpism, is now giving sad interviews to WaPo with quotes like "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead."

in short, the rioters might not have succeeded in undoing the Presidential election, but they made damn sure the GOP remains completely in thrall to Trump.

[TopHatter]

several weeks ago, a lot of media commentators were going on and on about how there was gonna be this impending civil war within the GOP led by Lynne Cheney against the Trumpists.

here's the state of play on that:

- Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon state GOP have essentially sworn undying loyalty to Trump, placing even more Trump loyalists within positions of power in their party
- Texas GOP literally uses a QAnon slogan ("we are the storm") as their own, while talking about secession
- House minority leader McCarthy went from condemning the attempted coup and dressing down Trump...to dressing down Lynne Cheney, and then flying down to Mar a Lago to beg Trump's forgiveness
- Impeachment conviction went from "looks like McConnell might come along and bring a few senators with him!" to 5 Senators (not even the six as originally predicted).
- Matt Gaetz is now leading the House GOP effort to eliminate Cheney and actively campaigning against her in her own state
- Adam Kinzinger, who talked a brave game about rallying the GOP to fight against Trumpism, is now giving sad interviews to WaPo with quotes like "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead."

in short, the rioters might not have succeeded in undoing the Presidential election, but they made damn sure the GOP remains completely in thrall to Trump.

If we didn't already have a mountain of evidence that support for Donald Trump is virtually identical to that of a cult like the People's Temple, then this just sealed it.

Not even having a mob of their fellow cultists literally screaming for their blood at their Chamber desks was enough to shake their faith in the cult leader.