The subtle, overlooked dangerous message in Donald Trump's latest tweet.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/810604216771284992

If my many supporters acted and threatened people like those who lost the election are doing, they would be scorned & called terrible names!

Let's put aside for a moment the "post-truth" dissembling that Trump's supporters have acted peacefully and responsibly throughout the campaign and since November 8th. They haven't.

Let's also put aside for the moment the implied notion that Trump's supporters constitute a majority of American voters. They don't.

Instead, let's focus on the fact that with just under a month until inauguration, Donald Trump is doing all that he can to pit an "us versus them" conflict between those who voted for him and those who didn't. That is dangerous and irrational behavior on a prospective incoming leader on all counts, but especially in an election as highly charged as this.

The time period between the election and inauguration traditionally has been one where the incoming President-elect calls out for unity and reconciliation of the electorate. If you watch some of President-Elect Obama's speeches leading up to his inauguration, they served as eloquent, high-minded call to the greatness of the country, and previewed his message of inclusivity in his inaugural address.

Even George W. Bush's address following the Supreme Court's decision to halt the recount spoke of coming together. (His words of course ultimately rang extremely hollow as we all would sadly figure out, but to his credit, he laid off the partisanship at that critical time.)

But the message in Trump's tweet and the notion behind his whole "Thank You (Victory) Tour" is insidious. "His" supporters are right, everyone else is wrong, and he's going to do all he can to rub it in our faces, even without a proper mandate.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. As if those calling for a closer look at this election

are not themselves being scorned and called terrible names.

[Binkie The Clown]

2. He hates everyone who didn't vote for him, and he will go right on hating. n/t

[PearliePoo2]

3. Yep, he's preparing his troops, getting them all lathered up.

He just has to say "when" and "who". Remember, he just called them vicious and mean, right? And they cheered and roared in agreement.

[smirkymonkey]

6. That's what I am afraid of.

The world is already a violent place, but I am afraid under Trump it's going to get a lot worse.

[lastlib]

13. and helmeted and ARMED.

The Nazification of the GOPee has begun. Australia is looking better and better every day to this American liberal Democrat.

[eShirl]

14. the power of suggestion

he is well-versed in its use

[mopinko]

4. and of course, there is the projection, as usual.

[GusBob]

5. What happens when (not if) something bad happens

something will go wrong, from a cop shooting to a natural disaster to a terrorist attack.

He hates over half of America. They in turn have a deep mistrust of him.

It will be handled poorly is without a doubt

The result will be a tragedy will be magnified by his ham-handed management.

some things ya just cant fix nor prevent with a tweet Trumpski

[elmac]

7. He will find some way to profit off it

I have no doubt.

[MrPurple]

26. a Katrina could shake some of his supporters, but terrorist attack will become a police state

It depends what kind of bad thing happens and when. A Katrina like event early on would be good, as it could help some of Trump's supporters see through him if things are mismanaged. Unfortunately, how much his supporters strayed would depend on whether the victims were black city dwellers.

If (really when) there's another terrorist incident, I fear that's when the real power grab would happen. It's not going to be a question of Trump mismanaging it, but of Bannon & company stoking people's hysteria and fears. The information coming from the White House about the nature of what happened will be as reliable as Breitbart/Info Wars, with the goal of manipulation and enhancing their power. Just look at the people Trump has appointed - how could you see it playing out any differently?

[unblock]

8. as has been noted before, trump's not nearly as different as people make him out to be.

he's merely more obvious than other republicans, including, as you point out, shrub.

[lastlib]

16. He is VASTLY more extreme than Reagan or GWB...

...at least from their public personas. They at least masked some of their racism and xenophobia in public--Trump brings it out in the open with pride and all his arrogance.

I think it is quite dangerous to minimize his extremism and his arrogant narcissism.

[unblock]

20. and i'd say it is quite dangerous to minimize the extremism of reagan and shrub

just because they were able to put a rhetorical fig leaf over it.


even more important, i don't want anyone ever to claim that donnie was an aberration. i'm tying that damn albatross around the republican party's neck. i'm not letting him ruin this country only to have another republican say vote for me, that guy was a one-off.

[Emilybemily]

9. Fuck trump to hell

He will destroy this country if not the world

[Coyotl]

10. If his many voters in 12 states had all voted twice, he's still be the loser!

[vlyons]

11. Divide and conquor is a key practice of Fascists and dictators of all stripes

Plus Trump has a very vindictive streak, as did most of the world's tyrants. E.G. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Robbespiere to name a but a few. Trump, like them, takes great pleasure in punishing his perceived enemies. But one day, he will conjour up a perceived enemy, only to find that he has grabbed a tiger by it's tail. The American people will eventually turn on Trump, and hopefully repudiate the GOP for generations to come. When we see people lose their jobs, lose healthcare, lose SSI, see sons and daughters marching off to a war with Iran, maybe that will be the tiger.

[MrPurple]

28. The sad thing is, all of us will be mauled by that tiger, not just Trump

[jaxind]

12. Can we...

Can we also address the fact that prior to the election, Trump was saying that the elections were rigged if he lost! He was actually riling up his base to cause a hell a lot of rioting had he lost! And, the type of rioting, from them, I am sure, would have been violent! Remember that sheriff who asked people to grab pitchforks??!!

[TrekLuver]

15. The only thing this guy brings together is is ass cheeks aka his mouth

[Cosmocat]

17. This is not the least bit subtle

It's a clear and direct call to action.

People would save themselves a lot of time and confusion if they would just reconcile themselves to the fact that the United States is clearly now transitioning to an authoritarian, fascist state.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. Next he'll brag that his side has guns.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. At root, tRump afraid of truth he lost popular vote & fears losing the electoral college

He is afraid there will be multiple backlashes against his policies, his cabinet, his way of doing things (idiotically).

So he is poisoning the water, rallying his deplorables, rousing his rabble. He is going to be mean and nasty and wants goons to intimidate the opposition.

Also ... it is part of his mindset that he can do no wrong and that all the badness is from his enemies. He is a bit bewildered why he has enemies that he hasn't shafted yet, but he knows he does.

[Cha]

21. trump's a little fucking scaremonger..

Boo with tiny hands.

[Martin Eden]

22. Donnie, you wanna actually do something to promote unity?

Nominate Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court.

[Ms. Toad]

23. Not exactly subtle. You don't do a victory tour

if it truly is "so important to me" to be a "president for all Americans."

A victory tour is not a uniting act - it is a rub your nose in it act.

[Loge23]

24. The lines have been drawn

It's right vs. left - not only in the US, but in many parts of the world as well.
This will be the defining clash of ideologies going forward. The scary truth here is that the right are the more prone to violence side.
trump will not tolerate dissent, I think that that point should be clear to any observer.
So the only thing separating us from chaos after January 20th is the left's willingness to stand up for what's left of American liberty and democracy (as slim as it is) and the willingness of the world to stand up against fascism.
...and down the stretch we go

[MrPurple]

29. the "victory tour" are fascist rallies

Last edited Tue Dec 20, 2016, 03:53 PM - Edit history (1)

In 230 years, what President elect has ever foregone preparing for office to tour the country with postelection rallies? Those are angry, booing, jeering crowds, fired up about their perceived enemies. This has never happened in American history. If you look for comparisons to other countries/eras for this, the examples are all very troubling.

There is ZERO attempt to acknowledge the 54% of Americans who didn't vote for him and that he is supposed to represent their concerns too, which every other President at least has paid lip service to.

There's a lot of people who aren't "deplorable" who don't seem to recognize this for what it is and I don't fully understand that.

[Loge23]

32. so true...

The worst thing is that this country normalizes this guy as a legitimate "leader".

[Wounded Bear]

25. Oh, he called out for "unity"...in a "be reasonable, do it my way" kind of vein...

I get your post and it's intent. We must be awake to the obvious manipulations he uses.

Before, he was an outsider, even to the RW tent. Now, he has the RW echo chamber on his side, coaching him on how to speak double plus good words. Nothing he says should be taken at face value, even more so than the average politician.

[Beartracks]

27. It's just sport for the GOP. They dont want to represent...

... all their constituents. They have no more regard or respect for their political rivals than Okies have for the Texas Longhorns. They just want to win, and have bragging rights. Football, however, is a stupid model on which to base a system of government.

Trump acts like he got a trophy. He didn't get a trophy. He got a JOB that he's woefully unprepared for and, from what I can see, not all that interested in.

=============

[lark]

30. This could actually play to our favor.

The more he gets out and takes credit for all the changes coming, the more even his inbred stupid moronic voters will thing he is personally responsible for their bad and worsening life. Bet Drumpf is too stupid to veto the Ryan bill and that will piss off his folks mightily, at least eventually. They are stupid enough to think that things won't change for those already on Medicare, but that will end in 4 years and then "his people" will be the ones hurt the most.

[Moliere]

31. Read this and be very afraid

This is just a step in the collapse of democracy

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/15/truth-lost-game-turkey-europe-america-facts-values?CMP=share_btn_tw