The "ballroom" which will never have a ball IF it isn't destroyed (shouldn't be hard since everything he builds is fake) should be his true library dedicated to every one of his lies, his thefts, his bribes and his other crimes ending with a picture of him in his padded fake gold cell.
I'd say turn the whole building into a museum of American History. It would include the full history of each President.(including DJT full history and Impeachments) DJT would serve as an example of what can go wrong in a Democracy.
Tim, I'm doing everything possible to get myself promoted from Hell inductee to Hell docent or tour guide. As an American adult in 2026, I know where we're all going. But I'm really, really hoping I get to be one of the people ushering Jordan et al to the penis flatteners.
The choice to rally around Trump is a choice in favor of moral impunity and routine dishonesty. It's a choice that drags people down to his level of ethics - and reveals an ethical poverty that must have preceded the choice.
I hope you are right. But so far no one has been held accountable for any of this, except perhaps a few people at the bottom, most of whom were pardoned. Maybe there will be justice in the hereafter.
The thing about Jordan and those guys is they cannot fathom a scenario where the system they've corrupted for their own purposes is turned against them. And I must admit that I've been radicalized to the point where I believe that needs to happen. Brutally.
Yes. Please. If it doesn't happen the lesson will never be learned. There has to be a reckoning to the point where anyone (demo or rep) will think twice about going down this path again. Sadly I don't think anyone in office now or to be in office by 2028 will have the fortitude to do it. It will be "let's move past this ugly time"...
Do you think that they will let Democrats win the election? He has said if the Democrats win, he will be impeached. That's not a concern, that's an order.
I don't believe in Hell, but I have come around a bit on capital punishment. A lifetime sentence in prison doesn't mean much if another fascist gets back in the White House in 4 years and pardons everybody. cf., Maxwell, Gislene and J6 insurrectionists.*
*Not saying they all deserve the death penalty, but a short prison stretch followed by a lucrative deal as a Fox pundit isn't much of a deterrent to the aspiring fascists and pedophiles out there.
Alas, the biggest liars among them will never be held accountable. Rather, they will have long careers after government service, as regular Fox News guest or on-air host or lobbyist or fellows at billionaire bros-funded think tanks. McLaughlin, Leavitt, Cheung will be the people Bessent had in mind when he said retirees have 5 or 6 homes.
The next Democratic-led Congress and the next Democratic POTUS should go after these people to make sure that doesn't happen. Make an example out of them.
Then those Democrats need to be voted out of office. There should be no "let bygones be bygones" after everything that happened. There needs to be accountability.
This generation of Ds, maybe. However FDR and Truman were Ds when Nuremburg was held. And, yes, I am intentionally making the comparison that some fellow Bulwarkians think is a bridge too far.
Compiling lists of Jews.
Rounding up people who look different and sending them to torture camps because ICE wants to, no real reason needed.
Attacking a soveign state, capturing its leader with 50-100 deaths resulting.
Demanding to change national boundries, just because "I need it for security, and there is no one else to defend it", among other salacious lies.
Do you really need gas chambers? I bet if you ask, the Felon or at least Stephen Miller would not disclaim it out of hand.
$20K for a CI that Smith had nothing to do with, but explained how the process typically works. How many times did Jordan bring it up? For the same effect.
I am hopeful that I am not the only one who wishes that the President will continue his social media diatribes as much and as often as he likes. Every time he does so is an acute reminder not only of how unhinged he is, but also of how little attention he actually is paying to anyone other than himself. Assuming that we have normal elections this fall, it can only undermine further his standing with the non-cultists who evaluate things very differently, based on their own daily reality.
Each time he posts, he reminds us of who and what he is. Like a heavy drinker who has to vomit in order to clean out the system, we collectively need to purge ourselves of those people on the ballot who both enable him and make excuses for his words and actions. It is nice to have that daily reminder that we all have a duty to perform next November. I for one have the date circled on my calendar and like the thought that others are so eager to do their increasingly necessary civic duty.
I’m convinced that Trump’s daily COVID press briefings are the main reason he lost the 2020 election in the first place. The pandemic forced all the out-of-touch voters to tune in and see what the President had to say about the situation. And everybody saw the truth: That the President of the United States was mean-spirited, stupid, and selfish.
I hope he gives two or three marathon press conferences every day, lethal-weapon binder clips and everything..
I hope you are correct, though their use of the social security data proves they are trying to prevent free and fair elections. It isn’t a question of whether they will try, just how successful will they be. The one mitigating factor is the diffuse nature and state control of the election process. I think we should all appreciate what straits we would be in if the federal government controlled the process.
"Trump told the New York Post he wasn’t offended by Wiles’s comment that he has an “alcoholic’s personality”: “I’ve said that many times about myself . . . possessive and addictive type personality.”
I find it incomprehensible that anyone, even MAGAs, find Trump’s toilet musings anything but alarming. If a teenager wrote that stuff, the school counselor might be working with the family to find residential treatment placement.
Does MAGA even follow his Truth Social rants? My gut feeling is they get a somewhat sanitized version from FOX news or the like rather than being a dog and eating the vomit at the source.
That would be an excellent investigation for a journalist. I’ve speculated that Truth Social is probably followed by journalists more than anyone else.
I don't disagree, but I wish the stench of his word vomit wasn't so powerful. It's going to take some industrial-strength voting and activism to clean things up.
First, I want to say that I look forward to Deutschmeister's posts. Always thoughtful, well written, and full of good info and suggestions. He is one of the commenters I think of when I tell my friends and relations that the Bulwark Comments section is a place where I sometimes learn as much as I do from the articles, and that's saying a lot.
Second, regarding doing one's "necessary civic duty": I was having one of my regular current events chats yesterday with my hair stylist while she was working on my hair. We have these convos every six weeks and she is as intelligent and well-informed, often more so, than my college-educated friends and relations. She was relating how one of her college-educated clients ( a very intelligent and principled person I happen to know) was telling her that she has stopped reading or listening to news about what's going on because it's better for her mental health. My hair stylist and I agreed that part of one's civic duty is to stay informed about the news, as horrific and anxiety-inducing as it is. And sometimes we get some more positive news, like the Canadian PM's inspirational speech at Davos.
"Assuming that we have normal elections this fall, it can only undermine further his standing with the non-cultists who evaluate things very differently, based on their own daily reality."
This is true. But we are unlikely to have a 'normal' election, or a normal anything following an election. Anti-Trumpers say 'there is no bottom', and then show they really think there must be a bottom. 'These Republicans will come to their senses'... if they drop enough in opinion polls, if they lose enough votes, if something something something.
No, they were right to begin with. There is no bottom. None. It's fascism: horror on the back of horror all the way down.
"You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, a little off the front lines." For some reason, this line bothers me more than anything else he has said lately. To not only lie about our allies helping us, but to lie and say their soldiers were chickens**t is simply beyond the pale. To mock and besmirch the people who died or were injured fighting with our military takes a special kind of mindless cruelty. Yes, it is of a piece with his comments about "suckers and losers" and his mocking of John McCain. But to take it to the point that he is lying about and mocking our allies' war dead and injured is.... ugh, I'm speechless. Why does no one call him out right there on the spot?
Wow. This is the first I’ve encountered this. I wonder how Trump is polling with veterans these days. Probably no pollster is brave enough to take a look. It was always incomprehensible to me that the military veered towards Trump. The scales fell from my eyes.
You are correct he should be called out on it, but it is also projection. Trump famously got a deferment for his *bone spurs*, but even if he had served in the military does any believe he would have been at the front lines or a little bit back. He is not someone who would ever have responded when called upon to help others in a time of need.
Trump has the gift, not an enviable one, of making Americans feel angry and ashamed at the same time. The statement that bothers you--us!--is a particularly egregious example.
I'm sorry, but the lie I heard yesterday that I most want addressed was the one I heard that caused me to stop listening: That Cassidy Hutchinson was a liar. I'm not saying that this is the one that has the greatest effect on the future of the Republic (although maybe a case could be made) but it's not like anyone is going to change their minds about any of the other ones, so why not.
This young woman was "one of theirs" and had the courage to come public--very public--with what she saw and heard. Clearly, the Republican party feel it's important to discredit her, and believe the whole Trump lurching at the wheel thing is the best way to do it. But my recollection of her testimony was that this is what she was told about that, not that it is what she saw herself.
Discrediting her has a second purpose I think, which is to proactively silence anyone else who every considers doing the same. More than Schiff, Comey, Garland, Smith or anyone else who found themselves here because they *are* in the arena, I think a real effort needs to be made to protect Cassidy Hutchinson.
I read her memoir, and she suffered greatly. Luckily she had benefactors who helped arrange the personal security she needed. What a country. So similar to “sh*t hole” countries.
Especially after reading her book, I have no doubt she was truthful and the situation really was hurtful to her sense of patriotism. I give her a ton of credit.
The only people to honor their oath of office are a handful of people like her and of course the brave policemen on January 6. The rest of the GOP are traitors to the Constitution.
The Democrats put Cassidy Hutchinson before the public on prime time. She breathlessly recounted what Jack Smith yesterday said was “second-hand or even third hand information.” She wasn’t near Trump’s limo. The two secret service people who were in the limo deny the story she gave the public ever happened. If she is a target now, it’s because she was a hapless pawn of the Democrats on the January 6 Committee, who wanted her misinformation out before the public on prime time tv.
Have you ever thought that the two secret service agents had reasons to lie after the fact? Have you read Cassidy Hutchinson’s book? In the days before she made contact with Liz Cheney, Trump had already pursued her aggressively with his own attorneys to make sure she would be compliant. No doubt these guys were also already “under the protection” of these paid-for MAGA attorneys. She was incredibly courageous when few others were. And where is she now? What did she gain? She was no pawn of anyone- that’s why you know her name.
It's odd to accuse someone of promoting "conspiracy theories" (against Trump-world) while you're claiming that Democrats deliberately pushed "misinformation" out into the public, in sworn testimony.
Hutchinson spoke under oath about what she knew and what she heard. The two Secret Service agents were not under oath when they made their denials. Why is it implausible that they had reasons to lie? Such as fear of getting on the wrong side of MAGA fanatics with a demonstrated proclivity for violence; or an expectation that loyalty to Trump was more likely to benefit them.
Hutchinson said that the attorney provided by Trump-world instructed her to say she didn't recall things she actually did remember, and told her not to consult her calendar of events to refresh or confirm her recollection. It is entirely rational to assume that everyone with Trump-world attorneys got the same message. It's irrational to think they did not.
She demonstrated maturity and independence of moral judgment by rejecting the Trump-world attorney - and thus putting herself in a riskier situation. It is grossly cynical to characterize her as a mere "pawn" - or worse, as someone who anticipated becoming a celebrity and a millionaire through testimony unfavorable to Trump.
Did everyone who testified against Trump become instant celebrities and millionaires? Was it a reasonable for them to expect they would? It strikes me as highly implausible that they had such expectations.
I see your comment as an example of the asymmetry that exists now. Dissect every statement and split the finest hairs on one hand while overlooking obvious lies and gaping holes on the other.
Not hardly, which is your point. She had a lot of guts to do what she did, a lot more than guys like Patsy Baloney and the rest of them.
It is truly unfortunate that those Secret Service guys didn't have the spine to speak up. They did very much leave her out to dry. And Smith has been very clear that her testimony was second-hand, which meant he didn't use it. Her testimony was a lead, a chance to interview others, which I guess they did ... and those "others" either lied or said they didn't remember. I don't think any of them ever said it didn't happen.
I'm reading this as more of a dig at Democrats rather than Ms. Hutchinson. I hope so.
If the latter I'd ask if you think she was lying when she said she was told that story. And then if not, why anyone would have said it if it wasn't true. What I'm getting at is I still wonder if it's really Ms. Hutchinson who they need to discredit or that story. And if it's the story itself, it makes me wonder why it's so important to them to work so hard to discredit it. We all know now that whatever any of the stories were, they weren't enough to keep his voters from electing him again.
If it's a dig at Democrats, by the way, that doesn't get much purchase from me either. Not saying they did or do everything perfectly. Just that they are the Fire Department we have and have and I prefer to focus on the fire and not those doing their best to put it out.
He implied that Hutchinson put forward "misinformation" because it would make her a celebrity and a millionaire, while the SS guys nobly passed up the opportunity.
He also called her a "pawn" - rather than a young woman who was placed in a challenging situation, and who made decisions from moral integrity instead of choosing the easier route in which a Trump-world attorney instructed her to lie.
The timing for AI to be blossoming right now is very unfortunate to say the least. We already have a population disengaged from reality. I guess “reality TV” created fertile ground, in advance.
To me there is absolute linkage, such that we cannot say one thing without the other: DHS and ICE are both dangerous and incompetent, full stop. ICE agents show their lack of adequate training and experience on an ongoing basis, with little to no sense of restraint or compassion that are hallmarks of good policing. Bovino is a particularly pathetic sight to see, a career Nobody who is desperate to be a Somebody, no matter what it takes to do so. The lack of linkage with state and local law enforcement can be chalked up to basic cause and effect -- it is impossible to help federal forces when they roll into town and tell you that they are taking over and you have no place in the investigations and enforcements other than to stand aside and do as told.
This whole thing would be an amazingly entertaining clown show if the consequences were not so severe, including the fact that each of their probing raids, to see how much they can get away with, may well roll over on the rest of us in the next year or two, against even American citizens who speak critically against the regime. It has happened elsewhere before. It can happen here too. As we increasingly see, as a nation, we are not exceptional.
More damning than that, the people at the heads of those agencies do not care about anything but a head count and flashy, aggressive video to use to titillate people who are turned on by such things as seeing people thrown to the ground and sprayed with pepper spray directly in the face, or people rappelling out of helicopters in the middle of the night. The law? Ha, it's an excuse to rough up people and carry out their fantasy of being tough and strong.
"I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain."
R electeds continuing to double down on their dishonor. Take note. And remember.
“It’s a Keystone Cops operation—but as Renee Good’s death attests, that hasn’t made it any less dangerous.”
Keystone Cops: indeed!
That said, my real fear is that the competent people behind this depraved movement are masters in Chaos Theory!
Moreover, from my vantage point; even during their worst moments of outright stupidity and incompetence, they still manage to achieve their aims: destroying this nation one depraved spectacle at a time! IMHO…:)
ICE did not exist for the first 225 years of our history as a nation. I think that we can get by without it. Other Americans who were born south or north of our borders are not the real problems. If you were born in the western hemisphere, you are an American. The real problem is the cabal of folks who label themselves as evangelical Christians who are in reality white nationalists. They want to fight the civil war again because they feel cheated by the first result.
When Trump was elected in '24, the Old South finally won the Civil War. They are now on defense, no longer offense - and, in war, it's always easier to defend than to uproot. Too many of our neighbors just want to be left alone and don't care. Especially those who do not personally know any minority group members.
Why? Did they think it wrong that a black man lived in the WH? I have actually heard them say that the only black men who belong in the WH are the ones who serve dinner to the president or the ones who clean the building.
I agree with Al Keim. I think that when a black man was elected president and his black wife and daughters went to live in the White House, it was the spark that lit the current firestorm of white nationalism. Even racists who were usually pretty uninterested about politics could not ignore that (to them) outrageous sight.
"The White House also tweeted out an AI-altered picture of her, changing her stoic expression to make her appear to be sobbing."
They also darkened her skin to make her look Blacker. I'm not sure why you've omitted that from the reporting. Please don't take my word for it. Go look at the photos.
I'm really getting worried about how race relations never get mentioned in public anymore except by MAGA spitting out fake crime rates. Trump is purging Black people from public service and historic Black achievements from the public record. Will anybody talk about it? It's so embarrassing. Should I be subscribing to a newspaper published by a person of color to find out what's going on, since we have a news blackout on race relations here and elsewhere?
The main goal of Trump and his nefarious Project 2025 is to create a privileged oligarchy that controls the power, money, and resources of the Western Hemisphere. Since no one would vote for that, they needed racism and xenophobia to attract enough of a loyal following. It wasn't difficult for them.. Trump has always been afraid of minorities and women. He is also very afraid of competent people. He learned from his first administration that anyone with knowledge or skills quickly realizes that Trump is a con and a phony. This time, Trump has surrounded himself with people who are bigger fools than he is, but just as mean.
ICE and the “dept. of homeland security “ need to be abolished. These gestapo units have given the government that is SUPPOSED to serve the American people carte blanche to terrorize and exert power over all of us.
“Despite our best efforts to correct the record and engage directly with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, they continue to publicly repeat information that is inaccurate and misleading,” Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said in a press conference yesterday. -- Public statements from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2026 are not intended to be accurate of truthful, they are tools used to advance the current leadership's goals and impede their opponents.
I tried watching / listening to Jack Smith yesterday. I had to turn it off as the Republicans were causing me to be too angry to work. It is demoralizing to know they do not care not one bit about America. About the people who live here. They are defending a vulgarian with no shame.
Same here. The utter shamelessness of their constant lying is literally nauseating to me. How these people live with themselves is beyond my comprehension. Many thanks to the Bulwark staff who watch and analyze so we don't have to! They should get hazard pay.
Omg!! The attack on Jack Smith was ridiculous. They did not even let him answer. He will be remembered as a hero. I gave so much respect for Mr Smith! These thugs are just like the MAFIA! They are hyped up bullies who are going to get their way by whatever means necessary. They are constantly lying because they are making up the back story as they go, just like the story you had to tell your parents when teenage you were late getting home!! It’s all BS! Come on America, wake up!! What I don’t understand is how can there be SO MANY people who fell for Trumps lies?! They are willing to go to any ends to serve him. What does he have over them? I pray to God to save us, because it feels like a very dangerous place right now.
I thought Smith and the Democrats did a good job yesterday. I don't think the Republicans got what they wanted out of it, especially if Trump's angry social media live-tweeting is any indication.
I think they got their sound bites for Fox News. I watched MSNOW's special coverage last night, and nearly all of Bill's quotes from Republicans were new to me. So, I have no doubt that Fox News watchers saw none of the points Democrats made.
There will come a day when the names of Jim Jordan and his GOP colleagues are only spoken in Hell.
I hope construction has begun on a larger Hell, because the space will be needed to accommodate these monsters.
The Tenth Circle, now breaking ground on the Hell Trump Tower and Casino.
Saddest, smallest casino and hotel that has loser etched on the facade.
A confinement center could be built under the new ballroom. A sort of reverse Bastille.
The "ballroom" which will never have a ball IF it isn't destroyed (shouldn't be hard since everything he builds is fake) should be his true library dedicated to every one of his lies, his thefts, his bribes and his other crimes ending with a picture of him in his padded fake gold cell.
I'd say turn the whole building into a museum of American History. It would include the full history of each President.(including DJT full history and Impeachments) DJT would serve as an example of what can go wrong in a Democracy.
It will be our monument to the time we threw off a dictatorial, fascist regime. We can call it "Resilience Hall".
I think his would take up the whole building. Every day brings a new horror.
No matter how big, there won't be enough space for what you list there, Eva.
A Great Big Beautiful Trump Administration Wing, paid for by billionaires doing time in purgatory.
Tim, I'm doing everything possible to get myself promoted from Hell inductee to Hell docent or tour guide. As an American adult in 2026, I know where we're all going. But I'm really, really hoping I get to be one of the people ushering Jordan et al to the penis flatteners.
Your last sentence - too late. Not even the quantum realm can find them. (See Ant-man.)
Hey, St. Peter
Before you ring your bell
Just been down in DeeCee town
Done my time in hell
Done my time in hell
(Apologies to Flash and the Pan)
When do tickets go on sale?
Ha, you may have found your future calling in Hell. Although I sincerely hope not to see you there!
Consider that they all know this and don't care.
My Mother-In-Law said today about someone we know that they "must know better." I said the same. They do, and they don't care.
The choice to rally around Trump is a choice in favor of moral impunity and routine dishonesty. It's a choice that drags people down to his level of ethics - and reveals an ethical poverty that must have preceded the choice.
They don't care yet because the sweet narcotic of power has dulled their senses. What comes around goes around.
I hope you are right. But so far no one has been held accountable for any of this, except perhaps a few people at the bottom, most of whom were pardoned. Maybe there will be justice in the hereafter.
The thing about Jordan and those guys is they cannot fathom a scenario where the system they've corrupted for their own purposes is turned against them. And I must admit that I've been radicalized to the point where I believe that needs to happen. Brutally.
Yes. Please. If it doesn't happen the lesson will never be learned. There has to be a reckoning to the point where anyone (demo or rep) will think twice about going down this path again. Sadly I don't think anyone in office now or to be in office by 2028 will have the fortitude to do it. It will be "let's move past this ugly time"...
Do you think that they will let Democrats win the election? He has said if the Democrats win, he will be impeached. That's not a concern, that's an order.
I worry about his people fixing the election in some form but I have to assume for now we will have a fair(ish) election
When you say "assume"....
But since the precedent has already been set, it won't make any difference if the next administration plays nicely the way things used to be.
That depends on the rest of us.
And whether a 21st Century Nuremburg lookalike is convened. Actually, I think that Mirage a Loco would be a fitting location....
It does seem as though the sweet by and by will be the only place for Uncle Sam to get justice.
Tim, that day can't get here quick enough.
I don't believe in Hell, but I have come around a bit on capital punishment. A lifetime sentence in prison doesn't mean much if another fascist gets back in the White House in 4 years and pardons everybody. cf., Maxwell, Gislene and J6 insurrectionists.*
*Not saying they all deserve the death penalty, but a short prison stretch followed by a lucrative deal as a Fox pundit isn't much of a deterrent to the aspiring fascists and pedophiles out there.
Our job is to make sure it doesn't happen again.
His family has probably already arrived at that analogous place. Or have been living there forever.
Gym Jordan, Making Ohio Proud every day!!!! :)
Ohio deserves what it gets. Between Jordan and JD Vance, they've chosen decline.
Just think, Ohio may elect Vivik Ramaswami their next Governor. Seriously!
From your keyboard to God's AirPods.
"Hey, I've got a Jordan* on my ass... ."
* The physical affliction formerly known as a boil.
Alas, the biggest liars among them will never be held accountable. Rather, they will have long careers after government service, as regular Fox News guest or on-air host or lobbyist or fellows at billionaire bros-funded think tanks. McLaughlin, Leavitt, Cheung will be the people Bessent had in mind when he said retirees have 5 or 6 homes.
The next Democratic-led Congress and the next Democratic POTUS should go after these people to make sure that doesn't happen. Make an example out of them.
Nice dream. Either there will never be a Democrat majority, or as typical with Democrats, they will be lenient and let bygones be bygones.
Then those Democrats need to be voted out of office. There should be no "let bygones be bygones" after everything that happened. There needs to be accountability.
Can we count on free and fair elections going forward?
We can only count on ourselves to see to it that they happen, rlritt.
This generation of Ds, maybe. However FDR and Truman were Ds when Nuremburg was held. And, yes, I am intentionally making the comparison that some fellow Bulwarkians think is a bridge too far.
Compiling lists of Jews.
Rounding up people who look different and sending them to torture camps because ICE wants to, no real reason needed.
Attacking a soveign state, capturing its leader with 50-100 deaths resulting.
Demanding to change national boundries, just because "I need it for security, and there is no one else to defend it", among other salacious lies.
Do you really need gas chambers? I bet if you ask, the Felon or at least Stephen Miller would not disclaim it out of hand.
Not soon enough.
Portal currently under construction, East side of White House
Which would be ironic since they're doing it for Jesus.
I know, right? How many moral atrocities have been performed in the name of one's God.
I guess maybe not all…
$20K for a CI that Smith had nothing to do with, but explained how the process typically works. How many times did Jordan bring it up? For the same effect.
Jordan is a serial liar, weapons grade moron, and a pedophile apologist.
I would say "protector" instead of "apologist" because he refused to report a person sexually abusing the wrestlers he was training.
That's fair. And accurate.
I am hopeful that I am not the only one who wishes that the President will continue his social media diatribes as much and as often as he likes. Every time he does so is an acute reminder not only of how unhinged he is, but also of how little attention he actually is paying to anyone other than himself. Assuming that we have normal elections this fall, it can only undermine further his standing with the non-cultists who evaluate things very differently, based on their own daily reality.
Each time he posts, he reminds us of who and what he is. Like a heavy drinker who has to vomit in order to clean out the system, we collectively need to purge ourselves of those people on the ballot who both enable him and make excuses for his words and actions. It is nice to have that daily reminder that we all have a duty to perform next November. I for one have the date circled on my calendar and like the thought that others are so eager to do their increasingly necessary civic duty.
I’m convinced that Trump’s daily COVID press briefings are the main reason he lost the 2020 election in the first place. The pandemic forced all the out-of-touch voters to tune in and see what the President had to say about the situation. And everybody saw the truth: That the President of the United States was mean-spirited, stupid, and selfish.
I hope he gives two or three marathon press conferences every day, lethal-weapon binder clips and everything..
It'll come to that. Suzie Wiles plans to have him out campaigning this year.
Good. The more people get a bracing shot of 100-proof Trump-weave, the more his numbers will decline.
Even the most devout Trump supporters don’t imbibe him uncut. They get the watered-down version from their favorite propaganda outlets.
Then he can have his massive stroke in public.
I hope you are correct, though their use of the social security data proves they are trying to prevent free and fair elections. It isn’t a question of whether they will try, just how successful will they be. The one mitigating factor is the diffuse nature and state control of the election process. I think we should all appreciate what straits we would be in if the federal government controlled the process.
Heavy drinker....
"Trump told the New York Post he wasn’t offended by Wiles’s comment that he has an “alcoholic’s personality”: “I’ve said that many times about myself . . . possessive and addictive type personality.”
Trump's Leadership qualities.
Concise analysis. Fact check. True.
"alcoholic personality"
Insecure.
Sensitive.
Impulsive.
Impatient.
Secretive.
Defensive.
Manipulative.
Easily aggravated.
Impulsivity
Sensation-seeking
Poor emotional control
Seeks instant gratification
Compulsive
Difficulty stopping behaviors
Hiding actions
Poor coping skills
I find it incomprehensible that anyone, even MAGAs, find Trump’s toilet musings anything but alarming. If a teenager wrote that stuff, the school counselor might be working with the family to find residential treatment placement.
Does MAGA even follow his Truth Social rants? My gut feeling is they get a somewhat sanitized version from FOX news or the like rather than being a dog and eating the vomit at the source.
That would be an excellent investigation for a journalist. I’ve speculated that Truth Social is probably followed by journalists more than anyone else.
I don't disagree, but I wish the stench of his word vomit wasn't so powerful. It's going to take some industrial-strength voting and activism to clean things up.
Yes, his transparency gives us a clear view of his derangement.
It also demonstrates that his more educated defenders aren't just comfortable with flagrant amorality, but also with blazing imbecility.
First, I want to say that I look forward to Deutschmeister's posts. Always thoughtful, well written, and full of good info and suggestions. He is one of the commenters I think of when I tell my friends and relations that the Bulwark Comments section is a place where I sometimes learn as much as I do from the articles, and that's saying a lot.
Second, regarding doing one's "necessary civic duty": I was having one of my regular current events chats yesterday with my hair stylist while she was working on my hair. We have these convos every six weeks and she is as intelligent and well-informed, often more so, than my college-educated friends and relations. She was relating how one of her college-educated clients ( a very intelligent and principled person I happen to know) was telling her that she has stopped reading or listening to news about what's going on because it's better for her mental health. My hair stylist and I agreed that part of one's civic duty is to stay informed about the news, as horrific and anxiety-inducing as it is. And sometimes we get some more positive news, like the Canadian PM's inspirational speech at Davos.
"Assuming that we have normal elections this fall, it can only undermine further his standing with the non-cultists who evaluate things very differently, based on their own daily reality."
This is true. But we are unlikely to have a 'normal' election, or a normal anything following an election. Anti-Trumpers say 'there is no bottom', and then show they really think there must be a bottom. 'These Republicans will come to their senses'... if they drop enough in opinion polls, if they lose enough votes, if something something something.
No, they were right to begin with. There is no bottom. None. It's fascism: horror on the back of horror all the way down.
"You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, a little off the front lines." For some reason, this line bothers me more than anything else he has said lately. To not only lie about our allies helping us, but to lie and say their soldiers were chickens**t is simply beyond the pale. To mock and besmirch the people who died or were injured fighting with our military takes a special kind of mindless cruelty. Yes, it is of a piece with his comments about "suckers and losers" and his mocking of John McCain. But to take it to the point that he is lying about and mocking our allies' war dead and injured is.... ugh, I'm speechless. Why does no one call him out right there on the spot?
And coming from an American president who denigrated McCain's service while limping around on bone spurs. Lord deliver USA from evil.
Too bad about the bone spurs, he would have been a great solder, given his incredible healing powers he displayed after being "shot" in the ear!
Wow. This is the first I’ve encountered this. I wonder how Trump is polling with veterans these days. Probably no pollster is brave enough to take a look. It was always incomprehensible to me that the military veered towards Trump. The scales fell from my eyes.
You are correct he should be called out on it, but it is also projection. Trump famously got a deferment for his *bone spurs*, but even if he had served in the military does any believe he would have been at the front lines or a little bit back. He is not someone who would ever have responded when called upon to help others in a time of need.
Says Trump the cowardly draft dodger.
Trump has the gift, not an enviable one, of making Americans feel angry and ashamed at the same time. The statement that bothers you--us!--is a particularly egregious example.
I'm sorry, but the lie I heard yesterday that I most want addressed was the one I heard that caused me to stop listening: That Cassidy Hutchinson was a liar. I'm not saying that this is the one that has the greatest effect on the future of the Republic (although maybe a case could be made) but it's not like anyone is going to change their minds about any of the other ones, so why not.
This young woman was "one of theirs" and had the courage to come public--very public--with what she saw and heard. Clearly, the Republican party feel it's important to discredit her, and believe the whole Trump lurching at the wheel thing is the best way to do it. But my recollection of her testimony was that this is what she was told about that, not that it is what she saw herself.
Discrediting her has a second purpose I think, which is to proactively silence anyone else who every considers doing the same. More than Schiff, Comey, Garland, Smith or anyone else who found themselves here because they *are* in the arena, I think a real effort needs to be made to protect Cassidy Hutchinson.
I read her memoir, and she suffered greatly. Luckily she had benefactors who helped arrange the personal security she needed. What a country. So similar to “sh*t hole” countries.
Especially after reading her book, I have no doubt she was truthful and the situation really was hurtful to her sense of patriotism. I give her a ton of credit.
The only people to honor their oath of office are a handful of people like her and of course the brave policemen on January 6. The rest of the GOP are traitors to the Constitution.
The Democrats put Cassidy Hutchinson before the public on prime time. She breathlessly recounted what Jack Smith yesterday said was “second-hand or even third hand information.” She wasn’t near Trump’s limo. The two secret service people who were in the limo deny the story she gave the public ever happened. If she is a target now, it’s because she was a hapless pawn of the Democrats on the January 6 Committee, who wanted her misinformation out before the public on prime time tv.
Have you ever thought that the two secret service agents had reasons to lie after the fact? Have you read Cassidy Hutchinson’s book? In the days before she made contact with Liz Cheney, Trump had already pursued her aggressively with his own attorneys to make sure she would be compliant. No doubt these guys were also already “under the protection” of these paid-for MAGA attorneys. She was incredibly courageous when few others were. And where is she now? What did she gain? She was no pawn of anyone- that’s why you know her name.
Conspiracy theories from you. Have you ever thought that maybe they were telling the simple truth?
In the atmosphere of the Jan 6 committee, backing up Hutchinson would have made both of them celebrities and millionaires. They DID NOT.
It's odd to accuse someone of promoting "conspiracy theories" (against Trump-world) while you're claiming that Democrats deliberately pushed "misinformation" out into the public, in sworn testimony.
Hutchinson spoke under oath about what she knew and what she heard. The two Secret Service agents were not under oath when they made their denials. Why is it implausible that they had reasons to lie? Such as fear of getting on the wrong side of MAGA fanatics with a demonstrated proclivity for violence; or an expectation that loyalty to Trump was more likely to benefit them.
Hutchinson said that the attorney provided by Trump-world instructed her to say she didn't recall things she actually did remember, and told her not to consult her calendar of events to refresh or confirm her recollection. It is entirely rational to assume that everyone with Trump-world attorneys got the same message. It's irrational to think they did not.
She demonstrated maturity and independence of moral judgment by rejecting the Trump-world attorney - and thus putting herself in a riskier situation. It is grossly cynical to characterize her as a mere "pawn" - or worse, as someone who anticipated becoming a celebrity and a millionaire through testimony unfavorable to Trump.
Did everyone who testified against Trump become instant celebrities and millionaires? Was it a reasonable for them to expect they would? It strikes me as highly implausible that they had such expectations.
Art, Ms. Hutchison testified at the time that she was told about the limo incident by others. Swing and a miss on that professor.
I see your comment as an example of the asymmetry that exists now. Dissect every statement and split the finest hairs on one hand while overlooking obvious lies and gaping holes on the other.
Breathlessly?
Not hardly, which is your point. She had a lot of guts to do what she did, a lot more than guys like Patsy Baloney and the rest of them.
It is truly unfortunate that those Secret Service guys didn't have the spine to speak up. They did very much leave her out to dry. And Smith has been very clear that her testimony was second-hand, which meant he didn't use it. Her testimony was a lead, a chance to interview others, which I guess they did ... and those "others" either lied or said they didn't remember. I don't think any of them ever said it didn't happen.
I'm reading this as more of a dig at Democrats rather than Ms. Hutchinson. I hope so.
If the latter I'd ask if you think she was lying when she said she was told that story. And then if not, why anyone would have said it if it wasn't true. What I'm getting at is I still wonder if it's really Ms. Hutchinson who they need to discredit or that story. And if it's the story itself, it makes me wonder why it's so important to them to work so hard to discredit it. We all know now that whatever any of the stories were, they weren't enough to keep his voters from electing him again.
If it's a dig at Democrats, by the way, that doesn't get much purchase from me either. Not saying they did or do everything perfectly. Just that they are the Fire Department we have and have and I prefer to focus on the fire and not those doing their best to put it out.
He implied that Hutchinson put forward "misinformation" because it would make her a celebrity and a millionaire, while the SS guys nobly passed up the opportunity.
He also called her a "pawn" - rather than a young woman who was placed in a challenging situation, and who made decisions from moral integrity instead of choosing the easier route in which a Trump-world attorney instructed her to lie.
The Democrats gave prime time to someone who had no credible information—as Jack Smith ADMITTED yesterday!
Where can I get that doormat?!?
The image the person posted is from Etsy!
I just typed "come back" into the Etsy search window, and it auto-filled "...with a warrant welcome mat".
Thanks! Just ordered it!
Can you post a link? I'm having a hard time finding the one in the Tweet.
I just went to etsy.com and typed in the first few words on the doormat - and poof! There it was.
I’d like a door mat with “The Castle Doctrine”.
"In this house we stand our ground"
For a moment, I thought by "doormat" you meant "The Democratic Party".
"The White House also tweeted out an AI-altered picture of her, changing her stoic expression to make her appear to be sobbing."
If you ever doubted that the cruelty is the point . . . .
I'm waiting for the day when Katie Miller's face is digitally altered when she's arrested. After all, what goes around comes around.
Would they have to alter it all that much? Evil finds its expression in that vessel.
I guess you can drink AI liberal tears now if you don’t have the real thing. MAGA is probably not sophisticated enough to know the difference.
The timing for AI to be blossoming right now is very unfortunate to say the least. We already have a population disengaged from reality. I guess “reality TV” created fertile ground, in advance.
MAGA can't spell sophisticated, let alone be sophisticated.
MAGA thinks "innuendo" is Italian suppository!
MAGA thinks sophisticated is spelled Mar-a-Lago.
They darkened her skin. As we all knew they would.
To me there is absolute linkage, such that we cannot say one thing without the other: DHS and ICE are both dangerous and incompetent, full stop. ICE agents show their lack of adequate training and experience on an ongoing basis, with little to no sense of restraint or compassion that are hallmarks of good policing. Bovino is a particularly pathetic sight to see, a career Nobody who is desperate to be a Somebody, no matter what it takes to do so. The lack of linkage with state and local law enforcement can be chalked up to basic cause and effect -- it is impossible to help federal forces when they roll into town and tell you that they are taking over and you have no place in the investigations and enforcements other than to stand aside and do as told.
This whole thing would be an amazingly entertaining clown show if the consequences were not so severe, including the fact that each of their probing raids, to see how much they can get away with, may well roll over on the rest of us in the next year or two, against even American citizens who speak critically against the regime. It has happened elsewhere before. It can happen here too. As we increasingly see, as a nation, we are not exceptional.
They are the clowns with flamethrowers.
Bovino is reliving the dream of cowardly being the Squadrist he never could (without the risks involved in being one in the 30s).
What a shame he's inflicting on American Italian heritage! Makes me cringe.
We are “exceptionally” stupid. There is that.
More damning than that, the people at the heads of those agencies do not care about anything but a head count and flashy, aggressive video to use to titillate people who are turned on by such things as seeing people thrown to the ground and sprayed with pepper spray directly in the face, or people rappelling out of helicopters in the middle of the night. The law? Ha, it's an excuse to rough up people and carry out their fantasy of being tough and strong.
"I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain."
R electeds continuing to double down on their dishonor. Take note. And remember.
“It’s a Keystone Cops operation—but as Renee Good’s death attests, that hasn’t made it any less dangerous.”
Keystone Cops: indeed!
That said, my real fear is that the competent people behind this depraved movement are masters in Chaos Theory!
Moreover, from my vantage point; even during their worst moments of outright stupidity and incompetence, they still manage to achieve their aims: destroying this nation one depraved spectacle at a time! IMHO…:)
ICE did not exist for the first 225 years of our history as a nation. I think that we can get by without it. Other Americans who were born south or north of our borders are not the real problems. If you were born in the western hemisphere, you are an American. The real problem is the cabal of folks who label themselves as evangelical Christians who are in reality white nationalists. They want to fight the civil war again because they feel cheated by the first result.
When Trump was elected in '24, the Old South finally won the Civil War. They are now on defense, no longer offense - and, in war, it's always easier to defend than to uproot. Too many of our neighbors just want to be left alone and don't care. Especially those who do not personally know any minority group members.
Barak Obama lit their fire Gina.
Why? Did they think it wrong that a black man lived in the WH? I have actually heard them say that the only black men who belong in the WH are the ones who serve dinner to the president or the ones who clean the building.
I agree with Al Keim. I think that when a black man was elected president and his black wife and daughters went to live in the White House, it was the spark that lit the current firestorm of white nationalism. Even racists who were usually pretty uninterested about politics could not ignore that (to them) outrageous sight.
"The White House also tweeted out an AI-altered picture of her, changing her stoic expression to make her appear to be sobbing."
They also darkened her skin to make her look Blacker. I'm not sure why you've omitted that from the reporting. Please don't take my word for it. Go look at the photos.
I'm really getting worried about how race relations never get mentioned in public anymore except by MAGA spitting out fake crime rates. Trump is purging Black people from public service and historic Black achievements from the public record. Will anybody talk about it? It's so embarrassing. Should I be subscribing to a newspaper published by a person of color to find out what's going on, since we have a news blackout on race relations here and elsewhere?
The main goal of Trump and his nefarious Project 2025 is to create a privileged oligarchy that controls the power, money, and resources of the Western Hemisphere. Since no one would vote for that, they needed racism and xenophobia to attract enough of a loyal following. It wasn't difficult for them.. Trump has always been afraid of minorities and women. He is also very afraid of competent people. He learned from his first administration that anyone with knowledge or skills quickly realizes that Trump is a con and a phony. This time, Trump has surrounded himself with people who are bigger fools than he is, but just as mean.
He is also afraid of people who refuse to be corrupted by him.
ICE and the “dept. of homeland security “ need to be abolished. These gestapo units have given the government that is SUPPOSED to serve the American people carte blanche to terrorize and exert power over all of us.
Chickenshit Dems won't do it, tho, after the GQP successfully tied "defund the police" around their necks.
“Despite our best efforts to correct the record and engage directly with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, they continue to publicly repeat information that is inaccurate and misleading,” Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said in a press conference yesterday. -- Public statements from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2026 are not intended to be accurate of truthful, they are tools used to advance the current leadership's goals and impede their opponents.
Reality TV probably wouldn’t get a toe-hold in entertainment, under today’s “reality”.
I tried watching / listening to Jack Smith yesterday. I had to turn it off as the Republicans were causing me to be too angry to work. It is demoralizing to know they do not care not one bit about America. About the people who live here. They are defending a vulgarian with no shame.
Same here. The utter shamelessness of their constant lying is literally nauseating to me. How these people live with themselves is beyond my comprehension. Many thanks to the Bulwark staff who watch and analyze so we don't have to! They should get hazard pay.
Omg!! The attack on Jack Smith was ridiculous. They did not even let him answer. He will be remembered as a hero. I gave so much respect for Mr Smith! These thugs are just like the MAFIA! They are hyped up bullies who are going to get their way by whatever means necessary. They are constantly lying because they are making up the back story as they go, just like the story you had to tell your parents when teenage you were late getting home!! It’s all BS! Come on America, wake up!! What I don’t understand is how can there be SO MANY people who fell for Trumps lies?! They are willing to go to any ends to serve him. What does he have over them? I pray to God to save us, because it feels like a very dangerous place right now.
How much of the talk-over babble was scripted by Trump's propaganda department?
Those magats clowns are gifted babblers in their own right. I'm sure they were able to come up with much of it on their own.
I thought Smith and the Democrats did a good job yesterday. I don't think the Republicans got what they wanted out of it, especially if Trump's angry social media live-tweeting is any indication.
I think they got their sound bites for Fox News. I watched MSNOW's special coverage last night, and nearly all of Bill's quotes from Republicans were new to me. So, I have no doubt that Fox News watchers saw none of the points Democrats made.
Just one correction that was Will Saletan this morning and not Bill Kristol.
Oh, you're right! I should have known after listening to Will's take.
Bingo...no one is going to sit and watch the whole thing or large chunks of the thing.