Justifying Trump as a Gateway to Autocracy
Justifying Trump as a Gateway to Autocracy
Plus: The Meaning of Dad Aesthetics
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WILLIAM SALETAN: From Justifying Trump to Justifying Autocracy.
IN DONALD TRUMP’S FOUR YEARS as president, the Republican party became increasingly authoritarian through a simple formula: Each time Trump crossed a line—firing people who investigated him, usurping the power to appropriate money, extorting a foreign government to help him win re-election—his apologists claimed that whatever he had done was within his rights.
That pattern has continued since Trump left office. According to the indictment issued last week by a Florida grand jury, Trump took sensitive national security documents to Mar-a-Lago at the end of his term and then—unlike any other former president—illegally concealed many of these documents and withheld them from the FBI, even after the documents were subpoenaed.
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MATT DINAN: The Meaning of Dad Aesthetics.
I HAVE FOUR DAUGHTERS. In our house, the most challenging part of the day is the morning. My girls are early risers, and our morning routine more closely resembles the chaotic kitchen of The Bear than the cheerful family breakfast routine you see in cereal commercials. I usually get myself ready with whatever time is left after I’ve finished the essential tasks: packing lunches, clumsily braiding hair, refereeing conflicts, and trying to coordinate a pick-up and drop-off itinerary that resembles nothing so much as a municipal transit schedule.
One winter morning, however, I found myself with some unexpected extra time, so I put a bit of extra effort into looking nice. I was going to be guiding my undergraduates through Montaigne’s Essays that day; surely the progenitor of the modern “art of living” would approve of this small indulgence. So I put on a white Oxford shirt and a tie, then layered on my new J. Crew “shacket”—a “heavy chamois workshirt” in a color described as “old forest”—and pulled on a nice pair of corduroys. Both shacket and pants had been purchased with Christmas money from my mom.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Friday! And to all the dads out there, happy Father’s Day (observed?). You know, the day when you go to your kid’s school, get donuts, coffee, and make arts and crafts. Or if you’re past that time as a parent, a nice tie or magazine subscription. (It’s not too late to give the gift of Bulwark+!)
The $100 million ‘Ope’? Inside the confederate-named operation in Iowa that’s teaching DeSantistans how to knock doors. It didn’t work for Carly, Jeb!, or Ted Cruz, but perhaps bigger will be better for Jeff Roe, the consultant who bragged his firm takes in 64 cents of every dollars this time. If it fails to work for DeSantis, and it probably will fail, I know whom I want writing the profile. Ignoring “No Soliciting” signs: A bold strategy. What could go wrong?
Is it Just Me? A great new podcast from our friend Jennifer Horn to add to your podcast player!
Meanwhile at Penn State… A professor was relieved of duties for animal abuse. How did he get caught? Somebody was stealing hand sanitizer from a state park so they set up a camera.
Whitmer doesn’t go looking for trouble… “but if you come for her, she will punch you in the mouth.”
Will the insanity defense work for the Oath Keeper’s lawyer? It might buy her a few months.
Couldn’t the White House find a better story? The new movie Flamin’ Hot is out. I’ve seen it. It’s a cute flick. But it’s about as real as Rudy, the LA Times reports. Yet, the White House is elevating the story that seems only tangentially tied to reality.
Will Trump’s Trans Flip Flop matter? No, but I bet you’re shocked there’s yet another instance of blatant hypocrisy.
This F*cking Guy… Will a series of “Come on, Ted”-style ads do anything to move voters? I have my doubts.
Meet Sen. Dick Black (R-Russia)… The Virginia state Senator is spending his twilight years actively rooting against the Ukrainians.
Dog gone it… A local news station and a dog cost a scammy doctor his license after he was selling COVID waivers.
“I Almost Wished There Was Someone There To Curse At Me”: Isolation And Triumph In MLB’s Plague Season.
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