Donald Chump

Welp, I was dead wrong. Harris lost by a lot. I was wrong about the election results and I hope that I am wrong about how bad Trump’s second term will be.

I’ve had some time to reflect on the stinging disappointment and had these thoughts.

First, if you are one of those folks who just want to “Own the libs,” I have a simple message for you. Fuck you! Seriously, if you take delight in defeating your fellow Americans, then you are basically a unpatriotic asshole who might do well to reflect about what it means to be a real American. No one ever did that to your group.

What’s next?

Things are bad, but it ain’t all bad. Here are some bright spots:

Civil war did not happen. We probably avoided a guerrilla civil war. Had Trump lost, there would have been violence. It’s interesting to me that Democrats deal with loss via depression and anxiety, while Trump supporters deal with it via anger and violence. Same negative energy, but one focuses it inward while the other focuses it outward.

Trump actually has to govern now. And Republicans have proven time and again that they are not willing, or able to do that in any satisfactory way. Their policies are highly unpopular to the average American. For example, throwing tens of millions of people off healthcare is not a winning strategy. Cutting Medicare and Social Security will also affect millions of people. Tax cuts for the rich? The list goes on.

The Republican Party is still a divided group. Remember the Mike Johnson fiascos with his own party? That is still alive and well. Also, there are reasonable-minded Republicans who can still provide guard rails in the Senate.

The mid-terms are two years away, and it is likely that either the House or Senate, or both will flip. That would hamstring Trump’s power. At the time of this writing, the House is still undecided.

Trump lies. Trump made promises during his first term that he never followed through on. New health care plan? Nope. Infrastructure? Nope. Border wall that Mexico paid for? Nope. Lock up Hillary? Nope. None of those “promises” materialized.

So here’s a list of things he has said that I hope he does not pursue.

Mass Deportations – Not only would this tear families apart, this would have an immediate increase in the cost of construction and farming. The cost of housing would rise as well as produce in your grocery store. You and I would shoulder the burden.

Tarrifs. I personally think they make sense, but just implementing them would be disastrous for everyday Americans. Here is the explanation: Imagine you own a widget company and you produce widgets for $100 each, which you sell for $120 apiece. Now the US government tells you that they cost $120 each to produce. What do you do? Do you sell them at cost? No! You mark them up $20 and pass that along to the consumer. (That’s you and me if you are not taking notes.) That is why is is described as a tax on consumers. There are ways to avoid this, but they take time and money. Imagine walking into a Walmart where most of the store’s stuff was made in USA. That’s what we are talking about. And while I agree with that vision, it will take more than one administration to pull that off.

Dictator on Day 1 – That would be a great way to start your term. I think it would draw an immediate reaction from his own party. We welcome our fascist overlord!

Drill, Baby Drill. – Fuck the planet, and double down on fossil fuel. Have you seen our temps this year? Climate change is a hoax according to Trump. Wake up and open your fucking eyes, man!

Punishing His Political Enemies – This is a page straight from the fascism playbook.

Silencing the Free Press – Journalism is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. When it dies, so does our democracy. Show me one authoritarian regime with a free press. Just one.

Project 2025 – Trump never said he would not adopt it. If it is taken up, then our country does a very violent shift to conservatism. LGBTQ+ rights will be challenged, and there will probably be a nationwide abortion ban. There will be a big push to erode the separation of church and state. Huge numbers of civil servants will be replaced with Trump loyalists.

The Economy – This is the issue that Harris lost the election to. Trump has no plans to bring down prices. Just saying.

And a final message to the people who voted Trump into office, despite the grave threat to democracy that that he poses:

You reap what you sow.

It is the eve of the election, just over an hour before the first results start coming in,

My prediction is that Kamala Harris will win both the popular and electoral vote.

Should it come to pass, Harris voters will accept a defeat, as bitter as it might be.

Neither Trump nor his supporters will accept defeat though. Even if the people make their wishes clear.

Never before have we had a candidate who would not accept the results of a free and fair election. One who would prefer violence over democracy,

But here we are.

Just for a second, push aside the fact that Donald Trump is a compulsive liar, whose policies mostly benefit the rich…

Probably the biggest issue at stake in the election is the Supreme Court.

A Trump presidency will cement a conservative majority for at least the next thirty years. This is the court that brought such great democracy busting policies as:

• Trump Absolute Immunity – Now we have a King who cannot be prosecuted for his actions.
• Citizen United – This allows wealthy businesses to dump tons of cash into elections.
• Shelby County v. Holder – Which gutted the Voter’s Rights Act

Those are just policies that affect democracy. We have not even mentioned issues like abortion, the environment, gun safety, etc.

If Trump gets elected, his rise to power will affect our country for at least a full generation. And not in a good way.

If you vote for an insurrectionist, are you a patriot? Should the insurrectionist even be on the ballot? Do you even deserve the right to vote for them?

Jack Smith’s case was laid out in full view this week. It is a 165 page summary of evidence, largely supported by Trump loyalists, that presents a damning picture of a weak and scared Trump who is desperately trying to cling to power. The major reason the case has not been heard yet has been due to the long delays imposed by the Supreme Court. (A conspiracy theorist might postulate that the Supreme Court intentionally attempted to push the case past the election.)

Some people don’t care about democracy. They are fine if the country burns to ashes, as long as their “guy” wins. I suggest that if you fall into that camp, then find a country that doesn’t have its foundation in democratic values and move there. Russia and Hungry come to mind. You don’t belong in the USA if you are that anti-American.

Democracy is fragile and we are on the precipice of its collapse. With a rigged Supreme Court (thanks to Mitch McConnel!) making kings of presidents, we now have a scenario where one man can conduct any unconstitutional action with total legal immunity, as long as they claim it is an “official” act. This is a green light to completely shred our Constitution.

It only takes a toehold to bring about a sweeping fundamental change in the way our country operates. This happened in Hungry and Gaza. Once the balance of power tips, a dictator will ensure that it never goes back.

This is the fundamental reason that conservative Republicans like Liz Cheney are voting for Kamala Harris.

Shady Vance’s chilling response during the debate when asked if he thought Chump lost the election, or his comments that he would not have certified the 2020 election are horrifying. Make no mistake, if Vance is the next VP, then there is absolutely no guarantee that he will certify a free and fair election won by a Democrat, even with no proof to support his actions. And that can continue with future VPs as well.

I have to hand it to Chump. He figured out how to subvert democracy. Even if Harris wins this election, the playbook is out there for the next dictator to use.

Fasten your seatbelts, it might be a bumpy ride.

A concerted effort to undermine democracy and overthrow the will of the people has been exposed.

• Was this by ballot stuffing/harvesting? No.
• Undocumented people voting? No.
• Voting machines flipping votes? No.

This action was found to be highly organized and funded, and sought to shift the outcome of the upcoming election.

How does this operation work? (Sadly, it is still in effect today.)

1. Create a mass disinformation campaign that claims voter fraud is occurring on a massive scale. Provide absolutely no proof to substantiate the claims. It’s just a lie.
2. Use that lie to impose restrictions and make it harder for legitimate citizens to vote. Sew distrust and create barriers to separate voters from their right to vote. Disenfranchise as many Democrats as possible in an effort to steal the election.
3. Create court cases in battleground states to challenge the results of free and fair elections.
4. Sew distrust and unrest among Americans. Discourage them from voting, because Republicans lose when everyone votes, due to their unpopular policies.
5. Watch democracy crumble.

I have touched on the false claims of election fraud, as well as the fact that Chump lies to all of us on a daily basis, but today I want to “drill, baby, drill” deep into the Big Lie.

There is truth and there is opinion. They are very different concepts, but in politics, people conflate the two regularly. Chump has repeatedly claimed, and still does, that the 2020 election was stolen. That is his opinion, not fact.

The fact is that the 2020 election was fair, and accurately represented the will of the American people. That is the truth.

There is no proof otherwise.

All the bullshit conspiracy theories like bamboo ballots, mass voter fraud, election machines that magically change votes, poll workers dumping ballots, etc., have all been either disproved or rejected in a court of law. They just did not happen. They were lies.

Rudy Giuliani famously said to Republican Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers “We’ve got lots of theories, we just don’t have the evidence”

And just because some jerk yells these lies into a microphone in an attempt to convince you otherwise, it still does not make them true.

What happens if Trump loses the 2024 election, and again insists that the election was stolen?

He lost the first election and perpetrated a lie that resulted in violence at the Capitol. That lie went on to fuel hatred and dissent across our land.

This is tantamount to yelling “Fire” in a crowded theater. (Which by the way is illegal.) Chump thrives on the chaos and discord. He has no regard for collateral damage or the harm of innocent people who don’t fit his narrative.

His supporters, having believed that the election was stolen twice, will not accept the results peacefully. Civil war, anyone? Trump is a desperate animal. His lawsuits require him to get elected, otherwise he is certain to be held accountable for his many crimes.

Make no mistake. Chump is a criminal in the first degree.

When the Republicans talk about voter fraud please understand that they are the ones committing the fraud. Their voter suppression, intimidation, and disenfranchisement actions are clear. They are rigging the election in their favor because they know they can’t win legitimately. Conservative Republican Adam Kinzinger (a Romney Republican) stated it clearly and succinctly when he said that Republicans need to come up with ideas that the people want.

Trump infamously said, ” I am your retribution.” His followers want retribution for the first “stolen” election. They want blood. And they will not accept another loss. What are they going to do when Chump falsely claims that this next election is stolen?

What will happen the morning after Trump loses again?

I didn’t think he was actually this stupid, but last week Donald decided to turn Arlington National Cemetery, where our most decorated war heroes have been laid to rest, into a cheap campaign photo shoot.

First, apologies for the inane actions of our insensitive and moronic single-term president, who is currently watching his poll numbers slip away. What he did is an absolute disgrace.

Second, what he did was illegal. When an official tried to stop it, she was physically pushed out of the way and verbally assaulted. Add more insult to injury. But Trump has proven over and over again that he has no respect for laws that apply to him. Besides losing virtually all his lawsuits (business fraud, sexual assault, claims of a stolen election, etc.) his campaign just ignores artists’ rights. Basically, Chump does does what he wants, regardless of whether it is ethical or legal.

Trump’s video message was about the Afghanistan withdrawal. We should keep in mind that the withdrawal was negotiated by Trump with the Taliban. As McMaster points out, Trump had a very active part in the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Holding a Trump rally with a captive posthumous audience (which gives the impression that all the fallen soldiers at the cemetery supported him) may seem like a great idea to a short-sighted, inconsiderate moron, but it is a horrible and inconsiderate action. Chump visited fallen Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee’s grave for the photo op. Her mother-in-law would probably be rightfully upset if a Democratic politician posed in front of her family’s grave, and used the imagery for a campaign ad. If this sounds cold and insensitive, it is. And that just drives home the point about the gravity of Trump’s actions.

For the record, I could not find any information on Sgt. Gee’s political affiliation. It’s her mother-in-law who has been most vocal. Her actual parents appear to be silent about the whole ordeal. At best, they would all agree with Chump’s actions. At worst…

There is a thin line between being a maverick and an asshole. It’s clear that Donald has crossed that line.

Hats off to Nick Anderson at Reform Austin for probably one of the most insightful and humorous political cartoons ever created.

(If you don’t get the bear reference, then check out this clip)

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/donald-trump-hannibal-lecter-timeline-1235070008/This cartoon drives home the point that crazy attracts crazy. And just when you think things couldn’t get weirder with Donald grabbing women by their “pussy” (Trump’s word, not mine), COVID bleach advice, Hannibal Lecter adoration, sharks, toilet flushing complaints, crowd size obsessions, J.D. Vance (who is a total dumpster fire in his own right and the epitome of a failed VP candidate), self-proclaimed stable genius who confuses a basic cognitive test with an IQ test, The Deep State, etc…in rolls Kennedy to complete the picture.

And at deadline, Tulsi Gabbard jumped on the crazy bus too.

This would be great fiction if it were not true. Some people thrive on all the drama.

But we have a country to run.

Trump moves from saying “Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, and always will be!!!” to now saying “”I like him a lot, I respect him a lot.”

You can’t have it both ways Donald, unless you now like and respect “Radical left democrats.”

The level of bullshit that comes out of Trump’s mouth is truly impressive.

America needs a president who holds firm on their convictions and their grasp of reality. Not someone who flip flops with the wind.

Thank you Obama for this exquisite slam…

“There’s the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes,” he added, gesturing with his hands to these different sizes before looking down at his hands jokingly. “It just goes on and on.” – Barak Obama

The video tells the whole story much better than the actual text.

Your move Donald.

Trump Did Not…

Create an infrastructure bill that created American jobs, fixed roads & bridges, extended communication systems, bolstered transportation options, cleaned up polluted areas, and made a strong commitment to fighting climate change. (Biden delivered the infrastructure package that Trump only promised.)

Bring down the cost of insulin for Medicare patients to $35. (Biden would have extended it to all Americans, but the Republicans narrowed it to just Medicare patients.)

Discharge student loans for the folks who were struggling the most. (Biden’s student debt relief did.)

Bring critical microchip manufacturing back to the USA from China, securing our technical supply chain and increasing American jobs. (Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act did.)

Support the Ukrainians. (His praise of Putin is downright weird and scary.)

Provide much-needed financial relief for American middle and lower-class families. Increased health care coverage for low income people. (Biden’s Build Back Better did.)

Provide green energy tax breaks for homeowners.

Reaffirm our status and partnership as a world power with our allies. (Remember this total asshole move by Trump as he pushed aside another NATO member and stood in the spotlight?)

Oversaw the highest stock market levels ever. (Thanks, Joe!)

Trump Tried To…

Kick 24,000,000 people off of health care by attempting to kill the Affordable Care Act. Although promised, there was no, nor is there still, an alternate plan to the ACA.

Suggest that bleach should be injected into COVID patients. Lol, his stable genius on full display.

Trump Succeeded at:

Giving a huge tax cut to the wealthiest Americans while branding it as a tax cut for the middle class. (I didn’t feel it in my paycheck, did you?)

A strong commitment to fossil fuels and increasing the effect of climate change. Drill baby, drill is a recipe for climate disaster.

Successfully delayed the peaceful transfer of power by rallying an angry mob to storm the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, and stop the election certification. (There was support by Trump to hang Mike Pence that day.)

Repealed a woman’s right to choose, overturning 50 years of settled law. (According to Trump, only States, not patients should decide their treatment options, even if the outcome may result in the pregnant woman’s death.)

Added over $7.8 trillion dollars to the deficit. (To put these numbers in perspective, one million dollars is to one trillion dollars like a single penny is to $10,000. That’s a hell of a lot of millions!)

Ripped refugee children from their mothers and fathers, and locked them up in cages. (Who would Jesus cage?)

Effectively neutered the EPA and the Department of Education, and damaged the United States Postal Service.

Stacked the court with conservative justices who do not represent the religious, political, and ideology of the majority of the American people. (For example, Catholics make up about 22% of the US population, but the Supreme Court is about 78% Caltholic (7 of 9 justices identify as Catholic.)

If you have to attack someone because of their race, then you are a racist.

That’s all there really is to say about that.

Context: National Association of Black Journalists interview July 31, 2014