By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
McALLEN, Texas |...A discernible wave of sympathy blew across the country over the weekend after extremist Republican Donald J. Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania. It was a bit over-the-top for a man who has done his damndest to divide the country.
Yes, weep one more time for civility.
But don't shed another tear for Trump. He has known what he's been doing in becoming the most divisive presidential candidate ever. I mean, serious candidate, not some outlier like Lyndon LaRouche or David Duke or even George Wallace.
Donald J. Trump remains the biggest threat to American Life.
Let his wife and children and most rabid supporters normalize him. The rest of us cannot.
This election in November is up for grabs and it pains me to write that, knowing of course all that Donald Trump has let loose in our national discourse and streets. There are armed nutjobs out there, as he found out last Saturday afternoon. It cost him as piece of his ear, but it could have been much worse.
This is a flawed, unbridled candidate who began his political journey by calling Mexicans "rapists" and then proceeded to tear down much of what we call these United States. Trump wants to be president in the worst ways. He moaned about dark-skinned immigrants and banned Muslims from entering the country while occupying the White House between 2016 and 2021 - a time in America still to be written about by historians.
As many have written, Trump sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden an action for which he has been indicted and is facing multiple felony counts. He's called for ridding the country of the Constitution, writing on his Truth Social media that a massive fraud "allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution."
And, as we also know, Trump has said he would be a dictator if elected, but only on "Day One."
Trump is not well. His vision for this country is one at odds with the rest of us. Separating people is his aim, only that approach hurts and damages too many Americans. His world is the world of Red States versus Blue States - perhaps itself a Civil War of sorts.
No, don't waste your sympathies on this guy.
He's the one who laughed and mocked the beating of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in his own home by a hammer-wielding attacker. Trump knows no bounds on his complaints and criticism of how we live in this country. His legal problems are many and there are those who say his campaign is nothing more than an effort to stay out of prison.
Three criminal trials hang around his hefty neck. He's dog-paddling while Lady Justice waits for her chance at him. He knows. He knows a defeat in November against Democrat incumbent Joe Biden will open the gates of prosecutorial Hell.
But there he stands at his rallies, damning the president and our way of Life.
The country he wants is already taken. A killing dude named Putin owns it across the Atlantic.
No, don't waste your breath on Donald J. Trump.
He may have lost a small piece of his right ear, but his body of work remains.
You watch.
The Republican National Convention begins today in Milwaukee. Wild applause awaits him from a sector of America that has no idea about wishing for something and getting something else.
Callous, selfish Republicans set to speak during the event will ignore his harsh rhetoric and damn Democrats, actually blame them for the assassination attempt. Without laughing.
Trump will milk the moment for all it's worth, take is many bows and feel as if he's already won the presidency. Indeed, he likely believes he is invincible, undefeated and undeterred. The other 700-pages in his book tell a very different story.
Trump is bad, mean, desperate and, worse than that, feeling cornered...
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One reader complaint on our "Comments feature" overnight. Some have been getting a "Failed to publish" message after submitting their thoughts. It tends to correct itself, so keep trying...
ReplyDeleteTrump and MAGA fools are the only ones I see spilling out hate every time they speak
ReplyDeleteTrump must be so PO'd that it was a Republican who shot at him. He otherwise would have loved to declare war on Democrats at the convention.
ReplyDeleteA lone wolf attempted to kill DJ Trump and Republicans strain to hold Biden accountable. but when Trump sent a mob to the Capitol that actually killed five policemen, Republicans did not hold Trump accountable. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteEcho that.
DeleteI think about my grandkids and their future every day. I can’t get that out of my mind.
ReplyDeleteEvery decent American's concern, my friend.
DeleteTurning a dictatorship over to our young people would be devastating. And I speak of 15- to 30-year-olds. It would crush our society and make us RUSSIA!!!
DeleteAs always, folks living in alternative reality actually believe it's the opposition alone who are the violent ones and Trump is as pure as freshly fallen snow. It appears MAGA has no intention of laying off violent political rhetoric. Not when there is a political advantage to gain. Vote for decency in November. VOTE BLUE.
ReplyDeleteI'm still voting AGAINST Donald Trump. Nothing has changed.
ReplyDeleteYoung Gen Z is making a splash in the news! Who says they are lazy and don't do anything?
ReplyDeleteProfound.
DeleteThe one thing every media outlet leaves out of the salivating talk about the infamous bloody-ear photo is that he was calling for more violence, something not captured in a still image.
ReplyDeleteNow he’s selling t-shirts with it. Don’t think for a second he won’t treat this as the most favorite moment of his entire life because that is the true sickness of this man.
I hope trump is fine, but I'll vote for President Biden 2024
ReplyDeleteActually, Trump accused Biden of sending a hit squad to Mar-A-Lago when the document search team went there. Just barely missed being shot, he said. So, there’s already a well-worn groove for this “latest attempt” to fit in. Republicans ignore truth.
ReplyDeleteSpeaker Johnson claims Biden encouraged violence against Trump. But this is the picture I remember of Biden Hog Tied.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/when-trump-parades-a-hog-tied-biden-his-violent-threat-to-democracy-is-beyond-question-20240331-p5fgca.html
What happened to Trump happened because of Trump himself and MAGA Republicans
ReplyDeleteYou said it.
DeleteTrump and the Trumpzi party are still the party of lies, violence and revenge. Trump leaves the shooting with head in the air and fist held high. The party platform won't change.
ReplyDeleteI'm voting for a continuation of over 200 years of Democratic ideals and institutions. I'm voting for the same things our vets gave their lives defending: Liberty, Justice, Freedom, Democracy. I will NOT vote for any person (Trump) or party (Republicans) that wants to rewrite the way our government works.
ReplyDeleteIs it clear Trump was shot. There is no way Trumps ear was hit by a bullet and there is no apparent damage to the ear? Ask anyone who has served in the military. A bullet that close to his ear would have caused hearing loss and horrible pain. Realizing this one news media is claiming it could have been a piece from the podium. Look at the podium. it has no damage. Also, a direct hit by a bullet would have caused major damage. Yes, bullets were fired. But what hit Trump.
ReplyDeleteCould be he splashed some blood on himself off a blood pellet of the kind wrestlers and cowboy movies use. Fakery, in other words.
DeleteThis shooting was hate vs hate. Republican vs Republican. This has absolutely nothing to do with the Democratic Party!
ReplyDeleteAnd the Oscar goes to....Donald Trump!!! The Secret Service men and women who stood around Trump while he posed for photos and not rushing him to a vehicle and away from the scene? The fact anyone is believing this is pathetic. It was staged and that was Hollywood blood on Donnie's face.
ReplyDeleteI am on the fence on this issue. I do believe a father died. I also believe two people were wounded. But I do not believe Donald was hit by a bullet. This 20-year-old did not have the training to miss Donald. We are not seeing pictures of where the people hit were sitting. Yes, Kennedyish, but once trajectory is worked out, I believe a question of a possible second shooter may come out. If this was a stunt, it led to the death of an innocent man.
DeleteHow many of us were horrified at this but were not shocked?
ReplyDeleteBREAKING: Documents case in Florida dismissed by judge. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in a 93-page order that she has granted former President Donald Trump's bid to dismiss the indictment based on the unlawful funding and appointment of special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges against the former president.
ReplyDeleteShe'll lose on appeal. But it does tell us she is incompetent and should be impeached.
DeleteThis might be a good thing. No jury was ever selected, so jeopardy never attached. This means Jack Smith can finally appeal to the 11th Circuit. Trump-appointed Cannon was way over her head.
DeleteTrump keeps getting good news.
DeleteYes, this will be appealed, and the prosecution will win the appeal. She should be disbarred. Cannon has done everything she can to hold up this case and gave hearings on things that were unmerited. And there is a long-standing precedent of special counsels being appointed. This is just another delay tactic by a Trump appointed judge. Now when they win the appeal they will hopefully be put with a fair and competent judge.
DeleteSo, we all can commit espionage and lie to the FBI now because a loyalist judge dismissed the case. We have seen others go to jail for less than what Trump did.
DeleteAnd now we are instantly reminded of the corruption that is leading to the 'rhetoric' that people are asking to tone down. The truth is not 'rhetoric'.
DeleteThis is why people are upset with America, the corruption is blatant. This is not a reason to dismiss a case.
No surprise here. This judge is owned by Trump. She is pushing hard for a seat on the Supreme Court. Donald Trump is the only person in the United States who is above the law. How did this happen? You can be sure that this guy will do anything he pleases if he becomes president, because he answers to no one. This is a dangerous precedent.
DeleteIf this isn't rigging the legal system in one's favor, I don't know what is. It really does say loud and clear that the laws are for some but not for others
DeleteLet's see photos of Trump's bloodied ear this morning. Bullet would do big damage.
ReplyDeletePresident Biden gave his condolence to the FAMILY️. I'm still waiting to see if Trump will give his condolence to the family of the firefighter who lost his life at his rally
ReplyDeleteWas the blood on Trump tested to see if it was his (human), since things really look more conspiratorial than otherwise? Something is really fishy about this whole event.
ReplyDeleteDismissed case on the first day of Republican Convention. Classic corrupt judge. Cannon dragged it out for MONTHS and now this? What an absolute POS
ReplyDeleteOf course, this is outrageous but fits the pattern of what is going on in this country. So why don't we start crying "the fix is in" "it's all rigged" etc., etc. like we are sure Trump would do with any adverse ruling. A lot of us are just sickened by all this.
DeleteAmazing! Trump clearly took the documents, stored them in an insecure room, and refused to return them. Those are absolute facts and yet the case is dismissed by a judge he appointed? Talk about preferential treatment!
DeleteI hope that when the 11th Circuit unanimously overturns this egregious decision, they also remove Cannon from the case. Her judicial reasoning is absurd and releasing this on the first day of the Republican National Convention shows she also lacks any political awareness.
DeleteWhy should any US citizen respect the law now when their own ex-President gets a free pass on blatant crime and violation of national security? While other legitimate whistleblowers went to prison for far, far less? What faith in a 'fair justice system' is there left to be had? (off to lunch)
ReplyDeleteWTF!! So pissed off. This Judge Cannon needs to be investigated and disbarred!! Trump needs to be held accountable!! Enough...........
ReplyDeleteAppeal and prosecute. The convicted former president will be sentenced in September for his 34-count conviction. Move forward with the other 2 cases as well.
DeleteI’m old enough to remember the assassinations of two Kennedys and MLK, plus failed attempt on candidate George Wallace. Also, the failed attempt on President Ford and lastly the attempt on Ronald Reagan which only wounded him. The big difference is social media wasn’t around in those days. Now everyone with a phone thinks they are a reporter, including myself.
ReplyDeleteWhy does anyone care? People get shot every day in America. Government doesn’t publicly condemn it. Only when it’s them being targeted do they denounce violence. Same for any groups of people who believe they’re separate from the rest in some way. And the lollipops will donate their last dollar not realizing they’re being played.........
ReplyDeleteGo Joe!!! Vote Blue for sanity.
ReplyDeleteThis ridiculous blame game (Democrats did it!) by the Republicans is classic gaslighting. If anyone other than the shooter is to blame it is DJTrump; for his constant and continuous behavior designed to inflame the passions for vengeance amongst his horde of followers.
ReplyDeleteThey are currently having an AR-15 giveaway at the Republican convention, y'all. I kid you not!
ReplyDeleteOf course.
DeleteThis is why people don’t like Donald Trump’s style. He created this mess. His vitriol is why Americans are acting like this. He normalized it. Think back to the Obama/McCain race. Nothing like this. Something fundamentally changed in 2016, and that was that Trump entered area with his brand of politics.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is what we get. This is the result.
Exactly. Without Trump, you have no criminal conviction of a former President. If Trump cedes defeat in the 2020 election, you’ve got no Jan 6 and no Georgia case, no fake electors case, no SCOTUS case on Presidential immunity for criminal acts. If he returned the classified docs when told to, you’ve got no case there. It all comes back to HIS actions, or lack thereof.
DeleteTrump's NOT smart. He's cunning. In the worst of ways.
ReplyDeletePerceptive analysis, If I may say.
DeleteTrump says he's picking Veep running mate today - the "Loser of The Year," in other words. No, it is not going to be Mayra. ja ja ja
ReplyDeleteRepublicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert are being considered. Whoever wins a 2 out of 3 falls in a mud-wrestling match.
DeleteTrump doesn’t care that people died, while he lived
ReplyDeleteI implore everyone, DO NOT FALL FOR TRUMP'S LIES!
ReplyDeleteBREAKING:...Trump names Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his VEEP running mate.
ReplyDeleteYou mean poor Little Marco Rubio lost again?!
DeleteDon't care who he picks. He will lose. Bigly!
DeleteCool…the guy who called Trump "America’s Hitler".
DeleteI gotta give Dump props. He chose the biggest doosh on the planet as his running mate...
DeleteGood catch there! I had to see the video twice. And there is no sign of a bullet wound. I mean, that is damned odd.
ReplyDeleteVance's past comments about Trump will be very interesting
ReplyDeleteVance's descriptions of his new boss:
Delete“I’m a Never Trump guy. I never liked him.”
“Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us. When we apologize for this man, lord help us.”
“I can’t stomach Trump.”
“Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office.”
“America’s Hitler.”
"I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a--hole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler." - J.D. Vance, 2016.
ReplyDeleteJD Vance is a groveler and bend-your-knees-to-please Trump….
ReplyDeleteIf I thought there was another person who could save our country in these disastrous times, I'd say that name. But I'm stuck having to vote for him even though Trump made a bad choice!!
ReplyDeleteThink about what they did in promoting Vance. If things go as they expect, it will be 12 more years without a woman as president. Really the best Trump can do is two white men running, and then claim you are a big tent. I have one of two conclusions. Trump never intended to win. Or knowing he may not win he wanted someone who would do what Pence could not due. People will fear both of them. Biden is looking better every day.
ReplyDeleteThe original pic of Trump introducing Vance his ear was exposed. CNN now has a picture with his ear bandaged. This is the problem with the internet, anyone can post anything.
ReplyDelete