Normalizing Trump And Undercutting Democrats: All In A Day's Work For Corporate Media

An op/ ed in HuffPo the other day discussed the phenomenon of neo- fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump's rise, thanks in no small measure to a media obsessed with appearing above the fray not challenging the torrent of lies, racism, misogyny, authoritarianism, etc., coming from Rump and his Stormtrumpers. It concludes with the hope that the spirit of legendary journalist and "Tailgunner Joe" McCarthy- slayer Edward R. Murrow will prevail in this election cycle:

You can feel the press itching to normalize Trump, and relieve them from having to reluctantly abandon the safe shelter of “balance” and “objectivity,” and call Trump out. But Trump is a candidate who has broken so many rules of the political process, so the press can use this opportunity to break, and discard, the obsolete rules of political coverage that are clearly not working this cycle. What we need is not just a Murrow moment but a sustained Murrow mindset.

That mindset has yet to show up on the pages of at least one major newspaper, our hometown once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle where, aside from a strongly anti-Rump editorial board, the "reporters" seem determined to "normalize" Rump and, conversely, flog  "Democrats in disarray" and "crooked Hillary" narratives.  Here's what we're talking about, just from the last few days.

Normalizing Rump:   A news piece this morning written by Robert Costa and Philip Rucker (with the print edition headline "Trump favors Christie, Pence and Gingrich as he closes in on VP pick" -- very normal, objective and balanced, fellas!) discusses Rump's mulling over of vice presidential options in a most matter- of- fact way, as though this dangerously unfit buffoon were Cincinnatus:

Trump’s preferences have evolved in recent days as he contemplated what could be one of the most consequential decisions of his campaign. 

He was intrigued late last week by retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, telling friends that a military pick would signal strength and steadiness — and even testing out how “Trump-Flynn” sounded as a brand name. 

But Flynn’s stock fell after a shaky interview with ABC News on Sunday in which he stated his support for abortion rights, a position sure to spark a revolt at the Republican National Convention. On Monday, however, Flynn told Fox News Channel that he is a “pro-life Democrat.” 

By Monday, Trump suggested that he was moving away from the idea of a general. 

“I do like the military, but I do very much like the political,” Trump said in an interview Monday with The Washington Post’s Fix blog. “I will make my mind up over the next three to four days. In my mind, I have someone that would be really good.”

 "[T]esting out how 'Trump- Flynn' sounded as a brand name."  Sounds like a serious, presidential approach to us (and apparently also to Costa and Rucker)!

"I do like the military, but I do very much like the political."  "I do like the Gerber's strained peas, but I do very much like the chicken and chicken gravy." Also, see above.

"In my mind..."  That's just too easy.

Undercutting Democrats:  On the opposite page in the print version comes this piece by John Wagner and Abby Phillip, headlined "Sanders and Clinton to lock arms, but suspicions persist in both camps." Think about that emphasis for a moment.  Have you seen any three column articles recently about Republicans who ran for their party's nomination that have yet to endorse Rump (Cruz, Kasich, etc.), and the "suspicions" that remain?  Perhaps, but only in the general sense that there's a "stop Trump" mini- revolt among a handful of delegates.  Where's the headline, "Cruz, Kasich and Bush refuse to lock arms with Trump, and suspicions persist in every camp"?   The article, by the way, quotes one Clinton supporter who thinks Sanders may not campaign as vigorously as some think, and one Sanders delegate who thinks he should go all he way to the convention and fight it out.  That's it for "suspicions persist."

Even more egregiously, valuable front page space was provided on Sunday to Clinton scandal sleuth Rosalind S. Helderman (Haldeman?) to dredge (Drudge?) up the decaying skeleton of Whitewater to smear Hillary Clinton.  It took a rebuttal this morning from Clinton lawyer David E. Kendall to set the record straight:

As a matter of historical fact, it may be correct, as The Post reported Sunday, that Whitewater prosecutors now say they came “close” to filing charges against then-first lady Hillary Clinton in the 1990s. As a matter of legal and factual analysis, from one who observed this investigation at every step: Never . . . a . . . close . . . call . . . at . . . all.

Kendall goes on to show that, regardless of the "opinions" of the partisan crew running the Whitewater investigation in the 1990's (eight years long!), there was never any reasonable doubt that the "investigation" would lead exactly to what the e-mail investigation led .... nothing.

Meanwhile, our elite corporate media scratches its itch to normalize Rump and weaken the only adult, sane person in the race to hold the most powerful office in the world.

Will "Saturday Night Live" Lauer The Bar?

Dave Weigel previews tonight's season debut of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and it's "Clinton" (Kate McKinnon) vs. "Trump" (Alec Baldwin) showdown, and wonders how the show (typically watched by 6 or 7 million viewers) will treat the neo- fascist existential threat:

The season opens at a time when the comedy world is engulfed in an angry debate about how to make fun of Trump — and whether some practitioners have given him a pass on his more objectionable stances. For some, Donald Trump isn’t funny anymore. And that has prompted some writers, actors and producers behind SNL to ask this question: What if he wins? And will anyone blame them if he does? 

A better question they should ask themselves:  what's the sane and honorable thing to do right now, given the stakes?

Readers are reminded that last fall, Rump got the "normalizing," Fallonesque treatment by being invited to host SNL:

Trump’s SNL appearance last fall sparked a passionate backlash. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus confronted NBC executives over the show. The Onion AV Club rated the episode a “dreadful, toothless, dead-eyed slog.” Trump’s supporters credited the show with winning him votes. 

SNL's recent treatment of Clinton has been nothing short of trite, predictable, shallow stereotyping -- just abysmal:

McKinnon’s Clinton, a breakout character, was less of an obvious boon to the campaign. A typical sketch had her promising anything that voters wanted, with a rictus and wild eyes. “Aren’t we such a fun, approachable dynasty?” she asked in an early sketch about a “spontaneous”-looking campaign video. In last season’s finale, she and “Sanders” shared a drink at a bar over how the primary was “so rigged” — an impression that continues to cost Clinton votes from her left.  

So, how will this season's SNL cope with the looming disaster of the most unfit "thing" ever to run for the office of President?  Let's see what comes out of cast member and acute zeitgeist analyst Colin Jost's pie hole:

 “Trump and Clinton represent everything that the other side is afraid of,” Jost says. “They are cartoons for so many people on both sides. We’re looking for ways to come at them in a more human way—the humanity of them as people versus attacking them or making blanket statements about them.

“We’re not about Trump is the devil, Clinton is the corporate robot,” Jost says. “It’s something Che does well—that whenever everyone else is piling up the jokes like that, he’ll find a fair way to find something that undercuts some of it.” (our emphasis)

So now will we have to deal with more Trump normalizing, "both sides/ false equivalence" in this "comedy" show, too? Someone should get Jost a subscription to Trump- loving Daily Stormer or Breitbart, or have him hop onto Trump's Twitter feed and let him absorb the all the "humanity" there.  Better yet, watch Samantha Bee, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, or Steven Colbert instead.  Hell, we'll even throw in Jimmy Kimmel!

BONUS:  Of course "Lauer-ing the bar" for Trump has it's origins here.

Skeets Of The Day

Dem Governors Pritzker (Illinois) and Walz (Minnesota) on fire --

 

Illinois Gov. Pritzker vows to pursue Trump officials who participate in an illegal National Guard deployment to Chicago: "If you hurt my people, nothing will stop me - not time or political circumstance - from making sure that you face justice under our constitutional rule of law."

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— Adam Schwarz (@adamjschwarz.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 4:36 PM

 

Tim Walz: "Think of how easy it would be to be a damn Republican. 'Oh, what should I wear today? This stupid frickin' red hat. What should I say today? I don't know, just make sure it's cruel. Who do we listen to? That guy -- the felon in the White House.'"

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 25, 2025 at 12:30 PM

The Malignant Fascist hears voices in his head and tells another absurd "sir" tale --

Didn't take long to get to this...

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— Susan Glasser (@sbg1.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 11:12 AM

 

Trump claims that Wes Moore privately told him "sir, you're the greatest president of my lifetime"

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 25, 2025 at 11:37 AM

The MF's attempted "firing" of Fed Board member Lisa Cook backfires -- 

 

(Bloomberg) -- Long-dated US Treasuries fell as President Donald Trump intensified efforts to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, deepening concerns his attacks on the central bank’s independence and lobbying for lower interest rates will fan inflation. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) August 26, 2025 at 8:47 AM

It’s a real tribute to Black women that Trump hates them so much.

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— Mark Jacob (@markjacob.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 9:36 PM

 

Will the frightened corporate media heed Gov. Pritzker?  No way --

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker in the uncomfortable position of having to implore the press to do their fucking jobs and stop normalizing Trump by omission.

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— Bob Geiger (@bobgeiger.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM

In a couple years the Times will run a correction in tiny print noting that during Trump's second term he was a corrupt authoritarian fascist but they they neglected to note it during their coverage at the time. If he allows them to continue publish that is.

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 9:19 PM

 

Will that same media make a serious issue of the MF's health? Same answer -- 

📌Not one question was asked about this gruesome-looking death hand today. This, after video of repeated leg drags, and bloated ankles. Trump's morbidly obese, 79, and in obvious failing health. It's a big fucking story. Unless those kinds of things were just reserved for Joe Biden ...

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— D. Earl Stephens (@dearlstephens.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 7:56 PM

I don’t want to give anyone false hope but this was Queen Elizabeth’s hand two days before she passed.

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— 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕣𝕝 (@sundaedivine.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 11:51 PM

 

Russifying the US defense industry --

 

The corruption laced Russian defense industry controlled by Putin cronies has produced a vast amount of defective and third rate gear. That is one of the key reasons Russia has failed to conquer Ukraine. Now Trumpers want to Russify the U.S. defense industry.

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— davidrlurie (@davidrlurie.bsky.social) August 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM

An encouraging but early sign for Dems' chances for regaining House -- 

NEW Aug. Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll finds Democrats up 8 pts on the U.S. House generic ballot (49-41), Trump at 41% approval (-15). Most voters say gerrymandering is a problem, and support natl law for redistricting commissions and proportional rep'n.🧵 www.gelliottmorris.com/p/democrats-...

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— G Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris.com) August 26, 2025 at 8:13 AM

 Make America Sick Again, cont'd. --

So anti-vaxxers have gone from “My body my choice” to “No Covid vaccines for anybody.” newrepublic.com/post/199515/...

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— The Volatile Mermaid (@ohnoshetwitnt.bsky.social) August 26, 2025 at 6:11 AM

See no evil, hear no evil...oh, and Release The Epstein Files --

The incredible feat has landed the former socialite in the Guinness Book of World Records.

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— The Borowitz Report (@borowitzreport.bsky.social) August 25, 2025 at 9:47 AM

 

Afternoon Reading - "There's No Such Thing As A Good Trump Voter"

We're rather tired already of the corporate media's fetish -- extensive throughout the campaign, but still obnoxiously arising this morning in such places as the once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle  -- for chin- strokers about "The Trump Voter" and their "economic anxiety" and sense of (white) loss. Jamelle Bouie tells us what we need to hear amidst all this normalizing of the abnormal: "There's No Such Thing As A Good Trump Voter."

Whether Trump’s election reveals an “inherent malice” in his voters is irrelevant. What is relevant are the practical outcomes of a Trump presidency. Trump campaigned on state repression of disfavored minorities. He gives every sign that he plans to deliver that repression. This will mean disadvantage, immiseration, and violence for real people, people whose “inner pain and fear” were not reckoned worthy of many-thousand-word magazine feature stories. If you voted for Trump, you voted for this, regardless of what you believe about the groups in question. That you have black friends or Latino colleagues, that you think yourself to be tolerant and decent, doesn’t change the fact that you voted for racist policy that may affect, change, or harm their lives. And on that score, your frustration at being labeled a racist doesn’t justify or mitigate the moral weight of your political choice. 

In the same way that the election-year demand for empathy toward Trump supporters obscured the consequences of Trump’s support for his targets, this demand for empathy does the same. It’s worse, in fact. In the wake of Trump’s win, the United States was hit with a wave of racist threats, agitation, harassment, and violence, following a year in which hate crimes against Muslim Americans and others reached historic highs. With Trump in office, millions of Americans face the prospect of a federal government that is hostile to their presence in this country, and which views them as an intrusion, even if they are citizens. Even if they’ve lived their entire lives as Americans. 

To face those facts and then demand empathy for the people who made them a reality—who backed racist demagoguery, whatever their reasons—is to declare Trump’s victims less worthy of attention than his enablers. To insist Trump’s backers are good people is to treat their inner lives with more weight than the actual lives on the line under a Trump administration. At best, it’s myopic and solipsistic. At worst, it’s morally grotesque.  (our emphasis)

In Bouie's piece he notes a comment from the reptilian Chris "Lizard" Cillizza to the extent that (hot take alert!) we shouldn't treat all the shitgibbon's supporters as racists, misogynists, etc.  But, as Bouie says, the choice they made in voting for a racist, misogynist, etc., makes it "morally grotesque" to empathize with them.

Rest assured, we won't be giving out any cookies to these slugs, nor should anyone else.  In the meantime, as Bouie suggests, how about a little less attention to the Stormtrumpers and a little more to the current (a running compilation here) and future victims of the shitgibbon's white nationalism?

(Photo:  One of the more G-rated photos of good 'murrican Stormtrumpers - heil!)

Morning Reading

Just how abnormal is neo- fascist narcissist Donald "Rump" Trump (a.k.a., Lord Dampnut)? Our morning reading plumbs the shallows for answers.

Big ego + weak mind = disaster:

Before Donald Trump proposed a 1,000-mile wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to stop migrants, he tried to build a two-mile barrier on a pristine stretch of Irish coast to rein in an ocean. 

He didn’t succeed.  

Irish surfers, weekend beachcombers, environmental scientists, local planners and even a microscopic snail got in his way. In December, Trump International Golf Links backed down from plans it had said were essential to protect the company’s lone Irish course — picturesquely nestled in dunes overlooking the Atlantic — from being swallowed by rising seas. 

For a man who loves to win, the defeat — just a month after his election as president — has left a bitter taste. And despite the motley nature of the resistance, Trump seems to have singled out a lone culprit: the European Union, whose rules and regulations underpinned many of the objections. 

In interviews and public statements, Trump has cited his tangle over the golf-course wall as Exhibit A in justifying a jaundiced view of the E.U. that puts him at odds with decades of bipartisan U.S. foreign policy. (our emphasis)

OK, we'll go there:  this is just par for the course for Narcissistic Personality Disorder sufferer Rump.

That chortling you hear is Russian autocrat and Rump puppet master Vladimir "Vlad the Invader" Putin seeing his dream of a shattered democratic Europe coming closer to fruition thanks to a certain mentally disturbed shitgibbon.

Then there's this fallout from Melissa McCarthy's epic portrayal of Rump's mini- Goebbels, "Baghdad Sean" Spicer:

As the press secretary for a president who's obsessed with how things play on cable TV, Sean Spicer’s real audience during his daily televised press briefings has always been an audience of one. 

And the devastating “Saturday Night Live” caricature of Spicer that aired over the weekend — in which a belligerent Spicer was spoofed by a gum-chomping, super soaker-wielding Melissa McCarthy in drag — did not go over well internally at a White House in which looks matter. 

More than being lampooned as a press secretary who makes up facts, it was Spicer’s portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president’s eyes, according to sources close to him. And the unflattering send-up by a female comedian was not considered helpful for Spicer’s longevity in the grueling, high-profile job in which he has struggled to strike the right balance between representing an administration that considers the media the "opposition party," and developing a functional relationship with the press.

"Trump doesn't like his people to look weak," added a top Trump donor. (our emphasis)

Précis: weak- minded, would- be strongman doesn't like his people to look weak.  Look for Baghdad Sean to appear with an assault rifle and in camo at his next press briefing.

Is they learning? Maybe when it comes to the Washington Post national news staff:

President Trump appears to be laying the groundwork to preemptively shift blame for any future terrorist attack on U.S. soil from his administration to the federal judiciary, as well as to the media. [snip] 

Trump’s terrorism blame-game is in keeping with how he ran his campaign, looking for scapegoats at nearly every turn. He often blamed his own failings — a poor debate performance or a gaffe or a primary loss — on the media or other perceived enemies, and he fed his own conspiracies that his adversaries were out to undermine him. [snip] 

In the days since [U.S. District Judge James] Robart’s ruling last Friday night, Trump sent nine tweets about the judge and stoking fear that suddenly the door had been opened for terrorists to enter the country and cause “death & destruction.” [snip] 

In his commentary, Trump has ignored the screening measures and other counterterrorism precautions that have long been in place by U.S. customs and border officials. [snip] 

Trump also sought to diminish the credibility of Robart, calling him a “so-called judge.” Although presidents at times critique judicial rulings, they rarely take personal swipes at individual members of the federal bench. Trump’s breach of protocol could have a chilling affect on the judiciary, which constitutionally rules independently of the executive branch.  (our emphasis)

Less than 3 weeks in, Rump's anti- democratic, un- Constitutional, intemperate words and actions are alarming even those with a long history of normalizing this existential danger.  It's come too late to avoid having his tiny fingers near the nuclear launch codes and on filling the Supreme Court vacancy, but it's important that every opportunity for push back (a.k.a, "telling the truth") is taken by the media.  The Stormtrumpers want to operate in a chaotic blizzard of "alternative facts," the better to foster a disintegration of the norms, boundaries and truths that keep our civic institutions functioning.  Media like the Washington Post (which did it's large part in promoting the Clinton e-mail nothingburger) are perhaps beginning to realize the danger we're facing due to their malpractice and are attempting a late course correction.  To which we say, "Welcome to the real world -- better late than never (?)."

It's Past Time For The Media To Step Up

We're Hackwhackers and we endorse these messages.

From Medium (h/t Mock Paper Scissors):

Politicians have always told some lies. This is different. The people running our government, and their key supporters, have launched a war on honest journalism, on facts, and on freedom of expression in general. They are using misinformation as strategy. They want the public to become so confused by what is true and what is false that people will give up even on the idea that journalism can help sort things out. This is not business as usual. You may wish otherwise — and the relentless normalizing journalists still do of this abnormal crew shows how much you wish otherwise — but at some point you have to recognize reality and react to it. 

Your job is not to uncritically “report” — that is, do stenography and call it journalism — when the people you’re covering are deceiving the public. Your job is, in part, to help the public be informed about what powerful people and institutions are doing with our money and in our names.

From Philip Bump (on a headline in The Hill, "Trump: 'There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea'"):

Most Americans don’t follow Trump on Twitter but come across his tweets on a regular basis. Many, if not most, Americans also rely heavily on headlines to convey news to them. Meaning that many Americans learn about what Trump says in his tweets through the summaries that appear in headlines. 

That’s why a headline like the Hill’s is a disservice. It provides no context for Trump’s claim, acting instead like a retweet of Trump’s false assertion across another platform. What Trump tweeted is false, and news outlets should make that as clear as possible when covering his tweets (or his statements more broadly), including in headlines.

From Greg Sargent, on the media's falling for bad faith misdirection by the Trump regime:

One of the most important but overlooked lessons in the bombshell report on the handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation is that bad-faith, right-wing ref-working, via purely instrumental attacks on institutions, works. Buried in the report by the Department of Justice’s inspector general is evidence that former FBI director James B. Comey undertook actions that damaged Clinton’s candidacy, in part, because he had been spooked by such attacks. 

Right on cue, the news media’s coverage of the inspector general’s report is also confirming the same lesson: Bad-faith ref-working is producing its desired results once again. 

The report’s core finding is that the FBI’s decision not to prosecute Clinton was untainted by bias or politics. This lays waste to one of the most important narratives pushed by President Trump and his allies in the quest to undermine special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation by claiming law enforcement is riddled with anti-Trump corruption. 

But in many of this morning’s accounts about the report, you find versions of this additional claim: The IG report nonetheless provides fodder and ammunition to Trump and his allies to discredit Mueller’s probe. 

We will note, in the sh*t show pathological liar Trump provided to the media on the White (Supremacist) House grounds yesterday, several reporters tried repeatedly to call out his lies. That needs to significantly ramp up to the pace and level that the pathological liar is spreading lies (the article in Medium noted above offers some suggestions for that). Even if the effects are marginal (and they won't penetrate the cement between Trump supporters' ears), one of our last free institutions must show that they understand the gravity of the situation and can respond accordingly. Acting as though we're in normal times today must be seen as acting abnormally.

If you see this occurring, please call or write the media outlet to let them know that their job is, as noted above "to help the public be informed about what powerful people and institutions are doing with our money and in our names," not sit by and watch the lights go out all over America.

Some In Media Finally Starting To Use The "L" Word With Trump

For whatever reason (being played once too often, the looming possibility the dangerous loon might actually be elected, a sudden moral clarity?) some in the media are beginning to identify what comes out of neo- fascist pathological liar as... falsehoods... lies.  A few examples this morning:

The Associated Press (which has much to make up for after it's egregious Clinton Foundation "reporting"):

WASHINGTON (AP) - Even as Donald Trump sought to close the door on the false conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States, he peddled another lie by claiming that his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, was behind it. 

Fox "News" Shep Smith (!), via Media Matters:

Today Donald Trump punked the media and we learned it's not as fun when you're the victim. Here's what happened. Donald Trump's campaign announced that he would be holding a news conference, his first news conference on any matter in two months. this one on his past statements about the president not being born in America, statements that were never true. 

He made them for years, but instead of the promised news conference, he did an eight minute live commercial on all channels for his new hotel in Washington, then brought out American heroes to extol his greatness, then said the first black President of the United States really is an America citizen, gave no explanation for his previous statements to the contrary, or the reason for the change in position, then said Hillary Clinton started it, which she did not. 

Again, he blamed Hillary Clinton for creating the birther conspiracy theory. She did not. The comments came from that new hotel of his, just blocks away from the White House. Not only did Trump admit that President Obama was born in the U.S. -- thanks for that -- he also took credit for resolving the issue that never was. Apparently forcing President Obama to release his birth certificate back in 2011, stating that he was obviously born in Hawaii.

Maggie Haberman and Alan Rappeport, New York Times:

Donald J. Trump publicly retreated from his “birther” campaign on Friday, tersely acknowledging that President Obama was born in the United States — and effectively conceding that the conspiracy theory he had promoted for years was baseless. 

Mr. Trump made no apology for and took no questions about what had amounted to a five-year-long smear of the nation’s first black president. Instead, he claimed, falsely, that questions about Mr. Obama’s citizenship were initially stirred by the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, in her unsuccessful primary contest against Mr. Obama in 2008. 

The Washington Post hit it especially hard (for them).

Jenna Johnson and Anne Gearan, Washington Post:

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday acknowledged for the first time that President Obama was born in the United States, ending his long history of stoking unfounded doubts about the nation’s first African American president but also seeking to falsely blame Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for starting the rumors.

Karen Tumulty, Washington Post:

Never had the GOP nominee done all of this in such a fun-house-mirror fashion as on Friday, when he disavowed a crackpot con that he had once promoted. He even went so far as to claim credit for rectifying the situation. 

“Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it,” Trump said, falsely, in an appearance at his newly opened luxury hotel...

Margaret Sullivan, Washington Post:

Trump as recently as Thursday night had declined to put to rest his long history of promoting the false idea that the country’s first African American president was not born here. Based on implausible conspiracy theories, that idea was never more than a thinly veiled appeal to racism, intended to delegitimize Obama’s right to hold the highest office. And yet, reporters turned out in droves, live cameras at the ready. 

Will this newfound truth- telling be short- lived?  Is it about 3 months too late?  Will the media continue to get "punk'd" by Rump?  We'll have ample opportunity to see over the coming 50- some days and beyond.  Any effort at this point to stop the insane normalizing of this lying buffoon is to be welcomed.

The Apocalypse Nears: Normalizing Trump Continues

Brian Beutler has a good read on the media's still- not- too- late obligation to bear witness faithfully to the abnormality of neo- fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump.  Here's a snippet:

Whether you have a short or long view, you’ve seen enough to say authoritatively that Trump is different from all major party nominees in living memory. It is not normal in modern times for a major party nominee to be an erratic, racist demagogue; and it is almost definitionally abnormal for a major party nominee to be described as such by leading members of his own party. [snip] 

For several weeks now—including since Labor Day, when most Americans truly began paying attention to the campaigns—these truths, which we all took for granted six months ago, have not been communicated to glancing news consumers. They’ve receded from most article leads, headlines, front pages, and A-block TV segments. 

That development is the product of many collective choices and thousands of individual ones. It is an institutional failure, and as such, a major and abrupt course correction seems highly unlikely. But that doesn’t absolve reporters, editors, producers or anyone else who is part of the system. There’s still time to alter our focus, however incrementally, so that it better captures what’s new and alarming, and all journalists have some degree of power to nudge it in that direction. The goal is not to swing an election, or call Trump mean names, or render partisan judgment about whether electing him would be a world-historical mistake. It’s simply so that after this is all over, however it shakes out, we can say we bore witness faithfully.  (our emphasis)

Time is short, and the impulse to normalize this "world historical mistake" either by commission or omission continues apace in political reporting, McNews stories, and in a boot- licking corner of the entertainment world (or perhaps we should say, "hair tousling corner").

It's worth repeating what Charles Pierce said a few days ago:

... For the balance of this election cycle, and largely due to the presence in it of this ridiculous man and his ridiculous campaign, the American people have proven themselves profoundly unworthy of being called citizens.

And that goes double for those who know better and yet stand by and say or do nothing.

BONUS:  Regarding that cringe- worthy effort by Jimmy Fallon (WTF is wrong with you?)  to normalize (humanize?) Rump linked to above, this is our favorite tweet so far on the episode:

Somewhere in Trump tower:
"Make the call." pic.twitter.com/RRNIIhCaas

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) September 16, 2016

"A Damning Indictment"

 

The cultish portion of the public that continues to support the deranged Malignant Fascist won't quit him no matter what outrages he commits, even toward them.  The MF saw this phenomenon when he commented back in 2015 that he could "stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters."  His angry, ill-informed and largely white following have coalesced around a narcissistic demagogue who shares their sense of victimhood and grievance, but not their aspirations, concerns, and religious beliefs which he falsely trades on.  Salon.com's Chauncey Devega writes in his introduction to his interview of Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute, noting that the MF's strongest support is among the evangelical / Christofascist population:

"The American people remain in a deep slumber and state of learned helplessness as Donald Trump and his forces continue with the shock and awe campaign against American democracy, civil society, the rule of law, the Constitution and human decency. The mainstream news media as an institution appears to have chosen a strategy of anticipatory obedience and compliance, if not collaboration, in normalizing Trumpism and his attempts to become the country’s first elected dictator. The Democratic Party is mired in infighting and a perpetual post-mortem about how and why it was routed by Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans in the 2024 election. The concept of how to be an effective opposition party seems outside the grasp of its leaders.

Pro-democracy civil society organizations and the courts are trying to resist Trump’s attempts to neutralize them. Unfortunately, Donald Trump has great leverage in such a struggle and is using the near-limitless resources of the State to impose his will. For example, while the courts have repeatedly ordered a halt or pause on the Trump administration’s actions, it has and continues to treat such orders and rulings as optional, rather than as the commands of a co-equal branch of government, per the Constitution.  

Donald Trump was democratically elected. By choosing him over President Biden and then Vice President Kamala Harris, a majority of voters endorsed Donald Trump’s values, character, behavior and public aspirations to be a dictator on 'day one'. This is a damning indictment." [snip]

....polling by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has consistently shown that white right-wing Christians are the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support. This level of devotion gives Trump a great amount of power and flexibility in his quest for unlimited power because unlike his predecessors, he has a cult-like following that he can use to claim democratic legitimacy combined with autocratic powers and a willingness to shatter America’s political and societal institutions to achieve his personal and political goals." (our emphasis)

To be sure, there is no public policy solution in the MF's mind, only how he can capitalize on his position and punish his "enemies." His cult will never see that as they follow him blindly, some to their own destruction.

 

Trump Peddles Snake Oil, Credulous Reporters Buy A Case

For an individual to assume neo- fascist hot air balloon Donald "Rump" Trump has "plans" floating in his thatched skull (other than ones involving self- aggrandizement) would indicate to us that he or she (in this case he and she) must've just fallen off the turnip truck or are engaged in some industrial- strength beat- sweetening. Case in point: looking at the morning once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle, here are reporters stenographers Robert Costa and Amy Goldstein dutifully labeling a fart that emerged from Rump's other orifice on Obamacare "replacement" as a "plan."

First there's the heading:

"Trump vows ‘insurance for everybody’ in Obamacare replacement plan"

Then there's the credulous repetition of the notion that this narcissist with no history of interest in policy or details actually is "nearing completion of a plan" (when he's not taking to Twitter to complain about Saturday Night Live or Rep. John Lewis, we assume):

President-elect Donald Trump said in a weekend interview that he is nearing completion of a plan to replace President Obama’s signature health-care law with the goal of “insurance for everybody”... [snip]

Trump declined to reveal specifics in the telephone interview late Saturday with The Washington Post... [snip] 

Trump’s plan is likely to face questions from the right, after years of GOP opposition to further expansion of government involvement in the health-care system, and from those on the left... [snip] 

In addition to his replacement plan for the ACA, also known as Obamacare, Trump said he will target pharmaceutical companies over drug prices.

Do you see a "plan?" Did they see a "plan?" Maybe they're in the same compartment where Rump has his secret "plan" to defeat ISIS. And his "plan" to create jobs.  And his "plan" avoid conflicts of interest in office.

But let's all give Rump the benefit of the doubt, because we all know Rump never lies.

Oddly enough in the same edition, the paper's media columnist Margaret Sullivan tells the press to gird for Rump's "hellish" assault of lies, distortions and threats:

So, we can expect President Trump to lie to the media, manipulate reality and go after those who upset the notion that adulation is his birthright. [snip]

Journalists are in for the fight of their lives. And they are going to have to be better than ever before, just to do their jobs. 

They will need to work together, be prepared for legal persecution, toughen up for punishing attacks and figure out new ways to uncover and present the truth. 

Two of her Trump- normalizing colleagues need to get the memo.

BONUS:  Steve M. has a good read on why this is all a media pig in a poke.

BONUS II:  Wonkette has an amusing take.

About That Carrier "Win" For Trump

The recent news that United Technologies/ Carrier Corp. cut a deal with the State of Indiana (overseen by Gov. Mike "Dense" Pence) to keep about 1,000 manufacturing jobs in Indiana has been touted by neo- fascist plutocrat Donald "Rump" Trump and large swaths of the accommodating, normalizing media as a big p.r. "win" for Rump's style of dealmaking.  Now that the dust has settled a bit, the details of the deal, and its potential as a template for future "deals" are being called into question.

First, what's actually going to happen to the roughly 2,000 jobs that Carrier was threatening to move from Indiana to Mexico?  After Rump and Dense made their victory tour through the Carrier plant yesterday, here's what happened:

Not long after Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence departed for the airport and to another rally in Ohio to celebrate his victory, workers coming in for the night shift received a letter titled “Company Update on Indianapolis Operations.” 

“While this announcement is good news for many, we recognize it is not good news for everyone,” the letter stated. “We are moving forward with previously announced plans to relocate the fan coil manufacturing lines, with the expected completion by the end of 2017.”  (our emphasis)

That's at least 1,300 workers right there.

So, the deal that United Technologies/ Carrier got to keep less than half of the 2,000 jobs in the U.S. included $7 million annually over ten years (h/t Jerry in comments) in corporate welfare tax breaks courtesy of Indiana taxpayers.  Is there must be more to this "great" deal.

“Every penny counts, but if we step back and I’m looking at earnings of $6.60 per share this year, 2 cents is an easy concession if the president-elect listens to some of the company’s bigger concerns,” said Howard Rubel, a senior equity analyst with Jefferies, an investment banking firm in New York.  (our emphasis)

Listening to "the company's bigger concerns" means Rump essentially gave United Technologies/ Carrier future leverage in seeking corporate welfare tax breaks on its other businesses, or other forms of corporate welfare incentives.  Tax breaks themselves create perverse incentives, leading to a race to the bottom between states and increased potential for replacing jobs through automation.

Rump had also dangled the possibility of canceling government contracts with United Technologies, a threat no doubt taken seriously given Rump's private business model of stiffing contractors.

Sen. Bernie Sanders cuts to the chase on what this "win" for Rump actually portends:

In essence, United Technologies took Trump hostage and won. And that should send a shock wave of fear through all workers across the country. 

Trump has endangered the jobs of workers who were previously safe in the United States. Why? Because he has signaled to every corporation in America that they can threaten to offshore jobs in exchange for business-friendly tax benefits and incentives. Even corporations that weren’t thinking of offshoring jobs will most probably be reevaluating their stance this morning. And who would pay for the high cost for tax cuts that go to the richest businessmen in America? The working class of America. (our emphasis)

Rump, the friend of the Forgotten Man and business genius, will be snookered into doling out corporate welfare tax breaks and other incentives by every predatory corporation in America.  Eugene Robinson illustrates how they'll game him:

So imagine you’re a CEO who wants to send, say, 5,000 manufacturing jobs overseas. Having learned from the Carrier example, you might begin by announcing that unfortunately you are forced to eliminate 10,000 jobs because of the crushing tax burden. Even if you really want to move the jobs to Vietnam or Kenya, just say you’re looking at possible sites for a new plant in Mexico. That’s sure to get Trump’s attention. 

When Trump calls offering tax breaks or enterprise zone incentives or free rounds of golf in Scotland, whatever goodies he tosses in, hold out for a while — then reluctantly, in the spirit of patriotism and Making America Great Again, announce you’ve agreed to cancel half of the 10,000 job cuts. You’d still be meeting your original goal of eliminating 5,000 jobs, only now you’d also have a lower corporate tax bill and a tee time at Turnberry.

Brilliant!

So, we can look forward to this weaselheaded f*cknugget businessman, who's mostly adept at declaring his own companies bankrupt and getting huge tax write- offs, lending his magic touch to making great deals for the American worker and economy, and the puerile, slavering media will applaud. Start stuffing your cash in mattresses.

BONUS:  Gene has more of what's to come at Disaffected and It Feels So Good.

BONUS II:  Andy Borowitz has his sarcastically accurate take, expressed in this headline - TRUMP WARNS THAT COMPANIES SHIPPING JOBS OVERSEAS WILL BE SLAPPED WITH ENORMOUS BRIBES.

BONUS III:

Another metric: Trump would have to do one Carrier-sized deal a week for 30 years to save as many jobs as Obama's auto bailout

— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 30, 2016

(Photo: Rump's favorite picture - use "liberally.")

Tweets / Xeets Of The Day

 

Dementia Don "weaving" and low on energy ---

 

Trump: Over the seas and over our land. And then they want us to have clean. I said wait, we’re gonna be clean but it’s all flying. Just remember that. Does that make sense? In other words, it’s all coming through the currents through the air, they can name it pic.twitter.com/G34DJnaeue

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 17, 2024

 

Trump is low energy!

Sad! pic.twitter.com/Esc8aNfAMg

— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) October 18, 2024

 

Trump’s NRA rally has just been canceled… following him backing out of 60 Minutes, CNBC, and a 2nd debate with Kamala. Meanwhile, she’s going head-to-head with Bret Baier on Fox News. Remind me again who’s the “alpha”? https://t.co/mT6PvaGMZH

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) October 17, 2024

 

"You're at the wrong rally" 😂 --

 

I don’t know the outcome. But this and stuff like the Fox interview are the closing message. All power moves. That’s the message. https://t.co/xmwFJYXpsP

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 17, 2024

 

Mark Cuban on Harris' small business policies and Trump's tariffs --

.@mcuban: There is one candidate who is trying to help every single entrepreneur make their American dream come true. If Donald Trump is elected, his 60% tariffs can put them out of business. That is exactly why we need Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States pic.twitter.com/EIbLARwAck

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 17, 2024

 

At the Al Smith dinner, normalizing a fascist --

 

This convicted felon, racist, rapist, business fraud motherfucker golfed while our loved ones died, incited an attack against our government and promises to send OUR troops to arrest half the people in that damn room cuz he can.
And they’re all acting as if this is normal?
WTAF https://t.co/xils4RccUW

— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) October 18, 2024

The MAGAt election game plan / reminder --

 

Donald Trump thrives off of grievance. Republicans are filing lawsuits knowing they will lose the overwhelming majority in order to give Trump an excuse to lie to his followers about later when he is defeated. pic.twitter.com/fZcSE3uCrQ

— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) October 18, 2024

 

If you are turned away at the polls because your name is not on the register, don't walk away.
Say this:
I REQUEST A PROVISIONAL BALLOT AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

Don't let them steal your vote.

— Robert Stern (@RobertCStern) October 16, 2024

What's that Musk-y smell?  Fascist billionaire on fate of Western civilization --

 

That’s why Putin hopes Trump wins. https://t.co/QJ4pNA7pmN

— Michael Dominowski (@dominowski) October 18, 2024

 

It blows my mind that a South African can come to America for our world-class universities, make $250B off U.S. capitalism, then travel to blue-collar towns to say the nation is falling apart 🎁https://t.co/QkGdcFvMh1

— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) October 18, 2024

 

Part of the true "enemy within" --

 

Christian nationalist pastor Joel Webbon calls for the public execution of women who falsely claim to have been sexually assaulted: "#MeToo would end real fast ... All you have to do is publicly execute a few women who have lied." https://t.co/axgg2menAi pic.twitter.com/TN5uDBFzU7

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) October 17, 2024

 

"But I just wanted a shave and a trim" (Happy Friday!) --

Barber shop art

Wait for it 🤯
pic.twitter.com/wBAvYeE8Gr

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) October 18, 2024

 

 

DACA: Trump's Latest Fandango

Conflicting versions are coming out of last night's dinner between House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and narcissistic demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump regarding a DACA fix and border security. The initial read out was from the Dems, who emphasized that enshrining DACA in legislation would be separate from any border wall legislation. It was contradicted by Rump's tweet and statement as he left for Florida that no deal was reached and it would include "massive" border security.

Therein lies the problem for Dems and anyone who would "deal" with an erratic and unmoored Rump: agreements for him are a means to garner personal praise and nothing more. He no doubt noted the eruption of hate from compatriots like racist Rep. Steve "Cantaloupe Calves" King (Bigot-IA) and Laura "Heil Trump" Ingraham, who promised war if Rump caved on DACA. He and his White (Supremacist) House will eventually reveal themselves, despite the wishful thinking of Beltway media pundits yearning for an "independent" Rump. As Frank Rich wrote in New York Magazine:

"The new coinage that Trump is somehow an 'independent,' with its implicit invocation of the Teddy Roosevelts of American history, is a way of dignifying and normalizing erratic behavior that hasn’t changed from the start. It’s the latest iteration of those previous moments when wishful centrist pundits started saying things like 'Today Trump became president' simply because he stuck to a teleprompter script when addressing Congress or bombed Syria. Trump is an 'independent' in the same way a toddler is. He jumped at the Democrats’ [debt ceiling] deal solely on impulse. He remains a drama queen who likes to grab attention any way he can, especially when he thinks he can please a crowd, whether the mobs at his rallies or the press Establishment he claims to loathe but whose approval he has always desperately craved."

It's all about him, and when circumstances dictate, he'll as easily discard a "deal" as make one if it gives him positive headlines for a news cycle.

BONUS:  Popcorn time! Here's how Rump's loyal base of bigots is reacting to the news --

Check out Breitbart. A turning point tonight.
"Amnesty Don" pic.twitter.com/wqvv2mTwyD

— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 14, 2017

At this point, who DOESN'T want Trump impeached? https://t.co/g1mMhmm8ng

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 14, 2017

If reports true 100%. I blame R's. They caused this. They wanted him to fail and now pushed him into arms of political suicide--IF TRUE. https://t.co/WTqe6jzfa9

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) September 14, 2017

WHOA IF TRUE!

Sad!

Quote Of The Day: The Low Bar for Rump

"As for the mainstream media, it is a very short distance from 'That’s Trump going ballistic again' to 'That’s just Trump being Trump.' But when it comes to drawing political conclusions, it’s all the distance in the world. Similarly, that low bar will inevitably lead to high praise whenever Trump jumps it. A Trump debate in which he is even intelligible or slightly muted would undoubtedly unleash a media torrent of approval: Aha! He is more presidential than we thought. We already are getting a preview of this on the Republican Party side, where any hint of sanity by Trump is embraced in a bear hug. It is part of the process of normalizing him. (emphasis added) -- Neal Gabler of Moyers & Company, discussing how the low expectations for neo-fascist ignoramus Donald "Rump" Trump's behavior and rhetoric have benefited him as far as media coverage is concerned.  The whole article is worth a read.

Tweets Of The Day

 

Look in the mirror --

If your response to Gen John Kelly, gold star father & Trump’s WH chief of staff, confirming that Trump praised Hitler & called members of our military “suckers and losers” is to defend Trump, you need to look in the mirror and realize your dishonor will live forever.

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) October 23, 2024

 

The new conservative argument: You can't call Trump a fascist, it's an insult to his voters! https://t.co/G0AzAL0Llh

— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) October 23, 2024

Different standards for VP Harris (is that you, Dana Bash?) -- 

Tapper: We in the media are critiquing her answers… Meanwhile, the Republican nominee literally is talking about liberals being the enemy within talking about using the using the military to go after these people pic.twitter.com/LWV6ZDr2Lz

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 24, 2024

 

jesus -- Dana Bash says she's hearing from people that Harris failed "to close the deal." These folks are gonna bothsides us straight into fascism. pic.twitter.com/XwGpxWKj8q

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 24, 2024

Same goes for our broken media in general --

 

If you're a journalist and you are writing about anything other than Trump's fascism or the profound character flaws that will feed it and make him unfit for office you are distracting from his fascism, clouding the issue and normalizing him.

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) October 24, 2024

J(unior) D(emagogue) Vance and the authoritarian personality cult -- 

Authoritarian personality cult alert. We must praise the leader's vitality, especially if he has been falling asleep in public! https://t.co/htwzrg02Gq

— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) October 23, 2024

Associations with Diddy, Jeffrey Epstein won't hurt the Malignant Loser with his cult -- 

MAGA is trying to say that VP Kamala Harris went to Diddy’s parties without anyone on the record confirming it.

Adria Sheri English went on the record that Diddy told her about his celebrity guests a party.

That list included Donald Trump.

Every accusation is a confession… pic.twitter.com/8sTbc9vJJC

— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) October 24, 2024

 

The monumental hypocrisy and venality of Christofascist Trumpers -- 

He’a sitting there thinking about a Big Mac. pic.twitter.com/8VTJhwMaWV

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 24, 2024

And a true sucker gives his Purple Heart to military disparaging Cadet Bone Spurs -- 

 

Trump Accepts 2nd Purple Heart Award for Assassination Attempt

The GOP nominee avoided combat, called soldiers “suckers” and “losers” https://t.co/KEpN8opZfR

— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) October 24, 2024

Billionaire owner of the LA Times blocks paper's Harris endorsement.  Oligarchs suck. -- 

LA Times editor quits after owner blocks Harris endorsement. Mariel Garza said the editorial board was prepared to endorse Kamala Harris, but the paper’s owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, ordered them not to make an endorsement.https://t.co/gVPPQgBvor

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 24, 2024

What's that Musk-y smell?  Violating Federal election law --

 

Justice Department warns Elon Musk’s America PAC that his $1 million sweepstakes for registered voters in swing states may be illegal, sources say. https://t.co/3MUOOLzvp2

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 23, 2024

Surprised that the dude thought there might be a "take two" --

 

pic.twitter.com/m8ejqjggX3

— They tried but it went wrong 😆 (@TriedWrong) October 24, 2024

 

Van Jones: We Have "Trump Derangement Syndrome"

In a revealing interview with Marlow Stern at The Daily Beast, CNN personality Van Jones talks about his various projects, from criminal justice reform to environmentalism to teaching at-risk children to code, in addition to popping up on CNN at every turn. His latest venture for them is to unite victims of crime with the perpetrator in an attempt to provide some ratings-boosting video. But late in the interview, Stern comes back to what many object to in Jones: his disturbing normalizing of sociopath Donald "Not Exonerated" Trump.

The most memorable instance of Jones doing this was his commentary on CNN after Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress, when he declared that Trump "became President in that moment", apparently because he read a prepared text by his speechwriters concerning a fallen Navy SEAL. When Stern asks if he wants to take it back, Jones replies, "No, I'm proud of it." When pressed, Jones becomes prickly, shifting the conversation to his criminal justice reform activism (which he partnered in with Jared "Mr. Ivanka Trump" Kushner no less), at one point saying, "so I'm going to be done with this and talk about something else." He just wants to talk about his "deeds and achievements."

Stern does a good job of pinning a defensive Jones down, at one point getting a telling admission from the CNN pundit:

"Every time they do something right, I’m going to scream, holler and cheer; and every time they do something wrong, I’m going to scream, holler and boo. And if you look at my record, 99% of the time I’m booing. But I am not going to be a part of this Trump-derangement syndrome that says you have to boo them even when they’re right because they’ve been wrong."  (our emphasis)

Stern quickly points out that when Trump does something "right," it could have more to do with a cynical political motivation rather that decency. Jones turns prickly again:

"It turns out that sometimes some politicians do things for political reasons. If we’re gonna freak out about that, then we can’t engage with any politician."

See, it's about access, baby. Engagement. Jones is busy constructing a prominent career at CNN, and with his varied activist enterprises, based on exploiting that.

(photo: Van Jones smooches former CNN hack and Trumpanzee Jeffrey Lord. Can't we all just get along?)

Skeets Of The Day

 

Yesterday's allied intervention with the treasonous Malignant Fascist --

There was an unprecedented meeting at the White House yesterday. Why? Because America’s allies don’t trust our president anymore. Why? Well the fact he is nuts, loyal to Russia, a liar, and an incompetent surrounded by incompetents has something to do with it. www.thedailybeast.com/is-peace-in-...

[image or embed]

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf.bsky.social) August 19, 2025 at 6:48 AM

The MF knows not to be disrespectful of his leader -- 

FOX: What was the reaction among European leaders when you decided to call Putin during your meeting? TRUMP: I didn't do it in front of them. I thought that would be disrespectful to President Putin.

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 19, 2025 at 8:23 AM

 

Yes, one must always be respectful to the brutal war criminal who viciously unleashed his weapons against civilians. What the actual fuck?

— Joel Klebanoff 🇨🇦 (@joel.klebanoff.com) August 19, 2025 at 8:27 AM

Every time he puts our allies on hold, you can hear Putin laughing in the background.

[image or embed]

— 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕣𝕝 (@sundaedivine.bsky.social) August 19, 2025 at 7:10 AM

 

 If Biden had done this, the broken media would have made it the top story for days --

 

for once, i agree with Trump - he should not be allowed to vote unless he demonstrates he can remember his license plate

[image or embed]

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff.bsky.social) August 19, 2025 at 7:40 AM

“Where are we here?” Trump’s dementia on full display. Trump can’t find the President of Finland, even though he’s seated at the table directly opposite him. Where’s the Jake Tapper investigation?

[image or embed]

— Mike Sington (@mikesington.bsky.social) August 19, 2025 at 9:10 AM

 

The MF's theatrical occupation of Washington, a distraction from his Epstein involvement-- 

Went ahead and updated my map of cities with higher crime than D.C. to accommodate the two new states from the Deep South who are sending troops to the capital. In the five states there are 64 cities, home to 1.7 million people, that had more crime in 2024 than D.C. www.pbump.net/o/more-peopl...

[image or embed]

— Philip Bump (@pbump.com) August 18, 2025 at 9:23 PM

They are actually saying fuck you fuck you fuck you

[image or embed]

— Greg Olear (@gregolear.bsky.social) August 18, 2025 at 9:04 PM

 

Our broken, fearful, normalizing corporate media covering for the MF -- 

American journalism is now risible in the eyes of professional journalists who see clearly what's going on here.

[image or embed]

— Scott Horton (@robertscotthorton.bsky.social) August 19, 2025 at 9:09 AM

When there was positive economic data under Biden, the New York Times told us to worry, with headlines like: “Why a Strong U.S. Economy Is Making Stock Investors Jittery” and “Inflation Has Been Easing Fast, but Wild Cards Lie Ahead” But when there is worrisome data under Trump, NYT reassures us:

[image or embed]

— Mark Jacob (@markjacob.bsky.social) August 19, 2025 at 8:46 AM

 

Dominion Voting Systems gets another lying, right-wing propaganda outlet to pay up --

Newsmax reaches $67M settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in defamation case.

[image or embed]

— Politico (@politico.com) August 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM

 

Happy National Aviation Day, and remember... -- 

On #NationalAviationDay, just a reminder that Trump appears in the Epstein flight logs multiple times.

[image or embed]

— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes.bsky.social) August 19, 2025 at 8:49 AM