Trump’s MAGA Cult is Undermining American Democracy
President Biden’s “This-Is-Not-Normal” Speech Exposes the Rising Danger of MAGA Trumpists
Last night, President Joe Biden delivered perhaps the most important speech of his administration, thus far. He addressed the alarming radicalization of the modern-day Republican Party. In an unusual Thursday evening primetime speech, President Biden issued a dire warning that powerful extremists pose a mortal danger to American democracy.
He’s absolutely correct. If anything, President Biden’s speech was too mild. He didn’t go nearly far enough. [READ MORE HERE]
Nonetheless, it was a bold speech for a president whom many had criticized as far too pragmatic and dismissed a long time ago as a failed leader incapable of shepherding a popular transformation. President Biden’s first 18 months admittedly were rocky, and he didn’t always rise to public expectations, thereby resulting in plunging approval numbers. However, the Biden Administration’s record of accomplishment over the last few months has been stellar by any metric, arguably the most intense political agenda passed in more than a decade. The economy has reacted favorably, too, and now predictably — President Biden’s poll numbers have shot up and are about on par with previous administrations at this stage of their terms.
I was thrilled to see President Biden (and many Democrats) finally taking off the gloves and swinging. Lies must be exposed. Bullies must be punched in the face. No more niceties. Indeed, the Republican Party *is* a mortal danger to American democracy. Those of us who previously thought the political pustule of orange pus named Donald Trump was merely a temporary blemish on our collective landscape must now confront the actual reality that the nation is infected with a malignant form of cancer.
A majority of Republicans still believe the 2020 election lies. For the first time in our history, a former president encouraged, aided, and abetted the violent resistance to the constitutional transformation of power, openly threatened election officials, dangled political favors to would-be lawbreakers, attempted to form a kangaroo klan of alternative electors, filed dozens of frivolous lawsuits (all of which were laughed out of court-often by Republican-appointed judges) and when all those crackpot half-baked measures failed, he encouraged thousands of MAGA fanatics to storm the Capitol Hil, interrupt a live session of the House of Representatives, and overthrow the federal government like some crazed would-be dictator parading on the balcony of a Banana Republic.
The appalling spectacle of January 6th should have ended Trumpism once and for all and left it buried in the dustbin of history. Instead, it ignited the fuse on a ticking time bomb of craziness. In nearly all the 2022 political races, Banana Republicans nominated hard-core Trumpsters — lapdog cultists who pledge their loyalties not to America or the Constitution, but rather to one extraordinarily deranged and dangerous man. Any dissent whatsoever within the party triggers the Liz Cheney punishment. Never mind that the Wyoming congresswoman proudly received a 97 rating from the far-Right American Conservative Union, one of the most deeply conservative grades of any elected House member. Since she failed to kiss the GOP god’s bloody ring, she was beheaded in the primary for her act of consciousness, a.k.a. “betrayal.”
Republicans are now preparing to stage a coup d’etat. Perhaps not a violent one (not yet) but a bold, well-orchestrated, behind-the-scenes usurpation of power. They will control a majority of states, including the ballot boxes in so-called “swing states.” Burrowed in deeply and boll weaseled as the corrupt partisan powers that will pull most of the key levers on the 2024 presidential election outcome, they will do whatever they can get away with to suppress Democratic votes and in states where they lose the popular vote we can expect pro-Trump MAGA-minded officials to block the official release of election results and attempt to impose alternative measures that will produce a Trump-friendly outcome. Remember, in 2020 these MAGAts tried to push an alternate slate of electors in many states. What we saw two years ago will be a birthday party to possibly what’s coming ahead.
Yes, President Biden is 100 percent correct. The Republican Party does pose a mortal danger to the future of American democracy.
Fortunately, there’s good news about this threat. The American public sees just how extreme this once great party of Abraham Lincoln has become and just how sick and pathetic the GOP leadership is in cowering to a self-obsessed madman. As proof of popular displeasure with growing fanaticism on the Right, Republicans have underperformed in five key recent political races, those Democratic wins sparked perhaps by the outlandish draconian anti-choice agenda of Republicans who have stripped away women’s reproductive rights. Even quitter ex-Gov. moose-mom Sarah Palin got spanked like a brat in a special election this week. Hey, when Democrats are winning House seats in Alaska (ALASKA!), you know the GOP is in serious trouble. It even looks like Democrats will maintain control of the Senate, which was unthinkable just six months ago.
Anyone who still doubts that lunatics have seized control of the Republican Party, just consider what the disgraced, twice-impeached, document-stealing former president said yesterday in an interview. Trump admitted that he’s met with traitors who acted in the 1-6-21 riot and says he’s “financially supporting” them (actually, he’s fundraised tens of millions from his dirt-dumb brainwashed dupes who continue to send in donations–Trump hasn’t personally contributed a dime to anyone’s defense). Trump called the insurrectionists “patriots” and stated he will look “very favorably” on the possibility of full pardons — if he wins the 2024 election. [READ MORE HERE]
Read that again: Full pardons for a violent mob that attacked law enforcement officers, did tens of millions in property damage, and nearly took over the U.S. Capital. Trump, the unquestionable GOP frontrunner to be the presidential nominee in 2024, is now openly supporting traitors and criminals and is even encouraging more madness. Pardons for a crazed mob that screamed “Hang Mike Pence!”
Yes, Trump really said that. This is the Republican Party of 2022, my fellow Americans. This is a deranged spectacle and an embarrassment.
Thank you to President Biden for saying what needed to be said. Let’s just hope enough Americans are listening.
