Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Trump in Trouble Over "Second Amendment" Threat to Hillary Clinton


As I write this post, Rudy Giuliani is mouthing a bullshit explanation for Trumps remark seemingly encouraging his NRA extremist supporters to use violence against Hillary Clinton in order to stop her from winning the presidential election in November.  If one watches the video clip of Trumps remarks, it is beyond clear that Trump was NOT saying what Giuliani is now trying to put in Trump's mouth.  If suggesting the assassination of one's opponent isn't the final straw for the Republican Party to remove Donald Trump from the position of its standard bearer, then the GOP truly deserves to die and die quickly.  First these highlights from Politico:
Donald Trump on Tuesday said "the Second Amendment people" may be the only way to stop Hillary Clinton from getting to appoint federal judges if she wins the presidential election in November.
“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment,” he said as an aside while smiling. “By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what, that will be a horrible day.”
Trump was speaking at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he repeated his regular claim that Clinton intends to “abolish” the Second Amendment, presumably by appointing liberal justices to the Supreme Court. But Trump punctuated that line with an aside, suggesting that Second Amendment supporters might be in a position to stop her even if she’s elected.
The Trump campaign rejected the notion that Trump was inciting violence against Clinton or anyone else with his aside at the Wilmington rally. Instead, the campaign said the Manhattan billionaire was simply appealing to the collective political muscle Second Amendment supporters possess.

Clinton did not take any questions after her event in Miami on Tuesday, but reached for comment, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook condemned the comments. "This is simple—what Trump is saying is dangerous. A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in any way," he said in a statement.
Following Trump's remark, the main super PAC supporting her, Priorities USA Action, immediately circulated the clip with the subject line, "Donald Trump Just Suggested That Someone Shoot Hillary Clinton."

Congressional Democrats piled on. Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted that Trump "makes death threats because he's a pathetic coward who can’t handle the fact that he’s losing to a girl."
Rep. Eric Swallwell, a California Democrat, called on Twitter for the Secret Service to investigate. “Donald Trump suggested someone kill Sec. Clinton. We must take people at their word. @SecretService must investigate #TrumpThreat,” he wrote.

Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, launched a series of tweets criticizing the comments: "Don't treat this as a political misstep. It's an assassination threat, seriously upping the possibility of a national tragedy & crisis," he wrote. "This isn't play. Unstable people with powerful gu
ns and an unhinged hatred for Hillary are listening to you, @realDonaldTrump."
A column in Esquire takes a look at the larger issue of FTF is wrong with the Republican Party that no one has the spine to do an intervention and strip Trump of the GOP presidential nomination.  Here are column excerpts:
OK, is hinting that maybe your political opponent should get shot The Line?
If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know.
Is that The Line?  You know, The Line, the one that He, Trump has to cross before the entire Republican Party, not to mention a good portion of the human race, finds him too revolting for their delicate stomachs? What say you, Paul Ryan? Is that the line? John McCain? Mitch McConnell? All you clowns in the tricorns and the Watering The Tree Of Liberty tank tops? What say you all? Do you stand by this?
How about the elite political press? Is this enough to push you over the line to admitting every day in your coverage that this is not a normal election because the Republican Party has nominated a public sociopath for President of the United States?
What he said on Tuesday is something Donald Trump does every day of his life, on purpose, as a matter of policy and a perfect expression of everything he stands for. It seems one could stoop even lower than Nixon to be president. 
If that isn't The Line, then what in the hell is The Line? Actually doing it?


1 comment:

Candide said...

The NRA explanation that he was making a statement about their political muscle makes no sense if you include tRump's statement, "That would be a horrible thing." Why would it be a horrible thing if he wasn't talking about violence. No, it is a suggestion his followers become violent if she tries to impose justices who want to control gun violence.