Who Needs the Constitution?
Trump's latest pathetic attempt to worm his way back into the Oval
This is not satire.
Here is Trump's most telling social media post ever:
“Do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” Trump wrote in a post on the social network Truth Social and accused “Big Tech” of working closely with Democrats. “Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!”
Let's unpack this.
Given that it's the president's job to protect and defend the Constitution, it's hard to see how Republicans can pretend this isn’t problematic. But, then again, when a violent mob attacked our Capitol with the intent of hanging Mike Pence and shooting Nancy Pelosi, they didn't have much to say either.
We've long known Republicans in leadership are cowards, but now we have definitive proof that many are also stupid.
Republicans just can't let Trump go
Republicans in leadership positions are still willing to back Donald Trump if Trump becomes the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential race — even after becoming aware of Trump's calls to terminate the Constitution.
On Sunday (12.4.22), Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce was interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week. Stephanopoulos, to his credit, pressed Joyce to say this latest post from the former twice-impeached disgraced ex-president would disqualify Trump from running for president again — it didn't happen.
Instead, Joyce repeated that he didn't think Trump would be the nominee, but he admitted that, if he were, Joyce would back him. At one point, Joyce referred to Trump's comment as nothing more than “fantasy.”
If I admitted to fantasizing about committing arson, would I be an appropriate candidate for Fire Chief?
I think not.
McConnell embarrasses all thinking people
Mitch McConnell, who barely managed to eke out "There is no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or antisemitism" a full week after Trump was caught dining with two notorious Nazi sympathizers, was also mum the day Trump made his most recent inculpatory statement. Expectations were that McConnell would come up with something pithy to say about it the following day.
Today — two days after the former president's Truth Social brain fart, McConnell's contribution to the debate was imbecilic. When asked if he would "categorically refuse" to support a Trump 2024 run for president, McConnell responded with the following:
"Anyone seeking the presidency who thinks that the Constitution could somehow be suspended or not followed, it seems to me, would have a very hard time being sworn in as the president of the United States."
Trump wasn't willing to defend and protect the Constitution during his first term as president. Yet, he was sworn into office, having made that very promise while holding his tiny little hand on a Bible.
Someone should tell Republicans that people who don't believe in anything but self-preservation cannot be trusted to fulfill an oath — any oath of any kind. Trump proved that swearing on the Bible has no bearing on his future behavior. Yet somehow, McConnell seems to have missed that.
Either Republicans have short memories or no brains
Let us not forget that it was another Republican, then-President George W. Bush, who said, "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
LOL. There appears to be no limit on the number of times one can fool a Republican.
I guess we need to adjust our expectations again. While there may be no room in the Republican Party for white supremacists or antisemites, they will make room for morons who wish to terminate the Constitution.
Trump's statement proves his state of mind on Jan 6
In a court of law, establishing one's state of mind is often difficult. It's been a sticking point for indicting Trump for his role in the insurrection. If we can't prove he intended to violate the Constitution, how can he be held accountable for the actions of those who disregarded the rule of law on his behalf?
We now have our answer: Trump has called publicly for the "termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution," if that is what is necessary to put him back in the White House. So if proving Trump's state of mind is required to prove criminal intent, he just did that for us.
Fran Lebowitz was right when she said, "You do not know anyone as stupid as Donald Trump." Though I think some members of the Republican Party are giving him a run for his money.
Trump is now denying the contents of his social media post
It's taken an absurd amount of time, even for a slow learner like Trump, but he has finally figured out that his words might hurt him. In a post made after his toss-the-Constitution rant, Trump tried to walk back his original statement by declaring that he never said what he said:
‘The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to “terminate” the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES, just like RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, and all of their other HOAXES & SCAMS,’ the ex-president wrote on Truth Social.
‘What I said was that when there is “MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION,” as has been irrefutably proven in the 2020 Presidential Election, steps must be immediately taken to RIGHT THE WRONG.’
Trump owns a social media company but doesn’t realize that once he posts something, he can’t pretend he didn’t.
The takeaway
Republican leadership will support anyone their base chooses, regardless of qualifications.
There is no limit to the number of times Republicans can be fooled.
Trump's attempt to hide his original post on Truth Social might even be considered obstruction of justice — it's just one more example of Trump's attempt to hide evidence that could incriminate him.
Fortunately, it won't be stupid Republicans who decide who our next president will be — that's up to the American people writ large. And the American people believe in the Constitution, even if Donald J. Trump doesn't.
NOTE: This just in — Trump Org found GUILTY on ALL CHARGES in the case against Trump’s business — despite Weisselberg’s testimony indicating that he did it all on his own. Here are the big ones.
1st Degree Scheme to Defraud — GUILTY
4th Degree Conspiracy — GUILTY
2nd Degree Grand Larceny — GUILTY
3RD Degree Criminal Tax Fraud — GUILTY
4TH Degree Criminal Tax Fraud — GUILTY
1st Degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing — GUILTY
1st Degree Falsifying Business Records — GUILTY
I can’t wait to hear Republicans spin this one!