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Open Thread: Trailing badly, Trump suggests that his followers shoot Hillary if she wins

With Trump’s position in the polls continuing its downward slide, The Donald winkingly suggested to his “second amendment people” at a rally today that they could, you know, assassinate her if (when?) he loses the race.

This is probably not news to anyone reading this, but if you haven’t watched the video itself yet, it’s even creepier than a mere transcript. He and his apologists have tried to spin this one away but there is no credible way to “explain” this as anything other than a call for the literal assassination of a political rival. 

We need to do everything possible to keep this man from being elected. Do we also need to prepare for what might happen if (when?) he loses? How exactly, I’m not sure. Obviously the solution to Trump supporters with guns is not Hillary supporters with guns.

Discuss. No MRAs/Trump apologists/calls for revolution, etc.

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Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
8 years ago

@PI

For instance, Gabby Gifford got shot after Palin talked about “targeting” democrats

http://i2.wp.com/www.boingboing.net/assets_c/2011/01/map2-thumb-600×398-37217.png
Seeing Gabby around, like at the DNC, always makes me sad. She’s gone thru more than anyone should have to, and she’s a fuckin fighter all the way. Yet the people, Palin especially, who encouraged some jackass to go to a campaign event guns literally blazing are still out there. Saying the same shit, no hint of remorse. CPAC will trot out Palin and Nugent and LaPierre to talk about ‘2nd amendment remedies’ or the similarities between the ballot box and the bullet box. ‘The tree of liberty is watered with the blood of Mexicans and Muslims, and Obama, Clinton, and the Supreme Court are tryna take your freedom away. Maybe you should do something about that.’ All the while, the ‘moral majority’ cheers

And Gabby Giffords cheers the speakers at the DNC, as they talk about love and progress, helping the underprivileged and responsibly dealing with our problems. Gabby cheers, but she doesn’t clap. She can’t anymore. Fuck

@Leda
‘Incitement to imminent lawless action’ is our standard. So he’d hafta basically lay out a plan for someone to follow. Not necessarily detailed, but instructive. Otherwise, he’s just practicing his right to freedom of expression. 1st amendment, y’all *sigh*

ETA: Google says ‘kansankiihotus’ translates to ‘sedition’. Sedition is incitement specifically against the government and it’s authority. Not necessarily violent

Dr. Thang
Dr. Thang
8 years ago

It’s ironic how Trump can say Hillary wants to abolish the second amendment, and his supporters agree with him even though she has never said anything even vaguely hinting at that, but Trump pretty explicitly urges his supporters to assassinate her and they make excuses about how he didn’t really say or mean that.
How does he just get to say that about her anyway? Can’t she sue him for saying blatant lies about her based on nothing? I mean you better believe she would get in trouble if she said Trump wants to abolish age of consent laws, even though there’s more proof of that than Hillary wanting to abolish the second amendment since he may have raped a 13 year old.

BardicLiving
BardicLiving
8 years ago

Was going to call for a revolution, but dang.

Catalpa
Catalpa
8 years ago

Between this and his call for Russia to hack confidential domestic information, how in the hell is Trump not getting at least a slap on the wrist for his illegal bullshit?

Oh, wait, that’s right, the money and power thing.

History Nerd
History Nerd
8 years ago

As for the “anarchists,” recent and contemporary anarchist (not right libertarian or anarcho-capitalist) thought tends to strongly favor nonviolent conflict resolution, and tends to only support violence in self defense or in incapacitating violent people. Everyone knows that terrorism and violent confrontations don’t work for creating lasting change and that current political conditions aren’t like those in Europe in the nineteenth century.

There’s more of a recognition that it’s not desirable for anarchists to create something like a state or to seize power. There are other ways to create social revolution apart from seizing state power.

BVH
BVH
8 years ago

@Ooglyboggles

August 9, 2016 at 11:05 pm

The minute traditional news media starts calling white supremacists and other anti humanity groups as terrorists, rather than the “lone wolf” narrative, I think more people would be aware of what these people do, its systemic.

You have to factor there has been a deliberate effort from the right to undermine investigating domestic terrorism :

http://hiphopandpolitics.com/2009/06/08/rachel-maddow-right-wing-terrorism-must-be-stopped/

Back in April, the Department of Homeland Security was lambasted by conservatives for publishing a report on the potential for violence from right-wing extremist groups. It was the Bush administration that had actually commissioned the report and they had done one on the potential for violence from left-wing groups, too, but that did not stop conservatives from getting very, very angry about that report.

At least three Republican members of Congress, Michele Bachmann, John Carter, and Michael Burgess said that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano should resign for having issued that report. Republican Minority Leader John Boehner said that report meant that Napolitano had an awful lot of explaining to do.

That report actually warned for the potential for violent behavior from far right-wing groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion. DHS got even more specific in March, warning about, quote, “antiabortion extremism” groups and “sovereign citizen movement” such as a group called the “Freemen.”

So, it isn’t like DHS wasn’t/isn’t trying, though it appears we must leave it to passionate news personalities like Maddow to report this instead of AP/NYT. I seem to remember funding being cut for investigating domestic terrorism, but I can’t find a link right now.

weirwoodtreehugger: communist bonobo

Okay. Coming out of my Olympic gymnastics haze. I haven’t been following the news much.

It seems I’m on a way different page. I guess I’m the only one who thought he was telling people to shoot Clinton’s SC nominees and not her. sad trumpet!

Anyway, I love Elizabeth Warren’s response.

[Donald Trump] makes death threats because he’s a pathetic coward who can’t handle the fact that he’s losing to a girl

That about sums it up! No wonder MRAs love him so much.

weirwoodtreehugger: communist bonobo

Now I’m too let to edit. I meant trombone, not trumpet. I’m a mess today!

Buttercup Q. Skullpants

Trump has the best words, doesn’t he?

I’m sure the Secret Service loves Trump for making their job more dangerous, and putting them in the weird position of having to simultaneously investigate and protect him.

Blerkathon
Blerkathon
8 years ago

@LedaAtomica

Did he just stomp his little foot angrily while repeatedly yelling angry stuff at someone’s face? Hm. Nah. Must’ve imagined it, since only wimmenz do that. He’s the essence of calm, this one.

Ooglyboggles
Ooglyboggles
8 years ago

@BVH
I am aware of that, I still find the lack of integrity to be expected and vile. I am also aware ACE was literally meant to brainwash a generation of messed up kids under the belief of the apocalypse and torment them with religious extremism, and this was all under Bush. The GOP has been attacking Homeland Security and the IRS for years, mostly out of evangelical zeal, bigotry, loyalty to the Koch Brothers over the people, anything that disrupts their narrative. I’m also aware analysts get fired for even finding statistics about domestic terrorism. I am also aware that apparently the GOP seems to have a streak of getting what they want.

(((Catherwood)))
(((Catherwood)))
8 years ago

Recent hiccups aside, the Secret Service is actually quite thorough in these matters. A little story:

A long time ago, there was a President named Bush — not the second one, the first one. In the very early days of the intertoobs, a friend of mine was needling someone else in a Usenet group (you young folk may not recall what those were; not really important). The first person said he was looking forward to “four more years of Bush in the White House!” and my friend wrote in response, “Yeah? I’m looking forward to having his head on a pike in my front yard.” He chuckled at the absurdity of it all, and went to bed. A few hours later there was a knock on his door, and a couple of Very Serious Secret Service agents escorted him to the local federal building and had an earnest discussion with him.

He lost his internet privileges for a year, and had to check in if he planned on leaving town at all, for any reason, for the rest of his stay in grad school.

Point is, they take even stupid jokes very seriously. They have to.

All that said, many writers above echo my own feelings on this whole Trump phenomenon: it’s disheartening to see how many of my fellow Americans have loathesome thoughts running around their brains.

Bryce
Bryce
8 years ago

There’s got to be some law here about incitement, particular as it applies to someone with his profile. But I suppose it speaks for itself, so if there’s any good to come of it it might be fence sitters finally realizing how dangerous a Trump administration would be.

Abolishing “Second Amendment rights” apparently means extending background checks, and re-instating the assault gun ban. All in all an extremely timid response to gun the violence epidemic in the US and quite a way off from stopping people owning firearms outright.

Ooglyboggles
Ooglyboggles
8 years ago

@Bryce
That would also imply the democratic party would be as stubborn in pushing for the gun bills as hard as the GOP does to try to repeal Obamacare.

Since the DNC has publicly announced their unified stance for gun control, I hope they do a much better job in being persistent in their goal. It isn’t 1994 anymore, so I hope this group of dems can get what they want, ultimately what we wish to help address the violence in this country.

BVH
BVH
8 years ago

@Ooglyboggles

Um, okay. Just sharing information. No judgement or criticism. But ‘yay’ for awareness.

And in other news, Stormfront weighs in:

comment image

Ooglyboggles
Ooglyboggles
8 years ago

@BVH
Sorry I just have ALOT of GOP atrocities and travesties on the brain, sorry for bursting out on you. I honestly have alot of grievances about the gop and how their base is how they are, later in the future I’ll try to elaborate on but mostly it all comes down to “death for god and the harms of religious extremism on society.”

Back to your pic from stormfront. Well aside from the start of projection, because that’s what they want and they think that everyone wants to run things the way they do.

The second paragraph can be read as such “if Emily wasn’t so mean, then maybe she wouldn’t worry about having gum in her hair.” or “if Rick wasn’t such a dweeb, then maybe he wouldn’t worry about being bullied.”

So far only Thomas Jefferson once believed in this quote “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Gun fanatics tend to use that term alot, especially on sites like Free Republic, Stormfront, reddit and /pol/.

Funny enough Jefferson in the same letter also said this. “In the same letter, however, Jefferson stated that the rebellion was “founded in ignorance … The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.” Jefferson also referred to the delegates who had finalized a draft of the U.S. Constitution in September 1787, stating, “Our Convention has been too much impressed by the insurrection of Massachusetts: and in the spur of the moment they are setting up a kite to keep the hen-yard in order.”

Jefferson was also against spontaneous insurrection, and became alot less affectionate towards usurpers when he became president. Aaron Burr was treated much less kindly by Jefferson.

Even when they use historical quotes the very guy they cite was against this line of thought when he got older.

MissEB47
MissEB47
8 years ago

Axecalibur-That is seriously fucked up! Was that a link to a list of Democratic candidates? If it was, it would be a literal hit list! And Sarah Palin had the nerve to act surprised when one of her supporters took it upon himself to help her with the ‘solution’. OMG! ? *has a rage stroke*

Leda Atomica
Leda Atomica
8 years ago

@ Axecalibur

Thank you! I am interested in this sort of thing and would like to see what is said about it.

@ Blerkathon

He is logic. He is man.

http://i.imgur.com/AwB13m4.gif

Bryce
Bryce
8 years ago

@Axecalibur

So if a public figure encouraged supporters to ‘do something’, they would have to be specific as to the what, where and when for authorities to take it seriously. Ridiculous. The FBI are meant to be investigating by the way.

MissEB47
MissEB47
8 years ago

Paradoxical Intention

That poor woman! ? I had a total rage stroke when I read it. I had another one when I read that one of the people killed was A NINE YEAR OLD GIRL!! NINE YEARS OLD AND SHOT BY SOME ARSEHOLE!! It makes my blood boil just thinking about it. That is why I am so scared for Hillary, her associates, colleagues and supporters right now. What happened to Gabby Gifford could also happen to Hillary. The attempt on Gabby Gifford life proves that this sort of incitement has real consequences.

PS

Gabby Gifford sounds like an amazing, strong woman. A real fighter. She is inspirational. :’-)

Kettle
Kettle
8 years ago

@History Nerd The Republic of Ireland exists because terrorists fought British forces to a standstill in a two-year guerilla war.

Get ready to go through this in another four years when the Republicans run another fascist candidate. The Trump candidacy shows the bar is non-existent.

reimalebario
reimalebario
8 years ago

I just can’t grasp how these nationalist authoritarians can continue to embrace Mr Chump as their great leader both with his pathetic hero-worship of Putin, the president of Russia, and how he’s whining about his defeat three months before the election has even happened.

Bakunin
Bakunin
8 years ago

@History Nerd
Very true. Reading accounts of my namesake’s attempts in the 1800’s and the early 20th century battles in the US are interesting, but those were different times. The people had no other recourse really but to get violent.

I will admit to some sympathy for the recent Antifa fighters, though. The urge to do something can be extreme, and fighting Nazis in the streets has a certain romantic charm. Still pretty dumb, but understandable to me. And when you see how well-represented the right-wing, KKK, and even Neo-Nazis are in local police departments, there’s definitely a sense of ‘the cops are in bed with the Nazis, they’ll never hold them accountable’ comes up.

Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
8 years ago

@MissEB

Was that a link to a list of Democratic candidates?

Not quite. McCain outperformed Obama in certain districts. The map cross referenced those with representatives who voted for Obamacare. All Dems, but seeing as the voters there went red for President, the reps were therefore traitorous to their constituents. They needed to be targeted for elimination. What, someone shot a congresswoman? Well, we didn’t mean it like thaaat

@Bryce
If he’d said ‘hey, 2nd amendment people, everyone knows where the President elect is on inauguration day morning…’, that might be specific enough. He just said, ‘maybe you could do something’. Not imminent. I’d be surprised if someone wasn’t keeping tabs on the usual suspects online, but there isn’t much they can do beyond that

Ohlmann
Ohlmann
8 years ago

Trump don’t look like he will be a dictator, but he might be a new Caligula.

I mean, the Caligula of the fictional account, because whether the real one was truly a power-drunk madman seem open to discussion.