By David Futrelle
If I were a conspiracy theorist, it would be easy, oh so easy, to make the case that Donald Trump is preparing to launch a massive crackdown on civil liberties in order to protect himself and fellow Republicans from massive losses in the midterms next month.
All the “proof” I would need to make such a case is out there, hiding in plain sight, in the words of Trump himself, as well as those of his most fervent followers.
Yesterday, as anti-Kavanaugh protests swelled and angry rape survivors confronted GOP senators face to face, Trump tweeted out his endorsement of an age-old anti-Semitic accusation, claiming (without the slightest shred of evidence) that “the very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals” carrying suspiciously un-handmade signs “paid for by Soros and others.”
Other GOP bigwigs, including Senators Chuck Grassley and John Cornyn have made similar claims. And Trump’s own lawyer — the increasingly erratic Rudy Giuliani — has even suggested that Soros’ assets be frozen in retribution for his alleged support of the protesters.
Trump has long dreamed of criminalizing dissent — recently declaring that he thinks “it’s embarrassing for the country to allow protesters” — and since his election the GOP has been doing their best to oblige him, And so Trump’s reference to Soros-paid protesters in his tweet yesterday can’t be dismissed as Trumpian grumbling; it’s an attempt to portray those who disagree with him and his fellow Republicans as traitors working for some sinister “international” cabal.
Trump has not himself publicly endorsed martial law, of course, but his most fervent supporters haven’t been quite so circumspect.
Believers in the rabidly pro-Trump conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon — based on the fiction that Trump is a bold freedom-fighter working diligently behind the scenes to defeat a traitorous “Deep State” — think that Trump has been signalling for some time that he’s about to launch a massive crackdown on his domestic foes.
But Q Believers aren’t just posting “proof” of this Trump plan; they are indicating — to the world, and to Trump himself — that they would enthusiastically support what would basically amount to a Trumpian military coup.
Many Q Believers thought that Trump’s text alert test run last Wednesday — Trump sent out an innocuous text message to millions of Americans to test new Presidential Alert system designed to warn Americans of natural and other disasters — was part of the run-up to a real declaration of martial law. As The Daily Beast’s Will Sommer writes,
Believers in QAnon … think the text could mark the start of “The Storm,” a fantastical MAGA dream in which Trump’s political enemies will be arrested and tried at military tribunals.
“That is how we will receive orders if all else fails,” wrote one QAnon believer on the 8Chan internet forum. “We are the next generation Minutemen! Standing by Sir!”
“SO HAPPY!” wrote another. “THANK YOU 45!”
More than a few Q Believers seem to be taking this “Minuteman” talk literally, with some hoping that they — like the Minutemen of old — will get an opportunity to murder leftist “traitors” in a sort of Trump-endorsed purge.
https://twitter.com/MrPuma2072/status/1047536309454221324
Never thought I’d be 😊 to hear about boots on the ground in 🇺🇸 #justiceiscoming
Martial Law, already enacted into readiness mode, may go full power for the purpose of keeping the peace while #massarrests occur
The #wirelessemergencyalert system will be handy then 👏😎#QAnon pic.twitter.com/zpaVnJqF8z
— 〽️💎⚡️✨💛 #fulldisclosure (@sheshifts001) October 5, 2018
Q Believers are even more excited by the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, suggesting that his presence on the supreme court will make it easier for Trump to get authorization for the military tribunals that are a central part of QAnon’s fantasy of retribution against the evil libs. This was a major Q talking point in the last several weeks:
It started… IT'S HERE!!!
The emergency text on 10/3
Kavanaugh will be in by 10/8
They will declassify FISA 10/25ish
Its the fall if the fall…
Arrests, Military tribunal -is gizmo ready?
The Red October will win! 11/6#POTUS45 #QAnon#Q#QArmy#FISA#DECLSS#RedWave https://t.co/HuKiCjpTsq— WQ2 (@WQ262402470) October 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/druderadio/status/1046022966956503041
One Q Believer explained the logic in a blog post several days before the final confirmation vote today:
Why are the dems so afraid of Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court? abortion? partly, but the real reason, courtesy of #Qanon: the deep state hacks are terrified of facing military tribunals; Kavanaugh will be the court tie breaker allowing the tribunals to go forward. …
they are terrified because they know its game over; they know President Trump will immediately declass FISA, the indictments will begin to be unsealed, and the arrests will begin these monsters will not be able stall the criminal judicial system and bribe and buy their way out of criminal convictions; they will face justice via the military courts and quick sentencing…some will get life in prison, and some will get a swift execution for their treason.
(Thanks to intrepid Q-monitor Mike Rothschild (no, really) for highlighting this post on his blog.)
On Twitter today, Q Believers are giddy over Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Q primed the pump with a “Q Drop” promising “pain” to the alleged Deep Staters, (CW: Rape joke.)
#QAnon wants to know if you're ready to see arrests and pain. He's like Michael Buffer with a too-tight MAGA hat cutting off the blood to his brain. pic.twitter.com/rCwrYZ2ILu
— Mike Rothschild (no relation) (@rothschildmd) October 5, 2018
Q Believers’ bloodthirsty glee over this allegedly impending “PAIN” is palpable.
Kavanaugh ready. Now BRING THE PAIN #maga #QAnon #TheStorm #Kavanaugh #KavanaughConfirmation pic.twitter.com/MwZNQ1adlg
— Juanma (@jmalmodovar) October 6, 2018
Anti trump pro demonrats called to demonstrate again #KavanaughConfirmation open societys are paid again by soros, to bash #Kavanaugh . but the Darkness will make a end for his own side, light will win again. Fuck all DemonRats thats a threat to the Soveraign planet mother earth!
— Q-NLD-0002 (@QDutchpatriots) October 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/Skinner147/status/1048706556416733184
One Q Believer even managed to work in a reference to the artist Banksy.
As alarming as this all is, it’s worth remembering that QAnon and his or her supporters have been wrong in virtually every specific prediction; hell, while correctly predicting that Kavanaugh would be confirmed (not exactly a difficult thing to predict), QAnon was off on the vote total, an inconvenient fact that Q Believers are now trying hard to explain away.
But Trump — an authoritarian to his core — has been obsessed with “retribution” his entire life, and the midterms represent a massive challenge to his continued power. Making things even more dangerous, Trump is well aware that many if not most of his fans would support some sort of crackdown on liberals and the left — none more enthusiastically than the QAnon contingent.
I would love to be able to dismiss all this as conspiracist nonsense. But with an impulsive, conspiracy-minded authoritarian in the White House — and energetically supported by a veritable army of wannabe Minutemen online — I can’t.
We need to put as much energy as we can into the midterms — they’re ours to win. But we also need to be prepared in case Trump decides to interfere in them, or worse — as so many of his fans not-so-secretly desire. These are dark days for American democracy. I can only hope the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the Trump Train.
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@David F.
So you are “they”? And you REALLY don’t want us to look into QAnon because you know what it REALLY is?
Is it…is it a conspiracy theory that overlaps with reality only occasionally and accidentally?
Oh wait, it looks like you said that.
Never mind.
Gizmo was born ready.
David:
I’ve usually rolled my eyes at people who say “America is a republic, not a democracy. The constitution says nothing about democracy”. But that’s taking on a darker tone, now. It looks like a lot of conservatives would be more than happy to see the end of democracy, provided their tribe was in charge.
As for QAnon, though: they’re the fringe of the fringe. When they organised that pro-Q march a while back, how many did they get? Tens of people?
@Anzu
It would really be helpful if you would use more proper nouns in you post. Pronouns are only helpful after the topic of discussion has been identified by name. Also, David provides links and a lot of us click through. We see what the full picture is and the context, and we still think your views stink to high heaven.
As an aside, I request any person who comes to this forum to argue with us to please stop posting videos for us to watch in lieu of actual discussion. You need to come up with your own thoughts and arguments on the subject and own it.
I’m old enough to remember when certain right wing fringe elements were afraid of Obama possibly imposing Martial Law. Oh well, I guess ML is A-OK with them now. As long as it’s imposed by those they believe are on “their side”.
@troll:
Yes, indeed it does. It explains just how far up your own asses you silly fools all are. That there ain’t no rabbit hole, that’s an entire prairie-dog town of stoopid.
Now begone, before somebody drops a house on you.
Also, I didn’t want to let this nonsense from the bowels of Stupidia go unremarked:
Um, Qdumbass? That’s not our side, that’s YOURS. You are the ones who keep forcing trans girls (who are GIRLS) to use boys’ bathrooms because you’re so obsessed with reproductive plumbing.
As for your bullets, if they’re anything like your logic, they’re sure to be all duds. I don’t fear them any more than I do your so-called logic. If you kill me, all my troubles in this world will be over. Meanwhile, you are still subject to charges of murder. With all the curtailment of liberties that a life sentence entails.
Yeah, that’s right, Qballs — if you “bring the pain”, you’ll be bringing a shitload of it on yourselves.
Hope your squishy bodies are up to it. Your brains sure aren’t.
Objection, Your Honor! Assumes brains not in evidence.
Meanwhile, these “useful idiots” might want to google “night of the long knives” to find out the fate that likely awaits them should their side “win”.
WWTH:
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Trump, it’s that there are no depths he won’t sink to. And he’s already claimed, based on zero evidence, that voter fraud happens on a massive scale. So, if he survives until 2020, and loses the election, it would not surprise me if he claimed that the election was rigged, and announced his intention to stay. However, I suspect that most congressional republicans, scum though they are, would not support this, if only out of self-preservation: a politician who gets behind a dictator must know that they’ll sooner or later land up in jail, or shot. So, within 24 hours of announcing his intention to ignore the result, Trump would be out, and Pence would begin a mercifully brief spell in power.
@ moggie
Someone did quite an interesting analysis of what would happen if Trump lost but indicated he wouldn’t accept the result.
Basically, he can say what he wants until Inauguration Day; but once the new President is sworn in, that’s it. There’s no requirement for ‘handing over’ power or anything.
So as soon as that happens, Trump just becomes a trespasser on government property. The Secret Service swear an oath to the constitution, not any particular individual. So it would be perfectly within their powers to remove a trespasser or deal with any threat, even if it’s a former president.
I think it was The Freedom From Religion Foundation who were saying some years ago that there are quite a few dominionists in the armed forces, especially the Air Force. People who believe much the same stuff as Mike Pence.
I hope we don’t get to find out which way they all jump. I live in Spain which hasn’t 100% recovered from a Civil War in the1930s.
<span class=”sarcasm”>But remember, calling them fascists is divisive.</span>
@Rabid Rabbit:
Well, Trump recently walked from a limo onto AF1 with tissue/toilet paper stuck to his shoe, and no one bothered to inform him. So that’s probably an indicator of the level of respect among his staff and the Secret Service.
(Of course, anyone who did point it out would likely get barked at and humiliated, so there’s that added disincentive).
Re: “we have 8 trillion bullets and you have 8 trillion pronouns hurr hurr”…the left has one tremendous advantage over the right, and that is its capacity to organize and mobilize, in huge numbers, at a moment’s notice. The left also has a solid belief in institutions and the power of groups. Not sure all the mall ninjas and rugged individualists could come up with three friends to call in an emergency, or what to do with their enormous pile of ammo. Most of them would be waiting around for someone to tell them what to do.
The left also understands the right far better than the right understands the left, because we don’t filter the world through stereotypes and Alex Jones conspiracies. That asymmetrical grasp of reality could prove to be a huge disadvantage for right wing militias when they show up to a confrontation expecting a few mincing, Gucci-bag waving snowflakes, and meet with steely opposition numbering in the thousands. We saw that in Charlottesville, to some extent.
I wish I had any confidence that congress would step in to stop Trump if he decides to make himself a dictator, but I don’t. There’s been nothing he’s done or tried to do that congressional Republicans haven’t stood behind. Like I said in the other thread, I don’t think the GOP wants this to be a democracy. In fact to stay in power, they need it not to be. Trump just accelerated the process faster than they wanted and made the process around the rule of Trump rather than the rule of the GOP. I think those are the only real objections they have to him. But now that he’s in power, they’re perfectly happy to go along with it.
The fact that Grassley’s now taken to spouting the same anti-Semitic dogwhistle conspiracy theories tells us this.
@Pie : in general, something to be used in an emergency shouldn’t use digital gizmos. There’s a reason for which safety door are supposed to work manually. It’s not because an electrical door is some kind of new, untested technology ; it’s because there is way too many failure points, and emergency situation don’t lend themselves to debug the cause of a malfunction. So a self-defense gun pretty shouldn’t have that kind of lock. It’s sport/training rifles that need one.
Now, I don’t think a gun is ever necessary for self defense. Thoses are only useful to the police and the military – and most police don’t even need in normal circumstance.
And the odds that nobody can remove the security and use the gun with a bit of time is quite low in my opinion. So it’s not like it would be a foolproof solution that prevent gun thefts and unlicensed sales.
Semi-related : I am *SO* gonna cancel any trip to the USA for the foreseeable future. I don’t want to spend money in that kind of country as long as there as decent countries anywhere on the planet.
@Buttercup:
Either that, or they’d light it on fire under their own asses, chuckling like Yosemite Sam. To “own the libs”, of course.
Eight trillion bullets is like, over 20,000 per capita, no? How much does that weigh as cartridges, 1000 lbs? All for that 0.88* gun that everyone owns?
* Statistical unit portion, not caliber.
The US Army only gets through 1.8 billion rounds of ammunition a year. That’s still a lot, but not trillions.
They don’t keep a lot in stock either. They’ve been having to buy supplies from other nations to keep up with the demand.
I’m the kind of pedant who’d laugh at my political opponents boasting they have 8 trillion rounds of ammunition when they almost certainly meant 8 billion.
Someone asked me, is anyone going to stopp Trump and the Supreme Court to just call the results of the next election illegal and just rule the USA forever?
This was a reaction to the news of Kavanaugh beeing made a member of the supreme court. (None American no influence from me)
@Alan:
What? Righturds LIE??? Well, hoodathunk…
(Ida Thunk. That’s who.)
@ bina
When are you going to organise an 80s disco for us all, that’s what I want to know. I’d be very interested in your playlist.
Why not be both, like many famous recent tinpot dictatorships?
I’d imagine if Trump really plans to stay in power after 2020, he’ll try to either win the election (by any dirty tricks applicable), or somehow “legally” prevent the election from happening. If he can’t do that, he can’t get enough establishment support for an outright coup. Certainly not once a new president is elected.
Considering Grassley and his ilk are calling for the assets for Jews to be seized because Soros makes all of us a threat to the country, the martial law stuff is not that far-fetched, sadly. There’s been a noticeable uptick in antisemitic stuff making the rounds on social media, and a lot of it is the usual “globalist traitors hiding in our midst, destroying the country from within,” which should remind everyone of a very familiar antisemitic playbook from 70 years ago.
From contacts I have connected to the fed, Secret Service agents and White House staffers alike loathe this administration, are treated like dirt, and are counting the days until this scumbag family is out of DC for good. Kushner in particular is a source of a lot of ire. But the Great Pumpkin really does treat everyone around him like an on-call piss boy, and it’s not winning him any support. WH staff is getting thin on the ground. There’s a reason a lot of federal posts are still not filled, 2 years into this travesty of a presidency, and it’s not just because the Great Pumpkin doesn’t believe in a functional federal government.
@weirwood
I think a lot of the right believes that the alliance between non-whites and white liberals is far too tenuous to be worth worrying about. One of the main talking points of the modern right is that they’re just practicing racial identity politics for white people the same way that other racial advocacy groups like the NAACP do (or to put it more succinctly, do unto others before they do unto you). That nobody but patronizing white dilletentes really want anything even resembling equality or liberalism, only a conservativism that serves THEIR interests rather than those of rich white men.
This isn’t so far from the truth, let’s face it, but at this point the Republicans have alienated non-whites far too much with their blatant racism for it to matter.
No matter how galling it may be for members of strongly religious and/or heteronormative cultures like Latin Americans, Blacks and various middle eastern peoples to serve under an arrogantly secular and sexually libertine white left, these people have had centuries to learn that you can bear any indignity if it means surviving to see another day.
Welp. Taylor Swift just came out as a Democrat.
https://twitter.com/AshleyAlese/status/1049081712582512641
David, if you’re taking requests, I beg you to do a post about the Nazi tears that are surely imminent.