Trump, if re-elected, threatens to prosecute the media and his political enemies, a sure signal this guy is not mentally well and is unfit to serve in the office he seeks

Trump and Smudge, the cat of many memes

 

Donald Trump, if re-elected, is calling for his critics -- including media organizations and their employees, to be prosecuted for treason, according to a report at The New Republic. This came on the same weekend that Trump said Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and America's top military officer, deserves to be put to the death for treason. And it comes roughly one week after Trump said during a speech in South Dakota that, as president, he could prosecute his political enemies. 

If this does not convince Americans that Trump is mentally ill, dangerous, unfit to hold any public office (much less president), and -- to put it bluntly -- too ignorant to be allowed anywhere near the White House, it's hard to imagine what will.

It's hard to rank Trump's nutty statements, but for purposes of this post, we will stipulate that his threat to prosecute the media for engaging in Constitutionally protected speech (by, you know, the First Amendment) is No. 1. Of all people, a president should understand the rights to free speech and a free press; after all, it's called the First Amendment for a reason -- many scholars see it as the most important provision in our founding documents, a building block of what it means to live in our democracy. That Trump doesn't get that  indicates he is too dim-witted and hard-headed to serve in the office he seeks.

How alarming are Trump's statements of the past 8-10 days? The New Republic (TNR) gives an idea with this headline: "Trump Goes Full Deranged, Suggests Charging People He Doesn't Like With Treason." If that is not clear enough, TNR adds this sub-headline: "This is not a joke. Donald Trump is stating very plainly what he would do if re-elected." Torri Otten provides the appropriate tone with these words from an article dated 9/25/23:

Donald Trump went over the edge over the weekend and began calling for his detractors to be prosecuted or even put to death.

“They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-sided and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason,’” he wrote on Truth Social Sunday night.

“I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States … the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events,” he said. “They are a true threat to Democracy and are, in fact, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country!”

Trump has never been a fan of news outlets that give him the slightest bit of negative or unbiased coverage. He even turned on his once-favorite Fox News after the network confirmed Arizona voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

But the fact that he is threatening to censor news outlets through federal regulatory powers is terrifying, not to mention a huge violation of the Constitution.

Otten is right on target. That polls tell us large swaths of the American electorate do not grasp the reality that Donald Trump is a raving lunatic, and that he probably is incompetent to run a corner lemonade stand . . . well those folks could do us all a huge favor and stay at home on election day.

How does Trump con his MAGA followers into believing he actually is fit to serve as president? Consider his words above: "The LameStream Media . . . are a true threat to Democracy and are, in fact, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" 

Psychologists call this "projection." Trump, of course, is the real threat to Democracy -- a genuine enemy of the people. But he uses projection to lull the MAGA crowd into a false sense of security, providing a distraction from the issues that really cause their fears and anxieties -- and confirms their prejudices. It's a subtle rhetorical device that essentially amounts to saying, "Hey, look over there. Those are your enemies." Trump makes regular use of projection, and it's a big part of his con-man act.

Let's return to Tori Otten's piece, where she provides background on Trump's recent ravings:

Trump’s threat to the news media was actually his second attempt to menace detractors this past weekend alone. On Friday, he slammed Mark Milley, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggesting that perhaps he also committed treason.

“This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States,” Trump said on Truth Social. “This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!”

Trump was referring to two phone calls Milley made to Beijing, one during Trump’s last months in office and the second in the aftermath of the January 6 riot. The calls, which were to assure China that Trump was not planning to attack the country, were done at the direction of other Trump administration officials.

Trump, of course, appointed Milley to his role in 2018—but since then has repeatedly lashed out at the general. His Friday comments came after The Atlantic published a profile of Milley that described how he “protected the Constitution from Donald Trump.”

It should go without saying, but Trump making comments like this is incredibly dangerous. His followers have shown themselves quick to spring to action. Hundreds of January 6 defendants have said they descended on Washington because Trump personally called on them.

Republican lawmakers too quickly follow the former president’s commands. Another Trump supporter, Arizona Representative Paul Gosar, has also called for Milley to face death. In his newsletter Sunday, Gosar baselessly claimed that Milley and then–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had worked to delay the National Guard’s response to the January 6 riot, to make Trump look bad.

“In a better society … General Milley would be hung,” Gosar wrote. “How this traitor remains in office is a question we need answered.”

(If it’s any consolation for Gosar, Milley retires on October 1.)

Gosar has shown himself remarkably willing to take up Trump’s call, even on the most extreme behavior. In December, Gosar posted on X, then called Twitter, backing Trump’s call to terminate the U.S. Constitution and overturn the 2020 election. He deleted the post an hour later, after it sparked backlash.

Gosar is the goofball that Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander claimed helped plan the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Alexander has strong ties to Alabama, and at last report, was the subject of a police report in Colorado, alleging he had attempted to obtain "d--k pics" from teen boys. In a post dated 5/2/23, the communications manager for the Johnstown, CO, Police Department said the allegations against Alexander were under investigation. Our research indicates Alexander could face 2-6 years in prison and a $500,000 fine if prosecuted and convicted for "online solicitation of a minor" in Colorado.

On top of that, Alexander has a well-documented criminal history from the days when he was known as Ali Akbar. He also has a history of seeking gay sex via the Grindr online app.

(Note: I've included a meme of Trump and Smudge the Cat in an effort to add some levity to this post. But there is nothing amusing about the subject matter. If you are an American, Republican or Democrat, Trump is a threat to your way of life. I pray we get that before it's too late.)