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Donald Trump's second term has been filled with incredible moments -- and not in a good way. Perhaps the most incredible moment of them all came yesterday morning as Trump addressed leaders of Iran by threatening to commit possible war crimes against their country. For good measure, Trump tossed in some colorful language, including an f-bomb and a b-bomb ("bastards"). To top it off, Trump displayed impeccable timing, publishing his missive on Easter Sunday, the most sacred day on the Christian calendar. Both the content and the tone of Trump's message were unlike any presidential communication Americans have ever received -- at least in my lifetime. It also raised questions anew about whether Trump is fit to hold his office -- he isn't -- and if someone/anyone will try to hold him accountable, perhaps via the 25th Amendment, impeachment, or some type of military intervention.
It has been evident for months that Trump is not emotionally or intellectually suited to serve as president. And he is surrounded by people who have failed at their jobs. So what do we do now? In blunt terms, we have to get rid of Trump, his vice president, his speaker of the House, his cabinet members, his Oval Office staff, and all of his Republican enablers (both inside and outside Congress.)
No reasonable American has ever lived through a moment like this, so finding a clear path forward likely will be difficult. But this much should be clear: It is time to quit playing softball with an administration that has no respect for the rule of law or constitutional norms. Trump is turning us into a lawless banana republic, and we cannot allow that to continue.
That's why military intervention, it seems to me, might be our best first step. Regular folks, like you and I, generally don't have the capacity, or the desire, to take such action. People don't grow up in America thinking they will ever need to engage in a coup. Our military personnel, however, know how to respond to such quandaries. For one, they are taught not to obey unlawful orders. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have shown a willingness to bend the law beyond recognition. And consider this moral question: With Trump threatening to commit war crimes, do military personnel have an obligation to keep that from happening?
This might sound crude, but we need to round up the most visible Trumpers, put them before some type of truth commission, with the charge to conduct Nuremburg-style trials. Where appropriate -- when evidence shows crimes have been committed against our Constitution -- we must be willing to apply appropriate punishment.
I submit that we also need a thorough investigation of the 2024 election to determine if Trump lawfully won. I have my doubts, and many of you probably do, too. We know Elon Musk engaged in dubious schemes to pay people to vote. We also have seen signs that Russian emails were tied to bomb threats received at polling sites on election day 2024. Were Trump, Musk, or their surrogates involved in initiating that? Is it possible that Trump did not really win, that he has been an imposter president all along? We need to find out.
Also, we know a poll showed Trump opening up a five-point lead over Joe Biden soon after the so-called assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. In other words, that event helped launch Trump to victory, but we have seen no thorough investigation to determine if the official story of the event holds up, and family members of victims want answers. As I have reported here at Legal Schnauzer, it is extremely unlikely that Trump's ear could have stayed intact and grown back after being "nicked" by a bullet from an AR-15 rifle.
Perhaps, the most difficult part is this: We must devise a system for revising our laws to address the weaknesses that allowed a President Trump to take office and to make sure such an ill-equipped administration never takes hold again.
Am I sounding unhinged? To some people I'm sure the answer will be yes. But I hope others will either agree or at least be thinking along similar lines. In my view, the time for half measures and "watchful waiting" is over. Trump appears to be mentally ill -- and that has been the case for months -- and his acolytes take dysfunction to new heights. That makes them dangerous and threatens world stability.
What led me to write the above? Let's start by examining what we will call "Trump's Unsilent Easter Scream." One of the best accounts I've seen of the basic events comes from a jointly published article at AFP (Agence France Presse) and Yahoo! News. Under the headline "Trump draws criticism with fiery Easter message on Iran," Robin Legrand writes:
US President Donald Trump did not take a break from his polarizing rhetoric on Easter Sunday, delivering an expletive-laden attack on Iran that sparked criticism on Capitol Hill and beyond.
"Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" the president wrote just after 8:00 am, renewing his threat to unleash heavy bombing on Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran refused to unblock the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
"Praise be to Allah," he added, apparently sardonically, after ending another threatening message a day earlier with "Glory be to GOD!"
Readers around the globe are used to being exposed to Trump's crude, erratic, nonsensical language. But he chose Easter as the time to sink to new depths, Legrand writes:
While the Republican president is well known for his straight talk, the post on his Truth Social network raised eyebrows, especially on a Christian holiday.
"Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X.
"He's threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better."
For Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who opposes the war in Iran, Trump's attitude was "completely, utterly unhinged."
Murphy added: "If I were in Trump's Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment," referring to the clause that provides for a transfer of power if the president is unable to serve.
Does it hurt America to have a president who cannot seem to muster even a slight display of decorum? At least one senator suggests the answer is yes:
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, also a Democrat, noted it was not the first time that the 79-year-old Trump had used stark language since the US and Israel launched their assault on the Islamic republic in late February.
"Bombing them back to the Stone Age, cursing them," Kaine said on NBC's "Meet the Press" news program.
"This is all embarrassing and juvenile, and it's people trying to act like they're puffed up and tough, when what we really see from the administration in this war is the absence of a plan, the absence of a clear rationale."
How sorry is the state of the postmodern Republican Party. One-time firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene now appears to be the GOP's "adult in the room." At least one other conservative figure made no pretense about being an adult. Legrand writes:
Criticism was not limited to Trump's Democratic opponents.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former congresswoman who was once a staunch Trump backer but now a fervent critic, slammed his message, especially on Easter Sunday.
"Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump's madness," Greene said in a post on X.
"Our President is not a Christian and his words and actions should not be supported by Christians," said Greene, who opposes US military interventions abroad.
Some however praised Trump's fiery rhetoric.
Conservative firebrand commentator Laura Loomer, who speaks regularly with Trump and has described herself as an Islamophobe, had nothing but praise.
"This is what I voted for. Bomb jihadis back to the Stone Age where their mentality permanently lives," Loomer wrote on X.
"Trump said he's going to bomb their infrastructure in Iran, and then he said 'Praise be to Allah'. On Easter. Amazing. Just amazing."
I have to agree with Loomer on one point: Trump is amazing; just not in the way she thinks.
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