Twitter Locks President Trump's Account For 12 Hours, Warns of Permanent Suspension (techcrunch.com) 583
Twitter has locked President Trump's Twitter account for 12 hours and forced the removal of three offending tweets. It also warned it could suspend his account permanently. TechCrunch reports: "As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy," the site writes. As part of the action, Trump will be locked out of his account for at least 12 hours. The account will remain locked beyond that, as long as the tweets are not deleted, the site adds. Beyond the current action, Twitter adds that future violations of its policies, "will result in permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account."
The service has long contended that tweets from a prominent figure like Trump were in the public interest, in spite of breaking its stated terms of service. According to Twitter guidelines: "A critical function of our service is providing a place where people can openly and publicly respond to their leaders and hold them accountable. With this in mind, there are certain cases where it may be in the public's interest to have access to certain Tweets, even if they would otherwise be in violation of our rules." The removed tweets include content that was early flagged by the service, "due to a risk of violence," all arriving in the wake of a violent storming of the U.S. Capitol.
The service has long contended that tweets from a prominent figure like Trump were in the public interest, in spite of breaking its stated terms of service. According to Twitter guidelines: "A critical function of our service is providing a place where people can openly and publicly respond to their leaders and hold them accountable. With this in mind, there are certain cases where it may be in the public's interest to have access to certain Tweets, even if they would otherwise be in violation of our rules." The removed tweets include content that was early flagged by the service, "due to a risk of violence," all arriving in the wake of a violent storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Insightful)
Transcript of the Tweet (Score:4, Informative)
Here's what President un-elect Trump said in the video he tweeted, then later removed:
--
I know your pain. I know youâ(TM)re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it especially the other side.
But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We donâ(TM)t want anybody hurt. Itâ(TM)s a very tough period of time, thereâ(TM)s never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us. From me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election, but we canâ(TM)t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home, we love you, youâ(TM)re very special. Youâ(TM)ve seen what happens, youâ(TM)ve seen the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home and go home in peace.
--
IMHO, the first half is highly irresponsible.
The second half is good, IMHO.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
And, just a while later:
"These are things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"
This is batshit insane, to the point the guy deserves to be 25th-ed. A MAGA mob invaded the Capitol today, and someone died.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Informative)
It gets even better. His plastic daughter tweeted out that the terrorists were patriots [ibtimes.com], then deleted the tweet, later saying she meant "peaceful" terrorists were patriots.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
The Tweet is pretty clear. It's not even that long, so here is the text:
"American patriots - any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable".
It seems pretty disingenuous for the Trump family to whip up a crowd of people with inflammatory rhetoric, and then walk it back when the crowd does the thing you've just goaded them to do.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Informative)
So she's addressing those who did not storm the capital and who did not attend Trump's impromptu speech this morning? She meant patriots like Romney, Sasse, Murkowski, Barr, Muller, Vinderman, etc?
But you know, when Republicans say "patriot" they really mean only those who are extremely conservative, and most recently they must also be highly staunch Trump supporters with no conservative Rhinos allowed. But their true colors show now, and it seems these Trumpists are really the ones who hate America.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
Holy shit.
Indeed. Anybody else doing this would be in a supermax by now.
At least they are showing their true faces clearly now. It also seems quite a few Republicans are slowly waking up to the fact they have invited a poisonous snake into their beds.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:4, Interesting)
As a life long R voter (since '76), I didn't vote that way in '16 for the first time ever. The man is a loon.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
Indeed. Good for you. There is a line when it does not become about Democrat or Republican but it becomes about the future of the country. Trump is way over that line.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:4, Insightful)
Unlike many, I decided long ago, that the opposition isn't the enemy. They simply believe their way is the best for the country. I prefer to discuss issues rather than party, because I don't always follow party lines. Just as I hoped Obama would do well, I hope Joe does too. I just don't think he will.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
I hope Joe does too. I just don't think he will.
I have reservations too; but at the very least, I trust him not to be a malicious fucking ghoul toeing the line of just how much state power is acceptable to wield against people who piss you off; and that is enough of an improvement for me to feel better about... well, everything.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
You are lucky. Apparently you have not been put at risk by the opposition's policies, taking away vital healthcare, trying to take control of your bodily autonomy, militarizing the police against you etc.
Unfortunately that's the reality for a lot of Americans. If the other lot get into power their lives are on the line. It's deadly serious, not just a political disagreement.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:4, Insightful)
Holy shit.
Indeed. Anybody else doing this would be in a supermax by now.
At least they are showing their true faces clearly now. It also seems quite a few Republicans are slowly waking up to the fact they have invited a poisonous snake into their beds.
It's pretty amazing that it took them this long.
Re: (Score:3)
Probably. They are also riding a tiger that may, at any time, throw and devour them. By now they are consorting with terrorists, thinly veiled.
Re: (Score:3)
You imagine Portland burned down, or that the people protesting weren't also the people who live in the city?
You're a fucking moron. You don't get to decide that our cities are being self-terrorized.
You're just a fascist, there is no mincing words now.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:4)
In general, what can be said, is that the authorities tried to use as light of a hand as they could, and let generally harmless behavior slide. Whether or not that was the right call is a fun thing to debate, but it wasn't Mad Max here.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Informative)
were there because they wanted the election to be audited
Nope. They wanted Trump declared the winner.
One more audit (which would, of course, show that Biden won) wouldn't make any difference to that crowd; they've been lied to repeatedly, and they want to believe the lie.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:4, Insightful)
Even Trump's supporters won't believe that he'll do that.
Especially since the statement came through Scavino's twitter feed,
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Informative)
In the United States, there are no national elections. Elections are conducted, audited, and certified by the states. For presidential elections, a slate of electors is selected by each state under the rules they establish.
Congress and the Federal government have no role in conducting, auditing, or certifying the vote. The 12th Amendment is clear: Congress' responsibility is to simply count the electoral votes certified by the states and announce the winner.
The place to audit the vote is in each state, and for most of the swing states in the 2020 election that was done according to state law. For example, after the initial count, Georgia audited the vote based on the paper ballot reciepts, and then did a full recount after that at the request of the Trump Campaign.
It appears to me that a number of Republicans in Congress need a civics lesson or two.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
The thing is, the people peacefully protesting in DC were there because they wanted the election to be audited, so that it could be assured that it was fair and transparent, and so that democracy could be seen to be happening.
Dude, cut out the fucking gaslighting.
Ted Kaczynski was just trying to bring awareness to the destruction of freedom brought on by the capitalist industrial complex.
He did this by fucking setting off bombs and killing people, so yes, I'm saying that makes him not an advocate for social change.
These fucks didn't go and protest, they fucking stormed the capitol building wearing campaign slogans.
As for the people who *were* peaceful- they obviously don't apply.
But neither does Ivanka's fucking tweet.
Alternatively: Ya, you're right. She was asking the peaceful protesters to stop attacking the US capitol.
I'm beginning to wonder if you have successfully fucking gaslit yourself.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
He could be insane, or merely deluded, or just lying to stoke the flames. But nothing about his speeches are responsible. The evidence does lean towards something between insane and deluded, possibly senility is setting in. Which happens when some people are old, it's not unexpected. The bizarre part is that there are followers who are also believing the delusions despite a total and complete lack of evidence. Our very own copy of King George III, only with more power and publicity and no one trying to hide it.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Informative)
He could be insane, or merely deluded, or just lying to stoke the flames.
And it makes no difference. The guy is clearly unfit to be president, and i see no way he can do an effective job as POTUS over the next two weeks after today.
I mean, have we forgotten he actually encouraged all of this? Like, not a week ago?
https://twitter.com/realDonald... [twitter.com]
https://twitter.com/realDonald... [twitter.com]
https://twitter.com/realDonald... [twitter.com]
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Informative)
The National Association of Manufacturers, a major group advocating for improving the economy with a long history, and not a group one could reasonably call liberal, has suggested that the 25th amendment should be invoked by Pence.
https://www.nam.org/manufactur... [nam.org]
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Informative)
The National Association of Manufacturers, a major group advocating for improving the economy with a long history, and not a group one could reasonably call liberal, has suggested that the 25th amendment should be invoked by Pence.
https://www.nam.org/manufactur... [nam.org]
Pence has thrown the coup plotter under the bus. Piers Morgan posted the one paragraph letter [twitter.com] Mike Pence wrote. In short, come tomorrow, when the Senate reconvenes, Pence will drive the last nail into the con artist's coffin and certify Joe Biden as the next president, as he is legally obligated to do, and nothing else.
Pence is also the one who called for the National Guard [nytimes.com] to be mobilized, not the con artist.
Which reminds me, are all those "militias" we've heard so much about of late going to roll into DC and help suppress this terrorist mob? You know, like Washington used the militia to put down the Whiskey Rebellion.
Re: (Score:3)
And people have told me here that they were more worried about Pence becoming president if Trump was forced out or left. I think instead that my gut feeling is right, and Pence is at least devout enough to do the right thing. Trump is only pretending to be a Christian and it's blatantly obvious (though he has been to church many times, once for each wife). Pence is probably just along for the ride, hoping like many evangelicals that Trump enacts some policies that they like, all the while hoping that he'
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
Pence is at least devout enough to do the right thing.
You want devout religious rule like in Iran?
Trump is only pretending to be a Christian
Not his fault there. So is half of the Congress. It is required in American politics. So many are blatantly corrupt, but it is ignored if they are, or pretend to be religious. Funny country.
Re: (Score:3)
Pence is at least devout enough to do the right thing.
You want devout religious rule like in Iran?
Trump is only pretending to be a Christian
Not his fault there. So is half of the Congress. It is required in American politics. So many are blatantly corrupt, but it is ignored if they are, or pretend to be religious. Funny country.
It most certainly is his fault. If you feel it’s required to lie to the public to get elected, you probably shouldn’t be elected.
I agree with the poster who prefers Pence. I’d rather have someone in office doing what he believes is right than someone who is there solely for the power.
And I’m an atheist, for the record, who believes that current Christianity causes a lot of harm.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
There has been a history in the Republican party in some states (and you can guess which) where they show that they do not want more people to vote because they know that they'll lose power that way. Ie, if more people could vote then more people might accidentally vote for the wrong party. Thus for many decades there has been a slow effort to make it harder to register to vote, harder to actually vote, easier to strike voters from the rolls, and so forth. Not all Republicans of course, some have seen the writing on the wall and realized that to stay relevant that they must change their style, be more inclusive, and so forth. Even in 2015-2016, there was a push by Republican leadership to become more inclusive, to court the minority votes much more heavily, to stop being jingoistic and anti-immigrant, etc; but that flew out the window when Trump entered the picture and doubled down.
Look at it this way. California, the bluest of the blue states, has an independent commision to establish voting districts, whereas Texas, the reddest of the red states has redistricting under total control of the Republican legislature - which of the two appeals the most to a democratic process that favors all voters regardless of party affiliation? You don't have to abandon the Republicans or their ideals to get more fairness in elections, you just need to encourage your party's leadership to respect democracy.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
Most of the MAGAts are brainwashed cretins raised since childhood not to question authority and to believe everything they say without a shred of evidence. Religion and Democracy are incompatible, because Democracy requires Informed Consent, where Religion requires complete obedience and the rejection of critical thinking and self awareness.
Well said. There is also research to back this up, which clocks the "authoritarian followers" at around 30% in the US: https://theauthoritarians.org/ [theauthoritarians.org]
I highly recommend this. It is entirely readable and explains a lot.
Re: (Score:3)
I think Trump is in some king of "narcissistic rage" where he slowly loses all residual inhibitions and shows what he really thinks. May come back to bite him, he clearly is inciting violence by any normal standards, despite the disclaimers he (still) attaches. What he is using is entirely rational though, even if the motivation is not. It is a technique called the "Big Lie": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
His cabinet is discussing removing him (Score:5, Informative)
Apparently his cabinet members are discussing removing him via the 25th amendment, even though there are only two weeks left in his term.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politic... [go.com]
Re: (Score:3)
https://www.marketwatch.com/st... [marketwatch.com]
National Association of Manufacturers asks Pence to "seriously consider" invoking 25th Amendment, group comprising powerful CEOs calls for U.S. officials "to facilitate the peaceful transition of power"
Re:His cabinet is discussing removing him (Score:4)
> And even if you did go through the legwork of the 25th, it will still ultimately be decided by a 2/3rds vote in the House/Senate
If I'm reading the 25th right, the Congress has three weeks before they have to vote on it. If they don't get 2/3rds vote, he's president again. Biden will be inaugurated in two weeks. Which means speaker Pelosi could simply schedule the vote to occur on January 21st. So no need for a vote in Congress.
> ...is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office...
> I don't think by any reasonable definition could you say that he is not able to perform the functions of the presidency.
A sizeable percentage of the country would disagree, saying he is apparently incapable of discharging his office per his path to protect the Constitution.
The 25th provides that the cabinet can remove the president *despite* the president's written objections, so clearly the 25th is designed to include a president who can still talk and write and such.
It seems to me that for any president, if a majority *of his own hand-picked cabinet* say he's incapable of the job, then he is incapable of the job. These are men and women whom the president chose, who have loyalty to him. If they think he has lost the mental or psychological ability to do the job, I believe them.
Re:Transcript of the Tweet (Score:5, Insightful)
And, just a while later:
"These are things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"
This is batshit insane, to the point the guy deserves to be 25th-ed. A MAGA mob invaded the Capitol today, and someone died.
This technique is called the "Big Lie" approach. It is really old, but it was named by Hitler and perfected by Goebbels. It basically works like this (from Wikipedia): A big lie (German: große Lüge) is a propaganda technique used for political purpose. The expression was coined by Adolf Hitler, when he dictated his 1925 book Mein Kampf, about the use of a lie so "colossal" that no one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously".
It works well on people that want to believe and do not have the skills or will to do any fact-checking. It also clearly separates those people from everybody else (who will just react with a "WTF?") and nicely creates a well-defined filter bubble by basically cutting the communication channels between the believers and those that see reality. If you want to create a violent mob, it is one of the means of choice. The part about "go home in peace" is just to cover his ass, and that will hopefully fail when this goes to court. He is clearly inciting violence and knows it. A POTUS cannot credibly claim being stupid and not aware of the consequences of such actions.
Re: (Score:3)
Even scarier... At the rally [politico.com] earlier in the day -- before some of those people stormed the Capital building -- Donald Trump Jr. said he'd be showing up in peoples' backyards (shudder):
“These guys better fight for Trump. Because if they’re not, guess what? I’m going to be in your backyard in a couple of months!” Donald Trump Jr. said, suggesting he would support primary campaigns against Republicans who did not side with his father on Wednesday.
Thankfully, I'm not a Republican ... but, if you are, I'd recommend getting a really big dog. :-)
Re: (Score:3)
No, the whole thing is garbage. He needed to say one thing, and one thing only:
I lost the election.
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree. Twitter banning is not the answer. His tweets should be preserved as evidence. .. while at the same time saying that the woman who was shot inside the Capitol trying to breach a door to a secure area is a hero.
However, then the right wing is cognitively dissonant and can't process reality, they can't analyze evidence or proofs. Everything is a false flag to them. On of their leaders, Alex Jones, is saying it was Antifa that carried out the invasion of Congress
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
omfgwtfbbq they are not deleting anything.
First of all, they are only locking the account, not deleting it. So they are literally not deleting anything.
Second, Trump's tweets are archived by multiple parties. So even if they were, nothing would be lost.
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Insightful)
Agree that he needs to be locked out of Twitter but the record of his tweets should be preserved as evidence of his madness and intent.
It is. Thousands of people took screenshot and they are easy to find in all news platform.
You mean like this one [9cache.com]?
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Funny)
Agree that he needs to be locked out of Twitter but the record of his tweets should be preserved as evidence of his madness and intent.
It is. Thousands of people took screenshot and they are easy to find in all news platform.
Let's not forget this gem [9cache.com], just so we have the evidence.
Re: (Score:3)
Their mental gymnastics won't allow them to admit he lost. "He dun did won-ded! He durn did durly do win-ed-ed that thur election!" [heavy (sic)].
I actually skew right but at this point I'm fucking sick of those god damned retards. They've ruined the Republican party, which wasn't so great to begin with. It's amazing to me how un-self-aware they are. Literally everyone is turning on them and they think it's the _world_ who is wrong. Cruz, McConnel, Rand Paul, Pence, people they used to love are now "traitor
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Insightful)
There reached a point where I simply had too many gay friends to vote for Republicans, unless they were willing to bend on that issue (and some were)
This horse shit with the mobs of fucking morons is entirely the making of the GOP. The national apparatus courted these fucking swamp dwellers in a bid for power, and predictably, they couldn't fucking control them.
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:4, Informative)
While the premise is accurate in that you should cater to cooler heads, where are you finding left wing politicians inciting violence?
This BSAB crap has gone too far, when one side is doing it at a 3 and the other side is doing it at 11 they are not the same even if they both aren't perfect.
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Insightful)
A screenshot is not an archive. Rather it's not too dissimilar from the output of photoshop (or custom engine designed to forge tweets using twitters own stylesheets and assets). The metadata that could be used to properly authenticate the tweet is lost forever. And since it's an image file, it needs to be passed through an OCR engine before it can be indexed.
Re: Needs to be preserved (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:5, Informative)
Donald Trump, The President, already has a place on the internet he can go to where he is free to say whatever he wants. You can find it at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ [whitehouse.gov]
Donald Trump, the US Citizen, already has a place on the internet he can go to where he is free to say whatever he wants. You can find it at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/ [donaldjtrump.com]
Donald Trump can go to the White House press room and say anything at all...Hell, he can even stand on the sidewalk outside of the White House and scream to the world anything his heart desires.
If Donald Trump were to show up at my house demanding to give my family a speech in my living room...my property...I am free to tell him to get off my lawn.
If Donald Trump wants to use the Twitter Website, which is Twitter's property, to give a speech (or say anything at all), then Twitter is also free to tell him to get off their lawn. Even if they're already invited him in...they can ask him to leave, get out, delete anything, censor anything, all for any reason or no reason at all. It's their property. They can run it as they see fit.
Donald Trump can certainly exercise his first amendment rights to his hearts content on his own property or on public property.
Re: (Score:3)
It's funny that you think the US has had a "chief executive" at any time in the past 4 years.
Re:Needs to be preserved (Score:4, Insightful)
...the record of his tweets should be preserved as evidence of his madness and intent.
A good argument can be made for that, but now that Twitter has chosen to place itself above the US chief executive, such tweets can only be preserved if the forthcoming Constitutional amendment enabling such powers includes this kind of archiving protection.
This is batshit crazy.
The President of the United States is a mere politician. A company locking his account is no different than if they locked my account.
Treason (Score:3, Insightful)
He carries out treason and all that happens is a 12 hour ban from Twitter?
Re:Treason (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Treason (Score:5, Funny)
The day was still young.
Re:Treason (Score:5, Funny)
"Smallest treason ever, believe me! It's even smaller than Little Rubio's wanker, as everyone knows. My peeny weeny treason should be pardoned, I mean forgotten forever and ever. It's too small to even be fake. People always say 'Trump your say everything is fake out of habit', but this is proof I don't, because it's too small to even be fake. Perfect smallness, a little puny dot, bing bing bong. #MTSA!"
Re:Treason (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Treason (Score:5, Informative)
Not sure if it is treason, I think sedition is the correct term.
Yes, it is [thefreedictionary.com], but note the definition can include treason.
Interestingly (according to the above link), the con artist could be prosecuted for sedition for his repeated calls for people to commit acts against the government.
The defendants committed no overt acts of war, but all were found to have taken substantial steps toward carrying out a plot to levy war against the United States. The government did not have sufficient evidence that Rahman participated in the actual plotting against the government or any other activities to prepare for terrorism. He was instead prosecuted for providing religious encouragement to his coconspirators. Rahman argued that he only performed the function of a cleric and advised followers about the rules of Islam. He and the others were convicted, and on January 17, 1996, Rahman was sentenced to life imprisonment by Judge Michael Mukasey.
Re: (Score:3)
Almost certainly not treason, not in the US.
Historically the charge of "treason" was misused as punishment for political opposition, and they narrowed the scope and applicability of the charge so severely that there have only about two dozen people have been convicted of treason against the US in the 231 years since the Constitution was adopted.
Sedition, on the other hand, has been extensively charged, although mainly against Puerto Rican nationalists.
Re:Treason (Score:4, Informative)
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
Re:Treason (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Treason (Score:5, Funny)
He carries out treason and all that happens is a 12 hour ban from Twitter?
Yes, because he used proper pronouns while carrying it out.
Four Years Overdue (Score:4, Insightful)
The fact that Twitter allowed this nut case to continue his lies has contributed to the downfall of the United States.
Re:Four Years Overdue (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, but what's enabled that is the republican party which have enabled his lies for 4 years, and have failed to invoke the 25 amendment to remove him despite his descent into utter madness post-election.
How can he (serious question) be mentally fit to be president when he's stating he won an election (by a landslide, no less) that he emphatically lost?
Sure, if he wants recounts in tight races go ahead.
If he wants to challenge election results because he has discovered fraud then go ahead.
But, to assert, with ZERO evidence at all, that the election was rigged just because he is a sore loser, to bring ~60 frivolous lawsuits with zero evidence, to call Raffensperger threatening him that he needs to "find" votes to hand him a Georga win ...
Never mind his "could have been China" when America suffers its biggest ever cyber attack coming from Putin ...
It's a clear dereliction of duty to country, and their sworn allegiance to uphold the constitution, for republicans to idly stand by because they're afraid that displeasing trump will affect their political prospects.
The president is literally delusional (or pretending to be by acting like a madman, so what's the difference) ... he's saying he won an election that he clearly lost, that his own AG says was fair, that his own election security chief says was fair, that ~60 judges have said was fair, that his own VP said should stand, that even Mitch McConnel said should stand ...
How can they claim that Trump is mentally fit for office?
Yes, it'd be more convenient to do nothing and hope he doesn't do too much more harm in the next two weeks, but what about upholding the constitution, protecting the country, and using the 25th amendment to remove from office a man who is clearly delusional and a danger to us all ?
Trump a victim of his own poor judgment (Score:3)
Whose fault is it but his own that he had to fire his own selections for secretary of state, defense secretary, national security advisor, and many others. He got "betrayed" by his own judicial selections .. whom he claimed he would select carefully. Whose fault is that? Even his own selected VICE PRESIDENT is now drawing the ire of his supporters, after praising him for 4 years.
If he lacks the judgment to select the correct people, he obviously lacks judgment in other areas too. Which is a good thing by th
Re:Four Years Overdue (Score:4, Informative)
No it's not over. But yes, far has the country fallen, so very far. The USA is now officially considered both a joke and a failing democracy internationally. It will take a long time and a lot of effort to crawl back up the ladder and stand where America once stood: on top of the world.
Re:Four Years Overdue (Score:5, Interesting)
Have we fallen down? Is it over?
Not falling as badly the Soviet Union (and Russia is far from over), more falling like the British Empire.
And China is rising, as President Xi says: "see, multi-party democracy does not work. Our one-party system is clearly superior".
We can pretty easily fix it (Score:3)
Re:Four Years Overdue (Score:5, Funny)
Over? Did you say "Over"?! Nothing is over until we decide it is!
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Re: Four Years Overdue (Score:4, Insightful)
Every day more american die of covid than died in pearl harbor. Every day we suffer a loss greater. And where is Trump? Telling people masks don't work and the election was stolen.
Republicans don't care how many americans die.
Re: Four Years Overdue (Score:5, Informative)
While all true, you were replying to someone quoting the movie "Animal House."
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
I do have the image of Putin going around to his buddies today and collecting on the bets he won.
2 years too late (Score:4, Insightful)
Meh. Whatever. This is my last post about Trump. The GOP has lost my vote for a decade. Democrat candidates are meh, but this GOP-led shitshow is far worse.
Lessons from preschool (Score:3)
When little kids misuse their toys, they get taken away from them.
4 years too late (Score:4, Insightful)
Fake photos (Score:5, Informative)
What about that fake photo claiming to show an "antifa" member inside the capitol .. It's been proven that it was taken from a cropped photo that clearly shows him as a Trump supporter. Yet it's still circulating on facebook and twitter with most maga idiots not seeing the rebuttal.
Here's the photo that's spreading: https://twitter.com/onajourney... [twitter.com]
Here's the actual uncropped photo: https://twitter.com/tiffanycla... [twitter.com]
More rebuttals of circulating images .. unfortunately a lie circulates faster than the truth:
https://www.inspiredtraveler.c... [inspiredtraveler.ca]
These moves should be further proof that there are many on the right wing capable of evil lying. Whoever made that photo that's spreading like a cancer obviously did it with the full knowledge that he was going to spread a falsehood that can't be countered easily. These types of lying will only get worse, bolder, and more sophisticated.
Re: (Score:3)
What about that fake photo claiming to show an "antifa" member inside the capitol .. It's been proven that it was taken from a cropped photo that clearly shows him as a Trump supporter. Yet it's still circulating on facebook and twitter with most maga idiots not seeing the rebuttal.
Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was bleating about antifas in the riot just a bit ago in the house, during the Arizona objection hearing, that's how fast it spreads.
Also, people say there's a picture of Matt Gaetz giving a HJ to a trucker in a MAGA hat in the shadows of Statuary Hall, if you look for it you'll find it.
Re:Fake photos (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah and plenty on the left also violent and liars too. Meanwhile, most typical Republicans were working today.
Most typical Republicans are allowing people like these in their midst. If you do not fight the rot, you become complicit.
He just can't stop losing (Score:5, Interesting)
I can't take credit for this idea at all, but I forget who said it first: Donald Trump hasn't just lost the election, he continues to lose on a daily basis, and it is righteously delightful. He's beaten in the presidential polls, in the courts, then in a recount, then in ANOTHER poll recount, then more court challenges, the in the run-off polls, and now he's finally having his ass handed to him by twitter. It's like a never ending parade of Trump and his supporters getting beaten, over and over again. Now it seems like they want to add actual violence and jail to the list of ways in which they are losing. I would say fine, but it's not OK to put other people at risk because you're deluded so please just stop and find other ways to lose.
Re:Throw him in jail! (Score:5, Interesting)
A couple years ago already I was sitting talking with some fellow Canadian friends and we all agreed that if Donald Trump lost in 2020 he would try to stage a coup. It just seemed like the sort of thing he would do. Billions of non-Americans are probably not even surprised. Sad and disappointed, yes, but not surprised. At all.
We also predicted he might be finally removed from the White House in handcuffs. That too seems eerily more likely today.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: Throw him in jail! (Score:5, Interesting)
How about his lawyer saying we should go have a trail by combat and storm the capital building. After which the capital building was stormed.
Guiliani is on camera using those words.
Re: (Score:3)
Except that there's no way to do this at the moment while he's president. The only thing we can do until the 20th is an impeachment, which likely won't pass, or the 25th amendment which just removes him from office but doesn't have any other consequences. America doesn't really have the concept of political crimes, and evidence for actual sedition is not strong as the defense is too easy ("I thought they were just going to peacefully protest and sing kumbaya!").
Any real punishment would just inflame his s
Re:Some non-fake news (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Some non-fake news (Score:5, Informative)
Those antifa thugs are getting clever. Carrying confederate flags and cosplaying as the duck dynasty guys was almost enough to fool me.
This is marked funny, but people actually believe this. There were people calling into C-SPAN claiming it was all staged by antifa
Re:Some non-fake news (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, but that's easily disproved. If they were antifa, the cops would have shot them all, but the cops are reluctant to shoot their own side.
Re:Some non-fake news (Score:5, Insightful)
because there's nothing in the video that promotes violence.
What kind of dumb motherfucker are you? Are you being disingenuous, or did your parents seriously kick you in the soft part of the skull when you were an infant?
The Capitol building was being swarmed by a mob of angry fucking morons who believed that the US election was stolen, and that they were called upon by fucking God to save us from the evil libs.
And Donny, the petulant little fucking man that he is, just couldn't ask the mob to stop without also adding in an affirmation for *why* they were fucking there.
I know your pain. I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side.
You are fucking pathetic.
A shit load of people with guns (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
"Violence" includes storming a building, breaking windows, ransacking offices, and so on.
Re: (Score:3)
The pictures of Republicans cowering under their desks as the redhats bang down the doors with the butts of their rifles are priceless. Priceless. The party of obstruction meets the party of destruction.
Re: (Score:3)
It's like taking a forever nap :-P
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
So ask yourselves: why is it that an educated, more or less normal person like myself with a family and a steady job voted for Trump?
It really doesn't matter what bullshit you come up with to comfort yourself.
You voted for Trump because 1) you like the hatred he spews 2) you thought he'd hurt the 'right' people, or 3) you thought fascism was a small price to pay to advance the single issue you always vote for.
It's time to be an adult, and own up to the consequences of your actions. Not try and pretend someone else made you line up behind evil.
Re: While we're all busy remembering (Score:5, Insightful)
Now now. Disclaimer: I am not American and I think Trump is delusional, stupid and a danger to the USA.
But here, right in the post I'm replying to, you're doing the exact same thing Trump supporters do, and you're not better than anyone of them. This is a result of Trump actions, dividing the country to the point that everyone, no matter which side they're on, stop thinking and bash each other mindlessly.
So take a step back and re-engage your critical thinking. Until then, stop posting. You're not doing yourself a favor by writing in this state of mind.
Re: While we're all busy remembering (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: While we're all busy remembering (Score:5, Interesting)
So you can ably discern the "lies" of the MSM, but swallow hook line and sinker every whack-job "Dominion", "Sharpies!", "German Servers" conspiracy theory anyone can shove in front of your face?
Look, I get it. I hate the left wing and until a few years ago I would have said they were far worse than the far right wing, but let's face it all those idiots will do is eat their own on Twitter over subtle "micro-aggressions" and allow lowlife street people to riot in Portland and a few other cities. Big fucking deal. Right wingnuts are LARPing their way into an imagined civil war, and a small percent of them will actually get out their guns and go shoot people in the media or politicians.
Voting for a gun grabber was a hard pill to swallow, but Trump is that bad. I had hoped the (R)s would take the easy wins in GA but they convinced one another not to vote with their laughable fucking conspiracy theories, so that sucks. Guess it's a straight (D) government for a while, and you know what? Fuck it. Good. I will enjoy the tears of those far-right fucking kooks who have brought us to this place.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Here's a pic [welovetrump.com] supposedly of the sheer quantity of Trump supporters in DC today. No wonder Trump thinks the election was stolen from him.
Biden and the Democrats are going to have an uphill battle trying to rule the nation when such huge numbers of the general population see his presidency as illegitimate. You guys should have let the courts issue warrants and conducted official investigations into the voter fraud. Instead, the media, the courts, and the politicians all swept it under the rug and declared it to be unfounded while turning a blind eye. Good luck with that.
I'm not a Biden supporter, but I can do simple math.
You showed a picture with a lot of people in it.
However, that picture shows only a tiny fraction of the number of people who cast the 81 million votes that Biden got so it means nothing.
Re:Take a look at the pile of Trump supporters... (Score:5, Insightful)
You want us to believe these are facts but you don't offer any substantiation of the circumstances. Where did 386,000 votes appear overnight? Which state? Which county? Which city?
No, Biden didn't win by 81 million votes. Trump had 74 million popular votes and Biden had 81 million. And that is still not why Biden won the election. Biden won the election because he has 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232 electoral votes. Those were the votes being certified today when the terrorists stormed the Capital building.
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I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Re: (Score:3)
You do not "force" people to riot. You "encourage" them to. And then you give them "comfort" by assuring them that their rage is justified. And the Dumb one just did that repeatedly. Sure, you also tell them to be peaceful, but that is just CYA and does not actually work legally or morally because it is completely clear that this part the rioters just do not hear.
You really are just disgracing yourself here, your position is not defensible.
Re:Wow (Score:5, Insightful)
I didn't realize Slashdot was as left wing as Reddit.
So apparently an armed overthrow of democracy is "right wing" and everyone not supporting that is "left wing" now. You wingnuts are crazzyyy.