Because Donald Trump has the temperament of a five-year-old bully, he was so, so mad that people paid attention to last week’s Democratic National Convention. He threw a press conference in the middle of the week, and he tweeted about it, asking his supporters not to watch it. The first three days of the DNC got better ratings than the RNC, although Hillary Clinton’s speech got fewer viewers than Trump’s speech. Still, the reviews for the DNC were overwhelmingly positive, and even Republicans were like “damn, the DNC was way more patriotic and optimistic than we were.” After Hillary’s speech, Trump tweeted and bitched about all of Hillary’s “lies” about him, and how he wants to “hit” all of the people who criticized him.
In the immediate aftermath of the DNC’s Day 4, Trump did not immediately say or tweet anything about Khizr Khan though. Mr. Khan and his family are Pakistani-Americans who immigrated to America and became citizens. Khizr Khan lost his soldier son Humayun Khan in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. Khan’s speech at the DNC was easily the most notable, most discussed, most “viral” moment from the DNC. It was not the first time Mr. Khan had spoken publicly about his son, but it was the biggest platform the Khans ever had, and the words aimed at Donald Trump – “You have sacrificed nothing and no one” – became an emotional rallying cry for every American who embraces our tolerant, multi-ethnic, multi-faith, pluralistic society.
Then later on Friday, Trump sat down with George Stephanopoulos and George asked him directly about Mr. Khan’s words. The result was… one of the most offensive and appalling things I’ve ever witnessed.
In his first response to a searing charge from bereaved Army father Khizr Khan that he’d “sacrificed nothing” for his country, Donald Trump claimed that he had in fact sacrificed by employing “thousands and thousands of people.” He also suggested that Khan’s wife didn’t speak because she was forbidden to as a Muslim and questioned whether Khan’s words were his own.
“Who wrote that? Did Hillary’s script writers write it?” Trump said in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard.”
Trump appeared to try to brush the speech aside, saying that Khan “was, you know, very emotional and probably looked like a nice guy to me.” Trump also said, “If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.”
This appears to be Trump tipping his hat to some on far-right wing and nationalist Twitter, who have suggested that Ghazala Khan was silent during her husband’s speech because they are Muslim that Khizr Khan prohibits his wife from speaking. In an interview with ABC today, Ghazala said she did not speak because she was “in pain.”
“Please. I am very upset when I heard when he said that I didn’t say anything. I was in pain. If you were in pain you fight or you don’t say anything, I’m not a fighter, I can’t fight. So the best thing I do was quiet,” Ghazala said. Khizr Khan said he asked his wife of 42 years to speak, but she declined, knowing she would be too emotional. “I invited her, would you like to say something on the stage when the invitation came, and she said, ‘You know how it is with me, how upset I get,'” he said.
Pressed by Stephanopoulos to name the sacrifices he’d made for his country, Trump said: “I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I’ve had tremendous success. I think I’ve done a lot.”
Trump also cited his work on behalf of veterans, including helping to build a Vietnam War memorial in Manhattan, and raising “millions of dollars” for vets. Paul Rieckoff, the founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a non partisan group with close to 200,000 members, called Trump’s comparison of his sacrifices with those of someone like Khan “insulting, foolish and ignorant.”
“For anyone to compare their ‘sacrifice’ to a Gold Star family member is insulting, foolish and ignorant. Especially someone who has never served himself and has no children serving,” Rieckoff said. “Our county has been at war for a decade and a half and the truth is most Americans have sacrificed nothing. Most of them are smart and grounded enough to admit it.”
Mrs. Khan also wrote a WaPo op-ed to respond to Trump – you can read it here. Over the past ten months or so, I keep thinking “we’ve reached the tipping point on Trumpism,” and then everyone just moves on. Trump keeps saying horrendously offensive things, but has it finally reached a point, with this story and these quotes, where we can finally say that the tipping point has come? The fact that Trump responded this way should come as no surprise, but the fact that so many in his party are not putting him on blast? It’s terrifying.
To @realDonaldTrump: Please remove that American flag lapel pin. You don't deserve to wear it. https://t.co/D0zAR1oIP1
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) July 30, 2016
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Trump continues to tweet offensive messages about how he was just defending himself from the Kahn’s “vicious attack.”
I do hope the staffs of Jeff Sessions and Mike Pence enjoy the voice mails I left them last night in response to their support of Trump’s attack on a Gold Star Mother.
I’m glad I don’t live in a brain where a statement of fact is put in the “vicious attack” category. I’m not sure which insults would not make it through the filter, so I’ll a word that rhymes with what I would call him: what a fool.
I’m in Alabama where Sessions is one of our two garbage Senators. Just google “Jeff Sessions massive turd” and you’ll find out all you need to know about that racist moron.
I think any governor or senator who speaks in favor of Trump at this point should be bombarded with emails and letters and phone calls telling them off in no uncertain terms. That’s a Gold Star Mother he is attacking simply because she honestly pointed out that he is a bigot and they are supporting his attacks, his bigotry, and his misogyny. They are a disgrace and do not belong in public office. Their staffs will have to handle all that incoming mail and phone calls.
I was born and raised in Alabama and couldn’t take it anymore when I turned 18. Many years later, I hear the name Jeff Sessions and get angry. His endorsement alone told me all I needed to know about this crapshow of a candidacy. Shilling for a cabinet post.
Good for you @lilacflowers. And good for John McCain — the only Republican that has publically come out against Trump (by name).
I am beyond disgusted by all of the Trump fans supporting or rationalizing his statements. How all of these advisors can get on the news channel and say he didn’t mean it that way, he meant ABC. No, no he did not. He said exactly what he thinks – his financial sacrifices are equivalent to those of the men and women fighting for the USA and those sacrifices are equivalent to any person KIA. These statements are unacceptable.
McCain came out against the statements but he has not backed off his support for Trump as a candidate. Sorry, McCain falls far short here
I think a lot of establishment Republicans will follow. I think Laura Bush has actually come out for Hilary, has she not?
just how many times has melania stood like a statue beside Trump while he was blustering and posturing? was she not allowed to speak because someone would ask about her bogus college degrees.
I don’t expect anything better of the vile Trump. I am glad to hear from EM that John McCain has come out against it. Shame on those that are silently condoning this stuff, even if it is the party nominee saying it. Bill Maher was correct in badging this election as a referendum on decency. Let’s hope that, unlike in the UK Brexit referendum, sense prevails.
John McCain denounced Trump today! Said that Trump does not speak for Republicans!
He didn’t really denounce him, he just asked him to set a better example. McCain did not withdraw his endorsement of Trump.
The Republicans are in a tough situation, even if of their own making. But if the saner ones refuse to endorse, that’s a good message. If some like McCain at least object to specific statements, that’s good also. Even better if they remind people that ballot splitting is an old American tradition – they don’t have to vote a straight Party ticket. People can vote for other Republicans on the ballot without voting for Mr. Crazy.
If there are specific policies of Hillary’s that they don’t agree with, they can work on those issues just as I’ve always had to do. No President has completely represented my views, either. But they have to get away from the image of Cartoon Hillary that they’ve been sold by people with profits to protect (it really started when she was working on health care reform many years ago). She’s a decent person and people of different political views who have actually worked with her are willing to work with her again. We just need a competent and sane person in the White House who consults with a wide variety of people and is unlikely to start WWIII. No President is going to please everybody all of the time.
Jwoolman
“The Republicans are in a tough situation, even if of their own making. But if the saner ones refuse to endorse, that’s a good message. If some like McCain at least object to specific statements, that’s good also.”
Nah. It’s meaningless. These are the same people who backed Trump after he said McCain wasn’t a real hero. There would have to be an ENORMOUS pushback from the GOP to effect a change. They’d have to unendorse Trump. They won’t. They lack integrity. Look at what happened (didn’t) after the Kerry Swift Boat ads… even after McCain asked the WH to denounce them.
He continues to get more horrid as the days go by, he has to be the lowest of the low to say the things he says, there are no words to describe someone like him, he should be denounced from running in the presedential race all together, he has no right to run for president with the thoughts and mindset that he has, its absulutely ridiculous. America should be ashamed to have him running as a presedential candidate!
Trump is really just as horrid as he ever was. I think people are paying more attention. The powerful speeches at the DNC especially triggered him, but it’s nothing new. One difference is that he’s attacking individuals such as the Khans who are not politicians. Since we had the chance to hear such speakers ourselves and many people have been in similar positions, hopefully the ugliness and bigotry of his comments will be more apparent.
Trump just goes off half-cocked without asking the simplest of questions first. For example, I doubt that he knew Mr. Kahn was a lawyer and Mrs. Khan was a former university professor, hardly a shrinking violet, and that they were hardly incapable of writing their own speeches. He saw a Muslim woman and leaped to his own prejudiced conclusions. Trump wants desperately to believe that someone else put those words in their mouths because that’s what he did. Scott Baio didn’t write his own speech at the RNC, I’m sure. Baio did support Trump and I’m sure he agrees with the speech he delivered, but he was invited on the spur of the moment and admitted he had no idea what he was going to say. Writing such a speech was not part of his skill set. But it was for the Khans.
Scott claimed in a TV interview that he wrote his speech during a church service* and his daughter called him out on it.
*As if that hour or whatever small slice of time was the only time he could spare to gather his speech thoughts.
I’ve been having a great time responding to every tweet by Trump with questions about how he would manage to hit the DNC speakers with his #tinyhands and how he likes living with such a #blacksoul and all of his #trumpsacrifices. I expect he will be banning me soon. 🙂 But it’s fun while it lasts.
Im glad I’m not the only one who spends a little time every day cluttering the @realdonaldtrump with snarky comments. He just makes it so easy
Oh my God America. If you love our country please don’t vote for this man child.
And to be clear, failing to vote, voting for a third party or writing in IS effectively a vote for the manchild.
Thank you Naya! This is what concerns me most.
Don’t even try to tell people that or they will throw a massive tantrum. They have turned Hillary into a cartoon villain to fit their logic. I have actually seen a few facebook posts along the lines of… I’m not a Trump supporter, or I don’t know where I stand with Trump or I don’t know how I feel about Trump yadda yadda but I will NEVER vote for Hillary Clinton… two faced, corrupt, liar, emails, emails, emails, Benghazi, Benghazi. I weep for this country.
@Shark Bait
To be fair the cartoon character of Hillary Clinton as a bigger liar than Trump and as corrupt was started by Bernie voters on the web. They created multiple videos splicing Hillary’s interviews together and set up the grounds for Trump’s crocked Hillary. Every politician back tracks and changes their positions over time.
Bernie never stopped those videos or asked his voters to focus on policy. He had no detailed policy prescription similar to Trump and relied on character assassination. I don’t recall Bernie as the fighter against wall street and corruption releasing his tax forms to show he too is free from influence. Similar to his pro-gun position before running as a Democrat. But maybe it happened and I missed it.
Okay, I don’t want to say voting for a third party candidate is a vote automatically for the crazy Man Child. I think there are even a large portion of intelligent and especially fiscally conservative voters who may generally vote republican, who don’t want to vote for Clinton either. The fiscally conservative smaller government people really don’t have a candidate. Everything Trump has suggested costs a lot of money and balloons the size of the government, maybe even more than Clinton’s proposals. An immigration and border patrol to police the Wall and remove and test suspected immigrants isn’t going to be cheap or smaller government. Maybe they think Trump’s supposed business acumen should help the economy, which is more than debatable, it didn’t help all of his businesses or the places they were in, just look at Atlantic City. My suggestion is to just think long and hard about your vote, and make sure your vote isn’t helping to elect someone who would be worse.
Agreed.
Susan Sarandon, a Bernie supporter, hates Hillary and says she will never vote for her. However, she refused to criticize Trump saying “I don’t know what his policies are” as if she hasn’t heard the crap he’s been spewing for the past few months.
Jill Stein, running on the Green Party ticket, said Hillary would bring Nazism to America and that Trump “wouldn’t be that bad.” Those are her direct words.
It makes my blood boil.
Susan Sarandon is just sad and Jill Stein I can’t understand at all. Why would the Green candidate want a guy who will definitely polute the world. He doesn’t even believe in Global Warming. Hope she likes coal spewing through the air. People really think blowing up the strongest nation in the world is a good idea? Think about it, because they were on the peaceful negotiating side. Does Trump really look like a negotiator to anyone?
OOOHHHH @Original T.C.
I didn’t know that bit about the crooked characterization starting with Bernie voters or the piece about Bernie’s pro-gun stance. Thanks for that info.
I’m going to say it again. A vote for a 3rd party candidate or write in is NOT a vote for Trump (which the HC supporters swear) or a vote for HC (which the DT supporters swear). THere will be 1 winner of the presidential election — the one who wins the needed votes. Everyone loses because THEY didn’t garner the needed votes, It’s on THEM. OUr right is to vote for the candidate of our choice — without being shamed, bullied, told we are actually voting for someone else, or otherwise harassed. I’ve heard every “but”–none are compelling enough to compromise my integrity to vote for a buffoon / clown / liar / flip flopping / self serving person, Oh I get that one of those two will win — but I despise them both and it won’t be because I voted for one of them. Neither of these 2 parties represent me and I want to be part of the desperate change needed away from this insanity. RANT OFF
This! Remember 2000, which ushered in the Age of W, and everything it wrought, including the disaster of the Iraq war. Third party voters handed that election to George W. Bush!
I worry about 2000 too, but I really feel this year is different too. Otherwise how did we end up with Trump in the first place. I just want everyone to think about it, and what your vote could mean. I think there are a lot of republican type voters who really can’t vote for either, but I just would like them to take a stronger look at Clinton. I think she might turn a few independents and some not so ardent republicans. If you are a progressive democrat, I really don’t understand those who aren’t voting for Clinton. That vote is just helping to make your progressive platform further down the scale. I just ask all thinking of voting to please think and research a lot about these candidates before you vote for a candidate that doesn’t have a chance to win. I think in this election it could be really important, and I want people to be extra mindful.
I do not like Hillary. I think she is an opportunist, self-centered, etc. etc. etc. Yet I will RUN to vote for her on Election Day and I am yelling at my kids and all of their friends that they’d better get their a$$es out on Election Day for Hillary if they ever want me to talk to them again.
There really is no choice – we have to drag every sane person we know to vote and convince them that Hillary needs every single vote. Because there are a lot of hateful people out there votiing for Trump the Insane.
Dirty Martini, the others are right. 2000 came down to people having the whole “well those guys are both the same” attitude. That mindset tipped the scale into W’s favor. You can see the aftermath of that decision. No one is telling you that you HAVE to vote this way or that. They are asking you not to use the “it doesn’t matter” argument in casting your vote. It does matter. One candidate will start WWIII and the other will keep the U.S. stable and moving forward. Do your homework on this.
America, if you love humans and the world, please, do not vote for this person.
He really does have the temperament of a 5 year old. It is terrifying. I was a Bernie supporter but I will be running to the polls to vote for Hillary in November.
Don’t insult five year olds ;-).The ones I know are far more mature than Trump.
Tate, I hope there is alot more like you.
@Tate – hopefully there are many more Sanders supporters like you who has the maturity, integrity and selfishness to see that no matter what excuses they give, if you don’t vote for Hillary then you are voting for Trump.
No ifs and no buts – a vote against Hillary is a vote for Trump ie for racism & male chauvinism.
I too voted for Bernie in the primary, and I have long disliked Hillary Clinton for a variety of reasons, but I will be voting for her in November. It’s simply beyond me how any American with a brain and a conscience would NOT vote for her and AGAINST this sociopathic narcissist.
Trump sacrificed a brush, education and morals. This man has done enough.
Words fail me. All I can say is that I read Mrs Kahn’s letter in The Washington Post and cried.
I tried to read her words aloud to my family yesterday and couldn’t make it past the first paragraph. So moving.
Lest we forget, Captain Khan gave his life defending Donald Trump’s right to free speech. Speech that has been used to vilify his own parents and people like them.
#IRONY
Yes. Trump said Mr. Khan had “no right” to speak about him in front of millions of people — he has every right, because that right is enshrined in our country’s Bill of Rights. Freedom of speech is part of this country, whether someone likes that speech or not.
If the short fingered vulgarian becomes President, it’s a guarantee that free speech will be suppressed.
Ha! Funny-you guys assumed Trump actually knows anything about the constitution.
See Article XII.
I’ve never lost a child but have lost most of my extended family. Including both parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc…. I can’t for the life of me put up their pictures or look at them. Its jsut me and my brother left. I end up in ball of sniveling mess years later. A lot of people are comforted by pictures but many of us can’t look at them because it makes us emotional. When she couldn’t speak at the convention I knew right away she was too emotional to speak because she kept look up at the picture and then looked down. She has spoken a lot during the interviews and she is articulate just like her husband and her emtotions are evident in her tone & words. Trump is heartless human slime.
No. It won’t affect him because ultimately these people are POC, Muslim Americans. His supporters won’t see beyond that. AND this is the scary part. He’s so outlandish, I don’t think he CAN lose the election. This will be a case of people voting for HRC or staying home, or voting third party. But Trump’s support seems very locked in.
MTE! Any gold star, white families that support him will just be like “Well he didn’t mean us! He was just stickin’ it to dem musslemans!”
I felt so sad when I read your comment, then I heard ‘musselman’ in my head and snorted good and loud.
Thanks for the laugh.
My mother is from a Gold Star Family, having lost one of her brothers. Another of her brothers is a staunch Republican who voted for Trump in the primary but has been having second thoughts and has considered voting third party. But not now. This pushed him over the edge and he will be voting for Clinton.
I hope it pushed more people over the edge. I know a couple of Republicans who said they will just sit it out in November. I hope this gives them the push they needed to go vote for Clinton.
I’m hoping the same happens in my family. One branch of my family is a Gold Star Family, my cousin died in the line of duty last year. Another branch of the same family have been vocal Trump supporters on Facebook, but have also loudly supported efforts for Gold Star families and for my cousin. I’m waiting to see how they respond to this.
My condolences to your family for your loss and thank you for your uncle’s service.
Thank you and my condolences to your family as well.
My mother loves Trump, as does my aunt. Every time he does something like this (which is all the time, honestly) they twist their logic to defend him. My mom’s friend who is also my neighbor said something about how upsetting this whole situation is and she cannot believe what Trump said in response to the speech. My mom talked down to her condescendingly and was like “you need to understand that radical Islam is a danger to this country and that was what Trump was talking about. If this man cared so much he would be going after radical Islam in his speeches and not Mr. Trump. Donald Trump has the right to defend himself.” My mom will also deflect and start talking about crooked Hillary. It’s really depressing for me and I don’t discuss politics with my mom. She voted for Obama twice and seemed pretty enlightened, but her racist super right wing sister (my aforementioned aunt) has been spending more and more time with my mom in the last few years since my aunt has gotten divorced and started to poison my mom with her hatred and ignorance (don’t worry, I don’t absolve my mom- she has said some pretty deplorable things and gets on a facebook soapbox all the time against Islam and thugs and how awesome the police are and how she loves Trump for telling it like it is and how much she hates PC culture). Trump could shoot someone in the middle of fifth avenue and somehow it would be “crooked Hillary’s” fault in her mind.
Ugh, that is depressing. Sounds like your mom and aunt have been watching Fox. The “crooked Hillary” deflection is classic. I avoid talking politics with my parents for the same reason. My brother in law loves to engage and debate them about it all but I just can’t. The weather just feels like a safer topic so I stick with that.
EVERYONE seems to respond to any criticism of Trump with “well Hillary”. Someone was discussing this on CNN yesterday and his surrogate actually said “Bill Clinton…” and that had NOTHING to do with the topic.
Sorry I am so angry. I have two friends who support Trump and use the same “Well Hillary” as the reason they don’t support her. But at the heart of it all they support him because they believe the stereotypes set forth by Rebpulicans. One of them stood in front of me and told me she “doesn’t believe whites and black should get married and have children. I think the races should be separated.” I’m black, though at that time, you would have thought I was white as a ghost.
@Lama
What. The. F–k.
Wow.
I’m not saying there aren’t some really trenched in Trump supporters, but I do think it’s not as high as some people make it out to be. Twitter and social media have a tendency to make things seem larger than they are. Honestly, I think American’s as a whole are far more apathetic than the virulent Trump supporters. I think there are a lot of people who are republicans or independents who generally vote republican, but aren’t huge Trump fans and could possibly be encouraged to vote for Clinton or at least not Trump. Which would help Clinton win. I just fail to believe almost half of the country is filled with Trumps. I could go with as high as 30%, but not 50%. I think there is still a wing of republicans and independents who want smaller government and fiscally conservative budgets, and they just haven’t bothered to think how much and how big Trump’s so called ideas are going to be and cost us all.
I’m hoping there’s a silent majority out there who will vote for Hillary.
Have you ever noticed how any Trump surrogate is loud, brash, rude and ride roughshod over people All. The. Time. These one-note wonders bellow just like the orange one to crush true discussion and dissent. The craven media submits.
Hillary is going to win. She’s the best candidate for the job. Trump won’t get enough electoral college votes. The way exit polls report so early, the whole thing will be over before the Pacific side of the country even has a chance to weigh in. I read that somewhere, but I don’t know where.
Plus Julian Assange threatening to release more stuff on Hillary/DNC will turn people off. The guy is such a pompous a$$ rapist. Trump’s campaign is probably offering him bank to spill.
I hope you are right. I’m in NJ in one of the few Republican counties (I too was a Republican) and all I can say is that the Trump lawn signs and bumper stickers are out in force – more than Romney. Perhaps because my little town tends to blame everything on immigrants and POC according to those visiting our town blog but seriously the # of signs is really frightening. I despair for our country because this man is not only incapable of fixing anything he appears hell bent on going against the Constitution.
@noway – Polls are showing in favor of HRC, but only around 5 percentage points (still waiting to see if there’s the standard post-convention bounce). However, 5 pts isn’t THAT much. And is still way too close considering how much of a colossal idiot Trump is. The point is that this election has more pressure on HRC in terms of winning, but Trump has essentially made all the classic mistakes one can make (and that shot him to the nomination). Also, in terms of math 50% of people don’t have to come out to support trump. 47% can vote Trump. 45% can vote Clinton; and 8% 3rd party. Guess what? That’s a Trump win. Polls have shown 3rd party candidates are hurting HRC more than Trump.
Also, polls tend to skew towards those voters who have already voted before. If there are a lot of first time voters, they might not be factored into the current results. A lot of closeted bigots finally have someone to vote for.
I’ve worked in media statistics for years, and I can tell you one thing I have noticed for a while with political polling they are generally inaccurate, especially this far out. I also think the accuracy is getting worse. Does anyone remember Romney-Obama well yes they got the outcome correct toward the voting time, but they were quite a bit off on the percentage, and the percentage could have gone the other way too, think Brexit. I almost think we poll too often, people just answer willy nilly and it means very little. Also, think particularily American’s attention spans are gnat sized and we have to pummel Trumps stupidities to the public. My gut tells me 30% or less of the American people are staunch Trump supporters who don’t care what he says and in fact like his “honesty”, but the others are voting for something else and not a fan of his misogyny or racist remarks. I could be wrong, but I hope not, and HRC will come out on top in the long run.
I just had the misfortune of stumbling onto something a FB friend posted, with thousands of people justifying/rationalizing Trump’s behavior in this situation. Basically blaming Hillary, of course, for using the family for her own nefarious purposes. I swear, the worse Trump gets, the harder his supporters double down. It’s disgusting.
What’s interesting is that no one accused Trump of the same thing when the mother of one of the Benghazi victims spoke at the RNC. And she was clearly way more emotionally distraught than the Khans and purported Hillary should be convicted of murder.
I think the Ambassador’s mother has told the Republicans to stop dragging her deceased son’s name into their campaign….
Donald trump has about 13 million votes locked in. He needs another 60 million, approximately, to win . I doubt he will win. The people who are supporting Hillary must vote and encourage family and friends to go out and vote, November 8.
Not only will it not hurt him, his supporters are probably cheering him on. The reason people support him is because he isn’t afraid to insult anyone and everyone. They don’t like him in spite of the fact he’s a bully–his bullying is at the core of his popularity. Conservative columnist David Frum (not a Trump supporter) wrote an essay for the Atlantic about Trump’s appeal that I think is dead accurate. Go look for it if you want to understand how he’s gotten this far.
Thanks Gatita for pointing out the David Frum article. I want to understand Trump’s popularity, and I’ve tried to be objective. But every insight into those who support him is beyond terrifying. It is one thing to see anti-feminist or immigration comments wrapped in racism online, and unfortunately many times it’s been excused: ‘it’s the internet, there are trolls; get used to it, just ignore them because they want attention’. Well, it appears those commenters now don’t have to hide behind their keyboards since they have a hero who may be President. And saying that Trump as an idiot or a 5-year old just adds fuel to their rage.
Just one example from the Atlantic:
“Here’s the bottom line. You live in an America that’s still a lot like your parents’ America. It’s mostly white. Nobody’s displacing and replacing you. It’s pretty safe too. You can read about rising crime—you don’t live it. In your America, you worry about how there aren’t enough women making Hollywood films or sitting on corporate boards. In our America, the gender gap closed a long time ago—and then went into reverse. Obama in the Oval Office was humiliating enough. But Hillary will be worse: We’re going to lose any idea at all that leadership is a man’s job. . . You tell us we’re a minority now? OK. We’re going to start acting like a minority. We’re going to vote like a bloc, and we’re going to vote for our bloc’s champion. So long as he keeps faith with us against you, we’ll keep faith with him against you.”
God Help Us All if Trump gets elected. I’m Canadian but I’m scared not only because of this anger/hatred that is growing, but also because of his alleged (but probable) ties to Putin who is not a stupid man.
He is right if he shot someone they would still vote for him, especially the poooorr mad white bitter bro babies.
This fiasco lost Trump the vote of two friends – both longstanding Repubs, both white males, one a former Marine. I doubt either will vote for Clinton but still possible *crossing my fingers* this misstep legit hurts him. And wouldn’t the irony be delicious.
I think you are right. At this point, the Trump voters are not necessarily so pro-Trump as they are anti-Hillary. From what I have read, many blue collar workers who have switched over to the Republican side aren’t exactly ecstatic with Trump but feel he can bring their jobs back whereas HIllary won’t. I feel that HIllary really needs the younger generation’s vote to win – the voters who came out and helped elect Obama.
I liked what Lindsey Graham had to say about it- that some things in politics used to be sacred, like not criticizing gold star families even if they criticize you. Drumpf is evil and completely unfit to lead anything much less the free world. This would be yesterday’s news if he had simply said “I thank the Khans for their son’s service.”
I think that this is sadly what appeals to a lot of people. That nothing is sacred to this man. That it’s a free-for-all and finally, in their minds, it’s their turn to be heard. That the message that’s heard is ridiculous, offensive, dangerous garbage doesn’t seem to matter. I keep wondering if maybe the establishement could’ve prevented this man (and all the right-wing parties that have gained support in Europe) by simply seeing the signs years ago. But at this point, I don’t believe there is anything that could’ve been done. It’s like every few decades – definitely in frequent intervals – we feel the need to burn down the house. If it’s not Trump this time, it’ll be someone else.
Mankind seems to forget History too easily…
It would be funny if it weren’t so terrifying. So Obama was Hitler according to several prominent Republicans and Fox News anchors. As a German, I am always particularly offended by any all comparisons in that area. But maybe this time it wouldn’t be so outrageous. It’s like Trump is getting advice directly from the mustachioed dictator. Google Hitler quotes and they read like they could be what Trump scribbles in his journal every night. Affirmations, if you will. It’s also what terrorists all over the world seem to go by. It’s not good. Not good at all.
This is so true. It’s open season for people to release their hatred and the rise of Trump is giving them a convenient excuse to be ugly and proud of it.
I think you are right @littlemissnaughty. The fact Trump says wildly offensive and horrible things is part of what they finding appealling about him. Sickening.
Seems to me that until their convention, Mrs. Trump stood silently behind her husband..for years. I need a break from this jerk and change channels as soon as I see him pop up, for my own peace of mind…thank goodness HRC got a nice convention bounce.
Well Mrs Drumpf had a lot to say she was just waiting for Michelle to say it first.
Which is probably pretty difficult for her, since most of her ‘talking points’ don’t really line up with the things Michelle would say.
Might not be for long. Have you read about the photos the New York Post released. Tangerine Mussolini threw his wife under the bus by releasing them. If I was her, I would file now.
If Trump loses the election( we hope) Melania will file as soon as the election results come in. Can you imagine what Trump will be like if he loses and living with him?
Trump had a hand in releasing his wife’s nude photos???
It’s actually possible that The Donald was involved in releasing her pictures. Not necessarily to punish her, though. Her appearance is extremely important to him. He may actually believe this will be a good thing for his campaign, to show what a beautiful woman he married. I think she wants a different image for herself now, although I hope she doesn’t feel ashamed of them.
I think the pictures have been out there, it just required collecting them together. I hope this story isn’t overanalyzed and just blows over fast.
I read this on Buzzfeed and I just went off, I’ve been thinking about this the whole weekend. What was your sacrifice Donald? Watching the Miss Universe contestants on bikinis instead of naked? Death is the ultimate sacrifice, so how dare you compare it to your trivial losses?! The parents were very gracious, because I would’ve jumped onstage to destroy him.
Exactly. The son lost his life for the good of the country. Unless he or his kids get into the front of the line, he should not have gone there.
His sister is a federal judge and has remained silent (which is good since judges are forbidden to make any political endorsements or comments) throughout this whole debacle. I wonder what’s going through her mind.
Before anyone labels her as a nut like him, she was nominated to the bench by both a Repub (Reagan- USDC) and Dem (Clinton – Circuit Court).
Having a brother like this dummy must be painful.
I just don’t understand how people can support this orange man. They shamelessly make excuses for him time after time, it’s so crazy. He so arrogant and very ignorant, it’s surprising how many people are behind him, especially the “Christians”, when there’s nothing Christ-like about trump, nothing.
A lot of the Christian Right ignore his behavior. They lap up his faux Christian act. Meanwhile his words and actions show who he truly is.
There is NOTHING Christian about this man. WWJD?????
My mom is very involved in her church. She will be voting Hillary. She may possibly be the only one in her church voting that way. Hypocrisy is a huge reason that I never felt compelled to join a church as an adult. Once again I see the hypocrisy of the Christian Right as they support this mad man.
Jesus would smack him down.
@Tate This is exactly the same problem I have with being part of a church right now, especially in the Bible Belt.
I see a lot of evangelical Christians justifying Trump because of Pence and because of Hillary……
I have a theory. People who are full of hatred willingly overlook his faults as long as he can “stick it” to the group they hate. I have a very intelligent friend who hates Muslims; she’s willing to overlook all the lies, the tantrums, etc. because she’s really hoping Trump will ban all Muslims. The people who hate immigrants are the same; the ones against Black Lives Matter, ditto and so on.
In much of American, it is socially unacceptable to be outwardly racist. For those who hearts are filled with hatred, Trump is saying what they believe. They aren’t overlooking his racism, they are grateful for a spokesperson who says what they cannot.
I believe that he gets a pass all the time because what matters most to his acolytes is racism, misogyny, and sexual orientation, their core hatred. They will ignore everything to ensure that they can finally take power and concretise that hatred in law through Trump and the Republicans. Every person in the party who does not speak up against this hatred supports these core hatreds and gives tacit consent to the oppression of these parties.
I think you are both right but with someone like Trump his hit list can switch to any group – perhaps if elected it will be Americans earning less than $50,000 or those on Social Security. Niemöller quotes feel especially relevant these days:
First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Niem%C3%B6ller
Agreed santia. I also think he is playing the rustbelt/Appalachian blue collar folks by criticizing companies that have outsourced their manufacturing jobs overseas and thus propagating the ‘we hate other countries/foreigners’ mentality of those people. For the most part, those folks don’t pose as much of an electoral college threat (aka West Virginia.) Then there is Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan. Ugh. Makes my head hurt just thinking about it.
If you go to Christianity Today site, they have great graphics up of how Christians vote. Christians are actually divided this election, even the right wingers. More so than recent elections. He does win the white Christian vote but he is already winning the white vote, Christian or non-Christian.
Trumps cruelty appears to have no bounds or limits.
I know. Unbelievably cruel and also just utterly ignorant. I CANNOT believe the bar for what passes as “presidential” has fallen so low.
Can you imagine how he treats him employees?
So proud of the Khans. They must know they have opened themselves to that mans smear machine and his lunatic supporters, and still they push on. More gold star families need to stand up.
Slightly related, wheres John Mcain these days? I know, the fact that his son married a serving black woman is the stuff of Trumps nightmares but I wouldnt be surprised if they are courting Mcain to help Trumps image problems with the military.
McCain is one of the Republicans who refused to be involved with the Republican National Convention. He’s not going to be out there supporting Trump.
McCain’s granddaughter wrote a blog on being a longtime Republican and still a Republican, for now, but due to Donald Trump’s remarks about her grandfather and his other behavior that she found unacceptable for a presidential candidate that she was voting for Hillary Clinton.
I’ve read his son’ twitter feed. He doesn’t seem Republican anymore to me, at the least maybe an independent. His wife’s twitter feed definitely shows she’s a Democrat. They are a great-looking couple.
Meghan McCain is still out there a loud and proud Republican, even showing a picture of herself with a rifle in her hand out shooting in the desert or somewhere. It even looked like an assault-type rifle to me, but I wasn’t sure.
I can’t stand Meghan, but she has said she hates Trump and won’t vote for him. Some of the Fox News talking heads have given her grief about it. She is in the “Donald Trump is a clown and is making a joke out of the GOP” camp.
Trump said McCain wasn’t a hero because he got captured! I don’t agree with McCain’s politics but he IS a hero. Talk about sacrifice.
But don’t forget that while McCain was in the hands of the Vietcong, Trump was in Studio 54 and it probably did get quite loud and hot and crowded there….
McCain wasn’t only captured, he was tortured. Orangino doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
AND McCain was given the opportunity to leave without the rest of his men, and he refused. He was a POW for far longer than he need have been had he not been so honorable.
McCain is basically holding his tongue because he’s facing a primary opponent that is a Tea Party/Trump supporter in August. He doesn’t want to alienate his base but he also doesn’t want to lose the general election in October. It’s a cynical tactic but he looks principled in comparison to Mike Pence and Paul Ryan.
He’s put his campaign at risk and has come out pretty strongly against Trump and his attacks on the Khan family. Good for him.
Remember what Trump said about McCain (he likes his soldiers not captured). I doubt McCain will be stumping for him, but I can’t imagine him being bold enough to campaign for Hillary.
I can’t believe how the GOP is letting their candidate talk about Veterans. Smh
McCain’s denouncing Trump’s statements:
“In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service,” McCain said in the statement. “I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”
To compare his sacrifice to military families is disgusting.
I doubt he would say thoes things if the family speaking were white Americans.
How can military families still support him??
My mother supports trump ( tho we can’t vote as we are Australians) and I have been trying to show her what a vile man Trump is. When I told her about this she had nothing and said she hopes Clinton doesn’t win and that Trump is still better blah blah blah.
It’s like talking to a brick wall!!
Just tell her that Trump will take away the women voting rights.
What will she do then? That she voted for a man who will no doubt send women back to the dark ages where they weren’t allowed to talk, raise their eyes, drive, vote and work.
we can’t vote, we are Australian.
I’ve tried telling her how bad it works be if he does win but it’s useless. And she is Chinese !! I’m mix Australian/Chinese and myself and my family have been racially abused by losers and she has no support or sympathy towards any other race basically.
I’m just can’t believe my mum, I’m glad I don’t live at home as I think we would always be arguing about the us election.
It’s really depressing when u realise family/friends are racist.
They think trump sh*ts gold or something. He is not going to fix anything.
My grandmother voted for One Nation, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d support Trump too. Trying to explain that we need immigration to provide an adequate tax base to support the aging population is like trying to break stones with your forehead.
He has an answer for everything. He’s just a classic school yard bully. He just should have shut up and said thank you for their son’s sacrifice.
And no, making millions is not a sacrifice. It’s a choice.
A sacrifice would have been rejecting daddy’s millions and cushy job and going into helping those less fortunate. When he’s responding to questions, he can’t even string a sentence together. Transcribing his words shows how petty, irrational and dumb he is.
A sacrifice would have been volunteering for service in Vietnam as the well off Al Gore and John Kerry did.
Usually when I say someone is garbage I am of course speaking metaphorically. I’m not in this case. The RNC has nominated literal garbage as their candidate. Anyone who votes for him (or risks a third party vote that helps him get in) cannot possibly have a soul.
Hate to say it but this is why the Democrats have superdelegates to step in and save the party from electing crazy and unfit individuals for the office of the president.
Oh I don’t think you need to hate to say it. That is exactly why, and when you look at Trump and everything he’s said and done you only need to know a large segment of the population can support someone so terrible who likely won’t survive election once the entirety of the US votes. Even in Republican circles while they support Trump they’re privately fretting that this man will destroy support for their party for years.
But what can they do? He ‘won’. Republican voters chose him.
Agreed. And yet if you read my city newspaper’s comments sections you’d see that clearly the soulless are sadly among us, and who are still insisting that HRC is the evil one.
That sounds like a lot of my family and my husband’s family. My husband’s cousin (who is a condescending garbage human- why are Trump supporters so condescending) had the gall to say that all this talk of Trump being an unfit president and a fascist and being bad at foreign relations etc etc is just talk but that there is cold, hard evidence to back up the fact that Hillary is corrupt and a liar. Seriously, Bill was right. They have turned her into a cartoon villain to justify voting for Trump.
A friend of mine from college has always been noncommittal in terms of political party affiliation, which I always took to mean that he was more conservative than liberal. He’s one of those people who never votes because the “system is too corrupt and I will not take part in that” etc etc.
But recently he posted a video of Romney talking about Trump and he started his post with “Yes this basically summarizes how I feel. I do think that Trump has some good ideas and I am no fan of the corrupt Hillary…” or some such bullsh*t.
I was so disappointed. “Good ideas”??? Ugh. My friend is not an unintelligent person either but COME ON, man…
I had to force myself to ignore the post but I was DYING to ask “what are his ‘good ideas’, exactly?”
The ‘idea’ that a lot of people like about Trump, the only cogent and detailed idea he’s ever put forward, is that he would depending on what day of the week it is severely limit Muslim immigration if not outright ban it. When people say they love his ideas it’s usually that one at the top of the list.
The rest of his ideas are soundbites: build a wall, Putin’s a good guy, get rid of crime, make America great again, Blah blah. Unless one of those sound bites was the one that really sold your friend.
I think the other “idea” that appeals to people isn’t even an idea. It’s that he’s a rich white man, and some figure he must be doing something right to be so rich. (That’s the same type of thinking that suckered many people into paying for Trump U courses, unfortunately)
But they don’t stop to consider that he got rich by being born rich, being given a pile of money by his father, and learning the ropes of how to play the system, discriminate, take the money and run, strategically file bankruptcy, and threaten lawsuits/try to bully others anytime he didn’t feel like meeting an obligation or felt threatened. I think of that old saying “born on third base and thinks he hit a triple”, but in drumpf’s case it’s “born on third base, thinks he hit a home run and was cheated out of it by a rigged system, stands there red-faced screaming at the ump, insulting the pitcher, catcher and third-base-man, calling their wives ugly, and trying to incite the fans into a riot”
@mia45. I take offense at your comment that anyone who votes for Trump or 3rd party “has no soul.” I plan now to vote 3rd party. If you consider me soulless on the basis of this one single fact about me, then I must conclude you are as misguided as Trump is about the Kahns.
SErious conversations and meaningful action to successfully disrupt the two party system are way past due. Some of us are committed to do that work. it seems that yes they are people who are planning to vote third party out of petulance or privilege. Yet there are others planning to vote third party after nuanced and thoughtful decision making.
These are complicated times and issues, they don’t fit neatly into yes and no boxes. Strife is a natural result. But classifying others as soulless on the singula basis of their vote is just wrong. It’s akin to classifying others on the basis,of their religion, which is what Trump did to the Kahnhs.
We should strive to,discuss issues and differences respectfully and treat each other with kindness, not lob unwarranted personal insults . Isn’t that the behavior of Trump that is despised?
me me me me me , to me to me to me to me, I and I and and I… believe me, tremendous me and I me myself and I…
Pretty much this. Listening to Drumpf speak hurts my brain and my soul.
This is way too cohesive and intelligent to be Trump’s statements.
To be really horrified, read some of the comments on the Daily Fail. People basically say to the Khans “Yeah, yeah, you lost a son, get over it and stop bellyaching” Trump supporters!!
Trump is a disgusting pile of sh1t.
I can’t endure the comments on DM. They don’t monitor them and it doesn’t matter what the story is there is always some horrendous comments. So this does not surprise me at all.
I limit going to the DM because it seems like the readership has fallen strictly in the Tea Party/Fox News camp. I visit every few days though to upvote rational comments and add my strong anti-Trump views – my thought process is that if we don’t add the alternative point of view then the garbage wins.
Yes, I complained to the Mail about a poster using “the y word” to describe a Jewish person, never heard back.
As I Canadian I’m just watching this and feeling deeply sorry for my American relatives.. All I can say is Mr Khan is an AMERICAN CITIZEN who lost his son and the way Trump describes and insults him after the inspiring speech he gave leaves me trembling with rage. That this person could become president is horrific.
Please please please let the people who are still undecided between trump and Hilary realize what a raving lunatic this guys is. Liiike…
White dudes: Hilary and trump are both so horrible. I don’t know which is worse!
Muslims: Trump is
Latinos: Trump
Immigrants: Trump!
POC: Trump is worse
LGBTQ: It’s Trump
Women: Trump yo
White dudes: I just…don’t know…
I saw that retweet, the best part was White Dude:*puts head further up a*s* I just don’t know……
Haha yes!! I spent 20 minutes trying to find it. God, it’s so infuriating
LOL
And another reasons is Pence said this weekend that Roe v. Wade will be overturned with them in office. VOTE.
Pence in his speech this weekend said:
“I’m pro-life and I don’t apologize for it,” he said during a town-hall meeting. “We’ll see Roe vs. Wade consigned to the ash heap of history where it belongs.” “While we’re choosing a president for the next four years, this next president will make decisions that will impact our Supreme Court for the next 40,” Pence told supporters during the town hall. “Go tell your neighbors and your friends, for the sake of the rule of law, for the sake of sanctity of life, for the sake of our Second Amendment, for the sake of all our other God-given liberties, we must ensure the next president appointing justices to the Supreme Court is Donald Trump.”
Yeah, legal abortion. It only prevented women from dying from abortions they were always going to get.
@Betsy. They don’t care if women die from illegal abortions just as once that “sanctity of life” baby is born they don’t care about it.
I feel the urgent need to vomit. Pence is revolting!
Betsy, you can’t even use that argument with people like that. They will tell you that the woman deserves to die, anyway, for making such a choice.
*shivers*
I’z scared, you guys.
@Kitten I think the sane part of the world is right there, scared with you…
And what scares me the most is that all this hatred speech will increase radicalization into ISIS and Al Qaeda, instead of stopping or diminishing it… The other day I read a very interesting article about it, the more you put muslims apart, the more chances you create to radicalize them… I guess ISIS will be throwing a party if Trump wins,,,
I suspect Pence is also against sex education and access to affordable and effective contraception.
Lol, love that comment. I also made one joking about how POC knew the Republican Party had racist bass-ackwards policy and ideals for decades but white liberals and independents would poo poo that only for this year to go, “You know you might be right.”
I’m honestly terrified of what America is becoming. The other day I was looking at property in remote parts of Spain and Nova Scotia (I have a Spanish passport and residency in CA).
Even if Trump loses he has stirred up an extremely hateful and violent segment of society that feels more powerful than before. I’m expecting them to start burning down POC businesses, and attacking places of worship more often. I don’t feel safe and I know thats exactly how they want me to feel.
Might I suggest NS, then!
Honestly though, Cape Breton has been using the Trump potential as a selling point for properties/tourism. I’ve never actually been to Cape Breton – but my husband has, and he says it’s BEAUTIFUL. Lots of mountains, valleys and that kind of stuff. Thick accents – Highland Scots mingling with Acadian French that eventually adapted to what it is over time.
I love in the southern range of NS. If you like lobster/fish in general, it’s booming here. Not a whole lot in the way of jobs, though, outside of working in the hospital or fishing. Halifax is a lot better job wise, though a lot busier pace.
Seriously – I’m afraid of how this election is going to go. It’s a mess. I know I’m Canadian, but man. Our lives will absolutely be affected to some degree by this election. I hope to god I don’t have to live in a world where Trump has that kind of power.
Haha, I actually looked at a listing for a house in New Waterford on Cape Breton! It was a nice house with a pool near a small airport (I work abroad at least 3 months a year, I freelance from home for the rest, so its a must) but it was slightly over my budget. Its really sad, and kind of paranoid to be choosing a place to live based on whether or not I’ll be in the path of any troops or nuclear attacks that Trump will inevitably draw towards North America. Its dark times.
I have relatives and friends in the US who expressed the same feelings you do. Trump winning is scary, but the reaction of some of his more rabid supporters is also terrifying
I will stay here if it burns down to the ground. This is my country and millions of peoples country. I’ll be loyal to it even if he is elected, good people shouldn’t run in fear from him or his ilk. I’ll be damn*d if its a orange face clown that drives me from it.
Well, maybe Canadians should build a very long wall and make Mr. Trump pay for it…
“he has stirred up an extremely hateful and violent segment of society that feels more powerful than before.”
This scares me as well. He has opened the doors for bigoted people to come forward and act on their hate. It is terrifying.
Someone asks you about that speech and you go all snarky that maybe Hillary Clinton wrote the speech and a couple of times he brought up the wife not speaking, about maybe she’s not allowed to speak. What an idiot. And he compares the sacrifice of your son joining the military and serving your country and dying a hero to hiring thousands of workers? Oh, my. All he had to do was give a kind and gracious comment about their sacrifice and not expound and move on.
I watched his whole interview with George and I was speechless. Was anyone else? I think he’s mental after watching it My mouth was hanging open most of it, thinking, “This guy could be our president?”
Then compare it to Hillary’s interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News yesterday. Love her or hate her or in between or disagree with her views, but at least she came off extremely knowledgeable and sticking to the subject he was asking her about and answering in coherent thoughts and sentences, none of which Trumplethinskin was doing.
The interview with George was bonkers. A while ago someone suggested Dementia paralytica from an untreated case of syphillis in the 1970s. At first that seemed pretty unrealistic and conspiracy-ish. But now? I don’t even know. This whole year has been totally surreal.
Did you see the one where he went on saying how he knows for a fact that Putin will never ever go to Ukraine? He was then told that well Putin already IS in Ukraine. He really didn’t know that so he went all “well he kind of is yes and it’s Obama’s fault yada yada incomprehensible nonsense”
That guy is unbelievable!
I saw that. He is not only a racist/sexist baffoon but a completely uninformed not to mention unqualified to be President racist/sexist baffoon.
TRUMP: It’s— look, you know, I have my own ideas. He’s not going into Ukraine, okay, just so you understand. He’s not gonna go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down. You can put it down. You can take it anywhere you want-
GEORGE: Well, he’s already there, isn’t he?
TRUMP: Okay— well, he’s there in a certain way…
Wtf?!?!?
That was fascinating in how hlatant his idiocy is. Like that went beyond Sarah “I read everything” Palin. The. He just started stuttering and sputtering like a broken wind up toy.
I wish I were tech savvy enough to splice Drumpf’s answer side by side with Herman Cain’s sputtering response when asked about Libya. That was the moment the wheels came off Cain’s candidacy. I know it won’t make a difference to the Orange one’s supporters, but it would illustrate how inept and I’ll prepared he is to take the reins of leadership of this country.
He does remind me of Palin!
He is so CLEARLY uneducated on such important issues, and he doesn’t even care.
I can’t believe he was all “You can mark it down. You can put it down.” and then he was hit with facts.
I kind of wish they would have let him struggle with his words a bit longer. He was so lost when he was called on it.
Not to take away from your post or the seriousness of your concerns. (the idea of a Trump presiduncy scares the piss out of me) but can I just say that Trumplethinskin is one of the best descriptors EVER for the Orange Maniac who would be king.
I can’t take credit for it. LOL I wish I could. A commenter on a Huffingtonpost article was calling him that. I loved it.
Jayna, I honestly agree with what Michael Bloomberg said, ‘he is unhinged’, there is no way this man could run a country with the way his mind works, he is an imbecile compared to Hillary.
Has he finally figured out that the opposing team’s running mate is from Virginia instead of NJ?
He apparently doesn’t even try to learn the basics. It’s almost as if he’s trying to see how abrasive and ignorant he can be and still win.
Khan has now spoke in several interviews as well as his wife. They are both extremely articulate, intelligent and wise.
“At long last, sir, have you no decency?”
My husband is convinced that Trump is an evil genius whose every move is one of sheer diabolical brilliance. (He is NOT a Trump supporter, mind you. He’s saying these things because he is terrified of a Trump win.) I think the guy is a dimwitted bully who knew what to say to win the Republican primary but has no clue how to pivot to the general election. I also think his inability to let someone else get the last word is what’s going to do him in.
And I hope it’s happening now. He should never, ever have talked about the Khans in any way other than general “I honor their sacrifice” comments.
Yeah, I go with “dimwitted bully.”
You also said, “I also think his inability to let someone else get the last word is what’s going to do him in.”
Spot on. That whole George Stephanopoulos interview was a trainwreck.
That interview was comedy. I don’t know how George kept a straight face.
I’m with your husband on this one. Not because I think Trump is particularly intelligent but because I think he has a gift. He knows how to manipulate people, how to think outside the box and see their weaknesses. He refused to pay attention to facts and now nobody can hold him to anything he’s said because he’s been spewing garbage for months. He knows how human beings work. It’s all smoke and mirrors but it’s effective. You don’t have to be intelligent or educated to be a propaganda genius.
What you’ve just described are all traits of a sociopath. Just read an article the other day about how to spot one and Drumpf fits the criteria to a tee.
Sure. I mean most dictators … uh, demagogues … no wait, …. well yeah, that actually fits. Most of them are.
Jeb Bush summed it up pretty well when he was speaking with the media not too long ago – he basically said that Trump was a master at manipulating the media and that they all underestimated that.
My blood runs cold over this. This kind of hate-speech from a presidential candidate is undeniably dangerous. The way he so quickly just started insulting this family simply for being Muslim is a horror and a disgrace.
This is how the road to genocide begins. I’m not even kidding, I’m not even trying to be alarmist. But seriously, it begins by a society deciding to ACCEPT this level of racism, otherization, and degradation of minority groups. Do you think Hitler came running on the stage yelling “I’m going to kill all Jews, communists, gypsies, gays, mentally ill etc!!”
No. It’s a process. It’s a slow numbing of the reactions of normal people. It’s a slow play on the majority’s ego and entitlement. I am so frightened, and as an American I have never seen our country in so much danger from a candidate.
I agree with every word you said so well.
@Patricia I fully agree with you!
No, your concerns are entirely valid. Anybody who has touched a book on WWII should know be very concerned right now.
Well said Patricia. I long for the days of a candidate like Romney. Maybe I disagreed with him on policy but I wasn’t afraid he would burn the country to the ground on his first day in office. Scary times right now.
It is absolutely terrifying. My god. How can people not see how badly this could go?
Agreed. I don’t know if it’ll come to genocide. But all the hatred and bigotry he’s incited isn’t going to quietly fade away, even if he loses.
Patricia, you are so right. He’s toxic and has brought out a level of hatred that’s breathtaking to me. However, part of me hasn’t given up just yet..plenty of people have not and will not tolerate or accept this from Trump and his ilk. I still believe that reason will prevail in Nov.
So true Patricia – and it’s exactly how a classic abuser behaves.
Well said, Patricia
Yes. Yes. Yes.
May I quote you on my FB?
Quote away, and thank you.
Absolutely. Except Hitler didn’t hide much. Anyone who read Mein Kampf back then knew maybe not the extent of the horror he would unleash but definitely his views on everything and everyone. You barely had to read between the lines and that was 1925. I’m not sure anyone can actually be an alarmist when it comes to Trump. We should be panicking, it’s the only appropriate reaction.
You don’t have to convince us Patricia, every word that comes out of this man’s mouth is an exercise in creating a movement of hate, ignorance, and violence.
He’s also the most pro-gun presidential candidate our country has ever seen.
My 9-year-old son is all into WWII right now, with a little boy’s fascination for guns, bomber planes, and Captain America movies. We’ve had lots of conversation as a result about how despotism can take hold over a society. Take a desperate segment of the populace with a siege mentality. Add a leader who exploits existing biases. Include the talents of spin masters who invented modern marketing. Add in a majority who don’t get involved because it doesn’t affect them, or later because they fear for themselves or their families. It can happen anywhere.
Agreed. And hate speech also influences how kids communicate. I have a family member whose son is in elementary school, and he had a difficult year. When Trump starting firing up the anti-Muslim rhetoric on the campaign trail, classmates who never had before started taunting him for being Muslim, arguing that Trump is “great.” This demagogue is hurting our kids.
Yes, Patricia, THIS exactly. Trump, through the forces he is unleashing, poses a real, existential threat to American lives, not just American values. I keep telling my friends I am worried about internment camps, and they think I am being alarmist. I think they need to review the historical record.
Trump also doesn’t know what the word sacrifice means.
Sure, he does. He’s staying faithful to Melania and not banging other models. That is a huuuuuge sacrifice on Donald’s part.
Are you sure? She hasn’t been on the campaign trail with him – you never know.
But he built a lot of buildings and stuff!!!!!!
@kitten 😂😂. Yes, the Stuff! We absolutely cannot forget the sacrifice he made for Stuff.
Yes, yes, The Quest for Stuff! Oh, wait. That’s the Family Guy game. Sorry. Excuse me while I go try to collect more stuff to unlock Aquaman and Catwoman Lois. I’ll be back in a few minutes.
Trump is nothing more than a dimwitted bully with no interest in anyone but himself. How he got this far is beyond me. It is a huge concern that he might scrape a win because anti-Hillary people will vote for him.
He got this far because he is steeped in the art of propaganda and is a master at manipulating emotions and the craven media.
There needs to be debates, but Trump is already waffling on that. Just check out Sunday’s Face the Nation. Trump’s mouthpieces were giving all sorts of excuses-scheduling, etc. and refusing to say whether he’d debate. They were also asked about the Khans and DID NOT answer, just spewed talking points all around the place.
The big bully is obviously afraid of meeting Hillary face to face.
He should be afraid to debate Hillary. It will be no contest, on any topic. I knew he would try to find a way to weasel out of them.
I predicted months ago (along with plenty of others, I’m sure) that Drumpf would try to get out of the debates.
loved how the NFL came right out and denied his claim of them sending him a letter to complain about the schedule.
Wonder how his followers will defend him backing out? White men think he is their Alpha savior, he is nothing more than a thin skinned con man with the emotionalism of a child. If this is considered Alpha, men are doomed.
They need to debate anyway. Just put a cardboard cutout of The Donald behind a podium and run his choicest comments through the microphone.
Congratulations, Donald. You’ve convinced three generations of my Republican family (die hard) to vote for Hillary in November. Well done, you asshole!
He has also convinced the conservative-leaning Houston Chronicle newspaper to issue an early endorsement of Hillary Clinton. The editorial board went so far as to call him a “danger to the republic.”
It will be ok, Kate. You did not leave your party; your party betrayed you.
You know you’re the worst when, even, Bill Kristol tells you to take off your American flag pin.
I am truly sorry for your party. If this happened to the Dems, I would (at least temporarily) abandon my three generation affiliation as well.
Ivanka was posting family pictures all weekend on Daily Mail. Anytime Trump says the despicable, the happy pictures appear to counteract the crazy.
Ordinarily, Melania nudr pictures this weekend and morning would cause a kerfuffle with the conservatives but looks like she will get a pass. Can you picture MO with pictures even if she was a model?
Models in some capacity have posed nude. I cannot throw shade on that. But I can feel bad that she is married to someone who releases them as a diversions tactic.
Right. Her nudity is not the issue. What is appalling is how far this orange maniac will go to try and deflect any negative coverage. If anything, I feel sorry for Melania.
I would just like to point out that even though Europeans in general are more relaxed when it comes to nudity, lad magazine pictures are not considered art here.
One of his minions actually tried to claim so today.
Bashar al Assad tried the same thing. He and Trump may have a lot in common…
Are people really that surprised that the majority of GOP is supporting Trump and doesn’t caste about his remarks towards soldiers?
This is the same GOP who destroyed John Kerry’s heroism and record.
The same GOP who doesn’t care that Trump is racist, hates women and is a draft dodger.
However, GOP might become alarmed now since evidences are coming out that Trump is Putin’s lapdog.
Trump needs to be charged with treason and I hope the media continues to show the link between Trump and Putin.
I think he must provide his tax returns. It is a matter of national security really.
I saw where Donald tweeted something to James Woods the actor. I went on his twitter feed. Whoa, he is one angry Republican. He hates anything Hillary or Obama. The Dems are to blame for EVERYTHING. He and The Donald make a great team.
I guess I wasn’t up on his trolling of Obama.
Back from a few years ago on an article about James Woods.
““Scratch a liberal, find a fascist every time,” Woods tweeted in April. These days the Oscar-nominated actor uses his Twitter account to broadcast his right-wing views to his 190,000 followers—and he’s arguably become President Obama’s biggest, most famous troll on Twitter.”
James Woods is the tool who used to always bring up his SAT scores in interviews. He thinks he’s oh so much smarter than everyone else. What an idiot.
Gross. Woods has always given me the creeps. Sad to hear he has so many followers.
James Woods? the guy who, at 65+ dates GIRLS as young as 19?
yeah, whatta peach that guy is.
As long as they aren’t Muslim…
He’s a gross human being.
I have never in my life had such hatred for a person. I’m embarrassed as an American that he has supporters and that he is an actual choice to become President. I just….. I want him to fall eternally down every flight of stairs.
Legos. Condemn him to an eternity of torment stepping on ALL of the Legos.
You two are much kinder than I am. I wouldn’t dare print what I fantasize for him.
Legos and those small wooden blocks with such sharp, pointy edges. In the dark. And he realllllly needs to go to the bathroom because he ate some bad “Hispanic” food, like maybe a taco salad…
Tiffany27, I totally agree, I am not a violent person, but everytime I see his ugly mouth on Tv I want to punch him!
If Donald wins then it will be our karma for years of mocking Canada and making them apologize for petty sh-t. They got a cool head of state (good looking too) and we are stuck with Donald for the next four, possibly eight years.
I’m sure he has sacrificed lots of animals and small children!
It is so scary to think that this man could actually become the president of the United States.
This is why Trump is fully unqualified to be President. He cannot allow a single slight to go unanswered. He cannot admit any time he is wrong. He can never just not say anything. How many insults and attacked have the Obamas been subject to? If Barack Obama felt the need to respond to every single critique of him, I doubt he’d find the time for actual, you know, President work. Bush got a lot too, and he did not do this either.
Lindsey Graham was correct when he said that there are some things you just don’t respond to. But Graham is an actual politician. Trump is not. Could you imagine this man dealing with a country like North Korea – which is basically just an endless propaganda machine? Or Russia? I genuinely believe that President Trump would set off WWIII – that’s no lie. I honestly believe that.
I have said for months that we may end up near war before he ends the inauguration speech. You just know he will offend someone before that day is over.
Absolutely zero political office experience — not so much as alderman or school board member. Yet people are willing to let him do on the job training, with the highest office.
The Donald has said that he will be up to speed on everything within a day. Easy peasy. I think it was in response to somebody mentioning how little he knows about the world… So he expects to have Cliff Notes for the Presidency handed to him on Inauguration Day, I guess.
It’s like people are deaf, and do not really listen to what he says. He’s a downright misogynist and anti-everything that is not him. Do you know how many Miss America and Miss USA former and current contestants who openly support him? And yet they state they support the military. It saddens and sickens me having been raised an Army brat, and served a short term myself that he would dare to compare the sacrifices. The people in age groups 20 – 35 on Facebook constantly supporting him and yet put down others for supporting Hillary when the Hillary supporters do not attack with the viciousness that this man and his supporters do. They want to send back immigrants, get rid of foreigners hello Donald Trump this land belonged to the Indians first, so then you better deport yourself and your speech stealing wife, who he bought and paid for. He’s lied about 90% of what he has said, but he is right he can go out do the worst and some idiot will still vote for his mental narcissitic self. Hillary is not perfect but I rather have her at the helm then this idiot who will have every country out for our blood and make the rich richer and the poor poorer until there is riots and more ridiculousness going on. He represents the idiot guild.
Actually, Kaiser I teach Kindergarten and I have kids who have more sense than Trump. Why did he ask people not to watch the DNC was he afraid they would play for the other team.
Have you ever seen this? It is a must see.
LOL Anderson Cooper, “That’s the argument of a five-year-old.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoISXMgP4ug
Hey now, I have a 5-year old. She is far more well-reasoned than Donald Trump. Don’t besmirch America’s 5-year olds.
My own kid, when she saw Trump on TV, actually said “He yells so much. My teacher says that when people yell, they don’t have anything to say and just want attention.” And all I could respond with is “Yeah. Yeah.” Sums up the Trump candidacy quite well.
Sam- what a great idea for a campaign poster! Just the quote, your daughter’s first name, and her age…
They could do a commercial of kindergarteners reacting to clips of the orange menace. Even kindergarteners can recognize the ill manners.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this Muslim couple from Charlottesville, VA were the downfall of Trump! How appropriate/ironic…
Repulsive POS
All the Reps who back him are repulsive POSs
I’m shaking in anger with the Khans.
I doubt there will be a tipping point unless his tax forms are released. And/or a shady link between him and Putin can be established.
The Khans gave a joint interview to MSNBC on Friday night that is worth a watch. You can see how much they were both affected just by talking about their son. It was really moving.
“America has been at war for over a decade”. I knew it, but this somehow suprised me. Americans here, do you feel it in your day to day life? My country has never been in a war that wasn’t fought on our soil ( we’ve been on the path of pretty much every force that’s ever been trough Europe, apart from maybe the Vikings, and none of them were good to us). The last one ended 20 years ago, so the memory of the pain and suffering is still fresh. Americans haven’t had a war on their soil for ove a century. Does it make people desintesized, when war is something that happens far away? Maybe that’s why so many people can turn a blind eye and ignore Trump’s words.
I’m sure some people are desensitized becaues it is so far away, but I used to watch This Week every Sunday and see the list of the names of all the soldiers that died that week in the war and their ages and it was just heart wrenching. However, I’m so desensitized because it has been a decade! I feel like I can’t remember a time when we weren’t at war. It just is. You know? I would be shocked if we weren’t at war.
I don’t feel it in my day to day life because I don’t have a loved one serving, so it is all very far removed. However, I do feel it because of the economic impact it has on our country and the constant calls for more violence just make me feel so defeated. So, yes and no? It’s been going on for so long that I’ve just become accustomed to feeling defeated and sad about the state of affairs in my country. To some extent, I have to ignore it because it becomes very overwhelming.
As a European I fear war. My country was under fascism for 40 years from the 30’s into 1974. Spain, just next to the border had a civil war of which most Spanish still can’t talk about it without noticing the hatred in the air, the rest of Europe was destroyed in WWII and then, the many countries, Chechenia, Kosovo, etc, Ucraine, etc… I was born in Mozambique, my first 5 years of life were in the middle of a civil war…
I do believe Americans perceive the war differently because they have never seen their entire country turned into ruins, Of course you feel the pain of others, and your own soldiers too, but, it’s different, staring at the cities you once lived in and seeing bullet holes on walls, parts of buildings collapsed, monuments vanished… It’s very different… Makes you think a billion times before saying something that might cause an international incident…
We actually have been at war since WWII. The US never went off of a war footing. The lesson drawn from WWII was that military spending brought us out of the Depression and so was good for the economy. Actually, any government spending on that scale would have done it, and we also had the advantage of not having the war on our soil except for a very brief attack at Pearl Harbor, far far away from most of us. At some point, military spending became very bad for the economy because it’s such a dead end. We have a huge standing army with military bases all over the world. When you have a lot of soldiers, weapons, and bombs – you keep looking for ways to use them. President Eisenhower warned about the danger of the military-industrial complex way back in the 1950s. It’s very high profit industry with a captive consumer.
This is true. And perpetual war has, indeed, tragically desensitized U.S. citizens. Think of the DNC moment last week, when the “USA/USA/USA” chants were used to drown out the “No More War” chants. Although many people are congratulating Democrats for being “patriotic” by doing this, I found it unsettling. I understand this was a heckling situation being shouted down so speakers could be heard, but I didn’t like how it felt.
Eisenhower’s speech is well worth watching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyBNmecVtdU
It’s time for the media to grow some balls and do their job. Why don’t you tell the truth about Hillary? Why don’t you expose her for the NON-liar she is? Why don’t you let your audience know the facts about how many lies Hillary tells vs Trump (even Sanders).
The facts are out there.
The hardcore Trumpettes will never change their minds. The I-don’t-trust-Hillary-because-I-believe-all-the-hype-Hillary-haters might.
This is f*cking Deplorable, I wonder what pretzel Logic the “He’s Just telling it like it Is” contingent are about to twist themselves into, I honestly in my heart of hearts as a Floridian was simply Holding my nose through this election cycle but now? I feel no types of ways, is IMPERATIVE to me to round up all my 50-11 relatives this very week to make sure everyone is registered to vote ASAP
I think that’s the best any of us can do — make sure any and all living relatives and friends VOTE. If my parents had lived to see this year, I would have them there with walker or wheelchair. If I have to endure two hours with my passive aggressive mother-in-law (bribing her with a meal after going early voting), I’ll do it.
They might be able to register online. If so in your state, maybe that’s a way to help the less computer-friendly. Also absentee ballots for people who have trouble getting to the polls. Just resist the urge to tell them how to vote… 🙂
I hope that Mr. Khan’s eloquent request of the top republicans to denounce Trump is AT LEAST giving them pause. I am continuously impressed by how well Mr. Khan phrases everything and speaks to the heart of the issues. (Unlike Trump who has the vocabulary of a 5th grader.) This is not a party line election. The choice we make is bigger than R or D. I hope he continues to implore them to consider their integrity and our country.
For the record most educated republicans I know are not voting for Trump but hate Hillary so they are voting for the libertarian. I think most intelligent people cannot vote for Trump.
Every time I see Trump leading the polls I get a knot in my tummy and a desire to click my heels three times while saying “theres no place like home”. Now, where are the mimosas?
Y’all I have a bad feeling that Drumpf is going to win 🙁
Dirty Martini,
Thank you! I’m so tired of being told who I need to vote for, and if I don’t vote for Hilary, I’m not feminist, I’m a misoginist, etc. Drives me nuts. I’ve been voting independent for years, and will continue to do so. And for the people telling me I’m wrong, what makes you different than the a-holes who prevented women from voting all those years ago?
People are telling you it’s a bad idea to vote for a third party candidate, because (a) both Stein and Johnson’s policies are severely flawed, and (b) voting for a third party candidate instead of Hillary is effectively the same as voting for Trump because they are the only two with a real chance to win.
That’s different from the people who prevented women from voting because no one is preventing you from voting, People are campaigning, trying to convince you to use your vote to support Hillary. No one is preventing you from voting.
I’m Canadian, and I work as part of an after-school English program, and Trump often comes up in conversation with my students. I have one particular student, who, bright as he is, honestly wants Trump to become America’s next president. That terrifies me. When I ask why he thinks Trump would make a suitable leader, his reason is, “Because Hillary’s a liar”. The kid doesn’t realize the irony of that statement.
This man is totally unhinged.
Wow, they are really going after Khan now. It’s getting ugly.
Are you talking about the article Tump’s buddy (and Manafort’s partner) Roger Simon tweeted? Disgusting. We need to band together to stop this man from getting into the White House.
I’m sorry but I have no respect for anyone that votes for this man.
Neither do I Keaton. Trump has shown us exactly how disgusting he is. I can’t respect anyone who would support this vile creature. Things have just gone too far.
Are you talking about the letter from a Marine where he goes after the Khans?
Trump hasn’t a clue when to STFU.
Trump said khan’s wife just stood there and said nothing and as a muslim she wasn’t allowed to speak.
How many times I have seen Melania stand next to him and says nothing usually.So does he forbid Melania to speak.
CNN has just put a post convention poll: Clinton 52; Trump 43. (percent). Trump is paying for his weekend of ratchetness; but stiil has her trustworthiness and email problems. Both have issues but Clinton is the lesser of two evils. Trump is just vile.
Oh I agree that he’s made a lot of sacrifices. He made a huge one at the altar of the Almighty…he sacrificed his soul for the Almighty Dollar.
I miss the height (early days of) Swiddlegate. Life was much simpler back then. And much more fun.
Sigh….
I found the memorial for Captain Kahn. Since their speech at the DNC, I guess some people have found it and posted new comments on it. Most of the messages are from others in the military who served with Captain Khan or had knowledge of that fateful day or have lost loved ones in the military or who have loved ones who serve now, all showing so much support for the Khan family and in memory of Captain Kahn. The beautiful things said by fellow officers or servicemen will bring tears to your eyes, especially the ones there that day. What a tremendous human being who touched so many lives.
http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/khanhumayunsm.html
Thank you for that great link.
Dear America
Please hold your nose and vote Hillary. You may not like her much ( no so keen myself) but look what is banging on the door, with giant orange paws
I’m afraid, very afraid
Wow yet another new low from Trump. Unless he has served or has his children serving in the military, i think he has NO RIGHT to talk about his “sacrifice” to military families!