83 Comments
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Gina Stanley's avatar

Donald has been a liar since I first learned of his existence and likely all of his life. He agreed to preserve the art deco facade of the old Bon Wit Teller building in order to get a demolition permit. He promptly had it destroyed. He brought in Polish immigrants to do the demo and then wouldn't pay them. It took them years to get their money. He is a gangster.

Joel VanEtta's avatar

Trump had to deal with real gangsters when he was a “developer” in New York City to get his projects completed. This, his father, mother and Roy Cohn’s tutelage helped make him into the highly flawed, mentally unstable and totally egocentric person he is. The dumbfuckery, with a B, that he and his cabinet minions try to hide, is screwing up the entire world and America and Americans will be hard pressed to repair the damage, but that’s what we do after each of the recent republican administrations.

Marianne Kendrick's avatar

Gangsters are more honest. They tell you up front they are gonna kill you.

Carole Langston's avatar

Remember Bon Wit well. My years in NYC made me aghast at his popularity. Very glad that I can't completely comprehend it.

Steve 218's avatar

Gangster, no. Crook and con-man, yes.

Stephen Webb's avatar

'Gangster' no; gangster 'dons' know how to recruit and keep their soldiers in line, or....(see below). In donnie's case, he's so incompetent at choosing quality candidates, and has corrupted the House and Senate (both separately and together) that nothing can be done by 'regular order.' In my estimation, it's either too late to do anything of consequence to save our nation as it was designed, or it's NOW--the time to stage a palace coup, remove or replace the 'king's men' and then immobilize the king either by legal means (impeachment) or by Article IV, sec 2 whereby the president and the entire cabinet are removed. Once removed, donnie loses any legal protections bestowed on him by the Court (which should also be impeached), he's now liable for criminal actions and such punishments as appropriate. Yeah, I know that gangsters would solve their problems at the end of a gun, but that's not what I want; solutions at the end of real, enforceable legal means. Time (a lot of it) in an orange suit for many years being forgotten might be acceptable.

patricia's avatar

One time a jeweled cross was stolen from a church in New York. The priest asked the Mafia for help... the cross was returned.

Gina Carucci's avatar

Keep this information front and center as we move closer to the election. The American Public needs to hear this and see the evidence of this from Labor day through October. Bill Boards, radio ads, Front page of newspaper and Social media pages. It will take all of us to keep this Democracy moving forward....

Judy Robinson's avatar

The public also needs to view and hear him in a particular interview online, in which he admitted that he lost the 2020 election. When asked about that election, he replied that they had “lost by a whisker.” The clip should be played repeatedly everywhere possible. The photograph of him saying do and the quote should be displayed in billboards nationwide.

Seeing and hearing it in his own words will prove to his supporters that he lied to them and used them, and he even tricked some of them into breaking the law.

Judy Robinson's avatar

Somewhere there is a video of him thanking Elon Musk for his computer skills, especially in the Pennsylvania election.

In one Substack, I read a comment by a computer expert, explaining how the computers were made to change the votes to help him appear to have won. I believe it involved the term “back door”. Somebody should have access to that video.

It seems that we should all choose paper ballots whenever possible.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

That person was not an "expert" in elections, although this unnamed individual may know a lot about computers for uses other than elections. No voting machines are "made to change the votes." It's not technically possible. And spreading these falsehoods and conspiracy theories only empowers Trump by making the extreme measures he wants to take to "oversee" elections sound valid to more people. It also helps him suppress the vote by making people feel there's no point in voting if votes can be so easily changed.

I get that we don't want to believe Trump could actually have amassed enough votes to win (just barely!) but voter suppression was and is rampant and should be our main focus.

"Choosing paper ballots" is not option – you vote on the system your jurisdiction has. But most already use paper ballots, even if only for backup. This is fighting a battle from 20 years ago.

Judy Robinson's avatar

Definitely we must protect ourselves from voter suppression. It is important to keep checking our registration.

One flash of news in a screen flash claimed that the House passed the SAVE Act today. I have not yet seen the article and am catching up on news. We have so many areas to protect.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

It did not pass today (yesterday). As far as I can tell, nothing has happened on that. If it passed the House, it would fail the Senate.

Steve 218's avatar

Count on the legacy media to soft-peddle all of this. They have been cowed by Trump and his threats. Their own best interest is not to take on the criminal, but to minimize what he's doing.

Steven Erick's avatar

Good article. My thoughts. Trump never does anything that doesn't accomplish one or both of two objectives. Keep himself out of jail (The Epstein files) and keep his money flowing in (The Epstein files and everything else).

Charles's avatar

Finally, he continually demostrates his ignorance, corruption and utter incompetence. It boggles my mind that seventy-five percent of voters are unable to recognize this glaring truth. Are thirty,seven percent of us receive their news and are getting "brainwashed" by Fox News and other right-wing media?

Daniel Solomon's avatar

Not 75%. We wuz screwed in 2024. Did Trump admit Musk stole Pennsylvania?

Has Musk admitted it? Ask Ashley St. Clair.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Ashley St. Clair knows nothing about what Elon may or may not have done business wise. Guys like him say or don't say a lot of stuff to their girlfriends for reasons other than telling them the truth. That's pretty flimsy.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Not even REMOTELY 75%. It's more like 75% are soured on him.

Ricardo Grinbank's avatar

No Charles, they were born stupid. There's no cure for that, so, forget them. We have a job to do with the percent of people misinformed or distracted. We and those will decide the future of this country in the midterm elections.

Rich Stockton's avatar

Trump is not on the Ballot this November or in 2028 but his legacy is and his Republican enablers in Congress own it.

Charlie in VA's avatar

When I look at any and all (R) candidates I see only Trump.

James Axtell's avatar

It is now the Trump Party. Republicans merely ceded the brand so they could have an "R" in the White House and Congress. The people claiming the label "Republican" do so as a convenience and to conceal their willingness to serve Trump and his liars.

Ricardo Grinbank's avatar

Good point Charlie 👉

Alyce Bergbower's avatar

Trump’s entire life has been as a toddler shirking all accountability. Lie, cover-up, hide, blame others, avoid responsibility and accountability, fabricate stories, hide behind others, paint himself the victim treated unfairly by others, making others pay for his gross incompetence and grifts.

Stacy1946's avatar

Sixty years ago, people might have gone into GOP politics to fight communism or protect the "free market." Now there can be only one motivation: to muscle their way into a place at the grift trough. Can such unprincipled, greedy swine be anything but cowards?

Lesley Woodfin's avatar

You can talk about how the Democrats are going to turn things around until you are blue-in-the-face.

But Over 500 American troops have been wounded in the Iran war, US official tells AP. Let alone the 18 who have died!

….dump is setting us up for something WORSE THAN 6 JAN !

Why do we have to wait until 3 November for him to do it?

Each Democrat in Washington DC, needs to concentrate on one republican and ......

IMPEACH HIM NOW!

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

I don't see the connection between soldier who have died and "something worse than Jan 6." The only person who can decide to kick off impeachment hearing is Liddle Mikey Johnson who is opting for lengthy recess instead. Call him if you think it's worth it. I don't.

Cherae Stone's avatar

Thank you, Jen, for continuing to keep us aware and focused.

James Quinn's avatar

While I get Ms Rubin’s point, I’d suggest that the English diarist Samuel Johnson had it a bit more correctly when he noted that “Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels”. For indeed, what really is MAGA but a collection of Trump-conned Americans claiming to be patriots?

Steve 218's avatar

Patriotism is not the word for people intent upon destroying the country.

James Quinn's avatar

Exactly what I meant.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

It's called "jingoism" and the GOP has been experts in this for decades.

Ginger Sox's avatar

I get newly furious when I read about all the cover ups from this administration. I just fired off letters to the senators you mentioned. None of the destruction we are seeing would have happened if Republican senators had done what they were elected to do. I hope their willingness to go along with such incompetence leads to them all losing their jobs. We have to do everything we can to win the midterms to seek accountability and restore our democracy.

Steve 218's avatar

"None of the destruction we are seeing would have happened if Republican senators had done what they were elected to do"

Yes, Republican Senators were twice handed the tools of impeachment by the House of Representatives. Mitch McConnell and his minions could have prevented all of what we are currently dealing with, including the Iran war.

Allan L’Etoile's avatar

Top to bottom, everyone in the “administration,” every complicit Republican in the house and senate, the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society, every donor and contractor and cooperative federal employee and state leader and billionaire and propagandist — especially Fox millionaire shills, and pastors who’ve campaigned in favor of these horrors (they don’t preach; they issue orders — must face consequences for the damage they are causing, some of which is criminal. Nuremberg them all. At the same time fix the goddam government, Dems! Make it leaner, more efficient, less DMV-ish, as cost-effective as possible.

Waverly Williams's avatar

Accountability, get rid of the Electoral College, "supreme" Court clean-up, and equal rights for any/all genders. Immigration is not even near my list--we're going to miss those people as more are placed into

concentration camps. So much to do.

Mark D Olson's avatar

I agree. However I believe we are already seeing the effects of diminishing immigrant numbers. This misinformed and illegal attack on immigrants has hurt our construction business in Minneapolis tremendously. I'm hearing from friends that many farmers are hurting in southwest Minnesota because of these actions.

Pam Birkenfeld's avatar

Farmers are reaping what they sowed. In every state.

Mark D Olson's avatar

I can't disagree with that.

Joseph McPhillips's avatar

Trump & Co corruption & criminality on an epic scale: https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/corruption-for-make-benefit-glorious?r=aexlz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Republicans wreck the economy, balloon the deficit & transfer wealth to the wealthiest.

Flawed, not perfect Dems are at least an order of magnitude better than the Trump & Co packs of depraved sociopaths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_i38-qjtbI

Resist corrupt authoritarians. Please, 86 47 & his capos with a Blue Tsunami. #VoteBlue!

JayW's avatar

These were the impeachment numbers months ago. They are probably less now.

The number of Republican Congressmen required to stop Americans from killing Americans to deport immigrant cooks and laborers = 16.

The number required to impeach Donald Trump and end his war madness, both abroad and domestically = 23.

Who among Republicans have the guts?

Come November most of you lose your precious jobs. Law & Order will eventually be restored. And there will be consequences.

Provided there is anything left of the country to salvage after sheer Trump-MAGA-Republican-Clown incompetence, and deliberate democracy destruction.

Reminder of your oaths-

“I ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

YOU ALL ARE IN VIOLATION.

Michelle Jordan's avatar

There’s likely to be many more unknown lies as well. Pete Hegseth is advocating for gender affirming care. He’s sickening and hypocritical just like his Tinpot dictator commander in chief. Will he ever be held responsible for all his lies. Not unless someone like Sheldon Whitehouse sits on a committee and asks the tough questions to him directly.

Dan Merz's avatar

As usual, a well written, courageous, and thoughtful piece. Here is where I am confused. Nixon and his henchmen fell because for whatever reason, Nixon did not use his pardon power. My question to your strong encouragement of the Dems holding hearing on Trump's toadies is how will this be done when Trump issues presidential pardons to protect his toadies from investigations and prosecutions. How does one obtain justice when Trump, his toadies, and his crime family have received pardons. For example, look at the 1500+ MAGA crowd who stormed the Capitol on 1/6.

Alan Greenstein's avatar

People pardoned by Trump may be immune to criminal prosection, but I doubt it protects them from investigation by Congress. Even Trump , as a private citizen, will not be immune to Congresiobal subpoenas. And the list is getting longer by the day.