Thread by @mattsheffield

Trump's veto of the GOP-backed defense and COVID relief bills seems at first to be a mere temper tantrum. It is that in part, but it's primary Trump's warning shot against Republican elites to do everything he says or face complete destruction. 1/x

While GOP elites kiss up to Trump in public they actually ridicule & despise him in private. They hate Trump & want to be rid of him, but they couldn't do it for fear of alienating his voters.

Trump vetoing defense & COVID relief bills is a warning about his "Samson option."

Named after the Bible character, a Samson option refers to a country's ability to utterly destroy a hostile foreign power in the event of its own annihilation. It typically refers to Israel's long-rumored nuclear weapons and willingness to use them.

Trump's blasting of the GOP on the questions of Confederate memorials, Section 230, and stimulus checks is hitting Republican elites in their tender parts.

Conservative ideologues hate giving money to the non-rich. Rand Paul and many other say it's "immoral."

Remember, the GOP did not want to give Americans any money at all. Now, Trump is forcing them to more than triple the amount from $600 to $2,000.

He's also humiliating them by challenging them to stand by the Confederate traitors. The military doesn't want it. Neither do GOPers.

Taking a hard stand on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act also goes against the market fundamentalism of the GOP donor class which argues that businesses should be allowed to do as close to anything they want without regulation.

Trump is forcing these confrontations.

It's his way of lighting the house on fire after being evicted and then warning Republicans that he'll come for their personal houses as well if they don't kiss the Trump ring.

Kissing the Trump ring will be even more outrageous pardons, including of himself.

Trump probably has even more drastic actions in mind as well if he believes the GOP will not oppose him. It's also why he isn't restraining QAnon, Sidney Powell, Alex Jones, and the rest.

They are, as they say themselves, his "digital soldiers," his shock troops.

Everyone, including Trump, knows that his pathetic lawsuits are never going to win. But that's not what they're for. Their purpose is to manipulate and indoctrinate GOP voters and to distract them from contemplating how Trump did worse than congressional Republicans.

Trump is trying to blackmail the congressional GOP into supporting a self-pardon just like they defended him during impeachment. He's strapped dynamite to himself and threatening to blow up the GOP if it doesn't go along. This is how Trump thinks he can get away with it all.

Of course, there are state charges as well that Trump would be subject to even if he were to pardon himself but would you really put it past the guy who tried to blackmail Ukraine not to try something similar w/New York or other state?

And of course, Trump could easily just leave the country for Saudi Arabia or Israel (Kushner's best friends) and fight extradition until the day he dies. Imagine the international domestic scandal that would erupt if Trump leveraged the GOP plus officials in either nation.

Trump won't be going anywhere after he's removed from the White House. And depending on how evil he wants to be, he could do even more damage when unconstrained by government officials he cannot bully or control.

Maybe things will go smooth. I would love to be wrong.

Trump's actions today are also a warning to Pence as well. Having a President Pence issue the pardon would make it much harder to challenge on separation of powers grounds.

Pence desperately wants to be president. Trump knows this and will seek to leverage it. /end