It’s not breaking news that Republicans who acted appalled by Trump in 2015-2016 soon betrayed their country to join his fascist movement. But the evil 180 that they did is still remarkable, as this 🧵 of quotes by Cruz, Haley, Rubio etc. shows. Take a look ...
What Rand Paul said about Trump:
In 2016: “Donald Trump is a delusional narcissist and an orange-faced windbag. A speck of dirt is way more qualified to be president.”
Later: “I am proud of the job Donald Trump has done as president.”
What Nikki Haley said about Trump:
In 2016: “I will not stop until we fight a man that chooses not to disavow the KKK. That is not a part of our party. That is not who we are.”
Later: “Donald Trump has always put America first. And he has earned four more years as president.”
What Elise Stefanik said about Trump:
In 2015 after he made sexist remarks: “He has been insulting to women. I think this may be Mr. Trump’s peak moment. And I think we’re going to see his numbers change and decline ...”
Later: “I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump.”
What Lindsey Graham said about Trump:
In 2016: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.”
Later: “Please help President Trump. ... If you can’t afford a dollar, fine, pray. … Pray for this president. If you’ve got any money to give, give it."
What Ted Cruz said about Trump:
In 2016: “This man is a pathological liar … utterly amoral … a narcissist at a level I don’t think this country’s ever seen.”
Later: "After ... prayer and searching my own conscience … I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump."
What Marco Rubio said about Trump:
In 2016: “Donald Trump is trying to pull off the biggest scam in American political history, basically a con job.”
Later: “He’s brought a lot of people and energy into the Republican Party.”
What Ohio GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno said about Trump:
In 2016: He’s “a lunatic invading the party.”
Later: He’s “one of the greatest presidents I’ve ever seen.”
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New House Speaker Mike Johnson is both a diehard Trump supporter and a radical Christian fundamentalist. In this 🧵, I examine how Trump synchs up with Johnson’s 10 Commandments. (I used a Baptist version of the commandments since Johnson is Baptist). Please follow along.
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Money is Trump’s god. “The beauty of me is that I’m very rich,” he once said.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Golden statue of Trump at right-wing CPAC meeting in 2021.
Ron DeSantis’ pledge to shoot anyone who “appears” to be a drug smuggler ”stone cold dead at the border” would turn the Border Patrol and/or military into roving death squads. This is not the rule of law. It’s fascist thuggery. 🧵 1/5
DeSantis’ “stone cold dead” plan means people carrying food or water across the border could be shot. “When somebody’s got a backpack on and they’re breaking through the wall, you know, that’s hostile intent and you have every right to take action.” 2/5
.wtsp.com/article/news/p…
DeSantis: “If there’s a woman with a baby, they’re not a cartel member, there’s not going to be authorization to just shoot somebody like that.” So any man with a backpack and no baby could be shot? Isn’t this a signal to the cartels to get women with babies to smuggle drugs? 3/5
The New York Times’ hesitance to aggressively confront lying newsmakers is widely exploited by today’s right-wing extremists. But this timidity is not new for the Times. A case in point is this 1994 story about tobacco execs testifying before Congress. 🧵1/6
By 1994, it was obvious to anyone with a brain that cigarettes were addictive, but the New York Times let tobacco execs lie in the headline and lead that they weren’t addictive, with no insertion of the truth in the headline or lead. 2/6 nytimes.com/1994/04/15/us/…
The tobacco execs were allowed to claim twice in the story that they boosted nicotine levels for flavor reasons, not to make them more addictive. Only later in the story – in the 32nd paragraph! – did the readers get scientific pushback on the not-addictive claim. 3/6
The New York Times has a serious headline problem. In my latest column for @CourierNewsroom, I cite more than a dozen examples of how Times headlines try to sand down the sharp edges of right-wing extremism. 🧵1/6 couriernewsroom.com/news/the-new-y…
For example, when Gov. Ron DeSantis went on a book-banning and educator-harassment campaign in Florida, the New York Times’ headline found the bright side: “DeSantis Takes on the Education Establishment, and Builds His Brand.” 2/6
Just last weekend, Joe Biden inspected Florida hurricane damage and expressed a willingness to appear with Ron DeSantis, but DeSantis declined. Yet the New York Times headline put the onus on Biden: “Biden Won’t Meet DeSantis in Florida During Tour of Hurricane Damage.” 3/6
This WaPo story by @jeremymbarr about Fox News is an embarrassing puff piece. At first when I read the headline, I thought WaPo hadn’t learned a thing. But after reading the story, I think it’s worse than that. It’s an active rehab effort for a propaganda network. 🧵 1/6
WaPo says “a blockbuster defamation lawsuit raised questions about Fox News’s dedication to accuracy.”
“Raised questions”? Please.
It proved Fox purposely spread the Big Lie that led to the Jan. 6 coup. Caught redhanded, Fox reached a $787M settlement. 2/6 washingtonpost.com/media/2023/08/…
WaPo says debate hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are “in Fox’s news division — rather than the conservative-leaning opinion wing.” As if the news side doesn’t lean right. Baier urged Fox to withdraw its accurate call of AZ for Biden in 2020. 3/6 theguardian.com/books/2022/sep…
When fascists tell you they’re fascists, believe them. 🧵
Trump: “Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”
Ron DeSantis: “We’re going to start slitting throats on Day 1.”
(When fascists tell you, cont.)
Matt Gaetz: “We know that only through force can we make any change.”
AZ state Sen. Wendy Rogers: “We need to build more gallows.”
Rep. Andy Biggs: “We have now reached a war phase. An eye for an eye.”
(When fascists tell you, cont.)
Rudy Giuliani: “Let’s have trial by combat.”
Steve Bannon: “Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.”