Sometimes I feel like we’re living in the Twilight Zone. I really do. So the former president is shot at. It’s horrifying. We’re shocked. And, because we’re in this place and time, it doesn’t matter that, not very long ago, the man who was shot at LITERALLY ridiculed (1) an assassination attempt on the life of the Speaker of the House’s husband. Repeatedly. Or that there was this attack on 1.6 where people died entirely because the man who was shot at lied about an election result; that his followers set up a noose for his own VP (2)

OK, so this is amazing. Baron is Donald Trump's fifth child. He's had four others—all of whom graduated high school. Here's Donald Trump's attendance record at his kids' graduation ceremonies. [1]

https://twitter.com/WUTangKids/status/1780001522283159583

1. In 1996, Donald Trump, Jr. graduated from the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Donald Trump failed to attend graduation.

So when I was 23 and a no-nothing reporter at The Tennessean, I was assigned to write a piece about a local couple—The Thompsons. They had been married for 23 years, and Lynn was dying of cancer. [1] But, before her death, she wanted to teach her husband, Warren, how to care for her garden. I was waaaaaaay out of my depth. Young and dumb and irrationally cocky. Going to their house, sitting with Lynn and Warren, was one of the greatest lessons I've ever received. [2]

OK, I had to break my break for this. I lived in NYC on 9.11. My friend lost his son on 9.11. This is Donald Trump doing an interview. He is not AT Ground Zero. He was never AT Ground Zero. He actually lied (and this is well-documented, with receipts) about: [1]

https://twitter.com/CharlyOnTV/status/1701266985886048319

1. Sending "100 of my men" to help at the site (there was, literally, NO record of this); 2. Seeing one of the planes hit from his Trump Tower window (you can't possibly see the Twin Towers from that viewpoint] 3. Helping with the cleanup at Ground Zero [2]

I'm gonna end the discussion like this: Journalism is a great job. But it comes with some rules. And one, in sports, is you don't root for the teams you cover. And there's good reason: Rooting means you favor a team. And it inevitably leads to (fair) questions [1] Can you report on the team fairly when bad shit happens? If a player commits a crime, are you gonna hold back? If the coach asks you not to report news (because it might prove damaging to the program), will you not report news? [2]

Dating back to when I was researching my USFL book, I was screaming to people about Trump: "He ruins fucking everything! E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!" And it's just so true. The late John Bassett knew it. USFL owners learned it. He doesn't care about people. Or institutions [1] He holds no loyalty to anyone. With the USFL, he threw all his peers under the bus. All of them. Threw his players under the bus. None of it mattered to him. He has no feelings. No compassion. So watching this all unfold, and seeing Republicans defend him [2]

On the day of extended Favre revelations, I wanna share something: I wrote a biography of the man that was largely glowing. Football heroics, overcoming obstacles, practical joker, etc. Yes, it included his grossness, addictions, treatment of women. But it was fairly positive [1] And, looking at it now, if I'm being brutally honest—I'd advise people not to read it. He's a bad guy. He doesn't deserve the icon treatment. He doesn't deserve acclaim. Image rehabilitation. Warm stories of grid glory. His treatment of @jennifersterger was ... inexcusable. [2]

In the days after 9.11, I put together a scrapbook to remember the awfulness. I lived in NYC, and witnessed so much pain, along with so much togetherness. Here's a glimpse ...

OK, this is important. So let's go thread. And remember: I'm from New York; I volunteered in the recovery afterward; I wouldn't lie about this shit ... [1]

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1566231853337550850

1. Trump lied and said he sent "100 of my men" to Ground Zero to help with rescue/recovery. There is literally no record of this. [2]

To expand: I'm an atheist, and I don't get prayer. I don't get something awful happening—and people praying AFTER the awful. I don't get heaven. Why people think there is one. Why people want one. I don't get the issue of death being the end. You live. You die. [1]

https://twitter.com/jeffpearlman/status/1542678396802457601

Why is that even slightly hard to embrace? There are gazillions of living things. They all live, they all die. Why are we any different? And, along those lines, I find it arrogant that people think they're created in God's image. Or God is listening to them talk. Or God [2]

So I have a favor: As some/many of y'all know, my lovely wife @thefamilycoach has a book coming out in less than 1 month. It's called, "First Phone: A Child's Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Etiquette." [1] And I'm not asking you to buy it (though I won't complain If you do). I'm looking for help promoting It. Any author will tell you the PR slog is real. It beats you down. Eats you up. The publishing company is often promoting multiple books at the same time, and you rarely get [2]

Again, a non-journalist perspective ... that's simply wrong. The great (and very good, and pretty good) beat writers are keenly aware they're not part of the teams they cover. They don't go out for dinner with players (unless it's for an interview/profile). They don't hang [1]

https://twitter.com/TheJoeCeraulo/status/1542010022330134528

on off-days. The next time I see, oh, @TylerKepner or @ctrent or @JeffFletcherOCR high five a player after a game will be the first time. Why? Because we're reporters. We're not members of the team. We don't get rings when the teams win titles. [2]

So a couple of years ago I had a book come out about the USFL, the 1980s alternative-to-the-NFL spring football league that lasted 3 years, then died. @realdonaldtrump was one of the team owners—his was the New Jersey Generals. [1] And I've discussed all the parallels between then and now. Trump's lies, Trump's bullying, Trump ego. But here's one I've never actually brought up: In 1984-85, @realdonaldtrump led a mini-coup to overthrow Chet Simmons, the league's commissioner. [2]

Quick thoughts about @tedcruz and everything going on right now. On Feb. 3, 2016, after Cruz beat @realDonaldTrump in the Iowa caucus, Trump Tweeted this ... [1] He was, literally and directly, accusing @tedcruz of cheating. And added more charges and accusations in the immediate aftermath of the Iowa vote. [2]

I've been thinking about something, post-election. I know someone who voted for @realdonaldtrump. Nice guy. Friendly. Engaging. And I was legit confused—why did this guy vote for Trump? He's a decent guy. And I started thinking about little things. [1] How when I told him I took my kids to a certain restaurant he was surprised because of "all the sketchy people." How when he recently took a family vacation he was bothered by "the bad vibes" of the people. And sketchy, bad vibes=black and brown. It just does. [2]

Here's @realdonaldtrump suing in 1981 [1] Here's @realdonaldtrump suing in 2005 [2]

So I've said for the past four years that EVERYTHING @realdonaldtrump does can be traced to the USFL, a long-ago spring football league that existed from 1983-85. And, as the author of a USFL book, I can say, once again, it's true tonight. [1] Back in the day, Trump owned the New Jersey Generals of the USFL, with the hope of leveraging it into getting his own NFL team. He had already made an effort to purchase the NFL's Baltimore Colts from the Irsay family, but with no luck. So he hatched a plan: Get into the [2]

In the days following 9.11, as we all staggered around NYC trying to figure out what was what, I put together a scrapbook. Here it is ... [1] [2] Signs and drawings in Union Square Park

So because everything @realdonaldtrump does now ties to @realdonaldtrump and the USFL, here's a REALLY interesting (and new) parallel. Back in 1986, when the United States Football League sued the NFL for anti-trust violations [1]

https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1297514284793069569

the USFL planned on calling a slew of witnesses. Many of the league's players were brought to New York, given hotel rooms and told they would testify. A handful of team owners also came, anticipating that they, too, would testify on behalf of the USFL. [2]

I repeat. The origins of @realdonaldtrump's "looting starts, shooting starts" sentiment goes back 53 years, to an awful, disgusting, fucked-up Miami police chief declaring war on people of color and "the slums." We have a president who spent 4 1/2 years insisting [1] he had "proof" the first American-American president was a Kenyan-born Muslim. [2]

Here's what I don't get. You're @realdonaldtrump. You know today you're going to visit a disaster site. Crippling sadness, death and destruction. You're old enough to understand the emotional weight. [1] So you start your day. And you have a lot of clothing options. "Maybe I should wear a tie. Nah, no tie. This isn't that formal. So ... no tie." Good, right. "I'll wear my windbreaker, because it's weather appropriate." Solid call. Right. [2]