Donald Trump is asking law enforcement officers to arrest protesters at his rally in Kansas City, Missouri. He argues that fear of an “arrest mark” on people’s records may put an end to the near-constant disruptions at his rallies.
He says he’s “going to start pressing charges against all these people.”This, a day after he called off a planned Chicago event because it attracted so many protesters.
Trump says arrests would mar their records.
That’s “going to ruin the rest of their lives,” he says. And then, he tells supporters, “we’re not going to have any more protesters, folks.”
Trump also blamed Bernie Sanders’ supporters for trouble at his rallies.
In his Kansas City, Missouri, rally, Trump referred to “Bernie our communist friend” and called him a “lousy” senator.
Indeed, some signs for Sanders have shown up at the protests but there’s no indication of an organized effort from his Democratic campaign to undermine him and no evidence that Sanders people are dominating the demonstrations. Trump says he’s seen some Hillary Clinton signs, too.
The problem with someone like Trump is that the whatever he’s selling as the threat to his and our existence never goes away, it just morphs into something else. I feel like we just crossed a threshold over the past couple of days. Trump’s “other” just went from being a generically defined swath of demographic characteristics to a specific group, the “protestors” against who are against him. Is it too early to predict an uptick in political violence* this summer?
*(like being pushed down by a black man who lightly scratches a backwards “H” onto your face. And this time it’s gotta work since H looks the same whether it’s forwards or backwards!)
Trump says protesters aren’t Real Americans. He’d be happier if they were sent to a concentration camp.
Bring it on.
Edit: Unfortunately, this is serious. Just up on TPM:
Trump Supporter: “Go To Fucking Auschwitz”
I feel like Trump’s opponents hold back for fear of a self-Godwin. I think Bill Maher said, it’s OK to compare someone to Nazis if they really are nazis.
when is the Night of the Long Knives and Kristallnacht?
The 1930s. What’s happening now is not even 1968.
Hair Drumpf has issued a challenge to the protesters and, I suspect, that challenge will be met en masse.