Yes. As a former Republican I have been shocked and appalled at the acceptance of this man by my former party. He has done so many horrible things but these things... I have no forgiveness for any Republican that votes for him. There is no justification.
There no longer is a Republican Party. There is a Trump cult operating under the MAGA banner which replaced the Republican party. It is painful and heart breaking to watch nearly half of our country duped by this man and his ideas.
Putin wants to rebuild the Soviet Union so he can be seen as Vladimir the Great in Russian lore. Trump said that he wanted to give Putin "his dream". Some have said that if Trump gets in and gives Putin the Ukraine, he will invade Poland next. Don't fool yourself, Trump would give Putin America to save his own self. Khrushchev promised that Russia would conquer America from the inside, and a large portion of the GOP are working for that. It is unacceptable. Trump and all the MAGA need to be defeated and prosecuted.
You are spot on about Trump giving away our country to that Russian monster, and Putin won't allow any vacillating from his Orange Puppet. He'll also put emphasis on terminating NATO. Our allies will become our enemies. These acts will turn the world on its head.
I have that fear too, that DT would give the US to Putin in a blink, in exchange for a cheesy palace of gold, unlimited Diet Coke, and a warehouse full of gold plated Sharpie pens. Does DT think he’s going to live for 900 years like Methuselah?
I'm no medical expert, but my guess is if he LOSES, he'll end up with a stroke or a heart attack. C'mon, we all know he's got to be totally stressed out, plus, he's got a bad temper to boot. Nothing like the stress hormone, cortisol, to further put on more visceral fat to his smooth muscles (the organs). Nah, it won't be a bullet that puts him down; it will be his own demise that puts him in a grave, and it better NOT freaking be Arlington! Grrrr....
I agree with you about Trump's health and find it interesting that no one is going after Vance more strongly as his "replacement". As far as I was concerned, John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin doomed his candidacy because I couldn't in good conscience vote for him, given concerns for his health and knowing she was "one heart beat away from the Presidency".
I think a new strategy might be to paint this revised picture of Trump/Vance and see if even Trump's supporters will rethink the "glory of MAGA" if Vance were to assume the role of POTUS (given his terrible polling numbers)--just a thought!
I’ve been thinking also that he would be under so much stress he would have a life-threatening meltdown followed by apoplexy or a massive heart attack. Apparently he is god’s anointed savior so move over Jesus, brother Don is here to fix the mess you couldn’t. Grab your popcorn and a good seat because the sequel, Second Coming, will be here soon whether he wins or loses.
Yes DT is fracturing and the plaster is crumbling. Kamala Harris just whomped on him at the debate, with his own words, actions, policies and reporting to him the worldwide ramifications of his corrupt administration. He must have been filled with terror.
For employment in a position in the Federal government you need, at a minimum, a simple background investigation for suitability, Trump would not pass. For those working in classified areas there is a much more stringent investigation required. There is no way Trump would pass this. Yet he is running for president. What's wrong with this picture. I think there is a need to change the laws to require anyone running for Federal office to pass the background investigation before being permitted to run. In Trump's case, he should be disqualified from running for Jan 6th and the theft and mishandling of classified documents. He is a threat to the country, as is SCOTUS.
Plus there's that whole classified documents theft case. Who knows what he would have done with America's secrets, or for that matter, what did he already do.
And there is NOTHING stopping him from handing out everything to the highest bidder, all money in untraceable Bitcoin deposited to Donnie. NOT far fetched IMHO..
I would also like candidates for any federal political office to be required to pass a citizenship exam. This would require basic knowledge of American history and civics.
Term and age limits for congressional members would be a welcome addition also, so we don't end up with any more Diane Feinsteins or Mitch McConnels. Dems, caucusing with Inds would need to gain control of congress for this to have a chance of passing both chambers.
These quotes need to be put in a Harris 10 second ad blip with just a few of the quotes, running once a hour , around the clock on every form of media for the next 40 days.
Exactly. There's a large demographic that is unlikely to listen to or, at the least, be very suspicious of what comes from the opposite party or even coming from the main stream media. There's a real opportunity for Republicans to make a very strong case to vote for Harris. Let's help them get the word out.
Lori, I'm afraid I don't know how to do links. However, I did list that the anchor that reported this was Nicole Wallace on 9/23/24. She anchors a daily news update on CNN, "Dateline Washington", I hope this helps.
Adam, we all (the sane adults in the room) ask the same questions about orange-man baby, feel the same outrage and abhorrence at his demeanor and stupidity, and dig even deeper to use our utmost determination that not only does he not occupy the WH again, but be held accountable for his many, many crimes by spending the rest of his life behind bars. That’s what he and WE deserve. Thank you for your eloquent words reminding us what is at stake for Ukraine and the rest of Europe. Keep plowing forward towards the goal.
Thank you for a very insightful and understandable history lesson -- much of which I previously had no clue about. Much appreciated.
And I suppose those who believe everything that Trump is spewing out are just as uninformed as I was -- but instead, they choose to listen to a carnival-barker... rather than being open to learning the truth. Disturbing and maddening, as you said.
But how can you get the undecided Republicans to hear this and understand it? Many of them have never been outside of the United States and not understand the global dependency that we all face.
I share your concern, David. I fear the Harris/Walz campaign is missing the opportunity to run effective advertisements and commercials just using the Quotes from Former Republicans who worked closely with Trump. I think it's important to keep it simple and direct. Otherwise it can too easily be dismissed as hysteria. Below I've listed just some of the comments made. I think those undecided or soft Trump supporters would be more open to consider what high ranking Republicans and former military have to say about Trump than what Democrats have to say.
- 40 of 44 cabinet members and his VP think he's unfit for office.
- The most damaged individual I've ever met - Trump's former Chief of staff, John Kelly
- "A Moran" - Trump's former Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson
-"The west wing resembles adult day care" - Senator and former chairman of foreign relations committee - Bob Corker
"A consummate narcissist” who “constantly engages in reckless conduct” Attorney General Bill Barr
-"Dictators like Russia’s Vladimir Putin think Trump is 'a laughing fool' and they’re fully prepared to take advantage of him,” - John Bolton, National Security Adviser
- "Trump “unfit for office" - Former Communications Director Alyssa Farah Griffin
- "Trump puts the American military in danger." - Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,
- Trump’s own Vice President Mike Pence’s refusal to endorse Trump
- A “domestic terrorist” - And former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci
Criticism also came from former Defense Secretary John Mattis, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, former Joint chiefs of staff chair Mark Milley, former White House chiefs of staff Mick Mulvaney and John Kelly, former Secretaries of State Mike Pompeo and Rex Tillerson, former Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
- Trump “takes out everybody who is loyal to him because it’s all about his personal gain and what he can gain from those people,” - Cassidy Hutchison
- "worst person I ever met" - Chief of Staff, Mark kelly
- "Doesn't respect the constitution" - Mark Esper
- "useful idiot for Putin" -
- "He admires dictators and autocrats and that he has no conception or respect for the rule of law for democracy and for our country - Kelly
- "I do not say this lightly. The lives of every American both in uniform and civilian, are at severe risk if Trump wins this Election" - Retired General Wesley K. Clark._
I'm not impressed with H.R. McMaster. He may have excoriated Trump after the faux president stepped down. Unfortunately, McMaster wrote a book about his time spent in the administration, pretty much backpedaling his original thoughts of Trump. Don't be afraid to call a spade...a spade. Trump doesn't have the cajones he once had people believing; it's largely bluff and bluster, so long as he's not in power. He's such an idiot as he tries to run the government - the shutdown, the abortion issue, tariffs - ordering them to be at his beck and call. Riiiight.
I'm more impressed with McMaster's military prowess than his ability to speak truth to power effectively. I'm sure there must have been a few instances where he talked Trump out of something egregiously stupid, but he definitely has not come out strongly enough to condemn Trump and tell us what actually went on during his time in the Oval Office. He needs to quit being a soldier and start being an American.
John Bolton, I have no respect for whatsoever, since he knew and was in a position to publicly expose Trump's shenanigans during a "perfect phone call" to Zelensky. Then he makes a small fortune by writing a book about it. CNN has him on frequently as a guest, as if his presence somehow makes the network appear more un-biased and a legitimate purveyor of news.
Though not aware of McMaster talking down Trump, as you stated in your post, I can NEVER discount his military service.....SO LONG AS he wasn't one of the desk jocks sending men and women into missions on skewed intel. OR, so long as he listened to his soldiers at the FOBs, trusting them to do the right thing. Anyhoo....As for John Bolton, I downloaded his book, planning on reading it to see just what went on. What tended to chafe my hide was when Trump wielded so much "power" over his administration using threats and fear. So much of what took place among the men and women had to be done behind his back because of Trump's complete ineptitude on how to act presidential....oh, wait. He was never president because of having cheated his way into the WH. Thank you, Russia! During his entire four years of occupation at the WH, as I saw and heard it, it was an every day Ronny Raygun moment of, "Trust, but verify" <cough> his people. His groupies who "could do no wrong" with Trump were despicable, yet he would have thrown even them under the bus. Then there were those in, or having been in the military that I honestly felt bad for just for doing the right thing. But many flip-flopped to avoid the wrath of Trump. It was a no-win situation, regardless. It was one huge goat-rope.
McMaster was on the ground with troops in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was highly decorated and respected by those under his command. He later became a Lt. General, 2nd highest rank in the Army, so I think it is safe to assume he was a desk jockey in some capacity. I think it’s also safe to assume McMaster, in his brief role as National Security Adviser, was not as loyal (ass-kissing?) to the liar-in-chief as he needed to be since they parted ways prior to the end of Trump’s term.
My brother bought the book, ‘The Room Where it Happened’, but I refuse to put a dime in Bolton’s pocket. I think it’s clear that his opinion of Trump was low and only got lower as his term ended. Bolton did not need the job of National Security Advisor to lead a very comfortable life, so any threats of his job should have fallen on deaf ears. If his opinion of Trump was low then why didn’t he express it at the time? This kind of dissembling and misplaced party loyalty irritates the crap out of me.
Linda, thanks for the suggestion. These critics have given the Harris/Walz team a trove of solid material to use.
I know The Lincoln Project did a commercial specifically to quote some of the individuals I mentioned. I think the problem with it was the aggressive video and voice narrating it was over-the-top, which made it less effective. It was almost cartoonish. I'm hoping for something less manipulative and more direct. Sometimes a strong, calm statement makes a stronger statement than an over-the -top one does.
The horror of the Putin's invasion in Ukraine is never far from my thoughts. The ad shows well we have both a political and a moral obligation to help as well as having both a political and moral obligation to beat Trump on November 5th. .
"- 40 of 44 cabinet members and his VP think he's unfit for office."
Cabinet members could have saved the country a lot of trouble if they would have invoked the 25th Amendment and removed Trump from office. Similarly, Senate Republicans could have convicted him and removed him from office after being impeached to avoid a repeat of Trump's candidacy. If, by some bizarre stroke a bad karma, he is re-elected, along with his clown car full of sycophants, they will turn our country into something that is unrecognizable from what it was just 10 years ago. This election is a test to see if democracy if more resilient than it is fragile.
Wayne, your comment brings up another issue that's been mentioned, but doesn't get the attention it needs. The issue is that, if they don't act as Trump and the MAGA base says they should act/vote, republican congress members have to worry not only about a campaign to destroy their careers, they also have to worry about their safety and the safety of their families. This is where Trump, MAGA and the Right wing media has brought us.
My hope lies with the the Cheney's, Kinzinger and the handful of others republican, who at great risk , are trying to put the breaks on the destruction of the GOP destroying the country
Yesterday, Liz Cheney stated that it may be time to accept that the GOP has done so much damage to itself, it may be unsalvageable. She also suggested that it may be necessary to start a new party; one that reflects supports the constitution, the rule of lay and other conservative values.
I would add to your list of heroes, Alexander Vindman, Cassidy Hutchinson, Fiona Hill and Judge Michael Luttig, to name a few. I don't expect any of these true conservatives to suddenly become converted supporters of Democratic candidates, other than to thwart a constitutional disaster if Trump gets elected again. These people are the first fruits of an enlightened movement, whose members put democracy over party and truth over loyalty. This used to be expected from every politician, like when produce was already organic but didn't need a label to tell us there were no pesticides used in the growing of it.
Totally agree. Spread these quotes like dandelions on everybody’s lawns, tumbleweeds in the wind, flies on …..
Harris and Walz don’t need to make anything up, they have a treasure trove of material-effective material- in their arsenals: all these quotes you highlighted.
Exactly, Stephen. Harris needs some new material and these quotes are just waiting to be used. I honestly think, with all the nonsense that is being said by Trump/Vance, much of the craziness is being normalized and the public is becoming numb. These quotes coming from who are making them are a strong, calm, sobering reality check. Also, just yesterday 400 economist endorsed Harris.
To recap: - 700 current and former national advisors have stated TRUMP is a danger
to national security and have endorsed Harris.
- 14 Nobel prize economist have stated Trump's economic policies would
be a disaster and have endorsed Harris.
- 400 economist have also stated Trump's economic polices would be a
disaster and have endorsed Harris.
I hope the Harris/Walz campaign does exactly as you suggest.
Why is the U.S. holding Ukraine back from crossing into certain Russia territory, yet aren’t reigning in Bibi the Barbarian? And still funding this maddening Israel war?
With every bomb we send to Israel, more children die.☹️ I think we need to stick to stick to humanitarian aid only, and quit aiding and an abetting the killing of children.
When we’re in the business of killing innocent children; we should be accountable to everybody. And if you want to defend Russia-move there. I’m a Goldstar family and I don’t put up with bullshit from people like you anymore.
Children didn’t start the slaughter, they are just paying the price. Crooked Netanyahu has perpetuated the slaughter by not agreeing to sit down to reasonable talks to facilitate the release of the hostages. And coincidentally, he just talked to Dumpo and now he won’t negotiate for 45 days.
If only it were that simple. We get propaganda filtered Israel accounts of what’s going on over there via the MSM. I’d rather get info from those who have reported on Palestine and the goings on there from the ground. And also for years and years. I have found them on Substack.
I am not remotely a conspiracy theorist, but Israel is very well guarded and has great intel. Look where the attack was. 1,200 people killed. In the scheme of things, not too great a number. I think that was an “acceptable casualty number” for Israel’s leaders. Yes, governments think that way. Including ours.
Look at the response DESPITE Hamas taking hostages. You think the IDF actually cares about sacrificing them? They are a justification for Israel’s non stop slaughter of innocents.
NO babies were killed and all that other b.s. we were fed after the attack. Did any of us actually see proof?
I am not remotely an Anti-Semite and know that Hamas attacked Israel. No deaths are acceptable. But Bibi wanted an excuse to obliterate Palestine and I think the access Hamas had was no coincidence.
And there are a lot of young people who refuse to vote for Harris because of our unconditional support for Israel. THIS greatly matters in such a close race.
Adam so well stated. I will never understand how so many Republican members of Congress have sold their souls. I wonder how they can face their children and grandchildren when playing a role that could destroy our country.
The answer is simple. They are only interested in Position, Power and Wealth. They are NOT interested in serving the best interest of their constituents. They (mistakenly) think that supporting Trump will ensure that they will be rewarded with those three things. Trump and every other Republican who supports him or remains silent must lose their elections now and in the future. We, the voters, MUST disinfect our democracy!
Thanks for the refresher on Ukraine, their nuclear stockpile, and the agreement to disarm.
Trump NOT honoring a prior commitment, NOT surprised. He's got the integrity of a slimy slug, regrets to the Invertebrates for associating them with Trump.
Do Something.
Help at a voter registration event. Help with Get Out The Vote. Write post cards. Make calls. Donate. Register. Support. Vote!
Thank you so much. I learn a tremendous amount from your writing and this helps me to more intelligently explain it to others. Keep it up - added emotion and all.
I remember the breakup of the USSR and the Budapest Memorandum very well. I thought we had achieved world peace. How naive I was! To use a cliché, putin doesn’t respect a contract any more than the paper it’s written on. Besides the reasons you give, how weak the US will appear to Beijing if the US allows Russia to trample Ukraine and flaunt the west. I despise the isolationists. How did any of them ever get through high school?
They may have gotten through high school but usually with someone else doing their homework for them. Isolationism was the going rationale and government stance after WWI. All that did for the US was to trigger the Great Depression, and diminished our country in the eyes of our allies, among other things. Guess they didn’t listen in school because you know the saying, if you don’t know your history, you’re doomed to repeat it(my paraphrasing).
Heather Cox Richardson posted a great summary of Biden's speech to the UN yesterday, and I can't help thinking of the speech tRumPutin would give in this situation. Horrifying.
Yes. As a former Republican I have been shocked and appalled at the acceptance of this man by my former party. He has done so many horrible things but these things... I have no forgiveness for any Republican that votes for him. There is no justification.
There no longer is a Republican Party. There is a Trump cult operating under the MAGA banner which replaced the Republican party. It is painful and heart breaking to watch nearly half of our country duped by this man and his ideas.
Don't you get the sense that he's just a demented Lucha libre wrestler without the mask? Or perhaps that IS his mask!
It’s all about owning the libs and it’s sickening.
Putin wants to rebuild the Soviet Union so he can be seen as Vladimir the Great in Russian lore. Trump said that he wanted to give Putin "his dream". Some have said that if Trump gets in and gives Putin the Ukraine, he will invade Poland next. Don't fool yourself, Trump would give Putin America to save his own self. Khrushchev promised that Russia would conquer America from the inside, and a large portion of the GOP are working for that. It is unacceptable. Trump and all the MAGA need to be defeated and prosecuted.
You are spot on about Trump giving away our country to that Russian monster, and Putin won't allow any vacillating from his Orange Puppet. He'll also put emphasis on terminating NATO. Our allies will become our enemies. These acts will turn the world on its head.
I have that fear too, that DT would give the US to Putin in a blink, in exchange for a cheesy palace of gold, unlimited Diet Coke, and a warehouse full of gold plated Sharpie pens. Does DT think he’s going to live for 900 years like Methuselah?
I'm no medical expert, but my guess is if he LOSES, he'll end up with a stroke or a heart attack. C'mon, we all know he's got to be totally stressed out, plus, he's got a bad temper to boot. Nothing like the stress hormone, cortisol, to further put on more visceral fat to his smooth muscles (the organs). Nah, it won't be a bullet that puts him down; it will be his own demise that puts him in a grave, and it better NOT freaking be Arlington! Grrrr....
I agree with you about Trump's health and find it interesting that no one is going after Vance more strongly as his "replacement". As far as I was concerned, John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin doomed his candidacy because I couldn't in good conscience vote for him, given concerns for his health and knowing she was "one heart beat away from the Presidency".
I think a new strategy might be to paint this revised picture of Trump/Vance and see if even Trump's supporters will rethink the "glory of MAGA" if Vance were to assume the role of POTUS (given his terrible polling numbers)--just a thought!
I’ve been thinking also that he would be under so much stress he would have a life-threatening meltdown followed by apoplexy or a massive heart attack. Apparently he is god’s anointed savior so move over Jesus, brother Don is here to fix the mess you couldn’t. Grab your popcorn and a good seat because the sequel, Second Coming, will be here soon whether he wins or loses.
I think you’re correct concerning his health.
Yes DT is fracturing and the plaster is crumbling. Kamala Harris just whomped on him at the debate, with his own words, actions, policies and reporting to him the worldwide ramifications of his corrupt administration. He must have been filled with terror.
This is a Lincoln Project YouTube video put out today:
https://youtu.be/BbVjkrDuQbo
Thank you for that link. Just watched it. Wow. Lincoln Project is a force to be reckoned with. Grateful for their work.
More than 700 current and former national security officials are out with a resounding endorsement for kamala Harris and a . - Nicole Wallace 9/23/24
"We are former public servants who swore an oath to the Constitution.
Many of us risked our lives for it. We are retired generals, admirals,
and senior noncommissioned officers, ambassadors and civilian national
security leaders. We are Republican, Democrates and independents.
We are loyal to the ideals of our nation - like freedom, democracy and the
rule of law - not to any one individual or political party. This election is a
choice between serious leadership and vengeful impulsiveness. It is a
choice between democracy and authoritarianism. Vice President Harris
defends American democratic ideals, while former president Trump
endangers them. We do not make such an assessment lightly. We are
trained to make sober, rational decisions. That is how we know Vice
President Harris would make an excellent Commander-in-Chief, while Mr.
Trump has proven he's not up to the job."
For employment in a position in the Federal government you need, at a minimum, a simple background investigation for suitability, Trump would not pass. For those working in classified areas there is a much more stringent investigation required. There is no way Trump would pass this. Yet he is running for president. What's wrong with this picture. I think there is a need to change the laws to require anyone running for Federal office to pass the background investigation before being permitted to run. In Trump's case, he should be disqualified from running for Jan 6th and the theft and mishandling of classified documents. He is a threat to the country, as is SCOTUS.
Plus there's that whole classified documents theft case. Who knows what he would have done with America's secrets, or for that matter, what did he already do.
And there is NOTHING stopping him from handing out everything to the highest bidder, all money in untraceable Bitcoin deposited to Donnie. NOT far fetched IMHO..
I would also like candidates for any federal political office to be required to pass a citizenship exam. This would require basic knowledge of American history and civics.
In my opinion, this should apply to all state offices also. Should mayors and other officials of large cities also be included? Maybe.
Once we’re done with him Congress needs to pass a law that a felon can’t run for any political office.
Term and age limits for congressional members would be a welcome addition also, so we don't end up with any more Diane Feinsteins or Mitch McConnels. Dems, caucusing with Inds would need to gain control of congress for this to have a chance of passing both chambers.
It would be hard to get that passed in Congress. In many cases they protect their own.
These quotes need to be put in a Harris 10 second ad blip with just a few of the quotes, running once a hour , around the clock on every form of media for the next 40 days.
Exactly. There's a large demographic that is unlikely to listen to or, at the least, be very suspicious of what comes from the opposite party or even coming from the main stream media. There's a real opportunity for Republicans to make a very strong case to vote for Harris. Let's help them get the word out.
Plus run them on sports stations.
Great idea Barb
Link?
Lori, I'm afraid I don't know how to do links. However, I did list that the anchor that reported this was Nicole Wallace on 9/23/24. She anchors a daily news update on CNN, "Dateline Washington", I hope this helps.
Adam, we all (the sane adults in the room) ask the same questions about orange-man baby, feel the same outrage and abhorrence at his demeanor and stupidity, and dig even deeper to use our utmost determination that not only does he not occupy the WH again, but be held accountable for his many, many crimes by spending the rest of his life behind bars. That’s what he and WE deserve. Thank you for your eloquent words reminding us what is at stake for Ukraine and the rest of Europe. Keep plowing forward towards the goal.
Thank you for a very insightful and understandable history lesson -- much of which I previously had no clue about. Much appreciated.
And I suppose those who believe everything that Trump is spewing out are just as uninformed as I was -- but instead, they choose to listen to a carnival-barker... rather than being open to learning the truth. Disturbing and maddening, as you said.
But how can you get the undecided Republicans to hear this and understand it? Many of them have never been outside of the United States and not understand the global dependency that we all face.
I share your concern, David. I fear the Harris/Walz campaign is missing the opportunity to run effective advertisements and commercials just using the Quotes from Former Republicans who worked closely with Trump. I think it's important to keep it simple and direct. Otherwise it can too easily be dismissed as hysteria. Below I've listed just some of the comments made. I think those undecided or soft Trump supporters would be more open to consider what high ranking Republicans and former military have to say about Trump than what Democrats have to say.
_______________________________________________________________________________
- 40 of 44 cabinet members and his VP think he's unfit for office.
- The most damaged individual I've ever met - Trump's former Chief of staff, John Kelly
- "A Moran" - Trump's former Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson
-"The west wing resembles adult day care" - Senator and former chairman of foreign relations committee - Bob Corker
"A consummate narcissist” who “constantly engages in reckless conduct” Attorney General Bill Barr
-"Dictators like Russia’s Vladimir Putin think Trump is 'a laughing fool' and they’re fully prepared to take advantage of him,” - John Bolton, National Security Adviser
- "Trump “unfit for office" - Former Communications Director Alyssa Farah Griffin
- "Trump puts the American military in danger." - Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,
- Trump’s own Vice President Mike Pence’s refusal to endorse Trump
- A “domestic terrorist” - And former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci
Criticism also came from former Defense Secretary John Mattis, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, former Joint chiefs of staff chair Mark Milley, former White House chiefs of staff Mick Mulvaney and John Kelly, former Secretaries of State Mike Pompeo and Rex Tillerson, former Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
- Trump “takes out everybody who is loyal to him because it’s all about his personal gain and what he can gain from those people,” - Cassidy Hutchison
- "worst person I ever met" - Chief of Staff, Mark kelly
- "Doesn't respect the constitution" - Mark Esper
- "useful idiot for Putin" -
- "He admires dictators and autocrats and that he has no conception or respect for the rule of law for democracy and for our country - Kelly
- "I do not say this lightly. The lives of every American both in uniform and civilian, are at severe risk if Trump wins this Election" - Retired General Wesley K. Clark._
I'm not impressed with H.R. McMaster. He may have excoriated Trump after the faux president stepped down. Unfortunately, McMaster wrote a book about his time spent in the administration, pretty much backpedaling his original thoughts of Trump. Don't be afraid to call a spade...a spade. Trump doesn't have the cajones he once had people believing; it's largely bluff and bluster, so long as he's not in power. He's such an idiot as he tries to run the government - the shutdown, the abortion issue, tariffs - ordering them to be at his beck and call. Riiiight.
I'm more impressed with McMaster's military prowess than his ability to speak truth to power effectively. I'm sure there must have been a few instances where he talked Trump out of something egregiously stupid, but he definitely has not come out strongly enough to condemn Trump and tell us what actually went on during his time in the Oval Office. He needs to quit being a soldier and start being an American.
John Bolton, I have no respect for whatsoever, since he knew and was in a position to publicly expose Trump's shenanigans during a "perfect phone call" to Zelensky. Then he makes a small fortune by writing a book about it. CNN has him on frequently as a guest, as if his presence somehow makes the network appear more un-biased and a legitimate purveyor of news.
Though not aware of McMaster talking down Trump, as you stated in your post, I can NEVER discount his military service.....SO LONG AS he wasn't one of the desk jocks sending men and women into missions on skewed intel. OR, so long as he listened to his soldiers at the FOBs, trusting them to do the right thing. Anyhoo....As for John Bolton, I downloaded his book, planning on reading it to see just what went on. What tended to chafe my hide was when Trump wielded so much "power" over his administration using threats and fear. So much of what took place among the men and women had to be done behind his back because of Trump's complete ineptitude on how to act presidential....oh, wait. He was never president because of having cheated his way into the WH. Thank you, Russia! During his entire four years of occupation at the WH, as I saw and heard it, it was an every day Ronny Raygun moment of, "Trust, but verify" <cough> his people. His groupies who "could do no wrong" with Trump were despicable, yet he would have thrown even them under the bus. Then there were those in, or having been in the military that I honestly felt bad for just for doing the right thing. But many flip-flopped to avoid the wrath of Trump. It was a no-win situation, regardless. It was one huge goat-rope.
McMaster was on the ground with troops in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was highly decorated and respected by those under his command. He later became a Lt. General, 2nd highest rank in the Army, so I think it is safe to assume he was a desk jockey in some capacity. I think it’s also safe to assume McMaster, in his brief role as National Security Adviser, was not as loyal (ass-kissing?) to the liar-in-chief as he needed to be since they parted ways prior to the end of Trump’s term.
My brother bought the book, ‘The Room Where it Happened’, but I refuse to put a dime in Bolton’s pocket. I think it’s clear that his opinion of Trump was low and only got lower as his term ended. Bolton did not need the job of National Security Advisor to lead a very comfortable life, so any threats of his job should have fallen on deaf ears. If his opinion of Trump was low then why didn’t he express it at the time? This kind of dissembling and misplaced party loyalty irritates the crap out of me.
You should send all these quotes to the Lincoln Project. They would use them and use them well.
Linda, thanks for the suggestion. These critics have given the Harris/Walz team a trove of solid material to use.
I know The Lincoln Project did a commercial specifically to quote some of the individuals I mentioned. I think the problem with it was the aggressive video and voice narrating it was over-the-top, which made it less effective. It was almost cartoonish. I'm hoping for something less manipulative and more direct. Sometimes a strong, calm statement makes a stronger statement than an over-the -top one does.
I absolutely agree.
Here's a Lincoln Project video put on YouTube today:
https://youtu.be/BbVjkrDuQbo
Thank-you DS.
The horror of the Putin's invasion in Ukraine is never far from my thoughts. The ad shows well we have both a political and a moral obligation to help as well as having both a political and moral obligation to beat Trump on November 5th. .
"- 40 of 44 cabinet members and his VP think he's unfit for office."
Cabinet members could have saved the country a lot of trouble if they would have invoked the 25th Amendment and removed Trump from office. Similarly, Senate Republicans could have convicted him and removed him from office after being impeached to avoid a repeat of Trump's candidacy. If, by some bizarre stroke a bad karma, he is re-elected, along with his clown car full of sycophants, they will turn our country into something that is unrecognizable from what it was just 10 years ago. This election is a test to see if democracy if more resilient than it is fragile.
Wayne, your comment brings up another issue that's been mentioned, but doesn't get the attention it needs. The issue is that, if they don't act as Trump and the MAGA base says they should act/vote, republican congress members have to worry not only about a campaign to destroy their careers, they also have to worry about their safety and the safety of their families. This is where Trump, MAGA and the Right wing media has brought us.
My hope lies with the the Cheney's, Kinzinger and the handful of others republican, who at great risk , are trying to put the breaks on the destruction of the GOP destroying the country
Yesterday, Liz Cheney stated that it may be time to accept that the GOP has done so much damage to itself, it may be unsalvageable. She also suggested that it may be necessary to start a new party; one that reflects supports the constitution, the rule of lay and other conservative values.
The seriousness of this cannot be overstated.
I would add to your list of heroes, Alexander Vindman, Cassidy Hutchinson, Fiona Hill and Judge Michael Luttig, to name a few. I don't expect any of these true conservatives to suddenly become converted supporters of Democratic candidates, other than to thwart a constitutional disaster if Trump gets elected again. These people are the first fruits of an enlightened movement, whose members put democracy over party and truth over loyalty. This used to be expected from every politician, like when produce was already organic but didn't need a label to tell us there were no pesticides used in the growing of it.
Totally agree. Spread these quotes like dandelions on everybody’s lawns, tumbleweeds in the wind, flies on …..
Harris and Walz don’t need to make anything up, they have a treasure trove of material-effective material- in their arsenals: all these quotes you highlighted.
Exactly, Stephen. Harris needs some new material and these quotes are just waiting to be used. I honestly think, with all the nonsense that is being said by Trump/Vance, much of the craziness is being normalized and the public is becoming numb. These quotes coming from who are making them are a strong, calm, sobering reality check. Also, just yesterday 400 economist endorsed Harris.
To recap: - 700 current and former national advisors have stated TRUMP is a danger
to national security and have endorsed Harris.
- 14 Nobel prize economist have stated Trump's economic policies would
be a disaster and have endorsed Harris.
- 400 economist have also stated Trump's economic polices would be a
disaster and have endorsed Harris.
I hope the Harris/Walz campaign does exactly as you suggest.
His foreign policy is very simple.
Putin wrote it.
Why is the U.S. holding Ukraine back from crossing into certain Russia territory, yet aren’t reigning in Bibi the Barbarian? And still funding this maddening Israel war?
Excellent question, Mari.
With every bomb we send to Israel, more children die.☹️ I think we need to stick to stick to humanitarian aid only, and quit aiding and an abetting the killing of children.
How do you suggest that we "reign in" the leader of another country?
Should we "reign in" Pootin?
We are financially supporting Israel’s slaughter, we would never do that for Putin. Big diff.
Unless of course Scump wins.
When we’re in the business of killing innocent children; we should be accountable to everybody. And if you want to defend Russia-move there. I’m a Goldstar family and I don’t put up with bullshit from people like you anymore.
Speak for yourself. I am also from a gold star family. You obviously have no concern abut the hostages that started this slaughter.
Children didn’t start the slaughter, they are just paying the price. Crooked Netanyahu has perpetuated the slaughter by not agreeing to sit down to reasonable talks to facilitate the release of the hostages. And coincidentally, he just talked to Dumpo and now he won’t negotiate for 45 days.
If only it were that simple. We get propaganda filtered Israel accounts of what’s going on over there via the MSM. I’d rather get info from those who have reported on Palestine and the goings on there from the ground. And also for years and years. I have found them on Substack.
I am not remotely a conspiracy theorist, but Israel is very well guarded and has great intel. Look where the attack was. 1,200 people killed. In the scheme of things, not too great a number. I think that was an “acceptable casualty number” for Israel’s leaders. Yes, governments think that way. Including ours.
Look at the response DESPITE Hamas taking hostages. You think the IDF actually cares about sacrificing them? They are a justification for Israel’s non stop slaughter of innocents.
NO babies were killed and all that other b.s. we were fed after the attack. Did any of us actually see proof?
I am not remotely an Anti-Semite and know that Hamas attacked Israel. No deaths are acceptable. But Bibi wanted an excuse to obliterate Palestine and I think the access Hamas had was no coincidence.
And there are a lot of young people who refuse to vote for Harris because of our unconditional support for Israel. THIS greatly matters in such a close race.
Trump is a danger to the United States of America. Adam is 100% correct in his assessment.
He is a real and imminent danger to the US and the world. The whole world.
Adam so well stated. I will never understand how so many Republican members of Congress have sold their souls. I wonder how they can face their children and grandchildren when playing a role that could destroy our country.
The answer is simple. They are only interested in Position, Power and Wealth. They are NOT interested in serving the best interest of their constituents. They (mistakenly) think that supporting Trump will ensure that they will be rewarded with those three things. Trump and every other Republican who supports him or remains silent must lose their elections now and in the future. We, the voters, MUST disinfect our democracy!
Thanks for the refresher on Ukraine, their nuclear stockpile, and the agreement to disarm.
Trump NOT honoring a prior commitment, NOT surprised. He's got the integrity of a slimy slug, regrets to the Invertebrates for associating them with Trump.
Do Something.
Help at a voter registration event. Help with Get Out The Vote. Write post cards. Make calls. Donate. Register. Support. Vote!
Thank you so much. I learn a tremendous amount from your writing and this helps me to more intelligently explain it to others. Keep it up - added emotion and all.
I remember the breakup of the USSR and the Budapest Memorandum very well. I thought we had achieved world peace. How naive I was! To use a cliché, putin doesn’t respect a contract any more than the paper it’s written on. Besides the reasons you give, how weak the US will appear to Beijing if the US allows Russia to trample Ukraine and flaunt the west. I despise the isolationists. How did any of them ever get through high school?
They may have gotten through high school but usually with someone else doing their homework for them. Isolationism was the going rationale and government stance after WWI. All that did for the US was to trigger the Great Depression, and diminished our country in the eyes of our allies, among other things. Guess they didn’t listen in school because you know the saying, if you don’t know your history, you’re doomed to repeat it(my paraphrasing).
Exactly Joan!
Heather Cox Richardson posted a great summary of Biden's speech to the UN yesterday, and I can't help thinking of the speech tRumPutin would give in this situation. Horrifying.
The fact that it’s still a close race shows that a big chunk of our country has lost its mind.
I always get more out of your writings and videos than any news these days, and thank you for what you are doing.