Republicans' Joy Over 'Immunity' Decision Shows They Don't Fear Donald Trump, But Want a Dictator

Although attempted murder is not among his 34 felony convictions, Donald Trump has never hidden his desire to kill people. During the 2016 campaign, Trump famously said in a speech, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone, and I wouldn’t lose a single voter.” In 2020, he threatened to murder Black Lives Matter protesters, tweeting, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Throughout his presidency and beyond, Trump’s aides have been alarmed by the way they repeatedly asked if they would kill people for him. He called for bayonets and pikes at the southern border, hoping for gruesome deaths for migrants crossing it. He held meetings in the Oval Office in which he demanded that the military “crack skulls” and “shoot” left-wing protesters. Former Attorney General Bill Barr appeared to confirm reports that Trump routinely ordered him to “execute” government officials for speaking to the media. Barr effectively claimed that Trump was not serious, despite the frequency with which he returned to the subject of extrajudicial killings.

Even before he entered politics, Trump had already publicly displayed his bloodlust. In the 1980s, he called for the death penalty for five young men falsely convicted of rape, a position he has not backed down from, even after they were acquitted. (Trump himself was convicted of sexual assault by a jury last year, but he believes he should not face the sentence he himself recommended.) In 1990, Trump praised the Chinese government for killing peaceful protesters in Tiananmen Square. In the same interview, he lamented that the Soviet Union had not murdered enough people, calling the Soviet government “out of control” for allowing more dissent than it had in the past.

During his presidency, Trump did order the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, in an unsuccessful attempt to distract from his own impeachment trial. But his desire to kill his fellow Americans was thwarted by the long-standing legal presumption that laws against murder apply to presidents. He also failed on January 6, 2021, but only because of the courage of the police and Secret Service who stood up to the violent mob that Trump sent after Congress and his own vice president. On Monday, however, the Supreme Court ended 235 years of restrictions on a (Republican) president’s power to kill unlawfully. But that’s okay, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, reassures us. That’s because Trump is a great guy and would never order the murder of innocent people!

Want to know more about Amanda Marcotte in politics? Subscribe to her Standing Room Only newsletter.

“No one elected to this office is going to be inclined to engage in this kind of insane criminal activity,” Johnson told Fox News, beaming with joy. To give us an idea of ​​how much he loves to lie, Johnson also accused people who are concerned about this situation of “hyperbole” and “insanity.”

There is no doubt that Johnson is lying. Of course, a president-elect can engage in “senseless criminal activity.” That is how Trump has spent most of his time in the White House. The reason Trump has requested “immunity” is that he cannot prove his innocence in any of the four felony trials he faces. He has already been convicted on 34 counts in the trial that ended in May. That Trump is a felon is the most established fact about him. In addition to his criminal charges, he has been convicted of criminal activity in at least two other civil cases: the sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll and his recent fraud trial in New York. “Senseless criminal activity” is what Trump does. That and golf, which he cheats at.

As irritating as Johnson’s trolling is, it settles a debate that has roiled the political class for eight years now: Are Republican politicians supporting Trump out of fear? Or are they simply thrilled by the chance to follow a would-be dictator? Johnson’s glee as he revels in Trump’s new powers to commit crimes — and even kill — speaks volumes. It’s the latter.

The prevailing view, alas, is that it is fear that drives Republicans to support Trump, not genuine enthusiasm. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, one of the few Republicans to speak out against Trump, uses this fact to excuse his Trump-loyal friends. He recently told reporter McKay Coppins that fear of “personal safety” is keeping Republicans from keeping quiet. Even when they are not talking about violence, Republicans often cite fear of losing their careers as a reason to avoid antagonizing Trump, the Washington Post reported in February. Anti-Trump Republicans in Republican states have even told NBC News that it is “fear” of MAGA Republicans that keeps them from speaking out.

Trump undoubtedly uses intimidation to keep his party members in line. But his real power comes not so much from the fear he inspires among Republicans, but rather from the widespread desire for a right-wing dictatorship. You can see it on Johnson’s face in this video. Even though he’s one of the politicians the Washington Post calls “fearful,” there’s nothing in his smiling face to suggest that. He’s delighted that Trump has gotten a leg up in his quest to become America’s Führer.

Those who fear Trump won’t be thrilled that the Supreme Court has granted him the right to kill. But Johnson isn’t the only one expressing joy over the decision. Politico described the Republican response as “giddy,” with prominent politicians like Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz using terms like “win” and “victory.” Right-wing media outlets are also celebrating as if it were their birthday, while lying to their audiences, like Johnson, about the freedom Trump would have to commit crimes while in office. Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation—which helps run the notorious 2025 Project—responded to the decision by echoing Trump’s threats of violence. He said, “We are living through the second American revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

I doubt that most of the people who welcome this decision do so out of personal love for Donald Trump. They may be bad people, but they are still human and probably feel the same degree of personal revulsion toward the man himself as those who do not bother to flatter him. Trump happens to be the available vehicle for the authoritarian aspirations that have long been nurtured within the Republican Party, and apparently at much higher levels than many in the media or in moderate Republican ranks would care to admit. Certainly the six Republican justices on the Supreme Court had no reason to give Trump so much power unless they wanted to. It seems that among the leaders of the Republican Party there is a deep desire for a dictator. Trump happens to be the one proposed, so they will accept him.

The Republican Party’s fascistic aspirations are one of the worst-kept secrets in politics. They date back to Richard Nixon telling journalist David Frost in 1977 that a president should be able to commit crimes. In the decades since, Republican legal scholars have crafted a set of pseudo-intellectual justifications for expanding executive powers to authoritarian levels. As Adam Serwer writes in the Atlantic, it’s “the result of decades of work by right-wing activists seeking a permanent conservative political ascendancy.” As the New York Times reported Monday, “beginning with the Reagan administration in the 1980s,” Republican legal scholars “developed constitutional theories that would allow Reagan to do what he wanted even if Congress decided otherwise.”

Over the decades, Republicans, led by the Federalist Society, have consolidated the president’s power. The George W. Bush administration was particularly committed to the idea that his powers were far greater than those allowed by an honest reading of the Constitution. “The unitary theory of the executive branch provided the rationale for President Bush’s agenda to defend and expand presidential powers in a variety of areas, as well as to protect the executive branch from what he and Vice President Cheney perceived as an overly intrusive Congress,” political scientists Mitchel Sollenberger and Mark Rozell explained in 2013. Trump’s criminal behavior has eclipsed the outrages of the Bush era. Yet it was sickening to watch how they used the “unitary theory” of executive power to justify everything from torturing prisoners of war to invading Iraq under false pretenses.

Perhaps Republicans should be more afraid of Trump, as former Vice President Mike Pence learned while fleeing a MAGA mob. The Supreme Court justices seem so blinded by ideology that they have failed to consider that an unfettered Trump might also order assassinations of justices who govern in a way he doesn’t like. But inflated egos play a big role in Republican politics. One politician after another figures he’s smart and strong enough to manipulate Trump, rather than the other way around. That’s why we see so many of them auditioning to be Trump’s next running mate, even though the last one was nearly assassinated by a Trump-incited mob.

So no, the Republicans’ desire for a dictator has never been harder to see, for those willing to look. What Trump offers is opportunity. His reckless criminality means he was willing to push boundaries that even the Bush administration was too afraid to touch. His cult following among the Republican base has given him the power to continue, despite resistance. His open embrace of violence against his fellow Americans has provided political cover, allowing Republicans to support him while pretending to reporters that they were reluctant. If Republicans were as afraid of Trump as they claim in anonymous quotes, they would have seized one of the many past opportunities to throw him overboard, such as the Senate’s vote to convict him after his second impeachment. They chose not to. Now we know why: because Trump wants to be a dictator. Republicans do, too.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.salon.com/2024/07/03/glee-over-immunity-decision-shows-they-dont-fear-donald–they-desire-a-dictator/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos