If Democrats are so certain of winning the midterms and stopping the Trump agenda in its tracks, why bother to engage in an embarrassing and dishonest attack on the president? One that torches what little credibility the anti-Trump press has left.
The latest purposeful distortion of Trump-speak (remember the “very fine people” craziness?) occurred yesterday, when the president was explaining at a rally why it was necessary to go to war with Iran. His language was somewhat muddled, but he argued that he needed to destroy Tehran’s path to a bomb, because “they” could take out Los Angeles or San Diego if they had nukes. He said, “gas is a little high”, but “that’s a small price to pay” for destroying Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
This is what followed on X:
From the Lincoln Project, a group that pretended to be Republicans before they were outed as Dem operatives: “Trump is the first president to call for America to be attacked. And his Republican allies said nothing. They don’t care about you, or the country. Vote Democratic this November. The future of America depends on it.”
From TIME: “Newsom Calls for 25th Amendment After Trump Imagines Iran Attacking California”.
From ABC: Good Morning America: “President Trump is facing criticism after suggesting Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego, with four weeks until the critical midterm elections. Rachel Scott reports.
From Gavin Newsom: “Trump’s remarks were dangerous — if not treasonous — putting a target on two of our biggest cities and one of America’s largest naval hubs. I am directing the State Threat Assessment Center to actively monitor the situation in the event that foreign actors interpret the President’s remarks as an invitation to target California.”
I’m pretty sure the New York Times and Politico also posted idiotic notes suggesting that the president called for attacks on the homeland but if so they’ve been scrubbed, for good reason. One commentator posted this: “Hours after CNN’s own Trump-hostile fact-checker determined Trump didn’t call for Iran to wipe L.A. and San Diego out, CNN (sub) hosts are still suggesting he did, along with a clip of a CNN broadcaster doing exactly that.”
But wait! Chris Murphy can’t resist weighing in as well: “This is such a sick, evil thing to say. Especially because he’s not saying this as a joke. Just as sick that his supporters are laughing at it.” The clip Murphy showed was titled by HQNewsNow: “Trump on Iran: Let ’em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it’s a small price to pay”
Dozens of legislators jumped on board, repeating the idiocy. As Rick Grenell tweeted, “43 members of congress didn’t listen to a 30 second clip,” posting a letter signed by those 43 expressing their outrage that the president “appeared, incredibly, to invite Iran to destroy two American cities.”
I get it. President Trump is out talking to voters, trying to spur turnout among Americans who love our country and don’t want it wrecked by candidates who embrace Socialism and want to dismantle the institutions that have made the U.S. the most prosperous nation on earth.
This election will come down to turnout. Dems think they have the edge because inflation of around 3% is causing pain for lower-income voters, and because the war in Iran is unpopular.
But Democrats know that Trump can gin up his followers like nobody else, so they were delighted to have a mangled comment they could use to distract from his message and savage him anew. They know that every time they’ve counted him out, he’s come roaring back. Let’s hope he does it again.
