patrick.net

Emerging from the cacophony of comments was this tweet, which perhaps best summarizes the political moment:




It’s very early. We must wait and see how things play out. But no matter what else last night’s shooting was —and it was many things— Trump’s muscular reaction was a defining moment, a new high water mark for the populist President, creating the clearest contrast between himself and enfeebled Joe Biden.

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/still-strong-sunday-july-14-2024

Emerging from the cacophony of comments was this tweet, which perhaps best summarizes the political moment:




It’s very early. We must wait and see how things play out. But no matter what else last night’s shooting was —and it was many things— Trump’s muscular reaction was a defining moment, a new high water mark for the populist President, creating the clearest contrast between himself and enfeebled Joe Biden.

Investigate enemies of the people:

DNC megadonor, Epstein Island visitor, and lawfare funder Reid Hoffman:

Then, in what one source described as "the dagger" and
another as a "twist of the knife," Thiel sarcastically
thanked Hoffman for funding lawsuits against Trump
because they had turned him into "a martyr," thereby
increasing his chances of re-election. "I am so grateful to
you," Thiel said.
From the stage, Hoffman shot back with his own sarcastic
quip: "Yeah, I wish had made him an actual martyr." And,
on that very
uncomfortable note, the exchange ended.
(Both Hoffman and Thiel did not respond to emails
requesting comment.)

The failed assassination represents a security failure by United States Secret Service that is so astounding, it will rightfully inspire conspiracy theories for years to come. Kevin Rojek, who heads the Pittsburg field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acknowledged that it was “surprising” that Crooks was able to take so many shots unchallenged. And I can think of no reason why Trump’s detail should’ve drawn their security perimeter to exclude a prominent, elevated firing position a mere 130 metres away from Trump’s podium. Finally, there is the fact that Crooks and his rifle were visible to spectators for minutes before he opened fire; multiple rally attendees tried to alert police, fruitlessly. There is even a screen grab of drone footage circulating on social media, showing Crooks climbing onto the building.

https://x.com/I_HateFeds/status/1812312554649067915



Initial media reports included many ridiculous headlines – the worst of them this utter failure by CNN:




But there were others, which reported only on “loud noises,” despite the fact that all journalists had access to footage of unmistakable gunfire and Trump with blood on his face:













... Maybe the emptyheaded Vinograds of the media should direct a few more of their admittedly scarce IQ points not to the tensions arising from this incident, but to the tensions that led up to it. It was not just Joe Biden who was caught telling supporters that it is “Time to put Trump in a bullseye” a few days ago. Insane rhetoric has attended Trump since the very beginnings of his presidential candidacy in 2015, with legions of purportedly respectable politicians and journalists claiming that he is an agent of foreign powers and an enemy to American democracy. There are hundreds if not thousands of articles and political pleas asking “Why aren’t we talking about Trump’s fascism?”, declaring that “Fascism is everywhere on the march, and it’s Trump who sets the pace”, announcing that “Donald ‘Dictator on Day One’ Trump is an existential threat to our democracy”, shouting that “A second Trump presidency is an existential national security threat”, and proclaiming that “A Second Trump Term Will Bring an End to the American Century” and that “Donald Trump ‘will destroy’ U.S. democracy if he wins 2nd term as president.” All of these inflammatory and unfounded claims hail precisely from those corners of the discourse that also eagerly blame every last tepid misdeed against their own political tribe on nebulous “extreme right-wing” forces.