I Heard It
Stop telling me, “don’t believe your lying ears”. I listened to some of Trump’s nonsense in Dayton this weekend. I saw him stand, proudly, saluting during the National Anthem, honoring his so-called “hostages” in the District of Columbia jail. They are incarcerated for charges from January 6th. And I heard him say, “…if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath.”
The next day, Republican politicians from Mike Johnson (Dayton’s Congressman) to Bill Cassidy (Louisiana Senator) tried to “spin” that phrase. “Oh, he was talking about Chinese electric car manufacturers if we don’t stop them, it will be a ‘bloodbath’ in the auto industry”. Even former Vice President Pence, the target of the mob on January 6th, still gave Trump a “pass” on his threat (or promise).
Here’s the whole paragraph, stuck within Trump’s longer ‘riff’ about the car industry.
“We’re going to put a 100% tariff on every single (Chinese) car that comes across the line, and you’re not going to be able to sell those guys if I get elected. Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole – that’s gonna be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country. That’ll be the least of it.” (CNN).
I Believe It
Maya Angelou famously said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time”. The man in the red hat, who saluted the American flag while the National Anthem sung by insurrectionists was played, said it would be a bloodbath for the country if he loses. On January 6th 2021, as President of the United States he went to the Mall and told his followers to march on the Capitol. I’m weary of the “spin”. I’ve heard way more than enough.
The 1960’s singing group the Monkees sang: “I’m a believer…not a shred of doubt in my mind”. Trump has shown us who he is, time and time again. There is no doubt that if Trump loses in November, he will call for a “Storm of retribution” to take over the government. The question I have, is who will answer his call this time?
Foot Soldiers
There’s a couple of ways to look at the question – where are Trump’s foot-soldiers? The evidence we have is what’s happened at Trump’s hearings in New York, Washington, and Florida. The former President, still protected by the US Secret Service, makes grand entrances to each of those Court appearances. And at first, the Courts and cities made grand preparations to handle “the mob”. But, even from the first appearances, it was clear that the “Trump’s warriors” weren’t coming.
How much of a conspiracy theory does it take? Is Trump calling for his “people”, and they aren’t coming because they’re done with him? It would make sense, the rest of us are done with him, for sure. Or is there some more insidious plan? Are the Trump “soldiers” lulling us into complacency, setting a trap? Sure they aren’t there at the trials, but they’ll re-emerge at state Capitols and in Washington when the time comes, and Trump fails at the polls once again.
Concerns
Our National intelligence agencies fell far short in 2021. While Washington went on “full alert” for Black Lives Matter protests, no one seemed worried about the Red-Hatted Trumpers. Maybe that was because they were White, or maybe no one believed their own “lying eyes and ears”. So it is a concern that our political class still normalizes the kind of language that Trump uses and is willing to “cover” for his real meaning. The idea that what Trump says is “not important” allows him to communicate to his followers in plain sight.
And it’s a concern that the current Department of Justice delayed bringing charges against Trump or the other political leadership of his “Stop the Steal” movement until two years after the insurrection. That reluctance to engage leaves America denied legal resolution, and vulnerable to the continuing litany of “stolen Presidency” lies. When Trump promises a bloodbath, he makes a clarion call to his supporters. They know what he wants them to do.
Do WE know what to do? It starts with believing our own eyes and ears. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the next nine months. All we can do is make sure Trump fails in the election, and then fortify our democracy for the worst. If it’s all a bluff, then all we are out is time and effort.
And if the “Storm of retribution” is real – then maybe we can save our country.
