Sometimes it is difficult, almost impossible, to accept certain realities.

[kentuck]

Many Americans are having difficulty accepting a reality at this time. It is that Donald Trump is a threat to our country. He is a national security risk. Is there really any doubt?

He stole national secrets. He stole information that might threaten you and your family. Does it really matter? Does the law matter? Does anything matter other than your Leader and your Party?

Today, Trump is calling the search warrant on his home a "scam". A "witch hunt". Where have we heard that before?

No one wants to think the worst. But it is worse than the worst. And many cannot accept that reality.

There are things going on that you don't know.

He did not steal those documents by accident. He personally chose what he wanted in those boxes. And when the National Archives noticed they were missing, the FBI went down to retrieve them. They got 15 boxes and were told that was all of them. There were no more classified documents. Once again, they lied. Trump had 20 more boxes stashed in his basement. He must have had a purpose for them, to lie to the FBI?

"Someone" informed the DOJ that there were more documents at Mar-a-Lago. The FBI sent a team down to check it out. They found the boxes in a room in the basement with no lock on the door. Totally unsecured. They requested that Trump put a lock on the door.

After 60 days, when they were unable to get Trump to release the documents, they got a search warrant from a federal judge and went into Mar-a-lago to seize them. And what they found shocked everyone except the Trump supporters. It did not seem to matter to them?

Obviously, they do not care. But the law cannot wait for them to "care" or for them to be persuaded that there is a threat to our nation. They must act without their consent and without what they might say to a pollster. The FBI is required to protect our nation - not Donald Trump and certainly not his deluded followers.

[MiHale]

1. We here at DU...

Have been calling him a “clear and present danger” since he got elected.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. Since before he even ran. It wasn't a secret but nobody

seemed to care.

[Mr. Ected]

19. Trump isn't the disease, he's a symptom

The sickness is an international propaganda scheme to which most of our media has been infiltrated.

We are truly living in the Disinformation Age.

[AZ8theist]

22. Being from the East coast..

I knew back in the 80's he was a dirtbag.
AND an imbecile. EVERYBODY in NYC knew it....

[Mr. Ected]

2. Trump supporters are too brainwashed to realize they're brainwashed

They cannot answer an accusation with a straight-on defense. They'll always pivot to "What about ________(fill in Dem name here)?" or "What if______________(fill in non-plausible excuse here)?". They've been conditioned. Their conditioning includes the belief that we, too, are being conditioned, cannot be trusted, and exist only to tear them down.

We won't be able to expose the truth under these circumstances, at least in a way that they will accept. We have to understand that the damage is already done; that a Civil War between us is inevitable, not over left and right, Dem and GOP, but rather Truth over Alleged Truth. The next war will be to beat the propaganda out of their souls. It will not be pretty.

[UpInArms]

6. My neighbor's response, after I found out she supported TFG,

Was to say that she’s a Christian … to which I replied “of course” and then she said “TFG is a Christian, too.” It was then that I burst out laughing and, through my hilarity, said, “Why Peggy, that is the funniest thing you have ever said to me.”

She flounced away …. I still laugh to myself every time I think about it.

[Solomon]

24. She is clearly confusing Christianity with white supremacy.

A lot of people are these days.

[kentuck]

7. I think you are correct....

We will not be able to expose the truth under these circumstances. The only propaganda outlet that could possibly change the thinking toward a more truthful presentation is FOXNews. That is what they listen to and that is what can change their thinking, in my opinion.

[Mr. Ected]

8. If FOX goes full-on anti-Trump, his support will surely erode

But not as much as you'd think. The remainder will pivot to more radical "news" outlets that continue to broadcast the illusion they seek. They go to FOX, not because they trust it, but because it's readily available and strikes the chords they delight in. If they can't get their propaganda fix there, they'll find it on the AM dial, or Newsmax, OAN, or whatever new outlet pops up to give them a fix.

[kentuck]

10. You may be right.

But it might take some time. The question might be: would it be enough time?

[Mr. Ected]

11. It really feels like an uphill battle at this point

Once planted and nurtured, the seed of propaganda grows deep roots and a formidable weed to destroy.

[kentuck]

29. Indeed.

This is a very serious situation. The "civil war" is between facts and fiction, and truth and lies. It is a most difficult battle.

[llmart]

14. I do believe that on some level there has always been these non-mainstream media outlets.

though not as many options as we used to have. The difference these days besides the number of the outlets is that our mainstream media thinks giving those people who buy into the propaganda a mainstream voice and inferring that all of us need to hear their barrage of fake news and nonsensical outrage. It emboldened them to think their opinions were noteworthy. They are all simple minded people and yet we got a steady dose of "let's ask the trump voters what they think".

[Mr. Ected]

17. But when exactly did the National Enquirer become "their" New York Times?

I exaggerate, of course, but you catch my drift.

[llmart]

18. Ha!

Years ago I would always make note of the people in the checkout line who would pick up the National Enquirer. My thoughts were the same then as now. Who are these people who would fork over their hard earned money to read this tripe?

Bottom line is, they've always been amongst us. There were and will always be people who aren't very "bright" or educated who can't recognized they are being manipulated. Rush Limbaugh was the new version of a carnival barker on the boardwalk. His death doesn't mean the nonsense ended. There is always going to be people who can spot the suckers amongst us and use them for their own gain. I'm just tired of the suckers getting all the attention as if their thoughts were meaningful in any way. In other words, they can live with their oblivion while under their rocks. Just don't shove it in my face because nothing they say is of any importance to me.

[catbyte]

25. Mea Culpa

"Years ago I would always make note of the people in the checkout line who would pick up the National Enquirer. My thoughts were the same then as now. Who are these people who would fork over their hard earned money to read this tripe?"

I'm admitting that I have perused the Weekly World News in the checkout line, but only to see what Bat Boy and the aliens were up to that week. But I never bought a copy.

[llmart]

33. LOL!

Well, none of us could escape seeing the headlines while we waited out turn to checkout. So, you get a pass at that. I was too timid to pick one up in case anyone would think I was buying it.

[Ferrets are Cool]

28. The same ones who watch "reality shows" constantly...when faux news is not

on the tv.

[llmart]

34. +1

Very true. A couple of things they were addicted to: LA Choppers where their so-called "family values" included foul language and a father treating his sons like crap and vice versa. "Cops" where you could get a steady diet of the dregs of humanity. And let's not forget "The Kardashians", and last but not least "The Apprentice" where they saw his treatment of others who weren't as "brilliant a businessman" as he thought he was.

Oh, I almost forgot "Honey Boo Boo" and "Duck Dynasty", although I do believe that those two were closest to reality (reality of rednecks).

[Ferrets are Cool]

36. Good list

[Tommymac]

15. RW Radio is more influential then Fox. It's the Rush effect

Rush is where it all started in the late 1980's. On Radio.

Tens upon tens of millions listen to RW crap twice a day during their commute to work.

Twice.
Every.
Single.
Working.
Day.

And compared to RW radio, Fox is moderate.

Getting rid of Fox is not the answer anymore.

The destructive RW memes are too imbedded in too many people.

I fear we may have to eventually resort to a form of Sherman's methods to rid ourselves of these monsters.

Total denigration of every idea, every thought, every idol, every meme they hold dear. Total. Make it hurt.



On Edit: This means their traitorous RW religious leaders and churches too. Tax them all into oblivion.

[certainot]

35. definitely. fox is part of the free speech spectrum - there are free easy alts a click away. it

needed a decade of unchallenged repetition from 1200 radio stations that limbaugh kept on the same page 15 hrs a day.

fox has to look 'balanced' and can't be as fake or racist or stupid - they get monitored.

and in contrast the RW radio monopoly would be easy to destroy

1) MIT media lab researchers developed a prototype using artificial intelligence to automatically record, transcribe, and analyze billions of words from many talk stations - something like that needs to be used to sample RW radio blowhards, nationally and locally

2) on a smaller scale, AI and software tools can be used to associate the RW content directly with advertisers - without listening. that's old style boycott x 100. and can be done from anywhere.

3) the 87 universities listed at fakenewsradio.org (broadcasting sports on 260+ x-limbaugh stations), many others, and dozens of pro sports teams have to be hounded until they start discussing looking for apolitical alternatives for sports broadcasting on. they have no excuse to keep endorsing global warming denial, anti choice, racist sexist fascist bullshit. when that happens at one school it will spread and snowball and along with its 1 and 2 advertisers would desert those stations en mass. the ad industry would have to start breaking up the monopoly to stop the exodus of advertisers fleeing those stations.

dems are not doing due diligence. look at florida - DeSantis, scott, rubio, etc and 5 fla unis support 20 republican pro desantis xLimbaugh stations. UF on 10.

penn, Ga, Mich, Wisc - all could be huge if there was a an effort.

that could happen fast, especially if the Dem Party or it's allied orgs finally pulled their heads out of their ass and stopped ignoring rw radio.

[COL Mustard]

13. I watched some GOP weenie on CNN this morning

He was spinning and dissembling and blaming everyone but T*ump. Gawd I despise that man and what he stands for.

[c-rational]

21. +1. Agreed and well said, especially the part about beating the propaganda out of their souls.

[uponit7771]

27. +1,

[betsuni]

3. "No one wants to think the worst"?

I guess it's a rule to always think the worst about Democrats and not Republicans?

[dchill]

20. I think you have that exactly right. 👍

[Irish_Dem]

4. It is reality overload in part, by GOP design.

If the GOP can keep the bad news coming in a constant barrage, people become numb, demoralized, afraid, desensitized.

It is learned helplessness. We are conditioned to believe there is nothing we can do.

Typical in abusive relationships.

[NoMoreRepugs]

9. Succinctly put Kentuck.

[gab13by13]

12. Trump, GQP politicians, Fox and other outlets,

are calling for violence, and for violence against law enforcement. Trump needs to be held accountable, before the election.

What the guy did in Cincinatti will be repeated, people are going to die because of these traitors. I am opposed to the death sentence, but I have to say, what they did to the guy in Cincinatti was proper, kill them. I do not believe that capital punishment reduces murder but I do believe that killing Magats who are going after the FBI and law enforcement will make them think twice.

[getagrip_already]

16. And yet, here we are.....

No closer to an indictment than we were when it became clear that close to $1B disapeared from inaugaral funds. No closer than after thousands of other crimes, including state crimes.

And the doj will still do nothing more about this. They built a case they could sell to a judge, and will now run away and bury consequences.

They will take no further action because they never have.

After the midterms there will be continued silence. Maybe a few token charges against small people. Not much more.

[essaynnc]

23. You know, I just see this as a continuation of...

The Civil War.

For a 150 years, there are those among us who are trying to take over the US government, by Any means possible.

I'm guessing that once a generation or so, the anti-Semitic, racist, anti immigrant, anti other faction resurges and shows it's ugly head. If I were a history buff, I could probably detail each one of these instances.

I'm afraid, this time, It's not over yet, and they probably come closer than they ever have before. I think they realize, that with the "browning" of America, this may be their last and best chance.

[DENVERPOPS]

26. Brilliant reporting/writing Kentuck

If we had media reporters writing like this, it would be a different USA......

Short, succinct, fact after fact, "30"

Please write often, it is truly refreshing to read a piece like this !!!!!!!!

[kentuck]

30. Thank you very much, DENVERPOPS.

I try to give a different perspective that is as close to the truth as we can get. I feel it is needed and I thank DU for giving us this platform.

[Joinfortmill]

31. Amen to that

[Evolve Dammit]

32. Spot on kentuck.