If Republican voters have any patriotism, they need to pressure Congress now

We now have a president way over the line of the law and democracy, saying he is declaring war on a major American city which elected Democratic officials. Normally I'd say this demands impeachment, but that would give us the disaster of Vance, so instead I advocate for Congress to obstruct his crimes, and the only way I see a chance for that is for Republican voters to pressure their members. Heather Cox Richardson reports what's happening:

"Today the social media account of President Donald J. Trump posted an AI-generated image of Trump as if he were Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore from the 1979 film Apocalypse Now in front of the Chicago skyline with military helicopters and flames and the caption “Chipocalypse Now.” Kilgore loved the war in Vietnam in which he was engaged; his most famous line was “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

Over the image, Trump’s social media post read: “‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…’ Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The words were followed by three helicopter emojis, symbols the right wing uses to represent former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s goons’ disappearing political opponents by pushing them out of helicopters.

Although it has become trite to speculate about what Republicans would say if a Democratic president engaged in the behavior Trump exhibits daily, this open attack of the president on an American city is a new level of unhinged. Mehdi Hasan of Zeteo wrote: “The president of the United States just declared war, actual military war, not a metaphorical one, on a major American city, and one governed by his political opponents.” He added, accurately: “In any other period, this would be impeachment-worthy.”

Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker called attention to the gravity of Trump’s post: “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.” Under the words “Know your rights, Illinois,” and “Stay safe and stay informed,” the governor’s social media account posted information about Americans’ rights in both English and Spanish.

Trump’s threats against American citizens are outrageous, but they also feel desperate. Trump’s popularity is tanking, the economy is faltering, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing a chorus of calls to resign or be fired, and the American people are taking to the streets. Thousands of people turned out today in Washington, D.C., for the “We Are All D.C.” march to protest the presence of troops in the city, and in Chicago for the “Chicago Says No Trump No Troops” protest. The protests are notable for the seas of signs the peaceful protesters carry.

And then, with Congress back in session, there is the resurgence of the issue of Trump’s appearance in the Epstein files. Last week, the White House warned Republicans that voting to release the Epstein files “would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration.” Yesterday, Trump reiterated his claim that the agitation for the release of the files is a “Democrat HOAX…in order to deflect and distract from the great success of a Republican President.”

Also yesterday, lawyers for the Justice Department asked a federal judge to keep the names of two associates who received large payments from Epstein in 2018 secret. Days before the payments, the Miami Herald had started to examine the sweetheart deal Epstein got in 2008. One associate received a payment of $100,000, and the second received $250,000. As part of his plea deal, Tom Winter of NBC News reports, Epstein got a guarantee that the associates would not be prosecuted.

Last night, Trump hosted the inaugural dinner of what the White House is calling the “Rose Garden Club” in the newly-paved White House Rose Garden, telling those assembled that they were there because they are loyal to the president. “You’re the ones that I never had to call at 4:00 in the morning,” Trump told them. “You are the ones that have been my friends, and you know what I’m talking about.”"

Republicans should do this only if they think an old man raping a 13yo girl helplessly tied to a bed and pleading for him not to do it is a bad thing.

That's the charge implicated in the Epstein files.

Shouldn't America know the truth about who did that?

Peacenik said:

Republicans should do this only if they think an old man raping a 13yo girl tied to a bed and pleading for him not to do it is a bad thing.

That's the charge implicated in the Epstein files.

Shouldn't America know the truth about who did that?

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As horrific as trump's raping a 13 year old girl is, I think it pales to his weaponizing the presidency into an authoritarian attack on our democracy and the country. That's what we need Congress to oppose him on. If the sex crime helps people support pressuring Congress to oppose him on that, good.

Craig234 said:

As horrific as trump's raping a 13 year old girl is, I think it pales to his weaponizing the presidency into an authoritarian attack on our democracy and the country. That's what we need Congress to oppose him on. If the sex crime helps people support pressuring Congress to oppose him on that, good.

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Well said. Agree. I was totally focusing on the one thing that might get their attention since they seem to be completely under the spell of all the billionaire funded right wing propaganda.

Peacenik said:

Republicans should do this only if they think an old man raping a 13yo girl helplessly tied to a bed and pleading for him not to do it is a bad thing.

That's the charge implicated in the Epstein files.

Shouldn't America know the truth about who did that?

Click to expand...

Actually, they are desperate for that to go away. They have hope, because look at what already has gone away. Late 2028 will be very interesting if a dem wins the election.

Republican voters? Seriously?

Every last GOP congressman is up for re-election. That is their priority. That is their only priority. This means they must not, under any circumstances, raise the ire of Donald Trump, lest he calls for their expultion via the primary process. The MAGAs in the GOP control the primaries. No GOP congressman will prevail without the implicit blessing of Trump.

The only way this reality can be overcome is if Republican voters decide to vote Democratic in massive numbers in the fall of 2026. Don't hold your breath.

Stealers Wheel said:

Every last GOP congressman is up for re-election. That is their priority. That is their only priority. This means they must not, under any circumstances, raise the ire of Donald Trump, lest he calls for their expultion via the primary process. The MAGAs in the GOP control the primaries. No GOP congressman will prevail without the implicit blessing of Trump.

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That is what Republican voters need to change. If all they care about is re-election, and the only pressure on that is from trump, our country will be greatly harmed by trump. What's needed is for Republican voters to make clear their re-election is more threatened if they don't block trump. By your own logic, the members will respond to that.

Stealers Wheel said:

The only way this reality can be overcome is if Republican voters decide to vote Democratic in massive numbers in the fall of 2026. Don't hold your breath.

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That's much less likely than getting them to pressure their members to block trump, and we can't wait for that election.