Tag: GOP still the cult of Trump

Republicans Want No Independent Probe Of Jan. 6 Insurrection

Despite all the lamentations over the Republican Party –- the respectable party that supposedly existed before you-know-who ruined everything – it would be more honest to admit that the grand old party wasn’t so grand even back when. 

To take one timely example, Republicans have always resisted investigation of their leadership failures, even when the security of the nation was at stake.

At this moment, the constitutional imperative is to investigate, reveal, and respond to the forces behind the violent seizure of the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Dealing with the threat that horrendous incident now symbolizes ought to be a vital interest of both major political parties — whose legislators were nearly lynched by a ravening mob — as well as anyone who hopes to bequeath a democratic republic to our heirs. That is why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed a bipartisan national commission modeled on the panel that investigated the 9/11 attacks. Continue reading.

Some local GOP leaders fire up base with conspiracies, lies

A faction of local, county and state Republican officials is pushing lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories that echo those that helped inspire the violent U.S. Capitol siege, online messaging that is spreading quickly through GOP ranks fueled by algorithms that boost extreme content.

The Associated Press reviewed public and private social media accounts of nearly 1,000 federal, state, and local elected and appointed Republican officials nationwide, many of whom have voiced support for the Jan. 6 insurrection or demanded that the 2020 presidential election be overturned, sometimes in deleted posts or now-removed online forums.

“Sham-peachment,” they say, and warn that “corporate America helped rig the election.” They call former president Donald Trump a “savior” who was robbed of a second term — despite no evidence — and President Joe Biden, a “thief.” “Patriots want answers,” they declare. Continue reading.

At conservative gathering, ideas fall to an airing of Trump grievances

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One panel will discuss whether tech companies are “colluding to deprive us of our humanity.” One speech will explore what to do when a social media network “de-platforms” a conservative by deleting his account. And seven main-stage panels or speeches will litigate the 2020 election, with panelists who mostly — and incorrectly — argue that Donald Trump won.

The Conservative Political Action Conference, which began this week, has evolved from a fractious meeting of Republicans and libertarians into a celebration of the 45th president and the airing of his grievances.

Trump will close out the event with his first speech since leaving the White House, minutes after a 2024 presidential straw poll that he’s expected to win. The arguments among some elected Republicans about whether they should retool their agenda to prevent future losses, or revisit their alliance with Trump, will have to happen somewhere else. Continue reading.

Don Lemon: GOP Hypocrisy Is ‘Off The Charts’

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“You guys are just beyond,” the CNN anchor said.

Don Lemon on Wednesday dedicated a seven-minute segment of his CNN show to explaining why Republican hypocrisy is “off the charts.”

The “CNN Tonight” host pointed out how GOP lawmakers are now urging civility and bipartisanship, and how they’ve also called out Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, for past “mean tweets” attacking both sides of the aisle, for which she has since apologized.

What grated Lemon was that Republicans are singing this new tone after spending years tolerating, and often embracing, the uncivil discourse and Twitter wars incited by ex-President Donald Trump. Continue reading.

GOP leaders clash over Trump presence at CPAC

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Two Republican leaders disagreed over former President Trump while standing feet away from each other at a press conference on Wednesday. 

The awkward moment between House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) during the House Republican leadership press conference highlighted the division over the future of the GOP.

When asked whether Trump should speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, McCarthy — who served as one of Trump’s move vocal allies in Congress during the course of his administration — quickly asserted he believes that yes, Trump “should” be present at the annual GOP event slated to take place in Orlando, Fla., this weekend. It will be Trump’s first public political speech since leaving office. Continue reading.

Former Trump officials eye bids for political office

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Former Trump administration officials are testing the waters for political office, underscoring the former president’s lasting influence on the Republican Party as it searches for a post-Trump identity.

Cliff Sims, the former deputy at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) who is close with several Trump family members, is seriously considering getting into the race to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Trump’s former ambassador to Slovenia, Lynda Blanchard, a top Trump donor, has already entered that primary as a “proud member of the MAGA movement.”

In Pennsylvania, where Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is retiring, Trump’s Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite and his ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands, are both weighing bids. Continue reading.

A disaster for journalism raises disturbing doubts for the Republic

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On Sunday, NBC’s “Meet the Press” interviewed United States Senator Ron Johnson. ABC’s “This Week” interviewed House Minority Whip Steve Scalise. CBS’s “Face the Nation” interviewed United States Senator Lindsey Graham. “Fox News Sunday” interviewed United States Senator Rand Paul. They’re Republicans and they had a message for a combined television audience of millions: Donald Trump won.

Not in those exact words, but that was the clear implication. This thing or that thing—it didn’t really matter what thing—meant in their “view” that the former president was robbed and the legitimacy of the current president, Joe Biden, is somehow suspect.

I bring this up not because yesterday was a disaster for journalism and the integrity of the public square (though it was that). I bring this up because it seems to me an answer to the question that haunts democratic discourse: How does a republic deal with parties that lie so intensely, so voluminously and so shamelessly? Some say we should afford them the same respect we ourselves would expect. If we call them liars, that might encourage them to lie more given the outrage of being called liars. Better to check their facts, state the truth and move on in hopes that they behave in kind. Continue reading.

GOP’s Thune says Trump allies engaging in ‘cancel culture’

PIERRE, S.D. — U.S. Sen. John Thune is criticizing Republican activists and party leaders for engaging in “cancel culture” by rushing to censure GOP senators who found former President Donald Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection.

In his first interview since he voted to acquit Trump, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican on Thursday defended fellow Republicans who sided with Democrats on the “vote of conscience” and warned against shutting out dissenting voices in the party.

“There was a strong case made,” Thune said of the Democrats’ impeachment presentation. “People could come to different conclusions. If we’re going to criticize the media and the left for cancel culture, we can’t be doing that ourselves.” Continue reading.

Nikki Haley’s defense of her nuanced Trump criticism, and the nuance it misses

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Last week, Nikki Haley was featured in an extensive Politico profile in which she seemed to take inordinate care to distance herself from former president Donald Trump. This was big news, because Haley is considered one of her Republican Party’s brightest rising stars and a 2024 presidential contender. She also was Trump’s United Nations ambassador. Given that, this was a significant entry in the GOP’s ongoing debate over how much it will remain defined by Trumpism.

But to hear Haley tell it, this has become something else entirely: an effort by the media to divide Republicans. In a new Wall Street Journal op-ed, she argues the media simply won’t let Republicans offer a nuanced review of the Trump era, instead demanding that they firmly land in the “Always Trump” or “Never Trump” camp.

This call for allowing nuance, though, itself glosses over lots of nuance. And Haley’s op-ed is a case in point when it comes to why the media is so critical of how she and other occasional Trump critics talk about his tenure. Continue reading.

The overwhelming lesson of the Trump era: Republicans often rebuke Trump — when they have latitude

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The Senate played host to a historic vote on Saturday, with seven members of former president Donald Trump’s party voting to convict him in his second impeachment trial.

One thing that won’t surprise anyone who has paid attention to Trump’s tenure: A disproportionate number of the votes came from retiring Republicans.

Two of the seven who voted to convict Trump — Sens. Richard Burr (N.C.) and Patrick J. Toomey (Pa.) — had already said they won’t seek reelection. That means two of the four Republicans who have said they will retire voted against Trump. Another of the four, Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), issued one of the strongest denunciations of Trump among those who cited the alleged unconstitutionality of the proceedings in voting to acquit. He said Trump’s conduct vis-a-vis the Jan. 6 Capitol riot “was inexcusable, because in his speech he encouraged the mob, and that he bears some responsibility for the tragic violence that occurred.” Continue reading.