03.13.2016 09:30 AM

When you stare into the abyss, etc. 

Is Donald Trump deliberately provoking violence to help his campaign? Probably. Are we falling into his trap? Maybe. 

Here’s what Maddow says:

Maddow pointed out that Trump’s rallies have included racially charged violence for months and said, “There have been instances in the past where he has at least encouraged or praised the idea of violent actions by his supporters. When he’s spoken wistfully about how great it would be to beat people up at his rallies or he has told people that he would pay their legal fees if they would beat up a protester on his behalf. 

He has done that in the past. But this sort of blood lust. Right? This half tongue in cheek, mostly serious call for a tougher America where there are more beatings and where anti-Trump protesters fear for their lives.”

 Rachel Maddow date stamped a series of Trump comments to show that the escalation of the violence at his rallies is deliberate.

So, if she’s right, Chicago helps him. It doesn’t help those who oppose him. 

But here’s the thing: what happened in Dayton – when a guy came very, very close to getting him – doesn’t. I mean, Mr. Trump, what good is your provoke-violence strategy if you end up…well, you know. I don’t wish that on you, but I won’t be surprised if it happens now, either. After all, etc.

Like I always say: when you set a mean dog loose, he may bite someone else. 

But, eventually, he’ll bite you, too. 

16 Comments

  1. Sean says:

    It seems all too common that almost every conservative politician draws Hitler analogies these days and I don’t have much patience for that sort of foolish criticism. But Donald Trump? That shit is real. He *is* a lot like Hitler in the Weimar Republic days. He’s tapped into the worst of human emotion, given angry people a target and presented himself as the weapon. I’ve never been really afraid of a right wing politician until now. Not Harper, not Bush Jr, not Ford etc… these guys don’t even come close to how f%$ked up the Trump campaign has become. This is indeed what a fascist take over looks like. I’m seriously thinking about going down and volunteering for however the Dem candidate is.

    • Joseph says:

      Strange .I would equate the ‘Bernie Brownshirt’ crowd more with fascism but that’s just me. BTW where was the outrage when Obama used this rhetoric?http://www.therightperspective.org/2010/06/12/a-history-of-obamas-violent-rhetoric/ Seems that it all depends on whose ox is being goared!

    • Michael Bluth says:

      Sean, unless you are a U.S. citizen you can’t legally go down and volunteer on a campaign. Old adage about not publicly promoting illegal acts/intentions on Youtube, in comments sections, etc…

      The Hitler analogy is a bridge too far. Does Trump have a military force equivalent to the SA(Brown Shirts)? Histrionic comments like yours only serve to add to the anger that fuels many, many Trump supporters.

      Some progressives will see it as a good thing the protestors shut down the Trump rally in Chicago. It’s not. It inflames the anger on both sides. Bernie has the right approach, although he should explicitly call for any of his supporters to turn down the heat.

      Kasich is the only Republican approaching this campaign in a civil manner. Sad he’s in last place of all the remaining candidates.

  2. cmats says:

    I will be going down to the states to volunteer if Trump is the GOP candidate. My sisters and their families live in the US. I am very worried about what I’m seeing and watching. The GOP made the mistake of not doing anything and not taking Trump seriously at the beginning of his campaign and now look what’s happening. Time to speak out and protest is now. Evil will only triumph when good men do nothing.

  3. Al in Cranbrook says:

    Tapper’s interview with Rubio this morning on the state of this campaign, from the heart…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J08atDFR2c

    Why this man is not walking away with the GOP nomination is beyond me.

    • Art says:

      I have to agree with you Al. The most recent interview I saw with Rubio was amazing to me. I say this as an arch Liberal. I think trump has shocked the hard right rhetoric out of him.

  4. MississaugaPeter says:

    Trump was genuinely in fear in Dayton when that occurred. He can’t be that naive to think that there may not be someone out there who may consider rubbing him out. And if this continues, all the remaining candidates will become more fearful of their own safety. The net positive should be more gun ownership regulation. But then it may not, since changes were minor after all the assassinations in the 60’s.

  5. Matt says:

    Unfortunately I think these protests are now going to be taken over by those who just want to shit disturb on both sides.

    Kind of like the Ferguson protests. Those started out as legitimate protests but as they got more media coverage they were taken over by people who just wanted wreck stuff.

  6. dean sherratt says:

    If Trump is indeed like Hitler, is the US indeed like the Weimer Republic? I thought progressives everywhere were heralding the USA as the most prosperous and contented country in the world.

    In any event, I refer Mr. Kinsella to another violent incident with many distinctions but one…it also occurred election eve…namely the separatist demonstrations in Montreal in June 1968. There are those who argue that Trudeau got his majority by staring them down that night. Personally I think it was just icing on the cake…

    In any event Warren…how do violent demonstrations play out politically? Wallace had his share of them in 1968 and poor Humphrey never quite recovered from the Democratic Convention, though coming close by November.

    The proximity with the winner take all primaries in Florida and Ohio will at least be a feast for analysts…

    • doconnor says:

      “I thought progressives everywhere were heralding the USA as the most prosperous and contented country in the world.”

      Most progressives know that the USA is the worst on poverty, healthcare and other categories amoung developed countries. Obama only really kept it from getting even worse.

  7. Kevin says:

    Well, there are victims of real attacks, and there are victims of other kinds of attacks.

  8. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Trump is a fine actor. But as he could find out, the burden of high elective office quite necessarily quickly changes people. What some would call a stark betrayal, others would see as bowing to the inevitable — the world of real politik.

  9. Cory says:

    When the moderates are painted as extremists and shouted down, only the true extremists will be left to speak up.

    I think Mill Maher had a very good point when he said that when the other candidates won’t even mention the words “Islamic terrorism”, the people will go with the only candidate that will even if he is too extreme.

  10. Aongasha says:

    I don’t care what the house rules are. I say again, citing Rachel Maddow does nothing for your argument. She is just the flip side of Bill O’Reilly as MSNBC is of Fox.

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