Donald Trump

[BedsBlue68]

He isn't.

Hence the hush money court case he's trying to get thrown out thanks to his mates on SCOTUS arguing the payments were official acts therefore he's immune.

How come there are so many reports saying that he is using campaign funds for his legal cases and has been for a long time?

Trump’s Use of Campaign Funds to Pay Legal Bills

Thanks to loopholes and lax enforcement, former president Trump is using campaign funds to pay almost all of his legal bills.

www.brennancenter.org

More than $27M in Trump campaign fundraising went to legal costs in the last six months of 2023

The former president was indicted four times last year and has also had to answer civil lawsuits targeting his business and him as an individual.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[TinFoilHat]

 

[The Future’s Blue!]

Scary shit.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

He has achieved a complete takeover of that country in less than 10 years. Every branch of govt and authority including the judiciary now. Not even the FBI can touch him. Hes got the judiciary with the supreme court, and hes got congress, and anyone else that could possibly ever hold him to account. It is a total ownership and so by definition it will be a dictatorship, it cant be anything else. Ive never seen anything like it

 

[The Future’s Blue!]

He has achieved a complete takeover of that country in less than 10 years. Every branch of govt and authority including the judiciary now. Not even the FBI can touch him. Hes got the judiciary with the supreme court, and hes got congress, and anyone else that could possibly ever hold him to account. It is a total ownership and so by definition it will be a dictatorship, it cant be anything else. Ive never seen anything like it

he’s not been able to do that on his own, people behind the scenes.

 

[west didsblue]

He has achieved a complete takeover of that country in less than 10 years. Every branch of govt and authority including the judiciary now. Not even the FBI can touch him. Hes got the judiciary with the supreme court, and hes got congress, and anyone else that could possibly ever hold him to account. It is a total ownership and so by definition it will be a dictatorship, it cant be anything else. Ive never seen anything like it

It’s a slow motion putsch for which the end game can only be delayed with a Democrat winning the presidency. Nothing can be done about SCOTUS without a Dem senate supermajority and that isn’t possible with the states that are up for election this year. It’s a grim situation and one the rest of the world needs to seriously plan for.

 

[Vic]

Senility or stupidity?

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

For the purpose of the election of the President (see Donald Trump thread!) it is not a democracy, it is a republic, such that the last few Republican Presidents have been elected by a significant MINORITY of the votes, but passed the threshold 270 Electoral College votes.

My local Congressman and Senators ARE elected in democratic votes, though, but they belong to a different Branch of Government than the Orange Clown under discussion.

Again, this is because the Founding Fathers, looking out across their sparsely populated new States, did not want the highly populous State of Virginia to dominate their politics and crown a powerful “King” so soon after fighting a war to free themselves from one.

Local elections: democratic
National election: more of a republic
The “democratic process” of governance, certainly more republican in nature.

I agree with your post insofar as it goes.

On the other hand, the average American citizen isn't as sophisticated as you are. When they hear that "America isn't a Democracy"... the conclusion is that governance in America has nothing to do with the will of the people.

My primary objection to your stance is that the American far Right have seized upon the "America isn't a Democracy" position to promote numerous talking points. For example:
* America isn't a Democracy. So why support Ukraine? We have nothing in common;
* America isn't a Democracy. So why isn't a strong man in the ilk of Viktor Orban desirable? Clearly this is better, since a strong man president could implement policies unhindered by bureaucracy, congress and the courts;
* America isn't a Democracy. So voting and consideration of the majority doesn't matter. And even if voting were desirable, voting is rigged against the Right and thus is not to be trusted.

My second objection to the "American isn't a Democracy" stance, is that it smacks of pedantry.

 

[laserblue]

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Shots fired at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania while he was on stage.
Trump definitely puts a hand to his ear (as if being nicked?) before ducking and the Secret Service piling in.
Also reported that he was seen being hustled to a car afterwards.