Don't Let It Be Forgot... : The Update
Back in March, 2022, I wrote an article about the long, long, incredibly loooooong list of utterly reprehensible things that Trump and Republicans have said since he took office. It was based on two concepts: the first is that so much of this is said, and pours down like an unending tsunami that the public gets SO busy reacting to the latest horror said that the last one gets pushed aside and forgotten, and it's important to keep them remembered. The other is that when confronted with deeply uncomfortable realities, the common GOP strategy these days is to deflect with "What about's...?" -- the false equivalence that suggests one transgression equals 100. And so, I thought it would be a good idea and public service to provide a handy list people could save and link to the next time they get a "What about...?" and say, "Well, answer these first."
I noted that I would repeat the list from time to time, so that, indeed, it wouldn't be forgotten. And also to keep upgrading the list, with new Trump/GOP transgressions and old ones that did get forgotten but came to mind (or that I was reminded of).
If you haven't read the full list, here 'tis. But if you have, just scroll down to the addendum, easily marked -- "* UPDATE: NEW MATERIAL ADDED *"
Don't Let It Be Forgot
March 9, 2022
Don’t let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief tarnished moment
That was known as Scamalot.
The Republican Party spins downward so fast these days, it’s difficult to keep track of past transgressions going back to when Trump ran for office and then took over the party. And so each travesty gets buried and then forgotten as the new pile of garbage gets dumped on top the old every day – even though in ordinary times such galling, often ghastly outrages would be the unforgettable headline for months and often actual scandals.
So, all this morass just covers up the other garbage, which gets pushed aside to make room for the latest.
The other day, I noted the official statement made by the Republican Party that the January 6 insurrection was supposedly nothing more than mere “Legitimate Political Discourse,” something so deeply defining of the GOP as fascist – yet even that has been shunted into the dusty corner as more new indignations take its place at the top of the pile.
I thought it would be valuable, therefore, to put together a list of just some of the Trump and Republican Party rubbish that has collected over the past few years – keeping in mind that anything “just Trump” has also been enabled and supported by his party. And these are only what I’m able to recall at the moment, others buried and lost in time. But the list isn’t final – I’m sure I’ll remember more and be reminded of others. And of course, there will be new GOP and Trump transgressions all the time.
But there’s another, equally-important reason for having this list – which I plan to re-post from time to time as it grows. Not just to be a reminder, but also as an easy page to bookmark as a defense against far right “But What About-ism.” That’s the GOP standby gambit when you’re in a conversation about the latest Trump/Republican high-end debacles, and the only response your Republican enthusiast can offer in return is to try to change the subject with “But what about…??!” – and then try something like “…when Barack Obama wore a tan suit after Labor Day?!!!” As if that was an equivalent, let alone remotely on topic. (Or worse, when they “But what about…” something that didn’t actually happen, like “…stole the election,” “bugged Trump,” “hacked White House computers,” “want to get rid of the 2nd Amendment,” “eat babies in the basement of a pizza restaurant.”) Or when all else fails, “…Hunter Biden!” Or “Hillary’s emails!!”
So, the next time I – or anyone – is in a debate and making factual, substantive arguments, and suddenly a “But what about…??!” gets thrown in to change the subject – now, whether the “But what about…??!” is an empty one, a non-existent one, or even a reasonable, single – but woefully off-topic – one, it will now be possible to say in return, “Ohhh, okay, so you want to play ‘But what about…??!”, do you? Fine. Here’s a list, here’s a link – so, then, what about ALL of this?!!! All of it. Answer that first, and then after we finish discussing this point we’re actually on, finally I will be happy to address your off-topic question.”
Until then, though…what about –
*
The Republican National Committee calls the January 6 insurrection attempt to overthrow the government “Legitimate Political Discourse.”
Trump calls murderous Russian dictator Vladmir Putin a “genius” as Russia invades democratic Ukraine.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praises Putin, saying “He is a very talented statesman. He has lots of gifts” and “I have enormous respect for him – I’ve been criticized for saying that.”
Former Trump Attorney General William Barr writes a book that slams Democrats for “demonizing” brutal Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, while saying he looks forward to a “positive future” with the despot
On camera in Helsinki, Trump says he trusts Russian dictator Putin, leader of America’s top adversary, and says doesn’t trust all the U.S. intelligence services.
At the director of Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort, the Republican Party removed the plank from the party platform to provide military support for Ukraine in 2016. And kept it out of their party platform in 2020.
Trump tried to blackmail the president of Ukraine by not releasing money for Ukrainian defense that had been mandated by Congress, which got him impeached. For the first time.
Paul Manafort is convicted on eight felonies. Trump pardons him.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene addresses a white supremacist conference.
At the State of the Union Address, Rep. Lauren Boebert heckles the U.S. President talking about his dead child who served in Iraq.
Fox “News” claiming that DOJ lawyer John Durham exposed Hillary Clinton’s hacking crimes only to have Durham himself explain that he wrote no such thing about her.
Both Democratic and Republican state senators in Arizona vote to censure Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers after she made “violent and discriminatory comments” at a white supremacist conference and also attack Ukraine President Zelensky on social media.
Trump makes a deal with the Afghanistan Taliban to return the country to them by a specific date – after he’s out of office – with not concessions in return from the Talibon.
Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo poses for a celebratory photo with the co-founder of the Taliban.
Trump cited for 16,000+ documented lies.
Trump calls Mexicans “drug dealers, criminals, rapists” and that “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people, these are animals.”
Trump caught on tape laughing about grabbing women by the "p*ssy.”
Trump publicly asks Russia to hack computers in order to find his election opponent’s emails.
Trump pulls the United States out of the Paris Accord, the only country in the entire world not to support the environmental protections to help save the planet.
Trumped pulls the United States out of the nuclear sanctions against Iran – which soon after was cited for restarting its nuclear program.
Trump calls third-world countries “sh*t holes.”
Trump calls the press “the enemy of the people.
Trump and Chief of Staff John Kelly caught on video joking about using a ceremonial sword to kill journalists.
Chef of Staff John Kelly publicly slams black Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson for taking credit for getting federal funds to build the FBI field office in Florida – and when video of the event surfaces and shows Kelly to be completely wrong, he never apologizes.
Rep. Paul Gosar puts out a cartoon video that has him portrayed as an anime-hero killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a sword and attacking President Biden with a sword.
Trump slams Federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel for being “Mexican” – even though the judge was born in Indiana (not that that should matter).
Trump relentlessly promises to not only build a Wall, but also keeps promising that he will get Mexico to pay for it, adding “Trust me.”
The Trump administration separates children from their family who enter the country illegally and put the children in cages, a policy supported by Republicans in Congress.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) tells his supporters that they should raise their sons to “grow up to be monsters.”
Trump said that the neo-Nazis had some “very fine people.”
Trump told white supremacist groups to “stand by.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) tweets about the United States that “We are not a democracy.”
The Trump administration ignored all advice by the Obama Transition Team, who counseled them on pandemics – including given them an extensive playbook manual and left storage of medical supplies, both of which the Trump people said didn’t exist.
Trump closed the Pandemic Response Unit in 2018, before the pandemic hit.
Trump cut $8.5 BILLION from CDC budget, before the pandemic hit.
Trump fired the CDC expert in China in July, 2019, before the pandemic hit.
When asked about his responsibility in the spread of the coronavirus, Trump – who was in charge of everything -- said, "I take no responsibility at all."
Trump said the coronavirus will just “go away like a miracle.”
Trump said the coronavirus was just like the flu.
Trump said that children couldn’t get COVID-19.
Trump suggests that drinking bleach and hydroxychloroquine and using deadly UV rays could kill the coronavirus.
Again, just as a reminder, all of these issues with Trump were met with near-unanimous silence by the Republican Party, with no push back or even just disagreement, thereby enabling him and those positions.
The Republican Party gets “outraged” when a publisher makes a business decision to drop six, very old books from its catalog written by Dr. Seuss that haven’t sold much in decades and have some parts in them that they felt are problematic today.
The Republican Party gets “outraged” when the maker of the Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head toys decides to package them together to save money.
The Republican Party gets “outraged” when they claim Disney has censored The Muppets, though in reality they just moved a few episodes behind a pay wall, and all the episodes are available.
Trump said he’d have a beautiful” health care plan in 2016. Over four years, he kept saying he’d have a “beautiful” health care plan, very soon, so beautiful you wouldn’t believe it. He never released any health care plan.
Trump says he brutal, murderous despot Kim Jong-un of North Korea “wrote me beautiful letters, and we fell in love.”
Trump said he and brutal Chinese dictator Xi Jinping have a “great relationship,” and “We love each other” and shared “the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake.”
Trump praised Philippine despot Duterte who has compared himself to Hitler, bragged about personally executing criminals, and whose bloody war on drugs has killed 7,000 people – condoning him with an invitation to the White House.
Trump invited Egyptian dictator el-Sisi who seized power in a coup that killed over 800 protestors in one day – and invited him to the White House.
Trump says the hated and brutal Turkish autocrat Erdogan is “a good man,” “a friend,” and “a hell of a leader,” someone who is “highly respected” around the world.
Trump abandoned our Kurdish allies, who were holding 11,000 ISIS prisoners, by removing troops from the Syrian border with Turkey, letting Erdogan’s army invade, ISIS prisoners to escape, hundreds killed, and creating 130,000 Kurdish refugees, dismissing bipartisan criticism as “It’s not our border” and "If Turkey goes into Syria, that’s between Turkey and Syria” – quotes to remember the next time he tries to claim he’d have stood up to Putin invading Ukraine.
White House senior advisor and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner supported a Saudi blockade of U.S. ally Qatar while trying to get a personal $1.8 billion loan from Qatar for his family business.
Jared Kusher advised his friend Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after reports surfaced that American resident journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been murdered and dismembered on orders from bin Salman.
Rep. Lauren Bobert says the United States should liberate Canada.
Trump said he said he wasn’t allowed release his taxes (like every single president has done since Richard Nixon first did half a century earlier) because he was under audit – of which there was no evidence, but would have been perfectly legal and allowed even if he was), but kept saying he would release them. He never released his taxes – though did sue in court to keep them from being released, but lost.
The Republican Party voted unanimously against emergency relief to Americans that polls showed 75% of the country wanted. Democrats passed the bill.
Trump said there were airports in the Revolutionary War.
UPDATE: NEW MATERIAL ADDED
Republicans voted near-unanimously against the Infrastructure bill, but then go back to their districts and states claiming credit for the money they brought back to their districts and states.
In an interview with Bob Woodward only months into the pandemic, Trump acknowledged that COVID-19 was dangerous and transmitted through the air but publicly argued against masks and said it’s only like the flu.
Trump accused Ukraine of the country that tinkered with the American election, not Russia. Because the “genius” Putin who he trusts more than U.S. intelligence told him.
Trump refused to meet with Ukraine president Zelensky.
The Republican Party puts out a document that officially says that the Insurrection was just political discourse.
On the same day a Russian attack damages a nuclear power plant, risking a nuclear meltdown, Trump is asked how he sees Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ending, and he goes on a long rant about windmills.
Republicans give access to Russian spy Maria Butina through her connections with the National Rifle Association.
When asked to describe Climate Change. Trump answers, “In my opinion, you have a thing called weather.” (For the record, weather and climate are two, totally different things. And neither is a matter of opinion.)
During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been universally condemned, Trump does an interview where he asks the despotic butcher Putin for help finding dirt on the Biden family.
Republicans spend much of their time during the confirmation hearing of federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the first black woman on the Supreme Court – who they already confirmed for the federal bench just a year earlier (and who has a Highly Qualified rating by the American Bar Association -- by questioning her about whether she’s soft on children porn, terrorism and crime, asking how religious she is on a scale of 1 to 10, and reading to her from a children’s book.
Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) says he was invited to Republican cocaine drug orgies. And Republican officials – after he previously called for Biblical retribution against Democrats, helped enable the Insurrection and told Republican parents to raise their sons to be monsters – finally call him an “embarrassment.”
Madison Cawthorn echoes Putin’s talking points by saying that Ukraine was a "corrupt" country and called its President Zelenskyy a "thug." Republicans do not call him “an embarrassment.”
At a Trump rally in Michigan, Rep. Lisa McClain says that Osama bin Laden was killed during Trump’s time in office. In fact, the reality is that bin Laden was killed in 2011 on a mission approved by President Barack Obama.
Trump-endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate from Georgia Hershel Walker claims he graduated in the top 1% of his class. In fact, Walker never graduated and left school early, and at the time had a B average.
At a rally in Michigan, Trump xenophobically ridiculed Republican congressman Rep. Peter Meijer for the Dutch spelling of his family name. Despite this being a “Save America” rally, it’s worth adding that the Dutch were one of the founding settlers of America. And all the funnier (and even-more xenophobically pathetic) coming from someone whose family name was changed from "Drumpf."
At a rally for the Insurrection, Republican senator Josh Hawley gives them a fist-bump of support, shortly before they break into the U.S. Capitol and threaten the lives of elected officials.
At a deposition, Trump defends telling his supporters to beat up protestors because of the danger of tomatoes thrown at you that can kill you. And pineapples, too.
Elise Stefanik, third in GOP House leadership, helps push the white supremacist issue of replacement theory, one of the causes of the massacre in Buffalo, New York.
The GOP Twitter account sends out note about how the party is always for “life” – days before 192 House Republicans vote against an emergency relief bill to help fund the life-threatening shortage of baby formula.
In an interview with Politico, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said, “About a third of our population is African American; African Americans have a higher incidence of maternal mortality. So, if you correct our population for race, we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear.” On the surface, he said he was trying to make a point about infant mortality among minorities, but if that’s actually your concern, you not only don’t talk about “correcting our population for race” and how better our numbers would be if you didn’t count black women – but you also don’t sponsor a bill (as Cassidy has) to defund Planned Parenthood.
After the massacre in Uvalade, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) said that “In rural Colorado, an AR-15 is a gun of choice for killing raccoons before they get to our chickens.” It is also the gun of choice for mass murders. But to Mr. Buck, better to protect chickens than schoolchildren and all Americans.
On a TV interview with Newsmax, GOP congressman Louie Gohmert complained out loud so that everyone could hear, "If you're a Republican, you can't even lie to Congress or lie to an FBI agent." Yes, life is tough. If you lie to an FBI agent or Congress, and plan a coup to overthrow the government, there’s a chance they'll want to indict you.
After Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro was indicted for contempt of Congress, his aide Garrett Ziegler explained why he was scared. "The Junta requires complete submission to the regime,” he flailed. They are coming after me. They want to indict me next" This is today’s fascist GOP -- where the judicial system of laws is "The Junta" because its investigating people involved with the insurrection to overthrown democracy
After having virulent anti-Semites Kanye West and Nick Fuentes for dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Trump posted the following on his social media platform, calling to terminate the U.S. Constitution, "So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great 'Founders' did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!"
Days after two Oathkeepers were convicted in court of seditious conspiracy, Trump released a video offering his support for the Insurrectionists on Jan. 6, saying in part, “People have been treated unconstitutionally in my opinion and very, very unfairly, and we're going to get to the bottom of it."
Speaking about the January 6 Insurrection, Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “If Steve Bannon and I had organized that, we would have won. Not to mention, it would have been armed.” Realizing she had created huge problems for herself, she backtracked the next day saying it was all just a “joke” – missing the reality that excusing oneself with "I was only joking" has no inherent meaning. When the point of the joke is harm, then "the joke" is a statement of interest that clarifies the meaning.
Days before Joe Biden was to be sworn in as president, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) sent a text message to Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to say that “we are at a point of no return in saving our Republic !! Our LAST HOPE is invoking Marshall Law!! PLEASE URGE TO PRESIDENT TO DO SO!!" (His inability to spell ‘martial law” correctly is the least of his transgressions…)
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