Fraying at the Edges

Yesterday afternoon, as news of the day kept building and getting worse for the MAGOP, as party officials were releasing statements, many of the struggling with what to say, along with reports of what career professionals inside DHS are saying in disgust, I got an email from a friend who asked, “Are you sensing a fascist freakout?”

In fact, yes, I am sensing a fascist freakout.  But I sense it's coming not just from one faction as a whole, but many camps with separate, albeit related interests.  It comes in part from those who can’t help but see the cruel and deeply concerning reality in all the various videos.  And also from those who hear the DHS and White House’s blatant, indefensible, almost inexplicable lies defending that clear cruelty.  And it comes, too, from those in full support of all gun rights hearing DHS officials condemning the murdered victim for having a legally-permitted gun.

And if Trump’s approval was high, he might have gotten away with all from those in his party freaking out.  But his approval in his party is 23 point lower than his all-time.  And this in Minnesota comes as they see Trump’s out-of-control antics about Greenland.  And Canada.  And tariffs.  And raising prices.  And the murder by an ICE agent of Renee Good.  And the weeks of ICE and Border Patrol violence in Minneapolis – including the elderly man, a U.S. citizen, taken outside in brutal cold with just a blanket around his naked body, only to be released hours later because he was taken by mistake.   And the 5-year-old boy in his bunny hat, taken with his father (here legally while applying for asylum) and transported to a detention center in Texas.  And more.  All of that comes to play when seeing the freakout.

And as I’ve written here in the past – if your approval is high, and you make a mistake, people are apt to forgive it.  But when your approval is low, if you make a mistake, it confirms to people why your approval is low.  Now, make that word “mistake” plural – and see mistake after mistake after mistake.

And there’s another fascist freakout, as well.  From the MAGOPs in Congress who are up for re-election.  All of them put in the position of having to defend this gruesome cruelty (and not “just” mere cruelty, but even two murders) that not only do most of them know is wrong – but they know so many of their constituents know is wrong.  So, they either have to defend it, or go against Trump and DHS, both of whom they have long been loyally enabling, supporting and defending.  It’s a major freakout – which we can tell by there actually being a few MAGOPs in Congress who are now tentatively speaking out, at the very least calling for Congress to investigate the most recent murder.  Even professional Trump apologist James Comer (!!) made a convoluted, twisted statement on camera trying to defend Trump and DHS while saying that ICE and the Border Patrol should leave Minneapolis.  When you see all that, you know there is a deeper MAGOP freakout under the public surface.

And you know there is a deeper MAGOP freakout when one of the party's candidates for governor of Minnesota, Chris Madel, dropped out of the race, saying he couldn't support being a member of a party that would condone such acts -- and that no one from the party could now possibly win in Minnesota.

And freaking out within Trump's DHS, as well.  What one Border Patrol agent wrote in a private chat group (that was shared with journalist Ken Klipperstein) is indicative of other coverage. “As much as I support this administration, there needs to be more common sense in situations like this, not a knee-jerk damage control narrative that does not line up with the evidence on video. This individual was shot 8 to 9 times while unarmed," the agent wrote.  "We can’t always support what happens just because it’s one of us."

And now it appears that Border Chief Greg Bovino will be getting fired.  The reports are that he will be sent to his previous job in El Centro, California, and retire from there.  (NOTE:  Lest this sound like a cushy way to be eased out in the Golden State on the Pacific Ocean, I have been to El Centro.  It's in the desert in the middle of nowhere.  The nearest town is Calexico, 12 miles away on the Mexican border.  I worked on a movie that filmed there for about a week.  You really do not want to retire in El Centro.)  The thing is, though, if Mr. Bovino is fired, the administration has an additional mess to deal with:  they will have to decide whether to keep supporting the lies (making the firing meaningless, just shifting around chairs on the deck of the Titanic), or criticizing the shooting (contradicting their own lies).  So, that only adds to the freakout.

To be clear, this isn’t to say that all or even most of the MAGOP party is having a fascist freakout.  But given that at his peak in his first term, Trump had a 91% approval in the party, and that much of the base thought he was here from God, and even now you don’t dare speak against Trump out of fear that “The Libs” might get comfort from it – or that you’ll be attacked from within – that we’re seeing this much consternation from the party in public is unprecedented since Trump first took office.

Another friend suggested that this could at least be the long-anticipated break with Trump by the MAGOP.  I don’t think so, he’s still too deeply entrenched.  But I do think it’s the most significant step – of many steps – leading towards that break.  When you have a dynamic where you just do not criticize Trump, then any criticism makes it easier to criticize the next time.  And over the past few months, we’ve seen tiny such “breaks” of MAGA criticism in Congress and from the public.  And this now is the most pronounced.  Which means the next outrage – and there will be a next outrage because Trump is not surrounded by people who can help him…and who often are the cause of the outrages and problems.  He’s surrounded by unqualified incompetents who know they only have their jobs by saying “Yes” to whatever Trump wants.  And that’s the other reason we know there will be more outrages –

Because Trump has dementia.  And people are beginning to notice it more, finally, and even on occasion using the “dementia” word.  Especially after his creepy speech at the Davos conference in Switzerland.  And whether MAGAs are willing to acknowledge it or not – yet – dementia doesn’t await their acceptance.  It’s not only here, it’s degenerative.  That’s why we’re seeing Trump more and more out of control.  Dementia is degenerative, and the pressures and dropping approval only help cause it to worsen.

So – yes.  I do see a fascist freakout.  Because far more than in the past do see what’s going wrong – or even just that “things” seem to be going wrong.  And worse, they don’t know what to do about it.  Because what’s going wrong is what they all have been supporting and enabling and defending.  Trump is great on the economy – as prices rise and millions are on the verge of losing their healthcare.  Trump is great on immigration – as ICE and the Border Patrol are out-of-control and even killing Americans.  Trump is America First – as he says he wants to attack Greenland, and attack Canada, and attacked Venezuela.  Trump says he’s a genius on science – as we cut required vaccines, drop out of the World Health Organization, and cases of measles nears an epidemic.  And and and and and.  It’s not just that Trump is out of control, but all his basic, core, foundational supposed-strengths are being torn inside-out.

And meanwhile, the MAGOPs in Congress continue to enable and support him, passing the policies he wants.  As they watch the Mid-Term elections near.

So – yes.  I do see a fascist freakout.  It’s not full-blown yet.  It will pass…but only temporarily, because there will be more of all this coming.  Because Trump has dementia and its degenerative.  And he has no one around him who can help.