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Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) arrives for the Senate Republicans lunch in the Hart Senate Office Building on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
From 'No Comment' to 'Didn't Really See It': GOP Lawmakers Squirm When Asked About Trump Threat to Unleash Military on Protesting Americans
"This was the same response in Nazi Germany."
Jun 02, 2020
"Didn't really see it."
"I don't have any comment on that."
"Sorry, I'm late for lunch."
These were but a few of the responses from Senate Republicans to questions from NBC News reporter Kasie Hunt Tuesday on President Donald Trump's threats the previous evening to deploy the U.S. military to cities around the country roiled by unrest over last week's killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.
Trump on Monday also announced he was deploying the military to the streets of Washington, D.C. While Trump has the authority to mobilize U.S. military troops in the nation's capitol, he cannot do so in any other U.S. city absent emergency declarations or permission from Congress.
Video from the city's streets on Tuesday afternoon showed military vehicles moving through downtown neigborhoods.
"This was the same response in Nazi Germany," photographer Jerry Avenaim tweeted in response to a claim from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) that he had not seen the president's comments.
The lack of criticism among GOP lawmakers in response to the president's threats, argued Adam Weinstein in The New Republic on Tuesday, is only further evidence of the slide by the president's GOP towards a fascism quite similar to that of Hitler and Mussolini last century.
"It is time to embrace the parallels, to be unafraid to speak a clear truth," wrote Weinstein. "Whether by design or lack of it, Donald Trump and the Republican Party operate an American state that they have increasingly organized on fascist principles."
"The message of this federal government is unambiguous," continued Weinstein, adding, "The message is: Join the fascist party. We're winning."
Economist Robert Reich took a different view, saying the lack of condemnation was the result of deep-seated cowardice.
"Our country is at a breaking point," Reich tweeted, "and these spineless toadies can't even pretend to stand up to their Dear Leader."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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"Didn't really see it."
"I don't have any comment on that."
"Sorry, I'm late for lunch."
These were but a few of the responses from Senate Republicans to questions from NBC News reporter Kasie Hunt Tuesday on President Donald Trump's threats the previous evening to deploy the U.S. military to cities around the country roiled by unrest over last week's killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.
Trump on Monday also announced he was deploying the military to the streets of Washington, D.C. While Trump has the authority to mobilize U.S. military troops in the nation's capitol, he cannot do so in any other U.S. city absent emergency declarations or permission from Congress.
Video from the city's streets on Tuesday afternoon showed military vehicles moving through downtown neigborhoods.
"This was the same response in Nazi Germany," photographer Jerry Avenaim tweeted in response to a claim from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) that he had not seen the president's comments.
The lack of criticism among GOP lawmakers in response to the president's threats, argued Adam Weinstein in The New Republic on Tuesday, is only further evidence of the slide by the president's GOP towards a fascism quite similar to that of Hitler and Mussolini last century.
"It is time to embrace the parallels, to be unafraid to speak a clear truth," wrote Weinstein. "Whether by design or lack of it, Donald Trump and the Republican Party operate an American state that they have increasingly organized on fascist principles."
"The message of this federal government is unambiguous," continued Weinstein, adding, "The message is: Join the fascist party. We're winning."
Economist Robert Reich took a different view, saying the lack of condemnation was the result of deep-seated cowardice.
"Our country is at a breaking point," Reich tweeted, "and these spineless toadies can't even pretend to stand up to their Dear Leader."
"Didn't really see it."
"I don't have any comment on that."
"Sorry, I'm late for lunch."
These were but a few of the responses from Senate Republicans to questions from NBC News reporter Kasie Hunt Tuesday on President Donald Trump's threats the previous evening to deploy the U.S. military to cities around the country roiled by unrest over last week's killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.
Trump on Monday also announced he was deploying the military to the streets of Washington, D.C. While Trump has the authority to mobilize U.S. military troops in the nation's capitol, he cannot do so in any other U.S. city absent emergency declarations or permission from Congress.
Video from the city's streets on Tuesday afternoon showed military vehicles moving through downtown neigborhoods.
"This was the same response in Nazi Germany," photographer Jerry Avenaim tweeted in response to a claim from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) that he had not seen the president's comments.
The lack of criticism among GOP lawmakers in response to the president's threats, argued Adam Weinstein in The New Republic on Tuesday, is only further evidence of the slide by the president's GOP towards a fascism quite similar to that of Hitler and Mussolini last century.
"It is time to embrace the parallels, to be unafraid to speak a clear truth," wrote Weinstein. "Whether by design or lack of it, Donald Trump and the Republican Party operate an American state that they have increasingly organized on fascist principles."
"The message of this federal government is unambiguous," continued Weinstein, adding, "The message is: Join the fascist party. We're winning."
Economist Robert Reich took a different view, saying the lack of condemnation was the result of deep-seated cowardice.
"Our country is at a breaking point," Reich tweeted, "and these spineless toadies can't even pretend to stand up to their Dear Leader."
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