309 Comments

Joyce writes:

"Trump wasn’t harmed; the would-be gunman didn’t get a shot off. That was so despite the fact that Trump’s outing had not been previously planned, which forced Secret Service agents “to work on the fly”—something they are loathe to do for precisely the reasons that materialized on Sunday."

So... my question is: If Trump's outing "had not been previously planned," how did the man who supposedly wanted to kill him know to be there in the first place? Was his plan to hang out at that particular location every day? Meaning... was he there yesterday and the day before? Would he have been there tomorrow and the next day? How did he just happen to pick the right hole on the right day at the right time???

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All I know for certain is that Vance bombed on the Sunday morning shows, Trump made an unscheduled outing, and no one is talking about Springfield, Ohio today. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I have questions. And how much did Trump bring in with donations after this happened?

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RDB, you are right about the full attention being placed by our media of all stripes on this potential attack. Was it real or just a hired guy willing to face prison again for his beloved Donnie? I hate thinking this way, but the cheating and lying Trump has regularly participated in causes me to question everything he does and everything that happens to or near him. We still don't really know what happened at the "first assassination attempt" in Western Pennsylvania. It was just before the Republican Convention which meant it would get enormous attention and build the interest in the Convention if just to see how much Trump was actually wounded. We knew there was some blood, but we know all kinds of even tiny cuts around the head bleed a lot. Ther is little evidence of even a scratch shortly after the bleed. Was it a bullet? Is it possible to have a high-powered bullet leave essentially no mark? This time no actual shot was taken, but the reporting was very close to the coverage back in July. What is going on? Is this just more distraction and deception. Trump does not seem to be shaken at all. He whines, lies just as much as before and nothing seems to have changed at all. This is all just so weird!

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Let’s not forget, one person died for no reason except for his the misfortune of his proximity to mr. orange one.

Violence surrounds the orange one, whether it’s actual or conceptional.

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Let's also not forget that the alleged shooter died that day. A family lost their father, another family lost their son. That's two death that should be on trump's conscience. But since trump obviously has no conscience, I'll say that he has the blood of two men on his hands.

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Let’s discuss the 1+ million he’s already murdered with the Covid debacle!

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Thank you. The man who was killed in the first “attempt” has comparatively little corporate media coverage. His death is an enormous tragedy. Convicted Felon Drumpf seems to have not given the man’s death any concern. Also, who would stand up and raise his fist after being shot at? Too crazy to me.

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All I want to say is: T has encouraged violence since he was a child. Documented in Mary Trump's books. He was a cruel child, despicable teenager,and, a ruthless rotten-to-the-core, adult. (Although, I don't consider him an adult). His time will come.

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PA event: Most probably were shards of broken glass from the nearby teleprompter which glanced the Trump ear. Trump’s white pad was worn during the MAGA convention as a sympathy prop. Trump wore no pad on Saturday morning golf outing two days after shooting. Trump was lucky but used the event to fund raise and get support. Typical of Donald?

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I’m not a conspiracy theorist, usually, but if the golf game was unscheduled, how did the gunman know to stake out his vantage point at 2:00AM that morning?????

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Remember a man was killed that day!

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Trump doesn’t care that one of his rally goers was killed. HE is the center of the story.

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Precisely.

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Kathy, it seems to me the only person who has forgotten that a man was killed "that day" (actually two men) is Donald Trump. The way he has used these "assassination attempts" for his benefit proves that he cares nothing for those killed and the guy who dared to wait to shoot at someone for reasons we may or may not ever know. However, I am reminded by Trump's talk and incitement that he is OK with violence, just as long as it is directed at someone else.

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Two men. Don't forget the young man with the rifle. I feel that he is also a victim of trump's vileness.

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He probably had a capsule in his mouth to bite down on, releasing fake blood.

But then there'd be unexplained photos of blood streaks near his mouth.

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OMG see how trumps crazy shit and lying have affected all of us !

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David, it could have been a tiny piece of something the bullet passed and nicked that touched Trump's ear. He nursed the bandaged ear BS for a couple of days, but photos at the time saw no cut or anything else noticeable. Another mystery!

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Good question because he began fund raising about an hour afterwards.

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Well to be fair, his crack fund raising team has had plenty of opportunities to become quick on the draw!

Besides, they just photshop an image onto a blank white mug for the advertisement and then order the actual product from CHINA when his fools order them.

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The story on fundraising is that JDV has a case in the courts that looks like it will be successful to allow candidates to have no limits to the monies they use, so they can join with Super Pacs and control the message as far as I understand. I cannot remember which Substack reported on this yesterday. Sorry. So, while the Harris campaign may have raised more reportable money, I believe the Republicans have raised more dark money, which could end up flowing directly to them. They certainly are able to pay lots of money for ads in spaces where they have not gotten it together to have campaign offices. They also use the press for free advertisement, like this gun situation. The narrative needs to be switched to a message of gun control. It will make the NRA nervous.

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They can spend as much dark money they want - Revlon couldn't sell enough lipstick to put on those pigs.

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Grifters gonna grift, grift, grift, grift, grift... haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate! DT and JDV.

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Or hate "HAIT" in their case!

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T💩p was fundraising 10 seconds after the first assassination attempt with his fist-pumping stunt.

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Surprise.

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It is good if no one is talking about Springfield, Ohio today. It is good for the Haitians who live there, for the people who go to school there, for the town to try to heal they need attention off of them. Also, this was an attempt to get negative press on immigrants, and off of the abortion idea. The next time Ohio is talked about, it should be about abortion so that Trump does not get to amplify his issues. Now, we need to make this story not about Trump's not getting shot, but about gun control and who stands for it. Also, about the dangers to the Secret Service of guarding people who do not follow the rules. I knew that is why this second shot happened at Trump, and why Harris and Walz are not getting targeted in the same way, because they work with their security details, whereas Trump works with no one except himself.

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So true.

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Trump is so suspect for “Planning” these suspect “free press take over the media “ events - he they are failing - flailing - and this is his answer. He is a cheating lying pig

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deletedSep 17
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I am going to respectfully disagree with you as well. I am agreeing with the people who are experts on fascists that what Trump wanted was to deflect from talk about abortion and the issues that are weak ones for him. By talking about immigrants, he is making Ohioans afraid of Haitian immigrants overrunning their state, and that will get them voting differently then if the most current picture in their mind is abortion and other reasons not to vote for Trump. This Haitian issue was concocted just like it used to be against Chinese and Filipino immigrants doing the same thing. It is a racist trope that they are trotting out to get their supporters excited. The Haitians will not be safer by having this constantly in the media. Also, fascism experts have pointed out how Trump turned the whole visiting Arlington story against Harris by her getting involved. It became she was not honoring the families, and also was invited and did not come. It does not matter what the real story is, the battle is to 1) keep Trump from getting free press for behaving badly or otherwise, and to keep the press and narrative focused on positive things Harris-Walz are doing. A good deflection would be for them to talk about the problem with no gun control, and people getting guns illegally. I promise you the Haitians will not be better off by anyone going there and putting them in the media. Let the town work on healing. The press never makes things better, and the corporate press is not drawing attention to problems to help solve them because they make no money off of that. They make money by making the problems worse. That is not what I wish for Haitian immigrants in Springfield OH, or anywhere.

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It's a question a lot of people are asking. It seems very convenient. But I'm having trouble getting my head around the idea that if this guy was hired, he would go to prison quietly. Lured, perhaps? Maybe an investigation would show that someone was grooming him to act? But again, that's not very specific. You never know when the person will take the bait. While your question is entertaining on certain levels, I just don't find it feasible.

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Don't forget that Trompe said he'd pardon the Jan 6 rioters. What makes you think he wouldn't pardon this guy if he was part of a MAGA distraction plot?

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This guy was crazy long before trump came along.

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A man was killed that day.

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Two men. Please don't forget the young shooter.

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100%! This one seems SO clearly a setup to distract the public, get sympathy, and fund raise! I am not at all a conspiracy person, but this is just blatant!

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As I said the other day...not hard . trump golfs all the time. Set yourself up, sooner or later he will come putting by. Do it every day and there you go.

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The reporting now says that the perpetrator was at the course for 12 hours. I think you may be on to something.

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I know trump doesn't sleep (except at his trials), but does he really play golf at 2AM????

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No, but there probably isn't much surveillance at that time.

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Bombed according to who? The DNC?

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I think this is directed at my initial comment. I said Vance bombed on Sunday morning. I was referring specifically to his CNN interview with Dana Bash when he admitted creating stories.

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Makes one wonder, doesn’t it?

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Routh was reported to have been in the immediate area for at least 12hrs per phone data prior to incident. There is TOO much incongruency in both shootings. One incongruent shooting can be possibly be accepted. Two no f'ing way.

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Are you saying someone on the inside was revealing Trump's actions, and he was waiting for Trump to randomly decide to golf?

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trump golfs nearly every day.

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Yes, and this golf outing was stated as being unscheduled… how did the shooter know yo be there at 2:00 AM that morning????

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Susan, He went at 2am to set up because no one would be there to see him at that time. His phone would show if he did it more than once.

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Phony put ups? Do u think he would stoop so low??? Hahahaha

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Thank you for asking the question I had wanted to ask!

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How difficult would it be to follow a 10-car convoy with flashing lights to a golf course?

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He predominantly golfs at his courses.Hes in south Florida. So not that hard to predict he will play there?

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He's also at Bedminster.

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The gunman was there 12 hours early.

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Also: the guy golfs every day. How many days did the arrested guy stake out the golf course?

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You know this, how?

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Apparently law enforcement got it off his phone's location information.

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Right-o, thank you:

"Business Insider: His cellphone number and records were quickly retrieved thanks to his own Facebook posts.

The suspect had posted his phone number in a message sent from the tree line at 1:59 a.m. Sunday, directing his followers to reach out to him on WhatsApp, the affidavit says.

"Agents requested T-Mobile, on an emergency basis, to provide law enforcement with information pertaining to Routh's mobile phone usage," the affidavit says."

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Doc, they are saying now that there is phone evidence that the gun holder may have been in the wooded area for up to 12 hours before Trump got there. Maybe he thought Trump would go there since he knows Trump is addicted to golf and that his golf course was near the place Trump was staying. It is unclear, but it could be telling the guy was an inside job. It is crazy to be so suspicious, but Trump and his whole crew lend themselves to be questioned at every turn, yet rarely are they questioned appropriately. We may never know because the information they find might be bad for Trump so it won't be shared. Ugh!

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The felon acts as if he is still President! Convoy. Flashing lights. Big to do. It is disgustingly Hollywood for someone who really doesn’t have any claim to all the hoopla except with his own cult and in his own mind.

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You’re welcome! I have to give credit to whoever created a related “Columbo” meme. It got me wondering about this in the first place. (Sorry I’m unable to attach an image to this comment)

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A local woman called into Stephanie Miller today gave many reasons to be sceptical.

Narcissits will do anything to survive when backed into a corner. With his "numbers" no longer in the "millions".....and facing prison in the future.

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He really was too far away from Trump for it to have made any sense, so it's likely that the guy was just going to show up at different places he hoped Trump would visit and hope he'd be able to get a clear shot. The guy brought lunch along, which he wouldn't have done unless he expected to have a long wait.

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Supposedly he was waiting 12 hours.

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Trump was playing Hole 5 at the time, 150 yards from the gunman.

Hole 6, where the Secret Service was positioned when the rifle and scope was spotted, is practically right next to the street according to Google Maps.

Close call.

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Yup. tfg would be walking towards the position. The green was 20 yards from it. Good thing they dawdled on the fifth hole.

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Tfg was getting closer to the shooter’s position as he played the course. If the secret service agent hadn’t seen the gun, Routh could have killed tfg.

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But how did the guy with the gun (he’s not a shooter) even know where Trump was? He wasn’t scheduled to be playing golf on that course that day, let alone the fact that the public didn’t know and would assume he was holding a rally somewhere? And really, was that secret service guy an eagle? Who can actually see a gun muzzle sticking out of a hedge from 500 feet away?

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Really powerful perception and question, Steve. This statement sounds cynical on my part, but the thought crosses my mind that the violent rhetoric has come from the Trump ticket. "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!"

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Not many former United States Presidents can claim to have spoken THAT line!

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Because most former president's aren't idiots...

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"The would-be gunman didn't get a shot off", but some reports yesterday mentioned shots fired before the secret service fired shots. I did not see any statements how close the 'guardsmen' were to the shooter's hiding place, but if there were some close enough to see the end of the rifle barrel, would any of their shots not necessarily harm the shooter? How convenient was it that there was at least one witness who conveniently had the presence of mind to take pictures of the fleeing man's car and license plate?

Isn't it odd that tfg goes on as if nothing happened, but obviously appreciates being back on the front page of everything? And, of course, despite the friendly gestures and words of Biden and Harris, tfg and his vicious sidekick JD have nothing else to do than incite possible violence to their political opponents, all supported by a sick and weird e. musk... Shame on them!

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Steve, all excellent questions, questions I had too. I didn't know at first that it was a short notice trip to the golf course, but it seems we are going to learn some things about this gun toting golf course watcher in the next few days, that is if the information is actually accurately released to us as the Pennsylvania incident was not reported accurately. There is a network of Trump watchers that manage to get to as many of his rallies as they can. How are they able to get the flights for ones that come up quickly? Do people in Trump's inside circle spread the word so there will be plenty of Trump's supporters to cheer for him, feed his ego wherever he goes? I am guessing whoever passed the information along to the fans didn't think someone would plan an attack, if it was an attack. There is a whole lot we don't know, and knowing the way things are going, we won't know and poor Baby Donnie will whine about this and the secret service because well, it works for him. And Trump's supporters will believe every single word despite Trump lying many thousands of times a year. Amazing!

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Because it was Sunday and Trump plays golf almost every weekend. If was in town and not at an event (which would have been announced), Trump would be on the golf course. It was just a matter of time-so the guy settled down and waited. Since Trump plays the round - very predictable - the guy picked a spot by a hole and waited. Trump has probably been warned about his golfing HABIT. The Secret Service will probably use dogs on the perimeter of the course in the future.

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Reports are that he was hanging around for 12 hours on the probability that Trump would play on Sunday.

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Well, it was a day ending in "Y" so pretty likely that Trump would be golfing

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Steve, orange crap golfs almost every day.....hang out in any number of courses and your chances are good you will see him.

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Maybe he got so much press the previous time he hired the guy?

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Barb, NO...we just don't want to know that there are people walking around our country with this kind of pathology with guns.

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Open Carry thru out Florida! One living in FL cannot ignore the availability of fire arms and easy permission to carry them! Was in Publix one day buying produce, and up walked a man carrying a long gun! Dreadful feeling! No one desires that.

What can one say? Speechless?

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Oh I was a licensed psychologist for a time. I know there are people with severe pathologies out there that have way too much access to guns. I am appalled at the availability of guns nationally, and especially in places like Florida. I am so thankful Tim Walz spoke to the need to protect our children over access to firearms. We need to train, and enforce, how to keep and store guns so they are not accessible to the mentally ill, children, or those who wish to harm themselves. A momentary depressive episode can lead to suicide and the aftermath to the family can't be understated.

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That is a very good question.

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Steve, re “ How did he just happen to pick the right hole on the right day at the right time???”

Message in a bottle? Fan mail from some flounder?”

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I don't play golf but in the game, isn't every hole played ?

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Joyce, Why isnt it possible for the city of springfield and concerned citizens to do a civil class action lawsuit for defamation, and liable with intent? Ask for funds to cover the added costs for security and other expenses due to the inciting of violence?

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I would like to see criminal charges. Reckless endangerment or something similar. Their lies resulted in bomb threats, closed schools, intimidation by the proud boys and the cancellation of events as the area was deemed unsafe. It should br dealt with criminally.

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Will be interesting to see if Joyce or any lawyers in the group weigh in.. sure criminal charges would be even better and i guess then a grand jury might get involved, which may provide “teeth” but not sure what agency would bring those charges for indictment.. this kind of blatant behavior is indeed criminal, and i just cannot see how any first amendment rights can protect them.. maybe some legislation needs to be created to stop these things.. never has been needed as no one before these bad actors broke the norms of decency..

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Stochastic Terrorism!

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Accompanied by Plausible Deniability, I'm afraid ...

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It seems like yelling “fire” in a theater.

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Gov, Mayor, and Senator are all MAGA supporters! Will not address all those issues legally. Republicans want only to win in Ohio!

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As to Senator Vance's bool-sheet statements like the 'creole crisis' that he has created when they inevitably arise in the Veep debate, I suggest that Governor Walz start each response to some mis-truth by saying, "There are two parts to my response. First, ¡liar liar -- Vance on fire! Now with respect to the matter or the truth of the matter raised . . . ."

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Gee, that would make sense. I wonder why that won't happen.....?

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Give it time, it's only been a week since the FELON said it to 67 million debate viewers.

Dewine and the mayor should sign onto the class action lawsuit.

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Maybe the mayor would. DeWine is too busy turning himself into a pretzel with all of his statements deflecting Vance's actions. This morning he announced he's still voting for Trump/Vance. Party over country (or state in this instance).

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But they won’t 🙁

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It seems there is an abundance of activities surrounding tfg & everything that surrounds him that doesn’t make sense—-so why do I try to make sense of anything that originated with him?

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Good question! It's a great idea.

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I guess we will not hear from Joyce on this subject.

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GREAT questions! Especially since JD stated he would make up stories and the fact that both knew it was lies before spewing their hateful messages?

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Sep 17·edited Sep 17

Surely there is SOMETHING we can charge JD Vance with! He is signalling to his thugs to assassinate the Democratic ticket.

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Same for Elon !!!

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I have an ongoing issue with elon the misanthrope. For the last 70 years, there has been a prohibition against government contractors making political contributions. I am a government contractor and am very careful to abide by that law. Why is he exempt from following the law equally?

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Reader/Writer, Because he has more money than you do....

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Leon Skum has blanket immunity!

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And he'll soon own all of Ukraine AND Russia.

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Crazy and rich…dangerous combination!

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What about the former President drumpfing a popular entertainer: "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" That trumper tantrum sounds like a coded message that it is open season on Miss Swift.

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There's nothing like pissing off a huge demographic of potential voters.

A great way to talk about your Orange boss:

J.D. Vance Mocks Taylor Swift for Being “Billionaire Celebrity”

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While we all are relieved that this assassination intent did not lead to an assassination attempt, the rhetoric coming from the M.A.G.A. ticket is not only repugnant, it is inspiring violence, in this case circling back on its origin. Senator shady J.D. Vance (his name this week) was bought and paid for by Thiel in silicon valley and is now bot-&-paid-for by Russians.

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Not surprising. For some more terrifying background on Vance, check out his endorsement of the book "Unhumans". Below are links to coverage of the book on Wikipedia and Frank Schaeffer's commentary about it on YouTube. A truly frightening world view.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unhumans

https://youtu.be/HdTrqfIzsco

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I looked at the “Unhumans” link!! Vance is a WACK job. There’s no way this guy should be in any position in government much less VP

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He is another lunatic. I suspect his wife must be mortified all his ugliness is so publicized and validated by his own comments.

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Unfortunately, being a worthless human being is not a crime.

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He, like the felon he is running with, are disgusting humans.

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Character assassination?

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Completely agree. Start behaving in ways to reduce targeting opportunities. Minimize outdoor rallies, fewer or no rounds of golf, (thought he was too busy) and stop being the most expensive Secret Service protectant in history. He, and his family, are a fiscal nightmare. No Joe, no more money need be spent to protect a guy who won't conduct himself with appropriate discretion.

And gop, by all means, don't pass any laws to control what whack jobs can access guns. Thoughts and prayers, not millions of dollars more to protect this jerk.

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AMEN!

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He did not fire a shot. What is the definition of “attempted assassination.”? Possibly or probably, he had intent to do so, but it seems like that should be a different charge.

The one clear fact is that someone with a history of mental imbalance had a semi-automatic rifle. Since the Republicans are the ones opposing reasonable gun controls and background checks, it seems to me that JD Vance has his reasoning backwards. The question is not whether the President or VicePresident has received death threats (as a matter of security those are not usually made public). The horror is that JD Vance rather blatantly identified anyone else as an appropriate target. And I do mean anyone else, political candidate or not, immigrant or not. He is a vigilante with a loose tongue, bathed in his own righteousness.

Americans, you buy our future with your vote. In this case, especially, Buyer beware!

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A history of mental imbalance AND formerly faced charges of possession of a Machine Gun! (the likes of which, BTW, SCOTUS recently blessed via approving bump stocks.)

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I find it interesting that the type of gun is a Russian design…

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One thing that troubles me is that it was stated that this golf outing was not planned in advance. I find it strange

that Routh happened to be there. Just thinking out loud.

IMO donold and jd have both put targets on Taylor Swift and Kamala and Tim. Then there is the issue of bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio. jd admitted he knew he made this up but continues spewing lies, and trump continues to say they are illegal migrants.

I have real fear about what would happen if they somehow get elected. I hope it’s a motivator for everyone to continue to “Do Something”! The time is now. We can’t let up!!

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Apparently Routh arrived in the early am and was there staking out the hole for hours. It's one of the basic aspects of the Theory Of Searches. It goes like this:

Instead of looking all over for your Subject, instead go to where the Subject frequently visits, and wait there.

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Just Dumb (JD) Vance deliberately blamed VP Harris and Governor Walz this evening and causing the two assassinated attempts on Traitor Trump. No, JD the gunmen were both mentally unstable and decided to attempt to kill Traitor Trump. Nothing to do with VP Harris or Governor Walz!!! VOTE ALL BLUE!!!

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And Trump supporters.

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Love your moniker for Vance.

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There is a sharp contrast between Reagan, who did not want to put anyone at unnecessary risk and Trump who just does whatever he wants, and lets the Secret Service scramble to protect him, while he puts the public at risk as well. When are any of the judges going to lower the boom on the ex president? He is a convict who engages in actions that promote violence, because the legal system allows him to do so. They could at least haul him into court and have him show cause why his bail should not be revoked. Put him in a jail cell for a few days to sober him up. but no, they won't do that. He would only turn it into another circus to fund raise from, how awful.

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I like the idea of an order to show cause and/or a violation of his conditions of release.

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JD Vance characterized those who repeated the lies about Haitians as "my constituents". He was including the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe. So it's a melding of neo-Nazis and the American Taliban (Christian Nationalists). He's worse than TFFG because he's not as dumb and really believes his own b.s.

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He’s wound up and funded by Peter Thiel, tech bro extraordinaire. That’s quite a bunch in Silicone Valley that sees themselves as the big movers and shakers on the planet with trump and vance doing their dirty work.

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Remember Cesar Sayoc? Who sent pipe bombs to CNN, John Brenner and James Clapper? And had more targets on a list? https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/van-connected-pipe-bomb-suspect-covered-pro-trump-images-stickers-n924906

Remember the El Paso Walmart shooting. When the gunman targeted Mexicans because of Trump's anti-immigrant hate? https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/texas-gunman-in-racist-walmart-shooting-sentences-to-90-consecutive-life-terms-still-faces-death-penalty

Remember the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting? The Buffalo grocery store shooting? The Dollar General Store shooting in Jacksonville? The Asian spa shootings in Atlanta?

All of this is due to Trump's stochastic terrorism. All of this happened with his increasingly obvious white supremacist statements and beliefs. How many people has Trump's incitement killed?

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The fact that Vance can speak so carelessly about the safety of Biden and Harris, is perfectly in keeping with his character. I would expect nothing else from him.

As for Trump being shot at, MAGAts have been screaming about arming everyone in the country for years. Now they are shocked, shocked that crazies with guns are coming for Fearless Leader. Will they vote for sensible gun safety laws?

Don't hold your breath.

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Thoughts & Prayers, then "get over it," right?

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The FELON needs to pay for any additional security beyond what is the standard security for former presidents, or play only on private courses with advanced notice.

He grifted $2 million from taxpayers for the Secret Service using his golf clubs and hotels, plus more since he was FIRED in 2020.

https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/the-secret-service-spent-nearly-2-million-at-trump-properties/

Congressman Swalwell should author a ban assault weapons bill, name it after Trump and see what the MAGAs do in the Homeland Security committee.

I met Swalwell, Lieu and, ironically, now Mayor Bass and Boxer at her PAC for a Change get together in Beverly Hills in 2017. It was to flip 7 CA GOP seats, and 5 were flipped.

If a FELON can't be in the Military, how the hell can he be Commander in Chief?

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The Secret Service is also charged with protecting major candidates for President, but I agree that as a FORMER Prez, he shouldn't get special protection.

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Good last question!!!

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Vance is, on some levels, more dangerous than Trump. For one thing, he's much younger. We must not allow that dangerous man to become Vice President. He reminds me of Martin Sheen's character in Dead Zone.

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The whole MAGA thing has got to go.

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I saw a man in my local grocery store in a MAGA hat, and I wanted to tell him, “America is already great because you’re free to support and vote for a convicted felon to lead it.”

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Oooooo....nice one! ✅ Gonna remember that sentiment

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I recall reading The Dead Zone the first time. My mom and I used to trade novels. With the Stephen King books my mom could never read them late at night. One can only imagine a similar outcome. It would probably propel Trump to the White House.

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That's how I felt about The Stand. Scared the heck out of me.

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This dovetails into an interview I heard on NPR today with the CEO of Sticker Mule. A vocal Trump supporter, he lamented the July 2024 assassination attempt which he inferentially blamed on millions of Democrats who have been “programmed” to hate on Trump supporters. He discussed his post on X on the subject and praised former Trump critics, like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, who have since come around to supporting the lying champion of billionaires. He made clear his goal of toning down dangerous rhetoric by showing that Trump supporters are great people. To this end, he boasted about how his employees all get along together, despite their assumed politically different views. (He seemed unaware of the potential that employees might conceal their anti-Trump sentiment to maintain their jobs.) Apart from NPR‘s puzzling motivation to offer so much airtime to the speaker and his subject (a misplaced attempt at journalistic neutrality?) and its failure to present equal time to a contrasting view (I could go on and on about the “Let’s Go Brandon” and “F*** Your Feelings” flags in my Northern California neighborhood), I was dumbfounded by the intellectual amnesia and hypocrisy of the underlying precept: Isn’t the source of vitriolic accusations and violent political rhetoric to be laid at at Trump’s feet? Do his supporters not realize that their labeling of Democrats as cucks, libtards and an endless list of other offensive names engendered the current political climate? Have they fully bought into the myth that they are righteous patriots who are being unfairly attacked? The answer lies in the interviewee’s demeaning and patronizing assumption that anyone who criticizes Trump must have been programmed to do so — implying that they could not possibly have come to such conclusions on their own nor had any reasonable factual basis for doing so. The irony is rich, but nonetheless painful.

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There is an important detail buried in your third-from-last paragraph, quoting the impenetrably dense J.D. Vance, "If I have to create stories....." This is basically an admission that that's exactly what he did in reference to the pet-eating story. For such an otherwise intelligent person, his lack of self-awareness and lack of any political sense are truly astonishing.

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I only disagree that Vance is an otherwise intelligent person. He is a cold hearted man who will do anything and hurt anyone to obtain power.

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Kay, I agree. I think he is a deeply damaged person, greatly affected by his mother's abandonment.

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Malignant narcissists have no ability for self-reflection.

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The bigger questions are: What was Trump's score for the first five holes? How many strokes did he not count? Was Routh a set-up to garner more sympathy for the beleagured convicted felon candidate? Was another by-stander the intended target?

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