Trump and His Supporters Acting Badly

Assaulting Journalists Is A.O.K. for Trump and Supporters
At a recent rally in Montana, President Trump was pumped up in recounting the physical beating of a "Guardian" journalist by Rep. Greg Gianforte. "By the way, never wrestle him. You understand that? Never. Any guy that can do a bodyslam, he's my kind of...he's my guy." "I shouldn't say this. But they're nothing to be embarrassed about." Trump then turned to his left, raised his right arm over his head, cradled his left arm over an imaginary body, and slammed down his right arm."

The people arrayed behind Trump broke out in expressions of unrestrained joy. The irony of this display is that the GOP has been labeling the Democratic Party as a "violent mob."

Those who voted for Donald Trump for the presidency had ample evidence of the violence is Trump's being. At his campaign rallies, Trump repeatedly urged violence toward protesters. Three of his outbursts stand out: 1. He expressed his desire to slam his fist into the face of a protester; 2. He said he would pay the  expenses of anyone who ran into trouble for physically assaulting a protester; and 3. He expressed a yearning for the olden days when protesters required medical attention.

During the presidential campaign, Trump called for acts of violence that violated international treaties and/or U.S statues, or went to the extreme end of a violence spectrum. At least twice in the campaign, he vowed to kill the families of suspected terrorists. He has never disavowed that promise. He said he would authorize the use of torture that went well beyond waterboarding. He reversed that position during the transition period when General James Mattis told him that he could accomplish more with a few cigarettes and a sixpack. That was not the end of it, however, as, after talking to a few intelligence officials, Trump became convinced that torture "works" -- that is apparently his current position. He said he would order his military commanders to permit their troops to commit war crimes. When asked if his commanders would follow his orders, Trump answered: "They will. Believe me!" The Trump campaign team issued a statement in early March 2016, stating that existing law would be followed. That statement was then muddied later that month, when in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Donald Trump said that the laws on dealing with terrorism were too strict, and he would try to loosen them up.

Abortion is a special case: In his adult life, Donald Trump has held a variety of positions on it. He was once pro-choice, but in early March 2016, he said that women who have an abortion must pay a penalty. Before that day was over, Trump said that women who have abortions are "victims." In June 2016, during an interview with John Dickerson of CBS News, Trump said that abortion is murder. Given that most, or all, U.S. legal jurisdictions do not have a statue of limitations on murder, any person who has performed an abortion could be charged with murder; also, any woman who has taken a fetus to an abortionist could be charged as an accessory to murder. Trump's position, if adopted, would mean prison time, or even Death Row for many people. This would be violence by proxy.