My Two Cents: [t]Rump's Right ... The Election Is Rigged Against Him ... By His Own Mouth

I always figured [t]Rump would implode of his own doing, but the fact that his campaign is flailing and failing because of his Hate Speech about Muslims makes me feel almost giddy.

Y’all know where it began … Khizr Khan, the Muslim father of US Army Captain Humayun Khan who was killed in Iraq in 2004, spoke at the DNC about [t]Rump and his many anti-Muslim statements. During his speech, Khirz Khan said:

“Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”

Now, was he attacking [t]Rump  or was he merely showing how dangerous [t]Rump’s ideas are, how dangerous his speech is, how dangerous it might be to have [t]Rump in the White House.

If we are to start banning people of a certain faith from entering this country; think what that might mean for Muslim Americans already here … a rise in Hate against an entire group of people based on the actions of some. It’s Hate Speech and it’s what [t]Rump traffics in and it’s what he’s based his campaign on.

Khizr Khan wasn’t having it; and he called out [t]Rump, even offering him his own copy of the US Constitution to read. But the Bully of the campaign trail didn’t like that so he did what bullies do: he pouted and stomped his feet, Tweeted and cried “Not fair.”

And attacked the mother and father of a US war hero. When the shiz hit the fan did he walk it back? Did he say he spoke out of turn and apologize for what he said? No, because bullies don’t see that they are wrong; they are so locked inside their own egos that it becomes all about them.

And so [t]Rump took his fight to ABC’s “This Week” where, in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, he responded to the Khan’s … by attacking Khan’s wife, Ghazala:

“His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say. She probably…maybe…she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me, but plenty of people have written that.”

He couldn’t even fathom that maybe, even after twelve years, talking about her son who sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers ,was too painful for Ghazala Khan. No, he’d rather attack her, and stereotype her faith.

But what about [t]Rump and the fact that his own wife, Melania the Plagiarist, his lapdog Chris Christie, and his own running mate, Mike Pence, are often present but silent while [t]Rump runs his mouth?

No one questions Melania’s silence — at least until not after she stole her speech from Michelle Obama and it was learned that she’s a college drop-out — nor have they questioned the zipped lips of Christie and Pence.

No one suggests that [t]Rump is abusive toward his wife, or anyone, and yet [t]Rump can say it, and in doing so continue to paint a picture of Muslims as violent and dangerous and people to fear … terrorists.

But, again, he didn’t take ownership of his Hate Speech, but played the ‘I didn’t say it’ cared:

“Plenty of people have written that. She was extremely quiet and looked like she had nothing to say, a lot of people have said that.”

When Stephanopoulos turned to conversation to the sacrifice that Captain Humayun Khan made for his country, and Khizr Khan’s criticisms of [t]Rump’s lack of sacrifice, [t]Rump tried to dodge the question:

“Who wrote that? Did Hillary’s script writers write it?”

But then it got better … or worse, depending on which side you fall … when he said this:

“I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices …”

Um like what?

“I work very, very hard. …”

Um not really a sacrifice, but a job.

“I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs. …”

Um, again, it’s not a sacrifice to employ people.

“I’ve built great structures … ”

Um, I’m still not sensing a ‘sacrifice’ so can someone get [t]Rump a dictionary to look up the word?

“I raised and I have raised millions of dollars for the vets, I’m helping the vets a lot. …”

Still, not a sacrifice but let’s stop here a moment … and talk about [t]Rump and Vets.

He’s called our armed forces a “disaster;” he said John McCain, a former prisoner of war, was not a war hero because he was captured; he attacked retired Marine Gen. John Allen, who spoke at the DNC, for not defeating the Islamic State. He says he’s given “millions” to veterans, though he has no proof other than his flapping lips; veterans groups, meanwhile, have said, of [t]Rump:

“His mouth writes checks no one can cash.”

Donald [t]Rump has tried to run his campaign on veterans issues, often discussing the horrible treatment many receive upon returning home; he even held a fundraiser for veterans groups rather than attend a debate during the Iowa primaries because, well, pandering.

He’s offered many veterans groups up to six-figures to stand by him at rallies and press conferences, and when some of those groups have declined the offer they have been vilified by [t]Rump supporters. Now, keep in mind, they haven’t been denigrated by [t]Rump, but he says nothing about it because those veterans must shave started it first by not appearing with him.

In the 1980s, [t]Rump tried to have disabled veteran street vendors thrown off Fifth Avenue because he said they were ruining the street in front of Trump Tower. And in July 2015, [t]Rump promised to set up a hotline for veterans to share their stories about the need to reform the VA but today, a year later, the hotline leads to a voicemail box, which instructs the caller to send an email.

But what can one expect from a draft dodger like Donald [t]Rump? I mean, if you spent your youth, and your Daddy’s money, trying to keep yourself from going to war, why would you support those that did, and why wouldn’t you attack the parents of those who sacrificed their lives?

In a 1997 interview with Howard Stern, [t]Rump called himself “lucky” for not contracting venereal diseases when he was sleeping around and compared that to serving in Vietnam:

“I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world. It is a dangerous world out there. It’s scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam-era. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier.”

Yes … not getting herpes is akin to fighting for your country. But then this is the same man who claimed that attending a military-themed boarding school was just like military training; reading, writing, golf. But, when Donald [t]Rump had the chance to put his military school training to work by going to Vietnam, he, instead, applied for and received five deferments: four for education and one for having bone spurs … which didn’t preclude him from participating in sports. You know.

But, look, we all know he’s a egomaniacal narcissist who will never own up to what he says or does, but then why should he when he surrounds himself with people to stoke that massive ego … Like Jason Miller, [t]Rump’s Communications Director, who defended his client, er, candidate for attacking the Khans.

When CNN’s Reliable Sources host, Brian Stelter, asked why Trump claimed that Khizr Khan had “no right” to criticize him at the DNC Miller said this was about “Islamic terrorism.”

Um, no it wasn’t. And when Stelter attempted to get Miller to comment on [t]Rump ‘s statements and the protections afforded to Khan under the First Amendment, Miller kept saying “radical Islamic terrorism.”

But that’s a lesson he learned from his boss; asked on ABC what he would say to Khizr Khan, [t]Rump said:

“Well, I’d say we’ve had a lot of problems with radical Islamic terrorism.”

Yes, try to link the parents of a dead soldier to terrorism as a way to discredit them, or at least shut them up.

Luckily Khizr and Ghazala Khan are not going quietly. Both of them have continued to denounced [t]Rump, calling his temperament, lack of empathy, lack of experience make him unfit for office. The Khans are also trying to get others in the GOP to denounce [t]Rump  as well. Khizr Kahn has called for House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to repudiate [t]Rump but those two, who are trying to save their own asses in the event that [t]Rump is elected and in the event he is not, have expressed support for the Khans and reiterated their opposition to [t]Rump’s proposed ban on Muslims, but never mention [t]Rump  by name or abandon their support for him.

Now, John McCain has no problem calling [t]Rump out; in a statement McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, said:

“In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”

And McCain’s daughter, Meghan, also blasted [t]Rump, saying his criticism does not represent the GOP and he does not represent the GOP.

Really, Meghan? The nominee of your party, the man your base elected, the man your party feted and celebrated for a week in Cleveland, doesn’t represent your party? Sit down. You and your party allowed this bigot and tyrant to run without question and then you all sat on your hands when he won the nomination so the party wouldn’t dissolve into chaos. You made this mess, now take ownership of it.

And take ownership of Mike Pence, too, whose own son is in the Marines, but then blamed … wait for it … it’s nothing new … President Obama and Hillary Clinton for allowing the Middle East to be “overrun” by the Islamic State and to reiterate that [t]Rump ‘s proposals to bar Muslim immigrants from entering this country will help reduce military deaths.

Like [t]Rump he offered no reason for his idiotic remarks.

But, what about Ghazala Kahn? You know, the woman who stood silently by her husband? Well, while she may have been too bereft to speak at the DNC, once [t]Rump  attacked her, and stereotyped her faith, she took her voice to The Washington Post:

“Donald Trump has asked why I did not speak at the Democratic convention. He said he would like to hear from me. Here is my answer to Donald Trump: Because without saying a thing, all the world, all America, felt my pain. I am a Gold Star mother. Whoever saw me felt me in their heart.

…

My son Humayun Khan, an Army captain, died 12 years ago in Iraq. He loved America, where we moved when he was 2 years old. He had volunteered to help his country, signing up for the ROTC at the University of Virginia. This was before the attack of Sept. 11, 2001. He didn’t have to do this, but he wanted to.

When Humayun was sent to Iraq, my husband and I worried about his safety. I had already been through one war, in Pakistan in 1965, when I was just a high school student. So I was very scared. You can sacrifice yourself, but you cannot take it that your kids will do this.

We asked if there was some way he could not go, because he had already done his service. He said it was his duty. I cannot forget when he was going to the plane, and he looked back at me. He was happy, and giving me strength: “Don’t worry, Mom. Everything will be all right.”

The last time I spoke to my son was on Mother’s Day 2004. We had asked him to call us collect whenever he could. I begged him to be safe. I asked him to stay back, and not to go running around trying to become a hero, because I knew he would do something like that.

He said, “Mom, these are my soldiers, these are my people. I have to take care of them.” He was killed by a car bomber outside the gates of his base. He died trying to save his soldiers and innocent civilians.

That is my son. Humayun was always dependable. … He volunteered to teach disabled children in the hospital how to swim. …  He wanted to be a lawyer, like his father, to help people.”

So, how does Donald [t]Rump respond to Ghazala Khan? He redirected the focus of his own Hate Speech to focus to the origins of the Iraq War and fears about Islamic terrorism with a Tweet:

“Captain Khan, killed 12 years ago, was a hero, but this is about RADICAL ISLAMIC TERROR and the weakness of our ‘leaders’ to eradicate it!”

Not quite the apology, but then [t]Rump doesn’t apologize; he lays blame and he whines and talks about rigged elections and conventions and how unfair life is to billionaires in America:

“I was viciously attacked by Mr. Khan at the Democratic Convention. Am I not allowed to respond? Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!”

And then he unleashes the hounds; [t]Rump supporters, including longtime adviser Roger Stone, began circulating unsubstantiated accusations from an anti-Islam website about Khizr Khan. Roger Stone even tweeted a link to a post that, among other things, accuses Khizr Khan of being a “Muslim Brotherhood” agent who wants to advance Sharia law.

Except that’s another lie; both Khans have forcefully denounced terrorism Sunday, and Ghazala Khan, still speaking, called [t]Rump ignorant when it comes to understanding Muslims:

“If he studied the real Islam and Koran, all the ideas he gets from terrorists would change, because terrorism is a different religion.”

As I said so long ago at the beginning of this rant, I like the idea that [t]Rump’s own Hate Speech against Muslims, Muslim Americans and the Muslim faith, might be his undoing.

Recent poll numbers show Hillary on the rise, and a new Nate Silver poll shows her handily beating [t]Rump almost 2-to-1 in November.

Now, I know November is still a long way off, but I am kinda giddy that even now [t]Rump seems to be acknowledging he might lose.

This morning he said if he loses, it’s because the election is rigged … not because he’s a bigot, a bully, a narcissist, a tyrant, a liar, an uniformed tool who doesn’t know what’s going on in the world unless it directly affects him.

And I’m good with that. I’m good with watching the implosion. Let’s hope it continues.

Bipartsian Report

ThinkProgress

Washington Post

US Uncut

Washington Post
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The Daily Beast
Second Nexus