UPDATE: Sunday, Apr 7, 2024 · 12:43:28 AM +00:00
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CathyM
Comment by former US Atty Barbara McQuade:
Trump video is a master class in disinformation tactics. Demonizing and scapegoating others, embodying every man yet claiming to be godly in ability, exploiting patriotism, portraying the most extreme parts of the left as equal to the whole, and suggesting that desperate times call for desperate measures. When we can see through the tricks, they can be neutralized.
UPDATE: Saturday, Apr 6, 2024 · 11:13:30 PM +00:00
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CathyM
There’s a long article by The Guardian that discusses the man. Sounds like he believes his own garbage:
www.theguardian.com/…
The far-right financier giving millions to the Republican party to fight ‘woke communists’
...Newly released tax and election records show that since 2020 controversial financier Thomas Klingenstein has become one of the largest individual donors to national Republicans, contributing more than $11.6m to candidates and Pac, after decades as the far-right Claremont Institute’s biggest donor and board chairman.
The spending spree dwarfs the total $666,000 Klingenstein spent between 1992 and 2016, and in the last election cycle put Klingenstein in the top 40 contributors to national Republican candidates and committees.
UPDATE: Saturday, Apr 6, 2024 · 11:10:05 PM +00:00
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CathyM
Okay — more on the video creator:
Thomas Klingenstein, a wealthy Wall Street investor, is chair of the Clairmont Institute & has poured millions into right wing groups since 2020, especially the Club for Growth.The message in this video is the same thing he said about Desantis in 2022.
I just saw this over on Raw Story — and for the first time I actually went on to Truth Social and watched a whole video… and I’m shaken. Joyce Vance has it right:’ "This isn't the kind of thread where you can like the tweets — it's too awful, but please do retweet it. Trump posted this on Truth Social. People need to see this."
Backstory:
www.rawstory.com/…
…Trump posted the eight minute and 20 second video to his Truth Social platform without any context other than the title, "TRUMP'S VIRTUES."
The video itself opens with Thomas Klingenstein, self identified as a writer, a playwright, and an investor, calling on those who "can't stand" Trump to support the former president nonetheless.
But former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance had some criticism of the video on Saturday…."The tone & pacing of the video carries an echo of WWII fascism that makes me feel queasy,"
And I have to second her feeling! I have watched his recent rallies with a mix of astonishment and scorn, but this very odd video is not just a collection of lies (though it is that) but it’s a polished piece of warmongering propaganda that is the more frightening because of the stiff, formal tone of the speaker (he’s standing like a post against a black backdrop, speaking like someone severely constipated, though I swear that makes it more eerie.) I had to force myself to watch it, because I became very frightened — by the threatening tone, the utter Looking Glass world that was presented, the very clear threat to members of the Democratic party and people of color. I had a sick feeling throughout, realizing that the former (and would-be future) President of the US posted this as truth!!
I just couldn’t link direct to Truth Social (but the link is in the Raw Story article) but I really think Americans need to see this and to understand just how big a danger this would-be dictator poses! Also — that there are people like this Klingenstein who literally support everything Trump espouses.
Now I’m gonna go and see what more I can find, and I’ll update this as I do.