Jim Acosta laid out a damning case for why we need to go even harder on Donald Trump for a litany of things, starting with insurrection,The Big Lie, Hitler, and threats of a coup. These are not minor things to talk about — these are major, democracy-ending, world-destabilizing events. America encountered, or almost encountered some version of them while under the control of a failed reality tv star. We continue to be under threat of these things happening going forward, due to the former blogger's unhinged and cult-like control over an entire political party and at least 74 million Americans.
(Video clip of President Biden)
ACOSTA: You should be alarmed, the President said. Yet, the President did not offer support for removing the legislative block aid in Congress, the filibuster, that's standing in the way of laws that would safeguard our elections. The President appears to be holding out hope he can work with Republican leaders, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy. Maybe that could happen on infrastructure. But a new bridge is not going to protect the Capitol. It's more like the GOP has a bridge to sell you.
McCarthy just met with the insurrectionists-in-chief, Donald Trump. Apparently, they spoke about the upcoming midterms or, as some of Trump's allies may have on their calendar, the next insurrection. Trump is still lying about the last election.
(Video clip of TFG)
ACOSTA: And he's lying about his crowd on January 6th.
(Another video clip of TFG)
ACOSTA: Given Trump's love for lies like that, delivering a speech about saving democracy without passing tough laws to protect elections is not going to be enough. To paraphrase the movie "The Untouchables," it's like bringing a knife to an insurrection. Texas State House Democrats took action leaving Austin for Washington to avoid voting for a new GOP election law. One of those Democrats even went on FOX to call out the Big Lie.
(Straight fire clip of Rep. Talarico confronting Pete "never washes his hands" Hegseth)
ACOSTA: Perhaps the propagandist on FOX could read the new Trump books out this week. One of the books reports the chairman of the Joints Chiefs, General Mark Milley, was concerned Trump would attempt a coup, like Adolf Hitler. "They may try to stage a coup, but they're not going to F'ing succeed," Milley told his aides, according to the book. CNN has learned Milley will not publicly address the issues raised in the book.
Trump did respond in a statement saying, "If I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley. As many observed, how very O.J. Simpson. If I was going to do a coup. It sounds like Simpson's book, "If I did it." Can somebody let us know if Trump is spotted in a white Ford Bronco this weekend? On the run with Rudy Giuliani? Perhaps, they'll be heading for the Four Seasons Landscaping Company. I can just hear Rudy now, "If the books don't fit, you must acquit." But I digress.
One of the other books reports that Trump once told his former chief of staff, John Kelly, Hitler, quote, "did a lot of good things."
I'm sorry. Hold on. When we have entered the realm of coups and Hitler, we have to pause for a moment. This is not one of those situations where Trump wants to bomb hurricanes or buy Greenland. We're talking about coups and Hitler.
Why is Kevin McCarthy meeting with Trump when we are talking about coups and Hitler? Did he not hear President Biden's warning about American democracy?
What will you do if a second insurrection happens? What if they are successful in taking over the government? We are standing there, rule book in hand, screaming at the other side to FOLLOW THE RULES, while they shoot us with mace and bear spray, fire assault rifles at us, cover their faces with war paint, and scream "MAGA MAGA MAGA!"
