Expect More Murders: Why the Radical Right Kills

By Spencer Sunshine
Truthout

June 02, 2017

The recent murders in Portland, Oregon, of two men whose throats were slashed when they tried to stop Islamophobic and racist harassment on a light rail train were not just random acts of violence. It is true that the alleged killer, Jeremy Christian, appears to be a troubled person. And it's true that the murders were outcroppings of the deeper violence of Islamophobia and white supremacy that pervades US society. But they were more than that. They were part of an ongoing spate of murders and shootings that are being directly inspired by the "scripted violence" of the right. When right-wing leaders and media demonize marginalized groups and broadcast calls about a supposed looming "white genocide," some of the rank-and-file will take these words literally -- and try to solve the problem with murder.

The Portland double-murder is only the latest in a series of politically motivated racist killings. In February 2017, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian man working in the US, was shot to death in a Kansas bar. His alleged murderer shouted "Go back to your country!" In March, a Black man, Timothy Caughman, was stabbed to death by a white man who had traveled to New York to allegedly kill all the Black men he could find. In Baltimore in May, a white man who was part of a Facebook group called "Alt Reich: Nation" allegedly stabbed a Black man, Richard Collins III, to death at a bus stop near the University of Maryland. And these incidents don't include the numerous other non-fatal shootings and attacks that have occurred.

Violence has made its way into the highest levels of US domestic politics in a way that hasn't been seen in decades. Donald Trump's 2016 campaign rallies raised the temperature: Amid fights at many of them, Trump himself egged the violence on, at one point saying, "So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of 'em, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell -- I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. I promise."


Read on: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40800-expect-more-murders-why-the-radical-right-kills

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/05/politics/donald-trump-poll-job-approval/index.html

On March 11, 45% of Americans approved of the job Donald Trump was doing in Gallup's daily tracking poll. It's been all downhill since then.
In the intervening 86 days, Trump's job approval has never again reached 45% in Gallup's data. In fact, the last time Trump was even at 43% was on April 28. He's spent most of the time between then and now mired in the low 40s and high 30s.
And now, Trump finds himself in the midst of his worst extended poll run of his presidency. Starting on May 28 when Gallup put his job approval at 42%, Trump has been sliding downward. The latest Gallup track on June 3 put Trump's job approval at a dismal 36% -- a single percentage point away from the lowest ebb of his time in the White House. (On March 28, Trump's job approval was at 35%.)

The Gallup numbers are no anomaly. A Quinnipiac University poll released in late May put Trump's job approval at 37%. A Monmouth poll conducted in mid-May put Trump's job approval at 39%.

What makes Trump's polling struggles all the more remarkable is the fact that he spent most of the 2016 presidential campaign talking about just how good his poll numbers were. To Trump, his poll numbers were everything. Polls showed him winning so he must be doing something right because, wait for it, he was winning. It was the ultimate self-fulfilling and self-justifying prophesy for Trump.

For as much as Trump talked about polls during the 2016 campaign, he's been nearly silent about his numbers as president. According to the absolutely indispensable Trump Twitter Tracker -- a searchable archive of all of Trump's tweets -- he's only sent seven tweets about polls since he was inaugurated on January 20.

Maybe this is the beginning of the end for Trump?

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/tweeting-fuming-trump-spirals-further-crisis-n768211

For a presidency that's already in crisis — see his 36% job-approval rating per Gallup or this Thursday's upcoming testimony by former FBI Director James Comey — the last 24 hours or so have been extraordinarily horrendous for President Trump.

For starters, there was his out-of-context shot at London's mayor after the terrorist attack on the city Saturday night (before playing a round of golf). Then there were his tweets this morning that called his revised travel ban "watered down" and "politically correct," potentially undermining his administration's legal defense that the ban doesn't discriminate against Muslims. And then there's this stunning Politico article — that Trump deliberately failed to include language in his recent NATO speech reaffirming the alliance's Article 5 provision.

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson all supported Trump doing so and had worked in the weeks leading up to the trip to make sure it was included in the speech, according to five sources familiar with the episode. They thought it was, and a White House aide even told the New York Times the day before the line was definitely included.

It was not until the next day, Thursday, May 25, when Trump started talking at an opening ceremony for NATO's new Brussels headquarters, that the president's national security team realized their boss had made a decision with major consequences - without consulting or even informing them in advance of the change.

Four and a half months into Trump's presidency, it's easy for political observers to become numb to every controversy and crisis coming from the White House. But this bears emphasizing: This is a president who, day after day, is destroying his credibility.

I would love to see all three of these guys announce they were resigning at the same time. Then I think the House and Senate would abandon supporting Trump also and he would be forced to resign.

The house and senate are supporting Trump, what rock do you live under. The elite washington politicians do not support Trump.

I don't usually vote for Democrats, but I voted for Trump. He needs to keep pushing the rich elite out of Washington.

EXACTLY!

I said they are supporting him now! Can't you read? But if these key Trump appointments all resigned at the same tme over his not saying we will support article 5, I think there is a good chance the House and Senate would no longer support him either. Give me your definition of elite Washington politicians. I thought Congress was part of the swamp Trump was going to drain but instead he filled his cabinet with bankers and billionaires.

My god. There are high school freshmen smarter than Trump. Either that or he is mentally unstable. Either way makes me shudder.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/05/politics/trump-criticizes-london-mayor-sadiq-khan-again/index.html

Trump lashes out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, again

By Eliza Mackintosh, CNN

Updated 12:26 PM ET, Mon June 5, 2017

ROFLMAO - FROM FOX NEWS:

Kellyanne Conway's husband swipes at Trump on Twitter

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/05/kellyanne-conways-husband-swipes-at-trump-on-twitter.html

The husband of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway – and a former top prospect to lead a Justice Department division – on Monday criticized President Trump for bashing the DOJ’s “politically correct” revision of his original travel ban executive order.

“These tweets may make some ppl feel better, but they certainly won't help OSG get 5 votes in SCOTUS, which is what actually matters. Sad,” tweeted George Conway, a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

People like Schumer who have been there way to long!

My god. There are high school freshmen smarter than Trump. Either that or he is mentally unstable. Either way makes me shudder. That's what I thought about you Kyle especially your rants on SM!

But people expect from the president of the United States than they do me. But his tweets are even more ridiculous than any posting on here.

He comes to upstate NY much more often than Senator D'Amoto ever did. And Senator Gillibrand is a native of upstate NY.

LOL. This is so sad.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/05/reince-priebus-trump-chief-staff-239122

How Reince Priebus hangs on

Despite constant rumors about his departure, the former RNC head has held onto his senior West Wing role — partly because no one else wants the job.

He's like Nozzolio! Never saw a microphone or camera he didn't like!

Amazing. If a politician doesn't show up before his voter he is criticized for that. If he does show up, this is the criticism he gets.

That's not true. Difference is D'Amato came up when there were issues to solve. Shumer only comes up when he has taxpayer money to give to his cronies.

D'Amato came up when it was announced the depot was closing. He talked about his mother and helping somebody on the Thruway who had a flat tire. He said next to nothing about the depot.

Exactly just like Nozzolio!

So if you don't support all Republicans if you didn't support Nozzolio?