Opinion

Inside Donald Trump's chaos agenda

Donald Trump wants you to be disgusted. He wants you to be cynical. And he definitely doesn’t want you to watch this video. Why? Because that’s how he wins in 2024. Let me explain.

The Republicans’ election strategy is built on chaos. The more chaos they create, the more pessimistic Americans feel about the capacities of our democracy to govern the nation. So we give up on democracy and turn to a so-called strongman.

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How the GOP's embrace of 'greed is good' brought us being on hold for hours

A Boeing 737-Max9 lost a side door during flight, and commentators in the industry point out the plane manufacturer used to be run by engineers, but now, at the insistence of Wall Street, is run by bean-counters looking out for profits.

One of my kids bought a new American-made car last year. While driving on the highway it died, complete with smoke coming out from under the hood; she barely made it to the shoulder where a tow truck could pick her up. The dealer held the car for months before she hired a lawyer who — after more months — finally forced them to take back the car and give her a partial refund under Oregon’s lemon law: at every turn, she was stonewalled by both the manufacturer and their dealer here. Apparently this has happened to a lot of Americans.

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Get ready for the biggest wave election this country has ever seen

I am generally a worst-case-scenario kind of guy.

I’m the dude who’s still nervously biting his fingernails when his team is leading by three touchdowns late in the fourth quarter.

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Big Trump secret about to be revealed

The $83.3 million defamation judgment that writer E. Jean Carroll won Friday against Donald Trump will soon reveal the depth of his finances, long shrouded in smoke and mirrors, disclaimers that his financial statements are not to be trusted, and outright fabrications about his income and wealth.

The secret: does Trump have the money to pay Carroll?

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Trumped-up nonsense: Smearing Fani Willis won’t get Donald off the hook in Georgia

Michael Roman, an indicted criminal co-defendant in Trump’s Georgia election interference case, has a new mission.

He’s filed a 127-page motion to dismiss and disqualify Fulton County DA Fani Willis, her outside counsel Nathan Wade — and the entire Fulton County prosecutors’ office. He wants them removed from the case on the grounds that Willis and Wade are allegedly having a consensual affair.

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Is air travel in crisis? Hardly

Airplanes seem to be coming apart in midair.

An Alaska Airlines flight was disrupted when the door plug on a section of its fuselage broke off after takeoff.

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It’s time Biden sends Trump to Gitmo

Donald Trump is claiming that presidents need “total immunity” from being indicted for criminal acts. This is a cornerstone of Trump’s defense against the federal election interference case against him. No matter if his actions as president “cross the line.”

Trump, of course, is no longer even president of the United States. But let’s accept Trump’s argument. Once one does, it’s only logical to conclude that President Joe Biden can do whatever he wants while he’s still in office.

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Democrats should focus on substantive issues instead of culture war debates

By Paul Kendrick

When confronted by a culture war or loaded ideological topic, Democrats often want to “win” the debate.

We live in a loud media climate. Oftentimes, candidates and politicians feel they need to politicize or turn an issue into a headline.

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Trump’s spell is broken — no wonder he’s mad

Donald Trump won the first-in-the-nation presidential primary last night in New Hampshire, a little over a week after winning the Iowa caucuses. He has bested his nearest rivals, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. The path to securing the Republican Party’s nomination for a third straight time is now standing clear before him. You’d think he would be happy. He’s not.

“Trump furious as he fails to knock out Haley before South Carolina.” That’s a Reuters headline this morning. “Trump, 77, was full of fury after Haley, 52, vowed in a Tuesday night speech to fight on, just two days after the other leading Republican contender, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, ended his campaign. ‘Who the hell was the imposter who went up on the stage before, and like, claimed a victory?’ Trump asked a crowd of supporters in New Hampshire, adding, ‘I don't get too angry. I get even.’”

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Eric Trump alleges 'all-out war on God' since father's election loss

Note: An earlier version of this article did not make it clear that it contains commentary.


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Autocracy and democracy are on a collision course

Because of the prevailing power of partisanship and the absence of any genuine bipartisanism, the contemporary U.S. democratic system finds itself well beyond a political stalemate subject to rational compromise.

Ergo, we find ourselves subject to a deepening political crisis that stems from the fact that neither of the two major political parties in the U.S. can obtain a lasting advantage over the other party.

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Trump’s Brownshirts: How violence has become inherent to Trumpian politics

I apologize for the length of this letter, but the subject warrants it. Donald Trump has galvanized an army of vigilantes who are casting a fearsome shadow over the 2024 election. Please spread the word.

It’s impossible to know how large this potential army is, but last October, 41 percent of pro-Trump Americans agreed with the statement that “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” (That view was shared by 22 percent of independents and 13 percent of Democrats.)

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MAGA's emergency quarterback: A President DeSantis is actually worse than President Trump

Donald Trump’s 51% haul of Iowa Caucus votes made for a strong headline.

But the footnotes tell a different story.

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