This is banana republic stuff but it's par for the course with an authoritarian leader

[octoberlib]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The last throes of Donald Trump’s presidency have turned ugly — even dangerous.

Death threats are on the rise. Local and state election officials are being hounded into hiding. A Trump campaign lawyer is declaring publicly that a federal official who defended the integrity of the election should be “drawn and quartered” or simply shot.

“I do not think this goes away on January 20,” Eric Coomer, security director for Dominion Voting Systems, said from the secret location where is hiding out from death threats. “I think it will continue for a long time.”

Far-right chat rooms posted his photo, details about his family and address. “The first death threats followed almost immediately,” he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “For the first couple days it was your standard online Twitter threats, ‘hang him, he’s a traitor.’” But then came targeted phone calls, text messages and a handwritten letter to his father, an Army veteran, from a presumed militia group saying: “How does it feel to have a traitor for a son?” Even now, weeks later and relocated to a secret locale, Coomer is getting messages from people saying they know what town he has fled to and vowing to find him.

“It’s terrifying,” he said. “I’ve worked in international elections in all sorts of post-conflict countries where election violence is real and people end up getting killed over it. And I feel that we’re on the verge of that.”


https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-georgia-state-elections-elections-d928eb8507518e622114481a54216d73

[Skittles]

1. the party always screaming about the Constitution and law & order

[octoberlib]

2. They scream about law and order to cover up for all the law breaking.

[brooklynite]

3. As someone who's LIVED in a Banana Republic...

...(we had a banana tree in the backyard), there are two necessary components that don’t exist here:

1) a nationalized (or nationally influenced) police force.

2) a corrupt military leadership an a non-professional (conscripted) soldier corps.

This is why I’ve never bought in to the “coup” language people use, because the components needed for one don’t exist.

[octoberlib]

4. Authoritarian leaders used to seize power through military coups, now they get

elected through disinformation and propaganda and start chipping away at institutions. I don't buy into the coup stuff either but what Trump's doing is still damaging.

[Whiskeytide]

5. So the questions to ask are ...

... (1) is Тяцмр so damaged/defective mentally that he is unable to see the connection between the shit coming out of his mouth and the danger posed to the targets of his Twitter hate-fest, or

(2) is Тяцмр such a narcissistic asshole that he DOES understand the connection and simply doesn’t give a shit if his tantrum gets people killed.

No other questions are relevant.

[rickyhall]

6. And then there's the traitor working for the enemy, Putin. But I could be wrong.

[Ahpook]

7. 3rd option is:

He DOES understand and wishes for more of it. That's precisely why he does this shit. He is a sick fuck, and needs to be removed.

This lame duck session is going to be a nightmare!

[JonLP24]

8. That is the more likely option

When he attacks someone publicly it is followed by hate from his supporters. Trump knows this which is why he incited things in the Midwest.

[PatrickforO]

9. Seems like these people are domestic terrorists.

Further, it seems like the FBI should be in strong contact with the people who issue death threats like this, and should perhaps keep a fairly close eye on them.

Heck, they did it for people on the left. Maybe they can wise up a little and do it for these Klan terrorists.

[wnylib]

10. Just wondering about who is behind the threats.

Is it hate mongering trump cultists?

Or, are there people within the Trump political circle who are actively participating in this harrassment, as hit men following orders? Any connection to Russian mobsters?