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Whose 'Big Lie'? Trump's proclamation a new GOP litmus test

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Whose 'Big Lie'? Trump's proclamation a new GOP litmus test (apnews.com)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump and his supporters are intensifying efforts to shame — and potentially remove — members of their party who are seen as disloyal to the former president and his false claims that last year’s election was stolen from him.

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican in the House, risks losing her leadership post amid her increasingly public dispute with Trump. In Utah, Sen. Mitt Romney, a rare Trump foe in the GOP, faced the indignity over the weekend of reminding a booing crowd that he was once their presidential standard-bearer. And in Texas, the only openly anti-Trump Republican in a crowded special election for a congressional seat finished a lowly 9th.

Trump left office nearly four months ago with his reputation badly damaged after a mob of his supporters waged a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol to prevent the certification of election results. But the recent developments suggest a revival of his political fortunes in which those who refuse to go along with his falsehoods find themselves on the defensive.

“It’s scary,” said Michael Wood, the Texas Republican congressional candidate who based his campaign on a vow to push the GOP past the “cult of personality” that is Trump. In the end, he garnered just 3% of the vote in Saturday’s special election, while two Trump supporters, including one he endorsed, will advance to a runoff.

Trump’s grip on the party may only tighten in coming days.

Adding to his flurries of press releases, his powerful Facebook account could be reinstated this week if a quasi-independent oversight board rules in his favor. Meanwhile, Republicans in Virginia will decide whether to nominate a vocal Trump supporter for governor in one of the few marquee elections on the calendar this year.

An important signal of the party’s direction may come on Capitol Hill, where Cheney’s future is in question.

The Wyoming congresswoman, the most senior Republican to call for Trump’s impeachment, has insisted that the party must reject the former president’s lie that the election was somehow stolen. There is no evidence to support Trump’s allegations of mass voter fraud, and numerous audits, Republican state election officials and Trump’s own attorney general have said the election was fair.

Trump has issued this proclamation:

“The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!” he wrote.

Cheney fired back and said that it was Trump's "BIG LIE."

Cheney, who has not ruled out a 2024 run herself, fired back.

“The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system,” she tweeted.

Clearly she has no intention of scaling back her criticism, even as she faces the possibility of losing her leadership post.

Other Republicans believe that Trump's popularity will slowly wane.

In all, 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump for inspiring the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and seven Senate Republicans voted to convict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted to acquit Trump, but publicly chastised the former president and has privately encouraged the party to move on.

It’s a different calculation for rank-and-file members of Congress, particularly those representing heavily Republican areas, where roughly 8 in 10 party supporters typically approve of Trump. Among party activists and base voters, that number is thought to be much higher.

It’s still too early to draw any definite conclusions about Trump’s success so far this year. Some Republican strategists privately suggest there are real signs that the former president’s strength with rank-and-file voters and elected officials has begun to wane.

“He becomes less relevant with every passing day, but among those who still listen to him he’s more relevant than ever,” said veteran Republican pollster Frank Luntz. “He still matters. He’s going to matter for months and even years, but as time goes on he’ll matter less and less.”

For now, the former reality TV celebrity seems to be enjoying the ride.

“So nice to see RINO Mitt Romney booed off the stage at the Utah Republican State Convention,” Trump crowed in a series of celebratory statements Monday lauding the Texas results and criticism of Cheney and Romney. “RINO” means “Republican in Name Only.”

In Utah over the weekend, a roomful of Republicans had rained boos down on Romney before trying unsuccessfully to censure him for backing Trump’s impeachment.

This might be a good time for third parties. There may be some Republicans wanting to leave the party, but don't want to join the Democrats.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Other Republicans believe that Trump's popularity will slowly wane.
For the to happen McConnell needs to grow some balls and quit catering to it and flat out reject it. The other high ranking Republicans need to stand firm in the GOP will not tolerate such attacks on America, and force Trumpeters to form their own party.
Then moderates, centrists and even LW voters will probably have to help out to ensure Trump candidates do not win Republican primaries, and do not win general elections.
Force them out, deny them, and bury them.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
Whose 'Big Lie'? Trump's proclamation a new GOP litmus test (apnews.com

This might be a good time for third parties. There may be some Republicans wanting to leave the party, but don't want to join the Democrats.
I think it would be smart for old school republicans to take back their party and push out the trump cult, force them to become a third party. But I'm not sure how many republicans are actually very sane. I can';t tell if they are true believers, or scared ****less of the crazy conservative base.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Whose 'Big Lie'? Trump's proclamation a new GOP litmus test (apnews.com)





Trump has issued this proclamation:



Cheney fired back and said that it was Trump's "BIG LIE."



Other Republicans believe that Trump's popularity will slowly wane.





This might be a good time for third parties. There may be some Republicans wanting to leave the party, but don't want to join the Democrats.
I think Trump is banished to the annals of history.

Personally I looked at the SAM party and think it has potential. I don't think of myself as a Republican nor Democrat anymore as both political ideologys still have good aspects that ought to be preserved.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
I don't know if there's any saving the GOP from the Trump cult. I tend to doubt it.

I probably have almost zero in common with the policies Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney advocate, but I highly appreciate their good character.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I probably have almost zero in common with the policies Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney advocate, but I highly appreciate their good character.
Romney flips and flops around so much, says one thing then says another, how can anyone really be sure they have anything in common with him?
He has shown support for gay equality and legal protections even before many Democrats, including Obama. However, he tends to dance around the issue when it comes to religious bigotry and he hasn't formally rebuked them but rather lightly treads on eggshells so he doesn't alienate too much of that group.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I think it would be smart for old school republicans to take back their party and push out the trump cult, force them to become a third party. But I'm not sure how many republicans are actually very sane. I can';t tell if they are true believers, or scared ****less of the crazy conservative base.
All they care about is winning elections, and most of them still believe they need the Trump extremists to do that. So they will continue to cater to them.

It's why none of them deserve to be in office.
 

tytlyf

Not Religious
There may be some Republicans wanting to leave the party, but don't want to join the Democrats.
Trumpists are so indoctrinated daily to hate democrats, they'll never vote for them. There's only 1 way for the GOP to purge it's extremist base, convince Fox and other RW gossip outlets to change the tone.
The conservative base doesn't listen to the GOP, they listen to their media.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
All they care about is winning elections, and most of them still believe they need the Trump extremists to do that. So they will continue to cater to them.

It's why none of them deserve to be in office.
Exactly. I think it if and when trump and Guiliani are indicted on felony charges there will start to be a waning of his influence. But it's also the extremists on FOX and Newsmax. These folks are keeping the nonsense alive among republicans. There's little opportunity for them to see actual objective news.
 

Ponder This

Well-Known Member
This might be a good time for third parties. There may be some Republicans wanting to leave the party, but don't want to join the Democrats.

Unlikely to happen because political polarization continues to increase under Biden. For example, with the U.S. border situation there really isn't a middle ground. Third parties have to offer a significant third perspective.
 

Kooky

Freedom from Sanity
Talking about "the Big Lie", oh my... Say what you will about the Republican Party, but among Western right-wing political parties, they really are the ones who have perfected the Dog Whistle as a political and rhetorical tool.
 

ecco

Veteran Member
But I'm not sure how many republicans are actually very sane. I can';t tell if they are true believers, or scared ****less of the crazy conservative base.

Majority of Republicans still believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump
However, support for Trump among his Republican base remains strong as 55% of Republicans believe his 2020 election loss resulted from illegal voting or election rigging. Paradoxically, 35% of Republicans agreed with both of the following theories: that the people who gathered at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6th were peaceful, law-abiding Americans and that it was actually led by violent left-wing protestors trying to make Trump look bad. To that end, 81% of Republicans still view Trump favorably.
The Trumpers have a solid hold on the Republican party. Just ask Liz Cheney.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Majority of Republicans still believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump
However, support for Trump among his Republican base remains strong as 55% of Republicans believe his 2020 election loss resulted from illegal voting or election rigging. Paradoxically, 35% of Republicans agreed with both of the following theories: that the people who gathered at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6th were peaceful, law-abiding Americans and that it was actually led by violent left-wing protestors trying to make Trump look bad. To that end, 81% of Republicans still view Trump favorably.
The Trumpers have a solid hold on the Republican party. Just ask Liz Cheney.

Good news for the mid terms huh?
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
Majority of Republicans still believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump
However, support for Trump among his Republican base remains strong as 55% of Republicans believe his 2020 election loss resulted from illegal voting or election rigging. Paradoxically, 35% of Republicans agreed with both of the following theories: that the people who gathered at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6th were peaceful, law-abiding Americans and that it was actually led by violent left-wing protestors trying to make Trump look bad. To that end, 81% of Republicans still view Trump favorably.
The Trumpers have a solid hold on the Republican party. Just ask Liz Cheney.
Guys like McCarthy knows is wasn't stolen, and he said as much during the Jan 6th riots. He wants the Majority Leader job and he's playing politics. He's pissed because she won't play their game. The Jim Jordan types are out to lunch completely. But there are many republicans in Congress who know the election was fair but they are playing to the disinformed conservative base.
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
I think it would be smart for old school republicans to take back their party and push out the trump cult, force them to become a third party. But I'm not sure how many republicans are actually very sane. I can';t tell if they are true believers, or scared ****less of the crazy conservative base.
Like who? The Bushes? I'm not sure why people are so keen to have criminals of the sorts that led us here in the first place.

It's like, the people are obviously angry at the establishment in both parties and there's growing populist revolts brewing in both, but you want more of the establishment that is making people mad in the first place. Lol.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Unlikely to happen because political polarization continues to increase under Biden. For example, with the U.S. border situation there really isn't a middle ground. Third parties have to offer a significant third perspective.

I think there can be a middle ground. The problem is that both parties have been overly obsessed with the border, without paying much attention to what's on the other side of the border. I think Biden and Harris are taking a different approach by reaching out directly to the governments in question - namely that of Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras). We should have been doing that 20-30 years ago. If we had, we wouldn't even have this problem today.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Trump will remain suspended from Facebook, Instagram for now (msn.com)

In its most high-profile case, an oversight board tasked with reviewing Facebook's toughest content decisions upheld Facebook's decision to suspend Trump from the platform -- but noted that the company should review how long he remains barred. Trump was suspended because of concerns that his online remarks could incite violence after the mayhem at the US Capitol.

"We will now consider the board's decision and determine an action that is clear and proportionate. In the meantime, Mr. Trump's accounts remain suspended," Facebook's vice president of global affairs and communications, Nick Clegg, said in a blog post.

Politicians, advocacy groups and others have been watching the case closely. The decision highlights the balance social networks try to strike between mitigating harm, such as potential violence, and encouraging free expression. The case was also seen as a test of the independence of the oversight board, which was formed and funded by Facebook, but operates separately from the social network.

Other social media sites, including Google-owned YouTube and Snapchat, have also taken action against Trump. Twitter, the former president's favored way to communicate with his fans, barred him permanently.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I think there can be a middle ground. The problem is that both parties have been overly obsessed with the border, without paying much attention to what's on the other side of the border. I think Biden and Harris are taking a different approach by reaching out directly to the governments in question - namely that of Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras). We should have been doing that 20-30 years ago. If we had, we wouldn't even have this problem today.
I agree, go to the source, but even that's not even being done. It's been put off to June from what I heard.
 
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