In 1978, cult leader Reverend Jim Jones convinced over 900 Americans to commit "revolutionary suicide" by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid in Jonestown, Guyana.
Jonestown: 13 Things You Should Know About Cult Massacre, Rolling Stone
tRump needs the presidency to shield him and his family from prosecution, to pay his debts, to fund his lavish lifestyle, and, most of all, to feed his enormous, insatiable, and totally unjustified ego.
This is Donald tRump's Kool-Aid Recipe: How he plans to win at ALL costs.
Election Fraud: tRump's Big Lie
Doublespeak Has Consequences: Why ALL Republicans Who Incited the Insurrection Must Be Punished
1. Never concede the election. Continue to claim voter fraud no matter what. This helps to ensure that his followers continue to believe the big election lie. As long as there are Congressional leaders and right-wing media backing the lie, it will continue to be legitimate in the minds of his supporters.
Trump Cries Voter Fraud. In Court, His Lawyers Don't, The Wall Street Journal
77 Days: Trump's Campaign to Subvert the Election, The New York Times
Trump Names New Impeachment Legal Team, After Old One Walked
2. Wear the courts down by filing lawsuits until the cows come home. tRump filed and lost 86 lawsuits in an attempt to discredit the presidential election. Continuing the court battle (despite the fact that he loses), helps to continue the illusion that there is something for which to fight. He simply attributes his losses to the "unfairness" of the courts. This tactic also helps to discourage others from challenging him in court. Few people want to be tied up in endless court battles.
Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election, Wikipedia
3. Convince Republican Congress people to vote against his second impeachment by using threats against them and their families, by promising not to "primary" them when they are up for reelection, and by promising endorsements and votes. This show of solidarity helps to promote and reinforce the idea that tRump still has substantial credibility and power over Washington.
Just 5 Republican Senators Vote to Proceed With Trump's Second Impeachment Trial, Time Magazine
4. Continuously and endlessly raise money with every scam possible. It takes a lot of money to keep the lie going. It also takes a lot of money to live like tRump and his family do. While big money donors pulled back from tRump, members of his base continue to respond to his call for money, much of which he pockets for himself.
Trump raises more than $170 million with false election claims, The Washington Post
5. Make EVERYONE sign a nondisclosure agreement. If loyal enablers get convicted, pardon them in order to keep their mouths shut about unethical and criminal behavior. With tRump, nondisclosure is an absolute requirement. That's why many of his illicit dealings have been kept in the dark.
Trump Pardons and Commutes Dozens of Loyalists, The Takeaway
6. Cancel Republicans who threaten the big election lie by telling the truth. tRump thugs at the Capitol were out to kill Vice President Pence and the members of Congress they believed stole the election from tRump. Republicans across the country are publicly condemning and officially censuring their fellow Republicans for standing up for the Constitution and against tRump. This behavior magnifies the intimidation and pressure felt by Republicans who would otherwise speak the truth and discredit the big election lie. tRump has condemned and even fired his own officials for simply doing their jobs and telling the truth. This includes Christopher Krebs, Director of Election Security, who truthfully called the 2020 election "the most secure in American history." Matt Gaetz (R-Fl) even flew to Wyoming to hold a rally to cancel Liz Cheney, House Republican Conference Chair, for voting for impeachment!
Trump Fires Election Security Director Who Corrected Voter Fraud Disinformation, NPR.org
The GOP's answer to its post-Trump blues: More Trump, Politico
Florida Man Goes to Wyoming to Cancel His GOP Colleague, Mother Jones
7. Keep far right-wing factions like the QAnon supporters engaged by using dog whistles whenever possible. The QAnon cult believe that tRump is saving the world from a global child sex-trafficking cabal. These believers look forward to "the storm" when thousands of cabal members will be arrested and executed. They listen for coded messages about the battle, liberation, revolution, patriots, 1776, and trusting the plan. Their potential targets include Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa. They are anti-semitic, anti-muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-minority, white supremacist, and white nationalist. They have a bruised sense of entitlement and struggle to be patient as they anxiously await their opportunity to be called into violent action in order to take back what has been stolen from them (Sound familiar?). They have a very clear idea of what "Make America Great Again" means, and it does not include those who do not look like them. (But, it does include space aliens.) These are the most diehard tRump fans who will never stop believing in him. He needs them to rally the less dedicated followers.
This is the reason why tRump claimed during his 2020 campaign that, if Biden won, it would mean the ending of our country, the tearing down of the Washington Monument, the slaughtering of newborn babies, and the murdering of tRump supporters and their families. It is also why tRump used the word "fight" at least 20 times while only using the word peaceful once in his speech of insurrection on January 6, 2021.
By keeping anti-maskers feeling justified in their conspiracy theories against the legitimacy of the coronavirus, tRump can continue to bask in their admiration at super spreader events designed to illustrate his popularity and raise money, supposedly for his campaign. That's why he can never admit that the virus is deadly or that masks are necessary. tRump forced his doctors to hide the fact that his lungs had a severe infection. He ripped off his mask for the cameras and went inside the White House to risk infecting everyone around him. He then immediately planned more rallies. Continuing to deny the legitimacy and seriousness of the pandemic meant that lockdowns were unnecessary and that his economic indicators could improve.
Trump and the language of insurrection, BrandeisNOW
QAnon followers react to Trump refusing to condemn them, CNN
Surprise: Trump's COVID Case Was Reportedly Far Worse Than Admitted, The Cut
8. Use voter suppression whenever possible. Like tRump, Republicans fear mail-in voting and anything else that makes it easier for people to cast their votes. (Despite the fact that tRump and other Republicans routinely cast their ballots by mail.) They know that they are politically in the minority. They know that the less wealthy people who have many life pressures and trouble getting away from their jobs are less likely to vote when restrictions make it more difficult. THAT is why they pile on the voter registration and voting restrictions. They hide behind the claim that they are trying to ensure fair and safe elections. The elections already ARE fair and safe. They just want to make sure fewer people vote!
State GOP's have already introduced dozens of bills restricting voting access in 2021, Vox.com
9. Change election laws to pave the way for the next coup. tRump, Lindsey Graham, and their supporters tried to get Secretaries of State to throw out their citizens' votes illegally. They especially targeted Georgia. That failed. Now they want to make it LEGAL to do so. The Arizona GOP has a bill to allow its state legislature to legally overturn future presidential elections, acting against the will of its people.
TO CREATE LAWS TO BLATANTLY THROW OUT LEGAL BALLOTS IS ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE: NOT THE FACT THAT tRUMP WOULD WANT THEM TO DO IT...BUT, THAT LAWMAKERS ACTUALLY WOULD AGREE TO DO IT!
10. Organize a militia to perform the coup. Just as when tRump said, "Russia, if you're listening" release the emails, his words were not idle nor harmless when he said, "stand back and stand by" to the Proud Boys. They were listening and waiting with bated breath. The insurrectionist attack on the Capitol was no accident. It was planned.
The day before the attack, the FBI warned of violent extremists planning to go to Washington to carry out war. They shared a map of tunnels under the Capitol complex. They had designated rally points in South Carolina, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. They were heading to Washington to fight against "unlawful lockdowns." Their call for violence included such statements as: "Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal." They designated people to stand ready to provide supplies, water, medical aid, and evacuation assistance. (Unfortunately, this intelligence was ignored due, at least in part, to concerns over freedom of speech!) They planted pipe bombs at the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before.
They dehumanized Antifa members, calling them "maggots." They referred to themselves with words such as "rebel" and "minuteman." They believed the election was stolen and were prepared to fight for their president. They included the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. They used a walkie-talkie app to keep in touch. One woman organizer said that if Biden is sworn in, "our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights....If Biden get the steal, none of us have a chance in my mind. We already have our necks in the noose. They just haven't kicked the chair yet." The potential for further violence continues.
11. Organize a caravan of women to tour the country spreading the big election lie and calling for violent action. Women for America First was founded by tRump followers, supported by tRump, and actually obtained the permit for the rally that led to the insurrection on the Capitoal. In late November, they made a 20-city cross-country bus tour designed to paint America with a brush of election lies, conspiracies, hate, fear, and violence before the insurrection on January 6th. This tour was well-funded and tweeted by tRump. It included some government officials and was watched by millions on livestreams online.
A county commissioner in North Carolina on December 2nd said at a Women for America First rally "We'd solve every problem in this country if on the 4th of July every conservative went out and shot one liberal." On December 6th in Madison, Wisconsin, a chiropractor told a crowd, "When they come for my kids with this nontested COVID vaccine I'm gonna give them an insurance policy courtesy of a Glock on their forehead." On December 9th, at a rally in Charleston, the Republican Secretary of State of West Virginia said that Congress must determine the election due to the existence of clear "irregularities." He said that he was asked by state GOP leaders to attend the event. On January 3rd, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a New Mexico county commissioner and founder of Cowboys for Trump said to a rally, "If we allow this election to be stolen from us, we will become a third world country overnight."
Rally members accused globalists and the Chinese of stealing the election. They encouraged people to get armed, study tactics, and spend time on the firing range. On January 7th, the founder of the Cowboys for Trump and a frequent speaker on the bus tour said, "We could have a 2nd Amendment rally on those same steps that we had that rally yesterday. You know, and if we do, then it's gonna be a sad day, because there's gonna be blood running out of that building." Prior to that, in May, he had said in a video, "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat." tRump retweeted the video. The Cowboys leader also spent a lot of his time on stage spreading lies about covid, calling it "a manipulated hoax." He also falsely minimized the death toll and called for martial law.
Women for America First was cofounded by a former tea party activist and her daughter. They created the Stop the Steal Facebook group. Facebook has now removed the 365,000 member group. It is a registered nonprofit corporation and has received $25,000 from a pro-tRump dark money group called America First Policies. On January 6th, tRump spoke from the rally stage of Women for America First.
After the insurrection, Women for America First shut down their website.
How "The Women For America First" Bus Tour Led To The Capitol Coup Attempt, BuzzFeed News
12. Organize honors, awards, and accolades for tRump in order to legitimize and normalize his presidency. AFTER tRump was impeached for inciting an insurrection at the United States Capitol, his SECOND impeachment, two Ohio Republican State Representatives (Jon Cross and Reggie Stoltzfus) proposed a bill to make June 14th "President Donald J. Trump Day". They wrote that tRump has "against great odds, accomplished many things that have led our nation to unparalleled prosperity." They called tRump "one of the greatest presidents in American history." June 14th is also national Flag Day which honors the American Flag. This is the same flag that insurrectionist thugs replaced with tRump flags. Fortunately, a California Democratic Representative, Lydia Sanchez, has introduced legislation to prevent federal money from being used to commemorate any president who has been impeached twice by the House of Representatives. Remember tRump's drooling over the Nobel Peace Prize and the honor of throwing the first pitch at Yankee Stadium? He even made up a "Bay of Pigs Award" for himself to influence Latino voters in his favor!
Two Ohio GOP lawmakers are proposing an annual state holiday in honor of Trump, CNN.com
In odd video, Trump falsely suggests he received a Nobel prize, MSNBC.com
Yankees surprised by Trump announcing plans to throw first pitch without invite: NYT, The Hill
Trump boasts about getting 'Bay of Pigs award' - which doesn't exist, The Guardian
13. Convince prominent Republicans to stand against tRump's impeachment. Only 10 Republicans in the House supported impeachment. Only 5 Senators voted to hold the impeachment trial. Matt Gaetz, the Republican Representative from Florida and a fanatical tRump defender has even offered to resign his House seat to become tRump's impeachment lawyer! After previously saying that tRump holds some responsibility for the insurrection, Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy met with tRump in Florida to strategize about upcoming elections!
These are the 10 Republicans Who Voted to Impeach Trump, NPR.org
Most G.O.P. Senators Vote Against Holding Impeachment Trial for Trump, The New York Times
Twitter cheers as Matt Gaetz volunteers to resign and defend Trump in court, Washington Press
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