Turning outrage into activism

April 1, 2024

Dissecting Trump's social media posts is a dirty business. He is a brutish provocateur who thrives on outrage and condemnation in the same way he revels in obsequious flattery and feral loyalty. In his unthinking worldview, he “wins” if he provokes a reaction that keeps him at the top of the news—for good or ill. Readers regularly advise me not to discuss Trump, arguing that depriving him of attention is the same as depriving him of oxygen. There is wisdom in that advice. We can’t live our lives by granting Trump control over our emotional state through his social media posts.

But Trump isn’t speaking only to us. He is also speaking to his followers. And his social media posts over the last week have been not-so-subtle calls to violence against the judiciary and his political opponents, including Joe Biden. We can’t stop Trump from posting what he wants on his vanity social media platform. But we can ensure that the political, legal, and media costs of such reckless and dangerous rhetoric are too painful to be worth the continued provocations.

Sadly, thus far, the media’s response to Trump's latest incitements to violence has been this side of “Ho, hum! That’s just Trump being Trump.” Yeah, just like “Be there! It will be wild” was just “Trump being Trump” before January 6. When Trump refused to concede the 2020 election, his political handlers assured the world that Trump just needed time to “cool down” so that he would “accept the results” without conceding that he lost. In fact, Trump used that time to advance his attempted coup.

Last week, Trump repeatedly used his vanity social media platform to attack Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter and reposted a video of a pickup truck with an image of President Biden bound and gagged in the truck bed. Both sets of messages are like the “Be there, it will be wild” tweet that preceded the violence of January 6.

Trump's followers understand the not-so-subtle allusions to violence in the messages. And sooner or later, someone will be moved to act on the call to violence. The messages are dangerous, reckless, and intentional. Trump will stop only when the political, legal, and media costs become untenable.

The press is still treating Trump's calls to violence as though they are harmless ravings of a madman or fair game for political speech. Kristen Welker of Meet the Press on Sunday treated the attacks on the judiciary and the president as if it they were the subject of polite political discourse. Welker said,

Meanwhile this week, the former president stepped up his attacks on the judge and his family in the New York hush money case, It is yet another reminder that we are covering this election against the backdrop of a deeply divided nation. [¶¶]

Ramesh, what do you make of the rhetoric that we are hearing from former President Trump, this image that he's tweeted out of President Biden tied up in the back of a pickup truck? Maybe it energizes the base in a primary but plays a little differently in a general election, right?

What?! Welker says,

“Maybe it energizes the base?”

How about, “It was a dangerous and reckless threat against President Biden that should be investigated, prosecuted, and condemned by every American.”

And Welker says that the attacks on Judge Merchan and his daughter are

“A reminder that we are covering this election against the backdrop of a deeply divided nation?”

How about, “Attacking a judge’s family should result in the immediate revocation of Trump's release, and he should remain in jail pending the jury’s verdict.”

Kristen Welker is emblematic of a press sleepwalking into another January 6. We are not going to convince Trump to stop—but if his posts are met with overwhelming condemnation by the media, that may affect vulnerable members of his party, which may in turn result in internal pressure from the GOP—a dynamic that has already commenced. See Politico, Hill GOP to Trump: Tamp down the talk of grudges and Jan. 6.

A torrent of criticism by viewers led NBC to withdraw its offer to Ronna McDaniel. A torrent of criticism may lead to an “editorial discussion” with Kristen Welker about her apparent “both siderism” where one side is an aspiring dictator who wants to overthrow the Constitution and the other is one of the best presidents in the last seventy-five years.

I don’t have Kristen Welker’s email address, but her bosses can be reached at:

·       President, NBC: Rebecca.Blumenstein@nbcuni.com

·       SVP of Politics: carrie.budoff@nbcuni.com

If anyone has Kristen Welker’s address on hand, please email me (hit “reply” to this newsletter) or post it in the Comments section (I will promote it to the top).

But, hey, no reason to stop with Kristen Welker. Whenever you see a journalist treating Trump's dangerous threats as part of normal political discourse, call out the journalist. Before it is too late, and someone is motivated to act on Trump's calls to violence.

For an additional discussion of the danger of and appropriate responses to Trump's calls to violence, see Joyce Vance, Civil Discourse, We Need to Talk About This. Vance’s comments have gone viral—deservedly so. As Vance notes, at the very least, the Secret Service should have a “talk” with Trump:

Trump is totally, and uniquely among our former presidents, out of bounds. It's time to stop letting him break the rules. We’re entitled to more, not less, accountability from our presidents than from average citizens. [¶¶].

I know from experience as a prosecutor how seriously the Secret Service takes every single threat, or anything close to a threat, made against the President of the United States. They take it seriously even when it looks like the person making it lacks any capacity to carry it out. They always check. They always have the talk.

Let’s hope the Secret Service has scheduled an appointment with Trump for Monday at 8:00 a.m.

One further point: If the only thing that happens when Trump posts the next dangerous incitement to violence is that Trump succeeds in enraging us, he will have achieved his goal. Instead, convert your outrage and anger into activism. Alternatively, vow to donate something—$10, $5, or $1—to Joe Biden every time Trump posts dangerous comments on Truth Social. Help send a message that ordinary Americans have Joe Biden's back. To donate, click on this link: Joe Biden for President: Official Campaign Website.

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Opportunity for Reader Engagement

Check out this opportunity from BigTent USA. (By the way, readers have provided rave reviews for Big Tent events.)

On Tuesday, April 2 at 12:00 PM ET, BigTent is thrilled to host a conversation with Galvanize Founder and Executive Director, Jackie Payne, and renowned journalist, Bonnie Fuller. They will dive into what is happening with the moderate white woman voter and what role white women will play in the 2024 election. 

Galvanize Action connects with moderate women to build a broader base for progress and an America that works for everyone. There are millions of women—most living in rural, small town, and suburban communities—who want progress on things like access to healthcare and climate, but whose civic impact does not always reflect those goals. Galvanize uses research-backed approaches to support this group of women to vote in line with their values and play an active role in promoting social welfare in their communities. 

BigTentUSA is a moderate, inclusive, and collaborative community empowering citizens to take action to protect democracy, defend women’s rights, and protect our children. Join our free educational series of events and our calls to action detailed and updated regularly on our website.

Please use this link to register!  

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Concluding Thoughts

President Biden’s Easter message to the American people was simple, heartfelt, and appropriately religious for a devout Catholic:

Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection.

I won’t print Trump’s Easter message, but it was a 21-line ALL CAPS tirade that included the words “crooked,” “lazy,” “deranged,” “corrupt,” “despise,” “evil,” and “thugs”—words not usually associated with the resurrection narrative.

The two messages highlight the chasm between the respective characters of the men. I note the difference not to condemn Trump (even though he deserves it) but to reinforce the righteousness of our cause. Joe Biden is not a perfect candidate; no one would be. But he is a good and decent man. That goodness aligns with the fundamental orientation of America—an imperfect nation with lofty aspirations and daunting challenges.

If we are to succeed in our goals as a nation, we need leaders who reflect the goodness of the American people. Joe Biden is one such leader, and he deserves our unreserved support.

Talk to you tomorrow!