The Cult of Trump

[dondub]

Jan 12, 2022 19:14:37 GMT -5 Opti said:

Jan 12, 2022 18:42:46 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Where were Mitch's public comments when it came to the incoherent speeches and public lies when Trump was president and spoke.

McConnell says Biden speech was 'incoherent, incorrect and beneath his office'

Sounds like McConnell should try some of his own suggestions.

But Biden, speaking in Georgia, argued that while he was an institutionalist, the Senate was broken. McConnell fired back on Wednesday, arguing that Biden got a mandate to "bridge a divided country, lower the temperature and dial down the perpetual air of crisis in our politics."

Then step up to the plate snd provide some of that yourself. Let’s try this Mitch. You lead the Repo-Cons in the Senate to vote for the voter rights bill and put an end to your party’s attempt to subvert and restrict the vote. How about putting the country first.

[tbop77]

Jan 12, 2022 18:42:46 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Where were Mitch's public comments when it came to the incoherent speeches and public lies when Trump was president and spoke.

"Look, I've known, liked and personally respected Joe Biden for many years. I did not recognize the man at the podium yesterday. ... The president's rant, rant, yesterday was incoherent, incorrect and beneath his office," McConnell said from the Senate floor.

McConnell says Biden speech was 'incoherent, incorrect and beneath his office'

He's just doing his part, however subtle, it can be.  Try to keep the based happy and add to their conspiracy that Biden is not running the country. Mitch doesn't say anything without a reason!

[Opti]

Jan 13, 2022 8:43:33 GMT -5 tbop77 said:

Jan 12, 2022 18:42:46 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Where were Mitch's public comments when it came to the incoherent speeches and public lies when Trump was president and spoke.

McConnell says Biden speech was 'incoherent, incorrect and beneath his office'

He's just doing his part, however subtle, it can be.  Try to keep the based happy and add to their conspiracy that Biden is not running the country. Mitch doesn't say anything without a reason!

Its not subtle at all. It is the same shit as when Trump was President. Pretending that a good portion of the GOP leadership isn't trying to destroy America forever. 

If you want to serve the devil, it makes sense. If you think it is the only way to stay in power, I'd say it isn't worth it. He's old, he's wealthy. He doesn't have to provide cover for destroying America, he's making the active choice to do so. 

[djAdvocate]

highly recommend you watch this. 40 minutes. well worth it:

fivethirtyeight.com/videos/why-an-expert-in-political-violence-is-worried-about-civil-war-in-the-u-s/

American Democracy has been declining for 5 years.
every year that it continues puts us at risk for Civil War.

not a joke. real.

[djAdvocate]

what is driving it?
the ethnocentrism of the GOP.
watch it. seriously.

[djAdvocate]

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/05/donald-trump-republican-party-capitol-attack-insurrection

from the Guardian, THIS year.

A year ago, it seemed as though the Republican party might snap out of its love affair with the former president. Not so

David Smith
David Smith in Washington
@smithinamerica
Wed 5 Jan 2022 02.00 EST

Whether it was praising white supremacists, siding with Vladimir Putin or suggesting bleach as a coronavirus cure, there was nothing that Donald Trump could do to make the Republican party fall out of love with him.

Then came 6 January, and – for a brief moment – it seemed that was no longer true.

“Today all I can say is: count me out,” said Lindsey Graham, standing in a Senate chamber that just hours earlier had been overrun by a pro-Trump mob determined to overturn the 2020 presidential election. “Enough is enough.”

Supporters of Donald Trump rally before storming the US Capitol on 6 January
Indictment of alleged Proud Boys leaders over US Capitol attack upheld
Read more
A week later he was joined by Kevin McCarthy, the Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives, who called on Trump to “accept his share of responsibility” for the deadly violence at the Capitol. Other allies turned against the president. If ever there was a moment that the party could snap out of its five-year fever dream, this was it. Yet it did not.

In the year since the insurrection that reverberated around the world, Trump’s stranglehold on Republicans has seemingly become stronger, not weaker. Graham was soon back on the golf course with him; McCarthy was soon kissing the ring at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Many leaders of the party have set about changing the narrative of the insurrection to portray it as a heroic last stand – a new “lost cause”.

[djAdvocate]

this is how the article above closes:


Kurt Bardella, an adviser to the Democratic National Committee, believes that 6 January will go down as the day that the Republican party surrendered to “an anti-democratic terrorist cell” and that its mission since has been to permanently undermine democracy.

“I have long said that January 6 was merely a dress rehearsal for how Republicans intend to try to hijack free and fair democratic elections in this country going forward,” added Bardella, a former Republican congressional aide.

“They know that when the playing field is level and everybody can participate in the democratic process, they cannot win, so the only recourse that they believe that they can obtain power is by throwing out democratic norms and overthrowing elections, even if that means using instruments of violence, fear and terror to do so.”

that resonates with me. for some time, it has become clear that winning legitimately is out of the question. they have not won a majority vote since 2004- and even in THAT election there were irregularities in a state that would have cost the GOP the election (Ohio). so, yeah, they have given up winning legitimately. they have fully embraced winning illegitimately, and then destroying the parts of the Republic that have been built by Democrats over the last century.

this should put us slightly below Iran when they are done.

[Opti]

Jan 14, 2022 13:56:19 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is how the article above closes:


Kurt Bardella, an adviser to the Democratic National Committee, believes that 6 January will go down as the day that the Republican party surrendered to “an anti-democratic terrorist cell” and that its mission since has been to permanently undermine democracy.

“I have long said that January 6 was merely a dress rehearsal for how Republicans intend to try to hijack free and fair democratic elections in this country going forward,” added Bardella, a former Republican congressional aide.

“They know that when the playing field is level and everybody can participate in the democratic process, they cannot win, so the only recourse that they believe that they can obtain power is by throwing out democratic norms and overthrowing elections, even if that means using instruments of violence, fear and terror to do so.”

that resonates with me. for some time, it has become clear that winning legitimately is out of the question. they have not won a majority vote since 2004- and even in THAT election there were irregularities in a state that would have cost the GOP the election (Ohio). so, yeah, they have given up winning legitimately. they have fully embraced winning illegitimately, and then destroying the parts of the Republic that have been built by Democrats over the last century.

this should put us slightly below Iran when they are done.

They still could and do win at the state and local level. As tempting as being un-American must be to some of these power mongers, they would be better served getting aligned with RL now and figure out how they can be relevant moving forward versus trying to bring about some past even their supporters would hate, if it came to pass.

[djAdvocate]

the documentary points out that Hispanics are a natural demographic for them. but they have made Hispanics the boogeyman by inviting the overt racists into their fold.

so, they are going to lose legitimately in the long run.

[tbop77]

The cult of Trump will do the most outrageous acts to keep their base happy.  Even if it kills them.  And talk out of both sides of their mouth.  The low information voting based cannot research to see how hypocritical they are.  Take the next Trump wanna be, Ron DeSantis.  Imposing laws on schools and businesses regarding COVID....and then touting FL is free.  


So, the Brevard Public Schools board members we elected to represent us have had their hands tied by our governor. No matter how much worse our COVID rates become, they can’t mandate masks, even though all credible medical sources recommend it. When one man can hamstring our local elected officials and subvert the will of the voters in our county, that doesn’t sound like democracy.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/gov-desantis-talks-of-freedom-while-florida-s-schools-and-children-suffer-opinion/ar-AASMkRT?ocid=msedgntp

I hope Trump smears him before the 2024 election.  He worries me!

[djAdvocate]

I read an article about DeSantis yesterday where he basically apologized for "going along with Trumps lock downs". first of all, Trump never had any lock downs. and second, why on Earth would you be against them?

I find myself wondering if he is mentally ill, or if he is triangulating. I really can't tell.

[tbop77]

On Saturday, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon released a new episode of his "War Room" podcast in which he claimed that the former president's rally on Saturday would serve as a precursor to the decertification of President Joe Biden's 2020 election win.



"It's the kickoff of 2022. A huge speech in front of a massive crowd by Donald J. Trump and, of course, they're all melting down about who's on stage with him. They're all people that are going to get to the decertification of the 2020 Biden electors," Bannon said.


www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/steve-bannon-claims-trump-rally-will-prompt-arizona-to-decertify-biden-s-2020-election-victory-the-vote-cannot-be-decertified-in-any-way/ar-AASOL3q

I bet the cult of Trump can't wait to wake up tomorrow and see Trump as President!  

[Opti]

I'd like to decertify Steve Bannon. 

[djAdvocate]

this is from his speech tonight:

Trump's medical industry claims

In his speech, Trump made claims about "race-based preferential Covid treatments."

In some communities, "If you're white, you don't get the vaccine, or if you're white you don't get therapeutics," Trump claimed.

"You know, in New York, if you're white, you go right to the back of the line to get help," he added.

it's wonderful how he is bringing us all together, isn't it?







(against him)

[Opti]

Jan 15, 2022 23:15:42 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is from his speech tonight:

Trump's medical industry claims

In his speech, Trump made claims about "race-based preferential Covid treatments."

In some communities, "If you're white, you don't get the vaccine, or if you're white you don't get therapeutics," Trump claimed.

"You know, in New York, if you're white, you go right to the back of the line to get help," he added.

it's wonderful how he is bringing us all together, isn't it?







(against him)

That's opposite of how it worked at least earlier in the pandemic. (I don't think there are any race-based choices in this area that I am aware of. If there are, white privilege would go to the head of the line.)

He's a special kind of liar. 

[teen persuasion]

Jan 15, 2022 23:15:42 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is from his speech tonight:

Trump's medical industry claims

In his speech, Trump made claims about "race-based preferential Covid treatments."

In some communities, "If you're white, you don't get the vaccine, or if you're white you don't get therapeutics," Trump claimed.

"You know, in New York, if you're white, you go right to the back of the line to get help," he added.

it's wonderful how he is bringing us all together, isn't it?







(against him)

That doesn't even make sense.  His base don't want vaccines, don't trust them.  They booed Trump when he flip-flopped and told people to get *his* vaccine.

Now, therapeutics (that's a high falutin' word for Trump to use) - I don't know whether they want those or not.  They seem to insist Ivermectin and such are their preferred medicine du jour.  But once they are in the ICU fighting for their lives I suspect they demand access to every treatment possible.


Maybe it's all some reverse psychology to get more  to vaccinate - they are trying to keep that vaccine from you; it's not fair!

[djAdvocate]

funny, I didn't notice that. he avoids four syllable words. very rare for him to use them.

[Tennesseer]

Jan 15, 2022 23:15:42 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is from his speech tonight:

Trump's medical industry claims

In his speech, Trump made claims about "race-based preferential Covid treatments."

In some communities, "If you're white, you don't get the vaccine, or if you're white you don't get therapeutics," Trump claimed.

"You know, in New York, if you're white, you go right to the back of the line to get help," he added.

it's wonderful how he is bringing us all together, isn't it?






(against him)

And to think Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema is worried if the filibuster is removed (at least to pass the Voting Rights bill) it will further divide the country.

[djAdvocate]

minority communities are MORE distrustful of the vaccine than white people are.

it has been difficult to get them vaccinated because of the history of "vaccinating" them in the past (not a good history).

white people are, as you say, exactly the opposite of this, AS A RULE. they trust that the vaccine will work FOR THEM.

so, he is telling an audience that doesn't trust the vaccine that they are giving it preferentially to black folks? that should MAKE THEM HAPPY, given their distrust of the vaccine.

the only thing it shows is that he is a fucking racist. nothing more or less.
maybe that is why he said it.

[djAdvocate]

he is a horrendous individual.
and his followers are a shameless batch of weasels.

[djAdvocate]

Jan 15, 2022 22:45:46 GMT -5 tbop77 said:

On Saturday, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon released a new episode of his "War Room" podcast in which he claimed that the former president's rally on Saturday would serve as a precursor to the decertification of President Joe Biden's 2020 election win.



"It's the kickoff of 2022. A huge speech in front of a massive crowd by Donald J. Trump and, of course, they're all melting down about who's on stage with him. They're all people that are going to get to the decertification of the 2020 Biden electors," Bannon said.


www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/steve-bannon-claims-trump-rally-will-prompt-arizona-to-decertify-biden-s-2020-election-victory-the-vote-cannot-be-decertified-in-any-way/ar-AASOL3q

I bet the cult of Trump can't wait to wake up tomorrow and see Trump as President!  

Gosar?  Lindell?

these are not really rock stars.

I wouldn't even know who they were if they were not welded to Trumps thighs.

[Opti]

www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-claimed-babies-can-be-killed-after-birth-and-called-for-ban-on-transgender-athletes-stoking-culture-wars-at-arizona-rally/ar-AASPNQV?ocid=msedgntp

Another thing to add to the tell pile. When Trump says, "this is a fact" it's a guaranteed lie much like "people say".


Donald Trump made provocative comments about abortion and transgender people at a rally in Arizona.

He falsely claimed that Democratic politicians say that "babies can be killed even after birth."

He also spoke about transgender people and promised to "ban men from participating in women's sports."

Former President Donald Trump stoked the culture wars at a rally in Florence, Arizona on Saturday, making provocative comments about the Democratic party's stances on transgender people and abortion.



"We're done taking lectures on science from a party that tells us men and women, women are men, and the babies… and this is a fact, the babies can be killed even after birth," Trump said.



"They used to talk late-term, now they're talking about… just go check out your governor of Virginia, your former governor of Virginia, and it's all just fine with them, babies can be killed after birth."

Trump was likely referring to disproved allegations that then-Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam promoted infanticide in an interview in 2019.

[tbop77]

Jan 15, 2022 23:15:42 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is from his speech tonight:

Trump's medical industry claims

In his speech, Trump made claims about "race-based preferential Covid treatments."

In some communities, "If you're white, you don't get the vaccine, or if you're white you don't get therapeutics," Trump claimed.

"You know, in New York, if you're white, you go right to the back of the line to get help," he added.

it's wonderful how he is bringing us all together, isn't it?







(against him)

Wow, new material?  Never heard him tell that lie before.    Some more of those alternative facts?  

[Tennesseer]

Jan 16, 2022 9:23:49 GMT -5 tbop77 said:

Jan 15, 2022 23:15:42 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is from his speech tonight:

Trump's medical industry claims

In his speech, Trump made claims about "race-based preferential Covid treatments."

In some communities, "If you're white, you don't get the vaccine, or if you're white you don't get therapeutics," Trump claimed.

"You know, in New York, if you're white, you go right to the back of the line to get help," he added.

it's wonderful how he is bringing us all together, isn't it?



(against him)

Wow, new material?  Never heard him tell that lie before.    Some more of those alternative facts?  

Pieces from the article.

Trump's Arizona Speech Proves His Shock Comic Act Has Jumped the Shark

There was a time when Donald Trump made news with his rallies—when he said things that utterly shocked us. Who could forget the firestorm he started, for example, when he went after Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who knelt during the national anthem in 2017, or earlier that year when he called Barack Obama “the founder of ISIS”?

Trump’s performance in Arizona on Saturday night—his first rally in months and his much-hyped chance to respond to the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot—was neither shocking nor terribly newsworthy.

It didn’t even merit a mention on The Washington Post’s homepage Sunday morning. The New York Times only used Trump’s speech as a peg to write a broader story under the headline: “Trump Rally Underscores G.O.P. Tension Over How to Win in 2022.”

A few years ago, Trump rallies spawned breathless coverage and drove multiple news cycles. But The Times’ story isn’t even about the rally, and their mentioning it is mostly perfunctory.

A few years ago, Trump rallies spawned breathless coverage and drove multiple news cycles. But The Times’ story isn’t even about the rally, and their mentioning it is mostly perfunctory.

To keep readers’ attention, The Times spotlighted a cast of supporting characters, such as Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed candidate for Arizona governor who used to be a local news anchor. The photo of her in The Times shows her wearing some sort of cape, which I think we can all find mysterious. No wonder they used her.

TV sitcom showrunners sometimes react to declining ratings by introducing a “Cousin Oliver”—which, quite often, is a cute kid whose smart-alecky sass is meant to liven up a tired atmosphere. Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s evidence a show has simply “jumped the shark.” But Trump’s never been an ensemble cast type of personality. He’s the whole show, and the surrounding players are as replaceable and ephemeral as Spinal Tap’s exploding drummers.

The Arizona rally may have been the unofficial kickoff of his 2024 campaign. But this time around, Trump will have to work harder to break through—and not just because the media is less likely to give him ample air time free of charge.

Call it the Andrew Dice Clay conundrum: If your entire schtick is based on shock value, eventually the audience grows inured, and the lack of substance becomes embarrassingly plain.

The theme was “Make America Great Again…Again.” Even Trump’s apparel hinted at the likely sequel. He donned a red “Make America Great Again” hat that partially obscured his eyes most of the night, but it wasn’t the iconic version from the 2016 election. He was attempting to have it both ways by playing his “greatest hits” and floating some new material. But does lightning ever really strike twice? For every “Godfather II” masterpiece there’s dozens of “Ghostbusters II” failed sequels.

We’d be fools to count Trump out entirely. If anyone in American lore is capable of a third act—it’s him. But he needs new material, and fast, because if his Arizona rally shows anything, it’s that the old routine just doesn’t land anymore.

Complete article here: Trump's Arizona Speech Proves His Shock Comic Act Has Jumped the Shark

[Opti]

I don't think he has a third act. He didn't even have a second one really. The second act happened because he couldn't reinvent himself or change the story quick enough. But there is time ... but I think his story has ended President wise. He'll play kingmaker and what not until he gets bored with it, or it no longer works.

[dondub]

Jan 16, 2022 19:34:46 GMT -5 Opti said:

I don't think he has a third act. He didn't even have a second one really. The second act happened because he couldn't reinvent himself or change the story quick enough. But there is time ... but I think his story has ended President wise. He'll play kingmaker and what not until he gets bored with it, or it no longer works.

When the grift cash flow stops.

[Opti]

www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/tensions-rise-between-trump-and-ron-desantis/ar-AASQB2M?ocid=undefined
Long article but worth reading. Both DeSantis and Christie have been figuring out paths forward around Trump. There are likely more I am unaware of. I predict the opposite of the bolded. I think DeSantis is willing to leave Trump behind, knowing he has far more years in politics ahead than Trump does.

At its core, the dispute amounts to a stand-in for the broader challenge confronting Republicans at the outset of midterm elections. They are led by a defeated former president who demands total fealty, brooks no criticism and is determined to sniff out, and then snuff out, any threat to his control of the party.



That includes the 43-year-old DeSantis, who has told friends he believes Mr. Trump’s expectation that he bend the knee is asking too much. That refusal has set up a generational clash and a test of loyalty in the de facto capital of today’s G.O.P., one watched by Republicans elsewhere who’ve ridden to power on Mr. Trump’s coattails.



Already, party figures are attempting to calm matters.



“They’re the two most important leaders in the Republican Party,” said Brian Ballard, a longtime Florida lobbyist with connections to both men, predicting Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis “will be personal and political friends for the rest of their careers.”



Mr. Trump’s aides also have tried to tamp down questions about the former president’s frustrations, so as not to elevate Mr. DeSantis.

Mr. DeSantis, though, has been much more eager to focus on his resistance to Covid-19 restrictions, past and present, than to make a robust case for vaccination and booster shots.



Notably, at his rally on Saturday, Mr. Trump did not promote vaccines and criticized so-called Covid “lockdowns.”



Mr. Trump’s loudest antagonists are likely to continue to stoke the tension between the two men. Ann Coulter, the conservative commentator who has fallen out with the former president, delighted in the dust-up this week.



“Trump is demanding to know Ron DeSantis’s booster status, and I can now reveal it,” Ms. Coulter wrote on Twitter. “He was a loyal booster when Trump ran in 2016, but then he learned our president was a liar and con man whose grift was permanent.”



In an email, Ms. Coulter, herself a part-time Florida resident, put a finer point on what makes Mr. DeSantis’s rise unsettling for the former president. “Trump is done,” she wrote. “You guys should stop obsessing over him.”

[djAdvocate]

Jan 17, 2022 10:18:43 GMT -5 Opti said:

www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/tensions-rise-between-trump-and-ron-desantis/ar-AASQB2M?ocid=undefined
Long article but worth reading. Both DeSantis and Christie have been figuring out paths forward around Trump. There are likely more I am unaware of. I predict the opposite of the bolded. I think DeSantis is willing to leave Trump behind, knowing he has far more years in politics ahead than Trump does.

At its core, the dispute amounts to a stand-in for the broader challenge confronting Republicans at the outset of midterm elections. They are led by a defeated former president who demands total fealty, brooks no criticism and is determined to sniff out, and then snuff out, any threat to his control of the party.



That includes the 43-year-old DeSantis, who has told friends he believes Mr. Trump’s expectation that he bend the knee is asking too much. That refusal has set up a generational clash and a test of loyalty in the de facto capital of today’s G.O.P., one watched by Republicans elsewhere who’ve ridden to power on Mr. Trump’s coattails.



Already, party figures are attempting to calm matters.



“They’re the two most important leaders in the Republican Party,” said Brian Ballard, a longtime Florida lobbyist with connections to both men, predicting Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis “will be personal and political friends for the rest of their careers.”



Mr. Trump’s aides also have tried to tamp down questions about the former president’s frustrations, so as not to elevate Mr. DeSantis.

Mr. DeSantis, though, has been much more eager to focus on his resistance to Covid-19 restrictions, past and present, than to make a robust case for vaccination and booster shots.



Notably, at his rally on Saturday, Mr. Trump did not promote vaccines and criticized so-called Covid “lockdowns.”



Mr. Trump’s loudest antagonists are likely to continue to stoke the tension between the two men. Ann Coulter, the conservative commentator who has fallen out with the former president, delighted in the dust-up this week.



“Trump is demanding to know Ron DeSantis’s booster status, and I can now reveal it,” Ms. Coulter wrote on Twitter. “He was a loyal booster when Trump ran in 2016, but then he learned our president was a liar and con man whose grift was permanent.”



In an email, Ms. Coulter, herself a part-time Florida resident, put a finer point on what makes Mr. DeSantis’s rise unsettling for the former president. “Trump is done,” she wrote. “You guys should stop obsessing over him.”

Trump only has about 11 healthy years ahead of him, actuarial-ly speaking:


www.icaa.cc/media/presidential_lifespan_and_healthspan-draft_for_release_1.pdf

that is not even close to how much career DeSantis has if he gets rid of him.

[Opti]

Jan 16, 2022 0:27:13 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jan 15, 2022 23:15:42 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

this is from his speech tonight:

Trump's medical industry claims

In his speech, Trump made claims about "race-based preferential Covid treatments."

In some communities, "If you're white, you don't get the vaccine, or if you're white you don't get therapeutics," Trump claimed.

"You know, in New York, if you're white, you go right to the back of the line to get help," he added.

it's wonderful how he is bringing us all together, isn't it?






(against him)

And to think Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema is worried if the filibuster is removed (at least to pass the Voting Rights bill) it will further divide the country.

I think they should remove the filibuster from the bill in hopes of getting more people behind it, including Republican senators.

[Opti]

Jan 17, 2022 21:31:55 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jan 17, 2022 10:18:43 GMT -5 Opti said:

www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/tensions-rise-between-trump-and-ron-desantis/ar-AASQB2M?ocid=undefined
Long article but worth reading. Both DeSantis and Christie have been figuring out paths forward around Trump. There are likely more I am unaware of. I predict the opposite of the bolded. I think DeSantis is willing to leave Trump behind, knowing he has far more years in politics ahead than Trump does.

At its core, the dispute amounts to a stand-in for the broader challenge confronting Republicans at the outset of midterm elections. They are led by a defeated former president who demands total fealty, brooks no criticism and is determined to sniff out, and then snuff out, any threat to his control of the party.



That includes the 43-year-old DeSantis, who has told friends he believes Mr. Trump’s expectation that he bend the knee is asking too much. That refusal has set up a generational clash and a test of loyalty in the de facto capital of today’s G.O.P., one watched by Republicans elsewhere who’ve ridden to power on Mr. Trump’s coattails.



Already, party figures are attempting to calm matters.



“They’re the two most important leaders in the Republican Party,” said Brian Ballard, a longtime Florida lobbyist with connections to both men, predicting Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis “will be personal and political friends for the rest of their careers.”



Mr. Trump’s aides also have tried to tamp down questions about the former president’s frustrations, so as not to elevate Mr. DeSantis.

Mr. DeSantis, though, has been much more eager to focus on his resistance to Covid-19 restrictions, past and present, than to make a robust case for vaccination and booster shots.



Notably, at his rally on Saturday, Mr. Trump did not promote vaccines and criticized so-called Covid “lockdowns.”



Mr. Trump’s loudest antagonists are likely to continue to stoke the tension between the two men. Ann Coulter, the conservative commentator who has fallen out with the former president, delighted in the dust-up this week.



“Trump is demanding to know Ron DeSantis’s booster status, and I can now reveal it,” Ms. Coulter wrote on Twitter. “He was a loyal booster when Trump ran in 2016, but then he learned our president was a liar and con man whose grift was permanent.”



In an email, Ms. Coulter, herself a part-time Florida resident, put a finer point on what makes Mr. DeSantis’s rise unsettling for the former president. “Trump is done,” she wrote. “You guys should stop obsessing over him.”

Trump only has about 11 healthy years ahead of him, actuarial-ly speaking:


www.icaa.cc/media/presidential_lifespan_and_healthspan-draft_for_release_1.pdf

that is not even close to how much career DeSantis has if he gets rid of him.

Exactly. I think Death Sentence understands politics better than Trump. Trump still acts like the Apprentice persona crossed with CEO who always gets his way.