In order to be a "Republican" these days, you have to abandon any moral compass you may have had to pledge loyalty to a tyrant who never has had one.

"The America We Knew Is Rapidly Slipping Away" --Thomas L. Friedman

"Of all the terrible things Donald Trump has said and done as president, the most dangerous one just happened on Friday. Trump, in effect, ordered our trusted and independent government office of economic statistics to become as big a liar as he is.

He fired Erika McEntarfer, the Senate-confirmed head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for bringing him economic news he did not like, and in the hours immediately following, the second most dangerous thing happened: The senior Trump officials most responsible for running our economy — people who in their private businesses never would have contemplated firing a subordinate who brought them financial data they did not like — all went along for the ride."

[skip]

"The moment I heard what Trump had done, I had a flashback. It was January 2021, and it had just been reported that Trump, after losing the 2020 election, had tried to pressure Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to “find” him enough votes — exactly 11,780, Trump said — to overturn the presidential election and even threatened him with “a criminal offense” if he didn’t. 

The pressure came during an hourlong telephone call, according to an audio recording of the conversation. The difference, though, is that back then there was something called a Republican official with integrity. And so Georgia’s secretary of state did not agree to fabricate votes that did not exist. But that species of Republican official seems to have gone completely extinct in Trump’s second term. So Trump’s rotten character is now a problem for our whole economy."

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AND THIS:

If an American city or state, with the consent of its citizens, chooses to boycott, as a protest, an Israeli company because of its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the Trump administration said it will withhold FEMA funds to that city or state should they need it in an emergency.

"The Trump administration will deny federal disaster‑preparedness aid to U.S. states and cities that boycott Israeli companies, linking routine funding to its political position.

In grant notices posted Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said applicants must comply with its "terms and conditions," which include certifying they will not cut off "commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies" to remain eligible for assistance.

It states, "Discriminatory prohibited boycott means refusing to deal, cutting commercial relations, or otherwise limiting commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or with companies doing business in or with Israel or authorized by, licensed by, or organized under the laws of Israel to do business."

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This is another example of Trump's bullying America into authoritarianism, and yet people whine about being WOKE and DEI? Really?

A US President threatens, with dire consequences, any American city or state that uses it freedom of speech and protest, guaranteed in the Constitution! And he threatens to punish anyone who exercises this right.

Where's the same outrage over this that MAGA has over WOKE and DEI? Neither of which threatens our fundamental freedoms.

How much more of Trump's authoritarian behavior are his cultists willing to endure before they see him for the dictator wannabe and criminal that he is?

PS. Trump's administration is on record as an administration that mollycoddles and pampers child sex traffickers and rapists. IOW, it appears that the Trump administration is pro-pedophilia

This is how an authoritarian behaves. We no longer have a functioning democracy, because 1/3 of this country's voters thought it would be a great idea to have a twice impeached functioning illiterate convicted felon and adjudicated sexual assaulter, liar, cheat, and fraudster to lead our fragile democracy.

I voted for the woman who prosecuted criminals; MAGA voted for the criminal.