Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pushed back on those condemning the former president’s choice of “vermin” to attack his opponents, telling the Washington Post that critics “who try to make that ridiculous assertion are clearly snowflakes grasping for anything because they are suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome and their entire existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House.” (Cheung later clarified to the Post that he meant to say their “sad, miserable existence” instead of their “entire existence.”)

  • GONADS125@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    94
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Calling his opponents vermin is a classic dehumanizing technique. Viewing a group as sub-human makes it easier to justify cruelty, and is a component of most genocidal regimes.

    And that's totally in line with trump's open love and praise of murderous, genocidal dictators across the globe. Like most everything trump does, it's sickening and blatantly obvious.

    Edit: Thought this was a great graphic I just saw on MeidasTouch Network.

  • OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    74
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    "Your candidate is making assertions that make him sound like a genocidal fascist, any comment?"

    critics “who try to make that ridiculous assertion" […] "their entire existence will be crushed"

    …K.

    • Jerkface@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      35
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      “their entire sad, miserable existence”

      Important clarification. Really changes the context.

      • krayj@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        1 year ago

        That's what used to be called a "Freudian Slip". These days, it it's just standard GOP tactics to testing the waters to measure the amount of support for fascism.

  • bus_go_fast@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    65
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    from Trump Derangement Syndrome

    Oh wow so clever. Wish I was a conservative so I could not be miserable and always be super happy and never complain about anything! Conservatives seem like such happy pleasant people! /s

    • Iwasondigg@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      31
      ·
      1 year ago

      These people unironically post pictures of Trump jacked and bare chested riding a tank flanked with bald eagles, and WE'RE the ones with Trump Derangement Syndrome? Ok…

  • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    41
    ·
    1 year ago

    A racist I unfortunately work with likes to call people "cockroaches". She thinks she is being clever by using that as a code word for minorities.

    • awnery@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      ·
      1 year ago

      let it go friend. i don't have the answers. but i hope you can deal with that asshole in a way that shuts down the violence but you look better

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      That's more clever than the words a lot of these assholes use… like 'ghetto.' I was talking to someone like that earlier, about how the kids who went to the 'ghetto schools' were part of a community that didn't value education. And then he started trying to sell me on fucking Thomas Sowell.

  • darq@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    32
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    This is a display of power, and dominance. It's a taunt.

    To "clarify" by both denying the claim and doubling down on the claim at the same time. To state that people taking the words as a threat are snowflakes, while immediately threatening them again. And to do it twice over, reclarifying his original threat with another one.

    He knows that makes no sense. But words don't have to make sense under fascists. Only power makes sense. He knows he can get away with it. That's the point.

    The journalist should have drilled him on the spot.

    • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      1 year ago

      I mean, January 6th was what a rational people could call "crossing the line." Prior to that, you literally had these nazi groups trying to insight violence in protests everywhere. They literally buy too many guns to use.

      These people are violent, intend to use violence, and it is not an exaggeration. When they do start killing people, there will be a lot of surprised Pikachu faces, but its not like they didn't vote for a president who said he could shoot someone on 5th ave and not lose any supporters.

    • agent_flounder@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      Just think what his batshit crazy followers will do once Trump shows em how.

      Good thing sanity prevails and his is behind in the polls …oh wait.

    • awnery@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      he's old, but could survive, so we're in for it, though i'd like to some change

  • Wrench@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    19
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    I mean, when I read Trumps quote, before I had seen any mention of nazis or Hitler in relation to his quote, I literally paused to myself and thought "that… sounds like a Hitler quote"

    And 15 seconds later, I saw the comments comparing it to actual Hitler quotes.

    There is no grasping. The very first, uninfluenced, impression of his quote was that it sounded like Hitler's words.

  • sucricdrawkcab@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    16
    ·
    1 year ago

    Trump Derangement Syndrome dropped just in time for the special moments of holiday conversations. This is that comeback from that uncle in the FJB shirt, hat, shitty bumper sticker, it is coming folks so be ready.

  • Taako_Tuesday@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    16
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    They still talk about Hillary calling Trump's supporters "deplorables", but when Trump not only calls liberals/leftists "vermin" but implies that they will be in some way discriminated against, maybe even genocided, it barely makes the news.

  • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    1 year ago

    Seriously, American politics are just completely embarrassing at this point. It has been completely reduced to mud-slinging and insults. In the gutter all the time. Taking the high road is not an option. Why anyone would vote for this is beyond my comprehension.

  • Nougat@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    1 year ago

    This is the presumptive nominee for President for the Republican party, and almost all of the also-rans are exactly as bad. (Chris Christie is a piece of shit, just not for this specific reason.)

    Unfortunately, the power to solve this fascism crisis resides in people leaving the Republican American Fascist Party, and actually turning against it. Yeah, we're fucked.

    • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      1 year ago

      Most conservatives support fascism. They don't call it "fascism", so they will deny being fascists. But conservatives always vote for whomever is the most harmful, oppressive, fascist candidate.

      Conservatives are fascists. They will never leave the fascist party.

    • Iwasondigg@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      Hear me out, vote for Christie in the primary. He's a piece of shit but infinitely better than Trump. If everyone does this, Trump is toast. Then vote for Biden in the general.