"You're not just responsible for what you say...you're responsible for what people hear."
Those are the words of retired United States Air Force General Michael Hayden. And Donald Trump can certainly learn something from them...as there's tremendous truth in the General's sentence. In a Tuesday, August 9th, 2016 interview with CNN Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper on The Lead...the retired four-star general responded to the vile comment...made earlier that day by Donald Trump...when the Republican nominee inferred that Hillary Clinton - if elected President - she...or the Supreme Court Justices that she would appoint... could find themselves the victims of gun owners' bullets.
Trump appeared to then speak "off the cuff"...and ad-libbed the following. "And if she (Hillary Clinton) gets to pick her judges...nothing you can do folks. Although the Second Amendment people maybe there is I don't know."
So did Donald Trump actually suggest that one or more gun owners should assassinate a President Hillary Clinton...or any future Supreme Court Justices? Did Trump mean what he said? Or does the billionaire businessman not know what he's saying when he makes offensive or detestable remarks?
The Trump Campaign says the real estate mogul was "joking" when he made what so many Americans think was a threat of assassination towards the possible President of the United States, if Hillary Clinton is elected. This is not a "joke." This is extremely serious. And anybody that thinks Donald Trump was being funny...is so very, very wrong. All Americans - including Republicans - should have great concern over Trump's vulgar vocabulary.
There is no disputing the foulmouthed language that was uttered by Donald Trump. But no matter what he meant...or how he meant it...or whether he was serious or just kidding around...nobody...not Donald Trump or anybody else...should ever "joke" about harming the President of our country.
This is not the first time that Donald Trump has inferred killing Hillary Clinton. In a tweet on May 21st, 2016, Trump wrote... "Crooked Hillary wants to get rid of all guns and yet she is surrounded by bodyguards who are fully armed. No more guns to protect Hillary!" Has Trump forgotten that he too is carefully watched ever moment of every day by Secret Service agents? With the amount of lunatics and deranged individuals...shooting people at random...how does Donald Trump make such an irresponsible expression...when he desires to be our nation's President? Trump is either mentally insane - or, if he's not - he still has no business being Commander-In-Chief of our country when he makes such stupid statements.
Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook condemned Trump's rally remark by tweeting..."This is simple. What Trump is saying is dangerous. A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in anyway." And Mrs. Clinton's foreign policy spokesperson, Jesse Lehrich tweeted..."So...is Donald Trump calling for Hillary Clinton to be shot?"
Meanwhile...Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts tweeted that "Donald Trump makes death threats because he's a pathetic coward who can't handle the fact that he's losing to a girl."
And Senator Susan Collins of Maine - who is just one of a growing list of Republican Members of Congress that "will not be voting for Donald Trump for President" - wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Monday August 8th...and told CNN Special Correspondent Jamie Gangel on August 9th...that "Donald Trump, in my judgment, would make a perilous world even more dangerous." 
To top it off...50 national security experts - most of them Republicans - have signed a letter opposing Trump...and declaring that he "would be the most reckless President in American history." I, on the other hand, will go one step further. Donald Trump is already reckless...and he has been for some time. Now he's proving to be treacherous.
I have written since last year - long before most others - that Donald Trump has mental health issues. In fact, I was chastised by many of my readers - going back to December 19th, 2015 - when I called Trump a warped maniac...and compared his dictatorial demeanor to that of Adolf Hitler. That's seven months before Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted - during Trump's July 21st acceptance speech at
the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio..."Is this guy running for
President or dictator?"Donald Trump does not have the temperament to be the leader of the free world...and voters on November 8th must keep Trump out of The Oval Office. He is diabolically dangerous...and he mustn't be allowed anywhere near The White House.
The media - as well as the public - will be talking about Trump's implication about gun owners and Hillary Clinton...for the next 90 days until Americans cast their ballots on election day.
Let us all remember that Donald Trump - on January 23rd, 2016 - while at a campaign rally in Iowa...and boasting about his loyal supporters...said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters."
How many times can we assume that Trump is only "joking" when his toxic tongue refers to a person being shot to death?
And what about Donald Trump's running mate? How does Mike Pence fit in to this bizarre political campaign? The Indiana Governor is Trump's "pooper-scooper." All the crap that Trump expels from his mouth...needs to be cleaned up by someone...and Pence seems to have the job of trying to do it. However...I wonder when the Republican nominee for Vice President will be sick of shoveling up Trump's abhorrent and obnoxiously distasteful discourse...and when Pence will tell "The Donald"...be careful what you say...or get yourself a new running mate. After all...if Pence has any ambition down the road...to seek the Presidency himself...then he's one "Hoosier" who'd better get Donald Trump to shut up...or else Pence...better ship out.And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
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Photo credits: washingtontimes (Former Director of the NSA and the CIA, Retired General Michael Hayden), CNN and newsbusters.org (CNN Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper), nkbt.net and youtube.com (Republican Nominee for President, Donald Trump), bostonherald.com (Democratic Nominee for President and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton), politicususa.com (former President Bill Clinton), thehill.com (former President George W. Bush), thenation.com (President Barack Obama), greginhollywood.com (Hillary Clinton's Campaign Manager, Robby Mook), huffingtontonpost.com (Senator Elizabeth Warren), pressherald.com (Senator Susan Collins), CNN and iconversations.biz (CNN Special Correspondent Jamie Gangel), thedailybeast.com (Senator Bernie Sanders) and politicususa.com (Governor Mike Pence)
Copyright 2016 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
Gary, as a gun owner, supporter of the 2nd amendment and being friends with many gun owners, I believe that Trumps comments were aimed at people like me and my friends. I don’t understand how any rational person can interpret what he said as a threat of violence in any way. He was saying to use our political power and our vote to protect against Clinton and her goals to restrict our rights under the 2nd amendment. I don’t know how you can state the following: “Trump told his supporters that "Hillary wants to essentially abolish the Second Amendment." That statement, of course, is altogether false.” It is not false, we all need to remember that in 2008 Clinton made many statements about the 2nd amendment, how she felt the Supreme Court decision under Heller was wrong when it said “the Second Amendment protected an individual's right to own a firearm for lawful purposes such as self-defense” she also said that the Heller decision should be overturned. That would basically take away much if not all of an individual’s 2nd amendment rights. This whole issue of threatening to assassinate anyone is the creation of the Trump haters like you, the Clinton machine and the biased Clinton controlled mainstream media. You made the statement “could find themselves the victims of gun owners' bullets” NO, NO, NO, what he said was they could find themselves the victims of gun owners' votes and political power! She is ahead in the polls, what are you so afraid of, it’s like Nixon in 72 he didn’t need Watergate to win, but this is what Clinton and her followers do, anything to gain power, lie, lie, lie, just like Nixon! I would just like to say to Mrs. Clinton, her machine, her left wing followers and the biased media that is pushing for her election STOP LYING!!
ReplyDeleteOh you've got it all wrong...and you have no clue as to what Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party want for 2016, 2017 and the future of the United States. Nobody wants to take your guns away. Sure...in a perfect world, I'd love to melt down every single gun and would never have another firearm manufactured anywhere on the planet. But this is not a perfect world. We just want stricter and better commonsense gun laws and background checks, so there's less of a chance for a person who shouldn't have a gun to get one. As for Donald Trump's 2nd Amendment remark and what has been interpreted as a threat against Hillary Clinton and any future Supreme Court Justices that she would appoint if she is President...this is not a "left-wing" issue. Too many Republicans are running so fast away from Trump that they've got blisters on their feet. Your comparison to Richard Nixon and Watergate is absurd. There is no corruption and there is no lying on the part of the Hillary Clinton Campaign, Secretary Clinton herself or the Democratic Party. I am confident that Mrs. Clinton will be Madam President come January 20th. And then you - and others like you - will realize...within the first 100 days of her being behind The Oval Office desk...that Hillary Clinton will make you and everyone in our country...happy. She will be an outstanding President of the United States. GBD
DeleteI can only go by what she has said, she said she would like Heller overturned, which would basically take away much if not all of an individual’s 2nd amendment rights. As to being happy if she wins within 100 days. The only way I would be happy with her is if she stopped all Syrian refugees from coming to America, stopped her attack on the 2nd amendment, got rid of Obama’s executive orders on emigration, repealed and replaced Obama Care (ACA) with a fair system, fixed our boarders, lowered taxes and cut spending, stopped ISIS and most of all stopped lying! That would be a good start! As for the comparison to Nixon and corruption all you have to do is look at the Clinton Foundation and you see a RICO investigation just waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteI will take your comments one at a time. 1) Syrian refugees who are vetted over a period of about 2-years before entering our country (which is how long it takes) are welcome. 2)The Second Amendment will not be abolished - as Trump seems to think - but we do need stricter, better background checks and commonsense gun control laws 3)President Obama's executive orders are fine. He has issued less executive orders than any President in recent history 4)There is no reason to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act, but certain things need improving 5)Our borders will be "fixed" - as you say - but there is no need for a monstrosity of a wall like Trump says he wants to build. 6) Taxes will be cut for the middle class, but anyone making 250,000 dollars or more will not have taxes cut...and shouldn't. I don't know what your income is, but I can only assume that you earn more than $250K. It's the middle class and the poor that need lower taxes. Sure, in a perfect world it would be nice to cut taxes on everyone, but our nation was built on the wealthy helping the middle class and poor. Nobody in the USA should live in poverty and everyone should be able to be happy and not kill themselves working 2 and 3 jobs 7) We need to spend to a certain degree in order to help our country grow in the right direction 8)Hillary Clinton will stop ISIS. In fact, President Obama may stop ISIS before Mrs. Clinton 9) Hillary Clinton has NEVER lied. There is no proof or evidence that she has ever lied, so you and other Republicans need to stop saying that Mrs. Clinton lies because she has not and does not 10) The Clinton Foundation is an outstanding philanthropic venture and helps millions of people worldwide...and President Clinton is beloved. There you have it, Wayne. But I'm sure you disagree with everything I said so you've expressed your opinion and I have made my points opposing you. Therefore, we'll stop here. GBD
ReplyDeleteJust a few answers to your answers, 1) the FBI Director told Congress : that the federal government does not have the ability to conduct thorough background checks on all of the 10,000 Syrian refugees that the Obama administration says will be allowed to come to the U.S. 2) If you push to overturn Heller you have reduced or eliminated much of an individual’s 2nd amendment rights, 3) It’s not how many executive orders, it is what they are that counts. 4) the ACA is killing our health care system and must be replaced with something fair to the doctors and the patients. 5) we need a wall and a president that will enforce our laws, no sanctuary cities no amnesty 6)cut taxes on everyone, on companies, this country wasn’t built on the upper middle and rich paying for everyone else 7) We need to grow and spend in the right way, not handouts 8) Clinton has no new plan for ISIS and Obama’s plan has let them grow from the JV team to the most powerful and riches terrorist group in the world 9) Hillary lies all the time Jim Comey said it, it is just a fact of life10) The Clinton Foundation was used as a pay for play tool of Hillary and Bill to make themselves rich, they sold access, as Rudy said if he was in his old job he would have opened a RECO investigation by now.
ReplyDelete1)That is why it is taking 2 years or longer to vet immigrants. It can be done...and is being done. Nobody is just letting 10,000 refugees enter the United States without being fully vetted. 2) Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party are not taking away the rights of law abiding citizens. I've given you the accurate answer three times now. 3) Presidential Executive Orders are permitted by law and every President signs them. President Obama has signed few in comparison to others. 4) The Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but it's not killing our health care system, but it is giving life to 20-million Americans who were unable to get medical insurance before the ACA. 5) This is the one that burns me up more than almost anything - when Republicans like you are agreeing with Donald Trump about building a wall. America is not a nation that blocks people out by a wall. We build bridges to welcome people. There will NEVER be a wall on the U.S./Mexico border. And 11-million people will not be told to leave - especially when so many of them have children who were born in our country and who are by birth - American citizens. 6) We can't cut taxes on everyone. We need higher taxes paid by the rich and very rich in order for the middle class and poor to not be taxed as much. That IS the way America was built. If you make more than $250-thousand then you pay more in taxes so that someone who doesn't earn as much can have enough to eat and live. 7) They are not handouts. Welfare, Medicaid and other programs are part of our government because people who receive money or services deserve them. 8) Just as nobody knew that President Obama had a plan to kill Osama bin Laden, I believe he has a plan to stop ISIS...and Hillary does too. 9)Hillary NEVER lies and FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress that Secretary Clinton was "truthful." That was his word. 10) Your comment about the Clinton Foundation is not only absurd but ludicrous. As for Rudy Giuliani - he's practically as bad as Donald Trump...and Rudy is getting worse and worse everyday. I think we're done now. GBD
ReplyDeleteP.S. - One more thing though - and I've been having to say this to many readers, especially recently...and that is this. You and other Republicans use my forum as a way to express your views on matters that have nothing to do with the topic I write about. My column above was all about Donald Trump being "A Clear and Present Danger" and the comment he made regarding Hillary Clinton and gun owners. But you - and other Republicans do it all the time - get on my blog and beat up on Secretary of State Clinton, President Obama, President Clinton and other Democrats when your remarks have nothing to do with what I wrote in my commentary. Next time...stay with the topic. GBD
DeleteDonald Trump is dangerous. many just refuse to see it or they ignore it all together. He needs to be held accountable for what he says and does. At the very least his statements are inflammatory. I do not know that there is an easy answer to fix the problem. It is more complex than people think and yet perhaps simple. The quick answer is for the republican party to denounce his behavior and dump him. unfortunately it is not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteI can only hope that IMO sanity prevails.
Thanks for your comment, Alexx. I hope you'll be a regular reader of The Controversy. Earlier columns can be read by going to the archives - above and on the right side - and either double click on a title from this month or double click on a previous month and then earlier titles will appear. As for your comment, I agree with you except for one point. As a Hillary Clinton supporter, I don't want the Republicans to drop Donald Trump. I don't believe he can win and I'm confident that Hillary Clinton will crush him like the bug that he is. And although I think Secretary Clinton will defeat any Republican...I wouldn't want her to have to face someone who might give her a bit of a tougher time - such as Paul Ryan. We've got a little more than 12 weeks to go until the election. Americans need to grit our teeth and if Trump continues to be the jerk that he is...then let him continue shooting himself in the foot (so to speak) and Mrs. Clinton will be elected our 45th President in a landslide. I have said for many months that she will beat Trump by a minimum of 8 points and perhaps as much as 15 points. If Trump stays on track with his offensive and detestable remarks, Mrs. Clinton might win by 20 points. The electoral college votes could end up being one of the biggest wins in history for Hillary Clinton. GBD
ReplyDeleteI'm in complete agreement with everything you wrote about Donald Trump-ertantrums. I think he should be removed from the Campaign for his threats and inciting Violence at his rallies.He is not fit to be President of this Country or any other as far as I'm concerned.He has court case going against him on his Trump University in which he Scammed thousands of dollars from many people.You think he's just going to get off Scott free with this. I sure hope not.Oh and everyone is keeping that RAPE case of that 13 year old real quiet. I say Trump has to be STOPPED at all cost.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabeth for reading The Controversy. I hope you will be a regular reader. You can also read earlier columns by double-clicking on a title in the archives on the upper right-hand side. Commentaries from previous months can also be read by double-clicking on a month and then titles will appear. I don't think Republicans should push Donald Trump out of the campaign because Hillary Clinton will beat him handily at this point. I think Secretary Clinton will defeat any Republican, but she'll have a tougher time if Trump is out and the GOP brings in someone like Paul Ryan. Democrats need to grit our teeth for another 12 and a half weeks and then hopefully Mrs. Clinton will be elected the 45th President of the United States. Thanks again for your comment. GBD
DeleteP.S. - Elizabeth...please check out my latest commentary - DONALD TRUMP...IS NUTS at www.TheControversy.net or by clicking on the title in the archives above. Thanks again. GBD
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