It’s not the Republicans’ fear of losing their seats to a Trump-backed challenger that keeps Trump in office. It’s their fear of violent attacks on them and their families that scares them into tolerating the massive damage that Trump’s wreaked on our country. So they the risk that the worst is yet to come. Let’s not forget that Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had to stop him from misusing our nuclear arsenal during the last month of his first presidency.
The fear of violence is justified. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene received incited death threats against her and her son when she turned against Trump.Over a dozen Indiana state lawmakers who refused Trump’s request to gerrymander for more Republican seats were targeted with bomb threats.
Republicans have been swatted by Trump zealots. Swatting’s a type of harassment by falsely reporting emergencies to rush police to a person’s home. It can cause long-term damage to children’s emotional and physical health and can lead to long-term nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, emotional distress, terror and trauma. It can also turned deadly.
The correlation between Trump’s constant invective and violence against non-accommodating Republicans is undeniable. ABC News identified over 50 criminal cases where individuals explicitly identified Trump as the reason for violent threats.
After the January 6 Capitol riot, Republicans who criticized Trump for the rampage expressed fear for their lives.”
A Reuters investigation identified over 30 Republican officials who faced threats tied to their refusal to support overturning the 2020 election.
Liz Cheney was the victim of repeated death threats after turning against Trump.
Adam Kinzinger received threatening voicemails that warned: “Gonna get your wife… gonna get your kids” and “We know where your family is.”
The Raffensberger family received death threats after Trump’s surprise loss in Georgia.
Republicans’ most pernicious surrender to Trump-incited threats was their confirmation of the most flagrantly unqualified and dangerous cabinet in America’s history. They risked Americans’ health, turned the Department of Justice and FBI into Trump’s private gestapo, removed rational thought from the decision to attack other countries and debilitated our national security.
It’s doubtful that the threat of loosing their seats was responsible for confirming a troop of grossly unfit sycophants, especially because sitting Republicans are more likely to lose their seats to a Trump-backed primary challenger or a Democrat. But the decision becomes more difficult when one’s family is threatened.
So how can dissenting Republicans effectively oppose Trump and neutralize the threats he rouses?
Most states make threats of harm a crime punishable by jail . Victims should notify state law enforcement officials with details of threats. They can track digital threats and subpoena records from social media platforms and Gmail logs, including IP addresses, account activity and can often identify the offender. Calls and texts can also be traced through carriers. Then Republicans can be untethered to Trump.
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