MAGA Malarkey: The Extremism You Missed From Republicans This Week Arrow

MAGA Republicans stooped to new lows this week with their extremism, hypocrisy, chaos, and - as President Biden would call it - malarkey. In case you missed it: Donald Trump had a really, really bad debate night as the Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda took center stage; Trump is still trying to distance himself from historically unpopular VP pick JD Vance; Vance said he "would have asked the states" to send him fake electors if he was vice president in 2021; Vance is backing MAGA Republicans' threats to shut down the government; new reporting revealed that Trump's golf club hosted a convicted January 6 rioter and alleged Nazi sympathizer at two events this summer; Trump spent the week jetting around the country with disgraced conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer; Trump is grifting with a picture book bragging about January 6; RNC leaders Michael Whatley and Lara Trump both refused to commit to accepting November's election results; Whatley also said that Trump was "absolutely" the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned; and Trump's MAGA minion Ron DeSantis deployed police to intimidate pro-choice voters.

The Trump-Vance extreme, anti-choice, anti-working family, anti-democracy, Project 2025 agenda took center stage at Tuesday's debate… and that was one of many reasons why everybody agrees Donald Trump had a really, really bad night.

New Yorker: "Donald Trump Had a Really, Really Bad Debate"

"By the end of the evening, prediction markets and the instant polls were calling Harris a big winner, Pete Buttigieg was dunking on Trump's 'crazy uncle vibe,' and, adding insult to injury, Taylor Swift decided to pick this night to endorse Harris in an Instagram post to her two hundred and eighty-three million followers. The historian Michael Beschloss concluded, 'From start to end, Kamala Harris has just delivered what is easily one of the most successful Presidential debate performances in all of American history.'

"I've watched every Presidential debate for the past two decades, and I can't think of anything that ranks higher in pure stupidity than Trump ranting and raving to a national audience about immigrants supposedly eating people's cats and dogs."

Rolling Stone: "Trump Rushes to Spin Room to Save Face After Disastrous Debate"

New York Times: "Trump Says He Had a Great Debate. His Allies Privately Say Otherwise."

Mother Jones: "Even Fox News Acknowledges Reality: Trump Blew the Debate"

Trump is still trying to distance himself from JD Vance - his extreme, historically unpopular running mate.

Daily Beast: "Trump Throws JD Vance Under the Bus on Abortion During Presidential Debate"

MSNBC: "In 2016, Trump became the first presidential candidate to distance himself from his own running mate during a debate. In 2024, he did it again."

New Republic: "J.D. Vance Can't Explain Why Trump Threw Him Under the Bus in Debate"

Trump on a national abortion ban: "I didn't discuss it with JD, in all fairness. JD - and I don't mind if he has a certain view."

Vance said he "would have asked the states" to send him slates of fake electors when asked if he would have certified the last election.

Spectrum News: "Vance again says he wouldn't have certified 2020 election if he was vice president"

Jason Calacanis: "Would you have certified the [last result of the election]?"

Vance: "Again, I would have asked the states to submit alternative slates of electors and let the country have the debate about what actually matters and what kind of an election that we have."

Calacanis: "You wouldn't have certified, to be clear?"

Vance: "I would have asked the states to submit alternative slates of electors, that's what I would have done."

Vance is backing MAGA Republicans' threats to shut down the government as Trump's extremist minions fall in line with his dangerous demands.

Vance: "Why shouldn't we be trying to force this government shutdown fight?"

NBC News: "JD Vance says GOP should threaten a shutdown"

Axios: "Trump backs Mike Johnson into a corner on shutdown"

"Former President Trump on Tuesday pushed House Republicans not to accept any measure to avoid a government shutdown without legislation that he said would ensure 'election security' ahead of November. […]

"Trump said last month in a podcast interview that Republicans should 'close [the government] up' if the SAVE Act is 'not in the bill.'"

Vox: "Republicans threaten a government shutdown unless Congress makes it harder to vote"

NBC News: "Speaker Mike Johnson yanks government funding bill amid growing GOP defections"

New reporting revealed that Trump's golf club hosted a convicted January 6 rioter and alleged Nazi sympathizer at two events this summer - including an event that was personally endorsed by Trump himself.

NPR: "Trump's Bedminster club hosted an alleged Nazi sympathizer who stormed the Capitol"

"Twice this past summer, Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, N.J. has featured speeches from a rioter convicted of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, who has a well-documented history of extreme antisemitic and racist rants.

"One of those events - a fundraiser for a controversial nonprofit group that supports Capitol riot defendants - was personally endorsed by Trump himself in a video message that was played for the room.

"'All of the people there, you're amazing patriots,' Trump said in the video."

Trump spent the week jetting around the country with disgraced conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer.

CNN: "Trump says he doesn't control far-right agitator Laura Loomer, calls her a 'free spirit'"

Associated Press: "Laura Loomer, who promoted a 9/11 conspiracy theory, joins Trump for ceremonies marking the attacks"

NBC News: "Far-right activist Laura Loomer's access to Trump reveals a crisis in his campaign"

Trump's newest cash grab is a self-aggrandizing picture book that includes him bragging about January 6 and threats to jail his opponents.

New York Times:"Trump's Latest Photo Book Offers Gossip, Boasting and a Threat"

"The book includes at least one menacing threat. Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta, is shown sitting across the Resolute Desk from Mr. Trump, a tall glass of soda in front of him. 'He told me that there was nobody like Trump on Facebook,' the former president writes. 'But at the same time, and for whatever reason, steered it against me. We are watching him closely, and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison.'

"Mr. Trump does allude to the day his supporters stormed the Capitol - but only to make a point about the size of crowds he can command. 'THIS IS THE REAL JANUARY 6TH,' he writes, referring to the rally he held before the riot. 'They never captured the size of the Crowd.'"

RNC leaders Michael Whatley and Lara Trump both refused to commit to accepting November's results if Trump loses.

Kyra Phillips, ABC News: "Michael, if indeed [Trump] does not win, is this going

to be a peaceful transition?"

Whatley: "Look, if we have a fair, accurate, secure, and transparent election, we obviously are going to accept the results."

Haley Bull, Scripps News: "Will he, is the RNC prepared to accept the results?"

Lara Trump: "… In a free, fair and transparent election, absolutely, [Trump] will accept the results of this election. Look, you cannot sweep under the rug 2020."

Bull: "Does he accept the results of the 2020 election, just to clear that up?"

Lara Trump: "He has said he still feels like he won that election, so I'll take him at his word."

Whatley also said that Trump was "absolutely" the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Blake Burman, NewsNation: "So, when Kamala Harris tonight potentially, Michael, looks at Donald Trump and says, 'You are the reason for the overturning of Roe,' what does he say?"

Michael Whatley: "Absolutely right."

Trump's MAGA minion Ron DeSantis deployed police to question voters about signing an abortion rights ballot petition.

Associated Press: "Police are questioning Florida voters about signing an abortion rights ballot petition"

"State police are showing up at Florida voters' homes to question them about signing a petition to get an abortion rights amendment on the ballot in November, and a state health care agency has launched a website targeting the ballot initiative with politically charged language.

"Critics say they're the latest efforts by Florida's Republican elected officials to leverage state resources to try to block the abortion rights measure, moves which some Democratic officials argue could violate state laws against voter intimidation.

"Critics say the investigation is a brazen attempt to intimidate voters in the country's third-largest state from protecting access to abortion - and the latest in a series of efforts by [Governor Ron DeSantis'] administration to target Amendment 4."

Vanity Fair: "Ron DeSantis Sent His Goons to Intimidate Pro-Abortion Florida Voters"

"The home visits follow the news that the DeSantis administration asked supervisors in four Florida counties to round up about 36,000 signatures for the state to review for fraud-despite the signatures already being verified by local supervisors. Two of those supervisors told the Tampa Bay Times that the request from the state was highly unusual, with Osceola County supervisor of elections Mary Jane Arrington telling the outlet: "I have never in my tenure had a request like this one."

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