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 praised the January 6 insurrection as "a day of love"; Trump doubled down on calling fellow Americans "the enemy from within"; new polling confirmed that most Americans are still opposed to the extreme, out-of-touch Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda; Trump - who paved the way for attacks on IVF access - declared himself "the father of IVF" and then tried to cover for his extreme anti-choice agenda with delusional claims that he's popular among women; JD Vance said Trump did not lose the 2020 election (he did); Vance claimed that he never supported a national abortion ban (he did); Vance tried to cover for Trump's Project 2025 plans to go after his political opponents… as Trump confirmed that he will do just that; new reporting showed that Trump's proposed national sales tax would dramatically raise costs for U.S. consumers, and especially punish lower-income Americans; and Trump swayed and bopped to music for thirty-nine minutes instead of answering questions from town hall attendees.

Donald Trump praised the violent January 6 insurrection he rallied as "a day of love," echoing his many shameless attempts to whitewash the violence on that day.

Donald Trump: "Nothing done wrong at all. Nothing done wrong. […] That was a day of love."

Trump: "January 6, it was the largest crowd I've ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable - and it was a beautiful day."

Trump - who is becoming increasingly unstable and unhinged - doubled down on calling fellow Americans "the enemy from within."

New York Times: "At Town Hall on Women's Issues, Trump Renews 'Enemy Within' Talk"

"Former President Donald J. Trump reiterated his belief that Democrats are 'the enemy from within' during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday billed as a conversation about women's issues.

"Vice President Kamala Harris has sought to highlight Mr. Trump's recent inflammatory comments, arguing that he has grown 'increasingly unstable and unhinged' in the final weeks of the campaign. During a stump speech on Monday in Erie, Pa., Ms. Harris played footage of an earlier interview he had conducted with Fox News in which he called the Democratic Party and individual lawmakers an 'enemy from within' and said they were more dangerous than foreign adversaries."

New polling confirmed that most Americans are still opposed to the extreme, out of touch Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda, which "accurately describes" Trump's plans for a second term.

Navigator Research: "A Majority of Americans Continue to Oppose Project 2025"

"Project 2025 remains deeply unpopular.

"A majority of Americans oppose Project 2025 (52 percent oppose - 13 percent support), including three in four Democrats (net -69; 76 percent oppose - 7 percent support), two in five independents (net -30; 40 percent oppose - 10 percent support), and three in ten Republicans (net -8; 29 percent oppose - 21 percent support). While Republicans who identify with the MAGA movement narrowly support Project 2025 (net +6; 30 percent support - 24 percent support), it is underwater by 25 points among non-MAGA Republicans, of which only one in ten support it (10 percent support - 35 percent support).

"Project 2025 is also widely opposed across racial groups, including at least half of Black Americans (net -43; 56 percent oppose - 13 percent support), white Americans (net -38; 51 percent oppose - 13 percent support), Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (net -37; 13 percent support - 50 percent oppose), and Hispanic Americans (net -35; 52 percent oppose - 17 percent support) saying they oppose it.

"Americans believe Project 2025 accurately describes what Trump stands for by double-digit margins.

"A plurality of Americans believe that Project 2025 accurately describes what Trump stands for (48 percent agree - 20 percent disagree - 32 percent not sure), largely driven by Democrats (73 percent). A similar share says Project 2025 accurately describes what Republicans in Congress stand for (47 percent agree - 19 percent disagree - 34 percent not sure).

"In an open-ended question asking those who have read, seen, or heard at least some about Project 2025, 'Trump' and 'abortion' have become increasingly cited by respondents over the last two months."

Trump - who paved the way for attacks on IVF access - declared himself "the father of IVF"…

Caitlin Huey-Burns, CBS: "Trump's claim that he is the 'father of IVF' is not only false, it's objectively absurd. In the same town hall, he said that he had to ask Sen. Katie Britt to explain IVF to him. Those two statements are completely at odds with one another."

Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN: "'I'm the father of IVF,' Trump said at his Fox town hall.

"IVF was first done successfully in 1978.

"The only reason IVF access became an issue now is b/c of Dobbs, made possible by [Trump's] appointments.

"In September, Vance skipped the vote on a "Right to IVF" bill on the floor."

CNN: "How the reversal of Roe v. Wade led to the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children"

New York Times: "[The Alabama ruling was] made possible by the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in its 2022 Dobbs decision, which was a result of Mr. Trump's appointment of three justices."

…and then tried to cover for his extreme anti-choice agenda with delusional claims that he's popular among women (something even he knows isn't true).

Trump:"I think I do very well with women […] without abortion, women love me."

JD Vance said Trump did not lose the 2020 election (he did).

Questioner: "What message do you think it sends to independent voters when you do not directly answer the question did Donald Trump lose in 2020?"

JD Vance: "On the election of 2020 I've answered this question directly a million times. No, I think there are serious problems in 2020, so did Donald Trump lose the election? Not by the words that I would use […] I really couldn't care less if you agree or disagree with me on this issue."

NBC News: "On stage in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Vance said that he does not believe Trump lost the 2020 election. Asked if Trump lost he said, 'No.'

"This is the first time Vance has explicitly said 'no' when asked if the former president lost the 2020 election. He previously said he saw issues with the election, including at the vice presidential debate where he said 'I'm focused on the future' instead of answering if Trump lost."

Vance claimed that he never supported a national abortion ban (he did).

Josh Sanders, CBS News Philadelphia: "You're on record of wanting a national abortion ban."

Vance: "No, no."

Sanders: "You've been on record."

[…]

Sanders: "What do you tell women that would say that America is now a more dangerous place for them after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, what would be your message to those women?"

Vance: "Well first of all you just took a Democratic talking point and put words in my mouth."

Vance tried to cover for Trump's Project 2025 plans to go after his political opponents - as Trump confirmed that he will go after his political opponents if reelected.

Washington Post: "Vance falsely claims Trump 'didn't go after' his enemies"

"At almost the same moment Vance made this comment, in response to a question about whether Trump in a second term would 'go after his political opponent,' Trump, Vance's running mate, was on Fox News, speaking to host Maria Bartiromo about his concerns about the election.

"'I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,' Trump said. 'We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they're the - and it should be easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can't let that happen.'

"It's a familiar pattern of a Trump surrogate playing down Trump's words and actions - and then Trump almost immediately blasting past the talking point. In this instance, he suggested he would use the military, not just the Justice Department, to go after political opponents.

"The record clearly shows that while no indictment was brought against Trump's political opponents during his presidency, it wasn't for lack of trying. Trump demanded investigations of numerous people. The Justice Department dutifully conducted the probes. But not enough evidence was found to bring an indictment. In one case, the evidence was so lacking that the grand jury reportedly refused to indict - a rare occurrence."

New reporting confirmed that Trump's proposed national sales tax would dramatically raise costs for U.S. consumers, and especially punish lower-income Americans.

Washington Post: "'Off the charts': How Trump tariffs would shock U.S., world economies"

"Former president Donald Trump is campaigning on the most significant increase in tariffs in close to a century, preparing an attack on the international trade order that would likely raise prices, hurt the stock market and spark economic feuds with much of the world.

"The consequences would be far-reaching: Americans would be hit by higher prices for grocery staples from abroad, such as fruit, vegetables and coffee. Domestic firms dependent on imports would need to either figure out new supply chains or raise costs for consumers. U.S. manufacturers would almost certainly see sharp declines in orders from abroad as foreign nations impose retaliatory tariffs.

"However, the most immediate impact of Trump's plans might be to raise costs for U.S. consumers, in a way likely to prove particularly painful for low-income Americans."

Trump swayed and bopped to music for thirty-nine minutes instead of answering questions from town hall attendees. Hope he's okay.

Washington Post: "Trump sways and bops to music for 39 minutes in bizarre town hall episode"

"The town hall, moderated by South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R), began with questions from preselected attendees for the former president. Donald Trump offered meandering answers on how he would address housing affordability and help small businesses. But it took a sudden turn after two attendees required medical attention.

"And so Trump, after jokingly asking the crowd whether 'anybody else would like to faint,' took a different approach.

"'Let's not do any more questions. Let's just listen to music. Let's make it into a music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?' he said.

"For 39 minutes, Trump swayed, bopped - sometimes stopping to speak - as he turned the event into almost a living-room listening session of his favorite songs from his self-curated rally playlist.

"He played nine tracks. He danced. He shook hands with people onstage. He pointed to the crowd. Noem stood beside him, nodding with her hands clasped. Trump stayed in place onstage, slowly moving back and forth. He was done answering questions for the night."

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