Trump Takes the Gloves Off

What?

You can read this story anywhere, but here's the coverage from right wing propaganda site Breitbart:

"Donald Trump said he’s done being a nice guy"

I'll just pause right there for anyone who had to run to the bathroom to lose their lunch.

"and is “taking the gloves off” for the general election.

“I’m running against a crooked person,” Trump told an over-capacity crowd that gathered to see him in Colorado Springs, Colorado Friday afternoon

Trump added that Hillary Clinton is “a dishonest person” and blasted her for her “average” speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night."

An average speech, as opposed to Trump's acceptance speech, which Republican leaning Gallup reports received the lowest positive ratings of any speech they have ever tested.  Well, that's not average, I guess.

“You know, I’ve been saying lets just beat her on Nov. 8, but you know what? I’m starting to agree with you. Every time I mention her, everyone screams ‘Lock her up!’” Trump responded. “I’ve been nice, but after watching that performance last night — such lies — I don’t have to be so nice anymore. I’m taking the gloves off.”

So now he is openly going to lead his mob in demanding Hillary's imprisonment, apparently because she won't praise him, and because she thinks she will make a better President than he would, and has said it out loud.  That is a crime in Republican world, of course, and may explain the basis on which he calls her crooked.

As Talking Points Memo reported:

"During a rally in Colorado Springs, Trump said he tuned in to Clinton's speech "out of curiosity" to see if Clinton would mention his name and was disappointed she didn't congratulate him for winning the GOP nomination.

"I was curious to see whether she'd do a class act and not mention my name," Trump said. "Or mention it with respect, like, say, 'I'd like to congratulate my Republican opponent for having done something that nobody has ever done in the history of politics in this nation.'"

Something nobody has ever done in the history of politics in this nation- i.e. collaborating with the spy service of our biggest enemy to win an election.

I guess Trump is much classier than Hillary, since he did mention her name- to demand that she be thrown into prison.  

Sorry, this is more than thin-skinned behavior.  The really minor attacks on him in Hillary's acceptance speech have driven Trump into a nearly uncontrollable fury.  He is seriously on the point of what used to be called a nervous breakdown.  I don't see how he can make it to November without a colossal unraveling totally unparalleled in American history.

And what then?  Because even a psychotic episode in front of the American people will not dislodge the voters who support him despite what he has shown so far.  The Republican party has really created a monster, and it is not Trump; it is the hateful, violence hungry base it built over the last few decades.

I'm still waiting for some small sign that they regret having done that.



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Update:  I want to thank Digby for finding this short video clip of the way John McCain responded to Barack Obama's nomination: