US Politics Election BUMPER Extra: Madness and Darkness - From Insanity to Fascism

"I just don't understand anybody right now who could watch him talk and say, yeah, he definitely makes more sense than the alternative."

Hello Team

🎦 00:00-00:29⏩
Jonathan welcomes viewers to another ATP Geopolitics video, explaining that this video is a US elections special. He plans to finish purging his mind of all the thoughts and insights he has on the US elections. Jonathan explains that in a previous video, he spoke about the election news. Today's video will concentrate on two topic areas - the incoherent ramblings of Donald Trump at his political rallies and the dark, fascistic rhetoric coming from Trump and those around him. Jonathan explains this is not just him "as a lefty liberal" trying to append labels to Trump but a genuine analysis of Trump's language and what is being said about him by those who know him.

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Trump Rally Attendees Stranded: Rumours of Unpaid Bus Bills

🎦 00:29-04:18⏩
Jonathan begins by discussing a Trump rally in Coachella, California which Trump claimed had 100,000 attendees, despite a much lower seating capacity. Official records show the rally only had permission for 15,000 people. Jonathan notes that attendees were stranded for 3 hours after the rally as the buses booked to pick them up did not arrive. A rumour, attributed to user John Cooper, claims the buses were not paid by the Trump Campaign. Jonathan explains that he cannot find this information corroborated anywhere in the mainstream media and so it should be treated with caution. However, Jonathan points out an article from 11th October 2023 which states that cities are trying to recoup more than $750,000 in unpaid bills from the Trump Campaign dating back to 2016. Jonathan highlights that Trump was recently forced to bypass a closer airport to a rally and land further away because he owed the closer airport money. As such, the rumour of the unpaid buses is plausible.

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Donald Trump's Incoherent Ramblings - "Word Salad"

🎦 04:18-17:29⏩
Jonathan moves onto the topic of Trump's "Word Salad" speeches, town halls and interviews. He begins by showing a clip, credited to user Nick Hudson, where Trump is asked "what's your plan to help bring common sense back and help small businesses?" Trump responds with a rambling and largely incoherent response that does not answer the question. Next, Jonathan shows a video, credited to user Rex Chapman, where Trump is swaying and bopping along to music at a Town Hall for 39 minutes instead of answering questions. Jonathan questions why Trump's team would allow this and suggests they are trying to prevent the world from seeing Trump's true nature, explaining that Trump has not agreed to any mainstream media interviews for a month or a 60 Minutes interview. In contrast, Kamala Harris has agreed to go on Fox News and a 60 Minutes interview. Jonathan questions why Trump is not taking more mainstream interviews - it appears that he is trying to avoid tough questions. Jonathan shows a clip of Trump speaking at a rally in Arizona where Trump struggles to say "Arizonians" and instead says "Azerasians". This appears to be another instance of his brain being muddled and unable to say the words correctly, or that he is unable to read, or both. Jonathan reminds viewers that reports emerged during his 2016 - 2020 presidency that Trump was a reluctant reader and that intelligence briefings had to be presented visually, preferably with pictures. Jonathan shows another rambling, incoherent clip of Trump at the Detroit Economic Forum, where Trump complains about rising food prices and refers to Biden's "circles" (it is unclear what he means by this). Jonathan contrasts Trump's low energy, rambling speech with Kamala Harris's tightly scripted, punchy, efficient and well-delivered rallies, which leave supporters enthused and motivated to go and campaign for her. Jonathan notes that when Trump was talking about food prices, it didn't sound like "Word Salad" - he was just getting through the moment as an aging artist who was insulting Detroit to its face. Jonathan includes a clip of TV pundit Mika Brzezinski (from MSNBC and married to Joe Scarborough) who is struggling to make sense of Trump's rambling about "circles" and who notes there is racism in everything Trump says. Jonathan notes there is something wrong with people who watch Trump talk and conclude that he makes more sense than the alternative, referring to Kamala Harris as more articulate, prepared, experienced and able. Jonathan includes another rambling clip of Trump at the Detroit Economic Forum that had users comparing him to someone in need of a straitjacket and institutionalisation in a nursing home. Jonathan then laments that, despite all of this, people still comment on his videos with "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and "Oh my God!" and how they troll for the Trump campaign. Jonathan implores viewers to listen to Trump's speeches and then advocate for him and explain how his speeches demonstrate he has the cognitive faculties required to run for President. He acknowledges that his own linguistic abilities are not great, revealing that he has primary progressive multiple sclerosis and that one of the symptoms is his brain is mush. He struggles to complete sentences, cognitive load affects him and he falls apart verbally. But, he has an excuse for that and isn't running for President, unlike Trump, who is running for the most important job on earth. Jonathan is perplexed by Trump's rambling and cannot understand how he could be considered to make more sense than the alternative. Jonathan notes that Trump has even accused Kamala Harris of "Word Salad" and highlights how insulting this is, considering how articulate Harris is.

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Trump's Refusal to Release Medical Records

🎦 17:29-32:56⏩
Jonathan discusses how, in contrast to Trump's rambling speeches, Kamala Harris has released her medical records, taxes for the last 15 years and agreed to do other things. In contrast, Trump has refused to release his medical records or his tax records - there is still no sign of the tax records from his previous tenure as President. Jonathan concludes that this refusal must be because he has something to hide. CBS has reported that more than 230 doctors and healthcare providers have called on Trump to release his medical records. The doctors are quoted as saying "Trump is falling concerningly short of any standard of fitness for office and displaying alarming characteristics of declining acuity". Jonathan notes that it is a worry that Trump is even in the running and that polls appear to be closing.

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Neo-Nazis on Laura Trump's Boat Parade

🎦 32:56-34:26⏩
Jonathan moves onto his next topic area - the dark and troubling rhetoric that is emerging from Trump and those around him. Jonathan states there is evidence that Neo-Nazis support Trump. He notes the adage that "not all Trump supporters are Nazis but all Nazis are Trump supporters". To support his argument, Jonathan shows a clip of Neo-Nazis joining an RNC co-chair, Laura Trump's boat parade, shouting "white power, make America white again" and other racial slurs. He questions what others on the boat parade would have been thinking - would they have been secretly supportive or repulsed?

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Trump's "Enemy from Within"

🎦 34:26-37:34⏩
Jonathan moves on to discuss comments made by Trump in a recent Fox News interview with Maria Bartiromo. He refers to user Thomas Tyner, who has described Trump as being days away from advocating putting people in concentration camps. In the Fox News interview, Maria Bartiromo asks Trump "Are you expecting chaos on Election Day?". Trump responds that he doesn't think there will be chaos from the side that votes for him but notes that "outside agitators" may start trouble on Election Day. Bartiromo reminds Trump that there are 50,000 Chinese Nationals in the US, 350 on the terrorist watch list and 13,000 murderers and 15,000 rapists in the country. She asks what Trump is expecting, noting that Joe Biden has said he doesn't think Election Day will be peaceful. Trump responds that Biden has no idea what is happening as he spends most of the day sleeping. Trump then states "I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people who have come in and destroyed our country". Jonathan highlights that it is important viewers understand that Trump is not referring to the people that Bartiromo has just mentioned - he is talking about the "enemy from within". In other words, the American people who are the enemy from within. Trump continues: "The bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people that have come in and destroyed our country. By the way, totally destroyed our country. The towns, the villages are being inundated. But I don't think they're the problem in terms of Election Day. I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people - radical left lunatics. And I think they're the... and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or if really necessary by the military because they can't let that happen." Jonathan points out that this is dictatorial rhetoric and highlights how worrying it is that Trump is referring to "radical left lunatics" (he mentioned Adam Schiff in a different interview) as the enemy from within who need to be handled by the National Guard or the military. An article by Raw Story confirms this interpretation - "Donald Trump floats sending the US military after US citizens who don't support him".

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Trump's Hypocrisy on Freedom of Speech

🎦 37:34-38:19⏩
Jonathan notes that Trump's rhetoric is concerning as it is not supportive of the First Amendment freedom of speech. He explains how Trump supporters often complain about censorship on Twitter, calling for freedom of speech but are happy with Trump advocating for the National Guard to round up people he disagrees with. Jonathan observes that this means that those who call themselves "free speech absolutists" actually only support freedom of speech when they agree with what is being said.

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Republican Glenn Youngkin defends Trump's Comments

🎦 38:19-44:39⏩
Jonathan highlights how, during protests, Trump told Mark Esper that they should "just shoot them in the legs" and now he is advocating getting the military and National Guard to round up radical leftists. In a clip from CNN, Republican Glenn Youngkin is questioned by Jake Tapper about Trump's comments. Youngkin states that he does not think Trump was referring to elected people in America. Jake Tapper pushes back, stating that he is literally reading Trump's quotes and reminds viewers that Trump mentioned Congressman Adam Schiff as a "radical left lunatic". Youngkin continues to defend Trump, arguing that criminals, migrants, etc should be locked up and deported. Tapper reiterates his point that Trump is advocating using the National Guard and military against "the left". Youngkin disagrees, stating "I don't believe that's what he's saying", despite Tapper reading Trump's words back to him and there being no hint of sarcasm or hyperbole. Jonathan is frustrated by Youngkin's response and notes how common this is - supporters of Trump claim that he didn't mean what he said. Jonathan draws parallels with biblical exegesis, explaining how people who believe in the Bible will interpret it through a moral lens, reinterpreting slavery, etc so that the Bible appears morally good. The key point is that "the Bible can't be wrong", just as "Donald Trump can't be wrong". Jonathan has previously written articles about the cult of Donald Trump and how any criticism of him is considered blasphemy as he is viewed as divine and infallible by his followers. Youngkin's defence of Trump is an example of Trump's words being reinterpreted by a supporter through an "acceptance lens" to make them appear morally acceptable. Jonathan notes how tiring this must be, having to reinterpret every single outrageous quote, but that Youngkin's interpretation of Trump's words is similar to that of the Neo-Nazis seen on the boat parade. Jake Tapper reiterates that Trump said Adam Schiff is one of the people who needs to be rounded up by the National Guard or the military and questions how Youngkin can disagree with Trump's actual words. Jonathan concludes that Youngkin is morally washing Trump's rhetoric and is as culpable as Trump for his success and possible inauguration. He believes these "facilitators" are doing a disservice to the US.

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Liz Cheney on the Dangers of a Second Trump Term

🎦 44:39-48:26⏩
Jonathan includes a clip of Republican Liz Cheney talking to Kristen Welker (from NBC News) about the dangers of a second Trump term. Cheney notes how Trump will appoint people like Mike Flynn (an absolute wingnut, former military man, Putin puppet) and how JD Vance (a Republican Senator) refused 5 times to answer the question "did Trump lose the election?" and how this view is shared by millions of Republicans. Cheney notes that Republican elected officials know Trump is lying but continue to perpetuate the lie and will be judged by history to be complicit in the attempt to unravel the republic. She highlights how 61 out of 62 courts ruled against Trump and he was told repeatedly that what he was saying was false. The Republican party, its leaders, are in the grip of cowardice, afraid of Trump and willing to perpetuate his lies to the detriment of their duty to the Constitution. Welker reminds Cheney of the warning she gave last year - "A vote for Donald Trump may be the last election that you ever get to vote in" and asks her to explain what she meant. Cheney explains how dangerous a second Trump term would be, noting how he believes he will be immune from prosecution for anything he does once he's in office and that he will not respect the rulings of the courts. Cheney warns that the courts cannot enforce their rulings, so if the President refuses to carry out their obligations then the US is no longer a nation of laws. She warns that Trump will ignore Congress, appoint people like Mike Flynn, who just 36 hours ago stated that the President's opponents should be executed. Cheney warns that the people who prevented Trump from carrying out his worst desires last time around won't serve again. She notes that Mark Milley (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) described Trump as a fascist in Bob Woodward's book, "Peril". Welker asks Cheney if she would go as far as calling Trump a fascist and Cheney replies "I see no reason to disagree with that assessment". Jonathan notes "in other words, yes he's a fascist".

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Trump Speaking at the Black Conservative Federation

🎦 48:26-01:02:30⏩
Jonathan shows a clip of Trump speaking at the Black Conservative Federation where he suggests they would prefer a white president who got $1.7bn off the price. Jonathan is perplexed as to why Trump would frame things in this way to an audience of Black people. Trump then asks if anyone in the audience is planning to vote for "Lying Kamala" and tells them not to raise their hands as it would be dangerous and they could get hurt. Jonathan adds that he wouldn't doubt it, as Trump has previously advocated shooting protesters in the legs and rounding up people with the National Guard. Jonathan then shows a clip of Trump (from the Axios interview) where he states "I did more for the Black community than anybody, with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln, whether you like it or not". Jonathan includes a clip where Jonathan Swan (from Axios) challenges Trump, pointing out that some people believe he did more than Lyndon B. Johnson, who passed the Civil Rights Act. Trump argues that he got prison reform done, stating "Lyndon Johnson done things. I've done well. He passed the Civil Rights Act. How has it worked out?". Jonathan loves this push back, pointing out the ridiculousness of Trump's claim that he has done more for Black people than the President who passed the Civil Rights Act. He concludes that Swan will never get an interview with Trump again for challenging him so directly, highlighting that Trump usually makes outrageous claims at rallies where nobody fact-checks him. This is probably why his team don't want him on 60 Minutes or other mainstream media outlets where interviewers will push back - they would rather he just gave speeches at rallies and released adverts about how terrible trans people are in order to garner votes. Jonathan thinks this is a game that the Republicans believe they can win - let Trump give rambling, incoherent speeches at rallies to solidify his base, avoid mainstream interviews, allow adverts to spread misinformation and target vulnerable demographics with tailored campaigns.

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Medi Hassan on BBC Question Time in the US

🎦 01:02:30-01:06:57⏩
Jonathan highlights a clip from BBC Question Time in the US, featuring Medi Hassan. He explains how BBC Question Time in the UK ensures the audience is made up of a cross-section of British society, with representation from all political parties. This means that politicians are challenged by members of the public and are forced to defend their views and actions. Jonathan would love to know what the Republicans in the audience think of Medi Hassan's statements. Hassan notes that Republicans are now saying that character doesn't matter in a politician, which is a consequence of them realising that their chosen candidate, Donald Trump, is amoral. Hassan describes Trump as "perhaps the most immoral, amoral man to reach the presidency in modern American history", highlighting how Trump is a thin-skinned narcissist, self-obsessed, a wannabe autocrat and a former casino owner who cheated on his wives, was found liable of sexual abuse and lied more than 30,000 times whilst in office. Hassan also criticises Trump's racism, misogyny and points out that he hosted Nick Fuentes (a white supremacist and holocaust denier) at his home for Thanksgiving. Someone from the audience asks Hassan about Kamala Harris's character. Hassan replies that they are talking about 2 people and that one of them is Donald Trump. Therefore, it doesn't matter who is on the other side as anyone would have better character than Donald Trump. Jonathan notes that Hassan's comments were adequately harsh and that there will be people who disagree with his assessment.

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The Role of Social Media and Disinformation in the US Election

🎦 01:06:57-01:10:04⏩
Jonathan believes that Trump has been able to close the gap in the polls because of the help he has received from social media algorithms and from Putin and the Kremlin. Jonathan references an article from The Atlantic - "Rumours on Twitter or on X are becoming the right's new reality", which cites examples of disinformation being spread online, such as claims that FEMA are abandoning Trump-supporting Hurricane victims and that Democrats are manipulating the weather. These stories are absurd but to a growing number of Americans living in bespoke realities, these rumours carry weight. Political influencers and politicians on the right know that amplifying these rumours carries little cost but offers considerable political gain. Jonathan urges viewers to read the article (using archive.is to create an archived version). Jonathan then highlights how this disinformation is having a real-world impact, referencing an article - "Man accused of threatening FEMA workers with an assault rifle in western North Carolina". This man was radicalised by Elon Musk's platform, Donald Trump and JD Vance. Jonathan believes that if Trump wins the election, it will be almost entirely down to the way that information spaces have been manipulated. High information voters who listen to both candidates would surely choose Kamala Harris - the only possible reason that Trump is polling so well is because the information space is skewed.

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Elon Musk and Donald Trump - A Hypothetical Comparison with George Soros

🎦 01:10:04-01:11:12⏩
Jonathan believes that Elon Musk should be held accountable if Trump wins the election. He posits a hypothetical scenario - what if George Soros bought Twitter, gave Kamala Harris $45mn a month, was a government contractor, slagged off the current administration and publicly endorsed a political candidate? Jonathan believes that MAGA would lose their minds. Jonathan observes that the Republicans would also lose their minds but that the left is more likely to play by the rules. The right are able to get away with more as they have the backing of Fox News to complain and spread rumours, whilst the left are more likely to be criticised for similar behaviour.

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Hassan Piker on the Radicalisation of Young Men

🎦 01:11:12-01:18:09⏩
Jonathan moves on to discuss a clip of Hassan Piker, a left-leaning streamer, appearing on the "Pod Save America" podcast. Jonathan notes that Hassan is a rarity on the show, which tends to feature more centrist Democrats. Hassan gives a left-wing perspective of current affairs. Hassan explains that he has associated with and appeared on the podcasts of many right-wing commentators and is aware of how their fanbases think. He believes that there is a massive amount of right-wing radicalisation happening, particularly in young male spaces. All of the hobbies that young men enjoy (video games, working out, history podcasts, etc) are being dominated by right-wing politics. Jonathan notes that when Joe Biden became President, he predicted there would be a snap back to the old culture war topics - "woke" culture, trans people, women in video games, etc - and this has come to pass. It was hard to argue that these culture war topics were important when Trump was in power - Republicans should have been happy. Now, with a liberal President, there is a reason for young men to be angry and upset. This hostility breeds resentment and creates vulnerable men who are looking for answers, which is where right-wing podcasters come in - they are very good at exploiting this vulnerability and convincing young men that the problems they are facing are because of women, trans people, etc. Jonathan notes how well put Hassan's observations are. He has previously talked about the "grievance narrative" that is being perpetuated online, which convinces young men that they have been wronged. The internet is skewed towards sending young men to the right and figures like Jordan Peterson are gateways to the alt-right. He notes how he has seen many of his friends drawn to the alt-right after listening to people like Peterson. Jonathan agrees with Hassan that this is predictable, as there are grievances being perpetuated online and vulnerable young men are being taken advantage of. He thinks Hassan's interview was excellent.

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Wrap up

🎦 01:18:09-01:18:37⏩
Jonathan concludes his video, explaining that he has been worried about the madness of the US election but is particularly worried about the darkness. He believes there is only one sensible option for a more positive future for the US and the world and that he hopes Americans make the correct decision. He welcomes respectful disagreement, but asks for viewers to bring receipts to support their arguments. He signs off and apologises for the length of the video.

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