Summary
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) traveled to El Salvador to seek the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported in March.
Abrego Garcia, married to a U.S. citizen with three children, was legally allowed to stay under a 2019 court order.
The Trump administration admitted his deportation was an “administrative error” but refused his return. The Supreme Court ruled against the administration 9-0.
In response, the White House launched a smear campaign against Van Hollen, framing Garcia as a gang member despite no charges or convictions.
We’re not at the stage where sitting senators are being murdered or disappeared.
There’s been a hell of a lot of “we’re not at the stage…” in the last four months, that we then very much found ourselves at the stage of.
At the current rate, that’ll happen within months; definitely before the end of the year.
I’m gonna revisit this comment before New Years Eve. Let’s hope there’s something a bit more positive to discuss by then. But I’m not hopeful…
Maybe heart disease will have finally come through for us and rid the world of Donald Trump.
…yet…
Give us a few days.
I hope you’re not wrong, but political opposition was disappeared very quickly in Nazi Germany. It really didn’t take long: Hitler was appointed chancellor on January 30th, 1933 and the first “dissidents” were disappeared the day after the Reichtagsbrand, so February 28th, 1933.
You’re not at that stage right up until the first one occurs.
Happened in Jonestown.
The actions of a lunatic cult leader who promptly killed the entire cult including himself afterward aren’t really comparable to the actions of governments attempting to retain the appearance of legitimacy.
I would say that typically, you’d be correct… This is not typical.
I’ve seen no evidence that this government is attempting to retain the appearance of legitimacy. In fact, Trump behaves as if his orders from Putin are to undermine any and every form of institutional legitimacy, as well as crashing the economy and alienating every ally.
I honestly believe VH will be the first because of his “audacity”. I 100% hope to be wrong though.