On Monday afternoon Donald Trump took another step toward his aspirational goal of imposing fascism on America. He began by ordering that peaceful protesters be tear gassed and shot with rubber bullets so that he could have a photo-op in front a church that he wouldn’t bother to enter. It was a grotesque sight and an insult to everything that America stands for. But that was just for starters.

Following the sweep by police and National Guard soldiers, Trump marched across the street from the White House and stood in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church for a couple of minutes. He held a bible up as if it were burning his tiny hands. He never entered the church, nor said a word. Then he marched back across the street to the safety of White House bunker.

Prior to that cheesy photo-op, Trump delivered a statement (here if you can stomach it) that could have been transcribed from speeches by his Third Reich heroes. It was littered with phony expressions of machismo as he advocated deploying the military against American citizens. He cited the Insurrection Act of 1807 to justify his blueprint for brutality. And he maligned the nation’s governors who were principled enough to ignore his addled rants.

The American people are repulsed by this antagonistic grandstanding. Most polls already show that Trump’s approval rating is in decline and that he is losing to Joe Biden by double digits. But there is also some opposition within the Trump camp that is bubbling to the surface. As reported by Axios…

“One senior aide was exuberantly telling friends the photograph of him holding a Bible in front of the church that had been attacked by vandals was an ‘iconic’ moment for the president. But a senior White House official told Axios that when they saw the tear gas clearing the crowd for Trump to walk to the church with his entourage: ‘I’ve never been more ashamed. I’m really honestly disgusted. I’m sick to my stomach. And they’re all celebrating it. They’re very very proud of themselves.'”

The majority of the American people can surely relate to that sentiment. However, it’s not enough for this insider to whimper about being sickened under the cover of anonymity. This person should come forward immediately and publicly and resign from the White House staff. Otherwise it is just another enabler who is too cowardly, or addicted to power and privilege, to act with integrity and decency.

On Tuesday Joe Biden delivered a speech on the same subject (video below). The contrast between the two is like night and – the supernova of the sun. Biden spoke compassionately about the need to address the systemic racism and injustice that resulted in the murder of George Floyd and many others. And he offered actual solutions, rather than just bellicose babbling and allusions to tyrannical strong-arm tactics.

It is long past time for any Republican who is uncomfortable with Trump’s toxic animosity, ignorance, incompetence, and even deliberate malfeasance, to step up and condemn him. Trump’s malice can no longer be dismissed as quirks of a diseased character, or lack thereof. He is an imminent danger to the nation and the world. And anyone who doesn’t forthrightly denounce him is complicit with immorality, corruption, and crimes against humanity.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.