Donald Trump, Stochastic Terrorist He demonizes his foes—and that makes them possible targets of violence. Dehumanizing and vilifying a person or group of people can provoke what scholars and law enforcement officials call stochastic terrorism, in which ideologically driven hate speech increases the likelihood that people will violently and unpredictably attack the targets of vicious claims. At its core, stochastic terrorism exploits one of our strongest and most complicated emotions: disgust.. In addition to disgust, fear and hatred can work, the point being to depict a person or set of people as a loathsome other undeserving of respect or acceptance, and a dangerous threat. Establishing such a framework boosts the odds that a lone individual or group will violently assault the deprecated. Last year, after the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Florida residence, in search of stolen classified documents, an Ohio Trump devotee named Ricky Shiffer, wearing tactical gear and armed with an AR-15, tried to breach the FBI field office in Cincinnati. He failed and fled, and later died in a shootout with law enforcement. Then far-right Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), a leading election denialist, after the raid, had declared, “We must destroy the FBI,” Days later, Trump condemned NBC News and MSNBC—and their corporate owner, Comcast—for committing “Country Threatening Treason” with their critical and “vicious” coverage of him. He threatened to investigate them should he regain the White House. Trump is a master of this. After all, he got thousands of his cultists to storm the Capitol and try to prevent the congressional certification of his loss to Joe Biden. In recent days, he has fired up his stochastic terrorism machine. For a Rosh Hashanah messaged posted on social media earlier this month, Trump railed against “liberal Jews”: “Just a quick reminder for liberal Jews who voted to destroy America & Israel because you believed in false narratives! Let’s hope you learned from your mistake & make better choices moving forward!” Trump is hardly alone in deploying this form of terrorism. “Stop Biden’s shadow army of 87,000 IRS agents,” Ted Cruz warned. Chuck Grassley insinuated that an IRS “strike force” could show up with assault weapons “ready to shoot some small business person in Iowa.” At his campaign rallies, Diet Trump said of of Dr. Anthony Fauci, “I’m just sick of seeing him. Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac.”, legitimizing the idea of committing violence against Fauci. these stochastic terrorists all know they are speaking to or tweeting at people who are angry and riled up. The brush is dry, and they are suggesting where a match should be lit.
So I think Trump is especially classless for how he imitates and degrades his opponents, but there are plenty of examples of Biden and other politicians from the left doing it as well.
Biden says stupid things and partisan things. Biden doesn’t regularly say things suggesting violence towards political foes or others.
This is one of the reasons why I speak out against reveling or wishing death upon those we don’t agree with politically. I understand clutchfans doesn’t make much of a difference at all nor am I politician or influencer with millions of followers but it is really up to all of us whether to amplify, support or repeat messages of violence.
I found the way Trump made fun of that handicapped reporter and how he spoke of John McCain after his death utterly disgusting. There is really no excuse for it.
there is no comparison at all between how trump conducts himself and how biden or other politicans from the left conduct themselves when it comes to inciting violence and its dishonest to suggest otherwise. i found the way you made fun of paul pelosi for being attacked in his own home utterly disgusting. people like you are part of the problem.
Trump should be tried as a traitor and if found guilty face a firing squad. The guy is as bad as Hitler, just more incompetent. DD
trump is a piece of crap and the world will be a better place when he is no longer a part of it, but to say he is as bad as hitler is pretty insane. that being said, hitler didnt take 5 draft deferments in WWI and when he tried to incite an insurrection he actually led it from the front.
Right. If you happen to serve on a jury with Biden as a defendant, I don't think you have to worry so much about making a decision without interference, intimidation, harassment, or harm. Not the case with Trump (or a drug kingpin). That is why a Georgia judge took the rare step to order jurors' identities be kept secret in the Trump criminal trial.
Millions of Jews would beg to differ. You are an embarrassment of a human being, this is why everyone thinks you’re a ****ing idiot.
Right so you agree with him. Doesn’t surprise me. Imagine being dumb enough to equate someone that ordered the killing of 6 million Jews and responsible for 50 million deaths to Trump you guys are ridiculously emotional and sensitive.
You’re a pathetic and sad individual…more proof that Fox News and social media rots the brain especially for the extreme right wingers.
I just think he's trying too hard as a conservative troll to be honest. Lays it on a little too thick.
There should be a law against pinning targets for subtle-not-so-subtle death threats. That's more or less mafia behavior. It also cripples the public services when civil servants are caught in the crossfire. Similarly, libs and Karens should chill about getting people Canceled online. The seriousness of the means are different by degrees, but the ends are just the same, to chill speech and opposing views.
