We’re not far away from the next US presidential election, which is to be held this November 5th. Either Harris or Trump are destined to walk away the victor, with the polls being scarily ambiguous on which it will be. It’s a fairly scary time, even for those of us outside of the US.
Whilst campaigning, Trump often makes a series of claims about what he will do that at a glance seem too ludicrous or cruel to be true.
In the past it’s often been suggested, especially by some of his high profile supporters, that we should take Trump seriously but not literally, to take him symbolically, not literally. But The New York Times implores us to take him at his word; to believe him when he tells us what he wants to do.
Donald Trump has described at length the dangerous and disturbing actions he says he will take if he wins the presidency.
…
These statements are so outrageous and outlandish, so openly in conflict with the norms and values of American democracy that many find them hard to regard as anything but empty bluster.
We have two words for American voters: Believe him.
The article goes through the what he says and why you should believe him using the following categories.
Trump says he will:
- use the Justice Department to punish people he doesn’t like.
- will round up and deport millions of immigrants.
- deploy the American military against U.S. citizens.
- allow vigilante violence to end crime.
- order the military to strike foreign civilian targets if the United States is attacked.
- punish blue states by withholding disaster relief.
- use ideological tests to decide which public schools get federal money.
- abandon U.S. allies.