Why Trump and the Republicans want America scared of guns

GOP inaction on guns isn't just about the NRA [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMTlsdTI5a2g4Yi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdHI3aWJuamhvby8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Trump and the Republicans want despair — so they do nothing It isn't just the political power and financial clout of the NRA that ensures Republicans will do nothing about assault rifles or gun safety, even after more dead kids, [argues Salon's Amanda Marcotte](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMjJzejhiaDNlbC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). There's an even darker reason, especially when you consider Donald Trump's recent rhetoric depicting America as a hopeless, apocalyptic wasteland. "[Trump's speech [in Waco] was a cut-rate version](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYzBtNGloZnB2di8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) of the apocalyptic ravings of ... David Koresh, full of talk of how the country is 'failing,' our society has 'collapsed' and the upcoming presidential election is its 'final battle,'" Marcotte writes. "The trappings of the rally, which opened with a video montage of the Jan. 6 insurrection, only enhanced the [Armageddon messaging](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOHF5dWxtcHU3dS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)." But Trump didn't invent this messaging — look at the nightly terror porn of Fox News. Republicans have concluded (and they're not necessarily wrong) that they benefit from a climate of anxiety and fear, and it's simply not in their interests to do anything except feed that noxious climate. (Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) Trump's threats against prosecutors are troubling — but they won't work In an exclusive [op-ed for Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNTlheGluNDJlZi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), former federal prosecutor Dennis Aftergut and legal scholar Austin Sarat discuss the worsening climate of intimidation and threat directed at Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg and other prosecutors by Donald Trump and his allies. The authors say it's a clear sign that Trump understands he's in grave legal trouble — and is hoping to distract, deflect or delay the whole process, by any means necessary. Professional prosecutors, Aftergut and Sarat assure us, are well prepared for this stuff. (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - "That may be the ballgame": Experts say ["sharply incriminating" Pence testimony](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMDcwY3Iyc3hoNC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) could doom Trump - Ex-prosecutor warns [DA may be looking at "other charges"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvODM1N3c0NHZxNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) against Trump as key ally testifies - House Republican summarizes party's response to rampant school shootings: ["We're not gonna fix it"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOWtxMzU0bHZ0OC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - “Absolutely disgusting”: [MTG pushes transphobic shooting claim](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcWo5MGQ3YXJncS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and urges more “good guys with guns” - After Nashville, Democrats want to force a floor vote on [assault weapons ban](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNTNwYmV6dWNpeC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). They probably can't - Surviving the unthinkable: A psychologist explains how to [help kids recover after a school shooting](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdXVvdGl3cWRlMi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - “Devastated” Nashville Republican posed in [gun-filled family Christmas card](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmkyMzVreTczay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) before school shooting - "Only in America": [Reporter covering Nashville attack](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOXluYWkyMXY0di8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) reveals she survived school shooting herself - There's [no "tough" way to order a latte](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY3lxY2tyejA5NS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — but I'm drinking them anyway - Could [Jonathan Majors' arrest](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvM3Vwdmp3dGo4dC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) affect the MCU? Here's what we know so far - Would [dating Roman Roy](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaG9kdzhmOGllYS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) be so bad? A defense of the "Succession" slime puppy If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcWUzMDk0Mnl6My8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Yes, Vladimir Putin's nuke threats are inexcusable — but U.S. policy played a role Veteran peace activist and bestselling political commentator [Norman Solomon observes](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvam8wcWZmazdhMi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) that two wrongs don't make a right: Putin's announcement that he's moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus is a reckless raising of the stakes in the ever more dangerous Ukraine conflict. But it's pure hypocrisy for Joe Biden and other American policymakers to pretend that U.S. nuclear brinkmanship, and the expansion of NATO right up to Russia's borders, isn't a big part of the reason why the world faces this crisis. - "Nashville Assailant Bought 7 Guns Legally, Including 3 Used in Shooting,'" [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaHR3YmNvM2VxdC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "‘Quiet’ Ex-Student in Nashville Massacre Had a ‘Manifesto,'" [The Daily Beast](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDkzMmF6YTVnai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Activist group led by Ginni Thomas received nearly $600,000 in anonymous donations," [The Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveDc2ZnVpZjJ3dC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Google, Amazon, and Meta are making their core products worse -- on purpose," [Insider](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNHRuMHE3azA2bS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "They’re Not Joking: House Republicans Actually Compare Themselves to the Mob," [The New Republic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY255azM2ZW85Ny8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "What Actually Counts as Cheating in A Relationship?" [Vice](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvanBqOXIwZWlxdy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDhXA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) “I thought he was horrific:” Trump's allies on Fox News trash his "disturbing" Hannity interview Former President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity at Mar-a-Lago on Monday but even his allies at the conservative network think it went poorly. "I thought Sean Hannity did a good job. But I watched that and I thought, where is Donald Trump? I voted for Donald Trump twice. I have defended him countless times. I thought he was horrific," former Rep. Jason Chaffetz said. "I think that was the worst interview I've seen the president do. He was whining. He was complaining. He played the victim card. Time and time again. And then after that, he complained that, you know, somebody had endorsed was now running against him. And I — I thought he was absolutely horrific. He's the former president of the United States. Act like it. He didn't in that interview." [Read more from Gabriella Ferrigine.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcjBkcTlrZHpkdS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXJzYzh5cGMybDgmbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZCHeGiRk2kkFjlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Ethan Miller/Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmQh3hokZNpJBY5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmBp_dP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpkId4aJGTaSQWOUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)