Media, Politics

Deprogramming “Deplorables”: Clinton Raises Need for “Formal Deprogramming” of Trump Supporters

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has caused another stir by suggesting that the millions of Trump supporters may require a “formal deprogramming” in a CNN interview. It was a moment clearly enjoyed by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, who previously suggested that the FBI should have stopped Trump from making certain campaign statements.  Even former FBI Director James Comey balked at Amanpour’s suggested censorship. Now, Amanpour has clearly found a kindred spirit.

My concern over the comment is less whether Hillary Clinton is serious. (I really do not know). I am more concerned by the continued reckless rhetoric from national leaders. I previously objected to other comments by Trump. Yet, the media rarely applies the same level of scrutiny to such comments or personal attacks from figures on the left.

Discussing the recent vacating of the position of the Speaker by all of the Democrats and eight Republicans, Clinton said that Democrats had to groom selected Republicans while treating the rest as sick cultists:

“[S]adly, so many of those extremists, those MAGA extremists take their marching orders from Donald Trump, who has no credibility left by any measure. He’s only in it for himself. He’s now defending himself in civil actions and criminal actions. And when do they break with him? Because at some point, you know, maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members, but something needs to happen.”

It appears that the “basket of deplorables” are now a cabal of cultists due to “emotional, psychological needs and desires.”

Amanpour was clearly bemused by the suggestion, but the combination of the two is chilling for those of us concerned about free speech in this age of rage. Many countries have historically treated dissenters as mentally ill or requiring reeducation.

The media has long embraced the need to educate the public to accept its views. Former President Barack Obama joined a number of journalists in discussing how to reeducate the public. Obama denounced “anger-based journalism” while promoting an advocacy-journalism model in which the media shape the news for citizens who supposedly need help to properly frame ideas.

The fact that Amanpour elicited these comments only magnified the unease over the underlying intolerance for opposing viewpoints. In an interview with James Comey, Amanpour pressed Comey on why the FBI did not “shut down” President Donald Trump’s “hate speech” during the 2016 presidential election.

Comey correctly pushed back on Amanpour by noting that she was suggesting something grossly improper and unconstitutional: “That’s not a role for government to play. The beauty of this country is people can say what they want even if it’s misleading and it’s demagoguery.”

Neither CNN nor Amanpour ever addressed a CNN host suggesting the use of the FBI to shutdown political debate.

Now, however, Amanpour has found a leader who is willing to treat political opponents as sick cultists. The sense of smug superiority is precisely why Hillary remains one of the least popular political figures in America. What is ironic is to watch Amanpour and Clinton denounce the right for reckless rhetoric and anti-democratic sentiments as they voice intolerant and inflammatory views.

312 thoughts on “Deprogramming “Deplorables”: Clinton Raises Need for “Formal Deprogramming” of Trump Supporters”

  1. People seldom recall that Clinton only identified half of Trump’s supporters as being “deplorables” while saying that the other half were people “we have to understand and empathize with”:
    “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.” “But the other basket are people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures. And they’re just desperate for change. Those are the people we have to understand and empathize with.”

    I don’t know how many of Trump’s supporters are bigots — racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, etc. — but it’s a good chunk. And Trump’s own rhetoric has gotten even worse in this area; for example, in his interview with the National Pulse recently, he drew on Hitler, claiming that illegal immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

    Just as concerning is that a subset of his supporters agree with his violent rhetoric, such as his recent comments calling for shoplifters to be shot in extrajudicial killings: “If you rob a store, you can fully expect to be shot as you are leaving that store,” drawing cheers and applause.

    How do we help some people recognize these comments as awful rather than meriting applause and agreement? Extrajudicial killing is not OK. Echoing Hitler is not OK. He and that subset of his supporters should be condemned.

    1. And the Democrats in the 117th Congress attempted to

      Abolish the filibuster and then

      Pack the Supreme Court with a liberal supermajority
      Abolish the electoral college
      Add 4 Dem senators

      They already tried. Joe Manchin singlehandedly stopped them. Thats how close we are to their STATED goal of one party rule.

      But, but but Trump said…..

      And stop getting your news from Vox. It might help.

      1. I don’t get my news from Vox, and I will continue to comment on how dangerous Trump and a subset of his supporters are because I think it’s important to do so.

        We *should* abolish the EC. It’s a holdover from slavery that gives the residents of some states more electoral power than the residents of other states. We *should* abolish the filibuster. It didn’t exist for much of US history, and it means that there has to be a supermajority to approve things that should only require a majority. If those changes result in “one party rule,” that could only be because the Republicans can’t convince enough voters that they should vote GOP. The answer to that is: improve the GOP so it attracts more voters.

        1. Not enough supporters??? THANKS FOR MAKING MY POINT.

          You desire to live in a country where 51% tell 49% EXACTLY how to live. Anything less is racist??? “The electoral College is racist!!” Gimme a break. Whats good for the concentration of people in high populous areas, which predictably become echo chambers, isn’t necessarily good for everyone else.

          60 percent isn’t a supermajority Comrade, its a Bipartisan meeting of the minds, where ALL Americans are represented. “The filibuster is racist!!!” Just because democrats used it for years to STOP the civil rights acts???

          Majority rules is mob rules, dum dum. WAKE UP or admit you’re a fascist and the ones with the power make ALL of the rules.

          But keep repeating that stuff about abolishing the filibuster and the electoral college. Say it as loud as you can, for EVERYONE to hear. Don’t forget pack the SCOTUS and add 4 dem senators too! Shout it from the rooftops. Get Hillary to shout it, please! You’ll see where your majority is.

          “improve the GOP so it attracts more voters.”

          I love this one. “Start thinking like us and you’ll be in the majority” Good one Squealer, Napolean would be proud.

          I guess you didnt see the stats the good professor posted about those majority demographics. Maybe you should start thinking like us. You people kill me with your supposed rising majority…Democrats held the House of Representatives for all but 2 sessions for SIXTY YEARS. Of course much of that was while they were OPENLY racist pigs.

          1. “You desire to live in a country where 51% tell 49% EXACTLY how to live.”

            I don’t, and don’t pretend to read my mind, as you cannot. Also, the Senate doesn’t split 51%-49% in terms of voters. The Democratic Senators actually represent tens of millions more voters than the Republican Senators do.

            1. Well, either you have trouble with math or I need to find someone smarter to engage. Is everyone in California a democrat? Is everyone in New York a democrat? Does Chuck Shumer represent the ideals of a single New York Republican?

              So, you’d be ok with 70% having complete dominion over 30%? Or how about 95%(white) over 5% (black), like it was for 180 years? Those are rhetorical questions, you’ve already answered them honestly.

              You’d best look at the numbers again. This is getting tedious.

    2. Only in your mind snowflake. “ I don’t know how many of Trump’s supporters are bigots — racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, etc. — but it’s a good chunk”

    3. Your mind has been poisoned by what is sometimes called mass-formation-psychosis or, Neurolinguistic programming; and Hillary and her lesbian army are masters at it. My advice, get help before you become the very delusion you see Trump supporters as.

    4. Shooting looters has been a topic for as long as I’ve been alive. It’s rhetoric that’s part of the American zeitgeist that precedes Trump’s entrance into politics by at least half a century that I’m aware of, and police largely endorse that rhetoric because it’s meant to deter shoplifting during a riot.

      1. Trump said nothing about riots. He was commenting on all shoplifting, and it’s truly sad that you cannot bring yourself to condemn the call for extrajudicial killing and are silent about Trump’s echoing of Hitler.

        1. Trump was CLEARLY NOT commenting on “all shoplifting.” Trump has a well-recognized habit of commenting on what’s in the NEWS, and there’s been more than two years of ACCELERATING news — with videos — of large packs of people engaged in ORGANIZED shoplifting, busting windows to break in and ransacking entire stores. It’s ORGANIZED CRIME happening in many big cities that are spinning into lawlessness and social decay. Anyone with half a brain knows that that’s the “shoplifting” that Trump was referring to, NOT some teenager pilfering a pack of gum the way one used to think “shoplifting” meant back in better times.

          1. Yes, Trump was commenting about all shoplifters: “If you rob a store, you can fully expect to be shot as you are leaving that store.” In no way is that limited to people looting during a riot, or limited in any other way for that matter.

            And once again: he is encouraging EXTRAJUDICIAL murder. Do you need me to give you examples of shop owners charged with murder for killing an alleged shoplifter?

            People who rob stores should be arrested and tried for their crimes, not murdered.

            And you still remain silent about his echoing Hitler. He is dangerous, but you will not call him out on it.

          2. Thanks Ralph, I used the term robbery, but i can sometimes be too subtle for the dimwits. They know full well what Trump was talking about, but it doesnt suit the narrative they’ve been spoon fed.

    5. The responses to my comment underscore the problem. None of them condemns Trump for echoing Hitler or for calling for extrajudicial killing.

      1. I hereby CONDEMN Trump for saying ALL the mean things he has EVER said.

        And I will vote for him for the first time in 2024.

        Why? Because Hillary. She isn’t the exception. She is just dumb enough to say the quiet part out loud.

    6. “shot in extrajudicial killings”

      If these smash and grab CRIMINALS did the same thing in and to your home, would you feel justified in shooting them? Many would.

      Today, stopping ROBBERY is “extrajudicial”, tomorrow, self defense will be.

      A liberal friend of mine said “did you know that stealing a horse is still a capitol crime in Texas”?
      I said “so”?
      She said, “back then, people needed a horse for basic transportation and for working a ranch or farm. No one needs horses now”
      I said “Exactly”

      The ONLY difference between these people and the gang members in Chicago is, they know no one is shooting back.
      These people are lawless disrepectors of property AND life (and cowards).

      How do we help people understand that?

      1. Neither Trump’s comment nor mine was about people breaking into someone’s home, so don’t move the goalposts.

        I condemn thieves, but the legal response is to arrest them, not kill them in extrajudicial murder.

        1. Extrajudicial!!! The Vox word of the day! already uttered here 62 times by the various comrades. Please stand up on your hind legs and talk like humans, don’t be shy.

          No, your comment was about lawless disrespectors of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And they are cowards who would STOP if someone were shooting back, and we’d be left with just the gang bangers to deal with.

        2. Who is going to arrest them, the local social worker? Hey, great read on the NY poet/activist stabbing murder, highly recommended for idiots.

    7. I saw the illegal immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” remark as addressing the 150 people who die every day from fentanyl in the US, which is brought over the border by illegal immigrants.

      1. Actually, the majority of the fentanyl is caught at ports of entry and brought over by citizens and legal immigrants.

        And I don’t believe that that’s what Trump was talking about. He made no mention of fentanyl, and anyone trying to talk about it without echoing Hitler would name it and say that poisons *people*.

    8. @Anonymous

      I like to be civil to everyone – I certainly don’t know everything – and some of my comments are thoroughly disposable, but not enough of us tell you that you are an idiot. So, Anonymous, you are an idiot, and you are not convincing anyone of anything. Not because you disagree, but because you seem to have the acuity of a turnip. Going to post something similar in response to you henceforth due to the fact that you very carefully skirt the rules of civility here by carefully phrasing and providing your idiocy. Nobody cares about your likely paid interference, ActBlueAnon 9and if you are the best they can do, they are lighting dollars on freaking fire). This has been copy-pasted and I’m going to use it. If Darren has an issue with that, he is welcome to address it. Some of us actually care about these issues on a level deeper than our own personal levels of comfort or biases, and we aren’t changing our minds or going away. Try your luck on TikTok or Teen Vogue.

        1. “I’m an idiot. I think you’re an idiot. Big whoop”

          Fixed that for ya

    9. You’re a self righteous bigoted fool yourself as evidenced by your very own drivel attempting to throw shade at one of the most despicable people on this earth, HRC. Who are you to categorize someone who as a free person likes or dislikes something you may disagree with? Why would you believe that government has the power to mandate what a free person in America believes or dislikes, the liberal hive mind?

        1. “Yeah, why should I condemn Hillary and people who echo her, right?”

          fixed that one too

        2. Hitler was no worse than Stalin or Mao, they all killed millions in concentration reeducation camps. You really need to zoom outa little and look back at history in a library, not what we’ve all been told. The victors right the history and it’s always to their own advantage.

  2. Add that on the same day the FBI labels anyone thst believes in Make America Great Again political theology an extremist and potential terrorist. Strange…….

  3. Sounds as though Hillary is egregiously guilty of the Clinton clan’s shenanigans that an antithetical posture is pursued.

    1. My thing doesn’t speak. I think anyone with a thing that speaks must be doing some sort of weird X-rated ventriloquist act.

  5. The problem with Clinton and her kind is they see anyone to the right of them as a MAGA cultists.
    Meanwhile they ignore their own cult like behavior.
    But wait a minute! Was not supporting the idea of a secure Southern border MAGA cult thinking?
    Fast forward to today and now supporting Biden’s . . . barrier, is okay?

    We have discussed the woke left as having all the makings of Mao’s Red Guard. All they need is a charismatic cult leader. I think we found her, matching Mao’s pant suit and all.

    OT,
    My sister visited for a few days. She is what I would call one of the “sane” Democrats, like Bill Maher, Elon Musk, Jame Carville and of course, the good professor.
    She said of some 100 of her Democrat friends, maybe 5 would be of the woke leftists. She said she even has had this white women tell her her thinking was wrong!
    She also wrote to the WH and the DNC that she did not want Biden as the Democrat nominee. She would not vote for Trump but if the Republicans nominated someone else, i.e. Haley she would vote Republican. If RFK Jr. were to run as an independent, she would vote for him. If it came down to re-match Biden vs Trump, she would stay home.
    And that is from a silent, sane, majority Democrat.

  6. The Trump MAGA movement is a cult. They are not that different from any other cult that is focused on an individual and just as dangerous. The are devoted to Trump and are fueled by hate. The question is what happens after Trump is gone. Will MAGA fade away, or will it become a permanent part of the Republican Party?

    2. The antithesis to the Trump MAGA movement is a cult. They are not that different from any other cult that is focused on an individual and just as dangerous. They are devoted to k*lling Trump and are fueled by hate. The question is what happens after Trump is gone? Will anti-MAGA fade away, or will it become a permanent part of the Democrat Party?

    3. Woke leftists thinking is a cult.
      They display it with their devotion to wokeism. The level of hate they display for anything to the right of them, even other Democrats. They display it with their willingness to use violence against others.
      The real question is if the sane silent majority of Democrats do not support wokeism, will they use their violence against them as well?
      And the idea of re-education. How far are the Democrats willing to take it? Real actual, Red Guard like violence? Re-education camps? Who gets rounded up?
      Tell us Sammy, would you back that kind of thing? Like what they did to the Japanese during WWII?

    4. Trump supporters follow conservative values- NOT A CONSERVATIVE MAN OR WOMAN. That’s the difference between Democrat voters and conservative voters. Democrats vote with their emotions and based on what the State will give them. You should know that by now.

    5. Sammy, the left always projects and you are no different. The left only focuses on Trump, the persona, not what he espouses.

      Yeah, I understand that making the jump is difficult for lefties because then you have to actually contemplate reality and not the reality-based TV drama that has been manufactured for you and the other lefty useful idiots.

      I can also understand Herr Clinton’s want for programming of her and her party’s detractors, because it is clear it has only worked on coastal elites, abortion-fetishists, genitally-myopic-narcissists and self-loathers, the hedge fund pimps and whores, the victimhood-profiteering sector, and the gimme-crew.

      Hard to program people for what the left sells that simply want DC to GTF away and let them live.

      The left is programmed to conflate anyone that agrees with Trump policies as anyone that agrees with all thing Trump.

      Now go away, you are not the solution to anyone’s hopes and dreams, in fact, you and the rest of the left are a burden – just look at all the lefties you’ve helped in Philly, B’more, detroit, Memphis, … and then look at Larry fink, your RICH congresspeople, your MIC portfolio, ….

    6. Do you think that this is all about Trump? If you do you’re forgetting America’s history and most recently the Tea Party movement. Conservative values are based upon understanding the bounds and limited role of government as provided to us in ourConstitution. Trump just has the wealth and balls to kick back at these corrupted uniparty elites. Trump is just a figurehead for a rallying point for over 75 million American voters.

  7. Christiane Amanpour and Hillary have achieved ‘over the hill’ status. Their only hope of remaining relevant is to deploy outrageous remarks that, at least in Amanpour’s case, they do not really fully comprehend. With Hillary, it is the same old game that won her the ‘also ran’ award as well as ‘Bill’s wife’ subtitles on history pages.

  8. “The sense of smug superiority is precisely why Hillary remains one of the least popular political figures in America.”
    And this will never change. This empty half wit of a woman will forever be codified as one of the greatest losers in our lifetime.
    Her white rage is evident.

    2. Upvote — however to call Hillary a “half wit” is to give her too much credit by half.

  9. Do you think she would support the idea of using the CCP reeducation camps for Uyghurs as models for how to handle MAGA Republicans?

  10. I worked with a Vietnames woman who spent 2 years in a Peasant Value Re-education camp after the Communists won the war. I also worked with Jewish Nazi death camp survivors in the 1970s. Sounds like my time is coming…..
    Remember, this is the same woman who cackled with sadistic psychopathic glee when she was responsible for Muammar Ghaddhafi being killed by means of, among other things, a bayonet shoved up his rectum.

  11. LOL — Apparently this article was published while I was reading Matt Taibbi’s article about this and then posting this comment at Turley’s prior article about women’s rights in Iran:

    While Turley is worried about the lack of women’s rights in an Islamic theocracy half way around the world, here in the US there’s a renowned champion of women’s rights calling for the more-than 70 MILLION people who didn’t vote democrat in 2020 to be institutionalized and “deprogrammed.”
    https://www.racket.news/p/have-they-gone-mad

    Regardless of what he calls himself, Turley is, was, and always will be a democrat — at least in his mind — so he can see what’s happening in Iran but is BLIND to the US version of the Islamic theocracy — aka Hillary and her army of fully-programmed fascists.

    Talk about someone in need of deprogramming.

    1. Like my golf swing, you’re driving at something but missing the fairway. Turley was clearly calling out Clinton and CNN for such inappropriate and unconstitutional suggestions.

      2. Did you even read what I wrote? I SAID that Turley published this article AFTER I read the prior article about the Islamic theocracy but BEFORE I read this article because I was too busy reading Matt Taibbi’s article about what Clinton said.
        Get a grip, Turley troll.

    1. Clearly it worked for the Democrat ‘on-the-dole’ crowd. So why switch a wining strategy?

  14. The LEFT is completely oblivious to the obvious. Their “cult” constantly manifests the textbook definition of gaslighting.

  15. I wonder how great a President Bill have been without being saddled with Hillary. He was pretty good, but with one enemy tied to his shoulder and the other in his boxers….

    1. With fewer than 40 words Sine Agendis sums up the Clinton presidency perfectly. No need to buy big historical books, it’s been covered. Well done!

  16. the March to 1930’s Fascism!
    Democrats copying USSR 1920, Germany & Italy 1930, China 1960-

    Time to TAKE Away the money…

    -Cut 50% of Fed gov
    -Move 75% of DC to Heartland
    -Remove entire leadership of DOJ, IRS, DHS, DOE and FBI
    -5% tax Gross wall street trans & money goes offshore
    -Tax all non-profits anyone gets $100k: colleges, hospitals, etc
    -Ban fed aid/loans cities, states & college, make them fund themselves
    -Remove tax credits renewables, affordable housing, etc
    -Jail Russian Hoax, COVID liars & Biden protectors, etc
    -Ban public union/company $ politics, only voters can fund politics
    -voting 1 day, in person, with ID, I don’t care if you vote, I care if you cheat
    – 12 year limit on federal office….judge, president, senate, congress
    – Roundup all illegals to raise wages and give Americans Jobs
    – END all bonuses financial world till every dime of FED money is paid off

  18. I missed it. Did JT talk about trump calling for extra judicial murder of people who shoplift?

    1. looting has commonly resulted in martial law

      Don’t want to be SHOT…don’t COMMIT CRIMES!
      I bet you supported BLM arson, riots, murders, looting, etc

    2. Yep, you missed it.

      “OMG look at what Trump said now!!!

      Are you Rosey O’Donnell? ‘Cuz you sound like her.

    3. There it is everyone….the DEMOCRAT TALKING POINT of the day

      EXTRAJUDICIAL

      These idiots couldn’t have spelled it before the DNC put it in their email to VOx, the Atlantic, The Guardian, Rachel Maddow, and Dennis.

      Or is it just coinkindink, Bob????

      Gee, how on earth can we avoid being shot while shoplifting????

      1. Shoplifting to me is stealing a candy bar or small ticket item from the local mini mart, usually by one individual. Looting to me is more of a planned conspiracy by a group of individuals to invade in force by numbers and steal the high ticket inventory, it often sparks a mob mentality and ends up causing serious property damage and cost to the Owner. If Soros DA Democrats refuse to enforce the law and Democrats defund law enforcement to protect and serve and looting is the fruit of their efforts then shooting looters to protect your property is justified. This is just another piece of their anarchist agenda to transform our country. It will FAIL for them and it will be glorious to watch!

  20. Could someone kindly inform this marxist that our constitution does not allow such behavior. I realize that in her dreams that she and Saul could do such a thing but someone has to put a sock on her mouth just to keep her brainwashed fanatic sycophants from actually thinking that this could actually happen without much bloodshed. Is she as far gone as old Joe or is she just that evil?

    1. as if the DOJ/Judges in DC…follow the law?
      The Rule of Law in America is DEAD

      1. As long as we have a conservative majority on SCOTUS and an intact constitution, the rule of law is not dead, it is just comatose.

        1. “As long as we have a conservative majority on SCOTUS and an intact constitution, the rule of law is not dead, it is just comatose.”

          And that will END if they get a real majority in the house and senate again, and a Dem admin.

          They WILL
          Abolish the filibuster and then

          Pack the Supreme Court with a liberal supermajority
          Abolish the electoral college
          Add 4 Dem senators

          And stand on their hind legs and talk like humans. It will be OVER

          They already tried. Joe Manchin singlehandedly stopped them. thats how close we are.

          But but but Trump the fascist!! Yea, right.

          1. If that happens I do believe that there will be bloodshed, eventually. I am not sure of the outcome but there are many who will go down fighting rather than become subservient to a corrupt socialist regime.

            1. Look around, its already been extolled by a lefty on this blog. People better wake up soon.

    2. Yes, Clinton IS, just that Evil, and more so. It’s not a coincidence, that the leftist all sound like Marxist, Socialist, Communist, Nazis! It’s because they are! And the democrat voters are the useful idiots, who are sleepwalking our country into utter destruction.

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