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.
Wachte Macht Frei
/stolen
Hillary is a contemptuous sociopath.
If this does not cement that in your mind, you need serious mental help – likely not a pharmaceutical, which may be part of your problem.
@Neil
Yup. So are a number of other dem affiliates (Nancy), and several tech CEOs. Stone cold, by the numbers, sociopaths. Sadly, I think that may be the only way to function in modern D.C. Blowhard though he may be, I honestly don’t think Trump is, whatever else is true.
Neil and James,
I agree.
What they never consider is if the people rise up and say in one loud voice, “No.”
Then, things get really interesting.
xxx
I just checked Nielsen to make sure this fact is still true. You’re all atwitter over a TV show watched by well less than one half of one percent of the adults 25-55 in the United States (or is it well less than .05%… I always get those zeros screwed up). Less than 100,000 people out of 230,000,000 adults 25-55. That’s down 20% from a year ago.
Things said on CNN and MSNBC may not get watched or heard by many of the people comprising Nielssen’s TV Ratings, but those statements get tweeted and YouTubed by the entire media, democrat AND republican, and thereby reach much more than the pitiful TV audience.
The statements of the unprosecuted multiple felon formerly known as “Hillary in a landslide” were the subject of Turley’s article, and an article at Matt Taibbi’s Substack, and at Fox “News,” and probably EVERY major and minor news outlet in the country. TV Schmeevy.
“Now, however, Amanpour has found a leader who is willing to treat political opponents as sick cultists. ”
I don’t accept the premise that Hillary F Clinton is leader of anything.
Nonsense. Hillary is the undisputed Queen Pope of the Parallel Universe.
A Parallel Universe where she still believes she won in 2016! And it was all those white women who just obeyed their man and voted for Trump!
Could it be that she was only likable to half of the non-low information, no-information MSM population?
According to her, NO!
According to her, she was beloved by all!
But if it not were for Trump, she would of been coordinated to her proper place upon the throne, in the WH and she would of ruled over all! Committing half of the country to re-education camps and rewarding the other half for their fealty to her and her party!
She would never weaponize federal entities to criminalize her political foes from Congress to that Asian Uber driver!
She whom must be fought against.
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
– Declaration of Independence, 1776
Professor Turley presumably believes it’s irrelevant that Trump’s longest serving chief of staff just revealed that by his own first hand observations, Trump is “a person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason – in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”
And in this age of rage, Trump responded by attacking a decorated US General who devoted his life to fighting for our country: “John Kelly, by far the dumbest of my Military people, just picked up the theme of the Radical Left’s lying about Gold Star Families and Soldiers, in his hatred of me. He was incapable of doing a good job, it was too much for him, and I couldn’t stand the guy, so I fired him like a ‘dog.’
Hmm, maybe Turley’s silence is simply because he doesn’t know whether John Kelly is serious?
John Kelly was absolutely serious, and he should have said so long ago. Turley can’t bring himself to condemn Trump in any strong terms, even though Trump deserves strong condemnation. Trump is dangerous, echoing Hitler and advocating violence.
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2023/10/05/donald-trump-normalizes-political-violence-in-america
Trump did not do that.
That was the doing of BLM, antifa, and all the Democrats who supported the 2020 fiery but mostly peaceful Summer of Love and all the destruction and death it brought.
They were advocating getting into the streets and protesting/rioting/arson/assault/murder. They even helped pay for those who committed that violence bail.
And after WBUR fired Tom, On Point is trash advocacy journalism.
YAWN
@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.
“A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason”
Benedict Arnold also served this country for many years, in peacetime and war — until he became a traitor and his name became synonymous with TREASON.
“Benedict Arnold (14 January 1741 [O.S. 3 January 1740][1][a] – June 14, 1801) was an American-born military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defecting to the British in 1780.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold
Meanwhile, death is not the only penalty for treason, despite what “Anonymous” democrat trolls (perhaps they are all YOU?) infesting this blog keep repeating.
Hillary Clinton should be arrested, tried and convicted for treason, sedition and subversion. The whole plan with the Dossier is proof enough, the multitude of criminal acts this cankled tyrant wannabe speak has engaged in are easily uncovered as you drain the swamp. It’s still the death penalty for treason isn’t it or did they change that to s reward system now?
You just proved her point. Aren’t you special.
he only proved it from the perspective of hillary wanting to be left alone and not tried for her behavior. If you or I were her we’d say the same thing. Well, you’d say the same thing, I’d kill myself.
Good one bug face Wally
Oh, Wally.. I have despised Hillary and Bill Clinton long before Trump ever came around. I see them as totally corrupt and corruption is destroying our Republic, the Constitution will only provide for an educated, virtuous and moral citizenry. What Cankles is alluding to is the same every totalitarian party employs on anyone that disagrees, Pol Pot, Mao, Hitler, Et al. I would say I more categorize myself as exceptional, whereas you would more likely identify as special, as in needs…as in ride the short bus or as Wally wants a green quarter.
We’re all insane cultists. In my lifetime, we’ve gone from dupes who would support an actor (Reagan) to bloodthirsty warmongers (Bush), to Hobbits in the Tea Party (anti-W. Bush spending measures). We, who disagree, are deranged mothers and fathers who believe this country is not run with efficiency. We need to be deprogrammed and reprogrammed, so we will agree their vision. Hey Hillary, how about we deprogram you, and all of the politicians like you, of the notion that running for office to represent constituents is about you. You are correct in saying that for Trump it’s all about Trump, but your projection is showing.
@Sean
No, we aren’t. If you truly feel that way, run for office and see what you can accomplish. A great many of us are actually conscientious citizens that have not been completely dissolved by cynicism or platitudes they picked up at university. Grow up first if you want to be part of a grown up conversation.
I do not think they know who they are dealing with when it comes to getting your back up against the wall.
It’s hard to fathom that these Hillary Bots even come out to write this shit with any level of support. More DimmiWit elitist chest pounding…unreal.
She and a number others are the closest thing we have to real evil in modern America – it is absolutely telling that she is happy to say such things publicly, a sentiment that has not been uttered by anyone that opposes her and her ilk of any stripe. Your dem party and their globalist allies are now a regime, and it might very well lead to another global conflict – though the verdict is still thankfully out. Unbelievable, and disgusting.
These people are the greatest abusers of the very rights they attempt to squash on a weekly basis. They will not ever relent; neither can we in opposition to their lunacy. To the idiot trolls on this site: I guarantee you, such is your (current, it will evaporate if these people are successful) privilege you have no idea what you are actually endorsing and pushing for, and I guarantee you would not enjoy living in that world.
I am not religious, but I quite literally dropped to my knees in gratitude the day I heard she lost the election (was on the phone with my wife, who was traveling at the time). We very narrowly dodged a bullet that day as a *global* society, a notion they pervert, this is not strictly about America anymore.
I wrote a few years ago that HRC is like a huge bowel obstruction for this country and that we will never be healthy until she is “eliminated”…and then, lookout…the schiff will flow!
@Larry
Funny, but we are past that point, IMO. There is a very real possibility we might succumb to what she envisions, and we had better start taking it seriously, our laws are trivialities to the likes of Hillary, and her infrastructure all but ensures they will seldom face consequences. There is no such thing as sitting an election out anymore – we vote them out, or we are done. Yes, the uniparty exists, but it is not nearly as tainted as the modern dem party in totality.
Animal Farm is no longer a story of the past. Its the playbook. You better believe it.
What we have today was no accident.
LMAO
James,
I seem to recall that Jane Fonda said something about killing anyone disagrees with the Democrat party on The View.
And she got a pass as she was “Just kidding!”
When someone tells you they are a totalitarian, believe them as Clinton and Fonda have.
James,
You are right. Clinton represents the exact kind of elite, “I know better than you, do as I say, not as I do,” authoritarianism.
And how they see anyone outside of that, they call them all kinds of things, most recently being MAGA cult, while ironically not acknowledging her own self-awareness.
The fact our leftist friends here on the good professor’s blog do not see it is a testament to their own cult followings.
You say, “To the idiot trolls on this site: I guarantee you, such is your (current, it will evaporate if these people are successful) privilege you have no idea what you are actually endorsing and pushing for, and I guarantee you would not enjoy living in that world.”
As I have said many a times here on the good professor’s blog, civil war 2.0 must be avoided at all costs.
However, to what Clinton is proposing and our leftists friends endorse, that is the kind of authoritarianism that must be fought against.
Over 73 million people voted for Trump in 2020. That is going to require a very large concentration camp. Even Pol Pot did not think in those terms.
If we are to compare Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in terms of religious cults, Hillary would be Jim Jones, leading the People’s Temple and Trump would be more akin to the president of the Mormon Church.
Sure Trump would be the President of the Mormon Church if the President of the Mormon Church did not actually go to church and did not believe in or live by anything the church taught. But really the part about everyone sending in 10% of their money to him – that part.
If
The hubris inherent in this self-aggrandizing, self-satisfied, sack of moral and ethical turpitude is equal to or greater than the many media outlets and forums which gives her a voice, and the braindead lemmings who dance to her piping. She is precisely the sort which history has shown to have the potential and the following, to rise to a totalitarian leader the likes of which the mid-20th century spawned in Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Ah, re-education camps.
Very good of her to be so explicit in her views. (sarc)
When /where has Killery ever been a “leader”?
Saul Alinsky, whom Hillary personally met, said; [para] accuse your opponent of what you do. Enough said.
In todays political environment politics has become not a “choice” but “what is the alterative”. What they call MAGA Republicans are really made up of voters who vote for republicans because the alterative is worst, i.e. Hillary, Biden, Fetterman, Schumer, Pelosi, AOC etc. They do not get and they never will.
Right on. They don’t see how they created this block of pissed off, f u at all costs, lets have it out, group of conservatives.
Obama. Period.
If you need more explanation than that, or think its about race, there is no hope for you and no need to discuss it.
“I previously objected to other comments by Trump.”
And there it is AGAIN: The ubiquitous reminder that Turley has previously criticized Trump. It gets republished EVERY time Turley finds himself criticizing a democrat. The Professor lives in constant fear of having his criticism of someone ELSE being taken as an endorsement of Trump, and seems oblivious to what that says about his state of mind.
When I relentlessly criticized George Bush (junior, not Bush Daddy — I was too busy to criticize Bush Daddy, and I wasn’t online then), it never once occurred to me to preface that criticism by mentioning that I also criticized Al Gore. When I relentlessly criticized Obama, it never once occurred to me to preface that criticism by mentioning that I also criticized John McCain and Mitt Romnoid.
Talk about someone in desperate need of deprogramming. Every time Turley SENSELESSLY repeats the bit about having criticized Trump it’s a cry for some serious counseling — and I don’t mean legal counseling.
“The Professor lives in constant fear of having his criticism of someone ELSE being taken as an endorsement of Trump…” It is disappointing, Ralph. Just remember, it’s the Leftist’s (they know who they are) that crave the Professor’s ‘heaving petting’. The rest of us just eyeroll and keep on.
If Turley thinks my man hillary is not serious then he is truly an idiot. I laughed out loud at the Romnoid reference. Thanks
People have asked me what a “Romnoid” is in the past, and among various responses I think the one most fitting is that a Romnoid is a hemorrhoid with an $800 haircut and a $5000 three-piece suit.