Donald Trump began referring to those protesting Brett Kavanaugh as an “angry mob” and now the Republican Party is running with it.
Imagine the coverage on cable news if an angry mob of conservatives stormed the steps of the Supreme Court building. It wouldn’t be the breathless giddiness we are seeing right now. It wouldn’t be awe at the bravery of someone climbing up on the statue of Lady Liberty.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 6, 2018
Some might call those who rampaged through the streets of Charlottesville, killing a woman, an “angry mob.” Or as Donald Trump called them, “very fine people.”
An angry mob.#MondayMotivaton pic.twitter.com/y9Emzyn3hQ
— Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) October 8, 2018
Make no mistake, this “mob” is mostly women, many of whom are sexual assault survivors. CBS asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who the mob is and he replied, “Well the people that were attacking our members at their homes and in the halls.” A clear reference to the Trump called “very rude elevator screamers.” In other words, the sexual assault survivors who have been telling Senators their stories.
Since Trump has taken office he’s already made it a point of showing he doesn’t like protestors when they’re protesting against him. Just a month ago Trump suggested protesting should be illegal saying, “I think it’s embarrassing for the country to allow protesters.”
Keeping it real: @realDonaldTrump just described this #Kavanaugh protest as “an angry leftist mob” but also a “tiny” group of 200 people. @marcorubio called it an angry mob “storming the steps of the Supreme Court.” Take a look: do any of those descriptions look accurate? pic.twitter.com/rvjtUPWhQf
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation) October 6, 2018
Will Bunch, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer writes:
Of course, one person’s mob is, to others, what democracy looks like — a debate stretching all the way back to 1775. Believe me, this so-called “angry mob” would much rather spend its fall weekends at their kids’ soccer games or picking apples than chanting themselves hoarse or, in dozens of cases, getting arrested. But this was inevitable after two years of watching Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his henchmen crash through the guardrails of democracy to stall and kill the SCOTUS nomination of the profoundly decent Merrick Garland and then ram through the indecent and indignant Kavanaugh. Not to mention a confirmation process designed to throw darkness rather than shed light, right up to a sham FBI investigation as ordered by the White House. No wonder citizens are airing their complaints to a government that’s indifferent at best and autocratic at worst. If this was a mob, then it was a mob in the exact same spirit as — dare I say it — the Boston Tea Party, without the tragic waste of caffeine.
Trump, McConnell and a few other angry men are referring to the women, children and independents as an angry mob. EMBRACE IT!!! Everyone should tweet #WeAreTheMob #WeWillVote
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) October 8, 2018