Congratulations for arguing that DeSantis can’t be bought. Stellar work. https://t.co/OquuHGB5VN

— Joe Cunningham (@JoePCunningham) June 5, 2023

if you wanted to be an awful Manchurian candidate who sabotages the party and tarnishes the brand of Republicanism- would you actually act any differently than Trump has the last two years?!

GOP hopefuls slam Trump for comments praising Kim Jong Un
BY JULIA SHAPERO - 06/03/23 6:51 PM ET

Several Republican presidential hopefuls slammed former President Trump for his comments praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, after the country received a seat on the World Health Organization's (WHO) executive board.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis all criticized the former president, who offered his congratulations to Kim in a Truth Social post on Friday.

"No one should be praising the dictator in North Korea or praising the leader of Russia who has launched an unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine," Pence told Fox News while in Iowa on Saturday. "This is a time when we ought to make it clear to the world that we stand for freedom and we stand with those who stand for freedom."

The former Indiana governor also attacked the organization, claiming it "let America and the world down" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I mean, they literally were complicitous in covering up what was happening in China, and we held them to account during our administration."

Pence is expected to launch his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination next week, after months of hinting at a potential White House run.

Haley denounced North Korea's ascension to the WHO board on Friday, calling it a "total farce."

"You don't congratulate a thug," she added on Saturday, when asked about Trump's comment. "I mean, let's keep in mind, this thug has threatened America, has threatened our allies, over and over again."

"This is not something to play with," Haley continued. "I mean, he's a terrible individual. He's terrible to his people, he's terrible to our allies in the world, and I don't think he deserves congratulations."

DeSantis, who officially joined the Republican field late last month during a glitch-ridden Twitter Spaces event, said he was "surprised" to see Trump's congratulations to Kim, who he described as a "murderous dictator."

All three were in Des Moines on Saturday for Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) annual Roast and Ride fundraiser.

Asa Hutchinson, who also attended the event, echoed the sentiments of his challengers in a post on Twitter.

"Kim Jong-Un, the tyrant dictator in North Korea should not be praised by Donald Trump for a leadership role in the World Health Organization," Hutchinson wrote. "We sanction leaders who oppress their people. We do not elevate them on the world stage."

DeSantis hits Trump from the right while the ex-president looks ahead to the general election


In his first week on the campaign trail as a presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly hit his chief rival, Donald Trump, from the right

ByJILL COLVIN Associated Press
June 4, 2023, 2:36 PM

FILE - Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis poses for a photo with Bette Guzman, of West Des Moines, Iowa, during a campaign event

"This is a different guy than 2015, 2016," DeSantis told a conservative radio host before slamming the bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation Trump championed as "basically a jailbreak bill" that allowed dangerous people out of prison.

He also accused Trump of "turning the reins over" to Dr. Anthony Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Trump had " endorsed and tried to ram" an "amnesty" bill through Congress and vowed that unlike the former president he would finish building the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

In Iowa on Saturday, he hit back at Trump for saying he didn't like the term "woke" because people have a hard time defining it. "Woke is an existential threat to our society," DeSantis said. "To say it's not a big deal, that just shows you don't understand what a lot of these issues are right now."

Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly attacked DeSantis from the left. He has suggested that even anti-abortion activists consider Florida's new six-week abortion ban "too harsh" and argued that DeSantis has made himself unelectable on a national level with his votes as a congressman to cut Social Security and Medicare even though Trump's proposed budgets also repeatedly called for major entitlement cuts.

Trump is running a nostalgia campaign now. All I see on Twitter from his folks when they actually have Trump speaking is stuff from his debates in 2016 against Jeb or Hillary. The only thing that is apparent from those is 1) Trump didn't deliver on a lot of his promises and 2) Trump looks a LOT older.

I agree with this. You can also tell his Twitter mob is desperate to reignite the energy of the 2016 campaign. There are few problems with this:

1) 2016 online activism was entirely organic- you can force it like people are now.
2) 2016 didn't punch right- it worked on moving things to the right. 2023/2024 Trumpers collude with the likes of Ed Krassenstein to cry about Community Notes.
3) In 2016 Trump was an outsider with no political track record. In 2023/2024, he has one and it's not nearly as good as DeSantis'.

2016 The 99% chance of Trump losing, and the insults are the same today.

Remember the 2020 stolen election.

Sorry you can't steal 2024.

TRADUCTOR said:

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2016 The 99% chance of Trump losing, and the insults are the same today.

Remember the 2020 stolen election.

Sorry you can't steal 2024.

---

I really think RDs team needs to repeatedly remind people that Trump's cheating allegations STARTED in 2015! He accused Lyin' Ted Cruz of stealing Iowa.

TRADUCTOR said:

---

2016 The 99% chance of Trump losing, and the insults are the same today.

Remember the 2020 stolen election.

Sorry you can't steal 2024.

---

Biden and Trump have already been in an election, Biden won.

If Biden and Trump were to be in another election, you think Trump is gonna win? 2020 Trump was the highest his support was ever going to get. And if you're one of those who thinks the election was stolen, I'm surprised you are backing the guy who "stopped the steal" about as effectively as a 5 year old taking a physics exam.

BigBrother said:

---

TRADUCTOR said:

---

2016 The 99% chance of Trump losing, and the insults are the same today.

Remember the 2020 stolen election.

Sorry you can't steal 2024.

---

I really think RDs team needs to repeatedly remind people that Trump's cheating allegations STARTED in 2015! He accused Lyin' Ted Cruz of stealing Iowa.

---

And Ted's dad of being involved of the killing JFK. Oh, and that Ted's wife was ugly.

But, in Ted's defense, he was so enraged at Donald for what he said that he went and literally worked the phones on live TV for him. He showed Donald.

TRADUCTOR said:

---

2016 The 99% chance of Trump losing, and the insults are the same today.

Remember the 2020 stolen election.

Sorry you can't steal 2024.

---

Name one thing trump did to combat mail in ballots or early voting or dropboxes in 2020?

Name one thing trump's going to do different in 2024?

Zarathustra said:

---

TRADUCTOR said:

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2016 The 99% chance of Trump losing, and the insults are the same today.

Remember the 2020 stolen election.

Sorry you can't steal 2024.

---

Name one thing trump did to combat mail in ballots or early voting or dropboxes in 2020?

Name one thing trump's going to do different in 2024?

---

Complain about it more.

The reality is Trump's staff and campaign are a shell of what they were, he has very few competent people around him and they all have essentially had to pledge fealty to him. To take on the fights he is talking about takes a tremendous amount of organization, money, people, and a clear purpose with a leader behind it. He has none of the above.

I was listening to Tim Pool yesterday and he just thought it was so amazing that Trump said that he didn't need 2 terms to fix the country that he would do it in 6 months. Then he said "Trump will just come in and fire everybody!" and then he just moved on. Only an idiot thinks it is that simple. Even if you could somehow just "fire everyone" you have to have a massive team in place ready to replace them and a plan to deal with the huge backlash and legal challenges. It's not like the Deep State is going to just sit back and go, "Well, Trump was elected so I guess we are all just gone now and we should accept our fate. Woah is us!" Anyone who thinks that is a moron.

Spot on... to begin fixing the government, you need someone that understands how it operates and willing to implement the "long game" fixes that it'll take - operating within "the game" to change "the game," so to speak.

We didn't get here overnight and it isn't as simple as being a bull in a China closet, firing a few folks, using a ton of EOs, or "owning" people on Social Media to fix it.

CM Trump doesn't understand anything beyond how it affects him right now. Dude is a clown.

Stop calling him a concerned moderate. He's nothing about a narcissist who cares only about himself.

Charpie said:

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Stop calling him a concerned moderate. He's nothing about a narcissist who cares only about himself.

---

The two aren't mutually exclusive... he's both of those things while trying to straddle the fence of populism.

Not really.

He doesn't have any political opinions.

Disagree.... he's on record sharing opinions on 2A, abortion, transgender movement, Kim Jong Un, etc... all of which are very politically CM in nature.

LMCane said:

---

if you wanted to be an awful Manchurian candidate who sabotages the party and tarnishes the brand of Republicanism- would you actually act any differently than Trump has the last two years?!

GOP hopefuls slam Trump for comments praising Kim Jong Un
BY JULIA SHAPERO - 06/03/23 6:51 PM ET

Several Republican presidential hopefuls slammed former President Trump for his comments praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, after the country received a seat on the World Health Organization's (WHO) executive board.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis all criticized the former president, who offered his congratulations to Kim in a Truth Social post on Friday.

"No one should be praising the dictator in North Korea or praising the leader of Russia who has launched an unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine," Pence told Fox News while in Iowa on Saturday. "This is a time when we ought to make it clear to the world that we stand for freedom and we stand with those who stand for freedom."

The former Indiana governor also attacked the organization, claiming it "let America and the world down" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I mean, they literally were complicitous in covering up what was happening in China, and we held them to account during our administration."

Pence is expected to launch his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination next week, after months of hinting at a potential White House run.

Haley denounced North Korea's ascension to the WHO board on Friday, calling it a "total farce."

"You don't congratulate a thug," she added on Saturday, when asked about Trump's comment. "I mean, let's keep in mind, this thug has threatened America, has threatened our allies, over and over again."

"This is not something to play with," Haley continued. "I mean, he's a terrible individual. He's terrible to his people, he's terrible to our allies in the world, and I don't think he deserves congratulations."

DeSantis, who officially joined the Republican field late last month during a glitch-ridden Twitter Spaces event, said he was "surprised" to see Trump's congratulations to Kim, who he described as a "murderous dictator."

All three were in Des Moines on Saturday for Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) annual Roast and Ride fundraiser.

Asa Hutchinson, who also attended the event, echoed the sentiments of his challengers in a post on Twitter.

"Kim Jong-Un, the tyrant dictator in North Korea should not be praised by Donald Trump for a leadership role in the World Health Organization," Hutchinson wrote. "We sanction leaders who oppress their people. We do not elevate them on the world stage."

---

LOL, TDS gets pages of responses and Republican deep state all worked up because of one sentence. Congratulations on getting on WHO.

To these disturbed individuals it's MASSIVE PRAISE and A RINGING ENDORWEMENT.

Of course Kim Jong Un is no threat to Trump. He had them neutered while President.

NY Times that hated Trump - Published in 2019

Quote:

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Since Mr. Trump took office, North Korea has suspended nuclear tests, released detained Americans and sent back to the United States the remains of some American soldiers killed in the war.

---

The last time we had a President that actually put America first and restored the US as the global power was Regan.

Now, I know this will further trigger the REEEEEE HE LOVES KIM JONG UN. So for that, I appologize.

Quote:

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Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly attacked DeSantis from the left. He has suggested that even anti-abortion activists consider Florida's new six-week abortion ban "too harsh" and argued that DeSantis has made himself unelectable on a national level with his votes as a congressman to cut Social Security and Medicare even though Trump's proposed budgets also repeatedly called for major entitlement cuts.

---

So, many on here say they want DeSantis because they want to win. Yet,
1. 2022 election swung bigtime to the left due to the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade
2. If you want to win, you can't have an extreme position on abortion
3. It's dumb to hammer a Presidential candate over abortion. It's not a federal issue anymore, thanks to Trump.
4. Trump actually defunded Planned Parenthood. He's the most pro-choice President we've had since I've been alive.
5. I know TDS is strong on here, but Trump is right that having a candidate with an extreme position on abortion is costly. Again see 2022 elections. Abortion was huge.

Second, when did Trump ever support cuts in Social Security and Medicare? Entitlements include more than Medicare and Social Security.

Does TDS actually affect the brain to somehow equate cuts to welfare (via mandatory work requirements) the same as SS and Medicare, that have been paid for by folks for 40 years of their life? Wow.

Charpie said:

---

Not really.

He doesn't have any political opinions.

---

It just gets better.

I would think even TDS doesn't affect the brain to the point that political achievements represent political opinions.

Here is what Trump actually did:
1. Stopped illegal immigration by requiring illegals to stay in the country of origin to wait their visit to the judge
2. Hammered China for illegal trade practices
3. Had Russia begging for help
4. Made the US energy independent
5. Nominated judges to the SC that allowed the overturing of Roe vs Wade
6. Made the US energy independent.

Those off the top of my head. Much more. But saying he has none, is the typical TDS we see that forces the brain to come up with the most insane ideas imaginable.

Trump doesn't have any political opinions. Classic!!!

And besides #5, Every Single One was undone with the stroke of a pen... EOs aren't going to fix the country... who is Trump going to lead to a real legislative agenda? The same ones that he had replace ObamaCare?

Come on man, Trump is the great unifier, he can make congress work with him when no one else can. Art of the Deal, bro.

Old May Banker said:

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And besides #5, Every Single One was undone with the stroke of a pen... EOs aren't going to fix the country... who is Trump going to lead to a real legislative agenda? The same ones that he had replace ObamaCare?

---

Well, that's a different topic. My response was the silly comment that he has no policies.

It's possible that Trump has been unable to drain the entire swamp and that the inside republicans will continue to fight him and his America First policy. These guys are only interest in the media treating them nice than policy that puts America first. And since the America Last policy is what they stand for, that's what they supported.

Remember these guys voted to repeal Obamacare many times when they knew it would get vetoed. However, when Trump was in office, they didn't pass it. I mean, the Media would crucifty them, so they didn't pass it.

So, Trummp realized what made up the Republican party and has fought hard to replace these RINOs with MAGA republicans. I don't know if his success is enough or not. I mean, if you recall, insider republicans tried to get him impeached. They hated that he proved to the party that those that actually fight the media and the DC machine can get elected.

It's got nothing to do with leadership when your own party spends more time trying to discredit you than support you. The leadership taken is to get as many to quit/primaried as possible.

Science Denier said:

---

Quote:

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Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly attacked DeSantis from the left. He has suggested that even anti-abortion activists consider Florida's new six-week abortion ban "too harsh" and argued that DeSantis has made himself unelectable on a national level with his votes as a congressman to cut Social Security and Medicare even though Trump's proposed budgets also repeatedly called for major entitlement cuts.

---

So, many on here say they want DeSantis because they want to win. Yet,
1. 2022 election swung bigtime to the left due to the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade
2. If you want to win, you can't have an extreme position on abortion
3. It's dumb to hammer a Presidential candate over abortion. It's not a federal issue anymore, thanks to Trump.
4. Trump actually defunded Planned Parenthood. He's the most pro-choice President we've had since I've been alive.
5. I know TDS is strong on here, but Trump is right that having a candidate with an extreme position on abortion is costly. Again see 2022 elections. Abortion was huge.

Second, when did Trump ever support cuts in Social Security and Medicare? Entitlements include more than Medicare and Social Security.

Does TDS actually affect the brain to somehow equate cuts to welfare (via mandatory work requirements) the same as SS and Medicare, that have been paid for by folks for 40 years of their life? Wow.

---

First off, TRUMP is the one who brought up abortion and assumed that DeSantis' law in FL is what he would enact nationally. Second, 6 weeks PLUS exceptions for R&I isn't "extreme" or "harsh" in any way. It's nothing close to the law in Texas or in many other states and is pretty moderate. Most people are caught up in the exceptions or a total ban, this isn't remotely either.

Trump did a good job of appointing the folks the Heritage Foundation told him to. That wasn't because he is an idealogue it was simply politically expedient for him. He also didn't defund PP, he took away some of their funding. That was great but it's of course gone now like most of what he did outside of the SC nominees.

Trump is running Left on SS and wants a dream world where we don't make any reforms and somehow don't go bankrupt. It's a cowardly position. If he wants no cuts then he should go ahead and admit it will include massive tax increases.

Science Denier said:

---

Old May Banker said:

---

And besides #5, Every Single One was undone with the stroke of a pen... EOs aren't going to fix the country... who is Trump going to lead to a real legislative agenda? The same ones that he had replace ObamaCare?

---

Well, that's a different topic. My response was the silly comment that he has no policies.

It's possible that Trump has been unable to drain the entire swamp and that the inside republicans will continue to fight him and his America First policy. These guys are only interest in the media treating them nice than policy that puts America first. And since the America Last policy is what they stand for, that's what they supported.

Remember these guys voted to repeal Obamacare many times when they knew it would get vetoed. However, when Trump was in office, they didn't pass it. I mean, the Media would crucifty them, so they didn't pass it.

So, Trummp realized what made up the Republican party and has fought hard to replace these RINOs with MAGA republicans. I don't know if his success is enough or not. I mean, if you recall, insider republicans tried to get him impeached. They hated that he proved to the party that those that actually fight the media and the DC machine can get elected.

It's got nothing to do with leadership when your own party spends more time trying to discredit you than support you. The leadership taken is to get as many to quit/primaried as possible.

---

The only reason they didn't pass it was Trump decided to continue to insult John McCain to the point where he voted against it just to be vindictive.

Trump has a terrible record of getting "MAGA Republicans" elected or appointing them to positions in his Admin. He appointed some of the worst Globalist/Neocons imaginable, some completely incompetent people, and then a bunch that were actually decent but he has gone completely hostile on and would never work for him again. He threw away the Senate with the 2 Georgia seats and then he pushed for some terrible candidates including Super RINO Dr Oz in '22.

Trump is amazing though at coming up with excuses for losing though and blaming others, he's elite.

Science Denier said:

---

Charpie said:

---

Not really.

He doesn't have any political opinions.

---

It just gets better.

I would think even TDS doesn't affect the brain to the point that political achievements represent political opinions.

Here is what Trump actually did:
1. Stopped illegal immigration by requiring illegals to stay in the country of origin to wait their visit to the judge
2. Hammered China for illegal trade practices
3. Had Russia begging for help
4. Made the US energy independent
5. Nominated judges to the SC that allowed the overturing of Roe vs Wade
6. Made the US energy independent.

Those off the top of my head. Much more. But saying he has none, is the typical TDS we see that forces the brain to come up with the most insane ideas imaginable.

Trump doesn't have any political opinions. Classic!!!

---

Trump did some very good things on that list but most went away the moment he was out of office. He sucked at getting Legislation passed and he also sucked at understanding how to navigate the law and bureaucracy to actually force change which is very complex and tedious. He has zero plan for fixing any of that next time btw outside of "fire everybody" and "I'll do it in 6 months" which he will somehow accomplish with a hostile Congress (even if the GOP wins there are enough folks that hate Trump they won't help him) and only a handful of people even willing to work for him. So unless you think he can just be a nearly 80 year old Dictator he will fail miserably.

DeSantis is not screwing around.

Never Back Down has "knocked over 100,000 doors already. We have people knocking doors in Iowa, in South Carolina, in Nevada and New Hampshire."

"That's not happening for any other candidate at this point in the race," says @ErinMPerrine. pic.twitter.com/mEzxop9WnO

— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) June 5, 2023

Barnes is in deep with the Trump campaign along with Baris. The thing I find most interesting about this is that it is such a self own for Trump. It's saying that Trump was basically ready to make DeSantis his VP and DeSantis declined. That means that Trump thought highly enough of him that he wanted him on the ticket with him and the only thing that has changed is that DeSantis said no. So all of the negative stuff Trump has said is basically garbage outside of his weird "loyalty" argument. Of course the problem with that one is that Trump never talks about how DeSantis was one of the first people in the House to speak out against the Russia stuff and call it BS and THAT is why Trump endorsed him. DeSantis helped Trump before Trump returned the favor.

In spring of 2022, #DeSantis had the chance to join #Trump on a 2024 ticket together. Instead, in summer of 2022, upon promise of Trump indictment, he reversed course & decided to contest Trump instead. It will go down as one of the dumbest political decisions in recent history.

— Robert Barnes (@barnes_law) June 5, 2023

Quote:

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Barnes is in deep with the Trump campaign along with Baris. The thing I find most interesting about this is that it is such a self own for Trump. It's saying that Trump was basically ready to make DeSantis his VP and DeSantis declined. That means that Trump thought highly enough of him that he wanted him on the ticket with him and the only thing that has changed is that DeSantis said no.

---

He wanted to train him to take over the job.

LOL. That Barnes clown is clueless. He is trying to be relevant.

aggie93 said:

---

DeSantis is not screwing around.

Never Back Down has "knocked over 100,000 doors already. We have people knocking doors in Iowa, in South Carolina, in Nevada and New Hampshire."

"That's not happening for any other candidate at this point in the race," says @ErinMPerrine. pic.twitter.com/mEzxop9WnO

— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) June 5, 2023

---

He can't afford to. With the race getting stupid levels crowded, he's going to need to get every non maga vote he can get to win the nomination. All Trump will need to do with a crowded field is hold onto his maga.

Good for DeSantis in taking this seriously.

DeSantis '24

What DeSantis needs to do IMO is play fairly nice with the field (sans blowhard Trump), and sell them on each one of them are talented (where applicable) and that they can play a major role in putting our country back together again.

Truth be told there are some cabinet-worthy folks in the race potentially so it would be fact-based AND possibly squelch some of the dirt throwing. They should or will know soon enough it's a two horse race.

Quote:

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train him to take over the job.

---

You're as laughable as the 80 year old that you're idolizing at this point.

Science Denier said:

---

Quote:

---

Barnes is in deep with the Trump campaign along with Baris. The thing I find most interesting about this is that it is such a self own for Trump. It's saying that Trump was basically ready to make DeSantis his VP and DeSantis declined. That means that Trump thought highly enough of him that he wanted him on the ticket with him and the only thing that has changed is that DeSantis said no.

---

He wanted to train him to take over the job.

---

That was very nice of Trump. However DeSantis believed he was better for the job now. The point you are missing is that means that Trump clearly saw him as his heir apparent so any opposition to him is purely personal and not based on him being a "Globalist" or "RINO" or any of the other nonsense Trump is trying to push. It proves that Trump doesn't oppose him for any other reason than ego.

On this day 8 years ago, the GOP nomination was a wide-open clusterf*ck. pic.twitter.com/IiGTIqwlmE

— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) June 5, 2023

If it comes down to a loser (trump) vs a winner (DeSantis) , vote for the winner.

DeSantis 2024