You know he spent a lot of time in front of the mirror deciding what face to employ. He could have smiled. He could have offered an image more benign. He chose this face for his mugshot, this photographic record certain to live in infamy.
Never before has a mugshot been taken of a president or ex-president. Through his criminal behavior that has now garnered 91 felony charges and four indictments, this man has succeeded in securing his place in history. We can only hope he’s the first and only occupant of the highest office in our land to require a mugshot.
Think of it: Generations from now, in a hundred years, maybe even two hundred years, school children will be gazing at this image to try and understand who this man was, what was the nature of his impact and why so many Americans were enamored with him. They will look at the photograph, they will read accounts from our time, they will ask their parents about him and us. Who were those people who thought this was the man to lead their country? How did the majority let it happen?
What does this mugshot say to you? What insights does it give you—or, in turn, how does it confirm your existing viewpoint? What emotions does he convey and what does his pose tell you about his character? What do you think about the fact that millions of Americans likely see this image as heroic? We will be living with this image for a long time—and not just on t-shirts and mugs and other merchandise sold by Trump—so it’s not too soon to give it a close reading.
As always, I look forward to your observations—and the chance for our growing community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful of each other’s comments.
I see a frightened cowardly empty human seeking with all his might to appear as frightening as his mini-imagination will conceive. Poor boy, he'll just never be taken seriously as a man.
He may be evil, but he's an evil genius. Many have commented on how studied the pose is, but my guess is that the pose came naturally to him. What's studied is the strategy to use his mugshot as an asset, a visual prop that would dominate the news and have people talking about him as a celebrity rather than a criminal.
And here we all are doing it. The Biden campaign needs to recognize that this is a media fight. It's not only about policies and achievements.
Democrats ought to flood media with this photo of President Biden (everyone is encouraged to copy the photo, forward it to your contacts and post it to social media):
I absolutely agree, along with the image of him, and Dr. Biden, in Maui where he’s touring the ravished area, and takes a moment to pet a search dog.
A lot if the opposition look at that as not doing his job. I totally disagree. That going above and beyond. If I was that dogs handler, I’d be damn proud that the President of the United States took the time to pet, as well as talk to my search dog, and me.
Now, THAT is ABOVE AND BEYOND if you ask me. That’s a person that truly cares.
Great idea! I, too, was shocked when, on the "morning after", I pulled up the CNN "front page" and ALL the entries were about TFG, with photos of various kinds...Yes, of course, it's news, but couldn't some of this have been "below the fold", as it were?? The MSM is failing, just as in 2015-16 to understand that they're being manipulated by the "evil genius" - think images of motorcades, etc. Get smart, people, before it's too late!
Again we are not calling out The Trump money Laundering operation! The Trump Cartel and the @GOP are one! A FACIST Criminal Grifter Operation that is treated like a Legitimate Political Party This is totally unacceptable!
CNN is absolutely obsessed with Donald Trump. They often refer to TFG as media's 'red meat', and they are the primary political carnivors. I abandoned their news (?) coverage some time ago, but check in once in awhile, and find that Trump continues to dominate their discussions. CNN epitomises just what an ongoing case of obsessive-compulsive derangement syndrome can become.
The media purposely fails to broadcast the vast achievements of the Biden administration and President Joe Biden. Trump engenders more media attention with this mugshot of a Mad Man or, if you prefer Madman. Even the more liberal networks constantly focus on the past twice impeached and indicted past president who should be just that... in the past. I voted for Biden as he is a quintessentially an honorable man with solid experience in government, who has the best interests of our nation in mind. Keep in mind the quote that Trump was the most "incandescently stupid and evil man" .. coined by one of his own appointees.
I completely agree. The news media elevated his appearances in the 2016 election. Democrats need to consistently push President Biden in every way possible!
You are so right. He is using the press just as he always has. Every one of us should flood social media with the best pictures we can find of Joe Biden to show America and the world, what a true leader's face should look like.
Sharon, when I was looking for a photo of President Biden for my post last May, he had just out-witted and out-negotiated Kevin McCarthy on the debt ceiling issue. I wanted a picture that implied his experience and confidence, but most importantly conveys the sense of being a winner. This one has it all. Here's the credit:
"Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) --AP FILE
He wants us to fear him, to be intimidated by his fierce gaze. Wrong. I am only angered that this hateful petulant petty vengeful man-child has any relevance at all. That millions adore the creature says more about the state of our society than him. He's a common dangerous fascist thug that 1/3 of the nation finds appealing revealing their true nature. It's time for an American Renaissance and turning away from superstitious ignorant hate back toward the love of one another, nature, the sciences and art. One look of the wondrous James Webb telescope images or faded yellow Jaque Cousteau videos reveals the beauty and real mysteries of which we should be in wondrous awe. Let's put this chapter of manufactured hate well behind us, fast. Our American experiment shouldn't end in hate of one another. But instead prosper in the fascination of our differences.
I agree Marcia; societal malaise pervades too many people in America. Trump flaunted his ability to criticise and degrade others, and suffered no consequences. Most GOP were unwilling or afraid to call him out, and thus a virtual license to be rude and unethical, was established, and individuals followed along. Hate is manifested by violence, and the USA leads the World with the highest number of mass shootings; an unenviable record. That hate is so prolific is aided by the lack of safe gun controls. The United States is anything but. Here are the statistics from just this past 10 DAYS:
Incident ID Incident Date/sort ascending State City Or County Address Victims Killed Victims Injured Suspects Killed Suspects Injured Suspects Arrested Operations
Absolutely tragic. We must always Vote Blue and retake our country. The only way to get gun control in place including assault-style weapons ban is to Expand the Court. 13 Circuits require 13 Justices. Do it to rebalance the court. Then reverse all their bs decisions re Citizens United, Roe vs Wade and gutting g the Voting Rights Act. We also need to enact much needed SCOTUS ethics and eliminate the Electoral College.
Yes, I’ve read that his former staff recognized that look as one he often used in the WH. They called it “the stare.” I have no idea if that is accurate but it makes sense. He seldom employs new tricks, just variations on old ones.
Correct. Every speech & interview is a rehash of his limited vocabulary word salad phrased such that he rarely confirms or denies anything. It's the wiggle room every mob boss uses to claim he didn't really order any wrongdoing, violence or extortion leaving him open to blame his underlings, sycophants, cultists and political opponents. His latest interviews over damaged security footage of withholding secret documents he illegally took to Mar-a-Lago was classic Trump. He claims he didn't have to turn the video over. And if he did, he would have....blah, blah, blah. Nothing about trying to have them destroyed by one of his lackeys flooding the server room after his IT guy refused to delete them. He's a very dangerous twice impeached, 91 count indicted authoritarian manipulative sociopathic thug hell bent on revenge. Poor Hunter Biden has been in his sights for 5 years as Trump's massive ego is exploding that he has no dirt on President Biden. But facts don't matter. He still found a way to weaponize the Biden DOJ to indict Hunter on gun charges rarely brought absent violent crimes and forced McCarthy to open an impeachment inquiry as red meat for his base & to assuage his thin skinned ego. Ugh...
I saw clips from 2 interviews. Interesting that when challenged on having to obey a subpoena & appeal later, Donnie gotti said “I know that.” Then quickly reversed course: “I don’t know that … I don’t know that.”
I believe the Hunter Biden fiasco is to paint Joe Biden as “another bad choice.” A form of voter suppression. Neutralize the behavior of donnie. They have no shame and would be quite pleased if Hunter relapsed, or worse. I do not believe they are interested in evidence. It’s a 2fer: make donnie gotti happy & “See, he was impeached too.” The GOP doesn’t have votes for an inquiry, let alone impeachment. Recently McCarthy said IF & When there was evidence they would vote on an inquiry. He panicked & directed one begin on “allegations”.
Comer likes dirty tricks. He was set to win a GOP primary for governor. Pols in Ky say this is his “comeback” path. GOP gerrymandered his district. It now stretches from the W tip of Ky to the capital because he bought a home in the capital, Frankfort.🙃 His dirty tricks cost him in 2015 so more is better?
March 2023 NYT interview. Comer admitted a lot.
1st -- “You know, the customer’s always right,” Mr. Comer said wryly, of his approach to the people who elected him and now brandish conspiracy theories, vulgar photographs featuring the president and his son, Hunter, and other lies they expect him to act upon.
“I say, ‘Let me see it,’ because I want to see where the source is,” Mr. Comer said. “They don’t know that it’s QAnon, but it’s QAnon stuff.”
2nd -- It mentions that on Fox … Mr. Comer lamented that Beau Biden, the president’s other son, who died of cancer in 2015, was never investigated.
3rd —… During the 2015 Republican primary for governor — Mr. Comer’s dream job from a young age — a local blogger began publishing allegations that Mr. Comer had abused a college girlfriend, prompting Mr. Comer to … His campaign turned over documents to a local prosecutor to help in an investigation of the blogger. (The prosecutor dropped the investigation after the election.)… The rumor whispered around Kentucky political circles at the time was that Mr. Comer had swiped the emails from the computer server for the law firm and leaked them … In an interview with The Times, Mr. Comer confirmed, for the first time, that he had been behind the leak and strongly hinted he had gotten them from the server.
“I’ve had two servers in my lifetime,” Mr. Comer said when asked about the emails. “Hunter Biden’s is one, and you can — I’m not going to say who the other one was, but you can use your imagination.”
Comer & his Lt gov candidate used the existence of a secret grand jury on the campaign trail. Comer & the targeted candidate lost. (The N KY prosecutor was also a donor to the Comer campaign.)
To me he looks like a thug, the mean boy, someone who never learned how to behave in society. And because of his family and the way he was raised and treated, he never had to learn. I'm sad that so many Americans identify with this personality trait. But I believe more of us see him, and have always seen him, for what he is, as someone else commented, a petulant child.
One of my siblings is the same kind of narcissist, so I pegged Trump for who he was very early on. And of course no one will be surprised that my mother, who let the narcissist sibling run roughshod over the rest of us, and constantly gaslight everyone out of holding them responsible for anything they've ever said or done... also LOVES Trump just the same.
It's infuriating. But I guess some people are just exactly the right type of person to fall for the narcissistic charm. Personally, it immediately raises my hackles and puts me into an active state of identifying and defying their efforts at manipulation.
It really is amazing that so many ordinary everyday folk seriously say and believe that they “love” and “admire” him despite the mountains of lies, corruption and racism. Clearly, they do not represent a majority of voters nationwide, but they do represent a big majority in “red” states and a solid 40% in borderline “purple” states.
We on our side really need to examine that and try to understand how our own baseline political and cultural narrative can be communicated in a way that will appeal at least to 25% of those same people? That really can’t happen until he is convicted and the endless appeals are concluded with affirmations, which will help begrudgingly with a portion of the women who admire him currently. (MAGA men are unfortunately impossible). But we must attempt to heal the stark divide which separates us currently. Tough as it will be for democrats and the quarter of Republicans who deservedly hate him
Really, the MAGA women are no different from the MAGA men. I am surrounded by family, friends and co-workers who give him a pass on his horrific actions, that would appall them if someone else (like a Democrat) did those very same things. Think of the nastiness towards Hilary Clinton. So shallow. A person close to me viciously criticized her for wearing a pants suit. But conspiring to change the vote counts, causing a riot against the capitol, putting elected officials lives in jeopardy and taking down our government among 100s of other crimes, yeh, he gets a pass.
One faction is riding the trump train because they want money, power and legitimacy. Continuing to defeat him whittles away at them. It doesn’t change them.
Some followers whose lives in other ways stabilize and improve become tired. Anger and hate can be hard to maintain and people become weary.
Many of the others remain in a state of high anxiety. Logic & reason do not reach them. The ‘movement’ became their identity; their religion. It is the purpose of “enrage to engage” perpetrated through the firehose of false anger & fear inducing information. Well intended or helpful acts are viewed with suspicion. It is like speaking to someone in the midst of a psychotic episode. They do not want to lose their DJT lifeline. They listen to no one else. The malevolent maestro plays them like an abusive partner.
We need a way to break the connection. How do you separate someone from their adopted identity? Convince them to leave their religion? Part with what gives them pleasure, pain & hope?
Answer, perhaps, is repetitive criminal convictions which of course will be viewed, explained and re-explained, endlessly will result in 25% of “business Republicans” saying bye-bye and 50% of nominal Rs as well as “undecided” leaving hard core MAGA, evangelicals, and a few others on his side forever! However, one acquittal would change everything! Is that a reasonable scenario?
It’s hard to find anything reasonable in what we face, but yes. Businesses are not going to love a universal 10% tariff. They will not be deluded by the promise that it is a small amount; a tax on foreign imports and will fill the coffers, pay US debts & then corporate tax cuts will follow.
I think it also matters when in the chain of events and acquittal might occur - on a few counts or all.
Sadly, he is not a child. He grew up into an evil man whose actions divided our nation and ended up in an attempted coup. Children cannot do the harm he has perpetrated.
Honestly? He looks like a pouting child who'd been told he can't have dessert unless he eats his vegetables.
This is the face of a man who is unaccustomed to being held accountable for anything, and who is on the verge of a stochastic terrorist temper tantrum.
When I saw that weight, I choked on my oxygen! I said to myself, “there’s no way in hell they weighed him! If they did, their scales need fixing!”
If he tips the scales at 215, I need his scales. My scales don’t lie, and I now tip them at 506 (down from 778 two years ago, and 579 six months ago). I’m 6’6” tall, 72 yoa. So Frumpy needs to get in my scales!
Daniel, Thank you for your service in law enforcement and as a fire-fighter. Also, congratulations on your significant weight loss. Impressive. Either there was a typo on DJT's weight (they meant to type 315, but got it wrong) or DJT told a LIE...on and on!
It's a showman's mug shot, clearly practiced and posed in order to draw attention, not to the mug shot circumstances, but to the subject himself. It's all about him--again. It's all he knows to do, even when his freedom hangs in the balance.
Trump sees it as yet another publicity shot and those of us who know it are trying hard not to let it bother us. We know his tactics and how they almost always work in his favor. He's a master at using any publicity as promotion and he's still the top Gop contender for the presidential run.
But it's still a mug shot. It'll go down in history as a mug shot. It may well turn out to be the most viewed photo of the man who should never have been president. It may well wake up a country seduced by celebrity and enticed by wanton wickedness.
This one photo won't put an end to the public's seeming need for all things Trump, but it'll always be out there. Forever. And it'll only get uglier.
It amuses me that so many of the remarks on this mugshot that I've read have all begun with that image of him mugging in front of the mirror. Every rational person recognizes this "evil genius'" ability to use the media!
Interesting how many rational people are onto Trump, yet his appeal is still so strong among millions of Americans. I try not to think about that. It's terrifying.
what I think doesn't matter so much. It was surely a practiced pose for many reasons. To look fierce (false bravado), to look angry ( he has basically admitted to the charges claiming he was allowed to do what he did across all 91 charges), to hide his neck folds and chins (he complained about a photo of him being used that showed him with his chin tucked in enhancing his chins and folds). None of this matters to me. And although we have had fun with his self reported weight and height, he lied at his booking!!! Why isn't more made of that? Such a beginning of his booking process through the GA justice system; to lie about something so very unimportant. To begin with a lie in an indictment based on...wait for it....LIES. We have normalized his very abnormal existence. We and the media have normalized his entourages, his pampered arraignments, his grifting, his hatred. Well it is just trump being trump we hear them all say. NO, he is not normal, he is an aberration and the history books will show this and little kids will put that face on their boogeymen. They will see a display with the maga hat and say, Mommy I found that hat in grandpa's attic. They will be shushed and told that we don't talk about that time. This is a sick criminal, a grifter, a con man, a rapist, a racist, a lazy ne'er do well. He is certainly not worth our time but that he is being lifted by Russia, by anti democracy Rs, by mobs, by other criminals. His time should be done, but it keeps getting dragged out by his delays and the breathless coverage of every utterance he makes in his garbled word salads. We spend inordinate amounts of time trying to make him more complicated than he really is. Unfortunately he will be more than a footnote in our history books because he was given such an exulted pulpit to spin his lies.
You mention height & weight. Don't they have scales at that jail? Why were his aides allowed to fill out the form instead of him being processed like any other prisoner? And why was his booking only 20 minutes? I read others who are indicted sit in a cell while the process is completed. So, the sheriff at least did a mugshot, but I think he was still treated differently. Ugh. Being booked is humiliating for most people. He should have had the complete usual treatment.
from what I understand his lawyers negotiated a quick booking. It is definitely a privilege most prisoners, alleged criminals never get. Of course as an ex president he is afforded exceptional safety status, still it all looks so bad.
He’s a criminal! He’s being booked on a pile of charges from an indictment. He puts his pants on, I’m assuming, one keg at a time, just like any other human on this planet does.
I can assure you, after over 26 years in law enforcement, and criminal justice system, that he was definitely treated a hell of a lot different than any of us would have been. Every one of the 19 booked were treated differently than any of us would have been.
That hooking process should have taken hours to complete. He’s in and out in 20 minutes! His damn suit wasn’t even wrinkled!
Just so folks know, not only are you booked on each charge against you, you are taken into a room, strip searched, put on a set of scales so your height, and CORRECT weight are taken and recorded, then you are stood in front of a “height board” and your mug shit taken. You are required to look straight ahead, at the camera, standing straight. You are NOT allowed to pose in any way.
All of these people were treated with “kid gloves”. Preferential treatment. It’s sickening! They are all criminals! Start treating them like that!
I don’t really care as much about the ‘privileges’ donnie gotti wrangled in his surrender as the fact that the booking drove home there is legal danger there he has not faced elsewhere. You are probably old enough to remember when Ruby killed Oswald. School was out for the ‘holiday break’ and I was watching live as it happened. I ran into the kitchen and told my parents “someone shot Jack Ruby!!”. The response was eye rolls and “no dear” blah blah blah. But it was true and it launched a spew of conspiracy theories and distrust that continue to today. Jack Ruby did not have a cult following.
I figure the terms were weighed (pun?) against risks including how GA treats other ‘white collar criminals’ and the knowledge that Fani Willis is under assault by the state legislators and in Congress. They are responding to his calls for help.
The best he could make of the booking is (you) never surrender using a photo of him surrendering. It reminds me that the Proud Boys and some Oath Keepers felt hung out to dry after Jan 6. They relied on him to come to the rescue on that day & for their defen$e. It never happened. A neo-nazi based in IN came to Ky and acted on his call during on of his early rallies to commit violence & he would pay the attorneys. Of course he did not pay. The guy’s little neo movement and recruitment efforts shriveled and died.
Now 3 of the fake electors (1 being the GA ringleader) are trying to get their cases into federal court ... Their filings state they acted at the direction of DJT (as president) and therefore deserve immunity for their “official acts.” This complicates his case & is very frightening to donnie gotti.
Ann, I remember the shooting of Oswald in the jail very well. I was sitting in the bed, with my mom, watching it. And when Jack Ruby shot him, she screamed, I applauded.
As for Strawberry 🍓 head, the 🤡 of this century, he’s pulling out all the stops. He knows he’s screwed. He’s even cut off providing money from his PAC to pay for everyone’s defense. Now, everyone’s having to come up with a bundle of money to get their own lawyers. This is why, with hood attorneys, and not placements by Frumpy, they are all being advised to hang his ass on a tree limb. Tell the truth. Try to “fall on the mercy of the court” so to speak. What they all soon will learn, they were ‘sheep’. They did as they were told, even if it was against the law. They broke the law. And, “ignorance of the law” is not an excuse. Sorry, folks, but you all are guilty as sin.
As they have said for decades, if not centuries, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time!”
Jim Jordan is an idiot. He’s so absorbed in trying to get Frumoy free if all this, it actually hurts to see him acting so stupid. To think we have Representatives in our Congress that have no sense whatsoever. They are so engrossed with Frumpy that they can’t see their noses right on their own faces.
I’ll be so glad when 2024 rolls around so we can start ruffing ourselves of all this trash, starting with Frumpy!
I would think it was the responsibility of the head of the electors and GA GOP to know their legal responsibilities. Other officials in their state (and other states) did not cave when he called.
He got Habba to refile the defamation case against HRC and others ... after the initial one being tossed & being excoriated by the judge who sanctioned them ‘jointly’ for nearly $1M - frivolous case with not evidence against a long list of defendants who he noted had their lives disrupted unnecessarily.
New filing states immediately there will be (probably has happened) a separate filing to have the judge removed from hearing the 2nd case for bias. She is connected to his PAC and paid through it. Last year a measly $2M. If she doesn’t wise up, could wind up underwater and need a raise.
Looks like an attempt to bring an old grievance into the picture to distract maga from his growing legal quagmire. (He is supposed to appear at a $100 a pop fundraising for Rudy. We’re paying for his security etc. so cheaper than spending from his PAC. That will be an interesting measure of how many who wanted to stay away from Rudy will hold their nose and pay $$ as donnie pretends it keeps him afloat.)
You remind us that the Proud Boys and some Oath Keepers felt hung out to dry after Jan 6, yet they still seem loyal to him. Why? Why have not turned on someone who was not loyal to them?
During Jan 6 trials these bozos blamed donnie gotti for not defending them - specifically Rhodes complained in the media that he & others were not given pardons “on his way out”; no fundraising or $$. Both groups had ‘members’ who cooperated &/or testified for the prosecution.
None of these groups will call for loyalty to those who they see betray them. Their leadership was convicted. Oath Keepers had no one in the wings to take over. It has basically disappeared. The types of groups have a history of not getting along internally or with one another; restructuring, declining and re-appearing. Donnie was the catalyst for them setting aside big egos, rivalry & competition for power.
Proud Boys began to fractured after Charlottesville more so after Jan 6 convictions. They ran low on $$$, turned to the local level politics issues aligned with their hate. As candidates they failed. Reports indicate they are fractured but “growing”. They also have no central leader to muster loyalty. They focus on cultivating hate in local communities.
Personally I believe PBs were ‘growing’ in 2021 because per SPLC reports, there are fewer hate groups. In 2021 they mocked donnie gotti as “weak” a “failure”. He in turn did not know who they were: “ I can only say they have to stand down and let law enforcement do their work."In 2023 Tarrio and others said they were used as scapegoats. Across the board all these groups have paranoia about the feds “setting them up”.
Not that they have vanished like the Oath Keepers (in a few states PBs were installed in the GOP apparatus) but their loyalty is fragmented with themselves in the center.
Perhaps EVERY American citizen should be afforded a higher respect during any booking and arraignment process. Perhaps ALL should be held and treated as innocent to the higher standard set by those at the highest heights no matter who they are. Only then will we truly be keeping to NOBODY is above the law. Obviously, various factors must weigh in on holding or releasing after the arraignment process, but my point is setting the bar high in applying it properly for everyone equally. But wait... what is equal and fair for everyone? I guess that’s where GOOD judgment plays in..
I'm sure the Secret Service's duties require them to get him in and out as quickly as possible. I DO think he should have had height/weight measurements on site. We haven't been given this info on any of the others so maybe the truth would not have been released.
I love that you used the phrase, “ne’er do well”! I use that all the time and a younger friend of mine just the other night commented how much she loved that I say that. I know that’s not your point but I thought the coincidence was worth noting. He is a toddler and ne’er do well. It’s sickening the time and spotlighting we have devoted to this abnormal and sick baby man. I also find it interesting that mostly women, from what I can tell, (and I would guess mothers) have perceived this mugshot face as a petulant child rather than someone to fear. We have seen this before. Go sit in a corner for a time out!
Very powerfully and accurately stated, Kay; thank you! But for all it and he represents, he will be convicted as a criminal and those convictions will be affirmed on appeal after several years of litigation. Violence probably will occur! Meanwhile, we must begin a PR process to repair our common society until he is a footnote--not a headline!
violence has already occurred as in the "lone wolves" who threaten . The guy in Utah is one. I live there and used to live in that neighborhood. Without trump none of this would have happened, no J6, no 91 charges and co defendants, no violence in his name. No cult of trump. Sad we have had to endure him. he could have been a second class grifter for the rest of his life but he decided to run for president.
Agree entirely but we must start the process now of focusing on the future! Going to be a very tough 3 or 4 years until November 2026 when GenZ together with Millennials will constitute a majority of voters for the first time. November 28 will seal the deal and the future of American Democracy
This is the face of someone who doesn't want to go to bed when it's time to go to bed. It's also the representation he thinks conveys "tough man". The trouble is, actual tough men don't need to put it on. As with everything with him, it's an act designed to manipulate.
extraordinary. Look at how he manipulated his Secret Service detail--people who are presumably trained to withstand manipulations don’t even realize they’re being manipulated.
He was dangerous IN the White House! He’s more dangerous now because he’s getting more and more desperate as the days, indictments, criminal charges (cases), pile upon him.
You want to see dangerous man? Let this criminal get back in the White House. You’ll see dangerous. He’s a dictator. He wants to be the dictator of this nation. IF he’s re-elected, it will be our final election we will ever have for a President of the United States. It will be the final election we ever have for ANY public office, State or Federal. He will put HIS people in offices to run the states, the federal government offices, and all will answer only to him. This is what he’s already stated. This is what he intends to do. Become our Dictator!
As a photographer, I notice 3 things: the lighting on his face is much better than the others. There is no shadow on the wall behind him. And the sheriffs department symbol is much smaller.
Wizard of Oz metaphors are apt. The wicked witch of the west promising vengeance (“I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too”) for any of his 18 monkeys who dare to provide evidence against him, unable to even fathom that he is as vulnerable to prosecution as the witch is to a young woman with a bucket of water. The incompetent con man who exploits the vulnerable and poses as a powerful wizard to mask his insecurities. A scarecrow, tin man and lion, all in one, who truly lacks a brain (his seems reptilian at best), a heart and courage.
Funny you should that point out the 18 and their predicament.
3 filed to get their cases moved to federal court. They were not federal employees. Therefore they invoked the argument that as (fake) electors they fulfilled an official federal duty. Dubious enough argument that they also argue that they were acting on directions from the seated president at the time. Yup. Donnie told me to do it is now in official court filings. Seem to be arguing if the president/his lawyers tell you to do it you get immunity. This is not the 8 fake electors who were believed to have been cooperating (in May reports). One was the head of the GA GOP and has been described as the GA “ringleader.” The judge previously agreed his case was different than the others and he was required to get separate counsel.
To me, the photo itself underscores his immense hatred and lust for revenge;…and I believe his determination to succeed at ANY cost to others, no matter how much destruction he causes, or whom he hurts.
He practiced to look this way on purpose, to try to instill fear and threats.
It truly befuddles me that he seems to have so much support from Republicans. His cult causes me to wonder what force is propelling them to follow him like lemmings rushing to to the sea. I am in pain over the undermining of so many of our institutions he has started. In pain over his normalization of racism and bigotry, and violence. In pain over his constant use of overt dishonesty to manipulate people who, for whatever reason are believing him. They will be harmed the most if he succeeds on bringing down Democracy.
And, now, despicably he sells his mug shot for money: selling crime; labeling Law and Order and Justice as jokes. He’s a parasite and a nightmare!
In response to Steven Beschloss's riveting piece, "What Does This Mugshot Say to You?":
Witnessing a mugshot of a former president is not just unsettling—it's a heart-wrenching deviation from the sacred tenets of our nation's history. Trump's defiant expression, as portrayed, was unmistakably a conscious decision, a clarion call to both his allies and adversaries. For many of us, this mugshot stands as an unyielding testament to his relentless infractions and his audacious flouting of the rule of law.
Mr Beschloss's article compels us to confront the haunting specter of Trump's tenure and the indelible scars he's left behind. It's utterly confounding how a figure entangled in 91 felony charges and burdened by four indictments could ascend to the nation's zenith of power. The annals of history will question our collective complicity in his meteoric rise and ponder the societal fissures that allowed such a seismic upheaval.
This mugshot reveals a man unyielding in his theatrics, defiant even in the face of ignominy. It's yet another maneuver in his grand orchestration, aiming to shape his legacy. That some may perceive this portrayal as valorous underscores the profound chasms fracturing our nation.
While I wholeheartedly resonate with Mr. Beschloss’s plea for respectful discourse, experience has left me wary. The bitter animosity of the past years has shown that finding a middle ground is more elusive than ever. It's disheartening to witness the GOP's unified front, with few daring to deviate.
As Democrats, the clarion call is clear: we must rally, voice our convictions, and transition from mere rhetoric to a cohesive, actionable blueprint for healing our beleaguered nation. The time for change is now.
The angle of the head seems carefully chosen to reduce the color washout impact of bright downlighting on his face while also using the downlighting to enhance his hair (color and volume). Once that choice is made, the slight looking up is a given since I assume looking at the camera is required. With head tilted down and eyes looking slightly up, any stern look will come across as being threatening, to one degree or another. A smile might come across both as inappropriate and evil. Finally, there is the consideration of what will look good on a t-shirt or coffee mug, since you know there were plans to make a buck off of the merchandise.
I know it's staged, of course it is. It's designed to be psychologically unsettling to our minds, and it sure is. We see it and think "Something is wrong here." Is this man physically ill, mentally ill, angry, pouting, murderous, hung over, or what? It's hard to categorize because the image brings so many uncomfortable things to mind. Remember his 1984-styled giant face over the Lansing rally stage? So uncomfortable...Super creepy. He's just an awful-horrible-no-good-very-bad human.
I see the same thing in every photo and video of him.
A sadistic malignant narcissist.
It doesn't matter which mask he's using for any theatrical presentation.
Sadistic malignant narcissists are pure evil and there is no therapy or treatment that can change or even subdue them.
How did he ever occupy the oval office? That's not hard to explain at all. We know how. And those of us who do represent the vast majority of Americans. We will tell our children and grandchildren the truth. And they will understand.
I can’t help noticing what looks like bronzer accumulated above his eyebrows. He looks like he’s trying to convey toughness but at this point he just seems like a sad clown.
This guy was the who in school was the smart alec and the wise ass. With that stupid grin or smirk. He was always the one looking over your shoulder during a test to see what you wrote because he couldn’t be bothered to study himself. This is the guy who mentions to his teacher not to fail him because of who he is. This is the guy who always looked to cut corners, legal or not, to save himself money. This is the “tough guy “ who refused to pay small contractors for work they did on one of failed casinos. This is the face of the guy who cheated on every one of his three wives and bragged about it. This is face of a cheater. Plain and simple. And this is the face of a guy who will soon spend the rest of his life in jail and away from the rest of us.
And every time he got his ass in trouble, yelled for “daddy”, and “daddy” would run and save his ass, nail him out, buy him out, and then take him fir an ice cream cone!
Looks like the bully got sent to bed without his Big Mac and is pouting, plotting his "revenge" and telling himself, "They'll be sorry."
Reality check: yes, he DID surrender, his followers won't turn out in the streets for him anymore, some of them are running out of money to donate, and he'll try every slime ball trick in the book to slither out of consequences.
It is a GOOD day for America to have this nasty piece of work held to some sort of accountability. Let's see the judge back up his caution of "no threats to the community" by slapping him under house detention where he can only give his rally speeches on Zoom.
Let's see a televised trial where all of the evidence is laid out and backed up in court, unfiltered by Faux pundits, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Then let's see Number P01135809's prison mug shot. Let THAT one be the one that goes down in history.
He's looking down - because he looks down on everyone. He is the superior one. He looks threatening - "you must do what I say, or else!" Stubbornness as shown by his locked jaw. Raised eyebrow with a furrowed brow - "don't even think of contradicting me or disobeying me!"
And frankly, I am already soooooooooo tired of seeing this revolting image. I wonder - the furfure writers of history textbooks, what will they write? How will this be spinned?
Yes a bully, which he clearly is. Bullies everyone, even his allies. A Big Fat Bully. Everyone has dealt with bullies before from first days of school to sometimes the workplace. He must be dealt with like that.
Stand UP you him and say I'm not afraid of you and you are going to jail and don't cry because you lost.
As President Biden responded “so handsome, good looking guy” yes that’s it! Because American culture is so hung up on looks image beauty we can’t look beyond the “look” to analyze the characteristics of the personality so hung up on his looks that our critical thinking skills get numbed out and the mind goes into the oft easy cult like transfiguration where all rational though escapes. He is a masterful mindfucker and his sheep have no clue. God bless the rest of us who know the truth but have to endure his mug everywhere still. So sick of this ignoramus. Please just die already.
It was a comment on donnie gotti’s hangups regarding his appearance / image. I don’t believe the president should comment on his character and personality. Sarcasm, a rhetorical device designed to make a point in a way a particular narcissist understands and despises. But not sufficient to provide fodder to feed the beast with memes etc..
Personally I see no indications our critical thinking skills are getting ‘numbed out.’ My son who suffered a debilitating stroke managed to say quite clearly the photo shows the expression of a 6 yr old who has announced someone is mean and told them “you can’t be my friend.” It is exhausting to face the onslaught day after day and we do need a respite periodically. Maybe what you call “numbed out” is a version of that respite not loss of rational thought in some cult like state. And yet there is an unending chorus of voices continuing to comment on his character, his bad acts and so forth.
I have trouble following who is being chastised in your comment. Perhaps it is more a statement of what you fear.
To me, this photo represents everything that Trump is: sour and dour. Angry old white man whose privilege has been disrupted. Frankly, I did not realize just how ugly Trump is. He carries a soulless darkness and anger that telegraphs through his scowl. The destructive evil that resides within this man should be a cold and severe warning to the more-civilized among us. Some folks posit that he might actually win 2024. If so, America will have seen her full demise.
What does this mug shot say to me? It says, here, post this, talk about me. because as long as you are talking about me, no one is talking about Biden's accomplishments, no one is thinking about how can we ensure that the People (the popular vote) get what they want for our Country.
I don't like Bolton, but in this case, he is right—Trump looks like a thug.
I fervently hope that someone is looking at history books in 200 years and his thuggish mug shot is there. History is written by the winners. If history books in the future have his mugshot, then Democracy won this battle and maybe even the war.
If Trump is elected, which seems very possible, there will be no history books in the future. There will be no future no animals no habitable planet. These are the spoken stakes of this election.
How correct you are, Lauren. Elections, as we now know them to be free people electing the persons to fill government positions, will be over. There will be no FREE STATES. There will be no Democracy, no Constitution. Nothing except a Dictatorship, just like Russia, China, North Korea, with the likes of Putin, or Xie running this country. The inky problem is, our dictator will be named Trump!
I see a scowling Hitler projecting menace and determination to his followers and a rich brat messaging defiance to the principal as she call his mom for the third time in a week.
This is the face of a bully. A man so used to getting away with anything he wants to do, that he is angry that someone dares to hold him accountable. The face you would expect from a child throwing a tantrum but seen on an adult. The face you would NOT expect from a leader of a great nation.
Look what we are talking about now. It's just how he takes all the oxygen. But this is today. What about tomorrow? Trust me. Three days from now we will be talking about the newest screed or another wild accusation or even something one of his deranged followers has done. Like Maya Angelou's observation, when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
Does anybody remember because of his unconcerned and flippant attitude towards Covid hundreds of thousands of people died that would not have if he had only done the right thing. Wow! That doesn't even make the top 10 anymore.
Almost all of these comments, most more articulate than anything else I can add, say the things that I and millions of others think and feel. A great deal is made of his cultish hold on the 35 percent that will never leave him no matter what. Well that means the rest of us 65 percent need to do the right thing.
Vote like you mean it America! DO NOT LET THIS MAN RUIN OUR COUNTRY.
No soul, no integrity, no humanity, no intelligence, no compassion, no self-awareness, no restraint, no humility, no curiosity, no interest in anything or anyone other than his shallow, misogynistic, depraved need for immediate attention and gratification.
An actor striking a pose meant to portray determination and menace; trying to say pictorially, "If you come after me, I'm coming for you." There are three major spoilers. Perhaps the most obvious is the slightly forward head tilt in a failed effort to hide his sagging double chin. Second is the slight pursing of his mouth accompanied by the slight extension of his lips as he sucks in his cheeks to accentuate his cheekbones and give himself a lean and mean look. Finally, the furrowed eyebrows contrast with the cool, determined menace that he's trying to portray.
Obviously, he's working very hard to strike the pose he developed for this moment. It's all as fake as the rest of the persona he tries to portray.
I hate that he is referred to as ex-president even though it is true. Just another reminder of this nightmare and how wrong our country was in 2016 and continues to move into destruction today. I want it to be a bad dream, but it is not. The nightmare is real. I just keep plodding forward hoping & supporting Fani Willis and Jack Smith to save us with the Law they use so well. I know they are razor-focused on the Rule of Law and support of the Constitution. I hope and fervently believe they are the superheroes that can guide us to save our country’s Democracy.
Even if/when they are successful in battling against MAGA, the war is not over. The next battle is against the corporate oligarchy and its enablers in Congress and the ethically corrupt Supreme Court. So many battles in this War for Democracy.
My Boomer generation filled with too many old white racists is dying off. I have some hope that enough Millennials and Gen-X will fight anew. 🖖🤞
For anyone contributing here to this excellent discussion, I want to offer a 10% discount to become a paid subscriber and regularly join our comments section. https://america.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=916e0eb9
I just added an annual subscription. I appreciate your writing and viewpoints. Thanks!
Evil incarnate. A very dangerous monster.
I was going to say the mug pic looks like the devil reincarnate. It's obscene that he will profit off it.
I see a frightened cowardly empty human seeking with all his might to appear as frightening as his mini-imagination will conceive. Poor boy, he'll just never be taken seriously as a man.
My thoughts exactly!
Agree!!
He may be evil, but he's an evil genius. Many have commented on how studied the pose is, but my guess is that the pose came naturally to him. What's studied is the strategy to use his mugshot as an asset, a visual prop that would dominate the news and have people talking about him as a celebrity rather than a criminal.
And here we all are doing it. The Biden campaign needs to recognize that this is a media fight. It's not only about policies and achievements.
Democrats ought to flood media with this photo of President Biden (everyone is encouraged to copy the photo, forward it to your contacts and post it to social media):
https://jerryweiss.substack.com/p/joe-biden-knows-how-to-negotiate
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I absolutely agree, along with the image of him, and Dr. Biden, in Maui where he’s touring the ravished area, and takes a moment to pet a search dog.
A lot if the opposition look at that as not doing his job. I totally disagree. That going above and beyond. If I was that dogs handler, I’d be damn proud that the President of the United States took the time to pet, as well as talk to my search dog, and me.
Now, THAT is ABOVE AND BEYOND if you ask me. That’s a person that truly cares.
It’s empathy- to all. The contrast between Trump & Biden is that between a sociopath and a human.
Absolutely, our rescue animals are true heros.
Great idea! I, too, was shocked when, on the "morning after", I pulled up the CNN "front page" and ALL the entries were about TFG, with photos of various kinds...Yes, of course, it's news, but couldn't some of this have been "below the fold", as it were?? The MSM is failing, just as in 2015-16 to understand that they're being manipulated by the "evil genius" - think images of motorcades, etc. Get smart, people, before it's too late!
Again we are not calling out The Trump money Laundering operation! The Trump Cartel and the @GOP are one! A FACIST Criminal Grifter Operation that is treated like a Legitimate Political Party This is totally unacceptable!
Right and where's rest of news.
CNN is absolutely obsessed with Donald Trump. They often refer to TFG as media's 'red meat', and they are the primary political carnivors. I abandoned their news (?) coverage some time ago, but check in once in awhile, and find that Trump continues to dominate their discussions. CNN epitomises just what an ongoing case of obsessive-compulsive derangement syndrome can become.
The media purposely fails to broadcast the vast achievements of the Biden administration and President Joe Biden. Trump engenders more media attention with this mugshot of a Mad Man or, if you prefer Madman. Even the more liberal networks constantly focus on the past twice impeached and indicted past president who should be just that... in the past. I voted for Biden as he is a quintessentially an honorable man with solid experience in government, who has the best interests of our nation in mind. Keep in mind the quote that Trump was the most "incandescently stupid and evil man" .. coined by one of his own appointees.
I completely agree. The news media elevated his appearances in the 2016 election. Democrats need to consistently push President Biden in every way possible!
You are so right. He is using the press just as he always has. Every one of us should flood social media with the best pictures we can find of Joe Biden to show America and the world, what a true leader's face should look like.
Good observation on media aspect for Biden. Dems need some serious consulting on communication.
Thanks for the picture that expresses such noble qualities and character. I copied it and will use it often with my own group.
he's an evil genius ,.. no he is not ... trump is a huge moron.. and trouble evil narcissistic soul,..
Great picture! When was it taken?
Sharon, when I was looking for a photo of President Biden for my post last May, he had just out-witted and out-negotiated Kevin McCarthy on the debt ceiling issue. I wanted a picture that implied his experience and confidence, but most importantly conveys the sense of being a winner. This one has it all. Here's the credit:
"Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) --AP FILE
.
.
You beat me to it...
I agree!!
He wants us to fear him, to be intimidated by his fierce gaze. Wrong. I am only angered that this hateful petulant petty vengeful man-child has any relevance at all. That millions adore the creature says more about the state of our society than him. He's a common dangerous fascist thug that 1/3 of the nation finds appealing revealing their true nature. It's time for an American Renaissance and turning away from superstitious ignorant hate back toward the love of one another, nature, the sciences and art. One look of the wondrous James Webb telescope images or faded yellow Jaque Cousteau videos reveals the beauty and real mysteries of which we should be in wondrous awe. Let's put this chapter of manufactured hate well behind us, fast. Our American experiment shouldn't end in hate of one another. But instead prosper in the fascination of our differences.
So eloquently spoken Marcia. You’ve stated my feelings as well. ❤️
I agree Marcia; societal malaise pervades too many people in America. Trump flaunted his ability to criticise and degrade others, and suffered no consequences. Most GOP were unwilling or afraid to call him out, and thus a virtual license to be rude and unethical, was established, and individuals followed along. Hate is manifested by violence, and the USA leads the World with the highest number of mass shootings; an unenviable record. That hate is so prolific is aided by the lack of safe gun controls. The United States is anything but. Here are the statistics from just this past 10 DAYS:
Incident ID Incident Date/sort ascending State City Or County Address Victims Killed Victims Injured Suspects Killed Suspects Injured Suspects Arrested Operations
2692290 August 27, 2023 Ohio Mansfield137 Blymyer Ave 1 3 0 0 0
2691802 August 27, 2023 Kentucky Louisville 301 Market St 2 4 0 0 0
2692120 August 27, 2023 Michigan Detroit
Cloverdale St and Grand River Ave 1 3 0 0 0
2691769 August 27, 2023 Ohio Cleveland, 1
1500 block of St Mark Ave 0 4 0 0 0
2692026 August 26, 2023 Mississippi Riple Peacock Holler 0 4 0 0 1
2691275 August 26, 2023 Utah, Orem 360 S State St 0 5 0 0 1
2690924 August 26, 2023 Massachusett, Boston 10 Talbot Ave 0 7 0 1 1
2690914 August 25, 2023 Florida,Tallahassee 1303 Ocala Rd 0 4 0 0 0
2690809 August 25, 2023 California, Pasaden,
151 E Orange Grove Blvd 0 5 0 0 0
2690239 August 24, 2023 Ohio Hartville 13305 Carnation Ave NW4 0 1 0 0
2688888 August 23, 2023 Ohio Warren (Howland)
Highlawn Ave SE 0 4 0 1 1
2688942 August 23, 2023 California,
Trabuco 19152 Santiago Canyon Rd 3 5 1 0 0
2688256 August 22, 2023 Illinois, Chicago1521 S Trumbull Ave 1 3 0 0 0
2686943 August 21, 2023 Pennsylvania, Upper Darby 635 Long Lane 1 3 0 0 0
2687693 August 21, 2023 New York Valley Stream 89 Ocean Ave 1 3 0 0 0
2685998 August 20, 2023 Washington Seattle 2205 Rainier Ave S 3 6 0 0 0
2687319 August 20, 2023 Texas, Denison 1100 block W Owings St 1 3 0 0 3
2686221 August 20, 2023 Minnesota Minneapolis 814 E Franklin Ave 0 8 0 0
2686454 August 20, 2023 Wisconsin Milwaukee
S 12th St and W Mitchell St 0 4 0 0 1
2686543 August 20, 2023 Georgia, Louisville
1000 block of Handy St 0 5 0 0 0
2686047 August 19, 2023 Wisconsin Milwaukee
S 14th St and W Burnham St 0 9 0 0 1
2685332 August 19, 2023 Georgia Macon 834 Woodard Ave 1 3 0 0 0
2685196 August 19, 2023 Pennsylvania Philadelphia
500 block of N Creighton St 1 8 0 0 0
2686338 August 19, 2023 Delaware Wilmington,
300 block Chapel St 0 4 0 0 0
2684327 August 18, 2023 Virginia, Norfolk
1510 E Brambleton Ave 0 4 0 0 0
Absolutely tragic. We must always Vote Blue and retake our country. The only way to get gun control in place including assault-style weapons ban is to Expand the Court. 13 Circuits require 13 Justices. Do it to rebalance the court. Then reverse all their bs decisions re Citizens United, Roe vs Wade and gutting g the Voting Rights Act. We also need to enact much needed SCOTUS ethics and eliminate the Electoral College.
Well said Marcia. I think you have express what the majority of civil Americans believe.
Yes, I’ve read that his former staff recognized that look as one he often used in the WH. They called it “the stare.” I have no idea if that is accurate but it makes sense. He seldom employs new tricks, just variations on old ones.
Correct. Every speech & interview is a rehash of his limited vocabulary word salad phrased such that he rarely confirms or denies anything. It's the wiggle room every mob boss uses to claim he didn't really order any wrongdoing, violence or extortion leaving him open to blame his underlings, sycophants, cultists and political opponents. His latest interviews over damaged security footage of withholding secret documents he illegally took to Mar-a-Lago was classic Trump. He claims he didn't have to turn the video over. And if he did, he would have....blah, blah, blah. Nothing about trying to have them destroyed by one of his lackeys flooding the server room after his IT guy refused to delete them. He's a very dangerous twice impeached, 91 count indicted authoritarian manipulative sociopathic thug hell bent on revenge. Poor Hunter Biden has been in his sights for 5 years as Trump's massive ego is exploding that he has no dirt on President Biden. But facts don't matter. He still found a way to weaponize the Biden DOJ to indict Hunter on gun charges rarely brought absent violent crimes and forced McCarthy to open an impeachment inquiry as red meat for his base & to assuage his thin skinned ego. Ugh...
I saw clips from 2 interviews. Interesting that when challenged on having to obey a subpoena & appeal later, Donnie gotti said “I know that.” Then quickly reversed course: “I don’t know that … I don’t know that.”
I believe the Hunter Biden fiasco is to paint Joe Biden as “another bad choice.” A form of voter suppression. Neutralize the behavior of donnie. They have no shame and would be quite pleased if Hunter relapsed, or worse. I do not believe they are interested in evidence. It’s a 2fer: make donnie gotti happy & “See, he was impeached too.” The GOP doesn’t have votes for an inquiry, let alone impeachment. Recently McCarthy said IF & When there was evidence they would vote on an inquiry. He panicked & directed one begin on “allegations”.
Comer likes dirty tricks. He was set to win a GOP primary for governor. Pols in Ky say this is his “comeback” path. GOP gerrymandered his district. It now stretches from the W tip of Ky to the capital because he bought a home in the capital, Frankfort.🙃 His dirty tricks cost him in 2015 so more is better?
March 2023 NYT interview. Comer admitted a lot.
1st -- “You know, the customer’s always right,” Mr. Comer said wryly, of his approach to the people who elected him and now brandish conspiracy theories, vulgar photographs featuring the president and his son, Hunter, and other lies they expect him to act upon.
“I say, ‘Let me see it,’ because I want to see where the source is,” Mr. Comer said. “They don’t know that it’s QAnon, but it’s QAnon stuff.”
2nd -- It mentions that on Fox … Mr. Comer lamented that Beau Biden, the president’s other son, who died of cancer in 2015, was never investigated.
3rd —… During the 2015 Republican primary for governor — Mr. Comer’s dream job from a young age — a local blogger began publishing allegations that Mr. Comer had abused a college girlfriend, prompting Mr. Comer to … His campaign turned over documents to a local prosecutor to help in an investigation of the blogger. (The prosecutor dropped the investigation after the election.)… The rumor whispered around Kentucky political circles at the time was that Mr. Comer had swiped the emails from the computer server for the law firm and leaked them … In an interview with The Times, Mr. Comer confirmed, for the first time, that he had been behind the leak and strongly hinted he had gotten them from the server.
“I’ve had two servers in my lifetime,” Mr. Comer said when asked about the emails. “Hunter Biden’s is one, and you can — I’m not going to say who the other one was, but you can use your imagination.”
Comer & his Lt gov candidate used the existence of a secret grand jury on the campaign trail. Comer & the targeted candidate lost. (The N KY prosecutor was also a donor to the Comer campaign.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/us/politics/james-comer-republican-oversight-biden.html
Agree
To me he looks like a thug, the mean boy, someone who never learned how to behave in society. And because of his family and the way he was raised and treated, he never had to learn. I'm sad that so many Americans identify with this personality trait. But I believe more of us see him, and have always seen him, for what he is, as someone else commented, a petulant child.
One of my siblings is the same kind of narcissist, so I pegged Trump for who he was very early on. And of course no one will be surprised that my mother, who let the narcissist sibling run roughshod over the rest of us, and constantly gaslight everyone out of holding them responsible for anything they've ever said or done... also LOVES Trump just the same.
It's infuriating. But I guess some people are just exactly the right type of person to fall for the narcissistic charm. Personally, it immediately raises my hackles and puts me into an active state of identifying and defying their efforts at manipulation.
It really is amazing that so many ordinary everyday folk seriously say and believe that they “love” and “admire” him despite the mountains of lies, corruption and racism. Clearly, they do not represent a majority of voters nationwide, but they do represent a big majority in “red” states and a solid 40% in borderline “purple” states.
We on our side really need to examine that and try to understand how our own baseline political and cultural narrative can be communicated in a way that will appeal at least to 25% of those same people? That really can’t happen until he is convicted and the endless appeals are concluded with affirmations, which will help begrudgingly with a portion of the women who admire him currently. (MAGA men are unfortunately impossible). But we must attempt to heal the stark divide which separates us currently. Tough as it will be for democrats and the quarter of Republicans who deservedly hate him
Really, the MAGA women are no different from the MAGA men. I am surrounded by family, friends and co-workers who give him a pass on his horrific actions, that would appall them if someone else (like a Democrat) did those very same things. Think of the nastiness towards Hilary Clinton. So shallow. A person close to me viciously criticized her for wearing a pants suit. But conspiring to change the vote counts, causing a riot against the capitol, putting elected officials lives in jeopardy and taking down our government among 100s of other crimes, yeh, he gets a pass.
:) :) :) he's laughing all the way to the bank
It’s important for our country and our common society to achieve a working majority!
One faction is riding the trump train because they want money, power and legitimacy. Continuing to defeat him whittles away at them. It doesn’t change them.
Some followers whose lives in other ways stabilize and improve become tired. Anger and hate can be hard to maintain and people become weary.
Many of the others remain in a state of high anxiety. Logic & reason do not reach them. The ‘movement’ became their identity; their religion. It is the purpose of “enrage to engage” perpetrated through the firehose of false anger & fear inducing information. Well intended or helpful acts are viewed with suspicion. It is like speaking to someone in the midst of a psychotic episode. They do not want to lose their DJT lifeline. They listen to no one else. The malevolent maestro plays them like an abusive partner.
We need a way to break the connection. How do you separate someone from their adopted identity? Convince them to leave their religion? Part with what gives them pleasure, pain & hope?
Answer, perhaps, is repetitive criminal convictions which of course will be viewed, explained and re-explained, endlessly will result in 25% of “business Republicans” saying bye-bye and 50% of nominal Rs as well as “undecided” leaving hard core MAGA, evangelicals, and a few others on his side forever! However, one acquittal would change everything! Is that a reasonable scenario?
It’s hard to find anything reasonable in what we face, but yes. Businesses are not going to love a universal 10% tariff. They will not be deluded by the promise that it is a small amount; a tax on foreign imports and will fill the coffers, pay US debts & then corporate tax cuts will follow.
I think it also matters when in the chain of events and acquittal might occur - on a few counts or all.
Sadly, he is not a child. He grew up into an evil man whose actions divided our nation and ended up in an attempted coup. Children cannot do the harm he has perpetrated.
Honestly? He looks like a pouting child who'd been told he can't have dessert unless he eats his vegetables.
This is the face of a man who is unaccustomed to being held accountable for anything, and who is on the verge of a stochastic terrorist temper tantrum.
Sharon, that is exactly what I see.
Every time I see it, I hear my mum and grandma’s voices:
“If the wind changes, you’ll be stuck like that!”
My two year old granddaughter has a much fiercer face when she’s not getting her way
But my favorite is the fact that she wrote “never surrender”, while he was surrendering
And for the record if he weighs 215 pounds, I weigh 110 pounds and we are a size 6!
When I saw that weight, I choked on my oxygen! I said to myself, “there’s no way in hell they weighed him! If they did, their scales need fixing!”
If he tips the scales at 215, I need his scales. My scales don’t lie, and I now tip them at 506 (down from 778 two years ago, and 579 six months ago). I’m 6’6” tall, 72 yoa. So Frumpy needs to get in my scales!
He’s closer to 355, if he’s an ounce!
Daniel, Thank you for your service in law enforcement and as a fire-fighter. Also, congratulations on your significant weight loss. Impressive. Either there was a typo on DJT's weight (they meant to type 315, but got it wrong) or DJT told a LIE...on and on!
I expect he LIED! That’s his forte!
Maybe he broke the scale when they tried weighed him. If they didn’t weigh him it’s just one more in the millions of his lies.
He was able to state his wt and not weighed from what I heard. There is no way he is 215😵💫
or even 6' 3". I don't think he's quite 6', but has been claiming it to try and patch up his insecurity.
Yes, yes, yes. Never surrender - a message to others while HE surrenders - totally “on brand” as a fundraising tool.
It's a showman's mug shot, clearly practiced and posed in order to draw attention, not to the mug shot circumstances, but to the subject himself. It's all about him--again. It's all he knows to do, even when his freedom hangs in the balance.
Trump sees it as yet another publicity shot and those of us who know it are trying hard not to let it bother us. We know his tactics and how they almost always work in his favor. He's a master at using any publicity as promotion and he's still the top Gop contender for the presidential run.
But it's still a mug shot. It'll go down in history as a mug shot. It may well turn out to be the most viewed photo of the man who should never have been president. It may well wake up a country seduced by celebrity and enticed by wanton wickedness.
This one photo won't put an end to the public's seeming need for all things Trump, but it'll always be out there. Forever. And it'll only get uglier.
It amuses me that so many of the remarks on this mugshot that I've read have all begun with that image of him mugging in front of the mirror. Every rational person recognizes this "evil genius'" ability to use the media!
Interesting how many rational people are onto Trump, yet his appeal is still so strong among millions of Americans. I try not to think about that. It's terrifying.
It’s the same narcissist who called into NYC radio stations under an alias to talk about Donald Trump.
what I think doesn't matter so much. It was surely a practiced pose for many reasons. To look fierce (false bravado), to look angry ( he has basically admitted to the charges claiming he was allowed to do what he did across all 91 charges), to hide his neck folds and chins (he complained about a photo of him being used that showed him with his chin tucked in enhancing his chins and folds). None of this matters to me. And although we have had fun with his self reported weight and height, he lied at his booking!!! Why isn't more made of that? Such a beginning of his booking process through the GA justice system; to lie about something so very unimportant. To begin with a lie in an indictment based on...wait for it....LIES. We have normalized his very abnormal existence. We and the media have normalized his entourages, his pampered arraignments, his grifting, his hatred. Well it is just trump being trump we hear them all say. NO, he is not normal, he is an aberration and the history books will show this and little kids will put that face on their boogeymen. They will see a display with the maga hat and say, Mommy I found that hat in grandpa's attic. They will be shushed and told that we don't talk about that time. This is a sick criminal, a grifter, a con man, a rapist, a racist, a lazy ne'er do well. He is certainly not worth our time but that he is being lifted by Russia, by anti democracy Rs, by mobs, by other criminals. His time should be done, but it keeps getting dragged out by his delays and the breathless coverage of every utterance he makes in his garbled word salads. We spend inordinate amounts of time trying to make him more complicated than he really is. Unfortunately he will be more than a footnote in our history books because he was given such an exulted pulpit to spin his lies.
You mention height & weight. Don't they have scales at that jail? Why were his aides allowed to fill out the form instead of him being processed like any other prisoner? And why was his booking only 20 minutes? I read others who are indicted sit in a cell while the process is completed. So, the sheriff at least did a mugshot, but I think he was still treated differently. Ugh. Being booked is humiliating for most people. He should have had the complete usual treatment.
from what I understand his lawyers negotiated a quick booking. It is definitely a privilege most prisoners, alleged criminals never get. Of course as an ex president he is afforded exceptional safety status, still it all looks so bad.
Kay, please excuse my French here, but, bulls💩!
He’s a criminal! He’s being booked on a pile of charges from an indictment. He puts his pants on, I’m assuming, one keg at a time, just like any other human on this planet does.
I can assure you, after over 26 years in law enforcement, and criminal justice system, that he was definitely treated a hell of a lot different than any of us would have been. Every one of the 19 booked were treated differently than any of us would have been.
That hooking process should have taken hours to complete. He’s in and out in 20 minutes! His damn suit wasn’t even wrinkled!
Just so folks know, not only are you booked on each charge against you, you are taken into a room, strip searched, put on a set of scales so your height, and CORRECT weight are taken and recorded, then you are stood in front of a “height board” and your mug shit taken. You are required to look straight ahead, at the camera, standing straight. You are NOT allowed to pose in any way.
All of these people were treated with “kid gloves”. Preferential treatment. It’s sickening! They are all criminals! Start treating them like that!
I don’t really care as much about the ‘privileges’ donnie gotti wrangled in his surrender as the fact that the booking drove home there is legal danger there he has not faced elsewhere. You are probably old enough to remember when Ruby killed Oswald. School was out for the ‘holiday break’ and I was watching live as it happened. I ran into the kitchen and told my parents “someone shot Jack Ruby!!”. The response was eye rolls and “no dear” blah blah blah. But it was true and it launched a spew of conspiracy theories and distrust that continue to today. Jack Ruby did not have a cult following.
I figure the terms were weighed (pun?) against risks including how GA treats other ‘white collar criminals’ and the knowledge that Fani Willis is under assault by the state legislators and in Congress. They are responding to his calls for help.
The best he could make of the booking is (you) never surrender using a photo of him surrendering. It reminds me that the Proud Boys and some Oath Keepers felt hung out to dry after Jan 6. They relied on him to come to the rescue on that day & for their defen$e. It never happened. A neo-nazi based in IN came to Ky and acted on his call during on of his early rallies to commit violence & he would pay the attorneys. Of course he did not pay. The guy’s little neo movement and recruitment efforts shriveled and died.
Now 3 of the fake electors (1 being the GA ringleader) are trying to get their cases into federal court ... Their filings state they acted at the direction of DJT (as president) and therefore deserve immunity for their “official acts.” This complicates his case & is very frightening to donnie gotti.
Ann, I remember the shooting of Oswald in the jail very well. I was sitting in the bed, with my mom, watching it. And when Jack Ruby shot him, she screamed, I applauded.
As for Strawberry 🍓 head, the 🤡 of this century, he’s pulling out all the stops. He knows he’s screwed. He’s even cut off providing money from his PAC to pay for everyone’s defense. Now, everyone’s having to come up with a bundle of money to get their own lawyers. This is why, with hood attorneys, and not placements by Frumpy, they are all being advised to hang his ass on a tree limb. Tell the truth. Try to “fall on the mercy of the court” so to speak. What they all soon will learn, they were ‘sheep’. They did as they were told, even if it was against the law. They broke the law. And, “ignorance of the law” is not an excuse. Sorry, folks, but you all are guilty as sin.
As they have said for decades, if not centuries, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time!”
Jim Jordan is an idiot. He’s so absorbed in trying to get Frumoy free if all this, it actually hurts to see him acting so stupid. To think we have Representatives in our Congress that have no sense whatsoever. They are so engrossed with Frumpy that they can’t see their noses right on their own faces.
I’ll be so glad when 2024 rolls around so we can start ruffing ourselves of all this trash, starting with Frumpy!
I would think it was the responsibility of the head of the electors and GA GOP to know their legal responsibilities. Other officials in their state (and other states) did not cave when he called.
He got Habba to refile the defamation case against HRC and others ... after the initial one being tossed & being excoriated by the judge who sanctioned them ‘jointly’ for nearly $1M - frivolous case with not evidence against a long list of defendants who he noted had their lives disrupted unnecessarily.
New filing states immediately there will be (probably has happened) a separate filing to have the judge removed from hearing the 2nd case for bias. She is connected to his PAC and paid through it. Last year a measly $2M. If she doesn’t wise up, could wind up underwater and need a raise.
Looks like an attempt to bring an old grievance into the picture to distract maga from his growing legal quagmire. (He is supposed to appear at a $100 a pop fundraising for Rudy. We’re paying for his security etc. so cheaper than spending from his PAC. That will be an interesting measure of how many who wanted to stay away from Rudy will hold their nose and pay $$ as donnie pretends it keeps him afloat.)
You remind us that the Proud Boys and some Oath Keepers felt hung out to dry after Jan 6, yet they still seem loyal to him. Why? Why have not turned on someone who was not loyal to them?
During Jan 6 trials these bozos blamed donnie gotti for not defending them - specifically Rhodes complained in the media that he & others were not given pardons “on his way out”; no fundraising or $$. Both groups had ‘members’ who cooperated &/or testified for the prosecution.
None of these groups will call for loyalty to those who they see betray them. Their leadership was convicted. Oath Keepers had no one in the wings to take over. It has basically disappeared. The types of groups have a history of not getting along internally or with one another; restructuring, declining and re-appearing. Donnie was the catalyst for them setting aside big egos, rivalry & competition for power.
Proud Boys began to fractured after Charlottesville more so after Jan 6 convictions. They ran low on $$$, turned to the local level politics issues aligned with their hate. As candidates they failed. Reports indicate they are fractured but “growing”. They also have no central leader to muster loyalty. They focus on cultivating hate in local communities.
Personally I believe PBs were ‘growing’ in 2021 because per SPLC reports, there are fewer hate groups. In 2021 they mocked donnie gotti as “weak” a “failure”. He in turn did not know who they were: “ I can only say they have to stand down and let law enforcement do their work."In 2023 Tarrio and others said they were used as scapegoats. Across the board all these groups have paranoia about the feds “setting them up”.
Not that they have vanished like the Oath Keepers (in a few states PBs were installed in the GOP apparatus) but their loyalty is fragmented with themselves in the center.
Perhaps EVERY American citizen should be afforded a higher respect during any booking and arraignment process. Perhaps ALL should be held and treated as innocent to the higher standard set by those at the highest heights no matter who they are. Only then will we truly be keeping to NOBODY is above the law. Obviously, various factors must weigh in on holding or releasing after the arraignment process, but my point is setting the bar high in applying it properly for everyone equally. But wait... what is equal and fair for everyone? I guess that’s where GOOD judgment plays in..
I'm sure the Secret Service's duties require them to get him in and out as quickly as possible. I DO think he should have had height/weight measurements on site. We haven't been given this info on any of the others so maybe the truth would not have been released.
I love that you used the phrase, “ne’er do well”! I use that all the time and a younger friend of mine just the other night commented how much she loved that I say that. I know that’s not your point but I thought the coincidence was worth noting. He is a toddler and ne’er do well. It’s sickening the time and spotlighting we have devoted to this abnormal and sick baby man. I also find it interesting that mostly women, from what I can tell, (and I would guess mothers) have perceived this mugshot face as a petulant child rather than someone to fear. We have seen this before. Go sit in a corner for a time out!
I am old. It was surely part of my parents lexicon!
I am old too. And my parents would be just over 100 if they were still alive. I don’t want these treasured words and phrases to die.
Very powerfully and accurately stated, Kay; thank you! But for all it and he represents, he will be convicted as a criminal and those convictions will be affirmed on appeal after several years of litigation. Violence probably will occur! Meanwhile, we must begin a PR process to repair our common society until he is a footnote--not a headline!
violence has already occurred as in the "lone wolves" who threaten . The guy in Utah is one. I live there and used to live in that neighborhood. Without trump none of this would have happened, no J6, no 91 charges and co defendants, no violence in his name. No cult of trump. Sad we have had to endure him. he could have been a second class grifter for the rest of his life but he decided to run for president.
Agree entirely but we must start the process now of focusing on the future! Going to be a very tough 3 or 4 years until November 2026 when GenZ together with Millennials will constitute a majority of voters for the first time. November 28 will seal the deal and the future of American Democracy
I completely agree with everything you stated.
It repulses me.
This is the face of someone who doesn't want to go to bed when it's time to go to bed. It's also the representation he thinks conveys "tough man". The trouble is, actual tough men don't need to put it on. As with everything with him, it's an act designed to manipulate.
I've said for years that T. is a poor man's idea of a rich man, a weak man's idea of a tough man, and a foolish man's idea of a smart man.
Well said.
Summed it up in three phrases. Others are spending paragraphs to say the same thing. Good work!
Indeed. Perfectly said.
Tfg’s ability to manipulate others is
extraordinary. Look at how he manipulated his Secret Service detail--people who are presumably trained to withstand manipulations don’t even realize they’re being manipulated.
I wonder how much makeup he has on? It’s for certain they didn’t make him clean his face!
He’s a petulant child.
But 76 y/o petulant children w/ power and w/out adult supervision (Trump has none since leaving the WH) can be very dangerous.
He was dangerous IN the White House! He’s more dangerous now because he’s getting more and more desperate as the days, indictments, criminal charges (cases), pile upon him.
You want to see dangerous man? Let this criminal get back in the White House. You’ll see dangerous. He’s a dictator. He wants to be the dictator of this nation. IF he’s re-elected, it will be our final election we will ever have for a President of the United States. It will be the final election we ever have for ANY public office, State or Federal. He will put HIS people in offices to run the states, the federal government offices, and all will answer only to him. This is what he’s already stated. This is what he intends to do. Become our Dictator!
As a photographer, I notice 3 things: the lighting on his face is much better than the others. There is no shadow on the wall behind him. And the sheriffs department symbol is much smaller.
I think he was allowed to submit his own photo.
That would be my guess.
Interesting. What does that mean to you?
And why are all the defendants not looking straight into the camera? I would asked for a second shot. In black & white!
Wizard of Oz metaphors are apt. The wicked witch of the west promising vengeance (“I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too”) for any of his 18 monkeys who dare to provide evidence against him, unable to even fathom that he is as vulnerable to prosecution as the witch is to a young woman with a bucket of water. The incompetent con man who exploits the vulnerable and poses as a powerful wizard to mask his insecurities. A scarecrow, tin man and lion, all in one, who truly lacks a brain (his seems reptilian at best), a heart and courage.
Excellent analog Ellen. Touché!
Funny you should that point out the 18 and their predicament.
3 filed to get their cases moved to federal court. They were not federal employees. Therefore they invoked the argument that as (fake) electors they fulfilled an official federal duty. Dubious enough argument that they also argue that they were acting on directions from the seated president at the time. Yup. Donnie told me to do it is now in official court filings. Seem to be arguing if the president/his lawyers tell you to do it you get immunity. This is not the 8 fake electors who were believed to have been cooperating (in May reports). One was the head of the GA GOP and has been described as the GA “ringleader.” The judge previously agreed his case was different than the others and he was required to get separate counsel.
GA news outlet has a link to one of the filings:
https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/national_news/3-georgia-fake-electors-claim-trump-lawyers-ordered-them-to-sign-bogus-paperwork/article_c6c2f2a9-7067-58b0-972c-52431fed9468.html
That shot looked so familiar; I knew I'd seen it before! Check out this link:https://www.google.com/search?q=1984+big+brother&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS735US735&oq=1984&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgJEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyBwgAEAAYjwIyDQgBEC4YgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgCEC4YgwEYsQMYgAQyCggDEAAYsQMYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyDQgFEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgGEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgHEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyDQgJEAAYgwEYsQMYgATSAQkxMTgxNWowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I think he looks even more like "Alex" in a clockwork orange. :P
https://mubi.com/en/us/films/a-clockwork-orange
Thank you for your devotion to Democracy.
To me, the photo itself underscores his immense hatred and lust for revenge;…and I believe his determination to succeed at ANY cost to others, no matter how much destruction he causes, or whom he hurts.
He practiced to look this way on purpose, to try to instill fear and threats.
It truly befuddles me that he seems to have so much support from Republicans. His cult causes me to wonder what force is propelling them to follow him like lemmings rushing to to the sea. I am in pain over the undermining of so many of our institutions he has started. In pain over his normalization of racism and bigotry, and violence. In pain over his constant use of overt dishonesty to manipulate people who, for whatever reason are believing him. They will be harmed the most if he succeeds on bringing down Democracy.
And, now, despicably he sells his mug shot for money: selling crime; labeling Law and Order and Justice as jokes. He’s a parasite and a nightmare!
But, I do still have hope
WE MUST STOP HIM
In response to Steven Beschloss's riveting piece, "What Does This Mugshot Say to You?":
Witnessing a mugshot of a former president is not just unsettling—it's a heart-wrenching deviation from the sacred tenets of our nation's history. Trump's defiant expression, as portrayed, was unmistakably a conscious decision, a clarion call to both his allies and adversaries. For many of us, this mugshot stands as an unyielding testament to his relentless infractions and his audacious flouting of the rule of law.
Mr Beschloss's article compels us to confront the haunting specter of Trump's tenure and the indelible scars he's left behind. It's utterly confounding how a figure entangled in 91 felony charges and burdened by four indictments could ascend to the nation's zenith of power. The annals of history will question our collective complicity in his meteoric rise and ponder the societal fissures that allowed such a seismic upheaval.
This mugshot reveals a man unyielding in his theatrics, defiant even in the face of ignominy. It's yet another maneuver in his grand orchestration, aiming to shape his legacy. That some may perceive this portrayal as valorous underscores the profound chasms fracturing our nation.
While I wholeheartedly resonate with Mr. Beschloss’s plea for respectful discourse, experience has left me wary. The bitter animosity of the past years has shown that finding a middle ground is more elusive than ever. It's disheartening to witness the GOP's unified front, with few daring to deviate.
As Democrats, the clarion call is clear: we must rally, voice our convictions, and transition from mere rhetoric to a cohesive, actionable blueprint for healing our beleaguered nation. The time for change is now.
Staged arrogance.
The angle of the head seems carefully chosen to reduce the color washout impact of bright downlighting on his face while also using the downlighting to enhance his hair (color and volume). Once that choice is made, the slight looking up is a given since I assume looking at the camera is required. With head tilted down and eyes looking slightly up, any stern look will come across as being threatening, to one degree or another. A smile might come across both as inappropriate and evil. Finally, there is the consideration of what will look good on a t-shirt or coffee mug, since you know there were plans to make a buck off of the merchandise.
I know it's staged, of course it is. It's designed to be psychologically unsettling to our minds, and it sure is. We see it and think "Something is wrong here." Is this man physically ill, mentally ill, angry, pouting, murderous, hung over, or what? It's hard to categorize because the image brings so many uncomfortable things to mind. Remember his 1984-styled giant face over the Lansing rally stage? So uncomfortable...Super creepy. He's just an awful-horrible-no-good-very-bad human.
You have this… 100%.
Well stated.
Have you seen the Stanley Kubrick link? The STARE?
Yes, someone else also likened the glare to Kubrick: https://www.thewrap.com/trumps-glare-likened-to-iconic-stanley-kubrick-villains-at-the-peak-of-their-derangement/
I see the same thing in every photo and video of him.
A sadistic malignant narcissist.
It doesn't matter which mask he's using for any theatrical presentation.
Sadistic malignant narcissists are pure evil and there is no therapy or treatment that can change or even subdue them.
How did he ever occupy the oval office? That's not hard to explain at all. We know how. And those of us who do represent the vast majority of Americans. We will tell our children and grandchildren the truth. And they will understand.
I can’t help noticing what looks like bronzer accumulated above his eyebrows. He looks like he’s trying to convey toughness but at this point he just seems like a sad clown.
He looks constipated
This guy was the who in school was the smart alec and the wise ass. With that stupid grin or smirk. He was always the one looking over your shoulder during a test to see what you wrote because he couldn’t be bothered to study himself. This is the guy who mentions to his teacher not to fail him because of who he is. This is the guy who always looked to cut corners, legal or not, to save himself money. This is the “tough guy “ who refused to pay small contractors for work they did on one of failed casinos. This is the face of the guy who cheated on every one of his three wives and bragged about it. This is face of a cheater. Plain and simple. And this is the face of a guy who will soon spend the rest of his life in jail and away from the rest of us.
And every time he got his ass in trouble, yelled for “daddy”, and “daddy” would run and save his ass, nail him out, buy him out, and then take him fir an ice cream cone!
It’s still a con job. He’s expressing fearless resolve. It’s all BS as are all things Trump.
The mug shot brings the following words to mind: arrogance, defiance, self-righteous, poser, self-important, privileged.
Looks like the bully got sent to bed without his Big Mac and is pouting, plotting his "revenge" and telling himself, "They'll be sorry."
Reality check: yes, he DID surrender, his followers won't turn out in the streets for him anymore, some of them are running out of money to donate, and he'll try every slime ball trick in the book to slither out of consequences.
It is a GOOD day for America to have this nasty piece of work held to some sort of accountability. Let's see the judge back up his caution of "no threats to the community" by slapping him under house detention where he can only give his rally speeches on Zoom.
Let's see a televised trial where all of the evidence is laid out and backed up in court, unfiltered by Faux pundits, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Then let's see Number P01135809's prison mug shot. Let THAT one be the one that goes down in history.
He looks like an insane monster.
This photo depicts an angry vindictive, would be dictator.
DT along with his cult , and those leaders who are in support of him, are all responsible for the rabid assaults on our democracy.
Just look at this photo, does this image depict a man who deserves to be POTUS ever again in our ravaged country ?
We pray for justice, DT needs prison for the rest of his life, for all his sins against humanity.
I’m disgusted. He just looks pathetic, ridiculous, and then some idiot on Fox News praises him for looking “hard”.
Janet, you are talking about FOX-TRUMP News!
https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1695180978765926445
Leave it to FOX NEWS!!!
He's looking down - because he looks down on everyone. He is the superior one. He looks threatening - "you must do what I say, or else!" Stubbornness as shown by his locked jaw. Raised eyebrow with a furrowed brow - "don't even think of contradicting me or disobeying me!"
And frankly, I am already soooooooooo tired of seeing this revolting image. I wonder - the furfure writers of history textbooks, what will they write? How will this be spinned?
Yes a bully, which he clearly is. Bullies everyone, even his allies. A Big Fat Bully. Everyone has dealt with bullies before from first days of school to sometimes the workplace. He must be dealt with like that.
Stand UP you him and say I'm not afraid of you and you are going to jail and don't cry because you lost.
A Clockwork Orange
He looks like a sociopath. And since he appears to be one, that fits.
Narcissistic sociopath
Derangement.
https://m.facebook.com/Slate/videos/the-kubrick-stare/10153596882076438/
Here's Donnie!
Cold, predator vulture eye: scary, sad.
As President Biden responded “so handsome, good looking guy” yes that’s it! Because American culture is so hung up on looks image beauty we can’t look beyond the “look” to analyze the characteristics of the personality so hung up on his looks that our critical thinking skills get numbed out and the mind goes into the oft easy cult like transfiguration where all rational though escapes. He is a masterful mindfucker and his sheep have no clue. God bless the rest of us who know the truth but have to endure his mug everywhere still. So sick of this ignoramus. Please just die already.
President Biden was being satirical!
Thanks Sharon I know but I wasn’t.
It was a comment on donnie gotti’s hangups regarding his appearance / image. I don’t believe the president should comment on his character and personality. Sarcasm, a rhetorical device designed to make a point in a way a particular narcissist understands and despises. But not sufficient to provide fodder to feed the beast with memes etc..
Personally I see no indications our critical thinking skills are getting ‘numbed out.’ My son who suffered a debilitating stroke managed to say quite clearly the photo shows the expression of a 6 yr old who has announced someone is mean and told them “you can’t be my friend.” It is exhausting to face the onslaught day after day and we do need a respite periodically. Maybe what you call “numbed out” is a version of that respite not loss of rational thought in some cult like state. And yet there is an unending chorus of voices continuing to comment on his character, his bad acts and so forth.
I have trouble following who is being chastised in your comment. Perhaps it is more a statement of what you fear.
To me, this photo represents everything that Trump is: sour and dour. Angry old white man whose privilege has been disrupted. Frankly, I did not realize just how ugly Trump is. He carries a soulless darkness and anger that telegraphs through his scowl. The destructive evil that resides within this man should be a cold and severe warning to the more-civilized among us. Some folks posit that he might actually win 2024. If so, America will have seen her full demise.
What does this mug shot say to me? It says, here, post this, talk about me. because as long as you are talking about me, no one is talking about Biden's accomplishments, no one is thinking about how can we ensure that the People (the popular vote) get what they want for our Country.
The Snow Man
By Wallace Stevens
One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.
Just hiding his jowls. Paranoid narcissist.
Hiding his jowls! Hahahaha! That made me chuckle...
I don't like Bolton, but in this case, he is right—Trump looks like a thug.
I fervently hope that someone is looking at history books in 200 years and his thuggish mug shot is there. History is written by the winners. If history books in the future have his mugshot, then Democracy won this battle and maybe even the war.
If Trump is elected, which seems very possible, there will be no history books in the future. There will be no future no animals no habitable planet. These are the spoken stakes of this election.
How correct you are, Lauren. Elections, as we now know them to be free people electing the persons to fill government positions, will be over. There will be no FREE STATES. There will be no Democracy, no Constitution. Nothing except a Dictatorship, just like Russia, China, North Korea, with the likes of Putin, or Xie running this country. The inky problem is, our dictator will be named Trump!
I see a scowling Hitler projecting menace and determination to his followers and a rich brat messaging defiance to the principal as she call his mom for the third time in a week.
This is the face of a bully. A man so used to getting away with anything he wants to do, that he is angry that someone dares to hold him accountable. The face you would expect from a child throwing a tantrum but seen on an adult. The face you would NOT expect from a leader of a great nation.
Look what we are talking about now. It's just how he takes all the oxygen. But this is today. What about tomorrow? Trust me. Three days from now we will be talking about the newest screed or another wild accusation or even something one of his deranged followers has done. Like Maya Angelou's observation, when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
Does anybody remember because of his unconcerned and flippant attitude towards Covid hundreds of thousands of people died that would not have if he had only done the right thing. Wow! That doesn't even make the top 10 anymore.
Almost all of these comments, most more articulate than anything else I can add, say the things that I and millions of others think and feel. A great deal is made of his cultish hold on the 35 percent that will never leave him no matter what. Well that means the rest of us 65 percent need to do the right thing.
Vote like you mean it America! DO NOT LET THIS MAN RUIN OUR COUNTRY.
Evil monster who killed thousands with his covid lies and a coward who hates all us.
Coward who hates us all.
I see nothing.
No soul, no integrity, no humanity, no intelligence, no compassion, no self-awareness, no restraint, no humility, no curiosity, no interest in anything or anyone other than his shallow, misogynistic, depraved need for immediate attention and gratification.
Nothing.
An actor striking a pose meant to portray determination and menace; trying to say pictorially, "If you come after me, I'm coming for you." There are three major spoilers. Perhaps the most obvious is the slightly forward head tilt in a failed effort to hide his sagging double chin. Second is the slight pursing of his mouth accompanied by the slight extension of his lips as he sucks in his cheeks to accentuate his cheekbones and give himself a lean and mean look. Finally, the furrowed eyebrows contrast with the cool, determined menace that he's trying to portray.
Obviously, he's working very hard to strike the pose he developed for this moment. It's all as fake as the rest of the persona he tries to portray.
I hate that he is referred to as ex-president even though it is true. Just another reminder of this nightmare and how wrong our country was in 2016 and continues to move into destruction today. I want it to be a bad dream, but it is not. The nightmare is real. I just keep plodding forward hoping & supporting Fani Willis and Jack Smith to save us with the Law they use so well. I know they are razor-focused on the Rule of Law and support of the Constitution. I hope and fervently believe they are the superheroes that can guide us to save our country’s Democracy.
Even if/when they are successful in battling against MAGA, the war is not over. The next battle is against the corporate oligarchy and its enablers in Congress and the ethically corrupt Supreme Court. So many battles in this War for Democracy.
My Boomer generation filled with too many old white racists is dying off. I have some hope that enough Millennials and Gen-X will fight anew. 🖖🤞
It’s his best Kubrick Stare.