Trump Train Extremists Sued for Damages
Wendy Davis and others have sued Trumpists for their dangerous conduct last October when they disrupted Biden campaign rallies and harassed a campaign bus as it attempted to travel on public roads. One suit is against 7 people who drove their flag festooned trucks dangerously close to the bus and even attempted to run it off the road. The suit was filed in federal court and claims the Trumpists violated the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act that made it a federal offense to obstruct, intimidate, or harass to stop political activities. The defendants were identified through their own social media posts including live video. Two of the defendants were also identified at the US Capitol during the January 6 insurrection. Here’s a good recap of the attack on the campaign bus:
A second suit was filed against the San Marcos Department of Public Safety and the San Marcos Marshal’s Department for failing to respond to desperate 911 calls begging for assistance. You’ll recall during the time that a Trump Train of trucks chased and harassed the Biden campaign bus the entire time they were touring South Texas and police were nowhere to be found.
This kind of behavior by political conservatives has been going on for years; I remember Nick Lampson being harassed years ago by thugs at his announcement event when he ran for Tom DeLay’s old seat. That was nothing compared to today where intolerance and hate are raised to an art form after 5 years of Trump’s influence on his party. Add that to the continuous stream of bile flowing out of social media, Fox Noise, OAN, and other propaganda sources and the result can be literally explosive. When the police stand aside during these events the result can be deadly.
The real tragedy here is that we have to depend on the federal courts in many of these cases since local and state courts in Red States can no longer be trusted to enforce laws against political allies. Hopefully the federal courts will give the plaintiffs a fair hearing.
I was planning to submit a story about a grandmother who was first into the capitol and given 3 years probation.The judge positing that not all offenders should expect the same treatment.
Your article was a more accurate exposition and the long history of the violence of people and events that I had nearly forgotten.
1Execute Trump for treason & everyone who voted for him!
2Of course this is disgusting and embarrassing and angering etc etc etc…..but all that leads me to one question. At what point did we, as a country, stop expecting consequences for our “bad acts” while, at the same time, stop expecting consequence to others for their “Bad acts”. I’m not even gonna suggest that this is completely partisan, I am going to suggest that the “public” may have to LOUDLY let their voices be heard expecting there to be consequence of bad behavior, regardless of politics, demographic, income, or any other reason to expect behavior to be without consequence.
3New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic — ProPublica
The article below outlines much of what we already felt was going on before the Jan 6 insurrection, but hopefully will help bring out the facts in the upcoming House investigation. Hope they can compel the likes of mark meadows and others to testify under oath, and be held accountable, including trumpf:
https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aides-knew-jan-6-rally-could-get-chaotic
4Welcome g’damned news. This is all well and good, but somewhat underwhelming and belated.
The charges leveled should be much more serious, starting with ‘assault with deadly weapons’ for the MAGAots, and ‘conspiracy to commit assault with deadly weapons ‘ for the despicable LEOs involved [the DPS is corrupt to the core].
The potentially deadly offenses go way beyond violating some obscure 19th century laws.
An assault with a vehicle is potentially more deadly than one with a firearm, and could involve many untargeted victims.
The lawsuit even hints at that, but for some reason doesn’t seem to pursue the more serious action of attempted assault.
From the lawsuit text: “…Defendants did by conspiring to use their vehicles as weapons to interfere with the constitutional rights of those who supported the Biden-Harris Campaign,” “.
Recall that the Democrats also caved in to these pre-meditated attacks, and cancelled several subsequent planned political rallies in the area, thereby playing right into the Rethuglikan game plans.
When TF are the Democrats going to learn to play hardball?
This incident, and the resulting over-cautious canceling of the planned rally events, are prime examples of a certain timidity exhibited by way too many on our side.
G’damn it, get out the knives and slice back at these sonuvabitches instantly. Hesitation is seen as weakness.
Make an old submariner’s motto part of the Democratic strategy and tactics: “Hit ‘Em Again, Harder”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Harder_(SS-257)
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/24/texas-wendy-davis-trump-train-lawsuit/
[Yeah, I’m still pissed about this, I could be where it took place in ~30 minutes, used to work/live in New Braunfels, and a kid graduated from TSU in San Marcos.]
5If your “get out the knives and slice back at these sonuvabitches” is meant as anything but a figure of speech, then (hot headed as I am) I’m opposed to that as a losing strategy. It only works in movies where the cops aren’t on the other side. Much as I can fantasize about having an armored Hummer with James Bondish weapons concealed under the hood, and blowing some guys in over amped pickups off the road…no.
In terms of “keep on keeping on,” fine. In terms of loudly and frequently reminding people that right-wing dangerous driving is still dangerous driving and DPS not doing their duty to control dangerous drivers is a good reason to defund them…yes. Let’s all be loud and proud at making noise about this now the suit’s been filed and we have a docket number (we do, don’t we?) and with the special session here. Write your legislators, write the governor, write the AG, write the DPS director, whoever that is. Point out the danger to uninvolved drivers using the same road and the dangers of politicizing a civilian (that’ll get their ears laid back and their tails switching) law enforcement organization. Tell ’em you don’t like paying taxes for DPS when they won’t come when called for a serious danger on the road just because they like the other candidate. Etc.
6well now, those police had probably been defunded by AOC, so what, really, can you expect?
7Elizabeth Moon @6, Well of course that “knives” remark was merely a rhetorical device…[ahem], my pre- and succeeding sentences made that clear.
As far as writing letters to our state level officials, and most local levels here in Texass, riigghhtt…
Democrats need to be much more aggressive in every respect, in order to vanquish as many of these dangerous Rethuglikans as possible.
It just ain’t going to happen without sometimes responding in kind [and more] to their varied attacks.
A recent feeble Democratic response to some recent Rethug outrage was met by derisive laughter from the Trumpanzees [can’t quite remember the details att, maybe it’ll pop to mind in a min].
Hesitancy and perceived acquiescence to Trumpian Rethuglikan aggression is always seen as weakness and inferiority by the very voters we need to overcome these vermin.
8Elizabeth Moon @6, “now the suit’s been filed and we have a docket number (we do, don’t we?)”
Yeah, you can look it up on PACER. I tried a plain Bing search and couldn’t come up with specific info. Can’t find my PACER login, but you can access the actual filings, etc., using a free PACER account, just sign up.
https://pacer.uscourts.gov/file-case/court-cmecf-lookup/court/TXWDC
https://pacer.uscourts.gov/file-case/court-cmecf-lookup?court_name=Texas+Western+District+Court&court_type=District&court_circuit=All
9Sandridge, while reading the badass Harder pc. you linked, I came across an unfamiliar term. While searching I came across
10https://jalopnik.com/all-the-wacky-submarine-terms-you-never-knew-you-wanted-1708297555
As someone who never served, I enjoyed it immensely.
But the guy who wrote it flavored it with personal notes too.
I think you’ll like it.
P.P. @10, Tks, excellent link, lots of great pics too.
11The one with the three polar bears requesting permission to come aboard is neat [wouldn’t want to explain the shredded hull anechoic coating to the port maintenance riggers though :] ]