Trump and the riots

[SkepticThinker]

"Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said Friday that he heard from senior White House officials that President Trump was "delighted" to hear that his supporters were breaking into the Capitol building in a riot Wednesday that turned deadly."​

Emphasis mine. Reading Comprehension. Ben Sasse was not there. He is repeating hearsay.

"The Nebraska Republican, who has at times been more critical of Trump than many of his GOP colleagues, did not name which officials said Trump was delighted."​

Also emphasis mine. Are you aware of what else Ben Sasse has said prior to these remarks he made that were more critical of Trump? Ben Sasse has been critical of Trump since Trump's nomination in 2016. We know already that he is likely to jump on potential criticism of Trump if it looks convenient. It was convenient.

So how do I rank his credibility? Well... not high, and his evidence is hearsay. But, you have offered some assurance that testimony will be offered at the Senate trial from direct witnesses in the White House. So... maybe it will get more interesting. Unfortunately (?) we will have to wait and see. I'm not saying Ben Sasse is wrong or even deliberately lying. But I am saying that what has been offered so far falls short. The accusations are certainly not "obvious" just because Ben Sasse said so.

It's not convenient at all.

Let's not paint Ben Sasse as some kind of fake Republican or irrational Trump hater or something. He has voted in line with Trump's position over 84% of the time.

Look what happens to Republicans who don't march in lockstep with Trump, and instead follow their conscience. Matt Gaetz is currently trying to throw Liz Cheney out of the Republican party for voting to impeach Trump. Meanwhile, some lunatic who thinks that Jewish lasers are being used to start forest fires gets appointed to the Education Committee.

 

[Ponder This]

Yes, it was hearsay. So what? The reason that he has those contacts is because he is a Republican. And as you pointed out he is one of the few sane Republicans out there. That is why those contacts trust him.

You are actually complaining about the reasons that he can be trusted in his claims.

It's not convenient at all.

Let's not paint Ben Sasse as some kind of fake Republican or irrational Trump hater or something. He has voted in line with Trump's position over 84% of the time.

Look what happens to Republicans who don't march in lockstep with Trump, and instead follow their conscience. Matt Gaetz is currently trying to throw Liz Cheney out of the Republican party for voting to impeach Trump. Meanwhile, some lunatic who thinks that Jewish lasers are being used to start forest fires gets appointed to the Education Committee.

Senator Sasse on Impeachment and President Trump's culpability for deadly riot inside the capitol - The Hugh Hewitt Show

This is where the quote of Ben Sasse is from.

So even if it doesn't matter to you that it is hearsay; Ben Sasse wasn't there. Even if you don't believe that Ben Sasse has been critical of Trump for some time. In 2017, he said that he thought about leaving the GOP "every morning" and described Trump as a "megalomaniac strongman". His criticism stepped up pre and post election 2020.

Just read the remark and apply reading comprehension. Even if true, it's not evidence of anything.

“As this was unfolding on television, Donald Trump was walking around the White House confused about why other people on his team weren’t as excited as he was as you had rioters pushing against Capitol Police trying to get into the building,” Sasse told conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt in an interview. “That was happening. He was delighted.”​

As I've already said, Trump being excited after his rally or even excited about the protest would be a very ordinary reaction.

I started out skeptical, but the more we talk and the more we investigate, the more convinced I become that you simply want to believe that Trump incited the riot so badly that you see evidence even where there isn't any.

At this point, we may have reached the limit of how much I'm willing to talk about something that is not evidence, but is apparently obvious evidence to some of you. Maybe if something more shows up in the news to support your interpretation such as the white house officials who supposedly observed the President being "excited" or some sort of trial testimony in the Senate, then we can talk about it and see if there's more to the claim.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Senator Sasse on Impeachment and President Trump's culpability for deadly riot inside the capitol - The Hugh Hewitt Show

This is where the quote of Ben Sasse is from.

So even if it doesn't matter to you that it is hearsay; Ben Sasse wasn't there. Even if you don't believe that Ben Sasse has been critical of Trump for some time. In 2017, he said that he thought about leaving the GOP "every morning" and described Trump as a "megalomaniac strongman". His criticism stepped up pre and post election 2020.

Just read the remark and apply reading comprehension. Even if true, it's not evidence of anything.

“As this was unfolding on television, Donald Trump was walking around the White House confused about why other people on his team weren’t as excited as he was as you had rioters pushing against Capitol Police trying to get into the building,” Sasse told conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt in an interview. “That was happening. He was delighted.”​

As I've already said, Trump being excited after his rally or even excited about the protest would be a very ordinary reaction.

I started out skeptical, but the more we talk and the more we investigate, the more convinced I become that you simply want to believe that Trump incited the riot so badly that you see evidence even where there isn't any.

At this point, we may have reached the limit of how much I'm willing to talk about something that is not evidence, but is apparently obvious evidence to some of you. Maybe if something more shows up in the news to support your interpretation such as the white house officials who supposedly observed the President being "excited" or some sort of trial testimony in the Senate, then we can talk about it and see if there's more to the claim.

Trump should have been horrified at what he caused not "excited" . His behavior that led to the riots and his reaction them was inexcusable. And why are you faulting Sasse for being sane?