170 Comments
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Chris Saunders's avatar

I hadn’t thought about the failure of Padilla’s security team to protect him from the MAGA goons. The question Rubin asks about whether or not Capital Police are up to the job of protecting our senators and members of Congress needs to be answered. Are they in cahoots with MAGA goons?

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It's Come To This's avatar

When Padilla said that the FBI Agent and the other official --- who had brought him to the conference room, opened the door for him, and stood next to him --- had not intervened, lifted a finger, spoken one word to identify him as Kristi's posse grabbed him, I could only think how afraid of Noem's goons THEY must have been. That alone tells you everything you really need to know.

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Carole Langston's avatar

The video shows them being roughed up too.

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littlebird787's avatar

NO, NO, NO. They are NOT sitting senators and they were NOT throw on the floor and handcuffed. There is NO comparison. Shame on you for the whataboutism.

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Carole Langston's avatar

I am just mentioning that his security people also got roughed up.I think this aberrant treatment is throwing every one off. And yes, it needs looking into. Calm down. On same side.

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Merlin Dorfman's avatar

So you are saying that they were physically prevented from helping? There were only two of them and they were outnumbered?

It would be a shame if the Capitol Police had to increase their staffing and budget to protect all senators and representatives 24/7, in enough strength to hold off a number of goons.

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Carole Langston's avatar

Wasn't sure how many. 2. Thanks for clarification. That should be enough- normally. Not normal times now. I warned relatives, (who dismissed me with chuckles), and others about tRump and those who back him. Jan 6th confirmed it. Few foresaw the extremes that are reality now.

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Robyn E's avatar

If his security team is afraid to protect the Senator, which is their job, they need to resign.

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Merlin Dorfman's avatar

I don't think they were, or thought of themselves as, his "security team."

He has an office in that building--his permanent district office for that part of California. That office should have a security team but why would they think they would be needed to protect him at a DHS press conference?

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Punkette's avatar

The other official (escort) was a National Guardsman.

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It's Come To This's avatar

Thank you. I thought the same, but couldn't recall for certain.

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Punkette's avatar

The whole thing was a setup. I worked for years in a federal building, and recall the entry procedures. The Los Angeles location was already on lockdown. Sen. Padilla would have been asked his name and purpose of visit (to attend a scheduled briefing with the national guard commander). He would have shown ID and then gone through a metal detector. He was given two escorts who knew his identity from the start. I find it unconscionable that the escorts didn’t immediately identify him when the scuffle began, but remained silent. Shame on them. Secretary Noem knew Sen. Padilla from her tenure in the House of Representatives and her Senate confirmation hearing as DHS secretary. She saw an opportunity and set him up. Corey Lewandowski was also present and knew who Sen. Padilla was, but allowed him to be roughed up and handcuffed like a common (brown) criminal before finally stepping in to get him released. Horrible, racist regime acting out for an audience of one and his cult. Sen. Padilla is my senator and his civil rights were violated. Kudos to Rep. Jamie Raskin for demanding a full investigation.

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It's Come To This's avatar

I think you got it absolutely right. And today, the Little Maybellined Bitch JD thought he'd pull a cute one, calling him "José Padilla," an unrelated man who was convicted of murder in 2007.

These people are truly disgusting.

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Punkette's avatar

Yes! Awful and shameful. Shady’s “confusion” about Sen. Padilla’s first name (per his press secretary) is so easily disproven. Vance not only worked alongside Sen. Padilla in his (brief) previous gig as a US senator, but as Vice President, Vance currently serves as President of the Senate and you can bet your bippy he knows the correct name of all 100 senators. He is an POS abomination and I look forward to his impeachment/conviction with Taco Supreme Leader, when the Dems retake Congress next year.

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Jaime HG 🇺🇸's avatar

I had the same reaction. My only thought is perhaps they were in shock or stunned? In any case, security for our representatives are going to have to be trained on how to handle the American gestapo.

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It's Come To This's avatar

You don't know what messages have been handed down to them by *their* superiors. The intimidation of other agencies, stories of payback, promises of petty revenge (and more) are quite real. It just tells us how bad it really is.

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littlebird787's avatar

They are trined, supposedly. But they work for the HS bimbo so they are complicit. They should all be fired.

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Hiro's avatar

The Congress should keep their own security body.

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Merlin Dorfman's avatar

It's called the Capitol Police but I don't think they are expected under current staffing and budget to provide 24/7 protection for every senator and representative. Maybe they need to, as long as the Orange Taco is in office.

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JP4M's avatar

Yes, the security team absolutely must be investigated. I agree that each of these avenues of protection must be investigated immediately.

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SJR's avatar

Maybe Harry Dunn would have some inside information?

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Arkansas Blue's avatar

Why would he? Not only does he no longer serve as a policeman, but he was a member of the US Capitol police in Washington, DC, which is not deployed anywhere but at the US Capitol.

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Chris Saunders's avatar

Actually, the Capital Police are often deployed outside of Washington DC. Their job sometimes requires that they protect members when traveling all over the country.

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littlebird787's avatar

IT WAS NOT CAPITOL POLICE! Why all the comments from folks who have not bothered to watch the video of Sen Padilla telling what actually happened? Wake up!

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Chris Saunders's avatar

Rubin isn’t just commenting on Padilla’s situation. The CP have responsibility to protect lawmakers when they travel too.

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The Rhinocerous Party 🇨🇦🚫👑's avatar

Any chance they were complicit? Who chose them to accompany him?

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littlebird787's avatar

Probably the HS insane bimbo.

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littlebird787's avatar

It wasn’t the Capitol Police who were supposed to protect him. They only have jurisdiction at the Capitol. This happened inside the federal building in LA. You should listen to Sen Padilla’s speech if you want to it right. The men — an FBI agent and a member of the National Guard — ESCORTED him into and around the federal building. Then they stood by while the idiot bimbo’s HS goons assaulted him in full view of the media. He needs security that will protect him, because in that you are likely correct: They work for the insane, creepy, mouth-breathing puppy killer.

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Chris Saunders's avatar

Not true. The CP have many security responsibilities outside of the capital.

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MacroV's avatar

One thing that I don’t think has gotten nearly enough attention is that Padilla is Hispanic; would they have handled a White senator this way? Also, apparently Corey Lewandowski was on the scene and was trying to call off the officers. Nice of him but he has no official role and it seems the epitome of white privilege that the goons might listen to him but not to anyone else.

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Bobbette Strauss's avatar

But they Didn’t listen to him, did they?

I’d call it “the epitome of coming to the defense of a fellow member of Congress”, like any of us could, & perhaps should, do for each other…

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James M. Coyle's avatar

I hadn't thought about this either. I didn't know he had been accompanied by a security team. I thought he had just walked down the hall to the Noem presser locale. If so, they certainly did not do their jobs.

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Diane's avatar

💯 So well-written, it can only be Jen Rubin. Checked the byline, 👍

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Larry McGinnity's avatar

Written! Thank you for Not a video or podcast.

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Sharon C Storm's avatar

I agree. I much prefer reading to a video. I’m a book person, not a movie one.

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JP4M's avatar

Many of us want to read all we can, but when vision loses its capacity for reading at length, and for some people, complications arise, having the video as well as the print is a blessing and the only way for some people to receive the information.

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Sharon C Storm's avatar

I don’t disagree with you. Having the information in two forms is better for all of us.

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Diane's avatar

Seriously !!

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Diane's avatar

But I will say that Jen is just as cogent in an interview. I’ll read the transcript 😂

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Robot Bender's avatar

I find it easier to understand by reading. I can go back a paragraph or two if I don't understand something.

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LiverpoolFCfan's avatar

"It has now become routine to deploy goons to rough up Democrats at the least provocation (or, especially with Padilla, without any provocation), and then to weaponize the criminal justice system to prosecute Donald Trump’s political enemies."

I want to know who these goons actually are. Are they sworn peace officers? Have they been subjected to the standard security clearance procedures? What sort of education, training, and experience do they have? Why do they wear masks?

It wouldn't surprise me a bit to find out that they're just some of his raucous rally regulars who've been recruited to play the part of law enforcement officers for the fascist felon.

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Nancy's avatar

The group pardoned for J6 lawlessness who have proved they will do anything for DJT

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Robot Bender's avatar

I strongly suspect many are J6, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

SS? He has been relying on the Hitler playbook, quite a bit.

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Yvette's avatar

I agree. Real men/women? wouldn’t be so afraid that they don’t show their faces. Next they’ll all be hiding behind their Mommy’s skirt. If they’re that ashamed of themselves, then they need to quit, go to the unemployment office and find an honorable job. I’ve heard that there are plenty of recent openings for field workers who can spend 12 hours a day in full sun. Also in hotels cleaning other people’s toilets. Sorry, the honorable jobs don’t come with a $40,000 bonus paid out of our taxes. Life just isn’t fair, is it?

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littlebird787's avatar

HELLO?!? Watch Sen Padilla’s speech!! The goons that assaulted him were from HS and the FBI and the National guard were escorting him. Geez, folks. All these thugs all work for HS bimbo puppy killer. There is no secret conspiracy here; we do not have to wonder or speculate, which just leads to online nuttery!!!

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Merlin Dorfman's avatar

There are many Law Enforcement agencies in DHS (not including the FBI!), and Noem could choose any of them to provide her traveling goon squad--Secret Service, for one.

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Mark Shields's avatar

This:

“…rump is taking us on a “path to fascism.” This is the language all democracy defenders must adopt.

Media descriptions like Trump “tests the boundaries,” or “leans into executive power” are so anodyne as to mislead the public and wrap Trump’s autocratic conduct in a cloak of legitimacy.”

EVEN the NYT does this jelly spine verbal dance!

I now read The Guardian & Ground News.

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JudiLI's avatar

As Beto O’Rouke said the calvary isn’t coming, WE are the calvary. 2% of the population protested last Saturday. Let’s make it 5% next time!

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Pam Birkenfeld's avatar

What I have read according to experts interviewed here, it takes 3.5 %of the population to get a movement of the government. So, yes, I guess we need many more people, although I thought we achieved that last Saturday.

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Pam Birkenfeld's avatar

Here’s the good news, I just read another interview about the 3.5% rule on Jessica Craven’s chop Wood. Turns out we made 12 million and that’s the magic number! So we need to make it even bigger so mainstream media can’t ignore us anymore!

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Paul Guinnessy's avatar

What Padilla’s speech also shows is that the democrats leadership still doesn’t seem to realize how close we now are to a dictatorship. Schumer needs to step down. The democrats should be trying to do a Moscow Mitch and block everything through the Senate until the rule of law is restored, including Congressional oversight. Their failure to do so gives the impression they are not fighting for us, and it’s leaving those that do, like Raskin and Murphy to be the exception, not the majority of our lawmakers. For example, that crypto bill never should have passed with democratic votes.

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Beth's avatar

Why has it taken so long for congressional democrats to speak up?

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It's Come To This's avatar

I don't get your question. Congressional Democrats are busy holding town halls all over the country, issuing statements, rebuttals, voting in the middle of the night against a piece of slop Republican budget bill, fundraising, holding conferences, some of them appearing on podcasts and writing for the Contrarian and other publications, non-stop.

The question you should be asking is: why are Congressional Republicans saying absolutely NOTHING?

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Steve 218's avatar

I do get the question. Mainstream media has been giving scant coverage to all of the resistance that's coming from Democratic legislators, and even less from Republicans. The former is to avoid the ire of the toddler, the latter is due to their silence - nothing to report on. In itself, this should be reported, and often. Silence is complicity.

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Coelle Baskel's avatar

The Monday after 'No Kings' marches, the front page of the USA Today paper had not 1 picture of the protests....they did have an article on the inside of the front page, but not much! It should have dominated that Monday paper because the amount of people marching around the country was HUGE!!!!!....so much bigger than Trump's parade!!!

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Steve 218's avatar

There is a perfect example of what I was getting at. Thank you.

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It's Come To This's avatar

We have all gotten incredibly lazy with getting our news and information. If legacy media gives scant coverage to something, it doesn't mean it's not happening. Citizens have a duty to seek the truth, especially when it's difficult to do so. Expecting to be spoon-fed is one of the reasons why one-third our lazy electorate sent a deranged, debauched, demented criminal back to the White House again.

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Steve 218's avatar

Agreed, to a point. We have all not gotten lazy. We read The Contrarian, The Guardian, ProPublica, Dan Rather's Steady, Heather Cox Richardson, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, etc., and watch PBS, the BBC and other news sources. Tarring us all with the same brush is inaccurate.

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It's Come To This's avatar

Apparently, some still ask 'why are Democrats so silent' when silent is anything but an accurate description. I call it as I see it.

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marcia navajas's avatar

No, we have not all gotten lazy. Many of us get our news from other sources. But it’s OUR duty, those of us reading The Contrarian, Civil Discourse, Robert Reich, Paul Krugman, Heather, The Guardian, etc., to share these resources with as many friends and acquaintances, colleagues, family members, and social media as we can. I’m always surprised when I do how many people don’t know about reputable alternate news sources. Social media unfortunately has such a large presence.

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David Moscatello's avatar

There's great coverage on the MeidasTouch Network, which is on Substack and has a YouTube channel with 5 million subscribers. And like Jen, many journalists who have left corporate media now have their own Substacks.

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Alan Greenstein's avatar

Too bad it has taken so long, but let's hope now that they are speaking up, they will not stop. On campaign commercials, Democrats should show footage of the arrests and violence perpetrated against Democrats and emphasize Republican silence.

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WILLIAM R FRICK's avatar

They are speaking, but no one is hearing. Media appears to be shuttering what is being said and done. For example Senator Cory Booker's timely strong speech about the attack on Senator Padilla.

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Leigh Hamilton's avatar

True, only Americans can save our Democratic Republic, but other nations can help by 1) not allowing Trump into their countries and 2) putting diplomatic and economic sanctions on the U.S. Will it hurt everyone? Yes. But how much will fascism hurt? How much will the Middle East hurt?

We'll keep protesting peacefully, but we need help and the leaders of other Democratic nations can help.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

The Regime has loosed its Gestapo on public officials, immigrants, US Citizens and anyone else it thinks it can make an example of. We are no longer a Democratic Republic, but a thuggish police state. tRump and his enablers have accomplished this feat in 6 months. How quickly we fell to people who have no qualms about abandoning societal norms. Clawing back our democracy is going to be a remarkably difficult task.

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Ellie Alive In 25's avatar

Bravo to both of these men, but it should drive home the FACT that none of us is safe. None of us is immune to the machinations of the fascist regime "headed" by the short-fingered vulgarian. And Padilla's speech was definitely speaking Truth to Power.

I want answers as to why the security accompanying him, did not protect him from the trumpgoons.

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Janet Onnie's avatar

After half a year of watching outrage after outrage I’m thinking it’s time to hear some legal,peaceful ways to end this sorry excuse for an administration. Do we really have to wait for the midterms?

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Steve 218's avatar

If Congress, starting with the House of Representatives, had any gumption (yeah, it's an old word) they could start impeachment proceedings. There have been enough violations by president and cabinet secretaries alike that these processes can and should be started.

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Janet Onnie's avatar

The trouble with impeachment is then we get Vance.

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Steve 218's avatar

True, though at least he has all of his marbles. Trump is nuts and getting worse. It's always appropriate to cut off the head of the snake.

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David Moscatello's avatar

But no one likes Vance, so he's a loser in 2028. Also, we can rest assured that Mike Johnson and the rest of the maga Republicans will not allow articles of impeachment to reach the floor, so no impeachments will happen unless and until the Democrats take back congress after the 2026 midterms.

Vance is currently facing felony charges, so could also be impeached, and Hakeem Jeffries will be speaker should the Democrats take back congress. Impeach and remove both Trump and Vance and we get President Jeffries! (It's only a dream, but it helps me sleep sometimes.)

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Stephen Brady's avatar

Legal? No. Our Constitution doesn't have a mechanism to expel a government gone bad.

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Janet Onnie's avatar

Maybe it should

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Stephen Brady's avatar

I couldn’t agree with you more.

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James McConnel's avatar

The republican side of the Congress reminds me of a chicken coup. The birds are quiet and subdued when well fed and content. Only when they are hungry or feel threatened do they squawk and raise a fuss. The hungry fox (Steven Miller) is coming for them now, but fat and satisfied is the best mental anesthesia for those chickens. Seems Vice President Trump (with Miller’s permission) has signed an Executive Order that says to Congress what ICE does is none of your damn business. Time for more pearl clutching and fans; where is that darn $upreme Court when you need it? Oh yah, they only deal with religion and sex stuff.

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Christine L Andrews's avatar

Days later he voted for crypto bill? WTF? He lost all credibility when he did that. You don't fight authoritarianism by voting with Republicans to enrich the President 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️

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Science Curmudgeon's avatar

How did Noem's secret service goons know to attack? It seems obvious his presence was expected and planned for before he got to the press conference. Was his security detail under Noem's jurisdiction? Was Padilla's security detail from the Capitol Police? Are they required to defer to the secret service?

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Marc Panaye's avatar

The more I think about this sad state of affairs, this second trump regime.

The more I'm blaming Merrick Garland for having slow-walked most of the legal actions against the TACO fellow.

The guy should have been jailed no later then JAN 7th 2021 awaiting his insurrection trial.

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SLMontgo's avatar

The lie about immigrants "poisoning our blood" is ludicrous. Our blood IS immigrant blood.

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Robot Bender's avatar

Straight out of the KKK and Nazi propaganda.

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