Donald Trump’s campaign strategist for his 2016 election win says: “I believe we will have a national emergency declared by late August,” ahead of the Congressional midterm elections due on November 3. “You will have enough evidence by mid-August to show that we have a massive problem” of election fraud, he tells me in an interview. Trump’s televised address to the nation on Thursday last week was the beginning of the process, he says.

The president declassified documents, which he claimed show “shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure” revealed by the 2020 election.

These had been hidden, even from him, by a “deep state” conspiracy of US intelligence services, he posited.

Trump demanded that the Congress pass a bill called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act. The bill stipulates that all voters produce a passport or birth certificate to be eligible to vote. Democrats denounce it as an effort at mass disenfranchisement. The Brennan Centre for Justice at New York University estimates that it could block 21 million Americans from the ballot box.

Under the US Constitution, it’s the states, not the federal government, that run elections. The SAVE Act would force state governments to hand voter roll information to Washington.

Trump sent his Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, out the following morning to issue a threat to state officials: they could face prison time unless they followed the administration’s orders to remove non-citizens from rolls.

  • Arancello@aussie.zone
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    7 hours ago

    I have no doubt that this will happen. The Iran war is about to hit a nasty escalation with usa ground troops. It will not be a decisive victory because Iran makes about 55,000 drones a year. Last year it shipped them to Russia. Now they will be used against americans and the other gulf states. Desalination plants will be the first targets and then watch the whole mideast explode and the world economy tip into recession and possibly depression.

    This could well happen soon and then drumpf will cancel midterms.

  • cenariodantesco@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    non north American curious: Donnie announced a third term yesterday I think, does this means that Obama can also run? it would be interesting to see it, because from what I see in social media, Obama is loved and missed

    • Clutter@sh.itjust.works
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      11 hours ago

      There gonna say: you are allowed two consecutive terms. Obama already had those.

      Dirty trick that should not be able to stand. But this is an authoritarian society we are talking about

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          Nah, keep in kind they’re going to make up the rules as they go. They’re dramatically incompetent, but this should be easy to restrict to Trump only, even for idiots of their kind.

    • MrNesser@lemmy.world
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      If Obama tried to run under this pretense ol’Donnie will have him in prison on Trumped up charges as his first political prisoner.

    • Randelung@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      Also, wouldn’t it be easier to have a puppet run and him VP until a “sudden but debilitating illness” regrettay forcing Annoying Orange to take over again?

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    14 hours ago

    Imagine what the US would be like right now if Kamala had won. The US likely wouldn’t be as hated or disgraced as it is now.

    • steveLeo@lemmy.zip
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      There’s no conceivable way things would’ve been worse under Kamala. She wouldn’t have played three card monte with the nations coffers, she would have been professional and dignified when talking to press and to foreign leaders, and she wouldn’t have hammered on the DARVO button at the first sign of criticism.

      Anybody that disagrees, well, enjoy your koolaid.

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        I didn’t refuse to vote for her because I thought Trump was smarter than her. I refused to vote for her because I won’t sign my name off on genocide to protect my own interests, comfort, or privilege.

        If that’s the cost of saving this colonial imperial shithole nation, then the price is too high and I refuse.

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          Hey look, it’s one of those sanctimonious fucks. I’d been wondering if you’re happy now. Looks like you’re still standing by letting a fascist dictatorship steamroll your country

        • PhoenixDog@lemmy.world
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          because I won’t sign my name off on genocide to protect my own interests, comfort, or privilege.

          Man, good thing Trump didn’t do any of those. Dodged a bullet you did.

        • Ledivin@lemmy.world
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          7 hours ago

          You’re still at fault for the genocide, sorry. Helping a dictator get elected because your fee-fees are more important than results makes you the problem.

          • zbyte64@awful.systems
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            Ehh, that’s not why it’s our fault. Acting like voting in giving consent is why it is our fault.

          • DudeWhoYapsTooMuch@lemmy.world
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            11 hours ago

            Lol right? OH I STOOD MY GROUND AND LET THE TROLLEY HARM US ALL, well great, now the Trolley’s gonna try and back up and harm us, and the other people on the track as well.

        • NottaLottaOcelot@lemmy.ca
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          13 hours ago

          But by not voting for her, you also supported genocide? Perhaps it was implied rather than explicit, but the result is the same

          • PhoenixDog@lemmy.world
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            11 hours ago

            A reminder to anyone reading this comment, not voting is a vote for the winner. Elections matter. Votes matter. And there will always be a winner. Not voting is literally accepting the outcome of the election regardless of your participation.

            So if you chose not to vote in the last Federal Election, congratulations, you voted for Trump and everything happening is your fault.

        • SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          11 hours ago

          Nah, you didn’t vote because you want things to entirely collapse in hope that we can rebuild better.

          • PhoenixDog@lemmy.world
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            11 hours ago

            No, they didn’t vote because they’re a pussy who would rather wash their hands of the sins they’ve caused by saying “Well I didn’t vote for this!” while they watches it happen because they didn’t vote against it.

        • qevlarr@lemmy.world
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          13 hours ago

          “I have nothing to do with this problem, I won’t touch the trolley lever even if there would be a thousand people in its path”

          It’s a tough position and I don’t agree personally, but I respect your decision. It is the right of voters to decide completely by their own criteria

          • Bane_Killgrind@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            11 hours ago

            I don’t respect this person’s decision. They decided to opt out of the most basic way they can participate, and think that it’s a morally superior position to allow the greater evil. That’s stupid. You and I know that the lesser evil can be influenced by public opinion, and the greater evil just doubles down. It’s a worse choice in every way, and allowing their country to crumble this way is petulant and bereft of responsibility and maturity.

            • qevlarr@lemmy.world
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              That’s just rude. There’s a difference of tactics here. They’re not supporting fascism and I think it’s pretty shitty to blame that on people who have their heart in the right place but don’t want to participate in the atrocious US electoral system of FPTP, by far most votes don’t make a difference anyway

              • PhoenixDog@lemmy.world
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                11 hours ago

                by far most votes don’t make a difference anyway

                That’s remarkably disingenuous when some elections are literally won and lost by less than a few votes.

                Every vote matters. Just because you vote for someone or a party that doesn’t win doesn’t mean your vote is wasted. More people who might want to vote for that party don’t because “Well, they only got 5% of the vote, so why bother” might see the next election that same party get 9% of the vote. Then 14%. Suddenly there’s more people voting for that party that will draw in more people to vote.

                Every vote might not make a huge difference today, but it might be a part of a huge difference in 10 years.

                So shut the fuck up and vote.

                • qevlarr@lemmy.world
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                  9 hours ago

                  I meant that there are swing states where votes really count, and safe states (for either party) where a protest vote is easier to justify.

              • SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                10 hours ago

                So besides directly and immediately allowing the greater fascist to win by abstaining from the easiest, most basic and important civil right known to civil society, what else are they doing to enable combat fascism?

                “Check this box to have a voice”

                “No.”

                “K. Next?”

                “I RESPECT Y’ALL’S RIGHT TO ELIMINATE YOUR OWN RIGHTS BAR HA HA YA HA” - Fascists

              • Bane_Killgrind@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                have their heart in the right place but don’t want to participate

                Honey they don’t have their heart in the right place if they stand by waiting while evil gets to work ❤️

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      It would be doing almost the same thingsz but it would be less in your face about them and the billionaire owned media would be quiet about them. We’d be just as hated and disgraced, but the average USian would be once again blissfully unaware of just how hated. At least until the reality inventing machine needed to gin up support for a war, then all the constant anti US sentiment in the places the empire has colonized will be shown in 4k as if it came out of nowhere while the public hoovers it up along with insipid platitudes like “they hate is for our freedumb”.

    • 7101334@lemmy.world
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      Imagine what Palestine would be like right now if Kamala had won.

      Basically the same as it is under Trump. And that’s why she lost, and why she deserved to lose.

  • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
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    Elections are done by the states, as clearly outlined in the Constitution. If Red states want to opt out, they’re welcome to do that, but the Blue states (and most Red ones) are going to have their elections anyway, and they will count.

    All the rest of it is just smoke.

  • gdtf@lemmy.ml
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    14 hours ago

    It’s actually pretty interesting to watch the downfall of an empire in real time.

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        11 hours ago

        Externally there is no possible way of really stopping him that wouldn’t lead to full on war considering how desperate he seems about declaring martial law. And no matter how pathetic the US is looking right now, they are sadly still the number one military might. (Maybe apart from China, what they lack in tech they definetly have in numbers).

        A lot of nations already reduced trade relations, but that at most will lead to internal unrest. Most nations barely humor his antics, but there are also a lot of nations dependant on the US.

        Internally the most likely candidates to dispose of him would be the rich and powerful oligarchs, but they are currently raking in trillions of profit for peanuts in bribes. The only two things left are either a military coup (which wasn’t that unlikely just a while ago), or a full on civil war.

  • Smaile@lemmy.ca
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    11 hours ago

    donald is going to be a lot tougher to kick out of the white house this time…

    • Nalivai@lemmy.world
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      Last time they had difinitive control over the government was 2010 which they used to introduce obamacare. The 50 50 split of congress during last biden wasn’t enough to do anything legally.
      You could make a point that it’s obvious that laws don’t exist, and dems should’ve done what cons are doing now illegally, but that’s not dems are, not what their voting base is comfortable with, and there is an argument that it wouldn’t do the country any good anyway.

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        14 hours ago

        Reminder that when they did have the definitive control of the government that there was Lieberman in the punch bowl that made The ACA be a boon for insurance companies by removing the public option.

    • flandish@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      we’re too tired, poor, sick and shitting ourselves. oh, and convinced the problem is the immigrants or homeless or brown or trans folks.

      • PhoenixDog@lemmy.world
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        So 350 million pussies. Got it.

        I guess masturbating over your 2nd amendment was just noise this whole time.

        • flandish@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          that’s been the plan all along; from the ones in washington to the capitalists helping because a shit population helps them, too. we’ll sadly never have an actual revolutionary solution to this shit.

    • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
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      We’re waiting for the Midterm Election. Once that’s over, and the Dems have taken over Congress on a bloodbath, we’ll release our outrage.

      We won’t be electing the same loser weenies we elected last time, who absolutely REFUSED to hold MAGA accountable, and then helped them get back on their feet and steal the election again. The next Dem Congress will be angry, and seeking to punish MAGAs for the corruption and treason.

      • Sir_Ious@feddit.org
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        10 hours ago

        How I wish what you’re saying will turn out to be true.

        Yet, most I’ve seen from U.S. Dems is some fancy dressing for Donnie’s address to Congress, some sad letters by Schumer, and Newsom trolling MAGA on Xitter. If this is all U.S. Dems have after YEARS of possible preparation, this revolution will be little more than a fart in the wind.

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    11 hours ago

    don’t forget this affects local elections too. parents with kids in school? paying taxes? - scared to vote, so they won’t. know who will? boomer era nazis.

  • cristigyk@piefed.social
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    12 hours ago

    For me as a European it’s weird why there is such push back against voter ID. could someone explain what the deal is? in my country you can’t vote without an ID with a photo and I think it’s normal that you need to prove who you are when you vote.

    • cobn@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      We have that as well but it’s managed by each state instead of nationally. Usually with a state drivers license or state level ID card.

      People are not against voter ID, we are against bad voter ID that disenfranchises people before an election.

    • DudeWhoYapsTooMuch@lemmy.world
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      We have our IDs, but they want more than that, they want birth certificates becuase apparently, they all want passports, birth certificates which is really hard to get because not everyone still has their natural name. Social Security Cards are hard because the Social Security Administration is a pain in the ass to work with and sometimes they don’t have your information either.

      To get a new SSN card, you’re going to need your parent’s SSN as well. Which is incredibly difficult because not every parent knows their SSN by heart or better yet, some people don’t even know where their parents are, some people don’t even have relationships with them anymore.

      It’s literally such a hassle, the regular common Joe/Jane is not gonna do that, they’re going to ignore it becasue they don’t want to deal with the hassle because the regular common person in America is working hard and working a hard life at that.

    • 4grams@awful.systems
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      11 hours ago

      The problem is that in this country there is no automatically issued national id. To get one costs money and takes time, something the demographic they are trying to prevent voting does not have in abundance.

      Also, elections are run by the states in this country, and most do already require a proof. My state requires a utility bill, or ID, or something that proves you live at the address, which are tied to voter roles. So the ID thing is a red herring mostly, and non-citizen voters are usually limited to tiny fractions of percentages if any. It is not an actual problem, just a useful one.

    • lavander@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      Not US but the answer is simple.

      IDs are a taboo in the US (otherwise the government would interfere with your privacy or something).

      So they have

      • Passports (too bad that a small percentage of population has)
      • Birth certificates (yeah, super secure /s, in practice just a way to bar people that changed their name/surname)
      • Driving licenses/liquor id: these are the closest to IDs but technically they are not ID. The proposed changes are exactly for stopping accepting driving licenses
      • SSN: don’t even make me started
    • jj4211@lemmy.world
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      Note that it stipulates passport or birth certificate and perhaps marriage certificate, and gives them leeway to waive these requirements. It’s rationalized by “voter identity”, but a birth certificate doesn’t prove your identity, even if you can validate it (mine is a rotting old piece of paper with an embossed stamp, seems easy enough to fake), it would only mean a person was born with the name that you claim to have.

      For many people, the specifically requested documents are lost or they never had them.

      Now if this was a “need to establish a fair voter id system and issue cards to all voters with a reasonable timeline to actually pull this off”, then the argument could be made. But it is a last minute “better have you birth certificate right now, no time to get replacements from the government, don’t vote instead, unless we decide you are ok, then you can vote anyway”.

      Particularly the leeway to not require the document is similar to another voter suppression method of the past. “Pass a literacy test to vote”, which might sound like an …ok… idea, except the tests were designed to be impossible to pass, with bad wording, multiple plausibly correct options, etc. But at least it was unfair to everyone, right? Oh, if your grandfather could vote, you are exempted. So a lot of black people were conveniently blocked from exemption on a test that claimed to support educated voting but was just designed to ti fail everyone that would be required to take it.

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    I feel so sorry about the continuing decline of the USA political system to an actual autocratic fascist regime

    • PhoenixDog@lemmy.world
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      I feel so sorry about the continuing decline of the USA political system to an actual autocratic fascist regime

      I don’t. 2/3rds of the country wanted this to happen. Let them enjoy the days they voted for.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      The big difference between Pre-Trump US and Post-Trump US is that white people are being forced to eat the same turd sandwich as everyone else.

      The sandwich is getting bigger and the turds stinkier. But more than anything, you’ve got pasty white EMTs and blonde housewives from Minneapolis getting the same treatment as Michael Brown and Rodney King

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        14 hours ago

        This is something I don’t think the majority of people in positions of privilege are considering much if at all. For a lot of people in the US (predominantly minorities) the “Trump era” has just been the status quo. It’s pretty much always been like this in one way or another, if only applied more discriminately/subtly.

        So it’s pretty annoying to see people acting like this is the abrupt collapse of democracy and liberal ideals in the US, as if it hasn’t already been brewing for centuries.

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      23 hours ago

      Im done feeling sorry for Americans fucking this up so bad when the writing was in neon signs flashing in their faces.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        Im done feeling sorry for Americans

        Horrified to discover we will no longer be receiving your Thoughts and Prayers.

      • kwomp2@sh.itjust.works
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        19 hours ago

        Facing a nationalist- fascist threat it must surely be good strategie for the threatened to desolidarize using national identity

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    Somebody explain to me how there’s rampant fraud but also the republicans took the house, senate, presidency, and the Supreme Court. That makes no sense.

    • Kintarian@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      There’s fraud everywhere, brown people are raping white women and eating your pets. Vote for me and I’ll save you.

      FUD for votes.

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      The fraud is rampant. It’s called gerrymandering, closing polling locations, poll taxes (ID requirements that cost money), propaganda, voter intimidation, etc

      Republicans are obsessed with voter fraud because they are the ones doing it and they can’t comprehend that everyone else wouldn’t be too. “I cheat all the time, how come I can never catch the other guys cheating?”

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          18 hours ago

          <s> Wow, support Trump much? You’re supposed to vote for any candidate who’s in whichever of the two biggest parties that’s closer to opposing the problem, even if the candidate themself doesn’t even mention the problem.

          It’s obvious enough that it should solely dictate your vote, but this good innocent candidate probably never heard of it. </s>

    • D_C@sh.itjust.works
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      22 hours ago

      No no no, NO! See, look, right, here goes, when the Gang Of PaedosAngelic Republicans lose an election it’s because of the SHOCKING RAMPANT FRAUD. OK!!?!!

      However on the elections the GoodGuys™ win then it’s because of all their diligent and trustworthy behind the scenes hard work they do to ensure no SHOCKING RAMPANT FRAUD is going on.

      But…but…but, unfortunately, those pesky tricksy demoncrats are in league with the devil and always find ways to do some SHOCKING RAMPANT FRAUD to sway the honest, free, fair elections that the Pure Innocent NazisConservatives hold so dearly to their virginal and trustworthy hearts.

      Do you understand and are in agreement, or do I have to send ICE around to explain it to you personally? (In a free and fair and nonviolent manner, of course)

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      It doesn’t need to make sense… we’re far beyond this point. It needs to KEEP THEM IN POWER, this will totally suffice. Since no ones going to hold them accountable (ignoring court rulings is a habit) this should do as fig leaf.

    • Mangofunk@thelemmy.club
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      It’s just another distraction. The average person is easily manipulated with emotion. That is why propaganda is so effective and that is why this will also work if it happens.

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    What the article isn’t saying is that Bannon himself is part of the plan, making sure everyone knows a national emergency is coming, getting in front of it. Bannon’s not talking about election insecurity out of concern: telling the media now is his part in making it happen. This asshole WANTS a third term and everything that goes with it, including ICE at polling stations:

    Steve Bannon calls for Trump to deploy ICE and military troops to polling sites - The Trump ally was one of few GOP voices to support the president’s push to nationalize voting – Politico, February 2026

    Steve Bannon says ‘there is a plan’ for Trump to be president in 2028: ‘We had longer odds in 2016 and 2024’ – The Independent, October 2025

    Steve Bannon Doubles Down on Third Trump Term – Newsweek, April 2026

    Also, it bears repeating: before you give this asshole too much credence it’s best to always keep in mind that Bannon was arguably Jeffrey Epstein’s best friend. So close were they that Epstein was on his way to meet Bannon the day he got arrested in 2019. His very last text was to Bannon as he was being detained at Teterboro Airport, telling Bannon their plans are “All canceled” now.

    To quote one of Bannon’s texts to Epstein,

    Now you can understand why trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends

    See it for yourself.