I was appalled by the Trump campaign’s desecration of Arlington National Cemetery. It was a gut punch a a new low point for Trump when I didn’t think he could go any lower. My father was a Marine and taught us to honor these places. I widely shared the news to family and friends believing that it was disqualifying for those who shared my veneration of these places. While I was doing this, I was perplexed by the Trump campaign’s decision to not just not apologize or try to move on but to embrace the news cycle around the campaign’s assault on an ANC employee and disrespect to the families of the dead and buried in section 60 who did not agree to a campaign event on top of the bodies of their loved ones.
Then, I saw it, the Harris campaign responded and condemned what happened at the ANC and the Trump campaign pounced. “How dare the Harris campaign ignore the wishes of Gold Star families whose sons were murdered because of Biden Harris actions in Afghanistan.” This was all — at some point — planned. They wanted to lure MVP into the muck and then try and trap her there stuck talking about one of their pet issues.
I believe the same thing is happening now is Springfield, Ohio. JD Vance, Trump want to trap the Harris campaign (and the Sherrod Brown campaign) into — doing the right thing — and taking the side of the 15,000 Haitian immigrants who are the subject of a politically inspired pogram. But, this is what the Trump campaign wants — to get MVP and Tim Walz to be seen as taking the “other side” and not the side of “real” Ohioans and Americans. You can see it in the language “Mass importations” and Vivek R holding town halls. They — MAGA — think Springfield is good for them. We need to make it — as it should be — bad for them.
The Harris campaign has — smartly — been avoiding the trap but it is going to get harder and harder as these a-holes double down and people start to get hurt.
I think Nathan Clark showed us the answer — make it clear that Donald Trump and JD Vance only care about themselves and not about the people of Springfield who want a safer community and more opportunity. We need more Nathan Clarks to come forward and call this stuff out. But, this is super tricky stuff and I do not know and wonder/hope if other Kossacks have the answer.