As George Orwell and many others have pointed out over the years, a big part of what makes authoritarianism and fascism tick is most definitely their assault on fact, empirical evidence, reason, etc. Because they know that, ultimately, if you can weaken or even destroy people’s grip on reality, it facilitates the authoritarians’ ability to trample the rule of law, impose their own warped version of reality, and ultimately impose their will on the population.
A perfect case-in-point of the above can be found in the daily rantings on Rep. John McGuire (R-VA05)’s Facebook page – where essentially, you have a Congressman who is no better than some random, unhinged, far-right internet troll, just spewing out 100% false, bizarre, extreme crap 24/7 in order to “own the libs” – and in McGuire’s case, to demonstrate his undying fealty to the Dear Leader, to whom McGuire owes his completely undeserved promotion to the US House of Representatives (can we say, “DEI for completely incompetent and unqualified white guys???).
For the latest example of McGuire’s shit-posting and far-right trolling. As you read this, keep in mind that McGuire posts this type of garbage every day, if not multiple times a day. Also, I’d remind everyone that McGuire was literally outside the U.S. Capitol with the pro-Trump mob on 1/6/21, and that this is very much in character for him…definitely not a one-off or aberration in his case.
Not that McGuire cares, of course, but the responses on his Facebook page to this latest lunacy are excellent. See below for a few of the best:
If you want to lob these accusations at people, have the honor & patriotism to do it in a U.S. court of law to their faces in accordance with our Constitution. Posting this crap on social media while they’re sitting in a foreign gulag (if they’re even still alive) is so cowardly. SMDH
I encourage everyone, especially Republicans, to read the actual court orders & demand that John insist that the Trump admin follow our courts & Constitution. It doesn’t matter what these people are accused of doing. IN THE USA WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE COURTS & THE LAW!
Here’s what the Supreme Court actually said: “the order properly requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador, and to ensure his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” It then required the district court to clarify its order. The district court did that. The Trump admin is now defying that clarified order. And in a related case in a different federal court today, the court actually found probable cause to hold the Trump admin in criminal contempt.
Here are the actual court orders:
Supreme Court (Norm v Abrego Garcia): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a949_lkhn.pdf
District Court (Noem v Abrego Garcia): https://storage.courtlistener.com/…/gov.uscourts.mdd…
District Court (JGG v Trump) finding probable cause of contempt: https://storage.courtlistener.com/…/gov.uscourts.dcd...
Bingo: “Posting this crap on social media while they’re sitting in a foreign gulag (if they’re even still alive) is so cowardly. SMDH”
Here’s another superb response:
LIES. The police officer who accused Abrego of being an MS-13 gang member in a place Abrego has *never lived* has been suspended from duty for providing classified information to a sex worker, with whom he was having a relationship.
In the Oval Office yesterday, Trump and his handlers mocked and lied about the Supreme Court’s ruling, and have provided *zero* evidence that they are trying to facilitate Abrego’s return.
America has returned lots of people it has wrongfully deported. Trump is acting like an El Salvadoran dictator.
Again, nailed it. And yes…
The Supreme Court ruled all those men deported were deprived of their legal right to due process.
That’s a Supreme Court with a 6-3 conservative/right-wing majority, by the way, including three Justices appointed by Trump himself!
John, at least it seems like your staff actually prepared their own write up this time. Doesn’t make it any less ignorant, but you tried. So much you have wrong, but I’ll stick to your misunderstanding of the Supreme Court ruling:
When you read the actual ruling:
– Trump believes they ruled for him because of this line: “Due to the administrative stay issued by THE CHIEF JUSTICE, the deadline imposed by the District Court has now passed. To that extent, the Government’s emergency application is effectively granted in part and the deadline in the challenged order is no longer effective.” i.e. the question is moot and no longer presents a live controversy. As such, the court can’t make a decision due to the Article III requirement that courts only hear actual cases or controversies.
– He also seems to be under the impression that the Supreme Court asking the District Court to clarify its order to “effectuate” is the same as ruling for him – it clearly is not. It is instructed the District Court to be more specific.
– Notably, the Supreme Court orders the Trump administration to be “prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.” That doesn’t sound like a Supreme Court that is happy with the administration’s legal team.
– The ruling also reiterates the original US representation that Abrego Garcia’s removal was illegal. Which absolutely flies in the face of what you claim in this post.
Taken together, this wasn’t quite the win Trump’s team is positioning it as being. And if you lose Thomas and Alito, then you are likely to be really unhappy in the future.
It would be good if you brought constitutional law and judicial experts onto your staff. I’m pretty sure the constitutional guidance is about to come in handy, and the judicial guidance could keep you from having your foot so firmly lodged in your esophagus. I mean, if a lowly software dev turned director can learn about this, surely a Congressional Representative should too?
Quick addendum because I just can’t let it pass:
You bring up the 14th Amendment, which does mention due process, but is mostly about clarifying that due process requirements apply to the states as well as the federal government. What you want to be looking at is the 4th Amendment – which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures of their persons, houses, papers, and effects – and the 5th Amendment which requires due process of law.
Again, this is pretty basic stuff that a person on staff could help with.
On and on it goes…cogent, fact-based rebuttals to far-right-internet-troll-masquerading-as-a-Congressman John McGuire’s latest insanity. Not that it will matter to McGuire, of course, but every voter in VA05 should be aware that THIS is what their representative in the US House is up to, day after day. And they should SERIOUSLY evaluate whether McGuire is the best person they can find, in the entire 5th Congressional district, to represent them, or whether – in fact – McGuire brings shame on VA05, on Virginia and on America every single day…
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