# Trump's McCarthy List

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [July 23, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512 "2019-07-23T20:56:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 19\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/1 "2019-07-23T20:56:14Z")

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> **[Trump says he can name 20 more Dems who are like the 'squad'](https://apnews.com/united-states-government-2b11fcb0cc5647f59ed966405d696951)**
>
> President Donald Trump says he can name at least 20 Democrats who, in his opinion, are worse than the "squad" of four Democratic female lawmakers he's been feuding with over their sharp critiques of his administration.

> [@](#):
>
> President Donald Trump said Tuesday he can name at least 20 Democrats who, in his opinion, are worse than the “squad” of four Democratic female lawmakers he’s been feuding with over their sharp critiques of his administration. He promised to name those Democrats “at some point.”

:rolleyes:

We’ve done this before. It sucked. But the guy with the list lost, so there’s that.

(I mistakenly posted this first in the SRIOTD thread; sorry for the double post y’all.)

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**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/2 "2019-07-23T21:01:05Z")

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“I have here in my hand a half-eaten Big Mac. But somewhere around here is a list…”

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**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/3 "2019-07-23T21:03:02Z")

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> [@Stupid Republican idea of the day](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41593):
>
> [Trump says he can name 20 more Dems who are like the 'squad' | AP News](https://apnews.com/2b11fcb0cc5647f59ed966405d696951:rolleyes:)  
> We’ve done this before. It sucked. But the guy with the list lost, so there’s that.
> 
> ETA: Crap; I thought I was starting a new thread.

Except now the definition of “unAmerican” is not “we don’t like him, so we will accuse him of being a Russia-loving Godless Commie with no evidence”

The new definition (thanks to Republicans) is “we don’t like him saying bad things about Trump, and not loving Russia enough, so we will accuse him of being a socialist America hater with no evidence”

The times they ain’t a changin’ (apologies to Dylan)

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**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/4 "2019-07-23T21:27:54Z")

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Hell, this isn’t even the first time Trump himself has done it.

How many times has he waved a sheet of paper around claiming it had the details of a new trade agreement or North Korean denuclearization or a great new health care plan or whatever and people would see it “within two weeks”?

To be fair, he’s extended the timing these days to “within two months” or just a vague future point. Even he’s realized he can only bullshit so far.

But at any rate, it’s one of his go-to moves. Bold claim followed by pledge to show his work at some indeterminate future point.

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**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/5 "2019-07-23T22:56:59Z")

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> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> Hell, this isn’t even the first time Trump himself has done it.
> 
> How many times has he waved a sheet of paper around claiming it had the details of a new trade agreement or North Korean denuclearization or a great new health care plan or whatever and people would see it “within two weeks”?
> 
> To be fair, he’s extended the timing these days to “within two months” or just a vague future point. Even he’s realized he can only bullshit so far.
> 
> But at any rate, it’s one of his go-to moves. Bold claim followed by pledge to show his work at some indeterminate future point.

Even Trump’s supporters know he’s full of shit when he keeps repeating this garbage. You notice that none of them ever mention is mouth-spew again, because they know that whatever he promises is just crap. They know this. But they really don’t care.

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/6 "2019-07-23T23:20:37Z")

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> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#):
>
> Even Trump’s supporters know he’s full of shit when he keeps repeating this garbage. You notice that none of them ever mention is mouth-spew again, because they know that whatever he promises is just crap. They know this. But they really don’t care.

They want to be a lying criminal asshole that never see any repercussions for their crimes. They want to be just like him. Trump is their standard barer.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/7 "2019-07-23T23:44:26Z")

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> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#):
>
> Even Trump’s supporters know he’s full of shit when he keeps repeating this garbage. You notice that none of them ever mention is mouth-spew again, because they know that whatever he promises is just crap. They know this. But they really don’t care.

That is the problem I see, and not just with Trump. There is a post-truth idea going on. It’s more like “yeah, Trump is lying. So what? All politicians lie.” Or “yes, I may be defrauding customers. But is it really bad if they enjoyed it anyway?”

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/8 "2019-07-23T23:45:40Z")

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> [@enipla](#):
>
> Trump is their standard barer.

Misspelling/typo, or deliberate pun on them being bare of any standards?

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/9 "2019-07-24T00:18:28Z")

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> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#):
>
> Even Trump’s supporters know he’s full of shit when he keeps repeating this garbage. You notice that none of them ever mention is mouth-spew again, because they know that whatever he promises is just crap. They know this. But they really don’t care.

I’ve made the analogy before to a pigeon drop. Trump’s supporters know he’s a con man but they think it’s okay because they believe they’re in on the con. What they don’t understand is that they’re the real target.

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**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/10 "2019-07-24T00:20:50Z")

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> [@enipla](#):
>
> They want to be a lying criminal asshole that never see any repercussions for their crimes.

Hell, I want to be that, too…except for the “asshole” part. Should I become a Short-Fingered Vulgarian supporter?

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**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/11 "2019-07-24T01:22:53Z")

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I had a sudden flash of insight today. I wonder how much of trump’s antipathy toward AOC is based on her questioning of Michael Cohen, where, in four minutes, she opened up several possible avenues of criminal investigation against him.

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**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/12 "2019-07-24T01:44:19Z")

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Trump has a list of the 20 worst Democrats, eh? Remind me, how many Democrats are running for the party’s nomination for president?

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**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/13 "2019-07-24T01:44:25Z")

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> [@E-DUB](#):
>
> I had a sudden flash of insight today. I wonder how much of trump’s antipathy toward AOC is based on her questioning of Michael Cohen, where, in four minutes, she opened up several possible avenues of criminal investigation against him.

No doubt that didn’t help.

But AOC’s main crime is that she gets headlines even more easily than Trump does. In some Swiss-cheesed corner of his deteriorating brain, he knows that if he weren’t President, she’d be getting more headlines than he by some horrifyingly large order of magnitude.

> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> [Trump says he can name 20 more Dems who are like the 'squad' | AP News](https://apnews.com/2b11fcb0cc5647f59ed966405d696951:rolleyes:)  
> We’ve done this before. It sucked. But the guy with the list lost, so there’s that.

It took several years for that guy to lose, though.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/14 "2019-07-24T02:01:30Z")

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> [@Sherrerd](#):
>
> It took several years for that guy to lose, though.

True, and many lives were upended and ruined because of him. There’s no way to minimize the harm he and his supporters did and I’m sure Trump and his supporters will hurt more people; this is part of the price we as a nation are going to pay for not heading this off sooner. Those who don’t learn from history etc. etc.

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**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/15 "2019-07-24T02:08:34Z")

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> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> True, and many lives were upended and ruined because of him. There’s no way to minimize the harm he and his supporters did and I’m sure Trump and his supporters will hurt more people; this is part of the price we as a nation are going to pay for not heading this off sooner. Those who don’t learn from history etc. etc.

Sadly true. History-textbook writers of good will, no doubt, have believed that they’ve laid out the dangers sufficiently well to produce generations of Americans who _have_ learned from history, and won’t make the same stupid errors again. But: no. Maybe there’s no way to do that.

Or maybe the problem is “_you have to be taught, before it’s too late, before you are six, or seven, or eight, to hate all the people your relatives hate._…”

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/16 "2019-07-24T02:23:03Z")

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> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#):
>
> Hell, I want to be that, too…except for the “asshole” part. Should I become a Short-Fingered Vulgarian supporter?

It’s hard to be a lying criminal who’s not an asshole though.

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/17 "2019-07-24T03:05:01Z")

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> [@Sherrerd](#):
>
> It took several years for that guy to lose, though.

For every Joseph McCarthy who crashed and burned, you had several Richard Nixons and Barry Goldwaters who also played up to anti-communist hysteria and went on to have long political careers.

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**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/18 "2019-07-24T05:09:24Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> For every Joseph McCarthy who crashed and burned, you had several Richard Nixons and Barry Goldwaters who also played up to anti-communist hysteria and went on to have long political careers.

Of course, the boogeyman is now [“socialism”](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/mcconnell-redefines-socialism-to-include-the-entire-democratic-party) which is, of course, defined as "anything the Republicans do not like.

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-mccarthy-list/837512/19 "2019-07-24T09:16:35Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> I’ve made the analogy before to a pigeon drop. Trump’s supporters know he’s a con man but they think it’s okay because they believe they’re in on the con. What they don’t understand is that they’re the real target.

They’d watch [_Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095031/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) and wonder why any of the scoundrels is hiding their crimes and misdeeds. They’re also letting (actually, abetting) a conman take not their life’s savings but their country away from everyone.

Here’s what I’d dearly love to see the next time Tan the Conman parades the military to feed his vanity: Every single Puerto Rican service member in the area tell him to his face, “I am Puerto Rican. I am American. And I vote {party of choice}”.
