Former president Donald Trump disseminated on social media on Friday an image of President Biden with his hands and feet tied and his mouth gagged, the latest example of the Republican candidate’s use of increasingly violent rhetoric and imagery this campaign season.

The image can be seen about halfway through a 20-second video that Trump posted on his Truth Social site. The post says it was recorded Thursday on Long Island, where Trump traveled this week to attend a wake for a recently killed police officer.

In the video, two trucks decorated with giant Trump flags and altered American flags are driving on a highway. On the tailgate door of one of the trucks is the image of Biden lying horizontally, bound and gagged.

Trump has a history of sharing and promoting violent images featuring his perceived enemies.

  • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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    6 months ago

    I don’t like saying this but I will forgo any of my liberal socialist ideals if Biden wants to do whatever it takes to get votes from republicans.

    Edit: Man, you people are sad little trolls. Go spend some time out in the IRL world. It’s genuinely depressing to see so many keyboard warriors spend their time regurgitating the talking points from the comfort of their echo chamber.

    To clarify my meaning, whether you agree with my politics or not, I think Biden has been a far better president than anyone could have hoped for (possibly the best I can recall) but I still have a philosophical disagreement with him when it comes to protections and equity for all. I believe there are some programs that the federal government should run to give all Americans the best opportunities (education, healthcare, housing, UBI, etc) and I believe that taking excessive capitalist gains from the ultra wealthy is a small drop in the bucket to promote some fairness. I will lean back on these philosophical ideas which I’ve had little hope of a centrist of adopting and encourage him to lean further right if that means he can take some votes away from the inarguably worst president in modern times (yes, worse than Regan).

    If you think Trump should be the leader of the US, that he some how represents or understands democracy, that he cares about you or the United States, that he’s a good president or person, or is better than Biden in any regard, you and I are not existing in the same solar system so there’s no point in arguing. I don’t have anything against Republicans but the extreme and religious conservatives and the MAGA cult do not align with the freedoms dreamed by our founders or promised in the Constitution of the US.

    • ALQ@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      I would also not be opposed to Biden testing his own Presidential Immunity™ on Trump and his cronies, and I hate that I feel that way.

        • NattyNatty2x4@beehaw.org
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          6 months ago

          Well if it makes you feel any better, not forgoing idealism in the face of reality would help trump win. So the realism of voting for biden and getting him to win is the best possible outcome, as far as getting as close to your ideals as possible is concerned.

        • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          We’re trying to be outraged here and fit this into the narrative. You shall be down voted for any facts that force us to face the fact that the reason for our outrage is not rooted in reality.

        • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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          6 months ago

          Fascist threatens liberal president, liberals in power scream “someone has to do something about this!” And then do nothing

          Trump could be shot for treason, in an open and shut way(stealing nuclear secrets) but liberals aren’t going to do it, because for structural reasons liberals are incapable of opposing fascism.

          (Liberal in this case is used the normal way, and not the “liberal= left wing” way)

            • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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              6 months ago

              Oh wow, transphobia and a suicide joke from someone who hates hexbear, how surprising.

              Also it isnt a superiority complex to have a basic understanding of history.

              I would love to be proven wrong, it would be interesting from a historical perspective due to liberals previous inability to fight fascism, and also I wouldn’t end up in a concentration camp for being trans, and communist, and Jewish. But until I’m proven wrong I’ll keep being a communist, because communism has the best antifascist record and I dont want to get gassed.

              • marcie (she/her)@lemmy.ml
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                so far this site seems like an absolute shithole, mostly because the admins and mods seem to be completely disinterested in permanently banning bigoted users. instead they seem to enjoy wasting their time removing comments that are uncivil to these repeatedly bigoted people.

  • Dramaking37@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Interestingly, Donald Trump’s argument about presidential immunity suggests that Biden could do that to him and it legally okay to do so.

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    6 months ago

    Anyone else that did this would get visited by very angry men in dark suits.

    I suppose if it’s ok for Trump to do, then I could post an image of Trump bound and gagged?

    • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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      Kathy Griffin and at least a couple of art galleries have depicted Trump decapitations, during his presidency. They all got some shit publicly because of it (mostly upset right wingers) but no one was arrested or subjected to anything by the government, no matter how much said angry right wingers asked.

      This is just the party flipped version of the same sort of thing. Watching just how many people start pearl clutching at only one of these is kinda amusing.

      • melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee
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        Its not the same sort of thing. Kathy whoever the fuck doesn’t have friends who put people in oil drums, and AFAIK has never attempted a fascist coup.

        If you wanted to hang a bloody hyper realistic effigy of Jojo burning in a tree, your statement would be true (except for the tree. be nicer to trees)

      • Soleos@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        I think it’s one thing for a private citizen to do this, but it would be another thing for a sitting/former president running for election to do the same

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          Check the original video he posted. He literally filmed some dick-replacement giant pickups covered in pro-police, pro-Trump, anti-Biden shit, and one of them had this commercially available tailgate decal on it of Biden bound and gagged.

          It’s in bad taste, sure but it’s not something you can honestly treat the way the media is treating this. It’s click bait.

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            How would you describe the media is treating it and how should the media be treating presidents who share such imagery regardless of party?

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    6 months ago

    Biden has funded a genocide and oversees an government which completely sold out to corporate interests, the military industrial complex, and the prison industrial complex. They watched big pharma kill thousands in the opioid epidemic. They bailed out the banks after the great financial crisis, while the middle class was left to die.

    Every congress member relies on corporate funding for campaigns. They can literally hold stock in the companies they regulate. Those corporations’ interests are completely opposite of the interests of the working class.

    I couldn’t care less if some feckless oaf posts a picture of a US figurehead in such a position.

    • Auzy@beehaw.org
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      Oh ffs.

      • You really don’t care that the guy who has empowered racists and bigots again, idealises Putin and is clearly going to try to overthrow the government a second time is now VERY clearly setting things up for the next coup?
      • You don’t care that this is clearly a COMPONENT of overthrowing the election
      • Trump hasn’t only made things bad in the US, he’s made thing bad INTERNATIONALLY
      • Trump also is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in the US due to COVID.
      • Remember when he used to call it “China flu”, explicitly as a shoutout to racists? Every time he even says the word “China”, he says it in some weird way. His own staff has also been fairly open that he was making up stuff during covid on the spot (and it was obvious)
      • Oh, and he is a fan of China permanently electing someone though (ie, dictatorship).
      • The bank crisis was a problem, and internationally, they were all seemingly bailed out. It’s a whataboutism, but you know what helps the economy and workers? Yes, the rich paying taxes, and not lying to banks when getting a loan.
      • They’ve also created a war against Trans people. And it is starting to spread to other countries. I have plenty of Gay, “Woke” and Trans people in my meetup groups. And lots of foreigners. And I honestly have a higher level of respect for them than other people. They’re really good people
      • People like Tate have gained power by Trump’s actions.
      • He’s already attacking our international relations expert / Ex PM (Kevin Rudd) here in Australia in advance. And Kevin Rudd was basically the guy who saved us during Covid because of his negotiating skills and set up AUKUS. Rudd is more qualified than Trump (and, was actually fairly well-liked when he was Prime Minister)

      On the other hand:

      • Speaking of big pharma, sure, what about the guy who is negotiating the price of drug costs to lower them?
      • What about the guys who pushed medical coverage for all (same as we have here in Australia).
      • What about the guy whose own son was ALLOWED by the president to get prosecuted. If you need to see honor, there is likely no harder thing to watch as a parent. In contrast, Trump gave his family members positions of power.
      • Also, if you’re referring to fentanyl, they are targeting now fentanyl now to try to attack it. they’re not “watching”. Fentanyl is a serious problem worldwide.
      • What about the guy who vetoed legislation which would remove protections for some endangered species
      • What about the guy who is actively saving people’s health (and generating jobs), by pushing EV’s.
      • And he’s trying to make US safer by more Gun controls, which he is having trouble getting through.
      • He’s trying to eliminate tax subsidies for Gas and Oil companies, and instead spending that money on renewables
      • He’s reduced inflation…

      The fact is, is Trump wins, things will go from ACCEPTABLE to REALLY BAD internationally. From where I’m watching here in Australia, Biden is doing plenty.

      **AND DEFINITELY VOTE PEOPLE, FOR THE GOOD OF THE ENTIRE PLANET. **

      Do not listen to these Right-Wing nutjobs who are relying on discouraging people from voting next election.

      • ian@lemmy.ml
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        There’s a lot to respond to here. I’ll go point by point.

        You really don’t care that the guy who has empowered racists and bigots again, idealises Putin and is clearly going to try to overthrow the government a second time is now VERY clearly setting things up for the next coup?

        You don’t care that this is clearly a COMPONENT of overthrowing the election

        There are so many issues to unpack here. Trump’s base is a reactionary, anti-establishment movement, clearly. This should be expected in a society that is ran by and for an elite class.

        I’m online quite a bit and I haven’t noticed many Trumpers idolizing Putin, but I wouldn’t care if they did. It’s within their rights. The notion that Putin is trying to overthrow our government is unfounded at best. I have yet to see any credible evidence of Russian interference. This strikes me as a McCarthyism Revival that only seems to work on liberals.

        As for the claim of not only a coup, but a second coup: I don’t think that a reasonable person believes that an angry mob storming a government building would have a snowballs chance in hell at actually carrying out a coup. This isn’t the 17th century. You don’t just take over a building today and expect to be able to control the country.

        Trump hasn’t only made things bad in the US, he’s made thing bad INTERNATIONALLY

        Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of what little foreign policy decisions he made. I did like that he pulled out of Syria, however.

        Trump also is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in the US due to COVID

        Okay? Biden is too. It feels like you’re under the impression that I support Trump, which I never claimed to.

        Remember when he used to call it “China flu”, explicitly as a shoutout to racists? Every time he even says the word “China”, he says it in some weird way. His own staff has also been fairly open that he was making up stuff during covid on the spot (and it was obvious)

        Oh, and he is a fan of China permanently electing someone though (ie, dictatorship).

        Yeah, I agree that Trump is racist and a generic fascist strongman. This isn’t a revelation. I assume that the subtext is that Biden isn’t a fascist? We’d disagree on that. Biden and Trump certainly have different styles, but they both seem to embrace the deep state and the dictatorship of capital.

        The bank crisis was a problem, and internationally, they were all seemingly bailed out. It’s a whataboutism, but you know what helps the economy and workers? Yes, the rich paying taxes, and not lying to banks when getting a loan.

        I’m not even sure how you got to this thought process. “Whataboutism” has completely lost its meaning at this point. I don’t think you appreciate the gravity of our political situation. Politicians work for the ultra wealthy. We don’t live in a democracy. They aren’t going to do anything that would jeopardize the elites’ position in society.

        They’ve also created a war against Trans people. And it is starting to spread to other countries. I have plenty of Gay, “Woke” and Trans people in my meetup groups. And lots of foreigners. And I honestly have a higher level of respect for them than other people. They’re really good people

        I agree. I like the LGBT community as well.

        People like Tate have gained power by Trump’s actions.

        I it’s difficult to draw a line between Trump and Tate directly. I personally think it’s a larger reactionary movement in society, and Trump and Tate are symptoms of a larger societal sickness.

        He’s already attacking our international relations expert / Ex PM (Kevin Rudd) here in Australia in advance. And Kevin Rudd was basically the guy who saved us during Covid because of his negotiating skills and set up AUKUS. Rudd is more qualified than Trump (and, was actually fairly well-liked when he was Prime Minister)

        No comment here, I’m not familiar with this topic.

        Speaking of big pharma, sure, what about the guy who is negotiating the price of drug costs to lower them?

        Reducing drug prices, especially at the paltry scale Biden negotiated for, is a measly concession that doesn’t challenge the underlying power structure of Big Pharma’s racketeering. Drug production should be nationalized.

        What about the guys who pushed medical coverage for all (same as we have here in Australia).

        Ah, you’re Australian. I was thinking “this person must have been born yesterday” for many of my responses lol. I mean no offense. I can’t say that I know another country as well as you the US, even with the corrections I’ve offered.

        Yeah, medical coverage for all should be table-stakes.

        What about the guy whose own son was ALLOWED by the president to get prosecuted. If you need to see honor, there is likely no harder thing to watch as a parent. In contrast, Trump gave his family members positions of power.

        I think this was about Hunter Biden? I honestly didn’t follow that story too closely. I recall it dealt with the Biden family’s racketeering, selling political favors, etc. The court system is highly politicized in this country.

        Nepotism is everywhere in our society. We are a far cry from a meritocracy.

        Also, if you’re referring to fentanyl, they are targeting now fentanyl now to try to attack it. they’re not “watching”. Fentanyl is a serious problem worldwide.

        The opioid epidemic in the US predated the Fentanyl crisis. The opioid epidemic came from the systemic over-prescription of opioids to treat pain. The industry was aware of the dangers, but ignored them and profited as 500,000 Americans died of overdoses over a couple of decades. Doctors eventually stopped prescribing opioid which caused people to seek opioids off the street, which was far more dangerous, even before fentanyl made its way into the streets.

        The great financial crisis can also be attributed to the rise in opioid use as many Americans lost their houses and livelihoods. It was an incredibly dark time for the working class.

        The government didn’t do anything to help citizens and families who were suffering. The Sackler family owned the main drug company responsible for producing the prescription opioids that killed so many people. They also bribed doctors to prescribe the opioids at a massive scale.

        The Sacklers got a slap on the wrist and that was it.

        What about the guy who vetoed legislation which would remove protections for some endangered species

        I don’t know about this, but it doesn’t sound significant, especially considering the amount of oil he allowed to be drilled in Alaska.

        What about the guy who is actively saving people’s health (and generating jobs), by pushing EV’s.

        EVs make sense in some climates, but they come with their own environmental and socioeconomic problems. The minerals used for batteries are extracted by slaves in Africa and the mining process isn’t good for the local ecosystem. I need to read more into this.

        And he’s trying to make US safer by more Gun controls, which he is having trouble getting through.

        IMO this is a case of treating a symptom instead of a root cause. Mass shootings are happening because our society is fragmenting. People are overworked, precarious, and have no access to healthcare or mental healthcare. Fixing healthcare and worker’s rights would alleviate the crisis. I’m not even a gun-owner, but I never want to be in a situation where our fascist government has guns and citizens can’t own guns.

        He’s trying to eliminate tax subsidies for Gas and Oil companies, and instead spending that money on renewables

        Allowing for substantial oil-drilling is a funny way of going about this.

        He’s reduced inflation…

        He reduced the rate of inflation. He still printed 30% of the US’ money supply, which has predictably led to significant inflation.

        The fact is, is Trump wins, things will go from ACCEPTABLE to REALLY BAD internationally. From where I’m watching here in Australia, Biden is doing plenty.

        “Acceptable” is subjective, I suppose. I don’t find our government acceptable in the slightest. Anything short of democracy is tyranny.

        Please understand that our media companies (CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc.) are state propaganda. Our elites fall into factions that struggle for political power, which is evident in the ostensible differences between, say, Fox and MSNBC, but both companies are merely propaganda mouthpieces for the ultra-wealthy.

        **AND DEFINITELY VOTE PEOPLE, FOR THE GOOD OF THE ENTIRE PLANET. **

        sigh

        Do not listen to these Right-Wing nutjobs who are relying on discouraging people from voting next election.

        I hope you don’t think I’m right-wing at this point. Notice my username.

      • Arelin@lemmy.zip
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        6 months ago

        things will go from ACCEPTABLE

        Most people aren’t (social?) fascists like you though and don’t find genocide “ACCEPTABLE”

        • Asafum@feddit.nl
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          By… Religious facists?

          I agree in the most basic way: get wall st power out of government. Buuuut the Republicans are not the way.

        • Auzy@beehaw.org
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          Consider that doing so is like a toddler having a temper tantrum.

          What are you doing to fix politics? You’re not starting a political party, you’re not doing anything meaningful, you’re not trying to get into office

          You don’t even have any real suggestions on how to fix things or who should be in charge

          Being a keyboard warrior isn’t helpful at all if you feel that way.

          • PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
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            6 months ago

            I do at least the bare minimum, and that is not voting for the parties of capital. That is a bar even liberals, the lowest of the low, can’t clear.

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        Unfortunately, facts don’t matter to most people. Humans are emotional first. You say a bunch of stuff that clashes with their beliefs and group membership, and you hit a fight or flight response. They’re not going to listen because losing group cohesion tells the brain you’re going to die alone in the desert.

        Think about how you feel when someone contradicts something you’re emotionally invested in. Your favorite band sucks. Most people aren’t going to calmly evaluate the situation.

    • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      Even given your exaggerations and lies, I’d ecstatically take four more years of this over four more hours of Trump.

      • Alsephina@lemmy.ml
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        I’d ecstatically take four more years of this

        Watch out, you’re forgetting about the “crypto” part of being a cryptofascist

  • dhork@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    If anyone else had done that, the Secret Service would be after them. But since it’s Donald Trump, the Secret Service protects him.

    • cjoll4@lemmy.world
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      The image he shared was one that had already been circulating for months. Can you find an example of the Secret Service going after anyone else who retweeted it? Did they even go after the person driving the vehicle in the picture, or the company that produces the tailgate wrap?

      Pretty sure this is protected free speech. Nobody in their right mind would see this as a credible threat to kidnap Joe Biden; it’s just a humorous way of showing displeasure toward a politician.

      • dhork@lemmy.world
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        If you’re so sure, you should post it on all of your Social Media accounts, and see what happens…

        • Sylver@lemmy.world
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          I see multiple of these tailgate wraps in town on the back of trucks in my area. People in this area share and distribute MUCH WORSE SHIT than this mild piece of artistic garbage… I’m not saying it’s right, but it is protected speech.

          Though we should hold running presidential candidates to a higher standard, and perceive this threat as it is.

  • bloodfart@lemmy.ml
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    lol anyone who doesn’t think a tailgate piece that makes it look like you got the president tied up in the bed of your truck is funny sucks.

  • Yerbouti@lemmy.ml
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    Lol, my comment commenting about Hexbear users got remove by mod. What’s up mod? They get to be removed about everyone they disagree with, but we can’t criticize them?

    • bloodfart@lemmy.ml
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      the comment that got removed was

      Hexbear users are always willing to defend far-right activists in some twisted logic. You people should merge with the proud boys, they hate libs too.

      for the reason “trolling”.

      your comment was directly in response to the OP, so there’s no context to consider.

      sounds like another common .ml moderator W to me.