It wasn't just Trump's third rate legal team that made him look bad yesterday. One of his most important real estate partners, Steven Roth of Vornado Realty, is trying to disassociate from the Trump Organization, by buying him out of 1290 Avenue of the Americas in NYC and 555 California Street in San Francisco’s financial district. In the business world Trump has cooties and no one except snake handlers and felons with tattooed necks want to have anything to do with him.
Last night we had a look at how the Trump Republican Party is melding with domestic terrorist groups. This is probably a terrible idea if the Republicans are serious about trying to win back suburban voters, who tend to not feel positive about Proud Boys, Boogaloo Bois, Oath Keepers and domestic terrorists in general. And it isn't your suburban families that don't approve. Last night, The Hill reported that the Pentagon is taking measures to disrupt right-wing militia recruiting in the ranks of the military. Ellen Mitchell reported that the Pentagon has made it clear that extremist groups are no longer welcome. "Following the revelation that nearly one in five people charged in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol had some connection to the military," she wrote, "the Defense Department is turning its attention to its ranks to try to stamp out dangerous and violent ideology. Defense officials are hoping to use a series of steps announced in recent days, including a force-wide 'stand-down' to address extremism, in order to prevent more troops from falling prey to ideologically driven groups including those that advocate white supremacy. 'Some of these groups are very organized. They very aggressively recruit soon-to-be veterans,' top Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday."
The services do screen incoming members, scrutiny that can include checking for tattoos of racist symbols and doing background checks for criminal records, gang affiliations or participation in extremist organizations. However, there is no uniform understanding for how to address incendiary or problematic comments and views made on social media as it runs up against First Amendment rights.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hopes to get a handle on just how deep the issue of extremism runs with his order last week for a force-wide stand-down.
...Veterans, who make up only 7 percent of all American adults, are a particularly attractive pool from which far-right militias seek to recruit due to their highly sought-after experience with weapons as well as their organizational and leadership skills.
Of the 190 people charged in the Jan. 6 riot, at least 30 are veterans and three are current National Guard members or reservists. The riot is the central focus of the Senate impeachment trial that began Tuesday accusing former President Trump of inciting insurrection.
Among the groups whose members were seen and arrested at the riot include the 3 Percenters, an anti-government militia movement named after an inaccurate claim that only three percent of American colonists fought against the British during the Revolutionary War; the Oath Keepers, a loosely organized collection of militia members who believe the federal government is trying to strip U.S. citizens of their rights; Texas Freedom Force, an extremist militia group; and Proud Boys, a self-proclaimed "Western chauvinist" group.
“We know that some groups actively attempt to recruit our personnel into their cause, or actually encourage their members to join the military for purpose of acquiring skills and experience,” a senior Pentagon official told reporters in January.
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