On April Fools Day, many people write about pranks played on others or fake stories that readers may believe. This true news shows what fools believe.
In Bulwark, conservatives Wiilliam Kristol and Andrew Egger reprise Robert Kagan’s article about how MAGA calls for “America First” wants to return the U.S. to the 1930s and its aftermath when Adolf Hitler began invading European countries—starting with Austria and Czechoslovakia before moving through another five countries and then taking over France. His effort finally failed after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt persuaded the nation to join Europeans and Russia against Hitler and Germany.
Determined isolationists after World War I, Republicans wanted to avoid all world conflicts. Nazi supporters, such as aviator Charles Lindbergh, praised Nazi Germany for its economy, and Sen. Robert Taft (R-OH) mocked those who feared advancing fascism. He said that world was “big enough to contain all kinds of different ways of life.” Instead, conservative Republicans worried about communism and believed that Hitler and Mussolini would protect the U.S. The antisemitic conservatives also felt Jews were responsible for their conspiracy theories and called the New Deal the “Jew Deal.” According to conservatives, Jews were pushing the United States into war “for reasons which are not American.”
By the 1940s, most people in the U.S. rejected arguments of these original American Firsters, which had 800,000 members in 400 chapters. FDR succeeded in entering World War II because of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the majority of people who wanted to send aid to Britain in the Lend-Lease plan. “America First was generally rejected until former Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) used it to take over the U.S. His current authoritarianism has led to MAGA support for Russian President Vladimir Putin who threatens the world with the possibility that Putin will take over where Hitler failed. Putin has a better chance than Hitler to bamboozle the U.S. than 75 years ago when the GOP presidential candidate, Wendell Wilkie, opposed Hitler’s takeover and the abdication of U.S. responsibility. In 2024, the candidate DDT has a large number of supporters who think like Hitler. Once again, the U.S. faces the greatest ground war since World War II in a contrast between democracy and tyranny.
If DDT is victorious and turns against Ukraine, international power will undergo a huge change. Before the election, MAGA is following DDT’s orders and blocking help for Ukraine. Even if Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson caves in to let Democrats vote for Ukrainian aid, in a effort to keep his position, the funding might not be quickly forthcoming. People are foolish is they believe that a coalition of Russia, Iran, and North Korea will not impact the United States.
Russia has been spreading lies about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelinsky and his wife to give the GOP Putin wing an excuse to not send funding to save the country in Russia’s invasion. According to a specialist in disinformation, tainting Zelensky then taints Ukraine’s image. One lie that went viral was Zelensky’s purchase of two yachts for $75 million. Russia even provided proof of purchase, but the yachts are still for sale. Another falsehood is that his wife Olena Zelenska bought $1.1 million worth of jewelry in New York when she came to New York last September with her husband who sought support from Congress. In fact, she was in Canada with her husband where they met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the date of the fake receipt that was provided. The woman who made the original claims was the owner of a store in Russia, not an employee of Cartier.
China is also using disinformation similar to that of Russia against Democrats to influence the 2024 election by masquerading as U.S. supporters of DDT in promoting conspiracy theories, pushing domestic divisions, and attacking Biden. These attacks come from Chinese government accounts called Spamouflage. Like Russia, China prefers DDT to Biden as president. In February, a Chinese-linked X account with a Western name beside a “MAGA 2024” reference shared a video from Russian state TV that claimed Biden and the CIA sent a neo-Nazi gangster to fight in Ukraine. The account declared it belonged to a 43-year-old DDT supporter in Los Angeles, but the profile image had been lifted from a Danish man’s travel blog. It appeared to originally be in Mandarin. Alex Jones shared the hoax with 2.2 million followers. Another account was posted in Mandarin until it was corrected. Meta removes these accounts, but X lets them flourish.
Rejection of immigrant workers and a desire to pay lower wages are behind the weakened child labor laws in at least 16 states. Another issue is the arrival of migrant children from Latin America who can easily be abused in the work environment. In Florida, 16- and 17-year-olds can work seven days in a row and take overnight shifts if they are schooled online or in the home. Federal law forbids all minors from working in jobs deemed hazardous, including manufacturing, roofing, meatpacking, and demolition, but child-labor violations are soaring in the past few years. Contrary to federal law, Iowa permits minors to work in these areas. One way to avoid federal law is to call these children “apprentices.” Six other states consider laws permitting minors to work in dangerous jobs. In Virginia and Iowa, children as young as 13 clean head splitters and other kill-floor equipment at slaughterhouses on overnight shifts for Fayette Janitorial Services. The GOP argument for relaxed laws is to improve teenagers’ work ethic and reduce screen time. Some legislators simply say that they had jobs when were teenagers or they would let their own children work.
Yet another 13 states are trying to strengthen these laws. After deaths of minors illegally employed in dangerous jobs, Virginia unanimously approved a bill increasing employer penalties for child labor violations from $1,000 to $2,500 for routine violations. GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin hasn’t signed it yet, but it has enough votes to override a veto. Colorado has introduced the strongest bills that not only raise fines for violations but also publicize information about companies violating child labor laws.
Michelle Cottle warns the GOP that DDT bring the party to financial ruin because the RNC is helping him pay his legal expenses and focusing on his election to the detriment of all other candidates. Chris LaCivita, who got his job through DDT’s insistence, vowed that committee funds wouldn’t be used for DDT’s legal costs, but the arrangement for the April 6 fundraiser shows a different approach. The invitation states that he gets the first $6,600 for his campaign, the legal maximum, and the following $5,000 to Save America PAC, paying for DDT’s legal costs. The next $413,000 of the $814,600 asking price goes to the RNC and the rest to state GOPs, some of this battleground cash-strapped states Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia. Impoverished parties in chaos from leaders’ indictments and infighting don’t receive large donations. Congressional GOP candidates also aren’t getting the big bucks since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), an excellent fundraiser, was ousted from the position. And new Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson lacks confidence as House members have formed their own tribes in more infighting.
These aren’t pranks:
With no facts, the RNC has to publish lies to convince the ignorant that Biden is incompetent. This video is an example with the message, “Biden slowly descends the Capitol steps (as his handlers keep a watchful eye), points toward his motorcade, and shuffles back into his limo. Vigor!” He is flanked by Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson and former Irish PM Leo Varadkar who resigned this month.
Judge Juan Merchan has expanded DDT’s gag order to limit his attacks on Merchan’s and Manhattan’s DA Alvin Bragg’s family members. DDT’s lawyers argued against the order, claiming that DDT needed to issue these threats as part of his campaigning with First Amendment rights. During his civil lawsuit regarding fraud, DDT also targeted Judge Arthur Engoron’s wife and son.
DDT has posted a $175 million bond, due on Thursday, to prevent New York from seizing his assets. An appeals court had let him post the bond for under 40 percent of what he owed. The amount owed is growing by $100,000 a day from interest. After posting the bond, DDT can file an appeal for the verdict.
DDT celebrated Easter posting and reporting 43 Truth Social messages with grievances about Judge Arthur Engoron, humorist Jon Stewart, Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, New York AG Letitia James, and gag orders. He didn’t say whether he attended church on Easter Sunday.
Stock for DDT’s Truth Social dropped almost 22 percent on Monday to $48.66, about $1 billion, after the report of a $58 million annual loss in its regulatory filings. The cost had gone up to $79.38 last Friday after shareholders permitted stocks to trade. With a revenue of $4.1 million, the company spent $16 million on operative expenses and $39.4 million on interest. It expects losses during the foreseeable future. The company’s accountants doubts that it can “continue as a going concern.” Monthly active users are down 51 percent to 494,000 monthy users whereas X has 75 million U.S. users. Meta’s new Threats has ten times as many users as Truth Social. DDT is prevented from selling his millions of shares for six months.
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