Until last year, 'Popehat' was one of those stalwart Twitter accounts people turned to for commentary for legal and political commentary. 'Popehat' made a dramatic exit from Twitter last year, but now posts on smaller social media platforms. One of those is called 'Bluesky Social'. Today, 'BaseballCrank' made Twitter aware of some very concerning posts from 'Popehat' on 'Bluesky' as of late.
Popehat, late yesterday afternoon, building a justification for violence against conservative journalists & think tanks: pic.twitter.com/DXHI5BSKu6
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) July 14, 2024
The mass deportation scheme is probably the most immediately scary part of Trump 2025. It’s not just the just the forcible deportation of millions of people and accompanying family disruption That’s bad enough. Nor is the let’s-see-what-pulling-this-lever-does-hurr economic recklessness./1
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:28 PM
[image or embed]
/2 It’s also the vast militarization it’s going to require. We’re going to be an occupied nation. Detention of citizens and lawful residents is inevitable and in fact clearly intended. Large-scale violence against immigrants, suspected immigrants, and bystanders is inevitable and clearly intended.
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:29 PM
/3 Plus there’s the militarization and mobilization of “private” forces — the go-ahead signal to the “stand down and stand by” Trump supporters who are going to be given the wink and the nod to forcibly detain, and kill “in self defense”, non-whites they think must be illegal.
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:30 PM
/4 Not everyone who votes for Trump wants to kill or harass non-whites, but a deal-breakingly high percentage do, and a further deal-breakingly high-percentage don’t give a shit or will be in denial. The perceived authorization to find “illegals” …
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:32 PM
/5 …will be a green light for the worst people in the country to settle grudges, harass disliked neighbors, sexually assault women, and harass anyone who doesn’t look like Eric Trump. Some non-white Trump supporters are gonna get killed, harassed, beaten, raped, and wrongly deported.
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:33 PM
/6 These are features, not bugs. The violence will escalate and self-justify — any resistance or protest cited as reason for the violence. The “private” violence will broaden outside the immigration arena. The worst people in America will see their chance.
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:36 PM
/7 Heritage? They will gloat. FedSoc? Their attitude will be “well, this is not idea, but thank God we got rid of Chevron deference.” The modern American evangelicals will give thanks.
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:37 PM
/8 At some point, in my opinion, violence against not just the government doing it and the private people joining the violence but the soft-target think-tank, media, and academic aparatus that empowered it becomes morally and philosophically justified.
— Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) Jul 13, 2024 at 5:38 PM
I included the screenshots from 'BaseballCrank' just in case the better angels of 'Popehat' prevail and he erases a justification for violence against people like me, members of conservative media. Number 8 is a real doozy.
The BlueSky echo chamber has not been good for some previously sane people. White should really know better, and I hope this is just a temporary episode. https://t.co/udGUQbZ1UH
— (((tedfrank))) (@tedfrank) July 14, 2024
With the many faults of Twitter, there are so many people interacting with a variety of political, moral and philosophical differences, so it serves to keep people more in check. Over on 'BlueSky', Popehat mostly gets back pats for his disturbing rhetoric.
Bluesky is one of the places where the Left let's its freak flag fly, thinking there's nobody watching.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) July 14, 2024
My God. That guy went off the deep end.
— AG (@AGHamilton29) July 14, 2024
The scary part is 'Popehat' used to be friendly with many conservative media types. Now, he has no problem justifying violence against those same people. Trump really broke his brain.
Is he performing for an audience or does he really believe that?
— Madlaw (@madlaw1071) July 14, 2024
Even if it is a performance, it's the person he inspires with his rhetoric who follows through on it that I worry about. Cowards always get someone to do their dirty work.
Fascinating timing.
— ░SourPatchLyds░ (@sourpatchlyds) July 14, 2024
I am pretty sure that he used to be a thoughtful commentator worth reading and listening to--at some point in the past.
— Howard Slugh (@HowardSlugh) July 14, 2024
Unfortunately, that ship has sailed and he has now moved into really dangerous (for other people) territory.
