As we told you earlier, CNN analyst — and, very disturbingly, former FBI special agent — Asha Rangappa couldn’t help but wonder if the shameful display that was Will Smith slapping presenter Chris Rock at last night’s Oscars was effectively “an independent psychological case study on how Trump got normalized.” Because, well, Asha Rangappa is an idiot.
But she’s hardly alone in her idiocy. Fellow TDS sufferer and MSNBC analyst Steve Schmidt’s take on Will Smith’s violent outburst was very similar to Rangappa’s, not just in terms of premise, but also in terms of how mind-numbingly stupid it is:
The Oscars have demonstrated the power of group psychology. The room is a hermetically sealed bubble where all mores can be eradicated in a second. Do you want to understand how Trump happened? Watch the Oscars and the crowd reaction. The pull to belong is very powerful. The
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 28, 2022
Pull to conform to what is happening around you is a powerful tide. Applause for assault in a tuxedo in California is the same as applause for assault while wearing a red hat in Alabama. That was a crime. There was no virtue attached to it. None whatsoever.
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 28, 2022
And don’t even get Steve started on what it would’ve been like if Will Smith had been wearing a red hat when he hit Chris Rock. Steve’s head would’ve literally exploded. And that would’ve been Donald Trump’s fault, too!
*groan* https://t.co/WfcgbEUGDr
— JimmEEE (@EEElverhoy) March 28, 2022
How can you not groan at this? Donald Trump didn’t give Will Smith the green light to walk up onto that stage and smack Chris Rock over a dumb joke. Contrary to what so many Principled Resistance Conservatives™ like to say, black people — like people of all races — have their own agency. When they decide to slug someone, it’s because they decide to slug someone. Not because Donald Trump told them to do it (and as far as we know, he didn’t tell anyone to hit anyone at the Oscars).
Donald Trump is a flaming narcissist, and even he doesn’t think about Donald Trump as much as guys like Steve Schmidt think about Donald Trump.
"It's Trump's fault"
😂🤣😂🤣😂 https://t.co/Vn2mq0Jnzo
— Witchy Chick (@1WitchyChick) March 28, 2022
Dude still bringing up Trump https://t.co/w9uSBfF0Tn
— Ashley (@ashleykaycromer) March 28, 2022
Without Donald Trump, Steve Schmidt would literally have nothing to talk about. Except enabling John Weaver, of course … but there’s no way in hell he’d ever talk about that.
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