Trump compares jailed Capitol rioters to Japanese internment during World War II / AP News

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Updated 1:40 PM EDT, October 18, 2024

  • Trump’s Comparison: Former President Donald Trump compared the treatment of Jan. 6 defendants to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII1, sparking controversy.
  • Capitol Riot: Trump continues to downplay the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, calling it a “day of love”2 and criticizing the treatment of those jailed.
  • Supreme Court Ruling: Trump referenced a Supreme Court ruling that he claims should have freed the rioters, but it does not affect most of the convicted individuals.
  • Public Reaction: Critics, including Vice President Kamala Harris3, accuse Trump of gaslighting4 the public about the events of Jan. 6.

About 140 officers were injured that day, making it likely the largest assault of American law enforcement in a single day5. Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt6 was shot and killed by police.

“Japanese Americans are not and should not be compared to insurrectionists who committed major crimes and in which people were hurt and killed,” said Sharon Yamato, the daughter of former Japanese Americans who were incarcerated. “And I think that that is just so horrible to try to even make that comparison or allege that there’s any similarities between the two.”

Absolutely, totally, fucking bullshit! Prison is for those that commit criminal acts, such as combating police officers, with bear spray, and weapons. Hunting down Vice President Pence with chants of “Hang Mike Pence”, Democratic lawmakers, like Pelosi. Destruction of property. Breaking and entering a secured place.

Mike Pence was performing his ceremonial duty. He had no power to stop the certification.

— Steve Kelly
//This corporate gaslighting effectively blames children for being addicted to social media and conveniently ignores how companies have intentionally designed their products to have addictive features …
— Nancy Kim

  1. @RalphHightower: George Takei • Wikioedia as child was interned with his family in Japanese internment camps, initially housed in horse stables in California, latee at camps in Arkansas and California. He wrote They Called Us Enemy about his experience living in internment camps. ↩

  2. @RalphHightower: Bullshit! The January 6, 2021 Insurrection was not Woodstock – The Music Festival. It was a God-damned riot promoted by the “law and order” president Trump that posted on X/Twitter, “…Big protest at US Capitol. Be wild.”7. ↩

  3. @RalphHightower: Trump has been gaslighting3, way before his presidential run that he has religious leaders, such as, Franklin Graham bamboozled8. ↩

  4. gaslighting – Merriam-Webster: noun<br /gas·​light·​ing | \ ˈgas-ˌlī-tiŋ , -ˈlī- <br />Definition (Entry 1 of 2)
    1: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator
    //Gaslighting can be a very effective tool for the abuser to control an individual. It’s done slowly so the victim writes off the event as a one off or oddity and doesn’t realize they are being controlled and manipulated.
    — Melissa Spino
    //Gaslighting can happen in any relationship circumstance, including between friends and family members—not just in couple relationships.
    — Deena Bouknight
    //This is a classic gaslighting technique—telling victims that others are crazy and lying, and that the gaslighter is the only source for “true” information. It makes victims question their reality …
    — Stephanie Sarkis
    2: the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage
    //Election season can create emotions spanning from immense anxiety all the way to extreme apathy. The public arguing, divisiveness, and competition for votes, including political gaslighting, can be overwhelming and exhausting.
    — Vernita Perkins and Leonard A. Jason
    //As the midterm elections approach, Americans have gotten an earful both about crime itself and how the other side is distorting the news about it for political gain. “Cherry-picking!” “Fearmongering!” “Gaslighting!”
    — Chris Herrmann and Fritz Umbach
    //Intense gaslighting techniques are making it difficult for Montana’s commoners to discern what’s truth and what’s propaganda.
     ↩

  5. @RalphHightower: And You call yourself, the “law and order” president? 140 police officers were assaulted and injured. ↩

  6. @RalphHightower: Ashley Babbit is no martyr, saint, or hero. She and that band of criminals were trying to break in. His duty was to protect the legislators and vice president to certify the election. ↩

  7. Donald J. Trump on X: “Peter Navarro releases 36-page report alleging election fraud ‘more than sufficient’ to swing victory to Trump https://t.co/D8KrMHnFdK. A great report by Peter. Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” / X ↩

  8. “bamboozled” • Merriam-Webster:: adjective
    bam·​boo·​zled | \ bam-ˈbü-zəld <br />Definition
    informal
    : thrown into a state of confusion or bewilderment especially by being deliberately fooled or misled
    //Some consumers are so bamboozled by slick sales talk that they pay extra for amazingly bad deals.
    — Mike McClintock
    //I had him so bamboozled he didn’t know which way was up.
    — Jerry Spinelli
    First Known Use
    1866, in the meaning defined above ↩