Former president Donald Trump disseminated on social media on Friday an image of President Biden with his hands and feet tied and his mouth gagged, the latest example of the Republican candidate’s use of increasingly violent rhetoric and imagery this campaign season.

The image can be seen about halfway through a 20-second video that Trump posted on his Truth Social site. The post says it was recorded Thursday on Long Island, where Trump traveled this week to attend a wake for a recently killed police officer.

In the video, two trucks decorated with giant Trump flags and altered American flags are driving on a highway. On the tailgate door of one of the trucks is the image of Biden lying horizontally, bound and gagged.

Trump has a history of sharing and promoting violent images featuring his perceived enemies.

  • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    I don’t like saying this but I will forgo any of my liberal socialist ideals if Biden wants to do whatever it takes to get votes from republicans.

    Edit: Man, you people are sad little trolls. Go spend some time out in the IRL world. It’s genuinely depressing to see so many keyboard warriors spend their time regurgitating the talking points from the comfort of their echo chamber.

    To clarify my meaning, whether you agree with my politics or not, I think Biden has been a far better president than anyone could have hoped for (possibly the best I can recall) but I still have a philosophical disagreement with him when it comes to protections and equity for all. I believe there are some programs that the federal government should run to give all Americans the best opportunities (education, healthcare, housing, UBI, etc) and I believe that taking excessive capitalist gains from the ultra wealthy is a small drop in the bucket to promote some fairness. I will lean back on these philosophical ideas which I’ve had little hope of a centrist of adopting and encourage him to lean further right if that means he can take some votes away from the inarguably worst president in modern times (yes, worse than Regan).

    If you think Trump should be the leader of the US, that he some how represents or understands democracy, that he cares about you or the United States, that he’s a good president or person, or is better than Biden in any regard, you and I are not existing in the same solar system so there’s no point in arguing. I don’t have anything against Republicans but the extreme and religious conservatives and the MAGA cult do not align with the freedoms dreamed by our founders or promised in the Constitution of the US.

    • Lemmygradwontallowme [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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      8 months ago

      but I will forgo any of my liberal socialist ideals

      In support of him or against him?

      if Biden wants to do whatever it takes to get votes from republicans.

      Ok, monkey’s paw granted… he does a peace negotiation with Russia on Ukraine and then promptly declares a 2nd war, now on Mexico, Fentanyl, China, Venezuela, and Cuba, because why not?

      I swear, y’all dems practice democratic centralism, don’t ye? Freedom of thought, unity in action…

      • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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        I don’t know why you’ve thrown fentanyl in there. Doesn’t everyone want to declare war on that? Otherwise, do republicans want war with these countries so much that they’d vote for Biden if he declared war with them (which a president is technically unable to do)?

        • GarbageShoot [he/him]@hexbear.net
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          8 months ago

          if he declared war with them (which a president is technically unable to do)

          This would be a worthwhile comment in 1950. Today, it just looks like you are clinging to what your high school civics class taught you like it has any bearing on the world.

        • I don’t know why you’ve thrown fentanyl in there. Doesn’t everyone want to declare war on that?

          Idk, I mean it’s something every republican detests… even if they know how the first war on drugs’s consequences… (yk, fentanyl actually has broader medical use, specifically as a legal anesthetic and palliative care, so be wary when fishing the waters with it)

          Otherwise, do republicans want war with these countries so much that they’d vote for Biden if he declared war with them (which a president is technically unable to do)?

          Yaasss, btw, I guess you haven’t heard of hyperbole…

          To add upon this, I’ve heard congress is the only power that can declare war… and, I mean, considering Republican mindset… you can easily get a bi-partisan approval for declaring war on one of those countries

          Note: I guess you see me as a bad-faith arguer?

    • ALQ@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I would also not be opposed to Biden testing his own Presidential Immunity™ on Trump and his cronies, and I hate that I feel that way.

    • radiofreeval [any]@hexbear.net
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      I’m the dumbest person on this website so I’ll bite. The only way to gain votes from a group is to align with their ideology. I know you are aware of this and you want him to be more right wing, but that’s the issue. Biden shifting right would eliminate any chance whatsoever of the policies you claim to want. It would mean more support to Israel and more support of genocide. It would mean more deportations and stronger anti-immigration stances. It would mean less support of women’s rights. It would mean being more hostile to queer people. It would be difficult to distinguish from a Republican presidency, but at least his rhetoric is nicer. Also, if a genocide supporting, union busting president that oversaw the banning of abortion, increased persecution of queer people, devasting proxy wars, a series of infrastructure disasters, a trillion dollar military budget and literal genocide is the best president of your lifetime, perhaps your American “democracy” isn’t as noble as you think.

      • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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        Yes. That’s literally the point I’ve made. These are all better options than Trump. I don’t know why this is so difficult for people to grasp.

        And come on, “genocide” is a strong specific word and not what’s happening in Gaza. There are mass casualties in an unjust attack on civilians. Just because something is indefensible and heinous does not at all mean it’s literal genocide. There’s an attack on locations where terrorists are presumed to be hiding. I’m not going to defend it but I’m not an Israeli who just suffered the worse attack on my country ever with my family held hostage underneath schools and hospitals.

        I’m not supporting genocide nor am I supporting this war. I am suggesting that a slightly more right leaning democratic president is preferable over Donald fucking Trump.

        This should not by any means be a controversial opinion outside the most braindead of cultists. How anyone could possibly suggest that Donald Trump is better than literally anyone else is absolutely not within my ability to comprehend. I would prefer someone like Warren or AOC but I would sooner vote for Desantis over Trump.

        • radiofreeval [any]@hexbear.net
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          8 months ago

          It’s literal genocide. Israel is openly trying to rid Gaza of Palestinians by bombs and starvation. Calling it anything other than genocide is implicit support for the the apartheid state of Israel. October 7th was nothing compared to the suffering of Palestinians. Also why is Trump better than Desantis? Desantis has had some of the most violent policies and actions against trans people in the nation. To me it sounds like your allegiance is based not on ideology but on rhetoric.

          Also, from the river to the sea, may Palestine be free.

          • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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            8 months ago

            Israel is currently bombing Gaza to get hostages back.
            You’re right and I’m thankful that people are finally seeing how horribly the Palestinians have been treated for generations. The Palestinians and the US should be helping Israel oust Hamas.
            I said Destantis was better than Trump. He’s the second worst possible candidate I can imagine.

            • radiofreeval [any]@hexbear.net
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              The hostages are dead and Israel killed (many of) them. Even if they weren’t, 35,000 and 2 million displaced in exchange for around a few hundred is absurdly disproportionate. Hamas has offered to return the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire but Israel has refused. It’s not about the hostages, it’s about driving the Palestinians out. The hostages are a cheap propaganda trick for people like you. Secondly, if Israel really wanted to get the hostages back, they wouldn’t treat their hostages as casualties, they wouldn’t carpet bomb Gaza and they wouldn’t kill hostages after they wave white flags. Israel knows the route to get their hostages back, they just don’t care. Even if Israel was truly doing this for the hostages, that would not make anything they are doing any better. All Palestinian violence against aggressors is self defense.

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                8 months ago

                Cool.

                Still, I’m voting for Biden over the guy who’s explicitly intent on overthrowing the US government. It’s not a choice I like but it’s the only logical one we have. I will stand beside you in opposition to this war but that does not mean I’m going to vote to obliterate democracy.

      • Yerbouti@lemmy.ml
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        8 months ago

        Your mom called, she wants to know of you want fruiloops or capt’n crunch. Loser.

      • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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        If I’m to assume you are a grown adult, the way you argue with someone you label as a “genocide lover” is to wish death upon them?

        See folks, this is the problem with cultists. They have no sense of reality. They live solely in their bubbles.

        I’ll have you know that I am not a one-issue voter. While I’ve always had concerns over Israel’s treatment of Palestine and viewed Netanyahu as a hateful warmonger, I understand there are complex issues on the other side of the world which I have limited knowledge of based on reporting I seek out and trust. Which is to say, very few realities are black and white. You can be opposed to genocide and be in favor of retrieving hostages and be opposed to zionism while also supporting a government and military that stands in the way of total disaster and even greater loss of life in the region.

        The world is complex. I’m sure your family or your job or your neighborhood is complex. I’m sure people have made assumptions about you and your life without proper context. Maybe someone hates you for a thing you did (granted, not genocide) but they don’t know all the good things you’ve done or how much love is in your heart.

        I can choose to re-elect a not-perfect US President that isn’t someone who’s running on a campaign to do all he can to dismantle the foundation of the country I’m a citizen of. I’m not the biggest fan of this country but we do at least have a president who’s open to listening to the people. Do you think DT would listen and change his mind on anything that doesn’t empower him?

          • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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            Let me say this more simply for you son, Biden’s support of this war is preferable of Trump’s support of this war.

            If you’re at all interested in saving as many lives as possible and setting a plan for peace, I would encourage you to vote for Biden. If all you care about is Israel, then go ahead and vote for Trump.

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      8 months ago

      That’s just polite fascism though? Oh! You are a liberal, got it.

        • NattyNatty2x4@beehaw.org
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          Well if it makes you feel any better, not forgoing idealism in the face of reality would help trump win. So the realism of voting for biden and getting him to win is the best possible outcome, as far as getting as close to your ideals as possible is concerned.

    • Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml
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      Translation: Genocide is OK with me, as long as I’m not the recipient of it.

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    8 months ago

    i went and looked for the image … to uh… confirm if true or not

    it’s “just” trump showing a truck parade and one of the trucks has it as a large sticker/decal

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      ‘Just’

      normalising this is part of the problem. It isn’t ‘just’ a video of two trucks.

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      I saw one in my hometown last summer. It’s not new or exciting. Some people got together and decided Truck nuts weren’t trashy enough

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      That man has the attention span of a goldfish, probably didn’t even watch it to that point, just saw the Trump flags and then the ego forced a repost

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        He doesn’t appear to be gagged in this pic. Maybe they’re referring to a different violent image

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        8 months ago

        I like how even in this, they’re shitty at binding someone. They can’t even pretend to do things correctly.

        • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works
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          Haha, that’s a good point. This is the January 6th gallows all over again… These people are the edgy punisher logo manifest.

          All those stupid thin blue line flags, too… Who the fuck believes that lie after Uvalde?

      • Guntrigger@sopuli.xyz
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        8 months ago

        Is that actually painted on someone’s truck? I kinda hope so because it’s so shoddy. The perspective doesn’t even line up for the truck bed.

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          Its a wrap. And they’re real. Shouldnt be allowed but here we are. Had anyone had something like this with bush bound and gagged after 2001 they wouldve been arrested and tried in a heartbeat.

        • PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
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          It’s a decal that can be bought for like $50. There are a bunch of different kinds of them, some with women tied up, deer, various politicians, Sasquatch, Lion’s etc. It’s the most mundane shit which is why liberals are clutching their pearls over it.

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            8 months ago

            I’ve seen people get pulled over for a fake hand holding the tailgate edge around Halloween. Tied up people should absolutely get you pulled over and checked on a regular basis just because you don’t want to be the guy that missed a potential kidnapping.

            • arin@lemmy.world
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              Guess which side the fascist cops are on? The truck owner’s likely a family member of the cop

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                If they recognize who’s in the picture. My point isn’t that they’ll get in trouble. My point is that you’re going to get pulled over a lot because cops won’t want to miss a potential kidnapping.

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            I never thought I’d see the claim that pretending to have a woman tied up in the back of your truck is some “mundane shit”.

            Same energy as standing at airport security yelling “I have a gun” and pulling out a replica.

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      All you have to do is Google “Biden Tailgate Wrap”. There are many variations for sale all over the internet. $50 to $70.

      Trump deserves some blame for sharing it, but the real blame needs to be on the people producing and using it.

      • AFK BRB Chocolate@lemmy.world
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        Hmmm, people producing it deserve blame, but it’s not like you or me sharing a pic, this is a candidate for president of the United States posting it about his political rival. I think that’s a worse offense, no matter how common they might be.

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        Fortunately in America such images are protected speech even if liberals and fascists, but I repeat myself get upset about them. So any “blame” is literally just the speaker virtue signaling and isn’t something that needs to be considered beyond a simple throw away comment plus a “lol.”

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          We’re trying to be outraged here and fit this into the narrative. You shall be down voted for any facts that force us to face the fact that the reason for our outrage is not rooted in reality.

  • SexUnderSocialism [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    8 months ago

    the latest example of the Republican candidate’s use of increasingly violent rhetoric and imagery this campaign season.

    Unlike Biden’s non-violent rhetoric of “Israel has every right to defend itself” when people confront him with the fact he’s actively funding a genocide.

    • Facebones@reddthat.com
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      You don’t get it it’s cool when blue backs violence because theyre only backing violence on racial grounds instead of sex/gender expression (so far)

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    8 months ago

    Interestingly, Donald Trump’s argument about presidential immunity suggests that Biden could do that to him and it legally okay to do so.

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    Anyone else that did this would get visited by very angry men in dark suits.

    I suppose if it’s ok for Trump to do, then I could post an image of Trump bound and gagged?

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      Kathy Griffin and at least a couple of art galleries have depicted Trump decapitations, during his presidency. They all got some shit publicly because of it (mostly upset right wingers) but no one was arrested or subjected to anything by the government, no matter how much said angry right wingers asked.

      This is just the party flipped version of the same sort of thing. Watching just how many people start pearl clutching at only one of these is kinda amusing.

      • Soleos@lemmy.world
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        I think it’s one thing for a private citizen to do this, but it would be another thing for a sitting/former president running for election to do the same

        • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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          Check the original video he posted. He literally filmed some dick-replacement giant pickups covered in pro-police, pro-Trump, anti-Biden shit, and one of them had this commercially available tailgate decal on it of Biden bound and gagged.

          It’s in bad taste, sure but it’s not something you can honestly treat the way the media is treating this. It’s click bait.

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            How would you describe the media is treating it and how should the media be treating presidents who share such imagery regardless of party?

      • melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee
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        Its not the same sort of thing. Kathy whoever the fuck doesn’t have friends who put people in oil drums, and AFAIK has never attempted a fascist coup.

        If you wanted to hang a bloody hyper realistic effigy of Jojo burning in a tree, your statement would be true (except for the tree. be nicer to trees)

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    Hexbear users are always willing to defend far-right activists in some twisted logic. You people should merge with the proud boys, they hate libs too.

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          Fascist threatens liberal president, liberals in power scream “someone has to do something about this!” And then do nothing

          Trump could be shot for treason, in an open and shut way(stealing nuclear secrets) but liberals aren’t going to do it, because for structural reasons liberals are incapable of opposing fascism.

          (Liberal in this case is used the normal way, and not the “liberal= left wing” way)

            • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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              Oh wow, transphobia and a suicide joke from someone who hates hexbear, how surprising.

              Also it isnt a superiority complex to have a basic understanding of history.

              I would love to be proven wrong, it would be interesting from a historical perspective due to liberals previous inability to fight fascism, and also I wouldn’t end up in a concentration camp for being trans, and communist, and Jewish. But until I’m proven wrong I’ll keep being a communist, because communism has the best antifascist record and I dont want to get gassed.

              • marcie (she/her)@lemmy.ml
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                so far this site seems like an absolute shithole, mostly because the admins and mods seem to be completely disinterested in permanently banning bigoted users. instead they seem to enjoy wasting their time removing comments that are uncivil to these repeatedly bigoted people.