Jen Maharg

Wife to awsome mechanic husband, and busy working mom of 2.

[CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism]

A British writer penned the best description of Donald Trump I’ve ever read:

“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?”

A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:

• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.

• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created?' If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.”

-Nate White

[No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen @NoLieWithBTC]

Number of church visits as president:

Donald Trump: 11 visits in 4 years
Joe Biden: 100 visits in 2.5 years

Guess which one MAGA evangelicals claim is “sent by God” to “save America.”

[Jen Maharg @MahargJen]

The comments against President Biden on this post are shameful. The person who posted this was trying to show that the former Pres used false daith to draw in those who identify as conservative. Please if you truly love God then you would not support Trump

[Chris D. Jackson @ChrisDJackson]

📸 After traveling back to DC yesterday evening, President Biden is now attending mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown.

It's clear Biden's faith is important to him, as he is very devoted to attending and actually practicing what is taught.

I'll ask again, when was the last time Donald Trump attended church?

[Trae Crowder @traecrowder]

Talked about Jason Aldean this weekend.

[Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D @RVAwonk]

I just published my first Substack piece about the Colorado Springs gunman’s history of domestic violence — part of a clear pattern linking violent misogyny to mass shootings. Two-thirds of mass shootings are linked to DV, and we’re still ignoring it.
https://t.co/qQq8iq9nSs

[Jen Maharg @MahargJen]

Anyone else think networks and programmers are increasingly cost by large amounts to television providers as a way to try and cut out the middleman and encourage their streaming platforms? #tv #cable #tvisexpensive

[Adam Conover @adamconover]

Need proof that corporate mega-mergers are bad? Pull up a chair while I tell you the story of how a merger killed not just my show, but also put an entire TV network worth of workers out of a job.

[Chip Franklin.com @chipfranklin]

Donald Trump Jr. said America "misses" having Donald Trump president.

Retweet if you NEVER ONCE MISSED DONALD TRUMP!

Proving a point.

[Jen Maharg @MahargJen]

@AP I am disappointed in the justice system. I am also disappointed in this kids parent because he never should have been there in the first place.

[Jen Maharg @MahargJen]

@APizzola @Lovejusticeunit @AP This case was not a matter of self defense. He never should have been there to begin with.

[Jen Maharg @MahargJen]

I am vaccinated but i now have covid. I am pissed off, because i also unknowingly exposed my high risk father. I didnt know that my family had been exposed. My husband had first been exposed but the un-vaccinated people that were positive did not tell us. #COVID

[Robert Gibbs @Robt_Gibbs]

Here are the vaccines many already need(ed) just to go school:

Chickenpox
Diphtheria
Hepatitis A&B
Meningitis
Measles
Mumps
Polio
Pneumonia
Rotavirus
Rubella
Tetanus
Whooping Cough

Adding one for COVID doesn’t impact your freedom, it makes us all safer.

[Jen Maharg @MahargJen]

@DonaldJTrumpJr @DonaldJTrumpJr maybe we are tired of seeing Americans die when this vaacine can help. Stop being part of the problem. This isnt a political issue it is a world health issue. #CovidVaccine #GetVaccinated #stopthelying

[Seth MacFarlane @SethMacFarlane]

Someone posted this on my feed, and it’s a good reminder for those who balk when the messaging changes or evolves during the study of a new virus. Science is the only tool we have, and it’s doing its best.

[President Biden Archived @POTUS46Archive]

The vaccine was developed and authorized under a Republican Administration, and it’s been distributed and administered under a Democratic one.

The vaccines are safe, they are highly effective, and there’s nothing political about them.

[rantt @ranttmedia]

After being asked about Critical Race Theory, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley delivers an answer every American should watch.

[Jen Maharg @MahargJen]

@AITA_reddit Just wow, first how does he deal with public restrooms? I hope he doesn't plan on kids. Aldo they way I read that was the separate bathrooms were mainly for showing, and toiletries, not actual toilet usage. It's possible that they're both TA for not communicating their intentions

[Ben Brainard @Ben_Brainard]

Republican lawmakers:
Stripping workers of protections;
Giving tax breaks to corporations at the expense of the individual;
Restricting 1st amendment rights;
Restricting basic human rights;
Restricting the right to vote.

Republican voters: “masks are restricting our freedom!”

[Beau of The Fifth Column @BeauTFC]

Let's talk about me, since a lot of people want to....

https://t.co/RueU55Ayjm

[Joe Biden @JoeBiden]

I know masks have become a partisan issue — but it’s a patriotic act. Experts say wearing a mask from now until April will save more than 50,000 lives.