{"id":133255,"date":"2025-09-15T09:14:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T17:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/09\/15\/trump-pot-meet-trump-kettle\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T09:14:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T17:14:14","slug":"trump-pot-meet-trump-kettle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/09\/15\/trump-pot-meet-trump-kettle\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Pot, Meet Trump Kettle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
(Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Axios reported<\/a>\u00a0back in 2019, even before President Donald Trump had finished his first term in office, that Trump had accused his political opponents, government officials, and members of the media of having committed \u201ctreason\u201d at least 24 separate times.\u00a0Since,\u00a0as Trump\u00a0likes to mention<\/a>,\u00a0treason is a crime punishable by death,\u00a0that\u2019s a pretty serious accusation.\u00a0And 24 is a pretty decent number when you haven\u2019t yet spent four years in office.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a Republican who gives offense, Trump goes lighter on you.\u00a0When former attorney general Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, Trump accused him only of being a \u201ctraitor,<\/a>\u201d as opposed to having committed \u201ctreason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those couple dozen occasions are of course not alone.\u00a0Here\u2019s a link to 15 other times when Trump used\u00a0dehumanizing language<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 \u201cgarbage,\u201d \u201cvermin,\u201d \u201chuman refuse,\u201d you get the idea \u2014 to describe people.<\/p>\n

But those are mere insults.\u00a0How about the times when Trump called people Marxists, and communists, and the like?<\/p>\n

Google is a wonderful thing.\u00a0 Let\u2019s start with \u201cMarxists\u201d and \u201ccommunists.\u201d<\/p>\n

In June 2023, after Trump had been indicted by a New York grand jury, he\u00a0took aim<\/a>\u00a0at President Joe Biden and Democrats:\u00a0\u201c[Trump]\u00a0was being persecuted, he said, by \u2018Marxists\u2019 and \u2018communists.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A few days later, \u201cTrump told<\/a>\u00a0a crowd of his supporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, that Biden, \u2018together with a band of his closest thugs, misfits, and Marxists, tried to destroy American democracy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At roughly the same time, many of Trump\u2019s campaign emails and Truth Social posts\u00a0insisted<\/a>\u00a0that, under Biden\u2019s leadership, America would become a \u201cthird world Marxist regime\u201d or a \u201ctyrannical Marxist nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump added<\/a>, \u201cIf the communists get away with this, it won\u2019t stop with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

OK. The man was hot.\u00a0He\u2019d just been indicted. But surely he\u2019d calm down, no?\u00a0And, to the extent that it matters, Trump was drawing parallels only to Marxists and communists, not fascists.<\/p>\n

Oh, wait:<\/p>\n

\n

We will demolish the deep state. We will expel the warmongers from our government. We will drive out the globalists. We will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists. And we will throw off the sick political class that hates our country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

(Donald Trump,\u00a0campaign speech in Michigan<\/a>, June 25, 2023.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Well, at least we haven\u2019t yet gotten to the Nazis.<\/p>\n

Oh, wait again:<\/p>\n

\n

The lawlessness of these persecutions of\u00a0President Trump\u00a0and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

(Trump campaign post on\u00a0Truth Social<\/a>, August 2023.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That\u2019s not just Nazis:\u00a0Trump\u2019s campaign picks up Nazis, the former Soviet Union, and the umbrella of \u201cother authoritarian, dictatorial regimes\u201d all in one post.\u00a0The man covers a lot of ground.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s still a hedge in that last accusation \u2014 \u201creminiscent of.\u201d Perhaps that\u2019s too indirect.\u00a0How about this?<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a fascist, OK? She\u2019s a fascist.\u201d (Donald Trump,\u00a0campaign speech in Georgia<\/a>, October 28, 2024.)<\/p>\n

But now, with the death of Charlie Kirk, Trump promises to fix all that:<\/p>\n

\n

For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world\u2019s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we\u2019re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.<\/p>\n

My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law-enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

(Donald Trump,\u00a0video address<\/a>\u00a0to the country, September 10, 2025.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Good idea, Donald.\u00a0Go for it.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Trump Pot, Meet Trump Kettle<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Axios reported<\/a>\u00a0back in 2019, even before President Donald Trump had finished his first term in office, that Trump had accused his political opponents, government officials, and members of the media of having committed \u201ctreason\u201d at least 24 separate times.\u00a0Since,\u00a0as Trump\u00a0likes to mention<\/a>,\u00a0treason is a crime punishable by death,\u00a0that\u2019s a pretty serious accusation.\u00a0And 24 is a pretty decent number when you haven\u2019t yet spent four years in office.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a Republican who gives offense, Trump goes lighter on you.\u00a0When former attorney general Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, Trump accused him only of being a \u201ctraitor,<\/a>\u201d as opposed to having committed \u201ctreason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those couple dozen occasions are of course not alone.\u00a0Here\u2019s a link to 15 other times when Trump used\u00a0dehumanizing language<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 \u201cgarbage,\u201d \u201cvermin,\u201d \u201chuman refuse,\u201d you get the idea \u2014 to describe people.<\/p>\n

But those are mere insults.\u00a0How about the times when Trump called people Marxists, and communists, and the like?<\/p>\n

Google is a wonderful thing.\u00a0 Let\u2019s start with \u201cMarxists\u201d and \u201ccommunists.\u201d<\/p>\n

In June 2023, after Trump had been indicted by a New York grand jury, he\u00a0took aim<\/a>\u00a0at President Joe Biden and Democrats:\u00a0\u201c[Trump]\u00a0was being persecuted, he said, by \u2018Marxists\u2019 and \u2018communists.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A few days later, \u201cTrump told<\/a>\u00a0a crowd of his supporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, that Biden, \u2018together with a band of his closest thugs, misfits, and Marxists, tried to destroy American democracy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At roughly the same time, many of Trump\u2019s campaign emails and Truth Social posts\u00a0insisted<\/a>\u00a0that, under Biden\u2019s leadership, America would become a \u201cthird world Marxist regime\u201d or a \u201ctyrannical Marxist nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump added<\/a>, \u201cIf the communists get away with this, it won\u2019t stop with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

OK. The man was hot.\u00a0He\u2019d just been indicted. But surely he\u2019d calm down, no?\u00a0And, to the extent that it matters, Trump was drawing parallels only to Marxists and communists, not fascists.<\/p>\n

Oh, wait:<\/p>\n

\n

We will demolish the deep state. We will expel the warmongers from our government. We will drive out the globalists. We will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists. And we will throw off the sick political class that hates our country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

(Donald Trump,\u00a0campaign speech in Michigan<\/a>, June 25, 2023.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Well, at least we haven\u2019t yet gotten to the Nazis.<\/p>\n

Oh, wait again:<\/p>\n

\n

The lawlessness of these persecutions of\u00a0President Trump\u00a0and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

(Trump campaign post on\u00a0Truth Social<\/a>, August 2023.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That\u2019s not just Nazis:\u00a0Trump\u2019s campaign picks up Nazis, the former Soviet Union, and the umbrella of \u201cother authoritarian, dictatorial regimes\u201d all in one post.\u00a0The man covers a lot of ground.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s still a hedge in that last accusation \u2014 \u201creminiscent of.\u201d Perhaps that\u2019s too indirect.\u00a0How about this?<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a fascist, OK? She\u2019s a fascist.\u201d (Donald Trump,\u00a0campaign speech in Georgia<\/a>, October 28, 2024.)<\/p>\n

But now, with the death of Charlie Kirk, Trump promises to fix all that:<\/p>\n

\n

For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world\u2019s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we\u2019re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.<\/p>\n

My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law-enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

(Donald Trump,\u00a0video address<\/a>\u00a0to the country, September 10, 2025.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Good idea, Donald.\u00a0Go for it.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[email\u00a0protected]<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images) Axios reported\u00a0back in 2019, even before President Donald Trump had finished his first term in office, that Trump had accused his political opponents, government officials, and members of the media of having committed \u201ctreason\u201d at least 24 separate times.\u00a0Since,\u00a0as Trump\u00a0likes to mention,\u00a0treason is a crime punishable by death,\u00a0that\u2019s a pretty […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":133256,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/donald-trump-GettyImages-1152627372-oMRbXZ.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133255"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133255\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}