Trump Tyranny Tracker: Your Daily Reminder
March 29, 2024: Your daily reminder of the danger Trump and his cronies pose to democracy and human rights
Rise against tyranny, stand for democracy!
Earlier today, Trump exhibited his alarming inclination towards violence by sharing a video on Truth Social depicting President Joe Biden bound in the back of a pickup truck. This disturbing act is just the latest instance of Trump injecting political violence into our national discourse. The recollection of Ambassador Yovanovitch's ordeal stands as a stark reminder of Trump's perilous nature and the threats he poses to democracy.
Via Twitter/X
When: 2019-2019
Background
In January 2020, an explosive recording surfaced, revealing Trump in conversation with associates of his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, discussing the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. Trump is heard ordering the ambassador's firing after lies that she was badmouthing him.
“Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. O.K.? Do it.” Trump
Moreover, Ambassador Yovanovitch was reportedly subject to stalking orchestrated by associates of Rudy Giuliani. This operation, intended to intimidate and surveil Yovanovitch, highlighted the threatening lengths to which Trump and his cronies were willing to go to remove perceived obstacles to their political agenda.
Despite Trump's denials, evidence including photographs and documents suggests otherwise. The tactics used in Yovanovitch's removal included a smear campaign and alleged stalking which raised alarms about the politicization of diplomatic positions for personal vendettas.
This event underscored Trump's mob boss and authoritarian tactics in the Ukrainian pressure campaign that became a focal point of his impeachment trial. Trump was orchestrating an extortion scheme to pressure Ukraine, coupled with a sophisticated effort to conceal his misuse of presidential authority. On July 18, 2019, Trump's administration delayed a military assistance package worth $250 million destined for Ukraine. A week after this, during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump solicited Zelenskyy's cooperation with Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Attorney General William Barr in opening a farce investigation into then-candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
"I was shocked and devastated that I would feature in a phone call between two heads of state in such a manner, where President Trump said that I was bad news to another world leader, and that I would be going through some things." Ambassador Yovanovitch
Here is What Happened…
A 2018 recording captured Trump saying, "Get rid of her," and “Take her out,” about Ambassador Yovanovitch.
The attacks against Ambassador Yovanovitch fed into the broader impeachment inquiry, highlighting the abuse of presidential power.
Documents and surveillance reports suggest a concerted effort to intimidate Yovanovitch, pointing to a broader pattern of political retribution.
Yovanovitch was subjected to a stalking and surveillance campaign by Trump cronies. An excerpt of a text exchange:
In a March 2019 text exchange, Parnas communicated with his associate, Robert F. Hyde, about tweets and videos accusing Yovanovitch of being anti-Trump. Hyde wrote: "Wow. Can't believe Trumo [sic] hasn't fired this bitch. I'll get right in that."
Hyde later sent several texts suggesting he was surveilling Yovanovitch in Ukraine, adding, "They are willing to help if we/you would like a price."
Afterward, Hyde wrote, "Guess you can do anything in the Ukraine with money."
Why It Matters…
Trump’s alarming post targeting President Biden, the horrifying incident with Ambassador Yovanovitch, and the recurrent instances of Trump propagating and endorsing political violence, is a dire warning for the United States. These actions mirror the oppressive maneuvers in regimes led by tyrants, where political dissent is stifled through intimidation or force. The stark similarity of Trump's tactics to those employed by dangerous dictators—especially his role in the January 6th insurrection and the dissemination of violent imagery—underscores a chilling reality: Trump is a threat to the rule of law and will use U.S. institutions to seek revenge against anyone he deems is an opponent should he get back into power.
