Chris Hayes Argues Trump Gets Away with 'Mafia-Style Gangster Threats' as Republicans Aid Him

Former president Donald Trump has courted yet another controversy by visiting the Arlington National Cemetery. The Republican leader has been accused of shooting a video reminiscent of a campaign commercial while honoring the 13 soldiers who died in a suicide bombing in Kabul, in 2021, amid the tumultuous US pullout from Afghanistan. MSNBC's Chris Hayes gave a pessimistic assessment of the Republican party's situation when discussing the issue involving Trump's breaking of federal law at the cemetery. “Trump has gotten away with intimidation, mafia-style gangster threats, because rank and file Republicans let him, or in many cases, just straight up help him,” Hayes opined.

According to The Wrap, one of Trump's associates physically attacked a female employee who tried to enforce the federal law. The worker reported the incident to the military who is in control of the monument. However, in the end, she decided against filing a report, fearing repercussions from Trump's followers. The cemetery employee was operating per the policies of the establishment, which forbid taking photos or videos in section 60, the resting place for military servicemen killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan, as reported by The Guardian. 

The US Army rebuked the incident. They stated, “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism have been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.” Criticizing the GOP nominee, Hayes asked, “Does that sound familiar?”

He cited, “Does it sound a little like the story of Alexander Vindman, the soldier and National Security Council staffer who blew the whistle on Trump’s attempts to extort Ukraine for dirt on Joe Biden? Maybe it reminds you of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the Georgia election officials whose lives were threatened after Trump falsely accused them of rigging votes."

"Maybe it reminds you of the threats against the women who have accused Trump of assault, all the public officials who have prosecuted or sued him, all the judges who have ruled against him, all the elections officials who refused to break the rules and falsify votes for him, and all the Republicans who voted to impeach him.” “In each of those cases,” Hayes continued, “[GOP used] government power to make their partisan politics a sort of official state religion, and bullying anyone who gets in their way.” 

Hayes concluded by remarking that the GOP “is a party in a movement, built around a candidate for whom nothing is sacred, not even a military cemetery, not the judicial system, not even democracy unless it serves his twisted aims.” According to Firstpost, Trump justified his behavior by claiming that he was simply posing at the families' request. “I don’t need publicity. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity…I would hire a public relations agent to get less publicity,” he said.