September 30, 2019

Being a MAGAt means never having to be specific about accusations against Dems.

Donald Trump's go-to response to any criticism is to go on the offense and punch back, harder and more hysterically than the accusations against him. It's worked brilliantly so far in a media environment that doesn't know how to process blatant and unapologetic lies and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. By the time they've attempted a single fact check (if they even do), ten more lies have followed along with a few good insults against the very media they use to muddy the waters.

So when a whistleblower comes forward to say that he/she believes that Donald Trump is abusing the power of his office to extort a foreign government into manufacturing an investigation against a political rival for personal benefit, the only part that MAGAts focus on is that investigation.

But what exactly is former Vice President Joe Biden or his son supposed to have done?

That's the question Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace asked Trump adviser Stephen Miller.

He had no answer, simply suggesting that the investigation is important. And in that, Miller is having a rare moment of truthfulness.

Because the Trump campaign knows that it doesn't really matter if Joe Biden has done anything (actually, it's better if he didn't, because then it doesn't invite comparisons of behavior) nor do they have any kind of specific crimes of which to accuse him (because, again, the better not to invite comparisons). The thing that matters is the investigation, to refer to over and over and imply great corruption and wrongdoing without those niggly little facts. They learned that trick in 2016 with Hillary Clinton, implying corruption with the Clinton Foundation (despite their A+ rating and completely open and transparent books) and the FBI investigation (which, again, found nothing indictable). The facts didn't matter, what mattered is the ability to imply wrongdoing.

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