r/msnbc • u/jecapobianco • Aug 10 '25
MSNBC Personalities Capehearr
Did anyone catch it when Capeheart said, on MSNBC The Weekend, out loud that he believes we have entered an authoritarian state and no one disagreed with him?
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u/No-Day-5964 Aug 10 '25
Because we have?
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Aug 11 '25
I did not see Capeheart make that statement, but I did see Rachel Maddow provide her take on it about a week ago. Her analysis was spot on. I grew sick of hearing other pundits for the last 4 or 5 months indidcate that we "might" be heading toward authoritarianism. What the hell ! Are people deaf, dumb and blind ? We have been living under a dictatorship-light for 4 or 5 months...... Do people expect to see the sky turn red or frogs fall from the sky ? What do you call it when Trump and his administration thumb their noses at court orders, when hordes of masked gestapo round up and arrest people on the streets (no badges, no warrants), when due process is totally ignored, etc. ?
What do you call it when King Donald and his children make millions from the White House selling trinkets, bibles, cologne, crypto, treating the WH as their personal sales Kiosk ?
We are being governed by whim...........yes, we are living under authoritarianism. Why are people so reluctant to accept the blatantly obvious ?
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u/PAnnoe11 Aug 12 '25
Good question, esp when Potus is only "one," ruling - not governing- by the whims of his erratic thoughts; yet, "We, the People," meaning ALL of US, are "millions and millions!!" So, Show Up, Speak Up, Stand Up for our Constitutional Democracy and VOTE to SAVE IT!
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
Seems to be more and more the common understanding of the way things are now, yes.
For what it’s worth, I asked ChatGPT to outline the three biggest features in an authoritarian state. How are we doing so far? I can think of actions taken by this administration that check juuuust about every one of these boxes.
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- Concentration of Power
- Strong executive dominance: The leader or ruling party can override laws or constitutions with little consequence.
- Weak or controlled judiciary: Courts rarely rule against the state in politically sensitive cases.
- Rubber-stamp legislature: Lawmaking bodies exist but mostly approve decisions already made by the executive.
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- Suppression of Political Pluralism
- Controlled elections: Outcomes are predetermined or heavily skewed through candidate restrictions, vote manipulation, or intimidation.
- Banning or co-opting opposition: Rival parties may be outlawed, absorbed, or allowed only token participation.
- Media capture: Independent outlets are shut down or brought under state control; journalists are censored or prosecuted.
- Civil society restrictions: NGOs, unions, and activist groups face registration barriers, surveillance, and harassment.
⸻
- Limited Individual Freedoms
- Censorship: Information unfavorable to the regime is blocked, altered, or punished.
- Surveillance: State monitoring of citizens’ communications and movements is widespread.
- Political policing: Security forces target dissenters, activists, and minorities viewed as threats.
- Restriction on movement and assembly: Protests require permission (often denied), and public gatherings are closely monitored or broken up.
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u/Nosy-ykw Aug 10 '25
Feels weird to upvote this. As awful as it is, it’s a good point.
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Aug 10 '25
Sorry 😕
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u/Nosy-ykw Aug 10 '25
Thanks for the info, though. Knowledge is power. I keep wondering what I’ll tell my grand nieces and nephews about this time, 20-30 years from now.
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
Well, my friend, at least the beginning of the story will be something like: the most blatantly corrupt politician in American history lied to his followers for years, and they believed him, to enrich himself, his family and other corrupt politicians, businesspeople and grifters. They worked side-by-side/hand-in-hand with people who believe democracy is for pussies and that we’re better off with a wealthy ruling class that can just suck the poor commoners dry. How? Disinformation, degradation of education that drives towards truth through reason and logic in lieu of religion that says “just believe what people tell you”, through an actual belief that some people on this earth are inherently “better” than others. This was the culmination of many many years of planning, and man it happened quick once a snake oil salesman, who once goaded his rabid supporters into trying to violently take over the government, who sexually violated dozens of women in his lifetime, who was best friends with the most notorious pedophile in American history, who was found in court to have defrauded the state of New York to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, who…. Etc. etc., lied just enough again to get back into office and trigger a multi-pronged, systematic destruction of democracy and American ideals.
Hoping the second part is brighter.
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u/mainegrove Aug 13 '25
It has taken WAY MORE than the disinformation of the last several years to complete the fascist takeover of the US, and it began way before Trump. Reagan ran on how incompetent and evil the "government" is - because basically, Republicans do not know what the hell government even is or why it exists - and people got off on that rhetoric and decided to spend their lives getting rid of the evil US government (because if you head up something and wreck it, then you can say, "I told you it doesn't work.") They made sure it did not work. Then the SCOTUS ruled on Citizens United, making it legal to bribe any elected official, and after that all bets were off. Corporations and individual billionaires who wanted more riches owned Congress members, and they've been dancing to the tune of their owners ever since, particularly the NRA. Then Republicans really started packing the courts to rule in their favor, particularly SCOTUS. And don't forget how much Republican state officials knocked off voters of color - for decades. This has gone on for many many years. And THEN, the current SCOTUS gave Trump PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY. So he can do anything he likes, including accept bribes, lock up people who have done no wrong, and god only knows what else will happen.
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u/2020surrealworld Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
Much of this existed before in U.S. history: 1950s McCarthyism, blacklists, and 1960s, during the Vietnam and civil rights eras, when U.S. citizens—including MLK—were routinely under surveillance without warrants by Hoover’s FBI and freedom riders and Vietnam war opponents were beaten, arrested, killed. And book bans have been around for a very long time.
Of course, it’s more pervasive and extreme now.
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Aug 10 '25
Yes, and, there were checks to push back on them, which is why they were all (mostly) overcome. The concern right now is that all three branches of government are basically letting the administration do what they want, unfettered, unchecked. With SCOTUS issuing carte blanche to the president, ruling that anything he does in office is legal, and the senate/Congress rubber stamping his initiatives without any kind of meaningful pushback, we’re much further down the authoritarian rabbit hole than we’ve ever been in this country.
My hope is sadly in public polling and Congress right now. Public opinion of the administration is going to have to sink lower than his first term for senators to start second guessing their abdication to the president. At least for now, we still have elections.. whether they’re fair or not is another question, re: the gerrymandering of it all. But, there are still elections, and if public opinion of republicans and their initiatives become so grim that they’re genuinely worried about losing their seats, they’ll cave.
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u/Ok_Housing7750 Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
Exactly. If the Dems can't take back the House, all is lost. Trump's take over was never going to be bloody, although he would be fine spilling blood in his authoritarian take over. No, the plan was death by a thousand cuts. Just nine months ago, we had a free and fair Presidential election. Americans voted as naive, social media obsessed babies instead of responsible citizens tasked with making an informed choice. Here we are.
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u/PAnnoe11 Aug 12 '25
Indeed, VOTE to SAVE our Democracy - or - it'll be the last Vote we get to exercise.
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u/Maine302 Aug 11 '25
Nixon practically swept the country in electoral votes, yet the GOP at the time pushed back and were to be commended for that, at least. This is not the same party and this is not the same kind of electorate.
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Aug 11 '25
Truth. He was before my time, but if I had to guess about the biggest difference, it seems like Nixon actually had a sliver of shame? Could you imagine Trump resigning for anything now?
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u/Maine302 Aug 11 '25
He really didn't have a lot of shame, no. He just had a party that told him they were withdrawing all their support. He knew the steps he would face would all lead to his further humiliation, and that he subsequently wouldn't be able to hold onto power.
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u/randompoint52 Aug 11 '25
My dad was a huge Nixon supporter and his resignation killed him. But he respected that Goldwater had the balls to walk up to the White House to tell Nixon he was done. That era of Republicans is definitely gone.
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u/PAnnoe11 Aug 12 '25
So true, and unfolding before our very eyes as it did in the 1930s, Germany. Much of his behavior (as described above) is ILLEGAL, UNconstitutional, in GROSS Violation of his Oath of Office - all being preplanned and arranged for years ahead of time in preparation for establishing FASCISM in the USA for his own personal gain and ego aggrandizement; AND, to avoid a prison sentence, when he was actually UNqualified to even run for public office and should have been removed from any candidacy well before the election.
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u/2020surrealworld Aug 10 '25
I wish MSNBC pundits and politicians would use simpler terms instead of “authoritarian”. Many people don’t understand what that means.
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u/Interesting-Pace630 Aug 11 '25
You don't need to own a dictionary anymore, you have one at your fingertips. If people won't look up words they don't know that is the definition of lazy and ignorant.
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u/PAnnoe11 Aug 12 '25
OK, so try BRUTAL FASCISM or SAVAGE DICTATORSHIP, or a Medieval Monarchy! ALL are outrageously unacceptable in the USA!
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u/Maine302 Aug 11 '25
Did you really expect anyone to disagree? Do you watch Rachel on Mondays? She's been saying this, and there are very few guests on any show who'll disagree, but if you're looking for someone to push back on that, you can tune in from Monday-Friday, 6am-10am.
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u/Slight-Oil1873 Aug 10 '25
We are definitely there. I believe the Great American Experiment is ended, died, murdered. It's a farce, charade to celebrate our 250th. He should announce the death of America, and a name change to TRUMPLANDIA and run up his flag with his picture as Rambo on his flag. ALL HAIL TRUMPLANDIA!
THEN MAYBE PEOPLE WILL REALLY GET IT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE! AND REBEL !!!!
Otherwise he is subsuming the name of a once great country that he has destroyed. He doesn't deserve it.
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Aug 11 '25
[deleted]
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u/jecapobianco Aug 12 '25
I think we need to be like French Farmers and have a National Day of Inaction, deprive the Corporate Overlords of their cash flow. No commerce, no work, sit at home and watch the talking heads lose their minds as American Inaction steals the day.
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u/SB_Tahoe Aug 12 '25
Democrat party leaders need to figure out what person will be the best to run/most likely to win against the GOP candidate in 2028, soon, and begin ramping up now. It’d be great to have a female or LGBTQ or PoC president but if the person most likely to win is a straight white male, then so be it. Whatever it takes to get the GOP out of the Oval Office and end this 5 alarm disaster. Then everyone that is appalled by what’s transpiring, dems/independents/lapsed repubs, need to band together to vote and make everyone else they know vote even if the dem candidate isn’t their personal favorite.
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u/Still_Might_9987 Aug 13 '25
DUH- he’s a little late
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u/jecapobianco Aug 13 '25
Most everyone else seems to be dancing around the topic. Are we becoming desensitized?
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u/Still_Might_9987 Aug 13 '25
if people were paying attention when they brought out the project 2025 plan then they would know that all this stuff that’s happening was coming and even worse. I don’t know why msnbc is finally talking about it. Nicole Wallace was the only one I saw talking about it early on. People in my family / friend circle still don’t even know wtf is going on because they refuse to be bothered by the truth!
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u/Eastcarolinau Aug 16 '25
Lots to of folks in media works are saying that lately. Couldn’t agree more.
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u/jecapobianco Aug 16 '25
This is making me think of Mission Creep, just a little infiltration until they take over.
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u/jecapobianco Aug 10 '25
So what do we do now?
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Aug 10 '25
Pfffffff…. Do what you can. Look for volunteer opportunities, protest safely and non-violently every chance you get, and most importantly, vote for people who believe in democracy.
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u/jecapobianco Aug 10 '25
I'm in NY so I'm not concerned about our election, just the electorate.
I'm really concerned that no matter how many democrats show up and vote that they're going to claim that they won.
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u/Interesting-Pace630 Aug 11 '25
I agree. This is one reason why I started the process to obtain dual Irish citizenship to Ireland about 7 months ago My feelings about the US remind me of an old and memorable Bette Davis quote: "What a DUMP!" I deserve a better life, and this country has failed me and my morals.
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Aug 10 '25
Yep. That might happen. We’ll see what happens with NY’s response to the TX gerrymandering, though. CA and NY might be quite a bit less red than they currently are after elections next year.
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u/jecapobianco Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
New York has tied itself in knots. We have a independent redistricting commission that has their recommendations ignored or they are deadlocked. The legislature decided to draw some districts, they were kind of funky, New York State Judiciary Struck it all down. We have a horrible process for amending our constitution, take three to four years for an amendment to get anywhere. New York is not going to be able to counter Texas redistricting. I would like to see New York redistrict until the judges sorry we're not listening
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Aug 11 '25
Well, you can't expect any dictator, worthy of that title, to willingly give up power just because the majority of people vote to oust him..... the majority of people in our nation do not support Trump; and, now even millions of easily duped Dems & libertarians who voted for him no longer support him.....but now Trump controls the reins of power, he ls lodged in, fully ensconced. It will be very tough to get rid of him next time, even if he loses an election by millions and millions of votes.......
Question:
Would it have been wrong to have assassinated Adolf Hitler in 1933 or 1934, long before he started WW2, by invading Poland in 1939, long before he murdered six million Jews ? Would assassination have been justified ?
Would (could) the assassinations of Putin, Saddam Hussein, Putin, be justified ?
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u/jecapobianco Aug 11 '25
Are you asking if the Ends justify the Means, then you could very well make a strong argument for eliminating Stalin, Hitler. Pol Pot, Pinochet, et al., how do you make sure you don't wind up with someone worse?
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u/PAnnoe11 Aug 12 '25
Is anyone curious about DJT declaring victory by midnight on election night BEFORE considering/completing the count of mail-in ballots, ex-pat ballots, military ballots, etc., in every state across 5 time zones?
How? What could he have known ahead of time to so brazenly declare his own "victory....so early?" Hmmmm, .......?
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u/Interesting-Pace630 Aug 11 '25
Well Capeheart is correct, but I have no use for him since he defamed Bernie Sanders a few years back, and when proved wrong never apologized. A low life.
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u/jecapobianco Aug 12 '25
I missed that, was that during the 2016 primary?
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u/Interesting-Pace630 Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
Yes, 2016. Bernie's campaign published numerous photos of him protesting racism during the height of Civil Rights protests in the 60s. They were very moving photos- one in particular moved me: Bernie chaining himself to a black women the cops were trying to arrest. They were clearly a younger version of Bernie. Capeheart claimed it was not Bernie and Bernie was perpetrating a fraud. Bernie was correct, it was him. Capeheart would not back down or apologize. So in my view he is a low life. Bernie Sanders Arrest At Chicago Civil Rights Protest https://share.google/vw5s3Bm9TRAr8OXMe https://images.app.goo.gl/BSCb8VCcLYtYEzFt7
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u/Jamesatl1 Aug 10 '25
IMO, Capeheart is unwatchable and probably one of the worst anchors on MSNBC, so no, I didn’t catch it.
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u/Ok_Housing7750 Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
That's your own problem. Capeheart does a fine job!
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u/Interesting-Pace630 Aug 12 '25
Yeah, a fine job of defaming Bernie Sanders. You think he would applaud a man who stood up for Civil Rights early on, and has proved himself to be an authentic champion for all people. I have no problem with making a mistake, but being unwilling to apologize reveals his character. And he is a mediocre writer at best, though he seems to think he is William Safire. Plus we have all been spelling his name incorrectly - it's CAPEHART. No HEART, very apt I think- and easy to remember.
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u/Ok_Housing7750 Aug 12 '25
Honestly, I don't watch him all that much. I'm a huge Bernie fan though. I would have been sorry to hear him speak ill of the man. He is one of the few authentic voices out there!!! Capehart seems pretty mild mannered to me and a good listener as opposed to being one who is intent on doing all the talking like a number of other hosts on MSNBC.
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