DSA candidate Oliver Larkin described President Donald Trump as a “pedophile president” during questioning by Fox anchor Trace Gallagher.

  • ExtremeDullard@piefed.socialOP
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    2 days ago

    The beauty of what Larkin said is, it’s a perfect trap: either Trump doesn’t respond and that’s kind of an admission of guilt, or he files for defamation and that automatically triggers a discovery process he really, really doesn’t want.

    Boy, I’ll get the popcorn! 🙂 🍿

      • ExtremeDullard@piefed.socialOP
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        2 days ago

        Well, everybody and their dog calls Trump a pedophile, because if he’s not a pedophile, I’m the King of England. But no public figures dares do that on TV - probably for fear of being sued. To my knowledge, this guy is the first. And he probably secured a whole lot of extra votes for it.

        • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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          2 days ago

          They could actually lose their broadcast rights via the cuorrupt FCC, but tbh that doesn’t really matter to anybody but Fox News because most networks broadcast on satellite or online nowadays instead of archaic airwaves and cable.

            • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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              1 day ago

              The Federal Communications Commission first established rules in 1965 for cable systems which received signals by microwave antennas. In 1966, the Commission established rules for all cable systems (whether or not served by microwave). The Supreme Court affirmed the Commission’s jurisdiction over cable in United States v. Southwestern Cable Co., 392 U.S. 157 (1968). The Court ruled that “the Commission has reasonably concluded that regulatory authority over CATV is imperative if it is to perform with appropriate effectiveness certain of its responsibilities.”

              according to the FCC

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    Gallagher repeatedly attempted to engage Larkin on the topic of an acceptable number of “children who can be raped and it’s fine in relation to the immigration community.”

    “If we’re going to talk about children being raped, then we need to hold this pedophile president Donald Trump accountable and all those that can implicate in the Epstein files that the Department of Justice is still not leaking and they’ve sent AIPAC after Thomas Massie—” Larkin began before Gallagher interjected, “Got it, thanks.”

    “—for having the temerity to hold accountable the pedophiles that are in control of our government,” Larkin concluded.

    “Thank you. We appreciate your time very much,” Gallagher said before the segment’s end.

    • cranakis@reddthat.com
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      1 day ago

      The interview was worth suffering through for that ending. He mentioned Trump being a child rapist and my man wanted to cut to commercial. Fucking hypocrites.

  • ragepaw@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    He had so many easy layups that he fumbled. Instead of calling out disingenuous questions, he let himself be trapped.

    Q: “You won’t applaud ice for getting ride of violent criminals?”

    A: Yes, for every criminal convicted. How many people were deported who had no criminal record, and have not been charged with a crime?

    • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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      I don’t think wasting time arguing over a question’s wording instead of just diving into the actual substance of the issue like Larkin did would have looked good, and looking at the rest of that exchange it seems like the Fox people sure didn’t like how it went for them,

      Gallagher asked Larkin if he supports open borders.

      “I don’t think there’s anything to fear with people seeking a better life in the United States of America,” Larkin answered before he noted his wife is the “proud daughter of a Nicaraguan immigrant.”

      Larkin cited legislation by Jared Moskowitz, his opponent in the Congressional race, who was part of the effort that passed the Laken Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain immigrants who have been accused of a crime. Riley was a 22-year-old student who was attacked and killed by José Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant.

      The pair sparred verbally on the topic of immigration. “We need to keep our communities safe and we need to hold people accountable when they have harmed others, when they have broken the law but let’s be clear. Immigration is a civil violation, not a criminal violation,” Larkin said.

      “So we need to stop treating the equivalent of a parking ticket like people are breaking the law and need a militarized police force breaking down their door,” he continued. “So the comparison here is not one of criminality. It is whether we are respecting international law, the right to asylum, the right of respecting refugees’ rights.”

      Gallagher repeatedly attempted to engage Larkin on the topic of an acceptable number of “children who can be raped and it’s fine in relation to the immigration community.”

      “If we’re going to talk about children being raped, then we need to hold this pedophile president Donald Trump accountable and all those that can implicate in the Epstein files that the Department of Justice is still not leaking and they’ve sent AIPAC after Thomas Massie—” Larkin began before Gallagher interjected, “Got it, thanks.”

      “—for having the temerity to hold accountable the pedophiles that are in control of our government,” Larkin concluded.

      “Thank you. We appreciate your time very much,” Gallagher said before the segment’s end.

    • Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      Nah, the answer to these questions is “that’s not ice’s job, and they’re not doing that”

      Investigating and arresting violent criminals is the job of the local police , FBI etc. Ice is Immigration and customs enforcement , they enforce immigration laws, not violent crime laws.

      The guy was sort of getting at that by calling illegally crossing a misdemeanor but didn’t drive home that that’s all they’re arresting people for and that all those examples the guy was giving of the horrible crimes of migrants were probably investigated and arrested by local police, not ICE.