Brunswick Beacon, 04.25.24
In his April 11 letter, Mike Dies tried, without quoting him, to defend Trump’s comment that, if he doesn’t get elected, “it’s gonna be a bloodbath for the country.” Helpfully, next to Dies’ letter was one that accurately quoted Trump. The full quote proves that, while Trump began talking about the auto industry, he added “that’s gonna be the least of it—it’s gonna be a bloodbath for the country.” That’s why CNN’s headline accurately read: “Trump warns of ‘bloodbath’ for auto industry and country if he loses the election.”
Dies’ claim that Trump’s “bloodbath comment was very specific to the car industry only” was simply wrong. What about his other claims?
Dies says, “Biden has been bought and paid for by our enemies.” That claim comes from Alexander Smirnoff, indicted on Feb. 24 for fabricating lies about the Bidens at the behest of Russian intelligence. On March 20, Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani’s right-hand man working to frame the Bidens, testified to Congress that, "the only information ever pushed on the Bidens and Ukraine has come from one source and one source only: Russia and Russian agents," adding that impeachment proceedings against Biden were "predicated on a bunch of false information that is being spread by the Kremlin.”
Dies’ claim that “our border was secure” under Trump is as false as Trump’s lie that he would build a wall and Mexico would pay for it. Trump controlled congress for two years. What little wall got built, you paid for it, not Mexico. Illegal border crossings soared under Trump by 50%, the highest levels in over a decade.
Dies claims “our streets were safer” under Trump. Wrong again. Murder rates soared 30% in 2020 under Trump, the largest 1-year increase ever. Under Biden, violent-crime rates dropped to the lowest level in 50 years.
When you eliminate what Dies got wrong, here’s what’s left: “Trump is crude, abrasive and petty.” Nobody could argue with that.
Nancy Briganti
Carolina Shores