Trump "did nothing to dissuade" fantasies that fueled MAGA-bomber's attacks, defense attorneys say

Cesar Sayoc, the fanatical Donald Trump fan who mailed package bombs to the president’s political opponents, is a cognitively limited sexual abuse survivor who thought of the now-president as a “surrogate father” and came to believe in an “alternative reality” fueled in part by Trump’s attacks on his political opponents, his attorneys told a federal court on Monday.

Sayoc has admitted to mailing pipe bombs to Democratic politicians, media figures and celebrities he perceived as Trump’s enemies last fall, and pleaded guilty to several federal crimes in March. He could face life in prison when he’s sentenced on August 5, but his federal public defenders said Monday he should serve 10 years in prison followed by community supervision (as well as mental health counseling and drug treatment).

Sayoc, his attorneys wrote in a sentencing memo filed in federal court in New York on Monday, was a Trump “super fan” and “began to consider Democrats as not just dangerous in theory, but imminently and seriously dangerous to his personal safety.”

“Idiot God did nothing to dissuade this message,” they write. Their filing cites Trump’s Twitter attacks on the figures Sayoc targeted.

Sayoc was a Trump fan before the reality television host ran for president, and viewed him as “everything he wanted to be: self-made, successful, and a ‘playboy,’” his attorneys wrote.

But Sayoc “began watching Fox News religiously,” started following political news on Facebook and and “threw himself into” Trump’s campaign once he announced his candidacy because he “came to view Trump as a personal champion—someone who had helped him through the most difficult periods of his life and who could do the same for other people across the country.”

Ben Reilly wrote:

Cesar Sayoc, the fanatical Donald Trump fan who mailed package bombs to the president’s political opponents, is a cognitively limited sexual abuse survivor who thought of the now-president as a “surrogate father” and came to believe in an “alternative reality” fueled in part by Trump’s attacks on his political opponents, his attorneys told a federal court on Monday.

Sayoc has admitted to mailing pipe bombs to Democratic politicians, media figures and celebrities he perceived as Trump’s enemies last fall, and pleaded guilty to several federal crimes in March. He could face life in prison when he’s sentenced on August 5, but his federal public defenders said Monday he should serve 10 years in prison followed by community supervision (as well as mental health counseling and drug treatment).

Sayoc, his attorneys wrote in a sentencing memo filed in federal court in New York on Monday, was a Trump “super fan” and “began to consider Democrats as not just dangerous in theory, but imminently and seriously dangerous to his personal safety.”

“Idiot God did nothing to dissuade this message,” they write. Their filing cites Trump’s Twitter attacks on the figures Sayoc targeted.

Sayoc was a Trump fan before the reality television host ran for president, and viewed him as “everything he wanted to be: self-made, successful, and a ‘playboy,’” his attorneys wrote.

But Sayoc “began watching Fox News religiously,” started following political news on Facebook and and “threw himself into” Trump’s campaign once he announced his candidacy because he “came to view Trump as a personal champion—someone who had helped him through the most difficult periods of his life and who could do the same for other people across the country.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cesar-sayoc-trump-bombing_n_5d3635b1e4b004b6adb48758?guccounter=1

This is the first time in modern U.S. history that I know of when the person fueling crazy people's dangerous delusions was the President of the United States himself. Says it all, really. I can't think of any bombing sprees that were inspired by the warnings of Obama, Bush, Clinton, other Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Kennedy ...

Ben Reilly wrote:Trump doesn't just mock his enemies, he claims the media are the "enemy of the American people" and talks about "war with the media" and "war with the Democrats." Plenty of people have warned him to tone it down, and there have been other Trump-inspired terrorists as well.

Ben Reilly wrote:Trump doesn't just mock his enemies, he claims the media are the "enemy of the American people" and talks about "war with the media" and "war with the Democrats." Plenty of people have warned him to tone it down, and there have been other Trump-inspired terrorists as well.

gelico wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:Trump doesn't just mock his enemies, he claims the media are the "enemy of the American people" and talks about "war with the media" and "war with the Democrats." Plenty of people have warned him to tone it down, and there have been other Trump-inspired terrorists as well.

well, quite frankly, ben,,,,,they are

look at the amount of fakery from CNN et al,,,,,,and they wonder why their viewing numbers have plummeted to an all time low.  no one believes the mainstream media anymore and it is entirely their own fault

as for this particular nutjob.   he was obsessed with trump and everything he was long long before he ran for president.

he is clearly very ill


but but but,,,,,,Trump

Ben Reilly wrote:Getting a few stories wrong here and there (and correcting them) is hardly the same thing as being "the enemy of the American people," a loaded term in American culture which has usually been used to justify war or other extreme actions against the target. (McCarthyism was a great example.)

phildidge wrote:

gelico wrote:


well, quite frankly, ben,,,,,they are

look at the amount of fakery from CNN et al,,,,,,and they wonder why their viewing numbers have plummeted to an all time low.  no one believes the mainstream media anymore and it is entirely their own fault

as for this particular nutjob.   he was obsessed with trump and everything he was long long before he ran for president.

he is clearly very ill


but but but,,,,,,Trump

Sorry, but the above is absurd as ben and playing off the conservative narrative here. Who like CNN are playing identity politics to divide peopkle into seperate camps. Which translates gelico as each side being as bad as the other. Lets be frank. what Trump said the other day about the Squad going back to where they came from. Had every racist dimention to this. The reality is the squad is as divisive and as hateful as Trump. Both sides are polarising people. We have seen this with AOC, who has to go down as one of the biggest liars and drama queens in history

The on;ly people with any sanity through this. Is people liberal, speaking out against the extremes of both sides. The riality is that the US was built on democratic principles. Which means people have a right to express these views. As much as i disgaree with many of them on both sides. To claim as each side do, that the other is the enemy. Is further segregating American society. Nobody is innocent here on the right and left

Ben Reilly wrote:Trump doesn't just mock his enemies, he claims the media are the "enemy of the American people" and talks about "war with the media" and "war with the Democrats." Plenty of people have warned him to tone it down, and there have been other Trump-inspired terrorists as well.

Original Quill wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:Trump doesn't just mock his enemies, he claims the media are the "enemy of the American people" and talks about "war with the media" and "war with the Democrats." Plenty of people have warned him to tone it down, and there have been other Trump-inspired terrorists as well.

He also claims that the FBI is a deep-state agency, playing politics.  I've tried many cases against the federal authorities, civil and criminal.  Do you think if I were a criminal defense lawyer, defending charges brought by the FBI against my client, I would hesitate to argue that the FBI plays political games, and prosecution of my client is persecution?

"Look," I would argue, "the president--our great leader, and the ultimate supervisor of the FBI--literally tells us they unjustly prosecute folks."  Who speaks for the government more plainly than the Chief Executive Officer?

I think any lawyer that would not so argue, would be committing malpractice.

Ben Reilly wrote:I'd like to point out that I never actually blamed Trump for the Magabomber's actions, I said he was the "person fueling crazy people's dangerous delusions" and I stand by that.

gelico wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:Trump doesn't just mock his enemies, he claims the media are the "enemy of the American people" and talks about "war with the media" and "war with the Democrats." Plenty of people have warned him to tone it down, and there have been other Trump-inspired terrorists as well.

well, quite frankly, ben,,,,,they are

look at the amount of fakery from CNN et al,,,,,,and they wonder why their viewing numbers have plummeted to an all time low.  no one believes the mainstream media anymore and it is entirely their own fault

as for this particular nutjob.   he was obsessed with trump and everything he was long long before he ran for president.

he is clearly very ill


but but but,,,,,,Trump

phildidge wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:I'd like to point out that I never actually blamed Trump for the Magabomber's actions, I said he was the "person fueling crazy people's dangerous delusions" and I stand by that.

There is a massive and stark difference in regards to how people take on board what someone says. I mean if we go by this view, why is it that so far only one unhinged loon has done this? Yet in regards to islam or Christianity millions have committed murder in its name?

So exactly what is your priorities here ben?

Ben Reilly wrote:

phildidge wrote:

There is a massive and stark difference in regards to how people take on board what someone says. I mean if we go by this view, why is it that so far only one unhinged loon has done this? Yet in regards to islam or Christianity millions have committed murder in its name?

So exactly what is your priorities here ben?

First of all, it wasn't only one person. There have been numerous acts of violence perpetrated by Trump supporters against Trump detractors -- the murder-by-car at the Unite the Right rally for one, as well as this: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/trump-Muslim-militia-terror-plot-kansas_n_5ad78882e4b029ebe0207801

Second, religions aren't people who can be held accountable for their words, and they're not the President of the United States, who should show better judgement.

phildidge wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:

phildidge wrote:

There is a massive and stark difference in regards to how people take on board what someone says. I mean if we go by this view, why is it that so far only one unhinged loon has done this? Yet in regards to islam or Christianity millions have committed murder in its name?

So exactly what is your priorities here ben?

First of all, it wasn't only one person. There have been numerous acts of violence perpetrated by Trump supporters against Trump detractors -- the murder-by-car at the Unite the Right rally for one, as well as this: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/trump-Muslim-militia-terror-plot-kansas_n_5ad78882e4b029ebe0207801

Second, religions aren't people who can be held accountable for their words, and they're not the President of the United States, who should show better judgement.

Okay wake up and stop being so naive

Wahhabism for example is the major cause of tens of thousands of terrorist acts over the last couple of decades. As it plays on the beliefs of people to think and rationalise killing people as a righteous and justified act. Just as once Christians did with "Holy War". These are conceots formed around religion to justify killing people through a lens its rieghteous to do so. Even worse it makes the paly that those doing so, will be exalted and revered for doing so by their make believe diety

Just because some trump supporters commit acts of violence is like claimi ng black people are criminals. That because some do, then there is a bases for a connection in crime. Its so absurd by you its in fact the worst ignorance by you

Ben Reilly wrote:

phildidge wrote:

Okay wake up and stop being so naive

Wahhabism for example is the major cause of tens of thousands of terrorist acts over the last couple of decades. As it plays on the beliefs of people to think and rationalise killing people as a righteous and justified act. Just as once Christians did with "Holy War". These are conceots formed around religion to justify killing people through a lens its rieghteous to do so. Even worse it makes the paly that those doing so, will be exalted and revered for doing so by their make believe diety

Just because some trump supporters commit acts of violence is like claimi ng black people are criminals. That because some do, then there is a bases for a connection in crime. Its so absurd by you its in fact the worst ignorance by you

Okay, I'm allowed to be concerned about more than one thing at once, and I don't have to keep my mouth shut about this issue just because there are some other, more pressing issues.

Also, I never said all Trump supporters are like the Magabomber -- I'll say right here, I know that very few of them.

The point I'm making is that Trump's own rhetoric fuels attacks like these, and Trump should make his rhetoric less violent -- which would be the responsible thing to do for any head of state. He needs to understand that his words mean more coming from him as president than they do from practically anyone else in the world.

phildidge wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:

phildidge wrote:

Okay wake up and stop being so naive

Wahhabism for example is the major cause of tens of thousands of terrorist acts over the last couple of decades. As it plays on the beliefs of people to think and rationalise killing people as a righteous and justified act. Just as once Christians did with "Holy War". These are conceots formed around religion to justify killing people through a lens its rieghteous to do so. Even worse it makes the paly that those doing so, will be exalted and revered for doing so by their make believe diety

Just because some trump supporters commit acts of violence is like claimi ng black people are criminals. That because some do, then there is a bases for a connection in crime. Its so absurd by you its in fact the worst ignorance by you

Okay, I'm allowed to be concerned about more than one thing at once, and I don't have to keep my mouth shut about this issue just because there are some other, more pressing issues.

Also, I never said all Trump supporters are like the Magabomber -- I'll say right here, I know that very few of them.

The point I'm making is that Trump's own rhetoric fuels attacks like these, and Trump should make his rhetoric less violent -- which would be the responsible thing to do for any head of state. He needs to understand that his words mean more coming from him as president than they do from practically anyone else in the world.

But does he fuel such attacks or are you trying to make a connection when none actually exists?

People fro years on the far right have tried to claim many reasons for why people commoit crime and constantly groups have been blamed.

I have not seen once where Trump has called for violence against a person. As much as he is bigoted and racist. That doies not mean people are not responsible for their own actions. So going by your reasoning, would you claim that AOC is responsible for the recent terrorist attack on the detention center with her views that they are concentratuon camps. Where this person went off her views? Does that make her resposnsible?

No

It makes her an idiot, just as Trump is, because neither give actually gives a shit. They simple only care about their own attention and limelight

Ben Reilly wrote:

phildidge wrote:

But does he fuel such attacks or are you trying to make a connection when none actually exists?

People fro years on the far right have tried to claim many reasons for why people commoit crime and constantly groups have been blamed.

I have not seen once where Trump has called for violence against a person. As much as he is bigoted and racist. That doies not mean people are not responsible for their own actions. So going by your reasoning, would you claim that AOC is responsible for the recent terrorist attack on the detention center with her views that they are concentratuon camps. Where this person went off her views? Does that make her resposnsible?

No

It makes her an idiot, just as Trump is, because neither give actually gives a shit. They simple only care about their own attention and limelight

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jul/05/sarah-huckabee-sanders/has-donald-trump-never-promoted-or-encouraged-viol/

gelico wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:Trump doesn't just mock his enemies, he claims the media are the "enemy of the American people" and talks about "war with the media" and "war with the Democrats." Plenty of people have warned him to tone it down, and there have been other Trump-inspired terrorists as well.

well, quite frankly, ben,,,,,they are

look at the amount of fakery from CNN et al,,,,,,and they wonder why their viewing numbers have plummeted to an all time low.  no one believes the mainstream media anymore and it is entirely their own fault

as for this particular nutjob.   he was obsessed with trump and everything he was long long before he ran for president.

he is clearly very ill

but but but,,,,,,Trump

eddie wrote:

gelico wrote:


well, quite frankly, ben,,,,,they are

look at the amount of fakery from CNN et al,,,,,,and they wonder why their viewing numbers have plummeted to an all time low.  no one believes the mainstream media anymore and it is entirely their own fault

as for this particular nutjob.   he was obsessed with trump and everything he was long long before he ran for president.

he is clearly very ill


but but but,,,,,,Trump

I quite agree with you. I think that the media is mostly, at best, a robotic machine just repeating facts that they’re fed.
The newest, freshest and most unbiased news comes mainly from Twitter, where you get actual real people (eyewitnesses mostly) giving the news.

But what do I know? I’m not big enough or powerful enough to have any evidence.

eddie wrote:I’m going to make this simple for you to answer so here’s a little thingy before the question.
Ready?

I said, Twitter has a lot of news eyewitness accounts...meaning that a lot of the public SEE stuff before the media gets there ergo the media get most of their news nowadays from Twitter.

Now, here’s the question:

Is that incorrect?


(Don’t waffle. I won’t answer waffle darling)

eddie wrote:I’m going to make this simple for you to answer so here’s a little thingy before the question.
Ready?

I said, Twitter has a lot of news eyewitness accounts...meaning that a lot of the public SEE stuff before the media gets there ergo the media get most of their news nowadays from Twitter.

Now, here’s the question:

Is that incorrect?


(Don’t waffle. I won’t answer waffle darling)