aubiefifty

Auburn starting right tackle Austin Troxell out for rest of season Nathan King 3 minutes Starting right tackle Austin Troxell sustained a knee injury against Mississippi State and will undergo a procedure Monday that will end his season and Auburn career, a source close to the situation informed Auburn Undercover on Sunday. A sixth-year senior, Troxell went down in the third quarter of Auburn's 39-33 overtime loss in Starkville and did not return to the game. The former four-star recruit dealt with knee injuries throughout his football career, battling back from two surgeries in high school and one at Auburn during the 2019 spring game, which forced him to miss the entire 2019 season. The following year, though, Troxell settled into a starting role at left tackle, where he was the Tigers' top option for the next two seasons. With Kilian Zierer emerging at left tackle this past preseason, Troxell moved over to right tackle, where he started eight of nine games this season; his only absence was against Ole Miss, when he was recovering from a minor injury sustained the week before at Georgia. Overall, Troxell has started 24 games in his Auburn career. Former JUCO transfer Brenden Coffey filled in for Troxell against Ole Miss and was also his replacement for the remainder of the game Saturday in Starkville. Troxell is the second starting offensive lineman to suffer a season-ending injury this year; center Tate Johnson underwent elbow surgery following Auburn's Week 4 win over Missouri. Johnson was in that role because sixth-year center Nick Brahms elected to retire from football in the preseason after injury troubles of his own throughout his career with the Tigers. In the offseason, Troxell was one of four offensive linemen to elect to return to Auburn in 2022, exercising their free year of COVID-19 eligibility. 12COMMENTS During fall camp, Troxell said, health-wise, he was "feeling the best I have since I've been here." "The thing about coming back, after the bowl game, it really wasn't a hard decision for me," Troxell said. "I've been here for a while, but I really haven't played as much as I've wanted to. It was a no-brainer for me to come back." ">247Sports

Hate in America is on the rise. It's making it more dangerous for everyone from politicians to librarians to do their jobs. Marguerite Ward 6-7 minutes The FBI and other federal agencies recently warned other security agencies of the potential of violence on or following America's midterm elections, according to documents obtained by NPR.Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Hate-motivated incidents in 37 US cities increased in 2021 and appear to be trending upward. Politicians, poll workers, and even librarians report growing harassment, threats, and attacks. The midterm elections and the 2024 presidential race could make the situation worse. For Richard Ringer, a Democrat running for a seat in the Pennsylvania Statehouse, the rising tide of hate in America made it to his doorstep. On Monday morning, Ringer said, he heard someone enter his garage. He said he sneaked up on the man, whom he didn't know, and lunged at him. During the scuffle, the intruder punched Ringer in the head about 10 times, knocking him out, Ringer said. After regaining consciousness, Ringer called the police, according to news reports. It was the third time in two weeks Ringer had to call the police, he said. Once was after someone vandalized his garage door; the other time was after someone threw a brick through the window of his door, Ringer said. The incidents, which Ringer said he believed were related to his political work, have left him unsettled about the state of America. "I'm scared for this country," Ringer told Insider. "I'm worried as hell." Richard Ringer, a Democratic candidate seeking as seat in the Pennsylvania Statehouse, told Insider he was attacked by a male intruder.Images via Richard Ringer The ordeals Ringer described, while shocking, aren't a total surprise. From abortion clinics to polling places to libraries, threats of violence appear to be growing. And it's likely to get worse as the US heads toward what's sure to be a divisive race for the White House in 2024. Animus among Americans seems to be everywhere: A man attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband, and the suspect is accused of attempting to kidnap of the Democratic House leader. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, posted a series of antisemitic tweets in October and wore a "White Lives Matter" T-shirt. The Brooklyn Nets suspended point guard Kyrie Irving for at least five games for his "failure to disavow antisemitism." An analysis from the Network Contagion Research Institute showed use of the N-word on Twitter spiking in a single day after Elon Musk took over the platform as some users appeared to respond to his free-speech stance. Hate-motivated incidents in 37 major US cities increased by nearly 39% in 2021 and appear to be trending upward for 2022, according to an analysis of national police data compiled by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the California State University, San Bernardino. "It's bad right now. B-A-D," George Rattay, the chair of the Democratic Party in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, told Insider. "People are reluctant to work at the polls today. And I understand it. People take their anger out on these workers, many of whom are elderly." Rattay, who's been in politics for more than four decades, said canvassers, volunteers, and candidates were facing threats and becoming involved in altercations. "When I first got into politics, I could reach across the aisle on issues and have some civility," he said. "It's not that way today." Poll workers and even librarians face violence There have been multiple reports of increasing threats and violence targeting poll workers.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The danger isn't limited to politicians. In August, federal prosecutors charged five people with making death threats against election workers. In October, an Iowa man was arrested in connection with threats to kill election officials in Arizona's Maricopa County. "The rhetoric that's coming out of these leaders, particularly from Republicans, is dangerous," Ringer said, adding that President Donald Trump's rhetoric was to blame. "I'm worried about poll workers." The Republican National Committee didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, and other agencies issued a bulletin last month warning security agencies of the potential for attacks on political candidates, election officials, and polling workers, according to documents obtained by NPR. The FBI has since warned about "broad threats" to synagogues in New Jersey. Abortion-clinic workers also worry about growing threats, which could include violence, harassment, and even arson, in a post-Roe v. Wade America, NPR reported. Less-controversial pillars of society are at risk as well. Libraries, which not long ago wouldn't have been considered targets of political attacks, are facing threats — along with their workers. Anger from some about the books some libraries stock is dragging librarians into the nation's culture wars. Libraries in Denver were shut down for a day after receiving an "unspecified threat" in late September. A similar situation unfolded in Fort Worth, Texas, about the same time. In Nashville, Tennessee, various libraries were closed in October for a day after a bomb threat was emailed to staff. "Unfortunately there have been a rising number of threats of violence toward libraries and librarians," the American Library Association's executive board told Insider via email. The association issued a statement in June condemning the threats, adding that many "aim to erase the stories and identities of gay, queer, transgender, Black, Indigenous, persons of color, those with disabilities and religious minorities." The breadth of the threats to politicians, poll workers, and other civic employees like librarians indicates hate in America has become prolific. And with early voting underway in some states ahead of the Tuesday midterm elections, divisive rhetoric is likely to grow louder. "I'm worried about next week," Ringer said, referring to the midterms. "I don't know what's going to happen. I hope nothing happens."

bring bail money.......

Liz Cheney makes waves on her way out of Congress Mike Lillis 7-9 minutes Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is going out with a bang, ramping up her attacks on the pro-Trump forces in her own party with a highly public exit tour designed to prevent the same GOP leaders she once embraced from winning power next year. The Wyoming conservative was clobbered in her August primary after lambasting former President Trump for his role in last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol — a single-minded crusade that made her a pariah in the ruby-red Cowboy State, where Trump remains a revered figure. Now, in the waning weeks of her congressional career, Cheney has launched an extraordinary campaign, stumping for once-rival Democrats in battleground districts and assailing fellow Republicans as an existential threat to America’s most basic democratic foundations — a role reversal unlike anything seen on Capitol Hill in modern memory. As an opening act, Cheney was in central Michigan on Tuesday to promote one of the most vulnerable Democrats this midterm cycle, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a former Pentagon official whose GOP opponent, state Senator Tom Barrett, has said the legitimacy of the 2020 election remains “an unknowable thing.” Cheney and Slotkin don’t see eye-to-eye on countless policy positions, but the notion that Congress might soon be controlled by a party unwilling to accept election results has united them in a last-ditch effort to convince voters that preserving democracy should trump everything else — even economic concerns — when they go to the polls on Tuesday. “If we want to ensure the survival of the republic, we have to walk away from politics as usual,” Cheney said to a packed gymnasium in East Lansing. “We have to stand up — every one of us — and say we’re going to do what’s right for this country and we’re going to look beyond partisan politics.” On the same day, during an event at Cleveland State University, Cheney also endorsed another Democrat, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who is squaring off against J.D. Vance, a Republican investor, to replace retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman in the Buckeye State. Vance, who rose to fame as the author of the wildly popular “Hillbilly Elegy” memoir, was endorsed by Trump and continues to cast doubt on President Biden’s 2020 victory. “We have to have elected officials who are responsible, who are going to do the right thing, with whom you might disagree but whom you know have the best interest of the nation at heart and in mind,” Cheney told PBS’s Judy Woodruff in Cleveland. Most recently, Cheney on Saturday endorsed Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), a former CIA official, who is vying for a third term against Republican Yesli Vega, a local county official who has won Trump’s endorsement. Biden won the district by six points in 2020, but the race has tightened in the final weeks, giving Republicans new hope that they can pick up a seat the sprawling district encompassing parts of both the Richmond and Washington suburbs. Cheney noted that she and Spanberger “don’t agree on every policy.” But Spanberger, she added, is “dedicated to serving this country … and defending our Constitution.” “Abigail’s opponent is promoting conspiracy theories, denying election outcomes she disagrees with, and defending the indefensible,” Cheney said in a statement. “We need our elected leaders to be honest, serious, and responsible.” It’s unclear if more endorsements are forthcoming. One factor behind that uncertainty is the lingering question of whether Cheney’s presence in any specific battleground district would be a benefit, or a liability, for incumbent Democrats. Cheney has won widespread praise among Trump critics of all parties, who view her denunciation of the former president as a principled stand in support of democratic traditions. And voters of that persuasion might be newly energized by an 11th-hour Cheney visit to their districts. But Cheney’s anti-Trump activism has also infuriated the former president’s most ardent supporters, creating risks for Democrats who might accept her public backing. Privately, some vulnerable lawmakers acknowledge the difficulty of weighing those competing factors, particularly given the scarcity of public opinion polls in many House districts. Trump is not sitting on the sidelines of that debate. On Wednesday, his Save America PAC blasted out an email highlighting a report in The Federalist, a conservative outlet, warning that a Cheney endorsement “is the political kiss of death.” A second factor pertains to voter priorities, as a host of recent surveys reveal that the state of the country’s democracy has been overshadowed by inflation, gas prices and other economic anxieties when it comes to the issue voters deem most important as they head to the polls. Trump has weighed in there, as well. Another Save America PAC email linked to a headline in The Washington Examiner: “It was the economy, stupid.” Slotkin, for one, has acknowledged the odd nature of her alliance with a former adversary, but is quick to add that the fight against election denialism is worth any political backlash. “The last time that she was doing media in my media market she was disagreeing with me vehemently on a point of policy,” Slotkin told CNN on Tuesday, shortly before the East Lansing event. “But we agree on one really big thing and that’s that there has to be a democratic system in order for our system to function.” Ryan has also welcomed Cheney’s support, suggesting it would prove to be a net asset even in Ohio, where Trump defeated Biden two years ago by 8 percentage points. “There are a lot of Republicans here in Ohio that are tired of the extremism,” Ryan told MSNBC on Tuesday. The idea that Cheney, the eldest daughter of the staunchly conservative former vice president, would be battling for Democrats in the midterms’ home stretch was unthinkable even 18 months ago, when she was still the third-ranking House Republican vying to flip control of the lower chamber this midterm cycle. But the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was a transformative event for the three-term conservative, who quickly blamed Trump for provoking the violence and later became the most outspoken GOP critic of his false claims of a “stolen” election. Cheney’s message directly contradicted that of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and other top Republican leaders — who voted just hours after the rampage to undo Trump’s defeat in two states — and it led the GOP conference to boot Cheney from its leadership ranks four months later. Shortly afterwards, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tapped Cheney to become the second in command of the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, giving her even greater voice to denounce Trump’s role in the rampage — and intensifying the backlash from Trump’s conservative base. By the time of the Wyoming primary in August, there was no contest: Cheney lost to her Trump-backed challenger, Harriet Hageman, by 37 points. She’s not going out quietly, however. And her campaign to help Democrats appears to be fueled by a certain personal disdain for McCarthy, who’s in line to be Speaker if the House flips — and has bent over backwards to stay in Trump’s good graces to help him secure the gavel. McCarthy’s office did not respond to a request for comment. “He’s been completely unfaithful to the Constitution and demonstrated a total lack of understanding of the significance and the importance of the role of Speaker, so I don’t believe he should be Speaker of the House,” Cheney said earlier this year. “I think that’s been very clear.” Mychael Schnell contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and stre

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit shares strong take on vacant Auburn position Taylor Jones 2 minutes Well, it is a good thing that Kirk Herbstreit will not be getting a call from John Cohen to interview for the open head football coaching job at Auburn University. During a segment of Saturday’s College Gameday live from Athens, Georgia, the college football guru explained why the Auburn job may not be as attractive as many believe, mostly due to off-the-field noise. “Auburn is one of those jobs when you’re winning, everything’s great,” Herbstreit said on College GameDay. “You go into restaurants in the local town and everyone supports you and your family. All of a sudden, things get off the tracks, get rid of him, rumors are starting. Now, all of a sudden, it’s affecting recruiting and the overall feel of the program. I think we’ve seen a lot of examples of that.” Herbstreit also empathized with a potential candidate by revealing what his approach would be if he were to receive a call from Cohen about an interview for the position. “So, to me, if I become a candidate, the first thing I’m going to do is get the score of the game,” Herbstreit said. “John (Cohen), are you going to be willing to work with me? Because I’m not dealing with that B.S. If you’re going to let that impact me, then I’m not taking the job. So, I don’t know how you do that? I don’t know how you talk to the guy who’s in charge of hiring this and say, ‘Can you control that?’” Herbstreit capped the topic by saying that the head coaching position at Auburn has unlimited potential, as long as the successful candidate finds a way to get on the side of Auburn’s boosters. List Twitter reacts to Auburn's wild overtime loss to Mississippi State Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

i read that yes but nothing official on it. dad thinks his son should be a millionaire and knows what is at stake. i hope tj goes where he can get some killer coaching. i mean at auburn bo was overshooting players ten yards throwing bombs and he has corrected that at oregon. bo has thrown two of the prettiest bombs in the last two weeks i have seen. the receiver did not have to slow down and it came right in over his shoulder. so i hope tj gets another shot where he can learn something.

i am not going to mince any words here. if they which includes the new coach lets caddy go i will be mad and hurt. people are getting 5 to 8 to 10 million a year so how big a cut is caddy going to get. those kids believe in him and we have what half a team left? and many of those were not highly rated. i think caddy has the "it" factor. give him a right hand man like harsin had and get him the best assistants we can find and give him a real shot. i know it is a pipe dream but i feel the man has earned it. but if we allow him to get away from auburn i will be sad for a long long time.

i know a couple and they never take the blame for anything. it is always someone else's fault. some cat jumped me for saying the same thing last week and kept asking me what it meant. he made remarks twice so i called him karen. at 67 i am not putting up with anyones bull if i can help it. hell i can barely stand my own bull most of the time......

boy thats a first! lol got my christmas present yet?

as much as i mess with the mods and admins i understand.............grins

he said he was putting out so many brush fires i bet he had little time to do otherwise. but what do we do if we keep getting better and better under caddy with half a team and SOME suspect coaches?

i read in different places that is one thing most serial killers have in common. sleep deprivation.

at boise there was some kind of movement going on about racism and harsin was quiet until a player of his called him out on his silence and he released a statement that many felt he was reluctant to release. is he or was he racist? if you read between the lines it appears so but i do not want to confuse racism with him when he is probably an egotistical azz. but there seems to be some hints from some players. i would love to know the truth.

do you guys like any of the basketball podcasts? there are few on basketball but it will crank up. would you like me to list all of them i run across so you can make up your own mind? my whole thing here is i have no clue who is legit and who is not. i just want my time to pay off and not waste yours. let me know.

At Auburn football, a divisive and 'dysfunctional' program under Bryan Harsin, sources say Bennett Durando 7-8 minutes AUBURN — In his first season as Auburn football coach, Bryan Harsin created a divisive culture in which relationships with certain players were neglected and staff members felt ignored, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the inner workings of the Auburn football program under Harsin. The inside view of the program comes as Harsin's tenure with the Tigers has come under the microscope. The contentious relationships described to The Advertiser were in the backdrop of significant coaching staff changeover, widespread player defections and came to light days after Auburn failed to add a single recruit on National Signing Day on Wednesday. On Friday, Auburn president Jay Gogue said during a board of trustees meeting, "There’s been a lot of rumors and a lot of allegations made about our football program, and I just want you to know that we’re involved and trying to separate fact from fiction and we’ll keep you posted and make the appropriate decisions at the right time." Harsin, 45, told ESPN.com on Thursday night that he is Auburn's head coach and operating in that capacity. “All the issues in the (Auburn) program have to do with the head coach,” one source told The Advertiser. “He treated players and coaches poorly. He couldn’t empathize with players. He wasn’t genuine. And he ran off many of his best players.” The source described Harsin's program as "toxic" and "dysfunctional." The opinion of Harsin, who came to Auburn after seven years as head coach at Boise State, among players is split. Some adamantly came to his defense on social media Friday, while others described a coach who fails to "understand kids that come from nothing," as graduating safety Smoke Monday posted. "Harsin is a hell of a coach that wants to win," Monday, who has entered the NFL draft, posted on Instagram. "... But as kids we try our best to out-grow where we came from but we need people that didn't grow up the way we grow up to help us." Auburn did not respond to a request for comment from The Advertiser on Friday. The player discourse began with an Instagram post Friday morning by defensive lineman Lee Hunter, who transferred to UCF. "The reason I chose to leave Auburn (was) because we got treated like we wasn't good enough and like dogs. ... Coach Harsin has the true mindset for a winner but has a terrible mindset as a person." A current player, who spoke to The Advertiser on condition of anonymity Friday, said in a direct message that "we don't get treated like dogs" and that the rift is because some players are "just not used to his mentality." "Don't believe the things you see," edge Derick Hall tweeted Friday. "@CoachHarsin works harder than no other man to put this program in the best position to be successful. ... Great man of character who loves this team!" 'I don't think he has true empathy' Nineteen Auburn players have entered the transfer portal since the end of the season. Multiple sources said Harsin would not speak to players he didn’t like when he wanted them out of the program. He would cut off correspondence with the player and family members. Position coaches were tasked with telling players Harsin wanted out that they should leave the program. "He's going to send somebody else to do the dirty work," one source said. Another source recalled one instance of a player texting Harsin to apologize for a poor performance in a game. The player asked for guidance on how he could improve. Harsin did not reply to the text message. Instead, he had the player’s position coach call the player to tell him he needed to leave the program. A source said Harsin made efforts to relate to players like the ones he had at Boise State – often from a working-class white demographic – but did not always make the same effort to connect with others – often Black players from urban areas in the South. However, the source said they never heard Harsin use racist remarks or language. When leading wide receiver Kobe Hudson entered the transfer portal in January, he tweeted, "He from the north I understood him, I’m from the south he didn’t understand me," without naming Harsin. He transferred to UCF to play for former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. "There are sometimes players that are going through personal things that (Harsin) knows about, and he doesn't have empathy for those situations," one source said. "Whether it be a kid from a single-parent family, or a kid who's going through struggles in life. I don't think he has true empathy for kids." "How do you expect a young man to grow when you don't even talk to them," another source said, "or if you talk down to them, or if you tell them to get out of your office?" A source also said Harsin hated the concept of name, image and likeness and made that clear to players. Harsin was particularly critical of players from low-income families who received money from NIL deals because he thought they lost their focus on football, one source added. 'I'm the Auburn coach' Harsin had considerable coaching turnover through his first season, which ended with a 6-7 record.. It marked the program's first losing season since 2012. After a 6-2 start, Auburn lost its last five games. Derek Mason, who was hired as defensive coordinator at the start of Harsin's tenure, left after one season for the same position at Oklahoma State. Mike Bobo was fired after one season as offensive coordinator. Bobo's replacement, Austin Davis, resigned after 43 days. Defensive line coach Nick Eason left for Clemson in early January. Sources said Harsin was often quick to dismiss input from assistants. Four games into the season, he fired Cornelius Williams, a young and respected receivers coach from Alabama who had stints at Troy, South Alabama, North Alabama, Jacksonville State and UAB. Sources were puzzled by Williams' firing, and Harsin didn't widely provide a reason for it, the sources said. But the decision removed from the staff a coach who connected well with players — something Harsin couldn't afford. "(Williams) did nothing but did his damn job," one source said. "He had a great relationship with the players." Harsin replaced him by promoting offensive analyst Eric Kiesau, who was an assistant coach for Harsin at Boise State. When Mason left for Oklahoma State in January, Harsin promoted linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding, another former Boise State assistant. Harsin spoke with ESPN.com on Thursday night, saying that "any attack on my character is bulls---" and that he is isn't planning on leaving. "I'm the Auburn coach, and that's how I'm operating every day," Harsin told ESPN.com. "I want this thing to work, and I've told our players and told everybody else there is no Plan B."

Your ‘22-‘23 Tigers tip-off their season tomorrow night

who was the guy running after caddy some during the game with the big fat notebook like kiffen carries around or his helpers. i cannot think of the name.analyptics or something but it appears we started playing better. does anyone know who he was? and do you think it helped?

i would not be unhappy with freeze as long as he does not leave us in the cold..........grins

as an aside i am not sure if anyone saw it on the game last night but leach got upset with his receivers so he took their folding chairs away from them for some reason and made them stand. thats pretty funny right there. i think it is on twitter or instagram one and i never get those to post right but there is video of it.

lets not forget caddy said they were busy putting out fires most of that time as well so i think he super! my hat is off to him.

‘He was chosen’: the rightwing Christian roadshow spreading the gospel of Trump Ed Pilkington in Branson, Missouri 10-12 minutes “There is a man by the name of Donald,” the voice on the recording says. “God said, ‘You have been determined through your prayers to influence this nation … I will open that door that you prayed about, and when it comes time for the election you will be elected.” Three thousand people are packed into an overflowing auditorium, many with arms raised and eyes closed in prayer. The recording to which they are listening is from April 2013 and of Kim Clement, a late South African preacher, as he prophesies the first coming of Donald Trump. In a clip from the following year, Clement again purports to channel the word of God: “Hear me, for I have found a man after my own heart and he is among you. He is one of the brothers, but singled out for presidency of the United States of America.” There is excitement in the theater, with talk of a “red wave” at Tuesday’s midterm elections that will set America back on a righteous path after two years in the progressive wilderness. There is also palpable expectation that victory next week will be followed soon after by Trump’s second coming. The audience erupts in a mighty cheer as Clement’s speaking as God is beamed down to them from large flat screens while he says: “Hear me today. I have the whole thing planned out. I have looked for a man who would restore the fortunes of Zion.” So begins the ReAwaken America tour, a Trump-adoring, rightwing road show that has come for its 17th and last pre-election stop to Branson, a deeply Christian, deeply conservative town in Missouri. Over the next two days the crowd, swathed in Stars and Stripes T-shirts and Make America Great Again (Maga) hats and paying up to $500 for a “VIP” ticket, will be treated to speeches from the far-right stormtroopers of the Trump revolution. They will hear the former president’s first national security adviser Michael Flynn, who is revered in this setting as “America’s general”, warning that a new world tyranny is approaching. They will listen as Mike Lindell, the so-called My Pillow Guy, launches an incoherent rant about how foreign forces are infiltrating voting machines and using them to subvert US elections. They will give a standing ovation to the beloved leader’s son, Eric Trump, who will fire them up almost to the point of ecstasy with talk of “doing it all again”. And at the end of the day more than 200 of them will line up by a swimming pool for a full-body immersive baptism in the name of the lord, spiritual and political. The show is part Trump Stop the Steal rally, part charismatic religious service, part QAnon and anti-vaxxer conspiracy theory all rolled into one. It also subscribes heavily to the church of merchandising – there is a large vendors’ tent with several stalls devoted to the peddling of snake oil (“Redox Worx: patented cell-signalling technology. Improve health on a cellular level”). This heady brew is the creation of Clay Clark, a former wedding reception DJ from Oklahoma turned ThriveTimeShow podcaster who came to prominence protesting Covid lockdowns. Together with Flynn, he launched the ReAwaken America tour in April last year, just weeks after Trump supporters staged the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in a desperate yet unsuccessful attempt to keep Joe Biden out of the Oval Office. Since then the show has criss-crossed the country like a merry band of minstrels, honing the look, feel and message of Trump 2.0. There is less arch humour in the mix than there was when Trump descended the golden escalator in June 2015 – now it’s more resentment and menace. The speakers talk about a battle for America’s soul, literally, as though an aspiration that was floated at the start of the Trump experiment has gelled into something concrete. The regular tussle between Republicans and Democrats has distilled into a concoction that is far more potent: the fight of good versus evil. There is less arch humour in the mix than in 2015 – now it’s more resentment and menace “We are ready to go to war with the enemy, to bring this country back,” Clark says as he orders the blowing of the shofar – horns seen as spiritual weapons that herald the unleashing of God’s power. “How many of you believe that Jesus is king, and that Donald Trump is the president?” he asks. Almost every hand in the house shoots up. There is more dystopian paranoia in the room, too. America’s general, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia but was pardoned by Trump, tells the rapt crowd that “these people” – unnamed but indicative of global elites – “have a plan to take this country over. They are moving to impose a new world order.” There are signs on the front of the theater pronouncing: “No guns”. Yet guns are plentiful inside the theatre as fashion appendages. One woman sitting on the stage as a “VIP” is wearing a T-shirt that says: “Guns don’t kill people. Biden does.” There is a pulsing sense inside the ReAwaken America arena that the world outside, the world surrounding them, is wholly against them. There is some reason to that. Last year the the Anti-Defamation League compiled a report on ReAwaken America that accused the tour of spreading disinformation. “This phenomenon underscores the extent to which the line separating the mainstream from the extreme has blurred,” it warned. Twice the event has been shut down or forced to relocate, in New York and Washington states. Now when you are sent your ticket it is labelled as a “Fresh-roasted coffee-fest and expo” to disguise the show’s real focus. Misinformation flows freely inside Trump 2.0. Lori Gregory, who produces films for Andrew Wakefield, the disgraced British doctor who was struck off from medical practice in 2010 for fear-mongering about links between the MMR vaccine and autism, tells the crowd that 10 years from now one in two children will be on the autistic spectrum as a result of vaccine injury. A later speaker, Sherri Tenpenny, says that Covid vaccines were turning people into “transhumanist cyborgs”. Covid shots have killed 20 million people around the world and caused 20 billion injuries, she says. Kash Patel is next up, fresh from the immunity deal he has cut with federal prosecutors that will see him testify about how Trump hoarded top-secret documents at Mar-a-Lago. Patel doesn’t want to talk about that. The Trump administration’s former chief of staff at the Department of Defense wants to empathise with his audience over how they are maligned by Biden and the media: “You guys have been labelled domestic violent terrorists because you dare to support the Maga movement.” He also wants to talk about the “two-tiered justice system” that has put many loyal Maga supporters behind bars without bail after the violent attack on the Capitol. He does not mention the more than 140 law enforcement officers who were injured on January 6 nor the seven people – at least – who died as a result of the attack. What Patel really wants to talk about is his latest children’s book that purports to enlighten school kids about how the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump and rigged in Biden’s favor. “King Donald had taken the lead, getting an unprecedented amount of votes,” as the story goes in The Plot Against the King: 2000 Mules. “Poor Joe was trailing so far behind that the result seemed to be obvious. The winner was …” Patel wants his book to be taught in schools, replacing the critical race theory and gender realignment that he laments is being forced down children’s throats. When he has finished speaking, he goes outside to sell signed copies of the 36-page book to a long line of attendees, at $60 each. People who had travelled from all over Missouri and beyond to attend the show expressed happiness that for once they were understood. “I feel encouragement, I feel truth. We don’t get much of that any more,” says Ruth Denham, who sits on the local Branson town council. Denham has stopped consuming mainstream media – she gets her news from Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, and from Kash’s Corner, Patel’s podcast. Nor does she call herself a Republican any longer, there are just too many Rinos, or “Republicans in name only”. She considers herself a “constitutional conservative”. Mark Trudo, who runs his own swimming pool construction company near St Louis, is more optimistic, saying: “Right now I’m hopeful, I think things are going to turn around, a great awakening is taking place.” Like most of his ReAwaken peers, he sees the current politics in apocalyptic terms: “The country is being taken away from us from within. This is good versus evil.” Actual evil? As in satanic evil? “Is God real, is Satan real? Yes, I believe they are,” he says. Is Biden satanic? “I don’t know he is actually satanic. He is compromised. He knows what the evil side, the satanic forces, that control him tell him to do.” And Trump? “As a believer, I believe God knows the future. Trump was chosen. Even though he didn’t look like a Christian figure – he was foul-mouthed and a playboy – it’s obvious God knew what he was doing and put him in.” And now God is potentially poised to put Trump in a second time. That’s a theme that Eric Trump picks up when he takes the stage. He talks about the 2016 election, how Hillary outspent his father five to one and yet Trump still won. “We had the best out of all, which was the guy up there,” he says, pointing a finger heaven-ward. “Believe me, there was divine intervention, there was somebody watching over him.” Then came the biggest cheer of the day: “That’s why we have to do it again. It’s why we have to do it again.” On Thursday night Trump addressed a rally of his supporters in Sioux City, Iowa, and said: “I will very, very, very probably do it again.” There is speculation he will announce another run for the White House on 14 November, the week after the elections. “Guys, we will never ever, ever stop fighting for this country,” Eric Trump says, prompting chants of “USA! USA! USA!” “It’s unthinkable what these people are doing to this nation,” he says. “This is cognitive war, and I don’t say that lightly – I’m not, like, a tin-hat wearing guy.” Eric Trump concludes by telling the reawakened crowd that he loves them, saying: “I know you guys have our back 100%, and we have yours. I promise you, we are going to go and get those bastards, I promise you we will.”

i want to see them bring back the old plastic sound horns they had when i was a kid that used to drive folks crazy. i think they got banned or maybe just quit using them. grins