Well, he’s starting already. I know, it can be hard to tell when his whining about the election being rigged “starts” since he never stopped lying about the LAST election. So, I’ll draw an imaginary line and say it “started” with his Mar-a-Lardo presser a few days ago. He OPENED with this, “I want to start by saying it’s going very well. Uh, there’s some bad spots in Pennsylvania where, uh, some serious things have been caught or in the process of being caught…” So there it is. We’ll just agree, that’s the opening salvo in THIS year’s coup attempt.

You see, it’s a lie. How can you know? His “reports” will always be generalized. He CAN’T present any details because details can be followed up. He wants to stir up his base so they’ll make all the right noise when he tells them to, so he lies. But if he provides specifics, there’s a risk – an infinitesimally small risk, but a risk nonetheless – that some MAGA might realize he’s lying.

So, he’ll tell you all about the problems (“…some serious things”). But he will NEVER define the problems in detail. He’ll mention a general region, even a whole state, but he’ll NEVER specify exactly where. That’s because he’s lying. There haven’t been any problems with voting in Pennsylvania. In fact, I’d say that the people kicking Donald to the curb are exercising excellent judgement and should be commended.

This kind of ambiguous lie is the same tactic the GOP has been using to deceive and terrify MAGA since long before MAGA was an identifier. Remember when they told the story about illegals coming across the border and cutting off farmer’s heads? That was a good, scary story until they got too specific about where. THEN, a reporter checked the facts (dammit!) and found the whole story was… wait for it… a lie!

So, cons get “Pennsylvania” instead of a detailed location. Pennsylvania is a big place. It’s hard to pin down “some serious things in Pennsylvania.” But I’d bet his supporters have already started to feel the outrage they’ve nurtured for so long. They’ve been training for this moment for years. They can summon up fear, anger, or outrage on demand the way an advanced Yogi can stop and start his own heart. It takes focus and years of training. They’re about to get outraged over something that’s not even happening – and calling the LEFT “delusional” and “deranged” the whole time…

I mentioned the “risk – an infinitesimally small risk, but a risk nonetheless – that some MAGA might realize he’s lying.” I say it that way because I’ve come to realize the most MAGA simply don’t believe Donald Trump when he says the things he says. They think he’s just riffing. They laugh and cheer because they can’t imagine he might actually do the things he’s promising to do but, they wonder, wouldn’t it be great if he did? (It wouldn’t. And the lower one is on the economic ladder, the less great is going to be.)

But it DOES happen. There are a LOT of Republicans out there who once supported Trump but have turned their backs on the guy and in most cases, it’s because something happened that caused the scales to fall from those people’s eyes. They, too, had been laughing and cheering at rallies – and then something like J6 happened and, despite their best efforts, they were just unable to pretend it was something else. For some reason, they saw what really happened and suddenly, they knew. This guy isn’t kidding. These aren’t jokes. He’s unstable. He’s dangerous to democracy.

Truthfully? I was kind of struck by the number of people. (They’ve formed a club.) I have long-since believed that one thing MAGA has in common is that, as a group, they’re deceived. Then I see all these Republicans who are STILL Republicans but intend to vote Harris because they see how dangerous Trump is. THESE, I believe, are true Americans. People who put country over party. It tells me that people can recover from MAGA. Yes, it’s a serious, life-threatening condition, but people CAN recover.

Unfortunately, there are still FAR too many people suffering from MAGA these days and he’ll get lots and lots of help from them in spreading his lies. Ask your infected MAGA for details. Demand details. Point out that they can’t provide details because there ARE no details. Keep pressing. Try to break through the delusion. If it’s true, there MUST be evidence that will hold up in court.

It’s going to be unpleasant. MAGA damages perspective. You’ll be seen, and treated, like the enemy. But they MUST see the lies to be freed. If you can make them understand that he’s NOT just riffing, he’s serious, and you can make them understand that the threats he’s issuing are real, you might succeed in purging the MAGA from their minds. Become a lifeline back to reality for MAGA. Help them see what they cannot see for themselves…