Trump’s 'evolution' from 'bombastic fabulist' to MAGA 'martyr' manifesting 'real dangers': MSNBC host

MSNBC host Ali Velshi on Sunday examined why former President Donald Trump's "evolution" from a tabloid peculiarity into a Make America Great Again "martyr" has created a uniquely perilous threat to the American democratic experiment.

"Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, is facing ninety-one criminal charges, all of which he claims are the result of a political witch hunt at the hands of his enemies, the Democrats," Velshi began. "He has cast himself as the martyr, trying and succeeding to convince his loyal supporters to see themselves in him. This has been an evolution for Trump, by the way, who used to just be a bombastic fabulist."

Velshi recalled, "But that changed in March just before he was indicted for the first time where he told a fevered crowd of supporters in Waco, Texas — a site at which another fake martyr, David Koresh died — that quote, 'I am your retribution,' end quote. Retribution for what remains unclear. In June after being charged in the Mar-a-Lago documents case, Trump said, quote, 'I am being indicted for you,' end quote. His proclamation shifted once more in August on the day of his third indictment, quote, 'I am being arrested for you.'"

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Trump, Velshi continued, has "invented a narrative of heroism and sacrifice, a martyr for the MAGA faithful. He turned his mugshot into a symbol of his apparent political persecution, adorned on t-shirts, coffee mugs, and posters."

But "there are real dangers in martyrdom, in lionizing an anti-democratic corrupt figure who can keep their philosophies alive long after they themselves are no longer relevant. But do not confuse this as a reason not to hold Donald Trump accountable," Velshi added.

Velshi then warned, "Failing to try Trump for the crimes he's accused of amounts to appeasement and it signals that there's no penalty for attempting to destroy democracy. To Trump's followers, he's already a martyr. He is their idol. MAGA is their religion, and his lies are their gospel."

Watch the segment below or at this link.

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