President Donald Trump and his allies often chastise Democrats for bowing to "the mob"—a largely imagined network of permanently outraged Americans who control the stances of politicians in Washington.
In a Monday press conference, the President accused Democratic nominee Joe Biden of bowing to the mob and "using mafia talking points" in a questionable moment from the bizarre briefing.
Watch below.
Trump: Biden is using.. Biden is using Mafia talking points pic.twitter.com/KDAlEZIbpd
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) August 31, 2020
Trump said:
"Biden is using...Biden is using mafia talking points. The mob will leave you alone if you give them what you want. That's what it is. The mob will leave you alone, give 'em what you want, but it doesn't work that way, cause once you give 'em, they keep taking taking taking. What happens is you give and give and give and you take and they no longer respect you."
Trump's rambling about the mob and "mafia talking points" raised eyebrows, especially for former prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, Mimi Rocah.
Ha. I prosecuted mob cases for many years & I'm pretty sure “I need a favor though" is the most mob-like thing I've heard from anyone anywhere. https://t.co/lazn6AveJF
— Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) August 31, 2020
Rocah asserted that she'd prosecuted mafia cases from her time in New York, and even cited a mafia talking point of Trump's own.
She reminded Trump that he infamously said to the Ukrainian President that he intended to release congressionally approved military aid promised to the country—aid that was curiously held up at the Office of Management and Budget.
Trump followed up his promise to release the aid with:
"I would like you to do us a favor though."
He then asked the Ukrainian President to have his officials look into conspiracy theories regarding Joe Biden—then one of many Democratic candidates and considered the frontrunner.
The call led to the President's impeachment and was examined for months.
Rocah isn't the only one to say Trump has used so-called mafia talking points. Trump's former lawyer turned enemy, Michael Cohen, made similar claims after Trump called him a 'rat' for cooperating with the Mueller investigation.
"Mr. Trump called me a 'rat' for choosing to tell the truth — much like a mobster would do when one of his men decides to cooperate with the government."
Former FBI Director James Comey said the same when recalling Trump's demand that US Intelligence officials be loyal to him:
"As I found myself thrust into the Trump orbit, I was once again having flashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob. The silent circle of assent. The boss in complete control. The loyalty oaths. The us-versus-them worldview. The lying about all things, large and small, in service to some code of loyalty that put the organization above morality and above the truth."
People agreed that when it came to "mafia talking points," Donald was the Don.
Seems right. https://t.co/9Tm8mQ0Wgs
— Ghost of John Bad Elk (@HershelsKid) September 1, 2020
This ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/ciechb4jaE
— MizFrizz ❄ (@MizFrizz) September 1, 2020
Mimi nailed it https://t.co/rYzRx3HPuw
— Athena (@Demteacher) September 1, 2020
Sounds like he knows mob talk and mob ways pretty well https://t.co/UDu3McOlN5
— Deborah Brown (@mouseketeer1283) September 1, 2020
Well...he should know about the mob.. https://t.co/2KWdPbHLdL
— Emjaymom (@anonejmom) September 1, 2020
Others accused Trump of projecting his own flaws onto others.
Yes, mafia describes #DementiaDon more than anyone else. Just more projection... https://t.co/vJUPuQ0T10
— Eric Takamiya (@ektaka) September 1, 2020
Everything he causes the other person or party of he's literally doing. It's crazy https://t.co/vQZ4nJyDDs
— Jay⚜️Mo (@Me_OH_Lee) September 1, 2020
Projection!!! Or I guess you can say LIES!! https://t.co/MLyQRcGot7
— Randee Euliss (@randee_euliss) September 1, 2020
Projecting again! LOL https://t.co/M5PzQBjX5w
— Think (@DorothyDeMello) September 1, 2020
@GregAbbott_TX/X
