Masha Gessen: Trump Is Performing the Way He Imagines Power with Troops, Helicopters, and Tear Gas

STELTER Do not believe ░░░░░░░░ lying eyes That was ░░░░░░░░ Groucho Marx bit and ░░░░░░░░ a Richard Pryor punchline ░░░░░░░░ ago It is now ░░░░░░░░ message from the President ░░░░░░░░ the President is saying ░░░░░░░░ the historic day of ░░░░░░░░ protests in Washington actually ░░░░░░░░ far fewer protesters than ░░░░░░░░ He said the same ░░░░░░░░ on Twitter Saturday night ░░░░░░░░ is ignoring the point ░░░░░░░░ the protests and saying ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t believe these ░░░░░░░░ We shouldn t believe ░░░░░░░░ own eyes The same ░░░░░░░░ happened earlier this week ░░░░░░░░ was almost a full ░░░░░░░░ of deception about whether ░░░░░░░░ gas was used against ░░░░░░░░ We all saw it ░░░░░░░░ on CNN Reporters felt ░░░░░░░░ their lungs The White ░░░░░░░░ said we shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ our own lungs In ░░░░░░░░ brand new book Surviving ░░░░░░░░ Masha Gessen hits on ░░░░░░░░ strategy hits on this ░░░░░░░░ She talks about power ░░░░░░░░ She says the Trumpian ░░░░░░░░ is the power lie ░░░░░░░░ the bully lie It ░░░░░░░░ the lie of the ░░░░░░░░ kid who took your ░░░░░░░░ and is wearing it ░░░░░░░░ denying that he took ░░░░░░░░ There is no defense ░░░░░░░░ this lie because the ░░░░░░░░ of the lie is ░░░░░░░░ assert power to show ░░░░░░░░ can say what I ░░░░░░░░ when I want to ░░░░░░░░ new book is called ░░░░░░░░ Autocracy Masha Gessen joins ░░░░░░░░ now Is that what ░░░░░░░░ week was about Masha ░░░░░░░░ a week full of ░░░░░░░░ lies by the President ░░░░░░░░ his aides GESSEN You ░░░░░░░░ the power lies are ░░░░░░░░ a part of our ░░░░░░░░ reality now that I ░░░░░░░░ t even say that ░░░░░░░░ mean certainly first of ░░░░░░░░ this week was about ░░░░░░░░ protests But as far ░░░░░░░░ the President is concerned ░░░░░░░░ think this week was ░░░░░░░░ an escalation of the ░░░░░░░░ that he performs power ░░░░░░░░ in a way is ░░░░░░░░ more important than the ░░░░░░░░ lie and much bigger ░░░░░░░░ the power lie STELTER ░░░░░░░░ what do you how ░░░░░░░░ you assess you know ░░░░░░░░ call for troops his ░░░░░░░░ of the military Was ░░░░░░░░ the closest to autocracy ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen thus ░░░░░░░░ in the Trump years ░░░░░░░░ You know a power ░░░░░░░░ always begins with a ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ is performing the way ░░░░░░░░ he imagines power He ░░░░░░░░ that power looks like ░░░░░░░░ I mean we ve ░░░░░░░░ him say these many ░░░░░░░░ right It looks like ░░░░░░░░ He perseverated on the ░░░░░░░░ domination or dominate when ░░░░░░░░ was on his call ░░░░░░░░ governors last week He ░░░░░░░░ know the Black Hawk ░░░░░░░░ the tear gas and ░░░░░░░░ the unidentified full combat ░░░░░░░░ in front of the ░░░░░░░░ Memorial between those columns ░░░░░░░░ of those to him ░░░░░░░░ images of power That ░░░░░░░░ what he thinks power ░░░░░░░░ like And that s ░░░░░░░░ he s he thinks ░░░░░░░░ sounds like STELTER There ░░░░░░░░ been so much pushback ░░░░░░░░ And we should make ░░░░░░░░ mistake about it This ░░░░░░░░ a [inaudible]”