Stopping the Steal

Stopping the Steal is a gripping documentary that exposes the dangerous consequences of lies and manipulation in American politics. The film takes an unflinching look at the insidious "Stop the Steal" movement, spearheaded by none other than Donald Trump, a man who has shown a complete disregard for truth, democracy, and the American people.

What makes this film so compelling is how it meticulously unpacks the events that followed the 2020 presidential election. It showcases how Trump's baseless claims of a rigged election were not only detached from reality but also a cynical ploy to cling to power. Watching his supporters-misled, emboldened, and manipulated-unfolds like a slow-motion train wreck, but the real tragedy is the damage done to the nation's democratic fabric. Trump, a man whose ego apparently outweighs any concern for the country, comes off as nothing more than a sore loser who weaponized lies for personal gain. His rhetoric has inflicted irreparable harm on trust in American institutions, leaving a trail of division, chaos, and violence.

What elevates this film beyond mere documentation of events is its careful dissection of how Trump's narcissism fueled the entire movement. His refusal to accept responsibility is shocking but unsurprising. Stopping the Steal expertly captures his ability to exploit fear and stoke the flames of division-something he has been doing throughout his entire career.

While the subject matter is disturbing, the filmmakers deserve immense credit for their sharp narrative and focus on the facts, driving home how easily the fragile nature of democracy can be shaken when leaders like Trump act without integrity or accountability.

The only reason it's not a perfect 10 is that I wish they had gone even further in highlighting the ongoing repercussions of Trump's actions. The stain he's left on American politics, unfortunately, goes far beyond January 6th.

In short, this is a must-watch for anyone who values truth and democracy, and a sobering reminder of what can happen when a man like Trump is given power.

I was hesitant to watch Stopping the Steal because I already knew how crooked the attempts to overturn the results of the election were. The likely outcome of my viewing, I thought, would only be further agitation at how many people bought the lies and took their displeasure to violent extremes. But I loved it and actually felt encouraged after watching it because A) it's very well done and B) I forgot and was partly unaware of how many heroes stepped up (Republicans, mind you) to ensure the election results were secure and ultimately honored. The makers went to the trouble of including a few Trump diehards who are still not convinced of the validity of the results, but their participation really just served as a reminder that there's still a range of opinions out there (regardless of how rational they may or may not be). People should know the names of the individuals who disregarded any sense of party allegiance in favor of allegiance to the process that makes America great--yes, already great.

How does anyone say this is a biased doc when there are no Dems, only Republican insiders that are interviewed? One really has to wonder about their critical thinking skills.

I mean really, Bill Barr is part of a conspiracy? When he has admitted that he's voting for Trump in 2024? He's straight up telling the truth here. Everyone is, except the conspiracy theorists (who believe they're telling the truth). The doc has to include the conspiracy theorists in order to show why they believe the Big Lie. So be prepared to either be frustrated (left and ind) or confused (right and ind).

I hope this doc gains traction because there are a ton of people (half the country) that need to be deprogrammed. They also need to watch the 60 Minutes segment on fake electors - it's what made me understand why this "steal" conspiracy is so insidious and egregious. It's really scary how easily they could have been successful. It behooves all of us to understand history, lest we repeat it.

Thank god for Republican officials who have a moral compass and still believe in facts. Honestly, it's nice to see, because I had lost all faith in members of the GOP.

Trump has had fostered hatred within our nation. By exploiting vulnerabilities in the minds of a significant portion of the population, he has convinced the more susceptible that their lack of happiness or success is a result of actions by those in the opposing party. He consistently portrays himself as a victim and consistently criticizes and intimidates anyone who opposes his quest for absolute power. Saw a great meme yesterday. Shows somebody interviewing Trump. The caption states "Let me get this straight. You got fired from your last job as a top executive? Then you refused to leave called all your friends to vandalize the workplace, and on the way out of the office took a lot of the company's confidential documents. When you got caught you refused to give many of them back. And now you're reapplying for the same position?" He talks like a child and thinks he knows everything. He's just a few of his highlights, "I know more about the military than anyone." "I know more about the economy than anyone." "I know more about health care than anyone." "I alone can fix it." He's going to to throw a tantrum when he loses again this November.

Anyone can make a film where they embolden confirmation bias by interviewing people and presenting evidence that only supports their own position. That is part of the disease of today's social media culture. The strength of this film is that it presents a hypothesis-that Donald Trump knew he lost the election, and there was no evidence to support it and proceeded anyway, from the position of pre-Trump supporters, State Officials, and Washington insiders. These people all wanted Trump to win, but they believed in truth more, The film shows how they were systemically targeted and vilified as they could not find any viable evidence to support the outrageous allegations made by the President's election team. It really is heart-wrenching to watch. Mike Pence, whom I was never a fan of, is a hero. He is a hero, for not only not overturning the election, but, as you will see, by not abandoning The Capitol while under siege, as he could have. This is a must watch.