But some people inspire less pity for maltreatment than others.

in their feeble idiot minds, if Charlie's wife is "trans", then...

God above but they're so stupid.

The head of the neo-fascist extreme rightist party, the AfD, is an openly lesbian woman who lives with her partner in Switzerland. We used to mock Mehmet Oz for running for a Pennsylvania Senate seat while living in New Jersey. But the neo-fascist Germans are cool with their party head running things while living in Switzerland.

Now, I should point out that over here, distances are not the same as in the USA, and Switzerland is just across the southern border of Germany, with most places being a couple hours' drive from the border, sometimes even less. But--Switzerland is not part of the EU, and Germany, like every other country in the world EXCEPT the USA (and Eritrea), recognizes residence-based taxation. Switzerland has FAR lower taxes than Germany (and still manages to offer a generally better quality of life), so if you can swing it, it makes sense for a well-off German to do that. However, if you're the head of some ostensibly ultra-patriotic political party, it might not exactly project the image you want to be projecting. It would be like Mike Johnson keeping his job as Speaker of the House, but moving his residence to Mexico. Of, course, as a US citizen, it wouldn't help much, since the USA taxes its citizens wherever they reside. That really sucks, by the way (unless you own an international accounting firm, in which case you will never run out of clients). Because the Germans do not always feel like honoring the Double Taxation Treaty, they want to tax income of mine that was already taxed at the source in the USA, i.e. 37% in the USA and then another 50% for Germany. It doesn't leave a lot left over. Heil Honecker! The dispute has been ongoing since 2012! But, I'm not looking to be the head of a far right political party, and with "allies" like Sherrod Brown who think there are only 300,000 Americans Abroad (there are 9 million), no wonder no one in Congress wants to do anything about it except during election season, when they all come asking for campaign contributions.

By the way, Angela Merkel was elected to four terms as Chancellor of Germany, and could have had a fifth if she had wanted one (she didn't). Germany is no less under a macho culture than we are, perhaps more so, which really makes her four terms that much more remarkable. But Merkel was neither a bureaucrat, a career politician, nor someone with a huge ego. She was a moving target that her macho opponents could never hit. The current chancellor, Merz, was after her job literally for decades, and was gnashing his teeth at Merkel for her popularity and her success. The machos don't always get their way here, either. I think the AfD is perfectly content to be led by a gay woman, since a macho German yelling far right propaganda from a public podium might remind people just a little too much of the last time someone like that got to run the place. The Swiss residence does stand out, but far right movements just ignore uncomfortable details like that. Our Republicans weren't bothered by 34 felony convictions, after all, were they? It would be like the UK saying, "OK, so he brutally killed a few women--he still will lead the UK like we want it led, so Jack the Ripper for Prime Minister!"

When you are a Republican,

"Lie down with dogs, wake-up with fleas"

Can't have a woman running their He-Man Woman Hater's Cult. It's just a matter of time before the whole Turning Point USA thing completely implodes, now that their cult head is gone. The only thing that mildly surprises me is that they're accusing the former beauty pageant queen of being "trans." But, then again...

These people are nuts.