bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Trump Makes Deranged Late Night Call To Fox News & Acts Like A Manic

With no chance left to hold rallies or conventions and get his endless lies about his “ accomplishments , ” his insane lies about his opponents , and his fear-mongering about protesters , who seem to have replaced undocumented immigrants during this election go-round , and his suggestions for drinking disinfectant to kill the coronavirus out to the people , Trump has been appearing in Fox News interviews that don ’ t do him any favors .
On Thursday night , with his new “ more presidential ” tone , according to Fox News , Trump bashed the governor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Black Lives Matter protesters .
Trump once again bragged about a mental acuity test he took in November to prove that he didn ’ t have dementia that he says he only took to silence his critics in the Democratic Party and the media who questioned his fitness as president , but then he didn ’ t tell anyone that he took it , so it ’ s not clear how that was supposed to work .
Trump bragged that he ’ s “ very sharp ” and that he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
He calls it “ dealing ” with them , but his foreign policy has so far included openly asking other countries to help his campaign .
Trump also promised more federal agents in more cities despite the mayors of those cities and the governors of those states saying they do not want them there and will do what needs to be done to block them from terrorizing protesters .
So much for that whole Republican idea about “ state ’ s rights.
” After a press conference in which Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s his job to protect American lives , Trump attacked North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper , who said today that he never told Trump that he could only have 10 attendees at the convention despite Trump ’ s claims that he did .
The president also made fun of Portland ’ s Mayor Ted Wheeler , who attempted to have a conversation with protesters but was hit with tear gas .
The actual president of the United States was excited about that .

With no chance left to hold rallies or conventions and get his endless lies about his “accomplishments,” his insane lies about his opponents, and his fear-mongering about protesters, who seem to have replaced undocumented immigrants during this election go-round, and his suggestions for drinking disinfectant to kill the coronavirus out to the people, Trump has been appearing in Fox News interviews that don’t do him any favors. On Thursday night, with his new “more presidential” tone, according to Fox News, Trump bashed the governor of North Carolina, the mayor of Portland, and Black Lives Matter protesters.
“You have to be very sharp,” Trump says to Hannity of being president. “I’m dealing with the heads of these countries and every one of them is a world class chess player, and if you’re not a 100% on your game, if you’re not 100% sharp-plus, you got a problem.” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 24, 2020
Trump once again bragged about a mental acuity test he took in November to prove that he didn’t have dementia that he says he only took to silence his critics in the Democratic Party and the media who questioned his fitness as president, but then he didn’t tell anyone that he took it, so it’s not clear how that was supposed to work.
Trump bragged that he’s “very sharp” and that he has to be to insult and extort other countries. He calls it “dealing” with them, but his foreign policy has so far included openly asking other countries to help his campaign.
Trump to Hannity: "We'll go into all of the cities, any of the cities. We're ready. We'll put in 50,000, 60,000 people that really know what they're doing. They're strong. They're tough. But as you know, we have to be invited in." — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) July 24, 2020
Trump also promised more federal agents in more cities despite the mayors of those cities and the governors of those states saying they do not want them there and will do what needs to be done to block them from terrorizing protesters. So much for that whole Republican idea about “state’s rights.”
For those describing what Trump did earlier as a pivot, he just started to reflexively attack Roy Cooper on Hannity's show before catching himself and going back to being more positive. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 24, 2020
After a press conference in which Trump said he cancelled the Republican National Convention because it’s his job to protect American lives, Trump attacked North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who said today that he never told Trump that he could only have 10 attendees at the convention despite Trump’s claims that he did. The president also made fun of Portland’s Mayor Ted Wheeler, who attempted to have a conversation with protesters but was hit with tear gas. The actual president of the United States was excited about that.
“They knocked the hell out of him – that was the end of him,” Trump says to Hannity, ridiculing Ted Wheeler, the mayor of Portland, Oregon who was tear-gassed by federal law enforcement last night during demonstrations in the city — Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 24, 2020
Featured image screenshot via YouTube


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Federal Judge Issues Emergency Ruling To Block Trump Thugs In Portland

In Donald Trump ’ s bid to frighten suburban women , a key demographic with which he is losing badly , mostly peaceful protests are being broken up by federal agents in Portland , Oregon while the Trump administration paints them all as looters , rioters , and murderers .
He ’ s gone so far at this point that he sent federal agents to Portland , Oregon – their organizational affiliation and identities are unknown at this point – to terrorize people trying to protest the disproportionate rate of police brutality against black Americans .
While Trump is busy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slaveowners are allowed in federal buildings and their names on military bases , the ACLU was busy filing for a restraining order against the federal agents taking people off the streets with no reasonable cause to detain them and no reason for their arrests explained to them .
The ACLU tweeted an announcement about that filing on Thursday night : ‘ BREAKING : A federal court just issued a restraining order on the federal agents in Portland , Oregon .
We said we would deploy the full firepower of the ACLU in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we meant it .
‘ The ruling , which comes in a case brought by the @ ACLU_OR , temporarily blocks federal agents from attacking or arresting journalists and legal observers at Portland protests .
We ’ ll keep fighting until these protections are permanent.
’ It is a bizarre circumstance in bizarre times that a battle must be fought in court to keep the president ’ s secret police from attacking journalists , but the agents were also caught on video attacking a Navy veteran , who would fall under the category @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , believing they were military troops , to ask why they were not keeping their oath to protect the American people rather than attack them .
53-year-old Christopher David was hit about his body and on his hand with a baton and tear-gassed at close range .
As the ACLU fights for the American people , the president was busy on Twitter today retweeting nonsense about the wall of mothers who gathered in Portland to protect the protesters are were tear-gassed for their efforts .
Buck Sexton , a political provocateur who gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its money , excused the violence perpetrated against them by saying they weren ’ t all mothers ( Sexton polled them , apparently ) and some didn ’ t identify as female .
Of course , there were other people who stood in solidarity with these moms , but the assumption that no trans man could be a mother is a real tell for the transphobic Trump .

In Donald Trump’s bid to frighten suburban women, a key demographic with which he is losing badly, mostly peaceful protests are being broken up by federal agents in Portland, Oregon while the Trump administration paints them all as looters, rioters, and murderers. He’s gone so far at this point that he sent federal agents to Portland, Oregon – their organizational affiliation and identities are unknown at this point – to terrorize people trying to protest the disproportionate rate of police brutality against black Americans.
A federal judge has blocked federal agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at the ongoing Portland, Oregon, protests. https://t.co/uNFHk7dG5b — The Associated Press (@AP) July 24, 2020
While Trump is busy threatening military pay raises unless statues of slaveowners are allowed in federal buildings and their names on military bases, the ACLU was busy filing for a restraining order against the federal agents taking people off the streets with no reasonable cause to detain them and no reason for their arrests explained to them.
The ACLU tweeted an announcement about that filing on Thursday night:
‘BREAKING: A federal court just issued a restraining order on the federal agents in Portland, Oregon. We said we would deploy the full firepower of the ACLU in this fight to save our democracy — and we meant it. ‘The ruling, which comes in a case brought by the @ACLU_OR, temporarily blocks federal agents from attacking or arresting journalists and legal observers at Portland protests. We’ll keep fighting until these protections are permanent.’
BREAKING: A federal court just issued a restraining order on the federal agents in Portland, Oregon. We said we would deploy the full firepower of the ACLU in this fight to save our democracy — and we meant it. — ACLU (@ACLU) July 24, 2020
The ruling, which comes in a case brought by the @ACLU_OR, temporarily blocks federal agents from attacking or arresting journalists and legal observers at Portland protests. We'll keep fighting until these protections are permanent. — ACLU (@ACLU) July 24, 2020
It is a bizarre circumstance in bizarre times that a battle must be fought in court to keep the president’s secret police from attacking journalists, but the agents were also caught on video attacking a Navy veteran, who would fall under the category of legal observer, who approached them, believing they were military troops, to ask why they were not keeping their oath to protect the American people rather than attack them. 53-year-old Christopher David was hit about his body and on his hand with a baton and tear-gassed at close range.
This story makes me sick. When Navy Veteran Christopher David asked these unidentified federal agents in Portland why they weren't honoring their oath to the Constitution, they beat him—spraying him w/ tear gas & breaking his hand. We’re better than this.https://t.co/2aGAvyOYFH — Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) July 23, 2020
As the ACLU fights for the American people, the president was busy on Twitter today retweeting nonsense about the wall of mothers who gathered in Portland to protect the protesters are were tear-gassed for their efforts. Buck Sexton, a political provocateur who gives Tucker Carlson’s racism a run for its money, excused the violence perpetrated against them by saying they weren’t all mothers (Sexton polled them, apparently) and some didn’t identify as female. Of course, there were other people who stood in solidarity with these moms, but the assumption that no trans man could be a mother is a real tell for the transphobic Trump.
Featured image screenshot via YouTube


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Lindsey Graham Starts Packing After South Carolina Poll Release

A number of well-known Republican senators – inclusion Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins – are facing an uphill battle in their bids to keep their seats in 2020 .
For some of them , those battles are quite surprising as they come from states that Trump won by big margins in 2016 .
Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) banked his hopes on backing Donald Trump in almost every situation , no matter how offensive or ridiculous the president becomes .
The polls in his state seem to be proving that this was never a smart strategy for yet another longtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to do , make inroads in midwestern red states , Donald Trump may very well have done for him .
When any political party loses a majority in Congress , it is always a statement from the public on their feelings about current leadership .
One look at the Trump/Biden polls shows that voters are extremely discontent with that leadership right now , just four months ahead of the elections .
Pollsters admit that South Carolina is not an easy state for Democrats to win , but should also not be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely contender for Graham .
No longer ahead in the polls , Graham faces a challenger who is as recognizable and possibly more popular in his state than the senator who has held his seat for nearly 18 years .

A number of well-known Republican senators – inclusion Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins – are facing an uphill battle in their bids to keep their seats in 2020. For some of them, those battles are quite surprising as they come from states that Trump won by big margins in 2016.
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) banked his hopes on backing Donald Trump in almost every situation, no matter how offensive or ridiculous the president becomes. The polls in his state seem to be proving that this was never a smart strategy for yet another longtime senator.
In a Civiqs poll reported by ABC News:
‘The poll said that 56 percent of the voters had an unfavorable view of Graham, with 35 percent viewing him favorably. It also had Harrison as a 18-point favorite among independent voters by 46 to 28 percent.’ https://twitter.com/Clarenc68924032/status/1298335518690807813
What Democrats have struggled so hard to do, make inroads in midwestern red states, Donald Trump may very well have done for him. When any political party loses a majority in Congress, it is always a statement from the public on their feelings about current leadership. One look at the Trump/Biden polls shows that voters are extremely discontent with that leadership right now, just four months ahead of the elections.
Pollsters admit that South Carolina is not an easy state for Democrats to win, but should also not be counted out.
‘South Carolina remains the most Republican state on the Eastern Seaboard,” Kyle Kondik and J. Miles Coleman of Sabato’s Crystal Ball agreed. “Harrison’s path is not an easy one, but it is also not an impossible one.’ https://twitter.com/charles_gaba/status/1225173463851290624
Jaime Harrison is proving a likely contender for Graham. No longer ahead in the polls, Graham faces a challenger who is as recognizable and possibly more popular in his state than the senator who has held his seat for nearly 18 years.
‘Harrison’s fundraising, name recognition and ground game is making the contest competitive for Graham, who has never been more popular with conservatives but is alienating himself from Democrats and centrists who don’t appreciate his alliance with Trump.’ https://twitter.com/datewaynet/status/1299347923080302597
Featured image screenshot via YouTube


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Trump Sounds Dumb Again During  Surprise W.H. Interview

President Donald Trump continues to flounder when confronted with the basic issues of his presidency .
This week , an interview came out that the president did with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy , who is an online reactionary who ’ s made a name for himself out of being obnoxious .
In the interview , Portnoy asked Trump what he might imagine as a potentially viable option for people to show their “ displeasure ” with the direction of the country .
Trump suggested that — instead of taking a knee during the national anthem , which he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the direction of the nation could run for office .
The problem is that protests aren ’ t only appropriate if they fall in line with Trump ’ s strict standards .
After getting asked what forms of protest he thought might be worth pursuing , Trump told Portnoy : ‘ Well , I mean , you could always run for office , right ?
You could become successful and run for a lower office… There are ways , you get groups together , and it can be very friendly ways of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go out… and speaking your mind is good , but you have to do it fairly .
We are for justice , but we ’ re also for law and order.
’ Watch some of his comments below : If Trump was actually for “ law and order ” in the most basic meaning of the term , then he would not have commuted the prison sentence of his longtime ally Roger Stone , who had been found guilty of an obstruction of justice scheme that had been meant , in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own campaign from scrutiny .
Rather than promoting some kind of pseudomessianic version of “ law and order , ” Trump is seemingly trying to get Americans to get onboard with his vision of America in which those who face negative impacts from things like his policies just keep quiet if they don ’ t have the resources or opportunity to run for a political office .
It ’ s amazing that after all this time , he ’ s still obsessed with complaining about those who take a knee during the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is obsessed with appearances to the point of turning an almost completely blind eye to the fact that over 148,000 Americans have died from the Coronavirus , according to one tally .

President Donald Trump continues to flounder when confronted with the basic issues of his presidency. This week, an interview came out that the president did with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who is an online reactionary who’s made a name for himself out of being obnoxious. In the interview, Portnoy asked Trump what he might imagine as a potentially viable option for people to show their “displeasure” with the direction of the country. Trump suggested that — instead of taking a knee during the national anthem, which he’s previously complained about — those concerned about the direction of the nation could run for office. The problem is that protests aren’t only appropriate if they fall in line with Trump’s strict standards.
After getting asked what forms of protest he thought might be worth pursuing, Trump told Portnoy:
‘Well, I mean, you could always run for office, right? You could become successful and run for a lower office… There are ways, you get groups together, and it can be very friendly ways of doing it, very successful… You have to go out… and speaking your mind is good, but you have to do it fairly. We are for justice, but we’re also for law and order.’
Watch some of his comments below:
(PART 1) – I did not expect to interview @realDonaldTrump at the White House yesterday but here we are pic.twitter.com/ouWDXSS62u — Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 24, 2020
If Trump was actually for “law and order” in the most basic meaning of the term, then he would not have commuted the prison sentence of his longtime ally Roger Stone, who had been found guilty of an obstruction of justice scheme that had been meant, in part, to protect the president’s own campaign from scrutiny. Rather than promoting some kind of pseudomessianic version of “law and order,” Trump is seemingly trying to get Americans to get onboard with his vision of America in which those who face negative impacts from things like his policies just keep quiet if they don’t have the resources or opportunity to run for a political office.
It’s amazing that after all this time, he’s still obsessed with complaining about those who take a knee during the national anthem as a form of peaceful protest. He is obsessed with appearances to the point of turning an almost completely blind eye to the fact that over 148,000 Americans have died from the Coronavirus, according to one tally.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Twenty-One Attorneys General Announce Crafty Legal Move To Stop Trump

Twenty-one attorney generals from around the country have banded together for a lawsuit against President Donald Trump ’ s attempt to exclude undocumented immigrant populations from factoring into the apportionment of Congressional representation .
Recently , Trump issued an executive memo outlining a plan for undocumented populations to be kept out of considerations for how Congressional representation would be apportioned following this year ’ s census .
The memo is brazenly unconstitutional — the Constitution demands that all persons factor into the distribution of Congressional representation .
Immigrants are not to be excluded .
New York Attorney General Letitia James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s latest anti-immigrant plan , commented : ‘ President Trump ’ s proclamation is the latest in a long list of anti-immigrant actions and statements he has made since the beginning of his first campaign .
It ’ s another election-year tactic to fire up his base by dehumanizing immigrants and using them as scapegoats for his failures as a leader .
No one ceases to be a person because they lack documentation , which is why we filed this lawsuit .
Instead of fear mongering , now is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education and outreach campaign to ensure each person in this country is counted .
We beat the president before in court , and we will beat him again.
’ James has actually taken the Trump administration to court numerous times , but she ’ s specifically referring to the fact that her team was victorious in a court case against the president when his team tried to include a question about respondents ’ citizenship on the 2020 census .
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the proposed question was arbitrarily added to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s administrative procedure that ’ s legally mandated to be followed when regulatory changes like updates to census questions are implemented .
Similarly , in this case , those behind the new lawsuit “ argue that the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the apportionment base violates the Fourteenth Amendment ; the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment ; the Tenth Amendment ; and the Administrative Procedure Act , by being both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious , ” according to a statement from James ’ s office .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfolded in connection to Trump ’ s long-running attempts to implement restrictions on Muslim travel to the U.S .
The Trump administration has claimed that the restrictions are grounded in some kind of legitimate national security concern , but they ’ re not — before he took office , Trump made clear that he wanted to target Muslims specifically on the basis of their identity .
The conservative majority on the Supreme Court allowed him to do so with their upholding of a version of the travel ban in 2018 , but if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2020 elections , they ’ ll likely throw out the ban in 2021 .
Besides James , the new lawsuit against the Trump administration features the backing of the attorney generals from Colorado , Connecticut , Delaware , Hawaii , Illinois , Maryland , Massachusetts , Michigan , Minnesota , Nevada , New Jersey , New Mexico , North Carolina , Oregon , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , Vermont , Virginia , Washington , and Washington , D.C .

Twenty-one attorney generals from around the country have banded together for a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s attempt to exclude undocumented immigrant populations from factoring into the apportionment of Congressional representation. Recently, Trump issued an executive memo outlining a plan for undocumented populations to be kept out of considerations for how Congressional representation would be apportioned following this year’s census. The memo is brazenly unconstitutional — the Constitution demands that all persons factor into the distribution of Congressional representation. Immigrants are not to be excluded.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the lawsuit over the president’s latest anti-immigrant plan, commented:
‘President Trump’s proclamation is the latest in a long list of anti-immigrant actions and statements he has made since the beginning of his first campaign. It’s another election-year tactic to fire up his base by dehumanizing immigrants and using them as scapegoats for his failures as a leader. No one ceases to be a person because they lack documentation, which is why we filed this lawsuit. Instead of fear mongering, now is the time to be engaging in a robust education and outreach campaign to ensure each person in this country is counted. We beat the president before in court, and we will beat him again.’
James has actually taken the Trump administration to court numerous times, but she’s specifically referring to the fact that her team was victorious in a court case against the president when his team tried to include a question about respondents’ citizenship on the 2020 census. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the proposed question was arbitrarily added to the census plans and thus illegal — there’s administrative procedure that’s legally mandated to be followed when regulatory changes like updates to census questions are implemented. Similarly, in this case, those behind the new lawsuit “argue that the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the apportionment base violates the Fourteenth Amendment; the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment; the Tenth Amendment; and the Administrative Procedure Act, by being both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious,” according to a statement from James’s office.
Similarly, the statement adds:
‘The coalition also makes clear, in today’s lawsuit, that public statements and actions by President Trump and his administration have established that the rationale for excluding undocumented immigrants from the apportionment base has always been motivated by racial animus against immigrants of color, and a desire to curb the political power of immigrant communities of color.’
The issue is similar to one that has unfolded in connection to Trump’s long-running attempts to implement restrictions on Muslim travel to the U.S. The Trump administration has claimed that the restrictions are grounded in some kind of legitimate national security concern, but they’re not — before he took office, Trump made clear that he wanted to target Muslims specifically on the basis of their identity. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court allowed him to do so with their upholding of a version of the travel ban in 2018, but if Democrats take control of the federal government in the 2020 elections, they’ll likely throw out the ban in 2021.
Besides James, the new lawsuit against the Trump administration features the backing of the attorney generals from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Obama Fills Leadership Void With Friday COVID-19 Update Message

President Donald Trump has consistently failed to grasp the basics of the Coronavirus pandemic .
For instance , early on in the crisis , he repeatedly claimed that the virus may simply disappear on its own — but there was no evidence supporting this claim , and the disappearance has definitely not taken place .
More recently , Trump has been promoting news about the progress of Coronavirus vaccine development as if the day may be just around the corner when the country can leave the pandemic in the past — but as former President Barack Obama reminded his Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hollow optimism isn ’ t exactly well-placed .
Alongside a link to an article from The Atlantic , Obama wrote : It would be great if the actual current president could be counted on to deliver something as basic as reasonable assessments of reality — but Trump can definitely not be counted on for any such thing .
At a press conference that he held this week that the White House billed as Coronavirus-oriented , he went so far off the rails that he offered well wishes to Ghislaine Maxwell , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in the sex crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein .
Trump , Maxwell , and Epstein were friends/acquaintances at one point .
As for vaccines , back in March , Trump posted , among other messages : ‘ America is the Greatest Country in the world .
We have the best scientists , doctors , nurses and health care professionals .
They are amazing people who do phenomenal things every day .
Together we are putting into policy a plan to prevent , detect , treat and create a vaccine against CoronaVirus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
America will get it done !
’ That ’ s a hollow at-best message that fails to account for the real outline of the situation .
Check out Twitter ’ s response to Obama below :

President Donald Trump has consistently failed to grasp the basics of the Coronavirus pandemic. For instance, early on in the crisis, he repeatedly claimed that the virus may simply disappear on its own — but there was no evidence supporting this claim, and the disappearance has definitely not taken place. More recently, Trump has been promoting news about the progress of Coronavirus vaccine development as if the day may be just around the corner when the country can leave the pandemic in the past — but as former President Barack Obama reminded his Twitter followers this Friday, the president’s hollow optimism isn’t exactly well-placed.
Alongside a link to an article from The Atlantic, Obama wrote:
‘Although we’ve seen some positive findings recently about the possibilities of developing a vaccine for COVID-19, this article gives a good summary of why it may take months before any effective vaccine can be widely distributed.’
Although we’ve seen some positive findings recently about the possibilities of developing a vaccine for COVID-19, this article gives a good summary of why it may take months before any effective vaccine can be widely distributed. https://t.co/C1nPSNwKBa — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 24, 2020
It would be great if the actual current president could be counted on to deliver something as basic as reasonable assessments of reality — but Trump can definitely not be counted on for any such thing. At a press conference that he held this week that the White House billed as Coronavirus-oriented, he went so far off the rails that he offered well wishes to Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman who was recently arrested for her role in the sex crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein. Trump, Maxwell, and Epstein were friends/acquaintances at one point.
As for vaccines, back in March, Trump posted, among other messages:
‘America is the Greatest Country in the world. We have the best scientists, doctors, nurses and health care professionals. They are amazing people who do phenomenal things every day. Together we are putting into policy a plan to prevent, detect, treat and create a vaccine against CoronaVirus to save lives in America and the world. America will get it done!’
That’s a hollow at-best message that fails to account for the real outline of the situation.
….Together we are putting into policy a plan to prevent, detect, treat and create a vaccine against CoronaVirus to save lives in America and the world. America will get it done! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 11, 2020
Check out Twitter’s response to Obama below:


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Kayleigh McEnany Melts Down When Confronted By CNN Reporter Over Putin Call

During a Friday press conference , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany melted down when asked whether President Donald Trump had brought up the issue of election meddling during a recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Russian meddling in U.S. elections is a serious issue that threatens the integrity of the process , but McEnany acted as though it was an insult for her to be asked about the topic at all .
She only responded by noting that she ’ d not been listening into the phone conversation — but that wasn ’ t the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s trying to hide ?
She didn ’ t even say “ I don ’ t know.
” ‘ Again , I wasn ’ t on the call , but the president — I was not on the call , the president — the president has taken more actions for election security than his predecessor , who gave a stand-down order when he learned about election interference , Susan Rice gave that stand-down order .
Obama ’ s intel chief even confirmed that the stand-down order took place .
By contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to election security , we take our elections seriously and we believe in election integrity.
’ It ’ s unclear who exactly McEnany has in mind by “ Obama ’ s intel chief.
” The person who publicly confirmed a so-called stand-down order was Michael Daniel , who served as a “ cyber security coordinator ” at the White House — which is definitely not the same thing as an “ intel chief.
” Daniel may not have been privy to all of the relevant intelligence about the Russian meddling in U.S. elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more that the Obama administration could have done overall — the notion that Trump has done “ more… for election security ” is deeply dubious , at best .
Throwing funding at so-called election security programs isn ’ t enough .
Has Trump actually engaged with the policy ?
Has he explored the option to hold Russia accountable for their past election meddling through means like further sanctions ?
Trump has , in fact , been carrying on with his own work to undermine the integrity of U.S. elections .
Recently , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he alleges is ripe with opportunities for fraud .
Essentially , his claims about mail-in voting fraud are a repeat of the nonsense that he spewed after the 2016 election , when he claimed that millions of illegal votes had been cast .
There was zero evidence for that claim , and there ’ s zero evidence for this one — Americans already vote by mail in large numbers .
Trump may simply be trying to create a pretext for rejecting or at least questioning the general election results in the increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that even covers Trump ’ s increasingly sharp affinity for totalitarian leaders like Putin in general .
While mocking just about every conceivable political opponent under the sun , he acts like leaders like Putin are his pals .

During a Friday press conference, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany melted down when asked whether President Donald Trump had brought up the issue of election meddling during a recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian meddling in U.S. elections is a serious issue that threatens the integrity of the process, but McEnany acted as though it was an insult for her to be asked about the topic at all. She only responded by noting that she’d not been listening into the phone conversation — but that wasn’t the question. Does McEnany know something that she’s trying to hide? She didn’t even say “I don’t know.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins posed the question:
‘Today the nation’s top counterintelligence officials said that Russia is one of three countries that is actively working to interfere in our election. Did the president bring up election interference on the call with the Russian president yesterday?’
McEnany defensively replied:
‘Again, I wasn’t on the call, but the president — I was not on the call, the president — the president has taken more actions for election security than his predecessor, who gave a stand-down order when he learned about election interference, Susan Rice gave that stand-down order. Obama’s intel chief even confirmed that the stand-down order took place. By contrast, we have given a ton of funding to election security, we take our elections seriously and we believe in election integrity.’
Watch the exchange below:
It’s unclear who exactly McEnany has in mind by “Obama’s intel chief.” The person who publicly confirmed a so-called stand-down order was Michael Daniel, who served as a “cyber security coordinator” at the White House — which is definitely not the same thing as an “intel chief.” Daniel may not have been privy to all of the relevant intelligence about the Russian meddling in U.S. elections, and although there’s certainly more that the Obama administration could have done overall — the notion that Trump has done “more… for election security” is deeply dubious, at best. Throwing funding at so-called election security programs isn’t enough. Has Trump actually engaged with the policy? Has he explored the option to hold Russia accountable for their past election meddling through means like further sanctions?
Trump has, in fact, been carrying on with his own work to undermine the integrity of U.S. elections. Recently, he has been clamoring against mail-in voting, which he alleges is ripe with opportunities for fraud. Essentially, his claims about mail-in voting fraud are a repeat of the nonsense that he spewed after the 2016 election, when he claimed that millions of illegal votes had been cast. There was zero evidence for that claim, and there’s zero evidence for this one — Americans already vote by mail in large numbers. Trump may simply be trying to create a pretext for rejecting or at least questioning the general election results in the increasingly likely event that he loses.
None of that even covers Trump’s increasingly sharp affinity for totalitarian leaders like Putin in general. While mocking just about every conceivable political opponent under the sun, he acts like leaders like Putin are his pals.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Pelosi Outmaneuvers Trump To Fund W.H.O. With 224-189 Vote

Although one of President Donald Trump ’ s favorite ways to insult Congressional Democrats is to call them “ do nothing Democrats , ” this Friday , the Democrat-led House passed a set of four spending bills covering various parts of the government for the next fiscal year .
The bills represent an “ opening pitch ” from House Democrats in spending negotiations , which Senate Republicans haven ’ t even begun — although there are a total of 12 pieces of spending legislation to work through , the Republican-led Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to introduce a single non-defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending legislation includes a slew of provisions that go directly against the president ’ s wishes .
For example , the four-bill package passed on Friday — which includes spending for state and foreign operations , agriculture , interior , and military construction/ veterans affairs — includes funding for the World Health Organization , which Trump has tried to withdraw the United States from .
He and his allies have complained that the organization is supposedly China-centric in its work , but in reality , the president ’ s team simply seems desperate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pin blame for their own failed Coronavirus response .
The legislation passed with 224 in favor and 189 against .
Among other points , the newly approved spending legislation would also overturn the so-called “ Mexico City policy , ” which blocks foreign aid groups from receiving U.S. money if they ’ re in any way involved with abortion , and — in a move sure to spark the ire of the president and his political goon squad — the legislation also blocks the usage of military construction funds for the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has signed an emergency declaration covering the situation at the southern border in an attempt to use the subsequent emergency powers to force the transfer of money to wall construction projects .
Besides the high stakes political issues , the House ’ s latest spending bills also exclude the funding cuts that the White House had sought at the State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) .
The Trump administration has routinely proposed major cuts in the funding to crucial parts of the government like those , and Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has just about a couple of months to work on spending legislation before the government would shut down for lack of funds if nothing is passed .
As has been used in the past , there ’ s the option for a continuing resolution that would authorize the continuation of spending at current levels while legislators continue to hammer out their differences .
In the meantime , there ’ s already been controversy over the spending plans .
Specifically , Trump has threatened to veto a defense spending bill if it includes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from army bases .
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) — who ’ s no liberal !
— has said that he hopes that the president does not follow through on that veto threat .

Although one of President Donald Trump’s favorite ways to insult Congressional Democrats is to call them “do nothing Democrats,” this Friday, the Democrat-led House passed a set of four spending bills covering various parts of the government for the next fiscal year. The bills represent an “opening pitch” from House Democrats in spending negotiations, which Senate Republicans haven’t even begun — although there are a total of 12 pieces of spending legislation to work through, the Republican-led Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to introduce a single non-defense spending bill. Meanwhile, the House-passed spending legislation includes a slew of provisions that go directly against the president’s wishes.
For example, the four-bill package passed on Friday — which includes spending for state and foreign operations, agriculture, interior, and military construction/ veterans affairs — includes funding for the World Health Organization, which Trump has tried to withdraw the United States from. He and his allies have complained that the organization is supposedly China-centric in its work, but in reality, the president’s team simply seems desperate for some kind of scapegoat on which to pin blame for their own failed Coronavirus response.
The legislation passed with 224 in favor and 189 against. Among other points, the newly approved spending legislation would also overturn the so-called “Mexico City policy,” which blocks foreign aid groups from receiving U.S. money if they’re in any way involved with abortion, and — in a move sure to spark the ire of the president and his political goon squad — the legislation also blocks the usage of military construction funds for the president’s long-sought southern border wall. Trump has signed an emergency declaration covering the situation at the southern border in an attempt to use the subsequent emergency powers to force the transfer of money to wall construction projects.
House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) said:
‘This appropriations package addresses urgent national priorities. I am proud that the package also includes strong emergency appropriations to confront coronavirus and support economic recovery, with investments in critical infrastructure and coronavirus preparedness, response, and relief domestically and globally.’
Besides the high stakes political issues, the House’s latest spending bills also exclude the funding cuts that the White House had sought at the State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Trump administration has routinely proposed major cuts in the funding to crucial parts of the government like those, and Congress has routinely rejected the proposals.
Congress has just about a couple of months to work on spending legislation before the government would shut down for lack of funds if nothing is passed. As has been used in the past, there’s the option for a continuing resolution that would authorize the continuation of spending at current levels while legislators continue to hammer out their differences.
In the meantime, there’s already been controversy over the spending plans. Specifically, Trump has threatened to veto a defense spending bill if it includes a provision for the removal of Confederate names from army bases. Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — who’s no liberal! — has said that he hopes that the president does not follow through on that veto threat.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Dr. Birx Finally Breaks From Trump After Schools Reopening Lies

Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic , the United States has had to grapple with the issue of whether or not schools can safely be reopened .
Although data has suggested that many children may suffer less severe illness if they ’ re infected with the virus , there ’ s still the possibility that children may spread the virus to those who would be more susceptible to serious illnesses .
During an appearance on the Today show this Friday , Dr. Deborah Birx — who serves on the White House ’ s Coronavirus task force — blatantly contradicted President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do say that [ children ] don ’ t transmit ” the virus “ very easily.
” ‘ The president has said children don ’ t get the virus as much , and if they do they get better quick , I think you said in an interview a couple days ago there ’ s an open question and you ’ re studying it .
If it ’ s not known , how are schools supposed to safely reopen.. ?
’ ‘ we know that children under 18 are less sick , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequences if they have underlying conditions .
What I can ’ t tell you for sure , despite the South Korea study , is whether children under 10 in the United States don ’ t spread the virus as the same as children over 10 .
I think that is still an open question that needs to be studied in the United States .
We certainly know from other studies that children under 10 do get infected , it ’ s just unclear how rapidly they spread the virus.
’ That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump made at a White House press conference this week .
On Wednesday , he claimed : ‘ They do say that [ children ] don ’ t transmit very easily , a lot of people are saying they don ’ t transmit and we are studying very hard that particular subject : that they don ’ t bring it home with them .
They don ’ t catch it easily , they don ’ t bring it home easily , and if they do catch it , they get better fast.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest that he ’ s any part of studying anything “ very hard.
” After all , he ’ s recently been parading the fact that he “ passed ” a test that ’ s seemingly meant to screen for early signs of cognitive decline .
Meanwhile , anyone who has any knowledge of school is likely well aware of the fact that social distancing is difficult if not entirely impossible in many circumstances .
If one person at a school catches the virus , then the virus may rapidly spread across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study that Birx mentions did conclude that children under 10 seemed about half as likely as people in other age groups to spread the virus , the researchers pointed out that “ children may show higher attack rates when the school closure ends , contributing to community transmission of Covid-19.
” Birx , meanwhile , has sometimes faced criticism for showing high levels of deference to Trump amidst the pandemic .
She has , for instance , sometimes talked up his response to the crisis , although by any reasonable measure , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been an abject failure — only once the U.S. had hit the point of about 140,000 Coronavirus-connected deaths did the president even publicly promote wearing face masks , which help reduce the spread of the virus .

Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, the United States has had to grapple with the issue of whether or not schools can safely be reopened. Although data has suggested that many children may suffer less severe illness if they’re infected with the virus, there’s still the possibility that children may spread the virus to those who would be more susceptible to serious illnesses. During an appearance on the Today show this Friday, Dr. Deborah Birx — who serves on the White House’s Coronavirus task force — blatantly contradicted President Donald Trump’s own earlier assertion that “they do say that [children] don’t transmit” the virus “very easily.”
Host Savannah Guthrie posed the question to Birx:
‘The president has said children don’t get the virus as much, and if they do they get better quick, I think you said in an interview a couple days ago there’s an open question and you’re studying it. If it’s not known, how are schools supposed to safely reopen..?’
Birx replied:
‘we know that children under 18 are less sick, but there are some that suffer terrible consequences if they have underlying conditions. What I can’t tell you for sure, despite the South Korea study, is whether children under 10 in the United States don’t spread the virus as the same as children over 10. I think that is still an open question that needs to be studied in the United States. We certainly know from other studies that children under 10 do get infected, it’s just unclear how rapidly they spread the virus.’
Watch her interview below:
That’s a stark contrast to a statement that Trump made at a White House press conference this week. On Wednesday, he claimed:
‘They do say that [children] don’t transmit very easily, a lot of people are saying they don’t transmit and we are studying very hard that particular subject: that they don’t bring it home with them. They don’t catch it easily, they don’t bring it home easily, and if they do catch it, they get better fast.’
It’s laughably ridiculous for Trump to suggest that he’s any part of studying anything “very hard.” After all, he’s recently been parading the fact that he “passed” a test that’s seemingly meant to screen for early signs of cognitive decline.
Meanwhile, anyone who has any knowledge of school is likely well aware of the fact that social distancing is difficult if not entirely impossible in many circumstances. If one person at a school catches the virus, then the virus may rapidly spread across the campus. Although the South Korea study that Birx mentions did conclude that children under 10 seemed about half as likely as people in other age groups to spread the virus, the researchers pointed out that “children may show higher attack rates when the school closure ends, contributing to community transmission of Covid-19.”
Birx, meanwhile, has sometimes faced criticism for showing high levels of deference to Trump amidst the pandemic. She has, for instance, sometimes talked up his response to the crisis, although by any reasonable measure, the Trump administration’s Coronavirus response has been an abject failure — only once the U.S. had hit the point of about 140,000 Coronavirus-connected deaths did the president even publicly promote wearing face masks, which help reduce the spread of the virus.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-24--Former IRS Investigator Reveals Evidence Of Possible Mar-A-Lago Money Laundering

President Donald Trump has never been forthcoming when it ’ s come to his finances .
Following the recent revelation of $ 380,000 that the Trump campaign had paid to Trump ’ s own business in 43 separate payments , former federal tax crimes investigator Martin Sheil shared in a piece published in the Daily Beast that the situation suggested possibilities like money laundering .
After all , the 43 separate payments were broken up to be just under the threshold beyond which businesses are required to report transactions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network .
Even if there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money laundering , businesses can still be held liable for intentionally evading reporting requirements through methods like structuring , which means breaking large payments down into smaller components .
The Trump Organization has previously faced problems on this front — the difference is that it wasn ’ t campaign money that was under consideration .
In March 2015 — not that long ago at all !
— the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort was hit with a $ 10 million fine for “ willful and repeated violations ” of the legislation demanding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the latest situation in which the $ 380,000 was broken down into 43 separate payments , Sheil said : ‘ The Trump Organization ’ s record of the payment raises many questions I ’ m familiar with from my 30-year career as an investigator at the IRS .
“ Is the $ 380,000 income ?
If so , what was delivered in exchange for it ?
Were these payments for past services rendered or for future expected returns ?
Who were the donors ?
Why didn ’ t the Trump Organization just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Why break that down into separate transactions ?
Why was each payment identically described as ‘ Facility Rental/ Catering Services ’ ?
Is something being disguised here ?
’ The disguising could be a part of a money laundering scheme , Sheil said .
The Trump Organization has staggeringly claimed that the payments were broken down because Mar-A-Lago supposedly can not process credit card payments of more than $ 10,000 .
It ’ s 2020 , and the business owner is the president of the United States — do they seriously expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value ?
Perhaps if the president was more forthcoming about his financial issues , then it would be easier to take him seriously .
Investigators could actually take up the topic .
Prosecutors in Manhattan and members of Congress have been trying to compel the release of Trump ’ s financial records .
A court case surrounding the Manhattan investigation has been going well — although they referred the case for further proceedings , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled recently that Trump did not have absolute immunity from the subpoena for his financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
Trump has repeatedly sought to use his job as some kind of shield to avoid accountability for his actions , but in the Manhattan-tied Supreme Court case , even his own two nominees voted against him .

President Donald Trump has never been forthcoming when it’s come to his finances. Following the recent revelation of $380,000 that the Trump campaign had paid to Trump’s own business in 43 separate payments, former federal tax crimes investigator Martin Sheil shared in a piece published in the Daily Beast that the situation suggested possibilities like money laundering. After all, the 43 separate payments were broken up to be just under the threshold beyond which businesses are required to report transactions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Even if there’s no intention to hide something like money laundering, businesses can still be held liable for intentionally evading reporting requirements through methods like structuring, which means breaking large payments down into smaller components.
In just two days, @realdonaldtrump’s campaign pumped $380K into Trump’s private business, in 43 separate payments. Trump Org says this was for a weeklong “donor retreat,” held in early March at Mar-a-Lago.
Campaign donations turned into private revenue for POTUS pic.twitter.com/1kf39vAqkt — David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) July 17, 2020
The Trump Organization has previously faced problems on this front — the difference is that it wasn’t campaign money that was under consideration. In March 2015 — not that long ago at all! — the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort was hit with a $10 million fine for “willful and repeated violations” of the legislation demanding the reporting of relevant transactions.
"tHe pReSiDeNt DoEsN't eVeN tAkE a SaLaRy!" https://t.co/VlZh86izFo — BrooklynDad_Defiant Rep John Lewis! (@mmpadellan) July 17, 2020
Now, in the latest situation in which the $380,000 was broken down into 43 separate payments, Sheil said:
‘The Trump Organization’s record of the payment raises many questions I’m familiar with from my 30-year career as an investigator at the IRS. “Is the $380,000 income? If so, what was delivered in exchange for it? Were these payments for past services rendered or for future expected returns? Who were the donors? Why didn’t the Trump Organization just report the entire $380,000 in total? Why break that down into separate transactions? Why was each payment identically described as ‘Facility Rental/ Catering Services’? Is something being disguised here?’
The disguising could be a part of a money laundering scheme, Sheil said. The Trump Organization has staggeringly claimed that the payments were broken down because Mar-A-Lago supposedly can not process credit card payments of more than $10,000. It’s 2020, and the business owner is the president of the United States — do they seriously expect observers to take that excuse at face value? Perhaps if the president was more forthcoming about his financial issues, then it would be easier to take him seriously.
Sheil explains:
‘There are criminal penalties for structuring, or breaking a bigger payment into small chunks to evade reporting requirements, including a statutory maximum prison sentence of up to five years and/or a monetary fine of up to $250,000… Something smells in Mar-a-Lago, and there certainly exists enough smoke here to justify a thorough search for the fire.’
Investigators could actually take up the topic. Prosecutors in Manhattan and members of Congress have been trying to compel the release of Trump’s financial records. A court case surrounding the Manhattan investigation has been going well — although they referred the case for further proceedings, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled recently that Trump did not have absolute immunity from the subpoena for his financial records just because he’s the president. Trump has repeatedly sought to use his job as some kind of shield to avoid accountability for his actions, but in the Manhattan-tied Supreme Court case, even his own two nominees voted against him.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-27--Trump Says Polls Are Fake & He Prefers Counting Boats During Monday Meltdown

Sometimes it ’ s impossible to know whether Donald Trump knows he ’ s lying and is just hoping his supporters aren ’ t smart enough to catch him or if he actually believes his own lies .
With dismal poll numbers showing Biden ahead in some estimations by as much as 15 points .
On average across polls , Trump is losing by more than nine points .
At a press conference on the coronavirus , Trump was asked by a reporter about his falling poll numbers , which have continued to decline as COVID-19 surges across states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what his real numbers are , spoke positively about his poll numbers just 99 days ahead of the elections .
‘ I think the polls numbers are very good .
The poll numbers we have are very good .
We ’ re leading in North Carolina , we ’ re leading in Pennsylvania , we ’ re leading in Arizona , our numbers , we ’ re leading in Arizona , we ’ re leading nicely in Florida .
I think our poll numbers are very good.
’ Completely ignoring the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a wide margin , Trump insisted that those are just “ fake suppression polls , ” just as he claimed in 2016 .
Although those polls showed him losing to Hillary Clinton and were wrong about the results , they were accurate as far as popular vote numbers .
For Biden , however , his lead in swing states is far higher and his lead has reached levels that Clinton ’ s never did .
Trump somehow tried to explain his logic that his poll numbers are great by saying that boats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flying Trump/Pence flags and bikers like him .
‘ When you look at Florida as an example , you have thousands of boats out on the ocean , out on the intercoastal .
You look at other states , where likewise , you have thousands of boats and they ’ re all waving the Trump sign , the Trump/Pence sign , and they ’ re so proud…Thousands and thousands and you ’ ve seen it , where you have Bikers for Trump with lines that are miles long on highways .
’

Sometimes it’s impossible to know whether Donald Trump knows he’s lying and is just hoping his supporters aren’t smart enough to catch him or if he actually believes his own lies. With dismal poll numbers showing Biden ahead in some estimations by as much as 15 points. On average across polls, Trump is losing by more than nine points.
At a press conference on the coronavirus, Trump was asked by a reporter about his falling poll numbers, which have continued to decline as COVID-19 surges across states. Trump, who seemed blissfully unaware of what his real numbers are, spoke positively about his poll numbers just 99 days ahead of the elections.
‘I think the polls numbers are very good. The poll numbers we have are very good. We’re leading in North Carolina, we’re leading in Pennsylvania, we’re leading in Arizona, our numbers, we’re leading in Arizona, we’re leading nicely in Florida. I think our poll numbers are very good.’
new Quinnipiac poll of Florida: Biden 51%
Trump 38% — John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 23, 2020
Completely ignoring the fact that literally every major poll shows him losing by a wide margin, Trump insisted that those are just “fake suppression polls,” just as he claimed in 2016. Although those polls showed him losing to Hillary Clinton and were wrong about the results, they were accurate as far as popular vote numbers. For Biden, however, his lead in swing states is far higher and his lead has reached levels that Clinton’s never did.
‘I mean, we get a lot of suppression polls. We get a lot of fake polls, just like we have fake news, it’s a terrible thing.’
Trump somehow tried to explain his logic that his poll numbers are great by saying that boats in Florida and in other states are flying Trump/Pence flags and bikers like him.
‘When you look at Florida as an example, you have thousands of boats out on the ocean, out on the intercoastal. You look at other states, where likewise, you have thousands of boats and they’re all waving the Trump sign, the Trump/Pence sign, and they’re so proud…Thousands and thousands and you’ve seen it, where you have Bikers for Trump with lines that are miles long on highways.’
Featured image screenshot via YouTube


bipartisanreport--2020-07-27--Testimony Under Oath At Congress To Expose Trump & Barr Corruption

On Tuesday , Congress is set to hear testimony from Iraq veteran and major in the U.S. National Guard Adam DeMarco on the events of June 1 , 2020 when the National Guard violently dispersed peaceful protesters so that Donald Trump could have a photo-op in front of a church that was damaged the previous night .
DeMarco says most of the information coming from Attorney General William Barr and the Trump administration has been false and is planning to set the record straight .
DeMarco said the plan was to disperse the crowd of protesters exercising their First Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the protesters he encountered on June 1 were peaceful and causing no problems .
However , that plan was sped up by a few hours for reasons that were not fully explained and that warnings to the crowds of protesters to disperse were unable to be heard .
‘ DeMarco backs up law enforcement officials who told The Washington Post they believed the clearing operation would happen after the 7 p.m. curfew that night — but it was dramatically accelerated after Attorney General William P. Barr and others appeared in the park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation was conducted so that a fence might be erected around the park .
DeMarco said the fencing materials did not arrive until 9 p.m. — hours after Barr told the Park Police to expand the perimeter — and the fence wasn ’ t built until later that night.
’ Although Barr and the Trump administration insist that violent anarchists and looters were on a rampage , requiring the use of force to restore order , DeMarco says that wasn ’ t his experience .
After being advised by Gen. Mark A. Milley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staff , to ensure that the National Guardsman remained calm and did not use an excessive amount of force , protesters were hit with excessive force anyway in an attempt to clear the area just prior to Trump ’ s walk across Lafayette Square for a photo-op in front of a church , holding a Bible upside-down .
‘ DeMarco said he was coming forward “ to help ensure that there is a fair factual record of what happened at Lafayette Square , based on what I saw and experienced first-hand.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat zone and having experience in assessing threats , “ at no time did I feel threatened by the protesters or assess them to be violent … From my observation , these demonstrators — our fellow American citizens — were engaged in the peaceful expression of their First Amendment rights .
Yet they were subjected to an unprovoked escalation and excessive use of force.
” ’ Another lie , according to DeMarco , is claims by Barr and the Trump administration that no tear gas was used against the protesters .
DeMarco says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in his eyes and recognized the effects of tear gas , and that canisters of tear gas were left behind following the incident .
‘ As the federal and local police waded into the protesters , DeMarco said he saw smoke being used and that he was told by a Park Police officer it was “ stage smoke , ” not tear gas .
But DeMarco said , “ I could feel irritation in my eyes and nose , and based on my previous exposure to tear gas in my training at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training , I recognized that irritation as effects consistent with CS or ‘ tear gas.
’ ” He said he found spent tear gas canisters on the street later .
’

On Tuesday, Congress is set to hear testimony from Iraq veteran and major in the U.S. National Guard Adam DeMarco on the events of June 1, 2020 when the National Guard violently dispersed peaceful protesters so that Donald Trump could have a photo-op in front of a church that was damaged the previous night. DeMarco says most of the information coming from Attorney General William Barr and the Trump administration has been false and is planning to set the record straight.
A new statement by Adam DeMarco…casts doubt on the claims by acting Park Police Chief Gregory Monahan that violence by protesters…DeMarco said that “demonstrators were behaving peacefully” and that tear gas was deployed in an “excessive use of force.” https://t.co/HTDQ2pvwrK — Amy Siskind 🏳🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) July 27, 2020
DeMarco said the plan was to disperse the crowd of protesters exercising their First Amendment rights at the 7:00 P.M. curfew and that the protesters he encountered on June 1 were peaceful and causing no problems. However, that plan was sped up by a few hours for reasons that were not fully explained and that warnings to the crowds of protesters to disperse were unable to be heard.
The Washington Post reports that:
‘DeMarco backs up law enforcement officials who told The Washington Post they believed the clearing operation would happen after the 7 p.m. curfew that night — but it was dramatically accelerated after Attorney General William P. Barr and others appeared in the park around 6 p.m. Monahan has said the operation was conducted so that a fence might be erected around the park. DeMarco said the fencing materials did not arrive until 9 p.m. — hours after Barr told the Park Police to expand the perimeter — and the fence wasn’t built until later that night.’
DC Natl Guard Major Adam DeMarco: "The events I witnessed at Lafayette Square on the evening of June 1 were deeply disturbing to me, and to fellow National Guardsmen." https://t.co/aou4qRFJ7p — Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) July 27, 2020
Although Barr and the Trump administration insist that violent anarchists and looters were on a rampage, requiring the use of force to restore order, DeMarco says that wasn’t his experience. After being advised by Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to ensure that the National Guardsman remained calm and did not use an excessive amount of force, protesters were hit with excessive force anyway in an attempt to clear the area just prior to Trump’s walk across Lafayette Square for a photo-op in front of a church, holding a Bible upside-down.
‘DeMarco said he was coming forward “to help ensure that there is a fair factual record of what happened at Lafayette Square, based on what I saw and experienced first-hand.” He said that, having served in a combat zone and having experience in assessing threats, “at no time did I feel threatened by the protesters or assess them to be violent … From my observation, these demonstrators — our fellow American citizens — were engaged in the peaceful expression of their First Amendment rights. Yet they were subjected to an unprovoked escalation and excessive use of force.”’
Army National Guard commander Adam DeMarco will testify on Tuesday that Park Police's use of force in the clearing of Lafayette Square last month was an "unnecessary" and "unprovoked" https://t.co/zYh2MeM5Eo — BELLA (@franklin_brt) July 27, 2020
Another lie, according to DeMarco, is claims by Barr and the Trump administration that no tear gas was used against the protesters. DeMarco says that it was, that he had it in his eyes and recognized the effects of tear gas, and that canisters of tear gas were left behind following the incident.
‘As the federal and local police waded into the protesters, DeMarco said he saw smoke being used and that he was told by a Park Police officer it was “stage smoke,” not tear gas. But DeMarco said, “I could feel irritation in my eyes and nose, and based on my previous exposure to tear gas in my training at West Point and later in my Army training, I recognized that irritation as effects consistent with CS or ‘tear gas.’” He said he found spent tear gas canisters on the street later.’
Meanwhile, the top National Guard officer on scene at #LafayetteSquare will tell Congress tomorrow that the administration is lying about not using tear gas and will say he saw federal agents use "excessive force" against "peaceful" "fellow Americans." https://t.co/pALbXAsDek pic.twitter.com/HywMJElRaF — Andrew Crespo (@AndrewMCrespo) July 27, 2020
Featured image screenshot via YouTube


bipartisanreport--2020-07-27--Trump Campaign Promise Collapses During Monday Embarrassment

In desperate need for a win prior to the November 2020 elections while the economy plunges , COVID-19 rages , and civil unrest reaches fever pitch , Donald Trump announced a series of executive orders meant to reduce drug prices in the United States .
Like most things Trump does , the push to get the executive orders implemented have been nothing but “ chaos , ” according to those involved , and it turns out that Big Pharma isn ’ t okay with random measures to reduce their profits .
Who could have guessed that might happen ?
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of whom Trump wanted a representative from in order to get the executive orders rolling , have fallen apart .
A Tuesday meeting had to be cancelled when drug companies refused to send those representatives .
Trump ’ s executive orders were meant to impose the most-favored country rule , a trade agreement that “ requires a country to provide any concessions , privileges , or immunities granted to one nation in a trade agreement to all other World Trade Organization member countries.
” Conservatives have been opposed to the idea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The agreement would allow other countries , including more socialist countries , to set drug prices .
‘ The drug lobbies PhRMA and BIO were reluctant to send representatives from their member companies — many of them multibillion-dollar manufacturers of the world ’ s best-selling medicines and vaccines — after conflicting reports last week about whether the White House would include the rule and little information to date about what the new rule would look like , three people familiar with the discussions said.
’ Drug companies say that Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal have been mostly just a distraction as they try to research and test new vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 .
Trump really wants a policy win , but it doesn ’ t appear that ’ s going to happen for him prior to Election Day .
‘ A PhRMA spokesperson painted the White House talks as a distraction .
“ The president ’ s plan to import policies from socialized health care systems abroad is disrupting our work [ on Covid-19 therapies ] and diverting our focus away from those life-saving efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We remain willing to discuss ways to lower costs for patients at the pharmacy counter .
However , we remain steadfastly opposed to policies that would allow foreign governments to set prices for medicines in the United States.
” ‘

In desperate need for a win prior to the November 2020 elections while the economy plunges, COVID-19 rages, and civil unrest reaches fever pitch, Donald Trump announced a series of executive orders meant to reduce drug prices in the United States. Like most things Trump does, the push to get the executive orders implemented have been nothing but “chaos,” according to those involved, and it turns out that Big Pharma isn’t okay with random measures to reduce their profits. Who could have guessed that might happen?
“I’m unwilling to wait any longer.” Trump announces he’ll sign four executive orders to “massively reduce” the cost of prescription drugs, which “represent the most far-reaching reforms ever issued by a president” pic.twitter.com/U2xz595V5i — Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) July 24, 2020
Trump’s talks with drug companies, each of whom Trump wanted a representative from in order to get the executive orders rolling, have fallen apart. A Tuesday meeting had to be cancelled when drug companies refused to send those representatives.
POLITICO reports that:
‘A White House meeting with top pharmaceutical executives that President Donald Trump promised for Tuesday is off, five industry sources familiar with discussions told POLITICO. Three said the drug-pricing discussion was canceled because the major drug lobbies, reeling from Friday’s cluster of executive orders on the topic, refused to send any members.’
Pharma stocks finish lower as Trump targets drug prices with executive orders https://t.co/s9imYC0dLq — MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) July 24, 2020
Trump’s executive orders were meant to impose the most-favored country rule, a trade agreement that “requires a country to provide any concessions, privileges, or immunities granted to one nation in a trade agreement to all other World Trade Organization member countries.” Conservatives have been opposed to the idea, as is Big Pharma at this point. The agreement would allow other countries, including more socialist countries, to set drug prices.
‘The drug lobbies PhRMA and BIO were reluctant to send representatives from their member companies — many of them multibillion-dollar manufacturers of the world’s best-selling medicines and vaccines — after conflicting reports last week about whether the White House would include the rule and little information to date about what the new rule would look like, three people familiar with the discussions said.’
Donald Trump appointed Big Pharma exec who tripled the price of insulin to run the nation’s healthcare agency. He is not serious about lowering drug prices. — Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) July 24, 2020
Drug companies say that Trump’s executive orders and attempt to make this deal have been mostly just a distraction as they try to research and test new vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. Trump really wants a policy win, but it doesn’t appear that’s going to happen for him prior to Election Day.
‘A PhRMA spokesperson painted the White House talks as a distraction. “The president’s plan to import policies from socialized health care systems abroad is disrupting our work [on Covid-19 therapies] and diverting our focus away from those life-saving efforts,” the spokesperson said. “We remain willing to discuss ways to lower costs for patients at the pharmacy counter. However, we remain steadfastly opposed to policies that would allow foreign governments to set prices for medicines in the United States.”‘
Trump’s empty drug price ploy fails the straight face test. Instead of real reform, he’s issuing ineffectual edicts, seeking to hoodwink seniors & heighten his poll numbers. Sorry, Mr. President, Americans will see through this ruse. https://t.co/3ISeqgjCkU — Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) July 25, 2020
Featured image screenshot via YouTube


bipartisanreport--2020-07-27--Susan Collins Snubs GOP To Announce Monday Vote Against Trump

Amazingly , President Donald Trump has nominated someone for the Federal Reserve Board who once questioned whether the U.S. central bank should exist in the first place .
In a 2009 Wall Street Journal article , Trump nominee Judy Shelton asked why “ we need a central bank , ” but more recently , the Republican-led Senate Banking Committee approved her nomination to the Federal Reserve Board and set it up for a vote by the full Senate .
A second Republican Senator — Maine ’ s Susan Collins — has now announced their opposition to Shelton ’ s nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nomination makes it to a full Senate vote .
Utah ’ s Republican Senator Mitt Romney had previously announced his opposition to Shelton .
‘ I have serious concerns about this nomination .
In her past statements , Ms. Shelton has openly called for the Federal Reserve to be less independent of the political branches , and has even questioned the need for a central bank .
This is not the right signal to send , particularly in the midst of the pandemic , and for that reason , I intend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor.
’ In light of the current party distribution in the Senate , two more Republican Senators would have to announce their opposition to Shelton to block her nomination .
It ’ s not unheard of — when Trump announced plans to nominate the inexperienced businessman Herman Cain to the same board , four Republican Senators announced their opposition , and Cain ’ s nomination did not go through .
Meanwhile , as Obama-era Treasury Department official Steven Rattner explained in a piece for The New York Times , Shelton ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reserve Board amidst the earliest parts of the Coronavirus outbreak could have been disastrous .
As Rattner explained : ‘ Her view that interest rates should be “ rules based ” would have prevented the central bank ’ s emergency cuts .
Her past opposition to the Fed buying bonds to help stimulate the economy — as it did successfully during the 2008 financial crisis — would have prevented the central bank from standing up many of the rescue programs that are now helping to keep the economy afloat .
Her notion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than act independently… would have introduced damaging delays , politics and , likely , policy misfires as ill-equipped members of Congress tried to grapple with the intricacies of monetary policy.
’ While opposing Shelton , Collins might be worrying about her own political prospects .
Democratic Senate nominee Sara Gideon currently leads Collins in polls by an average of 2.5 percent .

Amazingly, President Donald Trump has nominated someone for the Federal Reserve Board who once questioned whether the U.S. central bank should exist in the first place. In a 2009 Wall Street Journal article, Trump nominee Judy Shelton asked why “we need a central bank,” but more recently, the Republican-led Senate Banking Committee approved her nomination to the Federal Reserve Board and set it up for a vote by the full Senate. A second Republican Senator — Maine’s Susan Collins — has now announced their opposition to Shelton’s nomination and intent to vote against her if the nomination makes it to a full Senate vote. Utah’s Republican Senator Mitt Romney had previously announced his opposition to Shelton.
On Monday, Collins commented:
‘I have serious concerns about this nomination. In her past statements, Ms. Shelton has openly called for the Federal Reserve to be less independent of the political branches, and has even questioned the need for a central bank. This is not the right signal to send, particularly in the midst of the pandemic, and for that reason, I intend to vote against her nomination if it reaches the floor.’
In light of the current party distribution in the Senate, two more Republican Senators would have to announce their opposition to Shelton to block her nomination. It’s not unheard of — when Trump announced plans to nominate the inexperienced businessman Herman Cain to the same board, four Republican Senators announced their opposition, and Cain’s nomination did not go through.
At her nomination hearing for a seat on the Fed, Judy Shelton failed to explain how she would handle an economic crisis. That hypothetical economic crisis is now a reality – but we STILL have no idea how Dr. Shelton would respond. She is not fit for the Fed. #StopShelton pic.twitter.com/v1OyoQMtuJ — Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) July 21, 2020
Meanwhile, as Obama-era Treasury Department official Steven Rattner explained in a piece for The New York Times, Shelton’s ideas at the helm of the Federal Reserve Board amidst the earliest parts of the Coronavirus outbreak could have been disastrous. As Rattner explained:
‘Her view that interest rates should be “rules based” would have prevented the central bank’s emergency cuts. Her past opposition to the Fed buying bonds to help stimulate the economy — as it did successfully during the 2008 financial crisis — would have prevented the central bank from standing up many of the rescue programs that are now helping to keep the economy afloat. Her notion that the Fed must consult with Congress, rather than act independently… would have introduced damaging delays, politics and, likely, policy misfires as ill-equipped members of Congress tried to grapple with the intricacies of monetary policy.’
While opposing Shelton, Collins might be worrying about her own political prospects. Democratic Senate nominee Sara Gideon currently leads Collins in polls by an average of 2.5 percent.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-27--Pelosi Owns Trump & GOP With Fiery Monday Exposure Of Incompetence

As the Coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the United States , leaving many in economic limbo , the Senate GOP has delayed producing any kind of new economic relief proposal for over two months .
Their inaction has been a disgrace and has left American families on the rocks while they ’ ve waited to see what so-called relief proposals that the ideologically self-obsessed Senate Republicans would come up with .
On Monday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) released a public statement hammering Republicans for their inaction and laying out the desperate urgency of the situation — Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an early Monday statement , she observed : ‘ After 10 weeks of Senate Republicans ’ unilateral “ pause ” on responding to the coronavirus , it remains unclear whether they will release their plan today – even as working families struggle to make rent , children go hungry and unemployment is expiring .
Democrats have stood ready to negotiate for more than two months .
I call upon GOP congressional leaders & the President ’ s team to join Leader Schumer & me within a half an hour of releasing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job done.
’ Over two months ago , the Democrat-led House passed the HEROES Act , which included economic relief for multiple sectors of society and the economy that was meant to help Americans weather the pandemic and its associated economic crises .
The GOP-led Senate has refused to take up the legislation , even as the clock has ticked on fundamental relief measures like the $ 600 a week that has been added on to unemployment benefits across the nation amidst the pandemic , which has left millions without work .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of July , and now , Senate Republicans reportedly want to decrease the add-on to a meager $ 200 a week — while they , of course , keep raking in their big salaries .
Recently , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has complained about the possibility of using taxpayer money to financially support unemployed Americans amidst the pandemic .
Those unemployed Americans are taxpayers too !
Check out Twitter ’ s response to Pelosi ’ s tweets below :

As the Coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the United States, leaving many in economic limbo, the Senate GOP has delayed producing any kind of new economic relief proposal for over two months. Their inaction has been a disgrace and has left American families on the rocks while they’ve waited to see what so-called relief proposals that the ideologically self-obsessed Senate Republicans would come up with. On Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released a public statement hammering Republicans for their inaction and laying out the desperate urgency of the situation — Americans, after all, are struggling.
I want to be clear: we saw this coming. The House took action and passed the Heroes Act, which extends enhanced benefits until Jan 2021. The economic pain & uncertainty that comes next should have been avoided. Shame on the GOP Senate for refusing to act.https://t.co/tpsjLDKxys — Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) July 20, 2020
In an early Monday statement, she observed:
‘After 10 weeks of Senate Republicans’ unilateral “pause” on responding to the coronavirus, it remains unclear whether they will release their plan today – even as working families struggle to make rent, children go hungry and unemployment is expiring. Democrats have stood ready to negotiate for more than two months. I call upon GOP congressional leaders & the President’s team to join Leader Schumer & me within a half an hour of releasing their plan today to negotiate and get the job done.’
Democrats have stood ready to negotiate for more than two months. I call upon GOP congressional leaders & the President’s team to join Leader Schumer & me within a half an hour of releasing their plan today to negotiate and get the job done. https://t.co/Savdgh4dmM — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 27, 2020
Over two months ago, the Democrat-led House passed the HEROES Act, which included economic relief for multiple sectors of society and the economy that was meant to help Americans weather the pandemic and its associated economic crises. The GOP-led Senate has refused to take up the legislation, even as the clock has ticked on fundamental relief measures like the $600 a week that has been added on to unemployment benefits across the nation amidst the pandemic, which has left millions without work. That $600 a week is expiring at the end of July, and now, Senate Republicans reportedly want to decrease the add-on to a meager $200 a week — while they, of course, keep raking in their big salaries.
NEW: Senate Republicans want to cut unemployment benefits for 30 million Americans by $400 a week. This CANNOT stand. The House passed the HEROES Act 73 days ago, and THIS is what Senate Republicans have delayed to propose?https://t.co/DNFABajLVo — Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) July 27, 2020
Recently, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has complained about the possibility of using taxpayer money to financially support unemployed Americans amidst the pandemic. Those unemployed Americans are taxpayers too!
What Mnuchin meant: I (Mnuchin) am not going to use taxpayer money to help taxpayers, that money is for the continued consolidation of wealth and power at the top. https://t.co/A6xmzZcLLi — Gregg Housh (@GreggHoush) July 26, 2020
Check out Twitter’s response to Pelosi’s tweets below:


bipartisanreport--2020-07-27--Trump Publicly Dishonors John Lewis With Monday Snub

The late Democratic Congressman John Lewis will be lying in state at the Capitol building in D.C. on Monday and Tuesday , but President Donald Trump says that he will not be visiting to pay his respects .
Trump did not mention his past antagonism of Lewis when confirming that he would not be visiting , but Trump has previously petulantly complained about Lewis , outrageously claiming at one point that the then-Congressman was “ all talk… no action.
” In reality , Lewis was — among other high-profile parts of his activism — one of the “ Freedom Riders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South in an effort to desegregate public transportation and faced violent harassment from racists in the process .
Lewis was the absolute farthest thing from “ all talk… no action.
” Trump was just spouting off nonsense .
Asked on Monday if he would be visiting the Capitol to pay his respects to Lewis , Trump said : Check out the video below : Back in January 2017 , shortly before his inauguration , Trump tweeted : Again — that is an outrageously ridiculous description of Lewis , who was definitely not “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among other high-profile incidents , was even among the protesters on the Alabama bridge in 1965 on “ Bloody Sunday , ” when authorities violently attacked demonstrators in an incident that quickly achieved notoriety .
That very year , the Voting Rights Act was passed , and the protesters on that bridge , including Lewis , had been marching in support of rights for black Americans including access to the ballot box .
After Lewis passed away , Trump shared only very hollow remarks .
He tweeted : That statement was posted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Trump couldn ’ t even be bothered to comment about the development until after many other people did .

The late Democratic Congressman John Lewis will be lying in state at the Capitol building in D.C. on Monday and Tuesday, but President Donald Trump says that he will not be visiting to pay his respects. Trump did not mention his past antagonism of Lewis when confirming that he would not be visiting, but Trump has previously petulantly complained about Lewis, outrageously claiming at one point that the then-Congressman was “all talk… no action.” In reality, Lewis was — among other high-profile parts of his activism — one of the “Freedom Riders,” who rode buses across the South in an effort to desegregate public transportation and faced violent harassment from racists in the process. Lewis was the absolute farthest thing from “all talk… no action.” Trump was just spouting off nonsense.
Asked on Monday if he would be visiting the Capitol to pay his respects to Lewis, Trump said:
‘No, I won’t be going; no.’
Check out the video below:
"I won't be going." Trump told reporters as he was leaving the White House that he would not go to pay respects to Congressman John Lewis as he lies in state at the Capitol pic.twitter.com/dkcOOvHvsY — Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) July 27, 2020
Back in January 2017, shortly before his inauguration, Trump tweeted:
‘Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad!’
Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to…… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
Again — that is an outrageously ridiculous description of Lewis, who was definitely not “all talk… no action.” Lewis, among other high-profile incidents, was even among the protesters on the Alabama bridge in 1965 on “Bloody Sunday,” when authorities violently attacked demonstrators in an incident that quickly achieved notoriety. That very year, the Voting Rights Act was passed, and the protesters on that bridge, including Lewis, had been marching in support of rights for black Americans including access to the ballot box.
After Lewis passed away, Trump shared only very hollow remarks. He tweeted:
‘Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family.’
Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2020
That statement was posted the day after Lewis passed away, as if Trump couldn’t even be bothered to comment about the development until after many other people did.


bipartisanreport--2020-07-27--Nat’l Guard Commander Testifies Against Barr’s & Trump Bible Photo-Op

On June 1 , amidst the initial surge in anti-police brutality protests across the country in the wake of the police murder of a black man named George Floyd , federal agents violently attacked peaceful protesters who had gathered in Lafayette Square , which is in the vicinity of the White House .
At the time , a curfew in the city had not yet gone into effect , but Attorney General Bill Barr has suggested that the attack on protesters was meant to “ protect federal facilities and federal personnel and also to address the rioting that was interfering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Major Adam DeMarco , who is a commander with the D.C. National Guard , has now revealed to Congress that Barr ’ s assessment of the situation flatly does not correspond with the reality of what he observed .
DeMarco was on the scene as part of his role as a liaison between the D.C. National Guard and the Park Police , who the D.C. National Guard was tasked with supporting .
The Park Police initially claimed that no tear gas was used in their attack on the Lafayette Square protesters , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and DeMarco confirms that he saw tear gas canisters affixed to the vests of Park Police personnel and that after the attack on protesters , he found empty canisters in the area .
As background for the attack on protesters , he explains that he observed the first order for protesters to leave the area at about 6:20 P.M. , well before the city ’ s 7 o ’ clock curfew .
To make matters worse , the dispersal order was given via a megaphone that was some 50 yards — meaning 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and DeMarco reports that he “ saw no indication that the demonstrators were cognizant of the warnings to disperse.
” DeMarco adds that although he had been told that protesters would be cleared from the area in order to construct a new security barrier between crowds and the White House , supplies for the barrier were not delivered until 9 P.M. , and the barrier “ was not completed until later that night.
” But what did happen well before that ?
Trump held a photo op at the nearby St. Johns Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hearing of the House Committee On Natural Resources , DeMarco adds : ‘ [ The ] events I witnessed at Lafayette Square on the evening of June 1 were deeply disturbing to me , and to fellow National Guardsmen .
Having served in a combat zone , and understanding how to assess threat environments , at no time did I feel threatened by the protestors or assess them to be violent .
In addition , considering the principles of proportionality of force and the fundamental strategy of graduated responses specific to civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the use of force against demonstrators in the clearing operation was an unnecessary escalation of the use of force .
From my observation , those demonstrators – our fellow American citizens — were engaged in the peaceful expression of their First Amendment rights .
Yet they were subjected to an unprovoked escalation and excessive use of force.
’ Notably , the Trump administration has not let up in their campaign of violence against peaceful protesters .
Federal agents have been engaged in high-profile recent violent clashes with protesters in Portland .

On June 1, amidst the initial surge in anti-police brutality protests across the country in the wake of the police murder of a black man named George Floyd, federal agents violently attacked peaceful protesters who had gathered in Lafayette Square, which is in the vicinity of the White House. At the time, a curfew in the city had not yet gone into effect, but Attorney General Bill Barr has suggested that the attack on protesters was meant to “protect federal facilities and federal personnel and also to address the rioting that was interfering with the government’s function.” Major Adam DeMarco, who is a commander with the D.C. National Guard, has now revealed to Congress that Barr’s assessment of the situation flatly does not correspond with the reality of what he observed.
DeMarco was on the scene as part of his role as a liaison between the D.C. National Guard and the Park Police, who the D.C. National Guard was tasked with supporting. The Park Police initially claimed that no tear gas was used in their attack on the Lafayette Square protesters, although they’ve since admitted otherwise, and DeMarco confirms that he saw tear gas canisters affixed to the vests of Park Police personnel and that after the attack on protesters, he found empty canisters in the area.
As background for the attack on protesters, he explains that he observed the first order for protesters to leave the area at about 6:20 P.M., well before the city’s 7 o’clock curfew. To make matters worse, the dispersal order was given via a megaphone that was some 50 yards — meaning 150 feet — from the protest crowd, and DeMarco reports that he “saw no indication that the demonstrators were cognizant of the warnings to disperse.”
DeMarco adds that although he had been told that protesters would be cleared from the area in order to construct a new security barrier between crowds and the White House, supplies for the barrier were not delivered until 9 P.M., and the barrier “was not completed until later that night.” But what did happen well before that? Trump held a photo op at the nearby St. Johns Church.
In his prepared remarks meant for a hearing of the House Committee On Natural Resources, DeMarco adds:
‘[The] events I witnessed at Lafayette Square on the evening of June 1 were deeply disturbing to me, and to fellow National Guardsmen. Having served in a combat zone, and understanding how to assess threat environments, at no time did I feel threatened by the protestors or assess them to be violent. In addition, considering the principles of proportionality of force and the fundamental strategy of graduated responses specific to civil disturbance operations, it was my observation that the use of force against demonstrators in the clearing operation was an unnecessary escalation of the use of force. From my observation, those demonstrators – our fellow American citizens — were engaged in the peaceful expression of their First Amendment rights. Yet they were subjected to an unprovoked escalation and excessive use of force.’
Notably, the Trump administration has not let up in their campaign of violence against peaceful protesters. Federal agents have been engaged in high-profile recent violent clashes with protesters in Portland.