thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Trump Gives Absurd Interview To Far-Right Conspiracy Network One America News

The outlet , which has sycophantically covered the president , also ran interviews the same day with Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump .
Both received the same fawning deference given to their father , as Rion lobbed compliments in the form of questions .
Trump and his sons ’ appearances on OAN further solidify a mutually beneficial relationship between the president and a network that has spread dangerous disinformation and conspiracy theories to support him .
Trump ’ s promotion of OAN has helped mainstream the fledgling network , which last year claimed to reach around 35 million households @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it has come to function as his personal propaganda machine .
Throughout the interview , Trump and Rion ran through many of his favorite talking points , allowing the president to attack journalists , blame China for the coronavirus “ plague , ” claim that he could have easily beaten President Barack Obama in the 2012 election , and insinuate that Biden , his Democratic opponent , has cognitive issues .
Rion had no follow-ups or pushback , giving Trump free rein to boast .
“ Tens of millions of Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have lived lives like , really support you and your family and your campaign to the great frustration of your adversaries , ” Rion said .
“ Why do you think you ’ re able to have this kind of empathy for people you don ’ t have to have shared experiences ?
” The president has praised OAN during the GOP convention for airing an uninterrupted feed of the event , while other networks , including Fox News , have interspersed their coverage with analysis and commentary .
He has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conferences , presenting the outlet as an alternative to Fox News when that channel fails to show the subservience he would like .
During his daily coronavirus briefings earlier this year , Trump repeatedly called on Rion and OAN by name .
Among other bizarre comments , Rion ’ s briefing questions claimed that legitimate news outlets were siding with “ Islamic radicals and Latin gangs and cartels ” and asked Trump if he thought the term “ Chinese food ” was racist .
Rion has a long history of promoting conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stint with OAN , when she was an aspiring political illustrator , she drew images suggesting that Hillary Clinton had ordered a contract killing and that Sharia law was infiltrating the United States .
One of her OAN segments this year falsely linked the coronavirus to a North Carolina laboratory ― her source was a 61-year-old Italian QAnon cult supporter and sound engineer who was falsely claiming to be a Washington insider and using a fake name on Twitter .
( There ’ s no evidence the source had national intelligence experience or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Along with Rion , OAN employs a number of other far-right personalities and conspiracy theorists .
Correspondent Jack Posobiec ― who has repeatedly spread disinformation , including the “ pizzagate ” conspiracy theory propagated by white nationalists that falsely claimed Democrats ran a satanic pedophile ring out of a D.C. pizzeria ― has extensive connections to far-right extremists .
Posobiec had a segment on OAN with a notorious promoter of online disinformation who has celebrated Adolf Hitler on far-right social media platforms .
Staffer Kristian Rouz simultaneously worked for OAN and Kremlin-owned propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton had given hundreds of thousands in cash to “ antifa ” protesters .
Correspondent Pearson Sharp pushed a narrative dear to Russian propaganda and Syrian dictator Bashar Assad that claims chemical attacks widely blamed on Assad ’ s regime were faked .
In the hour before airing President Trump ’ s interview , OAN ran a segment on nationwide anti-racism protests that focused on “ leftist rioters ” and “ antifa ” and that used footage from far-right media activist Andy Ngo .
OAN then moved on to cover uncritically Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden to win the 2020 election and to air an interview on “ the Democratic Party ’ s ties to the Ku Klux Klan.
” Trump ’ s appearance on OAN is the apex of a long courtship between the president and the network ’ s founder Robert Herring Sr. , a millionaire Republican donor who started the outlet in 2013 .
Herring has lauded the president non-stop on Twitter , including praising Trump-favored hydroxychloroquine despite mounting evidence that the anti-malarial drug is ineffective in treating the coronavirus and amid warnings from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that purpose .
A former OAN host , Emily Miller , was recently hired as the FDA ’ s new spokesperson .
Earlier this month , Herring publicly wondered why Trump hadn ’ t given the network an exclusive .
“ Isn ’ t it amazing that President Trump has not given any @ OANN journalist a sit-down interview .
They all practice good hygiene… ” Herring tweeted .
“ Their questions have been posed to keep America informed and not to attack the President .
Can ’ t figure it out @ @

Chanel Rion of OAN asks a question during the daily White House coronavirus briefing on April 1. Win McNamee via Getty Images
Far-right conspiracy network One America News aired a White House interview with President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon, just hours before that evening’s Republican National Convention events, in which Trump faced questions that would have sounded at home on authoritarian state-owned television.
“We’re watching Joe Biden slip very gently into senility while you’re at the top of your game. What’s your secret?” Chanel Rion, OAN’s White House correspondent, asked Trump.
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The outlet, which has sycophantically covered the president, also ran interviews the same day with Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Both received the same fawning deference given to their father, as Rion lobbed compliments in the form of questions.
Trump and his sons’ appearances on OAN further solidify a mutually beneficial relationship between the president and a network that has spread dangerous disinformation and conspiracy theories to support him. Trump’s promotion of OAN has helped mainstream the fledgling network, which last year claimed to reach around 35 million households through multiple providers, and in exchange, it has come to function as his personal propaganda machine.
Throughout the interview, Trump and Rion ran through many of his favorite talking points, allowing the president to attack journalists, blame China for the coronavirus “plague,” claim that he could have easily beaten President Barack Obama in the 2012 election, and insinuate that Biden, his Democratic opponent, has cognitive issues. Rion had no follow-ups or pushback, giving Trump free rein to boast.
“Tens of millions of Americans, everyday Americans, people who you may not have lived lives like, really support you and your family and your campaign to the great frustration of your adversaries,” Rion said. “Why do you think you’re able to have this kind of empathy for people you don’t have to have shared experiences?”
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“It’s incredible,” Trump agreed.
The president has praised OAN during the GOP convention for airing an uninterrupted feed of the event, while other networks, including Fox News, have interspersed their coverage with analysis and commentary. He has also repeatedly celebrated the network in tweets and press conferences, presenting the outlet as an alternative to Fox News when that channel fails to show the subservience he would like.
During his daily coronavirus briefings earlier this year, Trump repeatedly called on Rion and OAN by name. Among other bizarre comments, Rion’s briefing questions claimed that legitimate news outlets were siding with “Islamic radicals and Latin gangs and cartels” and asked Trump if he thought the term “Chinese food” was racist.
Rion has a long history of promoting conspiracy theories and debunked falsehoods. Before her stint with OAN, when she was an aspiring political illustrator, she drew images suggesting that Hillary Clinton had ordered a contract killing and that Sharia law was infiltrating the United States. One of her OAN segments this year falsely linked the coronavirus to a North Carolina laboratory ― her source was a 61-year-old Italian QAnon cult supporter and sound engineer who was falsely claiming to be a Washington insider and using a fake name on Twitter. (There’s no evidence the source had national intelligence experience or medical knowledge of any kind.)
In the interviews with Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump broadcast on Wednesday, Rion told the latter, “You have a lot of fans at OAN.”
“Me and my family are big fans of yours and we appreciate everything you do,” Eric Trump said.
Along with Rion, OAN employs a number of other far-right personalities and conspiracy theorists. Correspondent Jack Posobiec ― who has repeatedly spread disinformation, including the “pizzagate” conspiracy theory propagated by white nationalists that falsely claimed Democrats ran a satanic pedophile ring out of a D.C. pizzeria ― has extensive connections to far-right extremists. Posobiec had a segment on OAN with a notorious promoter of online disinformation who has celebrated Adolf Hitler on far-right social media platforms. Staffer Kristian Rouz simultaneously worked for OAN and Kremlin-owned propaganda site Sputnik and falsely claimed that Hillary Clinton had given hundreds of thousands in cash to “antifa” protesters. Correspondent Pearson Sharp pushed a narrative dear to Russian propaganda and Syrian dictator Bashar Assad that claims chemical attacks widely blamed on Assad’s regime were faked.
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In the hour before airing President Trump’s interview, OAN ran a segment on nationwide anti-racism protests that focused on “leftist rioters” and “antifa” and that used footage from far-right media activist Andy Ngo. OAN then moved on to cover uncritically Trump’s claims that the Chinese government wants Biden to win the 2020 election and to air an interview on “the Democratic Party’s ties to the Ku Klux Klan.”
Trump’s appearance on OAN is the apex of a long courtship between the president and the network’s founder Robert Herring Sr., a millionaire Republican donor who started the outlet in 2013. Herring has lauded the president non-stop on Twitter, including praising Trump-favored hydroxychloroquine despite mounting evidence that the anti-malarial drug is ineffective in treating the coronavirus and amid warnings from the Food and Drug Administration against its use for that purpose. A former OAN host, Emily Miller, was recently hired as the FDA’s new spokesperson. Earlier this month, Herring publicly wondered why Trump hadn’t given the network an exclusive.
“Isn’t it amazing that President Trump has not given any @OANN journalist a sit-down interview. They all practice good hygiene…” Herring tweeted. “Their questions have been posed to keep America informed and not to attack the President. Can’t figure it out!”
Less than two weeks later, Herring got his prize. After the interview with Trump finished, OAN rebroadcast its segment tying the Democratic Party to the KKK.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--During Disasters, Red States Get The Red Carpet. Blue States Get Threats.

The past two weeks have once again highlighted the White House ’ s favoritism for the people who live in states that helped elect Trump in 2016 .
With the 2020 election less than three months away , Trump has shown he has no intention of playing nice with the jurisdictions he stands little chance of winning in November .
Along with threatening to punish fire-scorched California , he and his team have sought to paint other Democratic-run cities and states as dangerous , crime-ridden and mismanaged ― and insisted that Trump , even though he leads the nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s clear why the president would do this .
As Mark Joseph Stern , a staff writer at Slate , wrote in a recent Twitter post : “ A president who knows he won ’ t win blue states can punish them , sacrifice them , undercut them , trash them ― there ’ s no electoral penalty .
Those states don ’ t matter to him .
Their residents ’ votes don ’ t matter.
” Meanwhile , blue states are struggling with problems that have nothing to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again reeling from record-breaking wildfires .
In less than two weeks , some 700 fires scorched more than 1.3 million acres — nearly three times the five-year annual average of 450,000 acres ― and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes .
As the fires grew last week , Trump rolled out his to-go attack .
At an Aug. 20 campaign rally in Pennsylvania , he insisted California has “ got ta clean your floors , you got ta clean your forests ” of “ leaves and broken trees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re just going to have to make them pay for it , because they don ’ t listen to us.
” As usual , there was no mention of the link between climate change and wildfires , or the fact that many of California ’ s worst fires have been on land managed by the federal government , not the state .
“ Just today , the president of the United States threatened the state of California ― 40 million Americans who happen to live here in the state of California ― to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he said we haven ’ t raked enough leaves , ” California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) said later that day during an address at the Democratic National Convention .
“ You can ’ t make that up.
” “ My Administration remains fully engaged with state & local emergency managers to continue preparing and assisting the great people [ of ] Texas , Louisiana , and Arkansas , ” Trump wrote of the red states in a Wednesday post to Twitter , as Laura continued to intensify offshore .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are with you !
” “ Our prayers are with you tonight , ” Pence said late Wednesday during a speech at the Republican National Convention .
“ FEMA has mobilized resources and supplies for those in harm ’ s way .
This is a serious storm , and we urge all of those in the affected areas to heed state and local authorities .
Stay safe .
And know that we ’ ll be with you every step of the way , to support , rescue , respond and recover in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what Americans do.
” When Super Typhoon Yutu ― one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones to make landfall anywhere on the planet ― tore through the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a U.S. territory of some 55,000 people in the Pacific , in October 2018 , Trump declared an emergency but did not comment publicly or post to Twitter about the Category 5-equivalent storm .
And during the fires in California last year , Trump claimed to have ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cut off wildfire relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could “ get their act together ” and do a better job of managing forests .
“ He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down from a wildfire , because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn ’ t support him and that politically it wasn ’ t a base for him , ” Miles Taylor , former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump administration , said in a political ad last week endorsing Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrage of deadly tornadoes wreaked havoc in Alabama , a deep red state , in March 2019 , Trump offered nothing but support .
“ FEMA has been told directly by me to give the A Plus treatment to the Great State of Alabama and the wonderful people who have been so devastated by the Tornadoes , ” he boasted on Twitter .
A Politico investigation in March 2018 found that the government ’ s response to the devastation Hurricane Maria caused in Puerto Rico ― a U.S. territory whose residents do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio in the 2016 presidential primaries ― was “ much slower ” than relief efforts in Texas for Hurricane Harvey .
When a government-commissioned study concluded that back-to-back hurricanes Irma and Maria killed nearly 3,000 people in the island territory , Trump flatly denied the death toll .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
When historic wildfires rage in blue California, President Donald Trump slams the state for doing a poor job of “raking” forests, and threatens to withhold federal relief funds.
When a devastating hurricane takes aim at red states along the Gulf of Mexico, Trump stands ready to assist.
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The past two weeks have once again highlighted the White House’s favoritism for the people who live in states that helped elect Trump in 2016. With the 2020 election less than three months away, Trump has shown he has no intention of playing nice with the jurisdictions he stands little chance of winning in November. Along with threatening to punish fire-scorched California, he and his team have sought to paint other Democratic-run cities and states as dangerous, crime-ridden and mismanaged ― and insisted that Trump, even though he leads the nation, bears no blame for anything happening there.
“These are Democratically-led cities and most with Democratic governors,” White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway said Thursday during an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” when asked about ongoing unrest across the country. “It’s not Donald Trump’s watch.”
It’s clear why the president would do this. As Mark Joseph Stern, a staff writer at Slate, wrote in a recent Twitter post: “A president who knows he won’t win blue states can punish them, sacrifice them, undercut them, trash them ― there’s no electoral penalty. Those states don’t matter to him. Their residents’ votes don’t matter.”
President Donald Trump embraces a boy at a distribution center in New Bern, North Carolina, while participating in a tour of Hurricane Florence recovery efforts, Sept. 19, 2018. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
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Meanwhile, blue states are struggling with problems that have nothing to do with party affiliation. California is once again reeling from record-breaking wildfires. In less than two weeks, some 700 fires scorched more than 1.3 million acres — nearly three times the five-year annual average of 450,000 acres ― and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.
As the fires grew last week, Trump rolled out his to-go attack. At an Aug. 20 campaign rally in Pennsylvania, he insisted California has “gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests” of “leaves and broken trees,” adding: “Maybe we’re just going to have to make them pay for it, because they don’t listen to us.” As usual, there was no mention of the link between climate change and wildfires, or the fact that many of California’s worst fires have been on land managed by the federal government, not the state.
“Just today, the president of the United States threatened the state of California ― 40 million Americans who happen to live here in the state of California ― to defund our efforts of fire suppression, because he said we haven’t raked enough leaves,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said later that day during an address at the Democratic National Convention. “You can’t make that up.”
Compare that to Trump’s response to Hurricane Laura, which slammed into the Louisiana coast early Thursday as a powerful Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.
“My Administration remains fully engaged with state & local emergency managers to continue preparing and assisting the great people [of] Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas,” Trump wrote of the red states in a Wednesday post to Twitter, as Laura continued to intensify offshore. “Listen to local officials. We are with you!”
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Vice President Mike Pence also promised a swift federal response in areas impacted by the storm.
“Our prayers are with you tonight,” Pence said late Wednesday during a speech at the Republican National Convention. “FEMA has mobilized resources and supplies for those in harm’s way. This is a serious storm, and we urge all of those in the affected areas to heed state and local authorities. Stay safe. And know that we’ll be with you every step of the way, to support, rescue, respond and recover in the days and weeks ahead. That’s what Americans do.”
To the families & communities in the path of #HurricaneLaura: pic.twitter.com/AKg4YR1rCu — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) August 27, 2020
Disparities in the Trump administration’s disaster responses are nothing new.
When Super Typhoon Yutu ― one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones to make landfall anywhere on the planet ― tore through the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory of some 55,000 people in the Pacific, in October 2018, Trump declared an emergency but did not comment publicly or post to Twitter about the Category 5-equivalent storm. And during the fires in California last year, Trump claimed to have ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cut off wildfire relief aid for the state until officials there could “get their act together” and do a better job of managing forests.
“He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down from a wildfire, because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn’t support him and that politically it wasn’t a base for him,” Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump administration, said in a political ad last week endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
But when a barrage of deadly tornadoes wreaked havoc in Alabama, a deep red state, in March 2019, Trump offered nothing but support. “FEMA has been told directly by me to give the A Plus treatment to the Great State of Alabama and the wonderful people who have been so devastated by the Tornadoes,” he boasted on Twitter.
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The double standard goes beyond Trump’s Twitter presence and public statements.
A Politico investigation in March 2018 found that the government’s response to the devastation Hurricane Maria caused in Puerto Rico ― a U.S. territory whose residents do not vote in general elections, but which supported Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio in the 2016 presidential primaries ― was “much slower” than relief efforts in Texas for Hurricane Harvey. When a government-commissioned study concluded that back-to-back hurricanes Irma and Maria killed nearly 3,000 people in the island territory, Trump flatly denied the death toll.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Trump DOJ Targets Democratic Governors For COVID-19 Outbreaks In Veterans Homes

CRIPA is a 40-year-old federal statute meant to protect Americans held in government-run institutions like jails , prisons , mental health facilities and state-owned nursing homes .
The vast majority of nursing homes in the United States are privately run and therefore not covered by CRIPA , even if those entities receive most of their funding through Medicare .
Pennsylvania , for example , has just seven such state-owned facilities , which house roughly 1,300 residents ― a small fraction of the state ’ s nursing home population of more than 80,000 .
Moreover , the most common CRIPA cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DOJ hasn ’ t announced any inquiries into how such facilities have handled COVID-19 despite the fact that jails and prisons have seen some of the biggest coronavirus clusters in the U.S. Nearly 160,000 incarcerated individuals and staffers have tested positive for the virus , and at least 1,000 have died ― including 116 people held in facilities run by the Justice Department ’ s own Bureau of Prisons .
There are , without a doubt , legitimate questions to ask about how governors and other state authorities have responded to the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unusual announcement ― and the lack of action against jails and prisons ― has raised alarm .
Former Civil Rights Division officials told HuffPost they were deeply concerned that the Justice Department ’ s authority was once again being weaponized for political purposes under Attorney General William Barr .
“ Here we are , 70 days before the election and right in the middle of the Republican convention , and they dropped four letters on four Democratic governors in particularly visible states ?
Please .
This really does smell , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan Law School professor who served in the Civil Rights Division during the Obama administration .
“ It ’ s absolutely the case that if the Department of Justice were taking the [ CRIPA ] seriously on COVID , they would have been investigating prisons and jails across the country.
” “ Using CRIPA to target Democratic governors on the eve of an election is nothing short of an abuse of the Civil Rights Division ’ s enforcement authority for political purposes , ” said Jonathan Smith , the executive director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Urban Affairs and a former Civil Rights Division official .
“ This is part of a very disturbing pattern from the DOJ to use its powers to advance the President ’ s electoral agenda as opposed to the neutral , objective , and independent enforcement of the law.
” The Justice Department official pointed out that the Civil Rights Division announced back in April that it had launched an investigation into the Soldiers ’ Home in Holyoke , a state-run facility for veterans in Massachusetts .
The state ’ s governor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump critic , but DOJ ’ s press release on that investigation made no mention of the governor .
There were 76 deaths at the Soldiers ’ Home in Holyoke , which was described as a “ warzone ” and a “ nightmare ” during the worst days of the pandemic in late March .
An independent report authored by a former federal prosecutor at Gov .
Baker ’ s request found that the facility ’ s superintendent , a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who had no prior experience with nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimal environment ” for the spread of COVID-19 .
There have been documented coronavirus outbreaks at veterans homes in Michigan , New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania .
Veterans homes were hit hard in New Jersey , where 81 veterans died at a facility in Paramus .
More than 50 veterans died at a facility in New York .
A state-run nursing home for veterans in Pennsylvania keep mum about the extent of its outbreak , but a licensed practical nurse told an inspector that it was “ awful ” to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the residents in a body bag and meet the undertaker at the elevator.
” There ’ s some skepticism among civil rights experts that the admission of COVID-19 patients to public nursing homes during a catastrophic pandemic was something that should prompt a Justice Department division with limited resources to launch an inquiry into potential violations of the constitutional rights of confined persons .
DOJ ’ s letters asked for information on how many patients were admitted to public nursing homes from a hospital or other facility after testing positive for COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing home residents , and the failures of many nursing homes to restrict visitation in the early days of the pandemic or provide adequate PPE , it seems unlikely that the admission of COVID-19 positive patients into public nursing homes was a significant contributor to the overall pandemic .
What About Prisons And Jails ?
More broadly speaking , there are major questions about the Trump administration ’ s overall CRIPA enforcement , which has been somewhat anemic .
The Trump administration ’ s latest report on CRIPA enforcement , sent to lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no complaints or settlements in the entire 2019 fiscal year but opened three new investigations .
The Justice Department did release major CRIPA reports on conditions in prisons in Alabama and a deadly jail in Virginia , but both probes began during the Obama administration .
The Trump administration has launched some new prison and jail investigations , including into Mississippi prisons and a New Jersey facility .
CRIPA investigations are “ pattern or practice ” civil rights probes , meaning they look broadly at conditions and systems rather than focus on isolated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice ” policing probe launched during the Trump administration , which focused on a narcotics unit in Massachusetts , found that officers “ repeatedly punch individuals in the face unnecessarily ” and use “ excessive force without accountability.
” The Trump administration has all but ended those broad investigations into police conduct , in part because of their belief that identifying patterns of unconstitutional behavior against Americans hurts law enforcement morale .
But the administration apparently has no such qualms about how public health care workers who cared for veterans in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government second-guessing their actions .

Left to right: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D), New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D). Illustration: Damon Dahlen/HuffPost; Photos: Getty/AP/Reuters
President Donald Trump’s top civil rights official at the Department of Justice announced this week that he was considering launching investigations into how state-owned nursing homes responded to the coronavirus. The four states he targeted all have Democratic governors. This highly unusual public announcement of potential investigations raised alarm bells among Civil Rights Division alumni and Democrats that DOJ’s move was motivated by partisan politics.
Eric Dreiband, the assistant attorney general running the Civil Rights Division, sent letters to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday, requesting documents and information under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) about how public nursing homes in their states responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Cuomo and Whitmer said in a joint statement that the inquiries were “nothing more than a transparent politicization of the Department of Justice in the middle of the Republican National Convention.” They called DOJ’s move a “nakedly partisan deflection” and questioned why Republican-run states that, based on federal guidelines, had similar rules about nursing home admissions were not being targeted.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Justice Department claimed, without pointing to evidence, that state orders “may have resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents.” The department said it was “evaluating whether to initiate investigations,” meaning that it had not actually launched a probe. It is unusual for DOJ to highly publicize such a preliminary inquiry.
The press release went on to compare the COVID-19 death rate in the blue state of New York to the death rate in the red state of Texas, despite the vast array of factors and variables ― including population density and the geographical progression of COVID-19 ― that made the Empire State more vulnerable to the pandemic than the Lone Star State.
Drawing The Heat Away
CRIPA is a 40-year-old federal statute meant to protect Americans held in government-run institutions like jails, prisons, mental health facilities and state-owned nursing homes. The vast majority of nursing homes in the United States are privately run and therefore not covered by CRIPA, even if those entities receive most of their funding through Medicare. Pennsylvania, for example, has just seven such state-owned facilities, which house roughly 1,300 residents ― a small fraction of the state’s nursing home population of more than 80,000.
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With more than 180,000 Americans dead in a pandemic that has devastated the U.S. economy, Trump’s reelection campaign benefits from drawing heat away from the administration’s handling of the crisis and onto Democratic governors’ decisions. The best-known state-run nursing facilities tend to be veterans homes, allowing the administration to suggest that Democratic governors failed to protect our nation’s elderly war heroes.
Moreover, the most common CRIPA cases involve jail and prison conditions. But DOJ hasn’t announced any inquiries into how such facilities have handled COVID-19 despite the fact that jails and prisons have seen some of the biggest coronavirus clusters in the U.S. Nearly 160,000 incarcerated individuals and staffers have tested positive for the virus, and at least 1,000 have died ― including 116 people held in facilities run by the Justice Department’s own Bureau of Prisons.
While CRIPA gives DOJ limited jurisdiction over state-owned nursing homes, a department official suggested that the inquiry could drive at a much larger question that goes far beyond the scope of the preliminary probe.
“Those 50,000 COVID dead in NY/NJ deserve to have an investigation to determine if their Governors are responsible for their deaths,” the DOJ official wrote.
‘Isn’t Particularly Subtle, Is It?’
There are, without a doubt, legitimate questions to ask about how governors and other state authorities have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the timing of DOJ’s unusual announcement ― and the lack of action against jails and prisons ― has raised alarm. Former Civil Rights Division officials told HuffPost they were deeply concerned that the Justice Department’s authority was once again being weaponized for political purposes under Attorney General William Barr.
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“Here we are, 70 days before the election and right in the middle of the Republican convention, and they dropped four letters on four Democratic governors in particularly visible states? Please. This really does smell,” said Sam Bagenstos, a University of Michigan Law School professor who served in the Civil Rights Division during the Obama administration. “It’s absolutely the case that if the Department of Justice were taking the [CRIPA] seriously on COVID, they would have been investigating prisons and jails across the country.”
“I do not recall ever seeing a press release announcing that the Department is ‘evaluating whether’ to initiate a CRIPA investigation,” said Christy Lopez, a Georgetown University Law Center professor and former Civil Rights Division official. “And the New York/Texas comparison isn’t particularly subtle, is it?”
“Using CRIPA to target Democratic governors on the eve of an election is nothing short of an abuse of the Civil Rights Division’s enforcement authority for political purposes,” said Jonathan Smith, the executive director of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and a former Civil Rights Division official. “This is part of a very disturbing pattern from the DOJ to use its powers to advance the President’s electoral agenda as opposed to the neutral, objective, and independent enforcement of the law.”
DOJ’s press release generated negative headlines against Democratic governors. Some of the media coverage falsely suggested, despite CRIPA’s limits, that DOJ was investigating whether state governments were responsible for all nursing home deaths. “DOJ probes nursing home deaths in 4 states — including in NY,” said the New York Post. “DOJ asks governors about coronavirus orders that may have resulted in nursing home deaths,” wrote The Hill.
Pandemic At The Nursing Home
According to HuffPost’s review of DOJ’s letters to Congress on CRIPA enforcement, the Trump administration hadn’t launched any CRIPA investigations into public nursing homes until the current fiscal year.
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The Justice Department official pointed out that the Civil Rights Division announced back in April that it had launched an investigation into the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, a state-run facility for veterans in Massachusetts. The state’s governor, Charlie Baker, is a moderate Republican and Trump critic, but DOJ’s press release on that investigation made no mention of the governor. There were 76 deaths at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, which was described as a “warzone” and a “nightmare” during the worst days of the pandemic in late March. An independent report authored by a former federal prosecutor at Gov. Baker’s request found that the facility’s superintendent, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who had no prior experience with nursing homes, created “close to an optimal environment” for the spread of COVID-19.
There have been documented coronavirus outbreaks at veterans homes in Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Veterans homes were hit hard in New Jersey, where 81 veterans died at a facility in Paramus. More than 50 veterans died at a facility in New York. A state-run nursing home for veterans in Pennsylvania keep mum about the extent of its outbreak, but a licensed practical nurse told an inspector that it was “awful” to watch people die and have to “wrap the residents in a body bag and meet the undertaker at the elevator.”
The DOJ official also said that the four letters focused on states that had orders requiring nursing homes to admit patients with COVID-19. That’s a particularly difficult question, especially in state-run facilities that were dealing with patients in desperate need of care amid a pandemic that was overwhelming hospitals and leaving nursing homes ― in part because of the failures of the federal government ― short on personal protective equipment (PPE).
There’s some skepticism among civil rights experts that the admission of COVID-19 patients to public nursing homes during a catastrophic pandemic was something that should prompt a Justice Department division with limited resources to launch an inquiry into potential violations of the constitutional rights of confined persons. DOJ’s letters asked for information on how many patients were admitted to public nursing homes from a hospital or other facility after testing positive for COVID-19. Given the relatively small population of public nursing home residents, and the failures of many nursing homes to restrict visitation in the early days of the pandemic or provide adequate PPE, it seems unlikely that the admission of COVID-19 positive patients into public nursing homes was a significant contributor to the overall pandemic.
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What About Prisons And Jails?
More broadly speaking, there are major questions about the Trump administration’s overall CRIPA enforcement, which has been somewhat anemic. The Trump administration’s latest report on CRIPA enforcement, sent to lawmakers earlier this month, says DOJ filed no complaints or settlements in the entire 2019 fiscal year but opened three new investigations. The Justice Department did release major CRIPA reports on conditions in prisons in Alabama and a deadly jail in Virginia, but both probes began during the Obama administration. The Trump administration has launched some new prison and jail investigations, including into Mississippi prisons and a New Jersey facility.
Politically, standing up for elderly veterans is much more popular than protecting the civil rights of the incarcerated. During the George W. Bush administration, said former DOJ official Smith, there was a big focus on public nursing home investigations involving veterans, which were “seen as less controversial” than prison and jail probes.
“Republican administrations are much more likely to be driven by this kind of war-on-crime idea that we accept poor conditions in penal facilities,” Bagenstos said. “They have a much higher bar, historically, for getting involved in cases that come out of those facilities. I think it’s as simple as that. It’s just crime politics.”
Dreiband, the Civil Rights Division chief, said in a statement in DOJ’s press release that protecting the rights of “some of society’s most vulnerable members, including elderly nursing home residents, is one of our country’s most important obligations” and that the department must “ensure they are adequately cared for with dignity and respect and not unnecessarily put at risk.”
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‘You’re The Pot Calling The Kettle Black’
Incarcerated Americans definitely fall into the category of “society’s most vulnerable,” and prisons and jails have seen massive COVID-19 outbreaks. Some of the largest coronavirus clusters in the country are linked to prisons, including facilities in Florida and Ohio ― both states with Republican governors. But there’s been no announcements from the Trump administration about whether they’re digging into those outbreaks.
Moreover, the Justice Department itself hasn’t done a good job containing the spread of the coronavirus within its own facilities. At least 1,400 incarcerated persons and more than 600 Bureau of Prisons staffers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the bureau’s latest numbers. The latest federal prisoner lost to the coronavirus, 56-year-old Marie Neba, died on Tuesday.
“You’re the pot calling the kettle black. The banana calling the school bus yellow,” said a Bureau of Prisons corrections officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the department’s pandemic response. The officer, who dealt with PPE shortages and COVID-19 outbreaks at his DOJ-run facility for months, found the department’s potential scrutiny of states’ coronavirus responses deeply hypocritical. “How dare they go around complaining about how states are reacting to coronavirus,” he said.
CRIPA investigations are “pattern or practice” civil rights probes, meaning they look broadly at conditions and systems rather than focus on isolated abuses. The only “pattern or practice” policing probe launched during the Trump administration, which focused on a narcotics unit in Massachusetts, found that officers “repeatedly punch individuals in the face unnecessarily” and use “excessive force without accountability.” The Trump administration has all but ended those broad investigations into police conduct, in part because of their belief that identifying patterns of unconstitutional behavior against Americans hurts law enforcement morale. But the administration apparently has no such qualms about how public health care workers who cared for veterans in the middle of a pandemic might feel about the federal government second-guessing their actions.
DOJ veterans worry that this week’s announcement is yet another indication that Trump’s political appointees at the Justice Department are doing his political bidding. They wonder what else Barr has planned in the run-up to Election Day.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Trump Set To Speak On Final Night Of Republican Convention

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — With crises brewing beyond the White House gates , President Donald Trump planned to stand on the South Lawn Thursday night to accept his party ’ s nomination for president , presenting himself as the last barrier protecting an American way of life under siege from radical forces .
Facing a fraught national moment , Trump was to paint an optimistic vision of America ’ s future , including an eventual triumph over the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 175,000 people , left millions unemployed and rewritten the rules of society .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump was to assert , if he defeated Joe Biden , against whom he was set to unleash blistering attacks meant to erase the Democrat ’ s stubborn lead in the polls .
“ We have spent the last four years reversing the damage Joe Biden inflicted over the last 47 years , Trump was to say according to speech excerpts confirmed by his campaign .
“ At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties , two visions , two philosophies or two agendas.
” An incumbent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump ’ s political playbook rarely includes calls for unity , even in a time of national uncertainty .
He has repeatedly , if not always effectively , tried to portray Biden — who is considered a moderate Democrat — as a tool of the radical left , fringe forces he has claimed don ’ t love their country .
” The Republican Party goes forward united , determined , and ready to welcome millions of Democrats , independents , and anyone who believes in the greatness of America and the righteous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was to say in excerpts first published by Politico .
“ This towering American spirit has prevailed over every challenge and lifted us to the summit of human endeavor.
” The Republicans claim that the violence that has erupted in Kenosha and some other American cities is to be blamed on Democratic governors and mayors .
Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said that Americans wouldn ’ t be safe in “ Joe Biden ’ s America.
” “ The problem we have right now is that we are in Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on MSNBC .
“ He views this as a political benefit to him , he is rooting for more violence not less .
He is pouring gasoline on the fire.
” Both parties are watching with uncertainty the developments in Wisconsin and cities across the nation with Republicans leaning hard on support for law and order — with no words offered for Black victims of police violence — while falsely claiming that Bides had not condemned the lawlessness .
” “ He thinks it ’ s all about him , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about all of us.. ... Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and important job of a president of the United States : He failed to protect the American people , plain and simple.
” Demonstrations were expected Thursday night in Washington , ahead of a march planned for the next day .
New fencing set up along the White House perimeter was expected to keep the protesters at bay , but their shouts were likely to be heard on the South Lawn — and potentially by the millions watching at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounds , with more than 1,000 people expected , could also intrude on another illusion that the Republicans have spent a week trying to create : that the pandemic is largely a thing of the past .
Protective masks were not required , and COVID-19 tests were not to be administered to everyone .
This follows the scene at Pence ’ s speech the night before in Baltimore , where the vice president was seen offering fist bumps and handshakes to some in the crowd , not all of whom were tested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling of the pandemic , was to unveil an expansion of rapid coronavirus testing , according to two White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss the matter ahead of the announcement .
The president was to declare that his administration had struck a $ 750 million deal to acquire 150 million tests from Abbott Laboratories to be deployed in nursing homes , schools and other areas with populations at high risk .
Four years ago , Trump declared in his acceptance speech that “ I alone can fix ” the nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself asking voters for another term at the nadir of his presidency , amid a devastating pandemic , crushing unemployment and real uncertainties about schools and businesses reopening .
Another one million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week , in numbers released Thursday .
And the U.S. economy shrank at an alarming annual rate of 31.7 % during the April-June quarter as it struggled under the weight of the viral pandemic .
It was sharpest quarterly drop on record .
But Trump will take the massive stage built on the South Lawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the White House for an overtly political moment — convinced that he ’ s on the verge of righting the ship of his battered campaign .
Most polls show him trailing Biden in both battleground states and national polling .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — With crises brewing beyond the White House gates, President Donald Trump planned to stand on the South Lawn Thursday night to accept his party’s nomination for president, presenting himself as the last barrier protecting an American way of life under siege from radical forces.
Facing a fraught national moment, Trump was to paint an optimistic vision of America’s future, including an eventual triumph over the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 175,000 people, left millions unemployed and rewritten the rules of society. But that brighter horizon could only be secured, Trump was to assert, if he defeated Joe Biden, against whom he was set to unleash blistering attacks meant to erase the Democrat’s stubborn lead in the polls.
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“We have spent the last four years reversing the damage Joe Biden inflicted over the last 47 years, Trump was to say according to speech excerpts confirmed by his campaign. “At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies or two agendas.”
The Democratic agenda, he said, “is the most extreme set of proposals ever put forward by a major party nominee.”
As his speech brings the scaled-back Republican National Convention to a close, Trump risks inflaming a divided nation reeling from a series of calamities, including the pandemic, a major hurricane that slammed into the Gulf Coast and nights of racial unrest and violence after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot by a white Wisconsin police officer.
An incumbent still trying to run as an insurgent, Trump’s political playbook rarely includes calls for unity, even in a time of national uncertainty. He has repeatedly, if not always effectively, tried to portray Biden — who is considered a moderate Democrat — as a tool of the radical left, fringe forces he has claimed don’t love their country.
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”The Republican Party goes forward united, determined, and ready to welcome millions of Democrats, independents, and anyone who believes in the greatness of America and the righteous heart of the American people,” Trump was to say in excerpts first published by Politico. “This towering American spirit has prevailed over every challenge and lifted us to the summit of human endeavor.”
The Republicans claim that the violence that has erupted in Kenosha and some other American cities is to be blamed on Democratic governors and mayors. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said that Americans wouldn’t be safe in “Joe Biden’s America.”
That drew a stern rebuke from his predecessor in the post.
“The problem we have right now is that we are in Donald Trump’s America,” said Biden on MSNBC. “He views this as a political benefit to him, he is rooting for more violence not less. He is pouring gasoline on the fire.”
Both parties are watching with uncertainty the developments in Wisconsin and cities across the nation with Republicans leaning hard on support for law and order — with no words offered for Black victims of police violence — while falsely claiming that Bides had not condemned the lawlessness.
Along with Biden, running mate Kamala Harris offered counter-programming for Trump’s prime-time speech. She delivered a speech a half mile from the White House, declaring, “Donald Trump doesn’t understand the presidency.”
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”“He thinks it’s all about him,” she said, adding that “It’s about all of us.. ... Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and important job of a president of the United States: He failed to protect the American people, plain and simple.”
Demonstrations were expected Thursday night in Washington, ahead of a march planned for the next day. New fencing set up along the White House perimeter was expected to keep the protesters at bay, but their shouts were likely to be heard on the South Lawn — and potentially by the millions watching at home.
The scene on the White House grounds, with more than 1,000 people expected, could also intrude on another illusion that the Republicans have spent a week trying to create: that the pandemic is largely a thing of the past.
Protective masks were not required, and COVID-19 tests were not to be administered to everyone. This follows the scene at Pence’s speech the night before in Baltimore, where the vice president was seen offering fist bumps and handshakes to some in the crowd, not all of whom were tested.
But Trump, who has defended his handling of the pandemic, was to unveil an expansion of rapid coronavirus testing, according to two White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss the matter ahead of the announcement. The president was to declare that his administration had struck a $750 million deal to acquire 150 million tests from Abbott Laboratories to be deployed in nursing homes, schools and other areas with populations at high risk.
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Four years ago, Trump declared in his acceptance speech that “I alone can fix” the nation’s woes, but he has found himself asking voters for another term at the nadir of his presidency, amid a devastating pandemic, crushing unemployment and real uncertainties about schools and businesses reopening.
Another one million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, in numbers released Thursday. And the U.S. economy shrank at an alarming annual rate of 31.7% during the April-June quarter as it struggled under the weight of the viral pandemic. It was sharpest quarterly drop on record.
But Trump will take the massive stage built on the South Lawn — over bipartisan complaints that he is using the White House for an overtly political moment — convinced that he’s on the verge of righting the ship of his battered campaign. Most polls show him trailing Biden in both battleground states and national polling.
Trump told reporters after receiving a briefing at FEMA headquarters on Thursday afternoon that he had considered postponing his acceptance speech until next week because of the hurricane.
“But now it turned out, we got a little bit lucky. It was very big, it was very powerful, but it passed quickly,” said Trump, who added he’d likely visit areas impacted by the storm over the weekend.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Lara Trump Seems To Have Gotten Her Abraham Lincoln Quote From A Meme -- And It's Wrong

Lara Trump , daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump and an adviser to his reelection campaign , cited President Abraham Lincoln during her speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night .
But she , or whoever wrote her speech , seems to have fallen for a meme rather than history .
“ Abraham Lincoln once famously said : ‘ America will never be destroyed from the outside .
If we falter and lose our freedoms , it will be because we destroyed ourselves , ’ ” said Lara Trump , who is married to Eric Trump , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln never said it , famously or otherwise .
Fact-checkers at The New York Times , USA Today and other outlets were quick to point out that while the line was often attributed to Lincoln in Facebook memes , the 16th president never uttered those words .
Lincoln did make a similar point during his 1838 Lyceum Address , but the phrasing wasn ’ t even remotely similar : At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected ?
I answer , if it ever reach us , it must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not come from abroad .
If destruction be our lot , we must ourselves be its author and finisher .
As a nation of freemen , we must live through all time , or die by suicide .
Michael Burlingame , a chair in Lincoln studies at the University of Illinois Springfield , told PolitiFact last year that Lincoln ’ s comments were “ denouncing mob violence which would lead to chaos , provoking the public to demand law and order , which would be provided by an ambitious leader who would rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of famous historical figures to whom various quotes are often erroneously attributed , including President Thomas Jefferson , Mark Twain and Winston Churchill .
Or , as Yogi Berra once remarked : “ I really didn ’ t say everything I said .
”

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Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump and an adviser to his reelection campaign, cited President Abraham Lincoln during her speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night. But she, or whoever wrote her speech, seems to have fallen for a meme rather than history.
“Abraham Lincoln once famously said: ‘America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves,’” said Lara Trump, who is married to Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons.
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But Lincoln never said it, famously or otherwise.
Fact-checkers at The New York Times, USA Today and other outlets were quick to point out that while the line was often attributed to Lincoln in Facebook memes, the 16th president never uttered those words. Lincoln did make a similar point during his 1838 Lyceum Address, but the phrasing wasn’t even remotely similar:
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
Michael Burlingame, a chair in Lincoln studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, told PolitiFact last year that Lincoln’s comments were “denouncing mob violence which would lead to chaos, provoking the public to demand law and order, which would be provided by an ambitious leader who would rule tyrannically.”
Lincoln is among a number of famous historical figures to whom various quotes are often erroneously attributed, including President Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain and Winston Churchill.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Donald Trump's Niece To Analyze President's Convention Speech On MSNBC

NEW YORK ( AP ) — MSNBC is making its final night of Republican convention coverage a family occasion for President Donald Trump , but not in a way that he ’ s likely to enjoy .
The left-leaning cable network says it will feature Trump ’ s niece Mary as a guest , on the night Trump brings the convention to a close by accepting the Republican nomination for another four years in the White House .
Mary Trump authored the summer bestseller , “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated that 17.3 million people watched television coverage of the convention ’ s third night on Wednesday , where Vice President Mike Pence was the featured speaker .
On the same night of the Democratic convention last week , Nielsen said 22.8 million people were watching .
Former President Barack Obama and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke on the corresponding night of the Democrats ’ program .
Democrats have outdrawn Republicans on two of the three nights of the conventions .
Important conversations are happening now .
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NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC is making its final night of Republican convention coverage a family occasion for President Donald Trump, but not in a way that he’s likely to enjoy.
The left-leaning cable network says it will feature Trump’s niece Mary as a guest, on the night Trump brings the convention to a close by accepting the Republican nomination for another four years in the White House.
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Mary Trump authored the summer bestseller, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
The Nielsen company estimated that 17.3 million people watched television coverage of the convention’s third night on Wednesday, where Vice President Mike Pence was the featured speaker.
On the same night of the Democratic convention last week, Nielsen said 22.8 million people were watching. Former President Barack Obama and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke on the corresponding night of the Democrats’ program.
Democrats have outdrawn Republicans on two of the three nights of the conventions.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Kellyanne Conway Says Kenosha Violence Is 'Better' For Trump

Outgoing White House adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke out Thursday about the protests that have rocked Kenosha , Wisconsin , following the police shooting of a Black man over the weekend .
“ The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns , the better it is for the very clear choice on who ’ s best on public safety and law and order , ” she said .
Trump has consistently cast anti-racism protesters as lawbreakers , going so far as to send federal agents to cities including Portland , Oregon , to quell the civil unrest .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Democratic governors .
...
It ’ s not Donald Trump ’ s watch , ” Conway said .
“ Welcoming the suffering is nihilistic and disgusting , ” Sanders said , adding , “ And Donald Trump is in charge right now.
” Conway , who has stood with Trump since the 2016 campaign , announced earlier this week that she will step down from her White House role to spend more time with her family .
Hundreds of people have turned out in Kenosha for anti-racism demonstrations since video of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake seven times in his back , leaving him paralyzed .
Fires set during nighttime protests this week left many buildings damaged or destroyed , including the Department of Corrections building in the city .
Things turned deadly Tuesday when a suspected vigilante shot three people ― killing two ― while attempting to protect local businesses , authorities said .
A third person was hospitalized with a serious but non-life-threatening gunshot wound .
“ So are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder ?
” Tucker Carlson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would ?
” “ The president wants everybody to stop the violence , ” Conway said .
“ And I know you ’ re trying to conflate that individual with President Trump , and you really shouldn ’ t do that .
”

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Outgoing White House adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke out Thursday about the protests that have rocked Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting of a Black man over the weekend.
To Conway, the situation is a boost for President Donald Trump’s reelection prospects.
“The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who’s best on public safety and law and order,” she said.
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Trump has consistently cast anti-racism protesters as lawbreakers, going so far as to send federal agents to cities including Portland, Oregon, to quell the civil unrest.
“These are Democratically led cities and most with Democratic governors. ... It’s not Donald Trump’s watch,” Conway said.
Symone Sanders, an aide to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, slammed her for the comments.
“Welcoming the suffering is nihilistic and disgusting,” Sanders said, adding, “And Donald Trump is in charge right now.”
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Conway, who has stood with Trump since the 2016 campaign, announced earlier this week that she will step down from her White House role to spend more time with her family.
Hundreds of people have turned out in Kenosha for anti-racism demonstrations since video of the police shooting was posted online. Police shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake seven times in his back, leaving him paralyzed.
Fires set during nighttime protests this week left many buildings damaged or destroyed, including the Department of Corrections building in the city.
Things turned deadly Tuesday when a suspected vigilante shot three people ― killing two ― while attempting to protect local businesses, authorities said. A third person was hospitalized with a serious but non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
A suspect, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the shootings.
Right-wing media pundits defended the gunman’s actions as necessary self-defense.
“So are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder?” Tucker Carlson said on his Fox News show Wednesday. “How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would?”
When a CNN reporter brought up Rittenhouse’s support for Trump on Thursday, Conway got defensive.
“The president wants everybody to stop the violence,” Conway said. “And I know you’re trying to conflate that individual with President Trump, and you really shouldn’t do that.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Ex-Trump DHS Official Turns Against Him, Backs Biden In Damning New Ad

A former high-ranking official in the Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump has come out against his reelection and said she ’ ll be voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Elizabeth Neumann , who served in the department until April of this year , cited the rise of white supremacy under Trump as well as the president ’ s failures in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I ’ m sorry , Mr. President , you were hired to handle America ’ s worst day , ” Neumann said in a video from Republican Voters Against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely failed.
” In the video , Neumann said the department had identified white supremacy as a growing threat and Trump ’ s rhetoric was not only feeding the movement , it was making her job more difficult .
“ The president ’ s actions and his language are , in fact , racist , ” she said .
She added : “ Things like , ‘ There are good people on both sides , ’ or ‘ send them back from where they came from , ’ those words gave permission to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were doing was permissible .
And I do think that the president ’ s divisive language is indirectly tied to some of the attacks that we have seen in the last two years.
” Neumann also said in an interview with MSNBC , above , that she believes there are people within the Trump administration who “ hold a white nationalist viewpoint.
” “ We are less safe today because of his leadership , ” she said .
“ And we will continue to be less safe under his control.
” Earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security under Trump ― also came out against the president and endorsed Biden in a video for Republican Voters Against Trump .
Neumann and Taylor have formed the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform , or REPAIR , and are working to recruit other former Trump officials into coming out against him .
Politico reported that the group is backed by Bill Kristol , the former Weekly Standard editor who is also behind Republican Voters Against Trump .

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A former high-ranking official in the Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump has come out against his reelection and said she’ll be voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
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“I’m sorry, Mr. President, you were hired to handle America’s worst day,” Neumann said in a video from Republican Voters Against Trump. “And you’ve absolutely failed.”
In the video, Neumann said the department had identified white supremacy as a growing threat and Trump’s rhetoric was not only feeding the movement, it was making her job more difficult.
“The president’s actions and his language are, in fact, racist,” she said. She added: “Things like, ‘There are good people on both sides,’ or ‘send them back from where they came from,’ those words gave permission to white supremacists to think that what they were doing was permissible. And I do think that the president’s divisive language is indirectly tied to some of the attacks that we have seen in the last two years.”
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Neumann also said in an interview with MSNBC, above, that she believes there are people within the Trump administration who “hold a white nationalist viewpoint.”
Neumann, who voted for Trump in 2016, now believes the nation can’t afford another term.
“We are less safe today because of his leadership,” she said. “And we will continue to be less safe under his control.”
Earlier this month, Miles Taylor ― the former chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security under Trump ― also came out against the president and endorsed Biden in a video for Republican Voters Against Trump.
Neumann and Taylor have formed the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform, or REPAIR, and are working to recruit other former Trump officials into coming out against him.
Politico reported that the group is backed by Bill Kristol, the former Weekly Standard editor who is also behind Republican Voters Against Trump.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--3 Takeaways From The Third Night Of The Republican National Convention

Speakers repeated the same , albeit misleading , statistic : that unemployment among Black Americans fell under the Trump administration ( They did not mention that Black unemployment has risen the fastest since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and has recovered the slowest , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ) .
They ’ ve highlighted the Republican tax bill ’ s “ opportunity zones ” and said Democrats take Black voters for granted .
Burgess Owens , a Black former football player and Republican nominee for Utah ’ s 4th Congressional District , highlighted a recent gaffe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have a Democrat candidate for president who says that I ’ m “ not Black ” if I don ’ t vote for him , ” Owens said .
“ Now , more than ever , we need leaders who stand by their principles and won ’ t compromise their values for political opportunities.
” “ Because you have an issue with President Trump ’ s tone , you are going to allow Biden and Harris to deny our underserved Black and brown children school choice , ” Brewer said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign slogan ‘ Make America Great Again ’ that we are going to ignore that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have collectively been responsible for locking up countless Black men for nonviolent crimes ?
” And Clarence Henderson , a conservative activist who participated in the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins , said : “ Donald Trump truly cares about Black lives .
His policies show his heart .
He has done more for Black Americans in four years than Joe Biden has done in 50.
” But in between these testimonials from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Trump ’ s closest allies , one that marginalized Black Americans and those who are allied in their protests against police brutality and white supremacy .
On Wednesday morning , a Trump-supporting teenager was accused of fatally shooting two demonstrators and injuring another during a protest against racial injustice in Kenosha , Wisconsin , just days after a Black man was shot by police in front of his children .
That something had happened in Kenosha was referenced by name only once , by Vice President Mike Pence — who said only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter protesters as “ radical mobs ” bringing danger and lawlessness to American communities .
It decried Black activists ’ calls about police reform as extremist Marxist ideology .
Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-Tenn. ) unquestionably praised the police presence in cities , saying law enforcement would never be “ canceled.
” Lara Trump emphasized her father-in-law as the “ law and order ” president who would “ restore our American way of life.
” The RNC is deliberately showcasing Black voices to defend Trump ’ s record .
But this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple , who had waved guns at St. Louis protesters in June , with a warning for suburbanites .
“ What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country , ” the couple said Monday .
Conventions are often a venue to give political candidates up and down the ballot a national platform .
In a year when Republicans are on the defensive , not only in the White House but also in the Senate , where Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican convention doesn ’ t seem to be focused on party building .
The focus has been on Trump and Trump alone so far .
Only two senators spoke on the third night of the convention : Blackburn , who won a six-year term in 2018 , and Sen. Joni Ernst ( R-Iowa ) , who , more notably , is up for reelection in November in a race Democrats think they have a shot at .
“ The Democratic Party of Joe Biden is pushing this so-called Green New Deal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban animal agriculture and eliminate gas-powered cars , ” Ernst said .
“ Folks , this election is a choice between two very different paths : freedom , prosperity and economic growth under a Trump-Pence administration ; or the Biden-Harris path , paved by liberal coastal elites and radical environmentalists , an America where farmers are punished , jobs are destroyed and taxes crush the middle class.
” The third night did feature Madison Cawthorne , a 25-year-old Republican nominee for White House chief of staff Mark Meadows ’ former congressional district in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go a long way to show a young rising politician in the party .
But another North Carolina Republican was notably absent : Sen. Thom Tillis , who is underwater in the polls and a prime target for Democrats .
It ’ s Clear Trump Takes No Responsibility For The Economic Crisis There are two economies , as far as the RNC is concerned : the one before the pandemic that was stable and saw unemployment fall , which Republicans — specifically Trump – take full credit for , and then the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newly unemployed Americans , because of a raging coronavirus pandemic .
That economy has rarely been mentioned at the RNC , and if it is , it is blamed on “ communist China.
” Lara Trump emphasized that “ 4.3 million new jobs have been created for women — in 2019 alone , women took over 70 % of those new jobs .
Female small-business ownership remains at an all-time high .
And 600,000 women have been lifted out of poverty , all since President Trump took office.
” Of course , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statistics that hold true today .
Black Americans have been disproportionately ravaged by the pandemic , facing higher mortality rates along with greater unemployment .
Economic recovery has been slower than the Trump administration promised .
And economists predict more people will fall into poverty because of it .

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The third night of the Republican National Convention, like every night of the convention, has featured Black Americans — notably Black men — praising Trump’s leadership.
Speakers repeated the same, albeit misleading, statistic: that unemployment among Black Americans fell under the Trump administration (They did not mention that Black unemployment has risen the fastest since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and has recovered the slowest, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics). They’ve highlighted the Republican tax bill’s “opportunity zones” and said Democrats take Black voters for granted.
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Burgess Owens, a Black former football player and Republican nominee for Utah’s 4th Congressional District, highlighted a recent gaffe of Joe Biden’s: “We have a Democrat candidate for president who says that I’m “not Black” if I don’t vote for him,” Owens said. “Now, more than ever, we need leaders who stand by their principles and won’t compromise their values for political opportunities.”
Jack Brewer, another former football player, identified himself as a lifelong Democrat who supports Trump, saying that “all lives need to matter” and telling Black voters to look past Donald Trump’s “tone.”
“Because you have an issue with President Trump’s tone, you are going to allow Biden and Harris to deny our underserved Black and brown children school choice,” Brewer said. “Are we so offended by President Trump’s campaign slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ that we are going to ignore that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have collectively been responsible for locking up countless Black men for nonviolent crimes?”
And Clarence Henderson, a conservative activist who participated in the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins, said: “Donald Trump truly cares about Black lives. His policies show his heart. He has done more for Black Americans in four years than Joe Biden has done in 50.”
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But in between these testimonials from Black men was a much louder message from Trump’s closest allies, one that marginalized Black Americans and those who are allied in their protests against police brutality and white supremacy.
President Donald Trump takes the stage after Vice President Mike Pence spoke Wednesday on the third night of the Republican National Convention at Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore. Andrew Harnik/ASSOCIATED PRESS
On Wednesday morning, a Trump-supporting teenager was accused of fatally shooting two demonstrators and injuring another during a protest against racial injustice in Kenosha, Wisconsin, just days after a Black man was shot by police in front of his children. That something had happened in Kenosha was referenced by name only once, by Vice President Mike Pence — who said only the location.
Speeches repeatedly called Black Lives Matter protesters as “radical mobs” bringing danger and lawlessness to American communities. It decried Black activists’ calls about police reform as extremist Marxist ideology. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) unquestionably praised the police presence in cities, saying law enforcement would never be “canceled.” Lara Trump emphasized her father-in-law as the “law and order” president who would “restore our American way of life.”
The RNC is deliberately showcasing Black voices to defend Trump’s record. But this is the same RNC that featured the McCloskey couple, who had waved guns at St. Louis protesters in June, with a warning for suburbanites. “What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country,” the couple said Monday.
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This RNC Isn’t About Party Building
Conventions are often a venue to give political candidates up and down the ballot a national platform. In a year when Republicans are on the defensive, not only in the White House but also in the Senate, where Democrats are hoping to win a majority, the Republican convention doesn’t seem to be focused on party building. The focus has been on Trump and Trump alone so far.
Only two senators spoke on the third night of the convention: Blackburn, who won a six-year term in 2018, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who, more notably, is up for reelection in November in a race Democrats think they have a shot at.
Ernst, in a pre-recorded video from an Iowa farm, spent her time on the national stage focusing on Iowa-specific issues, from recent storms to changes in ethanol regulations. She also did a lot of praising of Trump.
“The Democratic Party of Joe Biden is pushing this so-called Green New Deal. If given power, they would essentially ban animal agriculture and eliminate gas-powered cars,” Ernst said. “Folks, this election is a choice between two very different paths: freedom, prosperity and economic growth under a Trump-Pence administration; or the Biden-Harris path, paved by liberal coastal elites and radical environmentalists, an America where farmers are punished, jobs are destroyed and taxes crush the middle class.”
The third night did feature Madison Cawthorne, a 25-year-old Republican nominee for White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ former congressional district in western North Carolina. His presence may go a long way to show a young rising politician in the party. But another North Carolina Republican was notably absent: Sen. Thom Tillis, who is underwater in the polls and a prime target for Democrats.
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It’s Clear Trump Takes No Responsibility For The Economic Crisis
There are two economies, as far as the RNC is concerned: the one before the pandemic that was stable and saw unemployment fall, which Republicans — specifically Trump – take full credit for, and then the current economy, with tens of millions of newly unemployed Americans, because of a raging coronavirus pandemic. That economy has rarely been mentioned at the RNC, and if it is, it is blamed on “communist China.”
Lara Trump emphasized that “4.3 million new jobs have been created for women — in 2019 alone, women took over 70% of those new jobs. Female small-business ownership remains at an all-time high. And 600,000 women have been lifted out of poverty, all since President Trump took office.”
Henderson highlighted “the record number of jobs he created for the Black community ― and the investment he drove” into Black neighborhoods.
Of course, there’s not a lot about these statistics that hold true today. Black Americans have been disproportionately ravaged by the pandemic, facing higher mortality rates along with greater unemployment. Economic recovery has been slower than the Trump administration promised. And economists predict more people will fall into poverty because of it.
As Kevin Robillard wrote for HuffPost, it’s as if the RNC is taking place in a different time, when COVID-19 and its economic fallout either didn’t happen or has become a thing of the past.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-26--Tucker Carlson Tries To Justify Actions Of 17-Year-Old Charged In Kenosha Killings

Fox News host Tucker Carlson ignited widespread condemnation on Wednesday after he attempted to justify the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old accused of fatally shooting two protesters during demonstrations in Kenosha , Wisconsin , on Tuesday night .
“ So are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder ?
” he asked on “ Tucker Carlson Tonight.
” “ How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would ?
” Rittenhouse was reportedly arrested in his hometown of Antioch , Illinois , and charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s accused of crossing the state border with a semiautomatic rifle and joining a group of heavily armed white vigilantes who sought to “ protect ” public property in Kenosha , where he shot three people , killing two .
Kenosha has been rocked by protests since Jacob Blake , a 29-year-old Black man , was shot seven times in the back by police Sunday while his children were nearby .
Attorneys for Blake ’ s family have said he was trying to de-escalate a domestic situation when he walked away from police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began the broadcast by showing footage of chaotic scenes in Kenosha , claiming major media organizations have been trying to “ downplay and ignore ” the violence before he then showed footage of a victim dying from a gunshot wound .
“ The 17-year-old who has now been charged tried to run from the mob .
He tripped and fell in the middle of the street .
A man ran up and smashed him in the head with a skateboard , ” Carlson said .
“ The 17-year-old then fired his gun.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Carlson asked .
He then said a court will decide if it “ qualifies as self-defense ” and blamed the entire incident on Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers , a Democrat , and city authorities .
“ We do know why it all happened , though .
Kenosha has devolved into anarchy , the authorities in charge of the city abandoned it .
People in charge , from the governor of Wisconsin on down , refused to enforce the law , ” he said .
Carlson has often spewed vitriol about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the months since George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Minneapolis police , has persistently defaulted to fearmongering about the anti-racism protests gripping the nation .
He ’ s described Minneapolis demonstrations over the Black man ’ s death as a “ threat to every American , ” called the Black Lives Matter movement “ poison ” and repeatedly sought to frame protesters as violent thugs .
He ’ s remained on Fox News airwaves despite routinely giving a platform to white supremacist conspiracy theories and talking points on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said he thinks white supremacy is a “ hoax.
” ) On Wednesday , he drew a storm of criticism for his latest comments .
Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich said that if Fox News doesn ’ t take action after this , every one of the network ’ s “ executives , directors and advertisers is complicit in Tucker Carlson ’ s racist , murderous rants.
” And conservative commentator Bill Kristol shared the names of Fox News ’ top executives in a “ reminder that Tucker Carlson is employed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directors could insist that its employees , e.g.
, not excuse racial violence.
” Earlier in the evening , Fox News ’ Jesse Watters similarly blamed the governor and the protest movement for Tuesday ’ s deaths .
“ Sadly , you ’ re going to have vigilante justice , ” he said .
As noted in an analysis by Media Matters , many in the right-wing media have seized on this rhetoric , justifying vigilante violence and defending the alleged shooter in the wake of the incident .

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Fox News host Tucker Carlson ignited widespread condemnation on Wednesday after he attempted to justify the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of fatally shooting two protesters during demonstrations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night.
“So are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder?” he asked on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” “How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would?”
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Rittenhouse was reportedly arrested in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois, and charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday. He’s accused of crossing the state border with a semiautomatic rifle and joining a group of heavily armed white vigilantes who sought to “protect” public property in Kenosha, where he shot three people, killing two.
Kenosha has been rocked by protests since Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times in the back by police Sunday while his children were nearby. Attorneys for Blake’s family have said he was trying to de-escalate a domestic situation when he walked away from police and back to his car.
Carlson began the broadcast by showing footage of chaotic scenes in Kenosha, claiming major media organizations have been trying to “downplay and ignore” the violence before he then showed footage of a victim dying from a gunshot wound.
“The 17-year-old who has now been charged tried to run from the mob. He tripped and fell in the middle of the street. A man ran up and smashed him in the head with a skateboard,” Carlson said. “The 17-year-old then fired his gun.”
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“So what does that amount to?” Carlson asked. He then said a court will decide if it “qualifies as self-defense” and blamed the entire incident on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, and city authorities.
“We do know why it all happened, though. Kenosha has devolved into anarchy, the authorities in charge of the city abandoned it. People in charge, from the governor of Wisconsin on down, refused to enforce the law,” he said.
Carlson has often spewed vitriol about the Black Lives Matter movement and, in the months since George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, has persistently defaulted to fearmongering about the anti-racism protests gripping the nation. He’s described Minneapolis demonstrations over the Black man’s death as a “threat to every American,” called the Black Lives Matter movement “poison” and repeatedly sought to frame protesters as violent thugs.
He’s remained on Fox News airwaves despite routinely giving a platform to white supremacist conspiracy theories and talking points on his show. (Carlson, notably, has said he thinks white supremacy is a “hoax.”)
Kenosha devolved into anarchy because the authorities abandoned the people. Those in charge, from the governor on down, refused to enforce the law. They’ve stood back and watched Kenosha burn. Are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder? pic.twitter.com/oul2KUiDi3 — Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 27, 2020
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On Wednesday, he drew a storm of criticism for his latest comments. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich said that if Fox News doesn’t take action after this, every one of the network’s “executives, directors and advertisers is complicit in Tucker Carlson’s racist, murderous rants.”
“An innocent black guy is killed by police and Tucker Carlson calls him a thug. A guilty white guy murders two people and Tucker Carlson calls him a patriot,” tweeted CNN commentator Keith Boykin.
And conservative commentator Bill Kristol shared the names of Fox News’ top executives in a “reminder that Tucker Carlson is employed and compensated by a corporation whose board of directors could insist that its employees, e.g., not excuse racial violence.”
Earlier in the evening, Fox News’ Jesse Watters similarly blamed the governor and the protest movement for Tuesday’s deaths. “Sadly, you’re going to have vigilante justice,” he said.
As noted in an analysis by Media Matters, many in the right-wing media have seized on this rhetoric, justifying vigilante violence and defending the alleged shooter in the wake of the incident.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--RNC Praises Women's Suffrage After Featuring Speaker Who Wants Sexist Voting System

The Republican National Convention did its best on Wednesday to boost President Donald Trump and his administration as pro-woman , including by repeatedly highlighting the 100th anniversary of women ’ s suffrage in the U.S .
There were just a few problems , including that the evening before , the convention featured Abby Johnson , a woman who has argued that only heads of households ― usually men ― should get the right to vote .
Johnson , who spoke about her opposition to abortion rights at the RNC on Tuesday , supports “ head-of-household voting ” and just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Godly household , the husband would get the final say ” on voting .
She ’ s since defended that stance .
A day later , women ’ s right to vote was a major highlight , interspersed with other glowing testimonials by women in Trump ’ s orbit about his strengths as a boss , father-in-law and leader .
Sure , the president has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 20 women , presided over a current economic downturn that disproportionately affects women and rolled back reproductive rights for women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Multiple speakers nodded to the anniversary of the amendment , often directly followed by saying Trump has benefited women .
“ On this 100th anniversary of women ’ s right to vote , I ’ m proud to report that under President Donald Trump we achieved the lowest unemployment rate for women in 65 years , ” Vice President Mike Pence said .
In a montage video narrated by Lara Trump , campaign adviser and the president ’ s daughter-in-law , the convention touted the hard work of American suffragists such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Later in the night , Lara Trump discussed how women “ thrived ” at the Trump Organization and praised the president for helping women move up the economic ladder , pointing to women ’ s low unemployment numbers in 2019 .
“ He will uphold our values .
He will preserve our families , ” Lara Trump said .
“ And he will build upon the great American edict that our union will never be perfect until opportunity is equal for all ― including , and especially , for women.
” Presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk about how Trump hires and promotes women in his administration .
And White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany praised Trump for his kindness , noting he routinely asked how she was doing during her first pregnancy .
But even though the president has been good to these specific women , that doesn ’ t mean other women have fared well with him or in his administration .
Out of the 23 members in Trump ’ s Cabinet , only four are women .
And Trump ’ s administration has stopped collecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metrics during his 3½ years in office , which could help reveal and stop sexist pay practices .
Economic gains are also quickly falling apart .
The COVID-19 crisis that the Trump administration has done little to deter has created a historic economic crisis that is hitting women the hardest .
Although women are 49 % of the workforce , they suffered 55 % of the job losses in April amid the coronavirus crisis , a National Women ’ s Law Center analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data found in May .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 19th Amendment , the right to vote is still incomplete .
Plenty of women of color were still unable to vote after its ratification a century ago .
The RNC this week celebrated the amendment without noting that voting rights are still very much at risk as politicians push measures that make it harder to cast a ballot .
That includes Trump , who wants to limit voting by mail during the pandemic ― forcing voters , including women , to either abandon their hard-won rights or risk contracting the coronavirus to @ @ @

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The Republican National Convention did its best on Wednesday to boost President Donald Trump and his administration as pro-woman, including by repeatedly highlighting the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the U.S. There were just a few problems, including that the evening before, the convention featured Abby Johnson, a woman who has argued that only heads of households ― usually men ― should get the right to vote.
Johnson, who spoke about her opposition to abortion rights at the RNC on Tuesday, supports “head-of-household voting” and just a few months ago tweeted that “In a Godly household, the husband would get the final say” on voting. She’s since defended that stance.
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Lara Trump, daughter-in-law and campaign adviser for President Donald Trump, pre-records her address Wednesday to the Republican National Convention from Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
A day later, women’s right to vote was a major highlight, interspersed with other glowing testimonials by women in Trump’s orbit about his strengths as a boss, father-in-law and leader. Sure, the president has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 20 women, presided over a current economic downturn that disproportionately affects women and rolled back reproductive rights for women in the U.S. and around the globe.
But at least the 19th Amendment still grants women the right to vote.
Multiple speakers nodded to the anniversary of the amendment, often directly followed by saying Trump has benefited women. “On this 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, I’m proud to report that under President Donald Trump we achieved the lowest unemployment rate for women in 65 years,” Vice President Mike Pence said.
In a montage video narrated by Lara Trump, campaign adviser and the president’s daughter-in-law, the convention touted the hard work of American suffragists such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Later in the night, Lara Trump discussed how women “thrived” at the Trump Organization and praised the president for helping women move up the economic ladder, pointing to women’s low unemployment numbers in 2019.
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“He will uphold our values. He will preserve our families,” Lara Trump said. “And he will build upon the great American edict that our union will never be perfect until opportunity is equal for all ― including, and especially, for women.”
Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway also took the stage to talk about how Trump hires and promotes women in his administration. And White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany praised Trump for his kindness, noting he routinely asked how she was doing during her first pregnancy.
But even though the president has been good to these specific women, that doesn’t mean other women have fared well with him or in his administration.
Out of the 23 members in Trump’s Cabinet, only four are women. And Trump’s administration has stopped collecting pay equity data and other key gender metrics during his 3½ years in office, which could help reveal and stop sexist pay practices.
Economic gains are also quickly falling apart. The COVID-19 crisis that the Trump administration has done little to deter has created a historic economic crisis that is hitting women the hardest. Although women are 49% of the workforce, they suffered 55% of the job losses in April amid the coronavirus crisis, a National Women’s Law Center analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data found in May.
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And for all of the celebration of the 19th Amendment, the right to vote is still incomplete. Plenty of women of color were still unable to vote after its ratification a century ago. The RNC this week celebrated the amendment without noting that voting rights are still very much at risk as politicians push measures that make it harder to cast a ballot.