thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Former White House Ethics Chief Reveals 'Disturbing' Ivanka Trump Emails

Ivanka Trump , President Donald Trump ’ s daughter and adviser , was conducting government business from a private email account before she was employed by the government , according to records getting new attention this week .
Walter Shaub , former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics , highlighted two messages uncovered by the nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight .
He served in the ethics office for six months under then-President Barack Obama and resigned six months into the Trump presidency .
One of the messages Shaub shared on Twitter appeared to show Ivanka Trump conducting business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month before she had an official role : Well now , this is disturbing .
Ivanka Trump did n't become a government employee until March 29 , 2017 .
This email is dated four weeks earlier than that .
Why is she appearing to conduct government business in this email she sent while still a private citizen ?
https : //t.co/D5a4sD0Jr8 pic.twitter.com/jhodKdySy7 — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) June 17 , 2020 Another , which was from several days earlier , referred to a government official as her “ chief of staff.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ even MORE disturbing .
A MONTH before Ivanka Trump became a government official , she refers to a WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL as her own `` chief of staff . ''
Wow !
This is really crazy stuff .
Good work , @ weareoversight !
https : //t.co/FPKCVzdBwe pic.twitter.com/eUQOIlZvs0 — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) June 17 , 2020 The organization uncovered the messages in 2017 via a Freedom of Information Act request .
But they ’ re receiving new attention in the wake of allegations in former national security advisor John Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president defended Saudi Arabia after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to distract from the news that Ivanka Trump had been conducting government business via private email .
That behavior was something the president railed against during the 2016 presidential campaign when the issue was Hillary Clinton ’ s private email server .
The mere mention of the emails routinely led to “ lock her up ” chants at his rallies .
The president ’ s daughter has been at the center of multiple ethics controversies during the Trump administration .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was awarded at least 18 trademarks by China at a time when the administration was attempting to negotiate trade with the country .

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Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser, was conducting government business from a private email account before she was employed by the government, according to records getting new attention this week.
Walter Shaub, former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, highlighted two messages uncovered by the nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight. He served in the ethics office for six months under then-President Barack Obama and resigned six months into the Trump presidency.
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One of the messages Shaub shared on Twitter appeared to show Ivanka Trump conducting business with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos almost a month before she had an official role:
Well now, this is disturbing. Ivanka Trump didn't become a government employee until March 29, 2017. This email is dated four weeks earlier than that. Why is she appearing to conduct government business in this email she sent while still a private citizen? https://t.co/D5a4sD0Jr8 pic.twitter.com/jhodKdySy7 — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 17, 2020
Another, which was from several days earlier, referred to a government official as her “chief of staff.”
This one @weareoversight uncovered is even MORE disturbing. A MONTH before Ivanka Trump became a government official, she refers to a WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL as her own "chief of staff." Wow! This is really crazy stuff. Good work, @weareoversight! https://t.co/FPKCVzdBwe pic.twitter.com/eUQOIlZvs0 — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 17, 2020
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The organization uncovered the messages in 2017 via a Freedom of Information Act request. But they’re receiving new attention in the wake of allegations in former national security advisor John Bolton’s upcoming book, which claims the president defended Saudi Arabia after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to distract from the news that Ivanka Trump had been conducting government business via private email.
That behavior was something the president railed against during the 2016 presidential campaign when the issue was Hillary Clinton’s private email server. The mere mention of the emails routinely led to “lock her up” chants at his rallies.
The president’s daughter has been at the center of multiple ethics controversies during the Trump administration. In addition to her use of private email, she was awarded at least 18 trademarks by China at a time when the administration was attempting to negotiate trade with the country.
UPDATE: The headline for this article has been updated to align more closely with the article in attributing the revelation of the emails to American Oversight, not Walter Shaub.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-17--Justice Department Seeks Restraining Order Against John Bolton Over New Book

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday filed a request for an emergency restraining order against former national security adviser John Bolton to block the publication of his new book , “ The Room Where It Happened.
” The order , filed in U.S. District Court in Washington , D.C. , hours after an excerpt of the book was published by The Wall Street Journal , alleges that Bolton ’ s book contains confidential and classified information , and should be stopped from public dissemination “ to control national security information and reduce the possibility of serious damage to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hearing take place this Friday .
The book is scheduled to be published Tuesday .
Simon & Schuster , the publisher of Bolton ’ s book , said in a statement that the government ’ s filing was a “ frivolous , politically motivated exercise in futility.
” “ Hundreds of thousands of copies of the book have already been distributed around the country and the world , ” the company said , according to CNN ’ s Brian Stelter .
In the published excerpt of Bolton ’ s book , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , specifically with China , are harshly criticized .
Bolton claims , for instance , that Trump sought Chinese President Xi Jinping ’ s help to win reelection in 2020 by asking China to buy agricultural products , such as soybeans and wheat , from key states in the U.S. Bolton said Trump also encouraged Xi to build facilities akin to “ concentration camps ” to detain Uighur Muslims , telling the Chinese leader last year that he “ should go ahead with building the camps , which Trump thought was exactly the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the excerpt .
The Trump administration had already sued Bolton to stymie the publication of his book , which the suit said contains classified information .
The administration also claims Bolton did not complete a required prepublication review for the book .
On Monday , Trump warned that Bolton could face a “ criminal problem ” if he insists on pushing ahead with publication .
Bolton ’ s attorney Chuck Cooper has denied the book contains classified material and said Bolton “ participated in an arduous , good faith review for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career White House official assigned to conduct the review that the final version of the book did not contain classified material , ” The Washington Post reported .
Cooper added that the administration ’ s claim that Bolton had failed to complete the prepublication review was a “ pretext to censor or delay Mr. Bolton , in violation of his constitutional right to speak on matters of the utmost public import .
”

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The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday filed a request for an emergency restraining order against former national security adviser John Bolton to block the publication of his new book, “The Room Where It Happened.”
The motion, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., hours after an excerpt of the book was published by The Wall Street Journal, alleges that Bolton’s book contains confidential and classified information, and should be stopped from public dissemination “to control national security information and reduce the possibility of serious damage to the national security.”
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The government requested that a hearing take place this Friday. The book is scheduled to be published Tuesday.
BREAKING U.S. files motion for emergency restraining order against John Bolton. His book, per @jdawsey1 https://t.co/BLLirmBdtb pic.twitter.com/n4zbkTUEpV — Spencer Hsu (@hsu_spencer) June 17, 2020
Simon & Schuster, the publisher of Bolton’s book, said in a statement that the government’s filing was a “frivolous, politically motivated exercise in futility.”
“Hundreds of thousands of copies of the book have already been distributed around the country and the world,” the company said, according to CNN’s Brian Stelter.
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In the published excerpt of Bolton’s book, President Donald Trump’s foreign policy dealings, specifically with China, are harshly criticized. Bolton claims, for instance, that Trump sought Chinese President Xi Jinping’s help to win reelection in 2020 by asking China to buy agricultural products, such as soybeans and wheat, from key states in the U.S.
Bolton said Trump also encouraged Xi to build facilities akin to “concentration camps” to detain Uighur Muslims, telling the Chinese leader last year that he “should go ahead with building the camps, which Trump thought was exactly the right thing to do,” according to the excerpt.
The Trump administration had already sued Bolton to stymie the publication of his book, which the suit said contains classified information. The administration also claims Bolton did not complete a required prepublication review for the book.
On Monday, Trump warned that Bolton could face a “criminal problem” if he insists on pushing ahead with publication.
Bolton’s attorney Chuck Cooper has denied the book contains classified material and said Bolton “participated in an arduous, good faith review for months and was informed in April by a career White House official assigned to conduct the review that the final version of the book did not contain classified material,” The Washington Post reported.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Rep. Cedric Richmond Calls Out Matt Gaetz In Fiery Exchange: 'Was That A Nerve?'

Richmond objected to Republican attempts to add amendments calling for investigations into anti-fascist activists , known as “ antifa.
” “ To my colleagues , especially the ones that keep introducing amendments that are a tangent and a distraction from what we ’ re talking about , you all are white males , ” he said .
“ You never lived in my shoes.
” He spoke of his own experiences as a Black man and his fears for his son .
“ Are you suggesting that you ’ re certain that none of us have non-white children ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your Black son , and you said none of us could understand.
” “ Matt , Matt , stop , ” Richmond said .
“ I ’ m not about to get sidetracked about the color of our children.
” Richmond said he knew that some Republicans on the committee have Black grandchildren .
“ It is not about the color of your kids .
It ’ s about Black males , Black people in the streets that are getting killed , and if one of them happens to be your kid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too ― and clearly , I ’ m more concerned about him than you are.
” “ You ’ re claiming you have more concern for my family than I do ?
” Gaetz , who is unmarried , shot back .
“ Who in the hell do you think you are ?
” The bill they were debating later passed the committee along party lines .
Things got HEATED between Cedric Richmond and Matt Gaetz just now .
Richmond : `` It 's not about the color of your kids .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them happens to be your kid , I 'm more concerned about him then you ! ''
Gaetz : `` Who the hell do you think you are ?
! ''
pic.twitter.com/5mHsClRRJD — Justin Baragona ( @ justinbaragona ) June 17 , 2020

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Reps. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) got heated on Wednesday during a House Judiciary Committee debate on a police reform bill.
Richmond objected to Republican attempts to add amendments calling for investigations into anti-fascist activists, known as “antifa.”
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“To my colleagues, especially the ones that keep introducing amendments that are a tangent and a distraction from what we’re talking about, you all are white males,” he said. “You never lived in my shoes.”
He spoke of his own experiences as a Black man and his fears for his son.
Gaetz eventually interrupted.
“Are you suggesting that you’re certain that none of us have non-white children?” he asked. “You reflected on your Black son, and you said none of us could understand.”
“Matt, Matt, stop,” Richmond said. “I’m not about to get sidetracked about the color of our children.”
Richmond said he knew that some Republicans on the committee have Black grandchildren.
“It is not about the color of your kids. It’s about Black males, Black people in the streets that are getting killed, and if one of them happens to be your kid, I’m concerned about him, too ― and clearly, I’m more concerned about him than you are.”
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That set Gaetz off.
“You’re claiming you have more concern for my family than I do?” Gaetz, who is unmarried, shot back. “Who in the hell do you think you are?”
The two raised voices as committee chair Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) called for order.
“Was that a nerve?” Richmond asked.
“You’re damn right that was a nerve,” Gaetz replied.
The bill they were debating later passed the committee along party lines.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Trump's Midnight Twitter Rant Against John Bolton Backfires Spectacularly

President Donald Trump fired off a late-night attack on John Bolton amid new allegations featured in the former national security advisor ’ s upcoming book .
But given the nature of Trump ’ s attack , it didn ’ t go well .
Trump , who famously vowed to hire only “ the best and most serious people , ” now says that Bolton was a “ wacko , ” a “ dope , ” “ incompetent ” and a “ disgruntled boring fool ” : Wacko John Bolton ’ s “ exceedingly tedious ” ( New York Times ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake stories .
Said all good about me , in print , until the day I fired him .
A disgruntled boring fool who only wanted to go to war .
Never had a clue , was ostracized & happily dumped .
What a dope !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 18 , 2020 Earlier in the evening , Trump made similar comments during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity .
“ [ Bolton ] was a washed-up guy .
I gave him a chance , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... if Bolton was incompetent and washed-up , why would Trump hire him in the first place ?
General Mattis is a `` dope '' ; General Kelly is a `` dope '' ; General McMaster is a `` dope '' ; Secretary Tillerson is a `` dope '' ; AG Sessions is a `` dope '' ; and now John Bolton is a `` dope '' .
Notice a pattern here folks ?
( & who is the next `` dope '' to fall ?
General Milley ? )
https : //t.co/ARCVSSZ29y @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 18 , 2020 You just gave the worst luck in hiring , don ’ t you ?
All your picks turn out to be dopes or overrated or dumb as rocks .
What a shame .
— Helen Kennedy ( @ HelenKennedy ) June 18 , 2020 Who hired him because they should not have a job in the White House — Thor Benson ( @ thor_benson ) June 18 , 2020 If : @ AmbJohnBolton is incompetent AND President Bush fired him , Why did @ realDonaldTrump hire him ?
https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SRuhle ) June 18 , 2020 You hired a National Security Advisor who ’ d already been fired for incompetence by another president ?
Wow .
You are bad at your job .
https : //t.co/WlnVKLm6z4 — Charles P. Pierce ( @ CharlesPPierce ) June 18 , 2020 Because YOU HIRED all of these incompetent `` fools '' and `` dopes '' that makes YOU a grossly incompetent manager with horrible hiring skills .
Makes YOU a fool and a dope ... # Trump # Bolton — Andy Ostroy ( @ AndyOstroy ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you hire him ?
Did you pop too much hydroxychloroquine again ?
You ’ re a sad , pathetic , weak president .
Go back to your bunker , loser .
# QuidProTrump pic.twitter.com/Xk855zkVim — MeidasTouch.com ( @ MeidasTouch ) June 18 , 2020 It 's almost like they have a secret pact & Trump has agreed to help Bolton sell his book .
But ... https : //t.co/X6VC3H5quj — Joyce Alene ( @ JoyceWhiteVance ) June 18 , 2020 Interesting🤔 you always seem to hire bad people who at one point gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't they 're always '' washed up '' .
`` Only the best '' 🤬🤬 https : //t.co/8Wnh3eSwmK — Lisa Moraitis🇬🇷🇺🇸 ( @ LisaMoraitis1 ) June 18 , 2020

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President Donald Trump fired off a late-night attack on John Bolton amid new allegations featured in the former national security advisor’s upcoming book. But given the nature of Trump’s attack, it didn’t go well.
Trump, who famously vowed to hire only “the best and most serious people,” now says that Bolton was a “wacko,” a “dope,” “incompetent” and a “disgruntled boring fool”:
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Wacko John Bolton’s “exceedingly tedious”(New York Times) book is made up of lies & fake stories. Said all good about me, in print, until the day I fired him. A disgruntled boring fool who only wanted to go to war. Never had a clue, was ostracized & happily dumped. What a dope! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
President Bush fired him also. Bolton is incompetent! https://t.co/vVW3rKiwSz — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
Earlier in the evening, Trump made similar comments during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
“[Bolton] was a washed-up guy. I gave him a chance,” Trump said.
That had people asking... if Bolton was incompetent and washed-up, why would Trump hire him in the first place?
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General Mattis is a "dope"; General Kelly is a "dope"; General McMaster is a "dope"; Secretary Tillerson is a "dope"; AG Sessions is a "dope"; and now John Bolton is a "dope". Notice a pattern here folks? (& who is the next "dope" to fall? General Milley?) https://t.co/ARCVSSZ29y — Michael McFaul (@McFaul) June 18, 2020
You just gave the worst luck in hiring, don’t you? All your picks turn out to be dopes or overrated or dumb as rocks. What a shame. — Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) June 18, 2020
Who hired him because they should not have a job in the White House — Thor Benson (@thor_benson) June 18, 2020
If:@AmbJohnBolton is incompetent AND President Bush fired him,
Why did @realDonaldTrump hire him? https://t.co/tUh6bBIguP — Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) June 18, 2020
You hired a National Security Advisor who’d already been fired for incompetence by another president?
Wow. You are bad at your job. https://t.co/WlnVKLm6z4 — Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) June 18, 2020
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Because YOU HIRED all of these incompetent "fools" and "dopes" that makes YOU a grossly incompetent manager with horrible hiring skills. Makes YOU a fool and a dope... #Trump #Bolton — Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) June 18, 2020
So why did you hire him? Did you pop too much hydroxychloroquine again?
You’re a sad, pathetic, weak president.
Go back to your bunker, loser. #QuidProTrump
pic.twitter.com/Xk855zkVim — MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) June 18, 2020
It's almost like they have a secret pact & Trump has agreed to help Bolton sell his book. But... https://t.co/X6VC3H5quj — Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) June 18, 2020
Interesting🤔 you always seem to hire bad people who at one point gave you good coverage, after they don't they're always"washed up". "Only the best"🤬🤬 https://t.co/8Wnh3eSwmK — Lisa Moraitis🇬🇷🇺🇸 (@LisaMoraitis1) June 18, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-17--Trump Excoriates John Bolton Ahead Of Book Release: 'He Is A Liar'

President Donald Trump attacked former national security adviser John Bolton during several interviews late Wednesday , saying the former aide didn ’ t get approval to publish a forthcoming book about his White House experience and therefore broke the law .
The blowout comes after damning details from Bolton ’ s forthcoming book , “ The Room Where It Happened , ” were published in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times .
Bolton writes of several startling events during his tenure , including instances where Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him win reelection in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. states and another where the president urged Xi to build facilities akin to concentration camps for Uighur Muslims .
“ In terms of Bolton , he broke the law , ” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity during an interview Wednesday night .
“ He was a washed-up guy .
I gave him a chance .
He couldn ’ t get Senate confirmed , so I gave him a non-Senate confirmed position .
...
I wasn ’ t very enamored.
” The president went on to reject Bolton ’ s assertions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tougher on China or Russia during their tenure in the White House .
Several books have been written about the Trump administration by former aides and journalists , but Bolton ’ s memoir is the first by a high-ranking official who was present during key policy decisions .
Bolton is also a well-known , if polarizing , figure in conservative circles .
The White House has sued to block the publication of the book , scheduled for release Tuesday , saying it contains classified information that could compromise national security .
But Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a lengthy review process , and they accused Trump of attempting to censor Bolton .
The book quickly became an Amazon No .
1 bestseller , and copies have already been printed and shipped to warehouses .
Early details released before the book ’ s publication showcase troubling moves by Trump throughout his administration .
Bolton claims the president routinely tried to stymie criminal investigations and , “ in effect , give personal favors to dictators he liked.
” The former White House adviser said he reported his concerns to Attorney General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like obstruction of justice as a way of life , ” Bolton wrote , according to the Times , which obtained an advanced copy of the book .
He goes on to lambaste Democrats ’ impeachment proceedings , saying the party rushed forward and should have investigated other abuses by the president linked to his favoritism toward China ’ s Xi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
Bolton deeply frustrated lawmakers during the impeachment efforts after he declined to testify during the House impeachment inquiry , saying he would wait for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required to speak .
He later said he would testify before the Senate , where Republicans hold a majority , if he was subpoenaed , but GOP lawmakers blocked him as a witness .

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President Donald Trump attacked former national security adviser John Bolton during several interviews late Wednesday, saying the former aide didn’t get approval to publish a forthcoming book about his White House experience and therefore broke the law.
“He is a liar,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal, adding that “everybody in the White House hated John Bolton.”
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Later, the president continued his meltdown on Twitter, savaging Bolton as a “disgruntled boring fool,” “a dope” and a “sick puppy.”
Wacko John Bolton’s “exceedingly tedious”(New York Times) book is made up of lies & fake stories. Said all good about me, in print, until the day I fired him. A disgruntled boring fool who only wanted to go to war. Never had a clue, was ostracized & happily dumped. What a dope! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
Bolton’s book, which is getting terrible reviews, is a compilation of lies and made up stories, all intended to make me look bad. Many of the ridiculous statements he attributes to me were never made, pure fiction. Just trying to get even for firing him like the sick puppy he is! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
The blowout comes after damning details from Bolton’s forthcoming book, “The Room Where It Happened,” were published in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Bolton writes of several startling events during his tenure, including instances where Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him win reelection in 2020 by purchasing agricultural products from key U.S. states and another where the president urged Xi to build facilities akin to concentration camps for Uighur Muslims.
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Bolton resigned last September amid clashes over foreign policy in Iran and North Korea, although Trump claims he fired him.
“In terms of Bolton, he broke the law,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity during an interview Wednesday night. “He was a washed-up guy. I gave him a chance. He couldn’t get Senate confirmed, so I gave him a non-Senate confirmed position. ... I wasn’t very enamored.”
The president went on to reject Bolton’s assertions, saying “nobody” had been tougher on China or Russia during their tenure in the White House.
Several books have been written about the Trump administration by former aides and journalists, but Bolton’s memoir is the first by a high-ranking official who was present during key policy decisions. Bolton is also a well-known, if polarizing, figure in conservative circles.
The White House has sued to block the publication of the book, scheduled for release Tuesday, saying it contains classified information that could compromise national security. But Bolton and his legal team argue they went through a lengthy review process, and they accused Trump of attempting to censor Bolton.
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The book quickly became an Amazon No. 1 bestseller, and copies have already been printed and shipped to warehouses.
Early details released before the book’s publication showcase troubling moves by Trump throughout his administration. Bolton claims the president routinely tried to stymie criminal investigations and, “in effect, give personal favors to dictators he liked.” The former White House adviser said he reported his concerns to Attorney General William Barr.
“The pattern looked like obstruction of justice as a way of life,” Bolton wrote, according to the Times, which obtained an advanced copy of the book.
He goes on to lambaste Democrats’ impeachment proceedings, saying the party rushed forward and should have investigated other abuses by the president linked to his favoritism toward China’s Xi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Bolton deeply frustrated lawmakers during the impeachment efforts after he declined to testify during the House impeachment inquiry, saying he would wait for a court decision on whether former aides were required to speak. He later said he would testify before the Senate, where Republicans hold a majority, if he was subpoenaed, but GOP lawmakers blocked him as a witness.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-17--Trump Says Police Killing Of Rayshard Brooks ‘Terrible,’ But ‘You Can’t Resist’ Officers

President Donald Trump called last week ’ s police killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta a “ terrible situation ” but added that officers around the country had not been “ treated fairly ” while casting some blame on the victim for resisting arrest .
“ I thought it was a terrible situation , but you can ’ t resist a police officer , ” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday .
“ If you have a disagreement , you have to take it up after the fact .
It was a very sad — very , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't resist a police officer .
If you have a disagreement , you have to take it up after the fact . ''
-- Trump defends the Atlanta cop that shot and killed Rayshard Brooks pic.twitter.com/dbcJpWzdEr — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) June 18 , 2020 Brooks , a 27-year-old Black man , was fatally shot after he was found sleeping in his car at a Wendy ’ s drive-thru in Atlanta last Friday .
Body camera video showed officers confronting him during what ’ s been described as a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers began to arrest him after he failed a field sobriety test , Brooks resisted and wrestled with them .
Video shows him grabbing a Taser from one of the officers before running away .
Officer Garrett Rolfe then shot Brooks twice in the back , killing him .
Prosecutors later said the officer declared “ I got him ” after firing the shots .
Rolfe , who was fired Sunday , was charged with 11 counts on Wednesday , including felony murder .
The other officer on the scene , Devin Brosnan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of aggravated assault and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors .
“ Mr .
Brooks never presented himself as a threat , ” Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. said when announcing the charges .
“ His demeanor during this incident was almost jovial.
” Trump on Wednesday called for a fair investigation into the death but lambasted the treatment of officers during nationwide demonstrations that have called for an end to systemic racism and police brutality .
“ I hope he gets a fair shake because police have not been treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president said .
“ But again , you can ’ t resist a police officer like that , and they ended up in a very terrible disagreement , and look at the way it ended .
Very bad.
” An unusually large number of Atlanta police officers stayed home on Wednesday after the charges against Rolfe and Brosnan were filed , The New York Times reported .
A department spokesman rejected rumors that officers had walked off the job in protest of the charges .

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President Donald Trump called last week’s police killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta a “terrible situation” but added that officers around the country had not been “treated fairly” while casting some blame on the victim for resisting arrest.
“I thought it was a terrible situation, but you can’t resist a police officer,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday. “If you have a disagreement, you have to take it up after the fact. It was a very sad — very, very sad — thing.”
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"You can't resist a police officer. If you have a disagreement, you have to take it up after the fact." -- Trump defends the Atlanta cop that shot and killed Rayshard Brooks pic.twitter.com/dbcJpWzdEr — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2020
Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, was fatally shot after he was found sleeping in his car at a Wendy’s drive-thru in Atlanta last Friday. Body camera video showed officers confronting him during what’s been described as a “cordial” interaction. But when the officers began to arrest him after he failed a field sobriety test, Brooks resisted and wrestled with them. Video shows him grabbing a Taser from one of the officers before running away.
Officer Garrett Rolfe then shot Brooks twice in the back, killing him. Prosecutors later said the officer declared “I got him” after firing the shots.
Rolfe, who was fired Sunday, was charged with 11 counts on Wednesday, including felony murder. The other officer on the scene, Devin Brosnan, has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
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“Mr. Brooks never presented himself as a threat,” Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. said when announcing the charges. “His demeanor during this incident was almost jovial.”
Trump on Wednesday called for a fair investigation into the death but lambasted the treatment of officers during nationwide demonstrations that have called for an end to systemic racism and police brutality.
“I hope he gets a fair shake because police have not been treated fairly in our country,” the president said. “But again, you can’t resist a police officer like that, and they ended up in a very terrible disagreement, and look at the way it ended. Very bad.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Washington Post Editorial Board: Mike Pence Destroying Own Credibility With Pandemic Spin

The Washington Post editorial board made it crystal clear what it thinks of Vice President Mike Pence ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic in his role leading the White House ’ s task force tackling the public health crisis .
“ Mike Pence is a case study in irresponsibility , ” the newspaper ’ s board headlined its column Wednesday that criticized Pence ’ s widely condemned Tuesday op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in which he declared the United States is “ winning the fight against the invisible enemy.
” COVID-19 has killed more than 119,000 people nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers of new infections after the easing of stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the contagion .
The Post ’ s board noted how handbooks for public health crises emphasize the importance of transparency and the need for officials to maintain public trust .
“ They must not ‘ over-reassure ’ and should be candid about risks and unexpected events , ” it wrote , then noting some of the many ways in which Pence and President Donald Trump have not done that .
“ The pandemic is still raging , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Try as they might to spin a recovery story , Mr. Pence and Mr. Trump destroy their own credibility by ignoring reality .
The American people know this is not ‘ cause for celebration .
’ ”

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The Washington Post editorial board has made crystal clear what it thinks of Vice President Mike Pence’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in his role leading the White House’s task force tackling the public health crisis.
“Mike Pence is a case study in irresponsibility,” the newspaper’s board headlined a column published Wednesday. The piece criticizes Pence’s widely condemned Tuesday op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, in which he declared that the United States is “winning the fight against the invisible enemy.”
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COVID-19 has killed more than 119,000 people nationwide, and multiple states are now registering record numbers of new infections after easing their stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.
The Post’s board noted how handbooks for public health crises emphasize the importance of transparency and the need for officials to maintain public trust.
“They must not ‘over-reassure’ and should be candid about risks and unexpected events,” the board wrote, noting some of the many ways in which Pence and President Donald Trump have not done that.
“The pandemic is still raging,” it warned. “Try as they might to spin a recovery story, Mr. Pence and Mr. Trump destroy their own credibility by ignoring reality. The American people know this is not ‘cause for celebration.’”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--GOP Senator Tells Those At Higher Risk Of Coronavirus: Don't Go To Trump Rally

Sen. James Lankford ( R-Okla. ) issued a succinct warning to those at higher risk of suffering severe illness from the coronavirus who are thinking of attending President Donald Trump ’ s campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , this Saturday .
“ We ’ re advising people if they ’ re coming to the rally , if you have co-morbidities , if you are older , or you have other health issues , don ’ t come , ” Lankford said on Wednesday ’ s broadcast of MSNBC ’ s “ Morning Joe.
” Lankford stopped short of joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign ’ s decision to host the event indoors at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center , however , saying the president is “ always welcome ” to be able to come the state .
Lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the contagion had been eased in the state for 7 weeks and the recent uptick in the number of confirmed cases had been expected , he argued , saying there ’ d not been a rise in hospitalizations or deaths .
People seeking tickets to the rally have been told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign website , that they will not be able to sue organizers if they contract the coronavirus at the event .
The Trump campaign said it will hand out face masks and hand sanitizer to attendees , although it ’ s unclear how mask-wearing will be enforced with the president himself routinely flouting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines by refusing to wear one in public .
“ The hard part about it , and I ’ ve tried to explain this to other folks , when you ’ re at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , it ’ s hard to be able to hear sometimes , ” he said .
“ So there ’ s going to be times , they ’ re gon na pull masks on and off .
That ’ s why I really encourage people , if you have other health issues , I discourage you from coming to the event .
But a lot of folks are coming and the state is very excited about receiving the president .
”

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Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) issued a warning to those at high risk from the coronavirus who are thinking of attending President Donald Trump’s upcoming campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“We’re advising people if they’re coming to the rally, if you have comorbidities, if you are older, or you have other health issues, don’t come,” Lankford said on Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
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“Watch it on TV,” he added.
Lankford stopped short of joining public health experts who have condemned the Trump campaign’s decision to host the event indoors at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center, saying the president is “always welcome” to come to the state.
Lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus were eased in Oklahoma weeks ago and a fresh surge in infections was expected, Lankford said. He said the rise in cases wasn’t accompanied by an increase in hospitalizations or deaths.
People seeking tickets to Trump’s rally had to acknowledge a waiver on the Trump campaign website that they won’t sue organizers if they contract the coronavirus at the event.
The Trump campaign said it will hand out face masks and hand sanitizer to attendees. The president himself flouts Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines by refusing to wear a mask in public.
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Lankford said wearing a mask would be “an individual decision” for rally attendees.
“The hard part about it, and I’ve tried to explain this to other folks, when you’re at a large gathering like that, as you know, it’s hard to be able to hear sometimes,” he said. “So there’s going to be times, they’re gonna pull masks on and off. That’s why I really encourage people, if you have other health issues, I discourage you from coming to the event. But a lot of folks are coming and the state is very excited about receiving the president.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Chris Hayes Goes To Town On ‘Morally Odious’ John Bolton

Chris Hayes pulled no punches Wednesday with his scathing critique of former national security adviser John Bolton and his upcoming tell-all book about working in the Trump White House .
The host of MSNBC ’ s “ All In ” described Bolton as “ morally odious , ” slamming him for failing to speak up about incidents he describes in the book — such as President Donald Trump reportedly asking Chinese President Xi to help him win reelection — at the time they happened .
Instead , Hayes charged , Bolton “ is attempting to literally cash in on betrayal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , titled “ The Room Where It Happened , ” for which he received a reported $ 2 million payout .
“ He ’ s never been held accountable for all the terrible things he ’ s done in his long public career , and there are many , ” said Hayes .
“ He is a completely morally odious individual you would not want in your organization or anywhere around you , and yet he is of course also a Fox News contributor and at the highest levels of the Republican policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way the Republican Party and the conservative movement are now , ” Hayes added .
Hayes recalled that Bolton “ was one of the people that broke up the White House pandemic response unit , ” advocated for the U.S. invasion of Iraq and “ fought against testifying ” in Trump ’ s impeachment .
“ John Bolton could spend the rest of his life , like Lady Macbeth , trying to wash the blood off his hands and it would be there still , ” said Hayes .

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Chris Hayes pulled no punches Wednesday with his scathing critique of former national security adviser John Bolton and his upcoming tell-all book about working in the Trump White House.
The host of MSNBC’s “All In” described Bolton as “morally odious,” slamming him for failing to speak up about incidents he describes in the book — such as President Donald Trump reportedly asking Chinese President Xi to help him win reelection — at the time they happened.
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Instead, Hayes charged, Bolton “is attempting to literally cash in on betrayal of his country” with the book, titled “The Room Where It Happened,” for which he received a reported $2 million payout.
“He’s never been held accountable for all the terrible things he’s done in his long public career, and there are many,” said Hayes. “He is a completely morally odious individual you would not want in your organization or anywhere around you, and yet he is of course also a Fox News contributor and at the highest levels of the Republican policy making.”
“Because that’s the way the Republican Party and the conservative movement are now,” Hayes added.
Hayes recalled that Bolton “was one of the people that broke up the White House pandemic response unit,” advocated for the U.S. invasion of Iraq and “fought against testifying” in Trump’s impeachment.
“John Bolton could spend the rest of his life, like Lady Macbeth, trying to wash the blood off his hands and it would be there still,” said Hayes.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Tucker Carlson’s Racist Rhetoric Laid Bare With The Help Of Some... Rabbits

The clip ― which is part of the Colbert-produced animated series “ Tooning Out The News ” ― begins by @ @ @ @ @ if rabbits bred at the rate that Tucker Carlson said something racist ?
” It @ @ @ @ @ s scaremongering on Monday about anti-racism protests that have spread nationwide following the police killing @ @ @ @ @ time Carlson says something racist , a rabbit appears to join him on screen until @ @ @ @ @ by the animated animals .

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Supreme Court Rules Trump Wrongly Ended DACA, Leaves Program In Place

While the ruling leaves the door open for Trump to rescind the program in the future , it offers a huge relief for hundreds of thousands of people who came to the U.S. as children , often called Dreamers , and are currently able to remain under the Obama-era program .
DACA has been life-changing for these undocumented immigrants , removing the looming threat of deportation and allowing them to work legally under permits that must be renewed every two years .
But President Donald Trump , along with Republican allies , argued that President Barack Obama had overstepped his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced plans in 2017 to end the program .
The court ultimately ruled that the then-acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security , Elaine Duke , violated the Administrative Procedure Act when she terminated the program by failing to consider important matters , including “ what if anything to do about the hardship to DACA recipients.
” Roberts wrote that the decision should be sent back to DHS to reconsider .
“ We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies , ” Roberts writes in the opinion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions ‘ is none of our concern.
’ ... We address only whether the agency complied with the procedural requirement that it provide a reasoned explanation for its action .
... That dual failure raises doubts about whether the agency appreciated the scope of its discretion or exercised that discretion in a reasonable manner.
” Like his predecessor , Trump has taken executive actions on immigration without congressional approval .
Early in his presidency , Trump barred people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the country , following up on a campaign promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States .
The Supreme Court ultimately allowed a watered-down version of that ban to go into effect .
In April of this year , Trump issued another order limiting legal immigration , claiming that the coronavirus pandemic and related economic slowdown necessitated it .
Obama announced DACA in June 2012 at the urging of Dreamers , Latino organizations and many Democratic lawmakers .
The program was an effort to use executive action to grant protections to young undocumented immigrants whom Congress had long failed to protect .
It is open to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and were under the age of 31 as of June 15 , 2012 ( the day the program was created ) and does not cover people who have committed a felony or serious misdemeanors .
The Obama administration and DACA supporters argued that the program is permissible as an exercise of prosecutorial discretion , allowing authorities to focus on deporting others .
While Trump is likely to decry the court for blocking one of his policies , it ’ s also something of a political gift .
The majority of voters back legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. as children , meaning throwing them back into limbo ahead of the 2020 election would likely be unpopular .
And although White House officials and some Republicans have said they ’ d act to help Dreamers if the Supreme Court allowed Trump to rescind DACA , there ’ s plenty of past precedent that indicates they wouldn ’ t .
While politicians from both parties have said that people who came to the U.S. as kids shouldn ’ t be punished , Republican lawmakers have repeatedly blocked measures to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill initially proposed in 2001 to give Dreamers a path to citizenship , failed most recently in 2010 .
In 2013 , House Republicans blocked broader immigration reform that would have given many undocumented people the opportunity to gain citizenship , even after the legislation passed in the Senate .
Trump ’ s election in 2016 , after a campaign defined by his vilification of immigrants , effectively doomed the chances for progress on major immigration reform .
The president has occasionally given lip service to supporting efforts to protect Dreamers , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court allowed him to end DACA , “ a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay !
” During oral arguments last fall in the case known as Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California , Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated they might side with the administration .
Roberts suggested that the program could be phased out and that ending it wouldn ’ t put DACA recipients at risk of deportation .
But that was no guarantee .
While some Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be priorities for deportation should they lose their protected status , Trump ended other Obama administration policies prioritizing some immigrants for deportation over others .
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has reopened removal cases against DACA recipients , and ICE acting director Matthew Albence confirmed in January that if individuals “ get ordered removed and DACA is done away with by the Supreme Court , we can actually effectuate those removal orders.
” The Supreme Court decision comes at a particularly painful time for people of color , especially Black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide protests over police violence .
While the majority of DACA recipients are Hispanic or Latino , nearly 11,000 people with the protections are from countries in which most immigrants to the U.S. are Black , according to the Center for American Progress .

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The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, will remain in place, keeping nearly 650,000 undocumented young people safe from deportation, thanks to a ruling on Thursday by the Supreme Court.
In a 5-4 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court ruled that President Donald Trump wrongly ended DACA. The majority opinion called the decision to terminate the program an “arbitrary” and “capricious” violation of the law.
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While the ruling leaves the door open for Trump to rescind the program in the future, it offers a huge relief for hundreds of thousands of people who came to the U.S. as children, often called Dreamers, and are currently able to remain under the Obama-era program. DACA has been life-changing for these undocumented immigrants, removing the looming threat of deportation and allowing them to work legally under permits that must be renewed every two years. But President Donald Trump, along with Republican allies, argued that President Barack Obama had overstepped his authority in creating DACA, and Trump announced plans in 2017 to end the program.
The court ultimately ruled that the then-acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke, violated the Administrative Procedure Act when she terminated the program by failing to consider important matters, including “what if anything to do about the hardship to DACA recipients.” Roberts wrote that the decision should be sent back to DHS to reconsider.
“We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies,” Roberts writes in the opinion. “‘The wisdom’ of those decisions ‘is none of our concern.’ ... We address only whether the agency complied with the procedural requirement that it provide a reasoned explanation for its action. ... That dual failure raises doubts about whether the agency appreciated the scope of its discretion or exercised that discretion in a reasonable manner.”
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Most of the Republican-appointed justices on the court disagreed with the ruling.
“Today’s decision must be recognized for what it is: an effort to avoid a politically controversial but legally correct decision,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a dissent.
Trump highlighted Thomas’ dissent in a tweet after the order, arguing he must be reelected so he can place more conservatives on the court. He later threatened “to start this process all over again,” seemingly with regards to ending DACA.
As President of the United States, I am asking for a legal solution on DACA, not a political one, consistent with the rule of law. The Supreme Court is not willing to give us one, so now we have to start this process all over again. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
Like his predecessor, Trump has taken executive actions on immigration without congressional approval. Early in his presidency, Trump barred people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the country, following up on a campaign promise to ban Muslims from coming to the United States. The Supreme Court ultimately allowed a watered-down version of that ban to go into effect. In April of this year, Trump issued another order limiting legal immigration, claiming that the coronavirus pandemic and related economic slowdown necessitated it.
The inherent argument from the Trump White House seemed to be that a president ― or at least this president ― can do whatever he wants on immigration so long as the end result is keeping people out.
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“They have a sigh of relief this morning. But what about next week?” - Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
Obama announced DACA in June 2012 at the urging of Dreamers, Latino organizations and many Democratic lawmakers. The program was an effort to use executive action to grant protections to young undocumented immigrants whom Congress had long failed to protect. It is open to those who entered before the age of 16 and were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012 (the day the program was created) and does not cover people who have committed a felony or serious misdemeanors. The Obama administration and DACA supporters argued that the program is permissible as an exercise of prosecutorial discretion, allowing authorities to focus on deporting others.
While Trump is likely to decry the court for blocking one of his policies, it’s also something of a political gift. The majority of voters back legal status for undocumented young people who came to the U.S. as children, meaning throwing them back into limbo ahead of the 2020 election would likely be unpopular. And although White House officials and some Republicans have said they’d act to help Dreamers if the Supreme Court allowed Trump to rescind DACA, there’s plenty of past precedent that indicates they wouldn’t.
While politicians from both parties have said that people who came to the U.S. as kids shouldn’t be punished, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly blocked measures to help them. The Dream Act, a bill initially proposed in 2001 to give Dreamers a path to citizenship, failed most recently in 2010. In 2013, House Republicans blocked broader immigration reform that would have given many undocumented people the opportunity to gain citizenship, even after the legislation passed in the Senate.
Trump’s election in 2016, after a campaign defined by his vilification of immigrants, effectively doomed the chances for progress on major immigration reform. The president has occasionally given lip service to supporting efforts to protect Dreamers, including tweeting in November that if the Supreme Court allowed him to end DACA, “a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!”
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In practice, though, he has conditioned potential support for Dreamer protections on the passage of his own priorities, such as funding a border wall, limiting access to asylum and changing the legal immigration process. Republicans, even those who state support for Dreamers, also largely back tying protections to broader immigration reform.
Trump has also disparaged Dreamers. In the same November tweet saying he would make a deal for DACA recipients to stay in the U.S., Trump wrote: “Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from ‘angels.’ Some are very tough, hardened criminals.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted Trump’s many statements on undocumented immigrants and Latinos in her concurring opinion. She wrote that the argument that rescinding DACA violated the Equal Protection Clause was given too little consideration in Roberts’ opinion.
“I would not so readily dismiss the allegation that an executive decision disproportionately harms the same racial group that the President branded as less desirable mere months earlier,” Sotomayor writes.
Ending the program would be catastrophic for Dreamers.
During oral arguments last fall in the case known as Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated they might side with the administration. Roberts suggested that the program could be phased out and that ending it wouldn’t put DACA recipients at risk of deportation.
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“The whole thing was about work authorization and these other benefits,” Roberts said. “Both administrations [Trump and Obama] have said they’re not going to deport the people.”
But that was no guarantee. While some Trump administration officials have said DACA recipients wouldn’t be priorities for deportation should they lose their protected status, Trump ended other Obama administration policies prioritizing some immigrants for deportation over others. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has reopened removal cases against DACA recipients, and ICE acting director Matthew Albence confirmed in January that if individuals “get ordered removed and DACA is done away with by the Supreme Court, we can actually effectuate those removal orders.”
In early June, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a longtime advocate for Dreamers, asked the head of ICE’s deportation arm whether it would carry out removal of DACA recipients, should the program be eliminated. The answer was yes.
Henry Lucero, director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, told Durbin in a hearing that there are no current plans on the matter and that orders for removal come from immigration judges or, in certain cases, agencies that carried out the arrest.
“ICE carries out those lawful orders and will continue to do so,” Lucero said.
The Supreme Court decision comes at a particularly painful time for people of color, especially Black people, in the United States, amid nationwide protests over police violence. While the majority of DACA recipients are Hispanic or Latino, nearly 11,000 people with the protections are from countries in which most immigrants to the U.S. are Black, according to the Center for American Progress.
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While the decision was a positive one for DACA recipients, it’s not a permanent solution. Democrats are pushing for legislation that would grant Dreamers a path to citizenship, which would give them long-term safety even if Trump or a future president rescinded DACA.
Durbin called on the Senate floor for Congress to pass a legislative solution and, in the meantime, for Trump to leave DACA in place until at least the end of the year.
“Because of the Supreme Court decision, they have another day in America. They have a sigh of relief this morning,” Durbin said, speaking about a family with two DACA recipients. “But what about next week? What will the Trump administration do to them next week?”
Dreamers also celebrated the decision while pointing out the need for more to be done.
“DACA was possible because immigrant youth imagined and demanded it,” Greisa Martinez Rosas, a DACA recipient and leader at the Dreamer-led group United We Dream Action, said in a statement. “Today’s ruling is another reminder that when people directly impacted are those pushing for solutions, that’s when transformational change happens.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--GOP Sheriff Who Refused To Enforce Coronavirus Lockdown Tests Positive At White House

A Republican sheriff in Arizona who in April said he would refuse to continue enforcing the state ’ s coronavirus lockdown order has tested positive for the contagion during a visit to the White House .
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb announced his positive diagnosis on Facebook Wednesday .
Lamb said he likely contracted the virus at a campaign event Saturday .
He was asymptomatic when screened at the White House on Tuesday , where he said he ’ d been invited to join President Donald Trump .
Lamb said he would self-quarantine “ for the next 14 days minimum.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is tracing everyone who came into contact with him following the campaign event .
“ Unfortunately , as a law enforcement official and elected leader , we do not have the luxury of staying home , ” he wrote .
“ This line of work is inherently dangerous , and that is a risk we take when we sign up for the job.
” Lamb in late April railed against Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey ’ s ( R ) two-week extension of the statewide stay-at-home order aimed at slowing the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educate and advise ” business owners flouting the restrictions but would not make arrests , Lamb told the Phoenix New Times at the time .
“ I ’ m not trying to change his policy , I ’ m just disagreeing with it , and I won ’ t enforce it .
I don ’ t think it ’ s right , ” said Lamb , who described the order as unconstitutional .
“ I don ’ t want to make criminals out of people who are just trying to keep their business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least 40,000 people in the state have now been sickened by the disease , according to the Arizona Department of Health Services .
It has killed more than 1,200 people statewide .
President Donald Trump , meanwhile , is reportedly planning to attend a 2020 campaign rally on Tuesday at the Dream City Church in Phoenix .
The president will hold a similar event at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on Saturday .
Public health officials have warned against hosting the indoor rally , however , over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .

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A Republican sheriff in Arizona who in April said he would refuse to continue enforcing the state’s coronavirus lockdown order has tested positive for the contagion during a visit to the White House.
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Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb announced his positive diagnosis on Facebook Wednesday. Lamb said he likely contracted the virus at a campaign event Saturday. He was asymptomatic when screened at the White House on Tuesday, where he said he’d been invited to join President Donald Trump.
Trump on Tuesday announced his executive order on police reform.
Lamb said he would self-quarantine “for the next 14 days minimum.” The Pinal County Public Health Department is tracing everyone who came into contact with him following the campaign event.
“Unfortunately, as a law enforcement official and elected leader, we do not have the luxury of staying home,” he wrote. “This line of work is inherently dangerous, and that is a risk we take when we sign up for the job.”
Check out Lamb’s full Facebook post here:
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Lamb in late April railed against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s (R) two-week extension of the statewide stay-at-home order aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Pinal County deputies would “educate and advise” business owners flouting the restrictions but would not make arrests, Lamb told the Phoenix New Times at the time.
“I’m not trying to change his policy, I’m just disagreeing with it, and I won’t enforce it. I don’t think it’s right,” said Lamb, who described the order as unconstitutional. “I don’t want to make criminals out of people who are just trying to keep their business from going under,” he explained.
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb announced his positive diagnosis for the coronavirus on Facebook. Pinal County Sheriff's Office
Arizona’s statewide stay-at-home order was lifted on May 15.
This week the state experienced a record rise in confirmed cases of the virus.
At least 40,000 people in the state have now been sickened by the disease, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. It has killed more than 1,200 people statewide.
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The nationwide death toll is expected to pass 120,000 in the coming days.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is reportedly planning to attend a 2020 campaign rally on Tuesday at the Dream City Church in Phoenix.
The president will hold a similar event at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday. Public health officials have warned against hosting the indoor rally, however, over fears it could supercharge the spread of the virus.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Trump Rips Supreme Court Ruling That Saves DACA: 'Shotgun Blasts Into The Face'

President Donald Trump on Thursday tore into a Supreme Court ruling that blocks his administration ’ s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , or DACA .
“ These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives , ” the president tweeted .
“ We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd .
Amendment & everything else .
Vote Trump 2020 !
” These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives .
We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd .
Amendment & everything else .
Vote Trump 2020 !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 18 , 2020 Later Thursday , Trump called the ruling “ highly political ” and said that he would ask for a “ legal solution ” on DACA .
“ The Supreme Court is not willing to give us one , so now we have to start this process all over again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implemented under President Barack Obama , allows undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children , often called Dreamers , to live and work in the country without fear of deportation .
There are nearly 650,000 Dreamers nationwide .
The court ruled 5-4 , with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the court ’ s four liberal justices , that the Trump administration wrongly ended DACA .
The majority called the decision to terminate the program an “ arbitrary ” and “ capricious ” violation of the law .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court ’ s landmark decision Monday that protects LGBTQ employees from being discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity .
“ Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn ’ t like me ?
” Trump tweeted after the DACA ruling Thursday .
“ To every single Dreamer who has been living in fear since Trump took office : Today and everyday , we stand with you , ” Sen. Bob Menendez ( D-N.J. ) tweeted .
“ YOU ARE HOME.
” In a series of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy for Dreamers and their families , and called on voters to elect his former vice president , Joe Biden , in November .
“ We may look different and come from everywhere , but what makes us American are our shared ideals , ” Obama wrote .
“ We have to move forward and elect @ JoeBiden and a Democratic Congress that does its job , protects DREAMers , and finally creates a system that ’ s truly worthy of this nation of immigrants once and for all.
” Trump on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and expressed his desire for new justices on the Supreme Court .
“ The recent Supreme Court decisions , not only on DACA , Sanctuary Cities , Census , and others , tell you only one thing , ” he tweeted , “ we need NEW JUSTICES of the Supreme Court.
” Supreme Court justices have lifetime tenure unless they resign , retire or are removed from office .
When there ’ s a vacancy , the president nominates a new justice , who must then be confirmed by the Senate .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during his presidency : Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .

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President Donald Trump on Thursday tore into a Supreme Court ruling that blocks his administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
“These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives,” the president tweeted. “We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment & everything else. Vote Trump 2020!”
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These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives. We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment & everything else. Vote Trump 2020! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
Later Thursday, Trump called the ruling “highly political” and said that he would ask for a “legal solution” on DACA.
“The Supreme Court is not willing to give us one, so now we have to start this process all over again,” he tweeted.
DACA, implemented under President Barack Obama, allows undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, often called Dreamers, to live and work in the country without fear of deportation. There are nearly 650,000 Dreamers nationwide.
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The court ruled 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the court’s four liberal justices, that the Trump administration wrongly ended DACA. The majority called the decision to terminate the program an “arbitrary” and “capricious” violation of the law.
Trump’s tweet appeared to also refer to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision Monday that protects LGBTQ employees from being discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn’t like me?” Trump tweeted after the DACA ruling Thursday.
He also shared a tweet by conservative news website The Daily Caller that featured Justice Clarence Thomas’ dissenting opinion.
In his dissent, Thomas called the DACA ruling “an effort to avoid a politically controversial but legally correct decision.”
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Twitter Twitter
Immigration rights advocates and congressional Democrats cheered the court’s decision.
“To every single Dreamer who has been living in fear since Trump took office: Today and everyday, we stand with you,” Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) tweeted. “YOU ARE HOME.”
In a series of tweets, Obama said he’s happy for Dreamers and their families, and called on voters to elect his former vice president, Joe Biden, in November.
“We may look different and come from everywhere, but what makes us American are our shared ideals,” Obama wrote. “We have to move forward and elect @JoeBiden and a Democratic Congress that does its job, protects DREAMers, and finally creates a system that’s truly worthy of this nation of immigrants once and for all.”
Trump on Thursday ranted against “Radical Left Democrats” and expressed his desire for new justices on the Supreme Court.
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“The recent Supreme Court decisions, not only on DACA, Sanctuary Cities, Census, and others, tell you only one thing,” he tweeted, “we need NEW JUSTICES of the Supreme Court.”
He added that he would release a new list of conservative Supreme Court nominees by Sept. 1.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Trump Takes Credit For 'Making Juneteenth Famous' In Dumbfounding Interview

Mr. Trump said he polled many people around him , none of whom had heard of Juneteenth .
Mr. Trump @ @ @ @ @ an aide if she had heard of Juneteenth , and she pointed out that the @ @ @ @ @ statement last year commemorating the day .
Mr. Trump ’ s White House has put @ @ @ @ @ each of his first three years .
“ Oh really ?
We put out a @ @ @ @ @ House put out a statement ?
” Mr. Trump said .
“ Ok , ok. @ @ @

Mr. Trump said he polled many people around him, none of whom had heard of Juneteenth. Mr. Trump paused the interview to ask an aide if she had heard of Juneteenth, and she pointed out that the White House had issued a statement last year commemorating the day. Mr. Trump’s White House has put out statements on Juneteenth during each of his first three years.
“Oh really? We put out a statement? The Trump White House put out a statement?” Mr. Trump said. “Ok, ok. Good.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Twitter Users Pile On Trump After He Asks If Supreme Court Dislikes Him

President Donald Trump may consider himself a “ very stable genius , ” but he doesn ’ t seem to know that if you ask loaded questions you ’ re just setting yourself up for ridicule .
And that ’ s exactly what happened on Thursday after the president asked a possibly rhetorical question about what the Supreme Court thinks of him .
The questioning tweet came right after the court ruled that his decision to the end the DACA immigration program was an “ arbitrary ” and “ capricious ” violation of the law .
In addition , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ employees from being discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity .
The two big rulings apparently stuck in Trump ’ s craw ― and he is apparently taking it personally .
Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn ’ t like me ?
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 18 , 2020 Many Twitter users felt it was their patriotic duty to answer the president ’ s pitiful question .
Let us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
And yes , it is personal .
https : //t.co/tJUmn8aWen — Sierra Club ( @ SierraClub ) June 18 , 2020 I get the impression you think their personal views on you are relevant .
Please understand -- no one likes you .
No one .
You blackmail , bully and buy loyalty and when they no longer need you , they go to a better deal .
It 's what mercenaries do and you surround yourself with them https : //t.co/TEQpc2Xsv4 — Cheri Jacobus ( @ CheriJacobus ) June 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the Supreme Court rules based on who it likes .
What a disgrace to the Office and America 's commitment to the rule of law .
It 's not about you , it 's about your silly arguments .
The Court does n't like those .
End of story .
https : //t.co/avRyeMZgUG — Neal Katyal ( @ neal_katyal ) June 18 , 2020 I get the impression that only a narcissist would think that laws regarding the human rights of millions in the LGBTQ and immigrant communities were really just all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ ExportedFromMI ) June 18 , 2020 Some answered the president ’ s question with questions of their own .
But one sage person recognized what the president was really asking ...

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump may consider himself a “very stable genius,” but he doesn’t seem to know that if you ask loaded questions you’re just setting yourself up for ridicule.
And that’s exactly what happened on Thursday after the president asked a possibly rhetorical question about what the Supreme Court thinks of him.
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The questioning tweet came right after the court ruled that his decision to the end the DACA immigration program was an “arbitrary” and “capricious” violation of the law.
In addition, the court ruled earlier this week ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ employees from being discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The two big rulings apparently stuck in Trump’s craw ― and he is apparently taking it personally.
Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn’t like me? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
Many Twitter users felt it was their patriotic duty to answer the president’s pitiful question.
No. I get the impression you're an idiot. https://t.co/hABJvdM1IA — Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) June 18, 2020
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Let us reassure you: We all feel this way.
And yes, it is personal. https://t.co/tJUmn8aWen — Sierra Club (@SierraClub) June 18, 2020
I get the impression you think their personal views on you are relevant. Please understand -- no one likes you. No one. You blackmail, bully and buy loyalty and when they no longer need you, they go to a better deal. It's what mercenaries do and you surround yourself with them https://t.co/TEQpc2Xsv4 — Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) June 18, 2020
Typical of this President to think the Supreme Court rules based on who it likes. What a disgrace to the Office and America's commitment to the rule of law.
It's not about you, it's about your silly arguments. The Court doesn't like those. End of story. https://t.co/avRyeMZgUG — Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) June 18, 2020
It isn't just the Supreme Court https://t.co/h9Axzk9nKE — Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) June 18, 2020
I get the impression that only a narcissist would think that laws regarding the human rights of millions in the LGBTQ and immigrant communities were really just all about him. — American Times Film (@ExportedFromMI) June 18, 2020
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We get the impression that you don’t like the Constitution. https://t.co/roy3WstSzJ — Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) June 18, 2020
Some answered the president’s question with questions of their own.
Do you get the impression that you are a L-O-S-E-R https://t.co/D4kvDSWLXV — Juan Escalante (@JuanSaaa) June 18, 2020
But one sage person recognized what the president was really asking...
Do these SCOTUS decisions make my butt look big https://t.co/oKOkf60YQE — Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) June 18, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--CBS Reporter Paula Reid Asks Trump Question All Journalists Should Ask

CBS News reporter Paula Reid asked President Donald Trump a hard question on Thursday , one that more journalists should ask him .
At the end of a roundtable discussion with governors on the reopening of America ’ s small businesses , Reid tried to get the president to answer one more very pertinent question : “ Why do you keep hiring people that you believe are wackos and liars ?
” Why do you keep hiring people you say are wackos or liars ?
- @ PaulaReidCBS to President Trump just now during his meeting with governors on small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer Paula ’ s Q .
— Karen Travers ( @ karentravers ) June 18 , 2020 A sour-looking Trump ignored a shouted question from a reporter about `` why do you keep hiring people that you believe are wackos and liars ? ''
as the event ended pic.twitter.com/oypjPJDfpU — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) June 18 , 2020 The question was , of course , a reference to Trump ’ s attacks on former national security advisor John Bolton , whom he called a “ wacko , ” a “ dope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ disgruntled boring fool , ” among other epithets .
Trump was reacting to unflattering disclosures in Bolton ’ s upcoming book , “ The Room Where It Happened.
” But it ’ s not like it ’ s a new story with the president , who previously claimed he would hire “ the best people ” in his administration , only to insult his former staffers after they leave .
Reid asked another pertinent question : If the White House had Bolton ’ s book for six months prior to publication , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block publication sooner ?
“ Mr .
President , the White House had John Bolton ’ s book for six months – why didn ’ t you try to block it sooner ?
” He did not answer why they waited until last night to request a restraining order , when book ( and allegedly classified info ) was already in the hands of many reporters .
pic.twitter.com/9ALiUh0xhO — Paula Reid ( @ PaulaReidCBS ) June 18 , 2020 The president ignored Reid ’ s questions and left without answering them .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dedication to the truth .
That is the million-dollar question .
Was Trump a terrible leader when he hired the people he now calls wackos and liars or is he a terrible leader for turning on them when they leave his employ .
Either way , Trump can not lead .
He 's a failure !
— Ashley Perry ( @ AshleyPerry2020 ) June 18 , 2020 Sometimes I daydream about Trump being tied down to a chair and forced to answer fantastic questions like this one , without being allowed to spin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ Supercords ) June 18 , 2020 This isn ’ t the first time Reid has forced Trump to face tough truths he didn ’ t want to respond to .
In November 2018 , Reid famously fact-checked the president to his face when he tried to claim untruthfully that his administration had the same policy of separating migrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border as did former President Barack Obama .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CBS News reporter Paula Reid asked President Donald Trump a hard question on Thursday, one that more journalists should ask him.
At the end of a roundtable discussion with governors on the reopening of America’s small businesses, Reid tried to get the president to answer one more very pertinent question: “Why do you keep hiring people that you believe are wackos and liars?”
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Why do you keep hiring people you say are wackos or liars? - @PaulaReidCBS to President Trump just now during his meeting with governors on small business reopening.
The President did not answer Paula’s Q. — Karen Travers (@karentravers) June 18, 2020
Here’s a clip of how the question was asked.
A sour-looking Trump ignored a shouted question from a reporter about "why do you keep hiring people that you believe are wackos and liars?" as the event ended pic.twitter.com/oypjPJDfpU — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2020
The question was, of course, a reference to Trump’s attacks on former national security advisor John Bolton, whom he called a “wacko,” a “dope,” “incompetent” and a “disgruntled boring fool,” among other epithets. Trump was reacting to unflattering disclosures in Bolton’s upcoming book, “The Room Where It Happened.”
But it’s not like it’s a new story with the president, who previously claimed he would hire “the best people” in his administration, only to insult his former staffers after they leave.
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Reid asked another pertinent question: If the White House had Bolton’s book for six months prior to publication, why didn’t he try to block publication sooner?
“Mr. President, the White House had John Bolton’s book for six months – why didn’t you try to block it sooner?” He did not answer why they waited until last night to request a restraining order, when book (and allegedly classified info) was already in the hands of many reporters. pic.twitter.com/9ALiUh0xhO — Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCBS) June 18, 2020
The president ignored Reid’s questions and left without answering them.
But there were many others who appreciated her dedication to the truth.
It’s about time someone asked him that question. https://t.co/HMEfY2Aw7M — Carp (@robcarpenter81) June 18, 2020
That is the million-dollar question. Was Trump a terrible leader when he hired the people he now calls wackos and liars or is he a terrible leader for turning on them when they leave his employ. Either way, Trump cannot lead. He's a failure! — Ashley Perry (@AshleyPerry2020) June 18, 2020
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Well, in fairness, the people he hires are wackos and liars... — Pé (@4everNeverTrump) June 18, 2020
Sometimes I daydream about Trump being tied down to a chair and forced to answer fantastic questions like this one, without being allowed to spin or change the subject. — Supercords (@Supercords) June 18, 2020
This isn’t the first time Reid has forced Trump to face tough truths he didn’t want to respond to.
In November 2018, Reid famously fact-checked the president to his face when he tried to claim untruthfully that his administration had the same policy of separating migrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border as did former President Barack Obama.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Republicans Dismiss Bombshell John Bolton Allegations Against Trump

Not even an explosive tell-all book from former U.S .
Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton , a popular mainstay in conservative politics for decades , was enough to dislodge Republicans from their support for President Donald Trump .
GOP lawmakers turned to familiar lines on Thursday to discuss the shocking allegations detailed by Bolton , who served as Trump ’ s national security adviser for over a year , in his forthcoming book , “ The Room Where It Happened.
” “ This looks like book sales more than anything else , ” Sen. James Lankford ( R-Okla. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s only speaking right before his book is coming out .
Nothing about that smells right .
Nothing.
” Bolton , one of the most controversial figures in American foreign policy , describes Trump in his book as a “ president for whom getting reelected was the only thing that mattered , even if it meant endangering or weakening the nation.
” He argues Trump was guilty of transgressions not just in Ukraine , for which he was impeached by the House , but in countries all over the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s President Xi Jinping for reelection help and told him to keep building concentration camps for the mass detention of Uighur Muslims , “ which he thought was exactly the right thing to do.
” Bolton also alleges Trump privately told him reporters deserved to be locked up in prison .
“ These people should be executed .
They are scumbags , ” Bolton quotes Trump as saying .
Some Republicans sought to undermine Bolton ’ s credibility , however , suggesting that many of the allegations may not be true because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book , rather than speaking out about them earlier this year .
“ I ’ ve been around here when people try to sell books , so I don ’ t have anything to contribute on that front , ” Sen. John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) said .
Sen. Kevin Cramer ( R-N.D. ) , meanwhile , said Bolton ’ s book and his claim that Trump sought Xi ’ s assistance in his reelection bid “ sort of validates the dealmaking part of Donald Trump.
” “ [ Bolton ] describes other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think it could just as easily be Donald Trump playing them like a fiddle , ” Cramer posited .
Bolton wasn ’ t willing to speak out against Trump during the House impeachment proceedings and the Senate trial , which ultimately acquitted the president , in February .
At the time , Bolton threatened a legal battle if Congress subpoenaed him and ultimately did not testify .
“ I wish we could have heard him in the impeachment trial , ” Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) , the only GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told reporters on Thursday when asked about his reaction to Bolton ’ s book .
Bolton ’ s book is only the latest condemnation of Trump from one of the president ’ s former top aides , just months away from the November 2020 election .
Earlier this month , Trump ’ s former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis penned an extraordinary letter calling Trump a juvenile and divisive leader who poses a fundamental threat to the republic .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Not even an explosive tell-all book from former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, a popular mainstay in conservative politics for decades, was enough to dislodge Republicans from their support for President Donald Trump.
GOP lawmakers turned to familiar lines on Thursday to discuss the shocking allegations detailed by Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser for over a year, in his forthcoming book, “The Room Where It Happened.”
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“This looks like book sales more than anything else,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told reporters on Capitol Hill. “He’s only speaking right before his book is coming out. Nothing about that smells right. Nothing.”
Bolton, one of the most controversial figures in American foreign policy, describes Trump in his book as a “president for whom getting reelected was the only thing that mattered, even if it meant endangering or weakening the nation.”
He argues Trump was guilty of transgressions not just in Ukraine, for which he was impeached by the House, but in countries all over the world.
According to Bolton, Trump asked China’s President Xi Jinping for reelection help and told him to keep building concentration camps for the mass detention of Uighur Muslims, “which he thought was exactly the right thing to do.”
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Bolton also alleges Trump privately told him reporters deserved to be locked up in prison. “These people should be executed. They are scumbags,” Bolton quotes Trump as saying.
Some Republicans sought to undermine Bolton’s credibility, however, suggesting that many of the allegations may not be true because Bolton had included them in a for-profit book, rather than speaking out about them earlier this year.
“I’ve been around here when people try to sell books, so I don’t have anything to contribute on that front,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said.
“Money drives a lot of people to say a lot of things,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) added.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), meanwhile, said Bolton’s book and his claim that Trump sought Xi’s assistance in his reelection bid “sort of validates the dealmaking part of Donald Trump.”
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“[Bolton] describes other leaders playing Donald Trump like a fiddle. I think it could just as easily be Donald Trump playing them like a fiddle,” Cramer posited.
Bolton wasn’t willing to speak out against Trump during the House impeachment proceedings and the Senate trial, which ultimately acquitted the president, in February. At the time, Bolton threatened a legal battle if Congress subpoenaed him and ultimately did not testify.
Senate Republicans also blocked requests for new evidence during the trial, including ones seeking Bolton’s testimony.
“I wish we could have heard him in the impeachment trial,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the only GOP senator who voted to include new evidence, told reporters on Thursday when asked about his reaction to Bolton’s book.
The Utah Republican, a frequent critic of Trump, called Bolton a “very credible” person. He also addressed Bolton’s claim that Trump urged Xi to build concentration camps in China.
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“If that’s accurate, that would obviously be a reprehensible comment, but we don’t know if that’s accurate,” Romney said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), meanwhile, said she did not regret her vote against including new evidence in Trump’s impeachment trial.
“I made the decision I made at the time that I made it. There’s no going back,” Murkowski said.
Bolton’s book is only the latest condemnation of Trump from one of the president’s former top aides, just months away from the November 2020 election. Earlier this month, Trump’s former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis penned an extraordinary letter calling Trump a juvenile and divisive leader who poses a fundamental threat to the republic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--'Disturbing’ Ivanka Trump Emails Resurface In Wake Of Bolton Book

Ivanka Trump , President Donald Trump ’ s daughter and adviser , was conducting government business from a private email account before she was employed by the government , according to records getting new attention this week .
Walter Shaub , former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics , highlighted two messages uncovered by the nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight .
He served in the ethics office for six months under then-President Barack Obama and resigned six months into the Trump presidency .
One of the messages Shaub shared on Twitter appeared to show Ivanka Trump conducting business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month before she had an official role : Well now , this is disturbing .
Ivanka Trump did n't become a government employee until March 29 , 2017 .
This email is dated four weeks earlier than that .
Why is she appearing to conduct government business in this email she sent while still a private citizen ?
https : //t.co/D5a4sD0Jr8 pic.twitter.com/jhodKdySy7 — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) June 17 , 2020 Another , which was from several days earlier , referred to a government official as her “ chief of staff.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ even MORE disturbing .
A MONTH before Ivanka Trump became a government official , she refers to a WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL as her own `` chief of staff . ''
Wow !
This is really crazy stuff .
Good work , @ weareoversight !
https : //t.co/FPKCVzdBwe pic.twitter.com/eUQOIlZvs0 — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) June 17 , 2020 The organization uncovered the messages in 2017 via a Freedom of Information Act request .
But they ’ re receiving new attention in the wake of allegations in former national security advisor John Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president defended Saudi Arabia after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to distract from the news that Ivanka Trump had been conducting government business via private email .
That behavior was something the president railed against during the 2016 presidential campaign when the issue was Hillary Clinton ’ s private email server .
The mere mention of the emails routinely led to “ lock her up ” chants at his rallies .
The president ’ s daughter has been at the center of multiple ethics controversies during the Trump administration .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was awarded at least 18 trademarks by China at a time when the administration was attempting to negotiate trade with the country .
UPDATE : The headline for this article has been updated to align more closely with the article in attributing the revelation of the emails to American Oversight , not Walter Shaub .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser, was conducting government business from a private email account before she was employed by the government, according to records getting new attention this week.
Walter Shaub, former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, highlighted two messages uncovered by the nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight. He served in the ethics office for six months under then-President Barack Obama and resigned six months into the Trump presidency.
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One of the messages Shaub shared on Twitter appeared to show Ivanka Trump conducting business with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos almost a month before she had an official role:
Well now, this is disturbing. Ivanka Trump didn't become a government employee until March 29, 2017. This email is dated four weeks earlier than that. Why is she appearing to conduct government business in this email she sent while still a private citizen? https://t.co/D5a4sD0Jr8 pic.twitter.com/jhodKdySy7 — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 17, 2020
Another, which was from several days earlier, referred to a government official as her “chief of staff.”
This one @weareoversight uncovered is even MORE disturbing. A MONTH before Ivanka Trump became a government official, she refers to a WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL as her own "chief of staff." Wow! This is really crazy stuff. Good work, @weareoversight! https://t.co/FPKCVzdBwe pic.twitter.com/eUQOIlZvs0 — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 17, 2020
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The organization uncovered the messages in 2017 via a Freedom of Information Act request. But they’re receiving new attention in the wake of allegations in former national security advisor John Bolton’s upcoming book, which claims the president defended Saudi Arabia after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to distract from the news that Ivanka Trump had been conducting government business via private email.
That behavior was something the president railed against during the 2016 presidential campaign when the issue was Hillary Clinton’s private email server. The mere mention of the emails routinely led to “lock her up” chants at his rallies.
The president’s daughter has been at the center of multiple ethics controversies during the Trump administration. In addition to her use of private email, she was awarded at least 18 trademarks by China at a time when the administration was attempting to negotiate trade with the country.
UPDATE: The headline for this article has been updated to align more closely with the article in attributing the revelation of the emails to American Oversight, not Walter Shaub.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Florida Sees Record Number Of Coronavirus Cases As Experts Eye Possible New Epicenter

Florida has shattered its previous record for the number of new coronavirus infections recorded in a day , roughly two weeks after the state transitioned into the second phase of its reopening plan .
The Florida Health Department reported 3,207 new cases on Thursday , marking the largest daily increase since early March .
The previous record occurred on Tuesday , with the announcement of 2,782 new cases .
As of Thursday , Florida has recorded over 85,000 cases and at least 3,061 deaths .
The recent spike in infections has some experts worried the state could become the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida has all the makings of the next large epicenter , ” scientists at the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia ’ s PolicyLab wrote in a blog post Wednesday .
“ The risk there is the worst it has ever been in our projections.
” Roughly 4 million people who are 65 or older live in Florida .
That population is particularly vulnerable to the virus .
Beachgoers at the opening of South Beach in Miami Beach , Florida , on June 10 .
Public health experts are concerned that the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Florida was one of the first states to lift its statewide stay-at-home order .
Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) allowed most of the state to reopen on May 4 , bucking federal guidelines that urged states and cities to record a two-week downward trend in new coronavirus cases before reopening .
Florida did not meet the criteria at the time .
Nearly two weeks ago , on June 5 , Florida entered the second phase of its three-phase reopening plan .
Bars and nightclubs are allowed to operate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowed to operate at 75 % .
Gyms , fitness centers , salons , barber shops and other personal service businesses may also operate at 75 % capacity .
Florida requires all travelers from Connecticut , New Jersey and New York ― some of the states with the most confirmed cases ― to self-isolate for 14 days to curb the possible spread of the virus .
As the tri-state area continues to stabilize , at least 10 states ― Alabama , Arizona , California , Nevada , North Carolina , Oklahoma , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are seeing record-high seven-day averages of new cases per day , CNN reported Thursday .
Vice President Mike Pence , whom President Donald Trump appointed to lead the White House ’ s coronavirus task force in February , has argued that the U.S. is “ winning the fight against the invisible enemy ” that is the pandemic .
“ The truth is , whatever the media says , our whole-of-America approach has been a success , ” Pence wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal .
There have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus in the U.S. , the most of any country in the world .
At least 118,000 people nationwide have died .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Florida has shattered its previous record for the number of new coronavirus infections recorded in a day, roughly two weeks after the state transitioned into the second phase of its reopening plan.
The Florida Health Department reported 3,207 new cases on Thursday, marking the largest daily increase since early March. The previous record occurred on Tuesday, with the announcement of 2,782 new cases.
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As of Thursday, Florida has recorded over 85,000 cases and at least 3,061 deaths. The recent spike in infections has some experts worried the state could become the next major hotspot for the virus.
“Florida has all the makings of the next large epicenter,” scientists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab wrote in a blog post Wednesday. “The risk there is the worst it has ever been in our projections.”
Roughly 4 million people who are 65 or older live in Florida. That population is particularly vulnerable to the virus.
Beachgoers at the opening of South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, on June 10. Public health experts are concerned that the state could be the next major hotspot for the virus. Cliff Hawkins via Getty Images
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Florida was one of the first states to lift its statewide stay-at-home order. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) allowed most of the state to reopen on May 4, bucking federal guidelines that urged states and cities to record a two-week downward trend in new coronavirus cases before reopening. Florida did not meet the criteria at the time.
Nearly two weeks ago, on June 5, Florida entered the second phase of its three-phase reopening plan. Bars and nightclubs are allowed to operate at 50% capacity, while restaurants are allowed to operate at 75%. Gyms, fitness centers, salons, barber shops and other personal service businesses may also operate at 75% capacity.
Florida requires all travelers from Connecticut, New Jersey and New York ― some of the states with the most confirmed cases ― to self-isolate for 14 days to curb the possible spread of the virus.
As the tri-state area continues to stabilize, at least 10 states ― Alabama, Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas ― are seeing record-high seven-day averages of new cases per day, CNN reported Thursday.
Vice President Mike Pence, whom President Donald Trump appointed to lead the White House’s coronavirus task force in February, has argued that the U.S. is “winning the fight against the invisible enemy” that is the pandemic.
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“The truth is, whatever the media says, our whole-of-America approach has been a success,” Pence wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.