thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--Trump’s Closing Message: I Will Cheat

Trump’s Closing Message: I Will Cheat

“ It ’ s a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over because it can only lead to one thing , and that ’ s very bad , ” Trump told reporters traveling with him on Sunday , as he repeated his desire to end all vote counting on Tuesday night .
“ As soon as that election is over , we ’ re going in with our lawyers.
” The strategy of ending vote counting on election night has been discussed for weeks among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on former top White House aide Stephen Bannon ’ s radio show , where Miller worked prior to joining the Trump campaign earlier this year .
Because Trump has encouraged in-person voting despite the coronavirus pandemic while Democrats have called for mail-in voting ― and because Election Day votes are counted first in many states ― there is a strong likelihood that the initial vote tallies will favor the president .
Bannon and others have pushed the idea of cutting off the count while Trump is ahead , even though state laws require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a final result is certified .
Over the years , states have taken varying amounts of time to count all their ballots , with California often needing weeks to finish .
Further , most states permit ballots from military service members , diplomats and other Americans abroad that arrive as much as two weeks after Election Day to be counted , so long as they were sent by that Tuesday .
White House communications director Alyssa Farah claimed ― inaccurately ― that Trump ’ s desire to stop vote counting on Tuesday would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign insisted that he wanted military votes to be counted .
But the Trump campaign ’ s deputy national press secretary , Thea McDonald , did not provide any example of the president calling for an exception for military ballots .
The laying out of his plan to cheat voters was just one unusual element of Trump ’ s closing argument , which included an admission Sunday that he would like to fire the nation ’ s leading infectious disease expert in the middle of a pandemic , repeated attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptop computer , and renewed attempts to win over supporters of the Confederacy , a century-and-a-half-old revolt against the United States for the purpose of perpetuating slavery .
“ What a place .
Never fight uphill , me boys , right ?
That was ― Robert E. Lee said , ‘ Never fight uphill !
’ ” Trump said wistfully last week about the Confederate general at the pivotal battle of Gettysburg .
“ He heard they were fighting uphill , but they didn ’ t have cellphones in those days .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they fought uphill.
” Trump has also complained that talking about the partial recovery from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic was too boring .
“ I mean , how many times can I say it ?
I ’ ll say it five or six times during the speech , ” he said at a Tampa , Florida , rally on Saturday .
And over that final month four years ago , Trump did , in fact , deliver a “ disciplined ” message .
He almost entirely cut out media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exclusively stuck to the text that his speechwriters had prepared for him , which relied heavily on material stolen by Russian intelligence from the Hillary Clinton campaign and on his promises to bring back manufacturing jobs .
Four years later , Trump has been unable to repeat that feat .
“ Let ’ s get back to the teleprompter .
Should we get back to the teleprompter or just keep going ?
” he said at a rally last week in Lititz , Pennsylvania , following a long , extraneous tangent .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a president that doesn ’ t need a teleprompter ?
” We want to know what you ’ re hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

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WASHINGTON ― After four years of ignoring expertise, lying daily, and breaking both laws and “norms” with impunity, President Donald Trump headed into Election Day with a brazen pledge: that he will cheat by not counting all the ballots.
“It’s a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over because it can only lead to one thing, and that’s very bad,” Trump told reporters traveling with him on Sunday, as he repeated his desire to end all vote counting on Tuesday night. “As soon as that election is over, we’re going in with our lawyers.”
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“He’s been laying the groundwork for this for months,” said Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor and the lead lawyer for House Democrats during Trump’s impeachment over his extortion of Ukraine to help his reelection bid. “Mind-blowingly fascist.”
Trump’s scheme ― which invents a brand-new standard that would disenfranchise many millions of voters, including overseas military service members casting absentee ballots ― has also been pushed by top Trump campaign official Jason Miller.
“President Trump will be ahead on election night, probably getting 280 electorals, somewhere in that range. And then they’re going to try to steal it back after the election,” Miller told ABC News on Sunday.
The strategy of ending vote counting on election night has been discussed for weeks among the president’s supporters, including on former top White House aide Stephen Bannon’s radio show, where Miller worked prior to joining the Trump campaign earlier this year. Because Trump has encouraged in-person voting despite the coronavirus pandemic while Democrats have called for mail-in voting ― and because Election Day votes are counted first in many states ― there is a strong likelihood that the initial vote tallies will favor the president. Bannon and others have pushed the idea of cutting off the count while Trump is ahead, even though state laws require that all cast ballots be counted before a final result is certified.
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Over the years, states have taken varying amounts of time to count all their ballots, with California often needing weeks to finish. Further, most states permit ballots from military service members, diplomats and other Americans abroad that arrive as much as two weeks after Election Day to be counted, so long as they were sent by that Tuesday.
White House communications director Alyssa Farah claimed ― inaccurately ― that Trump’s desire to stop vote counting on Tuesday would not disenfranchise overseas military voters, while the Trump campaign insisted that he wanted military votes to be counted. But the Trump campaign’s deputy national press secretary, Thea McDonald, did not provide any example of the president calling for an exception for military ballots.
Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, campaign manager for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, said there was no legal basis for Trump’s demand. “He is just making that up,” she told reporters on Monday.
Bob Bauer, an elections lawyer for Biden, added: “It’s telling that President Trump is more focused on his lawyers than his voters.”
The laying out of his plan to cheat voters was just one unusual element of Trump’s closing argument, which included an admission Sunday that he would like to fire the nation’s leading infectious disease expert in the middle of a pandemic, repeated attacks on his opponent’s son’s laptop computer, and renewed attempts to win over supporters of the Confederacy, a century-and-a-half-old revolt against the United States for the purpose of perpetuating slavery.
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“What a place. Never fight uphill, me boys, right? That was ― Robert E. Lee said, ‘Never fight uphill!’” Trump said wistfully last week about the Confederate general at the pivotal battle of Gettysburg. “He heard they were fighting uphill, but they didn’t have cellphones in those days. They tried to get them to stop, but they fought uphill.”
And on Monday at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump renewed an earlier promise to prevent the renaming of military bases that currently honor Confederate traitors.
He also mocked advice from pollsters and advisers warning him that he was losing support among college-educated women ― a group that he at one point referred to as suburban “housewives.”
“Love me, women of the suburbs. Love me,” he said at a later rally Monday in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Trump has also complained that talking about the partial recovery from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic was too boring. “I mean, how many times can I say it? I’ll say it five or six times during the speech,” he said at a Tampa, Florida, rally on Saturday.
Focusing on a simple message that would appeal to a broader swath of the electorate was precisely the strategy that top 2016 campaign officials Bannon and Kellyanne Conway had persuaded him to adopt that October.
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“We told him he had to shut the fuck up and only read what was on the prompter,” one former 2016 campaign aide told HuffPost on condition of anonymity.
And over that final month four years ago, Trump did, in fact, deliver a “disciplined” message. He almost entirely cut out media interviews and, on stage, almost exclusively stuck to the text that his speechwriters had prepared for him, which relied heavily on material stolen by Russian intelligence from the Hillary Clinton campaign and on his promises to bring back manufacturing jobs.
Once, at a rally in Pensacola, Florida, he even caught himself about to go off-script. “Stay on point, Donald, stay on point,” he said, as if repeating his aides’ warning. “No sidetracks, Donald, nice and easy.”
Four years later, Trump has been unable to repeat that feat. “Let’s get back to the teleprompter. Should we get back to the teleprompter or just keep going?” he said at a rally last week in Lititz, Pennsylvania, following a long, extraneous tangent. “Isn’t it nice to have a president that doesn’t need a teleprompter?”
We want to know what you’re hearing on the ground from the candidates. If you get any interesting ― or suspicious! ― campaign mailers, robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about, email us at scoops@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--Nancy Pelosi: 'We're Ready For It All' If Trump Tries To Create Election Chaos

On the eve of an election in which the president of the United States is signaling he ’ ll do anything to win , including promoting violence and cheating , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) says she ’ s been methodically preparing for months for Donald Trump to try to steal the election and is confident Americans ’ votes will be be fairly counted in the end .
“ We ’ re ready for it all , ” Pelosi told HuffPost in a Friday interview .
“ I would just like him to know it ain ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the day.
” Trump , who has been consistently behind Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the polls , has been trying to undermine people ’ s faith in the election since long before Election Day .
He ’ s falsely claimed mail-in ballots lead to widespread fraud .
His campaign is engaging in voter intimidation at polling locations .
He refuses to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses .
He ’ s openly encouraged people carrying out political violence on his behalf .
He ’ s vowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots after Election Day .
Trump also plans to declare victory on Tuesday night if the results show him ahead , even if millions of ballots have yet to be counted , according to Axios .
Pelosi , who is in a powerful position to affect the election outcome if Trump tries to cut the vote count short , said she doesn ’ t expect the race to come down to an incredible , once-in-a-century scenario involving Congress calling the winner .
But she ’ s ready to go down that road if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been working closely with a team of lawyers , constitutional experts and institutions to game out responses to Trump ’ s potential chaos before , during and after the election .
“ We have been prepared for the worst for a long time because what we have seen is the worst on the part of this president in terms of his disrespect for the Constitution , his disregard of free will of the people and his stooping to any level for his own reelection , ” said Pelosi .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at our disposal .
... We have our lawyers poised to move on a dime on Election Day or evening , as we see a problem.
” She said the fact that Trump and his campaign have essentially broadcast their plans to engage in foul play has helped her team to prepare to stop it .
“ Go to Election Day and the intimidation that they have advertised that they ’ re going to engage in , ” said Pelosi .
“ We knew that it was in their playbook ... to scare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when they made it known , they made it easier for us to counter.
” That does seem to be Trump ’ s plan , though .
In a disturbing statement released Monday , Trump ’ s deputy campaign manager Justin Clark warned that Democrats are the ones planning to delegitimize Election Day results because they want everyone ’ s ballots to be counted on and after Election Day ― setting the stage for Trump to declare himself the winner on election night and disregard millions of early and absentee ballots that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully count .
Biden ’ s campaign operatives are “ imagining postal delays or falsely claiming that mail-in ballots that have simply not been returned should be considered legitimate votes that need to be counted , ” Clark said .
“ None of this will be true , but it will be held up as proof that President Trump ’ s victory is a so-called ‘ Red Mirage.
’ No one should fall for it.
” For now , Pelosi said she ’ s focused on encouraging everyone to vote .
The bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more confident people can feel about it being an honest count .
As of Monday morning , more than 95 million Americans had already voted , setting the stage for record participation .
“ Don ’ t panic .
Be confident .
We will make sure that we will have a fair count , ″ Pelosi said , asked if she has a message for people anxious about Trump trying to cheat his way to victory .
“ The antidote to his poison , whether it ’ s policy or politics or stealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poison is to vote .
”

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On the eve of an election in which the president of the United States is signaling he’ll do anything to win, including promoting violence and cheating, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she’s been methodically preparing for months for Donald Trump to try to steal the election and is confident Americans’ votes will be be fairly counted in the end.
“We’re ready for it all,” Pelosi told HuffPost in a Friday interview. “I would just like him to know it ain’t going to happen for him at the end of the day.”
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Trump, who has been consistently behind Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the polls, has been trying to undermine people’s faith in the election since long before Election Day. He’s falsely claimed mail-in ballots lead to widespread fraud. His campaign is engaging in voter intimidation at polling locations. He refuses to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses. He’s openly encouraged people carrying out political violence on his behalf. He’s vowing legal challenges to prevent states from counting ballots after Election Day.
Trump also plans to declare victory on Tuesday night if the results show him ahead, even if millions of ballots have yet to be counted, according to Axios.
Pelosi, who is in a powerful position to affect the election outcome if Trump tries to cut the vote count short, said she doesn’t expect the race to come down to an incredible, once-in-a-century scenario involving Congress calling the winner. But she’s ready to go down that road if necessary. For months, she’s been working closely with a team of lawyers, constitutional experts and institutions to game out responses to Trump’s potential chaos before, during and after the election.
That team includes attorneys with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Republicans and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
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“We have been prepared for the worst for a long time because what we have seen is the worst on the part of this president in terms of his disrespect for the Constitution, his disregard of free will of the people and his stooping to any level for his own reelection,” said Pelosi. “We have tremendous intellectual, political and financial resources at our disposal. ... We have our lawyers poised to move on a dime on Election Day or evening, as we see a problem.”
She said the fact that Trump and his campaign have essentially broadcast their plans to engage in foul play has helped her team to prepare to stop it.
“Go to Election Day and the intimidation that they have advertised that they’re going to engage in,” said Pelosi. “We knew that it was in their playbook ... to scare people off from voting. So again, when they made it known, they made it easier for us to counter.”
And if the president tries to declare victory on election night without millions of people’s votes being counted, Pelosi said she’s ready for that, too.
“This is not child’s play,” she said. “It is unconstitutional.”
That does seem to be Trump’s plan, though. In a disturbing statement released Monday, Trump’s deputy campaign manager Justin Clark warned that Democrats are the ones planning to delegitimize Election Day results because they want everyone’s ballots to be counted on and after Election Day ― setting the stage for Trump to declare himself the winner on election night and disregard millions of early and absentee ballots that could take days if not weeks to fully count.
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Biden’s campaign operatives are “imagining postal delays or falsely claiming that mail-in ballots that have simply not been returned should be considered legitimate votes that need to be counted,” Clark said. “None of this will be true, but it will be held up as proof that President Trump’s victory is a so-called ‘Red Mirage.’ No one should fall for it.”
For now, Pelosi said she’s focused on encouraging everyone to vote. The bigger the vote, she said, the more confident people can feel about it being an honest count. As of Monday morning, more than 95 million Americans had already voted, setting the stage for record participation.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--Trump Once Again Claims He 'Prepaid' His Taxes And Gets Mocked By Twitter Users

Most presidential candidates use the last day before an election articulating their vision for the next four years .
President Donald Trump spent his insisting that , contrary to various reports , he ’ s actually paid a lot of money in federal income tax .
Back in September , The New York Times reported that Trump only paid $ 750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017 .
The president dismissed the report as “ fake news , ” and later claimed that he has actually “ prepaid ” millions of dollars in taxes .
Many Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s claim since he ’ s never actually released the tax returns that would prove it .
This is an obvious lie since it would have shown up on the returns that the NYTimes reviewed .
The fact that he 's tweeting it on the day before the election means he knows this story really hurt him .
https : //t.co/PRxW79b58e — Joe Lockhart ( @ joelockhart ) November 2 , 2020 And then you claimed so much of it back for phony losses that you 're under audit for tax fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ jessewegman ) November 2 , 2020 when your parents ask where all the money in your bank account went https : //t.co/Oy30NSm6mJ — Grace Panetta ( @ grace_panetta ) November 2 , 2020 Of course not .
Your father taught you how to cheat and you 've become a tax-cheat super expert .
Right ?
Otherwise you would publish your tax returns for all to see .
https : //t.co/z15FHfMBwo — Fernando VOTE Espuelas ( @ EspuelasVox ) November 2 , 2020 Some people wondered why the president was bringing this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The man who claimed he was so smart for paying so little in taxes now says he paid more than he had to .
https : //t.co/rymdfGA9b4 — George Conway ( @ gtconway3d ) November 2 , 2020 Some really good message discipline here on the eve of Election Day : remind voters of the fact that he 's a man who claims to be a billionaire , despite hundreds of millions in debt ( at least ) , and he paid $ 750 in income taxes .
https : //t.co/JuNOFqcp7H — Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020

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Most presidential candidates use the last day before an election articulating their vision for the next four years.
President Donald Trump spent his insisting that, contrary to various reports, he’s actually paid a lot of money in federal income tax.
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I PREPAID Millions of Dollars in FEDERAL INCOME TAXES! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2020
Back in September, The New York Times reported that Trump only paid $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017.
The president dismissed the report as “fake news,” and later claimed that he has actually “prepaid” millions of dollars in taxes.
Many Twitter users were very skeptical about the president’s claim since he’s never actually released the tax returns that would prove it.
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This is an obvious lie since it would have shown up on the returns that the NYTimes reviewed. The fact that he's tweeting it on the day before the election means he knows this story really hurt him. https://t.co/PRxW79b58e — Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) November 2, 2020
And then you claimed so much of it back for phony losses that you're under audit for tax fraud. https://t.co/pGb8KSx7RD — Jesse Wegman (@jessewegman) November 2, 2020
when your parents ask where all the money in your bank account went https://t.co/Oy30NSm6mJ — Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) November 2, 2020
Of course not. Your father taught you how to cheat and you've become a tax-cheat super expert. Right? Otherwise you would publish your tax returns for all to see. https://t.co/z15FHfMBwo — Fernando VOTE Espuelas (@EspuelasVox) November 2, 2020
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Some people wondered why the president was bringing this up the day before the election.
The man who claimed he was so smart for paying so little in taxes now says he paid more than he had to. https://t.co/rymdfGA9b4 — George Conway (@gtconway3d) November 2, 2020
Not a good sign when this is your closing message. https://t.co/gqjkFsbdV9 — Ryan D. Enos (@RyanDEnos) November 2, 2020
Some really good message discipline here on the eve of Election Day: remind voters of the fact that he's a man who claims to be a billionaire, despite hundreds of millions in debt (at least), and he paid $750 in income taxes. https://t.co/JuNOFqcp7H — Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) November 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--White House To Erect 'Non-Scalable' Fence Ahead Of Election Day

Federal authorities plan to erect a “ non-scalable ” fence around the White House perimeter on Monday ahead of potential protests related to Election Day on Tuesday , according to multiple reports .
The barrier would be similar to the temporary security barrier installed during the summer amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd , CNN reported .
The decision to erect the extra layer of protection comes as the deeply divided nation prepares for the results of an election that may not have an immediate winner .
A White House fence covered with placards against Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's election .
President Donald Trump has suggested that he will contest any win by Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Trump would not commit to a peaceful transfer of power and said he plans to have his lawyers on standby .
Amid the concerns , some retailers have started boarding up their stores in hopes of avoiding property damage from any acts of violence .
Such preparations have already been seen in New York , Washington , Seattle and Los Angeles .
“ If Trump wins , our risk analysts , who look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expecting widespread mass anti-government demonstrations in every major city , ” Matt Hinton , a partner at security consultant Control Risks , told Bloomberg News .
A Pret A Manger restaurant in downtown Washington , not far from the White House , is seen being boarded up on Friday ahead of this week 's election and possible demonstrations .
“ It is widely believed that there will be civil unrest after the November election regardless of who wins , ” said Newsham , as reported by The Washington Post .
Neither the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to HuffPost ’ s requests for comment .
Retailers have been boarding up their stores ahead of Tuesday 's election .
A boarded-up CVS store in Washington , D.C. , is pictured .

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Federal authorities plan to erect a “non-scalable” fence around the White House perimeter on Monday ahead of potential protests related to Election Day on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
The barrier would be similar to the temporary security barrier installed during the summer amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, CNN reported.
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The decision to erect the extra layer of protection comes as the deeply divided nation prepares for the results of an election that may not have an immediate winner.
A White House fence covered with placards against Donald Trump's re-election is seen ahead of Tuesday's election. Yegor Aleyev via Getty Images
President Donald Trump has suggested that he will contest any win by Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Trump would not commit to a peaceful transfer of power and said he plans to have his lawyers on standby.
Amid the concerns, some retailers have started boarding up their stores in hopes of avoiding property damage from any acts of violence. Such preparations have already been seen in New York, Washington, Seattle and Los Angeles.
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“If Trump wins, our risk analysts, who look at this every single day, are expecting widespread mass anti-government demonstrations in every major city,” Matt Hinton, a partner at security consultant Control Risks, told Bloomberg News.
A Pret A Manger restaurant in downtown Washington, not far from the White House, is seen being boarded up on Friday ahead of this week's election and possible demonstrations. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Protests could continue through Inauguration Day in January, Hinton added.
D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham, speaking with lawmakers this month, also warned of possible unrest.
“It is widely believed that there will be civil unrest after the November election regardless of who wins,” said Newsham, as reported by The Washington Post.
Neither the White House nor the Secret Service immediately responded to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--Top Trump Supporters Attack Joe Biden For Going Maskless Using 2019 Photo

Two top Donald Trump supporters were caught in lies on Monday after attempting to smear Joe Biden as a hypocrite regarding mask-wearing in public .
On Sunday night , Richard Grenell , the president ’ s former acting director of national intelligence , tweeted out a photo that showed the Democratic presidential nominee talking to a reporter without a mask .
Fox News host Mark Levin retweeted Grenell ’ s post and accused Biden of being a fraud .
Both tweets were widely retweeted before CNN ’ s Andrew Kaczynski pointed out that the photo Grenell and Levin were using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually taken in 2019 ― months before the pandemic began .
A combined 27K RTs on photo from 2019 before there was a pandemic .
These people tweet in all caps about fake news .
pic.twitter.com/n8J9icJkyc — andrew kaczynski🤔 ( @ KFILE ) November 2 , 2020 In a follow-up tweet , Kaczynski included the link to the 2019 Vogue article where the photo originally appeared .
HuffPost reached out to Grenell and Levin , but neither one immediately replied .
However , Grenell did respond to a tweet by author Anne Wheaton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outdoor rally , according to Mediaite .
The picture on the left was taken in 2019 when there was no pandemic .
Why are you lying to your followers about him ?
— Anne Wheaton ( @ AnneWheaton ) November 2 , 2020 Many Twitter users were happy to call both Grenell and Levin out for their deceptive tweets .
Grenell received the brunt of the criticism .
Funny how the former director of national intelligence has no intelligence .
You really think Biden needed to wear a mask in 2019 ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russians just come with being a Trumper ?
— Kurt `` Mask Up , Vote Early '' Eichenwald ( @ kurteichenwald ) November 2 , 2020 More disinfo from the Trump campaign ( and former acting Director of National Intelligence ) .
The picture on the left is from 2019 .
Now who 's the phony ?
https : //t.co/HxSBNdmTMA — Michael Carpenter ( @ mikercarpenter ) November 2 , 2020 '' These people '' include the former Acting Director of National Intelligence @ RichardGrenell who was supposed to help lead the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinformation and is here creating and spreading his own .
https : //t.co/GrY9vLPXhS — Alexander Marquardt ( @ MarquardtA ) November 2 , 2020 Levin also came under fire .
You know who else did n't wear a mask in 2019 ?
Everybody !
Here 's another one of Joe without a mask .
Shocking stuff !
https : //t.co/4TFxqueGaG pic.twitter.com/76tOx1OLak — Bob Levine ( @ idguy ) November 2 , 2020 Photo of @ JoeBiden from 2019 .
This is who these people are .
Intentionally ( and shamelessly ) misleading followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Try making a point by using facts and telling the truth , most of your audience are genuinely good people .
Respect them .
# Gutless https : //t.co/kjmE7eFeKT — Alexander Dinelaris ( @ 🏡 ) ( @ AlexDinelaris ) November 2 , 2020 Mark Levin falls for hoaxes on Twitter more than any other mainstream political commentator I know of .
Honestly , it 's not particularly close !
https : //t.co/iw3AFbcgV5 — Isaac Saul ( @ Ike_Saul ) November 2 , 2020

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Two top Donald Trump supporters were caught in lies on Monday after attempting to smear Joe Biden as a hypocrite regarding mask-wearing in public.
On Sunday night, Richard Grenell, the president’s former acting director of national intelligence, tweeted out a photo that showed the Democratic presidential nominee talking to a reporter without a mask.
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Grenell also called Biden a “Washington, DC phony!”
Washington, DC phony!@JoeBiden doesn’t wear a mask on a plane - but wears one OUTSIDE!? pic.twitter.com/7q0LG09bOq — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) November 1, 2020
Fox News host Mark Levin retweeted Grenell’s post and accused Biden of being a fraud.
Biden wears a mask outside but not on a plane. Fraud. https://t.co/Ifj44claPP — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 2, 2020
Both tweets were widely retweeted before CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski pointed out that the photo Grenell and Levin were using to smear Biden as a phony was actually taken in 2019 ― months before the pandemic began.
A combined 27K RTs on photo from 2019 before there was a pandemic. These people tweet in all caps about fake news. pic.twitter.com/n8J9icJkyc — andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) November 2, 2020
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In a follow-up tweet, Kaczynski included the link to the 2019 Vogue article where the photo originally appeared.
HuffPost reached out to Grenell and Levin, but neither one immediately replied. However, Grenell did respond to a tweet by author Anne Wheaton with a photo of Biden taken at an outdoor rally, according to Mediaite.
The picture on the left was taken in 2019 when there was no pandemic. Why are you lying to your followers about him? — Anne Wheaton (@AnneWheaton) November 2, 2020
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Many Twitter users were happy to call both Grenell and Levin out for their deceptive tweets.
Grenell received the brunt of the criticism.
The dishonesty here is breathtaking. https://t.co/idqiHuL4fs — Mike Lupica (@MikeLupica) November 2, 2020
Funny how the former director of national intelligence has no intelligence. You really think Biden needed to wear a mask in 2019? Or does spreading disinformation in conjunction with the Russians just come with being a Trumper? — Kurt "Mask Up, Vote Early" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 2, 2020
More disinfo from the Trump campaign (and former acting Director of National Intelligence). The picture on the left is from 2019. Now who's the phony? https://t.co/HxSBNdmTMA — Michael Carpenter (@mikercarpenter) November 2, 2020
"These people" include the former Acting Director of National Intelligence @RichardGrenell who was supposed to help lead the intel community's effort to combat foreign disinformation and is here creating and spreading his own. https://t.co/GrY9vLPXhS — Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) November 2, 2020
Levin also came under fire.
You know who else didn't wear a mask in 2019? Everybody!
Here's another one of Joe without a mask. Shocking stuff! https://t.co/4TFxqueGaG pic.twitter.com/76tOx1OLak — Bob Levine (@idguy) November 2, 2020
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Photo of @JoeBiden from 2019. This is who these people are. Intentionally (and shamelessly) misleading followers. Such a disgusting breed of cowards. Try making a point by using facts and telling the truth, most of your audience are genuinely good people. Respect them. #Gutless https://t.co/kjmE7eFeKT — Alexander Dinelaris (@🏡) (@AlexDinelaris) November 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--EPA Staff Slams Trump’s Anti-Diversity Orders: ‘They Are Punitive And Demeaning’

By Monday morning , at least 80 employees in the agency ’ s Office of General Counsel ― more than one-third of staffers there ― signed on to a statement warning that Trump ’ s move will “ result in further institutionalizing racism in the federal government ” and “ fly in the face of freedom of speech under the First Amendment , ” according to a copy of the letter HuffPost obtained .
Combined , the signatories represent more than 1,000 years of service to the agency .
“ We reject the approach of these directives , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demeaning to federal employees , contractors , and grantees — especially those who are Black , Indigenous , and People of Color .
These directives both perpetuate and amplify the harmful stereotyping they purport to discourage.
” The White House issued an executive order on Sept. 22 , following a segment on Fox News about diversity training that apparently caught the president ’ s attention .
The order claims that certain kinds of anti-racism and anti-sexism trainings are “ un-American , ” particularly those that teach such concepts as systemic racism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively bans all such training within the federal government and any entity that contracts with or accepts funding from the federal government .
The crackdown on trainings that have been standard in the work world for decades has been widely condemned outside the corners of Fox News and the right-wing media .
Last week , two civil rights groups , represented by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund , filed suit against the administration in federal court , arguing that the order is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech and asking that the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the pushback had been more quiet , with most federal workers terrified to speak up for fear of retaliation .
And the letter from the EPA appears to be the most vocal condemnation of the ban from inside the government .
It had been in the works for weeks as staffers weighed a response against increasingly strict guidance from the White House ’ s Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management on how to interpret the executive orders .
“ The President ’ s Executive Order makes clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fair and equal treatment of all individuals before the law ’ and recognizes that the fundamental tenet of our nation is ‘ that all individuals are created equal and should be allowed an equal opportunity under the law to pursue happiness and prosper based on individual merit , ’ ” James Hewitt , an EPA spokesman , said in an emailed statement .
“ EPA is committed to maintaining fair and equal treatment of every individual who works at the Agency , and the President ’ s Executive Order is fully consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone left printouts of two apes scrolled with the N-word and the message “ back to the jungle u go !
” on the desk of an African American employee in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention , the trade publication Government Executive reported .
Months later , a contractor allegedly wrote racist messages on a whiteboard in the Office of Public Affairs .
This executive order came out and basically said the fact that we ’ ve been doing this work and creating an opportunity for some hard conversations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda . '
But within the EPA ’ s Office of General Counsel , more subtle indignities were commonplace , an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal told HuffPost .
White staffers repeatedly mistook Black and South Asian colleagues for other co-workers of their same ethnicity , the employee said .
Black attorneys in the office were at times presumed to be support staff .
The office committee on anti-racism led talks and exercises that helped bring these issues to the fore and facilitate apologies and more respectful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and basically said the fact that we ’ ve been doing this work and creating an opportunity for some hard conversations and healing is ‘ un-American ’ and ‘ propaganda , ’ ” the employee said .
“ So all of this nonsense hit our office particularly hard , because we had made this really deliberate choice to engage in that work that we knew needed to be done.
” The agency also appeared to halt work on the racial disparities in pollution that EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler actually vowed to expand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Friday , Sen. Tammy Duckworth ( D-Ill. ) , Sen. Cory Booker ( D-N.J. ) and Rep. Donald McEachin ( D-Va. ) sent a letter to Wheeler demanding answers on why the EPA canceled events on environmental justice .
“ As our country continues to address the coronavirus pandemic , which is disproportionately impacting members of environmental justice communities , we believe that diversity and anti-racism trainings are needed now more than ever , ” the lawmakers wrote .
“ To write off real differences in outcomes among demographic groups as merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do the job that the American people need and a dangerous minimization of the problem .
”

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Environmental Protection Agency staffers are organizing against President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning diversity trainings, mounting what may be the fiercest opposition to Trump administration policy from within to date.
By Monday morning, at least 80 employees in the agency’s Office of General Counsel ― more than one-third of staffers there ― signed on to a statement warning that Trump’s move will “result in further institutionalizing racism in the federal government” and “fly in the face of freedom of speech under the First Amendment,” according to a copy of the letter HuffPost obtained. Combined, the signatories represent more than 1,000 years of service to the agency.
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“We reject the approach of these directives,” the letter read. “They are punitive and demeaning to federal employees, contractors, and grantees — especially those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. These directives both perpetuate and amplify the harmful stereotyping they purport to discourage.”
The White House issued an executive order on Sept. 22, following a segment on Fox News about diversity training that apparently caught the president’s attention. The order claims that certain kinds of anti-racism and anti-sexism trainings are “un-American,” particularly those that teach such concepts as systemic racism, white privilege and unconscious bias, and effectively bans all such training within the federal government and any entity that contracts with or accepts funding from the federal government.
The crackdown on trainings that have been standard in the work world for decades has been widely condemned outside the corners of Fox News and the right-wing media. Last week, two civil rights groups, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, filed suit against the administration in federal court, arguing that the order is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech and asking that the order be immediately rescinded.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler speaks at a news conference. SUSAN WALSH via Getty Images
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Inside federal agencies, the pushback had been more quiet, with most federal workers terrified to speak up for fear of retaliation. And the letter from the EPA appears to be the most vocal condemnation of the ban from inside the government. It had been in the works for weeks as staffers weighed a response against increasingly strict guidance from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management on how to interpret the executive orders.
The final letter, dated Nov. 1, comes less than a week after HuffPost reported that an LGBTQ Pride event inside the EPA had been canceled because of the executive order.
“The President’s Executive Order makes clear that the federal government is ‘committed to the fair and equal treatment of all individuals before the law’ and recognizes that the fundamental tenet of our nation is ‘that all individuals are created equal and should be allowed an equal opportunity under the law to pursue happiness and prosper based on individual merit,’” James Hewitt, an EPA spokesman, said in an emailed statement. “EPA is committed to maintaining fair and equal treatment of every individual who works at the Agency, and the President’s Executive Order is fully consistent with these principles.”
The EPA’s legal department, which also carries out the agency’s civil rights and ethics work, formed a task force on racism following several incidents that exposed inequities within its own office culture.
Racist incidents from 2018 cast the agency as a federal department desperately in need of introspection.
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That year, someone left printouts of two apes scrolled with the N-word and the message “back to the jungle u go!” on the desk of an African American employee in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, the trade publication Government Executive reported. Months later, a contractor allegedly wrote racist messages on a whiteboard in the Office of Public Affairs.
“This executive order came out and basically said the fact that we’ve been doing this work and creating an opportunity for some hard conversations and healing is ‘un-American’ and ‘propaganda.'” - EPA employee
But within the EPA’s Office of General Counsel, more subtle indignities were commonplace, an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal told HuffPost. White staffers repeatedly mistook Black and South Asian colleagues for other co-workers of their same ethnicity, the employee said. Black attorneys in the office were at times presumed to be support staff. The office committee on anti-racism led talks and exercises that helped bring these issues to the fore and facilitate apologies and more respectful dialogue.
“This executive order came out and basically said the fact that we’ve been doing this work and creating an opportunity for some hard conversations and healing is ‘un-American’ and ‘propaganda,’” the employee said. “So all of this nonsense hit our office particularly hard, because we had made this really deliberate choice to engage in that work that we knew needed to be done.”
The orders didn’t force the committee to disband. But it “drove those conversations underground,” the staffer said.
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“It was like the rug being pulled out from under you,” the employee said. “It’s had a massive, massive chilling effect.”
The agency also appeared to halt work on the racial disparities in pollution that EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler actually vowed to expand if Trump won a second term. On Friday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) sent a letter to Wheeler demanding answers on why the EPA canceled events on environmental justice.
“As our country continues to address the coronavirus pandemic, which is disproportionately impacting members of environmental justice communities, we believe that diversity and anti-racism trainings are needed now more than ever,” the lawmakers wrote. “To write off real differences in outcomes among demographic groups as merely divisive rhetoric represents a reckless refusal to do the job that the American people need and a dangerous minimization of the problem.”
Are you a government employee who has seen a training canceled or experienced other fallout from the White House executive order? Email emily.peck@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--Ad For GOP Sen. Cory Gardner Talks Up Colorado While Showing ... The Grand Canyon

It ’ s a mile deep , up to 18 miles wide , and nowhere near the home turf of embattled Sen. Cory Gardner ( R-Colo. ) .
It ’ s the Grand Canyon , and ― geography be damned ― it nevertheless features prominently in a new pro-Gardner reelection ad titled , “ Delivering For Colorado.
” The spot opens with soaring music and a narrator who , in deep baritone , talks up “ Colorado ’ s greatest natural resources : our people , our land.
” In the background , a panorama of the Grand Canyon sweeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million years old .
It ’ s spent every single one of them in the area we now know as “ Arizona.
” James Owens , who served as press secretary for the Democratic senator Gardner beat in 2014 , Mark Udall , first noticed the discrepancy .
“ Not how you win in [ Colorado ] !
” he remarked : Pro-Gardner ad `` Delivering for Colorado '' gushes about `` our people , our land '' — but opens on a shot of the Grand Canyon .
Not how you win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pic.twitter.com/44ZmtIlHLs — James Owens ( @ JamesDakinOwens ) October 19 , 2020 Gardner is considered the most vulnerable Republican senator on the ballot this year , in part because of President Donald Trump ’ s unpopularity in Colorado .
Polls have consistently shown Democrat John Hickenlooper , the state ’ s former governor , with a comfortable lead over Gardner .
A super PAC by the name of ESAFund ( formerly “ Ending Spending Action Fund ” ) paid for the Gardner ad .
OpenSecrets.org , a nonpartisan political finance tracker , links @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and longtime financier of conservative causes .
In an emailed statement to HuffPost , Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson Eli Rosen accused Ricketts of trying to greenwash Gardner ’ s record in exchange for the incumbent having supported massive tax cuts for the nation ’ s wealthiest people .
“ Apparently Gardner ’ s out-of-state billionaire backer can ’ t tell the difference between Colorado and Arizona , ” Rosen quipped .

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It’s a mile deep, up to 18 miles wide, and nowhere near the home turf of embattled Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.).
It’s the Grand Canyon, and ― geography be damned ― it nevertheless features prominently in a new pro-Gardner reelection ad titled, “Delivering For Colorado.”
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The spot opens with soaring music and a narrator who, in deep baritone, talks up “Colorado’s greatest natural resources: our people, our land.” In the background, a panorama of the Grand Canyon sweeps past.
The Grand Canyon is 6 million years old. It’s spent every single one of them in the area we now know as “Arizona.”
James Owens, who served as press secretary for the Democratic senator Gardner beat in 2014, Mark Udall, first noticed the discrepancy. “Not how you win in [Colorado]!” he remarked:
Pro-Gardner ad "Delivering for Colorado" gushes about "our people, our land" — but opens on a shot of the Grand Canyon.
Not how you win in #COsen!https://t.co/09rWfTHqA3 pic.twitter.com/44ZmtIlHLs — James Owens (@JamesDakinOwens) October 19, 2020
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Gardner is considered the most vulnerable Republican senator on the ballot this year, in part because of President Donald Trump’s unpopularity in Colorado. Polls have consistently shown Democrat John Hickenlooper, the state’s former governor, with a comfortable lead over Gardner.
A super PAC by the name of ESAFund (formerly “Ending Spending Action Fund”) paid for the Gardner ad. OpenSecrets.org, a nonpartisan political finance tracker, links the organization to Joe Ricketts, billionaire co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and longtime financier of conservative causes.
In an emailed statement to HuffPost, Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson Eli Rosen accused Ricketts of trying to greenwash Gardner’s record in exchange for the incumbent having supported massive tax cuts for the nation’s wealthiest people.
“Apparently Gardner’s out-of-state billionaire backer can’t tell the difference between Colorado and Arizona,” Rosen quipped.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--10 Muslim Americans Explain Why They Support Trump

HuffPost spoke to 10 American Muslims across the country about why they back Trump .
Several said they liked his stance on foreign policy .
Some said they support Trump ’ s stances on abortion and health care .
A few others credited Trump for improving the job market .
While several said they didn ’ t like it when the president has indulged in xenophobia , they are willing to overlook it because of his other positive attributes .
Obeid , who voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by Trump ’ s rhetoric against Muslims and refugees during the first campaign , and even some of his actions as president , such as suspending the entry of refugees from Yemen , where Obeid and his family are from , and other countries .
Obeid said he was willing to overlook them .
“ If you look at the overall picture , right , I like 75 % of what Trump does and I hate 25 % of what he does , ” Obeid told HuffPost .
“ I like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderation .
And if voting for AOC and Trump , we ’ re going to find the middle ground there , then , let it be , ” he said .
But after Sanders lost the nomination , Elmenayer was unconvinced by former Vice President Joe Biden and particularly frustrated by how the other Democrats treated Sanders .
So he began to look across party lines .
And he wound up impressed by Trump , including the fact that he left the coronavirus pandemic response largely to the states rather than using it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandates .
“ I believe that all American presidents play with the emotions of Muslims , and none of them at all care for Muslims , ” Elzaree said .
“ I don ’ t think Joe Biden cares for Muslims more than Trump .
Biden is trying to manipulate the Muslims by just saying things in Arabic or quoting the religion or something like that , but he is not better than Trump .
And the same thing goes for Obama and Clinton and George Bush.
” A registered Democrat until 2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to feel that her religious values , including her opposition to abortion , began to conflict with the party ’ s platform .
She was hesitant about affiliating with the GOP because the party often propagates disinformation about American Muslims , but she felt like it was the right thing to do .
In 2016 , she founded the Republican Muslim Coalition in Texas .
Farhana Shifa , a 45-year-old naturalized citizen from Bangladesh , said her personal and religious values align best with the GOP .
She has been involved in GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona state office in 2018 and is an advisory board member on the Asian Pacific Americans for Trump Nationwide Coalition .
In March 2020 , she became the co-chair of Muslim Voices For Trump to build “ a bridge between President Trump and the Muslim community and to promote a greater understanding.
” Ali Hamideh is a 32-year-old car mechanic in upstate New York who has been outspoken in his opposition to local vaccine requirements .
He and his wife blame his son ’ s rare seizure disorder on his vaccinations , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) and Democrats generally .
( Multiple scientific studies have determined vaccines are safe .
Seizures can be a rare side effect , but there is no evidence that immunizations cause long-term conditions . )
Tom , who is going by his first name only because of concerns that he might be doxed , is white and converted to Islam in 2015 .
He said he supports Trump based on his traditional family values and economic issues , including taxes and trade .
Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies ” such as the travel ban , which Tom said he doesn ’ t believe is a Muslim ban , and not other fiscal policies , such as tax cuts .

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President Donald Trump, who as a candidate threatened to ban Muslims from the U.S., followed through as president with a travel order that kept residents of several Muslim-majority countries out of the United States. He’s aligned with notorious Islamophobes and has attacked the first two Muslim women in Congress.
Some Muslims are voting for his reelection anyway.
Although Muslims are the least likely faith group in the U.S. to support Trump in the 2020 election, the number of Muslim Americans who support him is rising, according to a report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding released in October. Support for Trump among Muslim Americans climbed from 4% in 2016 to 14% this year, the survey found.
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HuffPost spoke to 10 American Muslims across the country about why they back Trump. Several said they liked his stance on foreign policy. Some said they support Trump’s stances on abortion and health care. A few others credited Trump for improving the job market. While several said they didn’t like it when the president has indulged in xenophobia, they are willing to overlook it because of his other positive attributes.
“Some [Muslims] will say, ‘You’ve betrayed Islam’ and ‘You’ve betrayed the entire community,’” Yahay Obeid, a 37-year-old in New York, told HuffPost. “‘You voted for Trump.’ How’s that fair? How is that a correct statement? Are we not in a democracy? Can you not vote for whoever you want?”
Obeid, who voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in 2018, said he was put off by Trump’s rhetoric against Muslims and refugees during the first campaign, and even some of his actions as president, such as suspending the entry of refugees from Yemen, where Obeid and his family are from, and other countries. Obeid said he was willing to overlook them.
“If you look at the overall picture, right, I like 75% of what Trump does and I hate 25% of what he does,” Obeid told HuffPost. “I like to see things in moderation. Everything in moderation. And if voting for AOC and Trump, we’re going to find the middle ground there, then, let it be,” he said.
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‘He’s Actually Delivered’
Tamer Elmenayer, a 43-year-old technology manager in Texas, said he didn’t vote in 2016, predominately because he felt that “neither party represented my ideals or needs as a Muslim American,” he said.
During the 2020 Democratic primary, he was captivated by then-presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. He particularly liked Sanders’ ”Medicare for All” health care plan and that the Vermont senator called out economic inequality. Elmenayer even donated to Sanders’ campaign.
But after Sanders lost the nomination, Elmenayer was unconvinced by former Vice President Joe Biden and particularly frustrated by how the other Democrats treated Sanders. So he began to look across party lines. And he wound up impressed by Trump, including the fact that he left the coronavirus pandemic response largely to the states rather than using it to expand his presidential powers through nationwide mandates.
“I try not to look at things on a partisan line, I try to look at things issue by issue,” said Elmenayer. “Trump was a different voice. He actually had his own voice. He appeared to be independent of the political machine and I felt that he was actually taking steps for America.”
Najib Abdul-Haqq, 58, a two-time Trump voter and a two-time President Barack Obama voter, said Obama and the Democratic party failed him as a Black American Muslim. When Trump asked Black voters what they had to lose by supporting him in 2016, Abdul-Haqq found himself unable to provide an answer. Today, Abdul-Haqq said he’s more content with Trump than he was with Obama.
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“He’s actually delivered in terms of his presidency,” Abdul-Haqq said. “Prison reform, his funding of the historically Black colleges and universities, and deregulation on taxes. I was with him on strong border regulations because Black labor is the first to get hurt by illegal immigration into this country.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed to be better for Black Americans than past presidents. Earlier this year, he claimed he “saved” historically Black colleges and universities, although funding passed under Obama as well. Research has found that the idea that undocumented workers are taking away jobs from people of color is based on half-truths and fails to mention the overall net wealth brought in by immigration.
Although experts have found that many of Trump’s policies and rhetoric have actively harmed Black Americans, Abdul-Haqq said he doesn’t find Trump “to be any more racist than any other president that has preceded to include President Obama.” As for 2020, Abdul-Haqq said he might have voted for Biden if he were running against any other Republican who wasn’t Trump.
Ahmed Elzaree, a 51-year-old imam based in Maryland, said too often Democrats pander to Muslims for their vote but take no meaningful action to support their communities.
“I believe that all American presidents play with the emotions of Muslims, and none of them at all care for Muslims.” - Ahmed Elzaree, Maryland voter
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Elzaree is a longtime Republican and has voted for Donald Trump twice. Elzaree said Trump had “his shortcomings like any other human being” but, overall, he couldn’t be happier with the country under the president.
“I believe that all American presidents play with the emotions of Muslims, and none of them at all care for Muslims,” Elzaree said. “I don’t think Joe Biden cares for Muslims more than Trump. Biden is trying to manipulate the Muslims by just saying things in Arabic or quoting the religion or something like that, but he is not better than Trump. And the same thing goes for Obama and Clinton and George Bush.”
Aligning With Republican Values
Some Muslim Trump voters said they back the president because they are more aligned with Republicans on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.
A registered Democrat until 2011, 35-year-old Saba Ahmed said she began to feel that her religious values, including her opposition to abortion, began to conflict with the party’s platform. She was hesitant about affiliating with the GOP because the party often propagates disinformation about American Muslims, but she felt like it was the right thing to do. In 2016, she founded the Republican Muslim Coalition in Texas.
“As hard as it was becoming Republican and kind of trying to make a place in the Republican party as a Muslim American, I still felt that at least I didn’t have to have a conflict with my faith, so that really drove me to it,” Ahmed said.
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Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), right, talks with Saba Ahmed during the "Empowering Leaders for the Future" 2015 Women's Summit hosted by the RNC at the Willard Hotel in October 2015. Tom Williams via Getty Images
Farhana Shifa, a 45-year-old naturalized citizen from Bangladesh, said her personal and religious values align best with the GOP. She has been involved in GOP politics since 2013. She ran for Arizona state office in 2018 and is an advisory board member on the Asian Pacific Americans for Trump Nationwide Coalition. In March 2020, she became the co-chair of Muslim Voices For Trump to build “a bridge between President Trump and the Muslim community and to promote a greater understanding.”
Shifa said the president’s support for religious freedoms speaks to his desire to cater to all Abrahamic faiths, including the Muslim community.
“I believe in God, I believe in family values, and most importantly, I believe in a smaller government, and I’m a pro-life person. That’s why I became a Republican,” she said.
Ali Hamideh is a 32-year-old car mechanic in upstate New York who has been outspoken in his opposition to local vaccine requirements. He and his wife blame his son’s rare seizure disorder on his vaccinations, and he is voting for Trump in protest against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and Democrats generally. (Multiple scientific studies have determined vaccines are safe. Seizures can be a rare side effect, but there is no evidence that immunizations cause long-term conditions.)
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“I do feel safe under Trump’s policies as opposed to the Democrats,” he said.
He said that Democrats “don’t want to give you safety, they don’t want to give you freedom. They want to make you live in fear, that’s what I see.”
‘The Lesser Of Two Evils’
Many of the Muslim Trump supporters who spoke to HuffPost particularly like Trump’s foreign policy, noting that previous administrations engaged in military interventions in Muslim-majority countries, and appreciate that Trump has not followed suit.
While Trump claimed he was ending “an era of endless wars,” experts have noted that he has brought the country to the brink of new ones with North Korea or Iran. In 2019, the U.S. dropped more bombs in Afghanistan more than in any other year.
As for the Muslim travel ban, Elmenayer said it could be worse.
“Would you rather have a temporary travel ban from those countries? Or would you rather have him go into those countries with troops and bomb indiscriminately killing many civilians? Because that’s what previous presidents have done,” Elmenayer said.
“So I would take a temporary travel ban than having us go to war with another nation, killing our brothers and sisters overseas. I think it’s the lesser of two evils,” he said.
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Tom, a 27-year-old software developer in New Jersey, acknowledged that the president has made unsavory comments about Muslims and other marginalized groups, but he said people needed to “take it with a grain of salt.”
Tom, who is going by his first name only because of concerns that he might be doxed, is white and converted to Islam in 2015. He said he supports Trump based on his traditional family values and economic issues, including taxes and trade. Tom said, “the media overplays negative policies” such as the travel ban, which Tom said he doesn’t believe is a Muslim ban, and not other fiscal policies, such as tax cuts.
“I just don’t look at him through racial terms,” he said. “This president has delivered economically and foreign policy- and social policy-wise in ways that align with my view as a Muslim and as an American, and I support him purely based on that.”
Akrem, a 23-year-old from Minnesota who wished to be identified only by his first name, said he supports Trump because he’s “the antidote to everything that is wrong with America today.” But he also conceded that Republicans have shown some hostility toward Muslims.
Akrem said that while Trump is likely “pro-Christian” and “pro-white,” he thinks the president “probably doesn’t hate Muslims” and that Trump is just “saying what his supporters want to hear.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--Trump, 'Fox & Friends' Slam Lady Gaga For Pro-Biden Video, Being 'Anti-Fracking Activist'

“ Fox & Friends ” went after Lady Gaga Monday for being a vocal supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted about her alleged stance against fracking .
Co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt discussed a video the singer posted over the weekend showing her wearing camouflage and drinking a beer while telling Americans she ’ s voting for Biden .
Kilmeade took issue with Gaga addressing “ Minnesota , Pennsylvania , Georgia , Michigan , Florida or Arizona ” by name and suggested she was mocking them with her look in the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join you to try to convert Pennsylvanians to vote for you is kind of interesting , because she mocks an average , I guess , rural Pennsylvania blue-collar worker in a video in support of Joe Biden , ” said Kilmeade , before going on to say : “ She also hates fracking !
And that scares the heck out of Pennsylvania , that the president ’ s gon na get this job and ban fracking.
” Kilmeade ’ s remarks come on the heels of Gaga and Trump having a bizarre back-and-forth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murtaugh shared a statement from the campaign in response to her video , calling her an “ anti-fracking activist ” and claiming Biden will always “ prioritize ” the “ liberal Hollywood elite and the radical left.
” In response to Murtaugh ’ s tweet , Gaga tweeted back at him and tagged Trump , declaring she ’ s “ happy ” to be “ living rent free ” in their heads .
She also included a video she also posted on her Instagram Story that asked : “ What is a fracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directed at Gaga hours later , in which he assailed the star for allegedly being against fracking .
Just learned that Sleepy Joe Biden is campaigning in Pennsylvania with Lady Gaga , a proud member of “ Artists Against Fracking.
” This is more proof that he would ban Fracking and skyrocket your energy prices ... — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) November 2 , 2020 ... As I said at the debate – “ Will you remember that Texas ?
Pennsylvania ?
Ohio ?
New Mexico ?
” I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Get out and VOTE # MAGA !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) November 2 , 2020 Trump has repeatedly claimed his Democratic opponent will ban fracking if elected , while Biden has said he does not plan to ban it .

“Fox & Friends” went after Lady Gaga Monday for being a vocal supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted about her alleged stance against fracking.
Co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt discussed a video the singer posted over the weekend showing her wearing camouflage and drinking a beer while telling Americans she’s voting for Biden.
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Kilmeade took issue with Gaga addressing “Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Florida or Arizona” by name and suggested she was mocking them with her look in the video.
“To ask Lady Gaga to join you to try to convert Pennsylvanians to vote for you is kind of interesting, because she mocks an average, I guess, rural Pennsylvania blue-collar worker in a video in support of Joe Biden,” said Kilmeade, before going on to say: “She also hates fracking! And that scares the heck out of Pennsylvania, that the president’s gonna get this job and ban fracking.”
Fox & Friends attacks Lady Gaga, as the hunt for a deplorables moment plumbs new depths of desperation pic.twitter.com/1cX7isSDXY — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) November 2, 2020
Kilmeade’s remarks come on the heels of Gaga and Trump having a bizarre back-and-forth on Twitter.
Trump communications director Tim Murtaugh shared a statement from the campaign in response to her video, calling her an “anti-fracking activist” and claiming Biden will always “prioritize” the “liberal Hollywood elite and the radical left.”
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In response to Murtaugh’s tweet, Gaga tweeted back at him and tagged Trump, declaring she’s “happy” to be “living rent free” in their heads. She also included a video she also posted on her Instagram Story that asked: “What is a fracking?”
HEY TIM HEY @realDonaldTrump SO HAPPY IM GLAD TO BE LIVING RENT FREE in your HEAD. #BidenHarris https://t.co/k2ODfQNkF3 pic.twitter.com/Iy3Nj8aYMR — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 1, 2020
Trump fired back some tweets directed at Gaga hours later, in which he assailed the star for allegedly being against fracking.
Just learned that Sleepy Joe Biden is campaigning in Pennsylvania with Lady Gaga, a proud member of “Artists Against Fracking.” This is more proof that he would ban Fracking and skyrocket your energy prices... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2020
...As I said at the debate – “Will you remember that Texas?Pennsylvania? Ohio? New Mexico?” I will always protect American Energy and American Jobs! Get out and VOTE #MAGA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2020
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Trump has repeatedly claimed his Democratic opponent will ban fracking if elected, while Biden has said he does not plan to ban it.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--Trump Has Dominated Voters' Attention Throughout The Campaign. That Doesn't Seem To Have Helped Him.

Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images Voters say they see and hear more about President Donald Trump than about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
But that 's not necessarily good news for Trump .
President Donald Trump has dominated voters ’ attention throughout the campaign across a number of metrics , HuffPost/YouGov polling finds .
But with much of that focus distinctly negative , the disparity may not have been an asset for him .
Across five polls taken in September and October , Trump repeatedly saw an outsized role in voters ’ conversations and news consumption .
On average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d recently seen more recent news stories about Trump than about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , compared to just 9 % who ’ d seen more news about Biden .
( The rest had seen an equal share of stories about both candidates , haven ’ t seen stories about either , or were unsure . )
An average 37 % said they ’ d spent more time talking about Trump , compared to about 13 % who ’ d spent more time talking about Biden .
About 26 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media postings from Trump , compared to 15 % who ’ d seen more from Biden .
In the final poll , taken Oct. 26 through Oct. 29 , several of those gaps have narrowed a little .
A third of voters said they ’ ve spent more time in the past month talking about Trump , compared to 16 % who ’ ve talked more about Biden .
Similarly , 37 % said that within the last month , they ’ d seen more news stories about Trump than they have about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d seen more about Biden .
Twenty-six percent had seen more social media posts from Trump , compared to 16 % who ’ d seen more from Biden .
There are two exceptions to Trump ’ s dominance of voters ’ headspace : voter contact and TV airtime .
Sixteen percent of voters said they ’ ve been contacted only by Biden ’ s campaign , compared to the 11 % who ’ d been contacted only by Trump , and 22 % who ’ d been reached by both .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , voters say Biden ’ s taken up more time on the TV airtime they ’ ve seen .
( In early September , voters said they were seeing more Biden ads by only a 5-point margin ; that later expanded into a double-digit edge as Biden campaign ads blitzed battleground states . )
Trump is , of course , the incumbent president , but that doesn ’ t seem to be the only reason he ’ s taken the lion ’ s share of attention .
The results of the poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when then-candidate Trump was similarly seen as dominating the news and personal conversations during his race with Hillary Clinton .
But while Trump ’ s domination of the headlines likely helped him to secure the Republican nomination in 2016 , it ’ s less clear that such coverage is helpful to him in a general election .
Over the course of this year , as another set of HuffPost/YouGov polling suggests , what voters are hearing about Trump has consistently tended toward the negative .
Throughout most of the year , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of simple questions every few weeks : if they ’ ve heard anything positive or negative about either of the two candidates , whether on the news , in advertising or social media , or while talking to friends and family ; and whether they ’ ve heard more positive or more negative things about each one .
Throughout that time , the negative discussions of Trump have consistently outweighed the positives .
In every poll since April , 50 % or more of voters have said they ’ ve heard more negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the share who ’ d heard more positive things languishing below the 1/3 mark .
Biden ’ s ratings on this measure , by contrast , have been more of a mixed bag .
Throughout the spring and early summer , his negatives also outweighed his positives , though by a lesser extent .
In the late summer and fall , however , voters have been closely divided on what they ’ ve been hearing about Biden .
In the most recent poll , 53 % of voters said they ’ d heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past two weeks ; just 30 % said they ’ d heard more positive things .
( The rest said they ’ d heard an even balance , or nothing at all . )
By contrast , the numbers on Biden were about evenly split ― 40 % had heard more positive things , and 41 % more negative things .
The trend mirrors a shift in Biden ’ s image over the course of the campaign .
Unlike in 2016 , when both Trump and Hillary Clinton ended the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen his favorability numbers rise since he was chosen as the Democratic nominee , leaving him in narrowly positive territory .
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups : HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls .
You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov ’ s nationally representative opinion polling .
More details on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .

Voters say they see and hear more about President Donald Trump than about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. But that's not necessarily good news for Trump. Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
President Donald Trump has dominated voters’ attention throughout the campaign across a number of metrics, HuffPost/YouGov polling finds. But with much of that focus distinctly negative, the disparity may not have been an asset for him.
Across five polls taken in September and October, Trump repeatedly saw an outsized role in voters’ conversations and news consumption. On average, about 45% of voters said they’d recently seen more recent news stories about Trump than about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, compared to just 9% who’d seen more news about Biden. (The rest had seen an equal share of stories about both candidates, haven’t seen stories about either, or were unsure.) An average 37% said they’d spent more time talking about Trump, compared to about 13% who’d spent more time talking about Biden. About 26% said they’d seen more social media postings from Trump, compared to 15% who’d seen more from Biden.
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In the final poll, taken Oct. 26 through Oct. 29, several of those gaps have narrowed a little. A third of voters said they’ve spent more time in the past month talking about Trump, compared to 16% who’ve talked more about Biden. Similarly, 37% said that within the last month, they’d seen more news stories about Trump than they have about Biden, compared to 30% saying they’d seen more about Biden. Twenty-six percent had seen more social media posts from Trump, compared to 16% who’d seen more from Biden.
There are two exceptions to Trump’s dominance of voters’ headspace: voter contact and TV airtime. Sixteen percent of voters said they’ve been contacted only by Biden’s campaign, compared to the 11% who’d been contacted only by Trump, and 22% who’d been reached by both. And, by 30% to 12%, voters say Biden’s taken up more time on the TV airtime they’ve seen. (In early September, voters said they were seeing more Biden ads by only a 5-point margin; that later expanded into a double-digit edge as Biden campaign ads blitzed battleground states.)
Results of a new HuffPost/YouGov poll on voters' attention to the candidates. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
Trump is, of course, the incumbent president, but that doesn’t seem to be the only reason he’s taken the lion’s share of attention. The results of the poll largely echo polling taken four years ago, when then-candidate Trump was similarly seen as dominating the news and personal conversations during his race with Hillary Clinton.
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But while Trump’s domination of the headlines likely helped him to secure the Republican nomination in 2016, it’s less clear that such coverage is helpful to him in a general election. Over the course of this year, as another set of HuffPost/YouGov polling suggests, what voters are hearing about Trump has consistently tended toward the negative.
Throughout most of the year, we’ve been asking voters a set of simple questions every few weeks: if they’ve heard anything positive or negative about either of the two candidates, whether on the news, in advertising or social media, or while talking to friends and family; and whether they’ve heard more positive or more negative things about each one.
Throughout that time, the negative discussions of Trump have consistently outweighed the positives. In every poll since April, 50% or more of voters have said they’ve heard more negative than positive things about Trump, with the share who’d heard more positive things languishing below the 1/3 mark.
Biden’s ratings on this measure, by contrast, have been more of a mixed bag. Throughout the spring and early summer, his negatives also outweighed his positives, though by a lesser extent. In the late summer and fall, however, voters have been closely divided on what they’ve been hearing about Biden.
Results of a HuffPost/YouGov polling on voters' attention to the candidates. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
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In the most recent poll, 53% of voters said they’d heard more negative than positive things about Trump in the past two weeks; just 30% said they’d heard more positive things. (The rest said they’d heard an even balance, or nothing at all.) By contrast, the numbers on Biden were about evenly split ― 40% had heard more positive things, and 41% more negative things.
The trend mirrors a shift in Biden’s image over the course of the campaign. Unlike in 2016, when both Trump and Hillary Clinton ended the election with historically low favorability, Biden has seen his favorability numbers rise since he was chosen as the Democratic nominee, leaving him in narrowly positive territory.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted Oct. 26-29 among U.S. registered voters, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the population.
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HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-02--How Ranked-Choice Voting In Maine Could Decide Sen. Susan Collins' Fate

This year , Maine becomes the first state to use ranked-choice voting in a presidential election .
The voting system also will be used in the state ’ s closely watched Senate race , in which Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces the toughest reelection bid of her career .
The four-term incumbent has handily won reelection in years past , but this year she heads into Election Day in a virtual tie against Democratic challenger Sara Gideon , who has served as Maine ’ s state House speaker since 2016 .
Independents Lisa Savage and Max Linn are also vying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind Collins and Gideon , according to recent polling .
Poloquin contested the outcome .
He filed a lawsuit seeking to have ranked-choice voting declared unconstitutional , but a judge denied his request .
He also requested a recount , but eventually called it off .
Advocates of ranked-choice voting say the system gives candidates from outside the two major parties a fairer chance at winning , avoids so-called spoiler candidates who might splinter the vote , and ensures the candidate with the most overall support wins .
Critics say the system adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positioned herself as a pro-abortion choice moderate Republican , her voting record in recent years has drawn the ire of Democratic and liberal-minded Mainers .
Her critical votes to pass President Donald Trump ’ s tax bill , confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court , and acquit Trump during his impeachment trial have faced especially intense scrutiny from many of her moderate constituents who previously supported her .
Savage , the most progressive candidate in the race , has actively encouraged her supporters to rank her first and Gideon second on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances of a Collins defeat .
But Fried suspected that Republicans are less likely to rank a candidate beyond their first choice .
This means first-choice votes for Linn , who could win over conservatives as an outspoken Trump supporter , may not include second-choice votes for Collins , weakening her chances of winning a majority should ranked-choice voting kick in .
“ So , as an incumbent whose approval ratings and reelect numbers are in the 40s at best , running against a Democrat and independent candidates whose supporters are unlikely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task of winning majority support , ” Fried wrote .
“ This challenge exists as she is being criticized by the Lincoln Project , her opponents and an array of grassroots organizations on her votes , on her weakness in confronting Trump ... and on her straying from the Maine paradigm of independent , courageous political leadership.
” “ I would not , ” Collins told the moderator when asked about potentially contesting the results .
“ Ranked-choice voting has been upheld twice by the courts in Maine .
Those are the rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think a fair system would be a true runoff where everyone got to vote twice , but that ’ s not what we have in the state of Maine.
” “ I ’ m worried about Trump contesting the elections , ” Marie Follayttar , executive director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership , told HuffPost last month .
“ Trump will likely declare victory on Election Day regardless of having all the votes in .
Any complaints launched by the Trump campaign could trickle down and may impact the Senate race.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political calculus that we want strong wins for all candidates so that there can be no question , ” said Follayttar .
Progressives can and should vote for Gideon while continuing to push her to support policies like Medicare For All , Follayttar added .
“ Ranked-choice voting is a cutting edge voter reform that can open up additional candidates running for office , ” she said .
“ But this is a moment where we have a president publicly stating that he may attempt a power grab .
That was not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ ranked-choice voting ] on the ballot .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
This year, Maine becomes the first state to use ranked-choice voting in a presidential election. The voting system also will be used in the state’s closely watched Senate race, in which Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces the toughest reelection bid of her career.
The four-term incumbent has handily won reelection in years past, but this year she heads into Election Day in a virtual tie against Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, who has served as Maine’s state House speaker since 2016. Independents Lisa Savage and Max Linn are also vying for Collins’ seat, trailing significantly behind Collins and Gideon, according to recent polling.
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Some election experts have said Maine’s ranked-choice voting system, approved by voters in 2016, could spell trouble for Collins.
How It Works
In ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate receives more than half of the first-choice votes, they win. If there is no majority winner after counting first-choice votes, the race moves to ranked-choice tabulation rounds.
The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as their first choice will have their votes counted for their next choice. This process continues until a candidate wins more than half of the votes.
If a voter did not rank more than one candidate (they’re not required to), then the ballot becomes inactive and is not part of the final round of counting.
For instance, a candidate could receive a plurality ― more votes than any other candidate ― but not a majority of first-choice votes. This would trigger ranked-choice tabulation.
This scenario happened in Maine in 2018, when Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin won about 46% of the first-choice votes on election night, but ended up losing to Democrat Jared Golden during subsequent ranked-choice rounds.
Poliquin contested the outcome. He filed a lawsuit seeking to have ranked-choice voting declared unconstitutional, but a judge denied his request. He also requested a recount, but eventually called it off. Advocates of ranked-choice voting say the system gives candidates from outside the two major parties a fairer chance at winning, avoids so-called spoiler candidates who might splinter the vote, and ensures the candidate with the most overall support wins. Critics say the system adds to voter confusion.
Potential Outcomes
It’s possible a candidate (most likely either Collins or Gideon) could win more than 50% of first-choice votes, rendering subsequent ranked-choice tabulation rounds unnecessary. In this scenario, a winner could be declared on election night.
If none of the candidates win a majority of first-choice votes, ranked-choice voting would kick in and election results could be delayed for several days.
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Such a scenario is unlikely to produce a favorable outcome for Collins, Amy Fried, chair of the University of Maine’s political science department, predicted in an essay for Talking Points Memo published in August.
“By every normal metric, Collins’ standing has fallen,” Fried wrote.
Recent polling shows Republican Sen. Susan Collins (left) and Democrat Sara Gideon (right) in a virtual tie ahead of Election Day. (AP Photos, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Though Collins has positioned herself as a pro-abortion choice moderate Republican, her voting record in recent years has drawn the ire of Democratic and liberal-minded Mainers. Her critical votes to pass President Donald Trump’s tax bill, confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and acquit Trump during his impeachment trial have faced especially intense scrutiny from many of her moderate constituents who previously supported her.
Savage, the most progressive candidate in the race, has actively encouraged her supporters to rank her first and Gideon second on their ballots in an effort to strengthen the chances of a Collins defeat.
But Fried suspected that Republicans are less likely to rank a candidate beyond their first choice. This means first-choice votes for Linn, who could win over conservatives as an outspoken Trump supporter, may not include second-choice votes for Collins, weakening her chances of winning a majority should ranked-choice voting kick in.
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“So, as an incumbent whose approval ratings and reelect numbers are in the 40s at best, running against a Democrat and independent candidates whose supporters are unlikely to rank her second, Collins faces the task of winning majority support,” Fried wrote. “This challenge exists as she is being criticized by the Lincoln Project, her opponents and an array of grassroots organizations on her votes, on her weakness in confronting Trump ... and on her straying from the Maine paradigm of independent, courageous political leadership.”
Fears Of Looming Legal Battle
Trump has signaled he might contest the election results should Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden be declared the winner. Progressive activists in Maine worry Collins and the state’s GOP will follow suit.
Winning Collins’ seat is key for Democrats seeking to gain control of the Senate, a victory Republicans are likely unwilling to concede without a fight.
Collins said during a debate last month that she wouldn’t contest the election results should she win a plurality of first-choice votes but lose in subsequent ranked-choice voting rounds, like Poliquin did in 2018.
“I would not,” Collins told the moderator when asked about potentially contesting the results. “Ranked-choice voting has been upheld twice by the courts in Maine. Those are the rules that we have to play by. I think a fair system would be a true runoff where everyone got to vote twice, but that’s not what we have in the state of Maine.”
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But some progressives remain skeptical.
“I’m worried about Trump contesting the elections,” Marie Follayttar, executive director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership, told HuffPost last month. “Trump will likely declare victory on Election Day regardless of having all the votes in. Any complaints launched by the Trump campaign could trickle down and may impact the Senate race.”
Political signs line the side of the road on Franklin Street on November 01, 2020 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
Follayttar said her staunchly progressive group is encouraging voters to rank Gideon first over Savage, the more progressive candidate, in an effort to give Gideon a clear win and avoid any potential legal battle brought by Collins.
“We’re thinking in our political calculus that we want strong wins for all candidates so that there can be no question,” said Follayttar. Progressives can and should vote for Gideon while continuing to push her to support policies like Medicare For All, Follayttar added.
“Ranked-choice voting is a cutting edge voter reform that can open up additional candidates running for office,” she said. “But this is a moment where we have a president publicly stating that he may attempt a power grab. That was not a worry that we anticipated when we put [ranked-choice voting] on the ballot.”
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Fried said she too could imagine Republicans appealing the election results should Collins lose in ranked-choice voting, “especially if the Senate majority itself relies on what happens in this race.”
Even though Maine’s courts have consistently upheld ranked-choice voting, Republicans could still try again.