thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-23--Donald Trump Has Been Even Worse Than Everyone Expected

Giving Life To Conspiracies And The Far Right Treating The Presidency As His Own Business

When Donald Trump kicked off his presidential bid in 2015, he rode down a golden escalator in Trump Tower, using the media attention to promote his own brand and property. He lied. He made racist comments. And he exaggerated the crowd size.
In other words, he showed exactly the type of president he would become.
The rest of his campaign was no different. He continued to stoke racial tensions, bully and demean.
Unable to believe that he could truly be as bad as he presented himself, some Democrats thought maybe Trump would change once in office. Maybe there would be a way to work with him. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said there were areas where Trump “voiced very progressive and populist opinions,” and perhaps those would be areas of cooperation.
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“I don’t think it makes sense to say, ’No, we’re not gonna work in any way in any form with the Trump administration,’” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said at the time.
The late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) was one of the few Democratic members willing to call Trump out and speak forcefully against him. Even before Trump’s inauguration, Lewis said he was not a “legitimate” president. Some Democrats supported Lewis, but plenty distanced themselves from him and said he had gone too far.
Meanwhile, top Republican leaders, when asked about Trump’s rampant dishonesty during the course of the campaign, offered assurances that a Trump presidency would be different. They said the burdens of the Oval Office would weigh on him, and he’d have a competent team of aides. The Trump White House, they said, would function like most others.
“I think many Republicans who held their nose and voted for Trump in 2016 thought he would at least be surrounded by seasoned staffers and career Republicans who would provide the policy road map for the administration,” said Jennifer Pierotti Lim, the co-founder of Republican Women for Progress, who endorsed Hillary Clinton at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. “But as we’ve seen, Republicans have abdicated their responsibility and instead of putting our country first, they have elevated Trumpism in all its forms.”
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Trump has been exactly the man he presented himself to be during the campaign, if not worse. He largely abandoned his populist promises to pursue the same trickle-down economic policies that are standard GOP fare. He has continued to make racist and sexist remarks ― and pursue those sorts of policies ― and has used the presidency to enrich himself and his family.
Various Democrats told HuffPost that Trump has indeed been worse than they expected.
“I thought he would be not just focusing on [infrastructure] but sustain the focus, would be in communities talking about ― just bridges, for example,” said Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). “I thought he would use the opportunity to try to help rebuild the country. I thought he missed a big opportunity. Of course, I never thought he would abuse his power the way he did.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said he expected Trump to at least try to get bipartisan agreement on some matters.
“He just wasn’t interested in that at all,” Tester said. “It surprised me.”
The lack of bipartisanship has been laid bare in the past few weeks as Trump, with the full support of Senate Republicans, has tried to push through Amy Coney Barrett to replace liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. The vote is likely to come just one week before the election, although Republicans protested when President Barack Obama tried to fill the seat of the late Antonin Scalia months before the 2016 election.
Trump personally lied about the size of his inauguration crowd on his first full day in office, standing before a memorial to agents killed in the line of duty at CIA headquarters. His press secretary repeated and embellished the lie later that afternoon, and the tone was set for the coming four years.
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To date, Trump has made tens of thousands of false statements, about matters great and small. A significant percentage of them have been lies: things that he has been told were false but that he repeated anyway, such as his claim that he signed into law the Veterans “Choice” Act, or that his tax cuts were the largest in American history.
“If you look back to the 2016 campaign, every warning we made about Trump’s unique badness has seemingly come true ― but it’s not enough to just say ‘I told you so.’ Voters have to be shown the math,” said Ian Sams, who served as a spokesperson for Clinton’s presidential campaign. “Sadly, these past four years ― and especially the 2020 pandemic ― have revealed too clearly the depth of Trump’s fraudulent pitch as a tough, problem-solving leader, and most Americans now see him for the failure he is.”
In many ways, Trump has turned out to be the worst version of what people feared. He has separated immigrant children from their parents, emboldened white supremacists, flattered strongmen who run dictatorships and treated the presidency like his own private business.
“I often say there [were] many shocks but there was never a surprise,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016.
The consequences of his incompetence have been deadly. He may not have known the coronavirus was coming, but he could have been better prepared. And his inability, or unwillingness, to shepherd the country through the crisis has made his presidency even worse than some of his critics feared, as the death toll from the coronavirus rises to more than 220,000 Americans.
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A look at the some of the ways Trump has exceeded expectations on just how low he’d go:
Separating Families And Decimating Legal Immigration
In this 2018 photo, an asylum-seeking boy from Central America runs down a hallway after arriving from an immigration detention center to a shelter in San Diego. The Trump administration separated thousands of migrant children from their families. Gregory Bull/Associated Press
Trump began his campaign obsessed with immigration and vilifying immigrants. Undocumented immigrants, a majority of whom are Latino, Black or Asian, were not surprised that Trump followed through.
“We knew who Donald Trump was,” said Greisa Martinez, executive director of United We Dream Action, the political arm of a Dreamer advocacy group. “We never thought that Trump wasn’t serious. We believed that he would drive a white nationalist agenda.”
Soon after Trump took office, he enacted a disastrous travel ban for several Muslim-majority nations that left people stranded in airports or unable to reunite with their families. While the initial ban was blocked in court, Trump eventually found one that worked. He cut refugee resettlement to record low levels. He ended prioritization for deportations, putting more undocumented immigrants who live in the U.S. at risk of removal. He repeatedly went after so-called sanctuary cities that have policies to limit cooperation with immigration enforcement. He decimated the legal immigration system and raided Pentagon funds in order to pay for his border wall.
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That’s not even counting the things Trump wanted to do, but didn’t succeed in: changing “birthright citizenship” so babies born in the U.S. wouldn’t automatically be American citizens; ending the diversity lottery, which grants visas to people from nations the president derided as “shithole countries”; cutting family reunification visas that his allies dismiss as “chain migration”; and more. Although he was blocked in court from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, the administration delayed renewals even after the Supreme Court ruling.
Martinez wasn’t shocked at Trump’s ability to push white nationalist policies. But the way the rest of the government went along ― Congress, courts and federal agencies alike ― was dismaying. The “biggest surprise” for her, she said, was “the inability of the rest of our democratic system to be able to apply checks and balances.”
Corrupting Justice
Attorney General William Barr has protected President Donald Trump from political harm. Evan Vucci/Associated Press
Trump’s presidency has devastated the standing of the Justice Department and the FBI. From the beginning of his 2016 campaign, fueled by chants of “Lock her up” aimed at Clinton, Trump has treated the Justice Department as a means of protecting his political interests and punishing his political enemies.
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Trump has plowed through the normal restrictions meant to guide contacts between the White House and the Justice Department and prevent improper political interference in DOJ’s law enforcement mission. He’s unleashed an extensive campaign against the FBI, accusing the nation’s buttoned-up and conservative-leaning leading law enforcement bureau of being behind some secret cabal to take him down, and leaving the bureau to deal with the long-term, real-world impact on its reputation.
Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey on a false pretext and forced former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign. Attorney General William Barr, once thought to be an institutionalist who would stand up to improper political interference, instead protected the president from political harm by spinning and mischaracterizing the findings of Robert Mueller’s special counsel report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
As laid out in Mueller’s report, Trump worked to interfere in the investigation into wrongdoing. The only thing that protected Trump from a definitive accusation that he committed crimes was a Justice Department memo that found it was unconstitutional to indict a sitting president and improper to accuse Trump of committing crimes without formally charging him.
Some Republicans hoped that the Mueller report ― as well as Trump’s impeachment for trying to pressure a foreign country to launch a politically damaging investigation against former Vice President Joe Biden ― would chastise the president and teach him a lesson. Yet just weeks before the election, Trump was publicly calling for the Justice Department to use its powers to attack Biden, his chief political rival.
“We’ve gotta get the attorney general to act. He’s gotta act. And he’s gotta act fast. He’s gotta appoint somebody,” Trump said on Tuesday. “This is major corruption and this has to be known about before the election.”
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Giving Life To Conspiracies And The Far Right
QAnon conspiracy theorists hold signs during a protest at the state Capitol in Salem, Oregon, May 2, 2020. John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Trump retweeted a post this month to his 87 million followers suggesting that Biden and Obama “may have had Seal Team 6 killed,” and that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was still alive. A link in the post alleged that the person gunned down in the U.S. Special Forces’ raid on May 2, 2011, was not bin Laden but a body double.
“I don’t take a position,” Trump later said in defense of the retweet. “I’ll put it out there, and people can decide for themselves.”
Under normal circumstances, a sitting U.S. president pushing — and then defending — such a ludicrous conspiracy theory would be front-page news across the country and beyond. But throughout his time in office, and even before, Trump has openly embraced disinformation that is flattering to him or paints his rivals in a negative light, facts be damned.
His Twitter account has become an integral part of the far right’s fake-news pipeline, with falsehoods worming their way from fringe websites to hyperpartisan social media influencers to media outlets such as the One America News Network and Fox News and, finally, to Trump’s retweets.
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Trump has amplified disinformation from the start. As he campaigned for the presidency in 2016, he aggressively zeroed in on the false, bad-faith notion that Obama was not a U.S.-born citizen — an already-debunked lie that he’d been promoting for years. Trump is now pushing a similarly untrue birther rumor about Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Now, with the election fast approaching, Trump has opened his arms to QAnon, the far-right conspiracy movement that claims a “deep state” cabal of Satan-worshipping Democrats is running an underground child sex ring with Hollywood elites. QAnon adherents believe Trump is single-handedly saving the world from this cabal, and Trump has repeatedly declined to deny this. He has referred to QAnon followers as “people that love our country.”
As Trump has amplified conspiracy theorists, he has also emboldened far-right extremists. Earlier this month, the FBI charged a group of militia members ― most of them Trump supporters ― with plotting to violently kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. Trump had repeatedly condemned Whitmer for coronavirus lockdown measures, and in April tweeted “LIBERATE MICHIGAN.” After the plot was foiled, Trump continued to stoke hate, while a crowd at a Trump rally in Michigan chanted “Lock her up,” referring to Whitmer.
Michigan may have narrowly avoided a violent extremist attack, but during the Trump administration, far-right violence has surged around the country. Domestic terrorism is the deadliest it has been in decades, and a resurgent far right is now one of the country’s biggest national security threats. White nationalist attackers have left manifestos that closely align with the same grievances Trump has fomented at rallies, in speeches and on Twitter. Many attackers have been open and enthusiastic Trump supporters, targeting groups, such as Muslims, immigrants and journalists, that the president constantly vilifies.
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Trump has sometimes given perfunctory condemnations of such violence, before immediately returning to fanning its flames. After neo-Nazis held a deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, Trump claimed there were “very fine people” on both sides of the confrontation there. During the first 2020 presidential debate, Trump told the Proud Boys, a violent far-right gang, to “stand back and stand by.” Within hours, members of the group had added the slogan to their online profiles as they basked in the president’s approval.
In Trump, far-right extremists and white nationalists have found a vehicle to mainstream their beliefs and turn them into policy. Fringe, racist ideology that had languished in far-right online spaces has been given a direct line into Trump’s White House, with leaked emails showing that adviser Stephen Miller recommended articles from white nationalist sites and abhorrently racist literature in exchanges with far-right media.
Trump’s tacit embrace of white nationalists and the far right has made him an icon for extremists around the world. Researchers of the far right long ago began to look for MAGA symbolism in online profiles and groups, finding that it was one of the easiest ways of tracking extremism. German and Italian far-right politicians have posed in Trump hats, as did an extremist who killed six Muslim men at a Quebec City mosque in 2017. One of Trump’s avowed fans is the leader of a German far-right network that was stockpiling body bags and weapons as it planned to kill politicians who supported refugees.
Treating The Presidency As His Own Business
Trump has continued to promote and visit his own properties, using them for campaign and government business. Mark Tenally/Associated Press
Trump’s mendacity has been matched by his personal corruption, as he’s used his office to funnel millions of taxpayer and donor dollars into his own pocket, as well as openly solicit money through his hotels and golf courses from both domestic and foreign interests that had business before his executive branch agencies.
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By insisting on visiting his own properties hundreds of times to play golf and for official and campaign trips, Trump put at least several million tax dollars into his own cash registers in the form of room rentals and meals for Secret Service and other government employees who must travel with him. The exact amount is not known, because the White House refuses to turn over those records.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, Trump has also diverted $8 million in Republican donor money into his businesses since taking office. His golf clubs and hotels ― particularly his Washington, D.C., hotel just blocks from the White House ― became attractions for lobbyists who wanted Trump to know they were spending money that would benefit him personally.
Robert Weissman, president of the liberal watchdog group Public Citizen, said he expected Trump would be corrupt when he was elected.
“Still, it was hard to imagine the enormity and complete pervasiveness of the corruption we have experienced,” he said. “It was equally difficult to foresee that Trump and his administration wouldn’t even bother to hide the corruption ― from rampant abuses of the Hatch Act to putting a former coal lobbyist in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency.”
The blurred line between the presidency and Trump’s own personal interests was on full display this summer at the Republican National Convention, when Trump took the unprecedented step of giving his acceptance speech at the White House. Traditionally, presidents keep political rallies and activities separate from their official government functions. The convention ended with Trump and his supporters standing at the White House, watching a fireworks display over the Washington Monument.
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Deadly Incompetence
Trump has consistently refused to wear or promote masks to stop the spread of the coronavirus. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Many people who voted against Trump crossed their fingers that there wouldn’t be a serious national emergency during his term that would require true presidential leadership.
But there was, and there is.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought all of Trump’s incompetence into focus.
Trump wasn’t prepared for a pandemic that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans and continues to grow worse. He has tried all his usual tactics of hiding it, blaming it on his enemies and slapping some different branding on it. But it’s not working. And this time, the consequences are deadly.
From the early days, Trump knew how dangerous the virus was, telling journalist Bob Woodward on Feb. 7 that it was “deadly stuff.” But publicly, he downplayed it. He compared it to the flu and predicted it would go away on its own once April came, or when the weather warmed up.
He also pushed quack coronavirus “cures” ― like taking the drug hydroxychloroquine or injecting bleach ― even after the medical community said they were ineffective or even dangerous. Meanwhile, he mocked masks and tried to push away and discredit the scientific community, which refused to get on board with his administration’s agenda of downplaying the virus’ severity.
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Getting sick himself didn’t change anything. Trump announced that he and his wife, Melania, had contracted the coronavirus on Oct. 1, after months of not wearing masks and continuing to hold events in person. He and his White House became superspreaders, with at least 35 people in his orbit testing positive for the virus.
Yet while still sick at the hospital, he risked the life of Secret Service agents, and everyone else he came into contact with, when he left the building to ride around in the presidential motorcade and wave to supporters. He then left the Walter Reed medical center and returned to the White House ― even though he was still sick and contagious ― where he promptly took off his mask while standing on the balcony for photos.
Since then, the White House has embraced the idea of allowing the virus to essentially spread unchecked, while trying to protect the elderly and vulnerable. Leading experts say this strategy is dangerous, and reaching the point of “herd immunity” is much further off than the administration seems to think it is.
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.
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--2020-10-23--Twitter Users Take The Air Out Of Trump's Bizarre Wind Boast

President Donald Trump reignited his vendetta against windmills at Thursday night ’ s presidential debate , setting Twitter alight when he made a bizarre boast to his Democratic opponent Joe Biden : “ I know more about wind than you.
” The candidates were asked to discuss how they plan to combat climate change while supporting job growth .
In his response , Biden said the solar and wind energy industries are booming , and pointed to Trump ’ s anti-scientific rhetoric about wind turbines .
“ I know more about wind than you do , ” Trump retorted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kills all the birds , it ’ s very intermittent , it ’ s got a lot of problems , and they happen to make the windmills in both Germany and China .
And the fumes coming up — if you ’ re a believer in carbon emission — the fumes coming up to make these massive windmills is more than anything that we are talking about with natural gas.
” Biden asked him to “ find me a scientist who says that.
” Joe Biden : `` He thinks wind causes cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing jobs ... '' President Trump : `` I know more about wind than you do .
It 's extremely expensive .
Kills all the birds .
`` # Debates2020 # debates Full video : https : //t.co/GMx4T2yMxi pic.twitter.com/TgsFwvv9T5 — CSPAN ( @ cspan ) October 23 , 2020 Trump ’ s beef with wind turbines , which he calls windmills , goes way back .
He has claimed that they destroy property values and that the noise from them causes cancer .
( There is no evidence for either claim . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ birds — and although they can indeed impact birds , the animals face many more significant threats , such as cats , cars and cell towers .
The president has been accused of launching his so-called “ war on wind ” after unsuccessfully suing to prevent a wind farm from being built in view of his luxury golf club in Scotland .
Twitter users pointed out that Trump has plenty of personal reasons to hate wind : EVERYTHING TRUMP JUST SAID ABOUT WIND ENERGY IS FALSE .
TOTAL BULLSHIT .
Wind is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support many jobs , and provides reliable power – esp .
offshore , where wind blows strongly & more consistently .
Our @ UrbanOceanLab plan .
https : //t.co/LtzjBohKZG — Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson ( @ ayanaeliza ) October 23 , 2020 Oh , and turns out that if you paint one of the turbine blades black , birds see it and do n't hit it .
Solved .
Easy !
Also , you know what will `` kill all the birds '' – CLIMATE CHANGE .
So , I 💙 wind energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Johnson ( @ ayanaeliza ) October 23 , 2020 Fact Check : # WindEnergy has some of the lowest environmental impacts of any source of # electricity generation .
Since wind energy does not burn fuel to generate electricity , it does not emit any air pollutants or `` fumes '' such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide .
# Debates2020 — American Wind Energy Association ( @ AWEA ) October 23 , 2020 Via pooler @ rebeccaballhaus : `` The audience was nearly completely silent during the debate , save for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know more about wind than you do .
It 's extremely expensive .
Kills all the birds . ''
'' — Zeke Miller ( @ ZekeJMiller ) October 23 , 2020 “ I know more about wind than you do ” is something I might have said to my sister when I was 7 .
— Katie Hill ( @ KatieHill4CA ) October 23 , 2020 '' I know more about wind than you do '' says the guy who 's been blowing hot air his whole life # Debates2020 — shauna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020

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President Donald Trump reignited his vendetta against windmills at Thursday night’s presidential debate, setting Twitter alight when he made a bizarre boast to his Democratic opponent Joe Biden: “I know more about wind than you.”
The candidates were asked to discuss how they plan to combat climate change while supporting job growth. In his response, Biden said the solar and wind energy industries are booming, and pointed to Trump’s anti-scientific rhetoric about wind turbines.
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“I know more about wind than you do,” Trump retorted. “It’s extremely expensive, kills all the birds, it’s very intermittent, it’s got a lot of problems, and they happen to make the windmills in both Germany and China. And the fumes coming up — if you’re a believer in carbon emission — the fumes coming up to make these massive windmills is more than anything that we are talking about with natural gas.”
Biden asked him to “find me a scientist who says that.”
Joe Biden: "He thinks wind causes cancer. Windmills. It's the fastest growing jobs..."
President Trump: "I know more about wind than you do. It's extremely expensive. Kills all the birds."#Debates2020 #debates
Full video: https://t.co/GMx4T2yMxi pic.twitter.com/TgsFwvv9T5 — CSPAN (@cspan) October 23, 2020
Trump’s beef with wind turbines, which he calls windmills, goes way back. He has claimed that they destroy property values and that the noise from them causes cancer. (There is no evidence for either claim.) He has also said windmills can kill birds — and although they can indeed impact birds, the animals face many more significant threats, such as cats, cars and cell towers.
The president has been accused of launching his so-called “war on wind” after unsuccessfully suing to prevent a wind farm from being built in view of his luxury golf club in Scotland.
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Twitter users pointed out that Trump has plenty of personal reasons to hate wind:
Fact Check: Donald Trump is correct when he says he knows more about wind than Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/kmwXLkuHkr — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 23, 2020
Trump hates wind because of his Implanted wig
pic.twitter.com/yPtxuJXKWp — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) October 23, 2020
Others, including the American Wind Energy Association, gave context to his claims:
EVERYTHING TRUMP JUST SAID ABOUT WIND ENERGY IS FALSE. TOTAL BULLSHIT. Wind is now often cheaper than fossil fuels, can support many jobs, and provides reliable power – esp. offshore, where wind blows strongly & more consistently. Our @UrbanOceanLab plan. https://t.co/LtzjBohKZG — Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (@ayanaeliza) October 23, 2020
Oh, and turns out that if you paint one of the turbine blades black, birds see it and don't hit it. Solved. Easy!
Also, you know what will "kill all the birds" – CLIMATE CHANGE.
So, I 💙 wind energy. https://t.co/MSkgIaggD3 — Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (@ayanaeliza) October 23, 2020
“Wind turbines are expensive... kill all the birds.”
- Trump pic.twitter.com/0sjmqc7lM8 — Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) October 23, 2020
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Fact Check: #WindEnergy has some of the lowest environmental impacts of any source of #electricity generation. Since wind energy does not burn fuel to generate electricity, it does not emit any air pollutants or "fumes" such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide. #Debates2020 — American Wind Energy Association (@AWEA) October 23, 2020
And some were simply baffled.
Via pooler @rebeccaballhaus: "The audience was nearly completely silent during the debate, save for one giggle when Potus quipped: "I know more about wind than you do. It's extremely expensive. Kills all the birds."" — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) October 23, 2020
“I know more about wind than you....it kills the birds...” - our actual President — Trae Crowder (@traecrowder) October 23, 2020
“I know more about wind than you do” is something I might have said to my sister when I was 7. — Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) October 23, 2020
"I know more about wind than you do" says the guy who's been blowing hot air his whole life #Debates2020 — shauna (@goldengateblond) October 23, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-22--Joe Biden Slams Trump's Racist Rhetoric: He's 'A Dog Whistle As Big As A Foghorn'

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called out President Donald Trump while answering a question on race in America during the final presidential debate Thursday night , slamming Trump as a “ dog whistle as big as a foghorn.
” Moderator Kristen Welker , the first Black woman to moderate a presidential debate since 1992 , challenged Trump on his repeated vitriol toward the Black Lives Matter movement and Black athletes exercising their First Amendment right , as well as Trump ’ s tweeting of a video that included a man shouting , “ White power !
” Welker asked Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who argue that his rhetoric contributes to a climate of racial violence , which the president evaded .
He made reference to his first “ glimpse ” of Black Lives Matter and claimed that hearing the anti-police chant “ Pigs in a blanket , fry ’ em like bacon ” at a 2015 protest march was “ a terrible thing.
” The march , which Trump has brought up before , was held by an independent entity not affiliated with the national Black Lives Matter organization .
Still , the president continued his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great relationships with all people ” and that he ’ s the “ least racist person in this room.
” He went on to claim that people “ can say anything ” and that it “ makes me sad because I am the least racist person.
” “ I can ’ t even see the audience because it is so dark , but I don ’ t care who ’ s in the audience .
I am the least racist person in this room , ” he said .
The former vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s repeated claims that he ’ s done more for the Black community than any other president besides Abraham Lincoln .
“ ‘ Abraham Lincoln ’ here is one of the most racist presidents we have had in modern history .
He pours fuel in every single racist fire , every single one , ” declared Biden , who went on to slam Trump for calling Mexican immigrants “ rapists , ” creating the Muslim travel ban , and refusing to denounce the white supremacist group Proud Boys .
Trump pushed back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln has “ anybody done what I have done for the Black community .
”

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Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called out President Donald Trump while answering a question on race in America during the final presidential debate Thursday night, slamming Trump as a “dog whistle as big as a foghorn.”
Moderator Kristen Welker, the first Black woman to moderate a presidential debate since 1992, challenged Trump on his repeated vitriol toward the Black Lives Matter movement and Black athletes exercising their First Amendment right, as well as Trump’s tweeting of a video that included a man shouting, “White power!”
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Welker asked Trump what he’d say to people who argue that his rhetoric contributes to a climate of racial violence, which the president evaded. He made reference to his first “glimpse” of Black Lives Matter and claimed that hearing the anti-police chant “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon” at a 2015 protest march was “a terrible thing.”
The march, which Trump has brought up before, was held by an independent entity not affiliated with the national Black Lives Matter organization. Still, the president continued his answer by claiming that he has “great relationships with all people” and that he’s the “least racist person in this room.”
Trump, speaking to a Black woman and right after smearing Black Lives Matter: "I am the least racist person in this room." pic.twitter.com/C7RsT1tFfh — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) October 23, 2020
Welker posed the question again. Trump replied, “I don’t know what to say.”
He went on to claim that people “can say anything” and that it “makes me sad because I am the least racist person.”
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“I can’t even see the audience because it is so dark, but I don’t care who’s in the audience. I am the least racist person in this room,” he said.
The former vice president’s response made reference to Trump’s repeated claims that he’s done more for the Black community than any other president besides Abraham Lincoln.
“‘Abraham Lincoln’ here is one of the most racist presidents we have had in modern history. He pours fuel in every single racist fire, every single one,” declared Biden, who went on to slam Trump for calling Mexican immigrants “rapists,” creating the Muslim travel ban, and refusing to denounce the white supremacist group Proud Boys.
Biden declared: “This guy is a dog whistle as big as a foghorn.”
Trump pushed back by reiterating his refrain that not since Lincoln has “anybody done what I have done for the Black community.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-23--Eyewitness Exposes The 'Sick' Truth About Trump's Treatment Of Migrant Children

President Donald Trump insists that hundreds of migrant children who were separated from their immigrant parents and held in detention centers are “ so well taken care of.
” But a reporter who saw how those kids are treated said that ’ s not the case at all .
“ What I saw there was little children sitting on concrete floors covered by Mylar blankets supervised by security contractors in a watchtower , ” journalist Jacob Soboroff said on MSNBC after Thursday night ’ s debate .
“ It makes me sick every time I recall it.
” Soboroff also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seen his father in almost three years : Monday I spoke with a still-separated father and son .
The young man is eight now , living in CA with relatives and hasn ’ t seen his dad in nearly three years .
@ AlOtroLado_Org trying to reunite them .
Listen to audio which aired on @ NicolleDWallace ’ s show .
pic.twitter.com/9OWaVpotKN — Jacob Soboroff ( @ jacobsoboroff ) October 23 , 2020 Soboroff , who was among the group of reporters allowed to tour the facilities in 2018 , wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Tragedy ” about Trump ’ s “ zero tolerance ” policy in which families coming across the border were separated .
A federal court ordered an end to the separations and also ordered the U.S. government to reunite the children with their families .
However , to date , at least 545 children are still living with foster families or distant relatives as the government has been unable to locate their parents , who were sent back to their home nations , often in Central America .
“ The government literally can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They were warned they would not be able to find them .
These families have been separated for over three years in some instances.
” The Physicians for Human Rights said the children ’ s mistreatment meets the United Nations definition of torture , Soboroff said .
The American Academy of Pediatrics called it “ government-sanctioned child abuse.
” “ And the president of the United States I guess interprets that as children being well taken care of , ” he said .
Trump also claimed the Obama administration had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
“ No one else ever did this , ” he said .
“ This was uniquely a Trump administration policy .
”

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President Donald Trump insists that hundreds of migrant children who were separated from their immigrant parents and held in detention centers are “so well taken care of.”
But a reporter who saw how those kids are treated said that’s not the case at all.
“What I saw there was little children sitting on concrete floors covered by Mylar blankets supervised by security contractors in a watchtower,” journalist Jacob Soboroff said on MSNBC after Thursday night’s debate. “It makes me sick every time I recall it.”
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Soboroff also shared audio of a child who hadn’t seen his father in almost three years:
Monday I spoke with a still-separated father and son. The young man is eight now, living in CA with relatives and hasn’t seen his dad in nearly three years. @AlOtroLado_Org trying to reunite them. Listen to audio which aired on @NicolleDWallace’s show. pic.twitter.com/9OWaVpotKN — Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) October 23, 2020
Soboroff, who was among the group of reporters allowed to tour the facilities in 2018, wrote the book “Separated: Inside An American Tragedy” about Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy in which families coming across the border were separated.
A federal court ordered an end to the separations and also ordered the U.S. government to reunite the children with their families. However, to date, at least 545 children are still living with foster families or distant relatives as the government has been unable to locate their parents, who were sent back to their home nations, often in Central America.
“The government literally cannot find them,” Soboroff said. “They were warned they would not be able to find them. These families have been separated for over three years in some instances.”
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The Physicians for Human Rights said the children’s mistreatment meets the United Nations definition of torture, Soboroff said. The American Academy of Pediatrics called it “government-sanctioned child abuse.”
“And the president of the United States I guess interprets that as children being well taken care of,” he said.
Trump also claimed the Obama administration had a similar policy, but Soboroff fact-checked that as well.
“No one else ever did this,” he said. “This was uniquely a Trump administration policy.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-22--Trump Says Migrant Children Separated From Their Parents Are ‘Well Taken Care Of’

President Donald Trump ’ s administration started and carried out a policy that took more than 4,000 children from their parents , at least 545 of whom are still split apart years later .
But at Thursday ’ s debate , the president insisted that he did nothing wrong at all ― blaming his Democratic predecessors and even insisting the kids are doing fine .
Trump ’ s first term was marked by a full-out assault on immigration , both legal and unauthorized .
The most dramatic was his “ zero tolerance ” policy on unauthorized border-crossing , used in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadly in 2018 , that led to criminal prosecution of parents and locking up their kids separately .
Splitting up families was intentional and calculated , according to multiple reports .
Thanks to mass public outrage and a court order , Trump was forced to stop his family separation policy .
Most families were reunited , but the American Civil Liberties Union , which was part of the lawsuit against the government that stopped the policy , said this week that at least 545 kids are still away from their parents .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and separated , ” Democratic nominee Joe Biden said during the debate .
“ And now they can not find over 500 sets of those parents and those kids are alone .
Nowhere to go .
Nowhere to go .
It ’ s criminal.
” Moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump twice how these families would be reunited .
Instead of answering the first time , he complained about “ bad people ” and “ cartels ” bringing children to the U.S. , and boasted about his border wall .
The second time Welker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reunite families , Trump said only , “ Yes , we are trying very hard.
” Then he launched into discussing who is , in his mind , the real victim : himself .
He complained that people referenced kids being held in “ cages , ” which he said were actually created by Biden and President Barack Obama .
Biden and Obama do not have a spotless immigration record ― they carried out record deportations and presided over an influx in migrants , including unaccompanied kids , at the border who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During those major influxes , children were photographed in fenced-in temporary holding centers , similar to the “ cages ” criticized under Trump .
But the idea that Biden was too tough on immigrants is a laughable argument from Trump .
The Obama-Biden administration did not systematically separate families as a deterrent .
It created new deportation priorities to deemphasize people with deep ties to the U.S .
It created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , or DACA , to allow so-called Dreamers who came to the U.S. as kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration reform with a path to citizenship , and for another deferred action program for parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents .
It expanded refugee resettlement .
Trump , by contrast , eliminated deportation priorities .
He tried to end DACA .
He has held any immigration bills hostage to his desire to build a wall and slash legal immigration .
He cut refugee resettlement .
And , whether he wants to discuss it or not , he presided over the separation of thousands of children , including newborns , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the border to make it a disincentive to come to begin with , ” Biden said .
He added later , “ Their parents were with them .
They got separated from their parents , and it makes us a laughing stock and violates every notion of who we are as a nation .
”

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President Donald Trump’s administration started and carried out a policy that took more than 4,000 children from their parents, at least 545 of whom are still split apart years later. But at Thursday’s debate, the president insisted that he did nothing wrong at all ― blaming his Democratic predecessors and even insisting the kids are doing fine.
“They are so well taken care of,” Trump said of the children taken from their parents by his administration. “They’re in facilities that were so clean.”
Trump’s first term was marked by a full-out assault on immigration, both legal and unauthorized. The most dramatic was his “zero tolerance” policy on unauthorized border-crossing, used in a 2017 pilot program and expanded more broadly in 2018, that led to criminal prosecution of parents and locking up their kids separately. Splitting up families was intentional and calculated, according to multiple reports.
Thanks to mass public outrage and a court order, Trump was forced to stop his family separation policy. Most families were reunited, but the American Civil Liberties Union, which was part of the lawsuit against the government that stopped the policy, said this week that at least 545 kids are still away from their parents.
“Their kids were ripped from their arms and separated,” Democratic nominee Joe Biden said during the debate. “And now they cannot find over 500 sets of those parents and those kids are alone. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to go. It’s criminal.”
President Donald Trump has tried to avoid taking responsibility to separating thousands of kids from their parents, on purpose. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
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Moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump twice how these families would be reunited. Instead of answering the first time, he complained about “bad people” and “cartels” bringing children to the U.S., and boasted about his border wall. The second time Welker asked if he had a plan to reunite families, Trump said only, “Yes, we are trying very hard.”
Then he launched into discussing who is, in his mind, the real victim: himself. He complained that people referenced kids being held in “cages,” which he said were actually created by Biden and President Barack Obama.
“They did it,” Trump said. “We changed the policy.”
Biden and Obama do not have a spotless immigration record ― they carried out record deportations and presided over an influx in migrants, including unaccompanied kids, at the border who were at times temporarily held in poor conditions. During those major influxes, children were photographed in fenced-in temporary holding centers, similar to the “cages” criticized under Trump.
But the idea that Biden was too tough on immigrants is a laughable argument from Trump. The Obama-Biden administration did not systematically separate families as a deterrent. It created new deportation priorities to deemphasize people with deep ties to the U.S. It created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to allow so-called Dreamers who came to the U.S. as kids to stay. It pushed for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship, and for another deferred action program for parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. It expanded refugee resettlement.
Trump, by contrast, eliminated deportation priorities. He tried to end DACA. He has held any immigration bills hostage to his desire to build a wall and slash legal immigration. He cut refugee resettlement.
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And, whether he wants to discuss it or not, he presided over the separation of thousands of children, including newborns, from their parents.
As Biden noted, the discussion of “cartels” was a distraction.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-22--At Last, Joe Biden Leaned Into Climate

At Last, Joe Biden Leaned Into Climate

Trump deployed a familiar playbook .
Citing a narrow metric of greenhouse gas decline , he claimed the United States made significant progress on climate change during a first term in which emissions ticked upward and industry-friendly regulators swept away even modest rules to curb long-term heating .
The president insisted that exiting the nonbinding Paris climate accord somehow put the country in a better position to pressure other major polluters to decarbonize .
And he flung around bogus numbers about the cost of Biden ’ s popular plan to expand the manufacturing of electric vehicles and eliminate emissions from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added emphasis on unions belied what has been a marked shift in climate politics over the past four years .
For decades , Democrats envisioned putting a price on carbon emissions as the pinnacle of policy to address global warming .
But the historic storms , fires and droughts of the past few years , coupled with the desperation borne of watching Trump gut even the most moderate regulations enacted under President Barack Obama , gave rise to a movement calling for the kind of government intervention in the economy not seen since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question about the racial disparity in who suffers the worst pollution , particularly from the fossil fuel industry .
Black Americans breathe 1.54 times more dangerous Particulate Matter 2.5 , residue from burning fuels that lodges in lung tissue , than the population at large , according to the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s own research published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2017 .
Non-whites overall were exposed to 1.28 times more of the pollution .
A landmark NAACP report that year found Black Americans ’ air is 38 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by whites , and they are 75 % more likely to live next to communities abutting industrial sites .
He appointed fossil fuel lobbyists and allies to oversee the nation ’ s environmental agencies , opened pristine wilderness to industry and rolled back so many regulations to emissions from cars , power plants and drilling sites that conservation groups this year dubbed him “ the worst president for our environment in history.
” While tens of thousands died of the coronavirus pandemic and millions more lost their jobs and homes , his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply indebted oil and gas companies .
Federal scientists , meanwhile , notched a steadily growing list of new temperature records , declaring last month the warmest September in 141-years of measurements .
Americans don ’ t seem to think so .
Fifty-five percent know most scientists believe the climate is changing , according to national survey data by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication .
Even more ― 72 % ― recognize the effects of warming themselves , and 58 % understand humans are the primary cause .
Gallup pegged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determining that 66 % of Americans “ believe global warming is caused by human activities.
” The Pew Research Center last year found that 67 % of U.S. adults think the federal government is doing too little to combat the effects of climate change .
Throughout the election , the Trump campaign has pushed hard to make fracking a wedge issue .
During the Democratic presidential primary , Biden was among the few top contenders who withstood activist pressure to commit to a total phaseout of the drilling practice , a position that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would be complex and legally challenging to actually implement .

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Joe Biden finally turned up the heat on climate change.
At his final presidential debate Thursday night, the Democratic nominee leaned into the issue on which polls show he’s most handily outmatching President Donald Trump, a fossil fuel hard-liner who has stubbornly clung to conspiracies and pseudoscience in the face of mounting climate disasters.
“Global warming is an existential threat to humanity,” Biden said. “We have a moral obligation to deal with it.”
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Trump deployed a familiar playbook. Citing a narrow metric of greenhouse gas decline, he claimed the United States made significant progress on climate change during a first term in which emissions ticked upward and industry-friendly regulators swept away even modest rules to curb long-term heating. The president insisted that exiting the nonbinding Paris climate accord somehow put the country in a better position to pressure other major polluters to decarbonize. And he flung around bogus numbers about the cost of Biden’s popular plan to expand the manufacturing of electric vehicles and eliminate emissions from the electricity sector by 2035.
“We have done a wonderful job environmentally,” Trump said. “And we haven’t destroyed our industries.”
Biden hit back, keeping the focus on the economic opportunity of his proposal to spend $2 trillion over four years on renewable energy, electric vehicle charging stations and clean infrastructure.
“This plan has been endorsed by every major environmental group and every labor group,” the former vice president said. “Labor.”
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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden looks on during the final 2020 U.S. presidential campaign debate in the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
The added emphasis on unions belied what has been a marked shift in climate politics over the past four years. For decades, Democrats envisioned putting a price on carbon emissions as the pinnacle of policy to address global warming. But the historic storms, fires and droughts of the past few years, coupled with the desperation borne of watching Trump gut even the most moderate regulations enacted under President Barack Obama, gave rise to a movement calling for the kind of government intervention in the economy not seen since the Great Depression.
That movement, loosely rallied around the slogan of a Green New Deal, mainstreamed calls for a federally-managed transition off fossil fuels, one that would guarantee high wages in new, non-unionized industries and rapidly scale demand for clean products.
“They know the future lies in us being able to breathe,” Biden said of unions. “And they know there are good jobs getting us there.”
Then came a question about the racial disparity in who suffers the worst pollution, particularly from the fossil fuel industry. Black Americans breathe 1.54 times more dangerous Particulate Matter 2.5, residue from burning fuels that lodges in lung tissue, than the population at large, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s own research published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2017. Non-whites overall were exposed to 1.28 times more of the pollution. A landmark NAACP report that year found Black Americans’ air is 38% more polluted on average than breathed by whites, and they are 75% more likely to live next to communities abutting industrial sites.
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Trump dismissed the concern. “The families we’re talking about are employed heavily, and they’re making more money than they’ve ever made,” he said.
Biden took it personally.
“Those people live on what are called ‘fencelines,’” Biden said, referring to the activist term for polluted neighborhoods next to industrial plants. “It doesn’t matter what you’re paying them. It matters how you keep them safe.”
He then launched into an anecdote about growing up near oil refineries in Delaware, and recalled watching his mother wipe toxic residue on from the car windows on cold winter mornings.
“When my mom would get in the car in the first frost, there’d be oil slicked on the window,” he said. “That’s why so many people in my state were dying and getting cancer.”
President Donald Trump speaks during the final debate. Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
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Biden identified the stakes. He also named the problem.
“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” he said.
Trump leapt at what he called “a big statement.”
“It is a big statement,” Biden continued. “The oil industry pollutes significantly. It has to be replaced by renewable energy.”
Following the debate, the Biden campaign tempered the language, telling reporters: “We’re not going to get rid of fossil fuels for a long time.”
But Trump called on voters in Texas and Pennsylvania to take heed.
By and large, they already are.
Sixty percent of likely voters trusted Biden to handle climate change better than Trump, an August survey the think tank Data for Progress found. That included 42% of Trump-leaning voters, more than on any other issue.
There’s a reason for the gap. Since taking office, the president has mocked climate science as a hoax, antagonizing researchers and environmentalists by conflating brief cold weather events with evidence that could somehow disprove the fact that 19 of the 20 warmest years ever recorded occurred since 2001.
He appointed fossil fuel lobbyists and allies to oversee the nation’s environmental agencies, opened pristine wilderness to industry and rolled back so many regulations to emissions from cars, power plants and drilling sites that conservation groups this year dubbed him “the worst president for our environment in history.” While tens of thousands died of the coronavirus pandemic and millions more lost their jobs and homes, his administration directed billions of dollars to prop up deeply indebted oil and gas companies. Federal scientists, meanwhile, notched a steadily growing list of new temperature records, declaring last month the warmest September in 141-years of measurements.
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Even in the face of unprecedented wildfires in California last month, Trump insisted: “It will start getting cooler. You just watch.”
“I’m not denying climate change, but it could very well go back,” he said during an as-yet-unreleased interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes.” “Look, scientists also have a political agenda.”
“We have done a wonderful job environmentally.” - President Donald Trump
Americans don’t seem to think so. Fifty-five percent know most scientists believe the climate is changing, according to national survey data by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Even more ― 72% ― recognize the effects of warming themselves, and 58% understand humans are the primary cause. Gallup pegged the latter figure even higher, last year determining that 66% of Americans “believe global warming is caused by human activities.” The Pew Research Center last year found that 67% of U.S. adults think the federal government is doing too little to combat the effects of climate change.
Sixty-six percent of likely voters supported Biden’s climate plan, a New York Times/Siena College poll found last week. That same survey found voters split on the issue of fracking, with 44% in support and 42% opposed.
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Throughout the election, the Trump campaign has pushed hard to make fracking a wedge issue. During the Democratic presidential primary, Biden was among the few top contenders who withstood activist pressure to commit to a total phaseout of the drilling practice, a position that, while signaling aggressive ambition on climate, would be complex and legally challenging to actually implement.
A Cal Fire firefighter monitors flames in Calistoga, California, earlier this month. Stephen Lam/Reuters
At this month’s vice presidential debate, Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly highlighted Democratic challenger Kamala Harris’s past support for a fracking ban, forcing Biden’s rival-turned-running mate into a defense crouch.
“I will repeat, and the American people know, that Joe Biden will not ban fracking,” Harris said during the lone Oct. 7 debate. “That is a fact.”
Yet Trump repeated the same claim throughout the debate. Biden stuck to his nuanced position. He said he’d ban fracking on federal lands and increase regulations to capture emissions, particularly leaks of methane, the super-potent greenhouse gas that is the main ingredient in natural gas.
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Threading that needle helped Biden win the endorsements of the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council, a federation of unions representing workers in the state’s fracking industry, last month, and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, a construction union representing some 60,000 fossil fuel workers, just hours before the debate.
But it’s not as popular conventional political wisdom posits.
Just 22% of Americans supported increasing fracking, while 45% opposed more fracking, an August 2019 Associated Press-NORC poll found. In September 2019, a YouGov Blue poll found that 46% of voters backed a ban on fracking, while 33% opposed a ban.
Even in Pennsylvania, the country’s No. 2 fossil fuel producer and the key-swing state where fracking is considered a top issue, opinions are shifting. Pollster Franklin & Marshall’s January survey found Pennsylvania voters were split on banning the drilling practice. A CBS/YouGov poll of voters in the Keystone State in August found a slight majority opposed fracking, with 52% opposed and 48% in favor of the practice.
Environmental groups saw a stark difference between the candidates, despite Biden’s calls to keep fracked gas as a “transition” fuel. The anti-fracking group Oil Change U.S. said it looks “forward to finding solutions and common ground” with Biden, and called Trump “unhinged and desperate.” 350 Action said Biden “demonstrated the capacity for leadership our country needs and deserves.”
Sunrise Movement, the campaigners behind the Green New Deal, praised the Democrat: “Tonight marked a distinct shift in Biden’s rhetoric on climate: He went on offense.”
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Biden didn’t pull any punches.
“We’re told by all the leading scientists in the world we don’t have much time,” Biden said. “Four more years of this man eliminating all the regulations that were put in by us to clean up the climate and eliminate emissions will put us in a position where we’re going to be in real trouble.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-22--Trump Launches Confusing, Baseless ‘Laptop From Hell’ Attacks Against Biden At Debate

“ All of the emails , the emails , horrible emails of the kind of money that you were raking in , you and your family , ” Trump said to his Democratic opponent on the debate stage .
“ I think you owe an explanation to the American people.
” The vague reference to “ emails ” may not make sense to people who do not consume large amounts of conservative media : Trump was elevating to the national stage a storyline that is full of holes and may be the product of a foreign disinformation campaign that targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the president ’ s lawyer .
Last week , the New York Post published the first in a series of stories based on documents allegedly obtained from the hard drive Hunter Biden ’ s personal laptop , which Trump described during the debate as the “ laptop from hell.
” At the center of the tabloid ’ s supposed bombshell is what it describes as a “ smoking-gun email ” from an executive at Burisma , a Ukrainian energy firm , thanking Hunter Biden in 2015 for “ inviting me to DC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father and [ spend ] some time together.
” The story portrays this as evidence supporting the long-debunked claim that Joe Biden leveraged his position as vice president to benefit his son .
The Post says Hunter Biden “ introduced his father ” to the Burisma executive “ less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company.
” In fact , Viktor Shokin , the prosecutor in question , was not investigating Burisma , and Joe Biden and other Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ouster precisely because of his refusal to do so .
The Post also published an apparent email chain from Hunter Biden stating in 2017 that he had negotiated a three-year consulting contract with a Chinese energy firm that had agreed to pay him $ 10 million a year “ for introductions alone.
” It is not clear who is or was involved in the alleged introductions , and the deal later fell through , The Wall Street Journal reported .
The text messages he has shared with a columnist at The Wall Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been verified .
Even at face value , they only elliptically refer to most of the core allegations made by Trump and his campaign , and do not reference any involvement by Joe Biden .
In a review of corporate records , the Journal ’ s news division also found no evidence of Joe Biden ’ s involvement .
The FBI is investigating whether the release of Hunter Biden ’ s emails is linked to a foreign disinformation campaign .
More than 50 former senior intelligence officials signed a letter cautioning that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.
” John Ratcliffe , the director of national intelligence , claimed there is “ no intelligence ” supporting that theory .
The Post has also been releasing a stream of private text messages and photos reportedly belonging to Hunter Biden .
One picture features Hunter , who has openly struggled with addiction , in a bed with what looks like a crack pipe in his mouth .
A text conversation also appears to show Hunter calling himself “ a fucked up addict that can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comforts him and reminds him that he is loved .
Other journalists have questioned the news value of distributing such items as disinformation experts warn that the Post ’ s stories bear signs of a coordinated smear campaign .
According to the Post , Hunter Biden dropped off his damaged laptop at a repair shop in Delaware last spring , and after he neglected to pick it up , the shop owner made a copy of the hard drive and gave it to the attorney of Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Post , just weeks ahead of the election .
It ’ s a dubious narrative for a number of reasons , as HuffPost previously reported .
There are glaring discrepancies in the versions of events presented by the Post , Giuliani and the shop owner , who spoke to the press following the Post ’ s initial article and contradicted key elements .
Giuliani reportedly shopped the story around to multiple news outlets , including Fox News , which refused to cover it due to credibility concerns .
Reporters in the Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the story ’ s veracity , The News York Times reported , and one of the story ’ s main writers refused to put his byline on it .
Nevertheless , the reelection campaign for Trump — who is down in the polls — has been tirelessly promoting the Post ’ s articles about the Bidens .
Giuliani has also repeatedly hinted that more materials that are damaging to Joe Biden ’ s candidacy will soon be released .
On a Trump campaign press call ahead of the debate , conservative operative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grenell became testy with reporters , demanding to know whether they had reported on Hunter Biden ’ s emails and refusing to answer other questions ― even suggesting a reporter was “ homophobic ” for trying to ask him something .
“ We feel strongly that this is an issue that the American people are eager to know about and they ’ re already digging in on their own with no help from the media , ” Grenell said on the call .
An NBC News investigation published Thursday did report that language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now the most common search terms for him on Google ― but it showed that that is likely the result of a deliberate Republican strategy to promote those ideas rather than some sudden genuine upsurge of natural interest among the public .
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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President Donald Trump repeatedly accused rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter of corruption during the final presidential debate on Thursday night, after more than a week of making false and unsubstantiated smears against the Biden family.
“All of the emails, the emails, horrible emails of the kind of money that you were raking in, you and your family,” Trump said to his Democratic opponent on the debate stage. “I think you owe an explanation to the American people.”
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The vague reference to “emails” may not make sense to people who do not consume large amounts of conservative media: Trump was elevating to the national stage a storyline that is full of holes and may be the product of a foreign disinformation campaign that targeted Rudy Giuliani, a top campaign adviser and the president’s lawyer.
Last week, the New York Post published the first in a series of stories based on documents allegedly obtained from the hard drive Hunter Biden’s personal laptop, which Trump described during the debate as the “laptop from hell.” At the center of the tabloid’s supposed bombshell is what it describes as a “smoking-gun email” from an executive at Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm, thanking Hunter Biden in 2015 for “inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and [spend] some time together.”
The story portrays this as evidence supporting the long-debunked claim that Joe Biden leveraged his position as vice president to benefit his son. The Post says Hunter Biden “introduced his father” to the Burisma executive “less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company.” In fact, Viktor Shokin, the prosecutor in question, was not investigating Burisma, and Joe Biden and other Western officials had pushed for Shokin’s ouster precisely because of his refusal to do so.
The Post also published an apparent email chain from Hunter Biden stating in 2017 that he had negotiated a three-year consulting contract with a Chinese energy firm that had agreed to pay him $10 million a year “for introductions alone.” It is not clear who is or was involved in the alleged introductions, and the deal later fell through, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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Tony Bobulinski, Hunter Biden’s former business partner — whom Trump brought to the debate as a special guest — was a reported recipient of the email chain. He later described those messages as “genuine” and suggested Joe Biden was directly involved in the alleged business dealings.
“The Biden family aggressively leveraged the Biden family name to make millions of dollars from foreign entities even though some were from communist controlled China,” Bobulinski told Fox News.
The text messages he has shared with a columnist at The Wall Street Journal and other conservative outlets have not been verified. Even at face value, they only elliptically refer to most of the core allegations made by Trump and his campaign, and do not reference any involvement by Joe Biden. In a review of corporate records, the Journal’s news division also found no evidence of Joe Biden’s involvement.
In a statement shared with HuffPost, Biden’s campaign flatly denied Bobulinski’s allegation, calling it part of “a desperate, pathetic farce executed by a flailing campaign with no rationale for putting our country through another four years of hell.”
In this screenshot from the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Hunter Biden, son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, addresses the virtual convention. Handout via Getty Images
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The FBI is investigating whether the release of Hunter Biden’s emails is linked to a foreign disinformation campaign. More than 50 former senior intelligence officials signed a letter cautioning that the release of the emails has “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, claimed there is “no intelligence” supporting that theory.
The Post has also been releasing a stream of private text messages and photos reportedly belonging to Hunter Biden. One picture features Hunter, who has openly struggled with addiction, in a bed with what looks like a crack pipe in his mouth. A text conversation also appears to show Hunter calling himself “a fucked up addict that can’t be trusted” as Joe Biden comforts him and reminds him that he is loved. Other journalists have questioned the news value of distributing such items as disinformation experts warn that the Post’s stories bear signs of a coordinated smear campaign.
According to the Post, Hunter Biden dropped off his damaged laptop at a repair shop in Delaware last spring, and after he neglected to pick it up, the shop owner made a copy of the hard drive and gave it to the attorney of Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer. Giuliani then gave it to the Post, just weeks ahead of the election.
It’s a dubious narrative for a number of reasons, as HuffPost previously reported. There are glaring discrepancies in the versions of events presented by the Post, Giuliani and the shop owner, who spoke to the press following the Post’s initial article and contradicted key elements. Giuliani reportedly shopped the story around to multiple news outlets, including Fox News, which refused to cover it due to credibility concerns. Reporters in the Post’s own newsroom also raised concerns about the story’s veracity, The News York Times reported, and one of the story’s main writers refused to put his byline on it.
Nevertheless, the reelection campaign for Trump — who is down in the polls — has been tirelessly promoting the Post’s articles about the Bidens. Giuliani has also repeatedly hinted that more materials that are damaging to Joe Biden’s candidacy will soon be released.
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On a Trump campaign press call ahead of the debate, conservative operative and former U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell became testy with reporters, demanding to know whether they had reported on Hunter Biden’s emails and refusing to answer other questions ― even suggesting a reporter was “homophobic” for trying to ask him something.
“We feel strongly that this is an issue that the American people are eager to know about and they’re already digging in on their own with no help from the media,” Grenell said on the call.
An NBC News investigation published Thursday did report that language related to smears about Hunter Biden are now the most common search terms for him on Google ― but it showed that that is likely the result of a deliberate Republican strategy to promote those ideas rather than some sudden genuine upsurge of natural interest among the public.
Akbar Shahid Ahmed contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-23--Jake Tapper Issues Stark Warning About What To Expect From Donald Trump In Next 11 Days

CNN ’ s Jake Tapper on Thursday warned voters to be prepared for an onslaught of baseless accusations from President Donald Trump and his allies during the 2020 election ’ s final stretch .
Tapper , during his analysis of the final debate between the president and Democratic nominee Joe Biden , hammered Trump for running “ the single most negative , sleazy campaign in American history for a major party candidate.
” Trump , his relatives , campaign and allies in the media are leveling charges “ so heinous I ’ m not even going to say them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ QAnon , tied into Pizzagate , tied into the worst things you could say about a person with no evidence , ” noted Tapper .
It was “ so disgusting and so beneath what this election should be , ” he added .
“ I just want viewers at home to be ready because all of their grandparents ’ Facebook feeds and all of the Twittersphere , it ’ s going to be so heinous over the next 11 days and people should just be prepared for it , ” said the CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of it , generally to some of the sleazier baseless accusations , not the worse , but it ’ s going to get a lot worse , ” he cautioned .

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CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday warned voters to be prepared for an onslaught of baseless accusations from President Donald Trump and his allies during the 2020 election’s final stretch.
Tapper, during his analysis of the final debate between the president and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, hammered Trump for running “the single most negative, sleazy campaign in American history for a major party candidate.”
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Trump, his relatives, campaign and allies in the media are leveling charges “so heinous I’m not even going to say them, just nonsense, crap, tied into QAnon, tied into Pizzagate, tied into the worst things you could say about a person with no evidence,” noted Tapper.
It was “so disgusting and so beneath what this election should be,” he added.
“I just want viewers at home to be ready because all of their grandparents’ Facebook feeds and all of the Twittersphere, it’s going to be so heinous over the next 11 days and people should just be prepared for it,” said the CNN anchor.
“The president leaned into some of it, generally to some of the sleazier baseless accusations, not the worse, but it’s going to get a lot worse,” he cautioned.
Check out the video here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-23--Trump's Scranton Lie Is His Latest Attack On Joe Biden For Being A Normal Person

President Donald Trump used part of his limited time in the final presidential debate of the 2020 campaign to suggest Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden isn ’ t really from Scranton , Pennsylvania , even though Biden was born in the city and lived there until he was 10 years old .
It wasn ’ t just a throwaway lie .
It was the latest move in a political strategy to cast doubt on Biden ’ s public image .
And like most other parts of Trump ’ s effort , it was a dishonest reach that ’ s unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants .
“ He doesn ’ t come from Scranton , ” Trump said of his rival during the debate in Nashville , Tennessee .
“ He lived there for a short period of time , before he even knew it , and he left.
” Biden often describes his childhood in Scranton as one of the most influential periods in his life .
He left not because of personal ambition ― Trump has previously said Biden “ abandoned Scranton ” ― but because his family had to .
Biden ’ s father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city , and the family spent years living with Biden ’ s maternal grandparents .
Ultimately , the elder Biden moved the family to Delaware , where he felt he would be better able to support them .
They lived for a while in a small apartment in Claymont and then moved to a house in Wilmington .
Trump ’ s jab , almost certainly designed with an eye to crucial swing state Pennsylvania , is the latest in a series of attack lines that don ’ t land .
Trump has criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his allies have mocked their close relationship .
But these comments , like the one about Biden ’ s birthplace , wind up highlighting ways that the Democrat is relatable and sympathetic .
Like many Americans , Biden ’ s family dealt with unsteady employment .
Like many Americans , one of Biden ’ sloved ones struggled with addiction .
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate on Thursday night .
Trump used part of his time on the stage to suggest that Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania , even though the former vice president was born in the city and lived there until he was 10 .
Amid a historic pandemic that continues to kill hundreds of Americans daily and cause a devastating economic crisis , Trump ’ s reelection campaign is currently focusing most of its energy on Hunter Biden .
Trump repeatedly brought up alleged business malfeasance by Biden ’ s son during the debate , claiming — despite reporting showing otherwise and the Biden family ’ s rebuttals — that Hunter Biden had done business in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off his father ’ s political career .
These mentions bring public attention back to the fact that Hunter Biden is Biden ’ s only surviving child from his first marriage , that he lost his wife and infant daughter in a car accident .
Later , his other son died after battling cancer .
They also question Biden ’ s affection for a son who is a recovering addict and has had a rocky adult life in the public eye .
“ My son , like a lot of people , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know at home , had a drug problem , ” the Democratic nominee said during the first presidential debate .
“ He ’ s fixed it , he ’ s worked on it .
And I ’ m proud of him .
I ’ m proud of my son.
” Beyond questioning Hunter Biden ’ s alleged actions in business , Trump and his allies have consistently questioned his character , implying he is an embarrassment to his father .
Trump has brought up Hunter Biden leaving the Navy , falsely suggested he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing so on Thursday but then stopped himself .
Republicans have also pushed the idea that Biden is a wealthy , out-of-touch politician .
Eric Trump , the president ’ s son , recently questioned how Biden could afford a large home ― a house that Biden no longer owns , and that he purchased relatively cheaply when it was in need of major repairs .
Meanwhile , many of the things Republicans suggest about Biden are true about Trump .
His children profit off his presidency .
He has worried that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losers.
” And Trump abandoned his own hometown : He changed his residency from New York to Florida last year .
The president didn ’ t do that because his family needed to change jobs .
He did it to avoid taxes .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump used part of his limited time in the final presidential debate of the 2020 campaign to suggest Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden isn’t really from Scranton, Pennsylvania, even though Biden was born in the city and lived there until he was 10 years old.
It wasn’t just a throwaway lie. It was the latest move in a political strategy to cast doubt on Biden’s public image. And like most other parts of Trump’s effort, it was a dishonest reach that’s unlikely to give the Republican nominee what he wants.
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“He doesn’t come from Scranton,” Trump said of his rival during the debate in Nashville, Tennessee. “He lived there for a short period of time, before he even knew it, and he left.”
Biden often describes his childhood in Scranton as one of the most influential periods in his life. He left not because of personal ambition ― Trump has previously said Biden “abandoned Scranton” ― but because his family had to. Biden’s father struggled to find steady work in the city, and the family spent years living with Biden’s maternal grandparents. Ultimately, the elder Biden moved the family to Delaware, where he felt he would be better able to support them. They lived for a while in a small apartment in Claymont and then moved to a house in Wilmington.
A fact-check by the Philadelphia Inquirer recently found that Biden “maintained close personal relationships and professional ties to Scranton in the more than six decades since he left.”
Soon after Trump’s comment, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) tweeted a photograph of the Scranton Times Tribune calling the former vice president a “native son” on its front page when he accepted the Democratic nomination in August.
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Trump’s jab, almost certainly designed with an eye to crucial swing state Pennsylvania, is the latest in a series of attack lines that don’t land. Trump has criticized Biden’s son Hunter Biden, and his allies have mocked their close relationship. But these comments, like the one about Biden’s birthplace, wind up highlighting ways that the Democrat is relatable and sympathetic. Like many Americans, Biden’s family dealt with unsteady employment. Like many Americans, one of Biden’sloved ones struggled with addiction.
By deriding aspects of Biden’s personal life, Trump underscores how removed he is from the experiences of many people in the country he wants to continue to lead.
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate on Thursday night. Trump used part of his time on the stage to suggest that Biden isn’t really from Scranton, Pennsylvania, even though the former vice president was born in the city and lived there until he was 10. Jim Bourg-Pool/Getty Images
Amid a historic pandemic that continues to kill hundreds of Americans daily and cause a devastating economic crisis, Trump’s reelection campaign is currently focusing most of its energy on Hunter Biden. Trump repeatedly brought up alleged business malfeasance by Biden’s son during the debate, claiming — despite reporting showing otherwise and the Biden family’s rebuttals — that Hunter Biden had done business in foreign countries including China and had profited off his father’s political career.
“If this is true, then he’s a corrupt politician. So don’t give me this stuff about how you’re this innocent baby,” Trump said on Thursday night.
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Earlier in the day, conservative commentator John Cardillo tweeted a picture of the two Biden men embracing with the caption: “Does this look like an appropriate father/son interaction to you?”
These mentions bring public attention back to the fact that Hunter Biden is Biden’s only surviving child from his first marriage, that he lost his wife and infant daughter in a car accident. Later, his other son died after battling cancer. They also question Biden’s affection for a son who is a recovering addict and has had a rocky adult life in the public eye.
Biden has defended Hunter in ways that can resonate with millions of people.
“My son, like a lot of people, like [a] lot of people you know at home, had a drug problem,” the Democratic nominee said during the first presidential debate. “He’s fixed it, he’s worked on it. And I’m proud of him. I’m proud of my son.”
Beyond questioning Hunter Biden’s alleged actions in business, Trump and his allies have consistently questioned his character, implying he is an embarrassment to his father. Trump has brought up Hunter Biden leaving the Navy, falsely suggested he was dishonorably discharged; he veered toward doing so on Thursday but then stopped himself.
Republicans have also pushed the idea that Biden is a wealthy, out-of-touch politician. Eric Trump, the president’s son, recently questioned how Biden could afford a large home ― a house that Biden no longer owns, and that he purchased relatively cheaply when it was in need of major repairs.
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Meanwhile, many of the things Republicans suggest about Biden are true about Trump. His children profit off his presidency. He has worried that his children will embarrass him by being “losers.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-23--New York, Portland And Seattle Sue Trump For Branding Them 'Anarchist' Cities

President Donald Trump was sued Thursday by New York , Portland , Oregon , and Seattle for designating them “ anarchist ” cities that shouldn ’ t get a penny of federal funding .
“ This is a figment of Donald Trump ’ s troubled imagination , ” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters before the lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle .
“ The only anarchy in this country is coming from the White House.
” .
@ realDonaldTrump recently threatened our COVID-19 funding , our health care funding and our public safety .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re not here to play games with people ’ s lives .
We ’ re joining Portland and Seattle to take him to court .
We will fight .
https : //t.co/4Ggjqr2DAr — Mayor Bill de Blasio ( @ NYCMayor ) October 22 , 2020 Trump instructed Attorney General William Barr last month to designate the cities “ anarchist jurisdictions ” following racial justice protests ignited by the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Federal funds to the cities should be cut to the maximum extent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memorandum , which is referred to in the lawsuit as the “ Anarchist Memo.
” The suit called Trump ’ s action “ offensive to both the Constitution and common sense ” — and “ an oxymoronic designation without precedent in American jurisprudence.
” Yet the consequences of cutting off funding for cities , particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic , are “ deadly serious , ” the suit declares .
The designation could cost the cities — all run by Democratic mayors — $ 12 billion in federal funds , even though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into federal coffers .
“ It is the Defendants , not the Cities , who are engaging in lawless behavior and threatening the democratic order established by the Framers , ” the lawsuit says .
“ The Defendants ’ actions violate bedrock principles of American democracy : separation of powers , federalism , and due process.
” The suit calls the branding of the cities “ arbitrary and capricious , ” and argued that without congressional approval , the president doesn ’ t have the authority to add conditions to funding that lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the authority to use funding as a cudgel to manipulate policing by states and their localities , the suit declares .
Trump ’ s memo , which accused the three cities of “ permitting anarchy ... and destruction , ” gave local officials no prior notice of the designation , nor were they given any opportunity to respond .
The memo cited no legal authority for the action .
The suit also names Barr , the Justice Department , the Office of Management and Budget and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ anarchist jurisdiction ” designations be removed and that an order be issued to stop the Justice Department and OMB from carrying out Trump ’ s orders to cut funds .
After the suit was filed , Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan called the Trump administration ’ s “ political threats ” against the cities “ unlawful and an abuse of federal power .
It ’ s immoral , unconstitutional and shameful that we are forced to expend any resources on this political theater , ” she said in a statement .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump was sued Thursday by New York, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle for designating them “anarchist” cities that shouldn’t get a penny of federal funding.
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.@realDonaldTrump recently threatened our COVID-19 funding, our health care funding and our public safety. It’s a political ploy, and we’re not here to play games with people’s lives.
We’re joining Portland and Seattle to take him to court. We will fight. https://t.co/4Ggjqr2DAr — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) October 22, 2020
Trump instructed Attorney General William Barr last month to designate the cities “anarchist jurisdictions” following racial justice protests ignited by the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Federal funds to the cities should be cut to the maximum extent possible, he said in a presidential memorandum, which is referred to in the lawsuit as the “Anarchist Memo.”
The suit called Trump’s action “offensive to both the Constitution and common sense” — and “an oxymoronic designation without precedent in American jurisprudence.” Yet the consequences of cutting off funding for cities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, are “deadly serious,” the suit declares.
The designation could cost the cities — all run by Democratic mayors — $12 billion in federal funds, even though the cities pump a significant amount of taxes into federal coffers.
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“It is the Defendants, not the Cities, who are engaging in lawless behavior and threatening the democratic order established by the Framers,” the lawsuit says. “The Defendants’ actions violate bedrock principles of American democracy: separation of powers, federalism, and due process.”
The suit calls the branding of the cities “arbitrary and capricious,” and argued that without congressional approval, the president doesn’t have the authority to add conditions to funding that lawmakers have deemed appropriate. Nor does he have the authority to use funding as a cudgel to manipulate policing by states and their localities, the suit declares.
Trump’s memo, which accused the three cities of “permitting anarchy ... and destruction,” gave local officials no prior notice of the designation, nor were they given any opportunity to respond. The memo cited no legal authority for the action.
The suit also names Barr, the Justice Department, the Office of Management and Budget and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf among the plaintiffs. It demands that the “anarchist jurisdiction” designations be removed and that an order be issued to stop the Justice Department and OMB from carrying out Trump’s orders to cut funds.
After the suit was filed, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan called the Trump administration’s “political threats” against the cities “unlawful and an abuse of federal power. It’s immoral, unconstitutional and shameful that we are forced to expend any resources on this political theater,” she said in a statement.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-23--One Thing Trump Didn't Lie About: He Is NOT Abraham Lincoln

In case Americans needed any clarification , Donald Trump declared in the final presidential debate Thursday night that he does not claim to actually be Abraham Lincoln .
Trump cleared that up in response to a zinger from Democratic rival Joe Biden , which apparently went right over the president ’ s head .
Trump once again repeated his hollow boast that “ nobody has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump ... with the exception of Abraham Lincoln.
” He also shockingly claimed that he was the “ least racist person in this room ” ( which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderator at a presidential debate since 1992 ) .
Biden scoffed : “ Abraham Lincoln over here is one of the most racist presidents we ’ ve had in modern history .
He pours fuel on every single racist fire .
Every single one.
” Trump was confused .
“ You made a reference to Abraham Lincoln here , ” the president responded .
“ Where did that come in ?
” That ’ s when Trump felt compelled to clear things up : “ No , I didn ’ t say I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Not since Abraham Lincoln has anybody done what I ’ ve done for the Black community.
’ ” Biden got a kick out of that ( though he did mistakenly replace the white supremacist Proud Boys with the name “ poor boys ” in his bit ) .
And fact-checkers could finally stand down — for a moment .
“ Not since Abraham Lincoln has anyone done anything for the African American community like I have !
” Retweet if Dr. King would want a word with @ realDonaldTrump # DebateTonight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David_Leavitt ) October 23 , 2020 Right .
Lincoln said `` This government of the people , by the people , and for the people , will not perish from the earth . ''
Trump is trying to drive a stake thru its heart .
— Ramblin ’ Man ( @ Jerry_at_Rick ) October 23 , 2020 Not since Abraham Lincoln has anyone hated Trump as much as me — david chang ( @ davidchang ) October 23 , 2020 Trump has now lost his temper .
Apparently Joe Biden cracking a joke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really got to him ... — Susan Glasser ( @ sbg1 ) October 23 , 2020 Donald Trump saying “ Nobody has done more for African Americans , with the exception , maybe , thank Abraham Lincoln ” is not only a lie .
It denigrates Black humanity , American history , White citizens/elected officials who ’ ve bled for racial justice since the birth of the republic .
— Dr. Peniel E. Joseph ( @ PenielJoseph ) October 23 , 2020 President Donald Trump has often name-dropped Abraham Lincoln in boasting of @ @ @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
In case Americans needed any clarification, Donald Trump declared in the final presidential debate Thursday night that he does not claim to actually be Abraham Lincoln.
Trump cleared that up in response to a zinger from Democratic rival Joe Biden, which apparently went right over the president’s head.
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Trump once again repeated his hollow boast that “nobody has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump ... with the exception of Abraham Lincoln.” He also shockingly claimed that he was the “least racist person in this room” (which included Kristen Welker, the first Black moderator at a presidential debate since 1992).
Biden scoffed: “Abraham Lincoln over here is one of the most racist presidents we’ve had in modern history. He pours fuel on every single racist fire. Every single one.”
Trump was confused. “You made a reference to Abraham Lincoln here,” the president responded. “Where did that come in?”
“You said you’re Abraham Lincoln,” Biden quipped again.
That’s when Trump felt compelled to clear things up: “No, I didn’t say I’m Abraham Lincoln. I said, ‘Not since Abraham Lincoln has anybody done what I’ve done for the Black community.’”
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Biden sarcastically refers to Trump as "Abraham Lincoln," and Trump gets confused by it pic.twitter.com/Ogdt1QXf3g — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 23, 2020
Biden got a kick out of that (though he did mistakenly replace the white supremacist Proud Boys with the name “poor boys” in his bit). And fact-checkers could finally stand down — for a moment.
Followers on Twitter loved it.
Fact Check: Donald Trump is correct when he says he’s not Abraham Lincoln — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 23, 2020
Biden: Abraham Lincoln over here...
Trump: I’m not Abraham Lincoln. I’m Donald Trump.
Biden: Yeah we know bro. — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) October 23, 2020
“Not since Abraham Lincoln has anyone done anything for the African American community like I have!”
Retweet if Dr. King would want a word with @realDonaldTrump #DebateTonight #Debates2020 — David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) October 23, 2020
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I'm so glad he clarified. I've been confused the last 3.75 years. — Melissa Weinstein (@meliswein) October 23, 2020
Trump interpreting Joe’s drag “Abraham Lincoln here” as literal is the funniest thing this year. He’s never heard a joke. — Ira Madison III (@ira) October 23, 2020
Trump: ‘Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln.’
Biden: ‘Abraham Lincoln here says..’
Trump: ‘Abraham Lincoln? Where did that come from?’ @realDonaldTrump — NoelCaslerComedy (@CaslerNoel) October 23, 2020
bold of Trump to worry that someone would confuse him with Abraham Lincoln — Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) October 23, 2020
That’s the way black people rank the Presidents: Abraham Lincoln and then Trump. — Andrew Yang🧢🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) October 23, 2020
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It has been confirmed: Donald Trump and Abraham Lincoln are TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. #Debates2020 — Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) October 23, 2020
Right. Lincoln said "This government of the people, by the people, and for the people, will not perish from the earth." Trump is trying to drive a stake thru its heart. — Ramblin’ Man (@Jerry_at_Rick) October 23, 2020
“Eventually I’ll be right” -Donald trump pic.twitter.com/Ii33JQ0jim — You can’t trust trump (@labadorer) October 23, 2020
Not since Abraham Lincoln has anyone hated Trump as much as me — david chang (@davidchang) October 23, 2020
Trump has now lost his temper. Apparently Joe Biden cracking a joke about him being "Abraham Lincoln" really got to him... — Susan Glasser (@sbg1) October 23, 2020
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Donald Trump saying “Nobody has done more for African Americans, with the exception, maybe, thank Abraham Lincoln” is not only a lie. It denigrates Black humanity, American history, White citizens/elected officials who’ve bled for racial justice since the birth of the republic. — Dr. Peniel E. Joseph (@PenielJoseph) October 23, 2020