thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--GOP Convention Embraces Anger And Fear, Despite Being Billed As 'Optimistic'

The tone was certainly not that .
It seems President Donald Trump had not yet made America great , because speaker after speaker had plenty of grievances with the state of things .
And all of these problems , they warned , would get exponentially worse if former Vice President Joe Biden defeats Trump in November .
“ President Trump is fighting against the forces of socialism , communism and totalitarianism .
And he will continue to do just that , ” said Maximo Alvarez , a Florida businessman whose family fled Cuba .
“ And what about his opponent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I have no doubt they will hand the country over to those dangerous forces.
” Kimberly Guilfoyle , the former Fox News personality and girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr. , gave one of the darkest and most intense speeches of the night , shouting as if talking to a packed convention center instead of the largely empty room she was in .
She decried “ the socialist Biden/Harris future for our country , ” and said Democrats have turned California into “ a land of discarded heroin needles in parks , riots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Guilfoyle did not mention that she was once first lady of San Francisco and married to Gavin Newsom , who is now California ’ s Democratic governor . )
“ In President Trump ’ s America , we light things up , we don ’ t dim them down .
We build things up , we don ’ t burn them down .
We kneel in prayer and we stand for our flag !
” she added .
“ This election is a battle for the soul of America .
Your choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country , ” Patty added .
“ And that ’ s what we want to speak to you about tonight.
” “ They are not satisfied with spreading the chaos and violence into our communities .
They want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single-family home zoning , ” Patty said in her speech Monday .
“ These are the policies that are coming to a neighborhood near you .
So make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live , your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats ’ America.
” One of the few exceptions to the angry tone was South Carolina ’ s Tim Scott , the country ’ s lone Black Republican senator .
Scott gave the final speech of Monday night , using his own biography ― how he struggled economically and academically as a child , and his path to the Senate ― to argue that the Republican Party offers the best opportunity for growth and hope .
“ Our family went from cotton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s why I believe the next American century can be better than the last , ” he said .
“ There are millions of families like mine across this nation , full of potential , seeking to live the American dream .
And I ’ m here tonight to tell you that supporting the Republican ticket gives you the best chance of making that dream a reality.
” A key topic on which the convention was relentlessly upbeat was the coronavirus .
It didn ’ t focus on the people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States leads the world in coronavirus cases ― or how the president insisted for months that the virus was a “ hoax ” that would just go away on its own .
Instead , the speakers and the videos produced for Monday ’ s event spun Trump as someone who showed “ quick action and leadership.
” The claims were so egregious that MSNBC cut away and went to its Dr. Vin Gupta , a pulmonologist at the University of Washington , who rejected the gaslighting .
“ A lot of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was not as a partisan , but as a clinician , ” Gupta said .
“ Number one , for many weeks in the last six months , COVID-19 ... was the No .
1 cause of death for Americans .
Last week , it was the second-leading cause of death for Americans .
”

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“Rioters must not be allowed to destroy our cities. Human, sex, drug traffickers should not be allowed to cross our border.”
“People of faith are under attack.”
“Look at what’s happening in America’s cities ― all run by Democrats. Crime, violence, mob rule. Democrats refuse to denounce the mob.”
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Those were all comments from speakers on Monday, the opening night of the Republican National Convention, which GOP aides had promised would be “very optimistic and upbeat.”
The tone was certainly not that. It seems President Donald Trump had not yet made America great, because speaker after speaker had plenty of grievances with the state of things. And all of these problems, they warned, would get exponentially worse if former Vice President Joe Biden defeats Trump in November.
“President Trump is fighting against the forces of socialism, communism and totalitarianism. And he will continue to do just that,” said Maximo Alvarez, a Florida businessman whose family fled Cuba. “And what about his opponent and the rest of the D.C. swamp? I have no doubt they will hand the country over to those dangerous forces.”
“Socialism” came up multiple times Monday night. Former United Nations Amb. Nikki Haley said that Biden would be taking his marching orders from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the group of progressive lawmakers known as “the Squad.”
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“Their vision for America is socialism,” Haley said. “And we know that socialism has failed everywhere.”
The first night of the Republican National Convention underscored that the GOP is running once again on a strategy of fear rather than hope.
Kimberly Guilfoyle gave a dark speech at the Republican National Convention Monday night. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former Fox News personality and girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., gave one of the darkest and most intense speeches of the night, shouting as if talking to a packed convention center instead of the largely empty room she was in.
She decried “the socialist Biden/Harris future for our country,” and said Democrats have turned California into “a land of discarded heroin needles in parks, riots in streets and blackouts in homes.” (Guilfoyle did not mention that she was once first lady of San Francisco and married to Gavin Newsom, who is now California’s Democratic governor.)
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“In President Trump’s America, we light things up, we don’t dim them down. We build things up, we don’t burn them down. We kneel in prayer and we stand for our flag!” she added. “This election is a battle for the soul of America. Your choice is clear.”
A central campaign theme for Trump is crime, playing on racist fears of people from low-income neighborhoods taking over the suburbs.
I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020
Mark and Patty McCloskey were supposed to be the embodiment of what could happen if Biden wins.
“We’re speaking to you tonight from St. Louis, Missouri, where just weeks ago you may have seen us defending our home as a mob of protesters descended on our neighborhood,” Mark said.
“What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country,” Patty added. “And that’s what we want to speak to you about tonight.”
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In June, the McCloskeys, both lawyers, gained national attention for pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters who marched by their mansion in St. Louis. The couple now face felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon. No shots were fired.
Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has described the protesters as “peaceful” and “unarmed.” The McCloskeys claim the demonstrators ignored “No Trespassing” and “Private Street” signs before breaking through a gate to get into the community.
“They are not satisfied with spreading the chaos and violence into our communities. They want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single-family home zoning,” Patty said in her speech Monday. “These are the policies that are coming to a neighborhood near you. So make no mistake: No matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats’ America.”
Armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey stand in front of their house as they confront protesters, June 28, 2020, in the Central West End of St. Louis. Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
One of the few exceptions to the angry tone was South Carolina’s Tim Scott, the country’s lone Black Republican senator. Scott gave the final speech of Monday night, using his own biography ― how he struggled economically and academically as a child, and his path to the Senate ― to argue that the Republican Party offers the best opportunity for growth and hope.
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“Our family went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime. And that’s why I believe the next American century can be better than the last,” he said. “There are millions of families like mine across this nation, full of potential, seeking to live the American dream. And I’m here tonight to tell you that supporting the Republican ticket gives you the best chance of making that dream a reality.”
A key topic on which the convention was relentlessly upbeat was the coronavirus. It didn’t focus on the people who have lost loved ones, how the United States leads the world in coronavirus cases ― or how the president insisted for months that the virus was a “hoax” that would just go away on its own.
Instead, the speakers and the videos produced for Monday’s event spun Trump as someone who showed “quick action and leadership.” The claims were so egregious that MSNBC cut away and went to its Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist at the University of Washington, who rejected the gaslighting.
“A lot of that was hard to listen to. And that was not as a partisan, but as a clinician,” Gupta said. “Number one, for many weeks in the last six months, COVID-19... was the No. 1 cause of death for Americans. Last week, it was the second-leading cause of death for Americans.”
“So to say that 170,000 souls lost in our country up to now is success, by any measure, is fantasy,” he added. “It’s disrespectful to the families who have lost loved ones, to front-line clinicians who put their lives at risk. It’s fantasy. It’s propaganda.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Mike Pence Unveils Baffling New Trump Reelection Rally Cry With 1 Huge Flaw

Vice President Mike Pence tried to update President Donald Trump ’ s longtime campaign slogan .
Trump and Pence were elected in 2016 with “ Make America Great Again ” as their slogan .
This year , Trump has wavered between using the same slogan – despite the implication he failed to make America great during his first term ― or changing it to “ Keep America Great.
” But on Monday , Pence tried a different take .
“ We ’ re gon na make America great again , again , ” he declared at the Republican National Convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that the slogan is also a confession ― one that means Trump and Pence allowed America to become not-great under their watch : '' Make America Great Again , Again '' -- the 2020 GOP platform is basically that Trump deserves a mulligan pic.twitter.com/tNAXx0rEJr — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) August 24 , 2020 WAIT..WHAT ?
?
?
?
`` We 're Going To Make America Great Again ... Again '' ?
?
?
Ok .
They really are kidding right ?
😂😂😂😂😂😂they finally made me laugh !
!
!
!
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) August 24 , 2020 If you have to say , “ Make America great again .
.
.
again , ” you have failed .
https : //t.co/Rnvkf4eDsc — DAVID-19 🦠 ( @ DavidJPeterson ) August 24 , 2020 '' Make America great again ... again '' because it clearly did n't work the first time ?
Not a very strong endorsement .
— Jamie .
Verily !
( @ jamiefrevele ) August 24 , 2020 Pence just capped off his surprise speech at the RNC by pledging to “ make America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sounds like an acknowledgement that the first term didn ’ t go so well .
— Chris Sommerfeldt ( @ C_Sommerfeldt ) August 24 , 2020 '' Make America Great Again , Again '' Is that really the best slogan the Republican Party could come up with ?
pic.twitter.com/R0cv2p1Fcn — The Hardy Report Podcast ( @ EdwardTHardy ) August 24 , 2020 Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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Vice President Mike Pence tried to update President Donald Trump’s longtime campaign slogan.
It didn’t go well.
Trump and Pence were elected in 2016 with “Make America Great Again” as their slogan. This year, Trump has wavered between using the same slogan – despite the implication he failed to make America great during his first term ― or changing it to “Keep America Great.”
But on Monday, Pence tried a different take.
“We’re gonna make America great again, again,” he declared at the Republican National Convention.
Twitter users were quick to point out that the slogan is also a confession ― one that means Trump and Pence allowed America to become not-great under their watch:
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"Make America Great Again, Again" -- the 2020 GOP platform is basically that Trump deserves a mulligan pic.twitter.com/tNAXx0rEJr — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 24, 2020
WAIT..WHAT???? "We're Going To Make America Great Again...Again"??? Ok. They really are kidding right?😂😂😂😂😂😂they finally made me laugh!!!! Omg. — RebBrooks (@RebBrooks1) August 24, 2020
If you have to say, “Make America great again . . . again,” you have failed. https://t.co/Rnvkf4eDsc — DAVID-19 🦠 (@DavidJPeterson) August 24, 2020
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“Make America great again... again...” - mike pence.
Actual quote 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 — Lauren Jenkins (@Lauren_Jenkins) August 24, 2020
"Make America great again... again" because it clearly didn't work the first time? Not a very strong endorsement. — Jamie. Verily! (@jamiefrevele) August 24, 2020
Pence just capped off his surprise speech at the RNC by pledging to “make America great again, again,” which sounds like an acknowledgement that the first term didn’t go so well. — Chris Sommerfeldt (@C_Sommerfeldt) August 24, 2020
"Make America Great Again, Again"
Is that really the best slogan the Republican Party could come up with? pic.twitter.com/R0cv2p1Fcn — The Hardy Report Podcast (@EdwardTHardy) August 24, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Kimberly Guilfoyle's 'Kool-Aid Sermon' At RNC Sets Twitter Alight

Kimberly Guilfoyle , a Trump campaign official and Donald Trump Jr. ’ s girlfriend , blasted Democrats and endorsed President Donald Trump in a Republican National Convention speech Monday night that set Twitter alight .
Slamming what she called the “ radical ” agenda of Democrats in a forceful address that was , at times , shouted , Guilfoyle condemned former Vice President Joe Biden , his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) and others on their side of the aisle as “ socialists ” who “ want to destroy this country and everything that we have fought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to steal your liberty , your freedom , they want to control what you see and think and believe so that they can control how you live , ” she said .
Guilfoyle , formerly a Fox News host , also invoked her own family history , reflecting on her mother ’ s life as a teacher in Puerto Rico and her father , “ also an immigrant , ” who was born in Ireland .
( Puerto Ricans are U.S .
citizens . )
She lauded Trump as the “ law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she called the “ greatest economy the world has ever known.
” She concluded her speech with an impassioned cry : “ Ladies and gentlemen , leaders and fighters for freedom and liberty for the American dream : The best .
Is yet .
To come.
” Critics had a lot to say about the speech ’ s propaganda-like content and its all-caps delivery : Kimberly Guilfoyle is a first generation American ?
?
?
Her people are from Aguadilla , PR .
So is my grandfather .
Puerto Ricans are American - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrified .
And embarrassed as a fellow Latina .
Shameful .
# GOPConvention2020 — Sunny Hostin ( @ sunny ) August 25 , 2020 '' Proud Latina '' Kimberly Guilfoyle should know that Puerto Ricans like her mother Mercedes have been U.S. citizens since 1917 .
Therefore , she was not an `` immigrant . ''
— Andrea González-Ramírez ( @ andreagonram ) August 25 , 2020

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Kimberly Guilfoyle, a Trump campaign official and Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, blasted Democrats and endorsed President Donald Trump in a Republican National Convention speech Monday night that set Twitter alight.
Slamming what she called the “radical” agenda of Democrats in a forceful address that was, at times, shouted, Guilfoyle condemned former Vice President Joe Biden, his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and others on their side of the aisle as “socialists” who “want to destroy this country and everything that we have fought for and hold dear.”
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“They want to steal your liberty, your freedom, they want to control what you see and think and believe so that they can control how you live,” she said.
Guilfoyle, formerly a Fox News host, also invoked her own family history, reflecting on her mother’s life as a teacher in Puerto Rico and her father, “also an immigrant,” who was born in Ireland. (Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.)
She lauded Trump as the “law and order president” who created what she called the “greatest economy the world has ever known.” She concluded her speech with an impassioned cry: “Ladies and gentlemen, leaders and fighters for freedom and liberty for the American dream: The best. Is yet. To come.”
Critics had a lot to say about the speech’s propaganda-like content and its all-caps delivery:
Kimberly Guilfoyle is ***!!!!!!!!!SCREAMING!!!!!!!!!*** pic.twitter.com/0gzoSPySQG — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 25, 2020
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I rarely laugh out loud. I laughed out loud 3 times during this Kimberly Guilfoyle Kool-Aid sermon. #RNCConvention — Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) August 25, 2020
Why is Kimberly Guilfoyle yelling? — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 25, 2020
Kimberly Guilfoyle is a first generation American??? Her people are from Aguadilla, PR. So is my grandfather. Puerto Ricans are American - last I checked. I’m horrified. And embarrassed as a fellow Latina. Shameful. #GOPConvention2020 — Sunny Hostin (@sunny) August 25, 2020
"Proud Latina" Kimberly Guilfoyle should know that Puerto Ricans like her mother Mercedes have been U.S. citizens since 1917. Therefore, she was not an "immigrant." — Andrea González-Ramírez (@andreagonram) August 25, 2020
I typically take a beta-blocker before a big speech. Apparently Kimberly Guilfoyle mainlines Mountain Dew. #RNCConvention2020 pic.twitter.com/Wf3PFWpa3l — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 25, 2020
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Kimberly Guilfoyle making sure no white suburban women votes for Trump. — Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) August 25, 2020
I'm not watching the RNC tonight, but I get the impression that Kimberly Guilfoyle is yelling at America tonight. pic.twitter.com/FokYoEVK7f — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) August 25, 2020
Whatever Don Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle took together backstage, it was too much. — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 25, 2020
It’s like a satire of a dictatorship
pic.twitter.com/T8hGLbGZKi — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) August 25, 2020
Kimberly Guilfoyle made Dear Leader very happy tonight pic.twitter.com/EuGGHMKD1k — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) August 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--5 Takeaways From The First Night Of The 2020 Republican National Convention

Here are four other takeaways from the convention ’ s first night : The GOP convention aired videos that heaped praise on Trump ’ s leadership and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , saying the president ’ s “ historic ” actions “ saved lives ” despite the U.S. leading the world with more than 5.7 million confirmed cases and over 177,000 deaths ― which went unmentioned on Monday .
But the videos , which essentially resembled campaign ads , omitted Trump ’ s repeated dismissals of the severity of the virus , how he said it would disappear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease , his push for states to reopen prematurely , his conjecture that injecting disinfectants could be a cure and his inaction as severe testing shortfalls persisted months into the crisis .
A Subtle Effort To Make Trump More Palatable To Voters Public polls show Trump is currently badly lagging behind Biden with suburban voters ― especially women .
That ’ s why some speeches at the GOP convention on Monday night sought to sand down some of the president ’ s roughest edges by presenting him in a more positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his voice ― and a ruckus .
He knows that ’ s what it takes to raise an army of patriots who love America and will protect her , ” Gaetz said at one point .
Retired NFL star Hershel Walker similarly defended Trump , whom he counted as a friend for 37 years .
“ He leaves nothing on the field .
Some people don ’ t like his style , the way he knocks down obstacles that get in the way of his goals , ” Walker said .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it when I ran right over them either .
But that ’ s how you get the job done.
” Walker also said he felt offended by people calling Trump a racist .
“ He works night and day ” to improve the lives of African Americans , ” Walker said .
Trump Gets Involved ― And Uses The White House As A Prop The Republican National Convention aired two videos of Trump interacting with two separate groups ― essential workers and freed U.S. hostages .
The short vignettes were filmed at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hatch Act does not apply to the president , the move does raise ethical questions about the role of taxpayer-funded property being used as a campaign prop .
In one of the videos , Trump was met with six Americans who were freed from captivity during his administration , including Andrew Brunson , a pastor who was arrested in Turkey .
“ I have to say that , to me , President Erdogan was very good , ” Trump told Brunson , who was held in captivity by the government of Recep Tayyip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies on the first night of the convention .
In fact , the party didn ’ t write a platform at all this year , preferring instead to endorse Trump ’ s second-term agenda , as soon as he figures it out .
The event was instead aimed at riling up conservatives with red meat ahead of the November election with speeches from activists and lesser-known voices in the party .
As NBC ’ s Alex Seitz-Wald noted on Twitter , the traditional GOP establishment confab resembled the Conservative Political Action Conference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far-right segments of the party .

Here are four other takeaways from the convention’s first night:
Republicans Paint A Rosy Picture Of Trump’s Coronavirus Response
The GOP convention aired videos that heaped praise on Trump’s leadership and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the president’s “historic” actions “saved lives” despite the U.S. leading the world with more than 5.7 million confirmed cases and over 177,000 deaths ― which went unmentioned on Monday.
But the videos, which essentially resembled campaign ads, omitted Trump’s repeated dismissals of the severity of the virus, how he said it would disappear, his praise of China’s handling of the disease, his push for states to reopen prematurely, his conjecture that injecting disinfectants could be a cure and his inaction as severe testing shortfalls persisted months into the crisis.
A Subtle Effort To Make Trump More Palatable To Voters
Public polls show Trump is currently badly lagging behind Biden with suburban voters ― especially women. That’s why some speeches at the GOP convention on Monday night sought to sand down some of the president’s roughest edges by presenting him in a more positive context.
“President Trump sometimes raises his voice ― and a ruckus. He knows that’s what it takes to raise an army of patriots who love America and will protect her,” Gaetz said at one point.
Retired NFL star Hershel Walker similarly defended Trump, whom he counted as a friend for 37 years.
“He leaves nothing on the field. Some people don’t like his style, the way he knocks down obstacles that get in the way of his goals,” Walker said. “People on opposing teams didn’t like it when I ran right over them either. But that’s how you get the job done.”
Walker also said he felt offended by people calling Trump a racist. “He works night and day” to improve the lives of African Americans,” Walker said.
Trump Gets Involved ― And Uses The White House As A Prop
The Republican National Convention aired two videos of Trump interacting with two separate groups ― essential workers and freed U.S. hostages. The short vignettes were filmed at the White House and, while technically the Hatch Act does not apply to the president, the move does raise ethical questions about the role of taxpayer-funded property being used as a campaign prop.
In one of the videos, Trump was met with six Americans who were freed from captivity during his administration, including Andrew Brunson, a pastor who was arrested in Turkey.
“I have to say that, to me, President Erdogan was very good,” Trump told Brunson, who was held in captivity by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Policy Takes A Backseat To Culture Wars
Very few speakers discussed actual policies on the first night of the convention. In fact, the party didn’t write a platform at all this year, preferring instead to endorse Trump’s second-term agenda, as soon as he figures it out.
The event was instead aimed at riling up conservatives with red meat ahead of the November election with speeches from activists and lesser-known voices in the party. As NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald noted on Twitter, the traditional GOP establishment confab resembled the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering of conservative activists and far-right segments of the party.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Donald Trump Jr.’s Loch Ness Monster Dig Has People Defending Nessie

Some of Donald Trump Jr. ’ s critics on Twitter have a message for him after an unusual speech on Monday night : Leave the Loch Ness monster out of this .
The son of President Donald Trump name-checked the mythical beast during his speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention .
“ Joe Biden is basically the Loch Ness monster of the swamp , ” he declared .
“ For the past half-century , he ’ s been lurking around in there .
He sticks his head up every now and then to run for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t do much in between.
” The reference caused “ Loch Ness ” to trend on Twitter , where Trump ’ s critics didn ’ t appreciate him politicizing the famous cryptid , which is notorious for hiding from everyone , no matter what their politics : Why is Donald Trump Jr trying to demonise the Loch Ness monster ?
In *Scotland , or so I ’ m told , she is considered to be a fairly benign creature that people just really want to see — Tara McKelvey ( @ Tara_Mckelvey ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lovely as are all the Scottish highland lochs and I will not hear their names uttered by the likes of that piece of rancid blood pudding DTJr .
Photo : Sam Fentress pic.twitter.com/VMAvgclBE7 — Dr. Karen James ( @ kejames ) August 25 , 2020 The Loch Ness Monster is pure .
Loch Ness itself is a body of freshwater , not a swamp .
Do not drag Nessie into this campaign .
Or into any more terrible , mangled metaphors .
https : //t.co/oCEkSajgQD # RNCConvention2020 — Tim Teeman ( @ TimTeeman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don Jr. called Biden `` the Loch Ness Monster of the Swamp '' and I just need to correct the record here .
Nessie lived in a lake and she does n't deserve this .
— Jane Lytvynenko ( @ JaneLytv ) August 25 , 2020 Loch Ness is a lake not a swamp , it ’ s right in the name .
— Matthew Yglesias ( @ mattyglesias ) August 25 , 2020 WHAAAAT ?
?
?
`` Biden is the Loch Ness Monster of the swamp '' ?
You have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know Loch Ness is n't a swamp ?
# Lochness pic.twitter.com/UK3vNAiltF — Jackson Tenorio ( @ JacksonTenori ) August 25 , 2020 They promised a positive message at the convention .
The president ’ s son just called @ JoeBiden the “ lochness monster.
” Ok. — Michael McFaul ( @ McFaul ) August 25 , 2020 '' # JoeBiden is the Loch Ness monster of the swamp '' - # DonaldTrumpJr Does that mean Joe Biden does n't exist , or that you believe in the Loch Ness Monster ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cryptozoology # Politics # CryptoPolitics pic.twitter.com/C86XOL2adu — J♦ ( @ jaydiamond ) August 25 , 2020

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Some of Donald Trump Jr.’s critics on Twitter have a message for him after an unusual speech on Monday night: Leave the Loch Ness monster out of this.
The son of President Donald Trump name-checked the mythical beast during his speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention.
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“Joe Biden is basically the Loch Ness monster of the swamp,” he declared. “For the past half-century, he’s been lurking around in there. He sticks his head up every now and then to run for president, then he disappears and doesn’t do much in between.”
The reference caused “Loch Ness” to trend on Twitter, where Trump’s critics didn’t appreciate him politicizing the famous cryptid, which is notorious for hiding from everyone, no matter what their politics:
Why is Donald Trump Jr trying to demonise the Loch Ness monster? In *Scotland, or so I’m told, she is considered to be a fairly benign creature that people just really want to see — Tara McKelvey (@Tara_Mckelvey) August 25, 2020
Loch Ness is lovely as are all the Scottish highland lochs and I will not hear their names uttered by the likes of that piece of rancid blood pudding DTJr. Photo: Sam Fentress pic.twitter.com/VMAvgclBE7 — Dr. Karen James (@kejames) August 25, 2020
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Sir, the Loch Ness Monster does not live in a swamp. — Person Woman Man Camera TV (@ClaraJeffery) August 25, 2020
The Loch Ness Monster is pure. Loch Ness itself is a body of freshwater, not a swamp. Do not drag Nessie into this campaign. Or into any more terrible, mangled metaphors. https://t.co/oCEkSajgQD #RNCConvention2020 — Tim Teeman (@TimTeeman) August 25, 2020
Look, Don Jr. called Biden "the Loch Ness Monster of the Swamp" and I just need to correct the record here. Nessie lived in a lake and she doesn't deserve this. — Jane Lytvynenko (@JaneLytv) August 25, 2020
Loch Ness is a lake not a swamp, it’s right in the name. — Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) August 25, 2020
WHAAAAT??? "Biden is the Loch Ness Monster of the swamp"? You have a shitty golf club in Scotland and you don't know Loch Ness isn't a swamp?#Lochness pic.twitter.com/UK3vNAiltF — Jackson Tenorio (@JacksonTenori) August 25, 2020
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They promised a positive message at the convention. The president’s son just called @JoeBiden the “lochness monster.” Ok. — Michael McFaul (@McFaul) August 25, 2020
"#JoeBiden is the Loch Ness monster of the swamp"
- #DonaldTrumpJr
Does that mean Joe Biden doesn't exist, or that you believe in the Loch Ness Monster? I have so many questions... #Cryptozoology #Politics #CryptoPolitics pic.twitter.com/C86XOL2adu — J♦ (@jaydiamond) August 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Trump Tells Hostage Held For 2 Years Turkey's Erdogan ‘Was Very Good’ In RNC Segment

President Donald Trump hosted a roundtable with six former hostages during the first night of the Republican National Convention , at one point telling a pastor held in Turkey for two years that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “ was very good ” despite the former hostage ’ s ordeal .
Trump made the comments to Andrew Brunson , an evangelical pastor from North Carolina , who was arrested in Turkey in 2016 on espionage and terrorism charges .
U.S. officials had long accused Turkey of using Brunson as a political pawn alongside nearly two dozen other Turkish Americans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The White House levied tariffs and upped political pressure on the Erdogan government , and the pastor was ultimately released in 2018 after the Trump administration personally raised the case with Erdogan .
But despite Brunson ’ s detention , in the brief segment , Trump doubled down on his praise for the Turkish strongman , a regular theme of his administration .
Throughout his time in office , Trump has called Erdogan a “ great ally , ” a “ strong man ” and said he ’ s a “ big fan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Turkish leader ’ s efforts to silence critics .
“ We have six incredible people who were held hostage by various countries , and I am very pleased to let everyone know that we brought back over 50 hostages from 22 different countries , we worked very hard on it , ” Trump said in the segment before turning to Brunson .
“ We had to get you back , ” he continued .
“ I have to say , to me , President Erdogan was very good .
I know they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you were a very innocent person , and he ultimately after we had a few conversations , he agreed.
” It ’ s unusual for a sitting U.S. president to tout their efforts to secure the release of hostages for political purposes , and equally remarkable to do so during a party convention from the White House .
Brunson said he was grateful to the Trump administration for its efforts to bring him home , telling the president he thought “ if you hadn ’ t done that , I think I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was held in Turkey for two years , and you took unprecedented steps actually to secure my release , and your administration really fought for me , ” the pastor said .
“ I ’ m really grateful .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump hosted a roundtable with six former hostages during the first night of the Republican National Convention, at one point telling a pastor held in Turkey for two years that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “was very good” despite the former hostage’s ordeal.
Trump made the comments to Andrew Brunson, an evangelical pastor from North Carolina, who was arrested in Turkey in 2016 on espionage and terrorism charges. U.S. officials had long accused Turkey of using Brunson as a political pawn alongside nearly two dozen other Turkish Americans who were arrested following a coup attempt. The White House levied tariffs and upped political pressure on the Erdogan government, and the pastor was ultimately released in 2018 after the Trump administration personally raised the case with Erdogan.
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But despite Brunson’s detention, in the brief segment, Trump doubled down on his praise for the Turkish strongman, a regular theme of his administration.
"To me, President Erdogan was very good" -- Trump to Pastor Brunson, who was imprisoned by Erdogan's regime pic.twitter.com/1NmyU1tGOo — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 25, 2020
Throughout his time in office, Trump has called Erdogan a “great ally,” a “strong man” and said he’s a “big fan” of the man despite criticism over the Turkish leader’s efforts to silence critics.
“We have six incredible people who were held hostage by various countries, and I am very pleased to let everyone know that we brought back over 50 hostages from 22 different countries, we worked very hard on it,” Trump said in the segment before turning to Brunson.
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“We had to get you back,” he continued. “I have to say, to me, President Erdogan was very good. I know they had you scheduled for a long time and you were a very innocent person, and he ultimately after we had a few conversations, he agreed.”
It’s unusual for a sitting U.S. president to tout their efforts to secure the release of hostages for political purposes, and equally remarkable to do so during a party convention from the White House.
Brunson said he was grateful to the Trump administration for its efforts to bring him home, telling the president he thought “if you hadn’t done that, I think I would still be in Turkey.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--RNC Celebrates A Coronavirus Response That Didn’t Happen

Trump didn ’ t dwell on China for very long ― and no wonder .
In that country , which Trump has repeatedly blamed for COVID-19 in racist terms , the local transmission rate of the coronavirus has been close to zero for so long that life has mostly returned to normal .
In contrast , the United States , a country of 330 million , has led the world with over 5.7 million confirmed cases of the disease , and over 177,000 known deaths .
A disproportionate number of the fatalities have been people of color .
In dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or near peak levels .
Businesses across the nation are still shuttered or operating below capacity , while the unemployment rate remains higher than it ever was during the Great Depression .
But the first night of the RNC presented a largely unrecognizable version of this reality .
In a series of speeches and interviews with Americans affected by COVID-19 , the RNC falsely showcased a president who ’ d grasped the scope of the crisis early , marshaled the nation ’ s resources , cut through bureaucratic red tape , accelerated useful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path to recovery .
“ From the very beginning , Democrats , the media and the World Health Organization got coronavirus wrong , ” a voice-over declared in one of the first clips played at the convention , sampling quotes from Democratic lawmakers in February saying the situation was still under control .
“ One leader took decisive action to save lives : President Donald Trump.
” Very little of this programming was accurate .
As Dr. Vin Gupta , a global health policy expert , put it on MSNBC : “ To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country up to now is success , by any measure , is fantasy .
It ’ s disrespectful to the families who have lost loved ones , to front-line clinicians who put their lives at risk .
It ’ s just fantasy .
It ’ s propaganda.
” Until polls suggested Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic could hurt his chances of re-election , the president had broadly ignored or downplayed the threat of COVID-19 .
Throughout the first several months of the pandemic , Trump repeatedly compared the coronavirus to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ miraculously ” disappear by April when the weather warmed up .
He bragged about restricting U.S. borders to travelers from China and much of Europe — even as his administration failed to expand testing or secure proper protective equipment for front-line workers .
At the same time , Trump-aligned lawmakers repeatedly blocked economic relief measures that would have made it easier for Americans to stay home and avoid spreading the virus .
The shortage of personal protective equipment has remained a problem .
In April , medical workers lacking proper gear turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies .
Just last month , nursing home workers said the federal government sent them garbage bag-style plastic gowns without hand holes , masks with breakable straps and child-sized rubber gloves .
A database made available last week has tracked more than 900 deaths of health care workers lost on the front lines of COVID-19 .
Trump used dozens of press conferences and rallies to downplay the dangers of COVID-19 — even months into the pandemic , even after more than 100,000 Americans had died .
He hyped the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of medical evidence and the risk of severe side effects .
He was so insistent in his dismissal of public health guidelines around preventative measures that he wasn ’ t seen wearing a mask in public until July ― a simple protective move that state leaders had already been requiring of their residents for months .
The president ’ s optimistic remarks about the crisis have often been at odds with reality .
During a June speaking engagement in Arizona , which had just seen a 94 % increase in new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopefully the end of the pandemic.
” More than 50,000 additional Americans have died since then .
The testing capacity of the United States is also at a breaking point .
As parts of the country reopen , the volume and accuracy of rapid tests are essential to doing so safely .
But as multiple states have reported , the testing supply chain is nearly overwhelmed , as it has been through much of the pandemic in the U.S. “ This is very bad , ” Michael Mina , a Harvard epidemiology professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you don ’ t get results back in a day or so , outbreaks really can ’ t be stopped without isolating and quarantining all contacts preemptively.
” On Monday , the first night of the GOP convention , the party offered two health professionals speaking slots to praise Trump ’ s response : an oral surgeon — whose only experience with COVID-19 was that he and a colleague contracted it — and a nurse who thanked him for expanding access to telehealth .
Ford praised Trump extensively for removing regulatory hurdles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move that any president , regardless of party , would likely have done under similar circumstances .
What Ford didn ’ t mention is that millions of uninsured Americans can not afford any medical treatment , whether it ’ s in person or over a video call .
There was no one to praise Trump ’ s national guidelines on social distancing or his robust testing program , because those things don ’ t exist .
In the absence of real wins , a clip at the RNC lauded Trump for his effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still in a trial phase .
While the U.S. clings to the promise of a quick vaccine , other countries have nearly eradicated the disease with the same social distancing measures Trump won ’ t enforce .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
In a roundtable with essential workers on the first night of the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump once again referred to COVID-19 as the “China virus.”
“I don’t want to go through all the names because some people may get insulted,” he said.
Trump didn’t dwell on China for very long ― and no wonder. In that country, which Trump has repeatedly blamed for COVID-19 in racist terms, the local transmission rate of the coronavirus has been close to zero for so long that life has mostly returned to normal.
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Wuhan, the city where the virus was first detected, recently held a pool party teeming with thousands of revelers. Restaurants, bars and movie theaters have reopened throughout the country. College students in Beijing are headed back to campus.
China, a country of 1.4 billion people, has had approximately 85,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and fewer than 4,700 deaths.
In contrast, the United States, a country of 330 million, has led the world with over 5.7 million confirmed cases of the disease, and over 177,000 known deaths. A disproportionate number of the fatalities have been people of color. In dozens of states, infection rates are at or near peak levels. Businesses across the nation are still shuttered or operating below capacity, while the unemployment rate remains higher than it ever was during the Great Depression.
By almost every salient measure used to gauge a country’s well-being, the United States under Trump has utterly failed its coronavirus test.
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But the first night of the RNC presented a largely unrecognizable version of this reality. In a series of speeches and interviews with Americans affected by COVID-19, the RNC falsely showcased a president who’d grasped the scope of the crisis early, marshaled the nation’s resources, cut through bureaucratic red tape, accelerated useful treatments and set the U.S. on a path to recovery.
“From the very beginning, Democrats, the media and the World Health Organization got coronavirus wrong,” a voice-over declared in one of the first clips played at the convention, sampling quotes from Democratic lawmakers in February saying the situation was still under control. “One leader took decisive action to save lives: President Donald Trump.”
Very little of this programming was accurate. As Dr. Vin Gupta, a global health policy expert, put it on MSNBC: “To say that 170,000 souls lost in our country up to now is success, by any measure, is fantasy. It’s disrespectful to the families who have lost loved ones, to front-line clinicians who put their lives at risk. It’s just fantasy. It’s propaganda.”
Until polls suggested Trump’s handling of the pandemic could hurt his chances of re-election, the president had broadly ignored or downplayed the threat of COVID-19. Throughout the first several months of the pandemic, Trump repeatedly compared the coronavirus to the common flu and incorrectly predicted it would “miraculously” disappear by April when the weather warmed up. He bragged about restricting U.S. borders to travelers from China and much of Europe — even as his administration failed to expand testing or secure proper protective equipment for front-line workers. At the same time, Trump-aligned lawmakers repeatedly blocked economic relief measures that would have made it easier for Americans to stay home and avoid spreading the virus.
The shortage of personal protective equipment has remained a problem. In April, medical workers lacking proper gear turned to GoFundMe to raise money for their supplies. Just last month, nursing home workers said the federal government sent them garbage bag-style plastic gowns without hand holes, masks with breakable straps and child-sized rubber gloves. A database made available last week has tracked more than 900 deaths of health care workers lost on the front lines of COVID-19.
Advertisement
Trump used dozens of press conferences and rallies to downplay the dangers of COVID-19 — even months into the pandemic, even after more than 100,000 Americans had died. He hyped the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a miracle cure for COVID-19, despite a lack of medical evidence and the risk of severe side effects. He was so insistent in his dismissal of public health guidelines around preventative measures that he wasn’t seen wearing a mask in public until July ― a simple protective move that state leaders had already been requiring of their residents for months.
The president’s optimistic remarks about the crisis have often been at odds with reality. During a June speaking engagement in Arizona, which had just seen a 94% increase in new cases, Trump declared this was “hopefully the end of the pandemic.” More than 50,000 additional Americans have died since then.
The testing capacity of the United States is also at a breaking point. As parts of the country reopen, the volume and accuracy of rapid tests are essential to doing so safely. But as multiple states have reported, the testing supply chain is nearly overwhelmed, as it has been through much of the pandemic in the U.S. “This is very bad,” Michael Mina, a Harvard epidemiology professor, told The Atlantic. “If you don’t get results back in a day or so, outbreaks really can’t be stopped without isolating and quarantining all contacts preemptively.”
On Monday, the first night of the GOP convention, the party offered two health professionals speaking slots to praise Trump’s response: an oral surgeon — whose only experience with COVID-19 was that he and a colleague contracted it — and a nurse who thanked him for expanding access to telehealth.
“As a health care professional, I can tell you without hesitation, Donald Trump’s quick action and leadership saved thousands of lives during COVID-19,” said Amy Johnson Ford, a registered nurse who worked as a crisis COVID relief nurse in Texas and New York. “And the benefits of that response extend far beyond coronavirus.”
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Ford praised Trump extensively for removing regulatory hurdles to telehealth during the pandemic — a commonsense move that any president, regardless of party, would likely have done under similar circumstances. What Ford didn’t mention is that millions of uninsured Americans cannot afford any medical treatment, whether it’s in person or over a video call.
There was no one to praise Trump’s national guidelines on social distancing or his robust testing program, because those things don’t exist. In the absence of real wins, a clip at the RNC lauded Trump for his effort to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine, which is still in a trial phase. While the U.S. clings to the promise of a quick vaccine, other countries have nearly eradicated the disease with the same social distancing measures Trump won’t enforce.
Another speaker, small-business owner Tanya Weinreis, described Trump as a leader who answered her prayers by providing her with a Paycheck Protection Program loan, from a $650 billion loan program established by Congress on a bipartisan basis.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--RNC Speaker Rebecca Friedrichs Once Said 'Public Schools Groom Kids For Sexual Predators'

Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 RNC via Getty Images Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 RNC via Getty Images Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 RNC via Getty Images Teacher Rebecca Friedrichs addresses the virtual Republican National Convention on Aug. 24 , 2020 .
The Republican National Convention kicked off Monday night with an anti-teachers union screed from a 28-year educator who also recently wrote an op-ed accusing U.S. schools of grooming children to be sexualized .
“ If we as a society are so disturbed by the actions of Epstein , Miss Maxwell and an untold number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Washington Times in July , referring to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his criminally charged former partner Ghislaine Maxwell , “ then why are we allowing America ’ s public schools to groom our children to be sexualized ?
” The essence of Friedrichs ’ argument is that sex education can “ sexualize ” children and lead to “ heightened sexual activity and even abuse by predators like Epstein.
” While Friedrichs offers no empirical evidence to support this claim , naturally , she argues that unions are to blame .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ posing as teachers and the deceptively named Healthy Teen Network , a coalition of over 180 sexual and reproductive-health justice organizations , ” Friedrichs wrote .
Her tenuous argument seems to rest on the presumption that sex education in schools promotes activities that would lead children to sexual predators .
Again , there is no evidence offered to support this , and as FiveThirtyEight noted in 2018 , hundreds of studies on the efficacy of sex education have shown that those classes do not increase sexual activity — they may actually delay teen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pregnancy and the spread of STDs .
In her speech Monday night , Friedrichs charged that unions had “ intentionally rewritten American history to perpetuate division , pervert the memories of our American founders , and disparage our Judeo-Christian virtues.
” She added that lenient discipline policies had “ morphed ” schools in “ war zones .
”

Teacher Rebecca Friedrichs addresses the virtual Republican National Convention on Aug. 24, 2020. Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 RNC via Getty Images
The Republican National Convention kicked off Monday night with an anti-teachers union screed from a 28-year educator who also recently wrote an op-ed accusing U.S. schools of grooming children to be sexualized.
“If we as a society are so disturbed by the actions of Epstein, Miss Maxwell and an untold number of others,” Rebecca Friedrichs wrote in The Washington Times in July, referring to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his criminally charged former partner Ghislaine Maxwell, “then why are we allowing America’s public schools to groom our children to be sexualized?”
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The essence of Friedrichs’ argument is that sex education can “sexualize” children and lead to “heightened sexual activity and even abuse by predators like Epstein.”
While Friedrichs offers no empirical evidence to support this claim, naturally, she argues that unions are to blame.
“Leading this despicable charge are unions posing as teachers and the deceptively named Healthy Teen Network, a coalition of over 180 sexual and reproductive-health justice organizations,” Friedrichs wrote.
Her tenuous argument seems to rest on the presumption that sex education in schools promotes activities that would lead children to sexual predators. Again, there is no evidence offered to support this, and as FiveThirtyEight noted in 2018, hundreds of studies on the efficacy of sex education have shown that those classes do not increase sexual activity — they may actually delay teen sexual activity — and have decreased teen pregnancy and the spread of STDs.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--166-year-Old Republican Party Becomes The Newest Trump Property

A year ago , the GOP pressured state parties to cancel primaries and caucuses , making an intraparty challenge all the harder .
It continues to funnel millions of dollars of donor money into Trump ’ s and his family members ’ pockets .
And at the nominating convention in Charlotte , North Carolina , delegates even gave up on crafting a party platform and instead declared that whatever Trump liked was fine with them .
“ It would pass , ” said Kendal Unruh , a conservative activist from Colorado and a leader of the “ Dump Trump ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I can guarantee it… .
It is 100 % owned by him .
Not even bought and paid for .
They sold their souls to him so he could own them.
” In Cleveland , Unruh and other activists mounted one final attempt to get rid of Trump as their presidential nominee with a floor fight designed to allow delegates to “ vote their conscience ” rather than be bound by the primary and caucus results from their states .
Leading that charge was Ken Cuccinelli , a Virginia delegate and supporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had remained in the race against Trump until May .
Two days later , Cruz , in his speech from the stage , failed to endorse Trump and told delegates to vote according to their conscience .
Today , Cuccinelli is working as Trump ’ s acting deputy secretary of homeland security , carrying out Trump ’ s immigration policies despite what the Government Accountability Office describes as an illegal appointment to the position .
And Cruz has returned to the posture he took in much of the 2016 GOP primaries : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
Rick Tyler , a top campaign aide to Cruz during that run , gave points to the Republican National Committee for candor .
“ A rare moment of intellectual honesty where the ‘ Russian ’ National Committee acknowledges that they are little more than a brainwashed cult slavishly worshiping a charlatan.
” Trump ’ s rock-solid hold on his party comes despite his low approval ratings and weak position for reelection compared with most incumbents in the modern era .
He achieved that by aggressively asserting himself in Republican primaries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Steve Duprey , a former Republican National Committee member who was ousted early this year for not being sufficiently pro-Trump .
At the Republican National Convention program itself , fully half of the marquee speakers share Trump ’ s surname , including eldest son Donald Trump Jr. , whose book sales the GOP committee has subsidized by purchasing them by the thousands .
His girlfriend , Kimberly Guilfoyle , and sister-in-law , Lara Trump , are also paid $ 15,000 a month each in donor money , funneled through former campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid disclosure in Federal Election Commission filings .
Trump himself made a personal appearance in Charlotte on Monday afternoon as delegates voted to give him the nomination , and the president gave a typically rambling speech attacking Democratic rival Joe Biden and embellishing his own record with a string of falsehoods .
Video of his meetings with pandemic emergency workers and former hostages ― videotaped inside the White House ― showed up in the evening programming .
Campaign officials said he will appear each of the following two nights , as well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nomination on Thursday , meaning he will be the key performer in each of the convention ’ s days .
Historically , nominees have little or no visibility prior to a convention ’ s final night .
But for longtime Republican officials and activists , the decision not to pursue a platform under Trump ― who has operated a White House with little discernable political philosophy ― is the most remarkable .
A platform contains the philosophical underpinnings of a party and its policy goals , and the lack of interest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said .
The Republican National Committee on Sunday instead put out a statement attacking the news media , stating that it would not ratify a new 2020 platform but that “ the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President ’ s America-first agenda.
” “ The platform was always a big deal .
I served on county , state and national GOP platforms .
We always prided ourselves on how specific we were with all the relevant topics that impacted our lives , ” Unruh said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is a bigger deal than they even know.
” Fergus Cullen , a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party and a Trump critic , recalled how fraught writing a platform could be : “ The number of pitched battles I witnessed among activists about phrases in a platform or the placement of a comma.
” Norman Ornstein , with the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute , said Republicans also have the option of choosing a name from the 19th century ― the one used by the dying remnants of the @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Four years after having to quell a floor revolt designed to topple his nomination, Donald Trump on Monday won renomination from a Republican Party displaying all the independence of a Trump property.
A year ago, the GOP pressured state parties to cancel primaries and caucuses, making an intraparty challenge all the harder. It continues to funnel millions of dollars of donor money into Trump’s and his family members’ pockets. And at the nominating convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, delegates even gave up on crafting a party platform and instead declared that whatever Trump liked was fine with them.
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All that’s left, the party’s exiled Trump critics say, is formally renaming it the Donald J. Trump Party.
“It would pass,” said Kendal Unruh, a conservative activist from Colorado and a leader of the “Dump Trump” movement at that convention in Cleveland. “I can guarantee it…. It is 100% owned by him. Not even bought and paid for. They sold their souls to him so he could own them.”
In Cleveland, Unruh and other activists mounted one final attempt to get rid of Trump as their presidential nominee with a floor fight designed to allow delegates to “vote their conscience” rather than be bound by the primary and caucus results from their states. Leading that charge was Ken Cuccinelli, a Virginia delegate and supporter of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who had remained in the race against Trump until May. Two days later, Cruz, in his speech from the stage, failed to endorse Trump and told delegates to vote according to their conscience.
Today, Cuccinelli is working as Trump’s acting deputy secretary of homeland security, carrying out Trump’s immigration policies despite what the Government Accountability Office describes as an illegal appointment to the position. And Cruz has returned to the posture he took in much of the 2016 GOP primaries: refusing to say a negative word about Trump.
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Rick Tyler, a top campaign aide to Cruz during that run, gave points to the Republican National Committee for candor. “A rare moment of intellectual honesty where the ‘Russian’ National Committee acknowledges that they are little more than a brainwashed cult slavishly worshiping a charlatan.”
Trump’s rock-solid hold on his party comes despite his low approval ratings and weak position for reelection compared with most incumbents in the modern era. He achieved that by aggressively asserting himself in Republican primaries to push the candidates who supported him personally, said Steve Duprey, a former Republican National Committee member who was ousted early this year for not being sufficiently pro-Trump.
“He’s more involved in primary races than any president that I can remember,” Duprey said.
President Donald Trump speaks on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Charlotte Convention Center on Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jessica Koscielniak, Pool/Getty Images
At the Republican National Convention program itself, fully half of the marquee speakers share Trump’s surname, including eldest son Donald Trump Jr., whose book sales the GOP committee has subsidized by purchasing them by the thousands. His girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and sister-in-law, Lara Trump, are also paid $15,000 a month each in donor money, funneled through former campaign manager Brad Parscale’s company to avoid disclosure in Federal Election Commission filings.
Trump himself made a personal appearance in Charlotte on Monday afternoon as delegates voted to give him the nomination, and the president gave a typically rambling speech attacking Democratic rival Joe Biden and embellishing his own record with a string of falsehoods. Video of his meetings with pandemic emergency workers and former hostages ― videotaped inside the White House ― showed up in the evening programming.
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Campaign officials said he will appear each of the following two nights, as well, in addition to his speech formally accepting the nomination on Thursday, meaning he will be the key performer in each of the convention’s days. Historically, nominees have little or no visibility prior to a convention’s final night.
But for longtime Republican officials and activists, the decision not to pursue a platform under Trump ― who has operated a White House with little discernable political philosophy ― is the most remarkable. A platform contains the philosophical underpinnings of a party and its policy goals, and the lack of interest in having one is a clear sign, they said.
The Republican National Committee on Sunday instead put out a statement attacking the news media, stating that it would not ratify a new 2020 platform but that “the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.”
“The platform was always a big deal. I served on county, state and national GOP platforms. We always prided ourselves on how specific we were with all the relevant topics that impacted our lives,” Unruh said. “It is the vision of a party. This is a bigger deal than they even know.”
Fergus Cullen, a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party and a Trump critic, recalled how fraught writing a platform could be: “The number of pitched battles I witnessed among activists about phrases in a platform or the placement of a comma.”
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Norman Ornstein, with the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said Republicans also have the option of choosing a name from the 19 century ― the one used by the dying remnants of the Whigs.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Portland Police Are Giving Up On Policing The Far-Right

Maranie Staab/Reuters Proud Boy Alan Swinney points a gun during clashes between protesters against police brutality and racial injustice and groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer in Portland , Oregon , on Aug. 22 .
The Portland Police Bureau appears to have all but given up on policing the far-right factions brawling in the Oregon city ’ s streets , despite a recent escalation in violence that has seen those extremists throw explosives , brandish guns and in one case fire them at other protesters .
It ’ s common to see far-right extremist groups like the Proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ ve been doing that for years , often as PPB officers watched until a riot was officially declared and then police cleared the streets using tear gas and other munitions .
But over the weekend , police took an entirely hands-off approach to the fighting , even as the demonstrations grew more violent than ever .
As officers stood by on Saturday , the Proud Boys and their far-right friends attacked and intimidated anti-fascist protesters using paintball guns , mace , fireworks , aluminum bats and various firearms , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them — notorious Proud Boys organizer Alan Swinney — was seen pointing a gun at protesters , his finger on the trigger .
Another Proud Boy , Tusitala “ Tiny ” Toese , was present , per the Post , in apparent violation of his parole over an attack at a similar demonstration in 2017 ( he wasn ’ t apprehended on Saturday , but a judge on Monday issued a warrant for his arrest ) .
A member of the Proud Boys fires a paintball gun into a crowd of protesters against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Aug. 22 in Portland .
For the second Saturday in a row , right-wing groups gathered in downtown Portland , sparking counterprotests and leading to violence .
In a statement to The Washington Post , the bureau said that officers were tired from responding to ongoing demonstrations against racism and police brutality , which have kept Portland in the national spotlight for weeks .
Officers wouldn ’ t intervene in small skirmishes between “ willing participants , ” even if the clashes fit the city ’ s definition of a riot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ participants and the events were not enduring in time , so officers were not deployed to intervene , ” the bureau said of Saturday ’ s events .
“ PPB members have been the focus of over 80 days of violent actions directed at the police , which is a major consideration for determining if police resources are necessary to interject between two groups with individuals who appear to be willingly engaging in physical confrontations for short durations.
” Allowing local far-right groups to wreak havoc on the city isn ’ t a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Proud Boys cheered , officers launched tear gas and other munitions at anti-fascist counterprotesters during a rally in 2017 , which left one antifa protester with a gas canister lodged in his head .
Police gave the Proud Boys an escort out of the city following a rally in 2018 that saw the far-right demonstrators outnumbered by anti-fascists .
A key officer had a friendly and ongoing relationship with the leader of Proud Boys affiliate group Patriot Prayer , judging from texts obtained by Willamette Week .
But relinquishing the act of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new and concerning , especially given the context : Local extremists have escalated their violent tactics in recent weeks , brazenly introducing guns and a lot more weaponry to the melee .
Local right-wing protester Skylor Jernigan , who attended a conservative “ flag wave ” demonstration in Portland earlier this month alongside Swinney , allegedly shot at Black Lives Matter protesters from inside a car .
( Nobody was hit . )
He was later arrested and charged with two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon .
During the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with chemical irritants and shooting them with rounds from a paintball gun .
He faced no immediate consequence for those displays or for pointing a pistol at protesters this past Saturday .
Long before this month ’ s events , the Proud Boys and other local Portland groups had been emboldened by governmental inaction during their rallies .
Proud Boys leadership admitted at a rally last year that one of their stated goals was to continue such demonstrations in order to waste taxpayer dollars , overburden city resources and embarrass Democratic Mayor Ted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wheeler released a statement Monday saying he was “ closely reviewing ” the PPB ’ s “ strategy to limit their intervention.
” ) Now it appears that the Proud Boys enjoy not just a broader arsenal at their rallies , but a tacit promise from the city that they ’ ll face little to no police intervention .

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The Portland Police Bureau appears to have all but given up on policing the far-right factions brawling in the Oregon city’s streets, despite a recent escalation in violence that has seen those extremists throw explosives, brandish guns and in one case fire them at other protesters.
It’s common to see far-right extremist groups like the Proud Boys exchanging blows with counterprotesters in Portland. They’ve been doing that for years, often as PPB officers watched until a riot was officially declared and then police cleared the streets using tear gas and other munitions.
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But over the weekend, police took an entirely hands-off approach to the fighting, even as the demonstrations grew more violent than ever. As officers stood by on Saturday, the Proud Boys and their far-right friends attacked and intimidated anti-fascist protesters using paintball guns, mace, fireworks, aluminum bats and various firearms, according to The Washington Post.
One of them — notorious Proud Boys organizer Alan Swinney — was seen pointing a gun at protesters, his finger on the trigger. Another Proud Boy, Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, was present, per the Post, in apparent violation of his parole over an attack at a similar demonstration in 2017 (he wasn’t apprehended on Saturday, but a judge on Monday issued a warrant for his arrest).
A member of the Proud Boys fires a paintball gun into a crowd of protesters against police brutality as the two sides clashed on Aug. 22 in Portland. For the second Saturday in a row, right-wing groups gathered in downtown Portland, sparking counterprotests and leading to violence. Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Meanwhile, over a loudspeaker, police encouraged those present to “self-monitor for criminal activity.” In essence, the PPB had thrown up its hands.
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In a statement to The Washington Post, the bureau said that officers were tired from responding to ongoing demonstrations against racism and police brutality, which have kept Portland in the national spotlight for weeks. Officers wouldn’t intervene in small skirmishes between “willing participants,” even if the clashes fit the city’s definition of a riot.
“Each skirmish appeared to involve willing participants and the events were not enduring in time, so officers were not deployed to intervene,” the bureau said of Saturday’s events. “PPB members have been the focus of over 80 days of violent actions directed at the police, which is a major consideration for determining if police resources are necessary to interject between two groups with individuals who appear to be willingly engaging in physical confrontations for short durations.”
Allowing local far-right groups to wreak havoc on the city isn’t a big departure for the PPB. As the Proud Boys cheered, officers launched tear gas and other munitions at anti-fascist counterprotesters during a rally in 2017, which left one antifa protester with a gas canister lodged in his head. Police gave the Proud Boys an escort out of the city following a rally in 2018 that saw the far-right demonstrators outnumbered by anti-fascists. A key officer had a friendly and ongoing relationship with the leader of Proud Boys affiliate group Patriot Prayer, judging from texts obtained by Willamette Week.
But relinquishing the act of policing to the brawlers themselves is both new and concerning, especially given the context: Local extremists have escalated their violent tactics in recent weeks, brazenly introducing guns and a lot more weaponry to the melee.
Local right-wing protester Skylor Jernigan, who attended a conservative “flag wave” demonstration in Portland earlier this month alongside Swinney, allegedly shot at Black Lives Matter protesters from inside a car. (Nobody was hit.) He was later arrested and charged with two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon. During the same event, Swinney was seen spraying protesters with chemical irritants and shooting them with rounds from a paintball gun. He faced no immediate consequence for those displays or for pointing a pistol at protesters this past Saturday.
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Long before this month’s events, the Proud Boys and other local Portland groups had been emboldened by governmental inaction during their rallies. Proud Boys leadership admitted at a rally last year that one of their stated goals was to continue such demonstrations in order to waste taxpayer dollars, overburden city resources and embarrass Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler. (For his part, Wheeler released a statement Monday saying he was “closely reviewing” the PPB’s “strategy to limit their intervention.”)


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--A Black Vice Mayor In Virginia Urged A Police Chief's Firing. Now She Faces Charges.

The resident , Tommy Dubois , alleged that Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke ’ s public call for the firing of the city ’ s police chief constituted a misdemeanor crime under an obscure city statute .
Dubois appears to have gotten the idea to press the charges from a Facebook group .
Since a magistrate judge signed off on the complaint , Lucas-Burke will have to appear in court to respond to the allegation that her political speech against Portsmouth ’ s police chief violated the “ noninterference in appointments or removals ” provision of the city charter .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager oversight over the hiring and firing of city employees .
Lucas-Burke is the daughter of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas ( D ) , the highest-ranking elected Black female official in Virginia .
Earlier this month , the Portsmouth Police Department circumvented the city ’ s elected local prosecutor to bring felony charges against Lucas , local civil rights leaders , and Portsmouth public defenders for “ injury to ” a Confederate monument destroyed in June .
The sergeant in the department ’ s property crimes unit who brought the felony charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other defendants , criticizing both their actions leading up to the monument ’ s destruction and the public criticism of the city ’ s police chief , Angela Greene , who is black .
The charges against Lucas-Burke are misdemeanors that wouldn ’ t carry any jail time if she is convicted .
But if found guilty , she would be forced to forfeit her position as a city council member and give up the vice mayor ’ s post .
The filing of charges against Lucas-Burke was evidently prodded by a Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother , Lucas , from her state Senate seat .
The guidance on how a citizen could charge Lucas-Burke appears to have originated with Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson , who wants to oust Lucas from office and accused her of inciting a riot ahead of the monument ’ s destruction .
Supporters of the police department and Greene have pointed to her identity as a Black woman as evidence that their support for criminal charges against Black politicians and civil rights leaders aren ’ t driven by racism .
After The Virginian-Pilot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Lucas that placed the recent turmoil in historical context , members of an anti-Lucas Facebook group targeted the reporters who authored the story .
“ This has nothing to do with race , it ’ s about breaking the law !
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” wrote one commenter .
“ They always play the race card , ” wrote another .
Dubois said he didn ’ t understand why people were “ throwing the race card out there , ” and said his move to file charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with race.
” “ If I didn ’ t know any better , if I just woke up out of a coma and I watched that press conference , I would think we were living in a time that was 300 years ago , ” Dubois said .
“ They made it sound like Black people had no rights whatsoever.
” “ Yes , there is racism in the world , but it ’ s nowhere near as bad as people make it to be , ” he said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Dubois said he anticipated attacks after he filed the charges against Lucas-Burke “ because I ’ m a white with a bald head and I look like a neo-Nazi.
” He added that he didn ’ t identify as a Democrat or a Republican , but was for “ common sense.
” He said he supported moving the city ’ s Confederate monuments but wanted the matter to play out through a normal civic process .
And he said he would have filed the charges against Lucas-Burke if she were white .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city charter , which is essentially the law , ” Dubois said .
“ You can ’ t have politicians doing whatever they want whenever they feel like it , and that would be for anybody , whether it was another city council member who was white , or whatever the case , I would do the same thing.
” The group organizing around Lucas ’ recall from the state Senate celebrated news of the charges against her daughter on Monday .
“ I hope she gets a cell right next to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .

A mounting political and racial controversy stemming from the destruction of a Confederate monument in Portsmouth, Virginia, intensified this week after a white city resident brought criminal charges against the city’s Black vice mayor.
The resident, Tommy Dubois, alleged that Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke’s public call for the firing of the city’s police chief constituted a misdemeanor crime under an obscure city statute. Dubois appears to have gotten the idea to press the charges from a Facebook group.
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Sheriff’s deputies delivered a summons to Lucas-Burke on Monday morning after Dubois filed the criminal case against her with a magistrate judge. In Virginia’s magistrate system, citizens can bring criminal charges against other individuals by making their case to a judge.
Since a magistrate judge signed off on the complaint, Lucas-Burke will have to appear in court to respond to the allegation that her political speech against Portsmouth’s police chief violated the “noninterference in appointments or removals” provision of the city charter. That document gives Portsmouth’s powerful city manager oversight over the hiring and firing of city employees.
Lucas-Burke is the daughter of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas (D), the highest-ranking elected Black female official in Virginia. Earlier this month, the Portsmouth Police Department circumvented the city’s elected local prosecutor to bring felony charges against Lucas, local civil rights leaders, and Portsmouth public defenders for “injury to” a Confederate monument destroyed in June. The sergeant in the department’s property crimes unit who brought the felony charges previously lashed out against Lucas and the other defendants, criticizing both their actions leading up to the monument’s destruction and the public criticism of the city’s police chief, Angela Greene, who is Black.
The charges against Lucas-Burke are misdemeanors that wouldn’t carry any jail time if she is convicted. But if found guilty, she would be forced to forfeit her position as a city council member and give up the vice mayor’s post.
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Lucas-Burke told HuffPost she was upset about the charges and believed they’re “bogus.” She declined further comment until after she met with her attorney.
Portsmouth Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke, seen in a 2016 campaign photo. Facebook
The filing of charges against Lucas-Burke was evidently prodded by a Facebook page calling for the recall of her mother, Lucas, from her state Senate seat. The guidance on how a citizen could charge Lucas-Burke appears to have originated with Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson, who wants to oust Lucas from office and accused her of inciting a riot ahead of the monument’s destruction.
Lucas filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Anderson, alleging he knowingly published false information about her and harmed her reputation.
Dubois is a supporter of Greene; he told HuffPost he thinks the police chief is doing a “phenomenal job.”
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Supporters of the police department and Greene have pointed to her identity as a Black woman as evidence that their support for criminal charges against Black politicians and civil rights leaders aren’t driven by racism. After The Virginian-Pilot published a comprehensive story on the charges against Lucas that placed the recent turmoil in historical context, members of an anti-Lucas Facebook group targeted the reporters who authored the story. “This has nothing to do with race, it’s about breaking the law!!!!!!!!!” wrote one commenter. “They always play the race card,” wrote another.
Dubois said he didn’t understand why people were “throwing the race card out there,” and said his move to file charges against Lucas-Burke had “nothing to do with race.”
“The race card I really don’t understand, because the police chief’s Black, the city manager’s Black, half the city council’s Black, half the city is Black, so I don’t understand throwing the race card out there at all,” Dubois said.
Dubois said he thought speakers at the press conference last week where Lucas-Burke called for the police chief’s firing had put too much focus on race.
“If I didn’t know any better, if I just woke up out of a coma and I watched that press conference, I would think we were living in a time that was 300 years ago,” Dubois said. “They made it sound like Black people had no rights whatsoever.”
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“Yes, there is racism in the world, but it’s nowhere near as bad as people make it to be,” he said. “The race card is played way too much.”
Dubois said he anticipated attacks after he filed the charges against Lucas-Burke “because I’m a white with a bald head and I look like a neo-Nazi.” He added that he didn’t identify as a Democrat or a Republican, but was for “common sense.”
He said he supported moving the city’s Confederate monuments but wanted the matter to play out through a normal civic process. And he said he would have filed the charges against Lucas-Burke if she were white.
“She broke the law, or the city charter, which is essentially the law,” Dubois said. “You can’t have politicians doing whatever they want whenever they feel like it, and that would be for anybody, whether it was another city council member who was white, or whatever the case, I would do the same thing.”
The group organizing around Lucas’ recall from the state Senate celebrated news of the charges against her daughter on Monday. “I hope she gets a cell right next to her mother lol,” one commenter wrote.
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Despite claims from Dubois and others of race neutrality, Black political leaders in the Portsmouth region said that the unusual use of the criminal justice system against prominent Black politicians fit into a broader pattern.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Billy Graham's Granddaughter Jerushah Duford Joins Lincoln Project's Women Coalition

Evangelical writer Jerushah Duford , who is the granddaughter of the late televangelist Billy Graham , has joined a new women ’ s coalition of The Lincoln Project to battle President Donald Trump and support Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and running mate Sen. Kamala Harris .
“ After four years of blatant misogyny , civil unrest and failed leadership from President Trump , The Lincoln Project continues our crusade to abolish his chances of reelection by announcing the first wave of fierce women to lead our Lincoln Women coalition , ” said a statement Monday from the organization co-founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House counselor Kellyanne Conway .
Honored to have met and to stand with powerful women who can no longer ignore the tug in their spirit when they look at our country .
# lincolnwomen https : //t.co/7hmcPEN07l — jerushah duford ( o | | | | o ) ( @ jerushahruth ) August 24 , 2020 Duford told Forbes that she doesn ’ t know how anyone can reconcile the stark contrast of the lessons of Jesus with what the world has witnessed in the White House during the last four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to women who feel uncomfortable voting Democratic for the first time in their lives .
“ I ’ m speaking to the woman who feels that tug in their spirit , ” she said .
“ It ’ s okay to follow your conscience .
And it ’ s okay to use your voice at the polls this November.
” Duford , a leading religious voice in the new coalition , is also the niece of conservative evangelical leader and Trump supporter Franklin Graham , who ’ s scheduled to speak at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I have not spoken to my uncle , but his voice was a large reason for my speaking out , ” Duford told Newsweek .
“ The world is watching .
When church leaders hold Trump up as a representative of our faith , the damage to the Gospel is immense , ” she added .
“ The world sees the hypocrisy , and the result is [ they want ] nothing to do with it .
Jennifer Horn , co-founder of The Lincoln Project and a member of the coalition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide the outcome of this election .
“ The future of our families , our communities and our country lie in our hands , ” she said .
Horn will join Republican strategist Susan Del Percio and former Hawaii state House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto for a virtual town hall on Wednesday that will be livestreamed on social media platforms , The Hill reported .
“ The past four years have been exhausting for women , ” Del Percio said .
“ We are fearful for the health and safety of our families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bullying from the Oval Office.
” The coalition is a rebuttal of Trump ’ s politics and his recent repeated appeals to what he calls suburban housewives .
He claims Democrats are out to destroy the suburbs with “ low-income housing .
”

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Evangelical writer Jerushah Duford, who is the granddaughter of the late televangelist Billy Graham, has joined a new women’s coalition of The Lincoln Project to battle President Donald Trump and support Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and running mate Sen. Kamala Harris.
“After four years of blatant misogyny, civil unrest and failed leadership from President Trump, The Lincoln Project continues our crusade to abolish his chances of reelection by announcing the first wave of fierce women to lead our Lincoln Women coalition,” said a statement Monday from the organization co-founded by George Conway, husband of outgoing White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.
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Duford tweeted:
Honored to have met and to stand with powerful women who can no longer ignore the tug in their spirit when they look at our country. #lincolnwomen https://t.co/7hmcPEN07l — jerushah duford (o | | | | o) (@jerushahruth) August 24, 2020
Duford told Forbes that she doesn’t know how anyone can reconcile the stark contrast of the lessons of Jesus with what the world has witnessed in the White House during the last four years. She said she wants to reach out to women who feel uncomfortable voting Democratic for the first time in their lives.
“I’m speaking to the woman who feels that tug in their spirit,” she said. “It’s okay to follow your conscience. And it’s okay to use your voice at the polls this November.”
Jerushah Duford Screen Shot/YouTube/CNN
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Duford, a leading religious voice in the new coalition, is also the niece of conservative evangelical leader and Trump supporter Franklin Graham, who’s scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Thursday.
“I have not spoken to my uncle, but his voice was a large reason for my speaking out,” Duford told Newsweek.
“The world is watching. When church leaders hold Trump up as a representative of our faith, the damage to the Gospel is immense,” she added. “The world sees the hypocrisy, and the result is [they want] nothing to do with it.
Jennifer Horn, co-founder of The Lincoln Project and a member of the coalition, said in a statement that women will decide the outcome of this election.
“The future of our families, our communities and our country lie in our hands,” she said.
Horn will join Republican strategist Susan Del Percio and former Hawaii state House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto for a virtual town hall on Wednesday that will be livestreamed on social media platforms, The Hill reported.
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“The past four years have been exhausting for women,” Del Percio said. “We are fearful for the health and safety of our families, we are tired of constant lies and bullying from the Oval Office.”
The coalition is a rebuttal of Trump’s politics and his recent repeated appeals to what he calls suburban housewives. He claims Democrats are out to destroy the suburbs with “low-income housing.”
The Lincoln Women responded on Twitter:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Protesters, Wisconsin Police Clash For Second Night After Officer Shoots Black Man In Back

The southeastern Wisconsin city became the nation ’ s latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest after cellphone footage of police shooting Jacob Blake — apparently in the back , as he leaned into his SUV while his three children sat in the vehicle — circulated widely on social media Sunday .
The 29-year-old was hospitalized in serious condition .
Police first fired tear gas Monday about 30 minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew took effect to disperse protesters who chanted , “ No justice , no peace ” as they confronted a line of officers who wore protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the courthouse entrance .
But hundreds of people stuck around , screaming at police and lighting fires , including to a garbage truck near the courthouse .
Tensions had flared anew earlier Monday after a news conference with Kenosha Mayor John Antarmian , originally to be held in a park , was moved inside the city ’ s public safety building .
Hundreds of protesters rushed to the building and a door was snapped off its hinges before police in riot gear pepper-sprayed the crowd , which included a photographer from The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing center of 100,000 people midway between Milwaukee and Chicago said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute when they encountered Blake on Sunday .
They did not say whether Blake was armed or why police opened fire , they released no details on the dispute , and they did not immediately disclose the race of the three officers at the scene .
Evers was quick to condemn the bloodshed , saying that while not all details were known , “ what we know for certain is that he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.
” “ This morning , the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force , ” he said , just over two months before Election Day in a country already roiled by the recent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis , Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta and Breonna Taylor in Louisville , Kentucky .
“ Those shots pierce the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage , Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him .
As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV , an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned .
Seven shots can be heard , though it isn ’ t clear how many struck Blake or how many officers fired .
White , who said he made the video , said that before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and saw six or seven women shouting at each other on the sidewalk .
A few moments later , Blake drove up in his SUV and told his son , who was standing nearby , to get in the vehicle , according to White .
White said Blake did not say anything to the women .
White said he left the window for a few minutes , and when he came back , saw three officers wrestling with Blake .
One punched Blake in the ribs , and another used a stun gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Blake got free and started walking away as officers yelled about a knife .

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KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Anger over the shooting of a Black man by police spilled into the streets of Kenosha for a second night Monday, with police again firing tear gas at hundreds of protesters who defied a curfew, threw bottles and shot fireworks at law enforcement guarding the courthouse.
The southeastern Wisconsin city became the nation’s latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest after cellphone footage of police shooting Jacob Blake — apparently in the back, as he leaned into his SUV while his three children sat in the vehicle — circulated widely on social media Sunday. The 29-year-old was hospitalized in serious condition.
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The shooting drew condemnation from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who also called out 125 members of the National Guard on Monday after protesters set cars on fire, smashed windows and clashed with officers in riot gear the previous night.
Demonstrators gather in front of the Kenosha County Court House to protest against the police shooting of Jacob Blake on August 24, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Scott Olson via Getty Images
Police first fired tear gas Monday about 30 minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew took effect to disperse protesters who chanted, “No justice, no peace” as they confronted a line of officers who wore protective gear and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the courthouse entrance. But hundreds of people stuck around, screaming at police and lighting fires, including to a garbage truck near the courthouse.
Tensions had flared anew earlier Monday after a news conference with Kenosha Mayor John Antarmian, originally to be held in a park, was moved inside the city’s public safety building. Hundreds of protesters rushed to the building and a door was snapped off its hinges before police in riot gear pepper-sprayed the crowd, which included a photographer from The Associated Press.
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Police in the former auto manufacturing center of 100,000 people midway between Milwaukee and Chicago said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute when they encountered Blake on Sunday. They did not say whether Blake was armed or why police opened fire, they released no details on the dispute, and they did not immediately disclose the race of the three officers at the scene.
The man who said he made the cellphone video, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” before the gunfire erupted. He said he didn’t see a knife in Blake’s hands.
The governor said he has seen no information to suggest Blake had a knife or other weapon, but that the case is still being investigated by the state Justice Department.
The officers were placed on administrative leave, standard practice in a shooting by police. Authorities released no details about the officers and did not immediately respond to requests for their service records.
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Evers was quick to condemn the bloodshed, saying that while not all details were known, “what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the officers “must be held accountable.”
“This morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force,” he said, just over two months before Election Day in a country already roiled by the recent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. “Those shots pierce the soul of our nation.”
A protester attempts to continue standing through a cloud of tear gas fired by police outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, late Monday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republicans and the police union accused the politicians of rushing to judgment, reflecting the deep partisan divide in Wisconsin, a key presidential battleground state. Wisconsin GOP members also decried the violent protests, echoing the law-and-order theme that President Donald Trump has been using in his reelection campaign.
“As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident,” Pete Deates, president of the Kenosha police union, said in a statement. He called the governor’s statement “wholly irresponsible.”
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The shooting happened around 5 p.m. Sunday and was captured from across the street on the video posted online. Kenosha police do not have body cameras but do have body microphones.
In the footage, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned. Seven shots can be heard, though it isn’t clear how many struck Blake or how many officers fired.
White, who said he made the video, said that before the gunfire, he looked out his window and saw six or seven women shouting at each other on the sidewalk. A few moments later, Blake drove up in his SUV and told his son, who was standing nearby, to get in the vehicle, according to White. White said Blake did not say anything to the women.
White said he left the window for a few minutes, and when he came back, saw three officers wrestling with Blake. One punched Blake in the ribs, and another used a stun gun on him, White said. He said Blake got free and started walking away as officers yelled about a knife.
Police try to secure businesses after protesters set fire to an office Monday in Kenosha. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Blake’s family, said Blake was “simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident.”
Police did not immediately confirm either man’s account.
Blake’s partner, Laquisha Booker, told NBC’s Milwaukee affiliate, WTMJ-TV, that the couple’s three children were in the back seat of the SUV when police shot him.
“That man just literally grabbed him by his shirt and looked the other way and was just shooting him. With the kids in the back screaming. Screaming,” Booker said.
Blake’s grandfather, Jacob Blake Sr., was a prominent minister and civil rights leader in the Chicago area who helped organize a march and spoke in support of a comprehensive housing law in Evanston, Illinois, days after the 1968 slaying of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Rachel Noerdlinger, publicist for the National Action Network, told The Associated Press that the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke Monday to Blake’s father, who called the civil rights leader for his support. Blake’s father will speak at Sharpton’s March on Washington commemoration on Friday, Noerdlinger said.
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Karissa Lewis, national field director of Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement, said the shooting was yet another example of why activists have called for defunding police departments.
“There’s no amount of training or reform that can teach a police officer that it’s wrong to shoot a Black man in the back seven times while his children watch,” Lewis said in a statement first shared with the AP.
Online court records indicate Kenosha County prosecutors charged Blake on July 6 with sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse. An arrest warrant was issued the following day. The records contain no further details and do not list an attorney for Blake.
It was unclear whether that case had anything to do with the shooting.
Crump, who has also represented the Floyd and Taylor families, said Blake’s family has asked that demonstrations in response to his shooting remain peaceful.
“They don’t believe violence to be the solution,” he said.
For more than 100 years, Kenosha was an auto manufacturing center, but it has now largely been transformed into a bedroom community for Milwaukee and Chicago. The city is about 67% white, 11.5% Black and 17.6% Hispanic, according to 2019 Census data. Both the mayor and police chief are white. About 17% of the population lives in poverty.