thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--As Joe Biden Closes In On 2020 Election Victory, Trump Lashes Out With Flood Of Lies

As states worked on their official tallies , Trump and his allies continued to lash out and accuse Democrats of fraud ― without offering any evidence .
On Thursday evening , Trump claimed that Democrats were “ trying to steal ” and “ rig ” the election .
“ If you count the legal votes , I easily win , ” Trump falsely said .
The states are counting legal votes ; ones that are perfectly valid , even if they ’ re still being tallied .
And those legal votes are increasingly not going for Trump .
For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check out HuffPost ’ s elections hub Trump ’ s path to a second term has become increasingly narrow .
To hold on to the White House , he would need to win Georgia , Nevada , North Carolina and Pennsylvania .
In only one of those states — North Carolina — does he appear strongly favored to win .
Biden , on the other hand , can secure the electoral votes to win the presidency in numerous ways : a victory in Pennsylvania would put him over the top , as would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining states .
The current Electoral College tally is complicated by the fact that news outlets have not agreed on whether to call Arizona .
The AP , which HuffPost relies on for its projected results , and Fox News called Arizona for Biden on election night .
However , some outlets still have not done so .
It ’ s possible that Biden will get to 270 votes per AP projections without a formal concession from the Trump campaign or an end to legal challenges .
In a call with reporters on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that data journalist Nate Silver , who founded the FiveThirtyEight website , has publicly disagreed with the decision to call Arizona for Biden .
The Trump campaign , as it warned it would , has filed multiple legal challenges in swing states .
In Michigan and Pennsylvania , the campaign wants election officials to stop counting ballots until it receives “ meaningful ” access to ballot-counting sites and a review of ballots already counted , according to the AP .
And in Georgia , the campaign is demanding that state law regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign has also said its chances of victory depend on more ballots being counted .
The campaign said on a call with reporters Thursday morning that it expects that yet-to-be-counted votes in Pennsylvania , Arizona and Georgia could ultimately decide those states in the president ’ s favor .
“ What the president is pointing out is something that we have driven here at the campaign and reiterated time and time again : that these states and localities should not be counting ballots that are mailed in or magically appeared in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Miller said .
Miller ’ s comments are part of a broader strategy by the Trump campaign to baselessly suggest that the election has been the subject of illegal fraud and tampering .
Campaign officials on Thursday again referenced unspecified claims of voter fraud that they had received from across Pennsylvania .
Prior to Election Day , however , the only Pennsylvanian formally charged with election fraud was a registered Republican and Trump supporter in Luzerne County who allegedly tried to send in an absentee ballot for his dead mother .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar , the Democrat overseeing the administration of elections in the state , because of a critical remark she made about Trump in 2017 .
On Thursday ’ s call with reporters , Trump campaign officials celebrated a ruling from a Pennsylvania judge that forces the city of Philadelphia to permit both campaigns to observe ballot-counting , provided they adhere to public health guidelines such as social distancing .
“ We ’ re going to demand that we ’ re able to review all the things that they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ This is typical ― it ’ s typical of left-wing political machines in these big cities that are trying to steal a vote from the duly elected president .
”

As states worked on their official tallies, Trump and his allies continued to lash out and accuse Democrats of fraud ― without offering any evidence. On Thursday evening, Trump hosted a brazenly dishonest press conference at which he baselessly insisted that Democrats were “trying to steal” and “rig” the election.
Trump did not appear in public on Friday but continued his furious, fact-free attacks on the democratic process on Twitter. As anticipation built for Biden’s speech in the afternoon, Trump tweeted that “Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!”
The Trump campaign, as it warned it would, has filed multiple last-ditch legal challenges in swing states. In Michigan and Pennsylvania, the campaign wants election officials to stop counting ballots until it receives “meaningful” access to ballot-counting sites and a review of ballots already counted, according to The Associated Press. And in Georgia, the campaign is demanding that state law regarding absentee ballots be followed.
But judges in at least three states — Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania — have already rejected the campaign lawsuits.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders alternately embraced Trump’s baseless claims of fraud or began to distance themselves from the president as his likely loss became clear.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said Friday morning that Trump’s fraud allegations were “very disturbing” and there was “simply no evidence” for them. But some potential contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination took a different approach. Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, tweeted a call on Friday for more “transparency” in the vote-counting process, while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) baselessly declared Thursday night on Fox News that election officials in Pennsylvania were “setting the stage to potentially steal an election.”
For the latest results, maps and more, check out HuffPost’s elections hub.
Questions remain around five states.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Arizona Voters Approve Tax On Wealthy To Fund Public Schools

Arizonans voted to boost taxes on high earners in order to steer more money to public schools , marking a major win for the Red for Ed movement that began with a wave of teacher strikes in several states two years ago .
Proposition 208 , dubbed Invest in Ed , will go into effect next year to fund salaries and training programs for teachers and support staff at public schools and public charters .
The additional 3.5 % tax on income will apply to earnings above $ 250,000 for single filers and $ 500,000 for joint filers .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current top tax rate of 4.54 % .
Arizona teachers were part of the historic series of strikes that hit public schools around the country , starting in early 2018 .
The educators were protesting years of disinvestment in public schools that led to staff shortages and underfunded classrooms .
Even though the strikes temporarily shut down schools , the public by and large supported teachers ’ efforts to boost funding for the education system .
The results of Tuesday ’ s vote show Arizonans still like the idea of pumping more money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes for some residents .
Polling ahead of the vote showed broad public support for the proposal crossing party lines , with two-thirds of respondents saying they approved of the tax .
But the result ended up much closer .
Public school teacher Taylor Dutro participates in a protest in May 2018 .
A ballot measure passed in this week 's election by Arizona voters was an outgrowth of the teacher strikes there and in other states that began two years ago .
Teachers and their unions pushed for a tax increase on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona Supreme Court ordered that the initiative be removed from that year ’ s ballot due to the language used in the petition .
This year ’ s ballot initiative did not run into the same problem .
Teacher unions helped fund the Arizona initiative , saying school districts pay staff too little to attract and retain talent .
The average teacher salary in Arizona was $ 50,353 during the 2018-19 school year , giving it a rank of 43 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union in the country .
Under Prop .
208 , half the money raised would go toward salaries for classroom staff , a quarter toward salaries for school support staff , and the rest toward retention and training programs .
According to The Arizona Daily Star , only around 90,000 Arizona residents earn enough money to be hit by the tax surcharge .
Business lobbies lined up in opposition to the proposal as well , with the state Chamber of Commerce pouring more than $ 8 million to fight it in the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposition by a healthy margin , according to Ballotpedia .

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Arizonans voted to boost taxes on high earners in order to steer more money to public schools, marking a major win for the Red for Ed movement that began with a wave of teacher strikes in several states two years ago.
Proposition 208, dubbed Invest in Ed, will go into effect next year to fund salaries and training programs for teachers and support staff at public schools and public charters.
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The Associated Press called the race late Thursday, with “yes” votes leading “no” 52% to 48%.
The additional 3.5% tax on income will apply to earnings above $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for joint filers. It would be added to Arizona’s current top tax rate of 4.54%.
Backers of the measure estimate it will put an additional $940 million annually into the state’s public K-12 school system.
Arizona teachers were part of the historic series of strikes that hit public schools around the country, starting in early 2018. The educators were protesting years of disinvestment in public schools that led to staff shortages and underfunded classrooms. Even though the strikes temporarily shut down schools, the public by and large supported teachers’ efforts to boost funding for the education system.
The results of Tuesday’s vote show Arizonans still like the idea of pumping more money into schools even if it means higher taxes for some residents. Polling ahead of the vote showed broad public support for the proposal crossing party lines, with two-thirds of respondents saying they approved of the tax. But the result ended up much closer.
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Public school teacher Taylor Dutro participates in a protest in May 2018. A ballot measure passed in this week's election by Arizona voters was an outgrowth of the teacher strikes there and in other states that began two years ago. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teachers and their unions pushed for a tax increase on high earners in 2018, but the Arizona Supreme Court ordered that the initiative be removed from that year’s ballot due to the language used in the petition. This year’s ballot initiative did not run into the same problem.
Teacher unions helped fund the Arizona initiative, saying school districts pay staff too little to attract and retain talent. The average teacher salary in Arizona was $50,353 during the 2018-19 school year, giving it a rank of 43 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the country.
Under Prop. 208, half the money raised would go toward salaries for classroom staff, a quarter toward salaries for school support staff, and the rest toward retention and training programs. According to The Arizona Daily Star, only around 90,000 Arizona residents earn enough money to be hit by the tax surcharge.
The ballot measure drew opposition from state Republican leaders including Gov. Doug Ducey, who said it would hurt small business owners whose earnings top the $250,000 mark.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Photo From Donald Trump’s Lie-Filled Rant Goes Viral For The Most Obvious Reason

A photograph taken of President Donald Trump during his lie-filled news conference on Thursday ― as the 2020 election hung @ @ @ @ @ going viral because of its framing .

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Georgia Senate Candidate Releases Cutest 'Attack' Ad: 'By The Way, I Love Puppies'

Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Raphael Warnock harnessed the cuteness of puppies to poke fun at the attack ads he predicted Trump acolyte Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R ) will launch against him before their January runoff election .
A spoof spot that Warnock , the senior pastor at Atlanta ’ s famed Ebenezer Baptist Church , released on Thursday imagined one such critical ad .
The parody mockingly accused Warnock of such atrocities as eating pizza with cutlery , stepping on a crack in the sidewalk and hating dogs .
“ Get ready Georgia , the negative ads are coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loeffler doesn ’ t want to talk about why she ’ s for getting rid of health care in the middle of a pandemic so she ’ s going to try and scare you with lies about me .
“ I ’ m staying focused on what Washington could do for you , ” Warnock continued .
“ And by the way , I love puppies.
” Get ready Georgia .
The negative ads against us are coming .
But that won ’ t stop us from fighting for a better future for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter .
pic.twitter.com/VN0YIA02MG — Reverend Raphael Warnock ( @ ReverendWarnock ) November 5 , 2020 Warnock later asked his followers on Twitter to share their own dog photos : Before the negative ads against us start , I love puppies😂 .
Drop your dog photos in the comments in support of our campaign !
pic.twitter.com/IvoF4bJDFf — Reverend Raphael Warnock ( @ ReverendWarnock ) November 5 , 2020

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Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Raphael Warnock harnessed the cuteness of puppies to poke fun at the attack ads he predicted Trump acolyte Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) will launch against him before their January runoff election.
A spoof spot that Warnock, the senior pastor at Atlanta’s famed Ebenezer Baptist Church, released on Thursday imagined one such critical ad. The parody mockingly accused Warnock of such atrocities as eating pizza with cutlery, stepping on a crack in the sidewalk and hating dogs.
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“Get ready Georgia, the negative ads are coming,” Warnock warned. “Kelly Loeffler doesn’t want to talk about why she’s for getting rid of health care in the middle of a pandemic so she’s going to try and scare you with lies about me.
“I’m staying focused on what Washington could do for you,” Warnock continued.
“And by the way, I love puppies.”
Check out the ad here:
Get ready Georgia. The negative ads against us are coming.
But that won’t stop us from fighting for a better future for Georgians and focusing on the issues that matter. pic.twitter.com/VN0YIA02MG — Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) November 5, 2020
Warnock later asked his followers on Twitter to share their own dog photos:
Before the negative ads against us start, I love puppies😂. Drop your dog photos in the comments in support of our campaign! pic.twitter.com/IvoF4bJDFf — Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) November 5, 2020
And they obliged:
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Ghost hopes you have Power going forward! pic.twitter.com/oAdMyzPFzZ — Walter M Kimbrough (@HipHopPrez) November 5, 2020
Some great dogs (and dawg @veal_josie) for Warnock 🤩 pic.twitter.com/EcYxd4wiAV — Emma Powell (@emmapowow) November 5, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--'Daily Show’ Spoofs What Binging Fox News’ Election Coverage Does To Your Brain

Desi Lydic is binging on Fox News ’ election coverage so others don ’ t have to .
In a @ @ @ @ @ the “ Daily Show ” correspondent pretended to have watched the conservative network for several @ @ @ @ @ And the effect it had on her is , well ... “ Count the votes @ @ @ @ @ count the stop , hop on pop , ” Lydic rambled in the parody , @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump and his personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani .
Check out the video @ @

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Desi Lydic is binging on Fox News’ election coverage so others don’t have to.
In a new spoof released Thursday, the “Daily Show” correspondent pretended to have watched the conservative network for several hours in a row.
And the effect it had on her is, well ...
“Count the votes, stop the count, count the stop, hop on pop,” Lydic rambled in the parody, which also took swipes at President Donald Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Marks & Spencer's New Christmas Pastry Has An Absolutely Filthy Name

Marks & Spencer just unveiled a new cronut-style pastry for the Christmas season , but it ’ s not the “ delicious flaky layers ” that ’ s winning attention on social media .
The British retailer ’ s tweet introducing the pastry also sounded a little ... um ... well ... just check it out : Who wants a bite of Santa ’ s Yumnut™ ?
Our yum yum-doughnut hybrids have been given a Christmassy makeover , with delicious flaky pastry layers and a sweet Santa ’ s belt topping .
Find them in our in store bakery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ marksandspencer ) November 5 , 2020 Marks & Spencer has a history with this sort of stuff ; they offered a “ love sausage ” for Valentine ’ s Day and an Easter Bunny doing yoga that some thought looked a little suggestive .
Then there was the ad saying they “ put the D in bread ” ( as in vitamin D , what were YOU thinking ?
?
? )
.
In this case , “ Yumnuts ” has been the company ’ s name for its cronut-like pastry for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced the “ Yummy mummy Yumnuts ” for Halloween .
The offer to take a bite of Santa ’ s Yumnut , however , was just too much for Twitter users to take : I feel strongly that the name of this donut must be reconsidered https : //t.co/LPVAyn2ZUJ — rabia O'chaudry ( @ rabiasquared ) November 5 , 2020 They *paid* someone to come up with that name ?
?
https : //t.co/TnQr4chmb0 — Joanne Harris ( @ Joannechocolat ) November 5 , 2020 How many folks did ya run that name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — 💫 Melissa ( @ smallcrimez ) November 5 , 2020 You 've got to hand it to M & S - it was going to take a hell of a marketing message to disrupt the Twitter conversation today , but Santa 's yumnuts have achieved it https : //t.co/mZWeM9wDQb — Keith Stuart ( @ keefstuart ) November 5 , 2020 Meanwhile , one of UK 's largest retailers has decided that a winning seasonal slogan is `` Who wants a bite of Santa 's Yumnut ? ''
https : //t.co/nFQvOyZyTz — Doug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 As someone who 's worked with trademarks before , I know that about 7,000 people saw and approved the phrase `` Santa 's Yumnut™ '' before this post went live .
https : //t.co/6xKUiF8lkV — The Wisconsin Recount Decider ( @ justinpie ) November 5 , 2020 You ca n't even say `` Merry Christmas '' anymore !
Now you have to say `` Yumnut `` https : //t.co/yQC5O9547Y — JAY JURDEN IS STRESSED ( @ JayJurden ) November 5 , 2020

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Marks & Spencer just unveiled a new cronut-style pastry for the Christmas season, but it’s not the “delicious flaky layers” that’s winning attention on social media.
It’s the name: Santa’s Yumnut.
The British retailer’s tweet introducing the pastry also sounded a little... um... well... just check it out:
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Who wants a bite of Santa’s Yumnut™? Our yum yum-doughnut hybrids have been given a Christmassy makeover, with delicious flaky pastry layers and a sweet Santa’s belt topping. Find them in our in store bakery. pic.twitter.com/BcWwxOo26r — M&S (@marksandspencer) November 5, 2020
Marks & Spencer has a history with this sort of stuff; they offered a “love sausage” for Valentine’s Day and an Easter Bunny doing yoga that some thought looked a little suggestive. Then there was the ad saying they “put the D in bread” (as in vitamin D, what were YOU thinking???).
In this case, “Yumnuts” has been the company’s name for its cronut-like pastry for some time. Last month, they even introduced the “Yummy mummy Yumnuts” for Halloween.
The offer to take a bite of Santa’s Yumnut, however, was just too much for Twitter users to take:
I feel strongly that the name of this donut must be reconsidered https://t.co/LPVAyn2ZUJ — rabia O'chaudry (@rabiasquared) November 5, 2020
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They *paid* someone to come up with that name?? https://t.co/TnQr4chmb0 — Joanne Harris (@Joannechocolat) November 5, 2020
How many folks did ya run that name by, buddy? https://t.co/mGPuwE2Zym — 💫 Melissa (@smallcrimez) November 5, 2020
It’s the ™ for me https://t.co/Jv0KtB3LIt — Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) November 5, 2020
You've got to hand it to M&S - it was going to take a hell of a marketing message to disrupt the Twitter conversation today, but Santa's yumnuts have achieved it https://t.co/mZWeM9wDQb — Keith Stuart (@keefstuart) November 5, 2020
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The horny Santa people have logged on https://t.co/e0Mfk62dUR — Sailor Plutocracy (@CharlesPulliam) November 5, 2020
Meanwhile, one of UK's largest retailers has decided that a winning seasonal slogan is "Who wants a bite of Santa's Yumnut?" https://t.co/nFQvOyZyTz — Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) November 5, 2020
As someone who's worked with trademarks before, I know that about 7,000 people saw and approved the phrase "Santa's Yumnut™" before this post went live. https://t.co/6xKUiF8lkV — The Wisconsin Recount Decider (@justinpie) November 5, 2020
You can't even say "Merry Christmas" anymore! Now you have to say "Yumnut " https://t.co/yQC5O9547Y — JAY JURDEN IS STRESSED (@JayJurden) November 5, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Jimmy Fallon Has An Ice-Cold Prediction Of What Donald Trump Will Demand Next, Baby

Jimmy Fallon predicted what President Donald Trump will demand to stop next .
As the 2020 election continues on a @ @ @ @ @ Trump has repeatedly demanded via Twitter to “ stop the count ” and “ stop @ @ @ @ @ baselessly accusing Democrats of electoral misconduct and prematurely declaring victory for himself .
“ Soon @ @ @ @ @ tell us to stop , collaborate and listen , ” Fallon joked on Thursday ’ @ @ @ @ @ Tonight Show , ” referencing Vanilla Ice ’ s 1989 hit “ Ice Ice Baby.
@ @ @ @ @ some dance moves to the song .
The late night host later gave a taste @ @ @ @ @ the show should Democratic nominee Joe Biden win the White House .

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Jimmy Fallon predicted what President Donald Trump will demand to stop next.
As the 2020 election continues on a knife’s edge, Trump has repeatedly demanded via Twitter to “stop the count” and “stop the fraud,” while baselessly accusing Democrats of electoral misconduct and prematurely declaring victory for himself.
“Soon he’s gonna tell us to stop, collaborate and listen,” Fallon joked on Thursday’s broadcast of “The Tonight Show,” referencing Vanilla Ice’s 1989 hit “Ice Ice Baby.” He then broke out some dance moves to the song.
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The late night host later gave a taste of what to expect on the show should Democratic nominee Joe Biden win the White House.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Jimmy Kimmel Names The 1 Thing Donald Trump Didn’t Do In His ‘Despicable’ Presser

Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday night tore into Donald Trump over his earlier press conference from the White House , where @ @ @ @ @ the democratic electoral process and baselessly accused Democrats of rigging the vote as the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ the balance .
The “ Jimmy Kimmel Live !
” host described Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ and threats as “ just a despicable and incoherent attack on democracy in the United @ @ @ @ @ thing he didn ’ t do was pull off his wig and reveal that he @ @ @ @ @ all along , ” the comedian joked .
“ At the end of that speech @ @ @ @ @ arrested , ” he continued .
“ If they could have found handcuffs small enough @ @ @ @ @ they would have .
”

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Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday night tore into Donald Trump over his earlier press conference from the White House, where the president once again attacked the democratic electoral process and baselessly accused Democrats of rigging the vote as the 2020 election continued to hang in the balance.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host described Trump’s “litany of lies” and threats as “just a despicable and incoherent attack on democracy in the United States.”
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“The only thing he didn’t do was pull off his wig and reveal that he’s been Vlad Putin all along,” the comedian joked.
“At the end of that speech, he should have been arrested,” he continued. “If they could have found handcuffs small enough to take him away, they would have.”
Check out Kimmel’s full monologue here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Stephen Colbert Ditches Jokes To Call Out Every Republican Standing With Trump

“ Late Show ” host Stephen Colbert delivered a largely joke-free first half of his monologue on Thursday night to call out Republicans in the wake of President Donald Trump ’ s outrageous speech .
The president attacked the democratic process and declared , without evidence , that he won the election , despite the fact that votes were still being counted across multiple states .
But Colbert said he wouldn ’ t show any clips of the speech .
“ We ’ re not going to show you a second of what that sad , frightened fraud said tonight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s poison , and I like you .
He can suck silence.
” Colbert then challenged Republican lawmakers who were standing by Trump and those who have remained silent : “ Donald Trump is a fascist ― and when it comes to democracy versus fascism , I ’ m sorry , there are not fine people on both sides .
So you need to choose : Donald Trump or the American people .
This is the time to get off the Trump train ’ cuz he just told you where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a passenger train .
He ’ ll load you on it someday , too.
” Colbert said it was not just votes being counted .
Americans were also keeping score .
“ They ’ re going to count who was willing to speak up against Donald Trump trying to kill democracy , ” Colbert said .
“ And they ’ ll count who will stay silent in the face of this desperate attack on the bedrock institution of this truly great nation .
”

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“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert delivered a largely joke-free first half of his monologue on Thursday night to call out Republicans in the wake of President Donald Trump’s outrageous speech.
The president attacked the democratic process and declared, without evidence, that he won the election, despite the fact that votes were still being counted across multiple states. But Colbert said he wouldn’t show any clips of the speech.
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“We’re not going to show you a second of what that sad, frightened fraud said tonight,” Colbert said. “Because it’s poison, and I like you. He can suck silence.”
Colbert then challenged Republican lawmakers who were standing by Trump and those who have remained silent:
“Donald Trump is a fascist ― and when it comes to democracy versus fascism, I’m sorry, there are not fine people on both sides. So you need to choose: Donald Trump or the American people. This is the time to get off the Trump train ’cuz he just told you where the train is going, and it’s not a passenger train. He’ll load you on it someday, too.”
Colbert said it was not just votes being counted. Americans were also keeping score.
“They’re going to count who was willing to speak up against Donald Trump trying to kill democracy,” Colbert said. “And they’ll count who will stay silent in the face of this desperate attack on the bedrock institution of this truly great nation.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Seth Meyers Mocks 'Political Mastermind' Trump's Election 'Hack'

Seth Meyers went to town on Donald Trump on Thursday for his off-the-mark interpretation of how democracy works even as several states continued to count votes in a presidential election that was still too close to call into the early hours of Friday .
“ Donald Trump , political mastermind that he is , has discovered a hack .
Just declare the states you want to win , and claim victory without evidence , ” Meyers said on “ Late Night.
” Trump on Wednesday declared that “ we have claimed , for Electoral Vote purposes , ” the states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Michigan .
None of those states had been called , and Michigan has been called for his opponent Joe Biden .
We have claimed , for Electoral Vote purposes , the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( which won ’ t allow legal observers ) the State of Georgia , and the State of North Carolina , each one of which has a BIG Trump lead .
Additionally , we hereby claim the State of Michigan if , in fact , ... .. — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) November 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just Trump .
Everyone in and around his campaign , from his weird , adult sons to his campaign manager , tried to just claim victory in Pennsylvania without any evidence before the votes had been counted , ” Meyers added .
“ Oh , you ’ re declaring victory in Pennsylvania ?
” asked Meyers , who is apparently a “ Game of Thrones ” fan .
“ OK , well I ’ m declaring myself King of the Andals and the First Men , Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector @ @ @ @ @

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Seth Meyers went to town on Donald Trump on Thursday for his off-the-mark interpretation of how democracy works even as several states continued to count votes in a presidential election that was still too close to call into the early hours of Friday.
“Donald Trump, political mastermind that he is, has discovered a hack. Just declare the states you want to win, and claim victory without evidence,” Meyers said on “Late Night.”
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Trump on Wednesday declared that “we have claimed, for Electoral Vote purposes,” the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan. None of those states had been called, and Michigan has been called for his opponent Joe Biden.
We have claimed, for Electoral Vote purposes, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (which won’t allow legal observers) the State of Georgia, and the State of North Carolina, each one of which has a BIG Trump lead. Additionally, we hereby claim the State of Michigan if, in fact,..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2020
“And it wasn’t just Trump. Everyone in and around his campaign, from his weird, adult sons to his campaign manager, tried to just claim victory in Pennsylvania without any evidence before the votes had been counted,” Meyers added.
“Oh, you’re declaring victory in Pennsylvania?” asked Meyers, who is apparently a “Game of Thrones” fan. “OK, well I’m declaring myself King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--When You Talk About Donald Trump’s Body, Every Fat Person You Know Hears You

On Thursday night , you referred to President Donald Trump as an “ obese turtle , ” which rapidly turned into a viral hashtag .
I was in the car listening when you said it , and I immediately tried to call you out on Twitter for it , but didn ’ t have a good signal .
However , I wasn ’ t alone in that , and others did succeed in pointing out your fatphobic comment .
Unfortunately , when it inevitably turned into a hashtag and then into memes , the vast majority of the comments were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no denying that Donald Trump is a despicable human being ― but that has absolutely nothing to do with his body size , and everything to do with who he is as a person .
Criticize his lies , criticize his attempts to steal the election with fraudulent lawsuits , criticize his behavior ... but don ’ t criticize his body , because you can not do that in a vacuum .
You can not mock one fat person without mocking another fat person .
It doesn ’ t work that way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewers or listeners last night heard those words .
Some have internalized fatphobia enough to be “ OK ” with that , but many of us are not even remotely OK with it ― and none of us , fat or thin or in between ― should be OK with fat-shaming .
Certainly , you ’ re hardly alone in using his body size as a way to insult or mock him .
It ’ s been going on his entire time as a candidate and as president .
The author Your Fat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fatphobia issue , and how it specifically relates to Trump , well over a year ago .
Blogger and activist Ragen Chastain wrote about fat-shaming Trump ― and how his nastiness does not justify it ― almost three years ago .
Earlier this year , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( Calif. ) took heat for making it clear how she felt about his body size , referring to him as “ morbidly obese , ” which is not actually even true when using the source for the phrase ― the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The problem here is that Trump is unlikely to ever see most of these jokes .
Obviously , ones made by people with a platform like yours , he ’ s probably going to hear about .
But the millions of retweets and memes ?
He won ’ t hear about them or see them ― and the reality is , even if he does , he ’ s not likely to care .
But your fat viewers , your fat friends ( assuming you have any ) ?
They hear it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I notice that none of you who were so quick to prognosticate about his potential demise from COVID-19 due to his fatness ( and , yes , also his age ) have bothered to comment on how he not only survived it , but how within a few weeks he was doing dozens of campaign rallies .
Regardless of what you think of the man , that requires stamina .
A man on death ’ s door from his body size ( or any other reason ) isn ’ t likely to pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he had access to the best possible medical care .
But hey , maybe that is in and of itself telling , huh ?
Maybe if a doctor is treating someone with the best quality of care , they don ’ t die just because they ’ re fat .
Imagine that ?
!
Your comments comparing Trump to an “ obese turtle ” do not help us get better treatment .
They don ’ t help us get better care .
Quite the opposite , in fact .
They just add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely trying to exist as fat people in a world that could not more clearly hate us .
They just make it that much more likely that doctors , scientists and researchers will continue to view us as a “ problem ” rather than work toward treating us as human beings , deserving of equal care and compassion .
Anderson , your words matter , as do those of your fellow journalists , as do those of people like Pelosi or Yang or many others in positions of power and influence who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weight ( or anyone else ’ s ) over the years .
When you “ joke ” about or “ concern troll ” Trump ’ s body , you are doing that to the bodies of every single fat person watching , reading or listening to you at that moment .
Even those who never watch you aren ’ t immune , as they will inevitably see your hatred be picked up by friends , family members or social media .
Donald Trump is only the vector in this .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and thoughts .
But us fat people know ― we KNOW ― that you can ’ t talk about his body the way you do without also thinking it about every other fat person .
Even the ones you supposedly care about .
I won ’ t give up hope that you ( and the rest of the fatphobic world ) can ― and will ― someday be better .
I can ’ t afford to give that up because it ’ s what keeps me fighting every single damn day .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soul-crushing feeling of someone I respected talking about bodies that look like mine in the cruel and unnecessary way that you ― and so many others ― have .

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the White House, Nov. 5, in Washington. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Dear Anderson,
On Thursday night, you referred to President Donald Trump as an “obese turtle,” which rapidly turned into a viral hashtag. I was in the car listening when you said it, and I immediately tried to call you out on Twitter for it, but didn’t have a good signal. However, I wasn’t alone in that, and others did succeed in pointing out your fatphobic comment. Unfortunately, when it inevitably turned into a hashtag and then into memes, the vast majority of the comments were disgustingly fatphobic.
This clip has now been watched over 10 million times. It has been so widely discussed in the less-than-24 hours since it aired that it already has its own Snopes article verifying its veracity.
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Listen, there’s no denying that Donald Trump is a despicable human being ― but that has absolutely nothing to do with his body size, and everything to do with who he is as a person. Criticize his lies, criticize his attempts to steal the election with fraudulent lawsuits, criticize his behavior ... but don’t criticize his body, because you cannot do that in a vacuum.
You cannot mock one fat person without mocking another fat person. It doesn’t work that way. Every single one of your fat viewers or listeners last night heard those words. Some have internalized fatphobia enough to be “OK” with that, but many of us are not even remotely OK with it ― and none of us, fat or thin or in between ― should be OK with fat-shaming.
Certainly, you’re hardly alone in using his body size as a way to insult or mock him. It’s been going on his entire time as a candidate and as president. The author Your Fat Friend wrote about how the left has a fatphobia issue, and how it specifically relates to Trump, well over a year ago. Blogger and activist Ragen Chastain wrote about fat-shaming Trump ― and how his nastiness does not justify it ― almost three years ago.
Earlier this year, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) took heat for making it clear how she felt about his body size, referring to him as “morbidly obese,” which is not actually even true when using the source for the phrase ― the horribly problematic and racist BMI charts.
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Former presidential candidate (and CNN political commentator) Andrew Yang has mocked Trump for his size, joking that Trump’s “so fat” he could only beat Yang at an “eating contest,” conveniently ignoring the fact that the vast majority of competitive eaters are actually thin.
People defend these actions by pointing out that Trump has himself made many fat jokes, that he’s a notorious bully. Somehow that makes it “OK” for many.
“The problem here is that Trump is unlikely to ever see most of these jokes. But your fat viewers, your fat friends? They hear it, and many of them care deeply.”
The problem here is that Trump is unlikely to ever see most of these jokes. Obviously, ones made by people with a platform like yours, he’s probably going to hear about. But the millions of retweets and memes? He won’t hear about them or see them ― and the reality is, even if he does, he’s not likely to care. But your fat viewers, your fat friends (assuming you have any)? They hear it, and many of them care deeply.
On Nov. 4th, fashion designer GabiFresh tweeted that fat folks have been asking people to stop making fat jokes about Trump (and really, anyone else) for what feels like eternity now.
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As Gabi wrote in her Twitter thread, “Trump isn’t seeing your jokes. Your fat friends (or fans) are. And now we know you think our bodies are a punchline [emphasis mine]. Stop.”
Here’s the thing. Whether meant as a “joke” or as a pretend expression of concern for his health (specifically regarding COVID-19), it’s not funny or helpful. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s harmful.
I notice that none of you who were so quick to prognosticate about his potential demise from COVID-19 due to his fatness (and, yes, also his age) have bothered to comment on how he not only survived it, but how within a few weeks he was doing dozens of campaign rallies. Regardless of what you think of the man, that requires stamina. A man on death’s door from his body size (or any other reason) isn’t likely to pull off that kind of show.
Yes, he had access to the best possible medical care. But hey, maybe that is in and of itself telling, huh? Maybe if a doctor is treating someone with the best quality of care, they don’t die just because they’re fat. Imagine that?!
Your comments comparing Trump to an “obese turtle” do not help us get better treatment. They don’t help us get better care. Quite the opposite, in fact. They just add to the seemingly insurmountable struggles we face merely trying to exist as fat people in a world that could not more clearly hate us. They just make it that much more likely that doctors, scientists and researchers will continue to view us as a “problem” rather than work toward treating us as human beings, deserving of equal care and compassion.
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Anderson, your words matter, as do those of your fellow journalists, as do those of people like Pelosi or Yang or many others in positions of power and influence who have “joked” about Trump’s weight (or anyone else’s) over the years.
When you “joke” about or “concern troll” Trump’s body, you are doing that to the bodies of every single fat person watching, reading or listening to you at that moment. Even those who never watch you aren’t immune, as they will inevitably see your hatred be picked up by friends, family members or social media.
Donald Trump is only the vector in this. He’s the current target for your fatphobic behavior and thoughts. But us fat people know ― we KNOW ― that you can’t talk about his body the way you do without also thinking it about every other fat person. Even the ones you supposedly care about.
I won’t give up hope that you (and the rest of the fatphobic world) can ― and will ― someday be better. I can’t afford to give that up because it’s what keeps me fighting every single damn day. It’s what sustains me through the soul-crushing feeling of someone I respected talking about bodies that look like mine in the cruel and unnecessary way that you ― and so many others ― have.
Sincerely,
A fat (former) fan
Update: On Saturday, November 7, 2020, Anderson Cooper responded to the controversy about his comments, saying, “I regret using those words... That’s not the person I really want to be and it was in the heat of the moment and I regret it.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Al Roker Reveals Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Says He Will Undergo Surgery

Al Roker announced Friday on “ Today ” that he has prostate cancer and that he will be undergoing surgery to have his prostate removed .
The 66-year-old “ Today ” co-host called the diagnosis a “ good news-bad news ” situation , explaining that the cancer was detected early , but that it ’ s also “ a little aggressive.
” “ I ’ m going to be taking some time off to take care of this , ” Roker said on Friday ’ s segment .
He later said that he wanted to publicly share his diagnosis to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer — a cancer that occurs in the prostate in men — and how it particularly affects Black men .
“ It ’ s a little more common than people I think realize , and so I just decided that I wanted to go public with this because 1 in 9 men are going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime , ” he said .
“ But for African-American men that number is 1 in 7 and is more deadly.
” “ If you detect it early , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s why I wanted to take you along my journey so we can all learn together , how to educate and protect the men in our lives , ” Roker said .
Research has shown that Black men have higher incidences of prostate cancer .
A 2019 study revealed that they were also twice as likely to die from low-grade prostate cancer than men of other races , though the risk was still small , according to the National Cancer Institute .
Roker , who ’ s married to ABC News correspondent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ segment that he learned about his diagnosis on Sept. 29 .
“ Deborah has been my fiercest advocate , even as this began with just a routine physical , ” Roker said .
The “ Today ” weather forecaster said that he found out about his diagnosis after his doctor discovered he had an elevated PSA level in his bloodwork .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the levels of the PSA ( prostate specific antigen ) “ can be higher in men who have prostate cancer.
” “ Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your doctor is the best person to interpret your PSA test results , ” the CDC states .
“ If the PSA test is abnormal , your doctor may recommend a biopsy to find out if you have prostate cancer.
” Roker has long advocated for awareness on prostate health and the importance of early detection for cancer .
He notably documented his experience getting a prostate exam on “ Today ” in 2013 .

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Al Roker announced Friday on “Today” that he has prostate cancer and that he will be undergoing surgery to have his prostate removed.
The 66-year-old “Today” co-host called the diagnosis a “good news-bad news” situation, explaining that the cancer was detected early, but that it’s also “a little aggressive.”
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“I’m going to be taking some time off to take care of this,” Roker said on Friday’s segment. He later said that he wanted to publicly share his diagnosis to bring awareness to the rates of prostate cancer — a cancer that occurs in the prostate in men — and how it particularly affects Black men.
“It’s a little more common than people I think realize, and so I just decided that I wanted to go public with this because 1 in 9 men are going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime,” he said. “But for African-American men that number is 1 in 7 and is more deadly.”
“If you detect it early, this is a really treatable disease, and it’s why I wanted to take you along my journey so we can all learn together, how to educate and protect the men in our lives,” Roker said.
Research has shown that Black men have higher incidences of prostate cancer. A 2019 study revealed that they were also twice as likely to die from low-grade prostate cancer than men of other races, though the risk was still small, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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Our friend and colleague @AlRoker reveals that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. pic.twitter.com/hnAUX4xfX3 — TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 6, 2020
Roker, who’s married to ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts, shared later in the segment that he learned about his diagnosis on Sept. 29.
“Deborah has been my fiercest advocate, even as this began with just a routine physical,” Roker said.
The “Today” weather forecaster said that he found out about his diagnosis after his doctor discovered he had an elevated PSA level in his bloodwork.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the levels of the PSA (prostate specific antigen) “can be higher in men who have prostate cancer.”
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“Because many factors can affect PSA levels, your doctor is the best person to interpret your PSA test results,” the CDC states. “If the PSA test is abnormal, your doctor may recommend a biopsy to find out if you have prostate cancer.”
Roker has long advocated for awareness on prostate health and the importance of early detection for cancer. He notably documented his experience getting a prostate exam on “Today” in 2013.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Republicans Split On Trump's Dangerous Election Lies

Republican reaction to President Donald Trump ’ s incendiary lies about voter fraud and the “ stolen ” 2020 presidential election ranged , with some elected GOP officials echoing the baseless claims and others denouncing them .
As possible defeat for Trump loomed and the president ’ s son and other allies complained that not enough Republicans were speaking up for him , some GOP officials went all-in by repeating falsehoods aimed at delegitimizing the vote-counting .
Appearing on Fox News , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) on Thursday declared that Trump had “ won ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states had not yet been tallied .
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz accused Democrats of trying to steal the election from Trump , falsely claiming poll watchers were not being allowed into vote-counting centers in Philadelphia .
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News ’ Sean Hannity that “ everything should be on the table ” when asked whether the Pennsylvania state legislature should invalidate the vote and appoint its own electors , refusing to rule out a fringe idea that is legally dubious .
A pair of potential 2024 presidential contenders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton , also voiced support for Trump after the president ’ s son , Don .
Jr. , noted the silence on Twitter .
Other Republicans voiced disagreement with president ’ s claims , especially after his wild speech from the White House on Thursday evening alleging massive voter fraud that the major television networks cut away from .
“ I saw the president ’ s speech last night and it was very hard to watch ― the president ’ s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pat Toomey ( R-Pa. ) , who is retiring in 2022 , told the “ Today ” show on Friday .
“ I ’ m not aware of any significant wrongdoing here.
” Another retiring GOP politician , Texas Rep. Will Hurd , called Trump ’ s attacks on the voting process “ dangerous ” and “ wrong , ” adding that it “ undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon.
” “ There is no defense for the President ’ s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process .
America is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect the results as we always have before .
No election or person is more important than our Democracy , ” tweeted Hogan , who has frequently criticized Trump .
Some Republicans were more measured in their responses to Trump ’ s allegations , however , in carefully worded statements that nodded to both Trump supporters and critics .
“ Here ’ s how this must work in our great country : Every legal vote should be counted , ” tweeted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky .
“ Any illegally-submitted ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to observe the process .
And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes.
” “ Every legally cast vote should be and will be counted , period , ” said Tim Scott of South Carolina , calling for added transparency in places like Philadelphia .
Biden on Friday seized an increasingly clear path to the presidency , taking the lead over Trump in both Georgia and Pennsylvania as the counting continued .
Trump ’ s campaign , meanwhile , vowed to fight on with demands for recounts in several @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Republican reaction to President Donald Trump’s incendiary lies about voter fraud and the “stolen” 2020 presidential election ranged, with some elected GOP officials echoing the baseless claims and others denouncing them.
As possible defeat for Trump loomed and the president’s son and other allies complained that not enough Republicans were speaking up for him, some GOP officials went all-in by repeating falsehoods aimed at delegitimizing the vote-counting.
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Appearing on Fox News, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday declared that Trump had “won” the election, even though votes in key states had not yet been tallied. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz accused Democrats of trying to steal the election from Trump, falsely claiming poll watchers were not being allowed into vote-counting centers in Philadelphia.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “everything should be on the table” when asked whether the Pennsylvania state legislature should invalidate the vote and appoint its own electors, refusing to rule out a fringe idea that is legally dubious.
A pair of potential 2024 presidential contenders, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, also voiced support for Trump after the president’s son, Don. Jr., noted the silence on Twitter.
Other Republicans voiced disagreement with president’s claims, especially after his wild speech from the White House on Thursday evening alleging massive voter fraud that the major television networks cut away from.
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“I saw the president’s speech last night and it was very hard to watch ― the president’s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are just not substantiated,” Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who is retiring in 2022, told the “Today” show on Friday. “I’m not aware of any significant wrongdoing here.”
Another retiring GOP politician, Texas Rep. Will Hurd, called Trump’s attacks on the voting process “dangerous” and “wrong,” adding that it “undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a frequent Trump critic, tweeted: “This is getting insane.”
Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan offered some of the sharpest Trump criticism.
“There is no defense for the President’s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process. America is counting the votes, and we must respect the results as we always have before. No election or person is more important than our Democracy,” tweeted Hogan, who has frequently criticized Trump.
Some Republicans were more measured in their responses to Trump’s allegations, however, in carefully worded statements that nodded to both Trump supporters and critics.
“Here’s how this must work in our great country: Every legal vote should be counted,” tweeted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “Any illegally-submitted ballots must not. All sides must get to observe the process. And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes.”
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“Every legally cast vote should be and will be counted, period,” said Tim Scott of South Carolina, calling for added transparency in places like Philadelphia.
Biden on Friday seized an increasingly clear path to the presidency, taking the lead over Trump in both Georgia and Pennsylvania as the counting continued. Trump’s campaign, meanwhile, vowed to fight on with demands for recounts in several states and a flurry of lawsuits.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Joe Biden’s Slip Among South Texas Hispanics Baffles Democrats

AUSTIN , Texas ― It was supposed to be the year that Texas threatened to turn blue .
Instead , Democrats saw their margin of defeat nearly double from 2.6 % in the midterm U.S. Senate race to 5.9 % in the presidential race Tuesday night .
They failed to flip the state House of Representatives , which was widely seen as an achievable goal .
Democrats have long hoped demographic pressure in majority-minority Texas would push the state solidly into its hands over time , mirroring California ’ s evolution in the 1990s .
Instead , the GOP has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s politics that ’ s more common to the Deep South .
The Democratic struggle for power in Texas is often measured by the low level of Latino turnout .
Several counties in South Texas , where Hispanics typically make up 90 % or more of the electorate , cast an unusually high number of ballots for Trump .
In the region ’ s two most populous counties ― Hidalgo and Cameron ― Democrats saw their share of the vote drop 10.7 and 6.6 percentage points , respectively .
The story across South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-known incumbents Henry Cuellar , Vicente Gonzalez and Filemon Vela snagged their seats with 60 % or more of the vote .
This week , those blowout leads dwindled into the 50s for all of them .
Gonzalez won his race by just 3.3 percentage points ― down from a margin of more than 20 .
That profile forced many South Texans into what Cristina Tzintzún , founder of the Latino voter mobilization group Jolt , called an “ impossible choice ” ― either go to work and risk getting sick or stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bills .
Facing economic ruin , for many , the election turned into a referendum on pandemic restrictions that limit work opportunity .
The pandemic also undermined the Democrats ’ ground game .
A region with low turnout and sharp distrust of politicians like South Texas normally requires heavy investment in voter outreach just to get people to the polls .
Democrats , fearing the possibility of spreading COVID-19 , forewent the only tried-and-true method of mobilizing distrustful voters ― knocking on their doors , ideally starting a conversation at least three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the strategy that led Beto O ’ Rourke to narrow the margin of the defeat in a Texas statewide race from the double digits to 2.6 % in 2018 .
Instead , Democrats relied heavily on turnout strategies that required no contact , like text messaging campaigns and media buys .
That approach failed them in two ways .
First , operatives believed it was less effective than in-person visits .
And second , it left the field open for Republicans , who felt less encumbered by the threat of spreading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic lurked the usual complaints that the Democrats failed to invest early and deeply enough with the demographic most important to its long term viability .
“ Maybe a presidential campaign designed to win African-American voters in the North doesn ’ t apply well to Latinos on the Texas border , ” said Jones .
“ You would never treat your base vote the way some campaigns treat the Latino vote , ” said one Latino Democratic operative .
“ This isn ’ t a persuasion vote .
It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know who the candidate is , what ’ s in it for them , and turn them out .
It ’ s not the unicorn moderate Republican you have to persuade.
” Other problems might have plagued Democrats more than anticipated .
Some cited the end of straight-ticket voting as a thorn in the party ’ s side .
One veteran campaigner speculated that the snowbirds who winter in South Texas might have voted in higher numbers this year , distorting the result .
Others cautioned that the results might shift somewhat as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on some level , the problem appeared to lie with the candidate himself .
Across South Texas , Biden soaked up a smaller share of the vote than down-ballot colleagues running for House seats , sometimes by a wide margin .
Biden won just 52 % of the vote in Starr County , for example , while Rep. Cuellar walked away with 74 % .
Democrats , who have not won a statewide election here since 1994 , have cycled through manic hopes followed by stinging disappointments since Wendy Davis ’ crash-and-burn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The repeated chest-thumping ahead of defeat can sometimes mask the fact that the party has made significant gains in recent years , especially on the back of O ’ Rourke ’ s attempt to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz two years ago .

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AUSTIN, Texas ― It was supposed to be the year that Texas threatened to turn blue. Instead, Democrats saw their margin of defeat nearly double from 2.6% in the midterm U.S. Senate race to 5.9% in the presidential race Tuesday night. They failed to flip the state House of Representatives, which was widely seen as an achievable goal.
Democrats have long hoped demographic pressure in majority-minority Texas would push the state solidly into its hands over time, mirroring California’s evolution in the 1990s. Instead, the GOP has retained a stranglehold on the state’s politics that’s more common to the Deep South. The Democratic struggle for power in Texas is often measured by the low level of Latino turnout.
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But in one of the most stinging defeats, Democrats saw heavily Hispanic South Texas turnout grow while President Donald Trump soaked up a greater proportion of the votes.
Several counties in South Texas, where Hispanics typically make up 90% or more of the electorate, cast an unusually high number of ballots for Trump. In the region’s two most populous counties ― Hidalgo and Cameron ― Democrats saw their share of the vote drop 10.7 and 6.6 percentage points, respectively.
The story across South Texas was similar. In 2018, well-known incumbents Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez and Filemon Vela snagged their seats with 60% or more of the vote. This week, those blowout leads dwindled into the 50s for all of them. Gonzalez won his race by just 3.3 percentage points ― down from a margin of more than 20.
“The only way to interpret it is a substantial number of Latinos voted for Donald Trump,” said Rice University political scientist Mark Jones.
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A vehicle with the message "RGV (Rio Grande Valley) for Biden/Harris" during a campaign event with vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Edinburg, Texas, on Oct. 30, 2020. Veronica Cardenas / Reuters
The Democratic Party’s lackluster performance among Hispanics doesn’t fully explain the dashed hopes. But it augurs poorly for a party that knows its future rests with boosting Latino turnout — and getting Latinos to vote blue.
The results in South Texas defy easy explanations. But the coronavirus pandemic, several analysts and operatives said, was probably the most important factor.
In the Rio Grande Valley, one of the state’s poorest regions, unemployment had tripled by the summer, in the wake of the pandemic. A disproportionate number of Hispanics run small businesses.
That forced many South Texans into what Cristina Tzintzún, founder of the Latino voter mobilization group Jolt, called an “impossible choice” ― either go to work and risk getting sick or stay at home without a way to pay the bills. Facing economic ruin, for many, the election turned into a referendum on pandemic restrictions that limit work opportunity.
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“The economic pain was deep,” Tzintzún told HuffPost. “It wasn’t because they agreed with Republicans. They were thinking, ‘Do I economically live to make it another day?’”
The pandemic also undermined the Democrats’ ground game. A region with low turnout and sharp distrust of politicians like South Texas normally requires heavy investment in voter outreach just to get people to the polls. Democrats, fearing the possibility of spreading COVID-19, forewent the only tried-and-true method of mobilizing distrustful voters ― knocking on their doors, ideally starting a conversation at least three times. That was a key piece of the strategy that led Beto O’Rourke to narrow the margin of the defeat in a Texas statewide race from the double digits to 2.6% in 2018.
Instead, Democrats relied heavily on turnout strategies that required no contact, like text messaging campaigns and media buys. That approach failed them in two ways. First, operatives believed it was less effective than in-person visits. And second, it left the field open for Republicans, who felt less encumbered by the threat of spreading the coronavirus.
Beyond the problems created by the pandemic lurked the usual complaints that the Democrats failed to invest early and deeply enough with the demographic most important to its long term viability. “Maybe a presidential campaign designed to win African-American voters in the North doesn’t apply well to Latinos on the Texas border,” said Jones.
Operatives complained of small budgets for Hispanic outreach and baffled looks when they asked for early polling. Instead of robust outreach, they got 11th-hour TV ads ― a strategy that few veterans view as effective.
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“You would never treat your base vote the way some campaigns treat the Latino vote,” said one Latino Democratic operative. “This isn’t a persuasion vote. It’s a voter that you have to let them know who the candidate is, what’s in it for them, and turn them out. It’s not the unicorn moderate Republican you have to persuade.”
“The economic pain was deep. It wasn’t because they agreed with Republicans. They were thinking, ‘Do I economically live to make it another day?’” - Cristina Tzintzún, founder of Latino voter mobilization group Jolt
Other problems might have plagued Democrats more than anticipated. Some cited the end of straight-ticket voting as a thorn in the party’s side. One veteran campaigner speculated that the snowbirds who winter in South Texas might have voted in higher numbers this year, distorting the result. Others cautioned that the results might shift somewhat as the last votes trickled in.
And, on some level, the problem appeared to lie with the candidate himself. Across South Texas, Biden soaked up a smaller share of the vote than down-ballot colleagues running for House seats, sometimes by a wide margin. Biden won just 52% of the vote in Starr County, for example, while Rep. Cuellar walked away with 74%.
Democrats, who have not won a statewide election here since 1994, have cycled through manic hopes followed by stinging disappointments since Wendy Davis’ crash-and-burn campaign for governor in the 2014 midterm. The repeated chest-thumping ahead of defeat can sometimes mask the fact that the party has made significant gains in recent years, especially on the back of O’Rourke’s attempt to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz two years ago.
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But losing vote share among border residents in a Democratic stronghold — to a president who uses Mexicans and immigrants as punching bags — will likely force a deep round of analysis and soul-searching ahead of the next election cycle.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--MAGA World’s Latest Election Gambit: Whatever Happened To The Coronavirus, Huh?!

For months , as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 continued to soar , President Donald Trump and his allies insisted that the media and Democrats were blowing the coronavirus pandemic out of proportion to hurt the president ’ s reelection chances .
It ’ s now Nov. 6 .
Daily COVID-19 infections in the U.S. are at record highs .
Americans are still dying .
Tens of thousands of businesses remain shuttered .
And people are still very much talking about it .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made the pandemic a key focus of his remarks to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flail to sow doubt about 2020 election results , Trump ’ s allies have resurrected the lie that coverage of the ongoing pandemic has been overblown , used by Democrats take down the president , and would disappear after the election .
“ Can we all admit that the pandemic is over now ?
Like at least give us that as you peddle the rest of this nonsense , ” conservative political commentator Dave Rubin said on Thursday .
It is Trump who has remained silent about the pandemic since Tuesday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the democratic process .
Biden , on the other hand , is receiving daily briefings on the coronavirus and addressed it at the start of his Thursday speech .
“ We ’ re reminded again of the severity of this pandemic , ” he said .
“ Cases are on the rise nationwide and we ’ re nearly 240,000 deaths due to COVID .
And our hearts go out to each and every family who has lost a loved one to this terrible disease.
” In May , Eric Trump , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Democrats ’ focus on the pandemic was about keeping his father from holding campaign rallies .
“ They will milk it every single day between now and November 3rd , ” the younger Trump said .
“ And guess what , after November 3rd , coronavirus will magically , all of the sudden , go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen.
” Needless to say , the pandemic is anything but over .
It is raging from coast to coast , thanks in no small part to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Records are being shattered nearly ever day and new cases have topped 100,000 for three consecutive days .
As of Friday , the disease had killed 235,000 Americans , and more than 1,100 on Thursday alone .
Any suggestions that the virus suddenly disappeared , or that the media is no longer covering the crisis , are absurd .
That they are coming from supporters of a president on the brink of defeat and who has spent months downplaying the pandemic is telling .
As Trump ’ s chances of winning a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its supporters have done everything they can to sow doubt about the integrity of the 2020 election .
They ’ ve made sweeping claims of widespread voter fraud , of “ magical sacks ” of ballots suddenly being “ found , ” without producing a shred of credible evidence to back up their desperate conspiracy .
They ’ ve filed lawsuits in multiple states to stop legitimately cast votes from being counted ― a naked effort to steal the election and undermine American democracy .
And they ’ ve thrown temper tantrums @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t being given enough access to monitor vote counting : They ’ ve insisted on being closer to poll workers at a time when health experts are pleading with people to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus .

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For months, as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 continued to soar, President Donald Trump and his allies insisted that the media and Democrats were blowing the coronavirus pandemic out of proportion to hurt the president’s reelection chances.
“On November 4th, you won’t hear about it anymore,” Trump said of COVID-19 at a campaign rally last month in North Carolina.
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It’s now Nov. 6. Daily COVID-19 infections in the U.S. are at record highs. Americans are still dying. Tens of thousands of businesses remain shuttered. And people are still very much talking about it. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made the pandemic a key focus of his remarks to the press on Thursday.
But as they flail to sow doubt about 2020 election results, Trump’s allies have resurrected the lie that coverage of the ongoing pandemic has been overblown, used by Democrats take down the president, and would disappear after the election.
“Whatever happened to COVID?” Steve Milloy, a prominent climate change and science denier who served on Trump’s transition team for the Environmental Protection Agency, tweeted on Thursday, as the nation recorded a staggering 121,000 new coronavirus infections.
Other Trump supporters have peddled similar nonsense.
“On the plus side, I haven’t heard ‘Covid’ mentioned as much today,” Michael Biundo, a former Trump advisor, tweeted on Wednesday. “Election chaos is a nice change of pace.”
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“Can we all admit that the pandemic is over now? Like at least give us that as you peddle the rest of this nonsense,” conservative political commentator Dave Rubin said on Thursday.
Even Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell joined in. “Anyone notice that the Dems stopped talking about COVID?” he pondered on Friday.
It is Trump who has remained silent about the pandemic since Tuesday’s election, instead spending his time attacking the democratic process. Biden, on the other hand, is receiving daily briefings on the coronavirus and addressed it at the start of his Thursday speech.
“We’re reminded again of the severity of this pandemic,” he said. “Cases are on the rise nationwide and we’re nearly 240,000 deaths due to COVID. And our hearts go out to each and every family who has lost a loved one to this terrible disease.”
Conservatives’ conspiratorial claims are part of a broader right-wing misinformation campaign to delegitimize the election results ― a seed that Trump and his family planted months ago.
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In May, Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, insisted that Democrats’ focus on the pandemic was about keeping his father from holding campaign rallies. “They will milk it every single day between now and November 3rd,” the younger Trump said. “And guess what, after November 3rd, coronavirus will magically, all of the sudden, go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen.”
And late last month, the president attacked the media for focusing on COVID-19, insisting without evidence that it was a plot to “create fear” ahead of the election.
“That’s all I hear about now,” Trump said at the North Carolina rally. “Turn on television, ‘COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID’ ... By the way, on November 4th, you won’t hear about it anymore.”
"That's all I hear about now. Turn on TV, 'Covid, Covid, Covid Covid Covid.' A plane goes down, 500 people dead, they don't talk about it. 'Covid Covid Covid Covid.' By the way, on November 4th, you won't hear about it anymore ... 'please don't go and vote, Covid!'" -- Trump pic.twitter.com/1bh7x2RSTy — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 24, 2020
Needless to say, the pandemic is anything but over. It is raging from coast to coast, thanks in no small part to the Trump administration’s botched response. Records are being shattered nearly ever day and new cases have topped 100,000 for three consecutive days. As of Friday, the disease had killed 235,000 Americans, and more than 1,100 on Thursday alone.
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Any suggestions that the virus suddenly disappeared, or that the media is no longer covering the crisis, are absurd. That they are coming from supporters of a president on the brink of defeat and who has spent months downplaying the pandemic is telling.
As Trump’s chances of winning a second term withered this week, his campaign and its supporters have done everything they can to sow doubt about the integrity of the 2020 election. They’ve made sweeping claims of widespread voter fraud, of “magical sacks” of ballots suddenly being “found,” without producing a shred of credible evidence to back up their desperate conspiracy. They’ve filed lawsuits in multiple states to stop legitimately cast votes from being counted ― a naked effort to steal the election and undermine American democracy. And they’ve thrown temper tantrums outside polling locations, claiming that they aren’t being given enough access to monitor vote counting: They’ve insisted on being closer to poll workers at a time when health experts are pleading with people to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Health experts have responded to the assertions that COVID-19 would disappear.
“It’s November 5th. COVID didn’t disappear,” Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, wrote on Twitter. “This isn’t a hoax. This is abject failure.”
It’s November 5th. COVID didn’t disappear.
In fact, today they had to use a bigger graph just to fit all the new cases (116k).
Hospitalizations may reach record levels in 1-2 weeks. And the death count is rising, as expected.
This isn’t a hoax. This is abject failure. https://t.co/cD6bvsIJt9 pic.twitter.com/yvxVMMpola — Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) November 6, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Philly Mayor Jim Kenney: Trump Needs To 'Put His Big Boy Pants On' And Admit Defeat

In true Philly fashion , Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney did not mince words when reporters asked him about President Donald Trump ’ s refusal to accept a loss to Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
“ I think what the president needs to do is , frankly , put his big boy pants on , ” Kenney , a Democrat , said at a Friday news conference after he announced that vote counting continued in the city but that he expected Biden to come out on top .
“ He needs to acknowledge the fact that he lost , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Jimmy Carter did , just as George H.W .
Bush did and , frankly , just as Al Gore did and stop this and let us move forward as a country , ” he added .
Kenney said he doubted that Trump would listen to him .
But he took a jab at Trump ’ s personal attorney , Rudy Giuliani , who threatened legal action in Philadelphia on Wednesday and alleged voter fraud within the city .
“ He ’ s wrong , and he ’ s baseless , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says whatever he wants , ” Kenney said .
Kenney also dismissed allegations of voter fraud as “ baseless claims ” for which the Trump administration has “ not produced one iota of evidence ” and stressed that democracy was taking place in the City of Brotherly Love .
The race in the battleground state of Pennsylvania has yet to be officially called , but Biden overtook Trump in vote tabulations in the early hours of Friday .
Trump , for his part , has not taken the news well .
He tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News host Stuart Varney suggesting without evidence that Philadelphia “ has got a rotten history on election integrity.
” Hundreds of demonstrators , meanwhile , gathered in the city to demand that every vote be counted .

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In true Philly fashion, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney did not mince words when reporters asked him about President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept a loss to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
“I think what the president needs to do is, frankly, put his big boy pants on,” Kenney, a Democrat, said at a Friday news conference after he announced that vote counting continued in the city but that he expected Biden to come out on top.
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“He needs to acknowledge the fact that he lost, and he needs to congratulate the winner, just as Jimmy Carter did, just as George H.W. Bush did and, frankly, just as Al Gore did and stop this and let us move forward as a country,” he added.
Kenney said he doubted that Trump would listen to him. But he took a jab at Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who threatened legal action in Philadelphia on Wednesday and alleged voter fraud within the city.
“He’s wrong, and he’s baseless, and he’s Rudy Giuliani, so he says whatever he wants,” Kenney said.
Kenney also dismissed allegations of voter fraud as “baseless claims” for which the Trump administration has “not produced one iota of evidence” and stressed that democracy was taking place in the City of Brotherly Love.
The race in the battleground state of Pennsylvania has yet to be officially called, but Biden overtook Trump in vote tabulations in the early hours of Friday.
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Trump, for his part, has not taken the news well. He tweeted a quote Friday morning attributed to Fox News host Stuart Varney suggesting without evidence that Philadelphia “has got a rotten history on election integrity.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Texas Attorney General's Affair Tied To Criminal Allegations: AP

DALLAS ( AP ) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had an extramarital affair with a woman whom he later recommended for a job with the wealthy donor now at the center of criminal allegations against him , according to two people who said Paxton told them about the relationship .
The two people , who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to fears about retaliation , said the high-profile Republican official acknowledged the affair in 2018 to senior members of his office and political staff .
They said he told them that he had ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then worked for a GOP state senator .
Austin developer Nate Paul said in a deposition this week that Paxton recommended the woman for her job with Paul ’ s real estate company , according to a transcript of his deposition obtained by the AP .
The woman had stopped working as a Senate aide at the end of 2019 , though her reason for departing wasn ’ t immediately clear .
The attorney general ’ s top deputies reported their boss to the FBI in September for alleged bribery , abuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stem in part from Paxton ’ s decision to investigate Paul ’ s claims that a federal judge and the FBI broke the law in searches of his home and offices last year .
The disclosure of the affair is likely to deepen political problems for Paxton , who has gained a national profile in office as a crusader for conservative Christian legal causes , even while maintaining his innocence in the face of separate criminal charges .
“ World Class has hundreds of employees , including ( the woman ) , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not invade their privacy including to inquire about their personal lives , ” the developer ’ s lawyer , Michael Wynne , said in an email .
The woman is named in a transcript of Paul ’ s deposition and both people who said Paxton told them of the affair independently identified her by name .
She did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
AP is not naming her because she is not a public figure .
Under questioning during the deposition , Paul said he did not know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general knew each other .
He said he couldn ’ t recall how long the woman had worked for him , what she was paid and whether he met her before or after Paxton recommended her .
In September , Paxton hired an outside lawyer to look into Paul ’ s claim against the FBI , and separate allegations that businessmen conspired against him with a federal judge .
The move prompted the remarkable rebellion by seven senior lawyers on his staff , who since reporting the attorney general to federal authorities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or fired .
The allegations sparked new calls for Paxton ’ s resignation and raised questions about his ties with the developer .
Paxton has acknowledged knowing Paul , who gave his campaign $ 25,000 in 2018 , but the full nature of their relationship has been unclear .
A new aspect of their connection emerged Monday when lawyers in a civil case against some of Paul ’ s companies questioned the developer .
During the deposition , Paul said the former Senate aide applied for a posted job and now works for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer asked the developer whether Paxton recommended the woman .
Paxton acknowledged his affair with the woman during his hard-fought 2018 reelection campaign at least partially out of concern that it would become public , the people who he told about it said .
That September , Paxton gathered a small group of top staff in his Austin campaign office .
A person who attended the meeting said Paxton and his wife , state Sen. Angela Paxton , walked into the conference room holding hands .
The attorney general told the group he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and recommitted to his marriage , the person said .

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DALLAS (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had an extramarital affair with a woman whom he later recommended for a job with the wealthy donor now at the center of criminal allegations against him, according to two people who said Paxton told them about the relationship.
The two people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to fears about retaliation, said the high-profile Republican official acknowledged the affair in 2018 to senior members of his office and political staff. They said he told them that he had ended the affair with the woman, who then worked for a GOP state senator.
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Austin developer Nate Paul said in a deposition this week that Paxton recommended the woman for her job with Paul’s real estate company, according to a transcript of his deposition obtained by the AP. The woman had stopped working as a Senate aide at the end of 2019, though her reason for departing wasn’t immediately clear.
Paul’s hiring of the woman at Paxton’s recommendation sheds new light on the relationship between the two men.
The disclosure of the affair is likely to deepen political problems for Paxton, who has gained a national profile in office as a crusader for conservative Christian legal causes, even while maintaining his innocence in the face of separate criminal charges.
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Spokespersons for the attorney general did not respond to questions Thursday.
During his Monday deposition, Paul explicitly denied employing the former Senate aide at his company, World Class, as a favor to Paxton.
“World Class has hundreds of employees, including (the woman), and in accordance with federal and state laws does not invade their privacy including to inquire about their personal lives,” the developer’s lawyer, Michael Wynne, said in an email.
The woman is named in a transcript of Paul’s deposition and both people who said Paxton told them of the affair independently identified her by name. She did not respond to multiple requests for comment. AP is not naming her because she is not a public figure.
Under questioning during the deposition, Paul said he did not know how the woman he hired and the attorney general knew each other. He said he couldn’t recall how long the woman had worked for him, what she was paid and whether he met her before or after Paxton recommended her.
The senator’s office has not responded to requests for comment. The woman’s personnel records are blank where the reason for her departure would be indicated.
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In September, Paxton hired an outside lawyer to look into Paul’s claim against the FBI, and separate allegations that businessmen conspired against him with a federal judge. The move prompted the remarkable rebellion by seven senior lawyers on his staff, who since reporting the attorney general to federal authorities have all resigned, been put on leave or fired.
The allegations sparked new calls for Paxton’s resignation and raised questions about his ties with the developer. Paxton has acknowledged knowing Paul, who gave his campaign $25,000 in 2018, but the full nature of their relationship has been unclear.
A new aspect of their connection emerged Monday when lawyers in a civil case against some of Paul’s companies questioned the developer. During the deposition, Paul said the former Senate aide applied for a posted job and now works for him as a project manager. A lawyer asked the developer whether Paxton recommended the woman.
“I believe he ― I believe he did recommend her,” Paul replied.
Paxton acknowledged his affair with the woman during his hard-fought 2018 reelection campaign at least partially out of concern that it would become public, the people who he told about it said.
That September, Paxton gathered a small group of top staff in his Austin campaign office. A person who attended the meeting said Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, walked into the conference room holding hands. The attorney general told the group he had an affair but had since ended it and recommitted to his marriage, the person said.
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The other person confirmed the meeting took place and said Paxton also spoke with that person separately about his affair with the woman.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Trump's Tweets Will Stop Getting Special Treatment If He Loses

President Donald Trump ’ s tweets will no longer be subject to special treatment if he loses the election to Democratic nominee Joe Biden , meaning his account ― which has racked up multiple misinformation warnings this week for spreading conspiracy theories about the voting process ― will face harsher consequences .
“ Twitter ’ s approach to world leaders , candidates , and public officials is based on the principle that people should be able to choose to see what their leaders are saying with clear context , ” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement provided to HuffPost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply warnings and labels , and limit engagement to certain Tweets .
This policy framework applies to current world leaders and candidates for office , and not private citizens when they no longer hold these positions.
” Trump has made tweeting to his 88 million followers a centerpiece of his presidency , using the platform for everything from policy pronouncements to bitter insults of those he perceives as enemies .
The social media company has plastered warnings over multiple Trump tweets this year , including those about the election , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ THUGS ” and warning of potential violent federal intervention .
Twitter rules forbid promotion of terrorism and self-harm , direct threats of violence , posting of private information or intimate content without consent , and behavior related to child sexual exploitation .
World leaders are subject to the same rules as everyone else , but face only a disclaimer label for violations .
If Trump breaks the rules as a private citizen , the offending content may be deleted and his account may face a temporary suspension or a full-on ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former strategist , serves as proof of this .
One of his accounts was permanently suspended on Thursday after Bannon said he ’ d “ like to go back to the old times of Tudor England ” and put the heads of infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray on pikes outside the White House .
An experimental account set up by a private citizen in May that repackages Trump ’ s tweets word for word also shows that the president ’ s tweets are only protected by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account , dubbed @ SuspendThePres , has been flagged and temporarily locked four times for sharing the same content as the president , including his “ THUGS ” tweet .
As Trump slips in vote-counting and his reelection chances ebb , the president has amped up his misinformation .
On Thursday night , Trump made an unhinged speech falsely suggesting he had won in the “ legal ” vote count and accused Democrats of “ trying obviously to commit fraud.
” Television networks broadcasting Trump ’ s speech pulled away or interrupted it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale said he had never witnessed Trump “ lie more thoroughly or more egregiously .
”

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President Donald Trump’s tweets will no longer be subject to special treatment if he loses the election to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, meaning his account ― which has racked up multiple misinformation warnings this week for spreading conspiracy theories about the voting process ― will face harsher consequences.
“Twitter’s approach to world leaders, candidates, and public officials is based on the principle that people should be able to choose to see what their leaders are saying with clear context,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement provided to HuffPost. “This means that we may apply warnings and labels, and limit engagement to certain Tweets. This policy framework applies to current world leaders and candidates for office, and not private citizens when they no longer hold these positions.”
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Trump has made tweeting to his 88 million followers a centerpiece of his presidency, using the platform for everything from policy pronouncements to bitter insults of those he perceives as enemies. The social media company has plastered warnings over multiple Trump tweets this year, including those about the election, as well as his May 29 tweet labeling Minneapolis protesters as “THUGS” and warning of potential violent federal intervention.
Twitter rules forbid promotion of terrorism and self-harm, direct threats of violence, posting of private information or intimate content without consent, and behavior related to child sexual exploitation. World leaders are subject to the same rules as everyone else, but face only a disclaimer label for violations. If Trump breaks the rules as a private citizen, the offending content may be deleted and his account may face a temporary suspension or a full-on ban.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former strategist, serves as proof of this. One of his accounts was permanently suspended on Thursday after Bannon said he’d “like to go back to the old times of Tudor England” and put the heads of infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray on pikes outside the White House.
An experimental account set up by a private citizen in May that repackages Trump’s tweets word for word also shows that the president’s tweets are only protected by his status as the current president. The account, dubbed @SuspendThePres, has been flagged and temporarily locked four times for sharing the same content as the president, including his “THUGS” tweet.
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As Trump slips in vote-counting and his reelection chances ebb, the president has amped up his misinformation. On Thursday night, Trump made an unhinged speech falsely suggesting he had won in the “legal” vote count and accused Democrats of “trying obviously to commit fraud.”
Television networks broadcasting Trump’s speech pulled away or interrupted it due to the torrent of falsehoods. CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale said he had never witnessed Trump “lie more thoroughly or more egregiously.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Jake Tapper Calls Election 'Rantings' By Trump's 'Spawn' Something From An Acid Trip

CNN ’ s fed-up host Jake Tapper let loose on Donald Trump ’ s adult sons and their blatant disinformation about the election , saying the “ crayoned ravings ” of the president ’ s “ spawn ” sound like something from an acid trip .
Tapper was also annoyed that almost no one in the Republican Party is pushing back against claims by Trump and his sons that the election was rigged .
He called criticism by Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) “ mealy-mouthed.
” Tapper went after the increasingly wild charges from Eric and Donald Trump Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abby Phillip about Fox News generally helping to bolster the president ’ s baseless assaults on the election process .
“ If you ’ re upset about what you see on Fox , and you have every right to be , you should check out the Twitter feed of the president ’ s spawn — because it is like rantings in crayon from someone having an LSD trip , ” Tapper said .
As for Romney , he was measured in his complaints about Trump ’ s attacks on the election Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , complaining in a tweet that the president is “ wrong to say that the election was rigged , corrupt and stolen.
” He added : “ Doing so damages the cause of freedom here and around the world , weakens institutions that lie at the foundation of the republic , and recklessly inflames destructive and dangerous passions.
” Sen. Pat Toomey ( R-Pa. ) said shortly before Trump ’ s attack on the election that once the results are certified , “ all parties involved must accept the outcome of the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He told the “ Today ” show Friday after Trump ’ s press briefings and tweets characterizing the election as illegitimate : “ I saw the president ’ s speech last night , and it was very hard to watch .
The president ’ s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are just not substantiated.
” Check out the CNN video clip up top .
Tapper goes after the president ’ s “ spawn ” at 3:10 .

CNN’s fed-up host Jake Tapper let loose on Donald Trump’s adult sons and their blatant disinformation about the election, saying the “crayoned ravings” of the president’s “spawn” sound like something from an acid trip.
Tapper was also annoyed that almost no one in the Republican Party is pushing back against claims by Trump and his sons that the election was rigged. He called criticism by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) “mealy-mouthed.”
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Tapper went after the increasingly wild charges from Eric and Donald Trump Jr. in response to complaints by CNN co-host Abby Phillip about Fox News generally helping to bolster the president’s baseless assaults on the election process.
“If you’re upset about what you see on Fox, and you have every right to be, you should check out the Twitter feed of the president’s spawn — because it is like rantings in crayon from someone having an LSD trip,” Tapper said.
As for Romney, he was measured in his complaints about Trump’s attacks on the election Thursday. But on Friday he was more pointed, complaining in a tweet that the president is “wrong to say that the election was rigged, corrupt and stolen.”
He added: “Doing so damages the cause of freedom here and around the world, weakens institutions that lie at the foundation of the republic, and recklessly inflames destructive and dangerous passions.”
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Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said shortly before Trump’s attack on the election that once the results are certified, “all parties involved must accept the outcome of the election regardless of whether they won or lost.”
He told the “Today” show Friday after Trump’s press briefings and tweets characterizing the election as illegitimate: “I saw the president’s speech last night, and it was very hard to watch. The president’s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are just not substantiated.”
“The president’s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are just not substantiated. I’m not aware of any significant wrongdoing here.” -@SenToomey pic.twitter.com/QOXCn6PFpM — TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 6, 2020
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Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney tells President Trump to “put his big boy pants on” and congratulate Joe Biden https://t.co/smljMG2JWs pic.twitter.com/wox5GMXYEk — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 6, 2020