thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Crom Carmichael Questions the Democratic Governor Decline to Accept Help from Trump and Kanye’s Fate

Crom Carmichael Questions the Democratic Governor Decline to Accept Help from Trump and Kanye’s Fate on Ballots

Live from Music Row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
During the third hour , Carmichael questioned why people were coming from outside of cities rioting and looting highlighting that these efforts appeared to be coordinated .
He later discussed Kanye West ’ s chances of getting on the 2020 presidential ballot and how it would be a problem for Democrats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ House chief of staff Mark Meadows talking about the riots in Kenosha where a couple of people were killed in the gunfire .
And the President had told the Democratic governor he wanted to send the National Guard in there .
The governor said no .
No , I don ’ t want you in here .
Well , it didn ’ t turn out so well .
Carmichael : Well the governor himself could call out his own National Guard .
Can he not ?
Carmichael : He didn ’ t .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ help and the governor rejected that .
The mayor of Kenosha also rejected .
Leahy : I don ’ t think so .
I think the mayor wanted him to come in .
Carmichael : But the governor overruled the mayor .
Leahy : I haven ’ t seen the specific comments from the governor .
But I ’ ll check that out and see .
We ’ ve got this craziness going on here Crom .
Carmichael : The mayor of Portland said , he said , let the rioting burn itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Burn itself out .
From the mayor of Portland as long as its somebody else ’ s private property that ’ s being destroyed the mayor is perfectly OK with letting the mayhem go on .
I noticed over the weekend that there were some people who opposed the protesters .
Who opposed the looters who drove into Portland .
And I think Michael you said one person was shot in cold blood .
I ’ ve not seen the video on what happened in Portland where the person and I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have more details on what happened there ?
Because the only report I know is that a person was shot in Portland that had to do with the protests .
Leahy : Late Saturday night there is a video of his murder .
And what it looks like is that there is a little bit of mayhem going on .
Leahy : Yes .
And he ’ s walking across the street .
A lot of people running around all over the place .
And you see in the distance he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that looks like a guy wearing a white shirt moving towards him .
Then you see a flash and a puff of smoke .
And the White guy falls and the Black guy runs away .
Carmichael : OK .
The other guy ?
Leahy : The other guy runs away .
He appears to be Black .
Carmichael : It was night time so it ’ s hard to say .
Carmichael : But the flash looked like it came from a gun ?
And this was all caught on video .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to I assume identify .
Leahy : I think they will probably find out who it was .
We ’ ll see .
But obviously very bad news .
And the mayor lets this violence go on in Portland .
And the governor does too .
By the way , I haven ’ t answered your question .
I will stand corrected .
Leahy : Yesterday , NPR that bastion of fair and accurate reporting taxpayer-funded , not .
Very left-wing .
Headline .
Kenosha Mayor Does Not Want President Trump To Visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump will travel to Kenosha Wisconsin on Tuesday to survey the damage on last week ’ s protest in the police shooting of Jacob Blake .
But , the city ’ s Democratic mayor , John Antaramian would rather he didn ’ t .
‘ Realistically from our perspective , our preference would have been for him not to be coming at this point in time .
All Presidents are always welcome and campaign issues are always going on .
But I think it would have been better for him to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Carmichael : And let ’ s assume that Trump is going and that ’ s tomorrow .
Carmichael : So when I ’ m on Wednesday we ’ ll see whether or not he went and we ’ ll know what happened as a result of his going .
But I ’ m willing to say that the violence in Kenosha because my understanding of reading many reports is that much of the looters were not from Kenosha .
Leahy : A story at TheFederalist.com where an eye witness interviewed many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from out of town .
Here is Democratic mayor John Antaramian with his interview with NPR .
He said the situation in Kenosha was ‘ not the situation I think that people perceive .
That the people in Kenosha are rioting .
They are protesting and have absolutely every right to protest .
He said the city supports peaceful protests but not the damage and destruction .
Peaceful protests are not a problem .
Our biggest problem did come from people coming from outside the area causing a great deal of damage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why ?
If people are coming from outside and the President of the United States offers help to quell the violence , it just is a very fair question to ask why neither the mayor nor the governor will accept help ?
And in fact , the governor purposefully refused to send even the help that the governor himself could have sent .
And I don ’ t get that .
If Scott Walker was governor of Wisconsin they would not be having the problems in Wisconsin that they are having now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scott Walker were governor of Wisconsin , and he may run again .
He was in for two terms as governor .
He was defeated narrowly by this Evers character in 2018 I guess it was .
Carmichael : So there is another election in 2022 ?
Leahy : I think yes .
He was a very good governor I thought .
But had he been governor this time around Sunday night he would have sent the National Guard into Kenosha .
Carmichael : And he would have asked for help .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Carmichael : He would have accepted help .
Carmichael : Because those cities where you have a strong police presence the rioters and the thugs and the looters , they stay away .
And so this is not some uncontrollable emotional response .
The protests are .
The looting is highly calculated .
And the people who do it believe that they can get away with it which is why they do it .
Leahy : I do have a little bit of bad news on this .
Scott Walker has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Carmichael : Well , that was quick .
( Laughs ) I ’ ll tell you Michael ( Leahy chuckles ) we are very quick in providing news on the news .
Leahy : He actually said that he would not run back in July .
Carmichael : OK. Do we know what Scott Walker is doing now ?
Leahy : Takes a new job .
Says he won ’ t run for office in 2022 .
I ’ ll tell you when I can get past the Google blocker here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a couple of stupid…Young America ’ s Foundation elected Walker to become president of the group in early 2021 .
Carmichael : And it ’ s an important job .
And he ’ ll do a good job .
Carmichael : As we kind of look across the country Kanye West , his story is very interesting to me because he is going to end up on the ballot in a number of states .
Leahy : Probably in Tennessee .
I would guess .
Leahy : Doesn ’ t matter in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to win .
Carmichael : Trump is going to win .
Carmichael : And the people in Ohio and the election officials there are trying to use every opportunity that they can to keep Kanye off the ballot .
Leahy : But they are Republicans , but they are DeWine Republicans .
Carmichael : Not necessarily .
I don ’ t know .
We need to find out .
We ’ ll have to Google this to find out and get the answer .
The director of elections Amanda Grandjean informed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leahy : The filing though is against the Republican secretary of state Frank LaRose .
Ultimately he ’ s the one that made that decision .
Carmichael : They are claiming that some of the signatures , not of the people that signed but of the application itself whether are questioning whether or not that the right person signed their name correctly on the application .
Leahy : Sounds like they are really looking for a way to keep him off .
Carmichael : I think that Kanye ’ s interest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any event .
Carmichael : If Kanye comes out for Trump I think that it helps him in a lot of the battleground states .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio.
During the third hour, Carmichael questioned why people were coming from outside of cities rioting and looting highlighting that these efforts appeared to be coordinated. He later discussed Kanye West’s chances of getting on the 2020 presidential ballot and how it would be a problem for Democrats.
(Mark Meadows clip plays)
We offered help. Help was denied. Obviously there were multiple gun shots and people lost their life. We made a repeated call then the next day. Sent in National Guard, FBI agents, and the US Marshall’s to restore peace in Kenosha, Wisconsin. And that’s what needs to happen in Portland.
Leahy: That’s the White House chief of staff Mark Meadows talking about the riots in Kenosha where a couple of people were killed in the gunfire. And the President had told the Democratic governor he wanted to send the National Guard in there. The governor said no. No, I don’t want you in here. Well, it didn’t turn out so well.
Carmichael: Well the governor himself could call out his own National Guard. Can he not?
Leahy: Yeah. And he didn’t.
Carmichael: He didn’t. Then Trump offered to send in additional help and the governor rejected that. The mayor of Kenosha also rejected.
Leahy: I don’t think so. I think the mayor wanted him to come in.
Carmichael: But the governor overruled the mayor.
Leahy: I haven’t seen the specific comments from the governor. But I’ll check that out and see. We’ve got this craziness going on here Crom.
Carmichael: The mayor of Portland said, he said, let the rioting burn itself out. That’s the quote. Burn itself out. From the mayor of Portland as long as its somebody else’s private property that’s being destroyed the mayor is perfectly OK with letting the mayhem go on. I noticed over the weekend that there were some people who opposed the protesters. Who opposed the looters who drove into Portland.
And I think Michael you said one person was shot in cold blood. I’ve not seen the video on what happened in Portland where the person and I think it was a Trump supporter. Do you have more details on what happened there? Because the only report I know is that a person was shot in Portland that had to do with the protests.
Leahy: Late Saturday night there is a video of his murder. And what it looks like is that there is a little bit of mayhem going on.
Carmichael: You mean shouting?
Leahy: Yes. And he’s walking across the street. A lot of people running around all over the place. And you see in the distance he’s wearing a dark shirt I guy that looks like a guy wearing a white shirt moving towards him. Then you see a flash and a puff of smoke. And the White guy falls and the Black guy runs away.
Carmichael: OK. The other guy?
Leahy: The other guy runs away. He appears to be Black.
Carmichael: It was night time so it’s hard to say.
Leahy: Hard to say.
Carmichael: But the flash looked like it came from a gun? And this was all caught on video.
Leahy: Yes.
Carmichael: The video will be able to I assume identify.
Leahy: I think they will probably find out who it was. We’ll see. But obviously very bad news. And the mayor lets this violence go on in Portland. And the governor does too. By the way, I haven’t answered your question. I will stand corrected.
Carmichael: OK.
Leahy: Yesterday, NPR that bastion of fair and accurate reporting taxpayer-funded, not. Very left-wing. Headline. Kenosha Mayor Does Not Want President Trump To Visit ‘At This Point In Time.‘ President Trump will travel to Kenosha Wisconsin on Tuesday to survey the damage on last week’s protest in the police shooting of Jacob Blake. But, the city’s Democratic mayor, John Antaramian would rather he didn’t.
‘Realistically from our perspective, our preference would have been for him not to be coming at this point in time. All Presidents are always welcome and campaign issues are always going on. But I think it would have been better for him to have waited for a better time to come.’
Carmichael: Trump has announced he’s going.
Leahy: Yep.
Carmichael: And let’s assume that Trump is going and that’s tomorrow.
Leahy: Yes, tomorrow.
Carmichael: So when I’m on Wednesday we’ll see whether or not he went and we’ll know what happened as a result of his going. But I’m willing to say that the violence in Kenosha because my understanding of reading many reports is that much of the looters were not from Kenosha.
Leahy: A story at TheFederalist.com where an eye witness interviewed many people said that all of the rioters were from out of town. Here is Democratic mayor John Antaramian with his interview with NPR. He said the situation in Kenosha was ‘not the situation I think that people perceive. That the people in Kenosha are rioting.
They are protesting and have absolutely every right to protest. He said the city supports peaceful protests but not the damage and destruction. Peaceful protests are not a problem. Our biggest problem did come from people coming from outside the area causing a great deal of damage and destruction.
Carmichael: So the question is why? If people are coming from outside and the President of the United States offers help to quell the violence, it just is a very fair question to ask why neither the mayor nor the governor will accept help?
And in fact, the governor purposefully refused to send even the help that the governor himself could have sent. And I don’t get that. If Scott Walker was governor of Wisconsin they would not be having the problems in Wisconsin that they are having now.
Leahy: I would say if Scott Walker were governor of Wisconsin, and he may run again. He was in for two terms as governor. He was defeated narrowly by this Evers character in 2018 I guess it was.
Carmichael: So there is another election in 2022?
Leahy: I think yes. He was a very good governor I thought. But had he been governor this time around Sunday night he would have sent the National Guard into Kenosha.
Carmichael: And he would have asked for help.
Leahy: He would have asked for help.
Carmichael: He would have accepted help.
Leahy: Boom.
Carmichael: Because those cities where you have a strong police presence the rioters and the thugs and the looters, they stay away. And so this is not some uncontrollable emotional response. The protests are. The looting is highly calculated. And the people who do it believe that they can get away with it which is why they do it.
Leahy: I do have a little bit of bad news on this. Scott Walker has already declined to run in 2022 for Governor.
Carmichael: Well, that was quick. (Laughs) I’ll tell you Michael (Leahy chuckles) we are very quick in providing news on the news.
Leahy: He actually said that he would not run back in July.
Carmichael: OK. Do we know what Scott Walker is doing now?
Leahy: Takes a new job. Says he won’t run for office in 2022. I’ll tell you when I can get past the Google blocker here. (Laughs) I got to fill out a couple of stupid…Young America’s Foundation elected Walker to become president of the group in early 2021.
Carmichael: OK.
Leahy: So that’s a good job.
Carmichael: And it’s an important job. And he’ll do a good job.
Leahy: He’ll do a great job.
Carmichael: As we kind of look across the country Kanye West, his story is very interesting to me because he is going to end up on the ballot in a number of states.
Leahy: Probably in Tennessee. I would guess.
Carmichael: Sounds like it.
Leahy: Doesn’t matter in Tennessee because you know, Trump is going to win.
Carmichael: Trump is going to win.
Leahy: But battleground states, that matters.
Carmichael: And the people in Ohio and the election officials there are trying to use every opportunity that they can to keep Kanye off the ballot.
Leahy: But they are Republicans, but they are DeWine Republicans.
Carmichael: Not necessarily. I don’t know. We need to find out. We’ll have to Google this to find out and get the answer. The director of elections Amanda Grandjean informed the campaign that the application had been denied.
Leahy: The filing though is against the Republican secretary of state Frank LaRose. Ultimately he’s the one that made that decision.
Carmichael: They are claiming that some of the signatures, not of the people that signed but of the application itself whether are questioning whether or not that the right person signed their name correctly on the application.
Leahy: Sounds like they are really looking for a way to keep him off.
Carmichael: I think that Kanye’s interest in running is a negative probably for Democrats in any event.
Leahy: Absolutely.
Carmichael: If Kanye comes out for Trump I think that it helps him in a lot of the battleground states.
Listen to the full third hour here:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Saginaw County to Abandon Prevailing Wage Requirement in Bidding Process

Saginaw County will not enforce the prevailing wage requirements in its purchasing policy , according to a letter signed by an attorney representing the county .
The updated policy is considered a victory for non-union contractors for government projects , as well as for taxpayers who won ’ t have to foot the bill for higher union labor costs .
Up until last Friday , Saginaw County still enforced prevailing wages for government construction jobs , which forced contractors to bid any job over $ 50,000 at union-established wages whether the contractor employed union labor or not , forcing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor .
The letter , dated Aug. 27 , was sent by David M. Gilbert , a principal at Gilbert & Smith , P.C .
The letter was in response to a March 4 letter from Kraig Schutter , a Masud Labor Law attorney representing the Association of Builders and Contractors ( ABC ) of Greater Michigan Chapter .
“ I am in receipt of a copy of a letter you wrote to Robert Belleman dated March 4 , 2020 , ” Gilbert wrote to Schutter .
“ In that letter you inquired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be enforcing its prevailing wage requirements .
I have had an opportunity to meet with the County .
I am advised that they will not be enforcing the prevailing wage requirements contained in their purchasing policy.
” ABC President and CEO Jimmy Greene has been attempting to persuade Saginaw County to rescind its prevailing wage requirements since at least 2012 .
In March , Schutter noted in correspondence to Belleman that the county could not enforce its prevailing wage policy because it continued to rely on the state of Michigan to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ABC threatened to sue Saginaw County if it continued to require contractors to pay employees the prevailing wage .
Greene told The Center Square the county ’ s decision to not enforce its prevailing wage requirement was directly the result of ABC ’ s threatened lawsuit .
“ Saginaw County Commissioners should have removed the prevailing wage mandate two years ago when the state ended the practice , Greene said .
“ Instead , the policy was grandfathered in its purchasing policy.
” In a prepared statement , Greene also said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State ’ s Repeal of Prevailing Wage provided a back stop that served to bring this to a successful closure .
Undaunted , the local labor unions have created another attack on free and open competitive bidding ; a tax payer benefit ; by suggesting yet another ‘ union special ’ purchasing gimmick .
Our hopes are that Saginaw County Commissioners regardless of party affiliations remember that their fiscal responsibility for ALL Saginaw County citizens and reject such prejudiced overtures.
” Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .

by Bruce Walker
Saginaw County will not enforce the prevailing wage requirements in its purchasing policy, according to a letter signed by an attorney representing the county.
The updated policy is considered a victory for non-union contractors for government projects, as well as for taxpayers who won’t have to foot the bill for higher union labor costs.
Up until last Friday, Saginaw County still enforced prevailing wages for government construction jobs, which forced contractors to bid any job over $50,000 at union-established wages whether the contractor employed union labor or not, forcing the government to pay above market rates for labor.
Michigan voters rescinded its statewide prevailing wage laws in 2018.
The letter, dated Aug. 27, was sent by David M. Gilbert, a principal at Gilbert & Smith, P.C. The letter was in response to a March 4 letter from Kraig Schutter, a Masud Labor Law attorney representing the Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Greater Michigan Chapter.
Schutter’s letter was addressed to Saginaw County Controller Robert Belleman.
“I am in receipt of a copy of a letter you wrote to Robert Belleman dated March 4, 2020,” Gilbert wrote to Schutter. “In that letter you inquired as to whether or not the County would be enforcing its prevailing wage requirements. I have had an opportunity to meet with the County. I am advised that they will not be enforcing the prevailing wage requirements contained in their purchasing policy.”
ABC President and CEO Jimmy Greene has been attempting to persuade Saginaw County to rescind its prevailing wage requirements since at least 2012. In March, Schutter noted in correspondence to Belleman that the county could not enforce its prevailing wage policy because it continued to rely on the state of Michigan to establish regional labor rates. At that time, ABC threatened to sue Saginaw County if it continued to require contractors to pay employees the prevailing wage.
Greene told The Center Square the county’s decision to not enforce its prevailing wage requirement was directly the result of ABC’s threatened lawsuit.
“Saginaw County Commissioners should have removed the prevailing wage mandate two years ago when the state ended the practice, Greene said. “Instead, the policy was grandfathered in its purchasing policy.”
In a prepared statement, Greene also said: “[T]he elimination of the State’s Repeal of Prevailing Wage provided a back stop that served to bring this to a successful closure. Undaunted, the local labor unions have created another attack on free and open competitive bidding; a tax payer benefit; by suggesting yet another ‘union special’ purchasing gimmick. Our hopes are that Saginaw County Commissioners regardless of party affiliations remember that their fiscal responsibility for ALL Saginaw County citizens and reject such prejudiced overtures.”
– – –
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute’s InfoTech & Telecom News.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--New CDC Admission Could Slash Ohio’s Death Toll

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) Weekly Index disclosed “ [ F ] or 6 % of deaths , COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned.
” That means of the 183,000 U.S. deaths attributed to COVID as of the release of this article that 10,980 people died from COVID .
The remaining 172,000-plus deaths occurred with COVID .
In a text exchange with Dan Tierney , Press Secretary for Governor Mike DeWine , The Ohio Star asked Tierney if Ohio distinguishes “ between someone who dies from the virus and someone who dies with the virus.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC is entity that has established cause of death reporting guidance .
[ Ohio Department of Health ] ODH has not adopted separate guidance.
” The revelation raises questions about Ohio death tolls and policies .
On Monday , August 31 , The Ohio COVID site listed 4,138 deaths .
That means if the CDC finding applies in Ohio , the total number of Ohioans who died from COVID is 248 and the number of people who died with COVID totals 3,890 .
In the U.S. , people who died with COVID on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or causes per death ” according to the CDC index .
Per the CDC , the top causes of death with COVID as an accompanying condition are : • Other adverse events – medical treatment mishaps – and other medical conditions It makes sense that the top two additional causes of death that are accompanied by COVID may be exacerbated by the existence of the virus in the system .
However , without knowing the viral prevalence in the deceased it is difficult to determine whether the death was caused by COVID that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the virus was in the system but not a major contributing factor .
Yet , it is difficult to understand how a drowning , shooting or suicide can be counted as COVID and trumpeted as part of the epidemic ’ s death toll .
In an interview with The Star , Warren County Sheriff Larry L. Sims said that one of the deaths in his county attributed to COVID is a woman who was in jail that was released and committed suicide .
Detractors of the idea that deaths ‘ with COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , it proves true .
People who never showed symptoms of a COVID infection and may have never known they were infected with COVID – but died from other ailments such as suicide , high blood pressure , auto accident , diabetes – are all counted as COVID deaths .
Since the inception of the state ’ s response to COVID worst-case scenarios have been the guidepost for public policy .
In March , Ohio Director of Health ( ODH ) Amy Acton guided Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in crafting statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak Ohio would record 62,000 COVID cases a day and that 2 million Americans would succumb to COVID .
Acton ’ s estimates , and exponentially incorrect modeling , were based on the Imperial College Model and ended up being the foundation of ODH orders – orders that multiple courts around Ohio have ruled arbitrary and unconstitutional .
Governor DeWine , with the help of Ohio State University Dr. Andrew Thomas , Chief Clinical Officer , eventually scrapped Acton ’ s plans and built the Ohio Public Health Advisory System , a forecasting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of “ what is ” with respect to COVID .
Early requests for compliance revolved around sheltering and shutting down in order to buy time so hospitals could ramp capacity and flatten the curve .
Hospitals not only never came close to capacity – in fact hospital admissions for influenza-like illnesses peaked in February at 1,200 in a week before state intervention – the state continues to act as if COVID is the 1918 Spanish Flu .
The assertion is incorrect on several fronts .
The two biggest – COVID does 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 years or older with almost three underlying conditions , whereas the Spanish Flu was fatal to all age ranges ; COVID death totals pale in comparison to the 1918 epidemic – one century ago the virus took 675,000 American lives ( U.S. population was 103 million ) .
The most recent information from the CDC regarding annual death numbers in Ohio is from 2017 and is as follows : Last week the CDC flip-flopped – not an uncommon practice – with respect to testing .
On Monday , August 24 the organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close contact ( within 6 feet ) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms : You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.
” Three days later – after receiving verbal retaliation from some politicians and scientists -CDC Director Robert Redfield walked-back the strength of his Monday comment saying “ [ t ] esting is meant to drive actions and achieve specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a COVID-19 test , can get a test .
Everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test ; the key is to engage the needed public health community in the decision with the appropriate follow-up action.
” While national spokespersons and political leaders iron-out their ever-changing positions on the virus , one thing is unchanging : policies have wrecked emotional health in our youth , skyrocketed anxiety in adults , crippled entire business segments and left our dying seniors isolated without loved ones .
This is the raw end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliant and has been guilted , shamed and reprimanded while uncovering facts : COVID is not as deadly as initially projected ; initial models were embarrassingly wrong ; the consequences of COVID policies will damage more people than the virus itself ; constituents are required to adjust their lives – with huge emotional and financial losses resulting – while political leaders and government employees are insulated from the need to change course and the comparative economic impact of their policies .
Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reporter at WMFD-TV .
Follow Jack on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Background Photo “ Mike DeWine ” by Mike DeWine .

UPDATED September 1 at 12:00 p.m. EST
The week of August 24, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Weekly Index disclosed “[F]or 6% of deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned.”
That means of the 183,000 U.S. deaths attributed to COVID as of the release of this article that 10,980 people died from COVID. The remaining 172,000-plus deaths occurred with COVID.
What that doesn’t mean is that only 10,980 people in America died due to COVID.
However, the disclosure raises questions about whether COVID deaths in the U.S. and Ohio are overstated.
In a text exchange with Dan Tierney, Press Secretary for Governor Mike DeWine, The Ohio Star asked Tierney if Ohio distinguishes “between someone who dies from the virus and someone who dies with the virus.”
Tierney’s response: “CDC is entity that has established cause of death reporting guidance. [Ohio Department of Health] ODH has not adopted separate guidance.”
On Monday, August 31, The Ohio COVID site listed 4,138 deaths. That means if the CDC finding applies in Ohio, the total number of Ohioans who died from only COVID is 248 and the number of people who died with COVID and other comorbidities totals 3,890.
From China, and Italy to New York City, COVID’s risk has not changed– people who are healthy are at a much lower risk of severe illness and death than the aged who have other serious underlying conditions.
The CDC disclosure doesn’t change that, rather it gives a clearer look into the medical profile of those most at risk – at least in some sense.
Per the CDC, the top causes of death with COVID as an accompanying condition are:
Influenza & pneumonia
Respiratory failure
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Brain damage and impaired blood flow
Cardiac arrest
Heart failure
Kidney failure
Suicide, homicide and domestic violence
Other adverse events – medical treatment mishaps – and other medical conditions
In the U.S., people who died with COVID on average, had “2.6 additional conditions or causes per death” according to the CDC index.
It makes sense that most of the conditions on the CDC list could be made worse – and fatal – with the existence of COVID. Influenza & pneumonia, respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, heart failure could all certainly be exacerbated by the introduction of a virus into the body.
However, determining whether COVID caused heart failure, kidney failure or diabetes (or any other listed health condition) to be fatal would require a better understanding of the viral load in each of the deceased patients.
Certain PCR tests can determine viral load for the test taker – recording and reporting those numbers would give even deeper insight into the fatal effect of COVID.
The numbers that should unequivocally be subtracted from death totals are causes of death such as suicide, domestic violence and medical accidents. Those numbers may not be large, but they can be determined and should be excluded.
In an interview with The Star, Warren County Sheriff Larry L. Sims said that one of the deaths in his county attributed to COVID is a woman who was in jail that was released and committed suicide. Detractors of the idea that deaths ‘with COVID’ were being counted dismissed the anecdote. Now, it proves true.
What the 6% statement from the CDC means to Ohio’s numbers is also difficult to determine. Pike County, Ohio Department of Health indicated that a COVID case was traced to November 2019, which would mean that in that part of the state the virus was spreading undetected and unmitigated – with a high contagion factor – during the holidays.
Ohio hospital admissions from influenza-like illnesses peaked in February at around 1,200 in a week – a time when many schools around Ohio closed for flu-like illnesses that many now attribute to the first wave of COVID.
Dissecting the death totals for Ohio might include a lower toll since March, when full-scale state intervention began, however if COVID was in the buckeye state in November 2019 there may be significantly more deaths attributed to the virus that would pad the current total.
Yet, it is difficult to understand how a drowning, shooting or suicide can be counted as COVID and trumpeted as part of the epidemic’s death toll.
Since the inception of the state’s response to COVID worst-case scenarios have been the guidepost for public policy. In March, Ohio Director of Health (ODH) Amy Acton guided Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in crafting statewide policies based on estimates that at its peak Ohio would record 62,000 COVID cases a day – national estimates projected that 2 million Americans would succumb to COVID.
The Imperial College Model (ICM) was the foundation of Acton’s estimates and Ohio’s exponentially incorrect modeling. ICM ended up being the foundation of ODH orders – orders that multiple courts around Ohio have ruled arbitrary and unconstitutional.
Early requests from Governor DeWine and Amy Acton for compliance from Ohioans with shelter-in-place orders and business shutdowns were buttressed by the plea to trade two weeks of normal life in order for the COVID curve to be flattened and for hospitals to have time to ramp capacity to treat the forthcoming surge of patients.
The surge never came. Hospitals never came close to capacity – excess spaces built to house patients were not used and shut down.
Governor DeWine, with the help of Ohio State University Dr. Andrew Thomas, Chief Clinical Officer, eventually scrapped Acton’s plans and built the Ohio Public Health Advisory System , a forecasting tool based on “what if” instead of “what is” with respect to COVID.
Although the worst-case scenario never manifested, Governor Mike DeWine still compares COVID to the 1918 Spanish Flu.
The comparison may be an attempt to confirm an initial bias, but the comparative impact of the two pandemics is not the same. The two biggest differences – COVID does 90% of its fatal damage to people 60 years or older with almost three underlying conditions, whereas the Spanish Flu was fatal to all age ranges; COVID death totals pale in comparison to the 1918 epidemic – one century ago the virus took 675,000 American lives (U.S. population was 103 million).
The most recent information from the CDC regarding annual death numbers in Ohio is from 2017 and is as follows:
Heart disease – 28,008
Cancer – 25,643
Accidents – 8,921
Chronic lower respiratory disease – 7,312
Stroke – 6,425
Alzheimer’s disease – 5,117
Diabetes – 3,740
Influenza/Pneumonia – 2,243
Kidney disease – 2,237
Septicemia – 2,066
Last week the CDC flip-flopped – not an uncommon practice – with respect to testing. On Monday, August 24 the organization said “If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms: You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.”
Three days later – after receiving verbal retaliation from some politicians and scientists -CDC Director Robert Redfield walked-back the strength of his Monday comment saying “[t]esting is meant to drive actions and achieve specific public health objectives. Everyone who needs a COVID-19 test, can get a test. Everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test; the key is to engage the needed public health community in the decision with the appropriate follow-up action.”
While national spokespersons and political leaders iron-out their ever-changing positions on the virus, one thing is unchanging: policies have wrecked emotional health in our youth, skyrocketed anxiety in adults, crippled entire business segments and left our dying seniors isolated without loved ones.
– – –
Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star. Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV. Follow Jack on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mike DeWine” by Mike DeWine.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Virginia State Senator Locke, Others, Move to Block Kanye West From Virginia Ballot

Senator Mamie Locke ( D-Virginia Beach ) is part of a group trying to remove Kanye West from Virginia ’ s upcoming presidential ballot , according to reporting by WTKR .
Leaders of the group claim that West ’ s 13 Virginia electors were registered deceptively , according to The Washington Post .
One of the electors is Newport News Public Schools government and sociology teacher Matthan Wilson .
Wilson told WTKR he has no intention of filling his role as an elector .
“ I don ’ t want to be an elector for Kanye West .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West .
I only like one or two of his songs , ” Wilson told The Washington Post .
Wilson , Locke , and the others are preparing a lawsuit challenging the validity of the electors , WTKR reports .
In August , President Trump told reporters , “ I like Kanye [ West ] very much .
No , I have nothing to do with him getting on the ballot .
We ’ ll have to see what happens.
” A day later , Forbes reported that West said he was running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee Joe Biden .
Trump responded in a tweet , “ That shouldn ’ t be hard to do !
” In Ohio , the West campaign listed six electors living at the same address , according to The Enquirer : “ West also listed a slate of 18 people who will vote for him at the Electoral College if Ohioans select West for president .
Of West ’ s 18 electors , all but two are from Cuyahoga County .
Six listed the same Cleveland address and another four listed the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Legitimate candidates for President and Vice President would have no difficulty locating 13 Virginians willing to serve as their electors .
Instead , Mr. West or those working on his behalf resorted to deception to falsely represent that he had obtained the support of the requisite number of electors , ” Wilson told WTKR .
The Virginia Star requested comment from the West campaign , from Sen. Locke , from Wilson , and from the State Board of Elections .
None of them responded by press time .
Eric Burk is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ State Senator Mamie Locke ” by State Senator Maime Locke .

Senator Mamie Locke (D-Virginia Beach) is part of a group trying to remove Kanye West from Virginia’s upcoming presidential ballot, according to reporting by WTKR. Leaders of the group claim that West’s 13 Virginia electors were registered deceptively, according to The Washington Post.
One of the electors is Newport News Public Schools government and sociology teacher Matthan Wilson. Wilson told WTKR he has no intention of filling his role as an elector.
“I don’t want to be an elector for Kanye West. I don’t want to vote for Kanye West. I only like one or two of his songs,” Wilson told The Washington Post.
Wilson, Locke, and the others are preparing a lawsuit challenging the validity of the electors, WTKR reports.
In August, President Trump told reporters, “I like Kanye [West] very much. No, I have nothing to do with him getting on the ballot. We’ll have to see what happens.” A day later, Forbes reported that West said he was running to take votes away from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Trump responded in a tweet, “That shouldn’t be hard to do!”
In Ohio, the West campaign listed six electors living at the same address, according to The Enquirer: “West also listed a slate of 18 people who will vote for him at the Electoral College if Ohioans select West for president. Of West’s 18 electors, all but two are from Cuyahoga County. Six listed the same Cleveland address and another four listed the same address in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood.”
“Legitimate candidates for President and Vice President would have no difficulty locating 13 Virginians willing to serve as their electors. Instead, Mr. West or those working on his behalf resorted to deception to falsely represent that he had obtained the support of the requisite number of electors,” Wilson told WTKR.
The Virginia Star requested comment from the West campaign, from Sen. Locke, from Wilson, and from the State Board of Elections. None of them responded by press time.
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “State Senator Mamie Locke” by State Senator Maime Locke.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Fatal Overdoses and Emergency Calls Rise in Virginia, Highlighting Impact of COVID-19 on Substance A

Fatal Overdoses and Emergency Calls Rise in Virginia, Highlighting Impact of COVID-19 on Substance Abuse

Fatal drug overdoses and non-alcohol overdose calls have increased in Virginia since the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown , highlighting a troubling trend and fallout from the deadly virus .
“ [ COVID-19 ] has undoubtedly increased the overdoses as well as overdose death as well as relapse for those who were in recovery from addictions , ” John Shinholser , president and co-founder of the McShin Foundation , said in an interview with The Virgina Star .
Compared to 2019 , non-alcohol related overdose calls in the Richmond metro area have risen nearly 65 percent , 735 to 1,209 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 6,543 , in the first half of 2020 , according to numbers Richmond community recovery advocate Michael McDermott compiled and sent to The Star .
In Richmond city specifically , non-alcohol related overdose calls nearly doubled from 289 to 574 during that time , representing an increase of roughly 98 percent .
McDermott maintains that the number of overdose deaths was already increasing in previous years before COVID as part of the larger , ongoing opioid epidemic , while also acknowledging the uptick created by the Coronavirus .
The monthly breakdown of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from opioids , also confirms the increase of substance abuse stemming from COVID-19 .
In April of 2019 there were 126 fatal drug overdoses and 137 in May .
In April of 2020 there were 207 fatal drug overdoses and 237 in may , according to the numbers provided to The Star by Kathrin Hobron , statewide forensic epidemiologist for the Virginia Department of Health .
However , these are preliminary numbers .
There are many pending deaths associated to homicide , suicide as well as other fatal drug overdoses that do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those numbers symbolize the struggles and challenges drug addicts and those in recovery have had to face while trying to better themselves during quarantine or in isolation .
“ One of the main components to recovery is actual social connection , ” Shinholser said .
“ One of the best weapons against the disease of addiction is another recovering addict , and when you take a new [ addict ] away from that recovered person , you just diminish their chances at recovering by 50 percent.
” Shinholser mentioned the positive impact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addicts in quarantine , but shared the reality that there is real substitute for face-to-face treatment .
When asked if drug addiction and overdoses has been somewhat forgotten since COVID-19 spiked back in march , Shinholser offered a bleak response .
“ It has [ become forgotten ] , except for the moms and dads and loved ones who constantly are burying their children , ” Shinholser said .
When Hobron was asked the same question , she offered a different answer commenting on Virginia ’ s larger drug problem .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now ] , but drug deaths here in Virginia are definitely not tapering off like we saw in 2018 , they have increased dramatically and we ’ re at record setting statistics right now , ” Hobron said .
From 2013 to 2020 fatal drug overdoses have accounted for more deaths in Virginia than gun and motor vehicle related deaths , according to the Virginia Department of Health fatal drug overdose quarterly report for the first quarter of 2020 .
Fatal drug overdoses have accounted for over 15,000 deaths in Virginia since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The opioid epidemic in Virginia is certainly not over and the numbers show that COVID-19 , the related shutdown and subsequent quarantining has made an issue that was once front and center in the national spotlight even worse .
New information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) raises questions on whether the scale of the national shutdowns was as necessary as people once believed back in March .
Of the deaths that occurred in America from February first to August 22nd , COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For deaths with other causes in addition to COVID-19 , there were 2.6 additional causes or conditions per death on average , including influenza , pneumonia and diabetes , according to the CDC .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .

Fatal drug overdoses and non-alcohol overdose calls have increased in Virginia since the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown, highlighting a troubling trend and fallout from the deadly virus.
“[COVID-19] has undoubtedly increased the overdoses as well as overdose death as well as relapse for those who were in recovery from addictions,” John Shinholser, president and co-founder of the McShin Foundation, said in an interview with The Virgina Star.
The data backs up Shinholser’s assertion.
Compared to 2019, non-alcohol related overdose calls in the Richmond metro area have risen nearly 65 percent, 735 to 1,209, and 42 percent statewide, 4,60g to 6,543, in the first half of 2020, according to numbers Richmond community recovery advocate Michael McDermott compiled and sent to The Star.
In Richmond city specifically, non-alcohol related overdose calls nearly doubled from 289 to 574 during that time, representing an increase of roughly 98 percent.
McDermott maintains that the number of overdose deaths was already increasing in previous years before COVID as part of the larger, ongoing opioid epidemic, while also acknowledging the uptick created by the Coronavirus.
The monthly breakdown of fatal drug overdoses in Virginia, mostly from opioids, also confirms the increase of substance abuse stemming from COVID-19.
In April of 2019 there were 126 fatal drug overdoses and 137 in May. In April of 2020 there were 207 fatal drug overdoses and 237 in may, according to the numbers provided to The Star by Kathrin Hobron, statewide forensic epidemiologist for the Virginia Department of Health.
However, these are preliminary numbers. There are many pending deaths associated to homicide, suicide as well as other fatal drug overdoses that do not count toward the totals to date.
Those numbers symbolize the struggles and challenges drug addicts and those in recovery have had to face while trying to better themselves during quarantine or in isolation.
“One of the main components to recovery is actual social connection,” Shinholser said. “One of the best weapons against the disease of addiction is another recovering addict, and when you take a new [addict] away from that recovered person, you just diminish their chances at recovering by 50 percent.”
Shinholser mentioned the positive impact that telehealth and telemedicine can have on recovering addicts in quarantine, but shared the reality that there is real substitute for face-to-face treatment.
When asked if drug addiction and overdoses has been somewhat forgotten since COVID-19 spiked back in march, Shinholser offered a bleak response.
“It has [become forgotten], except for the moms and dads and loved ones who constantly are burying their children,” Shinholser said.
When Hobron was asked the same question, she offered a different answer commenting on Virginia’s larger drug problem.
“I think that COVID-19 is the headlines [right now], but drug deaths here in Virginia are definitely not tapering off like we saw in 2018, they have increased dramatically and we’re at record setting statistics right now,” Hobron said.
From 2013 to 2020 fatal drug overdoses have accounted for more deaths in Virginia than gun and motor vehicle related deaths, according to the Virginia Department of Health fatal drug overdose quarterly report for the first quarter of 2020.
Fatal drug overdoses have accounted for over 15,000 deaths in Virginia since 2007, according to the report.
The opioid epidemic in Virginia is certainly not over and the numbers show that COVID-19, the related shutdown and subsequent quarantining has made an issue that was once front and center in the national spotlight even worse.
New information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raises questions on whether the scale of the national shutdowns was as necessary as people once believed back in March.
Of the deaths that occurred in America from February first to August 22nd, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned in six percent of the deaths. For deaths with other causes in addition to COVID-19, there were 2.6 additional causes or conditions per death on average, including influenza, pneumonia and diabetes, according to the CDC.
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Commentary: Can Trump Win Minnesota?

Commentary: Can Trump Win Minnesota?

How bad do things look for Joe Biden ’ s campaign right now ?
Consider this : Democrats are worried about Minnesota , a state no Republican presidential candidate has carried since Richard Nixon ’ s 1972 landslide .
Yet polls show President Trump gaining ground in Minnesota , and Democrats are worried because they haven ’ t seen any appearances by Biden or his running mate Kamala Harris .
“ Why aren ’ t they here ?
” one Democratic-Farmer-Labor ( DFL ) Party official told Minnesota Public Radio last week .
“ We need to hear from them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground.
” Biden ’ s peril in Minnesota is in many ways emblematic of everything that ’ s gone wrong for Democrats in this campaign .
While the Real Clear Politics average of Minnesota polls still shows Biden leading Trump by more than five points , a poll by Emerson College earlier this month had Trump within three points , and a poll by the GOP-affiliated Trafalgar Group two weeks ago showed a tie in Minnesota .
How could a state that twice gave majorities to Barack Obama , a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his 1984 landslide , be in play for Trump this year ?
Well , in a word , riots .
When the death of George Floyd touched off what the mainstream media prefer to call “ mostly peaceful protests ” three months ago , Biden and other Democrats did not seem to recognize the potential danger these riots posed to their chances in November .
Eager to “ energize ” their party ’ s support among black voters , Biden ’ s campaign embraced the # BlackLivesMatter ( BLM ) movement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailed Minnesota rioters out of jail : The Minnesota Freedom Fund ( MFF ) received $ 35 million in donations in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd , with many of those donations intended to help protesters who were jailed during the demonstrations and riots in May… .
Among those bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund ( MFF ) is a suspect who shot at police , a woman accused of killing a friend , and a twice convicted sex offender … According to attempted murder charges , Jaleel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Team during the riots in May .
Police recovered a modified pistol that looks like an AK-47 .
MFF paid $ 75,000 in cash to get Stallings out of jail .
Darnika Floyd is charged with second degree murder , for stabbing a friend to death .
MFF paid $ 100,000 cash for her release .
Christopher Boswell , a twice convicted rapist , is currently charged with kidnapping , assault , and sexual assault in two separate cases .
MFF paid $ 350,00 in cash for his release .
At least 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to the fund that bailed out those criminals , and Biden ’ s campaign spokesman told Reuters that the Democratic candidate opposes requiring cash bail as a “ modern day debtors prison.
” By endorsing this “ turn- ’ em-loose ” policy for criminals , the Democrats have endangered public safety , especially including the safety of the black community .
Apparently , Biden ’ s campaign believes that such policy stances are necessary to “ energize ” the black vote , and thus avoid the fate of Hillary Clinton .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dubious bit of conventional wisdom among Democratic Party strategists who , in the wake of Trump ’ s 2016 victory , looked at exit polls and other data and reached the conclusion that Clinton lost because of low turnout among African-American voters .
Therefore , Democrats apparently concluded , what they needed to do was to foment a sense of crisis in the black community , with Joe Biden riding in as the hero to rescue them from the racist menace of Trump .
This cynical calculation explains why Democrats and their media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis into an international cause célèbre , the occasion for endless lectures about the evils of “ systemic racism , ” etc .
Without going into an in-depth critique of this Democratic strategy ( except to say that Hillary ’ s unpopularity transcended racial lines ) , the important point to make is that a belief in the need to “ energize ” black voters explains why Biden ’ s campaign overlooked the potential for a backlash against the hateful rhetoric and criminal violence of the # BlackLivesMatter movement .
It is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump can win Minnesota .
Long before BLM unleashed three nights of vandalism , looting , and arson in Minneapolis in late May , the Trump campaign had considered Minnesota a potential swing state for 2020 .
A look at the map and the 2016 election results explains why .
Trump won every state that borders Minnesota — Wisconsin to the east , Iowa to the south , North Dakota and South Dakota to the west .
Furthermore , Clinton got only a 46.4 percent plurality in Minnesota , edging Trump there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All Trump needed , to add Minnesota to his Electoral College majority was to boost his share of the same working-class white voters who had swung the neighboring Midwestern states into his column in 2016 .
The linchpin of Trump ’ s appeal to Minnesota is jobs .
Trump reversed Obama-era environmental policies that had damaged the state ’ s economy , and his tariffs on Chinese steel imports helped revive Minnesota ’ s mining industry .
Last fall , Trump traveled to Duluth where he declared , “ The Iron Range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even shook the Democratic stranglehold on Minnesota ’ s strong labor-union movement , with one local mine union president telling a reporter in March , “ I ’ ve voted Democrat my whole life .
It ’ s getting tougher.
” That explains why , immediately after last week ’ s Republican National Convention , Vice President Mike Pence flew to Duluth for a campaign event .
“ The president stood up to Chinese steel dumping , ” Pence told the enthusiastic crowd , which interrupted his speech with several standing ovations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iron Range towns who have endorsed Trump for reelection .
Also in the crowd at the Pence event was a former Democratic mayor of Duluth who ’ s now supporting Trump .
“ My dad was the head of the Teamsters and the things he fought for — jobs , benefits and working men and women — the Democratic party has lost that , ” Gary Doty said .
“ They ’ ve gone so far left I can ’ t support the Democratic ticket this year.
” Pence ’ s speech in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ praising “ the best people ” in law enforcement : “ There ’ s no excuse for what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis and justice will be served .
There ’ s also no excuse for the rioting and looting and violence that followed.
” For many weeks after the violent “ unrest ” that followed Floyd ’ s death , the Biden campaign embraced the # BlackLivesMatter rhetoric of blaming “ systemic racism , ” ignoring critics who pointed out that BLM ’ s organizers had boasted of being “ trained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ How Marxists Exploit Race , ” June 22 ) .
After three months of tacitly endorsing riots , however , the Biden campaign suddenly last week shifted gears , strongly condemning mob violence , evidently because Democrats ’ own internal polling showed Trump was gaining traction on the law-and-order issue .
Biden ’ s attempt to shift his stance on BLM may prove to be too little , too late to rescue his campaign in Minnesota .
It is a state that has long prided itself on racial equality , as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rhetoric , and Race ” ) .
No one who knows much about Minnesotans could imagine that they would tolerate “ systemic racism.
” By endorsing the BLM “ unrest ” that wrecked Minneapolis , however , Democrats and their media enablers have in effect accused Minnesotans of complicity in depriving black people of their civil rights .
The people of Minnesota will soon have a chance to avenge that insulting accusation .
We are still nine weeks away from Election Day , polls are an unreliable indicator , and almost anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but right now Democrats are worried , and they should be .
If Biden loses Minnesota , it could prove the bellwether of a landslide victory for Trump .
Robert Stacy McCain is the author of Sex Trouble : Essays on Radical Feminism and the War Against Human Nature .
He blogs at TheOtherMcCain.com .

by Robert Stacy McCain
How bad do things look for Joe Biden’s campaign right now? Consider this: Democrats are worried about Minnesota, a state no Republican presidential candidate has carried since Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide. Yet polls show President Trump gaining ground in Minnesota, and Democrats are worried because they haven’t seen any appearances by Biden or his running mate Kamala Harris. “Why aren’t they here?” one Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party official told Minnesota Public Radio last week. “We need to hear from them. We need to see their presence on the ground.”
Biden’s peril in Minnesota is in many ways emblematic of everything that’s gone wrong for Democrats in this campaign. While the Real Clear Politics average of Minnesota polls still shows Biden leading Trump by more than five points, a poll by Emerson College earlier this month had Trump within three points, and a poll by the GOP-affiliated Trafalgar Group two weeks ago showed a tie in Minnesota. How could a state that twice gave majorities to Barack Obama, a state that not even Ronald Reagan could win in his 1984 landslide, be in play for Trump this year? Well, in a word, riots.
When the death of George Floyd touched off what the mainstream media prefer to call “mostly peaceful protests” three months ago, Biden and other Democrats did not seem to recognize the potential danger these riots posed to their chances in November. Eager to “energize” their party’s support among black voters, Biden’s campaign embraced the #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) movement, even contributing money to a fund that bailed Minnesota rioters out of jail:
The Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) received $35 million in donations in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, with many of those donations intended to help protesters who were jailed during the demonstrations and riots in May…. Among those bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) is a suspect who shot at police, a woman accused of killing a friend, and a twice convicted sex offender … According to attempted murder charges, Jaleel Stallings shot at members of a SWAT Team during the riots in May. Police recovered a modified pistol that looks like an AK-47. MFF paid $75,000 in cash to get Stallings out of jail. Darnika Floyd is charged with second degree murder, for stabbing a friend to death. MFF paid $100,000 cash for her release. Christopher Boswell, a twice convicted rapist, is currently charged with kidnapping, assault, and sexual assault in two separate cases. MFF paid $350,00 in cash for his release.
At least 13 members of Biden’s campaign staff contributed to the fund that bailed out those criminals, and Biden’s campaign spokesman told Reuters that the Democratic candidate opposes requiring cash bail as a “modern day debtors prison.” By endorsing this “turn-’em-loose” policy for criminals, the Democrats have endangered public safety, especially including the safety of the black community. Apparently, Biden’s campaign believes that such policy stances are necessary to “energize” the black vote, and thus avoid the fate of Hillary Clinton.
What seems to be involved here is a dubious bit of conventional wisdom among Democratic Party strategists who, in the wake of Trump’s 2016 victory, looked at exit polls and other data and reached the conclusion that Clinton lost because of low turnout among African-American voters. Therefore, Democrats apparently concluded, what they needed to do was to foment a sense of crisis in the black community, with Joe Biden riding in as the hero to rescue them from the racist menace of Trump. This cynical calculation explains why Democrats and their media allies turned Floyd’s death in Minneapolis into an international cause célèbre, the occasion for endless lectures about the evils of “systemic racism,” etc.
Without going into an in-depth critique of this Democratic strategy (except to say that Hillary’s unpopularity transcended racial lines), the important point to make is that a belief in the need to “energize” black voters explains why Biden’s campaign overlooked the potential for a backlash against the hateful rhetoric and criminal violence of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It is this backlash that has made it increasingly possible that Trump can win Minnesota.
Long before BLM unleashed three nights of vandalism, looting, and arson in Minneapolis in late May, the Trump campaign had considered Minnesota a potential swing state for 2020. A look at the map and the 2016 election results explains why. Trump won every state that borders Minnesota — Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the west. Furthermore, Clinton got only a 46.4 percent plurality in Minnesota, edging Trump there by a margin of about 45,000 votes. All Trump needed, to add Minnesota to his Electoral College majority was to boost his share of the same working-class white voters who had swung the neighboring Midwestern states into his column in 2016.
The linchpin of Trump’s appeal to Minnesota is jobs. Trump reversed Obama-era environmental policies that had damaged the state’s economy, and his tariffs on Chinese steel imports helped revive Minnesota’s mining industry. Last fall, Trump traveled to Duluth where he declared, “The Iron Range is back in business.” This appeal even shook the Democratic stranglehold on Minnesota’s strong labor-union movement, with one local mine union president telling a reporter in March, “I’ve voted Democrat my whole life. It’s getting tougher.”
That explains why, immediately after last week’s Republican National Convention, Vice President Mike Pence flew to Duluth for a campaign event. “The president stood up to Chinese steel dumping,” Pence told the enthusiastic crowd, which interrupted his speech with several standing ovations. The event featured six Democratic mayors of Iron Range towns who have endorsed Trump for reelection. Also in the crowd at the Pence event was a former Democratic mayor of Duluth who’s now supporting Trump. “My dad was the head of the Teamsters and the things he fought for — jobs, benefits and working men and women — the Democratic party has lost that,” Gary Doty said. “They’ve gone so far left I can’t support the Democratic ticket this year.”
Pence’s speech in Duluth also emphasized the law-and-order theme, praising “the best people” in law enforcement: “There’s no excuse for what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis and justice will be served. There’s also no excuse for the rioting and looting and violence that followed.” For many weeks after the violent “unrest” that followed Floyd’s death, the Biden campaign embraced the #BlackLivesMatter rhetoric of blaming “systemic racism,” ignoring critics who pointed out that BLM’s organizers had boasted of being “trained Marxists” (see Paul Kengor, “How Marxists Exploit Race,” June 22). After three months of tacitly endorsing riots, however, the Biden campaign suddenly last week shifted gears, strongly condemning mob violence, evidently because Democrats’ own internal polling showed Trump was gaining traction on the law-and-order issue.
Biden’s attempt to shift his stance on BLM may prove to be too little, too late to rescue his campaign in Minnesota. It is a state that has long prided itself on racial equality, as I pointed out in June (“Logic, Rhetoric, and Race”). No one who knows much about Minnesotans could imagine that they would tolerate “systemic racism.” By endorsing the BLM “unrest” that wrecked Minneapolis, however, Democrats and their media enablers have in effect accused Minnesotans of complicity in depriving black people of their civil rights.
The people of Minnesota will soon have a chance to avenge that insulting accusation. We are still nine weeks away from Election Day, polls are an unreliable indicator, and almost anything might happen between now and November 3, but right now Democrats are worried, and they should be. If Biden loses Minnesota, it could prove the bellwether of a landslide victory for Trump.
– – –
Robert Stacy McCain is the author of Sex Trouble: Essays on Radical Feminism and the War Against Human Nature. He blogs at TheOtherMcCain.com.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Poll Shows Likely Voters in Virginia Support Police Union Reform

A recent poll of likely voters in Virginia shows most Virginians across party lines oppose granting unions the authority to protect police from disciplinary action or create policies that threaten accountability .
Virginia lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year that allows collective bargaining for public-sector unions , including police unions , if local governments pass ordinances that allow it .
The bills permit local policies that allow disciplinary and policy decisions to be settled through binding arbitration , meaning an arbiter could overrule a police department ’ s disciplinary actions and policies designed to hold officers accountable .
The legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that allow police unions to collectively bargain , it has led to departments that have cooling-off periods , in which officers can not be asked questions about a shooting until a certain amount of time has passed .
Other policies include a statute of limitations for police violating protocol .
According to the poll , which was released by the free-market Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy and conducted by Cor Services Inc. , about 58 percent of likely Virginia voters oppose union deals that limit disciplinary punishments for officers found guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Black voters .
About 69 percent opposed arbiters having the ability to put police accused of misconduct back on the streets if the chief of police objects , including 71 percent of Black voters .
About 71 percent of Virginians surveyed oppose union deals that would create provisions that automatically erase information of past misconduct , including 68 percent of Black voters .
“ Measures to prevent police unions from interfering with accountability measures will be critical if Virginia is to prevent the kind of things that happened to George Floyd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Thomas Jefferson Institute , told The Center Square .
“ The easiest way to do that is to ensure that the collective bargaining law … applies only to compensation and benefits in police contracts – not discipline and accountability .
If that ’ s too broad , legislators could easily carve out more specific exclusions.
” Republican lawmakers introduced bills to ban collective bargaining for police unions or to limit their ability to negotiate certain policies and procedures .
Legislation to completely eliminate police collective bargaining failed in committee during the ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have yet to come up for a vote .
Del .
Dave LaRock , R-Hamilton , introduced House Bill 5071 , which would prohibit union agreements that establish cool-off periods , arbiters from overruling disciplinary actions and providing officers with access to evidence before interrogations about wrongdoing .
Another bill by Del .
Glenn Davis , R-Virginia Beach , would prohibit union agreements that affect hiring , firing or other disciplinary decisions .
This legislation , House Bill 5021 , would apply to all public employees .
In a phone interview with The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Minneapolis officer who knelt on George Floyd ’ s neck , had several complaints against him but still was on the force .
The police department he worked for is unionized .
Although Davis said there are very few bad actors , he said his legislation could help establish accountability for those bad actors .
“ I think this [ reform ] is very important , ” Davis said .
During the special session , the House and the Senate have taken up other policing reforms , some of which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily supported by Democrats .
Davis ’ and LaRock ’ s bills have been referred to the House Committee on Labor and Commerce .
Neither the chairperson of the committee , Del .
Jeion Ward , D-Hampton , nor the vice chairperson of the committee , Del .
Rip Sullivan , D-Arlington , responded to a request for comment from The Center Square .
The poll surveyed 1,051 likely voters statewide via automated telephone interviews Aug. 13-16 .
The margin is 3.02 percent margin of error .
The Black population was over-sampled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demographic , the Thomas Jefferson Institute said , achieving a 4.3 percent margin of error .
Tyler Arnold reports on Virginia and West Virginia for The Center Square .
Photo “ Police Officer ” by Ryan Johnson CC2.0

by Tyler Arnold
A recent poll of likely voters in Virginia shows most Virginians across party lines oppose granting unions the authority to protect police from disciplinary action or create policies that threaten accountability.
Virginia lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year that allows collective bargaining for public-sector unions, including police unions, if local governments pass ordinances that allow it. The bills permit local policies that allow disciplinary and policy decisions to be settled through binding arbitration, meaning an arbiter could overrule a police department’s disciplinary actions and policies designed to hold officers accountable.
The legislation is effective May 2021.
In some states that allow police unions to collectively bargain, it has led to departments that have cooling-off periods, in which officers cannot be asked questions about a shooting until a certain amount of time has passed. Other policies include a statute of limitations for police violating protocol.
According to the poll, which was released by the free-market Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy and conducted by Cor Services Inc., about 58 percent of likely Virginia voters oppose union deals that limit disciplinary punishments for officers found guilty of misconduct, including nearly 59 percent of Black voters.
About 69 percent opposed arbiters having the ability to put police accused of misconduct back on the streets if the chief of police objects, including 71 percent of Black voters. About 71 percent of Virginians surveyed oppose union deals that would create provisions that automatically erase information of past misconduct, including 68 percent of Black voters.
“Measures to prevent police unions from interfering with accountability measures will be critical if Virginia is to prevent the kind of things that happened to George Floyd,” Christian Braunlich, the president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute, told The Center Square. “The easiest way to do that is to ensure that the collective bargaining law … applies only to compensation and benefits in police contracts – not discipline and accountability. If that’s too broad, legislators could easily carve out more specific exclusions.”
Republican lawmakers introduced bills to ban collective bargaining for police unions or to limit their ability to negotiate certain policies and procedures. Legislation to completely eliminate police collective bargaining failed in committee during the ongoing legislative special session, but other reforms have yet to come up for a vote.
Del. Dave LaRock, R-Hamilton, introduced House Bill 5071, which would prohibit union agreements that establish cool-off periods, arbiters from overruling disciplinary actions and providing officers with access to evidence before interrogations about wrongdoing.
Another bill by Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, would prohibit union agreements that affect hiring, firing or other disciplinary decisions. This legislation, House Bill 5021, would apply to all public employees.
In a phone interview with The Center Square, Davis said Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, had several complaints against him but still was on the force. The police department he worked for is unionized. Although Davis said there are very few bad actors, he said his legislation could help establish accountability for those bad actors.
“I think this [reform] is very important,” Davis said.
During the special session, the House and the Senate have taken up other policing reforms, some of which have bipartisan support and some of which are primarily supported by Democrats.
Davis’ and LaRock’s bills have been referred to the House Committee on Labor and Commerce. Neither the chairperson of the committee, Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, nor the vice chairperson of the committee, Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Arlington, responded to a request for comment from The Center Square.
The poll surveyed 1,051 likely voters statewide via automated telephone interviews Aug. 13-16. The margin is 3.02 percent margin of error. The Black population was over-sampled to get a statistically valid result for the demographic, the Thomas Jefferson Institute said, achieving a 4.3 percent margin of error.
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Tyler Arnold reports on Virginia and West Virginia for The Center Square.
Photo “Police Officer” by Ryan Johnson CC2.0


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Ohio Secretary of State LaRose Backs Get-Out-the-Vote Initiative After 21,000 Votes are Lost

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has partnered with barbershops and beauty parlors across Ohio as part of a get out the vote initiative .
The “ Styling for Democracy ” initiative comes after over 21,000 absentee votes for the state ’ s primary – about 1 % of all absentee votes – were lost .
In an event in front of Columbus ’ A Cut Above The Rest Barbershop , LaRose and local leaders called on the community to volunteer as election workers and vote in the upcoming election .
Primary ballots received without enough information , without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discarded , reports the Times-Gazette .
The primarily Democratic Counties of Wayne and Franklin had the highest number of discarded votes at 2.1 % of all absentee ballots being removed from the pool .
With polls showing the general election becoming increasingly competitive , the removal of 21,000 votes is concerning .
President Donald Trump won Michigan by just 11,000 votes , and Wisconsin by 27,000 .
With over six million Ohioans voting in the 2016 presidential election , a loss of 1 % of all votes would have meant 60,000 discarded ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 120,000 ballots .
To put that into context , Nevada , Arizona , Montana , Wyoming , New Mexico , South Dakota , Minnesota , Florida , Michigan , Pennsylvania , New Hampshire , Vermont , Maine , were won by their respective candidate by less than 120,000 votes .
With a significant amount of Ohio ’ s , and in fact , the nation ’ s voting being done via mail-in and absentee ballots , a significant loss of ballots could change the outcome of the election .
LaRose has asked that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as soon as possible , in hopes that every vote can be properly counted the reports Newark Advocate .
It is unclear what will happen should large numbers of absentee ballots be discarded in the general election , or if voters who ’ s ballots are discarded may have a chance to resubmit their ballots properly .
The subject was not addressed by LaRose at the get out to vote event , and it is uncertain what , if anything is being done to address the issue as Ohio is primed to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the pandemic .
Ben Kolodny is a reporter for The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
You can follow Ben on Twitter .
Tips can be sent to [ email protected ] Photo “ Frank LaRose ” by Frank LaRose .

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has partnered with barbershops and beauty parlors across Ohio as part of a get out the vote initiative.
The “Styling for Democracy” initiative comes after over 21,000 absentee votes for the state’s primary – about 1% of all absentee votes – were lost. In an event in front of Columbus’ A Cut Above The Rest Barbershop, LaRose and local leaders called on the community to volunteer as election workers and vote in the upcoming election.
Primary ballots received without enough information, without a proper envelope, or without signatures were discarded, reports the Times-Gazette. The primarily Democratic Counties of Wayne and Franklin had the highest number of discarded votes at 2.1% of all absentee ballots being removed from the pool.
With polls showing the general election becoming increasingly competitive, the removal of 21,000 votes is concerning. President Donald Trump won Michigan by just 11,000 votes, and Wisconsin by 27,000. With over six million Ohioans voting in the 2016 presidential election, a loss of 1% of all votes would have meant 60,000 discarded ballots, and 2% would have meant 120,000 ballots.
To put that into context, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, South Dakota, Minnesota, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, were won by their respective candidate by less than 120,000 votes.
With a significant amount of Ohio’s, and in fact, the nation’s voting being done via mail-in and absentee ballots, a significant loss of ballots could change the outcome of the election.
LaRose has asked that voters move quickly and request their ballots as soon as possible, in hopes that every vote can be properly counted the reports Newark Advocate.
It is unclear what will happen should large numbers of absentee ballots be discarded in the general election, or if voters who’s ballots are discarded may have a chance to resubmit their ballots properly. The subject was not addressed by LaRose at the get out to vote event, and it is uncertain what, if anything is being done to address the issue as Ohio is primed to receive more votes by mail than ever before due to the pandemic.
– – –
Ben Kolodny is a reporter for The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to [email protected]
Photo “Frank LaRose” by Frank LaRose.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-01--Donald Trump Jr. on Joe Biden: He Took Your American Dream and Sent it to China

Live from Virginia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond , WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia , WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 ( 7-9 PM ) Hampton Roads , WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed Donald Trump , Jr. to the show .
During the show , Trump Jr. explained what motivated him to write his new book Liberal Privilege and highlighted some of the context for his analysis of Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fredericks : Joining us now Donald Trump , Jr. Eldest son of the President .
Been a multi-time guest on the John Fredericks Show .
Hey Don , great to have you back man .
Trump Jr. : Good to be here good buddy .
How are you ?
Fredericks : Never better especially when I see your father surging in all of the new polls coming out .
Since the convention is over to speak to the Tralfagar Poll in Michigan .
He was down there now has him up by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also surging in Georgia , Texas , Florida , and North Carolina .
Every single battleground state poll closing .
In Pennsylvania , he ’ s within three with some of the fake polls there .
We both know that all of these polls that come out that the majority of them are fake polls to set a narrative .
So if you see your dad within three , you are in pretty good shape , right ?
Trump Jr. : Without question .
You look at the polling and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Democrat plus 45 .
I ’ m like yeah OK. ( Laughter ) It ’ s embarrassing .
These polls serve like the media .
They are just on the side of the left for the most part .
They are doing whatever they can to help that narrative .
So those kinds of polls are designed to say oh , it ’ s over .
Don ’ t bother showing up .
Don ’ t bother voting .
It ’ s over .
It ’ s a suppression poll .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what ’ s going on .
And we really should after the RNC last week .
Juxtapose that to what I saw which was the I hate America Zoom call .
that was the DNC .
According to those people , it ’ s like there is not a single redeeming quality about America .
If you like anything about America you are a racist , misogynist , homophobe , plus .
I can ’ t imagine a different vision for the country .
But when I saw the RNC it just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an American .
You saw stories that could only happen in America .
You saw people that were lifted up by policies of this administration .
It ’ s really amazing .
I think people will get that .
Fredericks : Well for those of us that were there and saw the culmination at the White House like I was on Thursday night then trying to get out of there .
I was one of the people who had a very hard time getting through the mob just trying to get back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m in the city all the time .
I ’ ve never seen Washington , D.C. turn into this complete enclave where there are no cops .
Everybody has to stand down .
Complete lawlessness in the capitol city .
I ’ ve been there for a long time .
I ’ m shocked at what I ’ ve been through .
What we ’ ve all been through in the past two weeks .
And the mayor there has no intention of restoring law and order .
Trump : No .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happened to Rand and Kelly Paul .
What is so sad about the mob and that mentality is they don ’ t even know why they are there .
Meaning , they are screaming at him ‘ say her name ’ as it relates to Breonna Taylor not knowing that Rand Paul , not the Democrats , not Nancy Pelosi , but Rand Paul is the guy that introduced the legislation to stop no-knock raids with her name on it .
That was his was his bill !
And they are assaulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s what he has been fighting for what they are trying to assault him for .
They are not activists .
They are either agitators , or they ’ re paid to be there and given a couple of bullet points and told to go have fun .
They didn ’ t even know that the guy that they are attacking is literally the champion of their cause in Washington , D.C. And that ’ s just sort of a perfect metaphor for everything that ’ s going on in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church John .
You can ’ t go to work .
And your kids can ’ t go to school .
But if you want to loot and riot that ’ s OK.
It ’ s the first time in America you get arrested for opening up your business to feed your family but not for someone else looting it .
And that ’ s got to change .
Fredericks : Unbelievable .
Donald , you have a new book out .
Liberal Privilege .
Fredericks : And I saw you on Levin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basically saying that you took the time during the pandemic where you were stuck at home .
How did you get inspired for this ?
Trump Jr. : It ’ s exactly this .
I came up with Trigger last year which was a great success .
Because I couldn ’ t go to work .
I couldn ’ t go out .
I couldn ’ t leave the house .
I was there with Kimberly for four months by myself .
But I ’ ve got to do a little bit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the guy we are running against .
Oh my god , there is so much here .
I brought in a researcher to help .
I was amazed .
If the American people knew about Joe Biden ’ s history and his decisions international and otherwise .
Decisions that destroyed trade in America .
That destroyed manufacturing in America .
That really created our only export for the last 50 years .
That export is the American dream .
We took your American dream and we sent it to freakin China for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is running like he ’ s done something for manufacturing .
When you talk about families .
Since we ’ ve been hit so hard , I ’ m saying I look behind just Hunter .
There is a lot in there about Hunter and the Chinese government and Ukraine .
And a lot of shady dealers .
It ’ s amazing how he became an international businessman once his father .
Just how he got every job by his father ’ s positions prior to that .
I go into Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars contracts who ’ s never built a home before but now he ’ s building homes in Iraq with government money .
The amount of shade .
Robert Gates saying that Joe Biden ’ s been on the wrong side of every major decision in his entire life .
They say things .
No name former loser Republican warmonger politician .
And they say oh look !
It ’ s the Republican ’ s against Trump !
But when Obama ’ s people go against Biden and when Joe Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they had dealing with Swine Flu and H1N1 , you ’ d think that would relevant .
They basically said they made all the wrong decisions .
They forgot to replenish .
They got lucky that it wasn ’ t as deadly as COVID .
No one has talked about it .
So I basically self-published because I wasn ’ t sure if the lockdown would have ended John .
I wouldn ’ t have had time to finish my schedule .
I self-published .
I didn ’ t want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone telling me what to do .
There are literally 50 pages of citations in the back going through all of these things that every American should know going in .
And because the media has advocated their responsibility to tell the American people and inform them in exchange for being left-wing activists .
Which is all they are at this point .
They are just left-wing activists .
Nothing more .
Nothing less .
I said someone has to step up and sell this .
If you are a MAGA person you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things anyway because its the perfect material to those that you know who is on the fence .
But its also the perfect book for that person that is not sure .
You ’ ve got to hear both sides of the story .
You ’ ve heard everything negative about Donald Trump .
That ’ s what the media does .
It ’ s been 96 percent negative and it has been for the four years that he ’ s been in there .
and his 50 years , 50 years John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been there for half of a century .
I ’ ve heard of people that take a little while to warm up .
But half a century to warm up ?
Now you are going to fix things ?
Now you are going to do it ?
Is anyone that stupid anymore ?
I would hope not .
But when you are constantly bombarded by that media it makes it hard .
So if you know people on the fence , Liberal Privilege is the perfect book to read because at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the story .
They ’ ll realize this guy is incompetent .
They ’ ll realize his health issues that are not on the table .
They are on the table for Donald Trump .
But a guy who ’ s had two brain aneurysms that almost killed him .
I interviewed two White House doctors and the decline that he ’ s seen .
And how he ’ s shocked that no one has acknowledged this .
It would be one thing if he functioned normally .
But when he needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stage the other night .
When he forgets where he is .
When he forgets her name and the office he ’ s running for .
I don ’ t know man .
I don ’ t think there is a doctor in the world that if you told him it wasn ’ t Joe Biden that someone that ’ s had two explosions in your brain and not have it affect you cognitively .
They ’ d say its almost impossible .
But you won ’ t hear those things .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth .
And anyone who wants to see the job that the media should have been doing will love this book .
Listen to the full interview here :

Live from Virginia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond, WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia, WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 (7-9 PM) Hampton Roads, WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am on 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed Donald Trump, Jr. to the show.
During the show, Trump Jr. explained what motivated him to write his new book Liberal Privilege and highlighted some of the context for his analysis of Joe Biden’s ineffective 50 years in government.
Fredericks: Joining us now Donald Trump, Jr., eldest son of the president, been a multi-time guest on The John Fredericks Show. Hey Don, great to have you back man.
Trump Jr.: Good to be here, good buddy. How are you?
Fredericks: Never better, especially when I see your father surging in all of the new polls coming out. Since the convention is over, the one to speak of, the Tralfagar Poll in Michigan, he was down there now has him up by two and a half there. He’s also surging in Georgia, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina.
Every single battleground state poll closing. In Pennsylvania, he’s within three with some of the fake polls there. We both know that all of these polls that come out that the majority of them are fake polls to set a narrative. So if you see your dad within three, you are in pretty good shape, right?
Trump Jr.: Without question. You look at the polling and the way they are doing it. It’s Democrat plus 45. I’m like yeah OK. (Laughter) It’s embarrassing. These polls serve like the media. They are just on the side of the left for the most part. They are doing whatever they can to help that narrative. So those kinds of polls are designed to say oh, it’s over.
Don’t bother showing up. Don’t bother voting. It’s over. It’s a suppression poll. So no, I feel really good about what’s going on. And we really should after the RNC last week. Juxtapose that to what I saw which was the I hate America Zoom call that was the DNC. It was truly sad. According to those people, it’s like there is not a single redeeming quality about America.
If you like anything about America you are a racist, misogynist, homophobe, plus. I can’t imagine a different vision for the country. But when I saw the RNC it just made me all the more proud to be an American. You saw stories that could only happen in America. You saw people that were lifted up by policies of this administration. It’s really amazing. I think people will get that.
Fredericks: Well for those of us that were there and saw the culmination at the White House like I was on Thursday night then trying to get out of there. I was one of the people who had a very hard time getting through the mob just trying to get back to transportation. Look, I’m in the city all the time.
I’ve never seen Washington, D.C. turn into this complete enclave where there are no cops. Everybody has to stand down. Complete lawlessness in the capitol city. I’ve been there for a long time. I’m shocked at what I’ve been through. What we’ve all been through in the past two weeks. And the mayor there has no intention of restoring law and order.
Trump: No. You are one of many. Look at what happened to Rand and Kelly Paul. What is so sad about the mob and that mentality is they don’t even know why they are there. Meaning, they are screaming at him ‘say her name’ as it relates to Breonna Taylor not knowing that Rand Paul, not the Democrats, not Nancy Pelosi, but Rand Paul is the guy that introduced the legislation to stop no-knock raids with her name on it.
That was his was his bill! And they are assaulting him in the streets. Not realizing that’s what he has been fighting for what they are trying to assault him for. They are not activists. They are either agitators, or they’re paid to be there and given a couple of bullet points and told to go have fun. They didn’t even know that the guy that they are attacking is literally the champion of their cause in Washington, D.C.
And that’s just sort of a perfect metaphor for everything that’s going on in America. You can’t go to church, John. You can’t go to work. And your kids can’t go to school. But if you want to loot and riot that’s OK. It’s the first time in America you get arrested for opening up your business to feed your family but not for someone else looting it. And that’s got to change.
Fredericks: Unbelievable. Donald, you have a new book out. Liberal Privilege.
Trump Jr: Yes.
Fredericks: And I saw you on Levin last night on Fox and you were basically saying that you took the time during the pandemic where you were stuck at home. How did you get inspired for this?
Trump Jr.: It’s exactly this. I came up with Trigger last year which was a great success. Because I couldn’t go to work. I couldn’t go out. I couldn’t leave the house. I was there with Kimberly for four months by myself. But I’ve got to do a little bit of work here. So I started looking at the guy we are running against. Oh my god, there is so much here.
I brought in a researcher to help. I was amazed. If the American people knew about Joe Biden’s history and his decisions international and otherwise. Decisions that destroyed trade in America. That destroyed manufacturing in America. That really created our only export for the last 50 years. That export is the American dream.
We took your American dream and we sent it to freakin China for the last 50 years. And Joe Biden is running like he’s done something for manufacturing. When you talk about families. Since we’ve been hit so hard, I’m saying I look beyond just Hunter. There is a lot in there about Hunter and the Chinese government and Ukraine. And a lot of shady dealers.
It’s amazing how he became an international businessman once his father got on a world stage and was VP. Just how he got every job by his father’s positions prior to that. I go into Joe’s brother, who started getting billion dollars contracts who’s never built a home before, but now he’s building homes in Iraq with government money. The amount of shade.
Robert Gates saying that Joe Biden’s been on the wrong side of every major decision in his entire life. They say things. No name former loser Republican warmonger politician. And they say oh look! It’s the Republicans against Trump! But when Obama’s people go against Biden and when Joe Biden’s own guy and the chief of staff that they had dealing with Swine Flu and H1N1, you’d think that would be relevant. They basically said they made all the wrong decisions.
They forgot to replenish. They got lucky that it wasn’t as deadly as COVID. No one has talked about it. So I basically self-published because I wasn’t sure if the lockdown would have ended, John, I wouldn’t have had time to finish my schedule. I self-published. I didn’t want to be censored. I didn’t want anyone telling me what to do. There are literally 50 pages of citations in the back going through all of these things that every American should know going in.
And because the media has advocated their responsibility to tell the American people and inform them in exchange for being left-wing activists. Which is all they are at this point. They are just left-wing activists. Nothing more. Nothing less. I said someone has to step up and sell this. If you are a MAGA person you are going to want to hear these things anyway because its the perfect material to those that you know who are on the fence.
But its also the perfect book for that person that is not sure. You’ve got to hear both sides of the story. You’ve heard everything negative about Donald Trump. That’s what the media does. It’s been 96 percent negative and it has been for the four years that he’s been in there. and his 50 years, 50 years John! Think about that. He’s been there for half a century.
I’ve heard of people that take a little while to warm up. But half a century to warm up? Now you are going to fix things? Now you are going to do it? Is anyone that stupid anymore? I would hope not. But when you are constantly bombarded by that media it makes it hard. So if you know people on the fence, Liberal Privilege is the perfect book to read because at least they’ll see the other side of the story. They’ll realize this guy is incompetent.
They’ll realize his health issues that are not on the table. They are on the table for Donald Trump. But a guy who’s had two brain aneurysms that almost killed him. I interviewed a White House doctor and the decline that he’s seen. And how he’s shocked that no one has acknowledged this. It would be one thing if he functioned normally.
But when he needs his wife’s help getting off the stage the other night. When he forgets where he is. When he forgets her name and the office he’s running for. I don’t know man. I don’t think there is a doctor in the world that if you told him it wasn’t Joe Biden that someone that’s had two explosions in your brain and not have it affect you cognitively. They’d say it’s almost impossible. But you won’t hear those things. So anyone who wants to learn that truth. And anyone who wants to see the job that the media should have been doing will love this book.
Listen to the full interview here: