thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--Buoyed by the debate, some Republicans are bullish on Trump

Despite months of daunting poll numbers , many Republicans remain hopeful that the final presidential debate was only the beginning of a strong closing push by President Trump that will defy expectations and return him to the White House .
“ I think he 'll win north of 300 electoral votes , ” said Republican strategist Peter Hatzipetros , who wouldn ’ t rule out a popular vote triumph for the president .
It ’ s the flip side to Democrats who are that the polls don ’ t tell the whole story of this election after Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at big crowds and their own gut instincts are unconvinced that the president is really trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 7.9 points , as the RealClearPolitics national polling average currently shows , in the closing days of the campaign .
“ Oh my God , this means we can ’ t trust the polls , ” is how one Democratic strategist characterized the reaction to Trump ’ s upset four years ago .
Some of those polls may be in battleground states like Pennsylvania , where Biden has enjoyed a clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s national polling advantage is somewhat larger and has been significantly more durable than Hillary Clinton ’ s , he of where she was in the swing states at the same point last time around .
Operatives in both parties will be looking for signs of a late Trump rally , especially in the Rust Belt , while Democrats hope they can pick off Arizona , Georgia , Ohio , and even Texas .
Several Republicans told the Washington Examiner that too many pollsters are using outdated models for parsing their data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 1 ” in Trump ’ s favor , Smith said , adding it was a deficit not even Barack Obama can close .
“ You have a former president of the United States speaking through a bullhorn to 50 people in the streets of Philadelphia.
” Smith dismisses the national polling averages as “ teardrops in the rain , ” pointing instead to surveys where Trump has improved his share of the black vote and is winning around 35 % of Hispanics , a key voting bloc in a number of battleground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event , Republicans are hopeful that the last Trump-Biden debate would help focus the electorate on concerns about whether the former vice president ’ s environmental agenda will damage the oil industry and decimate working-class jobs .
Democrats in competitive races from Biden ’ s oil industry comments .
“ Goodbye , Pennsylvania .
Goodbye , Texas .
Goodbye , Ohio , ” Smith predicted .
“ This past week , the American people learned that not only is Joe Biden committed to eliminating the oil industry , he is severely compromised and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Committee statement .
“ Trump was much more presidential in Thursday night ’ s debate than in the first debate , ” evangelical author Stephen Stang said in a statement .
” I don ’ t think this debate changed many minds , but it did clarify the drastic choice Americans have to make on November 3.
” “ My personal concern is not whether the president will win the election , ” said Hatzipetros .
“ It will be the litigation .
It will be another four years of trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are confident that they have done well in the early vote , which has been massive in some states , and that COVID-19 will prod voters to turn the page on Trump .
Pollsters believe they have corrected many of the problems that plagued the industry in 2016 .
Some Republicans agree .
“ All things considered , I ’ d rather be Biden right now , ” said a top GOP consultant in Pennsylvania .
But the fact that such widely divergent political analysis exists among campaign professionals with Election Day fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2020 and the pandemic , as well as the unpredictability of Trump himself .
“ I can ’ t wait to see the Hail Marys both campaigns will attempt , ” Hatzipetros said .

Despite months of daunting poll numbers, many Republicans remain hopeful that the final presidential debate was only the beginning of a strong closing push by President Trump that will defy expectations and return him to the White House.
“Best case, he wins 322 electoral votes,” said Republican strategist Mark Smith. “Worst case, 285.”
“I think he'll win north of 300 electoral votes,” said Republican strategist Peter Hatzipetros, who wouldn’t rule out a popular vote triumph for the president.
It’s the flip side to Democrats who are nervous that the polls don’t tell the whole story of this election after Trump’s surprise victory in 2016: Republicans who look at big crowds and their own gut instincts are unconvinced that the president is really trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 7.9 points, as the RealClearPolitics national polling average currently shows, in the closing days of the campaign.
“Oh my God, this means we can’t trust the polls,” is how one Democratic strategist characterized the reaction to Trump’s upset four years ago.
Some of those polls may be tightening in battleground states like Pennsylvania, where Biden has enjoyed a clear but not insurmountable lead. Although Biden’s national polling advantage is somewhat larger and has been significantly more durable than Hillary Clinton’s, he isn’t far ahead of where she was in the swing states at the same point last time around. Operatives in both parties will be looking for signs of a late Trump rally, especially in the Rust Belt, while Democrats hope they can pick off Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, and even Texas.
Several Republicans told the Washington Examiner that too many pollsters are using outdated models for parsing their data. “The enthusiasm gap is 2 to 1” in Trump’s favor, Smith said, adding it was a deficit not even Barack Obama can close. “You have a former president of the United States speaking through a bullhorn to 50 people in the streets of Philadelphia.”
Smith dismisses the national polling averages as “teardrops in the rain,” pointing instead to surveys where Trump has improved his share of the black vote and is winning around 35% of Hispanics, a key voting bloc in a number of battleground states, including Florida.
In any event, Republicans are hopeful that the last Trump-Biden debate would help focus the electorate on concerns about whether the former vice president’s environmental agenda will damage the oil industry and decimate working-class jobs. Democrats in competitive races distanced themselves from Biden’s oil industry comments. “Goodbye, Pennsylvania. Goodbye, Texas. Goodbye, Ohio,” Smith predicted.
“This past week, the American people learned that not only is Joe Biden committed to eliminating the oil industry, he is severely compromised and corrupt,” said a post-debate Republican National Committee statement.
“Trump was much more presidential in Thursday night’s debate than in the first debate,” evangelical author Stephen Stang said in a statement. ”I don’t think this debate changed many minds, but it did clarify the drastic choice Americans have to make on November 3.”
“My personal concern is not whether the president will win the election,” said Hatzipetros. “It will be the litigation. It will be another four years of trying to kick him out of office.”
Democrats are confident that they have done well in the early vote, which has been massive in some states, and that COVID-19 will prod voters to turn the page on Trump. Pollsters believe they have corrected many of the problems that plagued the industry in 2016. Some Republicans agree. “All things considered, I’d rather be Biden right now,” said a top GOP consultant in Pennsylvania.
But the fact that such widely divergent political analysis exists among campaign professionals with Election Day fast approaching is a testament to the uncertainty of 2020 and the pandemic, as well as the unpredictability of Trump himself. “I can’t wait to see the Hail Marys both campaigns will attempt,” Hatzipetros said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-25--Hunter Biden alleged sex tape and images uploaded on Bannon-connected Chinese website

Multiple videos and images purportedly showing Hunter Biden engaging in sexual acts with several women and using drugs were uploaded on a Chinese digital video platform Saturday evening .
The videos and images appear to be uploaded by a single user on GTV , with many of the photos seemingly from a third-party laptop .
GTV , a subsidiary of GTV Media Group , was founded in April 2020 by Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon , a former senior adviser to President Trump .
“ U.S .
presidential candidate Joe Biden is 100 % controlled by the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful political instances of the BGY program , ” the text in one of the videos reads .
“ He is also a target of the CCP ’ s 3F plan , which aims to 'fall , fail , and fell , ' to weaken , destroy and kill America !
” The Washington Examiner confirmed earlier this week that Bannon had access to the contents of the hard drive believed to have belonged previously to Hunter Biden .
Guo has been accused by the Chinese government of committing fraud , blackmail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in the United States .
When Bannon himself was indicted on fraud charges in August , he was found by U.S. authorities aboard a $ 24 million yacht owned by Guo .
The Wall Street Journal in August that GTV Media Group is being investigated by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is also being examined by the New York state attorney general ’ s office , according to “ people familiar with the investigation.
” Earlier this month , the former Republican National Committee Deputy Finance Chairman Elliott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent and alleged that he , among other things , “ agreed to lobby ” President Trump and the DOJ “ to arrange for the removal and return of People ’ s Republic of China National A ” ( believed to be Guo Wengui ) on behalf of Jho Low , a wealthy East Asian businessman who has himself been charged for his role in orchestrating and executing a multibillion-dollar embezzlement scheme .
Broidy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a foreign lobbying scheme .
The release of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the presidential election , provides more evidence that both the president and his allies wish to portray the Biden family as corrupt and morally compromised .
“ If this stuff is true about Russia , Ukraine , China , other countries , Iraq , if this is true , then he ’ s a corrupt politician .
... Joe , they ’ re calling you a corrupt politician , ” Trump said during the final presidential debate on Thursday , adding , “ Take a look at the laptop from hell.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 14 about the existence of the purported hard drive , claiming that it contained a tranche of text messages and emails detailing Hunter Biden 's business dealings .
The outlet also highlighted a video of Biden smoking crack and having sex with an unidentified woman .
John Paul Mac Isaac , the computer repair shop owner who claimed he came into possession of the younger Biden 's computer and hard drive , told the New York Post that he made a copy of the hard drive and provided it to a lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuliani as well as to federal investigators .
On Friday , the Washington Examiner dozens of WhatsApp messages , emails , letters , and business proposals documenting the business dealings of Hunter Biden and his associate Tony Bobulinski .
A number of the files purportedly show him and his partners attempting to leverage Joe Biden ’ s influence to lure investors .
The former vice president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by him or his son and dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop story as being part of a “ Russian plan ” during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said on Monday that “ Hunter Biden ’ s laptop is not part of some Russian disinformation campaign.
” And a federal law enforcement official told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that the FBI and the Justice Department concur with Ratcliffe that the laptop and emails in question aren ’ t part of a Russian misinformation effort .
A senior intelligence official also said that “ the IC and DOJ are in lock-step on this : there is absolutely zero evidence or intel that the laptop or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Andrew Bates , a Biden campaign spokesman , told the Washington Examiner on Thursday : `` Joe Biden has never even considered being involved in business with his family nor in any overseas business whatsoever .
`` He has never held stock in any such business arrangements nor has any family member or any other person ever held stock for him . ''

Multiple videos and images purportedly showing Hunter Biden engaging in sexual acts with several women and using drugs were uploaded on a Chinese digital video platform Saturday evening.
The videos and images appear to be uploaded by a single user on GTV, with many of the photos seemingly from a third-party laptop. GTV, a subsidiary of GTV Media Group, was founded in April 2020 by Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon, a former senior adviser to President Trump.
“U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden is 100% controlled by the Chinese Communist Party as one of the most successful political instances of the BGY program,” the text in one of the videos reads. “He is also a target of the CCP’s 3F plan, which aims to 'fall, fail, and fell,' to weaken, destroy and kill America!”
The Washington Examiner confirmed earlier this week that Bannon had access to the contents of the hard drive believed to have belonged previously to Hunter Biden.
Guo has been accused by the Chinese government of committing fraud, blackmail, and bribery and is currently a fugitive living in the United States. When Bannon himself was indicted on fraud charges in August, he was found by U.S. authorities aboard a $24 million yacht owned by Guo.
The Wall Street Journal reported in August that GTV Media Group is being investigated by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is also being examined by the New York state attorney general’s office, according to “people familiar with the investigation.”
Earlier this month, the Justice Department charged former Republican National Committee Deputy Finance Chairman Elliott Broidy for acting as an unregistered foreign agent and alleged that he, among other things, “agreed to lobby” President Trump and the DOJ “to arrange for the removal and return of People’s Republic of China National A” (believed to be Guo Wengui) on behalf of Jho Low, a wealthy East Asian businessman who has himself been charged for his role in orchestrating and executing a multibillion-dollar embezzlement scheme. Broidy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a foreign lobbying scheme.
The release of the video and photos, just 10 days before the presidential election, provides more evidence that both the president and his allies wish to portray the Biden family as corrupt and morally compromised.
“If this stuff is true about Russia, Ukraine, China, other countries, Iraq, if this is true, then he’s a corrupt politician. ... Joe, they’re calling you a corrupt politician,” Trump said during the final presidential debate on Thursday, adding, “Take a look at the laptop from hell.”
The New York Post first reported on Oct. 14 about the existence of the purported hard drive, claiming that it contained a tranche of text messages and emails detailing Hunter Biden's business dealings. The outlet also highlighted a video of Biden smoking crack and having sex with an unidentified woman.
John Paul Mac Isaac, the computer repair shop owner who claimed he came into possession of the younger Biden's computer and hard drive, told the New York Post that he made a copy of the hard drive and provided it to a lawyer for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as well as to federal investigators.
On Friday, the Washington Examiner obtained dozens of WhatsApp messages, emails, letters, and business proposals documenting the business dealings of Hunter Biden and his associate Tony Bobulinski. A number of the files purportedly show him and his partners attempting to leverage Joe Biden’s influence to lure investors.
The former vice president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by him or his son and dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop story as being part of a “Russian plan” during Thursday’s presidential debate. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said on Monday that “Hunter Biden’s laptop is not part of some Russian disinformation campaign.” And a federal law enforcement official told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that the FBI and the Justice Department concur with Ratcliffe that the laptop and emails in question aren’t part of a Russian misinformation effort. A senior intelligence official also said that “the IC and DOJ are in lock-step on this: there is absolutely zero evidence or intel that the laptop or the information contained therein is a Russian op.”
Andrew Bates, a Biden campaign spokesman, told the Washington Examiner on Thursday: "Joe Biden has never even considered being involved in business with his family nor in any overseas business whatsoever.
"He has never held stock in any such business arrangements nor has any family member or any other person ever held stock for him."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-25--Kamala Harris mocks Trump for 'weird obsession' with Obama

CLEVELAND — President Trump is fixated on the legacy of former President Barack Obama and Joe Biden , according to Sen. Kamala Harris .
Trump and Attorney General William Barr were attempting to dismantle Obamacare through the Supreme Court because the president `` has this weird obsession with trying to get rid of everything that Barack Obama and Joe Biden created , '' the 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee told a small group of voters in Cleveland Saturday .
`` Can I say , we do n't need presidents with weird obsessions .
We do n't need that , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also mocked Trump for saying `` science does n't know '' when last month , during a visit to her home stat , e he was confronted over whether wildfires were linked to climate change .
`` This is a grown man , '' she said , laughing .
`` If it were n't so funny , we might understand that we deserve better .
We deserve so much better .
And we can have better . ''
Harris spoke in a Cuyahoga County Community College courtyard against a blue and pink `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which did n't offer much protection from the chilly fall breeze emanating from Lake Erie .
Her 30-minute speech laid out what she described as a `` very clear choice '' between her and Biden 's vision for the country and that of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence .
She specifically referred to four crises : the `` mass casualty '' COVID-19 pandemic , the economic aftermath of the virus , recent racial unrest , and climate change .
She also mentioned how voting for black people in the United States was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris is the first woman of Jamaican and Indian descent to feature on a major party 's presidential ticket .
Harris 's one-day whirlwind swing through Ohio , delayed by a week after a COVID-19 outbreak on her team , coincides with the start of early in-person voting in Cleveland 's Cuyahoga County .
`` It is here in Cleveland , in Cuyahoga County , that you make the decisions , that you are part of the leadership that decides who will be in the White House , '' she said .
Cuyahoga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's mostly red county map , the state Trump won by 8 percentage points in 2016 against Hillary Clinton .
Four years later and 10 days before Election Day , Trump leads Biden on average by less than a point , by RealClearPolitics 's count .
Ohio is home to 18 Electoral College votes .

CLEVELAND — President Trump is fixated on the legacy of former President Barack Obama and Joe Biden, according to Sen. Kamala Harris.
Trump and Attorney General William Barr were attempting to dismantle Obamacare through the Supreme Court because the president "has this weird obsession with trying to get rid of everything that Barack Obama and Joe Biden created," the 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee told a small group of voters in Cleveland Saturday.
"Can I say, we don't need presidents with weird obsessions. We don't need that," Harris said.
California's junior senator also mocked Trump for saying "science doesn't know" when last month, during a visit to her home stat,e he was confronted over whether wildfires were linked to climate change.
"This is a grown man," she said, laughing. "If it weren't so funny, we might understand that we deserve better. We deserve so much better. And we can have better."
Harris spoke in a Cuyahoga County Community College courtyard against a blue and pink "Cleveland Rocks For Biden-Harris" banner, which didn't offer much protection from the chilly fall breeze emanating from Lake Erie.
Her 30-minute speech laid out what she described as a "very clear choice" between her and Biden's vision for the country and that of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. She specifically referred to four crises: the "mass casualty" COVID-19 pandemic, the economic aftermath of the virus, recent racial unrest, and climate change.
She also mentioned how voting for black people in the United States was about "honoring the ancestors." Harris is the first woman of Jamaican and Indian descent to feature on a major party's presidential ticket.
Harris's one-day whirlwind swing through Ohio, delayed by a week after a COVID-19 outbreak on her team, coincides with the first Saturday of early in-person voting in Cleveland's Cuyahoga County.
"It is here in Cleveland, in Cuyahoga County, that you make the decisions, that you are part of the leadership that decides who will be in the White House," she said.
Cuyahoga County is a deep-blue splash on Ohio's mostly red county map, the state Trump won by 8 percentage points in 2016 against Hillary Clinton.
Four years later and 10 days before Election Day, Trump leads Biden on average by less than a point, by RealClearPolitics's count. Ohio is home to 18 Electoral College votes.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--Kamala Harris hits back at Trump's 'female socialist' attack

CLEVELAND — Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris scoffed at President Trump trying to reduce her to a `` female socialist . ''
`` Joe Biden and I are proud American patriots .
And the reality is that the values that we have , I think , are shared by the majority of the American people , '' Harris told reporters in Cleveland .
The California senator explained those values were distilled in the Biden-Harris healthcare and tax policies .
`` He 's trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act .
We 're trying to expand it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lift up working people .
Meanwhile , Donald Trump measures the success of the economy based on how rich people are doing and how the stock market is doing , '' she said at Burke Lakefront Airport ahead of a one-day swing of Ohio .
Since 2020 Democratic standard-bearer Joe Biden unveiled Harris as his running mate , Trump and his campaign have portrayed her as a `` radical '' who will unduly influence a hypothetical Biden administration .
`` We 're not going to be a socialist nation .
We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially a female socialist president .
We 're not going to have it .
We 're not going to put up with it , '' Trump said Friday at a rally in Pensacola , Florida .
While her own unsuccessful White House bid was based on a platform further to the political Left than the top of her ticket , Harris does n't identify as a socialist like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
She was , however , an original co-sponsor of Sanders 's signature proposal , Medicare for All .
Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks , both subtle and overt .
Trump has repeatedly referred to her as `` angry , '' `` mad , '' `` nasty , '' and a `` monster , '' as well as saying over the summer that he would `` take a look '' at a birther conspiracy theory questioning Harris 's eligibility to be vice president .
Embattled Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue followed Trump 's lead this month and purposely mispronounced Harris 's name at a rally with the president in Macon .
`` Kamala ?
Kamala ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whatever , '' Perdue said of his Senate colleague .
Perdue 's Democratic challenger , filmmaker Jon Ossoff , claims his campaign raised $ 1 million in the 24 hours after the incumbent 's remarks .

CLEVELAND — Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris scoffed at President Trump trying to reduce her to a "female socialist."
"Joe Biden and I are proud American patriots. And the reality is that the values that we have, I think, are shared by the majority of the American people," Harris told reporters in Cleveland.
The California senator explained those values were distilled in the Biden-Harris healthcare and tax policies.
"He's trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. We're trying to expand it. Our values are about saying we need to lift up working people. Meanwhile, Donald Trump measures the success of the economy based on how rich people are doing and how the stock market is doing," she said at Burke Lakefront Airport ahead of a one-day swing of Ohio.
Since 2020 Democratic standard-bearer Joe Biden unveiled Harris as his running mate, Trump and his campaign have portrayed her as a "radical" who will unduly influence a hypothetical Biden administration.
"We're not going to be a socialist nation. We're not going to have a socialist president, especially a female socialist president. We're not going to have it. We're not going to put up with it," Trump said Friday at a rally in Pensacola, Florida.
While her own unsuccessful White House bid was based on a platform further to the political Left than the top of her ticket, Harris doesn't identify as a socialist like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. She was, however, an original co-sponsor of Sanders's signature proposal, Medicare for All.
Harris has also been the subject of racial attacks, both subtle and overt. Trump has repeatedly referred to her as "angry," "mad," "nasty," and a "monster," as well as saying over the summer that he would "take a look" at a birther conspiracy theory questioning Harris's eligibility to be vice president.
Embattled Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue followed Trump's lead this month and purposely mispronounced Harris's name at a rally with the president in Macon.
"Kamala? Kamala? Kamala-mala-mala? I don’t know, whatever," Perdue said of his Senate colleague.
Perdue's Democratic challenger, filmmaker Jon Ossoff, claims his campaign raised $1 million in the 24 hours after the incumbent's remarks.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--Biden lashes out at 'chumps' heckling him during Pennsylvania rally

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden aired his frustration with protesters in Pennsylvania , resorting to name-calling nine days before Election Day .
`` I 'll work as hard for those who do n't support me as those who do — including those chumps with the microphone out there , '' Biden said Saturday during a drive-in rally in Bucks County .
Critics were quick to compare Biden 's off-handed comment to 2016 Democratic standard-bearer Hillary Clinton 's `` deplorables '' remark .
`` A sequel to Hillary 's snobby `` deplorable '' & `` irredeemable '' riff .
They still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway tweeted .
In 2016 , Clinton claimed `` half of Trump ’ s supporters '' could be placed in what she described as `` the basket of deplorables . ''
“ The racist , sexist , homophobic , xenophobic , Islamophobic — you name it .
And unfortunately , there are people like that .
And he has lifted them up , '' she said .
The Bucks County stop north of Philadelphia was one of two Biden events on Saturday .
Jon Bon Jovi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delaware senator 's opening act at a second rally in Luzerne County , south of Scranton .
Biden defended his energy policy at both events after saying during the second and final debate that he `` would transition from the oil industry . ''
`` Let me get something straight here in coal country : I will not ban fracking , period , '' Biden said in Luzerne County .
`` I will protect Pennsylvania jobs , period .
No matter how many times Donald Trump says it . ''
Biden has n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump this cycle , citing the COVID-19 pandemic .
While the Biden campaign releases very few details regarding its public schedule , that has n't prevented protesters from causing a ruckus when they can .
Trump supporters could be heard loudly chanting , “ Four more years , ” over Biden earlier this month in Toledo , Ohio .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden aired his frustration with protesters in Pennsylvania, resorting to name-calling 10 days before Election Day.
"I'll work as hard for those who don't support me as those who do — including those chumps with the microphone out there," Biden said Saturday during a drive-in rally in Bucks County.
WATCH: Joe Biden insults Pennsylvanians who don't support him, calls them "chumps" pic.twitter.com/QvHgk7nppH — Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) October 24, 2020
Critics were quick to compare Biden's off-handed comment to 2016 Democratic standard-bearer Hillary Clinton's "deplorables" remark.
"A sequel to Hillary's snobby "deplorable" & "irredeemable" riff. They still think so little of so many Americans," former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway tweeted.
An increasingly negative & unmasked @JoeBiden yells to a mostly empty lot, coughs into his bare hand, calls millions of Pennsylvanians who don't support him "chumps". A sequel to Hillary's snobby "deplorable" & "irredeemable" riff. They still think so little of so many Americans https://t.co/i88WquAyoT — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 24, 2020
In 2016, Clinton claimed "half of Trump’s supporters" could be placed in what she described as "the basket of deplorables."
“The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic — you name it. And unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up," she said.
The Bucks County stop north of Philadelphia was one of two Biden events on Saturday. Jon Bon Jovi was the two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator's opening act at a second rally in Luzerne County, south of Scranton. Biden defended his energy policy at both events after saying during the second and final debate that he "would transition from the oil industry."
"Let me get something straight here in coal country: I will not ban fracking, period," Biden said in Luzerne County. "I will protect Pennsylvania jobs, period. No matter how many times Donald Trump says it."
Biden hasn't held as many in-person events as President Trump this cycle, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Biden campaign releases very few details regarding its public schedule, that hasn't prevented protesters from causing a ruckus when they can.
Trump supporters could be heard loudly chanting, “Four more years,” over Biden earlier this month in Toledo, Ohio.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--'You ain't all that tough': Obama mocks Trump over 60 Minutes interview

Former President Barack Obama mocked President Trump 's performance during an interview on an upcoming episode of 60 Minutes .
Speaking during a campaign rally supporting Democratic nominee Joe Biden in South Florida on Saturday , Obama jabbed Trump over the interview with host Lesley Stahl , footage of which Trump preemptively shared this week after accusing the reporter and the network of unfairly attacking him throughout the meeting .
`` When 60 Minutes and Lesley Stahl are too tough for you , you ai n't all that tough , '' Obama said .
`` If you got to walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then you 're never going to stand up to a dictator , '' added Obama as a flurry of cars honked at the socially distanced event .
The interview , which Trump characterized as `` biased '' before sharing it to Facebook on Thursday , shows the reporter interrupting Trump throughout the special .
Trump also shared an image of Stahl not wearing a mask while being surrounded by masked White House officials .
CBS News later contested that Stahl wore a mask upon arrival and only removed it during the taped portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump 's treatment of reporters and at numerous times admonished the president 's threats against the media as being below the dignity of a common Florida stereotype .
`` We will not have a POTUS who threatens people with jail for just criticizing him , '' Obama said .
`` That is not normal behavior , Florida .
You would not tolerate it from a coworker .
... 'Florida man ' would n't even do this stuff .
Why are we accepting it from the president ? ''
Obama , who stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 campaign , also attacked the president 's repeated suggestion on the campaign trail that Biden is a socialist .
`` I think people would know if he 's a secret socialist by now , '' Obama said .

Former President Barack Obama mocked President Trump's performance during an interview on an upcoming episode of 60 Minutes.
Speaking during a campaign rally supporting Democratic nominee Joe Biden in South Florida on Saturday, Obama jabbed Trump over the interview with host Lesley Stahl, footage of which Trump preemptively shared this week after accusing the reporter and the network of unfairly attacking him throughout the meeting.
"When 60 Minutes and Lesley Stahl are too tough for you, you ain't all that tough," Obama said. "If you got to walk out of a 60 Minutes interview, then you're never going to stand up to a dictator," added Obama as a flurry of cars honked at the socially distanced event.
The interview, which Trump characterized as "biased" before sharing it to Facebook on Thursday, shows the reporter interrupting Trump throughout the special.
Trump also shared an image of Stahl not wearing a mask while being surrounded by masked White House officials. CBS News later contested that Stahl wore a mask upon arrival and only removed it during the taped portion of the interview.
Obama took issue with Trump's treatment of reporters and at numerous times admonished the president's threats against the media as being below the dignity of a common Florida stereotype.
"We will not have a POTUS who threatens people with jail for just criticizing him," Obama said. "That is not normal behavior, Florida. You would not tolerate it from a coworker. ... 'Florida man' wouldn't even do this stuff. Why are we accepting it from the president?"
Obama, who stated that Trump would never be president during the 2016 campaign, also attacked the president's repeated suggestion on the campaign trail that Biden is a socialist.
"I think people would know if he's a secret socialist by now," Obama said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--When presented with two evils, don't claim one is good

When asked to choose between two evils , whether you yourself choose the evil on the Right , the evil on the Left , or neither evil , one ought to respect and appreciate those whose prudential calculations lead them to choose differently from you .
But we can chastise those who , when presented with evils , refuse to call the evils evil — or , worse yet , say they are good .
President Trump and Joe Biden are both deeply flawed .
I have dear friends and family who are voting for Biden , and I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I have still others who , like me , are not voting for either .
( As for my vote , I associate myself entirely with this excellent piece by my friend and colleague Ramesh Ponnuru . )
I respect all of these positions .
I believe good people , using their reason and conscience , can arrive at different conclusions on the questions of who will be the lesser of these evils and how one ought to vote accordingly .
Here ’ s what is not acceptable : those who , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , begin declaring that their preferred candidate has no flaws , that his flaws don ’ t matter at all , or even that his flaws are really virtues .
Maybe your preferred candidate 's flaws are outweighed by his virtues or by the other guy ’ s flaws , but that doesn ’ t make the flaws not flaws .
Here , we find offenses ( brace for it ) on both sides .
Trump isn ’ t merely crude or impolite .
He ’ s foul , narcissistic , hateful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the truth than even most politicians .
Even if you agree with his nominations and his policies , these flaws matter .
They interfere with his ability to serve the public .
His personality flaws also reflect poorly on everything he touches , harming the reputation of the country , the Republican Party , conservatism , and the pro-life cause .
Also , Trump has flouted ethical norms , continuing to enrich himself and his family from businesses overseas and domestic in a way that compromises himself and the country while introducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is corrosive to good government and public trust .
Trump ’ s lack of attention span and his obsession with his self-image have probably harmed our nation ’ s coronavirus response , resulting in more deaths , more illnesses , and longer , more drastic closures and lockdowns .
His personal life , including repeated extramarital affairs , some of which he has bragged about , and one apparently that resulted in hush money paid to a porn star , is depraved .
Conservatives were correct in the 1990s when we said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe you think I am overstating the effects of Trump ’ s flaws .
More likely , if you are voting for Trump , you think all these flaws are outweighed by the dangers of a Biden presidency plus the good judges and the pro-life policies that Trump has and is expected to continue to deliver — or at least his ability to block bad policies of a Democratic Congress and keep Kamala Harris away from the White House .
That ’ s not my calculation , but it ’ s one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand , and one many of my friends and family are making .
But I can ’ t respect those who deny that Trump is deeply flawed or who try to pretend the flaws aren ’ t there .
Probably more than any national politician in our lifetime , Trump lacks virtue and displays vice .
He is what we raise our children not to be .
And especially if you publicly support him for president , it ’ s crucial to acknowledge his vices and misdeeds .
Otherwise , you are explicitly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good .
Even worse , some who ( like me ) applaud Trump ’ s appointments , tax cuts , pro-life policies , and defense of religious liberty go all in and embrace the man himself .
They claim because Trump has done some good deeds , he is a great man .
His childish behavior is celebrated as owning the libs .
His crass and false rhetoric is cheered as real talk from a guy who “ tells it like it is.
” Thus , those who won ’ t call Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vices to spread .
What is celebrated as virtue will be emulated in the culture .
Pretending that Trump 's behavior is fine is harming your fellow citizens by holding up vice as a virtue .
On Biden ’ s side , there ’ s a similar offense , but it takes a different shape .
The magnitude and nature of Biden ’ s personal flaws are more typical for a politician , and so , if you agree with his policies , you are not being asked to swallow a pile of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has serious flaws , and they should not be wiped away .
But that wiping happens .
The first form is specific to conservatives , especially pro-life conservative Christians such as myself .
Some have their reasons to support Biden — typically , Biden seems to be a decent man , and Trump does not .
One can point to the cruelty in Trump 's rhetoric and his immigration policies , say this is un-Christian , and that Biden ought to be president because he 'll govern in a more humane way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasoning .
But for my fellow Catholics , it ’ s derelict to ignore that Biden is also an extremist on abortion .
Biden says he wants to codify Roe v. Wade and repeal the Hyde Amendment .
That means Biden believes abortion is a fundamental right and should be legally protected up until the moment before birth and that the government should subsidize the abortionists .
This is an extreme position and an evil position .
If you are a Catholic , your church ’ s teachings prohibit you from voting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George lay out here .
If you are a Catholic , it is not OK to excuse Biden ’ s extremism on abortion because you like his character , his immigration stance , and his healthcare proposals .
But most Biden supporters are not pro-life Catholics , and so , the main problem when it comes to Biden supporters is simple : They see that Trump is worse than Biden , and so , they refuse to acknowledge Biden ’ s flaws .
Worse , many of the people making this judgment are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , conclude that they should not report on Biden ’ s corruption or misdeeds .
Biden is a known plagiarizer , a serial fibber , a pioneer in nasty and boorish debating , and a nasty knife fighter who often sets aside comity to score a political point .
But he ’ s in the middle 50 % of politicians on all those scores .
Biden is above average on corruption , I believe , but again , it ’ s all typical Washington stuff — some revolving-door lobbying here , some family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( who has kept his family hotel business operating worldwide while president ) is perhaps the last politician who has the credibility to criticize Biden here .
But none of this excuses the behavior of major outlets in their coverage of Biden — or non-coverage .
The decision was made that because Trump is more corrupt than Biden , it would be misleading , a `` distraction , '' to cover Biden ’ s corruption , and sometimes , they even refused to acknowledge his son ’ s corruption .
There are plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banks or Burmese oil fields that the press has shown no interest in .
And then , there are the newer Hunter Biden stories .
Biden used his father ’ s name to make tons of money , promising to enrich companies in Ukraine and China ( companies tied to the Kremlin and the Communist Party of China ) through his connections to power .
Joe Biden is fine with this .
“ My son did nothing wrong , ” Biden has said when asked .
CNN took exactly Biden ’ s line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peddling was fine and flatly expressed it as a fact .
“ President Trump has falsely accused your son of doing something wrong while serving on a company board in Ukraine , ” CNN 's Anderson Cooper said to Joe Biden in an October 2015 Democratic debate .
CNN ’ s chyrons that week regularly stated as a fact that the younger Biden ’ s job with Burisma was totally fine .
And this week , NPR announced that it was n't covering the emails suggesting that he did , in fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why not ?
They found the emails to be “ just pure distractions.
” This defense ran the same day NPR ’ s politics section carried a story about the new Borat movie .
“ Distractions ” here doesn ’ t mean “ false.
” It means “ not what we think matters.
” And if you talk about the story enough , and point out that Hunter Biden ’ s foreign employment was corrupt and Joe Biden said it was fine , the inevitable response is : Isn ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes .
Fine .
Weigh the family corruption against one another if you like .
Conclude that Trump ’ s is worse , if you like .
But to declare that it ’ s no story at all that Biden is OK with his son peddling influence to Chinese state-owned energy companies and Ukrainian Kremlin-connected energy companies ?
That ’ s an abrogation of journalistic duty .
The media ( plus Twitter ) effectively made a decision to excuse or cover up the Biden family 's evil because they thought it was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty to be said on which is the greater evil for this country .
If you 're on the Left , it 's not a hard call .
If you 're on the Right or the center , I think it is a hard call .
I can respect people who come down on either side or neither .
But please , when choosing to accept one evil , please remember it is evil .

When asked to choose between two evils, whether you yourself choose the evil on the Right, the evil on the Left, or neither evil, one ought to respect and appreciate those whose prudential calculations lead them to choose differently from you.
But we can chastise those who, when presented with evils, refuse to call the evils evil — or, worse yet, say they are good.
President Trump and Joe Biden are both deeply flawed. I have dear friends and family who are voting for Biden, and I have others who are voting for Trump. And I have still others who, like me, are not voting for either. (As for my vote, I associate myself entirely with this excellent piece by my friend and colleague Ramesh Ponnuru.)
I respect all of these positions. I believe good people, using their reason and conscience, can arrive at different conclusions on the questions of who will be the lesser of these evils and how one ought to vote accordingly.
Here’s what is not acceptable: those who, having settled on one candidate or another, begin declaring that their preferred candidate has no flaws, that his flaws don’t matter at all, or even that his flaws are really virtues. Maybe your preferred candidate's flaws are outweighed by his virtues or by the other guy’s flaws, but that doesn’t make the flaws not flaws.
Here, we find offenses (brace for it) on both sides.
Trump isn’t merely crude or impolite. He’s foul, narcissistic, hateful, disrespectful, clownish, and less concerned with the truth than even most politicians. Even if you agree with his nominations and his policies, these flaws matter. They interfere with his ability to serve the public. His personality flaws also reflect poorly on everything he touches, harming the reputation of the country, the Republican Party, conservatism, and the pro-life cause.
Also, Trump has flouted ethical norms, continuing to enrich himself and his family from businesses overseas and domestic in a way that compromises himself and the country while introducing conflicts of interest. Normalizing this behavior is corrosive to good government and public trust.
Trump’s lack of attention span and his obsession with his self-image have probably harmed our nation’s coronavirus response, resulting in more deaths, more illnesses, and longer, more drastic closures and lockdowns.
His personal life, including repeated extramarital affairs, some of which he has bragged about, and one apparently that resulted in hush money paid to a porn star, is depraved. Conservatives were correct in the 1990s when we said the depravity of our leaders harms the country.
Maybe you think I am overstating the effects of Trump’s flaws. More likely, if you are voting for Trump, you think all these flaws are outweighed by the dangers of a Biden presidency plus the good judges and the pro-life policies that Trump has and is expected to continue to deliver — or at least his ability to block bad policies of a Democratic Congress and keep Kamala Harris away from the White House.
That’s not my calculation, but it’s one I respect, one I can fully understand, and one many of my friends and family are making.
But I can’t respect those who deny that Trump is deeply flawed or who try to pretend the flaws aren’t there. Probably more than any national politician in our lifetime, Trump lacks virtue and displays vice. He is what we raise our children not to be.
And especially if you publicly support him for president, it’s crucial to acknowledge his vices and misdeeds. Otherwise, you are explicitly or implicitly declaring evil things to be good.
Even worse, some who (like me) applaud Trump’s appointments, tax cuts, pro-life policies, and defense of religious liberty go all in and embrace the man himself. They claim because Trump has done some good deeds, he is a great man. His childish behavior is celebrated as owning the libs. His crass and false rhetoric is cheered as real talk from a guy who “tells it like it is.”
Thus, those who won’t call Trump’s vices as vices cause his vices to spread. What is celebrated as virtue will be emulated in the culture. Pretending that Trump's behavior is fine is harming your fellow citizens by holding up vice as a virtue.
On Biden’s side, there’s a similar offense, but it takes a different shape. The magnitude and nature of Biden’s personal flaws are more typical for a politician, and so, if you agree with his policies, you are not being asked to swallow a pile of extraordinary personal flaws.
But still, he has serious flaws, and they should not be wiped away. But that wiping happens.
The first form is specific to conservatives, especially pro-life conservative Christians such as myself. Some have their reasons to support Biden — typically, Biden seems to be a decent man, and Trump does not. One can point to the cruelty in Trump's rhetoric and his immigration policies, say this is un-Christian, and that Biden ought to be president because he'll govern in a more humane way. In general, I respect this reasoning.
But for my fellow Catholics, it’s derelict to ignore that Biden is also an extremist on abortion. Biden says he wants to codify Roe v. Wade and repeal the Hyde Amendment. That means Biden believes abortion is a fundamental right and should be legally protected up until the moment before birth and that the government should subsidize the abortionists.
This is an extreme position and an evil position.
If you are a Catholic, your church’s teachings prohibit you from voting for Biden, as Ponnuru and Robert P. George lay out here. If you are a Catholic, it is not OK to excuse Biden’s extremism on abortion because you like his character, his immigration stance, and his healthcare proposals.
But most Biden supporters are not pro-life Catholics, and so, the main problem when it comes to Biden supporters is simple: They see that Trump is worse than Biden, and so, they refuse to acknowledge Biden’s flaws. Worse, many of the people making this judgment are reporters and editors who, in turn, conclude that they should not report on Biden’s corruption or misdeeds.
Biden is a known plagiarizer, a serial fibber, a pioneer in nasty and boorish debating, and a nasty knife fighter who often sets aside comity to score a political point. But he’s in the middle 50% of politicians on all those scores.
Biden is above average on corruption, I believe, but again, it’s all typical Washington stuff — some revolving-door lobbying here, some family enrichment there. And importantly, Trump (who has kept his family hotel business operating worldwide while president) is perhaps the last politician who has the credibility to criticize Biden here.
But none of this excuses the behavior of major outlets in their coverage of Biden — or non-coverage. The decision was made that because Trump is more corrupt than Biden, it would be misleading, a "distraction," to cover Biden’s corruption, and sometimes, they even refused to acknowledge his son’s corruption.
There are plenty of old Biden corruption stories involving Delaware banks or Burmese oil fields that the press has shown no interest in. And then, there are the newer Hunter Biden stories.
Biden used his father’s name to make tons of money, promising to enrich companies in Ukraine and China (companies tied to the Kremlin and the Communist Party of China) through his connections to power. Joe Biden is fine with this. “My son did nothing wrong,” Biden has said when asked.
CNN took exactly Biden’s line that Hunter Biden’s foreign influence peddling was fine and flatly expressed it as a fact. “President Trump has falsely accused your son of doing something wrong while serving on a company board in Ukraine,” CNN's Anderson Cooper said to Joe Biden in an October 2015 Democratic debate. CNN’s chyrons that week regularly stated as a fact that the younger Biden’s job with Burisma was totally fine.
And this week, NPR announced that it wasn't covering the emails suggesting that he did, in fact, introduce a Burisma executive to his father. Why not? They found the emails to be “just pure distractions.” This defense ran the same day NPR’s politics section carried a story about the new Borat movie.
“Distractions” here doesn’t mean “false.” It means “not what we think matters.” And if you talk about the story enough, and point out that Hunter Biden’s foreign employment was corrupt and Joe Biden said it was fine, the inevitable response is: Isn’t the Trump family's business more corrupt?
Yes. Fine. Weigh the family corruption against one another if you like. Conclude that Trump’s is worse, if you like. But to declare that it’s no story at all that Biden is OK with his son peddling influence to Chinese state-owned energy companies and Ukrainian Kremlin-connected energy companies? That’s an abrogation of journalistic duty.
The media (plus Twitter) effectively made a decision to excuse or cover up the Biden family's evil because they thought it was the lesser of two evils.
There's plenty to be said on which is the greater evil for this country. If you're on the Left, it's not a hard call. If you're on the Right or the center, I think it is a hard call. I can respect people who come down on either side or neither. But please, when choosing to accept one evil, please remember it is evil.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--'What happened to you?': Liberals slam Megyn Kelly for tweet saying Trump won final debate

Liberals on Twitter slammed journalist Megyn Kelly after she expressed a positive view of President Trump ’ s recent debate performance that the president retweeted .
“ Trump won this debate , handily , ” Kelly tweeted Thursday .
“ Biden wasn ’ t a force at all .
Trump was substantive , on-point , well-tempered .
Definitely helped himself , when it mattered most.
” Kelly ’ s tweet , which was retweeted over 40,000 times , drew the ire of many liberals on Twitter who were perhaps disappointed with her remarks , considering the contentious relationship that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 election cycle .
“ Do you have windmill cancer ?
” actress Patricia Arquette tweeted .
“ I ’ m getting concerned.
” Kelly responded by suggesting that Arquette suffers from “ Trump Derangement Syndrome.
” “ Nah , just don ’ t suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome and can still engage in fair analysis , ” Kelly responded .
“ You wouldn ’ t understand.
” Arquette continued to criticize Kelly , accusing her of “ drinking bleach , ” to which actress Nancy Lee Grahn responded by tweeting that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood.
” “ I hope whatever you received for your soul was worth it , ” author John Pavlovitz tweeted at Kelly .
“ Megyn Kelly is the Ted Cruz of journalists- Both are so pathetically desperate to get Trump on their side because it helps their careers despite how Trump cruelly ridiculed them or their spouses , ” radio host Dean Obeidallah tweeted .

Liberals on Twitter slammed journalist Megyn Kelly after she expressed a positive view of President Trump’s recent debate performance that the president retweeted.
“Trump won this debate, handily,” Kelly tweeted Thursday. “Biden wasn’t a force at all. Trump was substantive, on-point, well-tempered. Definitely helped himself, when it mattered most.”
Trump won this debate, handily. Biden wasn’t a force at all. Trump was substantive, on-point, well-tempered. Definitely helped himself, when it mattered most. — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) October 23, 2020
Kelly’s tweet, which was retweeted over 40,000 times, drew the ire of many liberals on Twitter who were perhaps disappointed with her remarks, considering the contentious relationship that she and Trump appeared to have during the 2016 election cycle .
“Do you have windmill cancer?” actress Patricia Arquette tweeted. “I’m getting concerned.”
Kelly responded by suggesting that Arquette suffers from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“Nah, just don’t suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome and can still engage in fair analysis,” Kelly responded. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Nah, just don’t suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome and can still engage in fair analysis. You wouldn’t understand. — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) October 23, 2020
Arquette continued to criticize Kelly, accusing her of “drinking bleach,” to which actress Nancy Lee Grahn responded by tweeting that she prefers to drink “people’s blood.”
It's her drink of choice. That and people's blood. — Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) October 23, 2020
“I hope whatever you received for your soul was worth it,” author John Pavlovitz tweeted at Kelly.
I hope whatever you received for your soul was worth it. — John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) October 23, 2020
“What happened to you?” Lincoln Project Steering Committee Member David Weissman tweeted.
What happened to you? — David Weissman (@davidmweissman) October 23, 2020
“Megyn Kelly is the Ted Cruz of journalists- Both are so pathetically desperate to get Trump on their side because it helps their careers despite how Trump cruelly ridiculed them or their spouses,” radio host Dean Obeidallah tweeted.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--Kanye West tells Joe Rogan God called on him in shower to lead the free world

During his much-anticipated first appearance on Joe Rogan 's podcast , artist-turned-presidential candidate Kanye West said a message that he received from above while in the shower inspired his run for the Oval Office in 2020 .
`` It was something that God put on my heart back in 2015 , '' West said .
`` A few days before the MTV awards , it just — it hit me in the shower .
And when I first thought about it , I just started laughing to myself , and all this joy came over my body , just through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy .
I felt that spirit . ''
West , who has qualified to appear on a number of state ballots as an independent candidate , has spoken about his newfound faith and his shift in tone and message , which was emphasized in his 2019 album Jesus is King , a gospel-rap record .
Since opening up about his faith , West has performed nationwide with his `` Sunday Service '' choir and worked at length with Texas evangelist Joel Osteen , linking up with the pastor as recently as September .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to put a visionary in the captain 's chair , '' West said .
`` And that 's not to say we have n't had visionaries before .
I 'm not coming here to down any of the other — I 'm not here to down Trump , down Biden .
I 'm just here to express why God has called me to take this position . ''
West said his decision was mocked by powerful elites in the entertainment industry , such as Oprah Winfrey , who dismissed the fashion icon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people in the music industry , some people , tech elites , different things like that ... they just really took it as a joke , '' West said .
`` And they 're telling me all these millions of reasons why I could n't run for president .
I remember running into Oprah two days or one day after that , and she 's like , 'You do n't want to be president . '
And you know , people just , you know , thought-projecting , putting this on you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory in 2016 provided evidence that someone with views that fall outside the traditional political parties could win the presidency .
`` When I saw Trump win , I was like , 'See , you can win if you 're coming from outside of politics , ' '' West said .
`` I believe that my calling is to be the leader of the free world . ''
In an Instagram post teasing the episode , Rogan said the three-hour episode could go a long way to changing the opinions that some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been maligned by some members of the press who have repeatedly questioned West 's mental stability after emotional outbursts about the abortion industry and his wife 's fidelity .
`` I think people are going to have a much better understanding and appreciation of how this man thinks , '' Rogan wrote .

During his much-anticipated first appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, artist-turned-presidential candidate Kanye West said a message that he received from above while in the shower inspired his run for the Oval Office in 2020.
"It was something that God put on my heart back in 2015," West said. "A few days before the MTV awards, it just — it hit me in the shower. And when I first thought about it, I just started laughing to myself, and all this joy came over my body, just through my soul, and I felt that energy. I felt that spirit."
West, who has qualified to appear on a number of state ballots as an independent candidate, has spoken about his newfound faith and his shift in tone and message, which was emphasized in his 2019 album Jesus is King, a gospel-rap record. Since opening up about his faith, West has performed nationwide with his "Sunday Service" choir and worked at length with Texas evangelist Joel Osteen, linking up with the pastor as recently as September.
"There couldn't be a better time to put a visionary in the captain's chair," West said. "And that's not to say we haven't had visionaries before. I'm not coming here to down any of the other — I'm not here to down Trump, down Biden. I'm just here to express why God has called me to take this position."
West said his decision was mocked by powerful elites in the entertainment industry, such as Oprah Winfrey, who dismissed the fashion icon's candidacy from the start.
"Some people in the music industry, some people, tech elites, different things like that ... they just really took it as a joke," West said. "And they're telling me all these millions of reasons why I couldn't run for president. I remember running into Oprah two days or one day after that, and she's like, 'You don't want to be president.' And you know, people just, you know, thought-projecting, putting this on you."
West noted Trump's electoral victory in 2016 provided evidence that someone with views that fall outside the traditional political parties could win the presidency.
"When I saw Trump win, I was like, 'See, you can win if you're coming from outside of politics,'" West said. "I believe that my calling is to be the leader of the free world."
In an Instagram post teasing the episode, Rogan said the three-hour episode could go a long way to changing the opinions that some people hold of West. The Atlanta-born rapper has been maligned by some members of the press who have repeatedly questioned West's mental stability after emotional outbursts about the abortion industry and his wife's fidelity.
"I think people are going to have a much better understanding and appreciation of how this man thinks," Rogan wrote.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--'Such threats only energize us': Dead animal and brick found at home of congressman

Republican Rep. Tom Reed said authorities are investigating after a dead animal and a brick bearing the name of one of his family members was discovered at his home .
The New York congressman said that he and his family discovered the threatening display outside of his Corning , New York , home on Friday .
“ The cowards used a dead animal and a brick with a family member ’ s name on it to try to intimidate us .
We assure everyone such threats only energize us to stand stronger , ” he said in a news release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and federal authorities , who are already investigating this disgusting attack against my family.
” “ Across the country , politics has taken a disturbing turn .
We have to overcome this .
I know that we can , ” Reed added .
The Washington Examiner reached out to Reed ’ s office for further details about the incident .
Reed has represented New York ’ s 23rd Congressional District , which spans the southwest of the state , since 2010 and is facing cybersecurity expert Tracy Mitrano in this year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mitrano called the Friday incident a “ shocking report ” but also condemned the tenor of Reed ’ s reelection campaign .
“ The harsh visuals in his attack ads , the inflammatory language he uses to describe me , all contribute to an escalation of hostility that too often leads to incidents like the ones he reports today — or worse , ” she said in a statement .
“ Politics is about persuasion , not intimidation .
I condemn this kind of action and hope the authorities swiftly bring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not Reed ’ s first time facing Mitrano .
She was also his Democratic challenger in 2018 when he bested her by an 8-point margin .

Republican Rep. Tom Reed said authorities are investigating after a dead animal and a brick bearing the name of one of his family members was discovered at his home.
The New York congressman said that he and his family discovered the threatening display outside of his Corning, New York, home on Friday.
“The cowards used a dead animal and a brick with a family member’s name on it to try to intimidate us. We assure everyone such threats only energize us to stand stronger,” he said in a news release. “We thank the local police and federal authorities, who are already investigating this disgusting attack against my family.”
“Across the country, politics has taken a disturbing turn. We have to overcome this. I know that we can,” Reed added.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Reed’s office for further details about the incident.
Reed has represented New York’s 23rd Congressional District, which spans the southwest of the state, since 2010 and is facing cybersecurity expert Tracy Mitrano in this year’s election. According to the Evening Tribune, Mitrano called the Friday incident a “shocking report” but also condemned the tenor of Reed’s reelection campaign.
“The harsh visuals in his attack ads, the inflammatory language he uses to describe me, all contribute to an escalation of hostility that too often leads to incidents like the ones he reports today — or worse,” she said in a statement. “Politics is about persuasion, not intimidation. I condemn this kind of action and hope the authorities swiftly bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.”
This is not Reed’s first time facing Mitrano. She was also his Democratic challenger in 2018 when he bested her by an 8-point margin.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-24--Conservatives rip liberals for misunderstanding Trump’s coyote reference during debate

Conservatives across Twitter reacted with jokes and memes to liberals unfamiliar with the term “ coyote ” used by President Trump in the final debate to describe smugglers at the border .
During Thursday ’ s debate , Trump said that children are brought across the southern border “ by coyotes and lots of bad people , ” prompting several who appeared to believe the president was referring to the wild animal and not smugglers .
“ Did @ realDonaldTrump just say 545 kids they ca n't find their parents for came over through `` cartels and coyotes '' ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Georgia Democratic State Representative and party leader , tweeted .
How the hell does a coyote bring a whole human across the border ?
!
Lord -- -- -stop talking.
” “ There are coyotes near the dog park we go to , and so far I 've never seen them trying to illegally bring people into the country , ” author Josh Jordan tweeted .
“ It 's really insulting that Trump would caracturize them that way.
” “ The coyotes are out of control , man , ” political strategist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those kids across the border !
” Many others on Twitter joined in with similar jokes and photoshopped images .

Conservatives across Twitter reacted with jokes and memes to liberals unfamiliar with the term “coyote” used by President Trump in the final debate to describe smugglers at the border.
During Thursday’s debate, Trump said that children are brought across the southern border “by coyotes and lots of bad people,” prompting several responses from verified Twitter users who appeared to believe the president was referring to the wild animal and not smugglers.
“Did @realDonaldTrump just say 545 kids they can't find their parents for came over through "cartels and coyotes"?!” Dar’shun Kendruck, a Georgia Democratic State Representative and party leader, tweeted. How the hell does a coyote bring a whole human across the border?! Lord-----stop talking.”
Did @realDonaldTrump just say 545 kids they can't find their parents for came over through "cartels and coyotes"?! How the hell does a coyote bring a whole human across the border?! Lord-----stop talking. #FinalDebate — Dar'shun Kendrick (@DarshunKendrick) October 23, 2020
“There are coyotes near the dog park we go to, and so far I've never seen them trying to illegally bring people into the country,” author Josh Jordan tweeted. “It's really insulting that Trump would caracturize them that way.”
There are coyotes near the dog park we go to, and so far I've never seen them trying to illegally bring people into the country.
It's really insulting that Trump would caracturize them that way. pic.twitter.com/mIam2u9rJR — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 24, 2020
“The coyotes are out of control, man,” political strategist Caleb Hull tweeted. “Bringing all those kids across the border!”
The coyotes are out of control, man. Bringing all those kids across the border! pic.twitter.com/EWfDNIQqEa — Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) October 23, 2020
Many others on Twitter joined in with similar jokes and photoshopped images.
LMAO! This is what the Democrats think the "coyotes" are doing.
h/t @6unf46 for finding these pic.twitter.com/A479CTlRDl — Major Patriot (@MajorPatriot) October 23, 2020
Coyote needs time time off. He’s tired of carrying kids over the border pic.twitter.com/s2wMp6NTRP — ❥ Nicoco (@PetiteNicoco) October 23, 2020
Coyotes be like ... pic.twitter.com/ajaiJNSNwE — Saundra McDowell (@mcdowellformo) October 24, 2020
Just remember: a lot of the people yelling at you on Twitter think President Trump meant actual coyotes were smuggling illegals. — Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) October 24, 2020


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-25--Our nation doesn't have to be so divided

We met in college in 2004 .
Facebook was only for college students , and Donald Trump was a reality TV show host .
Long before Twitter , Instagram , and President Trump , we knew that we would disagree on a lot .
But like millions of people who love our spouses , care for our children , and talk about everyday challenges around the water cooler ( virtually , these days ) , we have a deep , abiding love for each other .
This love doesn ’ t require complacency .
It requires Peter , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he and his Catholic faith hold a “ bigoted ” position on marriage .
It requires Dustin to tell Peter that he is grossly wrong to support legalized abortion .
It also requires a respect for things we don ’ t understand .
Peter is an atheist ; Dustin is a devout Catholic .
Dustin was abstinent until getting married a month shy of 32 years old ; Peter finds that really weird .
Peter believes America was founded upon white supremacy and is slowly moving away from that beginning , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon principles of liberty .
This friendship requires accountability .
Peter was the one person who called Dustin out for violating his Lenten vow in 2015 .
And Dustin told Peter that watching pornography violated Peter ’ s knowledge of that industry ’ s widespread abuse of women .
Perhaps most importantly , it requires respect for how we each work hard so that our personal philosophies have a real , positive impact on the world .
Peter is the son of Greek immigrants who went into local politics near his hometown in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He directed the Main Street community nonprofit organization for two years in that same town .
Dustin went to Washington , D.C. , to make a difference and worked in and around the nation ’ s capital for 10 years in various roles before starting a nonpolitical small business .
But when Peter ’ s father was dying around the same time his first child was being born , it was Dustin he spoke to on his back porch about his struggles to forgive his father .
When Dustin and his wife were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Hampshire hometown , it was Peter who stayed up late as they arrived at his family ’ s home for the night and who drove them part of the way early the next morning .
No matter what happens in November , like millions of people with different ideas , we ’ ll still be friends .
Our friendship is based upon real interactions , not listening to the latest tweet outrage or whatever the new political offense of the day is .
We put our humanity first , and most importantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing our best to live within the values we each hold dear .
The fact is that humanity , free speech , and elections are messy .
But they don ’ t have to be a mess .
Being part of the world means getting comfortable with being uncomfortable — breaking down silos so that our common humanity comes to the fore .
By avoiding the mess , by creating caricatures instead of detailed pictures of real people , we deny others the opportunity to learn from our gifts and ourselves the opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Peter and Dustin want the same outcome : a more just , fairer , and more peaceful world .
We vastly disagree on the actions to get there .
And we ’ ll continue to love , fight , and seek to convince each other of how wrong we are because that ’ s what real people do .
Dustin Siggins and Peter Grigorakakis met at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire .
A former political journalist , Siggins is the CEO of the Virginia-based media relations firm Proven Media Solutions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a former nonprofit manager and director who is now fully employed in taking care of two children .

We met in college in 2004. Facebook was only for college students, and Donald Trump was a reality TV show host. Long before Twitter, Instagram, and President Trump, we knew that we would disagree on a lot.
But like millions of people who love our spouses, care for our children, and talk about everyday challenges around the water cooler (virtually, these days), we have a deep, abiding love for each other.
This love doesn’t require complacency. It requires Peter, who has a gay brother, to tell Dustin that he and his Catholic faith hold a “bigoted” position on marriage. It requires Dustin to tell Peter that he is grossly wrong to support legalized abortion.
It also requires a respect for things we don’t understand. Peter is an atheist; Dustin is a devout Catholic. Dustin was abstinent until getting married a month shy of 32 years old; Peter finds that really weird. Peter believes America was founded upon white supremacy and is slowly moving away from that beginning, while Dustin believes that America was imperfectly founded upon principles of liberty.
This friendship requires accountability. Peter was the one person who called Dustin out for violating his Lenten vow in 2015. And Dustin told Peter that watching pornography violated Peter’s knowledge of that industry’s widespread abuse of women.
Perhaps most importantly, it requires respect for how we each work hard so that our personal philosophies have a real, positive impact on the world. Peter is the son of Greek immigrants who went into local politics near his hometown in New Hampshire to make a difference. He directed the Main Street community nonprofit organization for two years in that same town. Dustin went to Washington, D.C., to make a difference and worked in and around the nation’s capital for 10 years in various roles before starting a nonpolitical small business.
But when Peter’s father was dying around the same time his first child was being born, it was Dustin he spoke to on his back porch about his struggles to forgive his father. When Dustin and his wife were traveling by plane to Dustin’s New Hampshire hometown, it was Peter who stayed up late as they arrived at his family’s home for the night and who drove them part of the way early the next morning.
No matter what happens in November, like millions of people with different ideas, we’ll still be friends. Our friendship is based upon real interactions, not listening to the latest tweet outrage or whatever the new political offense of the day is. We put our humanity first, and most importantly, we know that we are each doing our best to live within the values we each hold dear.
The fact is that humanity, free speech, and elections are messy. But they don’t have to be a mess. Being part of the world means getting comfortable with being uncomfortable — breaking down silos so that our common humanity comes to the fore. By avoiding the mess, by creating caricatures instead of detailed pictures of real people, we deny others the opportunity to learn from our gifts and ourselves the opportunity to learn from the gifts of others.
Peter and Dustin want the same outcome: a more just, fairer, and more peaceful world. We vastly disagree on the actions to get there. And we’ll continue to love, fight, and seek to convince each other of how wrong we are because that’s what real people do.
Dustin Siggins and Peter Grigorakakis met at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. A former political journalist, Siggins is the CEO of the Virginia-based media relations firm Proven Media Solutions. Grigorakakis still lives in New Hampshire and is a former nonprofit manager and director who is now fully employed in taking care of two children.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-26--Kamala Harris: 'Yes I do' think Trump is racist

Kamala Harris said without hesitation that she thinks that President Trump is racist .
In an interview for CBS 's 60 Minutes that aired Sunday , anchor Norah O'Donnell brought up Trump calling the California senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee `` nasty '' and a `` monster . ''
`` This is not the first time in my life I 've been called names , '' Harris said .
`` It was predictable , sadly . ''
`` Do you think the president is racist ? ''
O'Donnell asked .
`` Yes , I do , '' Harris responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks so .
`` You can look at a pattern that goes back to him questioning the identity of the first black president of the United States .
You can look at Charlottesville , when there were peaceful protesters , And on the other side , neo-Nazis and he talks about fine people on either side .
Calling Mexicans 'rapists ' and 'criminals . '
His first order of business was to institute a Muslim ban .
It all speaks for itself , '' Harris said .
Trump has repeatedly denounced white supremacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump called himself the `` least racist person in this room . ''

Kamala Harris said without hesitation that she thinks that President Trump is racist.
In an interview for CBS's 60 Minutes that aired Sunday, anchor Norah O'Donnell brought up Trump calling the California senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee "nasty" and a "monster."
"This is not the first time in my life I've been called names," Harris said. "It was predictable, sadly."
"Do you think the president is racist?" O'Donnell asked.
"Yes, I do," Harris responded and provided evidence for why she thinks so.
"You can look at a pattern that goes back to him questioning the identity of the first black president of the United States. You can look at Charlottesville, when there were peaceful protesters, and on the other side, neo-Nazis, and he talks about fine people on either side. Calling Mexicans 'rapists' and 'criminals.' His first order of business was to institute a Muslim ban. It all speaks for itself," Harris said.
Trump has repeatedly denounced white supremacy. During Thursday's presidential debate, Trump called himself the "least racist person in this room."