theguardian--2020-09-27--Recipe for chaos: 2020 election threatens to snap a US already pushed to the limit

It has been dubbed “ the election that could break America ” .
On 3 November voters decide whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden is their next president .
But this time the stakes are even higher than the simple question of who resides in the White House .
There is a widespread sense that the fate of the world ’ s oldest constitutional democracy hangs in the balance .
The US has already been shaken in 2020 by the deadly coronavirus pandemic , economic collapse and a society-wide reckoning over racism .
Now comes an election in which voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a bitterly contested supreme court vacancy offer a recipe for chaos .
Most threatening of all is an incumbent president who has spent months spreading disinformation and discrediting what he calls “ the greatest Rigged Election in history ” .
Asked this week if he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power , he declined , saying : “ Well , we ’ re going to have to see what happens .
You know that .
I ’ ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots .
And the ballots are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave office , America could be plunged into a constitutional crisis and find itself in unchartered territory .
Whatever the outcome , there is a high risk that a significant chunk of the population will not accept the winner as legitimate , leading to angry street protests in a country flush with guns and a fear that , after decades of corrosion , a system that was once the envy of the world is beyond repair .
“ I never dreamed I would live through our democracy being this volatile and vulnerable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political strategist and LGBTQ and Latino activist .
“ I never dreamed it could ever happen .
It was not in the realm of possibility and Donald Trump has taken us to the brink of the demise of our democracy .
It really is that serious.
” The election is taking place amid America ’ s worst public health crisis for a century .
A record number of voters are expected to use mail-in ballots so they can avoid the health risks of queuing to vote in person on 3 November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon , Washington and Utah – already carry out elections almost entirely by mail .
But the US is a patchwork of different rules and practices and other states are scrambling to prepare .
Louis DeJoy , the new postmaster general and a Republican donor , has overseen measures that make voting by mail harder rather than easier , including the removal of post boxes from streets and mothballing of sorting machines .
After an outcry , DeJoy said he would suspend cuts until after the election , but it may be too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been transparent about his motives .
He said he was withholding funding from the postal service as a way of limiting voting by mail , arguing that it is prone to fraud , a claim that has been thoroughly debunked .
But attacks on mail-in voting is the only the most egregious example of voter suppression , a tactic as old as American democracy itself that disproportionately affects people of color – statistically far more likely to vote Democratic .
For example , in Florida , a critical swing state , voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had lost the right to vote because they had criminal convictions .
But Republicans have effectively neutralized that move , meaning that more than 700,000 people are likely to be denied the vote in November .
Neil Sroka , spokesperson for the progressive group Democracy for America , said : “ Donald Trump has his fingers on the levers of power and is clearly manoeuvring them in every way possible , legal and arguably illegal , to try to secure a narrow victory in November.
” “ The threat of voter suppression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already seeing robo calls going out in places like Pennsylvania that dissuade people from voting early or voting absentee or putting out misinformation.
” Opinion polls show that Democrats are far more likely to use mail-in voting , whereas Republicans tend to favor queuing up on election day .
The battleground states of Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin all prohibit election officials from beginning to process mail-in votes until election day .
Thus Republicans votes are likely to be counted first , leading to warnings of an election night “ red mirage ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early leads .
It is feared that the president will seize that initial narrative and declare a premature victory and then , if mail-in ballots gradually turn the tide and produce a Biden victory days later , claim that the election is being stolen from him .
Josh Mendelsohn , chief executive of Hawkfish , a Democratic data and analytics firm , told the Axios on HBO programme : “ We are sounding an alarm and saying that this is a very real possibility , that the data is going to show on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump.
” “ When every legitimate vote is tallied and we get to that final day , which will be some day after election day , it will in fact show that what happened on election night was exactly that , a mirage .
It looked like Donald Trump was in the lead and he fundamentally was not when every ballot gets counted.
” The long wait for a result could allow Trump to make mischief and flood social media with conspiracy theories .
Bill Galston , a former policy adviser to Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me most is that the president of the United States will decide , through reasons of his own , to impugn ballots that are not counted on election night.
” “ Given the fact a record number of ballots will be cast by mail in this election , and there appears to be a systemic difference with Democrats voting much more by mail than in-person , impugning the validity of mail-in ballots would be the moral equivalent of saying that only only votes cast in person are valid , which is a prescription @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as we ’ ve never seen in this country .
If you ask me what my worst nightmare is , that ’ s it.
” There are even concerns that Trump and his conspicuously loyal attorney general , William Barr , could seek to disqualify mail-in votes .
John Heilemann , a political analyst , told the MSNBC network : “ Don ’ t rule out of your mind the possibility that the president on election night says , ‘ I ’ m going to go to Pennsylvania and I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , ’ and sends federal marshals into polling places where votes are being tabulated and tries to impound those ballots.
” Facebook has promised to label any posts by candidates or campaigns claiming victory , pointing out that official results are not yet in .
The scenario also puts tremendous pressure on the media to avoid jumping the gun , as some did on the night of the 2000 election between George W Bush and Al Gore .
Intelligence agencies agree Russia attacked American democracy in 2016 with the intention of sowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton .
Last month the National Counterintelligence and Security Center warned that Russia is again trying to “ denigrate ” Biden , while China and Iran are also seeking to meddle .
Although Trump ’ s administration has sanctioned senior Russian officials , the president himself has never indicated that he takes the threat seriously .
Instead he has repeatedly denounced the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller into his campaign ’ s numerous contacts with Russia as “ a hoax ” .
In 2016 the Russian focus was hacking and social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress thinktank in Washington , said his biggest concern this time is an attack on infrastructure .
“ The threat level has to be blinking red , ” he said .
“ We know from the Trump administration intelligence community that Russia is interfering in this election .
We know that from briefings that have occurred over the past year .
Supreme court vacancy .
minority rule and loss of faith in democracy The recent death of supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg threw a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ furious political battle is under way on Capitol Hill , with Trump set to replace the liberal Ginsburg with a conservative before election day .
In the short term , there is an outside chance that the new justice could play a critical role in the outcome of the election .
The close contest between Bush and Gore in 2000 was resolved in Bush ’ s favor by the supreme court voting 5-4 along ideological lines .
If the 2020 election is similarly disputed , the court could again be the final arbiter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also fueled a deeper sense of democratic deficit , a growing chasm between rightwing white minority rule and the values of the diverse majority .
Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3m ballots , and his latest supreme court appointment will mean that a majority of the justices were nominated by a president who did not initially win the popular vote .
In addition , the Republican Senate “ majority ” represents about 15m fewer people than the Democratic “ minority ” because states have two senators each , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has a population of 1m , has the same representation as California , population 40m .
The upshot could be a supreme court with a 6-3 conservative majority stripping reproductive rights from women despite surveys showing that seven in 10 people oppose overturning the landmark 1973 ruling Roe v Wade .
Healthcare access , voting rights and environmental protections are also at stake .
This could lead to profound disillusionment and civil unrest .
Sroka of Democracy for America said : “ It is probably the most significant threat to American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are saying is , ‘ The will of the voters be damned , we as a conservative minority in this country have the power to dictate the interpretation of laws and the appointment of judges and so we ’ re going to do it , damn the consequences ’ .
” Unlike his predecessors , Trump has repeatedly declined to commit to accepting the election outcome , while also “ joking ” about seeking a third term even though the constitution forbids it .
He has claimed : “ The only way we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is if the election is rigged.
” Observers predict that he will use every advantage of incumbency to cling to power .
Rashad Robinson , president of Color of Change , a racial justice organization , said : “ What he does have on his side is that he controls the federal infrastructure and so the question will be , does he use that federal infrastructure to cheat ?
And what we know about Donald Trump is that he hasn ’ t done anything in his life without cheating.
” The dispute would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the streets .
Republicans have built a $ 20m war chest to spend on what could be a prolonged legal fight ; the Biden campaign has also built a massive legal team including Eric Holder , the former attorney general .
Both sides are aware of constitutional loopholes ripe for exploitation .
An 1887 law , supposed to show how to resolve a disputed vote , is disturbingly ambiguous .
The vagaries of the electoral college could also come into play .
On 14 December , votes in the electoral college are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , groups of state party leaders and elected officials .
Normally , these reflect the popular vote in the state .
But this week the Atlantic magazine reported that the Trump campaign is plotting to enlist Republican-controlled state governments to handpick its own local electors to override the popular vote in battleground states .
“ The state legislatures will say , ‘ All right , we ’ ve been given this constitutional power , ’ ” a Trump campaign legal adviser told the Atlantic .
“ We don ’ t think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so here ’ s our slate of electors that we think properly reflect the results of our state.
” Mass demonstrations would surely follow .
Progressive groups such as Stand Up America have been preparing to mobilize huge street protests to defend the valid election result .
Ultimately , there is no playbook for what happens when a president refuses to leave office .
Biden has said he is “ absolutely convinced ” that the military would escort Trump from the Oval Office if it comes to that – a concept that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is scarcely believable the United States .
After the cascading miseries of 2020 , the election can seem like a runaway train hurtling towards a cliff edge .
Many Democrats suggest the only way to stave off disaster is ensure that Biden wins by a landslide so that not even Trump loyalists can genuinely dispute the outcome .
Vela , the strategist who is a former senior adviser to Biden at the White House , said : “ The victory needs to be so resounding that it ’ s a message that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The stronger the outcome is in favor of Joe Biden , the less chance that Trump will have to make his argument .
But I do fear he will go down kicking and screaming .
”

It has been dubbed “the election that could break America”. On 3 November voters decide whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden is their next president. But this time the stakes are even higher than the simple question of who resides in the White House.
There is a widespread sense that the fate of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy hangs in the balance. The US has already been shaken in 2020 by the deadly coronavirus pandemic, economic collapse and a society-wide reckoning over racism. Now comes an election in which voter suppression, foreign interference, online disinformation and a bitterly contested supreme court vacancy offer a recipe for chaos.
Most threatening of all is an incumbent president who has spent months spreading disinformation and discrediting what he calls “the greatest Rigged Election in history”. Asked this week if he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power, he declined, saying: “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens. You know that. I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. And the ballots are a disaster.”
Should Trump refuse to leave office, America could be plunged into a constitutional crisis and find itself in unchartered territory. Whatever the outcome, there is a high risk that a significant chunk of the population will not accept the winner as legitimate, leading to angry street protests in a country flush with guns and a fear that, after decades of corrosion, a system that was once the envy of the world is beyond repair.
“I never dreamed I would live through our democracy being this volatile and vulnerable and fragile,” said Moe Vela, a political strategist and LGBTQ and Latino activist. “I never dreamed it could ever happen. It was not in the realm of possibility and Donald Trump has taken us to the brink of the demise of our democracy. It really is that serious.”
Mail-in voting and voter suppression
The election is taking place amid America’s worst public health crisis for a century. A record number of voters are expected to use mail-in ballots so they can avoid the health risks of queuing to vote in person on 3 November. Five states – Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah – already carry out elections almost entirely by mail.
But the US is a patchwork of different rules and practices and other states are scrambling to prepare. Louis DeJoy, the new postmaster general and a Republican donor, has overseen measures that make voting by mail harder rather than easier, including the removal of post boxes from streets and mothballing of sorting machines. After an outcry, DeJoy said he would suspend cuts until after the election, but it may be too late to reverse the damage.
Election worker Kenneth Conkle processes mail-in ballot requests Tuesday in Olathe, Kansas. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP
Trump has been transparent about his motives. He said he was withholding funding from the postal service as a way of limiting voting by mail, arguing that it is prone to fraud, a claim that has been thoroughly debunked.
We’re already seeing robo calls going out in places like Pennsylvania that dissuade people from voting early Neil Sroka
But attacks on mail-in voting is only the most egregious example of voter suppression, a tactic as old as American democracy itself that disproportionately affects people of color – statistically far more likely to vote Democratic.
For example, in Florida, a critical swing state, voters decided in 2018 to re-enfranchise 1.4m people who had lost the right to vote because they had criminal convictions. But Republicans have effectively neutralized that move, meaning that more than 700,000 people are likely to be denied the vote in November.
Neil Sroka, spokesperson for the progressive group Democracy for America, said: “Donald Trump has his fingers on the levers of power and is clearly manoeuvring them in every way possible, legal and arguably illegal, to try to secure a narrow victory in November.”
“The threat of voter suppression is very real. We’re already seeing robo calls going out in places like Pennsylvania that dissuade people from voting early or voting absentee or putting out misinformation.”
The ‘red mirage’
Opinion polls show that Democrats are far more likely to use mail-in voting, whereas Republicans tend to favor queuing up on election day. The battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin all prohibit election officials from beginning to process mail-in votes until election day. Thus Republicans votes are likely to be counted first, leading to warnings of an election night “red mirage” in which Trump appears to build big early leads.
It will look like Donald Trump was in the lead and he fundamentally was not when every ballot gets counted. Josh Mendelsohn
It is feared that the president will seize that initial narrative and declare a premature victory and then, if mail-in ballots gradually turn the tide and produce a Biden victory days later, claim that the election is being stolen from him.
Josh Mendelsohn, chief executive of Hawkfish, a Democratic data and analytics firm, told the Axios on HBO programme: “We are sounding an alarm and saying that this is a very real possibility, that the data is going to show on election night an incredible victory for Donald Trump.”
“When every legitimate vote is tallied and we get to that final day, which will be some day after election day, it will in fact show that what happened on election night was exactly that, a mirage. It looked like Donald Trump was in the lead and he fundamentally was not when every ballot gets counted.”
Voters line up to vote during in-person early voting in Fairfax, Virginia on 18 September 2020. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock
The long wait for a result could allow Trump to make mischief and flood social media with conspiracy theories. Bill Galston, a former policy adviser to Bill Clinton, said: “What worries me most is that the president of the United States will decide, through reasons of his own, to impugn ballots that are not counted on election night.”
“Given the fact a record number of ballots will be cast by mail in this election, and there appears to be a systemic difference with Democrats voting much more by mail than in-person, impugning the validity of mail-in ballots would be the moral equivalent of saying that only only votes cast in person are valid, which is a prescription for electoral fraud on a massive basis such as we’ve never seen in this country. If you ask me what my worst nightmare is, that’s it.”
There are even concerns that Trump and his conspicuously loyal attorney general, William Barr, could seek to disqualify mail-in votes. John Heilemann, a political analyst, told the MSNBC network: “Don’t rule out of your mind the possibility that the president on election night says, ‘I’m going to go to Pennsylvania and I’m impounding all of the uncounted ballots so far,’ and sends federal marshals into polling places where votes are being tabulated and tries to impound those ballots.”
Facebook has promised to label any posts by candidates or campaigns claiming victory, pointing out that official results are not yet in. The scenario also puts tremendous pressure on the media to avoid jumping the gun, as some did on the night of the 2000 election between George W Bush and Al Gore.
Foreign interference
Intelligence agencies agree Russia attacked American democracy in 2016 with the intention of sowing discord, helping Trump and hurting Hillary Clinton. Last month the National Counterintelligence and Security Center warned that Russia is again trying to “denigrate” Biden, while China and Iran are also seeking to meddle.
Although Trump’s administration has sanctioned senior Russian officials, the president himself has never indicated that he takes the threat seriously. Instead he has repeatedly denounced the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller into his campaign’s numerous contacts with Russia as “a hoax”.
In 2016 the Russian focus was hacking and social media disinformation. This time Max Bergmann, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress thinktank in Washington, said his biggest concern this time is an attack on infrastructure.
“The threat level has to be blinking red,” he said. “We know from the Trump administration intelligence community that Russia is interfering in this election. We know that from briefings that have occurred over the past year.
Supreme court vacancy. minority rule and loss of faith in democracy
The recent death of supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg threw a match into the electoral tinderbox. A furious political battle is under way on Capitol Hill, with Trump set to replace the liberal Ginsburg with a conservative before election day.
In the short term, there is an outside chance that the new justice could play a critical role in the outcome of the election. The close contest between Bush and Gore in 2000 was resolved in Bush’s favor by the supreme court voting 5-4 along ideological lines. If the 2020 election is similarly disputed, the court could again be the final arbiter.
The haste to replace Ginsburg has also fueled a deeper sense of democratic deficit, a growing chasm between rightwing white minority rule and the values of the diverse majority. Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3m ballots, and his latest supreme court appointment will mean that a majority of the justices were nominated by a president who did not initially win the popular vote.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s casket departs the US Capitol in Washington DC Friday. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock
In addition, the Republican Senate “majority” represents about 15m fewer people than the Democratic “minority” because states have two senators each, irrespective of population size. So Montana, which has a population of 1m, has the same representation as California, population 40m.
The upshot could be a supreme court with a 6-3 conservative majority stripping reproductive rights from women despite surveys showing that seven in 10 people oppose overturning the landmark 1973 ruling Roe v Wade. Healthcare access, voting rights and environmental protections are also at stake. This could lead to profound disillusionment and civil unrest.
Sroka of Democracy for America said: “It is probably the most significant threat to American democracy in generations because what essentially you are saying is, ‘The will of the voters be damned, we as a conservative minority in this country have the power to dictate the interpretation of laws and the appointment of judges and so we’re going to do it, damn the consequences’.”
What we know about Donald Trump is that he hasn’t done anything in his life without cheating. Rashad Robinson
The nightmare scenario: Trump refuses to leave office
Unlike his predecessors, Trump has repeatedly declined to commit to accepting the election outcome, while also “joking” about seeking a third term even though the constitution forbids it. He has claimed: “The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.” Observers predict that he will use every advantage of incumbency to cling to power.
Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, a racial justice organization, said: “What he does have on his side is that he controls the federal infrastructure and so the question will be, does he use that federal infrastructure to cheat? And what we know about Donald Trump is that he hasn’t done anything in his life without cheating.”
The dispute would play out in Congress, the courts and the streets. Republicans have built a $20m war chest to spend on what could be a prolonged legal fight; the Biden campaign has also built a massive legal team including Eric Holder, the former attorney general.
Both sides are aware of constitutional loopholes ripe for exploitation. An 1887 law, supposed to show how to resolve a disputed vote, is disturbingly ambiguous. The vagaries of the electoral college could also come into play.
Trump has repeatedly declined to commit to accepting the election outcome. Photograph: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA
On 14 December, votes in the electoral college are due to be cast by “electors”, groups of state party leaders and elected officials. Normally, these reflect the popular vote in the state. But this week the Atlantic magazine reported that the Trump campaign is plotting to enlist Republican-controlled state governments to handpick its own local electors to override the popular vote in battleground states.
“The state legislatures will say, ‘All right, we’ve been given this constitutional power,’” a Trump campaign legal adviser told the Atlantic. “We don’t think the results of our own state are accurate, so here’s our slate of electors that we think properly reflect the results of our state.”
The victory needs to be so resounding that it’s a message that cannot be interpreted in any other way. Moe Vela
Mass demonstrations would surely follow. Progressive groups such as Stand Up America have been preparing to mobilize huge street protests to defend the valid election result.
Ultimately, there is no playbook for what happens when a president refuses to leave office.
Biden has said he is “absolutely convinced” that the military would escort Trump from the Oval Office if it comes to that – a concept that seems to belong to tinpot dictatorships and is scarcely believable the United States.
After the cascading miseries of 2020, the election can seem like a runaway train hurtling towards a cliff edge. Many Democrats suggest the only way to stave off disaster is ensure that Biden wins by a landslide so that not even Trump loyalists can genuinely dispute the outcome.
Vela, the strategist who is a former senior adviser to Biden at the White House, said: “The victory needs to be so resounding that it’s a message that cannot be interpreted in any other way. The stronger the outcome is in favor of Joe Biden, the less chance that Trump will have to make his argument. But I do fear he will go down kicking and screaming.”


theguardian--2020-09-27--Disloyal: A Memoir by Michael Cohen review – disgraced Trump lawyer's kiss and tell

In summer 2012 , Michael Cohen took his family to a golf resort owned by Donald Trump in New Jersey .
By this point , he had been working as Trump ’ s lawyer-cum-attack dog for six years .
Trump noticed a teenage girl walking off the tennis court , her hair scrunched in a ponytail .
“ Look at that piece of ass !
I would love some of that , ” the man Cohen called “ the Boss ” declared .
Cohen explained to the future president of the United States that this was actually his 15-year-old daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when “ she had got so hot ” , demanded a kiss from Samantha and told her she had a ” beautiful figure ” .
After this distinctly creepy encounter , Cohen ’ s daughter begged him to quit as Trump ’ s attorney .
He didn ’ t .
Instead , Cohen went down a hubristic path .
It would take him to glory : helping Trump to beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US election and then to a job as the president ’ s personal attorney .
And to doom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the White House ’ s Tweeter-in-Chief and to a stint in jail after he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and to other crimes .
Disloyal is Cohen ’ s kiss-and-tell account of the decade he spent at Trump ’ s side .
It is an exhilarating and lurid story – part survivor ’ s memoir , part revenge tragedy .
His verdict on the president is brutal .
It is , for the most part , convincing .
Trump , according to Cohen , is a cheat , liar , fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And a gargantuan conman who has succeeded in duping millions of Americans .
As Cohen tells it , Trump is unlikely to quit if he loses November ’ s election to Joe Biden .
Instead , he expects the president to cheat his way to victory , a tactic that has served him well before .
Cohen ’ s reasoning is plausible : that Trump will do anything to stay in power , knowing full well that once he is out of office , federal and state charges and a possible prison cell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these pages has the charm and menace of a mafia mobster .
From the 26th floor of Trump Tower , he would summon Cohen to fix messes of his own making .
They included women with whom Trump had had affairs , who needed to be bought off , and disgruntled contractors and others whom Trump had stiffed .
Trump ’ s directions were always oblique , Cohen writes , leaving room for deniability .
There are gossipy sketches of the president ’ s family and flatterers .
Jared Kushner is a conceited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Cohen .
All of the Trump children were starved of their father ’ s love as children and are now “ forever trapped in a cycle of seeking his approval ” .
This explains why they tolerate his immigrant-bashing outbursts .
Trump ’ s marriage to Melania , meanwhile , is purely transactional – “ just another deal , plain and simple ” .
Disloyal is illuminating on the theme of collusion with Russia , in which Cohen played a lead role .
For four decades , Trump tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2015 , Cohen got in touch with Vladimir Putin ’ s press spokesman , Dmitry Peskov .
While Trump was praising Putin on the campaign stump , Cohen was secretly trying to get Trump Tower Moscow off the ground .
Trump knew , of course , as did the Trump kids .
According to Cohen , Trump colluded with the Kremlin , but not in the sophisticated way imagined by some of his critics .
His treason , if you can call it that , was of the pedestrian , me-first kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their loathing for Clinton , with Trump willing to accept Russian help ( hacking , spies , trolls , oligarchs bearing gifts ) so long as it benefited him personally .
Cohen is scathing about Christopher Steele , the former MI6 spy whose dossier says the Russians have been cultivating Trump for years .
One of Steele ’ s memos alleges Cohen met Russian intermediaries in Prague in summer 2016 , something Cohen insists is not true .
Trump sucks up to Putin because he loves money and figures – rightly in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the world ’ s richest man , worth a trillion dollars .
Still , Cohen thinks it ’ s “ not entirely impossible ” that the notorious dossier pee tape exists .
Trump – allegedly – watched two prostitutes perform in his hotel suite while in Russia for the Miss Universe pageant .
Cohen wasn ’ t there .
Instead , he describes an outing to a Las Vegas strip club , around the same time , where Trump and his Moscow buddies Emin and Aras Agalarov watched a similar act on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells us .
Why , you wonder , did he spend so long pandering to Trump and his ginormous ego ?
Cohen ’ s answer : he was made drunk by a cocktail of power , strength , celebrity and complete disregard for the rules .
He likens himself to Gollum from The Lord of the Rings .
Or , switching metaphor , to the canary in the coal mine .
After all , he points out , Trump managed to seduce and mesmerise half of America too , not to mention its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than Russians , who facilitated Trump ’ s rise to power and who may yet connive to keep him there .
Cohen worked closely with David Pecker , then CEO of American Media and publisher of the National Enquirer .
Together , they smothered the stories of Trump ’ s extramarital relationships with the adult actor Stormy Daniels and the Playboy model Karen McDougal .
( Cohen ended up paying off Daniels himself , an illegal campaign expense that helped put him in jail . )
Amid the cover-ups , lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has dark gifts .
These include talent , charisma and pure ruthless ambition , plus what he calls an innate ability to tap into voters ’ deep prejudices and fears and to exploit them for his own benefit .
The president , he says , lives constantly in the present tense , thinking nothing of the consequences of his actions , a sort of shark who survives by continuous motion .
There are a few things Cohen leaves out .
We don ’ t learn anything about his meetings with the special counsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Cohen broke with Trump in the summer of 2018 and came clean .
Nor does Cohen say much about Paul Manafort , Trump ’ s campaign chairman , who was slipping off to pass polling data and other pieces of information to a career Russian spy .
Ultimately , Disloyal is an artful work of self-reinvention .
It is ( ghost ? )
written in rollicking style and confected to give the impression Cohen is humbly repentant and ashamed .
Maybe he is and his moral awakening is for real .
Cohen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much on why he stopped being Trump ’ s “ gangster lawyer ” .
Perhaps we should merely be thankful that he is now ringer of the nation ’ s alarm bell and deliverer of cold truth to a complicit Republican party .
Luke Harding ’ s latest book , Shadow State : Murder , Mayhem and Russia ’ s Remaking of the West ( Guardian Faber ) , is available from the Guardian Bookshop • Disloyal : A Memoir by Michael Cohen is published by Skyhorse Publishing ( £22 ) .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Free UK p & p over £15

In summer 2012, Michael Cohen took his family to a golf resort owned by Donald Trump in New Jersey. By this point, he had been working as Trump’s lawyer-cum-attack dog for six years. Trump noticed a teenage girl walking off the tennis court, her hair scrunched in a ponytail. “Look at that piece of ass! I would love some of that,” the man Cohen called “the Boss” declared.
Cohen explained to the future president of the United States that this was actually his 15-year-old daughter, Samantha. An unabashed Trump asked when “she had got so hot”, demanded a kiss from Samantha and told her she had a ”beautiful figure”. After this distinctly creepy encounter, Cohen’s daughter begged him to quit as Trump’s attorney. He didn’t.
Instead, Cohen went down a hubristic path. It would take him to glory: helping Trump to beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US election and then to a job as the president’s personal attorney. And to doom and disaster: a bitter public feud with the White House’s Tweeter-in-Chief and to a stint in jail after he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and to other crimes.
Disloyal is Cohen’s kiss-and-tell account of the decade he spent at Trump’s side. It is an exhilarating and lurid story – part survivor’s memoir, part revenge tragedy. His verdict on the president is brutal. It is, for the most part, convincing. Trump, according to Cohen, is a cheat, liar, fraud, bully, racist and predator. And a gargantuan conman who has succeeded in duping millions of Americans.
From the 26th floor of Trump Tower, he would summon Cohen to fix messes of his own making
As Cohen tells it, Trump is unlikely to quit if he loses November’s election to Joe Biden. Instead, he expects the president to cheat his way to victory, a tactic that has served him well before. Cohen’s reasoning is plausible: that Trump will do anything to stay in power, knowing full well that once he is out of office, federal and state charges and a possible prison cell await.
The Trump who emerges from these pages has the charm and menace of a mafia mobster. From the 26th floor of Trump Tower, he would summon Cohen to fix messes of his own making. They included women with whom Trump had had affairs, who needed to be bought off, and disgruntled contractors and others whom Trump had stiffed. Trump’s directions were always oblique, Cohen writes, leaving room for deniability.
There are gossipy sketches of the president’s family and flatterers. Jared Kushner is a conceited man-boy, Ivanka a bit more likable, according to Cohen. All of the Trump children were starved of their father’s love as children and are now “forever trapped in a cycle of seeking his approval”. This explains why they tolerate his immigrant-bashing outbursts. Trump’s marriage to Melania, meanwhile, is purely transactional – “just another deal, plain and simple”.
Disloyal is illuminating on the theme of collusion with Russia, in which Cohen played a lead role. For four decades, Trump tried to build a hotel in Moscow. In December 2015, Cohen got in touch with Vladimir Putin’s press spokesman, Dmitry Peskov. While Trump was praising Putin on the campaign stump, Cohen was secretly trying to get Trump Tower Moscow off the ground. Trump knew, of course, as did the Trump kids.
Trump, according to Cohen, is a cheat, liar, fraud, bully, racist and predator
According to Cohen, Trump colluded with the Kremlin, but not in the sophisticated way imagined by some of his critics. His treason, if you can call it that, was of the pedestrian, me-first kind. Trump and Putin were united in their loathing for Clinton, with Trump willing to accept Russian help (hacking, spies, trolls, oligarchs bearing gifts) so long as it benefited him personally.
Cohen is scathing about Christopher Steele, the former MI6 spy whose dossier says the Russians have been cultivating Trump for years. One of Steele’s memos alleges Cohen met Russian intermediaries in Prague in summer 2016, something Cohen insists is not true. Trump sucks up to Putin because he loves money and figures – rightly in my view – that the one-time KGB colonel is the world’s richest man, worth a trillion dollars.
Still, Cohen thinks it’s “not entirely impossible” that the notorious dossier pee tape exists. Trump – allegedly – watched two prostitutes perform in his hotel suite while in Russia for the Miss Universe pageant. Cohen wasn’t there. Instead, he describes an outing to a Las Vegas strip club, around the same time, where Trump and his Moscow buddies Emin and Aras Agalarov watched a similar act on stage. They enjoyed it, Cohen tells us.
Why, you wonder, did he spend so long pandering to Trump and his ginormous ego? Cohen’s answer: he was made drunk by a cocktail of power, strength, celebrity and complete disregard for the rules. He likens himself to Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. Or, switching metaphor, to the canary in the coal mine. After all, he points out, Trump managed to seduce and mesmerise half of America too, not to mention its bewitched media class.
It is Americans, more than Russians, who facilitated Trump’s rise to power and who may yet connive to keep him there. Cohen worked closely with David Pecker, then CEO of American Media and publisher of the National Enquirer. Together, they smothered the stories of Trump’s extramarital relationships with the adult actor Stormy Daniels and the Playboy model Karen McDougal. (Cohen ended up paying off Daniels himself, an illegal campaign expense that helped put him in jail.)
Amid the cover-ups, lying and sleaze, Cohen acknowledges that Trump has dark gifts. These include talent, charisma and pure ruthless ambition, plus what he calls an innate ability to tap into voters’ deep prejudices and fears and to exploit them for his own benefit. The president, he says, lives constantly in the present tense, thinking nothing of the consequences of his actions, a sort of shark who survives by continuous motion.
There are a few things Cohen leaves out. We don’t learn anything about his meetings with the special counsel Robert Mueller and his FBI team, after Cohen broke with Trump in the summer of 2018 and came clean. Nor does Cohen say much about Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, who was slipping off to pass polling data and other pieces of information to a career Russian spy.
Ultimately, Disloyal is an artful work of self-reinvention. It is (ghost?) written in rollicking style and confected to give the impression Cohen is humbly repentant and ashamed. Maybe he is and his moral awakening is for real. Cohen, though, doesn’t dwell much on why he stopped being Trump’s “gangster lawyer”. Perhaps we should merely be thankful that he is now ringer of the nation’s alarm bell and deliverer of cold truth to a complicit Republican party.
Luke Harding’s latest book, Shadow State: Murder, Mayhem and Russia’s Remaking of the West (Guardian Faber), is available from the Guardian Bookshop


theguardian--2020-09-27--Only a fool would write off Trump. But there’s a reason he’s so desperate  | Michael A Cohen

From afar , the 2020 US presidential election must look like something akin to a dumpster fire , on top of a tyre fire , during a hurricane .
It certainly feels that way to many Americans .
But if one looks closer , the outlines of the presidential race are quite clear and have been for some time : Donald Trump , the incumbent , is deeply unpopular with the American people , is trailing badly in opinion polls and there is little indication that this will change in the five-and-a-half weeks until election day .
Indeed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US politics is that Americans don ’ t like the president .
Never during his nearly four years in office has Trump surpassed 50 % in surveys .
Since the autumn of 2019 , Trump has never led Democratic nominee Joe Biden in head-to-head polling .
The closest he came was in late February , before Covid-19 hit the United States , when he trailed by four points .
If one wants to go back further , since Trump unexpectedly won the White House in 2016 , the electoral story has been one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistently overperformed in special elections throughout 2017 and 2018 , including winning a Senate seat in Alabama , one of the most conservative states .
In the 2018 midterms for Congress , Democrats won the popular vote by a larger margin than in any such election in more than four decades .
One might imagine that a pandemic , incompetently handled by a president who was recorded admitting he lied to Americans about how deadly it could be , leading to the deaths of more than 200,000 people in just over six months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
However , this is the president ’ s political ace in the hole : his floor of support – around 42 % or 43 % of the US electorate – has been largely unchanged even in the era of Covid-19 .
Trump once joked that he could shoot someone in New York ’ s Fifth Avenue and not lose any support .
For the first time in his life , he was guilty of understatement .
In reality , he has directly contributed to the deaths of more than 200,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why so many Americans continue to support such a clearly incompetent and malevolent president is a question for another day .
What matters for the election is that Trump is not winning over any converts .
No matter what happens politically , the numbers don ’ t dramatically shift .
Last month ’ s nominating conventions usually give each candidate a bounce in the polls .
It didn ’ t happen this time .
It was thought that violence in US cities , after the shooting of unarmed black men by police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburban , law-and-order-focused voters .
The opposite occurred .
The president ’ s intemperate response seemed to bolster Biden .
Even the selection of a conservative justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the supreme court is unlikely to boost Trump ’ s chances .
This week , Trump and Biden will meet for the first of three presidential debates .
If the past few months are any indication , these will create plenty of sound and fury… but it will probably signify nothing .
US voters already know how they feel about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has so far run a near flawless campaign , wanted to mess things up for himself , I ’ m not sure how he would do it .
It ’ s practically impossible to capture the burning desire of millions of Americans to rid the nation of Trump , but here ’ s one example .
Earlier this month , the state of Virginia opened in-person early voting .
In a Democratic-leaning district , hundreds of people queued from early in the morning to wait in line for hours to cast their ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indeed , every day that goes by without Trump erasing his polling deficit makes it that much harder for him to win .
By next week , more than a million Americans will have participated in early voting .
In the battleground state of North Carolina , 20 % of all requested mail-in ballots have already been sent back .
This is one reason why the president continues to cast doubt on postal balloting , which has increased because of Covid-19 , and last week even refused to say that he would commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he lost .
Suffice to say , such a refusal has never happened before in US history and is a fast path to authoritarianism if Trump follows through on it .
In addition , for weeks now , Trump has been saying that any electoral verdict in which he does not win would represent a rigged outcome .
Since he is clearly losing , he is trying to make the results appear illegitimate in the hope that he can then use legal challenges and Republican enablers in swing states to subvert the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely write off these efforts – or underplay the danger they represent to America ’ s already diminished democratic legitimacy – it would take an extraordinary confluence of events for Trump to succeed with such a strategy .
Moreover , while there has been little change in the polls for months , only a fool – or someone who has blotted out from their memory the 2016 election – would say Trump can not win .
But it ’ s worth noting that many of the presidential forecasts that Democrats obsessively check each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – if not more so – than any Trump victory .
Anything can happen , but the most likely outcome is increasingly hard to ignore .
• Michael A Cohen ’ s most recent book , co-authored with Micah Zenko , is Clear and Present Safety .

From afar, the 2020 US presidential election must look like something akin to a dumpster fire, on top of a tyre fire, during a hurricane. It certainly feels that way to many Americans.
But if one looks closer, the outlines of the presidential race are quite clear and have been for some time: Donald Trump, the incumbent, is deeply unpopular with the American people, is trailing badly in opinion polls and there is little indication that this will change in the five-and-a-half weeks until election day.
Indeed, the defining characteristic of the Trump era in US politics is that Americans don’t like the president. Never during his nearly four years in office has Trump surpassed 50% in surveys. Since the autumn of 2019, Trump has never led Democratic nominee Joe Biden in head-to-head polling. The closest he came was in late February, before Covid-19 hit the United States, when he trailed by four points.
If one wants to go back further, since Trump unexpectedly won the White House in 2016, the electoral story has been one of almost constant political backlash. Democrats consistently overperformed in special elections throughout 2017 and 2018, including winning a Senate seat in Alabama, one of the most conservative states. In the 2018 midterms for Congress, Democrats won the popular vote by a larger margin than in any such election in more than four decades.
One might imagine that a pandemic, incompetently handled by a president who was recorded admitting he lied to Americans about how deadly it could be, leading to the deaths of more than 200,000 people in just over six months, would further erode Trump’s support.
However, this is the president’s political ace in the hole: his floor of support – around 42% or 43% of the US electorate – has been largely unchanged even in the era of Covid-19. Trump once joked that he could shoot someone in New York’s Fifth Avenue and not lose any support. For the first time in his life, he was guilty of understatement. In reality, he has directly contributed to the deaths of more than 200,000 people and paid barely any political price.
Even if Biden, who has run a near flawless campaign, wanted to mess things up, I’m not sure how he would do it
Why so many Americans continue to support such a clearly incompetent and malevolent president is a question for another day. What matters for the election is that Trump is not winning over any converts. No matter what happens politically, the numbers don’t dramatically shift.
Last month’s nominating conventions usually give each candidate a bounce in the polls. It didn’t happen this time. It was thought that violence in US cities, after the shooting of unarmed black men by police, would boost Trump’s standing among suburban, law-and-order-focused voters. The opposite occurred. The president’s intemperate response seemed to bolster Biden. Even the selection of a conservative justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the supreme court is unlikely to boost Trump’s chances.
This week, Trump and Biden will meet for the first of three presidential debates. If the past few months are any indication, these will create plenty of sound and fury… but it will probably signify nothing. US voters already know how they feel about Trump. Even if Biden, who has so far run a near flawless campaign, wanted to mess things up for himself, I’m not sure how he would do it.
It’s practically impossible to capture the burning desire of millions of Americans to rid the nation of Trump, but here’s one example. Earlier this month, the state of Virginia opened in-person early voting. In a Democratic-leaning district, hundreds of people queued from early in the morning to wait in line for hours to cast their ballot – 50 days before election day. Indeed, every day that goes by without Trump erasing his polling deficit makes it that much harder for him to win. By next week, more than a million Americans will have participated in early voting. In the battleground state of North Carolina, 20% of all requested mail-in ballots have already been sent back.
This is one reason why the president continues to cast doubt on postal balloting, which has increased because of Covid-19, and last week even refused to say that he would commit to a peaceful transition of power if he lost. Suffice to say, such a refusal has never happened before in US history and is a fast path to authoritarianism if Trump follows through on it.
In addition, for weeks now, Trump has been saying that any electoral verdict in which he does not win would represent a rigged outcome. Since he is clearly losing, he is trying to make the results appear illegitimate in the hope that he can then use legal challenges and Republican enablers in swing states to subvert the results.
While it would be wrong to completely write off these efforts – or underplay the danger they represent to America’s already diminished democratic legitimacy – it would take an extraordinary confluence of events for Trump to succeed with such a strategy. Moreover, while there has been little change in the polls for months, only a fool – or someone who has blotted out from their memory the 2016 election – would say Trump cannot win. But it’s worth noting that many of the presidential forecasts that Democrats obsessively check each day consider a Biden landslide as likely – if not more so – than any Trump victory. Anything can happen, but the most likely outcome is increasingly hard to ignore.


theguardian--2020-09-27--Amid talk of civil war, America is already split – Trump Nation has seceded | Robert Reich

What is America really fighting over in the upcoming election ?
Not any particular issue .
Not even Democrats versus Republicans .
The central fight is over Donald J Trump .
Before Trump , most Americans weren ’ t especially passionate about politics .
But Trump ’ s MO has been to force people to become passionate about him – to take fierce sides for or against .
And he considers himself president only of the former , whom he calls “ my people ” .
Trump came to office with no agenda except to feed his monstrous ego .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ His base has fueled him .
Its adoration sustains him .
So does the antipathy of his detractors .
Presidents usually try to appease their critics .
Trump has gone out of his way to offend them .
“ I do bring rage out , ” he unapologetically told Bob Woodward in 2016 .
In this way , he has turned America into a gargantuan projection of his own pathological narcissism .
His entire re-election platform is found in his use of the pronouns “ we ” and “ them ” .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump Nation .
“ They ” hate him .
In late August , near the end of a somnolent address on the South Lawn of the White House , accepting the Republican nomination , Trump extemporized : “ The fact is , we ’ re here – and they ’ re not.
” It drew a standing ovation .
At a recent White House news conference , a CNN correspondent asked if Trump condemned the behavior of his supporters in Portland , Oregon .
In response , he charged : “ Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indeed , shot a young gentleman.
” In Trump ’ s eyes , CNN exists in a different country : Anti-Trump Nation .
So do the putative rioters and looters of “ Biden ’ s America ” .
So do the inhabitants of blue states whose state and local tax deductions Trump eliminated .
So do those who live in the “ Democrat cities ” , as he calls them , whose funding he ’ s trying to cut .
California is a big part of Anti-Trump Nation .
He wanted to reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn ’ t support him ” , said former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor .
New York is the capital of Anti-Trump Nation , which probably contributed to Trump “ playing down ” the threat of Covid-19 last March , when its virulence seemed largely confined to that metropolis .
Even now , Trump claims the US rate of Covid-19 deaths would be low “ if you take the blue states out ” .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the point .
For Trump , blue states don ’ t count because they ’ re Anti-Trump Nation .
To Trump and his core enablers and supporters , the laws of Trump Nation authorize him to do whatever he wants .
Anti-Trump Nation ’ s laws constrain him , but they ’ re illegitimate because they are made and enforced by the people who reject him .
So Trump ’ s call to the president of Ukraine seeking help with the election was “ perfect ” .
It was fine for Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s fine for it to do so again .
And of course the justice department , postal service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should help him win re-election .
They ’ re all aiding Trump Nation .
By a similar twisted logic , Anti-Trump Nation is dangerous .
Hence , says Trump , the armed teenager who killed two in Kenosha , Wisconsin , acted in “ self-defense ” , yet the suspected killer of a rightwinger in Portland deserved the “ retribution ” he got when federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he loses the election , Trump will not accept the result because it would be the product of Anti-Trump Nation , and Trump isn ’ t the president of people who would vote against him .
As he recently claimed , “ The only way we ’ re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.
” In the warped minds of Trump and his acolytes , this could lead to civil war .
Just this week he refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ martial law ” if he loses .
Michael Caputo , assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services , warns “ the shooting will begin ” when Trump refuses to go .
Civil war is unlikely , but the weeks and perhaps months after election day will surely be fraught .
Even if Trump is ultimately forced to relinquish power , his core adherents will continue to view him as their leader .
If he retains power , many if not most Americans will consider his presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s megalomaniacal ego will prevail .
America will have come apart over him , and Trump Nation will have seceded from Anti-Trump Nation .
• None Robert Reich , a former US secretary of labor , is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism : For the Many , Not the Few and The Common Good .
His new book , The System : Who Rigged It , How We Fix It , is out now .
He is a columnist for @ @

What is America really fighting over in the upcoming election? Not any particular issue. Not even Democrats versus Republicans. The central fight is over Donald J Trump.
Before Trump, most Americans weren’t especially passionate about politics. But Trump’s MO has been to force people to become passionate about him – to take fierce sides for or against. And he considers himself president only of the former, whom he calls “my people”.
Trump came to office with no agenda except to feed his monstrous ego. He has never fueled his base. His base has fueled him. Its adoration sustains him.
So does the antipathy of his detractors. Presidents usually try to appease their critics. Trump has gone out of his way to offend them. “I do bring rage out,” he unapologetically told Bob Woodward in 2016.
In this way, he has turned America into a gargantuan projection of his own pathological narcissism.
To Trump and his core enablers and supporters, the laws of Trump Nation authorize him to do whatever he wants
His entire re-election platform is found in his use of the pronouns “we” and “them”. “We” are people who love him, Trump Nation. “They” hate him.
In late August, near the end of a somnolent address on the South Lawn of the White House, accepting the Republican nomination, Trump extemporized: “The fact is, we’re here – and they’re not.” It drew a standing ovation.
At a recent White House news conference, a CNN correspondent asked if Trump condemned the behavior of his supporters in Portland, Oregon. In response, he charged: “Your supporters, and they are your supporters indeed, shot a young gentleman.”
In Trump’s eyes, CNN exists in a different country: Anti-Trump Nation.
So do the putative rioters and looters of “Biden’s America”. So do the inhabitants of blue states whose state and local tax deductions Trump eliminated. So do those who live in the “Democrat cities”, as he calls them, whose funding he’s trying to cut.
California is a big part of Anti-Trump Nation. He wanted to reject its request for aid to battle wildfires “because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn’t support him”, said former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor.
New York is the capital of Anti-Trump Nation, which probably contributed to Trump “playing down” the threat of Covid-19 last March, when its virulence seemed largely confined to that metropolis. Even now, Trump claims the US rate of Covid-19 deaths would be low “if you take the blue states out”. That’s untrue, but it’s not the point. For Trump, blue states don’t count because they’re Anti-Trump Nation.
To Trump and his core enablers and supporters, the laws of Trump Nation authorize him to do whatever he wants. Anti-Trump Nation’s laws constrain him, but they’re illegitimate because they are made and enforced by the people who reject him.
If he loses the election, Trump will not accept the result because it would be the product of Anti-Trump Nation
So Trump’s call to the president of Ukraine seeking help with the election was “perfect”. It was fine for Russia to side with him in 2016, and it’s fine for it to do so again. And of course the justice department, postal service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should help him win re-election. They’re all aiding Trump Nation.
By a similar twisted logic, Anti-Trump Nation is dangerous. Hence, says Trump, the armed teenager who killed two in Kenosha, Wisconsin, acted in “self-defense”, yet the suspected killer of a rightwinger in Portland deserved the “retribution” he got when federal marshals killed him.
It follows that if he loses the election, Trump will not accept the result because it would be the product of Anti-Trump Nation, and Trump isn’t the president of people who would vote against him. As he recently claimed, “The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.”
In the warped minds of Trump and his acolytes, this could lead to civil war. Just this week he refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power. His consigliere Roger Stone urges him to declare “martial law” if he loses. Michael Caputo, assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, warns “the shooting will begin” when Trump refuses to go.
Civil war is unlikely, but the weeks and perhaps months after election day will surely be fraught. Even if Trump is ultimately forced to relinquish power, his core adherents will continue to view him as their leader. If he retains power, many if not most Americans will consider his presidency illegitimate.
So whatever happens, Trump’s megalomaniacal ego will prevail. America will have come apart over him, and Trump Nation will have seceded from Anti-Trump Nation.


theguardian--2020-09-27--Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett to US supreme court – video

Donald Trump has nominated appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett to take the place of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the @ @ @ @ @ he expected the appointment to be confirmed before the 3 November presidential election .
Barrett @ @ @ @ @ and would tip the supreme court 6-3 in favour of conservatives .

Donald Trump has nominated appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett to take the place of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the US supreme court, saying he expected the appointment to be confirmed before the 3 November presidential election. Barrett is a devout pro-life Catholic and would tip the supreme court 6-3 in favour of conservatives.


theguardian--2020-09-28--Will the New York Times taxes report sink Donald Trump?

From the moment he rode down an escalator in the marble-clad , gold-trimmed Trump Tower to declare his candidacy for US president , Donald Trump was selling himself as a successful businessman who could run a successful economy .
It was an image cultivated with voters for a decade on The Apprentice , the reality TV show in which Trump sat in judgment on aspiring entrepreneurs and told most : “ You ’ re fired !
” On Sunday the mask was finally torn off .
According to a blockbuster New York Times investigation into his taxes , the self-proclaimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and extravagance of the 1980s , has been losing more money than he makes .
These are the three key points of the Times report : • None Trump is not very good at business • None Trump is very good at avoiding taxes • None Trump may have serious conflicts of interests with foreign powers Will any of it have a major impact on his reelection chances ?
Up to a point .
Trump declared a staggering $ 1.4bn in losses from his core businesses for 2008 and 2009 .
He appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 421m , most now due within four years .
The Times reported : “ Should he win re-election , his lenders could be placed in the unprecedented position of weighing whether to foreclose on a sitting president.
” Joaquin Castro , a Democratic congressman from Texas , told MSNBC the Times report “ reveals what many people have suspected , which is the larger point that Donald Trump is a fraud , that he ’ s not what he claims to be .
“ He claims to be a successful , deal-making businessman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his tax records reveal that he ’ s actually the opposite .
He ’ s basically a deadbeat who doesn ’ t pay much in taxes.
” Indeed , Trump paid no federal income taxes in 11 of 18 years the Times examined .
In 2016 and 2017 , his tax bill was just $ 750 – far less than almost every US citizen .
It pointed to a wider story about tax avoidance by the wealthy elite .
Elizabeth Warren , a Democratic senator , tweeted : “ He knows better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set of rules for the wealthy and giant corporations and another for hardworking Americans – and instead of using his power to fix it , he ’ s taken advantage of it at every turn.
” It it tempting to see this as terminal for Trump in the November election against Joe Biden .
But we have been here many times before .
The same was said after the release of an Access Hollywood tape in October 2016 , where Trump was heard bragging about sexual assault .
It is also worth remembering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Hillary Clinton .
The Democratic candidate suggested that perhaps Trump was not releasing his tax returns because he had paid nothing in federal taxes .
He interrupted and said : “ That makes me smart.
” There were howls of outrage and prophecies that Trump must be doomed .
Yet perhaps that remark resonated with some voters who reckoned that given the chance , they too would delight in getting around the rules in order to save a few bucks .
Some of the rampant enthusiasm at Trump ’ s rallies just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in him .
When Trump grumbles bitterly about Barack Obama winning the Nobel peace prize while his own nomination received scant coverage , it seems to strike a chord with anyone in the crowd who feels forgotten , neglected or passed over .
When Trump presents the story of a self-perceived “ outsider ” who does not talk like the educated elite yet still made it rich and married a model , these supporters seem to embrace the idea of the blue-collar billionaire as one version of the American dream .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cult who pay little attention to the New York Times or Twitter as it is .
Trump ’ s tax affairs have been reported before – regarding the family business , for one Pulitzer prize-winning example from the Times , from October 2018 .
But the new Times investigation raises further , even more damaging questions .
In his first two years as president , Trump received $ 73m from foreign operations , including $ 3m from the Philippines , $ 2.3m from India and $ 1m from Turkey .
In 2017 he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 156,824 in the Philippines – but just $ 750 in the US .
The president has been notoriously outspoken in his praise for the leaders of the Philippines , India and Turkey .
Does Trump ’ s substantial income from abroad conflict with his responsibilities as president ?
Did he put his personal interest ahead of the American people ?
Did he break the law ?
The Times has promised more stories to come .
They won ’ t shake the Trump faithful , but they might chip away at enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @

From the moment he rode down an escalator in the marble-clad, gold-trimmed Trump Tower to declare his candidacy for US president, Donald Trump was selling himself as a successful businessman who could run a successful economy.
It was an image cultivated with voters for a decade on The Apprentice, the reality TV show in which Trump sat in judgment on aspiring entrepreneurs and told most: “You’re fired!”
On Sunday the mask was finally torn off. According to a blockbuster New York Times investigation into his taxes, the self-proclaimed billionaire, a personification of the hedonism and extravagance of the 1980s, has been losing more money than he makes.
These are the three key points of the Times report:
Trump is not very good at business.
Trump is very good at avoiding taxes.
Trump may have serious conflicts of interests with foreign powers.
Will any of it have a major impact on his reelection chances? Up to a point.
Trump declared a staggering $1.4bn in losses from his core businesses for 2008 and 2009. He appears to have personally guaranteed loans totalling $421m, most now due within four years. The New York Times reported: “Should he win re-election, his lenders could be placed in the unprecedented position of weighing whether to foreclose on a sitting president.”
Donald Trump is a fraud … a deadbeat who doesn’t pay much in taxes Joaquin Castro
Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from Texas, told MSNBC the Times report “reveals what many people have suspected, which is the larger point that Donald Trump is a fraud, that he’s not what he claims to be.
“He claims to be a successful, deal-making businessman who built himself up from the ground and his tax records reveal that he’s actually the opposite. He’s basically a deadbeat who doesn’t pay much in taxes.”
Indeed, Trump paid no federal income taxes in 11 of 18 years the Times examined. In 2016 and 2017, his tax bill was just $750 – far less than almost every US citizen.
It pointed to a wider story about tax avoidance by the wealthy elite.
Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic senator, tweeted: “He knows better than anyone that there’s one set of rules for the wealthy and giant corporations and another for hardworking Americans – and instead of using his power to fix it, he’s taken advantage of it at every turn.”
It is tempting to see this as terminal for Trump in the November election against Joe Biden. But we have been here many times before. The same was said after the release of an Access Hollywood tape in October 2016, where Trump was heard bragging about sexual assault.
It is also worth remembering what happened in the first presidential debate against Hillary Clinton. The Democratic candidate suggested that perhaps Trump was not releasing his tax returns because he had paid nothing in federal taxes.
He interrupted and said: “That makes me smart.”
There were howls of outrage and prophecies that Trump must be doomed. Yet perhaps that remark resonated with some voters who reckoned that given the chance, they too would delight in getting around the rules in order to save a few bucks.
Some of the rampant enthusiasm at Trump’s rallies just possibly comes from people who see themselves in him.
When Trump grumbles bitterly about Barack Obama winning the Nobel peace prize while his own nomination received scant coverage, it seems to strike a chord with anyone in the crowd who feels forgotten, neglected or passed over.
When Trump presents the story of a self-perceived “outsider” who does not talk like the educated elite yet still made it rich and married a model, these supporters seem to embrace the idea of the blue-collar billionaire as one version of the American dream.
There are also large chunks of Trump’s cult who pay little attention to the New York Times or Twitter as it is.
Trump’s tax affairs have been reported before – regarding the family business, for one Pulitzer prize-winning example from the Times, from October 2018. But the new Times investigation raises further, even more damaging questions.
In his first two years as president, Trump received $73m from foreign operations, including $3m from the Philippines, $2.3m from India and $1m from Turkey. In 2017 he paid $145,400 in taxes in India and $156,824 in the Philippines – but just $750 in the US.
The president has been notoriously outspoken in his praise for the leaders of the Philippines, India and Turkey.
Does Trump’s substantial income from abroad conflict with his responsibilities as president? Did he put his personal interest ahead of the American people? Did he break the law?
The Times has promised more stories to come. They won’t shake the Trump faithful, but they might chip away at enough voters to make an important difference.


theguardian--2020-09-27--Trump says overturning Roe v Wade 'possible' with Barrett on supreme court

Donald Trump has said it “ is certainly possible ” Amy Coney Barrett will be part of a supreme court decision overturning Roe v Wade , the 1973 ruling which made abortion legal in the US .
“ She is certainly conservative in her views , in her rulings , and we ’ ll have to see how that all works out but I think it will work out , ” the president told Fox & Friends Weekend of his new nominee .
Asked if Barrett , if confirmed , would be part of a 6-3 conservative-liberal ruling “ on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ It ’ s certainly possible .
And maybe they do it in a different way .
Maybe they ’ d give it back to the states .
You just don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen.
” Progressives and Democrats fear the Indiana appeals judge ’ s strict Catholicism and conservative views will colour any rulings on abortion rights arising from any of 17 cases currently making their way through the courts .
They also worry about the Affordable Care Act , which provides health insurance to millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is due before the court on 10 November .
On Sunday , Trump ’ s opponent in the 3 November presidential election , Joe Biden , framed Barrett ’ s confirmation as a fight for the healthcare law .
Speaking in Wilmington , Delaware , he said Trump had “ laid out clearly what his objective is , terminate Obamacare .
“ Women could once again be charged higher premiums just because they are women ; pregnancy could become a pre-existing condition again ; seniors will see their prescription drug prices go up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It doesn ’ t matter what the American people want , President Trump sees the chance to fulfill his explicit mission , steal away the vital protections of the ACA from countless families who ’ ve come to rely on it for their health , their financial security and the lives of those they love.
” Republicans in the Senate are rushing to confirm Barrett .
Democrats opposing them are backed by polling which shows majorities saying the next president should choose the replacement for the liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But on Sunday the Senate minority whip , Dick Durbin of Illinois , told ABC ’ s This Week : “ We can slow it down perhaps a matter of hours , maybe days at the most , but we can ’ t stop the outcome.
” “ Take a step back from the brink , take off the blinders of politics for just one critical moment , stand for the constitution you swore to uphold , ” he said .
“ This is a time to de-escalate , to put an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strong-arming of the nation and the chaos of this president .
Just because you have the power to do something doesn ’ t absolve you of the responsibility to do right by the American people.
” Any effect on the election remains of course to be seen .
Biden leads national and most swing state polls .
Trump focused on the issue in Pennsylvania on Saturday night and returned to it at the White House on Sunday evening , seeking to divert from a bombshell New York Times report on his taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Michigan , another battleground state , told Fox News Sunday she thought Barrett would strike down the ACA .
A focus on the ACA , rather than a narrower emphasis on abortion , worked for Democrats in 2018 , when they took back the House .
On Sunday , House speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN ’ s State of the Union : “ The antidote to whatever [ Trump ] does is to vote , vote , vote .
Vote for affordable care , vote for your pre-existing condition , vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The court upheld the ACA in 2012 , Chief Justice John Roberts the swing vote .
On Fox News Sunday , Eugene Scalia , the US labor secretary and son of the late justice Antonin Scalia , for whom Barrett clerked , dismissed the importance of Barrett having attacked Roberts for that decision .
“ It ’ s a red herring , ” he said .
“ It reflects frustration on the part of the Democrats as to how they might attack the nomination.
” Trump has placed two conservatives on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose confirmation was dominated by allegations of sexual assault he vehemently denied .
On Saturday , Senate judiciary chair Lindsey Graham told Fox News it was “ appropriate to challenge the nominee ” but if Democrats “ treat Judge Barrett like they did Justice Kavanaugh , it ’ s going to blow up in their face big time ” .
John Kennedy of Louisiana told Fox News Sunday : “ If my Democratic friends want to turn [ hearings ] into an intergalactic freak show , bring back the protesters with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop them.
” The Republican also said he wanted “ to be assured [ Barrett was ] not one of these justices that tries to rewrite the constitution to advance a political agenda voters won ’ t accept ” .
According to Pew Research , about six in 10 Americans “ say abortion should be legal in all or most cases ” .
Majorities support the ACA .
The court has not always ruled in Trump ’ s favour , recently upholding LGBTQ+ rights and blocking moves on immigration .
The president told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think you know somebody and then you get rulings a little bit different than you think could happen.
” Those rulings saw Roberts and in the LGBTQ+ case Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch side with the liberals .
Shoring up support from evangelicals , whose leaders he met before unveiling Barrett , Trump has committed to choosing anti-abortion justices .
He told Fox that with Barrett , he “ didn ’ t discuss certain concepts and certain things .
And some people say you shouldn ’ t .
I don ’ t see any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I decided not to do it.
” When nominating Kavanaugh , Trump was reported to have said he was “ saving ” Barrett “ for Ginsburg ” .
In a statement , Alexis McGill Johnson of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund , said : “ Barrett ’ s history of hostility toward reproductive health and rights , expanded healthcare access and more demonstrate that she will put Justice Ginsburg ’ s long record of ensuring that everyone receives equal justice under the law at risk .
”

Donald Trump has said it “is certainly possible” Amy Coney Barrett will be part of a supreme court decision overturning Roe v Wade, the 1973 ruling which made abortion legal in the US.
“She is certainly conservative in her views, in her rulings, and we’ll have to see how that all works out, but I think it will work out,” the president told Fox & Friends Weekend of his new nominee.
Asked if Barrett, if confirmed, would be part of a 6-3 conservative-liberal ruling “on a life issue”, Trump said: “It’s certainly possible. And maybe they do it in a different way. Maybe they’d give it back to the states. You just don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Progressives and Democrats fear the Indiana appeals judge’s strict Catholicism and conservative views will colour any rulings on abortion rights arising from any of 17 cases currently making their way through the courts.
They also worry about the Affordable Care Act, which provides health insurance to millions. An attempt to strike it down is due before the court on 10 November.
On Sunday, Trump’s opponent in the 3 November presidential election, Joe Biden, framed Barrett’s confirmation as a fight for the healthcare law. Speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, he said Trump had “laid out clearly what his objective is, terminate Obamacare.
“Women could once again be charged higher premiums just because they are women; pregnancy could become a pre-existing condition again; seniors will see their prescription drug prices go up and the funding for Medicare go down.
“It doesn’t matter what the American people want, President Trump sees the chance to fulfill his explicit mission, steal away the vital protections of the ACA from countless families who’ve come to rely on it for their health, their financial security and the lives of those they love.”
Republicans in the Senate are rushing to confirm Barrett. Democrats opposing them are backed by polling which shows majorities saying the next president should choose the replacement for the liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died aged 87 last week. But on Sunday the Senate minority whip, Dick Durbin of Illinois, told ABC’s This Week: “We can slow it down perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most, but we can’t stop the outcome.”
Biden made an impassioned plea to Republicans.
“Take a step back from the brink, take off the blinders of politics for just one critical moment, stand for the constitution you swore to uphold,” he said.
“This is a time to de-escalate, to put an end to the shattering of precedents, the strong-arming of the nation and the chaos of this president. Just because you have the power to do something doesn’t absolve you of the responsibility to do right by the American people.”
Any effect on the election remains of course to be seen. Biden leads national and most swing state polls. Trump focused on the issue in Pennsylvania on Saturday night and returned to it at the White House on Sunday evening, seeking to divert from a bombshell New York Times report on his taxes. Debbie Stabenow, a Democratic senator from Michigan, another battleground state, told Fox News Sunday she thought Barrett would strike down the ACA.
A focus on the ACA, rather than a narrower emphasis on abortion, worked for Democrats in 2018, when they took back the House. On Sunday, House speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN’s State of the Union: “The antidote to whatever [Trump] does is to vote, vote, vote. Vote for affordable care, vote for your pre-existing condition, vote for your safety and vote for your health.”
The court upheld the ACA in 2012, Chief Justice John Roberts the swing vote. On Fox News Sunday, Eugene Scalia, the US labor secretary and son of the late justice Antonin Scalia, for whom Barrett clerked, dismissed the importance of Barrett having attacked Roberts for that decision.
“It’s a red herring,” he said. “It reflects frustration on the part of the Democrats as to how they might attack the nomination.”
Trump has placed two conservatives on the court. The second was Brett Kavanaugh, whose confirmation was dominated by allegations of sexual assault he vehemently denied.
On Saturday, Senate judiciary chair Lindsey Graham told Fox News it was “appropriate to challenge the nominee” but if Democrats “treat Judge Barrett like they did Justice Kavanaugh, it’s going to blow up in their face big time”.
John Kennedy of Louisiana told Fox News Sunday: “If my Democratic friends want to turn [hearings] into an intergalactic freak show, bring back the protesters with the genitalia-shaped headgear, I can’t stop them.” The Republican also said he wanted “to be assured [Barrett was] not one of these justices that tries to rewrite the constitution to advance a political agenda voters won’t accept”.
According to Pew Research, about six in 10 Americans “say abortion should be legal in all or most cases”. Majorities support the ACA.
The court has not always ruled in Trump’s favour, recently upholding LGBTQ+ rights and blocking moves on immigration. The president told Fox: “You know, you think you know somebody and then you get rulings a little bit different than you think could happen.”
Those rulings saw Roberts and in the LGBTQ+ case Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch side with the liberals.
Shoring up support from evangelicals, whose leaders he met before unveiling Barrett, Trump has committed to choosing anti-abortion justices. He told Fox that with Barrett, he “didn’t discuss certain concepts and certain things. And some people say you shouldn’t. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t. But I decided not to do it.”
When nominating Kavanaugh, Trump was reported to have said he was “saving” Barrett “for Ginsburg”.
In a statement, Alexis McGill Johnson of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said: “Barrett’s history of hostility toward reproductive health and rights, expanded healthcare access and more demonstrate that she will put Justice Ginsburg’s long record of ensuring that everyone receives equal justice under the law at risk.”