theguardian--2020-07-23--Trump abandons plan for Republican convention events in Jacksonville, Florida – as it happened

As US school districts finalize plans for the fall semester and classes in some districts are set to remain online , some parents have begun teaming up to form “ pods ” with other families and arrange their own forms of education .
Elyssa Katz , a Santa Monica mother of three , is growing a matchmaking service to connect families with tutors , or “ Zutors ” , as she calls them – a word she ’ s in the process of trademarking .
“ The role of a Zutor is a tutor , a nanny , and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Guardian , someone who can take over parental demands , help children with online homework and take them outside when it ’ s time for “ recess ” .
Katz ’ s clients range from the rich and famous , to everyday people who need childcare because they can ’ t look after their children while they have to work .
Katz said she had gotten calls from parents as far away as the Hamptons .
For a matchmaking fee that can range from $ 700 to $ 1,000 ( £549 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team will interview tutor candidates , run background and reference checks , then match them to the right families .
Fees for tutors and child care can range from $ 20 to $ 65 ( £15 to £51 ) an hour , which would amount to $ 1,625 ( £1,276 ) a week if a tutor was hired for five hours a day , five days a week – though Katz said fees vary by the type of service .
“ Some services are charging as much as $ 125 ( £98 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are some people for whom money isn ’ t really an object , people who say ‘ I want this for my kids and I ’ ll do anything I can for them ’ , ” Katz said .

Maanvi Singh (now) in San Francisco, Mark Oliver in New York and Joan E Greve in Washington

23 Jul 2020 00.54 BST Summary From me and Joan E Greve: Donald Trump announced that the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville is canceled. The move comes after Trump shifted the venue to Jacksonville from Charlotte after North Carolina’s governor expressed concerns about hosting a full-scale convention amid the pandemic.
The move comes after Trump shifted the venue to Jacksonville from Charlotte after North Carolina’s governor expressed concerns about hosting a full-scale convention amid the pandemic. Florida voters disapproved of both their governor Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump, according to a Quinnipiac poll released today. As the state sees record numbers of cases, a majority Floridians polled said masks should be mandated.
As the state sees record numbers of cases, a majority Floridians polled said masks should be mandated. The justice department inspector general announced an investigation into the actions taken by federal agents in Portland. DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz said his office would also investigate federal agents’ forceful removal of peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square near the White House last month.
DOJ inspector general said his office would also investigate federal agents’ forceful removal of peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square near the White House last month. The mayor of Portland was teargassed last night during protests against the presence of federal agents in the city. The incident occurred hours after Trump announced plans to send federal troops to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico, as well.
The incident occurred hours after announced plans to send federal troops to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico, as well. The number of US coronavirus cases surpassed 4 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The country hit the grim milestone as dozens of states report increases in new cases.
according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The country hit the grim milestone as dozens of states report increases in new cases. Another 1.4 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last we ek. The figure marks a slight uptick from the week before, ending four months of declines in the country’s weekly unemployment claims. Additional unemployment benefits are set to expire next week.
The figure marks a slight uptick from the week before, ending four months of declines in the country’s weekly unemployment claims. Additional unemployment benefits are set to expire next week. A federal judge ruled Michael Cohen should be released from prison. US District Judge Alvin K Hellerstein said the president’s former lawyer should be allowed to return to home confinement, concluding that Cohen’s imprisonment was “retaliatory because of his desire to exercise his First Amendment rights.” Cohen announced earlier this month that he was nearing completion of his book on the president.
23 Jul 2020 00.29 BST Dr. Anthony Fauci threw the first pitch, at an empty baseball stadium, to kick off the Nationals vs Yankees game in DC. Major League Baseball finally returned today — with several coronavirus safety measures in place. Games will be played between teams in the same region, to limit travel. And fans will have to watch from home - though the venues may play crowd noises to make the players feel more at ease. Ahead of the moment, Fauci told Washington Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman he was nervous about throwing the first pitch. “Don’t worry about it,” Zimmerman responded. “If you bounce it, there’s nobody there to boo you. So, you’ll be good to go.” Here’s how he did: Fauci first pitch. 😂 pic.twitter.com/7bvIiEaw2t — Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) July 23, 2020 I can’t say I’d do any better.
Updated at 00.37 BST
23 Jul 2020 00.19 BST Poll: Florida voters disapprove of Trump and governor DeSantis Nearly 80% of voters in Florida said the state should mandate face masks, according to a Quinnipiac poll released today. Facing a record number of coronavirus cases, 70% of Floridians who were polled said the virus was “out of control” in the state. A majority felt it was unsafe to send children to school in the fall, and that Governor Ron DeSantis reopened the economy “too quickly”. More from Quinnipiac: Voters give Governor DeSantis a negative job approval for his handling of the response to the coronavirus, as 38 percent approve, while 57 percent disapprove. In April, 50 percent approved, while 41 percent disapproved. Voters give President Trump a negative job approval for his handling of the response to the coronavirus; 37 percent approve, while 59 percent disapprove. In April, 46 percent approved, while 51 percent disapproved.
Updated at 00.33 BST
23 Jul 2020 23.59 BST Trump adviser Judd Deere confirmed that the president spoke with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman today. They discussed the coronavirus pandemic and economy, and “President Trump also expressed his well wishes” to Bin Salman, Deere said. Earlier today, Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin, for the first time since the New York Times reported that Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill US troops. Today, President @realDonaldTrump spoke with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two leaders discussed the latest positive developments in defeating the coronavirus pandemic and re-energizing global economies. — Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) July 23, 2020
Updated at 00.21 BST
23 Jul 2020 23.49 BST The Trump campaign has released a statement on the decision to cancel the RNC convention in Jacksonville: “Leading by example, President Trump has put the health and safety of the American people first with his decision on the Jacksonville convention,” said campaign manager Bill Stepien. He promised that the campaign would arrange for “exciting, informative, and enthusiastic programming” in lieu of a traditional convention.
23 Jul 2020 23.42 BST My colleague Mario Koran reports: As US school districts finalize plans for the fall semester and classes in some districts are set to remain online, some parents have begun teaming up to form “pods” with other families and arrange their own forms of education. Elyssa Katz, a Santa Monica mother of three, is growing a matchmaking service to connect families with tutors, or “Zutors”, as she calls them – a word she’s in the process of trademarking. “The role of a Zutor is a tutor, a nanny, and an angel for a parent,” Katz told the Guardian, someone who can take over parental demands, help children with online homework and take them outside when it’s time for “recess”. Katz’s clients range from the rich and famous, to everyday people who need childcare because they can’t look after their children while they have to work. Katz said she had gotten calls from parents as far away as the Hamptons. For a matchmaking fee that can range from $700 to $1,000 (£549 to £785), Katz and her team will interview tutor candidates, run background and reference checks, then match them to the right families. Fees for tutors and child care can range from $20 to $65 (£15 to £51) an hour, which would amount to $1,625 (£1,276) a week if a tutor was hired for five hours a day, five days a week – though Katz said fees vary by the type of service. “Some services are charging as much as $125 (£98) an hour. This is LA. There are some people for whom money isn’t really an object, people who say ‘I want this for my kids and I’ll do anything I can for them’,” Katz said. Rise of the 'Zutors': private Zoom tutors spark controversy as virtual school year looms Read more
23 Jul 2020 23.12 BST Trump had initially lobbied for a full-scale convention, packed with guests without face-coverings. In early June, when North Carolina’s Democratic governor Roy Cooper said that would be impossible to arrange amid a pandemic, noting in a letter to the RNC that “it is unlikely that we would be to the point at the end of August to be able to have a jam-packed 19,000-person convention,” Trump said they were “forced” to choose a different city to host the event.
Updated at 23.14 BST
23 Jul 2020 23.01 BST That’s it for the briefing. Trump said he’ll throw the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on August 15. Dr. Anthony Fauci - the health official in charge of the US response to the coronavirus pandemic who has been sidelined during these daily briefings - is throwing the first pitch at the Washington Nationals vs Yankees game today.
Updated at 00.36 BST
23 Jul 2020 22.57 BST Trump bragged that the US has conducted more coronavirus tests than any other country. This may well be true but here’s some context: Per the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus resource center: “In order for governments to identify new cases and effectively respond to the pandemic through tracing and treatment, testing programs should be scaled to the size of their epidemic, not the size of the population.” Part of the reason that US needs to conduct so much testing - even more than it is already doing – is because the size of the outbreak here is so big. There are more cases of coronavirus in the US than anywhere else in the world.
Updated at 23.38 BST
23 Jul 2020 22.52 BST Trump once again called for schools to reopen. “Districts may need to delay reopening for a few weeks,” he acknowledged, as cases surge. If public schools don’t open, Trump said that funding should “follow” students to private and charter schools.
23 Jul 2020 22.40 BST The Republican National Committee had recently announced it would restrict attendance at its Jacksonville convention as Florida’s coronavirus cases and deaths spiked, limiting the number of guests that delegates are able to bring and spreading the event across two venues. Florida reported its largest number of deaths in a single day from the coronavirus today, and more than 10,000 Floridians have tested positive for Covid-19 so far. The convention was originally meant to be held in Charlotte, but the RNC moved the location after North Carolina’s governor Roy Cooper was reluctant about hosting large, crowded events amid the pandemic without distancing and safety measures. “When we made these changes, we had hoped to be able to plan a traditional convention celebration to which we are all accustomed,” RNC chair Ronna McDaniel wrote in a letter to committee members at the time. “However, adjustments must be made to comply with state and local health guidelines.”
Updated at 22.45 BST


theguardian--2020-07-23--Trump cancels Republican national convention events in Jacksonville, Florida

Donald Trump has cancelled the part of the Republican national convention that had been due to take place in Jacksonville , Florida , his biggest public retreat yet from the ferocity of the coronavirus pandemic .
The US president ’ s insistence on a packed crowd had forced the Republican National Committee to announce in June that it would move most of its agenda – including Trump ’ s acceptance speech as nominee – to Jacksonville from Charlotte , North Carolina , where health guidelines are stricter .
But since then , virus infections have soared in Florida , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcing Trump to reluctantly pull the plug .
“ I told my team it ’ s time to cancel the Jacksonville , Florida , component of the convention , ” he said in a White House press briefing .
“ I ’ ll still do a convention speech in a different form , but we won ’ t do a big , crowded convention per se .
It ’ s just not the right time for that.
” The move is the latest and starkest example of Trump bowing to the scientific reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected 4m Americans and killed more than 144,000 .
A campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , last month suffered a poor turnout , presumably in part because of fears that the virus would spread in the indoor arena .
Another recent plan for an outdoor rally in New Hampshire was cancelled , ostensibly because of the weather .
After months of refusing to wear a face mask in public , Trump finally did so and urged people to do likewise .
He had still hoped to press ahead with a splashy acceptance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the candidates ’ convention remarks are usually made-for-TV moments that help define presidential election campaigns .
But the difficulties became clear when Jacksonville recently imposed a requirement that people must wear masks indoors .
Florida , governed by Ron DeSantis , a strong Trump ally , has become one of the hardest-hit states : it reported 10,249 new cases on Thursday .
The president finally threw in the towel .
Questioned by reporters about the decision , he explained : “ I just felt it was wrong to have people going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When we chose it , it was not at all hot .
It was free and all of a sudden it happened quickly .
It happens quickly .
It goes away and it goes away quickly .
The key is we want it to go away without a lot of death , without a lot of problems.
” Some events will continue as planned in Charlotte , Trump confirmed , including his nomination as party standard bearer .
“ We ’ re going to do a fairly reasonably quick meeting in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then we ’ ll announce what we ’ re doing , how we ’ re doing it , whether it ’ s something that ’ s done online .
“ There can be nothing like our last convention , unfortunately .
That was a great convention in a great place , as you know , we had a great time , a great time in Cleveland .
But it ’ s a different world and it will be for a little while .
We want to get the world back to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed his mind , the president denied that Florida officials had asked him to cancel .
“ I would just say safety .
I could see the media saying , ‘ Oh , this is very unsafe.
’ I don ’ t want to be in that position .
It ’ s safety – not because of the media , but that ’ s what they would say , and we ’ ll have a very nice something .
We ’ ll figure it out.
” Florida is Trump ’ s adopted home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But even before Thursday ’ s announcement , Republican senators including Mitt Romney , Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley had said they would not attend .
Democrats have taken a more guarded approach to their own convention in August .
Some events will be held virtually and some will still be in person in Milwaukee , Wisconsin .
The party will anoint Joe Biden , the former vice-president , as its nominee .

Donald Trump has cancelled the part of the Republican national convention that had been due to take place in Jacksonville, Florida, his biggest public retreat yet from the ferocity of the coronavirus pandemic.
The US president’s insistence on a packed crowd had forced the Republican National Committee to announce in June that it would move most of its agenda – including Trump’s acceptance speech as nominee – to Jacksonville from Charlotte, North Carolina, where health guidelines are stricter.
But since then, virus infections have soared in Florida, including a record 173 deaths on Thursday, forcing Trump to reluctantly pull the plug.
“I told my team it’s time to cancel the Jacksonville, Florida, component of the convention,” he said in a White House press briefing. “I’ll still do a convention speech in a different form, but we won’t do a big, crowded convention per se. It’s just not the right time for that.”
The move is the latest and starkest example of Trump bowing to the scientific reality of the pandemic, which has now infected 4 million Americans and killed more than 144,000. A campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last month suffered a poor turnout, presumably in part because of fears that the virus would spread in the indoor arena. Another recent plan for an outdoor rally in New Hampshire was cancelled, ostensibly because of the weather.
After months of refusing to wear a face mask in public, Trump finally did so and urged people to do likewise. He had still hoped to press ahead with a splashy acceptance speech before a raucous crowd in Jacksonville; the candidates’ convention remarks are usually made-for-TV moments that help define presidential election campaigns.
But the difficulties became clear when Jacksonville recently imposed a requirement that people must wear masks indoors. Florida, governed by Ron DeSantis, a strong Trump ally, has become one of the hardest-hit states: it reported 10,249 new cases on Thursday. The president finally threw in the towel.
Questioned by reporters about the decision, he explained: “I just felt it was wrong to have people going to what turned out to be a hotspot. When we chose it, it was not at all hot. It was free and all of a sudden it happened quickly. It happens quickly. It goes away and it goes away quickly. The key is we want it to go away without a lot of death, without a lot of problems.”
Some events will continue as planned in Charlotte, Trump confirmed, including his nomination as party standard bearer. “We’re going to do a fairly reasonably quick meeting in North Carolina. The nomination will be produced and then we’ll announce what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, whether it’s something that’s done online.
“There can be nothing like our last convention, unfortunately. That was a great convention in a great place, as you know, we had a great time, a great time in Cleveland. But it’s a different world and it will be for a little while. We want to get the world back to what it was.”
Asked which one factor changed his mind, the president denied that Florida officials had asked him to cancel. “I would just say safety. I could see the media saying, ‘Oh, this is very unsafe.’ I don’t want to be in that position. It’s safety – not because of the media, but that’s what they would say, and we’ll have a very nice something. We’ll figure it out.”
Florida is Trump’s adopted home state and a perennial election battleground. But even before Thursday’s announcement, Republican senators including Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley had said they would not attend.
Democrats have taken a more guarded approach to their own convention in August. Some events will be held virtually and some will still be in person in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The party will anoint Joe Biden, the former vice-president, as its nominee.


theguardian--2020-07-23--Ocasio-Cortez delivers powerful speech after Republican's sexist remarks

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ’ s outrage over a Republican lawmaker ’ s verbal assault broadened into an extraordinary moment on the House floor on Thursday as she and other Democrats assailed a sexist culture of “ accepting violence and violent language against women ” whose adherents include Donald Trump .
A day after rejecting an offer of contrition from Republican congressman Ted Yoho for his language during this week ’ s Capitol steps confrontation , Ocasio-Cortez and more than a dozen colleagues cast the incident as all-too-common behavior by men , including the president and other Republicans .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is cultural , ” said Ocasio-Cortez .
She called it a culture “ of accepting a violence and violent language against women , an entire structure of power that supports that ” .
The remarkable outpouring , with several female lawmakers saying they had routinely encountered such treatment , came in an election year in which polls show women lean decisively against Trump , who has a history of mocking women .
Trump was captured in a 2005 tape boasting about physically abusing them , and his disparagement of the House speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her “ crazy ” .
The lawmakers joining Ocasio-Cortez represented a wide range of the chamber ’ s Democrats , underscoring the party ’ s unity over an issue that can energize their party ’ s voters .
No Republicans spoke .
But the House minority leader , Kevin McCarthy , at a separate appearance defended Yoho , 65 , one of his party ’ s most conservative members and who will retire in January .
“ When someone apologizes they should be forgiven , ” McCarthy said .
He added later : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , in a new age , we now determine whether we accept when someone says I ’ m sorry if it ’ s a good enough apology.
” Pelosi herself weighed in during a separate news conference .
“ It ’ s a manifestation of attitude in our society really .
I can tell you that first-hand , they ’ ve called me names for at least 20 years of leadership , 18 years of leadership , ” Pelosi said of Republicans .
Pelosi , who has five children , recounted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reproductive health , GOP lawmakers “ said , on the floor of the House , Nancy Pelosi think she knows more about having babies than the pope ” .
In an encounter on Monday witnessed by a reporter from the Hill , Yoho berated Ocasio-Cortez on the House steps for saying that some of the increased crime during the coronavirus pandemic could be traced to rising unemployment and poverty .
Ocasio-Cortez , a freshman who has made her mark as one of Congress ’ s most outspoken progressives , described it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said Yoho put his finger in her face and called her disgusting , crazy and dangerous .
She also told the House that in front of reporters , he called her , “ and I quote , ‘ a fucking bitch ’ ” .
That matched the Hill ’ s version of what Yoho had said .
Ocasio-Cortez was not there for that remark .
Ocasio-Cortez said Yoho ’ s references to his wife and daughters as he explained his actions during brief remarks on Wednesday actually underscored the problem .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man decent .
Having a wife does not make a decent man .
Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man , ” she said .
She added that a decent man apologizes “ not to save face , not to win a vote .
He apologizes , and genuinely , to repair and acknowledge the harm done , so that we can all move on .
”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s outrage over a Republican lawmaker’s verbal assault broadened into an extraordinary moment on the House floor on Thursday as she and other Democrats assailed a sexist culture of “accepting violence and violent language against women” whose adherents include Donald Trump.
A day after rejecting an offer of contrition from Republican congressman Ted Yoho for his language during this week’s Capitol steps confrontation, Ocasio-Cortez and more than a dozen colleagues cast the incident as all-too-common behavior by men, including the president and other Republicans.
“This issue is not about one incident. It is cultural,” said Ocasio-Cortez. She called it a culture “of accepting a violence and violent language against women, an entire structure of power that supports that”.
The remarkable outpouring, with several female lawmakers saying they had routinely encountered such treatment, came in an election year in which polls show women lean decisively against Trump, who has a history of mocking women. Trump was captured in a 2005 tape boasting about physically abusing them, and his disparagement of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has included calling her “crazy”.
The lawmakers joining Ocasio-Cortez represented a wide range of the chamber’s Democrats, underscoring the party’s unity over an issue that can energize their party’s voters.
No Republicans spoke. But the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, at a separate appearance defended Yoho, 65, one of his party’s most conservative members and who will retire in January.
“When someone apologizes they should be forgiven,” McCarthy said. He added later: “I just think in a new world, in a new age, we now determine whether we accept when someone says I’m sorry if it’s a good enough apology.”
Pelosi herself weighed in during a separate news conference.
“It’s a manifestation of attitude in our society really. I can tell you that first-hand, they’ve called me names for at least 20 years of leadership, 18 years of leadership,” Pelosi said of Republicans.
Pelosi, who has five children, recounted that during a debate years ago on women’s reproductive health, GOP lawmakers “said, on the floor of the House, Nancy Pelosi think she knows more about having babies than the pope”.
In an encounter on Monday witnessed by a reporter from the Hill, Yoho berated Ocasio-Cortez on the House steps for saying that some of the increased crime during the coronavirus pandemic could be traced to rising unemployment and poverty.
Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman who has made her mark as one of Congress’s most outspoken progressives, described it on the House floor on Thursday. She said Yoho put his finger in her face and called her disgusting, crazy and dangerous.
She also told the House that in front of reporters, he called her, “and I quote, ‘a fucking bitch’”. That matched the Hill’s version of what Yoho had said. Ocasio-Cortez was not there for that remark.
Ocasio-Cortez said Yoho’s references to his wife and daughters as he explained his actions during brief remarks on Wednesday actually underscored the problem.
“Having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man,” she said.
She added that a decent man apologizes “not to save face, not to win a vote. He apologizes, and genuinely, to repair and acknowledge the harm done, so that we can all move on.”


theguardian--2020-07-23--Trump is unleashing authoritarianism on US cities – just in time for the election | Andrew Gawthorpe

The essence of fascism , and authoritarianism more generally , is violent spectacle .
This is why uniformed security forces and the violence they unleash are venerated in authoritarian regimes .
They represent the unity , strength and virility of the nation – not least when they are suppressing dissenters and undesirables who they believe threaten these attributes .
Perhaps luckily – it might give him ideas – Donald Trump knows precious little history .
But he understands this dynamic on a gut level .
He saw through all of modern conservatism ’ s cant about rights and liberties and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rights and liberties exist for people like them , not outsiders and dissenters .
The slightest hint that the state might come for their liberties and they ’ ll cry bloody murder .
But provide them with the spectacle of uniformed officers purging the nation of undesirables , and they ’ ll cheer along .
They might even help out .
Only the thirst for violent spectacle can explain the president ’ s decision in recent days to send federal security forces – including paramilitary teams from Customs and Border Protection ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Clad in the same woodland camouflage that American troops wear into combat , this is precisely how they are supposed to be understood : as soldiers suppressing America ’ s enemies .
This theater is not being staged for the benefit of people who live in the affected areas .
Democratic-run , minority-populated cities which can be portrayed as plagued by anarchy and lawlessness are a much more useful political foil for Trump than peaceful , prosperous metropolises .
And predictably enough , the appearance of paramilitary federal security forces – who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shot one in the head with a riot munition – has inflamed rather than calmed the situation .
The real audience is to be found on one of the few things Donald Trump truly understands : television .
As other authoritarian leaders have understood , television is the perfect medium both for knitting a country together and for tearing it apart .
Simplistic in its framing and visceral in its impact , it recreates far-away events right in our living room .
This can be positive , such as during the civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beatings and fire hoses made plain to those outside the south just how far America had strayed from its promise .
But it can also be used to blow out of proportion , to try to convince Americans who couldn ’ t find Portland on a map that events there pose an existential threat to their country .
Replayed endlessly on screen , protests and violence which are mostly limited to a few blocks of a city far away become a symptom of a country “ under siege ” from “ far-left fascism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of Trump ’ s attempt to benefit from authoritarian spectacle .
In the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections , he ordered a surge of US military forces to the southern border in order to protect it from “ invasion ” by “ caravans ” of asylum seekers traveling from Central America .
Prohibited by law from making arrests , the soldiers busied themselves ferrying CBP agents around in helicopters and laying barbed wire .
Trump got the television images he craved , creating the sense among sections of the electorate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of brown outsiders , and that Trump was their brave protector .
Once the election was over , he scarcely ever uttered the word “ caravan ” again .
Watching the same pattern unfold in American cities themselves is deeply concerning .
It also demonstrates the links that exist between the treatment of outsiders and the treatment of those deemed internal enemies .
Just as the military support CBP at the southern border , now the border patrol itself appears in the heartland to suppress dissent and unrest , while its officials condemn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ terrorists ” .
What this drives home is not just the interchangeability of America ’ s security forces , but also of their targets .
For the purposes of the spectacle , this interchangeability is central .
Heroic soldiers are a staple of authoritarian imagery because they seem to embody the nation , united under a strong leader .
To oppose either the soldier or the leader is hence to oppose the nation itself .
Trump – who spent years trying to organize a military parade in Washington DC in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
Sending the same camouflage-clad forces to battle both America ’ s external enemies and its internal dissenters is supposed to send the message that ultimately , the latter are just as dangerous to the nation as the former .
As Trump has already revealed , this message is central to his case for re-election .
Between now and November , he can be expected to use and abuse his power over America ’ s paramilitary security forces to try to bolster this case .
It is clear that many conservative politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual rights and to fear abuses of federal power are now too deeply invested in authoritarianism , too convinced of the depravity of their opponents , to restrain him .
Once their power is taken away peacefully at the ballot box , reforms to the behemoth which America ’ s security apparatus has become will be vital .
Without them , there is no telling how far a future president might take the spectacle of violence .
• None Andrew Gawthorpe is a historian of the United States at Leiden University

The essence of fascism, and authoritarianism more generally, is violent spectacle. This is why uniformed security forces and the violence they unleash are venerated in authoritarian regimes. They represent the unity, strength and virility of the nation – not least when they are suppressing dissenters and undesirables who they believe threaten these attributes.
Perhaps luckily – it might give him ideas – Donald Trump knows precious little history. But he understands this dynamic on a gut level. He saw through all of modern conservatism’s cant about rights and liberties and saw that its beating heart is authoritarian. Rights and liberties exist for people like them, not outsiders and dissenters. The slightest hint that the state might come for their liberties and they’ll cry bloody murder. But provide them with the spectacle of uniformed officers purging the nation of undesirables, and they’ll cheer along. They might even help out.
Only the thirst for violent spectacle can explain the president’s decision in recent days to send federal security forces – including paramilitary teams from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – to Portland and elsewhere. Clad in the same woodland camouflage that American troops wear into combat, this is precisely how they are supposed to be understood: as soldiers suppressing America’s enemies.
This theater is not being staged for the benefit of people who live in the affected areas. Democratic-run, minority-populated cities which can be portrayed as plagued by anarchy and lawlessness are a much more useful political foil for Trump than peaceful, prosperous metropolises. And predictably enough, the appearance of paramilitary federal security forces – who have reportedly violated the rights of protesters and shot one in the head with a riot munition – has inflamed rather than calmed the situation.
The real audience is to be found on one of the few things Donald Trump truly understands: television. As other authoritarian leaders have understood, television is the perfect medium both for knitting a country together and for tearing it apart. Simplistic in its framing and visceral in its impact, it recreates far-away events right in our living room.
This can be positive, such as during the civil rights movement, when images of bloody beatings and fire hoses made plain to those outside the south just how far America had strayed from its promise. But it can also be used to blow out of proportion, to try to convince Americans who couldn’t find Portland on a map that events there pose an existential threat to their country. Replayed endlessly on screen, protests and violence which are mostly limited to a few blocks of a city far away become a symptom of a country “under siege” from “far-left fascism”.
This is simply the latest example of Trump’s attempt to benefit from authoritarian spectacle. In the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections, he ordered a surge of US military forces to the southern border in order to protect it from “invasion” by “caravans” of asylum seekers traveling from Central America. Prohibited by law from making arrests, the soldiers busied themselves ferrying CBP agents around in helicopters and laying barbed wire. Trump got the television images he craved, creating the sense among sections of the electorate that they were under existential threat from hordes of brown outsiders, and that Trump was their brave protector. Once the election was over, he scarcely ever uttered the word “caravan” again.
Watching the same pattern unfold in American cities themselves is deeply concerning. It also demonstrates the links that exist between the treatment of outsiders and the treatment of those deemed internal enemies. Just as the military support CBP at the southern border, now the border patrol itself appears in the heartland to suppress dissent and unrest, while its officials condemn fellow Americans as “anarchists” and “terrorists”. What this drives home is not just the interchangeability of America’s security forces, but also of their targets.
For the purposes of the spectacle, this interchangeability is central. Heroic soldiers are a staple of authoritarian imagery because they seem to embody the nation, united under a strong leader. To oppose either the soldier or the leader is hence to oppose the nation itself. Trump – who spent years trying to organize a military parade in Washington DC in order to encourage just such an association – understands this. Sending the same camouflage-clad forces to battle both America’s external enemies and its internal dissenters is supposed to send the message that ultimately, the latter are just as dangerous to the nation as the former.
As Trump has already revealed, this message is central to his case for re-election. Between now and November, he can be expected to use and abuse his power over America’s paramilitary security forces to try to bolster this case. It is clear that many conservative politicians and voters who claim to believe in individual rights and to fear abuses of federal power are now too deeply invested in authoritarianism, too convinced of the depravity of their opponents, to restrain him. Once their power is taken away peacefully at the ballot box, reforms to the behemoth which America’s security apparatus has become will be vital. Without them, there is no telling how far a future president might take the spectacle of violence.


theguardian--2020-07-23--Ocasio-Cortez speaks about 'culture of violence against women' after Republican's insults – video

The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the insults a Republican colleague was heard saying to her on the steps @ @ @ @ @ Monday are part of a larger problem faced by all women .
The Hill reported @ @ @ @ @ the Florida Republican congressman Ted Yoho .
He apparently said she was 'disgusting ' for @ @ @ @ @ in New York this month 'is a problem of a diseased society , which neglects @ @ @ @ @ is not the solution to crime ' .
Speaking on the House floor on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ 'In front of reporters , Representative Yoho called me , and I quote , a @ @ @ @ @ • 'Bitches get stuff done ' : Ocasio-Cortez hits back after Republican 's tirade

The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the insults a Republican colleague was heard saying to her on the steps of the US Capitol on Monday are part of a larger problem faced by all women.
The Hill reported that Ocasio-Cortez was confronted by the Florida Republican congressman Ted Yoho. He apparently said she was 'disgusting' for saying of spiking gun violence in New York this month 'is a problem of a diseased society, which neglects its marginalized people … policing is not the solution to crime'.
Speaking on the House floor on Thursday morning, Ocasio-Cortez said: 'In front of reporters, Representative Yoho called me, and I quote, a "fucking bitch"'


theguardian--2020-07-24--Biden predicts Trump will try to 'steal the election' by fighting mail-in voting – live

Good morning , live blog readers , and greetings from Washington .
The US is about 100 days out from its presidential election , and things are not looking good for Donald Trump .
The RealClearPolitics average of national polls shows Joe Biden leading the president by nearly 9 points , and several surveys released this week found the Democrat has a similar advantage in key battleground states like Florida , Pennsylvania and Michigan .
But Biden is warning his supporters that Trump will not go down without a long , drawn-out fight .
During a virtual fundraiser last night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to try to indirectly steal the election by arguing that mail-in ballots don ’ t work.
” The former vice president predicted Trump would try to show mail-in ballots are “ not real ” or “ not fair ” in order to contest the results of the election if he loses .
Trump has already sought to question the integrity of mail-in voting , which has become even more important this year because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Last month , the president pushed the false claim that the election could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mailing ballots to US voters .
In reality , voter fraud is very rare , and the country has relied on mail-in voting as a key part of its election system for decades .
On top of that , if the president ends up losing some of these battleground states by double digits , as recent polls suggest he might , it ’ ll be harder for him to contest the result .
But that doesn ’ t mean Trump won ’ t try .
Here ’ s what else the blog is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidential Medal of Freedom to Olympian and former Republican congressman Jim Ryun at 11 am ET .
He will deliver remarks and sign executive orders on lowering drug prices at 3 pm ET .
He will then leave Washington to spend the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
• The opening ceremonies of the 2020 Olympics would have been held today in Tokyo , but the games have obviously been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The blog will have more coming up , so stay tuned @

24 Jul 2020 00.32 BST A San Francisco bus driver was assaulted with a bat after he asked three passengers to comply with the city’s health orders and wear a mask, the AP reports. The assault occurred Wednesday when three passengers boarded a bus and refused the driver’s request to don a face covering. The driver then pulled over. “As the victim was escorting the males off the bus one of the males pulled out a wooden bat and struck the victim several times, which caused the victim to be injured,” San Francisco police said. Public transit workers have faced significant risks during the pandemic. Many transit agencies were slow to provide basic protections, such as face masks and paid sick leave. Dozens of transit workers in New York City died of Covid-19. As mask orders have been enacted around the world, transit workers are often faced with the difficult choice of enforcing the orders themselves or allowing scofflaws to risk their own and others’ safety. In early July, a French bus driver died following an assault by passengers who refused to wear masks.
Updated at 00.48 BST
24 Jul 2020 00.08 BST Visitors to Washington DC from coronavirus “hot spots” will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days, mayor Muriel Bowser said today. Beginning Monday, July 27, anyone coming into Washington, DC from a high-risk area who was not traveling for essential activities will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
The order excludes Maryland and Virginia.
Read the full order: https://t.co/mGCbO7MHcP pic.twitter.com/rcSliTBNuO — Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) July 24, 2020 In her order, Bowser notes that “after a promising period of decline, new daily cases exceeded one hundred” in the District on 22 July. The order also encourages residents to take “staycations” and avoid travel to areas with high rates of Covid-19 transmission. The self-quarantine order excludes people who travel to DC from nearby Maryland or Virginia, as well as those whose travel is considered essential, such as members of Congress who travel back and forth to their districts. Earlier this week, Bowser also signed an order expanding the requirements for residents to wear face masks.
24 Jul 2020 23.50 BST A federal judge has ruled against the Oregon attorney general’s office demand that federal law enforcement agents in Portland identify themselves, BuzzFeed News reports. Attorney general Ellen Rosenblum had filed suit in federal court challenging the presence and activities of officers from the Department of Homeland Security in Portland. Rosenblum had asked that the court bar the officers from making arrests or detaining people without probably cause, and to require them to identify themselves and explain the reason for an arrest or detention. Per BuzzFeedNews: US District Judge Michael Mosman found that state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum lacked standing to bring a lawsuit on behalf of Oregon residents because her office hadn’t articulated any specific state interest beyond the constitutional rights of individuals. There are several other lawsuits over the DHS forces presence in Portland pending. On Thursday, a different federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the DHS agents barring them from arresting or using force against journalists and legal observers without probably cause of a crime.
24 Jul 2020 23.21 BST He may be a world-renowned immunologist and the nation’s foremost expert in infectious diseases, but Anthony Fauci’s throwing arm left much to be desired when he threw out the first pitch at the Nationals-Yankees game last night. Dr. Anthony Fauci threw out the first pitch before the Nationals-Yankees game. pic.twitter.com/04Tbkh7Voa — ESPN (@espn) July 23, 2020 In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Fauci agreed with the critics that his pitch was less a “pitch” and more of a “line drive toward first base” (although this critic might quibble by calling it a “bloop toward first base”). He also explained how a one-time high school shortstop and longtime Yankees-turned-Nationals fan came to look so unfamiliar with the basic premise of throwing a ball toward home plate: he was sore. “I completely destroyed my arm!” Fauci told the Journal. The 79-year-old decided to throw some practice pitches two nights before his big moment, overdid it, and woke up in pain. Then, when he got out onto the field Thursday night, he made a split-second decision and attempted a fastball. “When I saw he was so far away, I said I better try to throw a bullet,” he said. “And that was a mistake ... Instead of doing my normal motion of just lobbing the ball, which would’ve been the best thing to do, I thought: Oh, baby, I better put a lot of different oomph into it. “And I did. And you saw what happened.”
24 Jul 2020 22.57 BST Pelosi rejects temporary extension of unemployment benefits, wants full deal As negotiations over a new coronavirus relief bill continue, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has rejected the idea of a temporary extension of the enhanced unemployment benefits that are set to expire 31 July, Reuters reports. “I would be very much averse to separating this [unemployment benefits] out and lose all leverage [on Republicans] for ... meeting all of the other needs,” Pelosi told reporters. The enhanced unemployment benefits provide an extra $600 per week to state unemployment payments. The Democratic-controlled House passed a $3 trillion dollar relief bill in May that would, among other things, extend the benefits through January. The Republican-controlled Senate has declined to debate or pass the House bill, nor has it produced a plan of its own. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said Republicans will introduce a new proposal next week, and has indicated it would take a few weeks to negotiate an agreement, leaving a gap for millions of unemployed workers. Pelosi also revealed that actor Rob Reiner, the son of the recently deceased comedian Carl Reiner, is among the people who has urged her for extending the benefits. “I called Rob. ‘Rob, Rob darling, this is Nancy Pelosi, I’m calling to wish you and Michele my condolences. I’m so sad, your father was so funny and so wonderful,’” she said, according to Reuters. “This man says, ‘I think you have the wrong number.’ And he says, ‘But I’m so glad you called me. I have one question for you ... am I going to get my $600?’”
24 Jul 2020 22.44 BST Donald Trump signed four executive orders related to prescription drug pricing at a White House event with HHS secretary Alex Azar and Florida governor Rod DeSantis, among others. Most attendees at the event wore masks, but Trump did not. The executive orders come as Trump appears to have all but given up on controlling the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 145,000 people in the US – by far the most of any country. The orders are aimed at allowing the legal importation of prescription drugs from Canada, lowering the cost of insulin, addressing “kickbacks to middlemen” in the pharmaceutical industry, lowering the price of drugs purchased by Medicare.
24 Jul 2020 22.26 BST Hello everyone, this is Julia Carrie Wong in Oakland, California, picking up the live blog for the rest of your Friday afternoon. Yesterday, a judge in King County, Washington ordered five Seattle news outlets to comply with a subpoena and turn over unpublished video and photos from a 30 May protest. It’s a troubling ruling and many journalists and publications are already speaking out. From our story: Michele Matassa Flores, the Seattle Times’ executive editor, said the paper strongly opposed the subpoena and “believes it puts our independence, and even our staff’s physical safety, at risk. “The media exist in large part to hold governments, including law enforcement agencies, accountable to the public,” Matassa Flores said. “We don’t work in concert with government, and it’s important to our credibility and effectiveness to retain our independence from those we cover.” Seattle protesters seek recompense for injury and death linked to police actionRead more The lawyer representing the media companies, Eric Stahl, argued on Thursday that police were casting too wide a net and could not show that the images would identify the suspects. The media companies had not decided if they would appeal, Stahl said. Here’s the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: This ruling enforcing the subpoena is beyond disappointing. The right to protect sources and material exists so the press isn't used as an arm of law enforcement.
Journalists' work is protected, which is why we supported the challenge to this subpoena.https://t.co/OQEVLENdXz — Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (@rcfp) July 24, 2020 And another explanation of why this is concerning to working reporters, from the LA Times’s Matt Pearce: This turns journalists into an arm of the government. We are not here to do surveillance for police. https://t.co/wlu4XAEgo3 — Matt Pearce 🦅 (@mattdpearce) July 24, 2020
24 Jul 2020 22.08 BST At her White House briefing earlier today, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed: “Under President Trump, violent-crime rates in America finally began to fall.” Not, as so often is the case at such briefings, so. The Washington Post’s Philip Bump explains: So here’s a graph of the violent-crime rate in the United States. You see that apex, indicated with a question mark? Based on McEnany’s statement, you might assume that it indicates the month of January 2017, when Trump took office. After all, from that point on, there was an almost uninterrupted downward trend in the rate of violent crimes. Photograph: Washington Post But that is not January 2017. It is, instead, the year 1991, when the violent-crime rate was 758 violent crimes per 100,000 people. By 2017, that figure had fallen to 395. It did decline further in 2018, the most recent year for which full data is available, to 381. But it’s not as though this was a sharp reversal; when Barack Obama took office in 2009, the rate was 432 per 100,000. McEnany, remember, started her briefing by showing a selectively edited video of scenes in Portland, Oregon, from which even Fox News averted its eyes.
24 Jul 2020 21.56 BST Portnoy complaints: Barstool founder feels Twitter's wrath Being a fan of the late novelist Philip Roth, I couldn’t resist the heading to this block, which concerns the response to Trump’s interview with Dave Portnoy, in this case from the Washington Post reporter David Nakamura. The interview was released online this afternoon and the Barstool Sports’ founder’s behaviour therein is attracting widespread criticism: In his interview with Trump, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy shook Potus's hand, didn't wear a mask, jokingly said he doesn't like Fauci because his public pronouncements tank the stock market, got shoulder-to-shoulder with Potus to Facetime his dad and tried to shake again. — David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) July 24, 2020 Portnoy has also commented. “I did not expect to interview @realDonaldTrump at the White House yesterday but here we are,” he wrote, releasing footage on Twitter and adding, true to form: My biggest question I forgot to ask Trump but asked after the interview is why doesn’t he advise Roger Stone to stop dressing like a super villain pic.twitter.com/bB7bdZA5ku — Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 24, 2020
24 Jul 2020 21.36 BST California sets daily deaths record Vivian Ho A short dispatch from our west coast office in Oakland… California has reached another grim coronavirus milestone, recording the highest number of virus-related deaths in a day on Friday. It was a record previously set on Thursday, when public health officials reported 157 deaths. That mark was broken within 24 hours, when the state reported 159. Today, CA reached a somber milestone: 157 deaths. Our highest
reported in a single day.
We cannot afford to ignore #COVID19, or simply hope it goes away. We have to take action. TOGETHER.
Wear a mask. Physically distance. Wash your hands.
Your actions can literally save lives. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 23, 2020 California surpassed New York for most total cases in the US this week, with the 9,718 reported in the last 24 hours bringing the total to 435,334. The state’s seven-day positivity rate has risen to 7.9%, with 34 of 58 counties remaining on the state’s monitoring list for at least three days. Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, has moved to halt the reopening of the state’s economy, rolling back some efforts as infection rates continue to rise.
Updated at 21.51 BST
24 Jul 2020 21.19 BST Martin Pengelly New York state attorney general Letitia James is leading a coalition of states, cities and counties suing the Trump administration over its attempt to leave undocumented migrants out of the census, the basis for the apportionment of seats in the US House of Representatives.
Sam Levine’s report on that attempt follows at the bottom of this block and here’s an excerpt from it: Republicans in recent years have been pushing to exclude non-citizens and other people ineligible to vote from the tally used to draw electoral districts. In 2015, Thomas Hofeller, a top Republican redistricting expert, explicitly wrote that such a change “would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites”. James, meanwhile, said on Friday afternoon: “President Trump’s proclamation is the latest in a long list of anti-immigrant actions and statements he has made since the beginning of his first campaign. “It’s another election-year tactic to fire up his base by dehumanizing immigrants and using them as scapegoats for his failures as a leader. “No one ceases to be a person because they lack documentation, which is why we filed this lawsuit. Instead of fearmongering, now is the time to be engaging in a robust education and outreach campaign to ensure each person in this country is counted. We beat the president before in court, and we will beat him again.” According to James’s statement, the suit has been “filed against President Trump, the US Department of Commerce, the US Census Bureau, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Census Director Steven Dillingham”. The attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia have signed on. So have the cities of Central Falls, Rhode Island; Chicago; Columbus; New York; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Providence; Seattle; the city and county of San Francisco; and Cameron, El Paso, and Hidalgo counties in Texas and Monterey county in California. Trump orders undocumented immigrants excluded from key census count Read more
24 Jul 2020 21.03 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My Guardian colleagues will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: The White House defended Trump’s push to reopen schools, saying schools are “ essential places of business.” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “It is our firm belief that our schools are essential places of business, if you will, that our teachers are essential personnel.” That comment will likely be a bit jarring for parents trying to decide whether or not to send their young children back to school amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus in the classroom.
White House press secretary said, “It is our firm belief that our schools are essential places of business, if you will, that our teachers are essential personnel.” That comment will likely be a bit jarring for parents trying to decide whether or not to send their young children back to school amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus in the classroom. Trump said he “often” regrets sending controversial tweets. When the president was asked during an interview yesterday whether he ever regrets his tweets, he replied, “Too often.” Trump added, “It’s not the tweets; it’s the retweets that get you in trouble.”
When the president was asked during an interview yesterday whether he ever regrets his tweets, he replied, “Too often.” Trump added, “It’s not the tweets; it’s the retweets that get you in trouble.” Democrats indicated they would not allow Trump to quash a proposal on renaming military bases named after Confederate generals. The president said senator Jim Inhofe, the Republican chairman of the Senate armed services committee, would move to strip the provision out of the national defense authorization bill in committee. But the Democratic chairman of the House armed services committee said the proposal “remains an important priority for me and many of my colleagues.”
The president said senator the Republican chairman of the Senate armed services committee, would move to strip the provision out of the national defense authorization bill in committee. But the Democratic chairman of the House armed services committee said the proposal “remains an important priority for me and many of my colleagues.” Joe Biden warned Trump would “try to indirectly steal” the election. During a virtual fundraiser last night, Biden said, “This president is going to try to indirectly steal the election by arguing that mail-in ballots don’t work.” The president has repeatedly made false claims that mail-in ballots are extremely vulnerable to voter fraud, even though voter fraud is actually very rare.
During a virtual fundraiser last night, Biden said, “This president is going to try to indirectly steal the election by arguing that mail-in ballots don’t work.” The president has repeatedly made false claims that mail-in ballots are extremely vulnerable to voter fraud, even though voter fraud is actually very rare. New York governor Andrew Cuomo suggested that senior DHS leaders should be charged for making false statements about blocking New Yorkers from the Global Entry program and related travel programs. Cuomo’s comments came one day after federal lawyers acknowledged in a court filing that DHS officials made false statements about the policy. The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
24 Jul 2020 20.51 BST The Democratic chairman of the House armed services committee voiced opposition to Trump’s effort to quash the proposal to rename military bases named after Confederate generals. The president said this morning that senator Jim Inhofe, the Republican chairman of the Senate armed services committee, would move to strip the provision out of the national defense authorization bill in committee. “That’s just not how this works,” Democratic commitee chairman Adam Smith said in a tweet. The renaming of military bases and installations remains an important priority for me and many of my colleagues in the House.
I look forward to the conference process, where we will discuss the issue. — Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) July 24, 2020 Smith noted that both the House and Senate versions of the national defense authorization act, which passed the two chambers with veto-proof majorities, included the proposal to rename the bases. “The renaming of military bases and installations remains an important priority for me and many of my colleagues in the House,” Smith said.
“I look forward to the conference process, where we will discuss the issue.”
24 Jul 2020 20.36 BST In his interview with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, the president also appeared nostalgic for his pre-White House life. (PART 3) - @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/Rx74t5OUyh — Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 24, 2020 “The best day in my life in terms of business and life and everything was the day before I announced I’m running for president,” Trump said. “Everything was good.” The president added he was “really glad” he decided to run, but he lamented how he was treated “very unfairly with fake Russia.” (The US intelligence community has concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to aid Trump’s campaign.) “It’s a very vicious business,” Trump said. The president said he found it harder to deal with his own country than dealing with the leaders of foreign countries like Russia, China and North Korea. “The toughest is the United States,” Trump said. “It’s the toughest to deal with.”
24 Jul 2020 20.25 BST Trump says he 'often' regrets his tweets During an interview at the White House yesterday, Trump said he “often” regrets the tweets he sends out. (PART 2) - @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/O8G9JPwGR3 — Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 24, 2020 Dave Portnoy, the highly controversial founder of the blog Barstool Sports, just shared his interview with Trump. In it, Portnoy asked the president if he ever regrets sending certain tweets. “Too often,” the president replied. “It used to be in the old days, before this, you’d write a letter, and you’d say, ‘This letter’s really bad.’ You’d put it in your desk, and then you’d go back tomorrow and you’d say, ‘Oh, I’m glad I didn’t send it,’ right? But we don’t do that with Twitter, right? “We put it out instantaneously,” Trump continued. “We feel great, and then you start getting phone calls, ‘Did you really say this?’ I say, ‘What’s wrong with that?’ And you find a lot of things.” The president added, “It’s not the tweets; it’s the retweets that get you in trouble.” He warned of the trouble that arises when “you see something that looks good and you don’t investigate it.” Of course, it’s unclear how the medium of Twitter prevents Trump from investigating the source of his information before sharing it with his 84 million followers.
24 Jul 2020 20.00 BST Virginia has removed monuments honoring Confederate generals and officials from its state capitol. The AP reports: Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, a Democrat, quietly ordered the Lee statue and busts of generals J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and others removed from the historic Old House Chamber. A moving crew worked through the night Thursday — carefully removing the monuments and their plaques and loading them into a truck and taking them to an undisclosed location.
The stealth approach avoids the possibility of protests or a lawsuit to keep the monuments in place, but may prompt criticism that the monuments were moved without public discussion. ‘Virginia has a story to tell that extends far beyond glorifying the Confederacy and its participants,’ Filler-Corn said in a statement. ‘Now is the time to provide context to our Capitol to truly tell the commonwealth’s whole history.’ A number of Confederate monuments have been taken down since the police killing of George Floyd, which kicked off nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives similarly passed a bill calling on states to replace any Confederate statues they still have in the US Capitol.


theguardian--2020-07-24--Christopher Columbus statue removed in Chicago following protests

A statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Chicago ’ s Grant Park was taken down early Friday , a week after protesters trying to topple the monument to the Italian explorer clashed with police .
The controversial statue was taken down at the direction of the city ’ s mayor , Lori Lightfoot , according to the Chicago Tribune .
Crews used a large crane to remove the statue from its pedestal as a small crowd gathered to watch .
The crowd cheered and passing cars honked as the statue came down about 3am .
Several work trucks were seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear where the statue would be taken .
The removal came after hours of vocal confrontations between protesters and supporters of the statue on Thursday night .
And a week ago , protesters clashed with police , who used batons to beat people and made arrests after they say protesters targeted them with fireworks , rocks and other items .
At least 20 complaints of police brutality were filed against Chicago police officers , the Tribune reported .
“ This statue coming down is because of the effort of Black and Indigenous activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what he represents , ” Stefan Cuevas-Caizaguano , a resident watching the removal , told the Chicago Sun-Times .
The removal also comes amid a plan by Donald Trump to dispatch federal law enforcement agents to the city to respond to gun violence , prompting worries that the surge will inhibit residents ’ ability to hold demonstrations .
A collection of activist groups had filed suit Thursday , seeking to block federal agents to combat violent crime from interfering in or policing protests .
State officials in Oregon had sued for similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement due to nearly two months of protests in Portland since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Protesters across the county have called for the removal of statues of Columbus , saying that he is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas .
The Columbus statue in Chicago ’ s Grant Park and another in the city ’ s Little Italy neighborhood were vandalized last month , and statues of Columbus have also been toppled or vandalized in other US cities .
The Tribune reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were on board with the decision to remove the statue .
Lightfoot had previously refused , saying it was not appropriate to erase history .
The Associated Press sent an email Friday seeking comment from Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s office .

A statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park was taken down early on Friday, a week after protesters trying to topple the monument to the Italian explorer clashed with police.
The controversial statue was taken down at the direction of the city’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Crews used a large crane to remove the statue from its pedestal as a small crowd gathered to watch. The crowd cheered and passing cars honked as the statue came down about 3am. Several work trucks were seen in the area, but it was unclear where the statue would be taken.
The removal came after hours of vocal confrontations between protesters and supporters of the statue on Thursday night. And a week ago, protesters clashed with police, who used batons to beat people and made arrests after they say protesters targeted them with fireworks, rocks and other items. At least 20 complaints of police brutality were filed against Chicago police officers, the Tribune reported.
“This statue coming down is because of the effort of Black and Indigenous activists who know the true history of Columbus and what he represents,” Stefan Cuevas-Caizaguano, a resident watching the removal, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The removal also comes amid a plan by Donald Trump to dispatch federal law enforcement agents to the city to respond to gun violence, prompting worries that the surge will inhibit residents’ ability to hold demonstrations. A collection of activist groups had filed suit on Thursday, seeking to block federal agents sent to combat violent crime from interfering in or policing protests.
State officials in Oregon had sued for similar requests following the arrival of federal law enforcement officials after nearly two months of protests in Portland since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Protesters across the county have called for the removal of statues of Columbus, saying that he is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas. The Columbus statue in Chicago’s Grant Park and another in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood were vandalized last month, and statues of Columbus have also been toppled or vandalized in other US cities.
The Tribune reported that not all Italian American leaders in Chicago were on board with the decision to remove the statue. Lightfoot had previously refused, saying it was not appropriate to erase history.
The Associated Press sent an email on Friday seeking comment from Mayor Lightfoot’s office.


theguardian--2020-07-24--Trump is using federal agents as his 'goon squad', says Ice's ex-acting head

The former acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency , which works under the Department of Homeland Security , has condemned the Trump administration ’ s handling of protests in Portland by deploying federal agents into the city .
John Sandweg , the former acting director of Ice , who also served as general counsel for the DHS , said Donald Trump was using the agency as his own “ goon squad ” by sending federal law enforcement agents to Oregon ’ s biggest city and vowing to send more to other cities around the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian , called the administration ’ s policy a “ failure of leadership in the Trump administration ” .
He added : “ I think it ’ s an abuse of DHS .
I mean really the president ’ s trying to use DHS as his goon squad .
That ’ s really what ’ s going on here.
” The comments by Sandweg come as unidentified federal officials clashed again in Portland with protesters calling for reforms to the local police .
On Wednesday the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters .
He was teargassed along with others in the crowd .
The federal agents have been accused of lifting people off the streets in unmarked cars , as well as deploying military-style uniforms and equipment as they battle demonstrators nightly in the city .
Sandweg went on to offer scathing criticism of the administration ’ s handling of the protests , calling it a “ manufactured crisis ” driven by politics from the president .
“ In my experience , this is not coming from the workforce .
I think there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I hope that I can at least clear up , ” Sandweg said .
“ DHS has not so much been unleashed as pushed to do these kinds of things .
In my experience the folks that I ’ ve worked with want to protect national security and public safety.
” Sandweg also pointed to the department ’ s acting director , Chad Wolf , who has been seen as a driving force behind the deployment which has outraged Democrats , some Republicans and many civil rights groups .
“ You have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is in a very precarious position in that a number of his predecessors did not have that long a tenure , who I think is eager to please , ” Sandweg said .
Sandweg said the case for federal law enforcement officers to guard federal buildings was pretty strong in principle .
“ From a general position of course the federal government has a right to enforce federal law anywhere in the United States , ” Sandweg said .
“ But again there ’ s a right way to do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re seeing here is the kind of thing that is going to have devastating effects for DHS and its operating agencies for a long time to come.
” Asked to compare how the DHS is being used compared with during Barack Obama ’ s presidency , Sandweg said there was a big difference .
“ It makes an incredible contrast .
Listen , our overarching goal was to be effective .
To do effective law enforcement work , to effectively secure the border , to promote public safety and national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partnership with state and locals .
And politics didn ’ t matter .
The politics didn ’ t matter if you were Republican or Democrat , ” Sandweg said , adding that the contrast also extended to the George Bush administration in the early 2000s .
Both of Oregon ’ s senators and other members of the state ’ s congressional delegation have called for an investigation into the administration ’ s handling of the protests .
Meanwhile , Governor Kate Brown said at a press conference on Wednesday : “ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can not have secret police abducting people and putting them into unmarked vehicles .
I can not believe I have to say that to the president of the United States.
” In recent years some Democrats have argued for a major overhaul of federal bodies such as Ice or the DHS .
Sandweg worried that if Joe Biden were elected president he might face significant pressure to makes drastic changes .
“ What concerns me is that there ’ s going to be a lot of pressure on a President Biden to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sandweg said .
“ I don ’ t personally think those reforms are necessary .
I think this is a crisis of leadership .
A failure of leadership in the Trump administration .
I think it ’ s an abuse of DHS.
” Sandweg added : “ It ’ s a failure of leadership and at the end of the day here and the key thing is that they get a good , seasoned , good hand here to get DHS to return back to the culture of where DHS wants to @ @ @ @ @ @

The former acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which works under the Department of Homeland Security, has condemned the Trump administration’s handling of protests in Portland by deploying federal agents into the city.
John Sandweg, the former acting director of Ice, who also served as general counsel for the DHS, said Donald Trump was using the agency as his own “goon squad” by sending federal law enforcement agents to Oregon’s biggest city and vowing to send more to other cities around the country, including Chicago and Albuquerque.
01:57 Portland protests: why Trump has sent in federal agents – video report
Sandweg, in a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian, called the administration’s policy a “failure of leadership in the Trump administration”.
He added: “I think it’s an abuse of DHS. I mean really the president’s trying to use DHS as his goon squad. That’s really what’s going on here.”
The comments by Sandweg come as unidentified federal officials clashed again in Portland with protesters calling for reforms to the local police. On Wednesday the mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, joined protesters. He was teargassed along with others in the crowd. The federal agents have been accused of lifting people off the streets in unmarked cars, as well as deploying military-style uniforms and equipment as they battle demonstrators nightly in the city.
06:54 What does it mean to defund the police? – video
Sandweg went on to offer scathing criticism of the administration’s handling of the protests, calling it a “manufactured crisis” driven by politics from the president.
“In my experience, this is not coming from the workforce. I think there’s a lot of misconceptions out there that I hope that I can at least clear up,” Sandweg said. “DHS has not so much been unleashed as pushed to do these kinds of things. In my experience the folks that I’ve worked with want to protect national security and public safety.”
John Sandweg. Photograph: Byline Withheld/AP
Sandweg also pointed to the department’s acting director, Chad Wolf, who has been seen as a driving force behind the deployment which has outraged Democrats, some Republicans and many civil rights groups.
“You have an acting secretary, if you will, who is in a very precarious position in that a number of his predecessors did not have that long a tenure, who I think is eager to please,” Sandweg said.
Sandweg said the case for federal law enforcement officers to guard federal buildings was pretty strong in principle.
“From a general position of course the federal government has a right to enforce federal law anywhere in the United States,” Sandweg said. “But again there’s a right way to do that and a wrong way. And what we’re seeing here is the kind of thing that is going to have devastating effects for DHS and its operating agencies for a long time to come.”
Asked to compare how the DHS is being used compared with during Barack Obama’s presidency, Sandweg said there was a big difference.
“It makes an incredible contrast. Listen, our overarching goal was to be effective. To do effective law enforcement work, to effectively secure the border, to promote public safety and national security, you have to have a great partnership with state and locals. And politics didn’t matter. The politics didn’t matter if you were Republican or Democrat,” Sandweg said, adding that the contrast also extended to the George Bush administration in the early 2000s.
Both of Oregon’s senators and other members of the state’s congressional delegation have called for an investigation into the administration’s handling of the protests.
Meanwhile, Governor Kate Brown said at a press conference on Wednesday: “This is a democracy, not a dictatorship. We cannot have secret police abducting people and putting them into unmarked vehicles. I cannot believe I have to say that to the president of the United States.”
In recent years some Democrats have argued for a major overhaul of federal bodies such as Ice or the DHS. Sandweg worried that if Joe Biden were elected president he might face significant pressure to makes drastic changes.
“What concerns me is that there’s going to be a lot of pressure on a President Biden to make really drastic reforms to DHS,” Sandweg said. “I don’t personally think those reforms are necessary. I think this is a crisis of leadership. A failure of leadership in the Trump administration. I think it’s an abuse of DHS.”
Sandweg added: “It’s a failure of leadership and at the end of the day here and the key thing is that they get a good, seasoned, good hand here to get DHS to return back to the culture of where DHS wants to be as an agency.”


theguardian--2020-07-24--Chad Wolf: who is the Trump official leading the crackdown in Portland?

Chad Wolf wasn ’ t Donald Trump ’ s first pick for homeland security secretary – he wasn ’ t even his fifth or sixth .
But now he is the figurehead for the federal government ’ s intervention in Portland , where his department ’ s militarized agents have been recorded pushing protesters into unmarked vehicles .
When criticism of the government ’ s tactics flared late last week , Wolf tweeted : “ Our men and women in uniform are patriots .
We will never surrender to violent extremists on my watch.
” The tweet has since been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unauthorized – but it focused attention on Wolf , a former lobbyist who has ignored calls from local government officials in Oregon to remove federal agents from the city .
The state ’ s governor , Kate Brown , said last week that in a phone call , Wolf ’ s “ response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes ” .
Such an allegation tracks with how Donald Trump has used the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) , which has become more politicized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s hardline immigration policies .
The department was founded in 2002 in response to 9/11 .
Its 240,000 staff are also charged with overseeing natural disaster response , anti-terrorism efforts and cybersecurity .
Since becoming acting DHS secretary in November 2019 , Wolf has denied there is a problem with systemic racism in US law enforcement and downplayed the threat of Covid-19 .
He has also overseen the implementation of extreme immigration restrictions the White House claimed would stem the spread of coronavirus .
Wolf is the fifth person to serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acting or confirmed capacity , while George W Bush and Barack Obama each had three people in the job over the course of their two presidential terms .
Wolf was named to the post only after two of the president ’ s preferred candidates were ruled ineligible to take up the job .
The Plano , Texas , native moved to Washington DC after graduating from Southern Methodist University .
He was an architect of the Transportation Security Agency ( TSA ) and left DHS in 2005 to become a lobbyist .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to the department to work for the Trump administration , where he has held multiple roles .
The most glaring item on his resume , until Portland , was his central role in the Trump administration ’ s family separation policy while working as the chief of staff for then DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen .
At a June 2019 hearing , Wolf testified that he learned about family separation in April 2018 , just before it was publicly announced .
“ My job was not to determine whether it was the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ My job at the time was to ensure that the secretary had all the information that [ Nielsen ] needed.
” Months later , NBC News revealed that Wolf included family separation on a list of 16 policy recommendations he drafted for senior department figures in December 2017 .
Wolf ’ s name is on the list , and Trump approved the policy , but it was Nielsen who was the face of family separation .
Her dismissal last year was emblematic of the Trump administration ’ s chaotic rule over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the job in April 2019 , during a purge of senior homeland security officials orchestrated by the White House adviser Stephen Miller .
Miller , who has white supremacist views , has an outsized role in the agency and has filled it with allies comfortable supporting his anti-immigration agenda .
He is known to call and meet with junior staff to gather information or circumvent their managers .
Miller , like Trump , is also a proponent of leaving “ acting ” in a senior official ’ s title instead of getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed by the Senate .
Trump has said doing so gives him “ more flexibility ” .
Research has shown cabinet secretaries in temporary positions have less stature in the department and are less able to implement their own agendas .
Skipping the confirmation process also allows Miller and Trump to insert their favored individuals into senior roles , without intervention from Congress .
One of two people deemed ineligible to be DHS secretary , Ken Cuccinelli , is now acting deputy secretary of the agency and is performing the duties of director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USCIS ) , the agency which handles immigration administration .
In the past decade , Cuccinelli has said homosexuality is “ intrinsically wrong ” , been tied to anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ+ campaigners and was criticized for a comment that seemed to compare rats to immigrants .
On Monday , Cuccinelli said the use of unmarked vehicles to pick protesters off the streets was “ so common it ’ s barely worth discussion ” .
Senator Ron Johnson , a Republican from Wisconsin , and Senator Gary Peters , a Democrat from Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DHS vacancies threatened government accountability and national security .
Similar fears are now being shared by DHS staff and former senior officials because of the government ’ s deployment in Portland .
Tom Ridge , the first homeland security secretary , said DHS was not created to be “ the president ’ s personal militia ” in an interview with SiriusXM on Tuesday .
Ridge said : “ It would be a cold day in hell before I would consent to an uninvited , unilateral intervention into one of my cities .
”

Chad Wolf wasn’t Donald Trump’s first pick for homeland security secretary – he wasn’t even his fifth or sixth.
But now he is the figurehead for the federal government’s intervention in Portland, where his department’s militarized agents have been recorded pushing protesters into unmarked vehicles.
When criticism of the government’s tactics flared late last week, Wolf tweeted: “Our men and women in uniform are patriots. We will never surrender to violent extremists on my watch.”
The tweet has since been deleted – probably because the embedded photo was unauthorized – but it focused attention on Wolf, a former lobbyist who has ignored calls from local government officials in Oregon to remove federal agents from the city.
The state’s governor, Kate Brown, said last week that in a phone call, Wolf’s “response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes”.
Such an allegation tracks with how Donald Trump has used the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has become more politicized because of its role in enforcing the president’s hardline immigration policies.
The department was founded in 2002 in response to 9/11. Its 240,000 staff are also charged with overseeing natural disaster response, anti-terrorism efforts and cybersecurity.
Since becoming acting DHS secretary in November 2019, Wolf has denied there is a problem with systemic racism in US law enforcement and downplayed the threat of Covid-19. He has also overseen the implementation of extreme immigration restrictions the White House claimed would stem the spread of coronavirus.
Wolf is the fifth person to serve in the role under Trump in an acting or confirmed capacity, while George W Bush and Barack Obama each had three people in the job over the course of their two presidential terms. Wolf was named to the post only after two of the president’s preferred candidates were ruled ineligible to take up the job.
The Plano, Texas, native moved to Washington DC after graduating from Southern Methodist University. He was an architect of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and left DHS in 2005 to become a lobbyist.
After more than a decade lobbying, Wolf returned to the department to work for the Trump administration, where he has held multiple roles. The most glaring item on his resume, until Portland, was his central role in the Trump administration’s family separation policy while working as the chief of staff for then DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
At a June 2019 hearing, Wolf testified that he learned about family separation in April 2018, just before it was publicly announced.
“My job was not to determine whether it was the right or wrong policy,” Wolf testified. “My job at the time was to ensure that the secretary had all the information that [Nielsen] needed.”
Months later, NBC News revealed that Wolf included family separation on a list of 16 policy recommendations he drafted for senior department figures in December 2017.
Wolf’s name is on the list, and Trump approved the policy, but it was Nielsen who was the face of family separation. Her dismissal last year was emblematic of the Trump administration’s chaotic rule over the agency.
Nielsen was pushed out of the job in April 2019, during a purge of senior homeland security officials orchestrated by the White House adviser Stephen Miller.
Miller, who has white supremacist views, has an outsized role in the agency and has filled it with allies comfortable supporting his anti-immigration agenda. He is known to call and meet with junior staff to gather information or circumvent their managers.
Miller, like Trump, is also a proponent of leaving “acting” in a senior official’s title instead of getting department leaders, such as Wolf, confirmed by the Senate. Trump has said doing so gives him “more flexibility”. Research has shown cabinet secretaries in temporary positions have less stature in the department and are less able to implement their own agendas.
Skipping the confirmation process also allows Miller and Trump to insert their favored individuals into senior roles, without intervention from Congress.
One of two people deemed ineligible to be DHS secretary, Ken Cuccinelli, is now acting deputy secretary of the agency and is performing the duties of director of US Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS), the agency which handles immigration administration.
In the past decade, Cuccinelli has said homosexuality is “intrinsically wrong”, been tied to anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ+ campaigners and was criticized for a comment that seemed to compare rats to immigrants.
On Monday, Cuccinelli said the use of unmarked vehicles to pick protesters off the streets was “so common it’s barely worth discussion”.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, and Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, wrote to Trump in November warning that DHS vacancies threatened government accountability and national security.
Similar fears are now being shared by DHS staff and former senior officials because of the government’s deployment in Portland.
Tom Ridge, the first homeland security secretary, said DHS was not created to be “the president’s personal militia” in an interview with SiriusXM on Tuesday. Ridge said: “It would be a cold day in hell before I would consent to an uninvited, unilateral intervention into one of my cities.”


theguardian--2020-07-24--American carnage: how conservative media amplify Trump's theme of chaos

Mayors across the United States have rejected Donald Trump ’ s election-season depiction of their cities as awash in violence , and media coverage of peaceful protests in Portland and elsewhere has belied the president ’ s claims of widespread “ anarchy ” .
But for Americans who mainly consume conservative media , Trump ’ s latest evocation of an “ American carnage ” , with “ a shocking explosion of shootings , killings , murders and heinous crimes of violence ” is as plain as the news flashing across the screen .
The stars of conservative cable TV programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media accounts have echoed and amplified Trump since he declared himself “ your president of law and order ” in an appearance outside the White House in early June .
Over the last week , however , alarm over the security of America ’ s cities has intensified on the conservative airways .
“ These vicious , violent , hate-filled , anti-American protesters are also attacking federal buildings , ” Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show last week .
“ How many stores and parks and statues and public buildings have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fox News host Tucker Carlson asked last month .
“ Reign of street terrorists ” , the conservative radio host Mark Levin tweeted with a story about the removal and defacement of statues and monuments .
The Republican senator Tom Cotton , who has been calling for a military crackdown in US cities for two months , found a welcome outlet this week for his message on Sean Hannity ’ s Fox News program , one of the country ’ s most-watched .
“ If federal troops are brought in and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors , they ’ re not stopping the anarchists , and there ’ s chaos in the streets … and then they have to fire to protect themselves or others , who gets the blame for that ?
” Hannity asked , describing a scenario in which troops fired on protesters .
“ Well ultimately the blame lies with the criminals , ” Cotton replied .
Political analysts see Trump ’ s efforts to create the impression of widespread social unrest which only he can solve as part of a long-shot re-election strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ double digits in polling averages including in key swing states .
Conservative media could help Trump to create an impression of chaos – at least for their conservative audience .
Media consumption habits have shown strong correlation with basic world outlook .
An Axios-Ipsos poll published on Tuesday found that a 62 % majority of Fox News watchers believe that statistics tracking US coronavirus cases are overblown , while 48 % who reported no main news source thought so .
Only 7 % of CNN and MSNBC watchers thought so .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaos he relies on conservative media to help him amplify .
“ I ’ m going to do something – that , I can tell you , ” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this week .
“ Because we ’ re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these – Oakland is a mess .
We ’ re not going to let this happen in our country .
All run by liberal Democrats.
” US mayors have disputed that depiction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters like criminals and accusing the White House of an “ abuse of power ” .
Mayors from 15 of the largest American cities addressed a letter to the attorney general , Bill Barr , and the acting homeland security secretary , Chad Wolf , on Monday .
“ The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a national uprising and reckoning , ” the letter said .
“ The majority of the protests have been peaceful and aimed at improving our communities .
“ Where this is not the case , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal forces .
Unilaterally deploying these paramilitary-type forces into our cities is wholly inconsistent with our system of democracy and our most basic values .
”

Mayors across the United States have rejected Donald Trump’s election-season depiction of their cities as awash in violence, and media coverage of peaceful protests in Portland and elsewhere has belied the president’s claims of widespread “anarchy”.
But for Americans who mainly consume conservative media, Trump’s latest evocation of an “American carnage”, with “a shocking explosion of shootings, killings, murders and heinous crimes of violence” is as plain as the news flashing across the screen.
The stars of conservative cable TV programs and the biggest conservative news sites and social media accounts have echoed and amplified Trump since he declared himself “your president of law and order” in an appearance outside the White House in early June.
Over the last week, however, alarm over the security of America’s cities has intensified on the conservative airways.
“These vicious, violent, hate-filled, anti-American protesters are also attacking federal buildings,” Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show last week. “How many stores and parks and statues and public buildings have been destroyed recently by rioters?” the Fox News host Tucker Carlson asked last month. “Reign of street terrorists”, the conservative radio host Mark Levin tweeted with a story about the removal and defacement of statues and monuments.
The Republican senator Tom Cotton, who has been calling for a military crackdown in US cities for two months, found a welcome outlet this week for his message on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program, one of the country’s most-watched.
“If federal troops are brought in and then – of course the mayors and the governors, they’re not stopping the anarchists, and there’s chaos in the streets … and then they have to fire to protect themselves or others, who gets the blame for that?” Hannity asked, describing a scenario in which troops fired on protesters.
“Well ultimately the blame lies with the criminals,” Cotton replied.
Political analysts see Trump’s efforts to create the impression of widespread social unrest which only he can solve as part of a long-shot re-election strategy. Trump trails rival Joe Biden by double digits in polling averages including in key swing states.
Conservative media could help Trump to create an impression of chaos – at least for their conservative audience. Media consumption habits have shown strong correlation with basic world outlook. An Axios-Ipsos poll published on Tuesday found that a 62% majority of Fox News watchers believe that statistics tracking US coronavirus cases are overblown, while 48% who reported no main news source thought so. Only 7% of CNN and MSNBC watchers thought so.
Trump has blamed Democrats for creating the climate of chaos he relies on conservative media to help him amplify. “I’m going to do something – that, I can tell you,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this week.
“Because we’re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these – Oakland is a mess. We’re not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats.”
US mayors have disputed that depiction, urging the Trump administration to stop treating protesters like criminals and accusing the White House of an “abuse of power”.
Mayors from 15 of the largest American cities addressed a letter to the attorney general, Bill Barr, and the acting homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf, on Monday.
“The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a national uprising and reckoning,” the letter said. “The majority of the protests have been peaceful and aimed at improving our communities.
“Where this is not the case, it still does not justify the use of federal forces. Unilaterally deploying these paramilitary-type forces into our cities is wholly inconsistent with our system of democracy and our most basic values.”