theguardian--2020-08-22--Judge orders Donald Trump to pay Stormy Daniels $44,000 in legal fees

A California judge has ordered Donald Trump to pay the adult film actor and director Stormy Daniels $ 44,100 , to cover legal fees in the battle over her non-disclosure agreement ( NDA ) with the president .
Daniels , whose real name is Stephanie Clifford , says she had an affair with Trump from 2006 until 2007 .
Trump denies it .
Daniels sued in 2018 , seeking to be released from an NDA she signed with Trump ’ s former personal attorney , Michael Cohen , 11 days before the 2016 election .
The lawsuit was dismissed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lawyers said Daniels didn ’ t win the case and therefore wasn ’ t entitled to lawyer fees .
But Judge Robert Broadbelt III disagreed in his ruling on Monday , which determined Daniels to be the “ prevailing party ” under California law .
The ruling was posted online by Daniels ’ lawyers .
The White House did not immediately comment .
Cohen paid Daniels $ 130,000 .
After Trump ’ s election , she sued to void the agreement .
Trump and his supporters denied the president knew about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May 2018 and said Cohen had been reimbursed .
In court , Trump ’ s lawyers also argued Daniels didn ’ t prove the president was a part of the NDA , which was made under the name “ David Dennison ” .
Judge Broadbelt wrote there was a large amount of evidence showing Cohen chose Dennison as a pseudonym for Trump .
After her lawyer announced the decision , Daniels wrote on Twitter : “ Yup .
Another win.
” But she has not won every battle with her alleged former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defamation after he said on Twitter that a man she said threatened her to stay quiet in 2011 was “ nonexistent ” .
Trump also posted side-by-side photos of the composite sketch of the man and Daniels ’ husband .
That lawsuit was thrown out .
Daniels is appealing the decision and an order to pay Trump almost $ 300,000 in lawyers ’ fees .
The judge in that case ruled that Trump ’ s statements on Twitter were protected speech under the first amendment .
Since Trump ’ s election , Daniels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using her fame to promote stripclub appearances and shows , including her latest television venture : a “ Spooky Babes Paranormal Show ” in which , she says , she is leading a team of investigators to hunt ghosts .
Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress , among other crimes , and was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 .
Authorities in New York continue to pursue Trump ’ s tax records and other financial information , in an investigation of the Daniels payment and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , during a campaign appearance in Pennsylvania , the president seemed to confirm one famous aspect of Daniels ’ story about their alleged relationship : that he is scared of sharks .
“ They were saying the other night , the shark , ” Trump said .
“ They were saying , ‘ Sharks , we have to protect them.
’ I said , ‘ Wait a minute , wait.
’ They actually want to remove all the seals in order to save the shark .
I said , ‘ Wait , don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way around ?
’ ” “ It ’ s true .
I ’ m not a big fan of sharks either .
I don ’ t know , how many votes am I going to lose ?
” Daniels first said Trump was “ terrified of sharks ” in an interview in 2011 .
“ He was like , ‘ I donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks , ’ ” she said .
“ ‘ I hope all the sharks die.
’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disclosure , her autobiography from 2018 .
She and Trump had settled down for a companionable viewing of Discovery ’ s Shark Week , she wrote , when Trump received a call from Hillary Clinton , then running for the Democratic presidential nomination , almost a decade before Trump beat her for the White House .
“ He had a whole conversation about the race , repeatedly mentioning ‘ our plan ’ , ” Daniels writes .
But “ even while he was on the phone with Hillary , his attention kept going @ @ @ @ @ @

A California judge has ordered Donald Trump to pay the adult film actor and director Stormy Daniels $44,100, to cover legal fees in the battle over her non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the president.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says she had an affair with Trump from 2006 until 2007. Trump denies it.
Daniels sued in 2018, seeking to be released from an NDA she signed with Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, 11 days before the 2016 election. The lawsuit was dismissed as the agreement was deemed unenforceable.
Trump’s lawyers said Daniels didn’t win the case and therefore wasn’t entitled to lawyer fees. But Judge Robert Broadbelt III disagreed in his ruling on Monday, which determined Daniels to be the “prevailing party” under California law. The ruling was posted online by Daniels’ lawyers.
The White House did not immediately comment.
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000. After Trump’s election, she sued to void the agreement. Trump and his supporters denied the president knew about the payment, before Trump acknowledged it in May 2018 and said Cohen had been reimbursed.
In court, Trump’s lawyers also argued Daniels didn’t prove the president was a part of the NDA, which was made under the name “David Dennison”. Judge Broadbelt wrote there was a large amount of evidence showing Cohen chose Dennison as a pseudonym for Trump.
After her lawyer announced the decision, Daniels wrote on Twitter: “Yup. Another win.”
But she has not won every battle with her alleged former paramour. Daniels also sued Trump for defamation after he said on Twitter that a man she said threatened her to stay quiet in 2011 was “nonexistent”. Trump also posted side-by-side photos of the composite sketch of the man and Daniels’ husband.
That lawsuit was thrown out. Daniels is appealing the decision and an order to pay Trump almost $300,000 in lawyers’ fees.
The judge in that case ruled that Trump’s statements on Twitter were protected speech under the first amendment.
Since Trump’s election, Daniels has remained in the adult industry, using her fame to promote stripclub appearances and shows, including her latest television venture: a “Spooky Babes Paranormal Show” in which, she says, she is leading a team of investigators to hunt ghosts.
Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress, among other crimes, and was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018.
Authorities in New York continue to pursue Trump’s tax records and other financial information, in an investigation of the Daniels payment and others.
In a bizarre disquisition on Thursday, during a campaign appearance in Pennsylvania, the president seemed to confirm one famous aspect of Daniels’ story about their alleged relationship: that he is scared of sharks.
“They were saying the other night, the shark,” Trump said. “They were saying, ‘Sharks, we have to protect them.’ I said, ‘Wait a minute, wait.’ They actually want to remove all the seals in order to save the shark. I said, ‘Wait, don’t you have it the other way around?’”
“It’s true. I’m not a big fan of sharks either. I don’t know, how many votes am I going to lose?”
Daniels first said Trump was “terrified of sharks” in an interview in 2011.
“He was like, ‘I donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks,’” she said. “‘I hope all the sharks die.’”
She also considered the subject in Full Disclosure, her autobiography from 2018. She and Trump had settled down for a companionable viewing of Discovery’s Shark Week, she wrote, when Trump received a call from Hillary Clinton, then running for the Democratic presidential nomination, almost a decade before Trump beat her for the White House.
“He had a whole conversation about the race, repeatedly mentioning ‘our plan’,” Daniels writes. But “even while he was on the phone with Hillary, his attention kept going back to the sharks”.


theguardian--2020-08-22--House Democrats pass $25bn bill to fund US Postal Service

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to fund the US Postal Service , amid ongoing complaints by Democrats that the Trump administration is attempting to sabotage the delivery of mail-in ballots ahead of the presidential election in November .
The Democratic bill , which passed on Saturday despite opposition from Republicans , would provide $ 25bn in aid for the USPS and prioritize election mail as “ first class ” , to ensure ballots arrive in time to be counted in an election in which the coronavirus pandemic will cast a shadow over in-person voting .
Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the bill was necessary to “ reject the Trump administration ’ s efforts to undermine the critical mission of the postal service ” .
On the floor of the House , James Comer of Kentucky , the ranking Republican on the oversight committee , said the Democrats ’ bill was the “ result of a legislative process only slightly less absurd than the conspiracies , insinuations , and fabrications that gave rise to the purported need for it ” .
The bill is unlikely to progress further , with the Republican-held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday ’ s vote Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement that the Senate would “ absolutely not pass ” the stand-alone bill .
The White House has also signalled it would veto the bill , with Republicans claiming the postal service has plenty of cash on hand and is being used by Democrats for political purposes .
Democrats have accused Louis DeJoy , a major donor to Donald Trump who is now postmaster general , of implementing cost-cutting measures meant to slow the mail , with the intention of aiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely claimed there is widespread fraud in mail-in ballots , stating that “ nobody knows what ’ s happening with the ballots and the lost ballots and the fraudulent ballots ” .
Experts have pointed out there is no evidence to support these claims and Trump himself has voted via the mail multiple times himself .
On Friday , DeJoy conceded that mail delivery had slowed down but refused to reinstate hundreds of mail sorting machines that have been removed , ostensibly because of a decline in deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to remove hundreds more of the machines ahead of the election .
On Saturday the Democratic chair of the House oversight committee , Carolyn B Maloney of New York , released internal USPS documents from a briefing to DeJoy on 12 August .
Maloney said DeJoy had been warned of “ steep declines and increasing delays nationwide over the last two months as a result of his drastic operational and organizational changes ” .
In a statement , Maloney said : “ To those who still claim there are ‘ no delays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ conspiracy theories ’ , I hope this new data causes them to re-think their position and support our urgent legislation today .
“ We have all seen the headlines from every corner of our country , we have read the stories and seen pictures , we have heard directly from our constituents , and these new documents show that the delays are far worse than we were told.
” Later on Saturday , after playing golf , Trump weighed in again on Twitter with a rambling complaint including more claims regarding voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HOAX by the Democrats , ” the president wrote , “ to give 25 Billion unneeded dollars for political purposes , without talking about the Universal Mail-In Ballot Scam … Only ABSENTEE BALLOTS are acceptable !
” As has been pointed out repeatedly , mail-in ballots and absentee ballots are the same thing .
Trump is opposed to the practice of proactively sending ballots to voters , which many states are pursuing during the coronavirus pandemic .

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to fund the US Postal Service, amid ongoing complaints by Democrats that the Trump administration is attempting to sabotage the delivery of mail-in ballots ahead of the presidential election in November.
The Democratic bill, which passed on Saturday despite opposition from Republicans, would provide $25bn in aid for the USPS and prioritize election mail as “first class”, to ensure ballots arrive in time to be counted in an election in which the coronavirus pandemic will cast a shadow over in-person voting.
Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, said the bill was necessary to “reject the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the critical mission of the postal service”.
On the floor of the House, James Comer of Kentucky, the ranking Republican on the oversight committee, said the Democrats’ bill was the “result of a legislative process only slightly less absurd than the conspiracies, insinuations, and fabrications that gave rise to the purported need for it”.
The bill is unlikely to progress further, with the Republican-held Senate unwilling to pass it. After Saturday’s vote Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement that the Senate would “absolutely not pass” the stand-alone bill.
The White House has also signalled it would veto the bill, with Republicans claiming the postal service has plenty of cash on hand and is being used by Democrats for political purposes.
Democrats have accused Louis DeJoy, a major donor to Donald Trump who is now postmaster general, of implementing cost-cutting measures meant to slow the mail, with the intention of aiding Trump in the election.
Trump has falsely claimed there is widespread fraud in mail-in ballots, stating that “nobody knows what’s happening with the ballots and the lost ballots and the fraudulent ballots”.
Experts have pointed out there is no evidence to support these claims and Trump himself has voted via the mail multiple times himself.
On Friday, DeJoy conceded that mail delivery had slowed down but refused to reinstate hundreds of mail sorting machines that have been removed, ostensibly because of a decline in deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic.
He has, however, reversed a plan to remove hundreds more of the machines ahead of the election.
On Saturday the Democratic chair of the House oversight committee, Carolyn B Maloney of New York, released internal USPS documents from a briefing to DeJoy on 12 August.
Maloney said DeJoy had been warned of “steep declines and increasing delays nationwide over the last two months as a result of his drastic operational and organizational changes”.
In a statement, Maloney said: “To those who still claim there are ‘no delays’ and that these reports are just ‘conspiracy theories’, I hope this new data causes them to re-think their position and support our urgent legislation today.
“We have all seen the headlines from every corner of our country, we have read the stories and seen pictures, we have heard directly from our constituents, and these new documents show that the delays are far worse than we were told.”
Later on Saturday, after playing golf, Trump weighed in again on Twitter with a rambling complaint including more claims regarding voter fraud.
“This is all another HOAX by the Democrats,” the president wrote, “to give 25 Billion unneeded dollars for political purposes, without talking about the Universal Mail-In Ballot Scam … Only ABSENTEE BALLOTS are acceptable!”
As has been pointed out repeatedly, mail-in ballots and absentee ballots are the same thing. Trump is opposed to the practice of proactively sending ballots to voters, which many states are pursuing during the coronavirus pandemic.


theguardian--2020-08-22--Trump to attend Republican convention as Biden promises coronavirus action

Donald Trump is set to travel to Charlotte on Monday , to attend in person as delegates to the Republican National Convention renominate him for US president .
The North Carolina city was chosen two years ago as the site where Republicans would officially launch Trump ’ s bid for re-election , only for the coronavirus pandemic to throw such plans into disarray .
An attempt to shift a standard convention format to Jacksonville , Florida , was ditched as the virus surged .
Trump will nonetheless reportedly make an appearance in Charlotte on Monday , with Republicans determined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This week ’ s Democratic National Convention , originally planned for Milwaukee , in Wisconsin , was comprised of remotely filmed segments , without the familiar audience of cheering delegates .
Most observers deemed it a success .
Details for the Republican convention remain vague , although Trump is set to flout convention by delivering his acceptance speech from the White House , traditionally a place free of party politics , on Thursday .
Events in the capitol will be centered on the Andrew W Mellon Auditorium , which will have a reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The venue is close to Trump ’ s Washington hotel , which is expected to act as a social hub , netting income for the family business .
A fireworks display on the National Mall is also planned .
Trump will appear on each night of the four-night convention , according to Lara Trump , his daughter-in-law and adviser .
“ We want people at the end of our four days to be reminded that America continues to be the greatest , most exceptional nation in the world , ” she told NBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to be surprised by some of the things we do.
” Trump also accused the Democratic convention of being “ dark , dismal and really depressing ” , words which echoed Democrats ’ criticism of the president .
The Democratic event featured sharp attacks on Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic , which has caused more than 175,000 deaths in the US , before nominee Joe Biden pledged to be the “ ally of the light , not the darkness ” .
On Saturday , Trump tweeted a falsehood that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” from recitals of the pledge of allegiance , which they did not .
He also again appealed to “ suburban women ” , accusing Democratic-run cities of being “ rampant with crime ” , which many critics allege is a racist dogwhistle .
ABC News released clips from a joint interview with Biden and Kamala Harris , newly minted Democratic nominees for president and vice-president , which will air on Sunday night .
“ I would shut it down , ” Biden said , asked if he would close the country again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has not done .
“ I would listen to the scientists .
“ I will be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we can not get the country moving until we control the virus .
That is the fundamental flaw of this administration ’ s thinking to begin with .
In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing , and people employed , you have to fix the virus , you have to deal with the virus.
” In an earlier , solo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about another subject central to the quickening campaign , as protests over police brutality continue : “ President Trump says that you want to defund the police .
Do you ?
” “ No I don ’ t , ” Biden said .
“ I don ’ t want to defund police departments .
I think they need more help , they need more assistance , but that , look , there are unethical senators , there are unethical presidents , there are unethical doctors , unethical lawyers , unethical prosecutors , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooted out.
” “ By the way , ” Biden added , “ [ Trump ] proposes cutting a half a billion dollars of local police support.
” ABC said that was probably a reference to proposed cuts to a federal programme that helps hire local law enforcement officers .
In the joint interview , interviewer David Muir brought up Trump ’ s attacks on Harris .
“ President Trump has referred to you as ‘ nasty ’ , ‘ a sort of madwoman ’ , ‘ a disaster ’ , ‘ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anybody in the US Senate ’ .
How do you define what you hear from the president ?
” “ Listen , I think there is so much about what comes out of Donald Trump ’ s mouth that is designed to distract the American people from what he is doing every day that is about neglect , negligence and harm to the American people.
” “ And incompetence , ” Biden added .
“ The idea that he would say something like that – no president , no president has ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ever used those words .
“ And no president has said people coming out of fields with torches and spewing antisemitic bile and met by people who oppose them , and someone dies , and he says they ’ re good people on both sides .
No president of the United States has ever said anything like that ever.
” That was a reference to far-right protests in Charlottesville , Virginia in August 2017 , in which Heather Heyer , a counter-protester , was killed .
Biden said those events , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped inspire his third run for the White House .

Donald Trump is set to travel to Charlotte on Monday, to attend in person as delegates to the Republican National Convention renominate him for US president.
The North Carolina city was chosen two years ago as the site where Republicans would officially launch Trump’s bid for re-election, only for the coronavirus pandemic to throw such plans into disarray. An attempt to shift a standard convention format to Jacksonville, Florida, was ditched as the virus surged.
Trump will nonetheless reportedly make an appearance in Charlotte on Monday, with Republicans determined to mount elements of an in-person convention.
This week’s Democratic National Convention, originally planned for Milwaukee, in Wisconsin, was comprised of remotely filmed segments, without the familiar audience of cheering delegates. Most observers deemed it a success.
Details for the Republican convention remain vague, although Trump is set to flout convention by delivering his acceptance speech from the White House, traditionally a place free of party politics, on Thursday.
I think you are going to be surprised by some of the things we do Lara Trump
Events in the capitol will be centered on the Andrew W Mellon Auditorium, which will have a reduced capacity due to social distancing concerns. The venue is close to Trump’s Washington hotel, which is expected to act as a social hub, netting income for the family business. A fireworks display on the National Mall is also planned.
Trump will appear on each night of the four-night convention, according to Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law and adviser.
“We want people at the end of our four days to be reminded that America continues to be the greatest, most exceptional nation in the world,” she told NBC on Saturday. “I think you are going to be surprised by some of the things we do.”
Trump also accused the Democratic convention of being “dark, dismal and really depressing”, words which echoed Democrats’ criticism of the president. The Democratic event featured sharp attacks on Trump’s handling of the pandemic, which has caused more than 175,000 deaths in the US, before nominee Joe Biden pledged to be the “ally of the light, not the darkness”.
On Saturday, Trump tweeted a falsehood that Democrats had removed the word “God” from recitals of the pledge of allegiance, which they did not. He also again appealed to “suburban women”, accusing Democratic-run cities of being “rampant with crime”, which many critics allege is a racist dogwhistle.
ABC News released clips from a joint interview with Biden and Kamala Harris, newly minted Democratic nominees for president and vice-president, which will air on Sunday night.
“I would shut it down,” Biden said, asked if he would close the country again to deal with the pandemic, as Trump has not done. “I would listen to the scientists.
I will do whatever it takes to save lives because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus Joe Biden
“I will be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus. That is the fundamental flaw of this administration’s thinking to begin with. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus.”
In an earlier, solo interview with ABC, Biden was asked about another subject central to the quickening campaign, as protests over police brutality continue: “President Trump says that you want to defund the police. Do you?”
“No I don’t,” Biden said. “I don’t want to defund police departments. I think they need more help, they need more assistance, but that, look, there are unethical senators, there are unethical presidents, there are unethical doctors, unethical lawyers, unethical prosecutors, there are unethical cops. They should be rooted out.”
“By the way,” Biden added, “[Trump] proposes cutting a half a billion dollars of local police support.” ABC said that was probably a reference to proposed cuts to a federal programme that helps hire local law enforcement officers.
In the joint interview, interviewer David Muir brought up Trump’s attacks on Harris.
“President Trump has referred to you as ‘nasty’, ‘a sort of madwoman’, ‘a disaster’, ‘the meanest, most horrible, most disrespectful of anybody in the US Senate’. How do you define what you hear from the president?”
Harris laughed.
“Listen, I think there is so much about what comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth that is designed to distract the American people from what he is doing every day that is about neglect, negligence and harm to the American people.”
“And incompetence,” Biden added. “The idea that he would say something like that – no president, no president has ever said anything like that. No president has ever used those words.
“And no president has said people coming out of fields with torches and spewing antisemitic bile and met by people who oppose them, and someone dies, and he says they’re good people on both sides. No president of the United States has ever said anything like that ever.”
That was a reference to far-right protests in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, in which Heather Heyer, a counter-protester, was killed. Biden said those events, and Trump’s response to them, helped inspire his third run for the White House.


theguardian--2020-08-22--Trump-Russia investigation: former CIA chief interviewed by US attorney

The former CIA director John Brennan was interviewed on Friday by US attorney John Durham ’ s team , as part of its inquiry into the investigation of Russian election interference in 2016 .
The interview took place at CIA headquarters and lasted eight hours , said Nick Shapiro , Brennan ’ s former deputy chief of staff and senior adviser .
“ Brennan was informed by Mr Durham that he is not a subject or a target of a criminal investigation and that he is only a witness to events that are under review , ” Shapiro said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it and other agencies arrived at the conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Donald Trump .
Durham is continuing to examine how US intelligence officials reached that assessment , which Trump has long resisted .
Brennan appeared voluntarily and has said he welcomed the chance to be questioned and had nothing to hide .
“ I look forward to the day when the truth is going to come out and the individuals who have mischaracterized what has happened in the past will be shown to have deceived the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May .
Brennan offered Durham details on efforts to “ understand and disrupt ” Russia ’ s efforts to interfere in the election , and answered questions related to a “ wide range of intelligence activities ” undertaken by the CIA in the run-up to November 2016 , Shapiro said .
Brennan also answered questions about the January 2017 intelligence community assessment that blamed Russia for the interference .
A spokesman for Durham declined to comment .
Attorney general William Barr last year appointed the US attorney for Connecticut to examine decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Trump and Russia .
Exhaustive reports by special counsel Robert Mueller and the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee have detailed extensive ties between Russians and Trump associates during the 2016 campaign .
But Barr has challenged the idea that the FBI had sufficient basis to open its counterintelligence investigation and empowered Durham to look at other agencies too .
Brennan questioned why the CIA ’ s findings and tradecraft were being scrutinized , given that Mueller and the bipartisan Senate report validated the conclusions on Russian interference , Shapiro said .
“ Brennan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts of Donald Trump and William Barr to politicize Mr Durham ’ s work have been appalling and have tarnished the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice , making it very difficult for Department of Justice professionals to carry out their responsibilities.
” A spokeswoman for the justice department declined to comment .
Brennan , a vocal critic of Trump , testified before Congress in 2017 that he personally warned Russia against interfering in the election and was so concerned about its contacts with Trump ’ s campaign he convened top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He told the House intelligence committee it “ should be clear to everyone that Russia brazenly interfered in our 2016 present election process ” , though he said he didn ’ t have enough information to know if it was colluding with the Trump campaign .
“ But , ” he said , “ I know there was a basis to have individuals pull those threads.
” Mueller found that the Trump campaign embraced Russia ’ s help and expected to benefit from it , though he did not allege a criminal conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , against a former FBI lawyer accused of altering an email related to secret surveillance of former Trump adviser Carter Page .
The attorney , Kevin Clinesmith , pleaded guilty to a false statement charge .

The former CIA director John Brennan was interviewed on Friday by US attorney John Durham’s team, as part of its inquiry into the investigation of Russian election interference in 2016.
The interview took place at CIA headquarters and lasted eight hours, said Nick Shapiro, Brennan’s former deputy chief of staff and senior adviser.
“Brennan was informed by Mr Durham that he is not a subject or a target of a criminal investigation and that he is only a witness to events that are under review,” Shapiro said in a statement.
Brennan led the CIA as it and other agencies arrived at the conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Donald Trump.
Durham is continuing to examine how US intelligence officials reached that assessment, which Trump has long resisted.
Brennan appeared voluntarily and has said he welcomed the chance to be questioned and had nothing to hide.
“I look forward to the day when the truth is going to come out and the individuals who have mischaracterized what has happened in the past will be shown to have deceived the American people,” Brennan told MSNBC in May.
Brennan offered Durham details on efforts to “understand and disrupt” Russia’s efforts to interfere in the election, and answered questions related to a “wide range of intelligence activities” undertaken by the CIA in the run-up to November 2016, Shapiro said.
Brennan also answered questions about the January 2017 intelligence community assessment that blamed Russia for the interference. A spokesman for Durham declined to comment.
Attorney general William Barr last year appointed the US attorney for Connecticut to examine decisions made by officials as they investigated ties between Trump and Russia.
Exhaustive reports by special counsel Robert Mueller and the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee have detailed extensive ties between Russians and Trump associates during the 2016 campaign.
But Barr has challenged the idea that the FBI had sufficient basis to open its counterintelligence investigation and empowered Durham to look at other agencies too.
Brennan questioned why the CIA’s findings and tradecraft were being scrutinized, given that Mueller and the bipartisan Senate report validated the conclusions on Russian interference, Shapiro said.
“Brennan also told Mr Durham that the repeated efforts of Donald Trump and William Barr to politicize Mr Durham’s work have been appalling and have tarnished the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice, making it very difficult for Department of Justice professionals to carry out their responsibilities.”
A spokeswoman for the justice department declined to comment.
Brennan, a vocal critic of Trump, testified before Congress in 2017 that he personally warned Russia against interfering in the election and was so concerned about its contacts with Trump’s campaign he convened top officials to focus on the issue.
He told the House intelligence committee it “should be clear to everyone that Russia brazenly interfered in our 2016 present election process”, though he said he didn’t have enough information to know if it was colluding with the Trump campaign.
“But,” he said, “I know there was a basis to have individuals pull those threads.”
Mueller found that the Trump campaign embraced Russia’s help and expected to benefit from it, though he did not allege a criminal conspiracy.
Durham brought his first criminal charge last week, against a former FBI lawyer accused of altering an email related to secret surveillance of former Trump adviser Carter Page. The attorney, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty to a false statement charge.


theguardian--2020-08-22--William Barr told Murdoch to 'muzzle' Fox News Trump critic, new book says

The attorney general , William Barr , told Rupert Murdoch to “ muzzle ” Andrew Napolitano , a prominent Fox News personality who became a critic of Donald Trump , according to a new book about the rightwing TV network .
Barr ’ s meeting with Murdoch , at the media mogul ’ s New York home in October 2019 , was widely reported at the time , with speculation surrounding its subject .
According to Hoax : Donald Trump , Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth , by CNN media reporter Brian Stelter , subjects covered included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But it was also about Judge Andrew Napolitano.
” Stelter ’ s in-depth look at Fox News , its fortunes under Trump and its links to his White House will be published on Tuesday .
The Guardian obtained a copy .
In early 2019 it was reported that Napolitano , a New Jersey superior court judge who joined Fox News in 1998 , told friends he had been on Trump ’ s shortlist for the supreme court .
But he broke ranks later in the year , labeling Trump ’ s approaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivals , “ both criminal and impeachable behavior ” .
“ The criminal behavior to which Trump has admitted , ” Napolitano wrote , in a column dated 3 October , “ is much more grave than anything alleged or unearthed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller , and much of what Mueller revealed was impeachable.
” Citing an unnamed source , Stelter writes that Trump “ was so incensed by the judge ’ s TV broadcasts that he had implored Barr to send Rupert a message in person … about ‘ muzzling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation ’ s top law enforcement official to convey just how atrocious Napolitano ’ s legal analysis had been.
” Barr has been widely accused of riding roughshod over the rule of law , in service of Trump and his own authoritarian view of the presidency .
Though Barr ’ s words to Murdoch “ carried a lot of weight ” , Stelter writes , “ no one was explicitly told to take Napolitano off the air ” .
Instead , Stelter reports , Napolitano found digital resources allocated elsewhere , saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and was not included in coverage of the impeachment process .
In Stelter ’ s telling , Napolitano thought he was being kept off air by “ 25-year-old producers ” who didn ’ t think viewers could handle his analysis .
Stelter , however , says an unnamed “ twentysomething staffer ” confirmed that one host , Maria Bartiromo , would only book Napolitano to discuss non-Trump topics , because he would upset Bartiromo too much if he criticised the president .
Fox News ’ audience remains loyal to Trump as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees , Stelter writes , “ justified the benching of the judge by claiming that viewers hated him : ‘ Why are we going to book someone who kills our ratings ?
’ ” Napolitano has continued to appear on Fox News and to publish opinion columns .
He has remained critical of Trump , for example slamming the actions of federal officers sent to confront protesters in Portland , Oregon ; opposing attempts to provide coronavirus relief without congressional involvement ; and saying Senate Republicans should have called new witnesses in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also had harsh words for Barr , for example calling his conduct in the case of Trump ally Roger Stone “ Stalinistic ” ; blasting his handling of the Mueller report to Trump ’ s advantage ; and hitting him for “ insulting ” Congress .
Napolitano did , however , back Barr ’ s attempt to drop charges against Michael Flynn , Trump ’ s first national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with Russian officials .

The attorney general, William Barr, told Rupert Murdoch to “muzzle” Andrew Napolitano, a prominent Fox News personality who became a critic of Donald Trump, according to a new book about the rightwing TV network.
Barr’s meeting with Murdoch, at the media mogul’s New York home in October 2019, was widely reported at the time, with speculation surrounding its subject. According to Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth, by CNN media reporter Brian Stelter, subjects covered included media consolidation and criminal justice reform.
“But it was also about Judge Andrew Napolitano.”
Stelter’s in-depth look at Fox News, its fortunes under Trump and its links to his White House will be published on Tuesday. The Guardian obtained a copy.
In early 2019 it was reported that Napolitano, a New Jersey superior court judge who joined Fox News in 1998, told friends he had been on Trump’s shortlist for the supreme court. But he broke ranks later in the year, labeling Trump’s approaches to Ukraine, seeking political dirt on rivals, “both criminal and impeachable behavior”.
“The criminal behavior to which Trump has admitted,” Napolitano wrote, in a column dated 3 October, “is much more grave than anything alleged or unearthed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and much of what Mueller revealed was impeachable”.
Citing an unnamed source, Stelter writes that Trump “was so incensed by the judge’s TV broadcasts that he had implored Barr to send Rupert a message in person … about ‘muzzling the judge’. [Trump] wanted the nation’s top law enforcement official to convey just how atrocious Napolitano’s legal analysis had been.”
Barr has been widely accused of riding roughshod over the rule of law, in service of Trump and his own authoritarian view of the presidency.
Though Barr’s words to Murdoch “carried a lot of weight”, Stelter writes, “no one was explicitly told to take Napolitano off the air”. Instead, Stelter reports, Napolitano found digital resources allocated elsewhere, saw a slot on a daytime show disappear and was not included in coverage of the impeachment process.
In Stelter’s telling, Napolitano thought he was being kept off air by “25-year-old producers” who didn’t think viewers could handle his analysis. Stelter, however, says an unnamed “twentysomething staffer” confirmed that one host, Maria Bartiromo, would only book Napolitano to discuss non-Trump topics, because he would upset Bartiromo too much if he criticised the president.
Fox News’ audience remains loyal to Trump as his campaign for re-election continues. Some Fox employees, Stelter writes, “justified the benching of the judge by claiming that viewers hated him: ‘Why are we going to book someone who kills our ratings?’”
On Saturday night, Kerri Kupec, Barr’s spokeswoman at the Department of Justice, said Stelter’s story was “false”, adding: “A basic factcheck would have revealed that, but Brian Stelter did not reach out to us before publishing.”
Stelter declined to comment.
Napolitano has continued to appear on Fox News and to publish opinion columns. He has remained critical of Trump, for example slamming the actions of federal officers sent to confront protesters in Portland, Oregon; opposing attempts to provide coronavirus relief without congressional involvement; and saying Senate Republicans should have called new witnesses in the president’s impeachment trial.
He has also had harsh words for Barr, for example calling his conduct in the case of Trump ally Roger Stone “Stalinistic”; blasting his handling of the Mueller report to Trump’s advantage; and hitting him for “insulting” Congress.
Napolitano did, however, back Barr’s attempt to drop charges against Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with Russian officials.


theguardian--2020-08-23--Donald Trump's sister calls him 'cruel' in tapes made by niece – US politics live

ABC News has released more of its interview with Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee for president , and Kamala Harris , the California senator who is now his VP pick .
Biden is 77 but will be 78 on inauguration day if he is elected , comfortably the oldest president ever inaugurated , taking the record from one Donald J Trump .
If Biden ran again in 2024 he would be 82 at inauguration day , and 86 on handing over power four years after that .
He has previously referred to himself as a transitional president in waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term if elected .
The current incumbent of the Oval Office , of course , was 70 when he took power in 2017 and has faced tough questions about his own health and mental ability .
But that hasn ’ t stopped him questioning his challenger on the same grounds .
Asked about such attacks on ABC , Biden said : “ Watch me .
Mr President , watch me .
Look at us both .
Look at us both , what we say , what we do , what we control , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape we ’ re in .
“ I think it ’ s a legitimate question to ask anybody over 70 years old whether or not they ’ re fit and whether they ’ re ready .
But I just , [ the ] only thing I can say to the American people , it ’ s a legitimate question to ask anybody .
Watch me .
“ We haven ’ t spent nearly enough time building the bench in the Democratic Party , ” Biden added .
“ …So [ what ] I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is over , we have a new Senate , we won back statehouses , we ’ re in a position where we transition to a period of bringing people up to the visibility that they need to get to be able to lead nationally .
And that ’ s about raising people up .
And that ’ s what I ’ m about.
” The interviewer asked : “ So you ’ re leaving open the possibility you ’ ll serve eight years if elected ?

23 Aug 2020 23.09 BST More a campaign-style press announcement than traditional news conference, Trump abruptly ends the proceedings after taking only three questions, including one from One America News Network. The US president insisted today’s announcement, which comes one day after he accused “the deep state, or whoever, over at” the FDA of deliberately slowing coronavirus vaccine and therapy development, “has nothing to do with politics” despite its conspicuous timing on the eve of the Republican national convention. CNN notes that convalescent plasma has already been used in the treatment of more than 60,000 Covid-19 patients and while “promising signs” have resulted from some studies, “there is not yet randomized clinical trial data on convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19”.
23 Aug 2020 22.37 BST Trump announces emergency authorization for coronavirus plasma treatment As Donald Trump took the podium for tonight’s news conference in the James S Brady Briefing Room, the FDA sent out a press release saying it has said it issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for investigational convalescent plasma for the treatment of Covid-19 in hospitalized patients as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to fight Covid-19. Trump hails the 100-year-old treatment strategy as a “historic breakthrough”. “This is a powerful therapy that transfuses very, very strong antibodies from the blood of recovered patients to help treat patients battling a current infection. It’s had an incredible rate of success.”
US president Donald Trump speaks alongside FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn and Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar during Sunday night’s press conference at the White House. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Updated at 22.59 BST
23 Aug 2020 21.58 BST The US has crossed the threshold of 176,000 confirmed deaths from Covid-19, just seven months after the first cases were diagnosed in China and with the outbreak far from under control. The American death toll is the highest in the world by a significant margin and reached 176,645 on Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins University world coronavirus tracker. The total includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. But a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday found Americans view the severity of the pandemic and the effectiveness of the government’s response through a partisan lens. According to the poll, a 57% majority of registered Republican voters consider the number of coronavirus fatalities “acceptable” when “evaluating the US efforts against the coronavirus pandemic”, compared with 31% of voters overall. That’s in stark contrast with the 90% of Democrats and 67% of independents who said the death toll was “unacceptable”.
23 Aug 2020 21.11 BST Top Democrats and Republicans blamed each other for stalled talks on coronavirus aid legislation, a day after the House of Representatives approved $25bn in new funds for the US Postal Service. But Saturday’s vote failed to shift a stalemate over the next phase of coronavirus aid since 6 August, when talks between the White House and Democratic congressional leaders broke down over funding levels and unemployment benefits. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said the Republican-controlled chamber would “absolutely not pass” the postal bill. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Sunday criticized the Democratic vote as “a largely messaging bill” and blamed house speaker Nancy Pelosi for failing to agree on broader legislation that included supplemental unemployment benefits. “And Trump gives bread and circuses without the bread. So we’ll see the circus this week with his convention.” “I haven’t heard from the speaker yet. I am going to make a phone call to her today,” Meadows said on ABC’s This Week. “My challenge to the speaker this morning would be this: If we agree on five or six things, let’s go ahead and pass those.” Pelosi shot back on CNN’s State of the Union, saying Trump was stalling needed coronavirus relief for cities and children for political gain, signaling that negotiations were likely to make little progress during the Republican national convention, which gets underway this week. “This is like ancient Rome. Trump fiddles while Rome burns, while America burns,” she said.
23 Aug 2020 20.41 BST Amanda Holpuch One of the only Democrats on the list of speakers for the Republican national convention is Georgia state representative Vernon Jones, whom the Atlanta Journal-Constitution described as “a polarizing figure in Georgia politics”. Jones endorsed Donald Trump in April, prompting other Democrats in the state to call him an “embarrassment” and “traitor”. Jones told the newspaper he endorsed Trump because the president‘s policies helped black voters, veterans and farmers. In response to backlash against the endorsement, Jones said he would resign. A day later, he said he would not resign. Jones posted social media messages supportive of Trump in the past and has leaned Republican on many issues through his career. Jones champions increased access to guns, more aggressive immigration restrictions and limited government. In 2004, he endorsed Republican George W Bush for president.
In 2008, Jones backed Barack Obama and attempted to use the president’s image in his own race for the state senate that year. Jones’s campaign sent a campaign mailer featuring a photo edited to make it look like he and Obama attended an event together. The Obama campaign had to clarify it had not endorsed Jones’s candidacy in the race, which he ultimately lost. After the RNC announced Jones would be speaking at the convention, Georgia state representative Scott Holcomb, a Democrat, said Jones’s political weight was not equivalent to that of the many Republicans who turned out to support Joe Biden at the Democratic national convention last week. “The Democratic convention included heavyweight Republicans who support Joe Biden out of principle and love for country,” Holcomb told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The Republicans have a washed-up state representative who yields no influence in his home state. Good luck with that.”
23 Aug 2020 20.20 BST Donald Trump will announce the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for Covid-19, a treatment that already has been given to more than 70,000 patients, the Washington Post has reported, citing officials familiar with the decision. The action will be highlighted at a news conference later on Sunday afternoon, the newspaper said.
According to the Post: Many scientists and physicians believe that convalescent plasma might provide some benefit but is far from a breakthrough. It is rich in antibodies that could be helpful in fighting the coronavirus, but the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed. On CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the blood product – derived from patients who have survived Covid-19 – is “probably beneficial” for covid-19 patients. The issuance of an emergency authorization would make it easier to get in some settings. But he also said it already is widely available, so the change would be “incremental”. The announcement comes as Trump has put extraordinary pressure on federal agencies to test and approve treatments and, especially, a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, which has already killed more than 170,000 Americans. The president’s political advisers believe that having a vaccine by Election Day is key to his prospects for winning.
Updated at 20.22 BST
23 Aug 2020 19.58 BST Donald Trump is back at the White House after spending the morning at his private golf club in Sterling, Virginia. As has become customary for Trump’s regular weekend trips to the Loudoun county property, groups of supporters and protesters gathered outside the entrance awaiting his departure. A White House pool report described the scene: As pool was holding just outside the club prior to departure a short pro-Trump parade of three Jeeps and a pickup was driving back and forth repeatedly, flying American flags and Trump 2020 banners with slogans such as “Latinos for Trump” and “Women for Trump.” Several had “Trump National Rapid Response Team” signs attached to them as well. A big rig (without trailer) seemed to be part of the group and would blow its horn as it passed by. A string of pro-Trump and pro-Biden folks were on foot along the sidewalks near the entrance of the club expressing their various opinions as well. Since arriving at the White House at 1.45pm, America’s most prominent media critic has turned his Twitter fingers toward Fox News anchor Chris Wallace: “Next we’ll turn to people of the Biden inner circle”, said by Chris Wallace of @FoxNews after unsuccessfully GRILLING Mark Meadows. Then all softball questions to a group of Biden lightweights, including Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2020 Chris Wallace “forgot” to ask a very weak and pathetic Schumer puppet, Senator Chrisie Coons, why Biden fought me when I put an extremely early BAN on people coming into our Country from heavily infected China. Biden later admitted I was right! But why no question? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2020 Today marked Trump’s 274th day he’s spent at a golf course he owns in the 1,312 days since he’s taken office. Supporters and protesters react on Sunday as US president Donald Trump’s motorcade departs the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Photograph: Erin Scott/Reuters A protester holds a sign referencing the number of US deaths from Covid-19 outside Trump National on Sunday in Sterling, Virginia. Photograph: Erin Scott/Reuters
23 Aug 2020 19.29 BST The Trump administration is considering fast-tracking an experimental Covid-19 vaccine for use in the US ahead of the 3 November elections, according to the Financial Times. One option being explored would involve the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarding “emergency use authorisation” in October to the potential vaccine, which was developed by Oxford University and licensed to AstraZeneca, the newspaper reported. The AstraZeneca study has enrolled 10,000 volunteers, whereas the US government’s scientific agencies have said that a vaccine would need to be studied in 30,000 people to pass the threshold for authorisation. AstraZeneca is also conducting a larger study with 30,000 volunteers, although the results from that will come after the smaller trial. Making a vaccine available before the election could allow US president Donald Trump to claim he has turned the tide on a virus that has killed more than 170,000 Americans following widespread criticism of his handling of the pandemic. In his convention speech on Thursday night, Joe Biden, Mr Trump’s Democratic opponent, said that the US response to the virus was the “worst performance of any nation”. However, if the Trump administration does rush through emergency authorisation ahead of the election by skirting normal government guidelines, it could dent already shaky public confidence in the safety of vaccines ahead of one of the largest mass-immunisation programmes in US history. FT: Trump eyes fast tracking UK Covid 19 vaccine before election #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/dNhcxAnJLY — Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 23, 2020
Updated at 21.32 BST


theguardian--2020-08-23--The Libertarian party was up and coming in 2016. What happened?

The Libertarian party nominated two respected former state governors for president and vice-president in 2016 , and enjoyed its most successful election performance ever , winning nearly 4.5m votes .
To many , it seemed that the Libertarians were a genuinely relevant third party in US politics , which is overwhelmingly dominated by Republicans and Democrats .
But in 2020 , the party , which advocates for small government and civil liberties , has gone in a wildly different direction .
The Libertarian vice-presidential candidate this November is an internet talkshow host who ran for office alongside a man wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has promised the electorate free ponies , “ zombie power ” and the killing of baby Hitler .
Spike Cohen , who narrowly won the nomination at the party ’ s virtual convention in May , will team up with Jo Jorgensen , a university lecturer and lifelong Libertarian who has spent years as a loyal party advocate – and who is said to have expressed a preference for a more traditional running mate .
The party ’ s method of choosing candidates – each is voted for independently by party delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The candidates have seemingly got on with the job , holding separate bus tours around the country , but their stated goals in office could hardly be more different .
Cohen originally ran for the Libertarian vice-president post alongside the presidential candidate Vermin Supreme , a longtime political activist best known for turning up at protests or presidential primaries while wearing a rubber boot on his head .
During the campaign Cohen ’ s promises to the electorate were unusual .
His 14-point platform included a Waffle House on every corner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bullets that instead of harming you do helpful things like clearing up headaches and relieving nasal congestion ” .
“ Impeaching every member of the supreme court and replacing them with a janitor , his name is Reginald , and he will be our king , ” Cohen said in a YouTube broadcast in December .
“ You ’ re probably thinking : ‘ What do you need a king for if we have a president and vice-president ?
’ But the thing is we ’ re gon na be time-traveling a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not gon na be here all the time .
“ You know , we ’ re gon na be out killing lots of babies that eventually become tyrants .
We go back in time and make right what once went wrong .
We ’ re not gon na have time to be here doing a bunch of stuff.
” After winning the nomination at a virtual convention in May , Cohen said his campaign with Supreme had been “ fun satire to bring people in ” , which contradicts what he told ABC15News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not respond to requests for an interview .
Jorgensen , a Libertarian party member for more than two decades who was the party ’ s vice-presidential nominee in 1996 and who reportedly said she would vote for Cohen ’ s rival John Monds for vice-president , ran a more traditional campaign .
“ If elected president , ” Jorgensen said at the South Carolina Libertarian party convention in November : “ I would turn America into one giant Switzerland , armed and neutral , but enough forces to protect and defend American soil.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libertarian party won 3.3 % of the vote in 2016 , the party ’ s best ever performance .
Gary Johnson , a former Republican governor of New Mexico , who was also the Libertarian candidate in 2012 , was the presidential candidate in 2016 .
His running mate was William Weld , a former Republican governor of Massachusetts who this year challenged Donald Trump for the Republican nomination .
Despite the promising electoral performance , Weld , in particular , was criticized by some party members as being “ Republican lite ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of strategy this year .
While Cohen may have distanced himself from his promises of ponies , time travel and kings , however , some of his and Jorgensen ’ s choices as Libertarian candidates could still serve as a turn-off to voters .
In July the Guardian reported that Jorgensen had appeared on a podcast associated with the anti-government “ boogaloo ” movement .
One of the interviewers runs a Facebook page laden with memes that appear to invoke white nationalism .
This month , the party involved itself once again with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a gun rights rally co-hosted by a self-described “ boogaloo boy ” in Richmond , Virginia .
Cohen used his speech to argue relaxing gun laws could end police violence .
“ If you want to have your gun rights defended , if you want to have an end to police brutality because people have more guns , ” Cohen said at the rally .
In a country dominated by Republicans and Democrats , there is evidence that Americans want a third option .
A 2018 Gallup poll found 57 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is needed – a belief that has more or less held steady for the past 10 years .
Whether Cohen ’ s promises of ponies and zombies and time travel fill that need remains to be seen .

The Libertarian party nominated two respected former state governors for president and vice-president in 2016, and enjoyed its most successful election performance ever, winning nearly 4.5m votes.
To many, it seemed that the Libertarians were a genuinely relevant third party in US politics, which is overwhelmingly dominated by Republicans and Democrats. But in 2020, the party, which advocates for small government and civil liberties, has gone in a wildly different direction.
The Libertarian vice-presidential candidate this November is an internet talkshow host who ran for office alongside a man wearing a boot on his head, and who has promised the electorate free ponies, “zombie power” and the killing of baby Hitler.
Spike Cohen, who narrowly won the nomination at the party’s virtual convention in May, will team up with Jo Jorgensen, a university lecturer and lifelong Libertarian who has spent years as a loyal party advocate – and who is said to have expressed a preference for a more traditional running mate.
Jeremy ‘Spike’ Cohen, the 2020 vice-presidential nominee of the Libertarian party, addresses delegates at the 2020 Libertarian national convention. Photograph: Paul Hennessy/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock
The party’s method of choosing candidates – each is voted for independently by party delegates – allowed for the seeming extreme mismatch.
The candidates have seemingly got on with the job, holding separate bus tours around the country, but their stated goals in office could hardly be more different.
Cohen originally ran for the Libertarian vice-president post alongside the presidential candidate Vermin Supreme, a longtime political activist best known for turning up at protests or presidential primaries while wearing a rubber boot on his head.
During the campaign Cohen’s promises to the electorate were unusual. His 14-point platform included a Waffle House on every corner, “legalizing recreational plutonium” and developing “bullets that instead of harming you do helpful things like clearing up headaches and relieving nasal congestion”.
“Impeaching every member of the supreme court and replacing them with a janitor, his name is Reginald, and he will be our king,” Cohen said in a YouTube broadcast in December.
“You’re probably thinking: ‘What do you need a king for if we have a president and vice-president?’ But the thing is we’re gonna be time-traveling a lot and you know we’re not gonna be here all the time.
“You know, we’re gonna be out killing lots of babies that eventually become tyrants. We go back in time and make right what once went wrong. We’re not gonna have time to be here doing a bunch of stuff.”
After winning the nomination at a virtual convention in May, Cohen said his campaign with Supreme had been “fun satire to bring people in”, which contradicts what he told ABC15News in January.
The Jorgensen-Cohen campaign did not respond to requests for an interview.
Jorgensen, a Libertarian party member for more than two decades who was the party’s vice-presidential nominee in 1996 and who reportedly said she would vote for Cohen’s rival John Monds for vice-president, ran a more traditional campaign.
“If elected president,” Jorgensen said at the South Carolina Libertarian party convention in November: “I would turn America into one giant Switzerland, armed and neutral, but enough forces to protect and defend American soil.”
The Jorgensen-Cohen ticket comes after the Libertarian party won 3.3% of the vote in 2016, the party’s best ever performance.
Delegates react as Jo Jorgensen gives her acceptance speech during the 2020 Libertarian National Convention. Photograph: Paul Hennessy/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock
Gary Johnson, a former Republican governor of New Mexico, who was also the Libertarian candidate in 2012, was the presidential candidate in 2016. His running mate was William Weld, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts who this year challenged Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.
Despite the promising electoral performance, Weld, in particular, was criticized by some party members as being “Republican lite”, which could have prompted the change of strategy this year.
While Cohen may have distanced himself from his promises of ponies, time travel and kings, however, some of his and Jorgensen’s choices as Libertarian candidates could still serve as a turn-off to voters.
In July the Guardian reported that Jorgensen had appeared on a podcast associated with the anti-government “boogaloo” movement. One of the interviewers runs a Facebook page laden with memes that appear to invoke white nationalism.
This month, the party involved itself once again with the boogaloo movement, when Cohen spoke at a gun rights rally co-hosted by a self-described “boogaloo boy” in Richmond, Virginia. Cohen used his speech to argue relaxing gun laws could end police violence.
“If you want to have your gun rights defended, if you want to have an end to police brutality because people have more guns,” Cohen said at the rally.
In a country dominated by Republicans and Democrats, there is evidence that Americans want a third option.
A 2018 Gallup poll found 57% of Americans believe a third major political party is needed – a belief that has more or less held steady for the past 10 years.
Whether Cohen’s promises of ponies and zombies and time travel fill that need remains to be seen.


theguardian--2020-08-23--A disputed election, a constitutional crisis, polarisation … welcome to 1876

As Donald Trump warns inaccurately of voter fraud and polls show the unpopular president staying within touching distance of Democrat Joe Biden , the prospect of an unresolved US election draws horribly near , especially as the impact of the coronavirus is widely seen as likely to delay a result by days , if not weeks .
Across the political spectrum , pundits are predicting what may happen should Trump refuse to surrender power .
The speculation is tantalising but the short answer is that nobody has a clue .
History does provide some sort of guide .
There have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were resolved , but not by any constitutional mechanism and the consequences of such brutal political contests have been severe indeed .
In 2000 , the supreme court decided a disputed Florida result and put a Republican , George W Bush , in the White House instead of the Democrat Al Gore .
Though of course the justices could not know it , they had put America on the road to war in Iraq , economic crisis , the rise of the evangelical right and a deepening political divide .
That case is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election much further back produced even more damaging results .
The campaign of 1876 ended with the electoral college in the balance as three states were disputed .
Out of deadlock , eventually , came a political deal , giving the Republican Rutherford Hayes the presidency at the expense of Samuel Tilden , who like Gore , and indeed Hillary Clinton in 2016 , won the popular vote .
Tilden ’ s compensation was that his party , the Democrats , were allowed to put an end to Reconstruction , the process by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolished slavery and sought to ensure the rights of black Americans , via the 13th , 14th and 15th constitutional amendments .
The awful result was Jim Crow , the system of white supremacy and segregation which lasted well into the 20th century and whose legacy remains crushingly strong in a country now gripped by protests against police brutality and for systemic reform .
Eric Foner , now retired from Columbia University , is America ’ s pre-eminent historian of the civil war , slavery and Reconstruction , a prize-winner many times over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2020 is not prepared for what may be around the corner .
“ In 1877 there were three states , Florida , South Carolina , Louisiana , where two different sets of returns were sent up , one by the Democrats , one by the Republicans , each claiming to have carried the state .
“ There was no established mechanism and in fact , in the end , we went around the constitution , or beyond the constitution , or ignored the constitution .
It was settled by an extralegal body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established by Congress to decide who won.
” Through wheeling and dealing in smoky back rooms as well as the precincts of Capitol Hill , that process produced a result .
“ If there is such a dispute this November , ” Foner says , “ one of the things that is similar to 1876 is that today you have a divided Congress .
Back then , just as now , you had Republicans in control of the Senate and Democrats in control of the House .
And that gave each party a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to vacate the Oval Office , Biden may have to make concessions .
“ Let ’ s imagine that the Republicans recognize Biden , withdraw their claim that , say , Biden is ahead by 7m popular votes but the electoral college is disputed .
In exchange for that , Biden has to promise to do X , Y and Z.
He ’ s got to promise to build the border wall to completion .
He ’ s got to promise to make Russia the 51st state .
Whatever it is Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t know , probably not .
But somebody has to decide and in 1876 , in the end , it was this Electoral Commission .
“ In 2000 , I remember very well , a bunch of historians took a full-page ad in the New York Times , calling for a new Electoral Commission to examine the whole thing , and I thought that was one of the worst ideas I ’ d ever heard .
When you go back to 1876 , part of the deal was the surrender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not sure that ’ s a precedent we want to reinvigorate , you know ?
” Many fear Trump and the Republicans will consider no tactic too underhand , no punch too low , before or after the vote .
“ The election of 1876 , ” Foner says , “ would not have been disputed at all if there hadn ’ t been massive violence in the south to prevent black people from voting and voter suppression like we have today .
Now , voter suppression is mostly legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , mob activity or Klan activity or other things to intimidate blacks or prevent them from going to vote .
“ In other words if you had a fair election in the south , a peaceful election , there ’ s no question that the Republican Hayes would have won a totally legitimate and indisputable victory .
“ Today , I can certainly see the Trump people challenging these mail-in ballots : ‘ They ’ re all fraudulent , they shouldn ’ t be counted.
’ Challenging people ’ s voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll watchers to try to intimidate voters , to claim they ’ re not really registered to vote.
” Many urge that the only real way to resolve fears of a contested result is for the electorate to hand Biden so resounding a victory that Trump will have no choice but to go .
Foner agrees , though as “ the country is fairly evenly divided , it ’ s hard to win a landslide election ” .
Does he think , as many do , that the US is now as divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war and its aftermath ?
“ Sure , in a sense .
We ’ re in a very ideological moment [ but ] right now we don ’ t have the violence .
President Grant sent troops into the south in 1871 , to suppress the Ku Klux Klan .
We had a civil war , which we ’ re not quite on the verge of yet , I hope .
“ But in the aftermath of civil war , yes , the Democrats were explicitly and overtly a party of white supremacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans were the party of Lincoln , of emancipation and , increasingly , basic rights for African Americans .
“ Those were very different positions and they led to extreme partisanship .
Not a single Democrat in Congress voted for any of the so-called Reconstruction legislation which tried to protect the rights of blacks in the south .
The hyper-polarization was there , 150 years ago.
” Swap the parties round , and the parallel to today is clear .
Foner also says that while a contested result in 2020 could send America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big Biden victory could herald a brighter future .
“ It ’ s possible Biden wins by a large majority , [ the Democrats ] get control of the Senate .
You know , the atmosphere in the country , whether it ’ s the racial issue or the pandemic or the economic crisis we ’ re in , all of that cries out for people who are looking for serious , substantive leadership , which of course we haven ’ t had lately .
“ On the other hand , if Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 52 % of the vote and the Senate remains in the hands of Mitch McConnell and the Republicans … Biden can reverse all of Trump ’ s executive orders but he ’ s not going to get the major progressive legislation through.
” In the words of William Dean Howells , the dean of American 19th-century letters whom Foner has quoted elsewhere , the American public always wants “ a tragedy with a happy ending ” .
Thanks to the election of 1876 , Reconstruction did not deliver .
As the election of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or may not .

As Donald Trump warns inaccurately of voter fraud and polls show the unpopular president staying within touching distance of Democrat Joe Biden, the prospect of an unresolved US election draws horribly near, especially as the impact of the coronavirus is widely seen as likely to delay a result by days, if not weeks.
Across the political spectrum, pundits are predicting what may happen should Trump refuse to surrender power. The speculation is tantalising but the short answer is that nobody has a clue.
History does provide some sort of guide. There have been inconclusive US elections before. They were resolved, but not by any constitutional mechanism and the consequences of such brutal political contests have been severe indeed.
In 2000, the supreme court decided a disputed Florida result and put a Republican, George W Bush, in the White House instead of the Democrat Al Gore. Though of course the justices could not know it, they had put America on the road to war in Iraq, economic crisis, the rise of the evangelical right and a deepening political divide.
That case is well within living memory. But an election much further back produced even more damaging results.
The campaign of 1876 ended with the electoral college in the balance as three states were disputed. Out of deadlock, eventually, came a political deal, giving the Republican Rutherford Hayes the presidency at the expense of Samuel Tilden, who like Gore, and indeed Hillary Clinton in 2016, won the popular vote.
Tilden’s compensation was that his party, the Democrats, were allowed to put an end to Reconstruction, the process by which the victors in the civil war abolished slavery and sought to ensure the rights of black Americans, via the 13th, 14th and 15th constitutional amendments.
The awful result was Jim Crow, the system of white supremacy and segregation which lasted well into the 20th century and whose legacy remains crushingly strong in a country now gripped by protests against police brutality and for systemic reform.
Eric Foner, now retired from Columbia University, is America’s pre-eminent historian of the civil war, slavery and Reconstruction, a prize-winner many times over. He told the Guardian the US of 2020 is not prepared for what may be around the corner.
“In 1877 there were three states, Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, where two different sets of returns were sent up, one by the Democrats, one by the Republicans, each claiming to have carried the state.
“There was no established mechanism and in fact, in the end, we went around the constitution, or beyond the constitution, or ignored the constitution. It was settled by an extralegal body called the Electoral Commission, which was established by Congress to decide who won.”
National Republican chart from 1876 featuring Rutherford Hayes for president and William Wheeler for vice-president. Photograph: Education Images/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Through wheeling and dealing in smoky back rooms as well as the precincts of Capitol Hill, that process produced a result.
“If there is such a dispute this November,” Foner says, “one of the things that is similar to 1876 is that today you have a divided Congress. Back then, just as now, you had Republicans in control of the Senate and Democrats in control of the House. And that gave each party a lot of power.”
If Trump does refuse to vacate the Oval Office, Biden may have to make concessions.
“Let’s imagine that the Republicans recognize Biden, withdraw their claim that, say, Biden is ahead by 7m popular votes but the electoral college is disputed. In exchange for that, Biden has to promise to do X, Y and Z. He’s got to promise to build the border wall to completion. He’s got to promise to make Russia the 51st state. Whatever it is Trump wants.
“Is that conceivable? I don’t know, probably not. But somebody has to decide and in 1876, in the end, it was this Electoral Commission.
“In 2000, I remember very well, a bunch of historians took a full-page ad in the New York Times, calling for a new Electoral Commission to examine the whole thing, and I thought that was one of the worst ideas I’d ever heard. When you go back to 1876, part of the deal was the surrender of the rights of African Americans. I’m not sure that’s a precedent we want to reinvigorate, you know?”
Many fear Trump and the Republicans will consider no tactic too underhand, no punch too low, before or after the vote.
“The election of 1876,” Foner says, “would not have been disputed at all if there hadn’t been massive violence in the south to prevent black people from voting and voter suppression like we have today. Now, voter suppression is mostly legal. Back then it was violent, you know, mob activity or Klan activity or other things to intimidate blacks or prevent them from going to vote.
“In other words if you had a fair election in the south, a peaceful election, there’s no question that the Republican Hayes would have won a totally legitimate and indisputable victory.
“Today, I can certainly see the Trump people challenging these mail-in ballots: ‘They’re all fraudulent, they shouldn’t be counted.’ Challenging people’s voting. There are already efforts to recruit poll watchers to try to intimidate voters, to claim they’re not really registered to vote.”
Many urge that the only real way to resolve fears of a contested result is for the electorate to hand Biden so resounding a victory that Trump will have no choice but to go. Foner agrees, though as “the country is fairly evenly divided, it’s hard to win a landslide election”.
Does he think, as many do, that the US is now as divided as at any time since the civil war and its aftermath?
“Sure, in a sense. We’re in a very ideological moment [but] right now we don’t have the violence. President Grant sent troops into the south in 1871, to suppress the Ku Klux Klan. We had a civil war, which we’re not quite on the verge of yet, I hope.
“But in the aftermath of civil war, yes, the Democrats were explicitly and overtly a party of white supremacy. That was their principle. The Republicans were the party of Lincoln, of emancipation and, increasingly, basic rights for African Americans.
“Those were very different positions and they led to extreme partisanship. Not a single Democrat in Congress voted for any of the so-called Reconstruction legislation which tried to protect the rights of blacks in the south. The hyper-polarization was there, 150 years ago.”
Swap the parties round, and the parallel to today is clear.
A cartoon depicts intimidation techniques used to suppress southern black votes in the election of 1876. Photograph: AB Frost. From Harper's Weekly, October 21, 1876
Foner also says that while a contested result in 2020 could send America down a very dark path, a big Biden victory could herald a brighter future.
“It’s possible Biden wins by a large majority, [the Democrats] get control of the Senate. You know, the atmosphere in the country, whether it’s the racial issue or the pandemic or the economic crisis we’re in, all of that cries out for people who are looking for serious, substantive leadership, which of course we haven’t had lately.
“On the other hand, if Biden squeaks in, you know, with 52% of the vote and the Senate remains in the hands of Mitch McConnell and the Republicans … Biden can reverse all of Trump’s executive orders but he’s not going to get the major progressive legislation through.”
In the words of William Dean Howells, the dean of American 19th-century letters whom Foner has quoted elsewhere, the American public always wants “a tragedy with a happy ending”. Thanks to the election of 1876, Reconstruction did not deliver. As the election of 2020 looms, the Trump presidency may. Or may not.


theguardian--2020-08-23--Trump v American democracy: the real battle on the ballot this November

The soaring oratory had been replaced by visible anguish .
Barack Obama stood in Philadelphia , where the signing of the constitution laid the foundation stone of American democracy , and warned that his successor is ready to tear it all down to cling to power .
Last week ’ s unprecedented attack by a former president on an incumbent at the virtual Democratic national convention crystalised fears that Trump poses a more severe danger to the 244-year-old American experiment than any foreign adversary .
Whereas in 2016 Vladimir Putin ’ s Russia meddled in an election , now it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House who seems hellbent on subverting an American election .
“ The greatest threat facing the nation was an insider threat and still is , ” Frank Figliuzzi , a former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence , told the MSNBC network this week .
“ The insider threat is sitting in the Oval Office.
” Trump will this week be nominated by the Republican party for a second term as president .
He will give his acceptance speech from the White House , a break from tradition that signals the formidable tools of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , critics say , Trump is running two campaigns .
One is a brutally partisan attempt to demonize his opponent Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris , the first woman of colour on a major party ticket , whom he has already dubbed “ mean ” , “ nasty ” and “ a mad woman ” .
The other is an insidious and potentially catastrophic campaign against the integrity of the election itself .
The boundary-pushing president has spent four years eroding the rule of law , upending constitutional norms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , faced with dismal polls that show him losing , he has worked to spread disinformation , sow distrust in democratic institutions and plant doubts over whether the election will be a free and fair capture of the popular will .
Trump has floated the idea of postponing the election because of the coronavirus pandemic , though he has no power to do so .
He has repeatedly refused to say whether he will accept the result , prompting a once unthinkable debate over how he might be physically removed from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wisconsin last week , he warned baldly : “ The only way we ’ re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.
” He has also targeted the postal service .
With the pandemic making physical distancing imperative , a record number of mail-in ballots is expected , meaning that the outcome is unlikely to be known on election night .
Trump recently admitted that he was blocking money sought by Democrats for the postal service so he could stop people voting by mail .
His allergic reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false premise that it is riddled with fraud , an assertion debunked by numerous factcheckers and academic studies Five states – Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon , Washington and Utah – already carry out elections almost entirely by mail .
Democrats claim that the president ’ s true motive is to disenfranchise millions of their voters ; surveys show significantly more Republicans than Democrats say they would feel safe showing up to vote in person .
Antjuan Seawright , a Democratic strategist based in Columbia , South Carolina , said : “ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.0 .
This time it ’ s done by this administration and not a foreign adversary .
Not only is Trump trying to undermine the integrity of the election , he ’ s trying to strike fear and chaos into our election .
“ We should not be trying to cripple the post office or eliminate what I view as part of the nerve centre of every community .
My mother , when I was a child , worked at the postal service so I know what it means for people of colour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismantle the postal service has double , sometimes triple impact on communities that have already been left out and left behind by other factors.
” Amid a national uproar , the postmaster general , Louis DeJoy , a Trump donor , announced this week that he would suspend cuts to the service until after the election to “ avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail ” .
Democrats called it a necessary but insufficient first step in ending Trump ’ s “ election sabotage campaign ” – which has once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a potential self-fulfilling prophecy .
The assault demonstrates that Republicans belong to “ the party of voter suppression ” , Seawright added .
“ I ’ m black and so all of my life , including my sharecropper grandparents ’ lives , they have been trying to do everything they can to limit our participation in the election process .
This just elevates my concern going into this election .
The playbook is pretty much the same .
“ It ’ s just different players implementing the strategy , and the strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail .
Keep in mind we ’ re still in the middle of a pandemic where showing up to vote in person could mean life or death for some people .
But black people have put their lives on the line to vote before and , if we keep going down this road , I think we are willing and able to do it again because this election is just that important.
” This week a bipartisan Senate intelligence report revealed the extent of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Manafort , the former campaign chairman , worked closely with “ Russian intelligence officer ” Konstantin Kilimnik .
US intelligence has warned that Russia is already interfering in the 2020 election with the aim of getting Trump re-elected .
But such threats currently appear less fundamental than that posed by a president gone rogue – a man who this week welcomed the support of believers in a baseless righting conspiracy theory that holds the world is run by a shadowy cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles .
Charlie Sykes , a conservative author and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin when we have Donald Trump ?
If you were Vladimir Putin and you wanted to disrupt this election , what would you do ?
You ’ d spread disinformation .
You ’ d make people doubt the legitimacy of the vote .
You ’ d peddle conspiracy theories and you might want to mess with mail-in voting .
That ’ s all happening without him .
Our president is doing that.
” Sykes , founder and editor-at-large of the Bulwark website , warned of a “ very ugly ” post-election period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump will use every lever of governmental power to stay in office .
There ’ ll be many mail-in votes and the mail-in votes will be very different than the same-day votes .
“ What he will do – and it will be very much on brand for Donald Trump – is declare victory on election night and then , as the mail-in votes are counted , he will insist that that they are not legitimate , that the election is being stolen from him , and I think that has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Such a scenario promises to dwarf the acrimony , chaos and confusion of the disputed 2000 election between Republican George W Bush and Democrat Al Gore , which went all the way to the supreme court .
Bob Shrum , a Democratic strategist who was an adviser to Gore , said : “ I ’ m not worried that it won ’ t be held and I ’ m not worried that we won ’ t get , in the end , an accurate result , assuming that we can straighten out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient as the votes are counted .
“ I am worried that what Trump is doing means that afterwards , if he loses , we will have a bitterly divided country with about 30 % of the population angry , alienated , perhaps in the streets , something we ’ ve never seen here before .
If Trump loses , he ’ s not gon na be Al Gore who believed he won the election but who , after the supreme court decision , conceded for the good of the country .
”

The soaring oratory had been replaced by visible anguish. Barack Obama stood in Philadelphia, where the signing of the constitution laid the foundation stone of American democracy, and warned that his successor is ready to tear it all down to cling to power.
Last week’s unprecedented attack by a former president on an incumbent at the virtual Democratic national convention crystalised fears that Trump poses a more severe danger to the 244-year-old American experiment than any foreign adversary.
Whereas in 2016 Vladimir Putin’s Russia meddled in an election, now it is the current occupant of the White House who seems hellbent on subverting an American election.
“The greatest threat facing the nation was an insider threat and still is,” Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence, told the MSNBC network this week. “The insider threat is sitting in the Oval Office.”
Trump will this week be nominated by the Republican party for a second term as president. He will give his acceptance speech from the White House, a break from tradition that signals the formidable tools of incumbency at his disposal. This time, critics say, Trump is running two campaigns.
One is a brutally partisan attempt to demonize his opponent Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris, the first woman of colour on a major party ticket, whom he has already dubbed “mean”, “nasty” and “a mad woman”. The other is an insidious and potentially catastrophic campaign against the integrity of the election itself.
The Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are not the only adversary Trump is targeting in this election. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The boundary-pushing president has spent four years eroding the rule of law, upending constitutional norms and slandering the intelligence community. In recent months, faced with dismal polls that show him losing, he has worked to spread disinformation, sow distrust in democratic institutions and plant doubts over whether the election will be a free and fair capture of the popular will.
Trump has floated the idea of postponing the election because of the coronavirus pandemic, though he has no power to do so. He has repeatedly refused to say whether he will accept the result, prompting a once unthinkable debate over how he might be physically removed from the White House. At a campaign stop in Wisconsin last week, he warned baldly: “The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.”
He has also targeted the postal service. With the pandemic making physical distancing imperative, a record number of mail-in ballots is expected, meaning that the outcome is unlikely to be known on election night. Trump recently admitted that he was blocking money sought by Democrats for the postal service so he could stop people voting by mail.
His allergic reaction to mail-in voting is based on the false premise that it is riddled with fraud, an assertion debunked by numerous factcheckers and academic studies. Five states – Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah – already carry out elections almost entirely by mail.
Mail boxes sit in the parking lot of a post office in the Bronx, New York, earlier this month, amid reports that many had been removed. Photograph: Bryan R Smith/AFP/Getty Images
Democrats claim that the president’s true motive is to disenfranchise millions of their voters; surveys show significantly more Republicans than Democrats say they would feel safe showing up to vote in person.
Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist based in Columbia, South Carolina, said: “This is an attempt to do election interference 2.0. This time it’s done by this administration and not a foreign adversary. Not only is Trump trying to undermine the integrity of the election, he’s trying to strike fear and chaos into our election.
“We should not be trying to cripple the post office or eliminate what I view as part of the nerve centre of every community. My mother, when I was a child, worked at the postal service so I know what it means for people of colour. What they’re doing to dismantle the postal service has double, sometimes triple impact on communities that have already been left out and left behind by other factors.”
Amid a national uproar, the postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, a Trump donor, announced this week that he would suspend cuts to the service until after the election to “avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail”. Democrats called it a necessary but insufficient first step in ending Trump’s “election sabotage campaign” – which has once again succeeded in dominating the media agenda, a potential self-fulfilling prophecy.
The assault demonstrates that Republicans belong to “the party of voter suppression”, Seawright added. “I’m black and so all of my life, including my sharecropper grandparents’ lives, they have been trying to do everything they can to limit our participation in the election process. This just elevates my concern going into this election. The playbook is pretty much the same.
“It’s just different players implementing the strategy, and the strategy has been recalibrated this time as vote by mail. Keep in mind we’re still in the middle of a pandemic where showing up to vote in person could mean life or death for some people. But black people have put their lives on the line to vote before and, if we keep going down this road, I think we are willing and able to do it again because this election is just that important.”
Voters wait in line to deposit their vote-by-mail ballot at the Broward county supervisor of elections office in Florida’s primary election on Tuesday. Photograph: Larry Marano/Rex/Shutterstock
This week a bipartisan Senate intelligence report revealed the extent of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. It found that Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman, worked closely with “Russian intelligence officer” Konstantin Kilimnik. US intelligence has warned that Russia is already interfering in the 2020 election with the aim of getting Trump re-elected.
But such threats currently appear less fundamental than that posed by a president gone rogue – a man who this week welcomed the support of believers in a baseless righting conspiracy theory that holds the world is run by a shadowy cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles.
It’s very clear that Trump will use every lever of governmental power to stay in office Charlie Sykes
Charlie Sykes, a conservative author and broadcaster, asked: “Who needs Vladimir Putin when we have Donald Trump? If you were Vladimir Putin and you wanted to disrupt this election, what would you do? You’d spread disinformation. You’d make people doubt the legitimacy of the vote. You’d peddle conspiracy theories and you might want to mess with mail-in voting. That’s all happening without him. Our president is doing that.”
Sykes, founder and editor-at-large of the Bulwark website, warned of a “very ugly” post-election period. “It’s very clear that Trump will use every lever of governmental power to stay in office. There’ll be many mail-in votes and the mail-in votes will be very different than the same-day votes.
“What he will do – and it will be very much on brand for Donald Trump – is declare victory on election night and then, as the mail-in votes are counted, he will insist that that they are not legitimate, that the election is being stolen from him, and I think that has the potential to create massive doubt and chaos.”
Such a scenario promises to dwarf the acrimony, chaos and confusion of the disputed 2000 election between Republican George W Bush and Democrat Al Gore, which went all the way to the supreme court.
Bob Shrum, a Democratic strategist who was an adviser to Gore, said: “I’m not worried that it won’t be held and I’m not worried that we won’t get, in the end, an accurate result, assuming that we can straighten out this post office thing or just be patient as the votes are counted.
“I am worried that what Trump is doing means that afterwards, if he loses, we will have a bitterly divided country with about 30% of the population angry, alienated, perhaps in the streets, something we’ve never seen here before. If Trump loses, he’s not gonna be Al Gore who believed he won the election but who, after the supreme court decision, conceded for the good of the country.”