theguardian--2020-09-28--US election polls look good for Joe Biden. But can they be trusted?

The numbers are looking pretty good for Democrats in Arizona .
The party ’ s Senate candidate is up more than five points in polling averages , and Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by more than three points in the same averages .
If those numbers hold , the state could hand Democrats the Senate and Biden the White House in one fell swoop .
But a key Democratic organizer in the state can ’ t say whether he thinks the numbers will hold – because he does not believe the numbers exist in the first place .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Larry Bodine , president of the Democrats of Greater Tucson group .
“ After 2016 , I decided from then on , I was just not going to rely on what the polls had to say , and instead rely on what my fellow Democratic volunteers encounter out in the field.
” Inside Democratic party offices from coast to coast , and under a good number of roofs where anti-Trump voters dwell , polling results that show promise for Biden and down-ticket Democrats are being handled with a similar mix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feeling they were misled by polling to believe that Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in in 2016 , only to be ambushed by Trump ’ s win , many progressives in 2020 vow that they ’ re done with the numbers game .
“ I ’ m really active in Democratic circles and pretty much nobody talks about the polls , ” said Bodine .
“ I believe that all the positive polls do is give a false sense of security.
” That attitude seems to have little downside for political organizers .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has broader implications for campaigns , for public policy – and ultimately for daily American life , on issues ranging from racial discrimination in interactions with police to skepticism about a potential coronavirus vaccine .
Ultimately , the health of polling is bound up in the health of the democracy , analysts say .
Asking people what they think is , among other things , an expression of faith that what the American people think matters – a notion that can seem even more worthwhile amid Trump ’ s demand to “ get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With those stakes hanging overhead , and under intense public scrutiny on the eve of a watershed election , pollsters across the country have made adjustments to address their mistakes of 2016 and are working hard to capture an accurate snapshot of 2020 .
The picture is not simple .
While some key state polls were off in 2016 , the national polls in aggregate were right on target , showing Clinton three points ahead at the end ; she won the popular vote by two points but lost in the electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a full buffet of postmortem analyses , included : pollsters did not have an eye on educational attainment as a potential fault line in the electorate ; they were foiled by an unusual wave of undecided voters breaking for Trump at the last minute ; there was too little polling in key swing states to really know what was going on ; conclusions extrapolated from that paucity of data were broadcast with far too much certainty ; and there might have been some “ shy ” Trump voters who didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
The results remain a political shock .
In the final days of the 2016 election , the “ average ” of the scant polling in Wisconsin had Clinton ahead 6.5 points .
In Michigan , Clinton ’ s average “ lead ” was 3.6 points , while in Pennsylvania it was what looks in retrospect like an extremely tenuous 2.1 points .
Yet Trump won all three states and with them the White House .
The immediate criticism of the Clinton campaign was that it had failed to visit the upper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Wisconsin for granted , lulled by the siren song of reassuring polls .
But have the polls improved since then ?
Changes since last time The well-known and widely followed Franklin & Marshall College poll based in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , had Clinton ahead by double digits in the state in its last poll before the 2016 election .
Trump won the state by a razor margin of fewer than 50,000 votes , or less than a percentage point .
The director of the poll , G Terry Madonna , said an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same direction – toward Trump – created the polling blind spot .
“ In some cases , including ours , we were out of the field , meaning we completed the interviews , 10 days before the election , ” Madonna said .
“ What we found in exit polls was that in the last 10 days 20-some per cent of voters made up their mind or they changed their mind and then went for Trump far more than for Clinton.
” Madonna said this year the poll would stay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer undecided voters this time .
“ When you have 85-90 % of Republicans saying they approve of the job Trump ’ s doing , and Democrats are in single digits – people are locked in in this race , ” Madonna said .
“ There ’ s a relatively small number of undecided voters .
And it may turn out that what they do might make a difference , but it ’ s probably more important for the campaigns to get out their base of voters.
” For readers who have decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Marshall released a poll on Thursday morning that showed Biden up by 6 points in the must-win state , where averages have Biden ahead by 4.1 points .
Other state-level pollsters , including the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Allentown , Pennsylvania , have expanded their methodologies since the final days of 2016 .
Christopher Borick , the poll director , said that this year the poll was not only looking to the most familiar categories for insights on voter behavior – gender , age , region , party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more category : educational attainment .
“ We had never included educational attainment as a variable in our weighting formula , largely because it never mattered , ” Borick said .
“ When you went back historically over time , if you had weighted , it didn ’ t do much – it was a wash .
But now we ’ re seeing more of a divide , where the upper-level attainment are voting one way and the lower are voting the other way .
And that really started to emerge in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the point where I think it ’ s silly to ignore that .
“ And so we are now weighting with education attainment , and it does slightly move the polls .
So our last poll had Joe Biden up four , with an educational weight built in .
If we had not done that , like we did not in 2016 , his lead would have been six points.
” Of 453 pollsters ranked by the FiveThirtyEight data analysis web site , the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion survey is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top rating of A+ .
The poll gets the top rating based on its reliable track record , minimal observable bias , methodological rigor and the fact that it does the expensive , difficult , time-consuming kind of polling , meaning live telephone interviews , including calling cellphones .
Muhlenberg ’ s last poll of the presidential field in Pennsylvania before the 2016 election had Clinton with a narrow , single-digit lead .
The actual result – Trump won the state by less than 1 % – was within the poll ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poll was not wrong .
But Borick points out that when the gap between a poll number and an election result falls across the line separating winner from loser , it ’ s impossible to tell anyone the poll was not wrong .
“ If you looked at 2012 , the polls were just about as off with Barack Obama against Mitt Romney , and they understated Obama ’ s performance that year , ” Borick said .
“ But no one really cared at the end , if Obama won by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points , because it was all on the same side of the ledger .
The error was going in the direction of the person that won it anyway.
” “ If you cross over to the other side , by even one vote , two votes , half a per cent , whatever – it changes the whole outcome , but the math isn ’ t all that different.
” This election cycle could prove unusually challenging for pollsters because of a significant climb in the number of voters casting ballots early and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founder of FiveThirtyEight .
Silver forecast all 50 state results correctly in the 2012 presidential election and was one of the few polling analysts to articulate clearly on the eve of the 2016 election that Trump had a path to victory .
“ I do think the transition to high rates of mail voting is one of the bigger potential sources of polling error , especially with the mail vote likely to be disproportionately Democratic , although it ’ s hard to know in which direction the error might occur , ” Silver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was down to pollsters , especially academic pollsters , to explain what their results mean to a public that does not always think about election outcomes in terms of percentage likelihood and margin-of-error .
“ I think pollsters , people that do public opinion research , want to be able to give citizens a sense of where the broader public is on issues , on races , and to do that accurately .
And to also educate about the limits of the very things we do , ” Borick said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make inferences about big groups .
And that inherently has error involved in it .
And trying to communicate the reality of what we do is a big role for us.
” Bodine , the Arizona organizer , says those lessons are not for him .
“ Democrats should not take anything for granted , and my advice for them is to call up their local Democratic party and get active , ” he said .
“ Stop yelling at the TV , stop complaining about what they see on the news and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
”

The numbers are looking pretty good for Democrats in Arizona. The party’s Senate candidate is up more than five points in polling averages, and Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by more than three points in the same averages. If those numbers hold, the state could hand Democrats the Senate and Biden the White House in one fell swoop.
But a key Democratic organizer in the state can’t say whether he thinks the numbers will hold – because he does not believe the numbers exist in the first place.
“I would say the polls are a mirage,” said Larry Bodine, president of the Democrats of Greater Tucson group. “After 2016, I decided from then on, I was just not going to rely on what the polls had to say, and instead rely on what my fellow Democratic volunteers encounter out in the field.”
Inside Democratic party offices from coast to coast, and under a good number of roofs where anti-Trump voters dwell, polling results that show promise for Biden and down-ticket Democrats are being handled with a similar mix of arms-length trepidation and not-today-Satan refusal. Feeling they were misled by polling to believe that Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in in 2016, only to be ambushed by Trump’s win, many progressives in 2020 vow that they’re done with the numbers game.
“I’m really active in Democratic circles and pretty much nobody talks about the polls,” said Bodine. “I believe that all the positive polls do is give a false sense of security.”
That attitude seems to have little downside for political organizers. But the question of the reliability of polling has broader implications for campaigns, for public policy – and ultimately for daily American life, on issues ranging from racial discrimination in interactions with police to skepticism about a potential coronavirus vaccine.
Ultimately, the health of polling is bound up in the health of the democracy, analysts say. Asking people what they think is, among other things, an expression of faith that what the American people think matters – a notion that can seem even more worthwhile amid Trump’s demand to “get rid of the ballots” in November.
With those stakes hanging overhead, and under intense public scrutiny on the eve of a watershed election, pollsters across the country have made adjustments to address their mistakes of 2016 and are working hard to capture an accurate snapshot of 2020.
The picture is not simple. While some key state polls were off in 2016, the national polls in aggregate were right on target, showing Clinton three points ahead at the end; she won the popular vote by two points but lost in the electoral college.
The mistakes last time, according to a full buffet of postmortem analyses, included: pollsters did not have an eye on educational attainment as a potential fault line in the electorate; they were foiled by an unusual wave of undecided voters breaking for Trump at the last minute; there was too little polling in key swing states to really know what was going on; conclusions extrapolated from that paucity of data were broadcast with far too much certainty; and there might have been some “shy” Trump voters who didn’t want to say they were supporting him.
The results remain a political shock. In the final days of the 2016 election, the “average” of the scant polling in Wisconsin had Clinton ahead 6.5 points. In Michigan, Clinton’s average “lead” was 3.6 points, while in Pennsylvania it was what looks in retrospect like an extremely tenuous 2.1 points. Yet Trump won all three states and with them the White House. The immediate criticism of the Clinton campaign was that it had failed to visit the upper Midwest, taking the voters of Michigan and Wisconsin for granted, lulled by the siren song of reassuring polls.
But have the polls improved since then?
Joe Biden holds a backyard conversation with union members in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Adam Schultz/Biden/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
Changes since last time
The well-known and widely followed Franklin & Marshall College poll based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, had Clinton ahead by double digits in the state in its last poll before the 2016 election. Trump won the state by a razor margin of fewer than 50,000 votes, or less than a percentage point.
The director of the poll, G Terry Madonna, said an unusual wave of late-deciding voters mostly breaking in the same direction – toward Trump – created the polling blind spot.
“In some cases, including ours, we were out of the field, meaning we completed the interviews, 10 days before the election,” Madonna said. “What we found in exit polls was that in the last 10 days 20-some per cent of voters made up their mind or they changed their mind and then went for Trump far more than for Clinton.”
Madonna said this year the poll would stay in the field longer – and he sees fewer undecided voters this time.
“When you have 85-90% of Republicans saying they approve of the job Trump’s doing, and Democrats are in single digits – people are locked in in this race,” Madonna said. “There’s a relatively small number of undecided voters. And it may turn out that what they do might make a difference, but it’s probably more important for the campaigns to get out their base of voters.”
For readers who have decided not to ignore the polls: Franklin & Marshall released a poll on Thursday morning that showed Biden up by 6 points in the must-win state, where averages have Biden ahead by 4.1 points.
Other state-level pollsters, including the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, have expanded their methodologies since the final days of 2016.
Christopher Borick, the poll director, said that this year the poll was not only looking to the most familiar categories for insights on voter behavior – gender, age, region, party and race – but had also added one more category: educational attainment.
“We had never included educational attainment as a variable in our weighting formula, largely because it never mattered,” Borick said. “When you went back historically over time, if you had weighted, it didn’t do much – it was a wash. But now we’re seeing more of a divide, where the upper-level attainment are voting one way and the lower are voting the other way. And that really started to emerge in this decade and blossom in 2016, to the point where I think it’s silly to ignore that.
“And so we are now weighting with education attainment, and it does slightly move the polls. So our last poll had Joe Biden up four, with an educational weight built in. If we had not done that, like we did not in 2016, his lead would have been six points.”
Communicating the limits of polling
Of 453 pollsters ranked by the FiveThirtyEight data analysis web site, the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion survey is one of only six to be awarded the top rating of A+. The poll gets the top rating based on its reliable track record, minimal observable bias, methodological rigor and the fact that it does the expensive, difficult, time-consuming kind of polling, meaning live telephone interviews, including calling cellphones.
Donald Trump campaigns in Moon Township, Pennsylvania last week. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Muhlenberg’s last poll of the presidential field in Pennsylvania before the 2016 election had Clinton with a narrow, single-digit lead. The actual result – Trump won the state by less than 1% – was within the poll’s margin of error. Statistically speaking, the poll was not wrong.
But Borick points out that when the gap between a poll number and an election result falls across the line separating winner from loser, it’s impossible to tell anyone the poll was not wrong.
“If you looked at 2012, the polls were just about as off with Barack Obama against Mitt Romney, and they understated Obama’s performance that year,” Borick said. “But no one really cared at the end, if Obama won by one point or four points or five points, because it was all on the same side of the ledger. The error was going in the direction of the person that won it anyway.”
“If you cross over to the other side, by even one vote, two votes, half a per cent, whatever – it changes the whole outcome, but the math isn’t all that different.”
This election cycle could prove unusually challenging for pollsters because of a significant climb in the number of voters casting ballots early and via mail, said Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight. Silver forecast all 50 state results correctly in the 2012 presidential election and was one of the few polling analysts to articulate clearly on the eve of the 2016 election that Trump had a path to victory.
“I do think the transition to high rates of mail voting is one of the bigger potential sources of polling error, especially with the mail vote likely to be disproportionately Democratic, although it’s hard to know in which direction the error might occur,” Silver tweeted this week.
Borick said it was down to pollsters, especially academic pollsters, to explain what their results mean to a public that does not always think about election outcomes in terms of percentage likelihood and margin-of-error.
“I think pollsters, people that do public opinion research, want to be able to give citizens a sense of where the broader public is on issues, on races, and to do that accurately. And to also educate about the limits of the very things we do,” Borick said.
“We sample. We take small groups to make inferences about big groups. And that inherently has error involved in it. And trying to communicate the reality of what we do is a big role for us.”
Bodine, the Arizona organizer, says those lessons are not for him.
“Democrats should not take anything for granted, and my advice for them is to call up their local Democratic party and get active,” he said. “Stop yelling at the TV, stop complaining about what they see on the news and get out there and do something about it.”


theguardian--2020-09-28--Public Enemy's Chuck D: 'Trump is a half-baked celebrity real estate hypocrite'

It is 1989 and racial tensions in the US are simmering .
Public Enemy have just released Fight the Power on Def Jam , with a video featuring a massive political rally , the Young People ’ s March to End Racial Violence .
Fast-forward 31 years and Public Enemy are back on Def Jam and Fight the Power , immortalised in Spike Lee ’ s Do the Right Thing , has been reworked in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that spread across the US and beyond .
The intervening years have seen all the hope surrounding Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black president , being replaced by the fear and divisiveness caused by Donald Trump .
So it is unsurprising that Chuck D is finding it hard to see progress .
In his distinctive baritone , Public Enemy ’ s leader and founder says Black Lives Matter “ has made a difference – but you know , it ’ s a marathon , it ’ s not the 60-metre dash .
To work on systemic racism and all those other ills , man , it is a long hike and you got to continually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a constant counterattack.
” Public Enemy changed the face of rap with black power lyrics and imagery , at a time when the genre was dominated by party rhymes and MC oneupmanship .
Socially conscious music , of any ilk , rarely crossed into the mainstream .
Over pulverising layers of samples that ensured that the band were as radical sonically as they were politically , Chuck ’ s lyrics were littered with references to the likes of Malcolm X , Joanne Chesimard ( AKA Assata Shakur , who was a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Panther leader Huey Newton – all usually omitted from civil rights lessons in US schools .
If PE ’ s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back was their masterpiece – number 48 in Rolling Stone magazine ’ s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time – Fight the Power , from Fear of a Black Planet , remains their single most iconic track , reflected by a surge in streams during this year ’ s BLM protests .
Chuck said the idea to rework the track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the likes of Questlove ( of the Roots ) , one of several guest rappers on the new version .
“ Of course [ the protests are ] where that energy came from and that energy actually spoke truth to power , ” says Chuck , speaking via Zoom from an undisclosed location .
“ The creative world that surrounds us spoke largely about that and I ’ d be a fool not to follow that energy , right ?
Young people are growing up with their parents telling them this is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track appears on What You Gon na Do When the Grid Goes Down ?
, which came out on 25 September .
Chuck explains the title of the new album as a warning about the need to be prepared wherever the threat comes from – be it Covid or the US president .
“ In the United States , it was like – be ready for government tricks on the way to selection or election , because they ’ ll say anything in this administration , you know .
Aliens are gon na @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The grid goes down and your phones don ’ t work so that disrupts voting .
So that was where that question came from.
” Throughout the interview he refuses to utter Trump ’ s name – as on album track State of the Union ( STFU ) , a polemic against the White House incumbent , he refuses to utter Trump ’ s name .
Talking about Covid , its disproportionate effect on black people and the president ’ s response to it , he says : “ Of course , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the governing power over 300 million people and also a presence in the world .
The dude has been a running joke .
You know , he was just a half-baked celebrity real estate hypocrite from New York City that I kind of had known a large part of my adult life .
To see this guy end up in the seat of responsibility was a call to arms the minute he got in there.
” The album features a roll call of Public Enemy ’ s rap contemporaries from the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Daddy-O of Stetsasonic , Ice T and Parrish Smith ( of EPMD ) and the Beastie Boys .
But it is not just a nostalgia trip .
It is difficult to imagine any of the early Public Enemy albums ending , as this one does , with a soliloquy by a “ powerful , influential , unapologetic ” black woman , Ms Ariel – a conscious decision , says Chuck , to honour black women ’ s often overlooked contribution to the movement for racial justice .
Women have long suffered from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enemy ’ s decline in popularity coincided with the rise in gangsta rap , which Chuck has long decried – on the new album , Rest in Beats criticises rhymes about “ ghetto studio and crime ” – although it is also generally accepted that the group ’ s creative peak was in the late 80s/early 90s .
Now aged 60 , Chuck appears content to be an elder statesman of rap and unbothered that the group may not be in fashion .
“ Everything goes in a cycle , but everything has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It doesn ’ t stop you from doing the art you feel you have to do .
Once you feel you ’ re doing art and you feel like you ’ re in a rat race to try to hawk your art on the corner , then you ’ re in another category of what art is.
” It is a cycle that has taken the group back to Def Jam after a hiatus of more than two decades , an occasion they have marked by reworking another classic jam , Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Number Won ) , the track that got them signed to the label 34 years ago .
“ What Bob Dylan is to Columbia is what Public Enemy is to Def Jam , ” says Chuck .
After decades of independent releases , Chuck says the decision to return to their original label was at the behest of his rhyming partner , Flavor Flav , after the “ hoax ” involving Flav being fired from the group earlier this year .
Ostensibly , the spat – which Chuck later claimed was a publicity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint that Chuck used the Public Enemy name while appearing without him , Flav having refused to join him at a Bernie Sanders rally .
However , when it comes to Flav – the clown prince who provides the levity to the serious message espoused by Chuck , and who has sometimes brought unwelcome publicity with his reality show antics and drug problems – things are never simple .
“ I mean what other way are you going to hear from Flavor if it ’ s not going to be creative ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to be creative , it can ’ t just be Flavor doing a whole bunch of dumb shit .
So this is a way to reintroduce him into the working mode .
But I had also come up with a compromise that , OK , listen , it won ’ t be independent , it will be in a place that , you know , that we have to agree on and Def Jam happened to be that settlement.
” He jokes that his future involves “ building a good relationship with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which takes a lot of work , bro ” .
At one time , there were even rumours Flav was a Trump supporter , although State of the Union ( STFU ) seems to have put paid to that .
And for all his patience with his bandmate down the years , it is difficult to imagine Chuck would tolerate that .
When asked what the consequences of Trump winning a second term would be , Chuck simply replies : “ Fascism.
” He is clear that many people know exactly what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got people who love fascism and you ’ ve got some people who won ’ t admit it but they love racism.
” But Chuck shows no sign of quitting the fight .
“ When I decided to do this in 1986 , I said , ‘ OK , I ’ m gon na do this for the long haul.
’ Now , did I say , ‘ I ’ m going to be doing it when I ’ m 60 and 70 ’ ?
How are you gon na say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how long you gon na live ?
So I would just say I ’ m gon na do it until I don ’ t want to do it .
I love rap .
I ’ m just , you know , amazed I ’ m a part of it.
” • What You Gon na Do When the Grid Goes Down ?
by Public Enemy is out now on Def Jam .

It is 1989 and racial tensions in the US are simmering. Public Enemy have just released Fight the Power on Def Jam, with a video featuring a massive political rally, the Young People’s March to End Racial Violence. Fast-forward 31 years and Public Enemy are back on Def Jam and Fight the Power, immortalised in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, has been reworked in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that spread across the US and beyond.
The intervening years have seen all the hope surrounding Barack Obama, the US’s first black president, being replaced by the fear and divisiveness caused by Donald Trump. So it is unsurprising that Chuck D is finding it hard to see progress. In his distinctive baritone, Public Enemy’s leader and founder says Black Lives Matter “has made a difference – but you know, it’s a marathon, it’s not the 60-metre dash. To work on systemic racism and all those other ills, man, it is a long hike and you got to continually go at it. It’s a constant counterattack.”
Public Enemy changed the face of rap with black power lyrics and imagery, at a time when the genre was dominated by party rhymes and MC oneupmanship. Socially conscious music, of any ilk, rarely crossed into the mainstream. Over pulverising layers of samples that ensured that the band were as radical sonically as they were politically, Chuck’s lyrics were littered with references to the likes of Malcolm X, Joanne Chesimard (AKA Assata Shakur, who was a member of the Black Liberation Army) and former Black Panther leader Huey Newton – all usually omitted from civil rights lessons in US schools.
If PE’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back was their masterpiece – number 48 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time – Fight the Power, from Fear of a Black Planet, remains their single most iconic track, reflected by a surge in streams during this year’s BLM protests.
Chuck said the idea to rework the track came from outside the group, from the likes of Questlove (of the Roots), one of several guest rappers on the new version. “Of course [the protests are] where that energy came from and that energy actually spoke truth to power,” says Chuck, speaking via Zoom from an undisclosed location. “The creative world that surrounds us spoke largely about that and I’d be a fool not to follow that energy, right? Young people are growing up with their parents telling them this is what it meant to them.”
Be prepared for government tricks. They'll say anything: aliens are gonna visit, an asteroid might hit
The reworked track appears on What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?, which came out on 25 September. Chuck explains the title of the new album as a warning about the need to be prepared wherever the threat comes from – be it Covid or the US president. “In the United States, it was like – be ready for government tricks on the way to selection or election, because they’ll say anything in this administration, you know. Aliens are gonna visit, an asteroid might hit. The grid goes down and your phones don’t work so that disrupts voting. So that was where that question came from.”
Throughout the interview he refuses to utter Trump’s name – as on album track State of the Union (STFU), a polemic against the White House incumbent, he refuses to utter Trump’s name. Talking about Covid, its disproportionate effect on black people and the president’s response to it, he says: “Of course, you get concerned about it. This guy has the governing power over 300 million people and also a presence in the world. The dude has been a running joke. You know, he was just a half-baked celebrity real estate hypocrite from New York City that I kind of had known a large part of my adult life. To see this guy end up in the seat of responsibility was a call to arms the minute he got in there.”
Chuck D and Flavor Flav perform at Reading in 1992. Photograph: MH
The album features a roll call of Public Enemy’s rap contemporaries from the late 80s and early 90s: Run DMC, Daddy-O of Stetsasonic, Ice T and Parrish Smith (of EPMD) and the Beastie Boys. But it is not just a nostalgia trip. It is difficult to imagine any of the early Public Enemy albums ending, as this one does, with a soliloquy by a “powerful, influential, unapologetic” black woman, Ms Ariel – a conscious decision, says Chuck, to honour black women’s often overlooked contribution to the movement for racial justice.
Women have long suffered from their depiction in some rap. Public Enemy’s decline in popularity coincided with the rise in gangsta rap, which Chuck has long decried – on the new album, Rest in Beats criticises rhymes about “ghetto studio and crime” – although it is also generally accepted that the group’s creative peak was in the late 80s/early 90s. Now aged 60, Chuck appears content to be an elder statesman of rap and unbothered that the group may not be in fashion.
“Everything goes in a cycle, but everything has its time,” he says. “It doesn’t stop you from doing the art you feel you have to do. Once you feel you’re doing art and you feel like you’re in a rat race to try to hawk your art on the corner, then you’re in another category of what art is.”
‘We’re in it for the long haul’ ... Public Enemy.
It is a cycle that has taken the group back to Def Jam after a hiatus of more than two decades, an occasion they have marked by reworking another classic jam, Public Enemy Number One (renamed Public Enemy Number Won), the track that got them signed to the label 34 years ago. “What Bob Dylan is to Columbia is what Public Enemy is to Def Jam,” says Chuck.
After decades of independent releases, Chuck says the decision to return to their original label was at the behest of his rhyming partner, Flavor Flav, after the “hoax” involving Flav being fired from the group earlier this year. Ostensibly, the spat – which Chuck later claimed was a publicity stunt – was over Flav’s complaint that Chuck used the Public Enemy name while appearing without him, Flav having refused to join him at a Bernie Sanders rally.
However, when it comes to Flav – the clown prince who provides the levity to the serious message espoused by Chuck, and who has sometimes brought unwelcome publicity with his reality show antics and drug problems – things are never simple. “I mean what other way are you going to hear from Flavor if it’s not going to be creative?” asks Chuck. “It’s got to be creative, it can’t just be Flavor doing a whole bunch of dumb shit. So this is a way to reintroduce him into the working mode. But I had also come up with a compromise that, OK, listen, it won’t be independent, it will be in a place that, you know, that we have to agree on and Def Jam happened to be that settlement.”
He jokes that his future involves “building a good relationship with Flavor for the next 10 years, which takes a lot of work, bro”. At one time, there were even rumours Flav was a Trump supporter, although State of the Union (STFU) seems to have put paid to that. And for all his patience with his bandmate down the years, it is difficult to imagine Chuck would tolerate that.
When asked what the consequences of Trump winning a second term would be, Chuck simply replies: “Fascism.” He is clear that many people know exactly what they are voting for: “You’ve got people who love fascism and you’ve got some people who won’t admit it but they love racism.” But Chuck shows no sign of quitting the fight. “When I decided to do this in 1986, I said, ‘OK, I’m gonna do this for the long haul.’ Now, did I say, ‘I’m going to be doing it when I’m 60 and 70’? How are you gonna say that when you don’t even know how long you gonna live? So I would just say I’m gonna do it until I don’t want to do it. I love rap. I’m just, you know, amazed I’m a part of it.”


theguardian--2020-09-28--Trump 'paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017' – video report

A New York Times report into Donald Trump 's tax records has revealed he paid just $ 750 in federal @ @ @ @ @ year as president .
Trump , who in 2016 suggested reports of tax avoidance showed @ @ @ @ @ denounced the findings as 'completely fake news ' .
The New York Times said that @ @ @ @ @ reporters examined , Trump had paid no income tax at all in 11 of them @ @ @ @ @ York Times taxes report sink Donald Trump ?
• Six key findings from the New @ @ @ @ @ bombshell

A New York Times report into Donald Trump's tax records has revealed he paid just $750 in federal income tax in his first year as president. Trump, who in 2016 suggested reports of tax avoidance showed he was 'smart', denounced the findings as 'completely fake news'. The New York Times said that of the 18 years its reporters examined, Trump had paid no income tax at all in 11 of them.


theguardian--2020-09-29--Trump and Biden head to Ohio for first presidential TV debate – US politics live

The Wisconsin supreme court is scheduled to hear arguments today in a case that could result in the purging of about 130,000 people from voter rolls in the hotly contested battleground state .
It ’ s the latest in a long series of court battles around November ’ s election , but it isn ’ t clear if the court would rule in time to affect an election that is just five weeks away .
Attorneys for both sides didn ’ t expect a decision until after the election .
President Donald Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any change to the process of voting and who is able to vote all the more significant .
On Sunday , a federal appeals court temporarily put on hold a ruling that would expand the time that absentee ballots can be counted in Wisconsin .
Associated Press report that a conservative law firm was asking the Supreme Court to overturn a state appeals court ’ s ruling earlier in February that stopped the purging of the voters who had been identified as potentially having moved .
A circuit court judge had ruled that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the appeals court overturned that .
Because voters who moved were concentrated in more Democratic areas of the state , they argued that the lawsuit was meant to lower turnout on their side .
Republicans countered that it was about reducing the likelihood of voter fraud and making sure that people who moved are not able to vote from their previous addresses .
In the voter purge lawsuit , conservatives argue that the state elections commission broke the law when it did not remove voters from the rolls who did not respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year indicating they may have moved .
The commission wanted to wait until after the presidential election before removing anyone because of inaccuracies found while previously attempting to identify voters who may have moved .
No voters have been deactivated while the legal fight continues .
In Georgia , a federal judge ruled yesterday that polling places must have at least one paper backup list of eligible voters in case the electronic pollbooks used to check voter registration malfunction .
And overnight , the president has once again claimed that the forthcoming US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He retweeted a video from James O ’ Keefe ’ s Project Veritas , which has been targeting Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar with claims of voting irregularity .

29 Sept 2020 00.53 BST Summary We’re closing down this blog, but Joan E Greve and I will be covering the presidential debate tonight. Follow along here: Presidential debate live: Trump and Biden to face off for first time Read more The debate will start at 9 pm ET tonight , and it will take place at the Samson Pavillion, an academic building shared by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic.
, and it will take place at the Samson Pavillion, an academic building shared by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. Seven former FDA commissioners have issued a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration for politicizing the approval and development process for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. “At risk is the FDA’s ability to make the independent, science-based decisions that are key to combating the pandemic and so much more,” they wrote, in an op-ed published by the Washington Post.
for politicizing the approval and development process for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. “At risk is the FDA’s ability to make the independent, science-based decisions that are key to combating the pandemic and so much more,” they wrote, in an op-ed published by the Washington Post. A federal appeals court has upheld a deadline extension for counting ballots in Wisconsin. National and state Republican leaders have been fighting efforts to count every vote, challenging a provision that would allow votes postmarked by election day to get counted even if they arrive up to 6 days late. Even as the administration seeks to undermine the post office, Republicans are expected to fight this provision to count delayed ballots in the Supreme Court.
National and state Republican leaders have been fighting efforts to count every vote, challenging a provision that would allow votes postmarked by election day to get counted even if they arrive up to 6 days late. Even as the administration seeks to undermine the post office, Republicans are expected to fight this provision to count delayed ballots in the Supreme Court. Amy Coney Barrett’s supreme court nomination was officially sent to the Senate. The announcement comes on the same day that Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose seat Barrett would be filling, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell met with Barrett earlier today.
The announcement comes on the same day that whose seat Barrett would be filling, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Senate majority leader met with Barrett earlier today. Biden and Kamala Harris released their 2019 tax returns. The move was clearly meant to criticize Trump for not yet having released any of his tax returns. The documents showed Biden and his wife paid nearly $300,000 in federal income tax last year. According to the New York Times, Trump paid only $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017.
The move was clearly meant to criticize Trump for not yet having released any of his tax returns. The documents showed Biden and his wife paid nearly $300,000 in federal income tax last year. According to the New York Times, Trump paid only $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017. New York City plans to impose fines on people who refuse to wear a face covering, as it was announced that the rate of positive tests for coronavirus climbed above 3% in the city for the first time in months.
as it was announced that the rate of positive tests for coronavirus climbed above 3% in the city for the first time in months. Former special counsel Robert Mueller responded to criticism from one of his former colleagues. In his new book, Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor in the special counsel’s office, argues Mueller’s team did not do enough to hold Trump accountable in the Russia investigation. Mueller said in a statement that he made his investigation-related decisions “without any interest in currying favor or fear of the consequences”. Mueller added, “I stand by those decisions and by the conclusions of our investigation.”
Updated at 01.04 BST
29 Sept 2020 00.38 BST A federal appeals court upheld a ruling – contested by Republicans - that extends the deadline for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin. The decision means that ballots postmarked by 3 November will be so long as they arrive before 9 November. The Republican National Committee and state Republican leaders and legislators had argued against the extension - arguing that people would have plenty of time to return their ballots. But the state this year is expecting as many as 2m people to vote by mail. The sheer volume of ballots that election officials are expecting, combined with the fact that the Trump administration has sought to undermine the postal service means that a 3 November cutoff could disenfranchise thousands of voters. Republicans are expected to challenge this decision in the Supreme Court - which the party is currently rushing to fill following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Updated at 00.53 BST
29 Sept 2020 23.52 BST Seven former Food and Drug commissioners have written an op-ed in the Washington Post, rebuking the Trump administration. The commissioners accuse Trump of politicizing the Covid-19 vaccine and drug approval process, asserting: “At risk is the FDA’s ability to make the independent, science-based decisions that are key to combating the pandemic and so much more.” The former commissioners include Scott Gottlieb and Mark McClellan, who serve on the boards of Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson – which are both developing a Covid-19 vaccine. Robert Califf, Margaret Hamburg, Jane Henney, David Kessler and Andy von Eschenbach have also signed the op-ed. Kessler is an adviser for the Biden campaign. They write: In 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill to create what is now the FDA, one of his first actions was to delegate the oversight of food and drug safety to the agency’s scientists. In the 114 years since, FDA professionals have created a consumer safety net that has been a worldwide model for evidence-based public health policy. Indeed, for decades, when we and our predecessors spoke as FDA commissioners about issues of regulation and people’s health, the public knew we were speaking on behalf of experts whose judgments were grounded in science. That is changing in deeply troubling ways. The White House has said it might try to influence the scientific standards for vaccine approval put forward by the FDA or block the agency from issuing further written guidance on its criteria for judging the safety and benefits of a potential Covid-19 vaccine. This pronouncement came just after key leaders at the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health all publicly supported that guidance. Trump has promised a vaccine before the elections, despite CDC director Robert Redfield’s suggestion that it wouldn’t be available widely until “late second quarter, third quarter 2021”.
29 Sept 2020 23.27 BST The first presidential debate is tonight, and we’ll be covering it live. But Donald Trump’s campaign team may have missed that memo... Hours before the debate, a Trump camp email goes out: "I just finished debating Joe Biden." pic.twitter.com/4OHQLmLDv9 — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 29, 2020
29 Sept 2020 23.05 BST Tensions and insults in the battle for Florida lay bare America’s divisions Oliver Laughland Decisions in this vital swing state are made in two different realities, one adherent to facts and science, the other rooted in conspiracies and political dogma 13:55 Troubled Florida, divided America: will Donald Trump hold this vital swing state? - video If you wanted a symbol for Donald Trump’s complete takeover of the Republican party, you could do little better than a nondescript shopping mall on the outskirts of Largo in west Florida. This is a usually quiet intersection in Florida’s quintessential bellwether county, Pinellas, which has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1980 (bar the disputed 2000 race won by George W Bush). But eight months ago Cliff Gephart, an enthusiastic Trump supporter and local entrepreneur, transformed a vacant lot – formerly a strip club – into a thriving coffee shop devoted to the president. Business at Conservative Grounds is roaring, despite the pandemic, with hundreds and, they claim, occasionally over a thousand customers, dropping by each day for a cup of coffee, a chat about politics and to purchase from a plethora of Trump themed merchandise. No-one is social distancing or wearing a facemask. In 2016, the narrative of the so-called “secretive Trump voter” went part of the way to explaining the billionaire property magnate’s unexpected pathway to the White House. But now, in Pinellas as in many parts of the country, Trump supporters are out in force, unafraid, empowered and organised. Read more: Tensions and insults in the battle for Florida lay bare America's divisions Read more
29 Sept 2020 22.40 BST The House intelligence committee has subpoenaed the Department of Homeland security, as part of an ongoing investigation into whether top officials at the agency pressured DHS officials to modify intelligence reports to fit the president’s agenda. A whistleblower has accused Trump appointees at the agency of downplaying Russian interference and white supremacist threats. The House intelligence committee has subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security over documents and testimony related to an ongoing investigation into the agency’s intelligence office, the panel’s chairman, congressman Adam Schiff, announced Tuesday. Adam Schiff, the California representative who heads the intelligence committee, accused the agency of blocking the whistleblower from testifying and failing to provide key documents. BREAKING: @HouseIntel just subpoenaed DHS and the acting head of its intelligence office.
They are effectively blocking the whistleblower from testifying and have failed to provide key documents.
We will not tolerate DHS's obstruction and attempts to run out the clock. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 29, 2020
Updated at 22.45 BST
29 Sept 2020 22.29 BST Hi, there - It’s Maanvi Singh, blogging from the West Coast. This weekend, Donald Trump is scheduled to hold two events in Wisconsin as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the state are surging. In Green Bay, which Trump will visiting on Saturday evening, a major hospital reported that Covid-19 patients are occupying three-fourths of intensive care unit beds, and is at 94% capacity. The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that last week, the Bellin Hospital emergency room was so overwhelmed that workers were treating patients in gurneys in the hospital hallways.
Bellin Health nurses asked residents to “show compassion and concern for your fellow human beings, especially those at high risk, by staying home” and requested the locals wear masks to slow the spread of disease. Please show compassion and concern for your fellow human beings, especially those at high risk, by staying home and encouraging your friends and family to do the same. If you do go out, avoid large gatherings and please wear masks! We’re all in this together. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/yp0spk3jG8 — Bellin Health (@BellinHealth) September 29, 2020
29 Sept 2020 22.00 BST Today so far That’s it from me for now. I’ll be back later tonight to cover the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden. Here’s where the day stands so far: Trump has arrived in Cleveland, Ohio, and Biden is en route. The debate will start at 9 pm ET tonight, and it will take place at the Samson Pavillion, an academic building shared by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic.
The debate will start at 9 pm ET tonight, and it will take place at the Samson Pavillion, an academic building shared by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. Amy Coney Barrett’s supreme court nomination was officially sent to the Senate. The announcement comes on the same day that Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose seat Barrett would be filling, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell met with Barrett earlier today.
The announcement comes on the same day that whose seat Barrett would be filling, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Senate majority leader met with Barrett earlier today. Biden and Kamala Harris released their 2019 tax returns. The move was clearly meant to criticize Trump for not yet having released any of his tax returns. The documents showed Biden and his wife paid nearly $300,000 in federal income tax last year. According to the New York Times, Trump paid only $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017.
The move was clearly meant to criticize Trump for not yet having released any of his tax returns. The documents showed Biden and his wife paid nearly $300,000 in federal income tax last year. According to the New York Times, Trump paid only $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017. New York City plans to impose fines on people who refuse to wear a face covering, as it was announced that the rate of positive tests for coronavirus climbed above 3% in the city for the first time in months.
as it was announced that the rate of positive tests for coronavirus climbed above 3% in the city for the first time in months. Former special counsel Robert Mueller responded to criticism from one of his former colleagues. In his new book, Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor in the special counsel’s office, argues Mueller’s team did not do enough to hold Trump accountable in the Russia investigation. Mueller said in a statement that he made his investigation-related decisions “without any interest in currying favor or fear of the consequences”. Mueller added, “I stand by those decisions and by the conclusions of our investigation.” My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 22.03 BST
29 Sept 2020 21.46 BST Trump has arrived at the debate venue in Cleveland, Ohio, to conduct the traditional walk-through of the site. Each presidential candidate is allowed to walk through the venue to get a sense of the debate stage before the event begins. . @realDonaldTrump arrives at the debate site in Cleveland pic.twitter.com/iyfvCpw2Yf — Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) September 29, 2020 Tonight’s debate, which will begin at 9 pm ET, is being held at the Samson Pavillion, an academic building shared by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic.
29 Sept 2020 21.33 BST Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell dismissed the suggestion that Amy Coney Barrett would vote to scrap the Affordable Care Act. “This mother of seven, including multiple children who were born or adopted facing preexisting condition medical challenges, is just itching to block families like hers from accessing medical care. What a joke,” McConnell said, per an NBC News reporter. McConnell mocks claims that Barrett could vote to take away health care.
"This mother of 7 including multiple children who were born or adopted facing pre-existing condition medical challenges is just itching to block families like hers from accessing medical care. What a joke." — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 29, 2020 However, Barrett has previously criticized the decision to uphold the ACA, saying chief justice John Roberts “pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute” when the issue came before the supreme court in 2012. Democrats have consistently warned that, if Barrett is confirmed, the ACA could be on the chopping block, which could cause healthcare costs to soar for those with preexisting conditions.
Updated at 22.00 BST
29 Sept 2020 21.14 BST Barrett's nomination officially sent to Senate The supreme court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett has been officially sent to the Senate, with five weeks to go until election day. Barrett’s nomination has now been officially sent to the Senate pic.twitter.com/ceRoSUWVdJ — Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 29, 2020 The announcement comes on the same day that Barrett met with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on Capitol Hill. I had the opportunity to meet with Judge Barrett earlier today. President Trump has nominated exactly the kind of outstanding person whom the American people deserve to have on their highest Court. pic.twitter.com/0tTJqPwpeP — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) September 29, 2020 Senate Republicans are seeking to get Barrett confirmed before the November 3 elections, representing a far tighter timeline than other recent supreme court confirmations. The nomination was also sent to the Senate on the same day that Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose death opened up the supreme court seat Republicans are rushing to fill, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Ginsburg’s reported dying wish was that her supreme court seat not be filled until after the presidential election, a request that Republicans have ignored.
29 Sept 2020 20.59 BST Joanna Walters In another bitter symbol for rattled liberals, on the morning that arch conservative Amy Coney Barrett paid a visit to Mitch McConnell on Capitol Hill, prior to her expected swift confirmation and ascension to the supreme court, the woman she will replace was laid to rest. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, aka the Notorious RBG, feminist and left-leaning icon, was buried this morning in Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, just on the outskirts of Washington. She was to be buried next to her late husband, Marty, who died in 2010, and the event took place four days after Ginsburg was afforded the honor last Friday of being the first woman to lie in state in the US Capitol. A photo essay: the capital mourns a week after Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death Read more Meanwhile, demonstrations continue in Washington, DC. A group of clergy, rabbis and imams march from the US Capitol to the Dirksen Senate Office Building during a demonstration to remember Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, earlier today. The group was led by Reverend Dr William Barber. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock A group of clergy, rabbis and imams marched from the US Capitol to the Dirksen Senate Office Building during a demonstration to remember Supreme Court Ginsburg, earlier today. The group was led by Reverend Dr William Barber and they urged Americans to vote in her memory and that of Kentucky police shooting victim Breonna Taylor. Reverend William Barber II, center, leads leaders of various faiths gathered near the US Capitol and march silently to the supreme court and towards the Dirksen Senate office building to remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Kentucky police shooting victim Breonna Taylor. They urged Americans to vote in their memory. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
29 Sept 2020 20.43 BST Air Force One has arrived in Cleveland, with just hours to go until the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden. According to the White House press pool, a senior Trump campaign official spoke to reporters during the short flight to Cleveland. The official said the president is ready for the debate and would not be doing any last-minute prep work on the plane. “He’s ready to go,” the official said. The person added that the president’s team expects his tax returns to be mentioned at the beginning of the debate. The New York Times reported Sunday that Trump only paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, will also be one of the president’s guests for the debate, the official said.
29 Sept 2020 20.34 BST Joe Biden is now en route to Cleveland as well, having boarded his campaign plane in Wilmington, Delaware, moments ago. The Democratic nominee appears to have a new campaign plane with the Biden/Harris logo on its side. Joe Biden boards a plane to Cleveland for his first debate with President Trump. The Biden campaign has a new plane with the Biden/Harris logo on the side. pic.twitter.com/Wc3mTUgSWb — Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) September 29, 2020
29 Sept 2020 20.23 BST Several of Trump’s family members joined him on Air Force One for the trip to Cleveland, Ohio, where the first presidential debate will be held tonight. Two of the president’s children, Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump, were spotted boarding the plane. Press pool on Air Force One reports WH Chief of Staff Mark Meadows says Pres Trump is in “a good mood’ as he heads to the debate. Also aboard are members of the Trump Family including Eric, Lara and Tiffany. along with Alice Johnson, who received a pardon from Trump last month. pic.twitter.com/LDJ2YwX0CG — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 29, 2020 The White House press pool also saw Alice Johnson boarding Air Force One. In 2018, Trump commuted Johnson’s prison sentence for a non-violent drug offense. Johnson spoke at the Republican convention last month and then received a full pardon from Trump. Speaking to reporters shortly before takeoff, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Trump had completed his debate preparations and was in a good mood. According to CNN, Trump did less than two hours of debate prep total to prepare for tonight’s event.
29 Sept 2020 20.11 BST Mueller responds to former colleague's criticism Former special counsel Robert Mueller has released a statement responding to criticism from one of his former colleagues. In his new book, Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor in the special counsel’s office, argues Mueller’s team did not do enough to hold Trump accountable in the Russia investigation. “It is not surprising that members of the Special Counsel’s Office did not always agree, but it is disappointing to hear criticism of our team based on incomplete information,” Mueller said in the statement, per the Washington Post. “When important decisions had to be made, I made them,” Mueller added. “I did so as I have always done, without any interest in currying favor or fear of the consequences. I stand by those decisions and by the conclusions of our investigation.” Mueller concluded his investigation last year and released a report on the team’s findings, which included significant evidence that Trump obstructed justice but did not come to an explicit conclusion on the matter.


theguardian--2020-09-29--Debate offers Trump chance to yank stubbornly stable 2020 race his way

After months of anticipation , Donald Trump and election rival Joe Biden were scheduled to meet on a debate stage for the first time in Cleveland on Tuesday night , in what could be Trump ’ s last best chance to turn the presidential race his way and win re-election .
Suffering from weeks of negative revelations in the news and terrible poll numbers , Trump needs a big score at the first presidential debate to shift the national conversation away from the sputtering economy , the coronavirus pandemic and his staggering tax avoidance , analysts say .
Those factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is even more aggressive than usual .
“ Trump will go after Biden hard , to deflect attention away from his own troubles , including the reports on his tax evasion and business failures , ” said Brad Bannon , a Washington-based Democratic strategist .
“ Much of Biden ’ s support is based on his calm demeanor , which contrasts well with the president ’ s erratic personality .
“ So , it ’ s important for Biden to respond to Trump without losing his cool , and smile while he surgically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Advisers to Biden , meanwhile , say that a great debate result for the Democratic candidate would be for not much to happen at all .
The challenge as they see it is for Biden to appear steady and draw a contrast with Trump – and to resist being drawn into a mudfight .
Biden himself appears to recognize the dangers of meeting Trump on his preferred turf of insult and mockery .
“ I hope I don ’ t get baited into a brawl with this guy , because that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Biden told donors at a fundraiser in Delaware earlier this month .
“ This is a guy who is absolutely tasteless .
Completely tasteless .
So pointing it out doesn ’ t do much.
” The presidential election on 3 November is only 35 days away , and early in-person voting is under way already , while about 10m mail-in ballots have been sent out across the country – a record brought about by the coronavirus crisis .
The conventional wisdom about presidential debates is that they do not move the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Former vice-president Al Gore was dinged for sighing through his first debate in 2000 with George W Bush .
An underprepared outing by Barack Obama against Mitt Romney in their first debate of 2012 breathed new life into the challenger ’ s campaign .
But the stakes around the first debate of the 2020 cycle may be unique .
The race has proven historically stable throughout the year , according to polling analysts , and big campaign moments including the national conventions and Biden ’ s selection of Kamala Harris as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved the needle .
For weeks , the Trump campaign has been touting the debate as the moment that would at last alter the race , regaling donors with a fantasy of a quick-witted Trump running circles around a somnolent Biden .
Trump went so far at the weekend as to demand a “ drug test ” before the debate of Biden , whom Trump has baselessly accused of taking “ performance enhancing drugs ” .
Biden laughed off the suggestion , but his campaign issued a lacerating response .
“ Vice-President Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words , ” a Biden spokeswoman told Politico .
“ If the president thinks his best case is made in urine , he can have at it.
” Biden and Trump are scheduled to participate in three debates total .
The 90-minute opener in the series will be held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland , Ohio , and be moderated by the Fox News host Chris Wallace , who has proven in the past to be a tough interviewer of the president .
On Monday , Wallace said he hoped to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onstage .
“ If I ’ ve done my job right , at the end of the night , people will say , ‘ That was a great debate , who was the moderator ?
’ ” Wallace told Fox .
Wallace has picked six subjects for the night : the candidates ’ records in office ; the supreme court ; Covid-19 ; the economy ; “ race and violence in our cities ” ; and the integrity of the election .
But a bombshell New York Times report at the weekend showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 of the last 15 years , and that Trump has hundreds of millions in mysterious debt coming due , could be one of many topics that upend the planned proceedings .
Biden is expected to highlight how much of Trump ’ s wealth was inherited , and to draw a contrast between Scranton , Pennsylvania , where Biden grew up , and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan , the site of Trump ’ s most famous golden tower .
Biden might also underscore the dangers of a president who denies climate change by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the west .
Facing new sexual assault allegations himself , Trump could seek to revive allegations against Biden .
Trump has already signaled that Biden ’ s family is fair game , with sustained attacks on his son Hunter Biden , whose relationships in Ukraine Republicans tried to use to muddle the impeachment inquiry .
But Trump appears to need more political mileage out of the debate than the brief bump that a few sharply delivered attacks might deliver .
More than winning an argument , strategists say , the debates are about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nudge a crucial few into one camp or the other .
“ Trump needs a Biden collapse , ” the Republican political consultant Mike Murphy , a frequent Trump critic , said on his podcast .
“ Because Trump needs something to happen on the 29th that gives him the whole month to work with .
”

After months of anticipation, Donald Trump and election rival Joe Biden were scheduled to meet on a debate stage for the first time in Cleveland on Tuesday night, in what could be Trump’s last best chance to turn the presidential race his way and win re-election.
Suffering from weeks of negative revelations in the news and terrible poll numbers, Trump needs a big score at the first presidential debate to shift the national conversation away from the sputtering economy, the coronavirus pandemic and his staggering tax avoidance, analysts say.
Those factors could see a performance by Trump that is even more aggressive than usual.
“Trump will go after Biden hard, to deflect attention away from his own troubles, including the reports on his tax evasion and business failures,” said Brad Bannon, a Washington-based Democratic strategist. “Much of Biden’s support is based on his calm demeanor, which contrasts well with the president’s erratic personality.
“So, it’s important for Biden to respond to Trump without losing his cool, and smile while he surgically cuts the president down to size.”
Advisers to Biden, meanwhile, say that a great debate result for the Democratic candidate would be for not much to happen at all. The challenge as they see it is for Biden to appear steady and draw a contrast with Trump – and to resist being drawn into a mudfight.
Biden himself appears to recognize the dangers of meeting Trump on his preferred turf of insult and mockery.
“I hope I don’t get baited into a brawl with this guy, because that’s the only place he’s comfortable,” Biden told donors at a fundraiser in Delaware earlier this month. “This is a guy who is absolutely tasteless. Completely tasteless. So pointing it out doesn’t do much.”
13:55 Troubled Florida, divided America: will Donald Trump hold this vital swing state? - video
The presidential election on 3 November is only 35 days away, and early in-person voting is under way already, while about 10m mail-in ballots have been sent out across the country – a record brought about by the coronavirus crisis.
The conventional wisdom about presidential debates is that they do not move the race much – except when they do. Former vice-president Al Gore was dinged for sighing through his first debate in 2000 with George W Bush. An underprepared outing by Barack Obama against Mitt Romney in their first debate of 2012 breathed new life into the challenger’s campaign.
But the stakes around the first debate of the 2020 cycle may be unique. The race has proven historically stable throughout the year, according to polling analysts, and big campaign moments including the national conventions and Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as a running mate do not appear to have moved the needle.
For weeks, the Trump campaign has been touting the debate as the moment that would at last alter the race, regaling donors with a fantasy of a quick-witted Trump running circles around a somnolent Biden.
Trump went so far at the weekend as to demand a “drug test” before the debate of Biden, whom Trump has baselessly accused of taking “performance enhancing drugs”.
Biden laughed off the suggestion, but his campaign issued a lacerating response.
“Vice-President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words,” a Biden spokeswoman told Politico. “If the president thinks his best case is made in urine, he can have at it.”
Biden and Trump are scheduled to participate in three debates total. The 90-minute opener in the series will be held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and be moderated by the Fox News host Chris Wallace, who has proven in the past to be a tough interviewer of the president.
Joe Biden said of Donald Trump: ‘I hope I don’t get baited into a brawl with this guy, because that’s the only place he’s comfortable.’ Composite: Getty Images & Rex Features
On Monday, Wallace said he hoped to be “as invisible as possible” onstage. “If I’ve done my job right, at the end of the night, people will say, ‘That was a great debate, who was the moderator?’” Wallace told Fox.
Wallace has picked six subjects for the night: the candidates’ records in office; the supreme court; Covid-19; the economy; “race and violence in our cities”; and the integrity of the election.
But a bombshell New York Times report at the weekend showing that Trump paid zero federal taxes in 10 of the last 15 years, and that Trump has hundreds of millions in mysterious debt coming due, could be one of many topics that upend the planned proceedings.
Biden is expected to highlight how much of Trump’s wealth was inherited, and to draw a contrast between Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden grew up, and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the site of Trump’s most famous golden tower.
Biden might also underscore the dangers of a president who denies climate change by pointing to the ongoing wildfire crisis in the west. Facing new sexual assault allegations himself, Trump could seek to revive allegations against Biden.
Trump has already signaled that Biden’s family is fair game, with sustained attacks on his son Hunter Biden, whose relationships in Ukraine Republicans tried to use to muddle the impeachment inquiry.
But Trump appears to need more political mileage out of the debate than the brief bump that a few sharply delivered attacks might deliver.
More than winning an argument, strategists say, the debates are about making an impression on viewers that could nudge a crucial few into one camp or the other.
“Trump needs a Biden collapse,” the Republican political consultant Mike Murphy, a frequent Trump critic, said on his podcast. “Because Trump needs something to happen on the 29th that gives him the whole month to work with.”


theguardian--2020-09-29--US election to have far fewer international observers than planned

There will be far fewer international election observers than planned at this year ’ s fraught US presidential vote because of a combination of health concerns during the pandemic and the lack of an invitation from the state department for Latin American observers .
The electoral arm of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) has had to scale down its ambitions because of Covid-related precautions and travel restrictions .
It is sending 30 observers , instead of the 500 that had been recommended in view of the scale of concern about the US election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) has yet to receive an invitation to send observers to the 3 November vote , which is threatening to be the most contentious in modern US history as Donald Trump himself repeatedly claims it will be rigged and refuses to say whether he will leave the White House if defeated at the polls .
The OSCE ’ s election monitoring body , the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights ( ODIHR ) , had intended to send 100 long-term and 400 short-term observers , after its assessment mission warned the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent decades ” .
But a cautious response from the OSCE member states who have the responsibility for recruiting and funding the trained observers meant the plans had to be drastically downsized .
The organisation is now sending just 30 long-term observers in a limited mission .
The long-term observers , who arrive this week , will make assessments of the overall environment for the vote and are supported by a dozen core staff led by the head of mission , Urszula Gacek , a former centrist Polish politician and diplomat .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling stations around the country , particularly in battleground states , to give live assessments on the conduct of the vote .
This year , they will not be coming .
“ The safety concerns as well as continuing travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are creating challenges for all our election activities and particularly for the deployment of long- and short-term observers , who are sent directly by OSCE countries , ” Katya Andrusz , the ODIHR spokeswoman , said .
“ In this case , we ended up with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number we ’ d originally requested .
In the end , we judged that it would simply be infeasible to deploy enough short-term observers to allow a meaningful observation of election day , and therefore changed the format of the observation activity to what we call a limited election observation mission.
” The OAS was invited to send an observation mission in 2016 and dispatched 41 observers from around Latin America , led by the former Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla .
The state department did not respond to an inquiry on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent at all .
Amid threats from Trump that he might not respect the result , and his repeated claims that postal ballots will be rigged , in absence of any historical evidence that they are vulnerable , the November vote threatens to be like no other .
US intelligence has warned that Russia is repeating the election interference campaign it unleashed in 2016 , largely based on disinformation .
There is also widespread evidence of voter suppression , most of it targeted at Black Americans .
In view of the dangers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which observes elections around the world , announced it would launch a campaign in the US for the first time .
It will involve supplying public information about the election and encouraging election officials to maintain transparency and access for observers , but it will not be deploying observers .
The political parties and non-government organisations will be deploying observers but Susan Hyde , political science professor at the University of California , Berkeley , said international observers could provide a useful international benchmark of whether an election is free or fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing that seems clear from many other countries is that what international observers can do is be a clear outside actor which is interested more in democracy than in who wins and have expertise in the quality of the electoral process , ” Hyde said .

There will be far fewer international election observers than planned at this year’s fraught US presidential vote because of a combination of health concerns during the pandemic and the lack of an invitation from the state department for Latin American observers.
The electoral arm of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has had to scale down its ambitions because of Covid-related precautions and travel restrictions. It is sending 30 observers, instead of the 500 that had been recommended in view of the scale of concern about the US election.
The Organization of American States (OAS) has yet to receive an invitation to send observers to the 3 November vote, which is threatening to be the most contentious in modern US history as Donald Trump himself repeatedly claims it will be rigged and refuses to say whether he will leave the White House if defeated at the polls.
The OSCE’s election monitoring body, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), had intended to send 100 long-term and 400 short-term observers, after its assessment mission warned the election “will be the most challenging in recent decades”.
But a cautious response from the OSCE member states who have the responsibility for recruiting and funding the trained observers meant the plans had to be drastically downsized.
The organisation is now sending just 30 long-term observers in a limited mission. The long-term observers, who arrive this week, will make assessments of the overall environment for the vote and are supported by a dozen core staff led by the head of mission, Urszula Gacek, a former centrist Polish politician and diplomat.
The short-term observers would have fanned out to polling stations around the country, particularly in battleground states, to give live assessments on the conduct of the vote. This year, they will not be coming.
“The safety concerns as well as continuing travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are creating challenges for all our election activities and particularly for the deployment of long- and short-term observers, who are sent directly by OSCE countries,” Katya Andrusz, the ODIHR spokeswoman, said.
“In this case, we ended up with a huge shortfall of long-term observers compared to the number we’d originally requested. In the end, we judged that it would simply be infeasible to deploy enough short-term observers to allow a meaningful observation of election day, and therefore changed the format of the observation activity to what we call a limited election observation mission.”
The OSCE’s parliamentary assembly plans to send 84 members of parliament from 30 countries, supported by 20 staff, about the same size of the mission in 2016. The parliamentarians will give their assessment of the vote alongside the ODIHR mission the day after the election.
The OAS was invited to send an observation mission in 2016 and dispatched 41 observers from around Latin America, led by the former Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla.
The state department did not respond to an inquiry on whether an invitation for 2020 would be sent at all.
Amid threats from Trump that he might not respect the result, and his repeated claims that postal ballots will be rigged, in absence of any historical evidence that they are vulnerable, the November vote threatens to be like no other.
US intelligence has warned that Russia is repeating the election interference campaign it unleashed in 2016, largely based on disinformation. There is also widespread evidence of voter suppression, most of it targeted at Black Americans.
In view of the dangers and the high stakes, the Carter Center, which observes elections around the world, announced it would launch a campaign in the US for the first time. It will involve supplying public information about the election and encouraging election officials to maintain transparency and access for observers, but it will not be deploying observers.
The political parties and non-government organisations will be deploying observers but Susan Hyde, political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said international observers could provide a useful international benchmark of whether an election is free or fair in a hyper-partisan atmosphere.
“The thing that seems clear from many other countries is that what international observers can do is be a clear outside actor which is interested more in democracy than in who wins and have expertise in the quality of the electoral process,” Hyde said.


theguardian--2020-09-29--US presidential debate: all you need to know about the face-off in Cleveland

The US will get confirmation that election season is under way on Tuesday night , when Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , face each other in the first presidential debate .
The debate , held in Ohio , is the first of three tête-à-têtes ahead of the vote on 3 November .
Both Biden and Trump have said they are looking forward to the debate , and onlookers are set to be subjected to an hour and a half of argument between the Democratic nominee and the Republican president .
Here ’ s what you need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It will begin at 9pm US eastern time ( ET ) .
The event will run until 10.30pm ET .
Where is it ?
At the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic , in Cleveland , Ohio .
Ohio has been a swing state over the past two decades , but Trump won there by eight points in 2016 .
The state is seen as trending towards becoming more solidly Republican , due to its whiter , older population compared with the rest of the US .
Fox News host Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Fox News channel has been fawning in its coverage of Trump for the past four years , but Wallace is seen as a relatively independent , straight journalist .
Wallace won praise for an interview with Trump in July , when he challenged Trump over the coronavirus death count and memorably dug into Trump ’ s claim to have aced a cognitive test .
He ’ s no favourite of Trump – who on Thursday baselessly claimed Wallace is “ controlled by the radical left ” .
The debate will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 90 minutes , with no breaks for commercials .
There will be no opening statements , and the first question will go to Trump .
Wallace said he ’ s hoping to let the debate flow .
He isn ’ t expected to factcheck either candidate – it would be a mammoth , time-consuming task – and has said he will strive to be as “ invisible as possible ” .
The podiums will be further apart than usual , and Biden and Trump won ’ t shake hands before or after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are expected to be in the audience , way below the usual number at a presidential debate .
Wallace was in charge of selecting the six topics , and they were announced by the Commission on Presidential Debates last week .
They are : • None The records of President Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden .
• None Race and violence in our cities .
• None The integrity of the election .
How are Biden and Trump preparing ?
Biden is said to have spent days preparing , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign adviser and former White House general counsel , ABC News reported .
Bauer has apparently adopted Trump ’ s debate style for the practice sessions .
Trump has used flashcards and videos to prepare and has eschewed traditional rehearsals , CBS News reported .
On Sunday , Trump said Rudy Giuliani and the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie had been helping him prepare .
According to CBS , Trump aides have studied Biden ’ s debate habits and created an “ arsenal ” of material for Trump to use .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and most news channels , so Americans are spoilt for choice .
ABC , CBS , CNN , C-Span , Fox News , MSNBC and NBC are among those who will carry it live .
Most of those networks will also offer live coverage online .
Outside the US , viewers can watch the debate on C-Span , a non-profit bipartisan cable channel which televises government proceedings .
The channel will run coverage on its website and YouTube channel .
The Guardian will also be streaming the debate , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The US will get confirmation that election season is under way on Tuesday night, when Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, face each other in the first presidential debate.
The debate, held in Ohio, is the first of three tête-à-têtes ahead of the vote on 3 November.
Both Biden and Trump have said they are looking forward to the debate, and onlookers are set to be subjected to an hour and a half of argument between the Democratic nominee and the Republican president.
Here’s what you need to know.
When is the debate?
It will begin at 9pm US eastern time (ET). The event will run until 10.30pm ET.
Where is it?
At the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ohio has been a swing state over the past two decades, but Trump won there by eight points in 2016. The state is seen as trending towards becoming more solidly Republican, due to its whiter, older population compared with the rest of the US.
Who’s moderating?
Fox News host Chris Wallace will be the man in charge. The Fox News channel has been fawning in its coverage of Trump for the past four years, but Wallace is seen as a relatively independent, straight journalist.
Wallace won praise for an interview with Trump in July, when he challenged Trump over the coronavirus death count and memorably dug into Trump’s claim to have aced a cognitive test. He’s no favourite of Trump – who on Thursday baselessly claimed Wallace is “controlled by the radical left”.
What’s the format?
The debate will have six 15-minute segments. It will run for 90 minutes, with no breaks for commercials. There will be no opening statements, and the first question will go to Trump.
Wallace said he’s hoping to let the debate flow. He isn’t expected to factcheck either candidate – it would be a mammoth, time-consuming task – and has said he will strive to be as “invisible as possible”.
What about coronavirus precautions?
The podiums will be further apart than usual, and Biden and Trump won’t shake hands before or after. According to CNN 60 to 70 people are expected to be in the audience, way below the usual number at a presidential debate.
What’s up for debate?
Wallace was in charge of selecting the six topics, and they were announced by the Commission on Presidential Debates last week. They are:
The records of President Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.
The supreme court.
Covid-19.
The economy.
Race and violence in our cities.
The integrity of the election.
How are Biden and Trump preparing?
Biden is said to have spent days preparing, and has held mock debates with Bob Bauer, campaign adviser and former White House general counsel, ABC News reported. Bauer has apparently adopted Trump’s debate style for the practice sessions.
Trump has used flashcards and videos to prepare and has eschewed traditional rehearsals, CBS News reported.
On Sunday, Trump said Rudy Giuliani and the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie had been helping him prepare. According to CBS, Trump aides have studied Biden’s debate habits and created an “arsenal” of material for Trump to use.
How can I watch?
All major US networks are airing the debate, and most news channels, so Americans are spoilt for choice. ABC, CBS, CNN, C-Span, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC are among those who will carry it live. Most of those networks will also offer live coverage online.
Outside the US, viewers can watch the debate on C-Span, a non-profit bipartisan cable channel which televises government proceedings. The channel will run coverage on its website and YouTube channel.
The Guardian will also be streaming the debate, as well as offering live coverage, factchecking and analysis.


theguardian--2020-09-29--Do you pay more than $750 in taxes? You've given more than Trump | Andrew Gawthorpe

Did you pay more than $ 750 in taxes in recent years ?
If so , your contribution to the greater good of the United States has been substantially higher than that of Donald Trump .
Thanks to a New York Times investigation , we can now see exactly how much the president of the United States has contributed to the public coffers each year over a period of several decades .
The answer : usually zero , although he threw in the occasional $ 750 when he absolutely had to .
The revelation that Trump would pursue his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else – especially the nation he aspired to and then eventually did lead – can not be that surprising to anyone .
But we should resist the temptation to not be outraged .
The American taxation system is indeed broken , but Trump ’ s actions stand out as particularly egregious even within the context of a broken system , and he has paid far less tax than the average person of equivalent wealth ( or at least , the wealth he claims to have ) .
We should also consider the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be held to a higher standard than the average crooked businessman .
Paying taxes is not just a concrete contribution towards government spending , but a symbolic affirmation that we recognize that we must all contribute towards the common good .
Remarkably for a man who sought and then achieved the office of presidency ( his first attempt came in the year 2000 , when the Times data begins ) , Trump appears to have no concept of this .
Throughout his business career , he has viewed contractors and partners as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now obvious that this view extends to the American people themselves , who he was happy to leave short-changed even as they struggled through terrorist attack , war and economic crisis .
But paying taxes is not some altruistic action which we take out of the goodness of our hearts .
It is also a recognition that our own success is dependent on the fruits of public spending .
The American jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr once wrote : “ I like to pay taxes .
With them I buy civilization.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a bubble insulated from the rest of society , but they ultimately are dependent for their wealth on the infrastructure , the public safety and the stable business environment which only exist because the government has the money to create them .
In fact , as unusually fortunate beneficiaries of these public goods , the rich have an even greater obligation to fund them .
It is also clear that Trump considers himself much smarter than regular tax-paying folk , who can not afford the fancy lawyers or use the tax loopholes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower tax rate than they do .
Part of Trump ’ s appeal in 2016 was the promise that he was a smart , successful businessman who would put those talents in service of the interests of what he called “ the forgotten people ” .
But this was just another elaborate con , a trick played on his supporters .
He is not so much a successful businessman as a TV celebrity with a heavily indebted property empire which he is running into the ground in slow-motion .
Look closely and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supporters ’ interests are a mirage .
Only the con remains .
This leads us to the final way in which Trump is taking the country for suckers , even today .
Before and during the presidency , Trump has continued to hemorrhage money .
He desperately needs cash infusions and protection from creditors to whom he owes some $ 421m , much of which he has personally guaranteed .
Given this , it is little surprise that there has never been a president who sought – successfully – to profit from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He continues to bilk the taxpayer by having government employees stay at his wildly unprofitable hotels .
Most worryingly of all , his businesses continue to court foreign investors and partners from countries which are both geopolitically important to the United States and financially important to him personally as supporters of his mismanaged business empire .
How this has affected American policy , both foreign and domestic , is impossible to say .
When policy is made , where do the legitimate interests of the United States end and those of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public can have no way of telling .
But everything we have learned from his tax returns strongly suggests that whenever there is a conflict between looking out for the common good and looking out for the good of Donald Trump , the president will choose the latter .
• None Andrew Gawthorpe is a historian of the United States at Leiden University

Did you pay more than $750 in taxes in recent years? If so, your contribution to the greater good of the United States has been substantially higher than that of Donald Trump.
Thanks to a New York Times investigation, we can now see exactly how much the president of the United States has contributed to the public coffers each year over a period of several decades. The answer: usually zero, although he threw in the occasional $750 when he absolutely had to.
The revelation that Trump would pursue his own selfish interests at the expense of everyone else – especially the nation he aspired to and then eventually did lead – cannot be that surprising to anyone. But we should resist the temptation to not be outraged. The American taxation system is indeed broken, but Trump’s actions stand out as particularly egregious even within the context of a broken system, and he has paid far less tax than the average person of equivalent wealth (or at least, the wealth he claims to have). We should also consider the fact that the president of the United States should be held to a higher standard than the average crooked businessman.
Paying taxes is not just a concrete contribution towards government spending, but a symbolic affirmation that we recognize that we must all contribute towards the common good. Remarkably for a man who sought and then achieved the office of presidency (his first attempt came in the year 2000, when the Times data begins), Trump appears to have no concept of this. Throughout his business career, he has viewed contractors and partners as marks to be screwed over. It is now obvious that this view extends to the American people themselves, who he was happy to leave short-changed even as they struggled through terrorist attack, war and economic crisis.
But paying taxes is not some altruistic action which we take out of the goodness of our hearts. It is also a recognition that our own success is dependent on the fruits of public spending. The American jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr once wrote: “I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.” Rich people might often try to live in a bubble insulated from the rest of society, but they ultimately are dependent for their wealth on the infrastructure, the public safety and the stable business environment which only exist because the government has the money to create them. In fact, as unusually fortunate beneficiaries of these public goods, the rich have an even greater obligation to fund them.
He is not so much a successful businessman as a TV celebrity with a property empire he is running into the ground
It is also clear that Trump considers himself much smarter than regular tax-paying folk, who cannot afford the fancy lawyers or use the tax loopholes which allow him to pay a much lower tax rate than they do. Part of Trump’s appeal in 2016 was the promise that he was a smart, successful businessman who would put those talents in service of the interests of what he called “the forgotten people”. But this was just another elaborate con, a trick played on his supporters. He is not so much a successful businessman as a TV celebrity with a heavily indebted property empire which he is running into the ground in slow-motion. Look closely and the success and the smarts necessary to advance his supporters’ interests are a mirage. Only the con remains.
This leads us to the final way in which Trump is taking the country for suckers, even today. Before and during the presidency, Trump has continued to hemorrhage money. He desperately needs cash infusions and protection from creditors to whom he owes some $421m, much of which he has personally guaranteed.
Given this, it is little surprise that there has never been a president who sought – successfully – to profit from the presidency as much as Trump has. He continues to bilk the taxpayer by having government employees stay at his wildly unprofitable hotels. Most worryingly of all, his businesses continue to court foreign investors and partners from countries which are both geopolitically important to the United States and financially important to him personally as supporters of his mismanaged business empire. How this has affected American policy, both foreign and domestic, is impossible to say.
When policy is made, where do the legitimate interests of the United States end and those of the chronically indebted president begin? The American public can have no way of telling. But everything we have learned from his tax returns strongly suggests that whenever there is a conflict between looking out for the common good and looking out for the good of Donald Trump, the president will choose the latter.