theguardian--2020-10-03--The Observer view on Donald Trump's coronavirus infection | Observer editorial

Donald Trump ’ s infection has given another dramatic twist to an already tumultuous and perilous US election year .
The president ’ s illness is a significant personal blow .
Hopefully , both he and the first lady will recover quickly .
The fact Trump has succumbed to a disease he spent many months downplaying and dismissing is also a serious political setback .
It raises basic questions about his judgment as well as his health with less than a month remaining before the 3 November poll .
Impartial observers may say that Trump ’ s very human misfortune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a million people worldwide , including 208,000 Americans , should not adversely affect his political prospects .
But such generosity of spirit ignores the harshly subjective realities of the Trump era .
Ever since he emerged as a candidate for national office , it has been all but impossible to separate the personal from the political .
That ’ s primarily because Trump invariably makes everything about him .
Trump has used the multimillion-dollar personal fortune he inherited from his father to relentlessly boost his political profile .
His business ventures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He demands personal credit for almost anything positive that happens in Washington .
And when his political actions as president are criticised , Trump , his ego affronted , invariably takes it personally .
A recurring theme in his speeches and tweets is a self-centred grievance over perceived unfair treatment .
To ask that Trump ’ s outspoken , damaging and dangerous denialism about the threat the virus poses should not now colour the way voters regard him , or affect the way opponents react , is to ask too much .
Sympathy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the more so if his condition deteriorates .
But his persistently reckless conduct over Covid-19 will incur an unavoidably high political price .
Trump must now face the consequences of his actions in a way that , during the course of a highly privileged life , he rarely has .
Thanks to his illness , the pandemic he sought to wish away now heads the election agenda .
His record , stretching back to the arrival of the disease in the US last winter , is being endlessly re-examined and replayed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautiously responsible Democrat rival , Joe Biden , who declared in January that “ we have it totally under control ” .
It was Trump who likened it to ordinary flu and predicted that “ one day , it ’ s like a miracle , it will disappear ” .
Trump has since claimed he played down the pandemic to avoid panic .
But what seemed to panic him most was the thought it might harm his re-election chances .
He failed to develop a national testing strategy , passed the buck to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermined scientific advice and public messaging , promoted quack cures , such as injecting bleach , and mocked crucial social distancing and mask-wearing measures .
However ill he is , this saga of lethal incompetence can not be glossed over .
As late as last Tuesday evening , while debating with Biden face to face when he himself may have been infectious , Trump continued to mock the Democrat for taking sensible precautions , as if mask wearing somehow compromised his manhood .
“ Trump is now in the position of becoming Exhibit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on coronavirus , ” said Democratic pollster Geoff Garin .
“ It ’ s hard to imagine this doesn ’ t end his hopes of re-election , ” said Rob Stutzman , a Republican consultant .
For all that his opponents may wish it , that latter verdict sounds premature .
Other major issues – the economy , racial justice , a Supreme Court replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg – will continue to influence voter choices .
And while Trump has been a prime source of misinformation about Covid-19 , a new Axios/Ipsos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than two-thirds of Americans do not trust anyone in the federal government .
If Trump can ride out the infection in hospital , overcome potentially negative factors such as his age ( 74 ) and his obesity , and emerge from quarantine within 10 days or so , it ’ s conceivable he could again turn the personal to political advantage .
Boris Johnson briefly managed this trick in Britain after he left intensive care in April .
In such a case , Trump may portray a reprieve as proof of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overrated .
If , on the other hand , Trump ’ s illness gets worse or is prolonged , the United States , and the world , will enter uncharted waters .
His campaign plans are already on hold .
It is probable the next debate with Biden , due on 15 October , will be postponed .
In theory at least , Trump could be unable to continue as the Republican candidate .
In extremis , the vice-president , Mike Pence , might take his place in the Oval Office .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not least for the much-challenged integrity of the electoral process .
It ’ s important that he be called to account at the ballot box and , it ’ s hoped , be defeated by an indisputably large margin .
For it is America ’ s recovery , not his , that is ultimately most important of all .
The American people must , and surely will , find a peaceful , healthy , and constitutional way through this dark crisis year for US democracy .
This can only be achieved if all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the many , one .

Donald Trump’s infection has given another dramatic twist to an already tumultuous and perilous US election year. The president’s illness is a significant personal blow. Hopefully, both he and the first lady will recover quickly. The fact Trump has succumbed to a disease he spent many months downplaying and dismissing is also a serious political setback. It raises basic questions about his judgment as well as his health with less than a month remaining before the 3 November poll.
Impartial observers may say that Trump’s very human misfortune in catching a virus that has killed more than a million people worldwide, including 208,000 Americans, should not adversely affect his political prospects. But such generosity of spirit ignores the harshly subjective realities of the Trump era. Ever since he emerged as a candidate for national office, it has been all but impossible to separate the personal from the political. That’s primarily because Trump invariably makes everything about him.
Trump has used the multimillion-dollar personal fortune he inherited from his father to relentlessly boost his political profile. His business ventures are routinely branded with his name. He demands personal credit for almost anything positive that happens in Washington. And when his political actions as president are criticised, Trump, his ego affronted, invariably takes it personally. A recurring theme in his speeches and tweets is a self-centred grievance over perceived unfair treatment.
His persistently reckless conduct over Covid-19 will incur an unavoidably high political price
To ask that Trump’s outspoken, damaging and dangerous denialism about the threat the virus poses should not now colour the way voters regard him, or affect the way opponents react, is to ask too much. Sympathy for his personal plight will certainly grow, the more so if his condition deteriorates. But his persistently reckless conduct over Covid-19 will incur an unavoidably high political price. Trump must now face the consequences of his actions in a way that, during the course of a highly privileged life, he rarely has.
Thanks to his illness, the pandemic he sought to wish away now heads the election agenda. His record, stretching back to the arrival of the disease in the US last winter, is being endlessly re-examined and replayed. It was Trump, not his more cautiously responsible Democrat rival, Joe Biden, who declared in January that “we have it totally under control”. It was Trump who likened it to ordinary flu and predicted that “one day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear”.
Trump has since claimed he played down the pandemic to avoid panic. But what seemed to panic him most was the thought it might harm his re-election chances. He failed to develop a national testing strategy, passed the buck to underfunded and unprotected states and cities, undermined scientific advice and public messaging, promoted quack cures, such as injecting bleach, and mocked crucial social distancing and mask-wearing measures. However ill he is, this saga of lethal incompetence cannot be glossed over.
As late as last Tuesday evening, while debating with Biden face to face when he himself may have been infectious, Trump continued to mock the Democrat for taking sensible precautions, as if mask wearing somehow compromised his manhood. “Trump is now in the position of becoming Exhibit No1 for the failure of his leadership on coronavirus,” said Democratic pollster Geoff Garin. “It’s hard to imagine this doesn’t end his hopes of re-election,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant.
For all that his opponents may wish it, that latter verdict sounds premature. Other major issues – the economy, racial justice, a Supreme Court replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg – will continue to influence voter choices. And while Trump has been a prime source of misinformation about Covid-19, a new Axios/Ipsos survey found that, on this subject, more than two-thirds of Americans do not trust anyone in the federal government.
Trump may portray a reprieve as proof of his contention that the Covid-19 threat is overrated
If Trump can ride out the infection in hospital, overcome potentially negative factors such as his age (74) and his obesity, and emerge from quarantine within 10 days or so, it’s conceivable he could again turn the personal to political advantage. Boris Johnson briefly managed this trick in Britain after he left intensive care in April. In such a case, Trump may portray a reprieve as proof of his contention that the Covid-19 threat is overrated.
If, on the other hand, Trump’s illness gets worse or is prolonged, the United States, and the world, will enter uncharted waters. His campaign plans are already on hold. It is probable the next debate with Biden, due on 15 October, will be postponed. In theory at least, Trump could be unable to continue as the Republican candidate. In extremis, the vice-president, Mike Pence, might take his place in the Oval Office.
It’s important that Trump recovers, not least for the much-challenged integrity of the electoral process. It’s important that he be called to account at the ballot box and, it’s hoped, be defeated by an indisputably large margin. For it is America’s recovery, not his, that is ultimately most important of all. The American people must, and surely will, find a peaceful, healthy, and constitutional way through this dark crisis year for US democracy. This can only be achieved if all work together. E pluribus unum – out of the many, one.


theguardian--2020-10-03--Trump films first message from hospital: 'We're going to beat this coronavirus' – video

Donald Trump has posted his first video message from Walter Reed hospital , saying : ‘ I came here , @ @ @ @ @ well .
I feel much better now .
We ’ re working hard to get @ @ @ @ @ ...
I ’ ll be back , I think I ’ ll be back soon.
@ @ @ @ @ posted to Twitter , the president said that he could have stayed isolated at the @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis , but that he ‘ can ’ t be locked up in a room @ @ @ @ @ adding that ‘ as a leader you have to confront problems ’ .
Trump acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ days will be the real test ’ and said the first lady , Melania Trump @ @ @ @ @ for coronavirus , was ‘ really handling it very nicely ’ – with the president @ @ @ @ @ gap during his video message • Trump ’ s Covid diagnosis : how it happened @ @ @ @ @ Sign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter

Donald Trump has posted his first video message from Walter Reed hospital, saying: ‘I came here, wasn’t feeling so well. I feel much better now. We’re working hard to get me all the way back ... I’ll be back, I think I’ll be back soon.’
During the four-minute video posted to Twitter, the president said that he could have stayed isolated at the White House after his Covid-19 diagnosis, but that he ‘can’t be locked up in a room and totally safe’ - adding that ‘as a leader you have to confront problems’.
Trump acknowledged that the ‘next few days will be the real test’ and said the first lady, Melania Trump, who also tested positive for coronavirus, was ‘really handling it very nicely’ – with the president joking about their 24-year age gap during his video message


theguardian--2020-10-03--Trump medical team 'cautiously optimistic' after Covid hospital admission – video

The White House doctor Sean Conley said Donald Trump was ‘ doing great ’ after the president was admitted to @ @ @ @ @ centre on Friday .
Trump has received antibody therapy and is on a five-day treatment @ @ @ @ @ reported to be ‘ in exceptionally good spirits ’ • Trump ’ s doctor ‘ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health after hospitalisation for Covid – live

The White House doctor Sean Conley said Donald Trump was 'doing great' after the president was admitted to the Walter Reed military medical centre on Friday. Trump has received antibody therapy and is on a five-day treatment of remdesivir, and was reported to be 'in exceptionally good spirits'


theguardian--2020-10-04--Donald Trump releases video from hospital after positive Covid-19 test – live news

Among Trump ’ s dizzyingly-long list of contractions is how a self-described germaphobe with an obsession with personal hygiene has become a global symbol for dismissing the genuine dangers of a highly-infectious disease during a pandemic .
Trump entered the 2020 pandemic already practising many of the measures that epidemiologists have been calling for – avoiding ill people , frequent handwashing and use of alcohol gels , and eschewing handshakes .
As far back at 1993 , Trump told radio host Howard Stern that he suffers “ germ phobia ” , admitting it “ could be a psychological problem ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mindset was thrust into the open when he was filmed reacting strongly to coughing in the Oval Office .
“ I don ’ t like that .
If you ’ re going to cough , please , leave the room , ” Trump said , shaking his head .
According to Politico , during the 2016 election campaign , it was his then-spokeswoman Hope Hicks would be on standby to offer Trump squirts of Purell hand sanitiser .
That is was possibly Hicks who transmitted the coronavirus to Trump shows how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president to let his guard down .
The 74-year-old has repeatedly played down the severity of the virus , stating it will “ fade away ” .
He has often refused to wear a mask , and mocked his rival , Joe Biden , for donning one .
Why would a germaphobe become less rather than more cautious in a pandemic ?
Trump ’ s has said he wanted to “ play it down ” to avoid panic .
Less forgivingly , his critics accuse him of cynically dismissing the virus as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an election year to prevent the deaths of at least 209,000 Americans .

5 Oct 2020 01.59 BST We’ll be closing this blog shortly but will continue to have live updates over on our global coronavirus live blog here. Here’s a quick summary of everything that has happened in US politics today: The White House’s medical team said that Donald Trump, who is currently being treated for Covid-19 at a military hospital, “has continued to improve” since Saturday. The team confirmed the president had lowered oxygen levels at one point and refused to answer questions about whether the president has suffered lung damage. Continuing to take an “upbeat” perspective, one member of the team suggested that Trump could be released as early as tomorrow.
The team confirmed the president had lowered oxygen levels at one point and refused to answer questions about whether the president has suffered lung damage. Continuing to take an “upbeat” perspective, one member of the team suggested that Trump could be released as early as tomorrow. Trump made an impromptu appearance outside of the hospital this afternoon, waving from inside an SUV to a crowd of supporters who gathered outside the hospital. Concerns were raised about the other people who were in the car with Trump, who was wearing a mask, given that Trump is contagious with the virus.
Concerns were raised about the other people who were in the car with Trump, who was wearing a mask, given that Trump is contagious with the virus. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed the widest lead in a month that Joe Biden has over Trump. The poll, taken Friday and Saturday, showed Biden with a 10-point lead over Trump. A separate poll indicated a majority – 65% – of Americans believe that Trump would not have been infected with the virus if he took it more seriously.
The poll, taken Friday and Saturday, showed Biden with a 10-point lead over Trump. A separate poll indicated a majority – 65% – of Americans believe that Trump would not have been infected with the virus if he took it more seriously. A report from the Wall Street Journal said that Trump had a positive Covid-19 rapid test on Thursday but did not disclose it immediately to the public and carried on business-as-usual. Trump told Fox News that night that he was waiting for test results and then tweeted later that night that he has the virus.
5 Oct 2020 01.41 BST Officials in New Jersey are racing to contact trace 206 guests who attended Donald Trump’s rally at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. After the president announced he tested positive for Covid-19 in the late night after the event, officials have been trying to inform everyone in attendance of their possible exposure to the virus. One obstacle health officials are facing is that the campaign only gave them the email addresses of attendees, which is less likely to get a response compared to addresses and telephone numbers, according to a report from Politico. The New Jersey Department of Health tweeted on Thursday that officials have already tried to reach out to guests and told them to monitor their symptoms and quarantine if they were in close contact with the president or his staff. The department said that the federal government is also conducting contact tracing of the event. DOH has reached out to these individuals to make them aware of possible exposure and recommend that they self-monitor for symptoms and quarantine if they were in close contact with the President and his staff. — NJDOH (@NJDeptofHealth) October 4, 2020
5 Oct 2020 01.24 BST Judd Deere, deputy press secretary, just told a White House pool reporter that Donald Trump’s appearance in front of Walter Reed Hospital was “cleared by the medical team as safe to do” and said that “appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the President and all those supporting it, including PPE”. Concerns over the appearance and whether Trump put the other people that were in the car with him, who are likely Secret Service personnel, at risk of contracting the virus have been raised on Twitter. The White House has since emphasized that the ride was short and impromptu. Trump has reportedly told his advisers that he is bored at the hospital and is tired of watching reports of his hospitalization on television, according to the Washington Post. Donald Trump waves at his supporters outside Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Photograph: Anthony Peltier/AP
4 Oct 2020 00.56 BST Sean Conley, White House physician, reportedly told co-workers in the spring, before the president contracted Covid-19, that he was feeling intense personal stress in his current job, according to a new report from the Washington Post. Conley, a 40-year-old Navy commander, joined the White House medical staff in December 2016 after serving as a Navy emergency physician and serving in a trauma unit in Afghanistan. He was tapped as White House physician in 2018. The Post reports that those who have worked with Conley believe that the public statements he has given appear to be dictated by politics. “Every statement he is giving appears to be political, dictated by the White House or the president,” one anonymous source who has worked with Conley told the Post. “These are not statement a medical doctor gives.” After painting an upbeat picture of the president’s health on Saturday, Conley today admitted that the president’s oxygen levels had dropped at one point. He said that he was “trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, over his course of illness, has had.”
Updated at 00.57 BST
4 Oct 2020 00.28 BST Joe Biden tests negative for Covid-19 Joe Biden’s campaign just announced the former vice president tested negative for Covid-19 today. Joe Biden tested negative for Covid today, his campaign says. “Vice President Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected.” — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) October 4, 2020 This is Biden’s second test since it became public that Donald Trump has contracted Covid-19. Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, both tested negative for Covid-19 on Friday. Biden’s campaign said last night that they will be releasing the result of every Covid-19 test the candidate takes moving forward.
4 Oct 2020 00.16 BST The Washington Post just published a report on the band of supporters that have gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where the president is staying as he continues his treatment for Covid-19. Dan Zak, a reporter for the Post, describes a scene where Trump’s supporters are yelling to passing cars in bullhorns calling for “eight more years” and waving huge Trump 2020 flags. “Trump is sick, so the rally has to come to him, with all the hallmarks: relentless noise, cultish fervor glazed with folksy politeness, and general masklessness despite the virus that sent a U.S. president to the hospital for the most concerning medical episode since a .22-caliber slug lodged in Ronald Reagan’s chest 39 years ago,” Zak writes. It appears that most of the supporters came from the surrounding areas in Maryland and nearby Pennsylvania, which Trump won in 2016, but the Post reports that one supporter from Tampa, Florida, an evangelist, broke news to the crowd that Trump may be out of the hospital tomorrow. “Thank you, Jesus, for healing the president!’ he said. Supporters of Donald Trump outside the hospital where the president is being treated for Covid-19. Photograph: Alex Edelman/AFP/Getty Images
4 Oct 2020 23.55 BST The White House Correspondents Association released a statement condemning the White House for not informing the press pool that Donald Trump would be making an appearance outside of Walter Reed Hospital this afternoon. The White House told reporters that there would be no more events after 3 pm today. “It is outrageous for the president to have left the hospital – even briefly – amid a health crisis without a protective pool present to ensure that the American people know where their president is and how he is doing,” said the association’s president Zeke Miller in a statement. Statement from WHCA President @ZekeJMiller on Trump’s covid parade outside Walter Reed just now pic.twitter.com/4SVVQE39fy — Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) October 4, 2020
4 Oct 2020 23.35 BST White House refuses to release number of officials with Covid-19 Kayleigh McEnany, White House press secretary, took two questions from reporters moments ago and refused to commit releasing to the public how many White House officials have tested positive for Covid-19.
It also appears the White House is trying to deny a Wall Street Journal report from this afternoon that Donald Trump carried on business-as-usual even after he had a positive rapid Covid-19 test on Thursday. The press secretary did not answer questions about tests the president took before the White House announced Trump has Covid-19. McEnany said that the president first tested positive after he held a rally at hid golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. In those two answers, McEnany — a taxpayer funded official — would not commit to releasing how many White House officials have tested positive and would not answer @colvinj’s question about whether Trump was tested Tuesday before the debate. — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 4, 2020 McEnany for first time says the president tested positive for first time upon return from Bedminster. Would not answer questions about his previous tests. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 4, 2020
Updated at 23.45 BST
4 Oct 2020 23.19 BST An MSNBC reporter is saying that attorney general William Barr is self-quarantining at home, though Barr has taken four negative tests since Friday morning. According to a DOJ spokesperson, Attorney General William Barr took another test today which was negative.
He has taken 4 tests since Friday morning, all negative.
The Attorney General is now self quarantining at home and will not be in the office tomorrow. — yasminvossoughian (@yasminv) October 4, 2020
4 Oct 2020 23.05 BST Commenting on Donald Trump’s appearance outside of Walter Reed Hospital, where he waved to supporters from inside an SUV, the White House released a statement that said the president “took a short, last-minute motorcade ride to wave to his supporters outside and has now returned to the Presidential Suite inside Walter Reed.” Explanation from the White House: “President Trump took a short, last-minute motorcade ride to wave to his supporters outside and has now returned to the Presidential Suite inside Walter Reed.” (@realDonaldTrump has COVID-19.) — Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) October 4, 2020 Reporters on Twitter are pointing out that it appears that the other people in the car, likely Secret Service detail, were wearing PPE including medical-grade masks and eye protection.
Closer look at man in passenger seat with Trump shows medical gown, respirator mask and eye/face shield pic.twitter.com/kPvrEZ75Tr — Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) October 4, 2020 White House pool reporters also mentioned on Twitter that they were told that no other events were happening after 3 pm today and were not informed about Trump’s appearance. The White House called a lid a few hours ago.
That was obviously a lie and it raises the question of whether it was an intentional lie to help @realDonaldTrump avoid questions from the press pool who is supposed to be there to witness him entering/exiting the building/vehicle. https://t.co/Ex8XxZaBMA — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) October 4, 2020
Updated at 23.07 BST
4 Oct 2020 22.56 BST Reaction to Donald Trump making a surprise, very brief appearance outside of Walter Reed Hospital just moments ago, when he waved to supporters while in an SUV, is starting to appear on Twitter.
While Trump said that contracting the virus has allowed him to understand the virus, he chose to get into a car with other people even though he is contagious, something that multiple health experts have pointed out puts others at risk. That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play. — Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020 Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine at George Washington University, said the president put his Secret Service detail “at grave risk”. “In the hospital when we go into close contact with a COVID patient we dress in full PPE: Gown, gloves, N95, eye protection, hat. This is the height of irresponsibility,” Reiner wrote. One reporter said an anonymous Secret Service source said Trump’s appearance was “so reckless, so careless, so heartless”.
4 Oct 2020 22.33 BST Trump makes appearance outside of hospital It’s been a rather bizarre 15 minutes: Donald Trump tweeted a video moments ago that said he was “about to make a little surprise visit” to supporters who have gathered outside of Walter Reed Hospital, where the president has been under medical care since Friday. 01:13 Donald Trump drives past supporters after saying he has 'learnt a lot about Covid' – video In the video, Trump said (seven months into the pandemic) that he’s “learned a lot about Covid” and saying that contracting the virus has been the “real school”, saying “this isn’t the ‘let’s-read-the-books’ school”. Trump indeed made an appearance, but it was a quick drive-by where, inside a car, he waved to cheering supporters. One video on Twitter showed Trump, wearing a mask, waving a giving a thumbs up to the crowd. Reports say the appearance lasted about a minute. Trump drives by the press and supporters outside Walter Reed hospital. pic.twitter.com/3phtKthqTH — Philip Crowther (@PhilipinDC) October 4, 2020 A car with Donald Trump drives past supporters outside Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland, on 4 October. Photograph: Alex Edelman/AFP/Getty Images
Updated at 23.38 BST


theguardian--2020-10-04--'Emperor has no clothes': man who helped make Trump myth says facade has fallen

One man was not surprised by revelations that Donald Trump does not deserve his reputation as a preternaturally successful businessman and deal maker .
The man who helped create the illusion .
Tony Schwartz spent hundreds of hours with Trump to ghostwrite his bestselling 1987 book The Art of the Deal , effectively creating the origin story of the brash property tycoon .
It was Schwartz who coined the phrase “ truthful hyperbole ” , which neatly foreshadowed Trump and his supporters ’ attempts to rationalize many of his false and misleading claims .
The 68-year-old writer has long disowned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed regret for his part in constructing the mythology .
So the New York Times report , detailing chronic financial losses and vast outstanding loans , confirmed his view that Trump was always better at cutting fantasy deals than making real ones .
“ It ’ s the ultimate unmasking of the emperor with no clothes , ” Schwartz said by phone from Riverdale in the Bronx , New York .
“ There ’ s nothing more important to Trump than being seen as very , very rich , which is why he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to claim a net worth far beyond what he actually was worth .
“ The fact the evidence is unequivocal that he was not the person he claimed to be means that he ’ s lost the central premise on which he ’ s based his own self-worth , because Trump confuses personal worth with net worth .
There ’ s nothing Trump hates more than to feel weak and vulnerable and like a failure , so he won ’ t allow himself to acknowledge those feelings , but they ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Unfortunately , should he be re-elected , one of the ways he ’ ll respond to that is he ’ ll take it out on everyone who he thinks diminished or belittled him along the way.
” Success in business is at the core of Trump ’ s identity .
With the help of more than $ 400m from his father over decades , he was property developer , celebrity and symbol of 80s excess .
Enter Schwartz , a liberal journalist who , interviewing Trump for Playboy magazine , learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aged just 38 .
Schwartz said a book called The Art of the Deal would be a better idea .
Trump asked him to ghostwrite it and , with a growing family and high mortgage , Schwartz agreed .
It sold more than a million copies .
Trump continued to burnish his image with a relentless self-publicity campaign in New York tabloid newspapers .
Then he was cast in the reality TV show The Apprentice , sitting in judgment on would-be entrepreneurs from the boardroom at the flashy , marble-clad , gold-trimmed Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company was bigger and stronger than ever before .
“ It was all a hoax , ” the New York Times reported on Monday .
“ Months after that inaugural episode in January 2004 , Mr Trump filed his individual tax return reporting $ 89.9 million in net losses from his core businesses for the prior year.
” Schwartz now says The Art of the Deal would have been more appropriately entitled The Sociopath .
He admits with regret : “ It did help to create the mythology of Donald Trump and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant role .
The Apprentice had a far bigger impact because it went on for years and it was seen by millions and millions of people , and millions of people don ’ t see a book .
Or very rarely .
“ All of that , plus his own relentless self promotion over a 30- or 40-year period , rose up to a fantasy reality TV version of who he was that was never true .
It ’ s been systematically dismantled , especially over the last four years by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s failures radically outweigh his successes and that is not the definition of a successful , much less a superior businessman.
” Some commentators have argued that Trump – married to a model , gorging on fast food in gaudy settings and plastering his name on big buildings – offers a poor person ’ s version of what it is to be rich .
Schwartz says : “ It ’ s a kind of amped-up , over-the-top vision but it ’ s now like a balloon that ’ s been punctured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen behind the screen with Trump and what we know is that it ’ s all bullshit.
” The New York Times report also exposed Trump ’ s world-class ability to avoid paying federal income taxes : just $ 750 in 2016 , $ 750 in 2017 and none at all in several previous years .
His blue-collar supporters pay far more .
Schwartz admits : “ The scale of his brazenness at least slightly took my breath away .
“ The idea that during the first two years as president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same quasi-legal or illegal things that he had done in the years before is kind of amazing .
It means that he does feel untouchable and he does feel entitled to live by a different set of rules than everyone , including the people who support him.
” Schwartz watched Trump ’ s political rise with horror .
He spoke out in the New Yorker magazine in July 2016 in an article that noted he had been dubbed “ Dr Frankenstein ” for unleashing a destructive creature on the world .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he warned that a Trump presidency would be “ staggeringly dangerous ” , with the potential for martial law , the end of press freedom and even nuclear war .
“ At the time , the reaction I got was , ‘ You are really over the top , like , what ’ s wrong with you ?
’ ” he recalls .
“ I felt a little like Paul Revere trying to warn that the British were coming .
‘ They ’ re coming !
They ’ re coming !
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human being , much less a president , could operate without a conscience and without a scintilla of empathy for anyone.
” “ The consequence of those two facts – they roll up to a sociopathic or psychopathic personality – is that he doesn ’ t have the constraint of love for other people or shame at a particular behaviour that 99 % or 98 % of the population has at least some measure of .
And in a world in which he simply wants to dominate , that gives him an enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s so terrifying about his re-election and that ’ s why democracy is so clearly at risk in the United States.
” Schwartz expected Trump to lose in 2016 and took his daughter to Hillary Clinton ’ s election night party at the Javits Center in New York , a celebration that rapidly turned into a wake for tearful supporters .
He went home around 9am and took a sleeping pill because he could not bear to watch .
“ I feel very much the same way this time on all counts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s going to lose and there ’ s a good chance that he ’ s going to lose by a lot .
I also am sobered by the fact that I thought this before and I was wrong .
Trump has been able to surprise everyone over and over and over again , ” he said .
Trump has spent months seeking to discredit the legitimacy of the election , making baseless claims that mail-in ballots are plagued by fraud .
Last week he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , he may fear prosecution over his financial affairs if he leaves office – making him even more determined to cling to power .
“ With the release of his taxes and the prospect that he would be indicted even greater than it was before , he doesn ’ t really have a place where he ’ s safe other than being president , ” Schwartz said .
For his part , Schwartz walked away from journalism to start a consulting firm , The Energy Project , which aims to help people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organisations .
He now confronts his role as a Trump enabler in an audiobook , Dealing with the Devil : My Mother , Trump and Me .
“ The Art of the Deal helped him to be able to fabricate a fantasy reality that he has propagated for all of the years since .
I came out of that book feeling empty and ashamed , really questioning myself about why I made that choice and who ’ s the monster I ’ ve created here ?
” Schwartz says that , like Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world for the attention and love he lacked at home .
But the men drew opposite lessons .
Schwartz believes that his experience with The Art of the Deal led to a positive self-reckoning and changed the ways he deals with criticism .
Do people still call him “ Dr Frankenstein ” and point an accusing finger ?
“ I almost get the opposite , ” he says .
“ I get people trying to reassure me that it wasn ’ t my fault .
I think it ’ s partly because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my own sense of responsibility for it and most people look at it and say , ‘ Come on , you couldn ’ t have known .
I understand you made a decision to write a book about a real estate guy .
Big deal.
’ “ No , that ’ s not true .
One of the missions of my book is to help reflect for people how critical choices – even what you might think are not going to be consequential – actually are .
Is that choice you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be ?
Had I had the maturity or the courage to do that , I would not have written that book .
”

One man was not surprised by revelations that Donald Trump does not deserve his reputation as a preternaturally successful businessman and deal maker. The man who helped create the illusion.
Tony Schwartz spent hundreds of hours with Trump to ghostwrite his bestselling 1987 book The Art of the Deal, effectively creating the origin story of the brash property tycoon. It was Schwartz who coined the phrase “truthful hyperbole”, which neatly foreshadowed Trump and his supporters’ attempts to rationalize many of his false and misleading claims.
The 68-year-old writer has long disowned the president as a malignant narcissist and expressed regret for his part in constructing the mythology. So the New York Times report, detailing chronic financial losses and vast outstanding loans, confirmed his view that Trump was always better at cutting fantasy deals than making real ones.
“It’s the ultimate unmasking of the emperor with no clothes,” Schwartz said by phone from Riverdale in the Bronx, New York. “There’s nothing more important to Trump than being seen as very, very rich, which is why he’s expended so much effort in trying to claim a net worth far beyond what he actually was worth.
“The fact the evidence is unequivocal that he was not the person he claimed to be means that he’s lost the central premise on which he’s based his own self-worth, because Trump confuses personal worth with net worth. There’s nothing Trump hates more than to feel weak and vulnerable and like a failure, so he won’t allow himself to acknowledge those feelings, but they’ll be there and they will affect him.
“Unfortunately, should he be re-elected, one of the ways he’ll respond to that is he’ll take it out on everyone who he thinks diminished or belittled him along the way.”
Success in business is at the core of Trump’s identity. With the help of more than $400m from his father over decades, he was property developer, celebrity and symbol of 80s excess. Enter Schwartz, a liberal journalist who, interviewing Trump for Playboy magazine, learned of his ambition to write an autobiography aged just 38. Schwartz said a book called The Art of the Deal would be a better idea. Trump asked him to ghostwrite it and, with a growing family and high mortgage, Schwartz agreed. It sold more than a million copies.
Trump continued to burnish his image with a relentless self-publicity campaign in New York tabloid newspapers. Then he was cast in the reality TV show The Apprentice, sitting in judgment on would-be entrepreneurs from the boardroom at the flashy, marble-clad, gold-trimmed Trump Tower.
He told viewers that his company was bigger and stronger than ever before. “It was all a hoax,” the New York Times reported on Monday. “Months after that inaugural episode in January 2004, Mr Trump filed his individual tax return reporting $89.9 million in net losses from his core businesses for the prior year.”
Schwartz now says The Art of the Deal would have been more appropriately entitled The Sociopath.
He admits with regret: “It did help to create the mythology of Donald Trump and, unfortunately, I do think it played a significant role. The Apprentice had a far bigger impact because it went on for years and it was seen by millions and millions of people, and millions of people don’t see a book. Or very rarely.
“All of that, plus his own relentless self promotion over a 30- or 40-year period, rose up to a fantasy reality TV version of who he was that was never true. It’s been systematically dismantled, especially over the last four years by the evidence that everything he touches fails. Trump’s failures radically outweigh his successes and that is not the definition of a successful, much less a superior businessman.”
Tony Schwartz, left, and Donald Trump, right, attend the book party for The Art of the Deal at Trump Tower on 12 December 1987 in New York City. Photograph: Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images
Some commentators have argued that Trump – married to a model, gorging on fast food in gaudy settings and plastering his name on big buildings – offers a poor person’s version of what it is to be rich. Schwartz says: “It’s a kind of amped-up, over-the-top vision but it’s now like a balloon that’s been punctured. The facade comes off because we’ve seen behind the screen with Trump and what we know is that it’s all bullshit.”
The New York Times report also exposed Trump’s world-class ability to avoid paying federal income taxes: just $750 in 2016, $750 in 2017 and none at all in several previous years. His blue-collar supporters pay far more. Schwartz admits: “The scale of his brazenness at least slightly took my breath away.
“The idea that during the first two years as president, he would continue to do exactly the same quasi-legal or illegal things that he had done in the years before is kind of amazing. It means that he does feel untouchable and he does feel entitled to live by a different set of rules than everyone, including the people who support him.”
Schwartz watched Trump’s political rise with horror. He spoke out in the New Yorker magazine in July 2016 in an article that noted he had been dubbed “Dr Frankenstein” for unleashing a destructive creature on the world. In an interview with the Observer that October, he warned that a Trump presidency would be “staggeringly dangerous”, with the potential for martial law, the end of press freedom and even nuclear war.
“At the time, the reaction I got was, ‘You are really over the top, like, what’s wrong with you?’” he recalls. “I felt a little like Paul Revere trying to warn that the British were coming. ‘They’re coming! They’re coming!’ Most people could not imagine that a human being, much less a president, could operate without a conscience and without a scintilla of empathy for anyone.”
“The consequence of those two facts – they roll up to a sociopathic or psychopathic personality – is that he doesn’t have the constraint of love for other people or shame at a particular behaviour that 99% or 98% of the population has at least some measure of. And in a world in which he simply wants to dominate, that gives him an enormous advantage. That’s what’s so terrifying about his re-election and that’s why democracy is so clearly at risk in the United States.”
Schwartz expected Trump to lose in 2016 and took his daughter to Hillary Clinton’s election night party at the Javits Center in New York, a celebration that rapidly turned into a wake for tearful supporters. He went home around 9am and took a sleeping pill because he could not bear to watch.
“I feel very much the same way this time on all counts, which is scary. I do believe he’s going to lose and there’s a good chance that he’s going to lose by a lot. I also am sobered by the fact that I thought this before and I was wrong. Trump has been able to surprise everyone over and over and over again,” he said.
Trump has spent months seeking to discredit the legitimacy of the election, making baseless claims that mail-in ballots are plagued by fraud. Last week he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Like dictators across the world, he may fear prosecution over his financial affairs if he leaves office – making him even more determined to cling to power.
“With the release of his taxes and the prospect that he would be indicted even greater than it was before, he doesn’t really have a place where he’s safe other than being president,” Schwartz said.
Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon arrival at Minneapolis Saint Paul international airport this week. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
For his part, Schwartz walked away from journalism to start a consulting firm, The Energy Project, which aims to help people improve their life management and wellbeing within organisations. He now confronts his role as a Trump enabler in an audiobook, Dealing with the Devil: My Mother, Trump and Me.
“The Art of the Deal helped him to be able to fabricate a fantasy reality that he has propagated for all of the years since. I came out of that book feeling empty and ashamed, really questioning myself about why I made that choice and who’s the monster I’ve created here?”
Schwartz says that, like Trump, he was compelled to look to the world for the attention and love he lacked at home. But the men drew opposite lessons. Schwartz believes that his experience with The Art of the Deal led to a positive self-reckoning and changed the ways he deals with criticism.
Do people still call him “Dr Frankenstein” and point an accusing finger? “I almost get the opposite,” he says. “I get people trying to reassure me that it wasn’t my fault. I think it’s partly because I’ve been so open about my own sense of responsibility for it and most people look at it and say, ‘Come on, you couldn’t have known. I understand you made a decision to write a book about a real estate guy. Big deal.’
“No, that’s not true. One of the missions of my book is to help reflect for people how critical choices – even what you might think are not going to be consequential – actually are. Is that choice you’re making consistent with that person you want to be? Had I had the maturity or the courage to do that, I would not have written that book.”


theguardian--2020-10-04--Coronavirus: 'I’ll be back, I think I’ll be back soon,' says Trump – as it happened

AAP : West Australian authorities have confirmed a crew member from a cargo ship docked at Fremantle Port has been tested for Covid-19 .
The crew member aboard the Kota Legit vessel was tested after it emerged they had been unwell while the ship was at sea , WA Health said in a statement on Sunday .
The result of the test is not yet known .
“ The crew member is currently well but as a precautionary measure that crew member was tested for Covid-19 yesterday , ” WA Health said .
“ The result of that of test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the crew remain well .
Any necessary changes to the further management of the ship will be made once that test result is known .
In the meantime , the ship will remain at Fremantle Port with all crew remaining onboard.
” The ship arrived in Fremantle after a seven-day voyage from Port Klang in Malaysia .
It ’ s believed to have been in China and Singapore prior to that .
It comes as authorities continue to deal with an outbreak of 17 cases on the Patricia Oldendorff bulk carrier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying 20 Filipino nationals and the captain , arrived from Manila on September 16 and is anchored eight nautical miles off WA ’ s northwest coast .
Nine people remain on the ship as essential crew , seven of whom have tested positive .
There are also a dozen crew members in quarantine at the fenced-off Hedland Hotel and 10 of them have tested positive .
None are seriously unwell .
Authorities are confident the ship will set sail in the next week .
WA recorded no new cases on Sunday and has @ @ @ @

Helen Davidson now, Bryan Armen Graham and Tom Lutz (earlier)

4 Oct 2020 07.45 BST Hong Kong health authorities are reportedly about to announce five new recorded cases - making it two weeks since the city reported figures above 20. The South China Morning Post also reported one of the five cases is a 22-year-old student at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education Lee Wai Lee campus in Tseung Kwan O, where more than 2,000 other students and staff were being now tested. On Saturday the overall number of local cases stood at 5,108, with 105 related deaths.
4 Oct 2020 07.36 BST AAP: West Australian authorities have confirmed a crew member from a cargo ship docked at Fremantle Port has been tested for Covid-19.
The crew member aboard the Kota Legit vessel was tested after it emerged they had been unwell while the ship was at sea, WA Health said in a statement on Sunday.
The result of the test is not yet known.
“The crew member is currently well but as a precautionary measure that crew member was tested for Covid-19 yesterday,” WA Health said.
“The result of that of test will be available soon.
“The rest of the crew remain well. Any necessary changes to the further management of the ship will be made once that test result is known. In the meantime, the ship will remain at Fremantle Port with all crew remaining onboard.”
The ship arrived in Fremantle after a seven-day voyage from Port Klang in Malaysia. It’s believed to have been in China and Singapore prior to that.
It comes as authorities continue to deal with an outbreak of 17 cases on the Patricia Oldendorff bulk carrier off Port Hedland.
The vessel, carrying 20 Filipino nationals and the captain, arrived from Manila on September 16 and is anchored eight nautical miles off WA’s northwest coast.
Nine people remain on the ship as essential crew, seven of whom have tested positive.
There are also a dozen crew members in quarantine at the fenced-off Hedland Hotel and 10 of them have tested positive.
None are seriously unwell.
Authorities are confident the ship will set sail in the next week. WA recorded no new cases on Sunday and has 17 active cases.
4 Oct 2020 06.57 BST Jillian Ambrose In the UK, millions of employees preparing to work from home this winter will face a collective hike of almost £2bn on their energy bills, and tougher working conditions, with only a “pittance” in compensation from their employers. Half the UK’s workforce is likely to work primarily from home over the coming months as they help to contain the spread of the coronavirus, and may see their winter energy bills rise by a fifth as radiators and boilers are kept running through the day. The average household energy bill could climb by £107 this winter for those working from home five days a week, according to a study by Energy Helpline, which would mean a £1.9bn hike for the energy bills of working households between October and March. Read more: Working from home in UK over winter ‘will add £100 to fuel bills’ Read more
4 Oct 2020 06.38 BST Reuters: So far, markets have been comparatively sanguine in response to Trump’s diagnosis: hopes of a breakthrough in talks among US lawmakers on another stimulus package took the edge off a stock market selloff on Friday, with the S&P 500 losing less than 1% and so-called safe-haven assets seeing limited demand. News of Trump’s hospitalisation at a military medical center outside Washington, where he remained on Saturday, came after trading ended on Friday. Many investors are concerned, however, that a serious decline in Trump’s health less than a month before Americans go to the polls could roil a US stock market that recently notched its worst monthly performance since its selloff in March while causing turbulence in other assets. If the president’s health is in jeopardy, there’s “too much uncertainty in the situation for the markets just to shrug it off,” said Willie Delwiche, investment strategist at Baird. If the president’s health is in jeopardy, there’s “too much uncertainty in the situation for the markets just to shrug it off,” said Willie Delwiche, investment strategist at Baird. Photograph: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images The various outcomes investors currently envision run the gamut from a quick recovery that bolsters Trump’s image as a fighter to a drawn-out illness or death stoking uncertainty and drying up risk appetite across markets. Should uncertainty persist, technology and momentum stocks that have led this year’s rally may be particularly vulnerable to a selloff, some investors said. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell more than 2% on Friday, double the S&P 500’s decline. “If people ... get nervous right now, probably it manifests itself in crowded trades like tech and mega-cap being unwound a bit,” Delwiche said. A record 80% of fund managers surveyed last month by BofA Global Research said that buying technology stocks was the market’s “most crowded” trade. The concentration of investors in big tech stocks has also raised concerns over their outsized sway on moves in the broader market. The largest five U.S. companies - Google parent Alphabet , Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft - now account for almost 25% of the S&P 500’s market capitalization, according to research firm Oxford Economics.
4 Oct 2020 06.23 BST Bloomberg News is reporting - and the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman says she has separately confirmed - that top Trump aide Nick Luna has tested positive for Covid-19. Luna serves as Trump’s “body man”, a personal attendant to the president, and was diagnosed a little over 24 hours after Trump’s admission to Walter Reed hospital, the report says. Haberman reports Luna is married to Cassidy Dumbauld, a senior advisor of Jared Kushner, husband of Trump’s daughter, Ivanka.
4 Oct 2020 06.09 BST Katharine Murphy With news that the US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is scaling back a planned visit to Asia this week given the drama associated with Donald Trump’s Covid diagnosis, I’ve made a couple of quick calls to work out if Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne is still bound for Tokyo for the “quad” discussion. As far as Australia is concerned the Toyko conversation is all on track. Pompeo will be there, and so will Payne. The “quad” is a gathering between Australia, the US, Japan and India. The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting is the coronavirus, the impact of the pandemic on supply chains, and how to counter state sponsored disinformation. Trump Covid diagnosis shortens Mike Pompeo's Asia trip Read more
4 Oct 2020 05.57 BST A reminder for Australian readers who want to stay up-to-date with US election news: sign-up to our daily email briefing.
The US election briefing for Australia is an Australian take on the news, delivered every weekday at 5pm to keep you up to date with the extraordinary electoral contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
The email gives you the top US election headlines and most important developments, as well as links to our full range of election coverage, all explained and presented from an Australian viewpoint.
It’s written by my Guardian colleague, columnist and former US reporter Josephine Tovey, who spent three years reporting in New York and covered the 2016 presidential election for Fairfax Media.
You can sign up here: US election briefing for Australia: sign up for our daily email newsletter Read more
4 Oct 2020 05.12 BST Singapore is expected to move into “phase three” of its reopening plan, but recent rule changes have people wondering if they haven’t unofficially done it already. “Instead, we are calling the big overall phases as one, two and three, like signposts that we have reached major staging points in our journey,” says Associate Prof Alex Cook, vice dean of research at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Saw Swee Hock school of public health in the Straits Times. “Careful relaxation is necessary as countries that have rushed into reopening are entering second waves, and either starting localised lockdowns, in the case of Spain and Britain, or full national lockdowns, like Israel,” he said. A man stands in the al fresco dining area of his restaurant situated in the Kampong Glam cultural district of Singapore. Photograph: Wallace Woon/EPA Restrictions have been eased over recent weeks, including doubling the number of people allowed at weddings, and allowing tourists from more countries including Australia (but not the state of Victoria), and Vietnam, and resuming live music at worship services. Here, the Straits Times charts the plethora of changes to restrictions since the pandemic began.
Updated at 05.16 BST
4 Oct 2020 04.50 BST Australia is heading into summer, and for much of the country’s coastal population this usually means long days at the beach. While the country has relatively very few cases of Covid, there are still social distancing measures in place – the only big waves we want to see are in the ocean, thanks very much. So what does this mean for beachgoers and for the lifesavers who occasionally have to rescue them? Well, to start, there will be more crowd control, no mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and swimmers should watch out for others coughing up mucus in the water (ew). Elias Visontay takes a look: Sun, sand and coronavirus: Australia aims to enforce a Covid-safe summer Read more The coronavirus will mean some big changes at the beach during Australia’s approaching summer. Photograph: Dean Lewins/EPA
Updated at 05.07 BST


theguardian--2020-10-04--Revealed: Trump-linked consultant tied to Facebook pages warning election will cause civil war

A militia-promoting father and son duo of fake news publishers and a Trump-connected social media consultant are linked to pages which promote the idea of an American civil war with material presented in a way that appears to be an effort to sidestep Facebook ’ s fact-checking system .
Comments on their Facebook pages and other materials obtained by the Guardian show that some rank and file Donald Trump supporters are enthusiastically receiving the message that they should prepare for violence against their perceived political enemies in November .
The network is comprised of websites owned and operated by Dino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose company , AFF Media , is headquartered in Pinon Hills in California .
The pair have been running rightwing websites since at latest 2013 , according to DNS website records .
The Porrazzos now run a network of websites that enthusiastically promote Trump , and far right anti-government militias like the Three Percenters , and offer distorted versions of current events .
One of their Facebook pages , “ Prepare to Take America Back ” ( PTTAB ) at the time of reporting had 794,876 followers .
Analysis with social media metrics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three months PTTAB posts have been shared over 141,000 times , and on average 9,600 times a week .
At that time , the page ’ s header featured the logo of the Three Percenters , a decentralized group that the ADL calls a “ wing of the militia movement ” ; a group of armed men in tactical gear ; and a modified copy of the US presidential seal .
In general , the page promotes conspiracy theories and criminal allegations about Democratic party politicians , liberal celebrities and leftist protesters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Hillary Clinton will be imminently arrested – overlap with aspects of the so-called “ QAnon ” conspiracy theory movement .
The page makes free use of political memes , but many posts link to a small cluster of rightwing websites designed to appear like news outlets .
Increasingly , over the course of 2020 , the page has been warning of a stolen election , and suggesting this will lead to civil war .
Repeatedly in September , the page linked to a story on the website Right Wing Tribune , headlined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Unrest , ’ ‘ Political Apocalypse ’ And Possible Civil War Should Be Expected If Biden Loses [ Opinion ] ” , with Facebook captions including “ the left wants war ” .
The story had a limited basis in fact , in that a number of progressive groups had met in early September to discuss the prospect of civil unrest and political violence after the election with a belief that the violence they were anticipating would be coming from Trump supporters and the far right .
Nevertheless , the Right Wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ These groups are heavily focused on removing President Trump from office as well as different scenarios which all lead to a second revolution in which they control our nation as a “ New America ” .
” Similarly distorted stories warning of a “ siege of the white house ” , peppered the page throughout September and warnings of a post-election civil war were posted over the last year .
Last November , the page linked to a site called Flag and Cross , and a story which it described as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entitled “ Winning the New Civil War ( OPINION ) ” .
The piece claimed on the basis of antifascist protests and comments by Democratic politicians that , “ We have many strong indications that this is a hot war ” .
The transparency page for PTTAB discloses that PTTAB is managed by Southern California-based AFF Media Inc , and that the Vici Media Group “ partners with this page ” .
According to California records , AFF Media was incorporated on Donald Trump ’ s inauguration day , 20 January 2017 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is listed as CEO and CFO , and Dino Porrazzo Sr as secretary .
But the Guardian has discovered that the Porrazzos are further involved in running a dizzying array of interconnected sites and social media pages .
The Annenberg Public Policy initiative lists two of their websites on its “ Misinformation Directory ” of “ websites that have posted deceptive content ” .
One of the listed sites is Right Wing Tribune .
But all of the other sites linked to by the PTTAB Facebook page also appear to belong to AFF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shared source code .
The Porrazzos have been previously reported as having links to the Three Percenters , a decentralized , national militia movement that the Southern Poverty Law Center categorizes as anti-government extremists .
Their online empire is large .
Another Parazzo site , Flag and Cross is listed as the administrator of another Facebook page , United States Constitution , which has 1.2 million followers .
A Guardian review of that site ’ s content shows a similar pattern of linking to Porrazzo-connected websites , and warnings of civil war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 midterm elections .
Becca Lewis researches online extremism and disinformation at Stanford University .
In a telephone conversation , she said that the page and the associated websites represented a sophisticated effort to skirt Facebook ’ s fact-checking efforts .
“ It seems as though they are being very strategic in their messaging so as to not be shut down , ” Lewis said , adding that viewing the ostentatious labeling of opinion as an effort to sidestep fact-checking is “ absolutely a reasonable assumption ” .
In June , Heated reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same loophole to “ make any climate disinformation ineligible for fact-checking by deeming it “ opinion ” .
In August , NBC reported that Facebook had systematically relaxed its fact-checking rules for conservative outlets and personalities .
In a telephone conversation , Dino Porrazzo Jr asserted that PTTAB had had “ zero fact-check violations ” , characterizing his websites as “ opinion websites based on fact ” .
Asked if they were fact-checked at all , Porrazzo said “ no ” , but added : “ I don ’ t work at Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there really was a civil war coming , Porrazzo accused the Guardian of “ writing a hit piece to get me thrown off Facebook ” , and then ended the conversation .
Facebook Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The Porrazzos also have links to Republican officials .
The registered agent for the company is an elected official in California , Ensen Mason , who was elected as San Bernardino county auditor-controller in California as a nonpartisan candidate , but who is listed as a member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email , however , Ensen Mason said that in relation to the Porrazzos , his accounting firm ’ s role “ is strictly limited to accounting services and registered agent ” .
The Vici Media Group , meanwhile , is run by Patrick Mauldin , who is a social media consultant for the Trump campaign and other Republican politicians , and his brother , Ryan .
The company was hired in 2016 by one-time Trump campaign manager and recently-resigned campaign consultant , Brad Parscale , to be part of the team that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In June , Patrick Mauldin was identified as the creator of a fake Joe Biden site that was compared in New York Times reporting to “ disinformation spread by Russian trolls ” .
In an email , Ryan Mauldin disavowed the Porrazzos ’ publishing output , writing , “ Vici Media Group was engaged for a small , non-content-related project by the managers of the page.
” Mauldin added , “ We have no input on the content published by the various sites or the comments made on that content .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mauldin did not immediately respond to attempts to further clarify the nature of their work for the Porrazzos , and to clarify New York Times reporting as recent as June 2020 that said Patrick Mauldin was on a retainer for the Trump campaign , and considered a “ rising star ” .
Porrazzo refused to specify the nature of AFF ’ s relationship with Vici Media Group .
Meanwhile , the content of the Porrazzo pages does appear to trigger extreme responses among users .
Hundreds of user comments on the page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence against perceived political enemies .
On a 5 September post linking to a Right Wing Tribune article suggesting that Democrats will foment civil war if Biden loses , one user commented , “ a short civil war with the democrats and those who support socialist policies will go a long way to help Make America Great Again ” .
Another connects civil war to their belief that a Trump loss is impossible , writing “ If [ Biden ] wins , it ’ ll be from fraud on an industrial scale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be taught for that will necessarily be no less industrial.
” Many welcome the prospect of armed conflict – one writes “ That ’ s fine with me open season on democrats !
” .
Another deployed accused murderer Kyle Rittenhouse as a positive example , writing “ I think it will be more whining , crying , rioting , looting and a lot of Kyles protecting their cities , towns and neighborhoods.
” Asked to comment on the site ’ s apparent reach , and the nature of its community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ This is not some dark corner of the internet , this is not a fringe thing , it ’ s mainstream Republicans that are stoking this.
” On links to the Trump campaign , she said that the distorted content and the violent user comments formed a kind of “ feedback loop ” , and that “ Trump and his campaign staff have been masters at exploiting these feedback loops ” .
On Tuesday night , meanwhile , following the Guardian ’ s outreach to the Porrazzos and Facebook that day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he “ HAD TO DELETE A FEW ARTICLES I WROTE TODAY BECAUSE THEY WERE DEMED FALSE BY BASEMENT DWELLING LIBERAL FACT CHECKERS ” .

A militia-promoting father and son duo of fake news publishers and a Trump-connected social media consultant are linked to pages which promote the idea of an American civil war with material presented in a way that appears to be an effort to sidestep Facebook’s fact-checking system.
Comments on their Facebook pages and other materials obtained by the Guardian show that some rank and file Donald Trump supporters are enthusiastically receiving the message that they should prepare for violence against their perceived political enemies in November.
The network is comprised of websites owned and operated by Dino Porrazzo Sr and Dino Porrazzo Jr, whose company, AFF Media, is headquartered in Pinon Hills in California. The pair have been running rightwing websites since at latest 2013, according to DNS website records.
The Porrazzos now run a network of websites that enthusiastically promote Trump, and far right anti-government militias like the Three Percenters, and offer distorted versions of current events. One of their Facebook pages, “Prepare to Take America Back” (PTTAB) at the time of reporting had 794,876 followers. Analysis with social media metrics tool Crowdtangle shows that over the last three months PTTAB posts have been shared over 141,000 times, and on average 9,600 times a week.
At that time, the page’s header featured the logo of the Three Percenters, a decentralized group that the ADL calls a “wing of the militia movement”; a group of armed men in tactical gear; and a modified copy of the US presidential seal.
In general, the page promotes conspiracy theories and criminal allegations about Democratic party politicians, liberal celebrities and leftist protesters, some of which – like persistent claims that Hillary Clinton will be imminently arrested – overlap with aspects of the so-called “QAnon” conspiracy theory movement.
The page makes free use of political memes, but many posts link to a small cluster of rightwing websites designed to appear like news outlets. Increasingly, over the course of 2020, the page has been warning of a stolen election, and suggesting this will lead to civil war.
Repeatedly in September, the page linked to a story on the website Right Wing Tribune, headlined “Radical Left Prepares For ‘Mass Public Unrest,’ ‘Political Apocalypse’ And Possible Civil War Should Be Expected If Biden Loses [Opinion]”, with Facebook captions including “the left wants war”.
The story had a limited basis in fact, in that a number of progressive groups had met in early September to discuss the prospect of civil unrest and political violence after the election with a belief that the violence they were anticipating would be coming from Trump supporters and the far right.
Nevertheless, the Right Wing Tribune piece concluded with a conspiracy theory: “These groups are heavily focused on removing President Trump from office as well as different scenarios which all lead to a second revolution in which they control our nation as a “New America”.”
Similarly distorted stories warning of a “siege of the white house”, peppered the page throughout September and warnings of a post-election civil war were posted over the last year.
Last November, the page linked to a site called Flag and Cross, and a story which it described as an “excellent opinion piece”, entitled “Winning the New Civil War (OPINION)”.
The piece claimed on the basis of antifascist protests and comments by Democratic politicians that, “We have many strong indications that this is a hot war”.
The transparency page for PTTAB discloses that PTTAB is managed by Southern California-based AFF Media Inc, and that the Vici Media Group “partners with this page”.
According to California records, AFF Media was incorporated on Donald Trump’s inauguration day, 20 January 2017; in other documents, Dino Porrazzo Jr is listed as CEO and CFO, and Dino Porrazzo Sr as secretary. But the Guardian has discovered that the Porrazzos are further involved in running a dizzying array of interconnected sites and social media pages. The Annenberg Public Policy initiative lists two of their websites on its “Misinformation Directory” of “websites that have posted deceptive content”.
One of the listed sites is Right Wing Tribune. But all of the other sites linked to by the PTTAB Facebook page also appear to belong to AFF, with similar design, shared bylines and shared source code.
This is not some dark corner of the Internet, this is not a fringe thing, it’s mainstream Republicans. Becca Lewis, Stanford University
The Porrazzos have been previously reported as having links to the Three Percenters, a decentralized, national militia movement that the Southern Poverty Law Center categorizes as anti-government extremists.
Becca Lewis researches online extremism and disinformation at Stanford University. In a telephone conversation, she said that the page and the associated websites represented a sophisticated effort to skirt Facebook’s fact-checking efforts.
“It seems as though they are being very strategic in their messaging so as to not be shut down,” Lewis said, adding that viewing the ostentatious labeling of opinion as an effort to sidestep fact-checking is “absolutely a reasonable assumption”.
In June, Heated reported that climate change deniers were exploiting the same loophole to “make any climate disinformation ineligible for fact-checking by deeming it “opinion”. In August, NBC reported that Facebook had systematically relaxed its fact-checking rules for conservative outlets and personalities.
In a telephone conversation, Dino Porrazzo Jr asserted that PTTAB had had “zero fact-check violations”, characterizing his websites as “opinion websites based on fact”. Asked if they were fact-checked at all, Porrazzo said “no”, but added: “I don’t work at Facebook”. Asked if he thought that there really was a civil war coming, Porrazzo accused the Guardian of “writing a hit piece to get me thrown off Facebook”, and then ended the conversation.
Facebook Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Porrazzos also have links to Republican officials.
The registered agent for the company is an elected official in California, Ensen Mason, who was elected as San Bernardino county auditor-controller in California as a nonpartisan candidate, but who is listed as a member of the San Bernardino Republican party.
In an email, however, Ensen Mason said that in relation to the Porrazzos, his accounting firm’s role “is strictly limited to accounting services and registered agent”.
The Vici Media Group, meanwhile, is run by Patrick Mauldin, who is a social media consultant for the Trump campaign and other Republican politicians, and his brother, Ryan.
The company was hired in 2016 by one-time Trump campaign manager and recently-resigned campaign consultant, Brad Parscale, to be part of the team that was widely credited with winning Trump the election. In June, Patrick Mauldin was identified as the creator of a fake Joe Biden site that was compared in New York Times reporting to “disinformation spread by Russian trolls”.
In an email, Ryan Mauldin disavowed the Porrazzos’ publishing output, writing, “Vici Media Group was engaged for a small, non-content-related project by the managers of the page.”
Mauldin added, “We have no input on the content published by the various sites or the comments made on that content. We are not working for the Trump campaign.”
Mauldin did not immediately respond to attempts to further clarify the nature of their work for the Porrazzos, and to clarify New York Times reporting as recent as June 2020 that said Patrick Mauldin was on a retainer for the Trump campaign, and considered a “rising star”.
Porrazzo refused to specify the nature of AFF’s relationship with Vici Media Group.
Meanwhile, the content of the Porrazzo pages does appear to trigger extreme responses among users. Hundreds of user comments on the page’s posts suggest the use of violence against perceived political enemies. On a 5 September post linking to a Right Wing Tribune article suggesting that Democrats will foment civil war if Biden loses, one user commented, “a short civil war with the democrats and those who support socialist policies will go a long way to help Make America Great Again”.
Another connects civil war to their belief that a Trump loss is impossible, writing “If [Biden] wins, it’ll be from fraud on an industrial scale, and the lesson that’ll have to be taught for that will necessarily be no less industrial.”
Many welcome the prospect of armed conflict – one writes “That’s fine with me open season on democrats!”. Another deployed accused murderer Kyle Rittenhouse as a positive example, writing “I think it will be more whining, crying, rioting, looting and a lot of Kyles protecting their cities, towns and neighborhoods.”
Asked to comment on the site’s apparent reach, and the nature of its community, Lewis, the extremism researcher, said: “This is not some dark corner of the internet, this is not a fringe thing, it’s mainstream Republicans that are stoking this.”
On links to the Trump campaign, she said that the distorted content and the violent user comments formed a kind of “feedback loop”, and that “Trump and his campaign staff have been masters at exploiting these feedback loops”.
On Tuesday night, meanwhile, following the Guardian’s outreach to the Porrazzos and Facebook that day, Dino Porrazzo announced on Twitter that he “HAD TO DELETE A FEW ARTICLES I WROTE TODAY BECAUSE THEY WERE DEMED FALSE BY BASEMENT DWELLING LIBERAL FACT CHECKERS”.


theguardian--2020-10-04--Trump’s New Jersey event showed perilous neglect for his staff, supporters – and himself

On Thursday afternoon Donald Trump held a roundtable of 19 top Republican donors at Bedminster , his 36-hole golf course in New Jersey , where he vented his frustrations about how his push for a rapid vaccine against Covid-19 was being undermined by the deep state .
According to a description of the meeting recorded on video by one of the donors present , “ the president said that the approval for vaccines has been slowed down for political reasons by people who wanted to hurt him ” .
The president ’ s attack on scientists within his own administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the table .
But what they didn ’ t know at that time , because Trump did not tell them , was that just a few hours earlier one of Trump ’ s closest aides , Hope Hicks , had herself tested positive for the disease .
As Trump embarks on a personal battle against coronavirus , having received his own positive result in the early hours of Friday and now having gone to hospital , expressions of concern have flooded in from around the world .
Political animosities that have been raging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as adversaries wish the president and the also infected first lady a speedy recovery .
But the outpouring of goodwill has not prevented questions being asked about how , when and why the president contracted this potentially life-threatening illness that has already claimed the lives of at least 208,000 Americans .
At the center of these inquiries is the Bedminster fundraising event , which the White House allowed to go ahead even after it became known that Hicks had fallen ill .
Many of the finer details of what happened between 1.07pm on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the White House with Trump on board , and 5.55pm when it landed back at base after the New Jersey round trip , are not yet known .
But there is sufficient information already in the public domain to suggest that the handling of the Bedminster event bore many of the hallmarks of the Trump administration ’ s widely-criticised response to the pandemic since its inception .
It demonstrated , for a start , the relaxed approach towards protecting the health of Trump himself as commander-in-chief and head of state of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Atlantic observed back in August , the White House , with its famously cramped West Wing , has been run for months with a striking lack of safety protocols that make “ the most famous address in America feel like a coronavirus breeding ground ” .
A similarly casual stance was taken at Bedminster .
When Hicks ’ illness was detected , several of the White House staff who had been set to travel to New Jersey were pulled off the trip , including press secretary Kayleigh McEnany .
Yet Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most stringent safeguards , travelled on to the fundraiser regardless .
Other facets of the administration ’ s lax response to the pandemic over the past nine months were also on show on Thursday , not least the absence of masks .
As part of his relentless downplaying of the virus , Trump has tended to eschew masks , rarely wearing one himself in public and mocking his presidential rival Joe Biden for doing so at this week ’ s televised debate .
Reports suggest that Trump , true to form , did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not on Marine One and Air Force One en route to New Jersey , and not at the roundtable nor the larger gathering of about 100 supporters that followed .
One of the side effects of Trump acting as a role-model for non-mask wearing has been the way his supporters have perilously followed suit .
Video footage of about 200 Maga supporters who gathered outside the golf course entrance to welcome their hero shows only one of them wearing a mask , and even he had it strapped beneath his nose .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of masks at Bedminster by arguing that there was no need to wear them , as everyone who attended was tested in advance for coronavirus .
That in itself reveals a sloppy disregard for the scientific function of testing which can never replace fundamental safety tools such as masks , given that it can take several days for the virus to build up sufficient load to be detectable by the tests .
Tom Frieden , former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , highlighted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : “ This event demonstrates that we need a comprehensive approach to Covid-19 .
Testing does not replace safety measures including consistent mask use , physical distancing , and handwashing.
” The fundraiser also exposed the Trump administration ’ s willful disregard for state-based regulations , which is paradoxical for a conservative government that espouses states ’ rights .
New Jersey has strict laws that require anyone entering the state from a Covid hotspot to quarantine for 14 days .
On Wednesday Trump traveled with Hicks to a campaign rally in Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s designated list of locations that trigger mandatory quarantining .
Yet the president blithely ignored the provision .
The most striking aspect of Thursday ’ s events is that they point to Trump ’ s apparent willingness to put even his own most loyal supporters at risk .
A day after the fundraiser CNBC reported that the Republican donors who had been present were “ freaking out ” for fear that they too had been contaminated .
The failure to alert those donors to Hicks ’ positive test arguably exposed them to danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June campaign rally that was staged in Tulsa , Oklahoma , which was imbued with a similarly cavalier approach to the safety of thousands of Trump supporters .
The rally was held indoors despite strong warnings from health experts .
Before it began , campaign organizers arranged for thousands of social distancing stickers to be taken down inside the venue .
Three weeks after the event , Oklahoma reported a record surge in Covid-19 cases .
One of those who attended the Tulsa rally , the former Republican presidential candidate and early advocate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for the virus and died soon after .
In the wake of Cain ’ s passing , Trump denied it had anything to do with the Tulsa rally .
The president provided no evidence to back up his contention .

On Thursday afternoon Donald Trump held a roundtable of 19 top Republican donors at Bedminster, his 36-hole golf course in New Jersey, where he vented his frustrations about how his push for a rapid vaccine against Covid-19 was being undermined by the deep state.
According to a description of the meeting recorded on video by one of the donors present, “the president said that the approval for vaccines has been slowed down for political reasons by people who wanted to hurt him”.
The president’s attack on scientists within his own administration seems to have impressed the donors around the table. But what they didn’t know at that time, because Trump did not tell them, was that just a few hours earlier one of Trump’s closest aides, Hope Hicks, had herself tested positive for the disease.
As Trump embarks on a personal battle against coronavirus, having received his own positive result in the early hours of Friday and now having gone to hospital, expressions of concern have flooded in from around the world. Political animosities that have been raging across the country have temporarily been suspended as adversaries wish the president and the also infected first lady a speedy recovery.
But the outpouring of goodwill has not prevented questions being asked about how, when and why the president contracted this potentially life-threatening illness that has already claimed the lives of at least 208,000 Americans. At the center of these inquiries is the Bedminster fundraising event, which the White House allowed to go ahead even after it became known that Hicks had fallen ill.
Many of the finer details of what happened between 1.07pm on Thursday, when Marine One took off from the White House with Trump on board, and 5.55pm when it landed back at base after the New Jersey round trip, are not yet known. But there is sufficient information already in the public domain to suggest that the handling of the Bedminster event bore many of the hallmarks of the Trump administration’s widely-criticised response to the pandemic since its inception.
It demonstrated, for a start, the relaxed approach towards protecting the health of Trump himself as commander-in-chief and head of state of the most powerful nation on Earth. As the Atlantic observed back in August, the White House, with its famously cramped West Wing, has been run for months with a striking lack of safety protocols that make “the most famous address in America feel like a coronavirus breeding ground”.
A similarly casual stance was taken at Bedminster. When Hicks’ illness was detected, several of the White House staff who had been set to travel to New Jersey were pulled off the trip, including press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Yet Trump, who should have been subject to the most stringent safeguards, travelled on to the fundraiser regardless.
01:21 Trump mocks Biden during first presidential debate: 'I don’t wear a mask like him' – video
Other facets of the administration’s lax response to the pandemic over the past nine months were also on show on Thursday, not least the absence of masks. As part of his relentless downplaying of the virus, Trump has tended to eschew masks, rarely wearing one himself in public and mocking his presidential rival Joe Biden for doing so at this week’s televised debate.
Reports suggest that Trump, true to form, did not wear a mask on Thursday, not on Marine One and Air Force One en route to New Jersey, and not at the roundtable nor the larger gathering of about 100 supporters that followed.
Testing does not replace safety measures including consistent mask use, physical distancing, and handwashing. Tom Frieden, former CDC head
One of the side effects of Trump acting as a role-model for non-mask wearing has been the way his supporters have perilously followed suit. Video footage of about 200 Maga supporters who gathered outside the golf course entrance to welcome their hero shows only one of them wearing a mask, and even he had it strapped beneath his nose.
The White House has tried to justify the lack of masks at Bedminster by arguing that there was no need to wear them, as everyone who attended was tested in advance for coronavirus. That in itself reveals a sloppy disregard for the scientific function of testing which can never replace fundamental safety tools such as masks, given that it can take several days for the virus to build up sufficient load to be detectable by the tests.
Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highlighted the mistake. In a statement, he said: “This event demonstrates that we need a comprehensive approach to Covid-19. Testing does not replace safety measures including consistent mask use, physical distancing, and handwashing.”
The fundraiser also exposed the Trump administration’s willful disregard for state-based regulations, which is paradoxical for a conservative government that espouses states’ rights. New Jersey has strict laws that require anyone entering the state from a Covid hotspot to quarantine for 14 days.
On Wednesday Trump traveled with Hicks to a campaign rally in Minnesota, which is on New Jersey’s designated list of locations that trigger mandatory quarantining. Yet the president blithely ignored the provision.
Trump’s campaign rally in Duluth, Minnesota, on Wednesday. Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters
The most striking aspect of Thursday’s events is that they point to Trump’s apparent willingness to put even his own most loyal supporters at risk. A day after the fundraiser CNBC reported that the Republican donors who had been present were “freaking out” for fear that they too had been contaminated.
The failure to alert those donors to Hicks’ positive test arguably exposed them to danger. It bears comparison to the 20 June campaign rally that was staged in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was imbued with a similarly cavalier approach to the safety of thousands of Trump supporters.
The rally was held indoors despite strong warnings from health experts. Before it began, campaign organizers arranged for thousands of social distancing stickers to be taken down inside the venue.
Three weeks after the event, Oklahoma reported a record surge in Covid-19 cases. One of those who attended the Tulsa rally, the former Republican presidential candidate and early advocate for Trump, Herman Cain, tested positive for the virus and died soon after.
In the wake of Cain’s passing, Trump denied it had anything to do with the Tulsa rally. The president provided no evidence to back up his contention.