shareblue--2020-12-03--Watch Trump's very awkward response on whether he has 'confidence' in Barr

Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to say whether he continued to have confidence in Attorney General William Barr .
After a reporter asked Trump about his stance on Barr , Trump notably paused before answering .
`` Ask me that in a number of weeks from now , '' he eventually replied , before falsely claiming that `` fraud '' and `` criminal stuff '' connected to the presidential election had been uncovered .
Barr recently told the Associated Press that he had not seen any evidence of fraud that would overturn the results of the election .
On Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the White House alleging a series of previously debunked allegations about the election to claim that he won .
However , President-elect Joe Biden defeated Trump in the November election , winning the popular vote by more than 6 million .
He will be sworn into office on Jan. 20 , 2021 .
REPORTER : Do you still have confidence in Bill Barr ?
Ask me that in a number of weeks from now .
They should be looking at all of this fraud .
This is not civil , he thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil , this is criminal stuff .
This is very bad criminal stuff .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to say whether he continued to have confidence in Attorney General William Barr.
After a reporter asked Trump about his stance on Barr, Trump notably paused before answering.
“Ask me that in a number of weeks from now,” he eventually replied, before falsely claiming that “fraud” and “criminal stuff” connected to the presidential election had been uncovered.
Barr recently told the Associated Press that he had not seen any evidence of fraud that would overturn the results of the election.
On Wednesday, Trump released a 46-minute speech recorded at the White House alleging a series of previously debunked allegations about the election to claim that he won.
However, President-elect Joe Biden defeated Trump in the November election, winning the popular vote by more than 6 million. He will be sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2021.
From a Dec. 3 press availability:
REPORTER: Do you still have confidence in Bill Barr? DONALD TRUMP: Uhhhh… [Pause] Ask me that in a number of weeks from now. They should be looking at all of this fraud. This is not civil, he thought it was civil, this is not civil, this is criminal stuff. This is very bad criminal stuff.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-03--Lindsey Graham: GOP must win Georgia to 'protect' Trump from investigations

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) said on Wednesday that Republicans need to win the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections in Georgia to protect the Trump family from possible criminal investigations .
`` If you want to protect this family from another round of Mueller investigations , we need to win Georgia , '' Graham told Fox News .
The report produced by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election led by special counsel Robert Mueller cited numerous instances in which Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice .
Many activities involving members of the Trump family have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , the family 's Trump Foundation charity was shut down amid a lawsuit filed by the state that alleged Trump used it for personal benefit .
Trump 's ally and informal adviser , Fox News host Sean Hannity , recently urged Trump to issue a preemptive pardon of his entire family to protect against future investigations and possible prosecutions .
If Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win their races against incumbent Georgia Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , respectively , Democrats would , with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate , along with the House of Representatives and the White House .
Republicans officials have expressed concern about turnout among their party 's voters after conservative activists at a rally on Wednesday pushed debunked conspiracies about voting machines and urged them to punish the party by not voting .
Trump promoted the same conspiracy theories in a 46-minute long Facebook rant on Wednesday .
From the Dec. 2 edition of Fox News ' `` The Story '' : LINDSEY GRAHAM : We need to get off our ass , and change the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runoff .
It 's a Republican-controlled statehouse , state senate , with a Republican governor .
What I 'm begging Georgia to do , I 'm the Senate Judiciary chairman , I 'm not a federal judge , to the Trump legal team , you 're making all these claims , you got to prove it .
Doing a video is not proof .
You need to take these claims into a court of law , and get relief .
As to the legislative body in Georgia , you need to change your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , so we need to change the laws so that the Senate races are not stolen from us .
The best way to make sure that Trump legacy stays in place is to win Georgia .
If you want to protect this family from another round of Mueller investigations , we need to win Georgia .
If you want to make sure that crazy people , like the one nominated for the OMB director , never gets the job , make sure we win in Georgia .
A lot 's at stake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help is to send money .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Wednesday that Republicans need to win the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections in Georgia to protect the Trump family from possible criminal investigations.
“If you want to protect this family from another round of Mueller investigations, we need to win Georgia,” Graham told Fox News.
The report produced by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election led by special counsel Robert Mueller cited numerous instances in which Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice.
Many activities involving members of the Trump family have attracted the interest of prosecutors.
In New York, the family’s Trump Foundation charity was shut down amid a lawsuit filed by the state that alleged Trump used it for personal benefit.
Trump’s ally and informal adviser, Fox News host Sean Hannity, recently urged Trump to issue a preemptive pardon of his entire family to protect against future investigations and possible prosecutions.
If Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win their races against incumbent Georgia Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively, Democrats would, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the deciding vote, control the Senate, along with the House of Representatives and the White House.
Republicans officials have expressed concern about turnout among their party’s voters after conservative activists at a rally on Wednesday pushed debunked conspiracies about voting machines and urged them to punish the party by not voting. Trump promoted the same conspiracy theories in a 46-minute long Facebook rant on Wednesday.
From the Dec. 2 edition of Fox News’ “The Story”:
LINDSEY GRAHAM: We need to get off our ass, and change the law in Georgia before the Jan. 5 runoff. It’s a Republican-controlled statehouse, state senate, with a Republican governor. What I’m begging Georgia to do, I’m the Senate Judiciary chairman, I’m not a federal judge, to the Trump legal team, you’re making all these claims, you got to prove it. Doing a video is not proof. You need to take these claims into a court of law, and get relief. As to the legislative body in Georgia, you need to change your law, I can’t change Georgia law, so we need to change the laws so that the Senate races are not stolen from us. The best way to make sure that Trump legacy stays in place is to win Georgia. If you want to protect this family from another round of Mueller investigations, we need to win Georgia. If you want to make sure that crazy people, like the one nominated for the OMB director, never gets the job, make sure we win in Georgia. A lot’s at stake, LindseyGraham.com, that’s one way to help is to send money.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-03--Ivanka Trump does not appreciate all these investigations of her family

First daughter Ivanka Trump on Thursday complained about being deposed as part of a lawsuit that alleges the Trump Organization and Donald Trump 's inaugural committee misused funds for the inauguration .
The lawsuit , which was brought by the Washington D.C. attorney general , alleges that Presidential Inaugural Committee `` grossly '' overpaid for space in Trump 's Washington , D.C. , hotel for event space used for the inauguration — to the tune of $ 1 million , CNN reported .
In a lengthy tweet , Ivanka Trump complained that she had to spend `` 5+ hours in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` another politically motivated demonstration of vindictiveness & waste of taxpayer dollars . ''
Legal experts , however , said her defense — in which Ivanka claimed she told the hotel to charge the inaugural committee a `` fair market rate '' — is not actually very good , as the rate it charged the inaugural committee was at least twice the market rate other hotels in the city were charging , according to the lawsuit .
`` The crux of the corruption in question is why a hotel owned by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate ' to stay there during his inauguration was so much higher than comparable hotels in DC , '' Susan Hennessey , a CNN legal analyst and executive editor of the Lawfare blog , tweeted in response to Ivanka 's comment .
Ultimately , it 's the second time in as many weeks that Ivanka Trump complained about investigations surrounding her family .
On Nov. 20 , she said New York state 's investigations into Trump and the Trump Organization are `` harassment . ''
Ivanka Trump herself is caught up in those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was paid money as a consultant even though she was an employee of the Trump Organization — which helped the company get some tax write-offs it did n't deserve to get .
This all comes as Trump allies are urging Trump to pardon himself and his family before he 's evicted from the White House on Jan. 20 , when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in .
However , the legal peril Trump and his family faces can not be pardoned , as it 's in state court .
Presidents can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of The American Independent Foundation .

First daughter Ivanka Trump on Thursday complained about being deposed as part of a lawsuit that alleges the Trump Organization and Donald Trump’s inaugural committee misused funds for the inauguration.
The lawsuit, which was brought by the Washington D.C. attorney general, alleges that Presidential Inaugural Committee “grossly” overpaid for space in Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel for event space used for the inauguration — to the tune of $1 million, CNN reported.
In a lengthy tweet, Ivanka Trump complained that she had to spend “5+ hours in a deposition” for what she claimed was “another politically motivated demonstration of vindictiveness & waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Legal experts, however, said her defense — in which Ivanka claimed she told the hotel to charge the inaugural committee a “fair market rate” — is not actually very good, as the rate it charged the inaugural committee was at least twice the market rate other hotels in the city were charging, according to the lawsuit.
“The crux of the corruption in question is why a hotel owned by the incoming president determined that the ‘fair market rate’ to stay there during his inauguration was so much higher than comparable hotels in DC,” Susan Hennessey, a CNN legal analyst and executive editor of the Lawfare blog, tweeted in response to Ivanka’s comment.
Ultimately, it’s the second time in as many weeks that Ivanka Trump complained about investigations surrounding her family.
On Nov. 20, she said New York state’s investigations into Trump and the Trump Organization are “harassment.”
Ivanka Trump herself is caught up in those investigations, as tax records show she was paid money as a consultant even though she was an employee of the Trump Organization — which helped the company get some tax write-offs it didn’t deserve to get.
This all comes as Trump allies are urging Trump to pardon himself and his family before he’s evicted from the White House on Jan. 20, when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in.
However, the legal peril Trump and his family faces cannot be pardoned, as it’s in state court. Presidents can only pardon federal crimes.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-04--Kellyanne Conway admits Joe Biden 'will prevail' — a month after he did

Kellyanne Conway , former senior aide to Donald Trump , admitted on Friday that `` it looks like '' President-elect Joe Biden has won the election .
`` If you look at the vote totals in the electoral college tally , it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail , '' Conway told a conference held by the publication The 19th .
`` I 'm yet to see any big groundswell of vote tallies to push it in the other direction , '' she said .
Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election by nearly 7 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 232 in the Electoral College .
Conway 's admission runs counter to the falsehoods promoted for weeks by Trump and by close allies like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani .
On Wednesday , Trump released a 46-minute-long video filmed in the White House offering up several debunked claims and conspiracy theories falsely asserting that he won .
Over the past few weeks , he has raised more than $ 200 million from donors while making unfounded allegations of election fraud .
Meanwhile , Giuliani and Trump campaign aide Jenna Ellis have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that Trump lost — Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Arizona — to speak at length about debunked election conspiracies and unsupported allegations of voter fraud .
After Attorney General William Barr said he had not seen evidence of voter fraud that would overturn the election results , Trump declined to say publicly whether he continues to have confidence in Barr .
From the `` 19th Live '' event held on Dec. 4 : KELLYANNE CONWAY : Well , the president wants to exhaust all of his legal avenues , as he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team is doing that .
I see in the paper they 're doing that , they 're going to different states and trying to do that , and of course , that is his right .
At the same time , it 's President Trump who freed up the GSA money and authorized them to go ahead and start the transition process for the Biden-Harris team because we want the engines of government to keep going , and you always need a peaceful transfer of democracy , no matter whose administration goes into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you look at the vote totals in the Electoral College tally , it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail .
And I assume the electors will certify that and it will be made official .
I remember for us it was certified , I want to say , Nov. 28 or so .
Al Gore conceded on Dec. 13 to George W. Bush , so sometimes these things take a little bit longer .
And the reason I counseled vigilance and patience on election night and the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Amanda , is very simple , which is that our democracy deserves that .
I 'm yet to see any big groundswell of vote tallies to push it in the other direction .
And at the same time I think the president has a right to exhaust his legal possibilities .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Kellyanne Conway, former senior aide to Donald Trump, admitted on Friday that “it looks like” President-elect Joe Biden has won the election.
“If you look at the vote totals in the electoral college tally, it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail,” Conway told a conference held by the publication The 19th.
“I’m yet to see any big groundswell of vote tallies to push it in the other direction,” she said.
Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election by nearly 7 million votes and by a margin of 306 to 232 in the Electoral College.
Conway’s admission runs counter to the falsehoods promoted for weeks by Trump and by close allies like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
On Wednesday, Trump released a 46-minute-long video filmed in the White House offering up several debunked claims and conspiracy theories falsely asserting that he won. Over the past few weeks, he has raised more than $200 million from donors while making unfounded allegations of election fraud.
Meanwhile, Giuliani and Trump campaign aide Jenna Ellis have traveled on Trump’s behalf to multiple states that Trump lost — Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona — to speak at length about debunked election conspiracies and unsupported allegations of voter fraud.
After Attorney General William Barr said he had not seen evidence of voter fraud that would overturn the election results, Trump declined to say publicly whether he continues to have confidence in Barr.
From the “19th Live” event held on Dec. 4:
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Well, the president wants to exhaust all of his legal avenues, as he has made clear many times, and his team is doing that. I see in the paper they’re doing that, they’re going to different states and trying to do that, and of course, that is his right. At the same time, it’s President Trump who freed up the GSA money and authorized them to go ahead and start the transition process for the Biden-Harris team because we want the engines of government to keep going, and you always need a peaceful transfer of democracy, no matter whose administration goes into whose administration, there’s no question. If you look at the vote totals in the Electoral College tally, it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail. And I assume the electors will certify that and it will be made official. I remember for us it was certified, I want to say, Nov. 28 or so. Al Gore conceded on Dec. 13 to George W. Bush, so sometimes these things take a little bit longer. And the reason I counseled vigilance and patience on election night and the day after, and the couple days after, Amanda, is very simple, which is that our democracy deserves that. I’m yet to see any big groundswell of vote tallies to push it in the other direction. And at the same time I think the president has a right to exhaust his legal possibilities.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-04--Law enforcement group slammed for telling cops to treat Black activists like terrorists

A prominent law enforcement training group is promoting a lengthy research document riddled with falsehoods and conspiracies that urges local police to treat Black Lives Matter activists as terrorists plotting a violent revolution .
The document distributed by the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association contains misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric that could incite officers against protesters and people of color , critics said .
It alleges Black Lives Matter and antifa , an umbrella term for leftist militants , are `` revolutionary movements whose aims are to overthrow the U.S. government '' and claims they are planning `` extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Yale University professor who is an expert on racial bias in policing , called the document dangerous , noting that the association is an important source of training materials for many small and midsize departments across the country .
`` It 's stunning .
It 's distressing in many ways .
It 's untethered to reality , '' said Goff , CEO of the Center for Policing Equity .
`` I worry that it leads to people dying unnecessarily . ''
The association in October sent a link to the 176-page paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warfare , '' in an email news update to its thousands of members .
The document , labeled `` restricted to law enforcement only , '' is one of the few publicly available materials on its website .
The Associated Press learned of the document from one of the policing organization 's members .
The group 's executive director , Harvey Hedden , defended the document , which he called one member 's opinion and open for critique and debate .
He said the association supports the exchange of ideas and strategies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorse specific approaches .
Hedden argued that fact-checking the paper or restricting its distribution would amount to censorship and that its publication would allow for peer review by other trainers .
`` There will always be differences of opinion on training issues but so long as the disagreements remain professional and not personal we do not censor these ideas , '' he said .
`` I am willing to allow the trainer to evaluate the information themselves . ''
He added , `` Just like law enforcement , I am afraid BLM has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be overgeneralizations . ''
The Black Lives Matter movement emerged in 2013 after the acquittal of the Florida man who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin , and exploded in size and influence earlier this year after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
Protests across the nation were largely peaceful but occasionally marked by clashes with police or the destruction of property .
Since then , many activists have been working to reduce the scope and cost of local police departments and overhaul police training .
The law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says in a mission statement that it 's `` committed to the reduction of law enforcement risk '' and saving lives through high-quality training .
The association promotes its annual conference , set for St. Louis this coming March , as the `` largest gathering of law enforcement trainers in the world . ''
It publishes a research journal , provides other educational and training materials , and operates a Facebook page for members to network and share ideas .
An official with Color of Change , a nationwide racial justice organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut training ties with the association , saying it encourages a warrior-style mindset that creates more conflict in communities .
`` This is disturbing to read but not at all surprising to me .
This is the type of thinking that is sadly pretty prominent within police culture , '' said Scott Roberts , its senior director of criminal justice campaigns .
Goff said police executives with whom he 's discussed the document this week were `` disturbed by it . ''
He and others said it was irresponsible for the group to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is below the belt because of how much misinformation there is , how many conspiracy theories there are , how much violence it promotes and how many reasons it gives to justify dehumanizing people , '' said Sherice Nelson , assistant professor of political science at Southern University and A & M College who studies Black political movements .
She said the paper repeatedly promotes `` wildly outlandish '' claims about Black Lives Matter , shows cultural ignorance by falsely conflating the movement with antifa , and primes officers to use force by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
Among its many unsupported claims is that the two movements have `` trained , dedicated snipers '' stationed in certain cities , are fronts for Russia and China , and planned attacks before and after last month 's presidential election .
The paper claims that those who participated in months of protests earlier this year in Portland and Seattle were `` useful idiots '' designed to give cover to the `` hard-core , terrorist trained troops '' that would follow .
`` Extreme acts of violence are expected and called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper claims that military officials who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are concerned about the movements because they `` have witnessed these types of terrorist groups organizing , creating insurgencies and the horrible consequences of it . ''
The FBI is largely `` clueless '' about the nature of their threat and , along with the news media , has wrongly focused attention on violence carried out by white supremacists , it argues .
Goff , whose group works with departments to make policing `` less racist and deadly , '' said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics to engage directly with local law enforcement to seek changes .
Otherwise , he said , `` you are abandoning that profession to the worst impulses of this country . ''

A prominent law enforcement training group is promoting a lengthy research document riddled with falsehoods and conspiracies that urges local police to treat Black Lives Matter activists as terrorists plotting a violent revolution.
The document distributed by the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association contains misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric that could incite officers against protesters and people of color, critics said. It alleges Black Lives Matter and antifa, an umbrella term for leftist militants, are “revolutionary movements whose aims are to overthrow the U.S. government” and claims they are planning “extreme violence.”
Phillip Atiba Goff, a Yale University professor who is an expert on racial bias in policing, called the document dangerous, noting that the association is an important source of training materials for many small and midsize departments across the country.
“It’s stunning. It’s distressing in many ways. It’s untethered to reality,” said Goff, CEO of the Center for Policing Equity. “I worry that it leads to people dying unnecessarily.”
The association in October sent a link to the 176-page paper, “Understanding Antifa and Urban Guerrilla Warfare,” in an email news update to its thousands of members. The document, labeled “restricted to law enforcement only,” is one of the few publicly available materials on its website. The Associated Press learned of the document from one of the policing organization’s members.
The group’s executive director, Harvey Hedden, defended the document, which he called one member’s opinion and open for critique and debate. He said the association supports the exchange of ideas and strategies to improve criminal justice training but does not endorse specific approaches.
Hedden argued that fact-checking the paper or restricting its distribution would amount to censorship and that its publication would allow for peer review by other trainers.
“There will always be differences of opinion on training issues but so long as the disagreements remain professional and not personal we do not censor these ideas,” he said. “I am willing to allow the trainer to evaluate the information themselves.”
He added, “Just like law enforcement, I am afraid BLM has earned some of these criticisms and others might be overgeneralizations.”
The Black Lives Matter movement emerged in 2013 after the acquittal of the Florida man who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, and exploded in size and influence earlier this year after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Protests across the nation were largely peaceful but occasionally marked by clashes with police or the destruction of property. Since then, many activists have been working to reduce the scope and cost of local police departments and overhaul police training.
The law enforcement association, known by its nickname ILEETA, says in a mission statement that it’s “committed to the reduction of law enforcement risk” and saving lives through high-quality training. The association promotes its annual conference, set for St. Louis this coming March, as the “largest gathering of law enforcement trainers in the world.” It publishes a research journal, provides other educational and training materials, and operates a Facebook page for members to network and share ideas.
An official with Color of Change, a nationwide racial justice organization, called on police departments Wednesday to cut training ties with the association, saying it encourages a warrior-style mindset that creates more conflict in communities.
“This is disturbing to read but not at all surprising to me. This is the type of thinking that is sadly pretty prominent within police culture,” said Scott Roberts, its senior director of criminal justice campaigns.
Goff said police executives with whom he’s discussed the document this week were “disturbed by it.” He and others said it was irresponsible for the group to promote the paper.
“This document is below the belt because of how much misinformation there is, how many conspiracy theories there are, how much violence it promotes and how many reasons it gives to justify dehumanizing people,” said Sherice Nelson, assistant professor of political science at Southern University and A&M College who studies Black political movements.
She said the paper repeatedly promotes “wildly outlandish” claims about Black Lives Matter, shows cultural ignorance by falsely conflating the movement with antifa, and primes officers to use force by painting both as terrorists plotting to kill police.
Among its many unsupported claims is that the two movements have “trained, dedicated snipers” stationed in certain cities, are fronts for Russia and China, and planned attacks before and after last month’s presidential election.
The paper claims that those who participated in months of protests earlier this year in Portland and Seattle were “useful idiots” designed to give cover to the “hard-core, terrorist trained troops” that would follow. “Extreme acts of violence are expected and called for,” the document warns.
The paper claims that military officials who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are concerned about the movements because they “have witnessed these types of terrorist groups organizing, creating insurgencies and the horrible consequences of it.”
The FBI is largely “clueless” about the nature of their threat and, along with the news media, has wrongly focused attention on violence carried out by white supremacists, it argues.
Goff, whose group works with departments to make policing “less racist and deadly,” said the document showed why it’s important for critics to engage directly with local law enforcement to seek changes.
Otherwise, he said, “you are abandoning that profession to the worst impulses of this country.”


shareblue--2020-12-04--Trump is making millions off being a loser

Donald Trump 's operation has raised $ 207.5 million since his election defeat for a fund with money that could directly benefit himself .
Between Nov. 3 and Dec. 3 , the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee received the more than $ 200 million largely from bombarding donors with unfounded claims of election fraud , blasting them with misleading messages to `` save America '' from a stolen election by funding last-minute recount bids .
Just days after Election Day , Trump created the `` Save America '' PAC .
His campaign 's website sought donations for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which included a disclaimer now saying 75 % of donations would go to the PAC and 25 % would go to the RNC .
Only contributions of more than $ 5,000 would be put toward his recount efforts .
Initial disclaimers stated only 60 % would go to the `` Save America PAC , '' 40 % to the RNC , and contributions over $ 6,000 would go to the election defense fund .
That means just a fraction of the donated money will likely be put toward any recount efforts , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAC .
As Brendan Fischer , director of the Campaign Legal Center 's federal reform program , told Politico , `` Trump could potentially use his new leadership PAC to not only preserve his influence within the Republican party after he leaves the White House , but also to potentially to benefit him and his family financially.
” Leadership PACs like the one Trump created , he explained , `` can be used to effectively keep your campaign staff on the payroll , keep them in your orbit , pay for travel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The `` Save America '' PAC could pay Trump a salary too , the Washington Post noted , adding that it could also fund Trump 's golf club memberships .
`` The money in the Save America PAC , unlike money contributed to a standard campaign committee , can be used to benefit Trump in innumerable ways .
Memberships at golf clubs .
Travel .
Rallies .
Even payments directly to Trump himself , as long as he declares it as income , '' the Post explained .
Lawrence Noble , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission , explained the difference further .
`` With a candidate committee , there is a personal-use prohibition .
So they can not use money in a candidate committee for anyone ’ s personal use : They ca n't pay exorbitant salaries , they ca n't give gifts to people , '' he told the outlet .
`` If you 're talking about a leadership PAC or an independent expenditure PAC ... there 's no prohibition on how they use the money . ''
Trump 's post-election cash grab appears to be part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrich or benefit financially either himself and his family .
Amid the pandemic , for instance , companies paying rent at properties belonging to both Trump and Jared Kushner , Trump 's senior adviser and son-in-law , were granted some $ 3.65 million-worth of taxpayer-funded Paycheck Protection Program loans .
According to NBC News , of the companies that received loans , `` 15 of the businesses self-reported that they only kept one job , zero jobs or did not report a number at all . ''
`` The loans to businesses located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,164,543 loan to the Triomphe Restaurant Corp. , at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York City , '' the outlet reported on Wednesday .
`` The company reported the money didn ’ t go to keeping any jobs .
It later closed . ''
Taxpayers have also reportedly been forced to foot the bill for the Trump family 's business trips , Donald Trump Jr. 's hunting excursion , and campaign rally expenses , as well as other personal-related expenses .
More than $ 142 million of taxpayer money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's nearly 146 golfing trips , most of those outings benefiting his own Trump Organization-branded resorts , according to Trump Golf Count .
The website also details that approximately $ 59,110,000 has been spent on Air Force One flights to Mar-a-Lago alone , with an additional $ 29,972,000 in security costs to protect the resort while Trump is staying there .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump’s operation has raised $207.5 million since his election defeat for a fund with money that could directly benefit himself.
Between Nov. 3 and Dec. 3, the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee received the more than $200 million largely from bombarding donors with unfounded claims of election fraud, blasting them with misleading messages to “save America” from a stolen election by funding last-minute recount bids.
Just days after Election Day, Trump created the “Save America” PAC. His campaign’s website sought donations for the “Official Election Defense Fund,” which included a disclaimer now saying 75% of donations would go to the PAC and 25% would go to the RNC. Only contributions of more than $5,000 would be put toward his recount efforts.
Initial disclaimers stated only 60% would go to the “Save America PAC,” 40% to the RNC, and contributions over $6,000 would go to the election defense fund.
That means just a fraction of the donated money will likely be put toward any recount efforts, with the vast majority funneled to Trump’s PAC.
As Brendan Fischer, director of the Campaign Legal Center’s federal reform program, told Politico, “Trump could potentially use his new leadership PAC to not only preserve his influence within the Republican party after he leaves the White House, but also to potentially to benefit him and his family financially.”
Leadership PACs like the one Trump created, he explained, “can be used to effectively keep your campaign staff on the payroll, keep them in your orbit, pay for travel, pay for rallies, even for polling.”
The “Save America” PAC could pay Trump a salary too, the Washington Post noted, adding that it could also fund Trump’s golf club memberships.
“The money in the Save America PAC, unlike money contributed to a standard campaign committee, can be used to benefit Trump in innumerable ways. Memberships at golf clubs. Travel. Rallies. Even payments directly to Trump himself, as long as he declares it as income,” the Post explained.
Lawrence Noble, former general counsel to the Federal Election Commission, explained the difference further.
“With a candidate committee, there is a personal-use prohibition. So they cannot use money in a candidate committee for anyone’s personal use: They can’t pay exorbitant salaries, they can’t give gifts to people,” he told the outlet. “If you’re talking about a leadership PAC or an independent expenditure PAC … there’s no prohibition on how they use the money.”
Trump’s post-election cash grab appears to be part of a pattern of devising ways to enrich or benefit financially either himself and his family.
Amid the pandemic, for instance, companies paying rent at properties belonging to both Trump and Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, were granted some $3.65 million-worth of taxpayer-funded Paycheck Protection Program loans.
According to NBC News, of the companies that received loans, “15 of the businesses self-reported that they only kept one job, zero jobs or did not report a number at all.”
“The loans to businesses located at Trump and Kushner properties included a $2,164,543 loan to the Triomphe Restaurant Corp., at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York City,” the outlet reported on Wednesday. “The company reported the money didn’t go to keeping any jobs. It later closed.”
Taxpayers have also reportedly been forced to foot the bill for the Trump family’s business trips, Donald Trump Jr.’s hunting excursion, and campaign rally expenses, as well as other personal-related expenses.
More than $142 million of taxpayer money has been spent so far for Trump’s nearly 146 golfing trips, most of those outings benefiting his own Trump Organization-branded resorts, according to Trump Golf Count.
The website also details that approximately $59,110,000 has been spent on Air Force One flights to Mar-a-Lago alone, with an additional $29,972,000 in security costs to protect the resort while Trump is staying there.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-04--Matt Gaetz very excited to be at mask-free party of Young Republicans

Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) on Thursday appeared as a featured guest at the New York Young Republican Club 's annual gala , which was held in person in New Jersey despite restrictions on large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
New York regulations currently limit indoor gatherings to 50 or fewer people .
At least 65 people had indicated on the club 's Facebook page that they intended to attend the gala , which had originally been set for a venue in New York City .
While last year 's gala was held at the Yale Club @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept this year 's location secret , and it turned out to be New Jersey .
Gaetz was booked as a replacement for the club 's original guest , Sarah Palin , who reportedly declined to come out of concerns over flying during the pandemic .
On Friday , Gaetz retweeted photos from the party , in which attendees were not socially distanced or wearing masks .
One of the photos included a taunting message for New York 's Democratic governor , Andrew Cuomo : `` Catch us if you can , Commie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet told Cuomo , `` Come and get me . ''
The club also posted video of Gaetz mingling with the crowd .
Gaetz posted a photo he took at the event alongside serial conservative hoaxster James O'Keefe , who was given an award at the gala .
Gaetz captioned the photo , `` Great work James ! ''
The event was held in a restaurant in Jersey City .
The city 's mayor , Steve Fulop , described the event as an `` egregious violation '' of the state 's COVID-19 restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the party 's organizer , there were about 150 people in attendance .
New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy criticized Gaetz for going to the event .
`` It is also beyond the pale that Rep Matt Putz – I mean @ RepMattGaetz – would participate in this .
What a fool , '' he tweeted .
`` Matt – You are not welcome in New Jersey , and frankly I do n't ever want you back in this state . ''
Gaetz , a close ally and prominent supporter of Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
In March , as the House was voting on a virus relief package , Gaetz mocked concerns about COVID-19 and wore a gas mask on the House floor before he voted on the legislation .
As the death toll grew , claiming the lives of over 276,000 Americans ( including over 18,000 in Florida ) , Gaetz suggested that authorities `` lock up the boomers '' to prevent further spread .
When the pandemic led to economic contraction across the country and states began seeking federal relief , Gaetz said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' instead of getting assistance from the government .
Echoing Trump 's racist language on the pandemic , Gaetz used the phrase `` crazy Chinese bat virus '' and complained that municipalities have `` used Chinese drones and video surveillance to spy on people in their own backyards '' as part of efforts to slow the spread .
In November , Gaetz announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies .
The diagnosis came after Gaetz had attended several Trump rallies in Florida to boost his campaign in the presidential election that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Thursday appeared as a featured guest at the New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala, which was held in person in New Jersey despite restrictions on large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New York regulations currently limit indoor gatherings to 50 or fewer people. At least 65 people had indicated on the club’s Facebook page that they intended to attend the gala, which had originally been set for a venue in New York City. While last year’s gala was held at the Yale Club in New York City, the club kept this year’s location secret, and it turned out to be New Jersey.
Gaetz was booked as a replacement for the club’s original guest, Sarah Palin, who reportedly declined to come out of concerns over flying during the pandemic.
On Friday, Gaetz retweeted photos from the party, in which attendees were not socially distanced or wearing masks. One of the photos included a taunting message for New York’s Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo: “Catch us if you can, Commie aCuomo [sic].” Another tweet told Cuomo, “Come and get me.”
The club also posted video of Gaetz mingling with the crowd.
Gaetz posted a photo he took at the event alongside serial conservative hoaxster James O’Keefe, who was given an award at the gala. Gaetz captioned the photo, “Great work James!”
The event was held in a restaurant in Jersey City. The city’s mayor, Steve Fulop, described the event as an “egregious violation” of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions and ordered the venue closed. According to the party’s organizer, there were about 150 people in attendance.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy criticized Gaetz for going to the event.
“It is also beyond the pale that Rep Matt Putz – I mean @RepMattGaetz – would participate in this. What a fool,” he tweeted. “Matt – You are not welcome in New Jersey, and frankly I don’t ever want you back in this state.”
Gaetz, a close ally and prominent supporter of Donald Trump, has frequently derided concerns about the pandemic.
In March, as the House was voting on a virus relief package, Gaetz mocked concerns about COVID-19 and wore a gas mask on the House floor before he voted on the legislation.
As the death toll grew, claiming the lives of over 276,000 Americans (including over 18,000 in Florida), Gaetz suggested that authorities “lock up the boomers” to prevent further spread.
When the pandemic led to economic contraction across the country and states began seeking federal relief, Gaetz said New York should “collect bail money” instead of getting assistance from the government.
Echoing Trump’s racist language on the pandemic, Gaetz used the phrase “crazy Chinese bat virus” and complained that municipalities have “used Chinese drones and video surveillance to spy on people in their own backyards” as part of efforts to slow the spread.
In November, Gaetz announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. The diagnosis came after Gaetz had attended several Trump rallies in Florida to boost his campaign in the presidential election that he ultimately lost to Joe Biden.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-04--House GOP votes against popular bill to stop sending people to jail for weed

The House on Friday passed a historic bill that decriminalizes marijuana use , as well as lets the federal government tax the booming cannabis industry in the numerous states that have legalized the drug for both recreational and medical use .
However , nearly every single Republican voted against the bill , which is broadly popular in the United States , with more than two-thirds of Americans supporting legalizing the drug , according to a Gallup survey from November 2020 .
The bill passed the House by a vote of 228 to 164 — with just five Republicans voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for voting against a broadly popular bill ran the gamut .
Rep. Debbie Lesko ( R-AZ ) made the excuse that cannabis is a `` gateway drug '' — which is a debunked myth .
`` Every one of them — they said they started by using marijuana , '' Lesko said about her concern for legalizing weed , according to the Washington Post .
`` I am not saying that every person that smokes marijuana is going to be addicted to harder drugs , but I am concerned that we have so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country . ''
Rep. Jeff Van Drew , the New Jersey Republican who switched parties over his support for Trump , also said he voted against the bill over his `` concern for kids , '' the Washington Post reported .
Other Republicans like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said now is not the time to be voting on marijuana legislation .
`` Small businesses are closing .
Americans are getting laid off .
And Democrats are voting on *𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴* marijuana .
They are picking weed over workers , '' McCarthy tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Of course , Democrats in the House has passed multiple coronavirus relief packages that Senate Republicans have blocked .
And raising tax revenue could help pay for economic relief Americans desperately need on an industry that is already booming across the country .
Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) one of the few Republicans to vote for the bill , criticized his colleagues for their outdated views on marijuana .
`` The federal government has lied to the people of this country about marijuana for a generation , '' Gaetz said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have seen a generation , particularly Black and Brown youth , locked up for offenses that should have not resulted in any incarceration whatsoever . ''
Gaetz was one of just five GOP lawmakers to vote in favor of the bill , which will `` expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses , '' among other things , according to a summary of the legislation .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The House on Friday passed a historic bill that decriminalizes marijuana use, as well as lets the federal government tax the booming cannabis industry in the numerous states that have legalized the drug for both recreational and medical use.
However, nearly every single Republican voted against the bill, which is broadly popular in the United States, with more than two-thirds of Americans supporting legalizing the drug, according to a Gallup survey from November 2020. The bill passed the House by a vote of 228 to 164 — with just five Republicans voted for the legislation.
The arguments Republicans gave for voting against a broadly popular bill ran the gamut.
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) made the excuse that cannabis is a “gateway drug” — which is a debunked myth.
“Every one of them — they said they started by using marijuana,” Lesko said about her concern for legalizing weed, according to the Washington Post. “I am not saying that every person that smokes marijuana is going to be addicted to harder drugs, but I am concerned that we have so much costs associated with addiction in our country.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the New Jersey Republican who switched parties over his support for Trump, also said he voted against the bill over his “concern for kids,” the Washington Post reported.
Other Republicans like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said now is not the time to be voting on marijuana legislation.
“Small businesses are closing. Americans are getting laid off. And Democrats are voting on *?????? ?????* marijuana. They are picking weed over workers,” McCarthy tweeted on Thursday, the day before the vote.
Of course, Democrats in the House has passed multiple coronavirus relief packages that Senate Republicans have blocked.
And raising tax revenue could help pay for economic relief Americans desperately need on an industry that is already booming across the country.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) one of the few Republicans to vote for the bill, criticized his colleagues for their outdated views on marijuana.
“The federal government has lied to the people of this country about marijuana for a generation,” Gaetz said in a speech on the House floor. “We have seen a generation, particularly Black and Brown youth, locked up for offenses that should have not resulted in any incarceration whatsoever.”
Gaetz was one of just five GOP lawmakers to vote in favor of the bill, which will “expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses,” among other things, according to a summary of the legislation.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris support decriminalizing the drug.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-04--Trump threatens to hold military pay hostage unless he can punish Twitter

This week , leaders from both sides of the aisle hammered out the final details of the new National Defense Authorization Act — but Donald Trump is attempting to hold the bill hostage if it does n't overturn social media liability protections .
The $ 741 billion bill is expected to be voted on in the House and Senate next week ; however , its passage could be held up by Trump 's repeated threats to veto it .
As recently as Thursday night , Trump slammed the bill 's failure to include language terminating Section 230 , the provision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Very sadly for our Nation , it looks like Senator @ JimInhofe will not be putting the Section 230 termination clause into the Defense Bill .
So bad for our National Security and Election Integrity , '' Trump tweeted .
`` Last chance to ever get it done .
I will VETO ! ''
Section 230 , presented by Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-OR ) and Rep. Chris Cox ( R-CA ) , was originally designed to allow website owners to serve as moderators for social media platforms without incurring legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Electronic Frontier Foundation has referred to it as `` the most important law protecting internet speech . ''
Trump , however , is determined to scrap the provision , maligning it on Tuesday as a `` liability shielding gift from the U.S. to 'Big Tech . '
'' Trump 's veto of the critical defense bill could have far-reaching effects .
According to the Verge , it is `` one of the few pieces of legislation that is seen as a 'must-pass ' by members of Congress . ''
`` The National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military and other national security agencies , so a failure to pass some version of the bill could have severe consequences for the nation as a whole , '' noted the outlet .
While military pay raises are a matter of statute , the Military Times reports that `` at least 30 other military specialty pays , '' such as hazard pay , bonuses , and housing allowances , are at risk if Trump vetoes the bill .
According to Politico , the bill will authorize $ 69 billion for the Overseas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Energy nuclear programs , with the remainder of the funding — some $ 635.5 billion — going toward the `` base Pentagon budget . ''
The outlet reports that the bill will also stymie Trump 's attempts to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany , prohibiting the Pentagon from reducing troop levels below $ 34,500 for 120 days .
It will also limit any attempt to remove troops from Afghanistan until the Pentagon submits a report on how such a move might affect counterterrorism efforts going forward .
The bill also limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement , and includes a provision that recommends a name change within three years for military bases and monuments named for Confederate figures , Politico reported .
And this is n't the first time Trump has threatened to veto the crucial defense bill .
Over the summer , he said he would veto it if the bill included any clause recommending a name change for Confederate military assets .
`` I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas ' Warren ( of all people ! )
Amendment , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other bad things ! )
of Fort Bragg , Fort Robert E. Lee , and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars , is in the Bill ! ''
he tweeted June 30 .
Twitter users were quick to point out that this was a strange and racist hill to die on .
`` So you 're defending the military to defend the Confederacy ?
Weird priorities , '' tweeted one user at the time .
But now it seems Trump has zeroed in on a repeal of Section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
On Tuesday , Trump first demanded that social media liability protections be stripped away before he would agree to pass it .
It 's part of his war on `` Big Tech , '' which Trump and other conservative figures claim unfairly censor conservative voices — something Republican lawmakers made clear in their Capitol Hill grilling of Twitter executive Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg in November .
But according to NPR , Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are , for the most part , opposed to eliminating Section 230 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` no concrete legislative steps have been taken , '' NCR notes that some lawmakers have attempted to pitch various revisions to the provision , but no plan to scrap it entirely seems to be in the works .
This begs the question of whether Republican lawmakers will override Trump 's objections and pass the defense bill despite his threats .
Many , it seems , understand the crucial nature of the NDAA and the ramifications of failing to pass it .
But some , like Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's military .
`` I support President @ realDonaldTrump 's insistence Section 230 repeal be part of the defense authorization bill , '' Graham tweeted Friday .
`` Big Tech is the only industry in America that can not be sued for their business practices and are not meaningfully regulated .
This must come to an end . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

This week, leaders from both sides of the aisle hammered out the final details of the new National Defense Authorization Act — but Donald Trump is attempting to hold the bill hostage if it doesn’t overturn social media liability protections.
The $741 billion bill is expected to be voted on in the House and Senate next week; however, its passage could be held up by Trump’s repeated threats to veto it.
As recently as Thursday night, Trump slammed the bill’s failure to include language terminating Section 230, the provision that affords legal protections to social media.
“Very sadly for our Nation, it looks like Senator @JimInhofe will not be putting the Section 230 termination clause into the Defense Bill. So bad for our National Security and Election Integrity,” Trump tweeted. “Last chance to ever get it done. I will VETO!”
Section 230, presented by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA), was originally designed to allow website owners to serve as moderators for social media platforms without incurring legal liability for what its users said.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has referred to it as “the most important law protecting internet speech.”
Trump, however, is determined to scrap the provision, maligning it on Tuesday as a “liability shielding gift from the U.S. to ‘Big Tech.'”
Trump’s veto of the critical defense bill could have far-reaching effects.
According to the Verge, it is “one of the few pieces of legislation that is seen as a ‘must-pass’ by members of Congress.”
“The National Defense Authorization Act primarily authorizes spending by the military and other national security agencies, so a failure to pass some version of the bill could have severe consequences for the nation as a whole,” noted the outlet.
While military pay raises are a matter of statute, the Military Times reports that “at least 30 other military specialty pays,” such as hazard pay, bonuses, and housing allowances, are at risk if Trump vetoes the bill.
According to Politico, the bill will authorize $69 billion for the Overseas Contingency account and $26.6 billion for Department of Energy nuclear programs, with the remainder of the funding — some $635.5 billion — going toward the “base Pentagon budget.”
The outlet reports that the bill will also stymie Trump’s attempts to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany, prohibiting the Pentagon from reducing troop levels below $34,500 for 120 days. It will also limit any attempt to remove troops from Afghanistan until the Pentagon submits a report on how such a move might affect counterterrorism efforts going forward.
The bill also limits types of military-grade gear available to civilian law enforcement, and includes a provision that recommends a name change within three years for military bases and monuments named for Confederate figures, Politico reported.
And this isn’t the first time Trump has threatened to veto the crucial defense bill.
Over the summer, he said he would veto it if the bill included any clause recommending a name change for Confederate military assets.
“I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!” he tweeted June 30.
Twitter users were quick to point out that this was a strange and racist hill to die on.
“So you’re defending the military to defend the Confederacy? Weird priorities,” tweeted one user at the time.
But now it seems Trump has zeroed in on a repeal of Section 230 as an excuse to reject the bill.
On Tuesday, Trump first demanded that social media liability protections be stripped away before he would agree to pass it.
It’s part of his war on “Big Tech,” which Trump and other conservative figures claim unfairly censor conservative voices — something Republican lawmakers made clear in their Capitol Hill grilling of Twitter executive Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg in November.
But according to NPR, Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are, for the most part, opposed to eliminating Section 230 outright.
While the outlet reports that “no concrete legislative steps have been taken,” NCR notes that some lawmakers have attempted to pitch various revisions to the provision, but no plan to scrap it entirely seems to be in the works.
This begs the question of whether Republican lawmakers will override Trump’s objections and pass the defense bill despite his threats. Many, it seems, understand the crucial nature of the NDAA and the ramifications of failing to pass it.
But some, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would rather side with Trump than the nation’s military.
“I support President @realDonaldTrump’s insistence Section 230 repeal be part of the defense authorization bill,” Graham tweeted Friday. “Big Tech is the only industry in America that cannot be sued for their business practices and are not meaningfully regulated. This must come to an end.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-04--Obama to take vaccine publicly 'so that people know that I trust this science'

Three former presidents say they 'd be willing to take a coronavirus vaccine publicly , once one becomes available , to encourage all Americans to get inoculated against a disease that has already killed more than 275,000 people nationwide .
Former President Barack Obama said during an episode of SiriusXM 's `` The Joe Madison Show '' airing Thursday , `` I promise you that when it 's been made for people who are less at risk , I will be taking it . ''
`` I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people know that I trust this science . ''
That may not be possible for a while .
The Food and Drug Administration will consider authorizing emergency use of two vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna later this month , but current estimates project that no more than 20 million doses of each vaccine will be available by the end of this year .
Each product also requires two doses , meaning shots will be rationed in the early stages .
Health care workers and nursing home residents should be at the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices .
That encompasses about 24 million people out of a U.S. population of around 330 million .
Still , former President Bill Clinton would `` definitely '' be willing to get a vaccine , as soon as one is `` available to him , based on the priorities determined by public health officials , '' spokesman Angel Ureña said .
`` And he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same , '' Ureña said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Clinton 's team has been in touch with other former presidents about perhaps setting up a joint public immunization session , whenever that might be possible .
Former President George W. Bush 's chief of staff , Freddy Ford , told CNN that Bush recently asked him to meet with Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's top infectious disease expert , and Dr. Deborah Birx , the White House coronavirus response coordinator , to let them `` know that , when the time is right , he wants to do what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens to get vaccinated . ''
`` First , the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations , '' Ford told the network .
`` Then , President Bush will get in line for his , and will gladly do so on camera . ''
The only other living former president , Jimmy Carter , who at 96 is the oldest ex-president in U.S. history , also encouraged people to get vaccinated , but stopped short of pledging to do so himself in public .
`` Jimmy Carter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today that they are in full support of COVID-19 vaccine efforts and encourage everyone who is eligible to get immunized as soon as it becomes available in their communities , '' the Carter Center said in a statement .
The voice of support comes as the U.S. recorded more than 3,100 COVID-19 deaths in a single day , far outpacing the record set last spring .
The number of Americans hospitalized with the virus also has eclipsed 100,000 for the first time .
Donald Trump was asked this summer if he would consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send a message that it was safe .
The president said that going first could also lead to accusations that he was being selfish , but that he would take it if recommended to do so .
`` I would absolutely , if they wanted me to , if they thought it was right .
I would take it first or I would take it last , '' Trump said during a July interview with Fox News .
`` You know that if I take it first , I will be , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , right ? ''
Making Trump among the first to get the vaccine could indeed be controversial , given that he tested positive for the virus so recently .
Vaccine trials excluded volunteers who had diagnosed infections — including those who had gotten treatment for the virus , which Trump had in October .
Still , Trump is promoting the vaccine .
At the ceremony for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree , which was taped Monday and streamed Thursday evening , Trump said , `` It is truly a Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medically , they say , ever in history . ''
During a Thursday roundtable in Memphis , Tennessee , with Vice President Mike Pence , Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , said the U.S. must restore national trust in immunizations .
`` There 's been a great deal of challenge over the years of this growing concern of what I call 'vaccine hesitancy , ' '' Redfield said .
`` It 's really sad as an infectious disease physician to see many people choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves , their family , and the community . ''
Asked if he 'd personally be taking a vaccine , Pence gave a thumbs up and replied , `` Absolutely . ''
President-elect Joe Biden said months ago that he 'd take `` a vaccine tomorrow '' as soon as doing so was possible .
Biden told CNN during an interview Thursday that he too would be happy to get his vaccine publicly to encourage people to follow suit .
`` People have lost faith in the ability of the vaccine to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the numbers are really staggeringly low , and it matters what the president and vice president do . ''
That follows Biden 's warning on Wednesday that the spread of the coronavirus pandemic over the next two months could kill as many as 250,000 more people , though he did n't offer details to back up such a bleak assessment .
`` You can not be traveling during these holidays , '' Biden told the public `` as much as you want to . ''

Three former presidents say they’d be willing to take a coronavirus vaccine publicly, once one becomes available, to encourage all Americans to get inoculated against a disease that has already killed more than 275,000 people nationwide.
Former President Barack Obama said during an episode of SiriusXM’s “The Joe Madison Show” airing Thursday, “I promise you that when it’s been made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it.”
“I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed,” Obama added, “just so that people know that I trust this science.”
That may not be possible for a while. The Food and Drug Administration will consider authorizing emergency use of two vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna later this month, but current estimates project that no more than 20 million doses of each vaccine will be available by the end of this year. Each product also requires two doses, meaning shots will be rationed in the early stages.
Health care workers and nursing home residents should be at the front of the line, according to the influential Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. That encompasses about 24 million people out of a U.S. population of around 330 million.
Still, former President Bill Clinton would “definitely” be willing to get a vaccine, as soon as one is “available to him, based on the priorities determined by public health officials,” spokesman Angel Ureña said.
“And he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same,” Ureña said in a statement Thursday.
Ureña declined to say whether Clinton’s team has been in touch with other former presidents about perhaps setting up a joint public immunization session, whenever that might be possible.
Former President George W. Bush’s chief of staff, Freddy Ford, told CNN that Bush recently asked him to meet with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, to let them “know that, when the time is right, he wants to do what he can to help encourage his fellow citizens to get vaccinated.”
“First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations,” Ford told the network. “Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera.”
The only other living former president, Jimmy Carter, who at 96 is the oldest ex-president in U.S. history, also encouraged people to get vaccinated, but stopped short of pledging to do so himself in public.
“Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, said today that they are in full support of COVID-19 vaccine efforts and encourage everyone who is eligible to get immunized as soon as it becomes available in their communities,” the Carter Center said in a statement.
The voice of support comes as the U.S. recorded more than 3,100 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, far outpacing the record set last spring. The number of Americans hospitalized with the virus also has eclipsed 100,000 for the first time.
Donald Trump was asked this summer if he would consider being the first to take the vaccine to send a message that it was safe. The president said that going first could also lead to accusations that he was being selfish, but that he would take it if recommended to do so.
“I would absolutely, if they wanted me to, if they thought it was right. I would take it first or I would take it last,” Trump said during a July interview with Fox News. “You know that if I take it first, I will be, either way, I lose on that one, right?”
Making Trump among the first to get the vaccine could indeed be controversial, given that he tested positive for the virus so recently. Vaccine trials excluded volunteers who had diagnosed infections — including those who had gotten treatment for the virus, which Trump had in October.
Still, Trump is promoting the vaccine. At the ceremony for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, which was taped Monday and streamed Thursday evening, Trump said, “It is truly a Christmas miracle, one of the great achievements medically, they say, ever in history.”
During a Thursday roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, with Vice President Mike Pence, Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the U.S. must restore national trust in immunizations.
“There’s been a great deal of challenge over the years of this growing concern of what I call ‘vaccine hesitancy,'” Redfield said. “It’s really sad as an infectious disease physician to see many people choose to leave vaccination on the shelf for themselves, their family, and the community.”
Asked if he’d personally be taking a vaccine, Pence gave a thumbs up and replied, “Absolutely.”
President-elect Joe Biden said months ago that he’d take “a vaccine tomorrow” as soon as doing so was possible.
Biden told CNN during an interview Thursday that he too would be happy to get his vaccine publicly to encourage people to follow suit.
“People have lost faith in the ability of the vaccine to work,” Biden said. “Already the numbers are really staggeringly low, and it matters what the president and vice president do.”
That follows Biden’s warning on Wednesday that the spread of the coronavirus pandemic over the next two months could kill as many as 250,000 more people, though he didn’t offer details to back up such a bleak assessment.
“You cannot be traveling during these holidays,” Biden told the public “as much as you want to.”


shareblue--2020-12-04--Law enforcement officials beg Trump to please stop executing people

Nearly 100 law enforcement officials signed an open letter this week urging the Trump administration to halt the scheduled execution of five federal prisoners in the next few months .
The joint statement , released by the nonprofit Fair and Just Prosecution , was signed by more than 60 current elected prosecutors ( district attorneys , state attorneys , prosecuting attorneys , and attorneys general ) , nine former U.S .
Attorneys , and 14 current and former police chiefs and sheriffs .
Miriam Krinsky , a former federal prosecutor and executive director of the criminal justice reform group said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to execute people in the midst of a presidential transition and at a time when COVID-19 is surging would seriously undermine the public ’ s already-damaged trust in the justice system , and thus erode public safety . ''
`` This administration has a chance to show us that it values fairness , justice and compassion over vengeance — I hope they take it , '' said Krinsky , who organized and signed the letter .
She said the current administration was leaving behind a `` sad legacy '' by moving ahead with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has scheduled two executions this month and three in January in the week before President-elect Biden is inaugurated , USA Today noted .
`` In the final months [ of the administration ] , it feels like a rush to execution .
It does n't sound like good common sense , ” said Darrel Stephens , a former police chief in Charlotte-Mecklenburg , North Carolina who also signed the letter .
He told USA Today that it was the first time he had supported a petition of this kind .
In July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General William Barr carried out the first federal execution in 17 years .
Over the summer , the DOJ executed three federal prisoners in just four days .
Before that , only three inmates had been executed by the federal government since 1988 .
David Perry , an academic adviser at the University of Minnesota ’ s history department , called the number and speed of executions under the Trump administration `` unprecedented '' in a USA Today op-ed .
Perry noted that the Nov. 20 execution of Orlando Hall , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a 16-year-old in 1994 , was the first to occur during a presidential transition since 1889 .
`` Trump and Barr are building a bridge back to the 19th century .
Not only is their policy regressive , but the difficulty of obtaining the drugs for lethal injections inspired Barr to issue a new rule permitting the use of firing squads and electrocutions as means of execution , '' he wrote .
Perry was referring to a DOJ rule change that will go into effect on Dec. 24 , which states that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ row inmates `` by any other manner prescribed by the law of the State in which the sentence was imposed '' if lethal injection is unavailable , according to the Washington Post .
As the Post noted , Trump has been a long-standing supporter of capital punishment .
Biden , on the other hand , is seeking to `` eliminate the death penalty at the federal level , '' according to his website .
`` Over 160 individuals who 've been sentenced to death in this country since 1973 have later been exonerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can not ensure we get death penalty cases right every time , Biden will work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level , and incentivize states to follow the federal government 's example . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Nearly 100 law enforcement officials signed an open letter this week urging the Trump administration to halt the scheduled execution of five federal prisoners in the next few months.
The joint statement, released by the nonprofit Fair and Just Prosecution, was signed by more than 60 current elected prosecutors (district attorneys, state attorneys, prosecuting attorneys, and attorneys general), nine former U.S. Attorneys, and 14 current and former police chiefs and sheriffs.
Miriam Krinsky, a former federal prosecutor and executive director of the criminal justice reform group said in a press release, “Rushing to execute people in the midst of a presidential transition and at a time when COVID-19 is surging would seriously undermine the public’s already-damaged trust in the justice system, and thus erode public safety.”
“This administration has a chance to show us that it values fairness, justice and compassion over vengeance — I hope they take it,” said Krinsky, who organized and signed the letter. She said the current administration was leaving behind a “sad legacy” by moving ahead with the scheduled federal executions.
The Trump administration has scheduled two executions this month and three in January in the week before President-elect Biden is inaugurated, USA Today noted.
“In the final months [of the administration], it feels like a rush to execution. It doesn’t sound like good common sense,” said Darrel Stephens, a former police chief in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina who also signed the letter. He told USA Today that it was the first time he had supported a petition of this kind.
In July, Donald Trump’s Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr carried out the first federal execution in 17 years.
Over the summer, the DOJ executed three federal prisoners in just four days.
Before that, only three inmates had been executed by the federal government since 1988.
David Perry, an academic adviser at the University of Minnesota’s history department, called the number and speed of executions under the Trump administration “unprecedented” in a USA Today op-ed.
Perry noted that the Nov. 20 execution of Orlando Hall, who was convicted in the murder and rape of a 16-year-old in 1994, was the first to occur during a presidential transition since 1889.
“Trump and Barr are building a bridge back to the 19th century. Not only is their policy regressive, but the difficulty of obtaining the drugs for lethal injections inspired Barr to issue a new rule permitting the use of firing squads and electrocutions as means of execution,” he wrote.
Perry was referring to a DOJ rule change that will go into effect on Dec. 24, which states that federal authorities are permitted to execute death row inmates “by any other manner prescribed by the law of the State in which the sentence was imposed” if lethal injection is unavailable, according to the Washington Post.
As the Post noted, Trump has been a long-standing supporter of capital punishment. Biden, on the other hand, is seeking to “eliminate the death penalty at the federal level,” according to his website.
“Over 160 individuals who’ve been sentenced to death in this country since 1973 have later been exonerated,” it states. “Because we cannot ensure we get death penalty cases right every time, Biden will work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-04--Election lies pushed by Trump aren't going away anytime soon

The cellphone video shot in the dark by a woman in a parked car appeared to show something ominous : a man closing the doors of a white van and then rolling a wagon with a large box into a Detroit election center .
Within hours , the 90-second clip was being shared on news sites and conservative YouTube accounts , offered as apparent proof that illegal votes were being smuggled in after polls closed .
Prominent Republicans , including Eric Trump , one of Trump 's sons , amplified the falsehoods on social media .
Within a day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a million .
That single video serves as a powerful emblem of the trafficking in false information that has plagued the presidential election won by Joe Biden .
In other videos , photos , and social media posts , supporters of Donald Trump , and most notably the incumbent himself , have raised doubts about the outcome based on problems that did not occur .
Though the clip was quickly discredited by news organizations and public officials — the man depicted was a photojournalist hauling camera equipment , not illegal votes — to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Eric Hainline , a UPS driver from Dayton , Ohio , watched the video and many like it , and said the images reinforced his suspicions that the election was stolen from Trump .
`` You do n't know who to believe anymore , '' said Hainline , 44 .
`` I think the trust people have is broken . ''
Trump and his allies have fomented the idea of a `` rigged election '' for months , promoting falsehoods through various media and even lawsuits about fraudulent votes and dead voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the details of these spurious allegations may fade over time , the scar they leave on American democracy could take years to heal .
`` There will always be people who believe the Democrats stole the election in 2020 , '' said Jennifer Mercieca , a historian of political rhetoric at Texas A & M University .
`` That will not change . ''
In fact , there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election .
Election officials confirmed there were no serious irregularities and the election went well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department has not identified voter fraud that would change the presidential election .
But from the Oval Office , Trump has consistently tried to mislead the nation about the outcome .
As a result , cries of voter fraud have persisted loudly in an online media ecosystem where pro-Trump Facebook pages , Twitter accounts , and fringe websites readily circulate unchecked or misleading claims about the voting process .
And one of those falsehoods sprang from the cellphone camera of Kelly SoRelle , a Republican from Texas .
After shooting her video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit , SoRelle took it to a conservative YouTube host who played it for his show 's 5 million subscribers the day after the election .
She also gave it to the Texas Scorecard , a website started by Empower Texans , a lobbying group that ranks politicians on a conservative scorecard and is bankrolled by West Texas businessman Tim Dunn .
Empower Texans ' PAC has pumped millions of dollars into the campaigns of ultra-conservative candidates .
Texas Scorecard posted the video on its website and YouTube page , which collectively racked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not respond to requests for comment .
Others soon picked up the story , and four hours later , Eric Trump had tweeted it to his 4 million followers .
`` WATCH : Suitcases and Coolers Rolled Into Detroit Voting Center at 4 AM , Brought Into Secure Counting Area , '' he tweeted .
Over the next week , there were nearly 150,000 mentions of wagons , suitcases , or coolers of votes in broadcast scripts , blogs , and on public Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram accounts , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zignal Labs conducted for the AP .
An investigative reporter at local TV station WXYZ-TV clarified on Twitter the night the video was first posted that the mysterious man was one of its videographers .
He was pulling in a wagon of equipment to relieve the crew inside the voting center .
Mentions of the story began to fizzle out on Nov. 5 after news organizations fact-checked the claims , Zignal Labs ' report found .
By then , however , many of those fringe websites and Trump associates were busy peddling new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed 100,000 ballots were `` magically found '' in Milwaukee at 3 a.m. , when , in reality , the city 's election director , escorted by police , had just delivered thumb drives of data with the count of roughly 169,000 absentee ballots to the county courthouse so the results could be uploaded .
Others suggested that Dominion Voting Systems , one of the country 's most widely used voting technology firms , deleted or switched votes — an impossible feat that never happened , the company says , a finding confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security .
Meanwhile , in lawsuits , tweets , and Facebook posts , the Trump campaign started naming voters in Georgia , Nevada , and Michigan they believed were dead .
Among them was Mrs. James E. Blalock , a Georgia widow who registered to vote using her married name and is alive .
In Georgia , where Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win since 1992 , other false claims that voting machines deleted votes for Trump or ballots were tossed into the garbage have littered social media feeds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fellow Republicans , including the president , accused Georgia 's GOP secretary of state , Brad Raffensperger , of being a `` liar '' who failed to root out `` illegal '' votes in the state .
`` There are those who are exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims , half-truths , misinformation , and frankly , they 're misleading the president as well , apparently , '' Raffensperger said at a news conference Monday .
And even as states around the country certify election results showing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his closest allies have continued their campaign against the election , reviving debunked falsehoods in front of TV cameras and late-night tweets .
Biden supporter RosaLea Schiavone , of San Diego , said she has watched with horror — but not surprise — as Trump has fanned conspiracy theories about the election 's outcome .
She worries the damage will last far longer than one campaign , one term or one presidency .
`` This is about fear , what he 's doing .
He plays into people 's fear and mistrust , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could hurt all of us . ''
The social media platforms have tried to slow the reach of some of those falsehoods about the U.S. election , with both Twitter and Facebook fact-checking false claims on their sites .
Since Election Day , Twitter has flagged more than 100 of Trump 's tweets about the vote , some of which prohibited users from sharing , commenting on , or liking .
Facebook has labeled the president 's misleading posts but not limited users ' ability to spread the falsehoods across its platform .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook to deliver a 46-minute diatribe of misstatements about the election to his collective following of 100 million users on the two platforms .
When Trump says he was cheated in this election , 77-year-old Myra C. Ruiz believes him .
Any fact-checking of his statements has done little to convince her otherwise .
`` I heard two days ago that Trump said he did n't lose this election ; it was taken from him , '' said Ruiz , a Trump supporter who lives in New Orleans .
Ruiz is among a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election was stolen .
A survey last month by Monmouth University found that almost one-third of Americans , and more than 75 % of Trump supporters , believe Biden only won because of fraud .
Falsehoods around the election have continued to reach a large audience , with nearly 2.5 million mentions of voter fraud and Stop the Steal across online sites , broadcasts and public social media accounts just last week , according to Zignal Labs ' analysis .
Overwhelmed with claims of problems in the election from Trump , media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are increasingly likely to wonder if the vote can be trusted , said Lisa Fazio , a psychology professor at Vanderbilt University who studies the impact of false information .
`` There 's so much repetition of this narrative that there 's voter fraud , '' Fazio said .
`` There 's two benefits of repetition .
We know people are more likely to remember something .
Repetition also increases belief in a claim . ''
But Michael Hobson , a 61-year-old who voted for Trump , has mostly shrugged off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election and the reports he 's seen about voter fraud on the conservative TV station One America News Network he watches .
`` I think he 's wrong , '' said Hobson , who lives in Virginia Beach , Virginia .
`` The amount of ( voter fraud ) he 's talking about is not going to make a difference anyway . ''

The cellphone video shot in the dark by a woman in a parked car appeared to show something ominous: a man closing the doors of a white van and then rolling a wagon with a large box into a Detroit election center.
Within hours, the 90-second clip was being shared on news sites and conservative YouTube accounts, offered as apparent proof that illegal votes were being smuggled in after polls closed. Prominent Republicans, including Eric Trump, one of Trump’s sons, amplified the falsehoods on social media. Within a day, views of the video shot up past a million.
That single video serves as a powerful emblem of the trafficking in false information that has plagued the presidential election won by Joe Biden. In other videos, photos, and social media posts, supporters of Donald Trump, and most notably the incumbent himself, have raised doubts about the outcome based on problems that did not occur.
Though the clip was quickly discredited by news organizations and public officials — the man depicted was a photojournalist hauling camera equipment, not illegal votes — to many viewers it had its intended effect.
Eric Hainline, a UPS driver from Dayton, Ohio, watched the video and many like it, and said the images reinforced his suspicions that the election was stolen from Trump.
“You don’t know who to believe anymore,” said Hainline, 44. “I think the trust people have is broken.”
Trump and his allies have fomented the idea of a “rigged election” for months, promoting falsehoods through various media and even lawsuits about fraudulent votes and dead voters casting ballots across the country.
While the details of these spurious allegations may fade over time, the scar they leave on American democracy could take years to heal.
“There will always be people who believe the Democrats stole the election in 2020,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a historian of political rhetoric at Texas A&M University. “That will not change.”
In fact, there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Election officials confirmed there were no serious irregularities and the election went well. Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not identified voter fraud that would change the presidential election.
But from the Oval Office, Trump has consistently tried to mislead the nation about the outcome. As a result, cries of voter fraud have persisted loudly in an online media ecosystem where pro-Trump Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and fringe websites readily circulate unchecked or misleading claims about the voting process.
And one of those falsehoods sprang from the cellphone camera of Kelly SoRelle, a Republican from Texas. After shooting her video of the man with a wagon in Detroit, SoRelle took it to a conservative YouTube host who played it for his show’s 5 million subscribers the day after the election. She also gave it to the Texas Scorecard, a website started by Empower Texans, a lobbying group that ranks politicians on a conservative scorecard and is bankrolled by West Texas businessman Tim Dunn.
Empower Texans’ PAC has pumped millions of dollars into the campaigns of ultra-conservative candidates. Texas Scorecard posted the video on its website and YouTube page, which collectively racked up 50,000 shares on Facebook. SoRelle did not respond to requests for comment.
Others soon picked up the story, and four hours later, Eric Trump had tweeted it to his 4 million followers. “WATCH: Suitcases and Coolers Rolled Into Detroit Voting Center at 4 AM, Brought Into Secure Counting Area,” he tweeted.
Over the next week, there were nearly 150,000 mentions of wagons, suitcases, or coolers of votes in broadcast scripts, blogs, and on public Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts, according to an analysis that media intelligence firm Zignal Labs conducted for the AP.
An investigative reporter at local TV station WXYZ-TV clarified on Twitter the night the video was first posted that the mysterious man was one of its videographers. He was pulling in a wagon of equipment to relieve the crew inside the voting center. Mentions of the story began to fizzle out on Nov. 5 after news organizations fact-checked the claims, Zignal Labs’ report found.
By then, however, many of those fringe websites and Trump associates were busy peddling new claims of voter fraud online.
Some claimed 100,000 ballots were “magically found” in Milwaukee at 3 a.m., when, in reality, the city’s election director, escorted by police, had just delivered thumb drives of data with the count of roughly 169,000 absentee ballots to the county courthouse so the results could be uploaded. Others suggested that Dominion Voting Systems, one of the country’s most widely used voting technology firms, deleted or switched votes — an impossible feat that never happened, the company says, a finding confirmed by the federal agency that oversees election security.
Meanwhile, in lawsuits, tweets, and Facebook posts, the Trump campaign started naming voters in Georgia, Nevada, and Michigan they believed were dead. Among them was Mrs. James E. Blalock, a Georgia widow who registered to vote using her married name and is alive.
In Georgia, where Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win since 1992, other false claims that voting machines deleted votes for Trump or ballots were tossed into the garbage have littered social media feeds. Propping up those false claims as evidence, fellow Republicans, including the president, accused Georgia’s GOP secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, of being a “liar” who failed to root out “illegal” votes in the state.
“There are those who are exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims, half-truths, misinformation, and frankly, they’re misleading the president as well, apparently,” Raffensperger said at a news conference Monday.
And even as states around the country certify election results showing that Biden won the race, Trump and his closest allies have continued their campaign against the election, reviving debunked falsehoods in front of TV cameras and late-night tweets.
Biden supporter RosaLea Schiavone, of San Diego, said she has watched with horror — but not surprise — as Trump has fanned conspiracy theories about the election’s outcome. She worries the damage will last far longer than one campaign, one term or one presidency.
“This is about fear, what he’s doing. He plays into people’s fear and mistrust,” the 71-year-old said. “It could hurt all of us.”
The social media platforms have tried to slow the reach of some of those falsehoods about the U.S. election, with both Twitter and Facebook fact-checking false claims on their sites.
Since Election Day, Twitter has flagged more than 100 of Trump’s tweets about the vote, some of which prohibited users from sharing, commenting on, or liking. Facebook has labeled the president’s misleading posts but not limited users’ ability to spread the falsehoods across its platform. On Wednesday, Trump used Twitter and Facebook to deliver a 46-minute diatribe of misstatements about the election to his collective following of 100 million users on the two platforms.
When Trump says he was cheated in this election, 77-year-old Myra C. Ruiz believes him. Any fact-checking of his statements has done little to convince her otherwise.
“I heard two days ago that Trump said he didn’t lose this election; it was taken from him,” said Ruiz, a Trump supporter who lives in New Orleans.
Ruiz is among a sizable majority of Trump backers who believe the election was stolen. A survey last month by Monmouth University found that almost one-third of Americans, and more than 75% of Trump supporters, believe Biden only won because of fraud.
Falsehoods around the election have continued to reach a large audience, with nearly 2.5 million mentions of voter fraud and Stop the Steal across online sites, broadcasts and public social media accounts just last week, according to Zignal Labs’ analysis.
Overwhelmed with claims of problems in the election from Trump, media reports, and social media posts, Americans are increasingly likely to wonder if the vote can be trusted, said Lisa Fazio, a psychology professor at Vanderbilt University who studies the impact of false information.
“There’s so much repetition of this narrative that there’s voter fraud,” Fazio said. “There’s two benefits of repetition. We know people are more likely to remember something. Repetition also increases belief in a claim.”
But Michael Hobson, a 61-year-old who voted for Trump, has mostly shrugged off the complaints he’s heard from Trump about the election and the reports he’s seen about voter fraud on the conservative TV station One America News Network he watches.
“I think he’s wrong,” said Hobson, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “The amount of (voter fraud) he’s talking about is not going to make a difference anyway.”