shareblue--2020-06-09--Trump says 99% of law enforcement are 'great people' as police attack protesters

Donald Trump lauded policing in the United States on Monday , rejecting the notion of any systemic racism in law enforcement .
Trump 's praise for the police came as protesters across the country continued to face violent police attacks .
`` We want to make sure we do n't have any bad actors in there .
And sometimes you 'll see some horrible things , like we witnessed recently .
But 99 — I say 99.9 , but let 's go with 99 — percent of them are great , great people , '' Trump said at a roundtable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys general , and representatives of police departments and organizations at the White House .
Mass protests continue in communities across the country to demand an end to police brutality and racism — and peaceful protesters across the country continue to be attacked by police .
Last week , six officers in Atlanta were charged with using excessive force during a protest .
On Monday , two Minnesota law enforcement agencies admitted that officers had slashed the tires of vehicles parked near protests in Minneapolis .
Trump also tweeted attacks on protesters himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggestion that a 75-year-old man in Buffalo , New York , who was assaulted by police officers as he protested was an antifa crisis actor .
Tweeted Trump , `` Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur .
75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment .
...
I watched , he fell harder than was pushed .
Was aiming scanner .
Could be a set up ? ''
The protester , Martin Gugino , was pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck his head .
As of Monday , Gugino was still hospitalized in what his attorney called `` serious but stable condition . ''
The attorney , Kelly Zarcone , said in a statement , `` We are at a loss to understand why the President of the United States would make such dark , dangerous , and untrue accusations against him . ''
Two officers have been charged with second-degree assault in the incident .
Trump is n't the only member of his administration to downplay the issue of police brutality against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told CBS News on Sunday that he does not `` think the law enforcement system is systemically racist . ''
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told ABC News Sunday , `` I do not think that we have a systemic racism problem with law enforcement officers across this country . ''
Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli told CNN on Sunday that `` we do not have a systemic racism problem in our policing in this country '' and that George Floyd 's race had nothing to do with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that African Americans are 2 1/2 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than are white people .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump lauded policing in the United States on Monday, rejecting the notion of any systemic racism in law enforcement.
Trump’s praise for the police came as protesters across the country continued to face violent police attacks.
“We want to make sure we don’t have any bad actors in there. And sometimes you’ll see some horrible things, like we witnessed recently. But 99 — I say 99.9, but let’s go with 99 — percent of them are great, great people,” Trump said at a roundtable discussion with administration officials, several state attorneys general, and representatives of police departments and organizations at the White House.
Mass protests continue in communities across the country to demand an end to police brutality and racism — and peaceful protesters across the country continue to be attacked by police.
Last week, six officers in Atlanta were charged with using excessive force during a protest. On Monday, two Minnesota law enforcement agencies admitted that officers had slashed the tires of vehicles parked near protests in Minneapolis.
Trump also tweeted attacks on protesters himself on Tuesday morning, making the baseless suggestion that a 75-year-old man in Buffalo, New York, who was assaulted by police officers as he protested was an antifa crisis actor.
Tweeted Trump, “Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. … I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?”
The protester, Martin Gugino, was pushed to the pavement by the officers and struck his head. As of Monday, Gugino was still hospitalized in what his attorney called “serious but stable condition.”
The attorney, Kelly Zarcone, said in a statement, “We are at a loss to understand why the President of the United States would make such dark, dangerous, and untrue accusations against him.”
Two officers have been charged with second-degree assault in the incident.
Trump isn’t the only member of his administration to downplay the issue of police brutality against black people.
Attorney General William Barr told CBS News on Sunday that he does not “think the law enforcement system is systemically racist.”
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told ABC News Sunday, “I do not think that we have a systemic racism problem with law enforcement officers across this country.”
Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli told CNN on Sunday that “we do not have a systemic racism problem in our policing in this country” and that George Floyd’s race had nothing to do with his killing.
An August 2019 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that African Americans are 2 1/2 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than are white people.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-09--Trump campaign spends $400,000 on ads to raise his spirits

Donald Trump 's reelection campaign is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on targeted campaign ads not to swing voter sentiment , but to mollify Trump , who is angry about his poor poll numbers , the Daily Beast reported on Monday .
According to the report , the campaign spent $ 400,000 to run ads on cable news channels Trump watches .
The ads are running in Washington , D.C. , Maryland , and Virginia — all of which Trump lost in 2016 and has little shot of winning in 2020 .
Hillary Clinton won Maryland in 2016 with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia with 50 % of the vote .
The last time a Republican won Virginia at the presidential level was in 2004 , while a Republican presidential candidate has n't won Maryland since 1988 .
Trump 's reelection hopes are looking grim , with new polling showing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden with a comfortable lead ahead of the 2020 election .
CNN poll results released Monday found Biden climbing to a 14-point lead over Trump .
RealClearPolitics has Biden at an average of 8 points over Trump .
In the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday that Biden `` appears in a stronger position to oust an incumbent president than any challenger since Bill Clinton in the summer of 1992 . ''
Trump has complained about the polls , calling them `` very unfair '' and `` FAKE . ''
On Monday , he tweeted a memo put out by his campaign pollster , McLaughlin & Associates , claiming that the polls showing him trailing Biden were deliberately skewed against him .
McLaughlin & Associates has a record of inaccuracy in analyzing previous election races .
In 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races wrong that some national Republicans urged GOP candidates not to hire the firm .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on targeted campaign ads not to swing voter sentiment, but to mollify Trump, who is angry about his poor poll numbers, the Daily Beast reported on Monday.
According to the report, the campaign spent $400,000 to run ads on cable news channels Trump watches. The ads are running in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia — all of which Trump lost in 2016 and has little shot of winning in 2020.
Hillary Clinton won Maryland in 2016 with 60% of the vote, and Virginia with 50% of the vote. The last time a Republican won Virginia at the presidential level was in 2004, while a Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Maryland since 1988.
Trump’s reelection hopes are looking grim, with new polling showing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden with a comfortable lead ahead of the 2020 election.
CNN poll results released Monday found Biden climbing to a 14-point lead over Trump. RealClearPolitics has Biden at an average of 8 points over Trump.
In the New York Times, Nate Cohn reported on Tuesday that Biden “appears in a stronger position to oust an incumbent president than any challenger since Bill Clinton in the summer of 1992.”
Trump has complained about the polls, calling them “very unfair” and “FAKE.”
On Monday, he tweeted a memo put out by his campaign pollster, McLaughlin & Associates, claiming that the polls showing him trailing Biden were deliberately skewed against him.
McLaughlin & Associates has a record of inaccuracy in analyzing previous election races. In 2014, the firm had gotten so many races wrong that some national Republicans urged GOP candidates not to hire the firm.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-09--Trump claims 75-year-old hospitalized after police attack faked it

Donald Trump on Tuesday spread a baseless conspiracy theory about a 75-year-old man who remains in the hospital in `` serious but stable '' condition with a head injury after two Buffalo police officers pushed him to the ground .
The man , Martin Gugino , had been protesting against systemic racism and police brutality near Buffalo 's city hall .
`` Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur .
75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment .
@ OANN I watched , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Was aiming scanner .
Could be a set up ? ''
Trump tweeted , pointing to a segment from the right-wing channel One America News , which is known for pushing conspiracy theories .
The video of police pushing Gugino to the ground has become one of many incidents protesters are pointing to as evidence of police brutality .
The disturbing video shows Gugino — a peace activist — laying motionless on the ground with blood pooling near his head as police walked by him without offering assistance .
Two officers were charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Times reported .
Trump 's attack on Gugino is an attempt to tie him to the anti-fascist movement Trump and other Republicans claim is behind the violence and destruction seen at the protests against racism and police brutality across the country .
There is no evidence that Gugino is aligned with antifa , which is n't technically an organized group .
Nor is there evidence that antifa is behind all of the violence .
However , federal law enforcement has arrested right-wing extremists for allegedly trying to spark violence at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gotten dismal marks for how he 's responded to the protests — including calling on the U.S. military to police its own citizens and tear-gassing peaceful protesters to stage a photo-op with a bible .
A Washington Post poll released on Tuesday found 61 % of Americans disapprove of Trump 's handling of the protests , and a Washington Post poll also found a whopping 81 % of Americans think the police need to make changes .
Trump , however , has announced no policies for how to reform police departments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not mention any police reform proposals Trump supports .
`` Look , the President , again , has n't reviewed this piece of legislation , '' McEnany said , referring to a Democratic bill introduced Monday on police reforms .
`` The President is looking at what 's a state issue , what 's a federal issue right now .
He 's currently reviewing proposals , actually , on this very topic about police reform .
So I 'll leave it to him and not get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Tuesday spread a baseless conspiracy theory about a 75-year-old man who remains in the hospital in “serious but stable” condition with a head injury after two Buffalo police officers pushed him to the ground. The man, Martin Gugino, had been protesting against systemic racism and police brutality near Buffalo’s city hall.
“Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?” Trump tweeted, pointing to a segment from the right-wing channel One America News, which is known for pushing conspiracy theories.
The video of police pushing Gugino to the ground has become one of many incidents protesters are pointing to as evidence of police brutality. The disturbing video shows Gugino — a peace activist — laying motionless on the ground with blood pooling near his head as police walked by him without offering assistance. Two officers were charged with felony assault for the incident, the New York Times reported.
Trump’s attack on Gugino is an attempt to tie him to the anti-fascist movement Trump and other Republicans claim is behind the violence and destruction seen at the protests against racism and police brutality across the country.
There is no evidence that Gugino is aligned with antifa, which isn’t technically an organized group. Nor is there evidence that antifa is behind all of the violence.
However, federal law enforcement has arrested right-wing extremists for allegedly trying to spark violence at the protests.
Trump, meanwhile, has gotten dismal marks for how he’s responded to the protests — including calling on the U.S. military to police its own citizens and tear-gassing peaceful protesters to stage a photo-op with a bible.
A Washington Post poll released on Tuesday found 61% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the protests, and a Washington Post poll also found a whopping 81% of Americans think the police need to make changes.
Trump, however, has announced no policies for how to reform police departments.
At a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not mention any police reform proposals Trump supports.
“Look, the President, again, hasn’t reviewed this piece of legislation,” McEnany said, referring to a Democratic bill introduced Monday on police reforms. “The President is looking at what’s a state issue, what’s a federal issue right now. He’s currently reviewing proposals, actually, on this very topic about police reform. So I’ll leave it to him and not get ahead of him on that.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-09--Barr admits Trump hid in bunker over fear of protests — not for an 'inspection'

Attorney General William Barr on Monday admitted that Donald Trump went into a secure bunker in the bowels of the White House on May 29 over fears of the demonstrations happening nearby .
`` Things were so bad that the Secret Service recommended the president go down to the bunker , '' Barr told Fox News Monday night .
`` We ca n't have that in our country . ''
Barr 's admission contradicts Trump 's claim that he went into the bunker during the day to inspect it and that it was a `` false report '' to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters .
`` I was n't down — I went down during the day , and I was there for a tiny little short period of time , and it was much more for an inspection , '' Trump told Fox News ' Brian Kilmeade on June 3 .
`` There was no problem during the day . ''
Trump has been the target of criticism for retreating to the bunker in fear of the protests , which have largely been peaceful , with demonstrators calling for changes to policing and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
Multiple reports have said this criticism is what led Trump to tear-gas peaceful protesters before walking from the White House to a church across the street , where he held a photo-op with a bible .
The bunker Trump was taken to is rarely used , and if it is , it 's typically during serious threats .
For example , according to the New York Times , former Vice President Dick Cheney went into the bunker on Sept. 11 , 2001 , when there were fears that al-Qaida terrorists who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the White House .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Attorney General William Barr on Monday admitted that Donald Trump went into a secure bunker in the bowels of the White House on May 29 over fears of the demonstrations happening nearby.
“Things were so bad that the Secret Service recommended the president go down to the bunker,” Barr told Fox News Monday night. “We can’t have that in our country.”
Barr’s admission contradicts Trump’s claim that he went into the bunker during the day to inspect it and that it was a “false report” to say he went into the bunker over fears of protesters.


shareblue--2020-06-10--Majority of Americans want abortion to stay legal as it faces Supreme Court threat

Anti-abortion lawmakers have made concerted efforts thus far in 2020 to implement more bans and restrictions on the medical procedure .
But those efforts may have been in vain when it comes to changing people 's minds .
According to a new CBS poll published Monday , a large majority of people in the country still support abortion rights .
As the country awaits a Supreme Court decision in a case that could radically reshape the availability of abortion , the poll found that 63 % of Americans support keeping Roe v. Wade intact .
Almost half — 49 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view as well .
The poll was taken in advance of the Supreme Court decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo , a major case looking at abortion restrictions .
As the current Supreme Court term ends June 30 , a decision is expected before then .
But some states have n't been waiting on the Supreme Court to help them ban abortion .
The beginning of the year saw a spate of so-called `` born-alive '' abortion bills , which conservatives have argued are necessary to protect children who may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said these bills serve no medical purpose , instead relying on inflammatory language and unrealistic hypotheticals to stigmatize both doctors and patients .
In February , Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) conducted a hearing on such a bill , allowing anti-abortion activists to repeat long-debunked talking points about how abortion providers have a financial stake in providing abortions later in pregnancy .
West Virginia passed a `` born-alive '' bill that some GOP backers outright admitted was only about sending a political message — not solving an actual problem .
Kentucky tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of time to overrule a veto by Democratic Gov .
Andy Beshear .
In Wyoming , the legislature passed a `` born-alive '' bill that was so unnecessary even the state 's hardline anti-abortion governor , Republican Mark Gordon , vetoed the bill .
In his veto statement , he pointed out that laws in Wyoming already protect people from denying care to a child .
The coronavirus pandemic also provided many states with a convenient excuse to ban abortion for a time by declaring that the procedure was `` non-essential .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks in March and April , the status of abortion access was unclear for anyone seeking care in those states .
Arkansas initially banned it entirely but then said people could have an abortion if they had a COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to the procedure , even though the tests were n't widely available .
Lengthy litigation in Texas during April meant the availability of abortion there changed nearly daily .
And Alabama , Iowa , Kentucky , Ohio , and Oklahoma all tried to use the pandemic as an excuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of success .
However , these recent GOP attempts to restrict and ban abortions have done little to change the fact that most Americans believe abortion should be legal and available .
But they have succeeded in making abortions harder to get .
A recent study in Ohio found that as the state placed greater restrictions on abortions , patients were getting the procedure later .
Another study showed that abortion regulations can dramatically increase the cost of the procedure without providing any added safety .
Research has shown that when costs increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IBIS Reproductive Health found that searching for financial resources to cover the costs of an abortion can delay people from receiving abortion care , `` forcing some women to have later abortions and increasing the costs and potential health risks of an unintended pregnancy . ''
The country is waiting to learn whether the Supreme Court will give the green light to further restrictions .
But for now , the American public stands firmly with the right to get an abortion .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Anti-abortion lawmakers have made concerted efforts thus far in 2020 to implement more bans and restrictions on the medical procedure. But those efforts may have been in vain when it comes to changing people’s minds. According to a new CBS poll published Monday, a large majority of people in the country still support abortion rights.
As the country awaits a Supreme Court decision in a case that could radically reshape the availability of abortion, the poll found that 63% of Americans support keeping Roe v. Wade intact. Almost half — 49% — of self-identified Republicans agree with that view as well.
The poll was taken in advance of the Supreme Court decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, a major case looking at abortion restrictions. As the current Supreme Court term ends June 30, a decision is expected before then.
But some states haven’t been waiting on the Supreme Court to help them ban abortion. The beginning of the year saw a spate of so-called “born-alive” abortion bills, which conservatives have argued are necessary to protect children who may be born during an abortion. Experts have said these bills serve no medical purpose, but instead rely on inflammatory language and unrealistic hypotheticals to stigmatize both doctors and patients.
In February, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) conducted a hearing on such a bill, allowing anti-abortion activists to repeat long-debunked talking points about how abortion providers have a financial stake in providing abortions later in pregnancy.
West Virginia passed a “born-alive” bill that some GOP backers outright admitted was only about sending a political message — not solving an actual problem. Kentucky tried to pass a similar bill but ran out of time to overrule a veto by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
In Wyoming, the legislature passed a “born-alive” bill that was so unnecessary even the state’s hard-line anti-abortion governor, Republican Mark Gordon, vetoed the bill. In his veto statement, he pointed out that laws in Wyoming already prevent people from denying care to a child.
The coronavirus pandemic also provided many states with a convenient excuse to ban abortion for a time by declaring that the procedure was “nonessential.” As a result, for several weeks in March and April, the status of abortion access was unclear for anyone seeking care in those states.
Arkansas initially banned it entirely but then said people could have an abortion if they had a COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to the procedure, even though the tests weren’t widely available. Lengthy litigation in Texas during April meant the availability of abortion there changed nearly daily. And Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, and Oklahoma all tried to use the pandemic as an excuse to ban abortion, with varying degrees of success.
However, these recent GOP attempts to restrict and ban abortions have done little to change the fact that most Americans believe abortion should be legal and available.
But they have succeeded in making abortions harder to get. A recent study in Ohio found that as the state placed greater restrictions on abortions, patients were getting the procedure later. Another study showed that abortion regulations can dramatically increase the cost of the procedure without providing any added safety.
Research has shown that when costs increase, access decreases. A report released by Ibis Reproductive Health found that searching for financial resources to cover the costs of an abortion can delay people from receiving abortion care, “forcing some women to have later abortions and increasing the costs and potential health risks of an unintended pregnancy.”
The country is waiting to learn whether the Supreme Court will give the green light to further restrictions. But for now, the American public stands firmly behind the right to get an abortion.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--Sen. Tom Cotton launches new racist attack ad to support Trump

A GOP senator is wading into the presidential election , using racist language in ads attacking Joe Biden .
Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) announced Wednesday on Twitter that his leadership PAC , the Republican Majority Fund , will run digital ads in swing states and on the New York Times ' website opposing the likely Democratic presidential nominee .
The spots use a racist term to describe the coronavirus , repeat a debunked claim about Joe Biden , and mock the former vice president for stuttering .
`` China 's lies spread the China virus across the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting the health and jobs of the American people at risk . ''
The minute-long ad then says that Biden `` does n't know what day it is '' and that he is `` so clueless '' that he `` called the China travel ban 'xenophobic . '
'' Biden had actually repeatedly criticized `` Donald Trump ’ s record of hysteria , xenophobia , and fear-mongering , '' without mentioning the travel ban .
Cotton and other Republicans have continued to use `` China virus '' and `` Chinese virus '' for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warn against naming viruses after geographic locations because it unfairly stigmatizes people for things over which they have no control and can lead to racist and xenophobic actions against them .
And that has happened in recent months , as Asians and Asian Americans have been the targets of increasing numbers of hate crimes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Cotton , who has no major opposition in his 2020 Senate reelection race , is already under fire for recent pronouncements on the protests throughout the country in response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , by a white police officer in Minneapolis .
Last week the New York Times published an op-ed piece by Cotton in which he demanded that U.S. troops be deployed against protesting Americans to `` restore order . ''
The op-ed was widely criticized , as was the New York Times for publishing it .
Cotton also provided his thoughts on who the people protesting police violence are , tweeting a call for `` no quarter for insurrectionists , anarchists , rioters , and looters . ''
On Monday , he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` you can paint with a broad brush and say there 's systemic racism in the criminal justice system in America . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A GOP senator is wading into the presidential election, using racist language in ads attacking Joe Biden.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) announced Wednesday on Twitter that his leadership PAC, the Republican Majority Fund, will run digital ads in swing states and on the New York Times’ website opposing the likely Democratic presidential nominee.
The spots use a racist term to describe the coronavirus, repeat a debunked claim about Joe Biden, and mock the former vice president for stuttering.
“China’s lies spread the China virus across the world,” a narrator says, “putting the health and jobs of the American people at risk.”
The minute-long ad then says that Biden “doesn’t know what day it is” and that he is “so clueless” that he “called the China travel ban ‘xenophobic.'”
Biden had actually repeatedly criticized “Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering,” without mentioning the travel ban.
Cotton and other Republicans have continued to use “China virus” and “Chinese virus” for the novel coronavirus.
Public health experts warn against naming viruses after geographic locations because it unfairly stigmatizes people for things over which they have no control and can lead to racist and xenophobic actions against them. And that has happened in recent months, as Asians and Asian Americans have been the targets of increasing numbers of hate crimes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cotton, who has no major opposition in his 2020 Senate reelection race, is already under fire for recent pronouncements on the protests throughout the country in response to the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Last week the New York Times published an op-ed piece by Cotton in which he demanded that U.S. troops be deployed against protesting Americans to “restore order.”
The op-ed was widely criticized, as was the New York Times for publishing it.
Cotton also provided his thoughts on who the people protesting police violence are, tweeting a call for “no quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters.”
On Monday, he told Politico Magazine that he does not believe “you can paint with a broad brush and say there’s systemic racism in the criminal justice system in America.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--Republicans plan to move 2020 convention to state with rising virus cases

The Republican National Committee is reportedly set to move its 2020 nominating convention to Jacksonville , Florida , despite the fact that the state is currently experiencing record-high levels of confirmed coronavirus cases .
The Washington Post first reported the change on Wednesday .
Donald Trump demanded last month that the RNC move the August convention away from Charlotte , North Carolina , after Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper refused to accommodate Trump 's convention demands over concerns that the virus would spread easily among attendees .
According to the New York Times , in a May 29 call between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's decision limit attendance at the convention and require those present to wear protective masks .
Trump then said he would not speak to a half-empty arena , according to Cooper 's spokesperson , insisting on `` a full convention arena with no face coverings and no social distancing . ''
Cooper formally rejected those demands in a letter to the RNC days later , stating that without knowing the coronavirus situation in August , `` planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people , social distancing and face coverings is a necessity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lenny Curry , has reportedly been lobbying the RNC to bring Trump 's convention speech to his city since then .
The Post reported this week that the RNC plans to conduct mundane party business in Charlotte , but will move high-profile events , such as Trump 's acceptance speech , to Jacksonville .
Florida , like several other states , has seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent days .
On June 1 , Florida had 56,830 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 2,460 deaths .
Ten days later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the New York Times , and at least 2,764 deaths .
Florida is one of 11 states across the country that chose to reopen early , despite the ongoing threat , and are now seeing record high numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases .
Those states largely ignored the advice of health professionals like Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's leading infectious disease expert and a member of Trump 's coronavirus task force , who warned that reopening too early could lead to `` spikes '' in cases nationwide .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really serious if cities , states , or what have you , jump over those various checkpoints and prematurely open up , without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently , '' Fauci said last month .
`` My concern is that we 'll start to see little spikes that will turn into outbreaks . ''
The decision to tentatively move the RNC convention to Jacksonville is especially curious given the city has implemented guidance from the mayor limiting restaurants to 50 % capacity and enforcing social distancing measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Social gatherings in the city are only limited to 50 people .
Trump was initially expected to speak before a crowd of 20,000 at his speech in Charlotte before it was moved .
According to data from ProPublica , Florida has only met two of five criteria set forth by the federal government necessary to safely reopen large parts of its economy .
The state continues to see an increase in the number of positive cases per 100,000 residents , as well as an increase in the percentage of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key criteria for reopening .
Nationwide , nearly 2 million people had confirmed cases as of Wednesday morning , and at least 112,174 people had died .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Republican National Committee is reportedly set to move its 2020 nominating convention to Jacksonville, Florida, despite the fact that the state is currently experiencing record-high levels of confirmed coronavirus cases.
The Washington Post first reported the change on Wednesday.
Donald Trump demanded last month that the RNC move the August convention away from Charlotte, North Carolina, after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper refused to accommodate Trump’s convention demands over concerns that the virus would spread easily among attendees.
According to the New York Times, in a May 29 call between the two men, Trump blasted Cooper’s decision limit attendance at the convention and require those present to wear protective masks.
Trump then said he would not speak to a half-empty arena, according to Cooper’s spokesperson, insisting on “a full convention arena with no face coverings and no social distancing.”
Cooper formally rejected those demands in a letter to the RNC days later, stating that without knowing the coronavirus situation in August, “planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings is a necessity.”
The Republican mayor of Jacksonville, Lenny Curry, has reportedly been lobbying the RNC to bring Trump’s convention speech to his city since then.
The Post reported this week that the RNC plans to conduct mundane party business in Charlotte, but will move high-profile events, such as Trump’s acceptance speech, to Jacksonville.
Florida, like several other states, has seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent days.
On June 1, Florida had 56,830 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 2,460 deaths. Ten days later, it had nearly 65,992 confirmed cases, according to the New York Times, and at least 2,764 deaths.
Florida is one of 11 states across the country that chose to reopen early, despite the ongoing threat, and are now seeing record high numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases.
Those states largely ignored the advice of health professionals like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert and a member of Trump’s coronavirus task force, who warned that reopening too early could lead to “spikes” in cases nationwide.
“[T]he consequences could be really serious if cities, states, or what have you, jump over those various checkpoints and prematurely open up, without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently,” Fauci said last month. “My concern is that we’ll start to see little spikes that will turn into outbreaks.”
The decision to tentatively move the RNC convention to Jacksonville is especially curious given the city has implemented guidance from the mayor limiting restaurants to 50% capacity and enforcing social distancing measures in order to slow the spread of the virus. Social gatherings in the city are only limited to 50 people.
Trump was initially expected to speak before a crowd of 20,000 at his speech in Charlotte before it was moved.
According to data from ProPublica, Florida has only met two of five criteria set forth by the federal government necessary to safely reopen large parts of its economy. The state continues to see an increase in the number of positive cases per 100,000 residents, as well as an increase in the percentage of coronavirus tests that come back positive, two key criteria for reopening.
Nationwide, nearly 2 million people had confirmed cases as of Wednesday morning, and at least 112,174 people had died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--McEnany: We must keep Confederate names at bases to 'honor' black soldiers

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended Donald Trump 's insistence U.S. military bases must not be renamed in order to preserve the `` heritage '' of the pro-slavery Confederate generals for whom they are named .
`` These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage , and a history of Winning , Victory , and Freedom , '' Trump tweeted Wednesday .
It is not the first time Trump defended the legacy of the Confederacy , and specifically , Confederate generals who fought against the United States to defend the practice of slavery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , McEnany specifically said the name of Fort Bragg in North Carolina should be kept to honor black soldiers who fought in World War II .
`` When you think of Fort Bragg , we think of the brave soldiers that deployed from there , '' McEnany said .
`` The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion — this was the first black parachute battalion , trained at this fort .
We must recognize the sacrifices made by these men and women , some of whom saw Fort Bragg for the last time before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was named after Gen. Braxton Bragg , who was routed at the Battle of Chattanooga in 1863 , which the Encyclopedia Britannica notes `` contributed significantly to victory for the North . ''
Bragg was subsequently relieved of his command by Confederate leadership .
McENANY : The president will not be signing legislation that renames America 's forts .
It 's important to note — you know , Fort Bragg , for example , it 's one of the largest military installations .
It 's home to tens of thousands of brave American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fort Bragg , we think of the brave soldiers that deployed from there .
We think of all five World War II airborne divisions .
The 2nd , the 101st , the 11th , the 13th , the 17th .
All trained at Fort Bragg .
The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion — this was the first black parachute battalion , trained at this fort .
We must recognize the sacrifices made by these men and women , some of whom saw Fort Bragg for the last time before they went overseas .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fort Bragg soldiers that have led humanitarian operations , like in Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti .
We 've got to honor what has happened there , not rename it .
So that is an absolute nonstarter for the president .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended Donald Trump’s insistence U.S. military bases must not be renamed in order to preserve the “heritage” of the pro-slavery Confederate generals for whom they are named.
“These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” Trump tweeted Wednesday. It is not the first time Trump defended the legacy of the Confederacy, and specifically, Confederate generals who fought against the United States to defend the practice of slavery.
At the press briefing later that day, McEnany specifically said the name of Fort Bragg in North Carolina should be kept to honor black soldiers who fought in World War II.
“When you think of Fort Bragg, we think of the brave soldiers that deployed from there,” McEnany said. “The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion — this was the first black parachute battalion, trained at this fort. We must recognize the sacrifices made by these men and women, some of whom saw Fort Bragg for the last time before they went overseas.”
Fort Bragg was named after Gen. Braxton Bragg, who was routed at the Battle of Chattanooga in 1863, which the Encyclopedia Britannica notes “contributed significantly to victory for the North.” Bragg was subsequently relieved of his command by Confederate leadership.
From a June 10 press briefing:
McENANY: The president will not be signing legislation that renames America’s forts. It’s important to note — you know, Fort Bragg, for example, it’s one of the largest military installations. It’s home to tens of thousands of brave American soldiers. And when you think of Fort Bragg, we think of the brave soldiers that deployed from there. We think of all five World War II airborne divisions. The 2nd, the 101st, the 11th, the 13th, the 17th. All trained at Fort Bragg. The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion — this was the first black parachute battalion, trained at this fort. We must recognize the sacrifices made by these men and women, some of whom saw Fort Bragg for the last time before they went overseas. And we’ve got to think of the Fort Bragg soldiers that have led humanitarian operations, like in Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti. We’ve got to honor what has happened there, not rename it. So that is an absolute nonstarter for the president.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--Trump sends cease and desist letter to CNN after poll shows him losing to Biden

Donald Trump 's reelection campaign sent a letter to CNN on Wednesday demanding the network retract a poll that shows Trump losing to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 14 points .
The campaign claims the poll was `` designed to mislead American voters through a biased questionnaire and skewed sampling . ''
`` It 's a stunt and a phony poll to cause voter suppression , stifle momentum and enthusiasm for the President , and present a false view generally of the actual support across America for the President , '' reads letter , which was sent by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ellis , and chief operating officer Michael Glassner .
According to CNN , the letter from the campaign `` makes several incorrect and misleading claims , '' including about the poll 's sample size and the questions the poll asked .
Trump issued a tweet on Monday saying he `` felt [ the CNN polls ] were FAKE based on the incredible enthusiasm we are receiving , '' along with a memo from a pollster he hired to push back on the CNN results .
Trump has railed against polls that show him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he does n't like `` fake . ''
On May 22 , Trump condemned a Fox News poll showing him losing to Biden by 8 points .
At that time , he praised a CNN poll that showed Biden with a national lead but Trump holding an advantage in battleground states .
However , sending a cease and desist letter to a media outlet about a poll is a new escalation in Trump 's war on the media .
It comes as Trump has both publicly and privately raged about his standing against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers have fallen dramatically in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic , the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression , and Trump 's handling of race relations following yet another killing of an unarmed Black American at the hands of police .
Even internal polls from Trump 's campaign show him losing to Biden , raising concerns among his top advisers .
Axios reported that the Trump campaign 's own numbers are `` brutal '' for Trump , as independents have drastically shifted toward Biden .
CNN 's poll , which showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 55 % , was the worst finding of any high-quality national poll that 's been released in the past few days .
But no recent national polls have shown Trump winning .
And that 's led to unease from GOP lawmakers , who fear if Trump does n't make a change , he could take the Republican-controlled Senate down with him in November .
CNN says it has no plan to retract the survey .
`` We stand by our poll , '' CNN spokesman Matt Dornic said .
Published with permission of @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump’s reelection campaign sent a letter to CNN on Wednesday demanding the network retract a poll that shows Trump losing to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 14 points.
The campaign claims the poll was “designed to mislead American voters through a biased questionnaire and skewed sampling.”
“It’s a stunt and a phony poll to cause voter suppression, stifle momentum and enthusiasm for the President, and present a false view generally of the actual support across America for the President,” reads letter, which was sent by the campaign’s senior legal adviser, Jenna Ellis, and chief operating officer Michael Glassner.
According to CNN, the letter from the campaign “makes several incorrect and misleading claims,” including about the poll’s sample size and the questions the poll asked.
Trump issued a tweet on Monday saying he “felt [the CNN polls] were FAKE based on the incredible enthusiasm we are receiving,” along with a memo from a pollster he hired to push back on the CNN results.
Trump has railed against polls that show him losing for years, often calling surveys he doesn’t like “fake.”
On May 22, Trump condemned a Fox News poll showing him losing to Biden by 8 points. At that time, he praised a CNN poll that showed Biden with a national lead but Trump holding an advantage in battleground states.
However, sending a cease and desist letter to a media outlet about a poll is a new escalation in Trump’s war on the media.
It comes as Trump has both publicly and privately raged about his standing against Biden.
Public polls show Trump’s numbers have fallen dramatically in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and Trump’s handling of race relations following yet another killing of an unarmed Black American at the hands of police.
Even internal polls from Trump’s campaign show him losing to Biden, raising concerns among his top advisers. Axios reported that the Trump campaign’s own numbers are “brutal” for Trump, as independents have drastically shifted toward Biden.
CNN’s poll, which showed Trump losing to Biden 41% to 55%, was the worst finding of any high-quality national poll that’s been released in the past few days.
But no recent national polls have shown Trump winning. And that’s led to unease from GOP lawmakers, who fear if Trump doesn’t make a change, he could take the Republican-controlled Senate down with him in November.
CNN says it has no plan to retract the survey. “We stand by our poll,” CNN spokesman Matt Dornic said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--Tennessee Republicans block removal of racist statue from state Capitol

As Americans join marches and protests across the nation to demand an end to institutional racism , Republicans in the Tennessee state General Assembly voted on Tuesday against removing a statue of a founder of the Ku Klux Klan from its place of honor in the state 's Capitol building .
A bill calling for the removal of the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest was defeated by an 11-5 vote in the state House Naming , Designating , and Private Acts Committee .
All 11 votes against removing the bust came from Republicans .
One Republican joined four Democrats voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill , introduced by Democratic Rep. Rick Staples , suggested replacing the statue with one of either William F. Yardley , the first African American to run for Tennessee governor , or Anne M. Davis , the third woman elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives .
The committee also voted in favor of an amendment to the Tennessee Code to maintain July 13 as Nathan Bedford Forrest Day , but removed the requirement that the governor must issue a proclamation of the holiday .
Forrest , a Tennessee native , plantation owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Confederate general during the Civil War .
He was reported to have had his soldiers kill Union troops , many of them former slaves , after they had surrendered .
After the war , he was associated with the Ku Klux Klan and was believed to have acted as the terrorist organization 's first grand wizard , although he denied this when called to testify before a congressional committee .
The bust of Forrest was placed in the Tennessee State Capitol building in 1978 , more than 100 years after Forrest died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by and are reminded of the atrocities committed during the slave trade and feel the inherent threat behind '' the placement of the statue , Mary Mancini , chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party , said in an email on Wednesday .
`` The bust has no home in any place of honor in Tennessee , let alone in a place of honor '' in the state Capitol .
Mancini said that her party `` will continue to join our allies and with the work of dismantling racism and white supremacy , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supremacy . ''
The Tennessee Republican Party did not respond to a request for comment .
The vote to keep the bust in place was held on the day of the funeral of George Floyd , a black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes .
Floyd 's death sparked ongoing protests demanding an end to racist police violence and systemic racism .
In response to protests , leaders in other parts of the Deep South and in other states have removed statues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week , the city of Mobile , Alabama , removed a statue of Confederate Admiral Raphael Semmes erected in 1900 , with Republican Mayor Sandy Stimpson saying he was `` removing a potential distraction so we may focus clearly on the future of our city . ''
On June 1 , Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin ordered the removal of a monument honoring Confederate soldiers and sailors erected in 1905 .
Woodfin gave the order on Jefferson Davis Day , an official Alabama state holiday honoring the president of the Confederacy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Virginia and Pennsylvania .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

As Americans join marches and protests across the nation to demand an end to institutional racism, Republicans in the Tennessee state General Assembly voted on Tuesday against removing a statue of a founder of the Ku Klux Klan from its place of honor in the state’s Capitol building.
A bill calling for the removal of the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest was defeated by an 11-5 vote in the state House Naming, Designating, and Private Acts Committee. All 11 votes against removing the bust came from Republicans. One Republican joined four Democrats voting in favor of removing it.
The bill, introduced by Democratic Rep. Rick Staples, suggested replacing the statue with one of either William F. Yardley, the first African American to run for Tennessee governor, or Anne M. Davis, the third woman elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives.
The committee also voted in favor of an amendment to the Tennessee Code to maintain July 13 as Nathan Bedford Forrest Day, but removed the requirement that the governor must issue a proclamation of the holiday.
Forrest, a Tennessee native, plantation owner, and slave trader, served as a Confederate general during the Civil War. He was reported to have had his soldiers kill Union troops, many of them former slaves, after they had surrendered.
After the war, he was associated with the Ku Klux Klan and was believed to have acted as the terrorist organization’s first grand wizard, although he denied this when called to testify before a congressional committee.
The bust of Forrest was placed in the Tennessee State Capitol building in 1978, more than 100 years after Forrest died.
“Every day black legislators walk by and are reminded of the atrocities committed during the slave trade and feel the inherent threat behind” the placement of the statue, Mary Mancini, chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, said in an email on Wednesday. “The bust has no home in any place of honor in Tennessee, let alone in a place of honor” in the state Capitol.
Mancini said that her party “will continue to join our allies and with the work of dismantling racism and white supremacy, including the removal of these monuments to white supremacy.”
The Tennessee Republican Party did not respond to a request for comment.
The vote to keep the bust in place was held on the day of the funeral of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd’s death sparked ongoing protests demanding an end to racist police violence and systemic racism.
In response to protests, leaders in other parts of the Deep South and in other states have removed statues honoring racist figures from America’s past.
Last week, the city of Mobile, Alabama, removed a statue of Confederate Admiral Raphael Semmes erected in 1900, with Republican Mayor Sandy Stimpson saying he was “removing a potential distraction so we may focus clearly on the future of our city.”
On June 1, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin ordered the removal of a monument honoring Confederate soldiers and sailors erected in 1905. Woodfin gave the order on Jefferson Davis Day, an official Alabama state holiday honoring the president of the Confederacy.
Statues of racist leaders were also removed in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--21 times Republicans refused to condemn Trump because they 'didn't see the tweet'

Donald Trump has been tweeting offensive comments for years , whether it 's pushing a racist and fake conspiracy theory about former President Barack Obama 's birthplace , ratcheting up fears about Ebola , attacking women for their appearance , or bullying anyone who dares to criticize him .
And for as long as Trump has been tweeting , Republicans on Capitol Hill have avoided answering questions about his most loathsome statements by claiming they did n't see the tweet .
GOP lawmakers took that avoidance tactic to the next level on Tuesday , after Trump tweeted a baseless conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutalized by police .
The man , Martin Gugino , hit his head after he was pushed to the ground by police .
Police then left Gugino 's lifeless body , walking past him as blood pooled on the sidewalk from Gugino 's head .
In a tweet , Trump claimed without evidence that Gugino was faking it .
`` Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur , '' Trump wrote , attempting to tie Gugino to an unorganized movement of anti-fascist activists that Trump has blamed for the violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality and systemic racism following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police .
`` 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment .
@ OANN I watched , he fell harder than was pushed .
Was aiming scanner .
Could be a set up ? ''
Trump added , apparently referring to a segment from the right-wing channel One America News , which is now infamous for pushing false conspiracy theories .
To avoid condemning Trump for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did n't see it but refused to read it when handed a printed-out copy of the tweet from reporters on Capitol Hill .
It 's an escalation of the avoidance tactic GOP lawmakers have used for years , one that allows Republicans to avoid angering Trump by commenting on his actions .
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan ( R-WI ) , who retired in 2018 instead of run for reelection in a Democratic wave that saw House Republicans swept out of power , was one of the originators of the `` did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan joked about the technique at a charity dinner in 2017 , saying , `` Every morning , I wake up in my office and scroll Twitter to see which tweets I will have to pretend that I did n't see later . ''
The avoidance technique has been criticized by Democrats , as official White House policy has been crafted via Trump 's Twitter missives .
The Department of Justice has even argued in court that Trump 's tweets are considered official presidential statements .
Here are 21 instances where Republicans played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets .
Sen. Cory Gardner , the Colorado Republican up for reelection in 2020 , told Politico 's Burgess Everett that he did n't see the tweet and refused to look at it when Everett handed him a printout .
Gardner claimed he was too focused on a bill he was working on .
Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-FL ) told CNN 's Manu Raju , `` I did n't see it .
You 're telling me about it .
I do n't read Twitter .
I only write on it . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,600 accounts on Twitter and retweets other users .
For example , on June 6 , Rubio replied to a user 's comment on systemic racism saying it was `` good advice . ''
Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) refused to answer questions from Everett about Trump 's claim , saying he has a policy not to comment on `` the tweets . ''
Sen. Dan Sullivan ( R-AK ) told CNN 's Manu Raju , `` I do n't want to comment right now .
I 'm on my way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I see it . ''
Sen. Rick Scott ( R-FL ) did n't comment on Trump 's tweet , claiming he did n't see it , but he expressed concern for the man who was injured after being pushed by police .
`` I did n't see it , '' Scott told Politico .
`` I saw that he did fall and my heart goes out to anybody who gets hurt .
Right now this is a tough time .
I hope everybody understands that we can peacefully protest but we ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( R-KS ) told reporters on Capitol Hill that he had n't seen the tweet , and when a reporter told Roberts they had a printout of the tweet to show him , he replied , `` I know , '' yet still did n't comment , according to the Hill .
June 1 , 2019 : As protesters took to the streets to protest the death of yet another unarmed black man , Trump tweeted a violent quote first said by infamously racist police chief Walter Headley in the 1960s : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts . ''
Sen. John Cornyn ( R-TX ) refused to comment on Trump 's use of the quote , telling CNN , `` I did n't see the tweet . ''
July 15 , 2019 : Trump tweeted a racist comment telling four Democratic lawmakers , all women and people of color , to `` go back '' to the `` corrupt '' countries they came from .
Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-NC ) refused to comment on Trump 's racist comment , telling CNN 's Manu Raju that he had n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( R-TN ) said he did n't see the tweets because he `` was out , '' adding , `` I 'm not giving a daily commentary on the president 's tweets . ''
Sen. Richard Shelby ( R-AL ) declined to comment , telling CNN , '' I have n't read [ those tweets ] but I 'll go check it out '' Jan. 30 , 2019 : Trump told the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies to `` go back to school '' after they contradicted Trump 's claims during a Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-OH ) claimed in an interview with CNN at the time that he had n't seen Trump 's tweets attacking the intelligence chiefs .
Then-Sen. Orrin Hatch ( R-UT ) said he did n't see Trump 's tweet .
Alexander declined to comment on the retweets , saying he did n't see them , according to an NPR report at the time .
NPR also reported that Sens .
John Barrasso ( R-WY ) , Roy Blunt ( R-MO ) , Bill Cassidy ( R-LA ) , John Hoeven ( R-ND ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rounds ( R-SD ) , Roger Wicker ( R-MS ) , and Tillis all claimed they had n't seen the tweets and refused to comment .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump has been tweeting offensive comments for years, whether it’s pushing a racist and fake conspiracy theory about former President Barack Obama’s birthplace, ratcheting up fears about Ebola, attacking women for their appearance, or bullying anyone who dares to criticize him.
And for as long as Trump has been tweeting, Republicans on Capitol Hill have avoided answering questions about his most loathsome statements by claiming they didn’t see the tweet.
GOP lawmakers took that avoidance tactic to the next level on Tuesday, after Trump tweeted a baseless conspiracy theory about a 75-year-old man who was brutalized by police. The man, Martin Gugino, hit his head after he was pushed to the ground by police. Police then left Gugino’s lifeless body, walking past him as blood pooled on the sidewalk from Gugino’s head.
In a tweet, Trump claimed without evidence that Gugino was faking it.
“Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur,” Trump wrote, attempting to tie Gugino to an unorganized movement of anti-fascist activists that Trump has blamed for the violence that cropped up alongside protests against police brutality and systemic racism following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
“75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?” Trump added, apparently referring to a segment from the right-wing channel One America News, which is now infamous for pushing false conspiracy theories.
To avoid condemning Trump for the tweet, Republicans not only claimed they didn’t see it but refused to read it when handed a printed-out copy of the tweet from reporters on Capitol Hill.
It’s an escalation of the avoidance tactic GOP lawmakers have used for years, one that allows Republicans to avoid angering Trump by commenting on his actions.
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), who retired in 2018 instead of run for reelection in a Democratic wave that saw House Republicans swept out of power, was one of the originators of the “didn’t see the tweet” ploy. Ryan joked about the technique at a charity dinner in 2017, saying, “Every morning, I wake up in my office and scroll Twitter to see which tweets I will have to pretend that I didn’t see later.”
The avoidance technique has been criticized by Democrats, as official White House policy has been crafted via Trump’s Twitter missives. The Department of Justice has even argued in court that Trump’s tweets are considered official presidential statements.
Here are 21 instances where Republicans played dumb to avoid commenting on Trump’s tweets.
June 9, 2019: Trump tweeted a baseless conspiracy theory about 75-year-old man brutalized by police.
Sen. Cory Gardner, the Colorado Republican up for reelection in 2020, told Politico’s Burgess Everett that he didn’t see the tweet and refused to look at it when Everett handed him a printout. Gardner claimed he was too focused on a bill he was working on.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told CNN’s Manu Raju, “I didn’t see it. You’re telling me about it. I don’t read Twitter. I only write on it.” Rubio, however, follows more than 2,600 accounts on Twitter and retweets other users. For example, on June 6, Rubio replied to a user’s comment on systemic racism saying it was “good advice.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) refused to answer questions from Everett about Trump’s claim, saying he has a policy not to comment on “the tweets.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) told CNN’s Manu Raju, “I don’t want to comment right now. I’m on my way to a meeting. I’ll see it when I see it.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) didn’t comment on Trump’s tweet, claiming he didn’t see it, but he expressed concern for the man who was injured after being pushed by police. “I didn’t see it,” Scott told Politico. “I saw that he did fall and my heart goes out to anybody who gets hurt. Right now this is a tough time. I hope everybody understands that we can peacefully protest but we can’t riot.”
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) told reporters on Capitol Hill that he hadn’t seen the tweet, and when a reporter told Roberts they had a printout of the tweet to show him, he replied, “I know,” yet still didn’t comment, according to the Hill.
June 1, 2019: As protesters took to the streets to protest the death of yet another unarmed black man, Trump tweeted a violent quote first said by infamously racist police chief Walter Headley in the 1960s: “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) refused to comment on Trump’s use of the quote, telling CNN, “I didn’t see the tweet.”
July 15, 2019: Trump tweeted a racist comment telling four Democratic lawmakers, all women and people of color, to “go back” to the “corrupt” countries they came from.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) refused to comment on Trump’s racist comment, telling CNN’s Manu Raju that he hadn’t seen the tweet.
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said he didn’t see the tweets because he “was out,” adding, “I’m not giving a daily commentary on the president’s tweets.”
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) declined to comment, telling CNN,”I haven’t read [those tweets] but I’ll go check it out”
Jan. 30, 2019: Trump told the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies to “go back to school” after they contradicted Trump’s claims during a Senate hearing.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) claimed in an interview with CNN at the time that he hadn’t seen Trump’s tweets attacking the intelligence chiefs.
Sept. 13, 2018: Trump falsely claimed Democrats faked the death toll from Hurricane Maria.
Then-Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said he didn’t see Trump’s tweet.
Alexander declined to comment on the retweets, saying he didn’t see them, according to an NPR report at the time.
NPR also reported that Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Tillis all claimed they hadn’t seen the tweets and refused to comment.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--Trump refuses to blame violence on far-right extremists who've been arrested

Right-wing extremists have been reported to have engaged in or tried to provoke violence at protests around the country in the wake of the killing of unarmed black Minneapolis resident George Floyd by a white policeman .
Donald Trump has ignored them , instead blaming any violence on anti-fascists .
`` The memory of George Floyd is being dishonored by rioters , looters and anarchists , '' Trump claimed in late May .
`` The violence and vandalism is being led by antifa and other radical left-wing groups . ''
`` It 's ANTIFA and the Radical Left , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do n't lay the blame on others ! ''
On June 1 , Trump retweeted and endorsed a Fox News report that there were no `` white supremest [ sic ] groups mixing in '' at the protests and that it was `` an ANTIFA Organization . ''
Trump claimed in a tweet on May 31 that the United States would be designating anti-fascists a domestic `` terrorist organization , '' even though there is no legal mechanism for making such a declaration , and antifa is not an organization .
Court records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antifa-aligned protesters are behind violence occurring at protests .
There have , however , been numerous examples of far-right extremists attacking protesters and attempting to provoke violent clashes .
On Sunday , a man who identified himself as a KKK leader drove a truck into a crowd of peaceful protesters in Henrico County , Virginia .
The man was arrested and charged with several felonies ; the county is considering hate crime charges as well .
`` The accused , by his own admission and by a cursory glance at social media , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klux Klan and a propagandist for Confederate ideology , '' Henrico Commonwealth 's Attorney Shannon Taylor said .
On June 1 , NBC News reported that the white nationalist group Identity Evropa , posing as an anti-fascist national organization , posted tweets urging protesters to go to white residential neighborhoods to `` take what 's ours . ''
On May 31 , three Nevada men with ties to the right-wing anti-government `` boogaloo '' movement were arrested on terror charges .
Prosecutors said they were planning to provoke violence during protests in Las @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in Minneapolis reported that they saw a man with a far-right anti-government group 's logo on his truck attempt to set a liquor store on fire .
On May 28 , a neo-Nazi reportedly attempted to exploit a racial justice protest by posting anti-police rhetoric online , including an image of a skull and the words `` The only good cop is a dead cop . ''
The same day , a far-right channel on the messaging platform Telegram reportedly broadcast to its 2,500 members that `` a riot would be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The White House did not respond to a request for comment for this story .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Right-wing extremists have been reported to have engaged in or tried to provoke violence at protests around the country in the wake of the killing of unarmed black Minneapolis resident George Floyd by a white policeman.
Donald Trump has ignored them, instead blaming any violence on anti-fascists.
“The memory of George Floyd is being dishonored by rioters, looters and anarchists,” Trump claimed in late May. “The violence and vandalism is being led by antifa and other radical left-wing groups.”
“It’s ANTIFA and the Radical Left,” he tweeted on May 30. “Don’t lay the blame on others!”
On June 1, Trump retweeted and endorsed a Fox News report that there were no “white supremest [sic] groups mixing in” at the protests and that it was “an ANTIFA Organization.”
Trump claimed in a tweet on May 31 that the United States would be designating anti-fascists a domestic “terrorist organization,” even though there is no legal mechanism for making such a declaration, and antifa is not an organization.
Court records and other files show little evidence that antifa-aligned protesters are behind violence occurring at protests.
There have, however, been numerous examples of far-right extremists attacking protesters and attempting to provoke violent clashes.
On Sunday, a man who identified himself as a KKK leader drove a truck into a crowd of peaceful protesters in Henrico County, Virginia. The man was arrested and charged with several felonies; the county is considering hate crime charges as well.
“The accused, by his own admission and by a cursory glance at social media, is an admitted leader of the Ku Klux Klan and a propagandist for Confederate ideology,” Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor said.
On June 1, NBC News reported that the white nationalist group Identity Evropa, posing as an anti-fascist national organization, posted tweets urging protesters to go to white residential neighborhoods to “take what’s ours.”
On May 31, three Nevada men with ties to the right-wing anti-government “boogaloo” movement were arrested on terror charges. Prosecutors said they were planning to provoke violence during protests in Las Vegas.
On May 30, several people in Minneapolis reported that they saw a man with a far-right anti-government group’s logo on his truck attempt to set a liquor store on fire.
On May 28, a neo-Nazi reportedly attempted to exploit a racial justice protest by posting anti-police rhetoric online, including an image of a skull and the words “The only good cop is a dead cop.”
The same day, a far-right channel on the messaging platform Telegram reportedly broadcast to its 2,500 members that “a riot would be the perfect place to commit a murder.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--South Carolina voters wait for hours in 90-degree heat to cast ballots

Some voters in South Carolina 's capital city , Columbia , spent more than two hours waiting in line to vote on Tuesday , enduring temperatures above 90 degrees and high humidity , WISTV , an NBC affiliate , reported .
At one polling location in Richmond County , which encompasses Columbia , voting machines were not set up in the morning , so voters were forced to use handwritten paper ballots .
At another location , only two poll workers were present to check-in hundreds of voters .
WISTV reported that most of the lines were caused by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in .
The voting issues arose as South Carolina , like the rest of the world , faces a health crisis .
South Carolina is one of 11 states that has experienced a record-high level of coronavirus cases since the beginning of June .
On June 1 , the state had 12,148 confirmed cases and at least 500 people had died ; as of Wednesday morning , it had 15,228 confirmed cases and at least 568 people had died .
`` They did not have enough people brave enough to work the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leeper , a poll worker in a community slightly north of Columbia , told WISTV .
`` Most of our people are retired .
They are over 60 already , like myself … some said , ' I 'm not going to vote in this one because of COVID-19 , '' she added .
Richmond County 's interim elections commissioner , Terry Graham , scrambled Tuesday morning to recruit additional poll workers , according to WISTV .
Members of the State Guard and National Guard filled in at some locations , although a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were volunteering in their personal capacity and not as representatives of the Guard .
`` It 's one thing to protest and make your voice be heard , but it 's another thing to put action behind it , '' Krashawn Guess , a voter who had been participating in protests following the death of George Floyd , told WISTV , adding , `` those that fought before us had to do worse things than this . ''
Barbara Harmer told the station that it was `` uncomfortable '' to wait more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` it 's important . ''
`` Simply put , it can not and should not be this difficult and time consuming to exercise one 's basic right to vote , '' Jaime Harrison , South Carolina 's Democratic Senate nominee who will face Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in November , said in an email .
He added that `` it is painfully clear that election officials have a lot of work to do ahead of November to make voting accessible for every registered voter in South Carolina . ''
Turnout for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceeding the 13.8 % turnout in 2016 and besting 2018 's 20 % turnout .
Voters in Georgia and Nevada were also plagued with long lines on Tuesday .
In Georgia , voting machines failed to work properly , there was a shortage of provisional ballots , and absentee ballots did not arrive on time in several Atlanta-area voting precincts .
In Nevada , voters in the Las Vegas area waited as long as five hours to vote , which resulted in criticism from Democratic leaders of Barbara Cegavske , the Republican secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state offer an adequate amount of hygienic , well-organized polling locations and we will continue fighting for these improvements to prevent a repeat in November should we find ourselves under the same circumstances , '' William McCurdy II , Nevada Democratic Party chair , said on Tuesday .
The chaos for voters came as Democrats across the country are pushing to increase access to absentee voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic .
In Congress , Democrats led by Sen. Kamala Harris of California introduced the VoteSafe Act , a bill that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Several states , including Wisconsin , Michigan , and California , have changed policies to expand access to absentee voting .
Election experts at the Brennan Center for Justice say voting by mail is a safe and secure , and called it `` essential for holding a safe election amid Covid-19 . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Some voters in South Carolina’s capital city, Columbia, spent more than two hours waiting in line to vote on Tuesday, enduring temperatures above 90 degrees and high humidity, WISTV, an NBC affiliate, reported.
At one polling location in Richmond County, which encompasses Columbia, voting machines were not set up in the morning, so voters were forced to use handwritten paper ballots.
At another location, only two poll workers were present to check-in hundreds of voters. WISTV reported that most of the lines were caused by a lack of poll workers present to check people in.
The voting issues arose as South Carolina, like the rest of the world, faces a health crisis.
South Carolina is one of 11 states that has experienced a record-high level of coronavirus cases since the beginning of June. On June 1, the state had 12,148 confirmed cases and at least 500 people had died; as of Wednesday morning, it had 15,228 confirmed cases and at least 568 people had died.
“They did not have enough people brave enough to work the polls for the voters,” Alice Leeper, a poll worker in a community slightly north of Columbia, told WISTV. “Most of our people are retired. They are over 60 already, like myself … some said, ‘I’m not going to vote in this one because of COVID-19,” she added.
Richmond County’s interim elections commissioner, Terry Graham, scrambled Tuesday morning to recruit additional poll workers, according to WISTV. Members of the State Guard and National Guard filled in at some locations, although a spokesperson for the State Guard said members were volunteering in their personal capacity and not as representatives of the Guard.
“It’s one thing to protest and make your voice be heard, but it’s another thing to put action behind it,” Krashawn Guess, a voter who had been participating in protests following the death of George Floyd, told WISTV, adding, “those that fought before us had to do worse things than this.”
Barbara Harmer told the station that it was “uncomfortable” to wait more than an hour to vote, but added, “it’s important.”
“Simply put, it cannot and should not be this difficult and time consuming to exercise one’s basic right to vote,” Jaime Harrison, South Carolina’s Democratic Senate nominee who will face Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in November, said in an email. He added that “it is painfully clear that election officials have a lot of work to do ahead of November to make voting accessible for every registered voter in South Carolina.”
Turnout for the election topped 21%, far exceeding the 13.8% turnout in 2016 and besting 2018’s 20% turnout.
Voters in Georgia and Nevada were also plagued with long lines on Tuesday.
In Georgia, voting machines failed to work properly, there was a shortage of provisional ballots, and absentee ballots did not arrive on time in several Atlanta-area voting precincts.
In Nevada, voters in the Las Vegas area waited as long as five hours to vote, which resulted in criticism from Democratic leaders of Barbara Cegavske, the Republican secretary of state.
“It is imperative the state offer an adequate amount of hygienic, well-organized polling locations and we will continue fighting for these improvements to prevent a repeat in November should we find ourselves under the same circumstances,” William McCurdy II, Nevada Democratic Party chair, said on Tuesday.
The chaos for voters came as Democrats across the country are pushing to increase access to absentee voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
In Congress, Democrats led by Sen. Kamala Harris of California introduced the VoteSafe Act, a bill that would expand access to no-excuse absentee voting. Several states, including Wisconsin, Michigan, and California, have changed policies to expand access to absentee voting.
Election experts at the Brennan Center for Justice say voting by mail is a safe and secure, and called it “essential for holding a safe election amid Covid-19.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-10--Mayor who marched against racism now wants to host GOP convention

A Florida mayor who has presented himself as an advocate for civil rights in recent days is behind the city 's push to host the 2020 GOP convention .
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry , a Republican and the former chair of the state party , has reportedly convinced the Republican National Committee to move the major portions of its quadrennial convention from North Carolina to his city .
Curry tweeted last week that the `` $ 100 million local impact event would be important for our city as an event/convention destination , '' stating that Jacksonville was `` ready for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We welcome the opportunity to host the @ GOPconvention in Jacksonville , '' he wrote , adding that the city was `` ready show the world we are open for business . ''
The push to bring the convention to Jacksonville comes as Curry tries to distance himself from his party 's rhetoric on civil rights issues and racism .
`` I hear you , '' Curry told anti-racism protesters on Tuesday , as he announced that all Confederate statues would be removed , in the wake of nationwide protests against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our history prevents us from reaching the full potential of our future , then we need to take action . ''
Curry also marched with several Jacksonville Jaguars players and other members of the community , promising on Friday that his administration would bring about positive change .
`` I will participate in a walk next week with our community , '' he tweeted at the time .
`` I will also announce policy initiatives and actions I will take to bring our city together and address racial inequality . ''
Curry 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is expected to accept the Republican nomination at the August convention .
Trump said in 2017 that taking down Confederate monuments amounted to `` changing history '' and asked whether George Washington might be next .
He has attacked peaceful protesters , baselessly accusing a 75-year-old man assaulted by police of being an `` ANTIFA provocateur '' despite zero evidence backing his claim .
And while Trump has spoken out about George Floyd , a black man killed by a white Minneapolis police officer , whose death sparked the wave of nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has rejected all claims of systemic racism in law enforcement , asserting without proof on Monday that `` 99 % '' of police were `` great , great people . ''
`` We want to make sure we do n't have any bad actors in there .
And sometimes you 'll see some horrible things , like we witnessed recently , '' he said .
`` But 99 % — I say 99.9 , but let 's go with 99 — of them are great , great people . ''
Published with @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A Florida mayor who has presented himself as an advocate for civil rights in recent days is behind the city’s push to host the 2020 GOP convention.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, a Republican and the former chair of the state party, has reportedly convinced the Republican National Committee to move the major portions of its quadrennial convention from North Carolina to his city.
Curry tweeted last week that the “$100 million local impact event would be important for our city as an event/convention destination,” stating that Jacksonville was “ready for world class events” like the convention.
“We welcome the opportunity to host the @GOPconvention in Jacksonville,” he wrote, adding that the city was “ready show the world we are open for business.”
The push to bring the convention to Jacksonville comes as Curry tries to distance himself from his party’s rhetoric on civil rights issues and racism.
“I hear you,” Curry told anti-racism protesters on Tuesday, as he announced that all Confederate statues would be removed, in the wake of nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. “If our history prevents us from reaching the full potential of our future, then we need to take action.”
Curry also marched with several Jacksonville Jaguars players and other members of the community, promising on Friday that his administration would bring about positive change.
“I will participate in a walk next week with our community,” he tweeted at the time. “I will also announce policy initiatives and actions I will take to bring our city together and address racial inequality.”
Curry’s inclusive messages conflict sharply with Trump, who is expected to accept the Republican nomination at the August convention.
Trump said in 2017 that taking down Confederate monuments amounted to “changing history” and asked whether George Washington might be next.
He has attacked peaceful protesters, baselessly accusing a 75-year-old man assaulted by police of being an “ANTIFA provocateur” despite zero evidence backing his claim.
And while Trump has spoken out about George Floyd, a black man killed by a white Minneapolis police officer, whose death sparked the wave of nationwide protests taking place across the country, he has rejected all claims of systemic racism in law enforcement, asserting without proof on Monday that “99%” of police were “great, great people.”
“We want to make sure we don’t have any bad actors in there. And sometimes you’ll see some horrible things, like we witnessed recently,” he said. “But 99% — I say 99.9, but let’s go with 99 — of them are great, great people.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-06-11--McConnell refuses to denounce Confederate statues at the Capitol

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has come out against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's plan to remove all Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol .
His reasoning : states ' rights .
`` Every state is allowed two statues , they can trade them out at any time ... a number of states are trading them out now .
But I think that 's the appropriate way to deal with the statue issue .
The states make that decision , '' McConnell told reporters on Thursday .
`` I think the appropriate way to deal with this issue is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Wednesday for the removal of 11 statues of Confederate figures from the Capitol ’ s Statuary Hall .
`` Monuments to men who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to these ideals , '' she wrote in a letter to colleagues .
`` Their statues pay homage to hate , not heritage .
They must be removed . ''
Pelosi noted that the figures depicted include Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis and Vice President Alexander Stephens , both of whom `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States . ''
Around the country , Confederate monuments and other racist statues are being removed from public display as the nation grapples with systemic racism in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and amid mass protests against police violence .
Statues have been removed or ordered down in recent days in places from Mobile , Alabama , to Alexandria , Virginia , to Jacksonville , Florida .
Many Americans continue to believe or push the myth that the Civil War was fought over states ' rights .
Republicans have asserted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance , an official with the Wisconsin Republican Party claimed `` the Confederacy was more about states ' rights than slavery . ''
PolitiFact has ranked this claim and others like it a `` Pants-on-Fire '' lie .
McConnell has used states ' rights arguments the past .
Last year he opposed a House package of reforms that included voting rights enhancements , complaining it amounted to `` federalizing the electoral process . ''
`` For the past two years , our united Republican government drained money and power from Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and families , '' he complained in an op-ed published in the Washington Post .
`` Democrats have a different philosophy .
After November 's elections , everyone knew Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the new House would send the Senate far-left proposals to retighten Washington 's grip on the country . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has come out against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plan to remove all Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol. His reasoning: states’ rights.
“Every state is allowed two statues, they can trade them out at any time … a number of states are trading them out now. But I think that’s the appropriate way to deal with the statue issue. The states make that decision,” McConnell told reporters on Thursday. “I think the appropriate way to deal with this issue is to stick with the tradition.”
Pelosi called Wednesday for the removal of 11 statues of Confederate figures from the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. “Monuments to men who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to these ideals,” she wrote in a letter to colleagues. “Their statues pay homage to hate, not heritage. They must be removed.”
Pelosi noted that the figures depicted include Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis and Vice President Alexander Stephens, both of whom “were charged with treason against the United States.”
Around the country, Confederate monuments and other racist statues are being removed from public display as the nation grapples with systemic racism in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and amid mass protests against police violence. Statues have been removed or ordered down in recent days in places from Mobile, Alabama, to Alexandria, Virginia, to Jacksonville, Florida.
Many Americans continue to believe or push the myth that the Civil War was fought over states’ rights. Republicans have asserted this in the past — in April, for instance, an official with the Wisconsin Republican Party claimed “the Confederacy was more about states’ rights than slavery.” PolitiFact has ranked this claim and others like it a “Pants-on-Fire” lie.
McConnell has used states’ rights arguments the past. Last year he opposed a House package of reforms that included voting rights enhancements, complaining it amounted to “federalizing the electoral process.”
“For the past two years, our united Republican government drained money and power from Washington and returned it to states, communities and families,” he complained in an op-ed published in the Washington Post. “Democrats have a different philosophy. After November’s elections, everyone knew Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the new House would send the Senate far-left proposals to retighten Washington’s grip on the country.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.