shareblue--2020-09-10--22 times Trump wanted you to panic despite saying he doesn't 'want to create panic'

Donald Trump on Wednesday admitted that he intentionally downplayed the threat of the coronavirus despite knowing how deadly and dangerous it was .
He defended his actions to a crowd of reporters by saying , `` I love our country and I do n't want people to be frightened , I do n't want to create panic . ''
However , his attempt to deflect criticism after getting caught lying to the public does n't match reality .
For years , Trump has attempted to stoke fear in Americans , often lying and creating alternate realities to do so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite his recent claims that he wants to be a `` cheerleader '' for the United States and keep the public `` calm . ''
Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections , Trump — with the help of Fox News — tried to instill fear about a caravan of immigrants from South America coming to the United States .
In doing so , he falsely portrayed the immigrants , who were coming to the United States to seek asylum , as `` criminals '' — even as studies have shown immigrants commit less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump 's 2018 midterm messaging was to tie Democrats to so-called `` sanctuary cities , '' which Trump sought to paint as lawless areas .
The term `` sanctuary cities '' describes cities that limit with federal immigration enforcement to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation .
But again , there is no data showing that undocumented immigrants commit more crime than native-born Americans .
For years , Trump has sought to scare people into believing that Democrats are for `` open borders , '' appealing to racist and xenophobic fears .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' In the wake of terrorist attacks both in the United States and abroad , Trump has fearmongered about `` radical Islamic terrorists '' in an effort to push his anti-Muslim policies .
Meanwhile , Trump has refused to take the threat of white supremacists committing domestic terrorism seriously — even though the federal government have said that white supremacists are the `` most persistent and lethal '' terror threat in the country .
During the government shutdown in 2019 , Trump spoke about the need to fund efforts against human trafficking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No one knows where Trump 's anecdote comes from , but some experts said his claim was `` divorced from reality . ''
Again , in an effort to earn support from the GOP base , Trump has fearmongered about immigrant gangs .
Trump has a bizarre fixation with windmills .
And in an effort to scare the public into opposing the form of green energy , he falsely claimed that windmills can give you cancer .
Trump has made the false claim numerous times that doctors execute babies after they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal to his anti-abortion evangelical base .
The claim has been disproven by multiple fact-checkers .
Trump once threatened civil war if he was successfully impeached and removed from office .
As Trump pushed for governors to reopen their states amid the COVID-19 pandemic , he falsely claimed that keeping states closed would lead to more suicides than deaths from the virus .
Experts said there is no evidence Trump 's warning of mass suicides would occur .
Trump has railed against antifa , the loose group of anti-fascists who Trump claims are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country .
In doing so , he 's portrayed an alternate reality about what life is like in American cities like Seattle .
Trump claimed Antifa members were throwing soup cans at law enforcement at protests .
There is no evidence of this .
Trump again tried to fear monger about antifa , this time claiming that antifa `` thugs '' were spotted on a plane .
There is no evidence of this .
Down in the polls and facing the possibility of defeat in November , Trump has taken to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — falsely claiming that an increase in voting by mail will lead to fraud .
In an effort to win over suburban voters who have abandoned the GOP in droves since Trump 's election in 2016 , Trump has used racist fearmongering about minorities moving into suburbs .
Trump fearmongered that Booker — a Black Democratic Senator who supports affordable housing — would someday be `` in charge '' of diversifying the suburbs .
Trump and the GOP have made their 2020 messaging about how Democrats would bring socialism to the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of the policies Trump supports are textbook socialism , including his farmer subsidies .
Trump has falsely said that if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins , the economy will tank .
Of course , the economy is in a deep recession right now — with Trump in charge .
And historically , the economy has done better when Democrats are in the White House .
Unlike what Trump said , Biden does not support repealing the Second Amendment , nor does he support defunding the police .
In his quest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump warned that counting absentee could delay election results until after Inauguration Day , which would make Speaker Nancy Pelosi president .
There is no evidence Biden would do away with windows if he became president .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Wednesday admitted that he intentionally downplayed the threat of the coronavirus despite knowing how deadly and dangerous it was.
He defended his actions to a crowd of reporters by saying, “I love our country and I don’t want people to be frightened, I don’t want to create panic.” However, his attempt to deflect criticism after getting caught lying to the public doesn’t match reality.
For years, Trump has attempted to stoke fear in Americans, often lying and creating alternate realities to do so.
Here are 22 times Trump fear-mongered, despite his recent claims that he wants to be a “cheerleader” for the United States and keep the public “calm.”
Caravans
“There are a lot of CRIMINALS in the Caravan. We will stop them. Catch and Detain! Judicial Activism, by people who know nothing about security and the safety of our citizens, is putting our country in great danger. Not good!” — Trump tweet on Nov. 21, 2018 “A very big Caravan of over 20,000 people started up through Mexico. It has been reduced in size by Mexico but is still coming. Mexico must apprehend the remainder or we will be forced to close that section of the Border & call up the Military. The Coyotes & Cartels have weapons!” — Trump tweet on Apr. 24, 2019
Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, Trump — with the help of Fox News — tried to instill fear about a caravan of immigrants from South America coming to the United States.
In doing so, he falsely portrayed the immigrants, who were coming to the United States to seek asylum, as “criminals” — even as studies have shown immigrants commit less crime than American citizens.
Sanctuary cities
“Sanctuary Cities released at least 142 Gang Members across the United States, making it easy for them to commit all forms of violent crimes where none would have existed. We are doing a great job of law enforcement, but things such as this make safety in America difficult!” — Trump tweet on April 19, 2018
Another aspect of Trump’s 2018 midterm messaging was to tie Democrats to so-called “sanctuary cities,” which Trump sought to paint as lawless areas.
The term “sanctuary cities” describes cities that limit with federal immigration enforcement to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation.
But again, there is no data showing that undocumented immigrants commit more crime than native-born Americans.
Open borders
“If Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi gain the majority, they will try to raise your taxes, restore job-killing regulations, shut down your coal mines and timber mills, take away your healthcare, impose socialism, and ERASE your borders. VOTE” — Trump tweet on Nov. 3, 2018
For years, Trump has sought to scare people into believing that Democrats are for “open borders,” appealing to racist and xenophobic fears.
Democrats are not for “open borders.”
“Radical Islamic Terrorism”
“The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is very real, just look at what is happening in Europe and the Middle-East. Courts must act fast!” — Trump tweet on Feb. 6, 2017
In the wake of terrorist attacks both in the United States and abroad, Trump has fearmongered about “radical Islamic terrorists” in an effort to push his anti-Muslim policies.
Meanwhile, Trump has refused to take the threat of white supremacists committing domestic terrorism seriously — even though the federal government have said that white supremacists are the “most persistent and lethal” terror threat in the country.
Taped-up women
“Women are tied up, they’re bound, duct tape put around their faces, around their mouths, in many cases they can’t even breathe. They’re put in the backs of cars or vans or trucks.” — Trump in a speech at the White House on Jan. 25, 2019
During the government shutdown in 2019, Trump spoke about the need to fund efforts against human trafficking, using a grizzly anecdote about female victims.
No one knows where Trump’s anecdote comes from, but some experts said his claim was “divorced from reality.”
MS-13
“If you want to stop the drug smugglers, human traffickers, and vicious MS-13 gang members from threatening our communities and poisoning our youth, you have only one choice — you must elect more REPUBLICANS!” — Trump tweet on Sept. 16, 2019
Again, in an effort to earn support from the GOP base, Trump has fearmongered about immigrant gangs.
Green New Deal
“I think it is very important for the Democrats to press forward with their Green New Deal. It would be great for the so-called “Carbon Footprint” to permanently eliminate all Planes, Cars, Cows, Oil, Gas & the Military – even if no other country would do the same. Brilliant!” — Trump tweet on Feb. 9, 2019
Trump’s fear mongering over a Democratic climate change proposal is false.
Windmill cancer
“If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75 percent in value. And they say the noise causes cancer.” — Trump at a fundraising dinner for the National Republican Congressional Committee on April 3, 2019
Trump has a bizarre fixation with windmills. And in an effort to scare the public into opposing the form of green energy, he falsely claimed that windmills can give you cancer.
Infanticide
“Democrats are aggressively pushing late-term abortion allowing children to be ripped from their mother’s womb, right up until the moment of birth. The baby is born and you wrap the baby beautifully, and you talk to the mother about the possible execution of the baby.” — Trump at a campaign rally in Panama City Beach, Florida, on May 13, 2019.
Trump has made the false claim numerous times that doctors execute babies after they are born — a fearmongering claim meant to appeal to his anti-abortion evangelical base. The claim has been disproven by multiple fact-checkers.
Civil War
“If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal,” Trump tweet on Sept. 29, 2019.
Trump once threatened civil war if he was successfully impeached and removed from office.
Suicide from stay-at-home orders
“You’re going to lose more people by putting a country into a massive recession or depression. You’re going to lose people. You’re going to have suicides by the thousands.” — Trump at a Fox News town hall on March 24, 2020.
As Trump pushed for governors to reopen their states amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he falsely claimed that keeping states closed would lead to more suicides than deaths from the virus.
Experts said there is no evidence Trump’s warning of mass suicides would occur.
Antifa
“Domestic Terrorists have taken over Seattle, run by Radical Left Democrats, of course. LAW & ORDER!” — Trump tweet on June 10, 2020
Trump has railed against antifa, the loose group of anti-fascists who Trump claims are behind the violence at some anti-racism protests across the country.
In doing so, he’s portrayed an alternate reality about what life is like in American cities like Seattle.
Soup cans
“And then they have cans of soup. And they throw the cans of soup. That’s better than a brick because you can’t throw a brick. It’s too heavy. But a can of soup, you can really put some power into that, right? And then when they get caught, they say, ‘No, this is soup for my family.’ They’re so innocent. This is soup for my family.” — Trump in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Aug. 31, 2020.
Trump claimed Antifa members were throwing soup cans at law enforcement at protests. There is no evidence of this.
Antifa plane
“We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that.” — Trump in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Aug. 31, 2020.
Trump again tried to fear monger about antifa, this time claiming that antifa “thugs” were spotted on a plane. There is no evidence of this.
Voter fraud
“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” Trump tweet on July 30, 2020
Down in the polls and facing the possibility of defeat in November, Trump has taken to fearmongering about the accuracy of election results — falsely claiming that an increase in voting by mail will lead to fraud.
Suburbs
“The Democrats never even mentioned the words LAW & ORDER at their National Convention. That’s where they are coming from. If I don’t win, America’s Suburbs will be OVERRUN with Low Income Projects, Anarchists, Agitators, Looters and, of course, ‘Friendly Protesters.'” — Trump tweet on Sept. 10, 2020
In an effort to win over suburban voters who have abandoned the GOP in droves since Trump’s election in 2016, Trump has used racist fearmongering about minorities moving into suburbs.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
“The ‘suburban housewife’ will be voting for me. They want safety & are thrilled that I ended the long running program where low income housing would invade their neighborhood. Biden would reinstall it, in a bigger form, with Corey [sic] Booker in charge.” — Trump tweet on Aug. 12, 2020
Trump fearmongered that Booker — a Black Democratic Senator who supports affordable housing — would someday be “in charge” of diversifying the suburbs.
Socialism
“Joe Biden is just a Trojan horse for socialism,” — Trump at a campaign stop in Wisconsin on Aug. 17, 2020.
Trump and the GOP have made their 2020 messaging about how Democrats would bring socialism to the United States and ruin the country.
Of course, many of the policies Trump supports are textbook socialism, including his farmer subsidies.
401(k) plans
“If you want your 401k’s and Stocks, which are getting close to an all time high (NASDAQ is already there), to disintegrate and disappear, vote for the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats and Corrupt Joe Biden. Massive Tax Hikes – They will make you very poor, FAST!” — Trump tweet on July 6, 2020.
Trump has falsely said that if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins, the economy will tank.
Of course, the economy is in a deep recession right now — with Trump in charge. And historically, the economy has done better when Democrats are in the White House.
Second Amendment rights
“Just like Radical Left New York is trying to destroy the NRA, if Biden becomes President your GREAT SECOND AMENDMENT doesn’t have a chance. Your guns will be taken away, immediately and without notice. No police, no guns!” — Trump tweet on Aug. 6, 2020
Unlike what Trump said, Biden does not support repealing the Second Amendment, nor does he support defunding the police.
Nancy Pelosi could be president
“You know, there’s a theory that if you don’t have it by the end of the year, Crazy Nancy Pelosi would become President. You know that, right?” — Trump in an Aug. 21, 2020 speech.
In his quest to stop an increase in mail-in ballots, Trump warned that counting absentee could delay election results until after Inauguration Day, which would make Speaker Nancy Pelosi president.
No more windows
“So they want to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, and they want to seek an even higher level of restraint. In other words, make it worse than it was. Mandate net-zero carbon emissions for homes, offices, and all new buildings by 2030. That basically means no windows, no nothing,” Trump at a speech at the White House on July 14, 2020.
There is no evidence Biden would do away with windows if he became president.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-10--12 times Trump ignored virus safety rules in public even as he knew the risks

On Wednesday , tapes made public by journalist Bob Woodward of interviews he conducted with Donald Trump revealed that Trump has known how deadly the coronavirus is since February .
But a review of his public appearances and campaign events since that time shows that he has repeatedly ignored safety rules — even in states and localities where authorities have instituted such safety requirements aimed at curbing the pandemic .
`` You just breathe the air and that 's how it 's passed , '' Trump said in a Feb. 7 interview for Woodward 's upcoming book , `` Rage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very tricky one .
That 's a very delicate one .
It 's also more deadly than even your strenuous flus . ''
Since April , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been urging Americans to wear face masks in public and maintain social distancing to avoid spreading the virus .
Trump has taken many contradictory positions on masks , saying both that `` many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you ca n't socially distance '' and that masks are a `` double-edged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to show their disapproval of him personally .
With Trump refusing to issue a national order on mask-wearing , many states , localities , and businesses have acted on their own to require them and other safety measures .
• May 5 : Trump visited a Honeywell plant in Arizona .
He refused to wear a mask , even with signs indicating visitors were required to do so `` at all times . ''
Prior to the visit , he had said he would `` have no problem '' wearing a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump visited a Ford plant in Michigan .
He did not wear a mask in public , even after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned him in a letter that doing so was required under `` the law of this State . ''
Trump later claimed he had worn a mask in the back area of the factory , but took it off to deny the press `` the pleasure of seeing it . ''
• June 23 : Trump held a 3,000-person campaign rally at a Phoenix megachurch .
He did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his supporters , despite Phoenix and Maricopa County ordinances requiring their use in public places .
• July 10 : Trump visited Miami for a discussion on drug trafficking .
He did not wear a face mask as he arrived at the airport , ignoring a Miami-Dade County mandate .
• July 15 : Trump visited Atlanta and did not wear a mask at the airport , ignoring Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms ' executive order requiring them .
After Bottoms accused Trump of violating city law , a White House spokesperson falsely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current CDC guidance . ''
• July 24 : Trump attended a fundraising event at his Washington , D.C. , hotel .
Though he had urged Americans to wear face masks hours earlier , Trump and his team refused to do so at the event — violating an order issued by Mayor Muriel Bowser .
• July 29 : Trump traveled to Texas and appeared without a mask as he campaigned .
Gov .
Greg Abbott had issued a mandatory statewide public mask requirement weeks earlier .
• Aug. 6 : Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump '' event at a Las Vegas hotel , violating Gov .
Steve Sisolak 's order limiting gatherings to 50 people .
Though the Trump campaign disputed that the limits applied , the hotel was fined more than $ 10,000 for that and other violations of the rule .
• Aug. 7 : Trump spoke an event at his Bedminster , New Jersey , golf resort .
Ignoring the state 's mask requirements and limits on indoor gatherings , Trump wore no mask and claimed the supporters packed into the event did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He argued that it was `` a peaceful protest '' and thus exempt .
• Aug. 21 : Trump spoke to the Council for National Policy in Arlington , Virginia .
Trump and attendees ignored Gov .
Ralph Northam 's mask order and did not maintain social distancing .
Rep. Don Beyer ( D-VA ) and the chair of the Arlington County Board wrote to the White House and the Trump campaign days later that Trump and his team had been `` paying insufficient attention to public safety guidelines and legal orders meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they are here in our community . ''
• Sept. 1 : Trump visited Kenosha , Wisconsin , to meet with law enforcement officials .
He did not wear a mask , ignoring Gov .
Tony Evers ' statewide order .
Trump expressly invited participants to take masks off `` if you feel more comfortable . ''
• Sept. 8 : Trump visited Winston-Salem , North Carolina .
Even after the Republican chair of the local county board publicly urged Trump to comply with Gov .
Roy Cooper 's mask order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event also exceeded Cooper 's 50-person limit for mass gatherings .
Neither the Trump administration nor the Trump campaign responded to a request for comment for this story .
As of Thursday , more than 6.3 million Americans had contracted the virus and more than 190,000 had died .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Wednesday, tapes made public by journalist Bob Woodward of interviews he conducted with Donald Trump revealed that Trump has known how deadly the coronavirus is since February.
But a review of his public appearances and campaign events since that time shows that he has repeatedly ignored safety rules — even in states and localities where authorities have instituted such safety requirements aimed at curbing the pandemic.
“You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,” Trump said in a Feb. 7 interview for Woodward’s upcoming book, “Rage.” “And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.”
Since April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been urging Americans to wear face masks in public and maintain social distancing to avoid spreading the virus. Trump has taken many contradictory positions on masks, saying both that “many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance” and that masks are a “double-edged sword” and are being used by people to show their disapproval of him personally.
With Trump refusing to issue a national order on mask-wearing, many states, localities, and businesses have acted on their own to require them and other safety measures.
Trump has repeatedly flouted these rules.
May 5: Trump visited a Honeywell plant in Arizona. He refused to wear a mask, even with signs indicating visitors were required to do so “at all times.” Prior to the visit, he had said he would “have no problem” wearing a mask if required.
May 21: Trump visited a Ford plant in Michigan. He did not wear a mask in public, even after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned him in a letter that doing so was required under “the law of this State.” Trump later claimed he had worn a mask in the back area of the factory, but took it off to deny the press “the pleasure of seeing it.”
June 23: Trump held a 3,000-person campaign rally at a Phoenix megachurch. He did not wear a mask, nor did most of his supporters, despite Phoenix and Maricopa County ordinances requiring their use in public places.
July 10: Trump visited Miami for a discussion on drug trafficking. He did not wear a face mask as he arrived at the airport, ignoring a Miami-Dade County mandate.
July 15: Trump visited Atlanta and did not wear a mask at the airport, ignoring Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ executive order requiring them. After Bottoms accused Trump of violating city law, a White House spokesperson falsely claimed that Trump was just following “current CDC guidance.”
July 24: Trump attended a fundraising event at his Washington, D.C., hotel. Though he had urged Americans to wear face masks hours earlier, Trump and his team refused to do so at the event — violating an order issued by Mayor Muriel Bowser.
July 29: Trump traveled to Texas and appeared without a mask as he campaigned. Gov. Greg Abbott had issued a mandatory statewide public mask requirement weeks earlier.
Aug. 6: Trump’s campaign held a 500-person “Evangelicals for Trump” event at a Las Vegas hotel, violating Gov. Steve Sisolak’s order limiting gatherings to 50 people. Though the Trump campaign disputed that the limits applied, the hotel was fined more than $10,000 for that and other violations of the rule.
Aug. 7: Trump spoke an event at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort. Ignoring the state’s mask requirements and limits on indoor gatherings, Trump wore no mask and claimed the supporters packed into the event didn’t need to cover their faces either. He argued that it was “a peaceful protest” and thus exempt.
Aug. 21: Trump spoke to the Council for National Policy in Arlington, Virginia. Trump and attendees ignored Gov. Ralph Northam’s mask order and did not maintain social distancing. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and the chair of the Arlington County Board wrote to the White House and the Trump campaign days later that Trump and his team had been “paying insufficient attention to public safety guidelines and legal orders meant to stop the spread of the disease when they are here in our community.”
Sept. 1: Trump visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, to meet with law enforcement officials. He did not wear a mask, ignoring Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide order. Trump expressly invited participants to take masks off “if you feel more comfortable.”
Sept. 8: Trump visited Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Even after the Republican chair of the local county board publicly urged Trump to comply with Gov. Roy Cooper’s mask order, Trump refused to do so. The event also exceeded Cooper’s 50-person limit for mass gatherings.
Neither the Trump administration nor the Trump campaign responded to a request for comment for this story.
As of Thursday, more than 6.3 million Americans had contracted the virus and more than 190,000 had died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-10--Lindsey Graham takes the fall for Trump's disastrous Woodward interviews

Fox News host Tucker Carlson told the nation on Wednesday who to blame for Donald Trump 's admission that he deliberately downplayed the COVID-19 pandemic : Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) .
On Wednesday , author Bob Woodward released audio recordings of Trump talking about the virus .
In a February conversation , Trump admitted that the coronavirus was `` more deadly than even your most strenuous flus , '' contradicting his public claims .
In a March recording , Trump said that he `` wanted to always play it down . ''
After the damaging recordings became public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Beast that Graham was one of those who encouraged Trump to talk to the legendary Watergate journalist .
Graham acknowledged to the outlet that he had encouraged Trump to `` tell your side of the story . ''
Wednesday night , Carlson used his show to lambaste Graham for Trump 's comments , suggesting it was a plot by a secret Trump enemy to hurt the incumbent .
`` What is surprising is that Donald Trump participated in making the book .
The president sat for repeated interviews with Bob Woodward .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ? ''
Carlson asked rhetorically .
`` It was Lindsey Graham who helped convince Donald Trump to talk to Bob Woodward — Lindsey Graham brokered that meeting .
Lindsey Graham even sat in on the first interview between Bob Woodward and the president .
How ’ d that turn out ?
” Carlson then accused Graham of treachery , saying that the South Carolina Republican is `` supposed to be a Republican , '' but opposed Trump in 2016 .
`` So why would he do something like that ?
You would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mind that Lindsey Graham has opposed — passionately opposed — virtually every major policy initiative that Donald Trump articulated when he first ran .
From ending illegal immigration , to pulling back from pointless wars , to maintaining law and order at home .
Lindsey Graham was against all of that — more than many Democrats .
So maybe you already know the answer.
” A Graham spokesperson did not respond immediately to an inquiry for this story .
But while Graham did differ with Trump on multiple points during the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump infamously gave out Graham 's personal cellphone number , Graham has since become one of Trump 's biggest cheerleaders and fiercest defenders .
According to FiveThirtyEight , Graham has voted with Trump more than 87 % of the time — a higher percentage than several GOP colleagues .
`` Senator @ LindseyGrahamSC is a good friend and strong voice for the people of South Carolina , '' Trump tweeted in June .
`` He ’ s helped us confirm GREAT Judges , rebuild the Military , and keep our Country SAFE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lindsey has my Complete and Total Endorsement ! ''
This is not the first time Carlson has gone after the frequent Fox News guest on his show .
Last October , he accused Graham of `` total inaction '' for failing to fully investigate the origins of the Russia probe .
The title of that segment was `` Lindsey Graham Keeps Making Empty Promises . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Fox News host Tucker Carlson told the nation on Wednesday who to blame for Donald Trump’s admission that he deliberately downplayed the COVID-19 pandemic: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
On Wednesday, author Bob Woodward released audio recordings of Trump talking about the virus. In a February conversation, Trump admitted that the coronavirus was “more deadly than even your most strenuous flus,” contradicting his public claims. In a March recording, Trump said that he “wanted to always play it down.”
After the damaging recordings became public, senior Trump administration officials told The Daily Beast that Graham was one of those who encouraged Trump to talk to the legendary Watergate journalist. Graham acknowledged to the outlet that he had encouraged Trump to “tell your side of the story.”
Wednesday night, Carlson used his show to lambaste Graham for Trump’s comments, suggesting it was a plot by a secret Trump enemy to hurt the incumbent.
“What is surprising is that Donald Trump participated in making the book. The president sat for repeated interviews with Bob Woodward. Why in the world would he do that?” Carlson asked rhetorically. “It was Lindsey Graham who helped convince Donald Trump to talk to Bob Woodward — Lindsey Graham brokered that meeting. Lindsey Graham even sat in on the first interview between Bob Woodward and the president. How’d that turn out?”
Carlson then accused Graham of treachery, saying that the South Carolina Republican is “supposed to be a Republican,” but opposed Trump in 2016.
“So why would he do something like that? You would have to ask him. But keep in mind that Lindsey Graham has opposed — passionately opposed — virtually every major policy initiative that Donald Trump articulated when he first ran. From ending illegal immigration, to pulling back from pointless wars, to maintaining law and order at home. Lindsey Graham was against all of that — more than many Democrats. So maybe you already know the answer.”
A Graham spokesperson did not respond immediately to an inquiry for this story.
But while Graham did differ with Trump on multiple points during the 2016 primary campaign, when both were candidates and Trump infamously gave out Graham’s personal cellphone number, Graham has since become one of Trump’s biggest cheerleaders and fiercest defenders.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Graham has voted with Trump more than 87% of the time — a higher percentage than several GOP colleagues.
“Senator @LindseyGrahamSC is a good friend and strong voice for the people of South Carolina,” Trump tweeted in June. “He’s helped us confirm GREAT Judges, rebuild the Military, and keep our Country SAFE. Strong on Life and our Vets. Lindsey has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
This is not the first time Carlson has gone after the frequent Fox News guest on his show. Last October, he accused Graham of “total inaction” for failing to fully investigate the origins of the Russia probe. The title of that segment was “Lindsey Graham Keeps Making Empty Promises.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-10--Pence: Trump was acting like a WWII leader when he lied about the virus

Mike Pence on Thursday compared Donald Trump 's deliberate downplaying of the viral outbreak to tactics employed by leaders during World War II .
Newly released tapes of interviews with author Bob Woodward reveal that Trump knew in early February how dangerous the coronavirus was , saying it was `` more deadly '' than the flu .
He also admitted to Woodward that despite knowing how big the threat was , he `` wanted to always play it down . ''
Now , Trump and his White House are claiming that he constant downplaying of the serious of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to `` create panic . ''
Pence also tried to push that line during an interview on Fox News .
Trump simply `` wanted to reassure the American people all along the way , '' he said .
`` There 's that old saying from World War II in Great Britain , 'Keep calm .
Carry on . '
That was the presidential leadership that I saw . ''
`` Keep Calm and Carry On '' was a propaganda slogan used by the British government to encourage citizens while the country was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is n't the first time the White House has tried to compare Trump 's behavior to that of leaders during World War II .
In June , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany similarly compared Trump to Winston Churchill .
She said Trump 's photo-op in front of St. John 's Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square , where protesters were tear-gassed to clear room for Trump to pose with a Bible , was a `` message of resilience and determination like Churchill '' during the London Blitz .
From the Sep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America 's Newsroom '' : SANDRA SMITH , host : The president , in his defense of these audio tapes , has basically said this was a strategy on his part .
To prevent panic , to bring calm to the American people .
So , if it was a strategy , is it one that you knew of , Mr. Vice President ?
MIKE PENCE : What I saw first hand from that day in January in the Oval Office when President Trump took the unprecedented step of suspending all travel from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is that this president put the health of America first from day one .
But he also wanted to reassure the American people all along the way .
There 's that old saying from World War II in Great Britain , `` Keep calm .
Carry on . ''
That was the presidential leadership that I saw .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Mike Pence on Thursday compared Donald Trump’s deliberate downplaying of the viral outbreak to tactics employed by leaders during World War II.
Newly released tapes of interviews with author Bob Woodward reveal that Trump knew in early February how dangerous the coronavirus was, saying it was “more deadly” than the flu. He also admitted to Woodward that despite knowing how big the threat was, he “wanted to always play it down.” Now, Trump and his White House are claiming that he constant downplaying of the serious of the outbreak was simply because he didn’t want to “create panic.”
Pence also tried to push that line during an interview on Fox News. Trump simply “wanted to reassure the American people all along the way,” he said. “There’s that old saying from World War II in Great Britain, ‘Keep calm. Carry on.’ That was the presidential leadership that I saw.”
“Keep Calm and Carry On” was a propaganda slogan used by the British government to encourage citizens while the country was being bombed by the Nazis during the war.
This isn’t the first time the White House has tried to compare Trump’s behavior to that of leaders during World War II. In June, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany similarly compared Trump to Winston Churchill.
She said Trump’s photo-op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square, where protesters were tear-gassed to clear room for Trump to pose with a Bible, was a “message of resilience and determination like Churchill” during the London Blitz.
From the Sep. 10 edition of Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom”:
SANDRA SMITH, host: The president, in his defense of these audio tapes, has basically said this was a strategy on his part. To prevent panic, to bring calm to the American people. So, if it was a strategy, is it one that you knew of, Mr. Vice President? MIKE PENCE: What I saw first hand from that day in January in the Oval Office when President Trump took the unprecedented step of suspending all travel from China, declaring a public health emergency, is that this president put the health of America first from day one. But he also wanted to reassure the American people all along the way. There’s that old saying from World War II in Great Britain, “Keep calm. Carry on.” That was the presidential leadership that I saw.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-10--Whistleblower: Intel reports have been changed to avoid upsetting Trump

A Department of Homeland Security official said in a whistleblower complaint that he was pressured by more senior officials to suppress facts in intelligence reports that Donald Trump might find objectionable , including information about Russian interference in the election and the rising threat posed by white supremacists .
The official , Brian Murphy , alleged that senior DHS officials also pressed him to alter reports so they would reflect administration policy goals and that he was demoted for refusing to go along with the changes and for filing confidential internal complaints about the conduct .
Murphy , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was demoted in August from his post as principal deputy undersecretary in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis .
He is seeking to be reinstated in a complaint filed with the DHS Office of Inspector General .
Rep. Adam Schiff , chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , on Wednesday released the complaint , which he said contained `` grave and disturbing '' allegations .
He said Murphy has been asked to give a deposition to Congress as part of an investigation into intelligence collection by DHS related to its response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere .
`` We will get to the bottom of this , expose any and all misconduct or corruption to the American people , and put a stop to the politicization of intelligence , '' the California Democrat said .
A Homeland Security spokesman , Alexei Woltornist , said the department generally does not comment on referrals to the inspector general but denied Murphy 's allegations .
`` DHS looks forward to the results of any resulting investigation , and we expect it will conclude that no retaliatory action was taken against Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint came the same day that acting Secretary Chad Wolf , who has been nominated by Trump to lead the agency , gave a `` state of the Homeland '' speech in which he said DHS is working to thwart election interference from any foreign power and all threats regardless of ideology .
`` DHS stands in absolute opposition to any form of violent extremism whether by white supremacist extremists or anarchist extremists , '' Wolf said .
`` We will continue our daily efforts to combat all forms of domestic terror .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was directed by Ken Cuccinelli , the acting deputy DHS secretary , to modify a section of a report to make the threat posed by white supremacists less severe .
He was told to play up the threat posed by left-wing groups to echo administration talking points around civil unrest following the protests over the killing of George Floyd .
Murphy said he refused to alter the report because doing so would `` constitute an abuse of authority and improper administration of an intelligence program . ''
He was then taken off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of reports on Russian disinformation efforts to senior DHS and administration officials between March 2018 and March 2020 .
The details are classified and not included in the whistleblower complaint .
Then , in July , Wolf told him to hold back any reports on Russian election interference because they `` made the president look bad , '' according to the complaint .
He also said Wolf told him to report on interference by China and Iran , instead of Russia , and those instructions came from White House national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objected and was excluded from future meetings on the subject .
Trump has repeatedly resisted claims of Russian interference , including doubting findings by U.S. officials and lawmakers that Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign to help him and sow chaos in the electoral process .
He has dismissed reports that Russia is continuing to interfere in the 2020 race , claiming that China is the more pernicious threat , even though a statement from intelligence officials last month said Moscow was directly trying to undermine Democrat Joe Biden .
Murphy said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a DHS intelligence report , a draft was leaked to the media in which Russia 's interference was placed on an equal footing as activities by Iran and China in a way that was `` misleading and inconsistent with the actual intelligence , '' the complaint said .
Murphy came to DHS in March 2018 from the FBI , where his career included being assigned to the New York field office on Sept. 11 , 2001 .
In his complaint , he alleged that efforts to manipulate the intelligence he oversaw started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Nielsen and her deputies pressed him to vastly overstate the number of migrants apprehended at the southwest border who have confirmed links to any terrorist organization .
That occurred as the Trump administration was rolling out tougher measures against illegal immigration .
Murphy said he declined to confirm an inflated figure , saying to do so would be not only improper but illegal .
The secretary nonetheless provided the incorrect figure to Congress .
Cuccinelli , he said , pressed him to change reports on conditions in El Salvador , Guatemala , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to halt a surge of people seeking asylum from Central America at the U.S.-Mexico border .
`` Mr. Cuccinelli expressed frustration with the intelligence reports , and he accused unknown 'deep state intelligence analysts ' of compiling the intelligence information to undermine President Donald J. Trump 's policy objectives with respect to asylum , '' he said in the complaint .
Murphy said that over the summer he was instructed by Wolf and Cuccinelli to alter assessments on protests to make sure `` they matched up '' with Trump 's statements on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations in Portland and elsewhere .
He said he told them he would only report accurate information .
Shortly thereafter , Wolf reassigned him to the management division .
That followed media reports that Murphy 's unit collected information on journalists covering the DHS response to the protests .
Murphy said the reports were incorrect and Wolf agreed but said it would be `` politically good '' to move him while the acting secretary hoped to be nominated to the secretary post by Trump .
The complaint , which also asks that officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reprimands , was filed by Mark Zaid , a prominent attorney who also represented the whistleblower who spurred the Trump impeachment inquiry .
Zaid said in a statement that Murphy `` followed proper , lawful whistleblower rules in reporting serious allegations of misconduct '' and would cooperate with congressional investigations into the matter , especially in a classified setting .

A Department of Homeland Security official said in a whistleblower complaint that he was pressured by more senior officials to suppress facts in intelligence reports that Donald Trump might find objectionable, including information about Russian interference in the election and the rising threat posed by white supremacists.
The official, Brian Murphy, alleged that senior DHS officials also pressed him to alter reports so they would reflect administration policy goals and that he was demoted for refusing to go along with the changes and for filing confidential internal complaints about the conduct.
Murphy, a former FBI agent and a Marine Corps veteran, was demoted in August from his post as principal deputy undersecretary in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. He is seeking to be reinstated in a complaint filed with the DHS Office of Inspector General.
Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, on Wednesday released the complaint, which he said contained “grave and disturbing” allegations. He said Murphy has been asked to give a deposition to Congress as part of an investigation into intelligence collection by DHS related to its response to protests in Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere.
“We will get to the bottom of this, expose any and all misconduct or corruption to the American people, and put a stop to the politicization of intelligence,” the California Democrat said.
A Homeland Security spokesman, Alexei Woltornist, said the department generally does not comment on referrals to the inspector general but denied Murphy’s allegations. “DHS looks forward to the results of any resulting investigation, and we expect it will conclude that no retaliatory action was taken against Mr. Murphy,” he said.
The complaint came the same day that acting Secretary Chad Wolf, who has been nominated by Trump to lead the agency, gave a “state of the Homeland” speech in which he said DHS is working to thwart election interference from any foreign power and all threats regardless of ideology.
“DHS stands in absolute opposition to any form of violent extremism whether by white supremacist extremists or anarchist extremists,” Wolf said. “We will continue our daily efforts to combat all forms of domestic terror.”
Murphy said in his complaint that he was directed by Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy DHS secretary, to modify a section of a report to make the threat posed by white supremacists less severe. He was told to play up the threat posed by left-wing groups to echo administration talking points around civil unrest following the protests over the killing of George Floyd.
Murphy said he refused to alter the report because doing so would “constitute an abuse of authority and improper administration of an intelligence program.” He was then taken off the project.
He said he made a number of reports on Russian disinformation efforts to senior DHS and administration officials between March 2018 and March 2020. The details are classified and not included in the whistleblower complaint.
Then, in July, Wolf told him to hold back any reports on Russian election interference because they “made the president look bad,” according to the complaint. He also said Wolf told him to report on interference by China and Iran, instead of Russia, and those instructions came from White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien. Murphy said he objected and was excluded from future meetings on the subject.
Trump has repeatedly resisted claims of Russian interference, including doubting findings by U.S. officials and lawmakers that Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign to help him and sow chaos in the electoral process. He has dismissed reports that Russia is continuing to interfere in the 2020 race, claiming that China is the more pernicious threat, even though a statement from intelligence officials last month said Moscow was directly trying to undermine Democrat Joe Biden.
Murphy said that, after he was removed from working on a DHS intelligence report, a draft was leaked to the media in which Russia’s interference was placed on an equal footing as activities by Iran and China in a way that was “misleading and inconsistent with the actual intelligence,” the complaint said.
Murphy came to DHS in March 2018 from the FBI, where his career included being assigned to the New York field office on Sept. 11, 2001. In his complaint, he alleged that efforts to manipulate the intelligence he oversaw started under former Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
He said Nielsen and her deputies pressed him to vastly overstate the number of migrants apprehended at the southwest border who have confirmed links to any terrorist organization. That occurred as the Trump administration was rolling out tougher measures against illegal immigration. Murphy said he declined to confirm an inflated figure, saying to do so would be not only improper but illegal. The secretary nonetheless provided the incorrect figure to Congress.
Cuccinelli, he said, pressed him to change reports on conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the administration was seeking to halt a surge of people seeking asylum from Central America at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Mr. Cuccinelli expressed frustration with the intelligence reports, and he accused unknown ‘deep state intelligence analysts’ of compiling the intelligence information to undermine President Donald J. Trump’s policy objectives with respect to asylum,” he said in the complaint.
Murphy said that over the summer he was instructed by Wolf and Cuccinelli to alter assessments on protests to make sure “they matched up” with Trump’s statements on the involvement of antifa and anarchists in the demonstrations in Portland and elsewhere. He said he told them he would only report accurate information.
Shortly thereafter, Wolf reassigned him to the management division. That followed media reports that Murphy’s unit collected information on journalists covering the DHS response to the protests. Murphy said the reports were incorrect and Wolf agreed but said it would be “politically good” to move him while the acting secretary hoped to be nominated to the secretary post by Trump.
The complaint, which also asks that officials who retaliated against Murphy be given written reprimands, was filed by Mark Zaid, a prominent attorney who also represented the whistleblower who spurred the Trump impeachment inquiry.
Zaid said in a statement that Murphy “followed proper, lawful whistleblower rules in reporting serious allegations of misconduct” and would cooperate with congressional investigations into the matter, especially in a classified setting.


shareblue--2020-09-10--Watergate reporter: New Trump tapes are 'smoking gun' of 'presidential felony'

Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein on Wednesday said the recordings of Donald Trump admitting that he downplayed the viral outbreak are `` the smoking gun of his negligence . ''
`` Instead of leveling with the country , he covers up , '' Bernstein told CNN , adding , `` This is one of the great presidential felonies of all time , maybe the greatest felony , and we have the smoking gun tape of the president committing the felony . ''
Along with Bob Woodward , Bernstein broke the story of the Watergate break-in and resulting cover-up by President Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a series of interviews for Woodward 's new book , Trump told the reporter in February , while speaking about the coronavirus outbreak , `` I wanted to always play it down . ''
Trump also said he always knew the virus was deadlier than the flu , but he later made several public comments that the virus was similar to the flu .
From the Sept. 9 edition of `` CNN Newsroom '' : CARL BERNSTEIN : It 's stunning , and I think we all need to take a deep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have learned .
We are listening to the president of the United States , on tape , deliberately undermining the security — the national security of the United States — the health and well-being of the people of the United States , and he 's doing this knowingly , in real-time , it is the smoking gun of his negligence .
As those quotes you were talking about from Mattis and others , demonstrating his unfitness to be the president .
But more than anything , instead of leveling with the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him cover up this grave national emergency .
This is one of the great presidential felonies of all time , maybe the greatest felony , and we have the smoking gun tape of the president committing the felony .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein on Wednesday said the recordings of Donald Trump admitting that he downplayed the viral outbreak are “the smoking gun of his negligence.”
“Instead of leveling with the country, he covers up,” Bernstein told CNN, adding, “This is one of the great presidential felonies of all time, maybe the greatest felony, and we have the smoking gun tape of the president committing the felony.”
Along with Bob Woodward, Bernstein broke the story of the Watergate break-in and resulting cover-up by President Richard Nixon and his administration.
As part of a series of interviews for Woodward’s new book, Trump told the reporter in February, while speaking about the coronavirus outbreak, “I wanted to always play it down.”
Trump also said he always knew the virus was deadlier than the flu, but he later made several public comments that the virus was similar to the flu.
From the Sept. 9 edition of “CNN Newsroom”:
CARL BERNSTEIN: It’s stunning, and I think we all need to take a deep breath and understand exactly what it is we have learned. We are listening to the president of the United States, on tape, deliberately undermining the security — the national security of the United States — the health and well-being of the people of the United States, and he’s doing this knowingly, in real-time, it is the smoking gun of his negligence. As those quotes you were talking about from Mattis and others, demonstrating his unfitness to be the president. But more than anything, instead of leveling with the country, he covers up. We listened to him cover up this grave national emergency. This is one of the great presidential felonies of all time, maybe the greatest felony, and we have the smoking gun tape of the president committing the felony.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-10--New ad hits Georgia senator for profiting off coronavirus with stock sales

A new ad from Georgia Democratic Senate nominee Jon Ossoff highlights allegations that his opponent , incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue , profited from the coronavirus crisis .
The ad shows footage of news anchors reporting that Perdue `` bought and sold stock shortly after a private Senate briefing on the virus . ''
It notes that , early in the pandemic , Perdue bought stock in both a company that made protective medical equipment and a pharmaceutical company working on a vaccine , while he sold stock in casinos and hotels .
`` Instead of using his insider knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lined his own pockets , '' the ad claims .
The ad is based on various reports about Perdue 's financial disclosures .
On Jan. 24 , the same day senators received a private briefing on the new coronavirus , Perdue bought as much as $ 65,000 worth of stock in DuPont de Nemours , a company that makes protective equipment , the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in April .
In March , as many states were beginning to implement business restrictions , Perdue sold stock in Caesars Entertainment , a casino company , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video streaming service Netflix .
In April , Perdue 's office claimed that the senator 's finances were managed by an `` outside adviser '' and that Perdue was `` not involved in day-to-day decisions . ''
A month later , Perdue released a statement claiming outside advisers handled the `` majority of our stock investments , '' leaving open the possibility that Perdue himself was involved in some of the controversial trades .
Perdue is a first-term senator facing a challenge from Ossoff .
While Perdue maintains a four-point lead in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race is rated `` toss up '' by the Cook Political Report .
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate .
The Perdue-Ossoff race is being closely watched as a possible win for Democrats that would help flip the Senate majority to them .
Georgia has traditionally been a Republican stronghold , but Donald Trump has just a narrow 1.3 point lead in an average of recent polls of the state over Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A new ad from Georgia Democratic Senate nominee Jon Ossoff highlights allegations that his opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue, profited from the coronavirus crisis.
The ad shows footage of news anchors reporting that Perdue “bought and sold stock shortly after a private Senate briefing on the virus.” It notes that, early in the pandemic, Perdue bought stock in both a company that made protective medical equipment and a pharmaceutical company working on a vaccine, while he sold stock in casinos and hotels.
“Instead of using his insider knowledge to prepare our country, David Perdue lined his own pockets,” the ad claims.
The ad is based on various reports about Perdue’s financial disclosures.
On Jan. 24, the same day senators received a private briefing on the new coronavirus, Perdue bought as much as $65,000 worth of stock in DuPont de Nemours, a company that makes protective equipment, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in April.
In March, as many states were beginning to implement business restrictions, Perdue sold stock in Caesars Entertainment, a casino company, and invested up to $50,000 in the video streaming service Netflix.
In April, Perdue’s office claimed that the senator’s finances were managed by an “outside adviser” and that Perdue was “not involved in day-to-day decisions.”
A month later, Perdue released a statement claiming outside advisers handled the “majority of our stock investments,” leaving open the possibility that Perdue himself was involved in some of the controversial trades.
Perdue is a first-term senator facing a challenge from Ossoff. While Perdue maintains a four-point lead in an average of recent polls, the race is rated “toss up” by the Cook Political Report.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate. The Perdue-Ossoff race is being closely watched as a possible win for Democrats that would help flip the Senate majority to them.
Georgia has traditionally been a Republican stronghold, but Donald Trump has just a narrow 1.3 point lead in an average of recent polls of the state over Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-10--Trump tries to create voter panic hours after saying 'I don't want to create panic'

Donald Trump on Thursday sought to sow fear about the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election by falsely claiming that an increase in the use of absentee ballots is `` a total fraud in the making . ''
`` Sending out 80 MILLION BALLOTS to people who are n't even asking for a Ballot is unfair and a total fraud in the making .
Look at what 's going on right now ! ''
Trump tweeted .
Trump 's fear-mongering over the November election comes a day after the publication of revelations from an upcoming book by journalist Bob Woodward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus early in the pandemic even though he knew it was extremely contagious and deadly .
Trump tried to justify his downplaying of the threat he knew was serious Wednesday , saying : `` I love our country and I do n't want people to be frightened , I do n't want to create panic .
... We do n't want to instill panic , we do n't want to jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem that is a tremendous problem , scare everybody . ''
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stoking fear among the American electorate .
In 2014 , he incited fear of Ebola , claiming that President Barack Obama was n't doing enough to stop the spread of the deadly virus in the United States — even though there were just 11 cases and two deaths from the virus in the country .
In the 2016 election , Trump ran on fear of Muslims , vowing to ban Muslims from entering the United States altogether .
In the 2018 midterm elections , he tried to create fear of `` caravans '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , running ads intended to scare Republican voters to get them to the polls .
And now , Trump 's 2020 reelection campaign is again based on creating fear : fear of violence in the streets , fear of an economic downturn , and fear of voter fraud .
In July , the Trump campaign released an ad titled `` Break in , '' which imagines a crime-filled United States in which a vulnerable old woman can not get police help as her house is being robbed .
`` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's America '' is the ad 's tag line .
Ultimately , Trump 's response to the coronavirus poses a severe risk to his reelection chances .
Even before the revelation that he downplayed the dangers of the coronavirus , a majority of the country disapproved of his response to it .
Some 56.5 % of Americans disapprove of Trump 's handling of the pandemic , according to the latest FiveThirtyEight polling average .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden currently holds a 7.6 % national lead over Trump , according to FiveThirtyEight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people the truth about the threat of the coronavirus is unlikely to move the needle in his favor .
And with less than eight weeks to go before Election Day , with voters already beginning to cast ballots , Trump is running out of time to move voters to his side .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Thursday sought to sow fear about the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election by falsely claiming that an increase in the use of absentee ballots is “a total fraud in the making.”
“Sending out 80 MILLION BALLOTS to people who aren’t even asking for a Ballot is unfair and a total fraud in the making. Look at what’s going on right now!” Trump tweeted.
Trump’s fear-mongering over the November election comes a day after the publication of revelations from an upcoming book by journalist Bob Woodward that Trump downplayed the threat of the coronavirus early in the pandemic even though he knew it was extremely contagious and deadly.
Trump tried to justify his downplaying of the threat he knew was serious Wednesday, saying: “I love our country and I don’t want people to be frightened, I don’t want to create panic. … We don’t want to instill panic, we don’t want to jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem that is a tremendous problem, scare everybody.”
But Trump has built his political career on stoking fear among the American electorate.
In 2014, he incited fear of Ebola, claiming that President Barack Obama wasn’t doing enough to stop the spread of the deadly virus in the United States — even though there were just 11 cases and two deaths from the virus in the country.
In the 2016 election, Trump ran on fear of Muslims, vowing to ban Muslims from entering the United States altogether.
In the 2018 midterm elections, he tried to create fear of “caravans” of South American immigrants bringing violence to the United States, running ads intended to scare Republican voters to get them to the polls.
And now, Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign is again based on creating fear: fear of violence in the streets, fear of an economic downturn, and fear of voter fraud.
In July, the Trump campaign released an ad titled “Break in,” which imagines a crime-filled United States in which a vulnerable old woman cannot get police help as her house is being robbed.
“You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America” is the ad’s tag line.
Ultimately, Trump’s response to the coronavirus poses a severe risk to his reelection chances.
Even before the revelation that he downplayed the dangers of the coronavirus, a majority of the country disapproved of his response to it. Some 56.5% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, according to the latest FiveThirtyEight polling average.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden currently holds a 7.6% national lead over Trump, according to FiveThirtyEight.
News that Trump didn’t tell the American people the truth about the threat of the coronavirus is unlikely to move the needle in his favor. And with less than eight weeks to go before Election Day, with voters already beginning to cast ballots, Trump is running out of time to move voters to his side.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-11--News you might have missed: California moves to increase number of firefighters

This week , California lawmakers try to make it easier for former inmates to become firefighters , Michigan will provide free college tuition to essential workers such as grocery store clerks , and Pearl Jam 's lead singer gives a vote-by-mail tutorial on Instagram .
Read on to see what else you might have missed this week in the news .
California bill would allow former inmates to be firefighters As wildfires rage across the state , California lawmakers passed a bill allowing nonviolent offenders who are released from prison to become firefighters , Wildfire Today reported on Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were authorized by the state to help fight fires , but their incarceration records prevented them from becoming professional firefighters upon their release , CNN previously reported .
The bill passed by the Legislature would expunge the record of nonviolent offenders who were firefighters while incarcerated .
In addition , the law , if signed by the governor , would allow those former prisoners to apply to become emergency medical technicians .
Maine to be first state to use ranked-choice voting in a presidential election The Maine Supreme Court cleared the way for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's presidential election , the first state in the nation to do so , Forbes reported on Tuesday .
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates on a ballot in preferential order .
If no candidate receives more than 50 % of the vote , the candidate with the lowest vote total is dropped , and voters ' second choices are counted ; the process repeats until there is a winner .
Maine 's Republican Party tried to stop the use of ranked-choice voting by means of a ballot petition but failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maine used the voting system in the 2018 midterm election , but November will be the first time it will be used in a presidential contest .
Judge rules that 2020 census must keep going to be complete A federal judge ordered the U.S. Census Bureau to scrap plans to end the census early , the Associated Press reported on Sunday .
The temporary restraining order , from U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh , prevents the bureau from ending the nationwide census at the end of September according to a revised plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October .
A hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 17 .
A coalition of civil rights groups , cities , and counties sued the Census Bureau , arguing that stopping the once-a-decade nationwide population count early would disproportionately impact minority communities and result in an undercount of the population .
`` The court rightfully recognized the Trump administration 's attempted short-circuiting of our nation 's census as an imminent threat to the completion of a fair and accurate process , '' Kristen Clarke , president of the Lawyers ' Committee for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ruling .
New bill would remove anti-LGBTQ restrictions on blood donations A pair of House Democrats introduced a bill to change regulations for blood donation they say discriminates against the LGBTQ community .
The Blood Donation Act of 2020 , introduced by Reps. Val Demings of Florida and Mike Quigley of Illinois , would require the Food and Drug Administration to change guidance regarding the risk of HIV transmission , arguing that the existing method bars many LGBTQ people from donating blood unless they have been celibate for at least three months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on individual risk factors .
`` Every day , across the United States , donated blood marks the difference between life and death , '' Demings said in a press release .
`` There is no substitute .
Yet our country turns away thousands of healthy and willing blood donors based solely on their gender identity and sexual orientation . ''
The way Texas currently deals with signatures on mail-in ballots is unconstitutional and must be changed immediately , a federal judge ruled on Tuesday .
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perceived mismatch between a voter 's signature on a mail-in ballot and that voter 's signature on file `` plainly violates certain voters ' constitutional rights . ''
Garcia ruled the secretary of state must inform election officials that voters are to be notified of any perceived signature mismatch and given a `` meaningful opportunity '' to correct the issue .
In addition to being a battleground state in the presidential race , Texas this year is the site of one of the nation 's marquee Senate races , between incumbent John Cornyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MJ Hegar .
Grocery workers in Michigan now eligible for free college tuition Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer has announced that more than half a million essential workers in the state are eligible for free tuition at community colleges , the Oakland Press reported on Thursday .
The $ 24 million initiative , known as the Futures for Frontlines Program , is available to essential employees who worked full- or part-time during 11 of the 13 weeks of the coronavirus pandemic between April 1 and June 30 .
Essential workers include first responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and those in the health care industry .
`` Whether it was stocking shelves , delivering supplies , picking up trash , manufacturing PPE or providing medical care , you were there for us , '' Whitmer said in a statement .
`` Now this is your chance to pursue the degree or training you 've been dreaming about to help you and your own family succeed . ''
Eddie Vedder , lead singer of the rock group Pearl Jam , called voting by mail a `` piece of cake '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of photos and step-by-step instructions , Vedder used his own voting experience in Washington 's August primary to encourage others to vote by mail in November .
He reminded voters to read the instructions , properly fill out the ballot , sign at the appropriate place , and safely and securely return the ballot .
`` Piece of cake , '' Vedder posted beneath a photo of him holding a ballot .
`` In regards to something so huge as taking part in our democracy and putting your voices to great use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this intense time of a global pandemic , even more importantly , nothing could be SAFER . ''

This week, California lawmakers try to make it easier for former inmates to become firefighters, Michigan will provide free college tuition to essential workers such as grocery store clerks, and Pearl Jam’s lead singer gives a vote-by-mail tutorial on Instagram.
Read on to see what else you might have missed this week in the news.
As wildfires rage across the state, California lawmakers passed a bill allowing nonviolent offenders who are released from prison to become firefighters, Wildfire Today reported on Saturday.
In 2019, more than 2,000 inmates were authorized by the state to help fight fires, but their incarceration records prevented them from becoming professional firefighters upon their release, CNN previously reported.
The bill passed by the Legislature would expunge the record of nonviolent offenders who were firefighters while incarcerated.
In addition, the law, if signed by the governor, would allow those former prisoners to apply to become emergency medical technicians.
The Maine Supreme Court cleared the way for voters to use ranked-choice voting in November’s presidential election, the first state in the nation to do so, Forbes reported on Tuesday.
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates on a ballot in preferential order. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the candidate with the lowest vote total is dropped, and voters’ second choices are counted; the process repeats until there is a winner.
Maine’s Republican Party tried to stop the use of ranked-choice voting by means of a ballot petition but failed to collect the required number of signatures.
Maine used the voting system in the 2018 midterm election, but November will be the first time it will be used in a presidential contest.
A federal judge ordered the U.S. Census Bureau to scrap plans to end the census early, the Associated Press reported on Sunday. The temporary restraining order, from U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh, prevents the bureau from ending the nationwide census at the end of September according to a revised plan instead of the previous end date of October. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 17.
A coalition of civil rights groups, cities, and counties sued the Census Bureau, arguing that stopping the once-a-decade nationwide population count early would disproportionately impact minority communities and result in an undercount of the population.
“The court rightfully recognized the Trump administration’s attempted short-circuiting of our nation’s census as an imminent threat to the completion of a fair and accurate process,” Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said after the ruling.
A pair of House Democrats introduced a bill to change regulations for blood donation they say discriminates against the LGBTQ community.
The Blood Donation Act of 2020, introduced by Reps. Val Demings of Florida and Mike Quigley of Illinois, would require the Food and Drug Administration to change guidance regarding the risk of HIV transmission, arguing that the existing method bars many LGBTQ people from donating blood unless they have been celibate for at least three months.
The new guidance would base restrictions on individual risk factors.
“Every day, across the United States, donated blood marks the difference between life and death,” Demings said in a press release. “There is no substitute. Yet our country turns away thousands of healthy and willing blood donors based solely on their gender identity and sexual orientation.”
The way Texas currently deals with signatures on mail-in ballots is unconstitutional and must be changed immediately, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled that tossing out a ballot based on a perceived mismatch between a voter’s signature on a mail-in ballot and that voter’s signature on file “plainly violates certain voters’ constitutional rights.”
Garcia ruled the secretary of state must inform election officials that voters are to be notified of any perceived signature mismatch and given a “meaningful opportunity” to correct the issue.
In addition to being a battleground state in the presidential race, Texas this year is the site of one of the nation’s marquee Senate races, between incumbent John Cornyn, a Republican, and Democratic challenger MJ Hegar.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced that more than half a million essential workers in the state are eligible for free tuition at community colleges, the Oakland Press reported on Thursday.
The $24 million initiative, known as the Futures for Frontlines Program, is available to essential employees who worked full- or part-time during 11 of the 13 weeks of the coronavirus pandemic between April 1 and June 30. Essential workers include first responders, agricultural employees, grocery store workers, and those in the health care industry.
“Whether it was stocking shelves, delivering supplies, picking up trash, manufacturing PPE or providing medical care, you were there for us,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Now this is your chance to pursue the degree or training you’ve been dreaming about to help you and your own family succeed.”
Eddie Vedder, lead singer of the rock group Pearl Jam, called voting by mail a “piece of cake” in a recent Instagram tutorial.
In a series of photos and step-by-step instructions, Vedder used his own voting experience in Washington’s August primary to encourage others to vote by mail in November. He reminded voters to read the instructions, properly fill out the ballot, sign at the appropriate place, and safely and securely return the ballot.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEpK8oyliJQ
“Piece of cake,” Vedder posted beneath a photo of him holding a ballot. “In regards to something so huge as taking part in our democracy and putting your voices to great use, nothing could be easier. And at this intense time of a global pandemic, even more importantly, nothing could be SAFER.”


shareblue--2020-09-11--Susan Collins is once again mildly disappointed by Trump's outrageous lies

Sen. Susan Collins ( R-ME ) mildly criticized Donald Trump on Thursday for deliberately misleading the nation about the COVID-19 pandemic .
On Friday evening , Collins will face off against her general election opponent , Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon , in their first debate .
Analysts have called the Maine Senate race a `` toss-up '' that could be key to deciding which party controls the Senate come January .
On Thursday , Collins told Maine Public Radio that she disagreed with some of Donald Trump 's handling of the pandemic .
`` His handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said , repeating her April assessment .
Asked about Trump 's admitted efforts to deceive the American people about the severity of the virus , Collins answered : `` I believe you have to be straight with the American people and tell them exactly how high the stakes are . ''
The comments came a day after journalist Bob Woodward made public portions of his recorded interviews with Trump for his upcoming book , `` Rage . ''
`` You just breathe the air and that 's how it 's passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 .
`` And so that 's a very tricky one .
That 's a very delicate one .
It 's also more deadly than even your strenuous flus . ''
This directly contradicted his public claims about the severity of the virus at the time .
In a recording made in March , Trump admitted that he `` wanted to always play it down . ''
Collins , who has refused to say whether she will support Trump 's reelection because of her own `` difficult race , '' has previously expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting with him more than two-thirds of the time , according to FiveThirtyEight 's tracker .
She voted to give lifetime appointments to the vast majority of Trump 's more than 200 judicial nominees , including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
A Collins spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
But on at least 24 previous occasions , the Maine Republican has expressed in various ways that she has been `` disappointed '' by Trump .
In February , she voted to acquit Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had learned a `` pretty big lesson '' and `` would be more cautious in the future . ''
That comment came just a few weeks before Trump lied to the American public that the coronavirus was less dangerous than the `` common flu . ''
Collins later backed off her assertion that Trump would be more cautious , admitting it was `` more aspirational on my part . ''
Trump endorsed Collins last December , tweeting that he agreed `` 100 % '' with Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kavanaugh 's confirmation and at other times when our country has needed a steady voice '' and that she deserved support in her reelection campaign .
According to RealClearPolitics ' polling average , Gideon enjoys a 4.5 % lead over Collins .
But that analysis does not include the results of a poll conducted by Citizen Data between Sept. 4 and 7 that found Gideon leading by about 49 % to 41 % among likely Maine voters .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) mildly criticized Donald Trump on Thursday for deliberately misleading the nation about the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday evening, Collins will face off against her general election opponent, Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon, in their first debate. Analysts have called the Maine Senate race a “toss-up” that could be key to deciding which party controls the Senate come January.
On Thursday, Collins told Maine Public Radio that she disagreed with some of Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic. “His handling of the coronavirus crisis has been extremely uneven,” she said, repeating her April assessment.
Asked about Trump’s admitted efforts to deceive the American people about the severity of the virus, Collins answered: “I believe you have to be straight with the American people and tell them exactly how high the stakes are.”
The comments came a day after journalist Bob Woodward made public portions of his recorded interviews with Trump for his upcoming book, “Rage.”
“You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,” Trump told Woodward on Feb. 7. “And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.” This directly contradicted his public claims about the severity of the virus at the time.
In a recording made in March, Trump admitted that he “wanted to always play it down.”
Collins, who has refused to say whether she will support Trump’s reelection because of her own “difficult race,” has previously expressed concern about Trump’s actions — while voting with him more than two-thirds of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight’s tracker. She voted to give lifetime appointments to the vast majority of Trump’s more than 200 judicial nominees, including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
A Collins spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story. But on at least 24 previous occasions, the Maine Republican has expressed in various ways that she has been “disappointed” by Trump.
In February, she voted to acquit Trump in his impeachment trial, suggesting that he had learned a “pretty big lesson” and “would be more cautious in the future.” That comment came just a few weeks before Trump lied to the American public that the coronavirus was less dangerous than the “common flu.”
Collins later backed off her assertion that Trump would be more cautious, admitting it was “more aspirational on my part.”
Trump endorsed Collins last December, tweeting that he agreed “100%” with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that she “showed unbelievable courage during Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation and at other times when our country has needed a steady voice” and that she deserved support in her reelection campaign.
According to RealClearPolitics’ polling average, Gideon enjoys a 4.5% lead over Collins. But that analysis does not include the results of a poll conducted by Citizen Data between Sept. 4 and 7 that found Gideon leading by about 49% to 41% among likely Maine voters.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-11--Trump's pick to lead Homeland Security faces more scrutiny amid scandals

A whistleblower 's complaint and a tight timeline are making it increasingly unlikely that the Senate will confirm Chad Wolf as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security before the election .
Donald Trump formally sent the nomination late Thursday to the Senate after announcing his intention to appoint Wolf in a tweet last month .
But Republican senators , who are fighting to keep their majority in November , appear in no rush to launch a heated confirmation that will force uncomfortable questions about whether agency actions were driven by Trump 's political agenda .
The Senate 's Homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin , may still pursue a hearing to consider Wolf 's nomination in the weeks ahead .
But the full Senate is unlikely to hold a confirmation vote before the election , said two Republican aides granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations .
Senators could recess by the end of the month .
On Friday , Rep. Adam Schiff , the chair of the House Intelligence Committee , announced his panel was expanding its probe into politicization at DHS following the whistleblower 's complaints over the department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interference by the Russians , the threat posed by white supremacists and other matters .
Schiff wrote to DHS officials that based on the new information the committee 's investigation will now encompass `` a wider range of reported abuses , deficiencies , and problems , including allegations of improper politicization of intelligence and political interference . ''
It was already going to be hard to secure a confirmation vote before the Senate heads into an October recess even before the new allegations that Wolf and other DHS officials sought to influence intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Wolf to answer questions raised in the complaint from Brian Murphy , who said he was demoted from his DHS intelligence post after a series of clashes with agency leaders over reports on threats to the homeland .
Trump told reporters Thursday that he had n't seen the whistleblower complaint .
`` But ask Chad Wolf , '' he said before heading to a campaign rally in Michigan .
`` He 's the one that would know something about it . ''
DHS spokesman Alexei Woltornist has said the agency denies there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the complaint Murphy made to the agency 's Office of Inspector General , which provided additional ammunition to Wolf critics who were already accusing him of politicizing the agency by deploying federal forces against protesters in Portland , Oregon , and elsewhere without support from local officials .
Trump appointed Wolf acting secretary in November 2019 , following the resignation of Kevin McAleenan , the acting secretary who took over following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen .
Wolf had been a chief of staff to Nielsen and an undersecretary in the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transportation Security Administration , a component of DHS .
He has also worked as a lobbyist .
Trump has said he likes the `` flexibility '' of having senior officials in an acting status despite criticism that it keeps people from long-term planning that would give an agency more stability .
Trump nominated Wolf , who has been in the temporary status for more than 300 days , after the Government Accountability Office determined that , neither Wolf nor his deputy , Ken Cuccinelli , were legally eligible to run DHS because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in federal agencies .
That finding has put policy changes under their tenure , especially related to immigration , in potential jeopardy amid legal challenges .
The nomination also came after Wolf became closely identified with Trump 's response to the civil unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd .
DHS created a task force to protect federal buildings and monuments , then deployed federal agents and officers in tactical gear to Portland , Oregon , where they clashed with demonstrators and arrested people using unmarked vehicles and without identifying themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secret police force .
The deployment of DHS personnel to Portland came despite the objections of state and local authorities , who said the federal agents had only inflamed the situation .
`` The department 's purpose , the reason we were created post-9/11 , had everything to do with big picture terrorism , national threats , '' said Elizabeth Neumann , a former senior DHS official who left the agency in April .
`` We are always on call to provide support to our state and local partners .
But the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framers intended , it 's a state or locality 's job to do policing and not the federal government . ''
Wolf dismissed the criticism in a speech this week , saying that those who `` indiscriminately destroy businesses , and attack law enforcement officers '' are a threat to the homeland .
Hours later , the Murphy complaint surfaced and gave critics more ammunition .
It said Wolf and others sought to suppress information about Russian interference to avoid offending Trump and to downplay the threat of white supremacists and distort facts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statistics about the number of illegal immigrants with ties to terrorism to build support for the border wall but in a follow up on Thursday withdrew an earlier claim that Nielsen provided a false inflated statistic to Congress on the subject .
To the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee , Rep. Bennie Thompson , the whistleblower 's complaint was another example of what he called `` an apparent whole-of-government effort to help the president in his flailing reelection campaign . ''
The Mississippi Democrat called on both Wolf and Cuccinelli to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions are wholly incompatible with the non-partisan mission of the Department of Homeland Security , '' he said .

A whistleblower’s complaint and a tight timeline are making it increasingly unlikely that the Senate will confirm Chad Wolf as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security before the election.
Donald Trump formally sent the nomination late Thursday to the Senate after announcing his intention to appoint Wolf in a tweet last month. But Republican senators, who are fighting to keep their majority in November, appear in no rush to launch a heated confirmation that will force uncomfortable questions about whether agency actions were driven by Trump’s political agenda.
The Senate’s Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, headed by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, may still pursue a hearing to consider Wolf’s nomination in the weeks ahead.
But the full Senate is unlikely to hold a confirmation vote before the election, said two Republican aides granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Senators could recess by the end of the month.
On Friday, Rep. Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, announced his panel was expanding its probe into politicization at DHS following the whistleblower’s complaints over the department’s handling of intelligence information on election interference by the Russians, the threat posed by white supremacists and other matters.
Schiff wrote to DHS officials that based on the new information the committee’s investigation will now encompass “a wider range of reported abuses, deficiencies, and problems, including allegations of improper politicization of intelligence and political interference.”
It was already going to be hard to secure a confirmation vote before the Senate heads into an October recess even before the new allegations that Wolf and other DHS officials sought to influence intelligence.
Trump said it will be up to Wolf to answer questions raised in the complaint from Brian Murphy, who said he was demoted from his DHS intelligence post after a series of clashes with agency leaders over reports on threats to the homeland.
Trump told reporters Thursday that he hadn’t seen the whistleblower complaint. “But ask Chad Wolf,” he said before heading to a campaign rally in Michigan. “He’s the one that would know something about it.”
DHS spokesman Alexei Woltornist has said the agency denies there is “any truth,” to the complaint Murphy made to the agency’s Office of Inspector General, which provided additional ammunition to Wolf critics who were already accusing him of politicizing the agency by deploying federal forces against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere without support from local officials.
Trump appointed Wolf acting secretary in November 2019, following the resignation of Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary who took over following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
Wolf had been a chief of staff to Nielsen and an undersecretary in the agency as well as an official at the Transportation Security Administration, a component of DHS. He has also worked as a lobbyist.
Trump has said he likes the “flexibility” of having senior officials in an acting status despite criticism that it keeps people from long-term planning that would give an agency more stability.
Trump nominated Wolf, who has been in the temporary status for more than 300 days, after the Government Accountability Office determined that, neither Wolf nor his deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, were legally eligible to run DHS because of a violation of the rules of succession in federal agencies. That finding has put policy changes under their tenure, especially related to immigration, in potential jeopardy amid legal challenges.
The nomination also came after Wolf became closely identified with Trump’s response to the civil unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd. DHS created a task force to protect federal buildings and monuments, then deployed federal agents and officers in tactical gear to Portland, Oregon, where they clashed with demonstrators and arrested people using unmarked vehicles and without identifying themselves in ways that drew comparison to a secret police force.
The deployment of DHS personnel to Portland came despite the objections of state and local authorities, who said the federal agents had only inflamed the situation.
“The department’s purpose, the reason we were created post-9/11, had everything to do with big picture terrorism, national threats,” said Elizabeth Neumann, a former senior DHS official who left the agency in April. “We are always on call to provide support to our state and local partners. But the way our Constitution was written, and the framers intended, it’s a state or locality’s job to do policing and not the federal government.”
Wolf dismissed the criticism in a speech this week, saying that those who “indiscriminately destroy businesses, and attack law enforcement officers” are a threat to the homeland.
Hours later, the Murphy complaint surfaced and gave critics more ammunition. It said Wolf and others sought to suppress information about Russian interference to avoid offending Trump and to downplay the threat of white supremacists and distort facts.
He said DHS officials also distorted statistics about the number of illegal immigrants with ties to terrorism to build support for the border wall but in a follow up on Thursday withdrew an earlier claim that Nielsen provided a false inflated statistic to Congress on the subject.
To the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, the whistleblower’s complaint was another example of what he called “an apparent whole-of-government effort to help the president in his flailing reelection campaign.”
The Mississippi Democrat called on both Wolf and Cuccinelli to resign. “Their toxic and unethical actions are wholly incompatible with the non-partisan mission of the Department of Homeland Security,” he said.