shareblue--2020-08-23--Watchdog warns Census Bureau still not ready for 2020 count

The U.S. Census Bureau is short by more than 25 % of the door knockers needed for the 2020 census , according to its watchdog agency , and it 's about to let go of its least productive census takers .
Both developments highlight persistent questions about whether the bureau has enough manpower to get a complete and accurate head count under an accelerated time frame preferred by the Trump administration .
Bureau officials , though , say they are pleased with the progress made by census takers and are on pace to finish the job .
The Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's concerned about the bureau 's ability to hire and retain workers , with six weeks left in the count that helps determine the distribution of $ 1.5 trillion in federal spending and how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets .
The bureau needed more than 300,000 census takers by the end of August but by mid-month , just 220,000 census takers were trained and ready to start knocking on the doors of households that have n't yet responded to the census .
Thirty-seven of the nation 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward reaching their hiring goals , the office said .
`` Without taking timely action , the bureau is at risk of not conducting a complete and accurate 2020 Census , '' the memorandum from the Office of Inspector General said .
The bureau acknowledges that more than a third of people hired to be census takers are n't showing up for either training or their assignments .
Despite the greater-than-expected attrition , the bureau said it has increased productivity while aggressively training new workers to fill the slots of no-shows .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ census takers to fill the jobs of people who have dropped out over coronavirus fears or other concerns , and it 's giving cash awards to the most experienced census takers .
Census takers have been given face masks and hand sanitizers , and they 're instructed to maintain at least six feet of distance while asking households in-person questions about their race , sex , Hispanic origin and relationships to each other .
`` Our census takers are working more hours and completing more cases than we had planned , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taker shortfall is coming as the bureau 's operational plan calls for it to let go of less productive door knockers and transfer their caseloads to higher performers so that the most experienced census takers can work on the hardest-to-reach households .
The low-performing census takers will stop working before the census ends on September 30 , according a review of operational plans , interviews and bureau emails obtained by The Associated Press .
`` They say , 'Thank you .
Your work is over , ' '' said John Thompson , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` If the person is doing a bunch of work and not getting completed cases then ... at that point , you are better off without them . ''
The 2020 census has been hampered by the pandemic and a shortened schedule caused by congressional inaction .
Starting later than planned because of the pandemic , the door-knocking phase of the 2020 census began in some areas in July , but widespread door-knocking did n't begin until earlier this month , and it was expected to last through October .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureau deadlines for turning over figures used for the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts into next year .
The requested extensions passed the Democratic-controlled House , but the Republican-controlled Senate has n't acted on it .
Without them , the bureau earlier this month announced the census would stop at the end of September instead of the end of October .
That decision is being challenged in court .
By not extending the apportionment deadline , the final numbers used for redrawing congressional districts will have to be turned in by Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , even if the Republican president loses the November election .
The Senate 's inaction coincides with a memorandum Donald Trump issued last month trying to exclude people living in the U.S. illegally from being counted for reapportionment .
More than a half dozen lawsuits have been filed , challenging Trump 's memorandum .
In a court filing for one of the lawsuits , Al Fontenot , an associate director at the bureau , said the president 's order has had no impact on field operations for the census , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person in the U.S. '' The Census Bureau intends to meet a similar level of household responses as collected in prior censuses , including outreach to hard-to-count communities , '' Fontenot said .
As of this week , 64 % of households have self-responded to the questionnaire either online , by telephone or through the mail .
Census takers have gotten responses from another 8.7 % of households .
But the census takers ' jobs will get harder with each passing week , since the households most likely to answer the questions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Terri Ann Lowenthal , a former congressional staffer who specialized in census issues .
Census takers typically will try to visit non-responding households six times .
After three failed attempts , a census taker can use neighbors or landlords as proxies to get answers about a household .
If there are sufficient administrative records about a household , the census taker may only need to visit once .
The bureau is `` still recruiting , and they keep saying we have plenty of workers and not to worry because we can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Lowenthal , who is now a census consultant .
`` But that is not what we are hearing from the field and now the Inspector General report is confirming that . ''

The U.S. Census Bureau is short by more than 25% of the door knockers needed for the 2020 census, according to its watchdog agency, and it’s about to let go of its least productive census takers.
Both developments highlight persistent questions about whether the bureau has enough manpower to get a complete and accurate head count under an accelerated time frame preferred by the Trump administration. Bureau officials, though, say they are pleased with the progress made by census takers and are on pace to finish the job.
The Office of Inspector General’s alert this week says it’s concerned about the bureau’s ability to hire and retain workers, with six weeks left in the count that helps determine the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal spending and how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets.
The bureau needed more than 300,000 census takers by the end of August but by mid-month, just 220,000 census takers were trained and ready to start knocking on the doors of households that haven’t yet responded to the census. Thirty-seven of the nation’s 248 census offices aren’t even halfway toward reaching their hiring goals, the office said.
“Without taking timely action, the bureau is at risk of not conducting a complete and accurate 2020 Census,” the memorandum from the Office of Inspector General said.
The bureau acknowledges that more than a third of people hired to be census takers aren’t showing up for either training or their assignments.
Despite the greater-than-expected attrition, the bureau said it has increased productivity while aggressively training new workers to fill the slots of no-shows.
The statistical agency is still recruiting and hiring census takers to fill the jobs of people who have dropped out over coronavirus fears or other concerns, and it’s giving cash awards to the most experienced census takers.
Census takers have been given face masks and hand sanitizers, and they’re instructed to maintain at least six feet of distance while asking households in-person questions about their race, sex, Hispanic origin and relationships to each other.
“Our census takers are working more hours and completing more cases than we had planned,” the bureau said in statement.
The census taker shortfall is coming as the bureau’s operational plan calls for it to let go of less productive door knockers and transfer their caseloads to higher performers so that the most experienced census takers can work on the hardest-to-reach households.
The low-performing census takers will stop working before the census ends on September 30, according a review of operational plans, interviews and bureau emails obtained by The Associated Press.
“They say, ‘Thank you. Your work is over,'” said John Thompson, a former bureau director in the Obama administration. “If the person is doing a bunch of work and not getting completed cases then … at that point, you are better off without them.”
The 2020 census has been hampered by the pandemic and a shortened schedule caused by congressional inaction.
Starting later than planned because of the pandemic, the door-knocking phase of the 2020 census began in some areas in July, but widespread door-knocking didn’t begin until earlier this month, and it was expected to last through October.
However, that planning was contingent on Congress extending bureau deadlines for turning over figures used for the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts into next year.
The requested extensions passed the Democratic-controlled House, but the Republican-controlled Senate hasn’t acted on it. Without them, the bureau earlier this month announced the census would stop at the end of September instead of the end of October. That decision is being challenged in court.
By not extending the apportionment deadline, the final numbers used for redrawing congressional districts will have to be turned in by Dec. 31, while Trump is still in office, even if the Republican president loses the November election.
The Senate’s inaction coincides with a memorandum Donald Trump issued last month trying to exclude people living in the U.S. illegally from being counted for reapportionment. More than a half dozen lawsuits have been filed, challenging Trump’s memorandum.
In a court filing for one of the lawsuits, Al Fontenot, an associate director at the bureau, said the president’s order has had no impact on field operations for the census, and that the agency remains committed to counting each person in the U.S.
“The Census Bureau intends to meet a similar level of household responses as collected in prior censuses, including outreach to hard-to-count communities,” Fontenot said.
As of this week, 64% of households have self-responded to the questionnaire either online, by telephone or through the mail. Census takers have gotten responses from another 8.7% of households. But the census takers’ jobs will get harder with each passing week, since the households most likely to answer the questions are visited first during the door-knocking phase, said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a former congressional staffer who specialized in census issues.
Census takers typically will try to visit non-responding households six times. After three failed attempts, a census taker can use neighbors or landlords as proxies to get answers about a household. If there are sufficient administrative records about a household, the census taker may only need to visit once.
The bureau is “still recruiting, and they keep saying we have plenty of workers and not to worry because we can do this faster with plenty of enumerators,” said Lowenthal, who is now a census consultant. “But that is not what we are hearing from the field and now the Inspector General report is confirming that.”


shareblue--2020-08-25--Fact check: Trump's refusal to take coronavirus seriously actually cost lives

The first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention highlighted Donald Trump 's response to the coronavirus pandemic , with a video montage listing the various ways the administration purportedly intervened to save lives and several frontline workers , some of whom contracted COVID-19 , praising Trump directly ( notably while standing close together without masks ) .
Trump has praised himself repeatedly for his coronavirus response , saying he took actions that prevented millions of deaths .
However , public health experts disagree , saying Trump wasted the entire months of January of February during which he could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , choosing instead to publicly downplay the virus and claim without any evidence that it would just `` miraculously '' disappear .
A Washington Post report from April said the administration wasted 70 days from Jan. 3 , when it was first warned that the coronavirus posed a threat to the United States , before it finally decided to take action .
Trump often claims that his decision to close travel from China was decisive and important .
However , tens of thousands of travelers had already entered the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And the decision still allowed in thousands of people with little to no virus screening .
According to the Post , Trump 's most `` consequential '' error was the administration 's failure to create an accurate and widely available test to identify virus outbreaks and stop them in their tracks .
For months , states lacked testing infrastructure , with Americans unable to get screened .
By the time testing capacity ramped up , it was already too late , with the virus seeded in places like New York and Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
As the economy tanked due to shutdowns to slow the spread of the virus , Trump grew antsy and worried about how a bad economy would impact his reelection chances .
In an attempt to reverse that trend , he began pushing for states to reopen .
That push came against the advice of public health experts , and led to yet another massive spike in infections that , in turn , led to thousands more cases and deaths , coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the reason why we went up , '' Fauci said in July .
`` We started to come down and then we plateaued at a level that was really quite high , about 20,000 infections a day .
Then as we started to reopen , we ’ re seeing the surges that we ’ re seeing today as we speak . ''
Trump 's virus failures led to more than 5.4 million cases , and more than 177,000 deaths .
Those numbers give the United States the position of having both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and most deaths , of any other country in the world , according to data from John 's Hopkins University .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention highlighted Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, with a video montage listing the various ways the administration purportedly intervened to save lives and several frontline workers, some of whom contracted COVID-19, praising Trump directly (notably while standing close together without masks).
Trump has praised himself repeatedly for his coronavirus response, saying he took actions that prevented millions of deaths.
However, public health experts disagree, saying Trump wasted the entire months of January of February during which he could have taken action to slow the spread of the coronavirus, choosing instead to publicly downplay the virus and claim without any evidence that it would just “miraculously” disappear.
A Washington Post report from April said the administration wasted 70 days from Jan. 3, when it was first warned that the coronavirus posed a threat to the United States, before it finally decided to take action.
Trump often claims that his decision to close travel from China was decisive and important. However, tens of thousands of travelers had already entered the United States by the time he made that decision. And the decision still allowed in thousands of people with little to no virus screening.
According to the Post, Trump’s most “consequential” error was the administration’s failure to create an accurate and widely available test to identify virus outbreaks and stop them in their tracks.
For months, states lacked testing infrastructure, with Americans unable to get screened.
By the time testing capacity ramped up, it was already too late, with the virus seeded in places like New York and Washington State, which ultimately spread across the country.
As the economy tanked due to shutdowns to slow the spread of the virus, Trump grew antsy and worried about how a bad economy would impact his reelection chances. In an attempt to reverse that trend, he began pushing for states to reopen.
That push came against the advice of public health experts, and led to yet another massive spike in infections that, in turn, led to thousands more cases and deaths, coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
“We did not shut down entirely and that’s the reason why we went up,” Fauci said in July. “We started to come down and then we plateaued at a level that was really quite high, about 20,000 infections a day. Then as we started to reopen, we’re seeing the surges that we’re seeing today as we speak.”
Trump’s virus failures led to more than 5.4 million cases, and more than 177,000 deaths.
Those numbers give the United States the position of having both the most cases of the virus, and most deaths, of any other country in the world, according to data from John’s Hopkins University.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-25--GOP convention kicks off with open white nationalism

The Republican National Convention began on Monday with a blatant nod to white supremacism .
`` From that moment he came down that famous escalator , he started a movement to reclaim our government from the rotten cartel of insiders that have been destroying our country , '' Charlie Kirk , founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA , said of Donald Trump .
`` We may not have realized it at the time , but Trump is the body guard of Western civilization .
Trump was elected to protect our families from the vengeful mob that seeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our neighborhoods , schools , churches and values . ''
According to the Anti Defamation League , which describes itself as `` a leading anti-hate organization , '' white supremacists use the term `` Western civilization '' as `` a code word for white culture or identity . ''
Rep. Steve King ( R-IA ) , who has a long history of making racist and offensive comments , was kicked off every House committee he served on as punishment for defending his actions by wondering aloud why talking about preserving `` Western civilization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , white supremacist , Western civilization — how did that language become offensive ? ''
King told the New York Times in September 2019 .
`` Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization ? ''
Ultimately , King lost his renomination bid in 2020 , after his GOP opponent ran on a message that Iowa Republicans were finally tired of the embarrassment King brought upon the state .
But it was n't just Kirk making nods to white supremacism .
Rebecca Friedrichs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' spoke after Kirk to disparage teachers ' unions , which she smeared as groups that `` perpetuate division , pervert the memories of our American founders , and disparage our Judeo-Christian values . ''
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center , talk of Judeo-Christian values is also veiled language used by far-right extremists .
`` During the 1980s and 1990s , right-wing extremists were galvanized by several national issues such as the perceived erosion of parental rights and authority through court rulings , expanding multiculturalism , abortion rights and the decline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perceived as an attack on their Judeo-Christian beliefs which right-wing extremists view as a key component to America ’ s founding , '' the SPLC wrote in an explainer about religious extremism .
`` These issues were magnified because of the far-right ’ s perception of a changing political climate which favored expanding benefits and equal opportunities to ethnic minorities , immigrants and other diversity groups . ''
The first hour of the Republican National Convention , filled with dark rhetoric and white supremacism , was a far cry from the `` uplifting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Republican National Convention began on Monday with a blatant nod to white supremacism.
“From that moment he came down that famous escalator, he started a movement to reclaim our government from the rotten cartel of insiders that have been destroying our country,” Charlie Kirk, founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA, said of Donald Trump.
“We may not have realized it at the time, but Trump is the bodyguard of Western civilization. Trump was elected to protect our families from the vengeful mob that seeks to destroy our way of life, our neighborhoods, schools, churches and values.”
According to the Anti Defamation League, which describes itself as “a leading anti-hate organization,” white supremacists use the term “Western civilization” as “a code word for white culture or identity.”
Rep. Steve King (R-IA), who has a long history of making racist and offensive comments, was kicked off every House committee he served on as punishment for defending his actions by wondering aloud why talking about preserving “Western civilization” was bad.
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King told the New York Times in September 2019. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
Ultimately, King lost his renomination bid in 2020, after his GOP opponent ran on a message that Iowa Republicans were finally tired of the embarrassment King brought upon the state.
But it wasn’t just Kirk making nods to white supremacism.
Rebecca Friedrichs, a self-described “school choice advocate,” spoke after Kirk to disparage teachers’ unions, which she smeared as groups that “perpetuate division, pervert the memories of our American founders, and disparage our Judeo-Christian values.”
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, talk of Judeo-Christian values is also veiled language used by far-right extremists.
“During the 1980s and 1990s, right-wing extremists were galvanized by several national issues such as the perceived erosion of parental rights and authority through court rulings, expanding multiculturalism, abortion rights and the decline of the American family farm – all perceived as an attack on their Judeo-Christian beliefs which right-wing extremists view as a key component to America’s founding,” the SPLC wrote in an explainer about religious extremism. “These issues were magnified because of the far-right’s perception of a changing political climate which favored expanding benefits and equal opportunities to ethnic minorities, immigrants and other diversity groups.”
The first hour of the Republican National Convention, filled with dark rhetoric and white supremacism, was a far cry from the “uplifting” tone Trump promised.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-24--GOP congressman sells 'back to school' masks after demanding schools reopen

After pushing hard to reopen schools during a pandemic , Rep. Doug Collins ( R-GA ) is now attempting to raise money for his Senate bid by selling face masks as `` back to school items you can not live without . ''
For $ 15 , plus shipping , supporters can purchase a blue mask , emblazoned with the campaign logo .
`` Stay safe and support your favorite conservative with this Collins for Senate face mask , '' the Collins ' online shop advises .
Georgia has been among the nation 's worst states for coronavirus cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which residents are most likely to contract COVID-19 , according to assessments out of Harvard and Georgia Tech .
`` There are some clear steps that we need to take to improve our status , '' public health expert Dr. Harry Heiman of Georgia State University told NBC affiliate WXIA-TV last week .
`` And at this point , we are not taking them . ''
Collins , like many GOP lawmakers , has vocally pushed for schools to reopen with in-person instruction , despite experts ' warnings about such steps worsening the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send their children back to school is imperative to ensure students do not miss out on the critical learning opportunities vital for their development , '' he said earlier this month at a roundtable discussion with officials from Hall County and Gainesville City Schools , about `` the need to safely reopen our schools this fall . ''
Many of Georgia 's schools reopened recently with face masks optional .
Collins has previously opposed mask mandates , suggesting instead that people `` use common sense , and that ’ s how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , schools in the state have since seen surges in coronavirus cases among students and staff .
More than 800 people had to quarantine after several people tested positive in Cherokee County 's schools .
Days earlier , photos from one of the county 's high schools had gone viral , featuring maskless students walking through crowded hallways .
Multiple Georgia schools have already had to close , at least temporarily , following outbreaks .
Collins is set to face off this November with Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R ) and several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

After pushing hard to reopen schools during a pandemic, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) is now attempting to raise money for his Senate bid by selling face masks as “back to school items you cannot live without.”
For $15, plus shipping, supporters can purchase a blue mask, emblazoned with the campaign logo. “Stay safe and support your favorite conservative with this Collins for Senate face mask,” the Collins’ online shop advises.
Georgia has been among the nation’s worst states for coronavirus cases and recently was identified as the state in which residents are most likely to contract COVID-19, according to assessments out of Harvard and Georgia Tech.
“There are some clear steps that we need to take to improve our status,” public health expert Dr. Harry Heiman of Georgia State University told NBC affiliate WXIA-TV last week. “And at this point, we are not taking them.”
Collins, like many GOP lawmakers, has vocally pushed for schools to reopen with in-person instruction, despite experts’ warnings about such steps worsening the pandemic.
“Giving parents the option to send their children back to school is imperative to ensure students do not miss out on the critical learning opportunities vital for their development,” he said earlier this month at a roundtable discussion with officials from Hall County and Gainesville City Schools, about “the need to safely reopen our schools this fall.”
Many of Georgia’s schools reopened recently with face masks optional.
Collins has previously opposed mask mandates, suggesting instead that people “use common sense, and that’s how we come out of this.”
Unsurprisingly, schools in the state have since seen surges in coronavirus cases among students and staff. More than 800 people had to quarantine after several people tested positive in Cherokee County’s schools. Days earlier, photos from one of the county’s high schools had gone viral, featuring maskless students walking through crowded hallways.
Multiple Georgia schools have already had to close, at least temporarily, following outbreaks.
Collins is set to face off this November with Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) and several Democrats in a jungle primary.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-24--11 of Kellyanne Conway's worst moments in the White House

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway announced on Sunday that she 's departing the Trump administration after more than three and a half years to `` devote more time to family matters . ''
The announcement follows public comments by her teenage daughter , Claudia , that culminated with her tweeting that she would be seeking emancipation from her family .
As she prepares to depart at the end of the month , Conway leaves behind a legacy of twisting and attacking the truth , defending racist remarks made by her boss , and breaking laws prohibiting government employees from engaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here 's a look back at some of Conway 's greatest hits in her role as Trump mouthpiece .
Conway 's assault on the truth began just days into Trump 's tenure in the Oval Office .
After then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer falsely said Trump had the `` largest audience to ever witness an inauguration , period '' to appease his boss , who was angry that former President Barack Obama drew a larger inauguration crowd , Conway said Spicer was n't lying .
`` You 're saying it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Sean Spicer , our press secretary — gave alternative facts , '' Conway told NBC News ' Chuck Todd on Jan. 22 , 2017 , two days into Trump 's first term .
Just a few days after her infamous utterance of the phrase `` alternative facts , '' , Conway again got herself into hot water when she made up a fake `` massacre '' to defend Trump 's ban on travelers from some majority-Muslim countries entering the United States .
In an interview with then-MSNBC host Chris Matthews , Conway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Barack Obama had instituted a travel ban because of something she called the `` Bowling Green Massacre . ''
`` I bet it 's brand-new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country , were radicalized — and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre , '' Conway said .
`` I mean , most people do n't know that because it did n't get covered . ''
No such `` massacre '' ever occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or in Manhattan 's Bowling Green park .
The New York Times reported at the time that the closest thing to what Conway was saying was the arrest in 2013 of two Iraqi citizens in Bowling Green , Kentucky , on charges of attempting to send weapons to al-Qaida in Iraq .
Conway 's penchant for lying to defend Trump not only hurt her credibility , but also led her to break the law numerous times .
A report by a government watchdog found Conway violated the Hatch Act , which `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities while on duty , '' according to Trump 's own administration , at least 50 times .
Conway allegedly violated the act when she attacked Democratic candidates from the White House grounds , as well as when she made the case for Trump 's reelection from the White House .
Trump refused to punish Conway for violating the law after the U.S. Office of Special Counsel recommended she be fired .
Conway responds to a request to testify in Congress by saying she was being silenced Democrats held a hearing in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asked her to testify .
She refused .
Yet she accused Democrats of trying to `` silence '' her .
`` They want to put a big roll of masking tape over my mouth because I helped , as a campaign manager , for the successful part of the campaign , I helped in many ways for the president and the vice president , who are our two greatest assets , '' Conway said .
`` By being on television , by being on radio , I helped , and they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 2019 , a reporter asked Conway about Trump 's racist attack on four Democratic congresswomen of color , whom Trump told to go back to their countries of origin .
In response , she asked the reporter , Andrew Feinberg , `` What 's your ethnicity ? ''
`` Why is that relevant ?
... My own ethnicity is not relevant to the question I 'm asking , '' Feinberg replied .
Conway praises Trump because he does n't 'sit around ' and 'study ' before acting In September 2019 , Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Iran for allegedly attacking Saudi Arabia 's oil supply , but never followed through .
His mixed signals on the strike led to accusations that he was sending an incoherent message .
But Conway defended Trump 's actions , saying on Fox News : `` It 's so important to have a president who is n't a typical politician .
Because he and his team do n't sit around and say , 'Well , let 's study it .
Let 's have a commission about it . '
Secretary Pompeo went right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aggressor here , the Iranian regime . ''
Conway said the coronavirus is 'contained' On March 6 , just before states across the country began to close down to slow the spread of the coronavirus , Conway attacked a reporter who suggested the virus was not under control .
`` It is being contained , '' Conway said .
`` Do you not think it 's being contained ?
... That 's false .
You just said something that 's not true . ''
At the time Conway made that remark , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified in the United States , and only a handful of people had died , according to the New York Times .
Since Conway made her comment that the coronavirus was being `` contained , '' more than 5.7 million people in the United States have contracted it , and more than 176,000 have died in the United States .
Conway made numerous media appearances throughout her tenure in the White House , telling numerous lies and excusing Trump 's racist remarks .
• Saying journalists should be `` forced '' to report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who were peacefully praying for victims of a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh as `` politically protesting with different messages . ''
• Calling the impeachment trial against Trump an `` abuse of the Constitution . ''
• Claiming that the photo-op staged by Trump in June , holding up a Bible in front of a church near the White House , should not be called a photo-op , because `` you 're looking in somebody 's heart and wondering , second-guessing why they would go over there . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a photo-op , as Trump did not go into the church , meet with any of the church 's leaders , or make any remarks .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway announced on Sunday that she’s departing the Trump administration after more than three and a half years to “devote more time to family matters.” The announcement follows public comments by her teenage daughter, Claudia, that culminated with her tweeting that she would be seeking emancipation from her family.
As she prepares to depart at the end of the month, Conway leaves behind a legacy of twisting and attacking the truth, defending racist remarks made by her boss, and breaking laws prohibiting government employees from engaging in political activities in their official roles.
Here’s a look back at some of Conway’s greatest hits in her role as Trump mouthpiece.
Alternative facts
Conway’s assault on the truth began just days into Trump’s tenure in the Oval Office.
After then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer falsely said Trump had the “largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period” to appease his boss, who was angry that former President Barack Obama drew a larger inauguration crowd, Conway said Spicer wasn’t lying.
“You’re saying it’s a falsehood. And they’re giving — Sean Spicer, our press secretary — gave alternative facts,” Conway told NBC News’ Chuck Todd on Jan. 22, 2017, two days into Trump’s first term.
‘Bowling Green massacre’
Just a few days after her infamous utterance of the phrase “alternative facts,”, Conway again got herself into hot water when she made up a fake “massacre” to defend Trump’s ban on travelers from some majority-Muslim countries entering the United States.
In an interview with then-MSNBC host Chris Matthews, Conway defended Trump’s ban by saying former President Barack Obama had instituted a travel ban because of something she called the “Bowling Green Massacre.”
“I bet it’s brand-new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized — and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre,” Conway said. “I mean, most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered.”
No such “massacre” ever occurred — either in Bowling Green, Kentucky, or in Manhattan’s Bowling Green park.
The New York Times reported at the time that the closest thing to what Conway was saying was the arrest in 2013 of two Iraqi citizens in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on charges of attempting to send weapons to al-Qaida in Iraq.
Hatch Act violations
Conway’s penchant for lying to defend Trump not only hurt her credibility, but also led her to break the law numerous times.
A report by a government watchdog found Conway violated the Hatch Act, which “prohibits Federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty,” according to Trump’s own administration, at least 50 times.
Conway allegedly violated the act when she attacked Democratic candidates from the White House grounds, as well as when she made the case for Trump’s reelection from the White House.
Trump refused to punish Conway for violating the law after the U.S. Office of Special Counsel recommended she be fired.
Conway responds to a request to testify in Congress by saying she was being silenced
Democrats held a hearing in June 2019 about Conway’s Hatch Act violations and asked her to testify.
She refused. Yet she accused Democrats of trying to “silence” her.
“They want to put a big roll of masking tape over my mouth because I helped, as a campaign manager, for the successful part of the campaign, I helped in many ways for the president and the vice president, who are our two greatest assets,” Conway said. “By being on television, by being on radio, I helped, and they want to silence me now.”
Conway demands to know reporter’s ethnicity
In July 2019, a reporter asked Conway about Trump’s racist attack on four Democratic congresswomen of color, whom Trump told to go back to their countries of origin.
In response, she asked the reporter, Andrew Feinberg, “What’s your ethnicity?”
“Why is that relevant? … My own ethnicity is not relevant to the question I’m asking,” Feinberg replied.
Conway praises Trump because he doesn’t ‘sit around’ and ‘study’ before acting
In September 2019, Donald Trump threatened to launch a military strike against Iran for allegedly attacking Saudi Arabia’s oil supply, but never followed through.
His mixed signals on the strike led to accusations that he was sending an incoherent message.
But Conway defended Trump’s actions, saying on Fox News: “It’s so important to have a president who isn’t a typical politician. Because he and his team don’t sit around and say, ‘Well, let’s study it. Let’s have a commission about it.’ Secretary Pompeo went right out there and pointed the finger at the aggressor here, the Iranian regime.”
Conway said the coronavirus is ‘contained’
On March 6, just before states across the country began to close down to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Conway attacked a reporter who suggested the virus was not under control.
“It is being contained,” Conway said. “Do you not think it’s being contained? … That’s false. You just said something that’s not true.”
At the time Conway made that remark, just 83 cases of coronavirus had been identified in the United States, and only a handful of people had died, according to the New York Times.
Since Conway made her comment that the coronavirus was being “contained,” more than 5.7 million people in the United States have contracted it, and more than 176,000 have died in the United States.
Other comments
Conway made numerous media appearances throughout her tenure in the White House, telling numerous lies and excusing Trump’s racist remarks.
Those instances include:
Saying journalists should be “forced” to report positive stories about Trump.
Attacking people who were peacefully praying for victims of a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh as “politically protesting with different messages.”
Calling the impeachment trial against Trump an “abuse of the Constitution.“
Claiming that the photo-op staged by Trump in June, holding up a Bible in front of a church near the White House, should not be called a photo-op, because “you’re looking in somebody’s heart and wondering, second-guessing why they would go over there.” In fact, it was the definition of a photo-op, as Trump did not go into the church, meet with any of the church’s leaders, or make any remarks.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-24--House Oversight chair slams postmaster general for 'plummeting' mail service

Rep. Carolyn Maloney ( D-NY ) , chair of the House Oversight Committee , took Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to task during a hearing on Monday for his failed first months in charge of the United States Postal Service and his lack of transparency .
Maloney asked DeJoy about delays in mail service resulting from changes he has made to the Postal Service since Donald Trump installed him at its helm early May , delays that Maloney called `` a disaster for the people who need their mail . ''
Maloney cited service performance measurements from an internal Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board beginning in July , when you started your changes . ''
Millions of Americans rely on the service for the delivery of basic necessities ; in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic , the service is also vital to conducting safe elections leading up to and in November .
Republicans have long likened the struggling Postal Service , an independent government agency , to a failing business and opposed efforts to provide it with needed funding .
Maloney used the metaphor in questioning DeJoy .
Rep. Carolyn Maloney : So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have repeatedly downplayed these delays .
You just downplayed it in your testimony .
But this is just a disaster for the people who need their mail .
Do n't you agree ?
Would you turn on your mic ?
We ca n't hear you .
Thank you .
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy : We are very concerned with the deterioration in service , and are working very diligently .
In fact , we are seeing a big recovery this week , and in fact that report — I requested that report be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't have measurement briefings at the executive level like this before my arrival , where the whole executive team was involved in looking at what the underlying circumstances were , and we 're focused on fixing it .
We 've seen , we 're starting to see a nice recovery , and we will have it back to — my goal is to get it to a higher — we were not meeting metrics before .
With this change , this fundamental change , we have a real good shot at getting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governed by .
Maloney : Well , you just testified that you 've been on the job 70 days .
So this is essentially your report card for that period of time .
If any other CEO had this kind of plummeting record in his first two months on the job , I ca n't imagine why he would be kept on .
Maloney : May I continue ?
When you testified on Friday , senators asked you over and over about the status of these delays .
They also asked you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your changes .
It would 've been easy to mention to the senators that this document existed .
You could 've said , 'As a matter fact , Senator , I just received a detailed briefing and , unfortunately , the data shows major delays in nearly all categories . '
But you did n't do that .
You dismissed these nationwide delays as `` a dip '' and you refused to turn over any analysis .
So my question is : Why did n't you disclose this document and any analysis to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were asking for it ?
DeJoy : They asked me for it on Friday .
They asked me for an analysis on my decision .
Maloney : But the delays ?
The delays ?
I watched the testimony .
They wanted analysis .
Why all these delays ?
DeJoy : There 's a lot of reasons for delays besides just the action that I took to run your trucks on time .
There were other reasons for the delays in the nation .
Maloney then warned DeJoy that if he does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by this coming Wednesday , he should `` expect a subpoena . ''
A $ 25 billion House bill to restore postal service passed on Saturday with all 231 Democrats present and 26 Republicans voting yes .
With GOP leaders actively pressuring their caucus to vote against the bill , 149 Republicans voted no .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell quickly dismissed the `` piecemeal '' proposal and vowed that his chamber will `` absolutely not pass stand-alone legislation for the Postal Service . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation @

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), chair of the House Oversight Committee, took Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to task during a hearing on Monday for his failed first months in charge of the United States Postal Service and his lack of transparency.
Maloney asked DeJoy about delays in mail service resulting from changes he has made to the Postal Service since Donald Trump installed him at its helm early May, delays that Maloney called “a disaster for the people who need their mail.”
Maloney cited service performance measurements from an internal Postal Service document, noting “major degradations across the board beginning in July, when you started your changes.”
Millions of Americans rely on the service for the delivery of basic necessities; in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the service is also vital to conducting safe elections leading up to and in November.
Republicans have long likened the struggling Postal Service, an independent government agency, to a failing business and opposed efforts to provide it with needed funding. Maloney used the metaphor in questioning DeJoy.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney: So, Mr. DeJoy, you and your aides have repeatedly downplayed these delays. You just downplayed it in your testimony. But this is just a disaster for the people who need their mail. Don’t you agree? Would you turn on your mic? We can’t hear you. Thank you. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy: We are very concerned with the deterioration in service, and are working very diligently. In fact, we are seeing a big recovery this week, and in fact that report — I requested that report be put together. Oddly enough we didn’t have measurement briefings at the executive level like this before my arrival, where the whole executive team was involved in looking at what the underlying circumstances were, and we’re focused on fixing it. We’ve seen, we’re starting to see a nice recovery, and we will have it back to — my goal is to get it to a higher — we were not meeting metrics before. With this change, this fundamental change, we have a real good shot at getting to the stated metrics that we are supposedly governed by. Maloney: Well, you just testified that you’ve been on the job 70 days. So this is essentially your report card for that period of time. If any other CEO had this kind of plummeting record in his first two months on the job, I can’t imagine why he would be kept on. DeJoy: That’s an unfair accusation. Maloney: May I continue? When you testified on Friday, senators asked you over and over about the status of these delays. They also asked you to produce analysis about the negative impacts of your changes. It would’ve been easy to mention to the senators that this document existed. You could’ve said, ‘As a matter fact, Senator, I just received a detailed briefing and, unfortunately, the data shows major delays in nearly all categories.’ But you didn’t do that. You dismissed these nationwide delays as “a dip” and you refused to turn over any analysis. So my question is: Why didn’t you disclose this document and any analysis to the Senate when you had it and they were asking for it? DeJoy: They asked me for it on Friday. They asked me for an analysis on my decision. Maloney: But the delays? The delays? I watched the testimony. They wanted analysis. Why all these delays? DeJoy: There’s a lot of reasons for delays besides just the action that I took to run your trucks on time. There were other reasons for the delays in the nation.
Maloney then warned DeJoy that if he does not provide her committee with the requested documents by this coming Wednesday, he should “expect a subpoena.”
A $25 billion House bill to restore postal service passed on Saturday with all 231 Democrats present and 26 Republicans voting yes. With GOP leaders actively pressuring their caucus to vote against the bill, 149 Republicans voted no.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell quickly dismissed the “piecemeal” proposal and vowed that his chamber will “absolutely not pass stand-alone legislation for the Postal Service.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-24--Jim Jordan attacks Democrats for wanting to make sure every vote is counted

Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-OH ) attacked his House Democratic colleagues for wanting to make sure every vote in the 2020 election is counted .
Jordan made the attack during a congressional hearing on Monday with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , whose changes to the U.S .
Postal Service operative procedure have caused so many delays that even the service is warning Americans their mail-in ballots may not be counted due to slowdowns .
`` We know what this is about .
We all know what this is about , '' Jordan said , referring to the hearing the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from DeJoy about why mail has been delayed since he took the helm of the agency .
`` This is about these guys wanting chaos and confusion , because I think they know this , I think they know that on election night President Trump 's going to win , '' Jordan continued .
`` They know that on Election Day , the vote count on Election Day , President Trump 's going to win , and they want to keep counting — six weeks , four weeks , Iowa Caucus ... that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not explain why counting every ballot sent through the mail would be bad .
However , it 's a window into the strategy Donald Trump and Republicans may employ after Election Day .
Trump — who is currently an underdog in his reelection quest , trailing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by more than 9 points nationally — has been working for weeks to try and delegitimize mail-in ballots .
States across the country are making it easier for their residents to vote by mail , as it 's a safer alternative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Donald Trump has lied multiple times , saying that voting by mail is rife with fraud and subject to international interference — neither of which are true .
Trump has even admitted publicly that he does n't want to help fund the Postal Service because if the agency does n't have enough money , then states can not hold all-mail elections .
Election experts , as well as Democrats , are warning that Trump may try to accuse the 2020 election of being fraudulent because mail-in ballots will take a while to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting may favor Trump , and that as mail-in ballots are counted , Trump 's lead could evaporate and cause him to lose .
Jordan 's comments on Monday gave a look into how Trump and his surrogates may react , demanding that only the Election Day tally is counted and that the mail-in ballots be discounted in order to ensure Trump wins the election .
Trump already demanded that once before , in 2018 , when close races for Senate and governor in Florida took a while to certify .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere , and many ballots are missing or forged .
An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected .
Must go with Election Night ! ''
Trump tweeted in 2018 .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) attacked his House Democratic colleagues for wanting to make sure every vote in the 2020 election is counted.
Jordan made the attack during a congressional hearing on Monday with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, whose changes to the U.S. Postal Service operative procedure have caused so many delays that even the service is warning Americans their mail-in ballots may not be counted due to slowdowns.
“We know what this is about. We all know what this is about,” Jordan said, referring to the hearing the House Oversight Committee was holding to demand answers from DeJoy about why mail has been delayed since he took the helm of the agency.
“This is about these guys wanting chaos and confusion, because I think they know this, I think they know that on election night President Trump’s going to win,” Jordan continued. “They know that on Election Day, the vote count on Election Day, President Trump’s going to win, and they want to keep counting — six weeks, four weeks, Iowa Caucus … that’s what they want.”
Jordan did not explain why counting every ballot sent through the mail would be bad.
However, it’s a window into the strategy Donald Trump and Republicans may employ after Election Day.
Trump — who is currently an underdog in his reelection quest, trailing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by more than 9 points nationally — has been working for weeks to try and delegitimize mail-in ballots.
States across the country are making it easier for their residents to vote by mail, as it’s a safer alternative to in-person voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donald Trump has lied multiple times, saying that voting by mail is rife with fraud and subject to international interference — neither of which are true.
Trump has even admitted publicly that he doesn’t want to help fund the Postal Service because if the agency doesn’t have enough money, then states cannot hold all-mail elections.
Election experts, as well as Democrats, are warning that Trump may try to accuse the 2020 election of being fraudulent because mail-in ballots will take a while to count.
Those experts add that in-person voting may favor Trump, and that as mail-in ballots are counted, Trump’s lead could evaporate and cause him to lose.
Jordan’s comments on Monday gave a look into how Trump and his surrogates may react, demanding that only the Election Day tally is counted and that the mail-in ballots be discounted in order to ensure Trump wins the election.
Trump already demanded that once before, in 2018, when close races for Senate and governor in Florida took a while to certify.
“The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!” Trump tweeted in 2018.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-24--GOP's list of convention speakers undercuts Trump's promise of 'uplifting' event

Donald Trump has been attacking last week 's Democratic National Convention as `` the darkest and angriest and gloomiest convention in American history , '' telling Fox News that the GOP convention this week will be a contrast to that event by delivering an `` uplifting and positive '' message .
However , the list of speakers for the Republican National Convention belies that promise , as it includes people with verifiable records of stoking the culture wars with comments on hot-button issues such as race , immigration , and abortion .
Among those who will speak at the four-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a couple from St. Louis who gained notoriety in June when they pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters walking by their property .
Both McCloskeys have been charged with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon , and they have become symbols on the right of what Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt called threats `` to intimidate and deter '' people from owning firearms and using them for self-defense .
Also in the lineup of speakers is Kim Klacik , a Republican running for Congress in Baltimore , Maryland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning the district she 's running for , a deeply Democratic seat long held by the late Rep. Elijah Cummings .
However , Klacik went viral with a campaign ad featuring her walking the streets of Baltimore to highlight what she described as `` crumbling infrastructure , abandoned homes , poverty , and crime . ''
Klacik has a long history of offensive comments , which have included attacks on transgender Americans , single mothers , and people who are overweight .
Other Republicans have been making similar arguments , highlighting problems in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk , founder of the right-wing nonprofit youth organization Turning Point USA , is another convention speaker .
The organization is infamous for holding a protest in which a member of the group wore an adult diaper to make fun of liberals who need `` safe spaces . ''
Mary Ann Mendoza , a board member of `` We Build the Wall , '' the so-called charity whose founders were arrested last week and charged with defrauding its donors , will also speak at the convention .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ undocumented immigrant , and she has since used a broad brush to paint all immigrants as violent criminals as she argues for reduced immigration to the United States .
Data shows that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than do American citizens .
Trump 's children , among them Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump , also have prominent speaking roles at the convention .
Both Trump Jr. and Eric Trump frequently appear on Fox News , where they often push conspiracy theories .
Eric Trump has said Democrats are `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr. promotes dangerous lies , including about QAnon , which the FBI has deemed a domestic terror threat .
Ultimately , the Trump campaign has been running a `` dark '' message for months .
It 's accused Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of being in cognitive decline , a claim that took a major blow last week when even Republicans admitted that Biden gave a commendable and clear nomination address .
The Trump campaign has been trying to scare Americans into voting for its candidate , including by running one widely mocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get through to the police because they have been defunded .
Meanwhile , the Democratic National Convention made the case that the darkness the country finds itself in is due to Trump .
Biden said that , as president , he will `` be an ally of the light , not our darkness . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump has been attacking last week’s Democratic National Convention as “the darkest and angriest and gloomiest convention in American history,” telling Fox News that the GOP convention this week will be a contrast to that event by delivering an “uplifting and positive” message.
However, the list of speakers for the Republican National Convention belies that promise, as it includes people with verifiable records of stoking the culture wars with comments on hot-button issues such as race, immigration, and abortion.
Among those who will speak at the four-day Republican convention are Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a couple from St. Louis who gained notoriety in June when they pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters walking by their property. Both McCloskeys have been charged with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon, and they have become symbols on the right of what Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt called threats “to intimidate and deter” people from owning firearms and using them for self-defense.
Also in the lineup of speakers is Kim Klacik, a Republican running for Congress in Baltimore, Maryland.
Klacik has virtually no chance of winning the district she’s running for, a deeply Democratic seat long held by the late Rep. Elijah Cummings. However, Klacik went viral with a campaign ad featuring her walking the streets of Baltimore to highlight what she described as “crumbling infrastructure, abandoned homes, poverty, and crime.” Klacik has a long history of offensive comments, which have included attacks on transgender Americans, single mothers, and people who are overweight.
Other Republicans have been making similar arguments, highlighting problems in what Trump calls “Democrat-run cities.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, founder of the right-wing nonprofit youth organization Turning Point USA, is another convention speaker. The organization is infamous for holding a protest in which a member of the group wore an adult diaper to make fun of liberals who need “safe spaces.”
Mary Ann Mendoza, a board member of “We Build the Wall,” the so-called charity whose founders were arrested last week and charged with defrauding its donors, will also speak at the convention. Mendoza’s son was killed by an undocumented immigrant, and she has since used a broad brush to paint all immigrants as violent criminals as she argues for reduced immigration to the United States. Data shows that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than do American citizens.
Trump’s children, among them Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, also have prominent speaking roles at the convention. Both Trump Jr. and Eric Trump frequently appear on Fox News, where they often push conspiracy theories. Eric Trump has said Democrats are “not even people,” while Trump Jr. promotes dangerous lies, including about QAnon, which the FBI has deemed a domestic terror threat.
Ultimately, the Trump campaign has been running a “dark” message for months. It’s accused Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of being in cognitive decline, a claim that took a major blow last week when even Republicans admitted that Biden gave a commendable and clear nomination address.
The Trump campaign has been trying to scare Americans into voting for its candidate, including by running one widely mocked ad portraying an elderly woman unable to get through to the police because they have been defunded.
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Convention made the case that the darkness the country finds itself in is due to Trump. Biden said that, as president, he will “be an ally of the light, not our darkness.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-24--Trump still has no health care plan as he heads into next election

Donald Trump focused much of his 2016 campaign around a promise to repeal and replace Obamacare with something `` terrific '' that covers every American .
But this unfulfilled pledge is not even listed on the 50-point `` 2nd term agenda '' his campaign released on Sunday .
Also absent is anything about the massive border wall he used to say Mexico would bankroll .
`` Building on the incredible achievements of President Donald J. Trump 's first term in office , the President 's re-election campaign today released a set of core priorities for a second term under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the Trump 2020 said in its press release .
`` President Trump 's boundless optimism and certainty in America 's greatness is reflected in his second-term goals and stands in stark contrast to the gloomy vision of America projected by Joe Biden and Democrats . ''
The list includes an array of vague ideas ( `` Return to Normal in 2021 '' ) , recycled 2016 pledges ( `` Get Allies to Pay their Fair Share '' ) , and outright lies ( `` Continue to Lead the World in Access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' ) .
But while the `` agenda '' include sections on `` illegal immigration '' and `` healthcare , '' gone are the largest broken promises of 2016 .
The words `` repeal , '' `` replace , '' `` Obamacare , '' and `` Trumpcare '' are nowhere to be found , though Trump does say he will `` Put Patients and Doctors Back in Charge of our Healthcare System , '' `` Lower Healthcare Insurance Premiums , '' and `` Cover all Pre-Existing Conditions . ''
The Affordable Care Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covers preexisting conditions , though that did not stop Trump from announcing a bizarre executive order earlier this month to require insurers to do so .
Trump promised to `` repeal and replace '' Obamacare at least 68 times .
In July 2015 , candidate Trump promised to scrap Obamacare and switch to `` something terrific . ''
`` It 's private .
You will get great plans , you will have great competition , everything else .
Now , at the lower end , where people have no money , I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I do n't think there 's anything wrong with that , '' he told CNN .
Trump said he would get it done as soon as he was inaugurated and that every American would be covered under his new system .
`` You 're going to end up with great health care for a fraction of the price and that ’ s gon na take place immediately after we go in .
Okay ? ''
he claimed in February 2016 .
`` Immediately .
Fast .
Quick . ''
`` We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're going to take care of them .
We have to take care of them , '' Trump said of uninsured Americans in a February 2016 MSNBC appearance .
`` Now , that 's not single payer .
That 's not anything .
That 's just human decency . ''
He even suggested convening a `` special session '' for Congress to pass his unspecified health insurance scheme .
`` It will be such an honor for me , for you , and for everybody in this country because Obamacare has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we will do it very , very quickly , '' he told supporters days before the 2016 election .
Trump never actually proposed a universal healthcare plan , instead endorsing a bill proposed by congressional Republicans that would have stripped millions of Americans of their coverage and would not have ensured cheaper or better health care .
He later denounced the bill as `` mean '' and lacking in `` heart . ''
It passed in the then-GOP-controlled House without a single Democratic vote but failed in the Senate .
Since that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent health plan , but not delivered one .
The word `` wall '' does not appear at all on the list .
Throughout the 2016 campaign , Trump said over and over that he would build a massive wall along the nation 's southern border and that it would be paid for entirely by Mexico .
`` I would do something very severe unless they contributed or gave us the money to build the wall .
I would build it .
I would build it very nicely .
I 'm very good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN in June 2015 .
In April 2016 he told Fox News , `` I would say it 'll be complete within two years from the time we start .
We 'll start quickly .
We 'll start quickly .
And it 'll be a real wall .
It 'll be a real wall . ''
`` We 'll build a wall , I promise .
I promise , we will build a wall , '' he reiterated at a campaign rally that month , If there 's ever a second term , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he got that wall built fast , we ’ re going to put him up .
So we ’ ll see .
We ’ ll build the wall . ''
The promise was so central to his candidacy that , after a while , he did n't even need to repeat it himself .
He thrilled his cheering supporters at rallies by asking them , `` Who 's gon na pay for the wall ? ''
and letting them yell back , `` Mexico ! ''
Mexico has not paid a cent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretend he never made the promise .
And despite siphoning billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars from military families , as of June Trump had built just three new miles worth of border wall — well short of the 450 miles he promised by the end of his term .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump focused much of his 2016 campaign around a promise to repeal and replace Obamacare with something “terrific” that covers every American. But this unfulfilled pledge is not even listed on the 50-point “2nd term agenda” his campaign released on Sunday.
Also absent is anything about the massive border wall he used to say Mexico would bankroll.
“Building on the incredible achievements of President Donald J. Trump’s first term in office, the President’s re-election campaign today released a set of core priorities for a second term under the banner of ‘Fighting for You!'” the Trump 2020 said in its press release. “President Trump’s boundless optimism and certainty in America’s greatness is reflected in his second-term goals and stands in stark contrast to the gloomy vision of America projected by Joe Biden and Democrats.”
The list includes an array of vague ideas (“Return to Normal in 2021”), recycled 2016 pledges (“Get Allies to Pay their Fair Share”), and outright lies (“Continue to Lead the World in Access to the Cleanest Drinking Water and Cleanest Air”).
But while the “agenda” include sections on “illegal immigration” and “healthcare,” gone are the largest broken promises of 2016.
The words “repeal,” “replace,” “Obamacare,” and “Trumpcare” are nowhere to be found, though Trump does say he will “Put Patients and Doctors Back in Charge of our Healthcare System,” “Lower Healthcare Insurance Premiums,” and “Cover all Pre-Existing Conditions.” The Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare) already covers preexisting conditions, though that did not stop Trump from announcing a bizarre executive order earlier this month to require insurers to do so.
Trump promised to “repeal and replace” Obamacare at least 68 times.
In July 2015, candidate Trump promised to scrap Obamacare and switch to “something terrific.”
“It’s private. You will get great plans, you will have great competition, everything else. Now, at the lower end, where people have no money, I want to try and help those people. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” he told CNN.
Trump said he would get it done as soon as he was inaugurated and that every American would be covered under his new system.
“You’re going to end up with great health care for a fraction of the price and that’s gonna take place immediately after we go in. Okay?” he claimed in February 2016. “Immediately. Fast. Quick.”
“We’re going to take care of them. We’re going to take care of them. We have to take care of them,” Trump said of uninsured Americans in a February 2016 MSNBC appearance. “Now, that’s not single payer. That’s not anything. That’s just human decency.”
He even suggested convening a “special session” for Congress to pass his unspecified health insurance scheme. “It will be such an honor for me, for you, and for everybody in this country because Obamacare has to be replaced and we will do it and we will do it very, very quickly,” he told supporters days before the 2016 election.
Trump never actually proposed a universal healthcare plan, instead endorsing a bill proposed by congressional Republicans that would have stripped millions of Americans of their coverage and would not have ensured cheaper or better health care.
He later denounced the bill as “mean” and lacking in “heart.” It passed in the then-GOP-controlled House without a single Democratic vote but failed in the Senate.
Since that time, Trump has repeatedly promised an imminent health plan, but not delivered one.
The word “wall” does not appear at all on the list.
Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump said over and over that he would build a massive wall along the nation’s southern border and that it would be paid for entirely by Mexico.
“I would do something very severe unless they contributed or gave us the money to build the wall. I would build it. I would build it very nicely. I’m very good at building things,” he told CNN in June 2015.
In April 2016 he told Fox News, “I would say it’ll be complete within two years from the time we start. We’ll start quickly. We’ll start quickly. And it’ll be a real wall. It’ll be a real wall.”
“We’ll build a wall, I promise. I promise, we will build a wall,” he reiterated at a campaign rally that month, If there’s ever a second term, you’ll say, man, he got that wall built fast, we’re going to put him up. So we’ll see. We’ll build the wall.”
The promise was so central to his candidacy that, after a while, he didn’t even need to repeat it himself. He thrilled his cheering supporters at rallies by asking them, “Who’s gonna pay for the wall?” and letting them yell back, “Mexico!”
Mexico has not paid a cent for the wall. Trump has tried to pretend he never made the promise. And despite siphoning billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars from military families, as of June Trump had built just three new miles worth of border wall — well short of the 450 miles he promised by the end of his term.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-24--Trump leaves slew of promises unmet as he asks voters for second term

He 's broken his pledge never to take a vacation or play golf for pleasure .
His plan to update the nation 's infrastructure has become a running punchline , and he 's dropped his threat to throw Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl out of a plane without a parachute .
Behind the drama , chaos , and tumult that has defined Donald Trump 's administration , Trump has fulfilled only some of the promises he made during his 2016 campaign .
Keeping his promise is a theme that will play a major role in the upcoming Republican National Convention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation that he deserves a second term , even when millions of Americans have been infected by the coronavirus , the economy is in tatters , and racial tensions are boiling over .
`` I 'm the only candidate that gave you more than I promised in the campaign .
It 's true .
I 'm the only one ever , maybe ever , '' Trump said at a rally in battleground Arizona last week .
Back in 2016 , Trump was criticized for failing to release detailed policy plans akin to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What Trump did do was lay out a vision for a new America — one driven by a nationalist self-interest and disregard for democratic norms .
In the years since , Trump has acted on that vision , making good on his nativist immigration rhetoric , tearing back regulations on business , and transforming America 's role in the world by abandoning multilateral agreements and upending decades-old alliances , cheered on by many of his most loyal supporters and generating great alarm among his critics .
But will that matter when more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5.5 million have been infected by a virus that has hit the U.S. far harder than other industrialized nations ?
`` I think the golden egg of Trump 's reelection effort is going to be the promises kept , such as getting two Supreme Court justices in power and keeping America out of foreign wars like Afghanistan and Iraq , '' said Douglas Brinkley , presidential historian at Rice University .
`` The problem he has is that his COVID response was n't on the ballot in 2016 and he 's gotten poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
So that 's put a wrinkle in his promises kept talking points . ''
Arguably Trump 's biggest impact has been on immigration .
Trump has succeeded in fundamentally transforming the nation 's immigration system , despite resistance from the courts and little cooperation from Congress .
Using more than 400 executive actions , according to a recent analysis by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute , Trump has effectively shut down the asylum system at the southwest border and slashed refugee admissions .
At the same time , Trump has imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration , with the pandemic spurring many more .
With so few visas being processed and immigration fees collected , the U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services has all but run out of money and is about to furlough large swaths of its workforce .
But Mexico never did pay for the `` big , beautiful wall '' Trump pledged to build along the 2,000-mile southern border — the signature promise of his 2016 campaign .
The project is now underway , with 450 miles expected to be completed by the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that — just 4 miles — has been built along stretches where no barrier stood before .
And some specific promises on immigration went unfulfilled : Trump failed to create a new `` deportation force , '' never met his pledge to deport millions , did n't end funding for sanctuary cities that do n't cooperate with immigration authorities , and did n't move to end the constitutional right to birthright citizenship .
But he did clamp down on `` catch and release '' of immigrants in the country illegally , enhance background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspend immigration from a host of majority-Muslim nations — an evolution of the Muslim ban he floated during his campaign .
`` They have used the tools that the executive branch has on immigration really to their ultimate extent .
And they 've been successful , '' said Doris Meissner , the director of the Migration Policy Institute 's U.S. Immigration Policy Program and a former commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service .
`` And you know , in many ways remarkably so because there 's been very stiff resistance all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump 's record has also been mixed .
On health care , Republicans in Congress did repeal the Obama-era individual mandate forcing people to buy health insurance , but he failed to replace the Affordable Care Act with an alternative , despite frequent promises to present his own plan .
On the economy , Trump and congressional Republicans pushed through a promised tax cut early in his term that dramatically slashed the corporate tax rate — as he had promised — and doubled the estate tax threshold , but did not eliminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his pledge to reduce the number of individual income tax brackets from seven to three to simplify the tax code , and efforts to bolster manufacturing jobs began to stall by his third year in office .
Trump had promised to boost economic growth to 3.5 % per year on average .
But he never surpassed 3 % growth in any year , and progress on lowering unemployment has been annihilated by the pandemic , which has ushered in the worst recession since the Great Depression .
Some of Trump 's more controversial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as his pledge to eliminate gun-free zones at schools and on military bases and to establish a national right to carry concealed weapons that would trump local restrictions .
He has all but ignored the spiraling cost of college education and the plans he had proposed to make student loan repayment more affordable .
He never made good on his pledge to push a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress .
And his pledge to embark on a massive $ 1 trillion effort to rebuild the nation 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bridges , has become a running punchline .
He also quickly abandoned his promise never to take a vacation while president , making frequent trips to his properties in Florida and New Jersey .
And while he claimed he would only play golf with those who might help him govern and never with friends , he has now paid more than 270 visits to golf clubs since his inauguration , according to a website dedicated to tracking his visits .
He is often photographed playing with pros .
He delivered on some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiring freeze , as he had promised , and mandated that for every new federal regulation enacted , two be eliminated .
He launched an aggressive campaign to roll back environmental protections passed by the Obama administration , including those that protected waterways , encouraged cleaner energy , reduced auto emissions , and restricted offshore drilling and oil exploration on federal land .
At the same time , he has prioritized tapping the country 's shale oil and natural gas and coal reserves .
However , courts are undoing many of Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and illegal .
On trade , Trump renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement and withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership , but failed to decrease the U.S.-China trade imbalance while starting a trade war with the country .
On the international front , the impact has been enormous as he has put his `` America First '' policy into practice , fundamentally redefining America 's place in the world .
He increased funding for the military , joined the race to weaponize space , all but abandoned efforts to curb nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the landmark alliances of the 20th century , including NATO .
At the same time , he has pulled the U.S. from participation in a host of landmark accords , including the Paris Climate Agreement and the Iran nuclear deal ( though he failed to bring Iran back to the negotiating table to broker a replacement deal , as he had pledged . )
At international summits , he has cozied up to authoritarian leaders , including Russia 's Vladimir Putin , while picking fights with longstanding allies like the U.K. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how far he has broken from the global community , he stopped funding the World Health Organization in the midst of the pandemic earlier this year .
Jeremy Shapiro , a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution , said Trump has altered U.S. foreign policy in ways that go beyond what he outlined before taking office .
`` I do n't think he was really preparing people for the degree of revolution .
He did n't say , ' I do n't care about human rights ' on the campaign trail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't care about democracy . '
He did n't say , ' I do n't care about alliances , ' '' Shapiro said .
While Trump complained the U.S. had gotten a raw deal in so many areas , he has failed , Shapiro argued , to negotiate improvements , aside from perhaps the new NAFTA .
`` It 's easy to destroy a deal .
It 's much harder to create a better one .
And he has n't done that , '' Shapiro said .

He’s broken his pledge never to take a vacation or play golf for pleasure. His plan to update the nation’s infrastructure has become a running punchline, and he’s dropped his threat to throw Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl out of a plane without a parachute.
Behind the drama, chaos, and tumult that has defined Donald Trump’s administration, Trump has fulfilled only some of the promises he made during his 2016 campaign.
Keeping his promise is a theme that will play a major role in the upcoming Republican National Convention, as Trump tries to convince a weary nation that he deserves a second term, even when millions of Americans have been infected by the coronavirus, the economy is in tatters, and racial tensions are boiling over.
“I’m the only candidate that gave you more than I promised in the campaign. It’s true. I’m the only one ever, maybe ever,” Trump said at a rally in battleground Arizona last week.
Back in 2016, Trump was criticized for failing to release detailed policy plans akin to those of his rival, Hillary Clinton. What Trump did do was lay out a vision for a new America — one driven by a nationalist self-interest and disregard for democratic norms.
In the years since, Trump has acted on that vision, making good on his nativist immigration rhetoric, tearing back regulations on business, and transforming America’s role in the world by abandoning multilateral agreements and upending decades-old alliances, cheered on by many of his most loyal supporters and generating great alarm among his critics.
But will that matter when more than 175,000 Americans have died and more than 5.5 million have been infected by a virus that has hit the U.S. far harder than other industrialized nations?
“I think the golden egg of Trump’s reelection effort is going to be the promises kept, such as getting two Supreme Court justices in power and keeping America out of foreign wars like Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian at Rice University. “The problem he has is that his COVID response wasn’t on the ballot in 2016 and he’s gotten poor marks on how he’s handled the pandemic. So that’s put a wrinkle in his promises kept talking points.”
Arguably Trump’s biggest impact has been on immigration.
Trump has succeeded in fundamentally transforming the nation’s immigration system, despite resistance from the courts and little cooperation from Congress.
Using more than 400 executive actions, according to a recent analysis by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, Trump has effectively shut down the asylum system at the southwest border and slashed refugee admissions. At the same time, Trump has imposed a slew of new restrictions on legal immigration, with the pandemic spurring many more. With so few visas being processed and immigration fees collected, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has all but run out of money and is about to furlough large swaths of its workforce.
But Mexico never did pay for the “big, beautiful wall” Trump pledged to build along the 2,000-mile southern border — the signature promise of his 2016 campaign. The project is now underway, with 450 miles expected to be completed by the end of December. Yet only a sliver of that — just 4 miles — has been built along stretches where no barrier stood before.
And some specific promises on immigration went unfulfilled: Trump failed to create a new “deportation force,” never met his pledge to deport millions, didn’t end funding for sanctuary cities that don’t cooperate with immigration authorities, and didn’t move to end the constitutional right to birthright citizenship. But he did clamp down on “catch and release” of immigrants in the country illegally, enhance background screening of migrants, and move to suspend immigration from a host of majority-Muslim nations — an evolution of the Muslim ban he floated during his campaign.
“They have used the tools that the executive branch has on immigration really to their ultimate extent. And they’ve been successful,” said Doris Meissner, the director of the Migration Policy Institute’s U.S. Immigration Policy Program and a former commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. “And you know, in many ways remarkably so because there’s been very stiff resistance all the way.”
In other areas, Trump’s record has also been mixed.
On health care, Republicans in Congress did repeal the Obama-era individual mandate forcing people to buy health insurance, but he failed to replace the Affordable Care Act with an alternative, despite frequent promises to present his own plan.
On the economy, Trump and congressional Republicans pushed through a promised tax cut early in his term that dramatically slashed the corporate tax rate — as he had promised — and doubled the estate tax threshold, but did not eliminate it. He also did not meet his pledge to reduce the number of individual income tax brackets from seven to three to simplify the tax code, and efforts to bolster manufacturing jobs began to stall by his third year in office.
Trump had promised to boost economic growth to 3.5% per year on average. But he never surpassed 3% growth in any year, and progress on lowering unemployment has been annihilated by the pandemic, which has ushered in the worst recession since the Great Depression.
Some of Trump’s more controversial promises have fallen by the wayside, such as his pledge to eliminate gun-free zones at schools and on military bases and to establish a national right to carry concealed weapons that would trump local restrictions.
He has all but ignored the spiraling cost of college education and the plans he had proposed to make student loan repayment more affordable. He never made good on his pledge to push a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress. And his pledge to embark on a massive $1 trillion effort to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, including airports, roads, and bridges, has become a running punchline.
He also quickly abandoned his promise never to take a vacation while president, making frequent trips to his properties in Florida and New Jersey. And while he claimed he would only play golf with those who might help him govern and never with friends, he has now paid more than 270 visits to golf clubs since his inauguration, according to a website dedicated to tracking his visits. He is often photographed playing with pros.
He delivered on some other fronts. He enacted a federal hiring freeze, as he had promised, and mandated that for every new federal regulation enacted, two be eliminated. He launched an aggressive campaign to roll back environmental protections passed by the Obama administration, including those that protected waterways, encouraged cleaner energy, reduced auto emissions, and restricted offshore drilling and oil exploration on federal land. At the same time, he has prioritized tapping the country’s shale oil and natural gas and coal reserves.
However, courts are undoing many of Trump’s environmental rollbacks, calling them poorly reasoned and illegal.
On trade, Trump renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement and withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but failed to decrease the U.S.-China trade imbalance while starting a trade war with the country.
On the international front, the impact has been enormous as he has put his “America First” policy into practice, fundamentally redefining America’s place in the world. He increased funding for the military, joined the race to weaponize space, all but abandoned efforts to curb nuclear proliferation, and has threatened U.S. membership in the landmark alliances of the 20th century, including NATO.
At the same time, he has pulled the U.S. from participation in a host of landmark accords, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the Iran nuclear deal (though he failed to bring Iran back to the negotiating table to broker a replacement deal, as he had pledged.) At international summits, he has cozied up to authoritarian leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, while picking fights with longstanding allies like the U.K. and Canada.
In a sign of just how far he has broken from the global community, he stopped funding the World Health Organization in the midst of the pandemic earlier this year.
Jeremy Shapiro, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Trump has altered U.S. foreign policy in ways that go beyond what he outlined before taking office.
“I don’t think he was really preparing people for the degree of revolution. He didn’t say, ‘I don’t care about human rights’ on the campaign trail. He didn’t say, ‘I don’t care about democracy.’ He didn’t say, ‘I don’t care about alliances,'” Shapiro said.
While Trump complained the U.S. had gotten a raw deal in so many areas, he has failed, Shapiro argued, to negotiate improvements, aside from perhaps the new NAFTA.
“It’s easy to destroy a deal. It’s much harder to create a better one. And he hasn’t done that,” Shapiro said.


shareblue--2020-08-24--GOP platform's one and only policy is supporting everything Trump does

On Sunday , the night before the Republican National Convention kicked off , the GOP announced it did not create a new platform laying out the party 's goals and policy positions ; instead it listed its only major goal as supporting Donald Trump and whatever he decides to do should he win a second term .
Citing its decision to scale back its convention due to the COVID-19 pandemic — which has led to more than 176,000 American deaths under Trump — the Republican National Committee said that it `` unanimously voted to forego '' the creation of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it issued a resolution stating , `` That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President ’ s America-first agenda . ''
Of course , Republicans have had months , if not years , to craft a new party platform .
Democrats share their platform on July 21 .
The 92-page document — which includes everything from the Democratic stance on guns to health care to climate change — was adopted at the Democratic National Convention last week .
But back in June , Republicans voted not to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 2016 agenda .
Trump commented on the lack of a new platform at the time .
`` The Republican Party has not yet voted on a Platform .
No rush .
I prefer a new and updated Platform , short form , if possible , '' Trump tweeted on June 12 .
The party delivered , issuing a one-page document saying it did n't make a new platform and will support anything Trump does , and it attacked the media , saying it `` continues to engage in misleading advocacy for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than providing the public with unbiased reporting of facts . ''
The Trump campaign later released its own 2020 agenda that included big promises but zero details on how it would achieve those things .
Trump promised to `` create 10 million jobs in 10 months '' and `` create 1 million new small businesses . ''
However , as of the end of July , nearly 18 million Americans were out of work , leaving the unemployment rate at a staggering 10.2 % .
Creating 10 million jobs in 10 months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the economy still would not be back to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels .
Heading into the GOP convention , Trump trails Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by 9.2 % , according to FiveThirtyEight 's national polling average .
The party convention will seek to convince voters to back Trump .
The FiveThirtyEight polling average shows Biden currently has more than 51 % of the vote , or a majority of the country .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Sunday, the night before the Republican National Convention kicked off, the GOP announced it did not create a new platform laying out the party’s goals and policy positions; instead it listed its only major goal as supporting Donald Trump and whatever he decides to do should he win a second term.
Citing its decision to scale back its convention due to the COVID-19 pandemic — which has led to more than 176,000 American deaths under Trump — the Republican National Committee said that it “unanimously voted to forego” the creation of a new platform for 2020.
Instead, it issued a resolution stating, “That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.”
Of course, Republicans have had months, if not years, to craft a new party platform.
Democrats share their platform on July 21. The 92-page document — which includes everything from the Democratic stance on guns to health care to climate change — was adopted at the Democratic National Convention last week.
But back in June, Republicans voted not to create a new platform, leaving in place its 2016 agenda.
Trump commented on the lack of a new platform at the time.
“The Republican Party has not yet voted on a Platform. No rush. I prefer a new and updated Platform, short form, if possible,” Trump tweeted on June 12.
The party delivered, issuing a one-page document saying it didn’t make a new platform and will support anything Trump does, and it attacked the media, saying it “continues to engage in misleading advocacy for the failed policies of the Obama-Biden Administration, rather than providing the public with unbiased reporting of facts.”
The Trump campaign later released its own 2020 agenda that included big promises but zero details on how it would achieve those things.
Trump promised to “create 10 million jobs in 10 months” and “create 1 million new small businesses.”
However, as of the end of July, nearly 18 million Americans were out of work, leaving the unemployment rate at a staggering 10.2%. Creating 10 million jobs in 10 months would mean that in almost a year, the economy still would not be back to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Heading into the GOP convention, Trump trails Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by 9.2%, according to FiveThirtyEight’s national polling average.
The party convention will seek to convince voters to back Trump. The FiveThirtyEight polling average shows Biden currently has more than 51% of the vote, or a majority of the country.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-08-25--Trump praises Erdogan to man who was held hostage in Turkey

Donald Trump on Monday night told a man who had been held hostage in Turkey for two years that the Turkish leader who imprisoned him was `` very good . ''
During the first night of the Republican National Convention , Trump spoke at the White house with several former hostages whom his administration had helped release .
One of the participants was Andrew Brunson , an evangelical pastor who was put in a Turkish prison in 2016 on spying charges .
Brunson was arrested and sentenced to decades in jail by brutal Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brunson an `` innocent man of faith , '' saying there was in fact `` no credible evidence against him '' to support Turkish officials ' charges of spying .
Trump on Monday night first bragged of his own accomplishments in securing the hostages ' release , saying , `` We worked very hard on it , Ambassador [ Robert ] O'Brien and others .
And I will tell you — we 're very proud of the job we did . ''
Then he invited Brunson to briefly tell his story .
Brunson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Turkey '' and that Trump `` took unprecedented steps , actually , to secure my release . ''
From the first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention : Donald Trump : 28 years , right ?
They had you scheduled for a long time , Andrew .
We had to get you back .
And I have to say that , to me , President Erdogan was very good .
I know they had you scheduled for a long time are you were a very innocent person .
And he , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he agreed .
So we appreciate that and we appreciate the people of Turkey .
And you still appreciate the people of Turkey , I understand , right ?
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Monday night told a man who had been held hostage in Turkey for two years that the Turkish leader who imprisoned him was “very good.”
During the first night of the Republican National Convention, Trump spoke at the White house with several former hostages whom his administration had helped release. One of the participants was Andrew Brunson, an evangelical pastor who was put in a Turkish prison in 2016 on spying charges.
Brunson was arrested and sentenced to decades in jail by brutal Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. Vice President Mike Pence has called Brunson an “innocent man of faith,” saying there was in fact “no credible evidence against him” to support Turkish officials’ charges of spying.
Turkey eventually agreed to release Brunson in 2018.
Trump on Monday night first bragged of his own accomplishments in securing the hostages’ release, saying, “We worked very hard on it, Ambassador [Robert] O’Brien and others. And I will tell you — we’re very proud of the job we did.”
Then he invited Brunson to briefly tell his story.
Brunson noted that he had been “held in Turkey” and that Trump “took unprecedented steps, actually, to secure my release.”
Trump responded bewilderingly, calling Erdogan “very good.”
From the first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention:
Donald Trump: 28 years, right? They had you scheduled for a long time, Andrew. We had to get you back. And I have to say that, to me, President Erdogan was very good. I know they had you scheduled for a long time are you were a very innocent person. And he, ultimately after we had a few conversations, he agreed. So we appreciate that and we appreciate the people of Turkey. And you still appreciate the people of Turkey, I understand, right?
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.