shareblue--2020-10-08--Amy Coney Barrett could help the Supreme Court kill marriage equality

On Monday , the Supreme Court declined to take up the case of Kim Davis , the Rowan County , Kentucky , clerk who refused to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples even after Obergefell v. Hodges made it legal in 2015 .
Two justices — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — used that denial to write a statement explaining just how much they ’ d like to see Obergefell overturned , even if the Davis case was n't the one to make that happen .
Given her past public comments , if Trump 's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very likely to agree , joining Thomas in using “ religious liberty ” to dismantle LGBTQ rights bit by bit .
Davis claimed her religious beliefs rendered her unable to issue same-sex marriage certificates and that she was therefore immune from a lawsuit by same-sex couples .
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit rejected that , leaving Davis to hope the Supreme Court would hear her case .
Although he agreed with the decision not to hear the case , Thomas 's statement this week , which Alito joined , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people asserting their religious liberty is violated if they have to treat same-sex couples equally under the law .
Thomas claimed in his statement that Davis `` may have been one of the first victims of this Court 's cavalier treatment of religion . ''
He was also unhappy that people who rely on their religious views to oppose same-sex marriage may be seen as bigots , instead calling them `` people of good will . ''
Thomas also wrote that the Obergefell decision placed the right of same-sex marriage over `` religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would continue to have `` ruinous consequences for religious liberty . ''
It 's notable that Thomas sees merely being labeled as bigots as a burden conservative Christians should not have to bear — a very expansive view of religious liberty .
More importantly , Thomas seems to be trying to chart a course for the court to use religious liberty to undermine LGBTQ rights .
If someone says that providing a service — such as the issuance of marriage licenses or baking a cake — to same-sex couples violates their religious beliefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It does n't make same-sex marriage illegal .
It just makes it harder to obtain the rights and privileges that come with same-sex marriage .
This is a well-worn path when it comes to abortion .
Over the last 30 years , the Supreme Court has chipped away at abortion rights , slowly but surely .
In 1992 's Planned Parenthood v. Casey , the court created a new , lower standard than what had been put forth in Roe v. Wade and declared abortion restrictions permissible if they did n't cause an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting the right to choose .
Fifteen years later , in Gonzalez v. Carhart , the court used that lower `` undue burden '' standard to uphold a so-called `` partial-birth abortion ban '' that barred a variation of a common second-trimester abortion procedure .
Legislatures have used this lower standard to pass law after law restricting abortion rights .
Chief Justice Roberts has indicated he 's fine with a wide variety of them , including the imposition of waiting periods , mandatory parental consent , and forced counseling .
Abortion access decreases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is exactly what could happen with same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ rights .
Alito raised the specter of religious liberty the last time LGBTQ people made a significant gain .
When a majority of the court held that someone could n't be fired simply for being LGBTQ , Alito worried about the fact that some employers have `` strong religious objections to sex reassignment procedures '' and that requiring employers to cover this in a healthcare plan `` will have a severe impact on their ability to honor their deeply held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made clear she thinks religious liberty trumps other rights .
She signed a 2012 letter by the Becket Fund that argued businesses have their religious liberty violated if they have to fill out a form shifting the cost of covering birth control from the business to the insurer .
She 's also made clear she does n't believe LGBTQ people deserve full rights .
In 2006 , she signed a full-page advertisement that has received the most attention for its anti-choice language .
However , that letter did n't just talk about reproductive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with which Barrett agreed , that affirmed the Catholic Church 's teachings on `` the meaning of human sexuality , the significance of sexual difference and the complementarity of men and women [ ... ] and on marriage and family founded on the indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman . ''
That barely-coded language shows she opposes same-sex marriage and trans people , and that her opposition is based on religious beliefs .
During Barrett 's 2017 confirmation hearing , then-Sen. Al Franken ( D-MN ) questioned her about her paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blackstone is affiliated with the Alliance Defending Freedom ( ADF ) , an extremely anti-gay law firm that represented a florist who refused service to a same-sex couple and a baker who did n't want to bake a cake for a same-sex couple .
During those hearings , Barrett insisted she was unaware of Blackstone 's affiliation with ADF , nor did she know that ADF had a lengthy history of filing lawsuits that used claims of religious liberty to restrict others ' rights .
On its face , that seems absurd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney of record or filed amicus briefs in major Supreme Court religious liberty cases spanning the last two decades .
Barrett is cagey about her views on both reproductive health and LGBTQ rights , but her past writings and past affiliations indicate that she may value her religious beliefs more than she values the law .
Along with Justices Alito and Thomas , Barrett is likely to be very comfortable imposing a narrow view of religious freedom , which puts Christian conservatives ' views over all others .
Published with permission of The @ @ @ @

On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to take up the case of Kim Davis, the Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk who refused to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples even after Obergefell v. Hodges made it legal in 2015.
Two justices — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — used that denial to write a statement explaining just how much they’d like to see Obergefell overturned, even if the Davis case wasn’t the one to make that happen.
Given her past public comments, if Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett joins the court, she’s very likely to agree, joining Thomas in using “religious liberty” to dismantle LGBTQ rights bit by bit.
Davis claimed her religious beliefs rendered her unable to issue same-sex marriage certificates and that she was therefore immune from a lawsuit by same-sex couples. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit rejected that, leaving Davis to hope the Supreme Court would hear her case.
Although he agreed with the decision not to hear the case, Thomas’s statement this week, which Alito joined, shows he would welcome future cases by people asserting their religious liberty is violated if they have to treat same-sex couples equally under the law.
Thomas claimed in his statement that Davis “may have been one of the first victims of this Court’s cavalier treatment of religion.” He was also unhappy that people who rely on their religious views to oppose same-sex marriage may be seen as bigots, instead calling them “people of good will.”
Thomas also wrote that the Obergefell decision placed the right of same-sex marriage over “religious liberty” interests and that the case would continue to have “ruinous consequences for religious liberty.”
It’s notable that Thomas sees merely being labeled as bigots as a burden conservative Christians should not have to bear — a very expansive view of religious liberty.
More importantly, Thomas seems to be trying to chart a course for the court to use religious liberty to undermine LGBTQ rights. If someone says that providing a service — such as the issuance of marriage licenses or baking a cake — to same-sex couples violates their religious beliefs, Thomas would let that stand. It doesn’t make same-sex marriage illegal. It just makes it harder to obtain the rights and privileges that come with same-sex marriage.
This is a well-worn path when it comes to abortion. Over the last 30 years, the Supreme Court has chipped away at abortion rights, slowly but surely. In 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the court created a new, lower standard than what had been put forth in Roe v. Wade and declared abortion restrictions permissible if they didn’t cause an “undue burden” rather than fully protecting the right to choose. Fifteen years later, in Gonzalez v. Carhart, the court used that lower “undue burden” standard to uphold a so-called “partial-birth abortion ban” that barred a variation of a common second-trimester abortion procedure.
Legislatures have used this lower standard to pass law after law restricting abortion rights. Chief Justice Roberts has indicated he’s fine with a wide variety of them, including the imposition of waiting periods, mandatory parental consent, and forced counseling. Abortion access decreases each time one of these laws succeeds.
This is exactly what could happen with same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ rights. Alito raised the specter of religious liberty the last time LGBTQ people made a significant gain. When a majority of the court held that someone couldn’t be fired simply for being LGBTQ, Alito worried about the fact that some employers have “strong religious objections to sex reassignment procedures” and that requiring employers to cover this in a healthcare plan “will have a severe impact on their ability to honor their deeply held religious beliefs.”
Barrett has already made clear she thinks religious liberty trumps other rights. She signed a 2012 letter by the Becket Fund that argued businesses have their religious liberty violated if they have to fill out a form shifting the cost of covering birth control from the business to the insurer.
She’s also made clear she doesn’t believe LGBTQ people deserve full rights. In 2006, she signed a full-page advertisement that has received the most attention for its anti-choice language. However, that letter didn’t just talk about reproductive health. There was also language, with which Barrett agreed, that affirmed the Catholic Church’s teachings on “the meaning of human sexuality, the significance of sexual difference and the complementarity of men and women […] and on marriage and family founded on the indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman.”
That barely-coded language shows she opposes same-sex marriage and trans people, and that her opposition is based on religious beliefs.
During Barrett’s 2017 confirmation hearing, then-Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) questioned her about her paid speeches to the Blackstone Legal Fellowship. Blackstone is affiliated with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), an extremely anti-gay law firm that represented a florist who refused service to a same-sex couple and a baker who didn’t want to bake a cake for a same-sex couple.
During those hearings, Barrett insisted she was unaware of Blackstone’s affiliation with ADF, nor did she know that ADF had a lengthy history of filing lawsuits that used claims of religious liberty to restrict others’ rights.
On its face, that seems absurd, given that ADF has been either the attorney of record or filed amicus briefs in major Supreme Court religious liberty cases spanning the last two decades.
Barrett is cagey about her views on both reproductive health and LGBTQ rights, but her past writings and past affiliations indicate that she may value her religious beliefs more than she values the law.
Along with Justices Alito and Thomas, Barrett is likely to be very comfortable imposing a narrow view of religious freedom, which puts Christian conservatives’ views over all others.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-08--Justice Department charges top Trump fundraiser in illegal lobbying scheme

Elliott Broidy , a fundraiser for Donald Trump and the Republican Party , has been charged in an illicit lobbying campaign aimed at getting the Trump administration to drop an investigation into the multibillion-dollar looting of a Malaysian state investment fund .
Broidy is the latest person accused by the Justice Department of participating in the covert lobbying effort , which also sought to arrange for the return of a Chinese dissident living in the United States .
A consultant , Nickie Lum Davis , agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Hawaii in August .
The case was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , D.C .
Prosecutors allege that Broidy worked with Davis and others to get the Justice Department to abandon its pursuit of billions of dollars that officials say were pilfered from 1MDB , a Malaysian wealth fund that was established more than a decade ago to accelerate the country 's economic development .
The effort was done on behalf of a fugitive Malaysian financier , Jho Low , who has been charged in the United States with conspiring to launder billions of dollars from the fund .
He has denied all wrongdoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump but resigned in 2018 from his role as deputy chair of the Republican National Committee after it was revealed that he paid $ 1.6 million to a Playboy Playmate with whom he had an extramarital affair .

Elliott Broidy, a fundraiser for Donald Trump and the Republican Party, has been charged in an illicit lobbying campaign aimed at getting the Trump administration to drop an investigation into the multibillion-dollar looting of a Malaysian state investment fund.
Broidy is the latest person accused by the Justice Department of participating in the covert lobbying effort, which also sought to arrange for the return of a Chinese dissident living in the United States. A consultant, Nickie Lum Davis, agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Hawaii in August.
The case was filed this week in federal court in Washington, D.C.
Prosecutors allege that Broidy worked with Davis and others to get the Justice Department to abandon its pursuit of billions of dollars that officials say were pilfered from 1MDB, a Malaysian wealth fund that was established more than a decade ago to accelerate the country’s economic development.
The effort was done on behalf of a fugitive Malaysian financier, Jho Low, who has been charged in the United States with conspiring to launder billions of dollars from the fund. He has denied all wrongdoing.
Broidy has been a top fundraiser for Trump but resigned in 2018 from his role as deputy chair of the Republican National Committee after it was revealed that he paid $1.6 million to a Playboy Playmate with whom he had an extramarital affair.


shareblue--2020-10-08--Utah Sen. Mike Lee takes bold stand against democracy

On Wednesday night , Utah Sen. Mike Lee tweeted his view of the United States .
`` We 're not a democracy , '' said the Republican , currently serving his second term in the U.S. Senate .
`` Democracy is n't the objective ; liberty , peace , and prospefity [ sic ] are , '' Lee added several hours later .
`` We want the human condition to flourish .
Rank democracy can thwart that . ''
Lee took another bold stand against democracy the same day .
`` The word 'democracy ' appears nowhere in the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not a democracy , '' he said .
`` It 's a constitutional republic .
To me it matters .
It should matter to anyone who worries about the excessive accumulation of power in the hands of the few . ''
Conn Carroll , a spokesperson in Lee 's Washington , D.C. , office , explained Lee 's intentions to the American Independent Foundation .
`` At a time when the democratic party is talking about packing the Supreme Court , getting rid of the electoral college , and taking over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee wanted to draw attention to the fact that the founders created Republican checks on Democratic passions , '' Carroll said in an email .
The tone-deaf statements come at a moment when mail-in voting is an urgent issue on both sides of the aisle , with Donald Trump suggesting that absentee balloting will result in massive voter fraud , and Democrats worried that he 'll use claims of electoral fraud as a pretext for refusing a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election .
Lee has made his feelings about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator stand on `` liberty , peace , and prospefity '' ?
To Lee 's credit , he has spearheaded criminal justice reform in the GOP , collaborating with Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker to draft a reform bill focused on reducing harsh mandatory minimum sentences .
But his commitment to liberty goes only so far .
Lee is one of a handful of GOP lawmakers who witnessed the detention of immigrants at the border and did nothing substantive to address the issue .
`` Forty-four days , '' shouted men in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Texas , during a visit by Lee and Vice President Mike Pence in July 2019 .
That 's how long they 'd been held without being able to take a shower .
Lee released a statement blaming the Obama administration for the conditions .
Lee has previously advocated for limiting executive power in setting military policy .
Nevertheless , according to the website On the Issues , Lee exhibits the standard GOP militarism and support for Israel .
Lee 's 2010 campaign website included support for military action against Iran as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's nuclear program : `` The government currently ruling in Iran presents a threat to the security of both the United States and Israel .
I will therefore support efforts to place pressure on the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , with an eye toward persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions .
Should those efforts prove unsuccessful , military action would be justified . ''
The website also called for American troops to remain in Afghanistan until all threats to U.S. national security were `` neutralized . ''
Like many Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gut programs that help middle class and poor families stay afloat .
`` Three entitlement programs -- Social Security , Medicare , and Medicaid -- are on a course that is as disturbing as it is unsustainable , '' his campaign website read in 2010 .
`` Through these programs , Congress has promised to provide roughly $ 50 trillion in 'unfunded ' benefits to Americans who are alive today -- that is , benefits for which Congress lacks the financial means to pay .
This is irresponsible . ''
In 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act .
Among other measures , it would have added onerous work requirements for people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and withdrawn federal funding from states that did n't lower their welfare costs .
The bill died at the end of the session .
Lee has also called for defunding and repealing Obamacare .
`` The Affordable Care Act is a collusive , corrupt , and deeply flawed method of control for the sick and those with preexisring [ sic ] conditions , '' he tweeted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the Congressional Budget Office , President Barack Obama 's signature policy has lowered health care costs by providing 33 million people with health insurance coverage .
Lee announced that he was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Oct. 2 , the same day Donald Trump announced his own positive text results .
Lee was one of a handful of GOP lawmakers who contracted the virus after failing to follow basic safety protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
His outlook appeared rosy , perhaps because as a sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about health care costs due to his government-funded health plan .
Even after his diagnosis , Lee 's focus was on other things — namely rushing through confirmation of Trump 's nominee to the Supreme Court , Amy Coney Barrett : `` I have spoken with Leader McConnell and Chairman Graham , and assured them I will be back to work in time to join my Judiciary Committee colleagues in advancing the Supreme Court nomination , '' Lee said .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Wednesday night, Utah Sen. Mike Lee tweeted his view of the United States.
“We’re not a democracy,” said the Republican, currently serving his second term in the U.S. Senate.
“Democracy isn’t the objective; liberty, peace, and prospefity [sic] are,” Lee added several hours later. “We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that.”
Lee took another bold stand against democracy the same day.
“The word ‘democracy’ appears nowhere in the Constitution, perhaps because our form of government is not a democracy,” he said. “It’s a constitutional republic. To me it matters. It should matter to anyone who worries about the excessive accumulation of power in the hands of the few.”
Conn Carroll, a spokesperson in Lee’s Washington, D.C., office, explained Lee’s intentions to the American Independent Foundation.
“At a time when the democratic party is talking about packing the Supreme Court, getting rid of the electoral college, and taking over the Senate and House of Representatives, Sen. Lee wanted to draw attention to the fact that the founders created Republican checks on Democratic passions,” Carroll said in an email.
The tone-deaf statements come at a moment when mail-in voting is an urgent issue on both sides of the aisle, with Donald Trump suggesting that absentee balloting will result in massive voter fraud, and Democrats worried that he’ll use claims of electoral fraud as a pretext for refusing a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election.
Lee has made his feelings about democracy clear. But where does the senator stand on “liberty, peace, and prospefity”?
Liberty
To Lee’s credit, he has spearheaded criminal justice reform in the GOP, collaborating with Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker to draft a reform bill focused on reducing harsh mandatory minimum sentences. But his commitment to liberty goes only so far.
Lee is one of a handful of GOP lawmakers who witnessed the detention of immigrants at the border and did nothing substantive to address the issue.
“Forty-four days,” shouted men in cages at a detention facility near McAllen, Texas, during a visit by Lee and Vice President Mike Pence in July 2019. That’s how long they’d been held without being able to take a shower. Lee released a statement blaming the Obama administration for the conditions.
Peace
Lee has previously advocated for limiting executive power in setting military policy. Nevertheless, according to the website On the Issues, Lee exhibits the standard GOP militarism and support for Israel.
Lee’s 2010 campaign website included support for military action against Iran as a possible approach to dealing with the country’s nuclear program: “The government currently ruling in Iran presents a threat to the security of both the United States and Israel. I will therefore support efforts to place pressure on the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with an eye toward persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions. Should those efforts prove unsuccessful, military action would be justified.”
The website also called for American troops to remain in Afghanistan until all threats to U.S. national security were “neutralized.”
Prosperity
Like many Republicans, Lee has long been on a mission to gut programs that help middle class and poor families stay afloat.
“Three entitlement programs–Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid–are on a course that is as disturbing as it is unsustainable,” his campaign website read in 2010. “Through these programs, Congress has promised to provide roughly $50 trillion in ‘unfunded’ benefits to Americans who are alive today–that is, benefits for which Congress lacks the financial means to pay. This is irresponsible.”
In 2017, Lee sponsored S. 1290, the Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act. Among other measures, it would have added onerous work requirements for people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and withdrawn federal funding from states that didn’t lower their welfare costs. The bill died at the end of the session.
Lee has also called for defunding and repealing Obamacare. “The Affordable Care Act is a collusive, corrupt, and deeply flawed method of control for the sick and those with preexisring [sic] conditions,” he tweeted in between sharing his thoughts on democracy.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, President Barack Obama’s signature policy has lowered health care costs by providing 33 million people with health insurance coverage.
Lee announced that he was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Oct. 2, the same day Donald Trump announced his own positive text results. Lee was one of a handful of GOP lawmakers who contracted the virus after failing to follow basic safety protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His outlook appeared rosy, perhaps because as a sitting senator he doesn’t have to worry about health care costs due to his government-funded health plan.
Even after his diagnosis, Lee’s focus was on other things — namely rushing through confirmation of Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett: “I have spoken with Leader McConnell and Chairman Graham, and assured them I will be back to work in time to join my Judiciary Committee colleagues in advancing the Supreme Court nomination,” Lee said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-08--Homeland Security contradicts Trump: White supremacists pose biggest threat to US

The two top security threats facing the country are white supremacist violence and Russian interference in U.S. elections , according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security .
The agency released its Homeland Threat Assessment on Tuesday .
The report found that between 2018 and 2019 , white supremacist extremists conducted half of all lethal terrorist attacks in the United States , which resulted in the majority of deaths .
During those years , white supremacists were responsible for eight out of 16 deadly attacks , which resulted in 39 of the 48 total deaths at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` Racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists — specifically white supremacist extremists — will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland , '' the report 's authors wrote .
White supremacists `` have demonstrated longstanding intent to target racial and religious minorities , members of the LGBTQ+ community , politicians , and those they believe promote multiculturalism and globalization at the expense of the [ white supremacist extremist ] identity , '' the report continued .
On Thursday , Michigan 's attorney general announced that U.S. intelligence officials had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gretchen Whitmer , who is a Democrat .
Since the start of the pandemic , heavily armed right-wing militia groups have occupied the Michigan state capitol in defiance of Whitmer 's stay-at-home order to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
`` We have legislators who are showing up to work wearing bulletproof vests , '' Whitmer said in an interview with ABC 's The View in May .
`` I respect people 's right to dissent , but that does not extend to endangering other people 's lives . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awarded $ 10 million in grants to 29 separate projects as part of its Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention program .
The DHS program aims to raise awareness about the threat of violent extremism within the United States , to `` counter terrorists and violent extremists ' influence online , '' and to `` identify and respond to individuals at risk of mobilizing to violence . ''
Contrary to the government 's findings , Donald Trump has repeatedly denied that white supremacist violence poses a threat to Americans ' safety .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 presidential election , in contradiction of U.S. intelligence agencies ' findings .
After white supremacists marched with tiki torches in Charlottesville , Virginia , Trump insisted there were `` very fine people on both sides . ''
One woman , Heather Heyer , was killed at that rally after a white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters .
Meanwhile , Trump has labeled anti-racism protesters as `` thugs '' and `` terrorists '' while pledging that `` at some point , there 's going to be retribution because there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have spoken out against white supremacy in Trump 's America .
The Jewish Democratic Council of America released a video last week showing side-by-side images comparing Nazi Germany to the United States during Trump 's time in office .
`` Trump 's assault on our democratic institutions are reminiscent of the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany , '' JDCA executive director Halie Soifer said .
`` We must vote like our future as a people depends on it — because it does . ''
After last Tuesday 's presidential debate , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's largest Muslim civil rights organization — issued a statement condemning Trump 's call for the Proud Boys to `` stand by . ''
`` Refusing to condemn white supremacy is shameful , and encouraging white supremacists to 'stand by ' for possible violence is blatantly threatening , '' Edward Ahmed Mitchell , CAIR 's deputy executive director , said in the statement .
`` Elected officials across the political spectrum must repudiate President Trump 's hateful rhetoric , which long ago went from being disturbing and embarrassing to destabilizing and dangerous .
@

The two top security threats facing the country are white supremacist violence and Russian interference in U.S. elections, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security.
The agency released its Homeland Threat Assessment on Tuesday. The report found that between 2018 and 2019, white supremacist extremists conducted half of all lethal terrorist attacks in the United States, which resulted in the majority of deaths. During those years, white supremacists were responsible for eight out of 16 deadly attacks, which resulted in 39 of the 48 total deaths at the hands of “domestic violent extremists.”
“Racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists — specifically white supremacist extremists — will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland,” the report’s authors wrote.
White supremacists “have demonstrated longstanding intent to target racial and religious minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, politicians, and those they believe promote multiculturalism and globalization at the expense of the [white supremacist extremist] identity,” the report continued.
On Thursday, Michigan’s attorney general announced that U.S. intelligence officials had thwarted a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is a Democrat. Since the start of the pandemic, heavily armed right-wing militia groups have occupied the Michigan state capitol in defiance of Whitmer’s stay-at-home order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“We have legislators who are showing up to work wearing bulletproof vests,” Whitmer said in an interview with ABC’s The View in May. “I respect people’s right to dissent, but that does not extend to endangering other people’s lives.”
In September, the department announced it had awarded $10 million in grants to 29 separate projects as part of its Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention program. The DHS program aims to raise awareness about the threat of violent extremism within the United States, to “counter terrorists and violent extremists’ influence online,” and to “identify and respond to individuals at risk of mobilizing to violence.”
Contrary to the government’s findings, Donald Trump has repeatedly denied that white supremacist violence poses a threat to Americans’ safety. Trump has also denied that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, in contradiction of U.S. intelligence agencies’ findings.
During last week’s first presidential debate, Trump declined to condemn violent white supremacists, and instructed members of the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the Proud Boys as a domestic hate group.
After white supremacists marched with tiki torches in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump insisted there were “very fine people on both sides.” One woman, Heather Heyer, was killed at that rally after a white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters.
Meanwhile, Trump has labeled anti-racism protesters as “thugs” and “terrorists” while pledging that “at some point, there’s going to be retribution because there has to be.”
Several groups have spoken out against white supremacy in Trump’s America.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America released a video last week showing side-by-side images comparing Nazi Germany to the United States during Trump’s time in office.
“Trump’s assault on our democratic institutions are reminiscent of the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany,” JDCA executive director Halie Soifer said. “We must vote like our future as a people depends on it — because it does.”
After last Tuesday’s presidential debate, the Council on American-Islamic Relations — the country’s largest Muslim civil rights organization — issued a statement condemning Trump’s call for the Proud Boys to “stand by.”
“Refusing to condemn white supremacy is shameful, and encouraging white supremacists to ‘stand by’ for possible violence is blatantly threatening,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR’s deputy executive director, said in the statement. “Elected officials across the political spectrum must repudiate President Trump’s hateful rhetoric, which long ago went from being disturbing and embarrassing to destabilizing and dangerous.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-08--Michigan governor slams Trump's 'rallying cry' to hate groups

Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday criticized Donald Trump for his support of extremists like the group accused of plotting to kidnap her .
The FBI on Thursday announced charges against six men who allegedly planned to kidnap the governor as part of a violent plot to overthrow the state 's government .
Trump , Whitmer said , has given `` comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division , '' like those who targeted her .
She noted that in the first presidential debate with former Vice President Joe Biden , Trump `` refused to condemn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Michigan militia groups . ''
She then pointed out that instead of rebuking extremists , Trump told them to `` stand back and stand by . ''
`` Hate groups heard the president 's words not as a rebuke , but as a rallying cry .
As a call to action , '' said Whitmer .
`` When our leaders meet with , encourage , or fraternize with domestic terrorists , they legitimize their actions , and they are complicit .
When they stoke and contribute to hate speech , they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be a moment for national unity , where we all pull together as Americans to meet this challenge head-on with the same might and muscle that put a man on the moon .
Seeing the humanity in one another and doing our part to help our country get through this .
Instead , our head of state has spent the past seven months denying science , ignoring his own health experts , stoking distrust , fomenting anger , and giving comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups .
`` Stand back and stand by , '' he told them .
Stand back and stand by .
Hate groups heard the president 's words not as a rebuke , but as a rallying cry .
As a call to action .
When our leaders speak , their words matter .
They carry weight .
When our leaders meet with , encourage , or fraternize with domestic terrorists , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicit .
When they stoke and contribute to hate speech , they are complicit .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday criticized Donald Trump for his support of extremists like the group accused of plotting to kidnap her.
The FBI on Thursday announced charges against six men who allegedly planned to kidnap the governor as part of a violent plot to overthrow the state’s government.
Trump, Whitmer said, has given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division,” like those who targeted her.
She noted that in the first presidential debate with former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump “refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups.”
She then pointed out that instead of rebuking extremists, Trump told them to “stand back and stand by.”
“Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry. As a call to action,” said Whitmer.
“When our leaders meet with, encourage, or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions, and they are complicit. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit.”
From an Oct. 8 press conference:
GRETCHEN WHITMER: This should be a moment for national unity, where we all pull together as Americans to meet this challenge head-on with the same might and muscle that put a man on the moon. Seeing the humanity in one another and doing our part to help our country get through this. Instead, our head of state has spent the past seven months denying science, ignoring his own health experts, stoking distrust, fomenting anger, and giving comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division. Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. “Stand back and stand by,” he told them. Stand back and stand by. Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry. As a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet with, encourage, or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions, and they are complicit. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-08--Trump promises 'our seniors' free stuff as poll shows he's losing them by 21 points

Donald Trump on Thursday released a groveling and rambling video directed to senior voters in the United States , in which he made vague promises to `` take care '' of them with `` free '' medicine .
`` We 're taking care of our seniors .
You 're not vulnerable but they like to say you ’ re vulnerable .
You ’ re the least vulnerable but for this one thing , you are vulnerable .
So am I , '' Trump said in the video posted to Twitter .
`` So we ’ re going to take care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Of course , Trump does not have the ability to unilaterally make an expensive experimental coronavirus drug available free to all seniors .
And it 's not the first time he made a promise to the age group he is likely unable to keep .
In September , Trump announced he was trying to bribe seniors with $ 200 cards they could use to buy prescription drugs — even though it 's unclear whether he even has the authority to spend the roughly $ 6 billion needed to send cards of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
Yet Trump 's video comes as his standing with senior voters — the most reliable voting bloc in the country — has steadily declined , threatening to doom his reelection bid .
A recent CNN poll found Democratic nominee Joe Biden winning voters over the age of 65 by a margin of 60 % to 39 % .
That 21-point spread marks a huge shift from 2016 , when voters over 65 backed Trump by 7 points , according to exit polls .
And an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 35 % .
Trump 's plummeting numbers among seniors come as he 's downplayed the risk of the coronavirus , even after contracting it himself .
In a video after his release from the hospital following treatment for the virus , Trump told the country not to be `` afraid '' of the virus , nor to let it `` dominate your life . ''
However , people over age 65 are the most at risk of dying from the coronavirus .
Those in that age group account for 153,032 of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention logged as of Sept. 30 .
That number means people over 65 account for 79 % of all coronavirus deaths .
Trump has also made fun of Biden 's age , with Trump and his surrogates baselessly accusing Biden of being confused and suffering from dementia — another illness that primarily afflicts older Americans .
Losing seniors — who turn out at the highest rate of any age group — would be devastating for Trump .
The group is essential to victory in states like Florida , which Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Thursday released a groveling and rambling video directed to senior voters in the United States, in which he made vague promises to “take care” of them with “free” medicine.
“We’re taking care of our seniors. You’re not vulnerable but they like to say you’re vulnerable. You’re the least vulnerable but for this one thing, you are vulnerable. So am I,” Trump said in the video posted to Twitter. “So we’re going to take care of our seniors — all free!”
Of course, Trump does not have the ability to unilaterally make an expensive experimental coronavirus drug available free to all seniors.
And it’s not the first time he made a promise to the age group he is likely unable to keep. In September, Trump announced he was trying to bribe seniors with $200 cards they could use to buy prescription drugs — even though it’s unclear whether he even has the authority to spend the roughly $6 billion needed to send cards of that amount to older Americans across the United States.
Yet Trump’s video comes as his standing with senior voters — the most reliable voting bloc in the country — has steadily declined, threatening to doom his reelection bid.
A recent CNN poll found Democratic nominee Joe Biden winning voters over the age of 65 by a margin of 60% to 39%. That 21-point spread marks a huge shift from 2016, when voters over 65 backed Trump by 7 points, according to exit polls.
And an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday found Biden leading seniors 62% to 35%.
Trump’s plummeting numbers among seniors come as he’s downplayed the risk of the coronavirus, even after contracting it himself. In a video after his release from the hospital following treatment for the virus, Trump told the country not to be “afraid” of the virus, nor to let it “dominate your life.”
However, people over age 65 are the most at risk of dying from the coronavirus. Those in that age group account for 153,032 of the 194,091 coronavirus deaths that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged as of Sept. 30. That number means people over 65 account for 79% of all coronavirus deaths.
Trump has also made fun of Biden’s age, with Trump and his surrogates baselessly accusing Biden of being confused and suffering from dementia — another illness that primarily afflicts older Americans.
Losing seniors — who turn out at the highest rate of any age group — would be devastating for Trump.
The group is essential to victory in states like Florida, which Trump likely needs to carry to win reelection.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-08--McConnell admits he hasn't been to the White House in months because it's not safe

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday that he had not been to the White House in two months due to the Trump administration 's weak COVID-19 safety protocols .
`` I have n't actually been to the White House since August the 6th , because my impression was that their approach to how to handle this is different from mine and what I suggested that we do in the Senate , which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing , '' McConnell told reporters in Kentucky .
The comments come as Donald Trump , his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff and allies have tested positive for the coronavirus .
Experts believe many of the cases of infection can be traced to a celebration on Sept. 26 of Trump 's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
Attendees at that event , which involved both an indoor reception and an outdoor ceremony in the Rose Garden , did not stay six feet apart or wear face masks as recommended in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's guidelines .
Instead , the administration relied solely on questionably accurate rapid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask use , he has not followed the lead of the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives and required their use in the Senate .
`` It appears not to be necessary since everybody seems to be doing it , '' he told PBS in late July , noting , `` Well , we have had good luck without a requirement .
I believe just about every one of my members is wearing a mask .
`` And we have since the 1st of May when we resumed , '' McConnell claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been following the guidelines of the Capitol physician , properly socially distanced , wearing a mask , which I 've had on till I stepped up to the microphone to talk to you . ''
But not all of the members of his own caucus have worn masks .
Sens .
Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah both reportedly declined to wear them , even after Rep. Louie Gohmert ( TX ) tested positive in July .
Paul claimed in May that he did not need to wear a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a previous infection with the virus .
Doctors have not yet determined whether survivors develop immunity to the virus or how long such immunity might last .
In recent days , McConnell has vowed to plow forward with a rushed confirmation process for Barrett , even as Lee and two other Republican senators recently tested positive for the coronavirus .
Sen. Ron Johnson ( WI ) , who announced over the weekend that he tested positive , told a Denver radio station on Monday that he would show up to vote for Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it required him wearing `` a moon suit . ''
McConnell 's concern about the Trump White House being unsafe appears to be quite justified .
Trump and dozens of people in his inner circle have tested positive in recent days .
Mask-wearing has reportedly been discouraged and mocked in the White House .
Trump himself has ignored quarantine guidelines since checking himself out of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday after he was hospitalized with the virus .
McConnell has largely defended Trump 's botched response to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim the impeachment process `` diverted the attention '' of the administration from the virus .
He has also blocked a pandemic relief bill passed in the House of Representatives on May 15 in for the past five months , not allowing it to come up for a vote in the Senate .
That bill would provide trillions of dollars in response to the economic and public health challenges of the pandemic , including $ 75 billion to enhance coronavirus tracing , testing , and treatment .
Published with permission of The American @ @ @

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday that he had not been to the White House in two months due to the Trump administration’s weak COVID-19 safety protocols.
“I haven’t actually been to the White House since August the 6th, because my impression was that their approach to how to handle this is different from mine and what I suggested that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing,” McConnell told reporters in Kentucky.
The comments come as Donald Trump, his wife, and a growing number of his staff and allies have tested positive for the coronavirus. Experts believe many of the cases of infection can be traced to a celebration on Sept. 26 of Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Attendees at that event, which involved both an indoor reception and an outdoor ceremony in the Rose Garden, did not stay six feet apart or wear face masks as recommended in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines. Instead, the administration relied solely on questionably accurate rapid testing.
But while McConnell has embraced mask use, he has not followed the lead of the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives and required their use in the Senate.
“It appears not to be necessary since everybody seems to be doing it,” he told PBS in late July, noting, “Well, we have had good luck without a requirement. I believe just about every one of my members is wearing a mask.
“And we have since the 1st of May when we resumed,” McConnell claimed. “And I think we have been following the guidelines of the Capitol physician, properly socially distanced, wearing a mask, which I’ve had on till I stepped up to the microphone to talk to you.”
But not all of the members of his own caucus have worn masks. Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah both reportedly declined to wear them, even after Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX) tested positive in July. Paul claimed in May that he did not need to wear a mask because he had “immunity” from a previous infection with the virus. Doctors have not yet determined whether survivors develop immunity to the virus or how long such immunity might last.
In recent days, McConnell has vowed to plow forward with a rushed confirmation process for Barrett, even as Lee and two other Republican senators recently tested positive for the coronavirus.
Sen. Ron Johnson (WI), who announced over the weekend that he tested positive, told a Denver radio station on Monday that he would show up to vote for Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court even if it required him wearing “a moon suit.”
McConnell’s concern about the Trump White House being unsafe appears to be quite justified.
Trump and dozens of people in his inner circle have tested positive in recent days. Mask-wearing has reportedly been discouraged and mocked in the White House.
Trump himself has ignored quarantine guidelines since checking himself out of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday after he was hospitalized with the virus.
McConnell has largely defended Trump’s botched response to the pandemic, even going so far as to claim the impeachment process “diverted the attention” of the administration from the virus.
He has also blocked a pandemic relief bill passed in the House of Representatives on May 15 in for the past five months, not allowing it to come up for a vote in the Senate.
That bill would provide trillions of dollars in response to the economic and public health challenges of the pandemic, including $75 billion to enhance coronavirus tracing, testing, and treatment.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-08--Here are a bunch of other extremists who plotted attacks on Trump's enemies

On Thursday , six right-wing extremists were arrested and charged with allegedly plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a frequent target of Donald Trump 's attacks .
The men — Adam Fox , Barry Croft , Ty Garbin , Kaleb Franks , Daniel Harris , and Brandon Caserta — are the latest in a long line of right-wing extremists who have been charged with either planning or carrying out violent attacks on Trump 's perceived enemies .
Recently , Kyle Rittenhouse — a 17-year-old Trump supporter — traveled from Illinois to Kenosha , Wisconsin , where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were demonstrating against the police shooting of Jacob Blake .
In an interview with Fox News ' Laura Ingraham , Trump called the Black Lives Matter movement `` a lot of thugs . ''
Trump appeared to defend Rittenhouse in a White House press conference in August .
`` That was an interesting situation .
You saw the same tape as I saw , and he was trying to get away from them , I guess , it looks like .
And he fell .
And then they very violently attacked him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was something that we 're looking at right now , and it 's under investigation .
But I guess he was in very big trouble .
He probably would 've been killed .
But it 's under investigation . ''
An internal document from the Department of Homeland Security first obtained by NBC News instructed federal law enforcement officials to paint Rittenhouse in a flattering light when talking to news outlets about the case .
The outlined talking points included the claim that Rittenhouse `` took his rifle to the scene of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' and that he was `` chased and attacked '' before the shooting occurred .
Whitmer 's attempted kidnapping follow at least 52 other `` threats or acts of violence committed by Trump supporters '' from 2015 through 2019 , according to an analysis by the Guardian .
Earlier this year , Patrick Crusius was charged with federal hate crimes for allegedly carrying out a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso , Texas , inspired by anti-immigrant sentiment .
Crusius wrote a manifesto in which he used words Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' `` open borders , '' and `` invasion . ''
In 2019 , Cesar Sayoc pleaded guilty to 65 felony charges after he mailed pipe bombs to Democratic politicians and media organizations that Trump often bashes .
Sayoc — who earned the nickname the `` MAGA bomber '' — was sentenced to 20 years in prison .
Earlier that year , Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Paul Hasson — a self-proclaimed white supremacist — was arrested and charged with allegedly plotting to carry out a terror attack against `` a list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political organizations , and MSNBC and CNN media personalities '' that Trump had attacked .
Also in 2019 , a 55-year-old Trump supporter from New York was arrested and charged with threatening to murder Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-MN ) , who Trump has repeatedly smeared with lies and anti-Muslim rhetoric .
The man , Patrick W. Carlineo , told law enforcement agents that `` he loves President Trump and hates radical Muslims in government . ''
Other Trump supporters charged with allegedly carrying out violence in Trump 's name include : • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly repeatedly punching an anti-Trump protester outside of a Trump rally in Ohio .
• Randal Thom , who was arrested in 2019 for allegedly trying to assault supporters of Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) as he shouted `` Trump 2020 ! ''
• Scott Haven , a 54-year-old Trump supporter who was arrested in 2019 for allegedly making more than 2,000 threatening phone calls to Democratic members of Congress .
In one call , Haven told a Senate aide that there are `` far more Second Amendment people than whiny , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's campaign rhetoric .
Trump has explicitly encouraged his supporters to commit violence on his behalf .
During the 2016 campaign , Trump urged his supporters to `` knock the crap out of '' protesters at his rallies , and promised to pay any resulting legal fees .
More recently , at the first presidential debate , Trump refused to condemn white supremacists and told members of the violent extremist group known as the Proud Boys to `` stand back and stand by '' — a message the group took as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supporters to `` LIBERATE MICHIGAN ! ''
That 's exactly what the men arrested Thursday said they were trying to do .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Thursday, six right-wing extremists were arrested and charged with allegedly plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a frequent target of Donald Trump’s attacks.
The men — Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta — are the latest in a long line of right-wing extremists who have been charged with either planning or carrying out violent attacks on Trump’s perceived enemies.
Recently, Kyle Rittenhouse — a 17-year-old Trump supporter — traveled from Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he allegedly shot and killed two protesters who were demonstrating against the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump called the Black Lives Matter movement “a lot of thugs.” Trump appeared to defend Rittenhouse in a White House press conference in August.
“That was an interesting situation. You saw the same tape as I saw, and he was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like. And he fell. And then they very violently attacked him,” Trump said. “And it was something that we’re looking at right now, and it’s under investigation. But I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would’ve been killed. But it’s under investigation.”
An internal document from the Department of Homeland Security first obtained by NBC News instructed federal law enforcement officials to paint Rittenhouse in a flattering light when talking to news outlets about the case. The outlined talking points included the claim that Rittenhouse “took his rifle to the scene of the rioting to help defend small business owners,” and that he was “chased and attacked” before the shooting occurred.
Whitmer’s attempted kidnapping follow at least 52 other “threats or acts of violence committed by Trump supporters” from 2015 through 2019, according to an analysis by the Guardian.
Earlier this year, Patrick Crusius was charged with federal hate crimes for allegedly carrying out a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, inspired by anti-immigrant sentiment. Crusius wrote a manifesto in which he used words Trump has popularized, such as “fake news,” “open borders,” and “invasion.”
In 2019, Cesar Sayoc pleaded guilty to 65 felony charges after he mailed pipe bombs to Democratic politicians and media organizations that Trump often bashes. Sayoc — who earned the nickname the “MAGA bomber” — was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Earlier that year, Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Paul Hasson — a self-proclaimed white supremacist — was arrested and charged with allegedly plotting to carry out a terror attack against “a list of prominent Democratic congressional leaders, activists, political organizations, and MSNBC and CNN media personalities” that Trump had attacked.
Also in 2019, a 55-year-old Trump supporter from New York was arrested and charged with threatening to murder Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who Trump has repeatedly smeared with lies and anti-Muslim rhetoric. The man, Patrick W. Carlineo, told law enforcement agents that “he loves President Trump and hates radical Muslims in government.”
Other Trump supporters charged with allegedly carrying out violence in Trump’s name include:
Dallas Frazier, charged with assault for allegedly repeatedly punching an anti-Trump protester outside of a Trump rally in Ohio.
Randal Thom, who was arrested in 2019 for allegedly trying to assault supporters of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as he shouted “Trump 2020!”
Scott Haven, a 54-year-old Trump supporter who was arrested in 2019 for allegedly making more than 2,000 threatening phone calls to Democratic members of Congress. In one call, Haven told a Senate aide that there are “far more Second Amendment people than whiny, crying liberals” — wording that mirrored Trump’s campaign rhetoric.
Trump has explicitly encouraged his supporters to commit violence on his behalf. During the 2016 campaign, Trump urged his supporters to “knock the crap out of” protesters at his rallies, and promised to pay any resulting legal fees.
More recently, at the first presidential debate, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists and told members of the violent extremist group known as the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” — a message the group took as an order.
In April, Trump encouraged his supporters to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”
That’s exactly what the men arrested Thursday said they were trying to do.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-08--Trump claims he's a 'perfect physical specimen' — but his doctors say otherwise

On Fox Business Thursday , Donald Trump said that he was able to beat coronavirus because he 's a `` perfect physical specimen , '' but even his own doctors say otherwise .
`` I 'm back because I am a perfect physical specimen and I 'm extremely young .
And so I 'm lucky in that way , '' Trump said on the air .
But reports of Trump 's health have been contradictory at best .
According to the White House , he first tested positive for coronavirus Oct. 1 and was taken to Walter Reed National Military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sean Conley , reported that Trump 's blood oxygen level had dropped to 93 % on Saturday and that there was a prior low-oxygen incident Friday .
Conley mentioned that it had never dipped into the `` low 80s , '' but even the high 80s would be cause for concern .
On Friday , Trump began a five-day course of remdesivir , generally reserved for moderately to severely ill patients .
That same day , he received one dose of an experimental drug by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals .
Trump was also prescribed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's assertions to the contrary ) .
Trump left the hospital Monday , and on Tuesday , Conley announced that Trump was experiencing no symptoms and was doing `` extremely well '' — although Monday Conley had said Trump was not `` out of the woods . ''
However , according to the CDC and most doctors , Trump 's still in a critical stage : They say 7 to 10 days after the onset of symptoms , the situation could rapidly worsen .
`` I do n't need to get in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if ( the administration 's ) goal is for us to understand more completely what is going on , they have left a lot of very useful information off the table , '' said Talmadge E. King Jr. , a specialist in pulmonary critical care , to the New York Times .
After Trump was diagnosed with coronavirus , William Schaffner , a Vanderbilt University infectious disease specialist , also weighed in .
`` He is 74 , he 's hefty , and he 's male , '' said Schaffner , noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in a higher-risk group of coronavirus patients .
While Trump 's medical team in his 2020 physical indicated that his cholesterol is under control at a healthy 167 , in 2019 it was borderline at 196 , and 2018 it was an unhealthy 223 .
According to the New York Times , he has `` mild heart disease , '' taking aspirin regularly to ward off heart attacks and a statin to address his high cholesterol issues .
And confusion on the subject of Trump 's health abounds .
In November 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by making an unexpected visit to Walter Reed , months ahead of his scheduled February physical .
Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement claiming Trump was taking advantage of a free weekend to get a head start on his annual physical .
It 's unclear why a routine exam would require multiple visits .
And CNN reported at the time that unlike his previous two routine physicals , Walter Reed staff did not receive any staff-wide notice or announcement about Trump 's visit , as is usually the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mystery , six months later — in May — Trump had yet to complete the 2020 physical he purportedly began in November , raising questions .
The annual physical is usually conducted in January or February .
NBC reported Thursday that Trump requested all Walter Reed doctors sign nondisclosure agreements before allowing them to treat him , an unprecedented move .
Presidential historian Michael Beschloss commented that as part of `` granting a president as much power as we do , '' someone in that position of authority has the obligation to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least `` let us know exactly what is amiss . ''
`` From the time in the 1950s when Dwight Eisenhower released unprecedented information about the heart attack , ileitis and stroke he suffered in office , most presidents have fulfilled that demand , including releasing the results of regular physicals , '' he added .
`` Too often in history have presidents concealed secret illnesses and medicine routines that had the potential to undermine their leadership , and the wellbeing of all of us . ''
Concerns are mounting about Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple outlets report that the White House occupant 's unhinged tweets and increasingly erratic behavior are beginning to concern his family .
And a July Hill-HarrisX poll found that about 55 % of voters say Trump is mentally unfit for office , while 44 % say he is physically unfit .
Of course , concerns about Trump 's health date back to 2015 , when he released a statement from his personal physician Harold Bornstein stating that Trump had never been significantly ill in 39 years and that he had `` extraordinary '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , I can state unequivocally , will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency , '' Bornstein said in the statement , which he later admitted was dictated to him by the patient .
It 's clear that Trump 's administration puts political expedience above the American people 's right to know , and it does n't look like that 's changing anytime soon .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Fox Business Thursday, Donald Trump said that he was able to beat coronavirus because he’s a “perfect physical specimen,” but even his own doctors say otherwise.
“I’m back because I am a perfect physical specimen and I’m extremely young. And so I’m lucky in that way,” Trump said on the air.
But reports of Trump’s health have been contradictory at best.
According to the White House, he first tested positive for coronavirus Oct. 1 and was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.
His physician, Sean Conley, reported that Trump’s blood oxygen level had dropped to 93% on Saturday and that there was a prior low-oxygen incident Friday.
Conley mentioned that it had never dipped into the “low 80s,” but even the high 80s would be cause for concern.
On Friday, Trump began a five-day course of remdesivir, generally reserved for moderately to severely ill patients. That same day, he received one dose of an experimental drug by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Trump was also prescribed dexamethasone, a heavy steroid (despite Trump’s assertions to the contrary).
Trump left the hospital Monday, and on Tuesday, Conley announced that Trump was experiencing no symptoms and was doing “extremely well” — although Monday Conley had said Trump was not “out of the woods.”
However, according to the CDC and most doctors, Trump’s still in a critical stage: They say 7 to 10 days after the onset of symptoms, the situation could rapidly worsen.
“I don’t need to get in the president’s business … but if (the administration’s) goal is for us to understand more completely what is going on, they have left a lot of very useful information off the table,” said Talmadge E. King Jr., a specialist in pulmonary critical care, to the New York Times.
After Trump was diagnosed with coronavirus, William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious disease specialist, also weighed in.
“He is 74, he’s hefty, and he’s male,” said Schaffner, noting that those “three things together” make him in a higher-risk group of coronavirus patients.
While Trump’s medical team in his 2020 physical indicated that his cholesterol is under control at a healthy 167, in 2019 it was borderline at 196, and 2018 it was an unhealthy 223.
According to the New York Times, he has “mild heart disease,” taking aspirin regularly to ward off heart attacks and a statin to address his high cholesterol issues.
And his weight, at 244 pounds, has crossed over into medical obesity. The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment about discrepancies between Trump’s claims and his medical records.
And confusion on the subject of Trump’s health abounds. In November 2019, Trump took the nation by surprise by making an unexpected visit to Walter Reed, months ahead of his scheduled February physical.
Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement claiming Trump was taking advantage of a free weekend to get a head start on his annual physical. It’s unclear why a routine exam would require multiple visits.
And CNN reported at the time that unlike his previous two routine physicals, Walter Reed staff did not receive any staff-wide notice or announcement about Trump’s visit, as is usually the case.
To veil the subject in further mystery, six months later — in May — Trump had yet to complete the 2020 physical he purportedly began in November, raising questions.
The annual physical is usually conducted in January or February.
NBC reported Thursday that Trump requested all Walter Reed doctors sign nondisclosure agreements before allowing them to treat him, an unprecedented move.
Presidential historian Michael Beschloss commented that as part of “granting a president as much power as we do,” someone in that position of authority has the obligation to “demonstrate that he is well” or at least “let us know exactly what is amiss.”
“From the time in the 1950s when Dwight Eisenhower released unprecedented information about the heart attack, ileitis and stroke he suffered in office, most presidents have fulfilled that demand, including releasing the results of regular physicals,” he added. “Too often in history have presidents concealed secret illnesses and medicine routines that had the potential to undermine their leadership, and the wellbeing of all of us.”
Concerns are mounting about Trump’s mental health, too, as multiple outlets report that the White House occupant’s unhinged tweets and increasingly erratic behavior are beginning to concern his family.
And a July Hill-HarrisX poll found that about 55% of voters say Trump is mentally unfit for office, while 44% say he is physically unfit.
Of course, concerns about Trump’s health date back to 2015, when he released a statement from his personal physician Harold Bornstein stating that Trump had never been significantly ill in 39 years and that he had “extraordinary” stamina.
“If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency,” Bornstein said in the statement, which he later admitted was dictated to him by the patient.
It’s clear that Trump’s administration puts political expedience above the American people’s right to know, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-09--GOP senators score average of 1.6 out of 100 from top LGBTQ group

A major advocacy group released its latest scorecard on how members of Congress voted on or cosponsored bills that affect LGBTQ people on Thursday .
The average score for Republican senators on the Human Rights Campaign 's congressional scorecard was 1.6 out of 100 , compared to an average score of 96 out of 100 for Senate Democrats , according to The Hill 's analysis .
Republicans in the House of Representatives did n't do much better , at 4.2 compared to 98.3 for House Democrats .
Many GOP lawmakers received a zero rating .
HRC President Alphonso David admonished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and misplaced priorities '' over the past two years , and for appointing conservative judges with anti-LGBTQ records .
Three GOP senators — Sens .
Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) , James Inhofe ( R-OK ) , and James Lankford ( R-OK ) — all received zero ratings from the LGBTQ rights group .
To find out why they earned the lowest possible rating , let 's take a closer look at their voting records on issues that affect the LGBTQ community .
Last year , House Democrats passed the Equality Act , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in housing , education , and public accommodations .
The bill passed the House 236-173 , mostly along party lines .
All the no votes came from Republicans .
Graham serves as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee .
In that role , he gets to decide which bills get hearings , and which get shuffled to the bottom of the pile .
The Equality Act was referred to Graham 's committee in March of 2019 , and it has n't moved since then .
In 2013 , Graham voted against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bill would have explicitly banned employers from discriminating against LGBTQ employees or job applicants .
Graham also opposed repealing `` Do n't Ask Do n't Tell , '' which barred openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. military .
Graham argued the issue `` is about effectiveness on the battlefield during a time of war , not about civil rights . ''
Inhofe has a long history of opposing LGBTQ rights , and recently made his mark opposing protections for LGBTQ service members .
Last year , when lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Inhofe championed a `` skinny '' version of the bill that left out an amendment prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ service members and reversing Donald Trump 's transgender military ban .
Inhofe is also a vocal opponent of marriage equality .
He supported the State Marriage Defense Act in 2015 , which would have required the federal government to defer to states when deciding if LGBTQ people are considered married in the eyes of the law .
The bill was introduced in the same year that the Supreme Court ruled on Obergefell v. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same-sex marriage throughout the country .
Lankford has railed against the Equality Act , and quoted Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling , who has made discriminatory statements about transgender women .
`` To say in the words of J.K. Rowling this past week , where she wrote , 'All I ’ m asking , all I want is for similar empathy , similar understanding to be extended to the many millions of women whose sole crime is wanting their concerns to be heard without receiving threats or abuse . '
Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill does not do it in this form , '' Lankford said .
Lankford has argued the Equality Act does n't protect religious liberty , and has trafficked in the conservative myth that transgender people are more likely to be sexual predators than cisgendered people .
He also supports the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act , a proposed amendment to Title IX which would require that `` sex be recognized based solely on a person 's reproductive biology and genetics at birth . ''
The bill would force transgender people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflect their correct gender .
Reps. Vicki Hartzler ( R-MO ) , Doug Collins ( R-GA ) , and Debbie Lesko ( R-AZ ) have also received zero ratings from the Human Rights Campaign for their record on LGBTQ rights .
The three lawmakers have dedicated much of their time in Congress to fighting protections against discrimination .
Hartzler , Lesko , and Collins all fought against the Equality Act last year , claiming without evidence that the legislation would put cisgendered women in harm 's way .
In reality , transgender men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high levels of abuse , and often face discrimination at work and when seeking medical care .
Lesko has opposed LGBTQ equality for some time .
In 2014 , as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives , Lesko voted for a SB 1062 , a bill that claimed to protect religious freedom by allowing people to refuse service to queer and transgender people on religious grounds .
`` I believe that all people should be treated equally , but I am concerned that HR 5 , with the weight of federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelters , etc .
to prioritize the rights of biological males over that of biological women , '' Lesko said during a hearing on the Equality Act .
Collins , who also earned a zero rating , co-sponsored the State Marriage Defense Act of 2015 , and argued against the Equality Act .
`` Women , lesbians , and families become the collateral damage of identity politics , '' he said .
Despite his supposed concern for the welfare of cisgender lesbians , Collins opposed the Supreme Court 's 2015 ruling on marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep the definition of marriage to one man and one woman , and the court ’ s decision is a gross infringement on American democracy , '' Collins said at the time .
Before the Equality Act vote , Hartzler said state policies protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination `` have already been used to eliminate safe spaces for women , irreparably harm children , trample parental rights , undermine the free exercise of religion , and dismantle free athletics . ''
Hartzler 's office also signed off on an event last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therapy '' group , to visit Capitol Hill .
`` Conversion therapy '' is a harmful practice that asserts that queer people 's sexual orientation and transgender people 's gender can be changed .
While Hartzler later said that she was not aware of her office 's choice to allow the group in , she ultimately supported the decision .
In 2017 , Hartzler proposed an amendment to stop the Pentagon from covering the cost of any gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy .
Hartzler 's amendment came before Trump 's announcement that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military altogether .
At press time , no GOP lawmakers returned requests seeking comment on their Human Rights Campaign ratings .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A major advocacy group released its latest scorecard on how members of Congress voted on or cosponsored bills that affect LGBTQ people on Thursday.
The average score for Republican senators on the Human Rights Campaign’s congressional scorecard was 1.6 out of 100, compared to an average score of 96 out of 100 for Senate Democrats, according to The Hill’s analysis. Republicans in the House of Representatives didn’t do much better, at 4.2 compared to 98.3 for House Democrats. Many GOP lawmakers received a zero rating.
HRC President Alphonso David admonished the Republican-controlled Senate for its “inaction and misplaced priorities” over the past two years, and for appointing conservative judges with anti-LGBTQ records.
“In addition to their lack of diversity, many appointees lack the basic qualifications — as objectively assessed by the American Bar Association — to sit on the federal bench. And a great many have shown hostility to LGBTQ people,” David wrote.
Three GOP senators — Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), James Inhofe (R-OK), and James Lankford (R-OK) — all received zero ratings from the LGBTQ rights group. To find out why they earned the lowest possible rating, let’s take a closer look at their voting records on issues that affect the LGBTQ community.
Last year, House Democrats passed the Equality Act, which provided explicit nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people in housing, education, and public accommodations. The bill passed the House 236-173, mostly along party lines. All the no votes came from Republicans.
Graham serves as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In that role, he gets to decide which bills get hearings, and which get shuffled to the bottom of the pile. The Equality Act was referred to Graham’s committee in March of 2019, and it hasn’t moved since then.
In 2013, Graham voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. The bill would have explicitly banned employers from discriminating against LGBTQ employees or job applicants. Graham also opposed repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” which barred openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. military. Graham argued the issue “is about effectiveness on the battlefield during a time of war, not about civil rights.”
Inhofe has a long history of opposing LGBTQ rights, and recently made his mark opposing protections for LGBTQ service members. Last year, when lawmakers tried to pass a defense spending package, Inhofe championed a “skinny” version of the bill that left out an amendment prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ service members and reversing Donald Trump’s transgender military ban.
Inhofe is also a vocal opponent of marriage equality. He supported the State Marriage Defense Act in 2015, which would have required the federal government to defer to states when deciding if LGBTQ people are considered married in the eyes of the law. The bill was introduced in the same year that the Supreme Court ruled on Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark case which legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country.
Lankford has railed against the Equality Act, and quoted Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has made discriminatory statements about transgender women.
“To say in the words of J.K. Rowling this past week, where she wrote, ‘All I’m asking, all I want is for similar empathy, similar understanding to be extended to the many millions of women whose sole crime is wanting their concerns to be heard without receiving threats or abuse.’ Let’s work together to get equality. This bill does not do it in this form,” Lankford said.
Lankford has argued the Equality Act doesn’t protect religious liberty, and has trafficked in the conservative myth that transgender people are more likely to be sexual predators than cisgendered people.
He also supports the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a proposed amendment to Title IX which would require that “sex be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” The bill would force transgender people to play on teams that do not reflect their correct gender.
Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Doug Collins (R-GA), and Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) have also received zero ratings from the Human Rights Campaign for their record on LGBTQ rights. The three lawmakers have dedicated much of their time in Congress to fighting protections against discrimination.
Hartzler, Lesko, and Collins all fought against the Equality Act last year, claiming without evidence that the legislation would put cisgendered women in harm’s way. In reality, transgender men, women, and nonbinary people experience high levels of abuse, and often face discrimination at work and when seeking medical care.
Lesko has opposed LGBTQ equality for some time. In 2014, as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, Lesko voted for a SB 1062, a bill that claimed to protect religious freedom by allowing people to refuse service to queer and transgender people on religious grounds.
“I believe that all people should be treated equally, but I am concerned that HR 5, with the weight of federal law, forces schools, prisons, shelters, etc. to prioritize the rights of biological males over that of biological women,” Lesko said during a hearing on the Equality Act.
Collins, who also earned a zero rating, co-sponsored the State Marriage Defense Act of 2015, and argued against the Equality Act. “Women, lesbians, and families become the collateral damage of identity politics,” he said.
Despite his supposed concern for the welfare of cisgender lesbians, Collins opposed the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling on marriage equality. “States have already voted to keep the definition of marriage to one man and one woman, and the court’s decision is a gross infringement on American democracy,” Collins said at the time.
Before the Equality Act vote, Hartzler said state policies protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination “have already been used to eliminate safe spaces for women, irreparably harm children, trample parental rights, undermine the free exercise of religion, and dismantle free athletics.”
Hartzler’s office also signed off on an event last year that allowed CHANGED, a “conversion therapy” group, to visit Capitol Hill. “Conversion therapy” is a harmful practice that asserts that queer people’s sexual orientation and transgender people’s gender can be changed. While Hartzler later said that she was not aware of her office’s choice to allow the group in, she ultimately supported the decision.
In 2017, Hartzler proposed an amendment to stop the Pentagon from covering the cost of any gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy. Hartzler’s amendment came before Trump’s announcement that he would ban transgender people from serving in the military altogether.
At press time, no GOP lawmakers returned requests seeking comment on their Human Rights Campaign ratings.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-09--Trump returns to work — by doing interviews on Fox and right-wing radio

For days , Donald Trump 's family has been praising him for working hard during his stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , where he was hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus .
Yet despite insistence that he 's working nonstop , he will have spent more than 4 hours talking to right-wing media personalities , spreading lies and misinformation about everything from the coronavirus to the Russia probe , and complained that Fox News is n't nice to him anymore .
On Friday night , Trump will spend a half-hour with right-wing radio show host Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tucker Carlson 's Fox News show , where he 's expected to be examined by a doctor .
Ranting to right-wing media personalities does n't seem like `` working for the American people , '' which first daughter Ivanka Trump tweeted on Oct. 3 of her father , along with a staged photo of Trump `` working '' at Walter Reed .
That same day , Donald Trump Jr. tweeted , `` Day two into it and he ’ s working hard and looking great .
That 's our President .
That tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of life '' videos filmed in the hospital .
On Oct. 4 , Eric Trump tweeted , `` If only all elected officials had this work ethic . ''
He also included a photo of Trump signing a blank sheet of paper , writing , `` I have admired this unrelenting drive my entire life . ''
Of course , calling in to right-wing media programs is one of Trump 's favorite pastimes .
And despite once claiming he does n't have time to watch television , Trump is an avid cable news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of Fox News programming in one day .
Trump 's appearances with Fox News hosts and right-wing radio personalities over the past two days have often included bizarre moments .
On Thursday morning , he spent an hour with Fox Business ' Maria Bartiromo , where he told her he 's a `` perfect physical specimen '' and complained that his Cabinet officials are n't arresting his political enemies .
Later on Thursday , he spent 30 minutes with Fox News ' Sean Hannity , in which Trump bizarrely claimed California let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out to sea because they `` want to take care of certain little tiny fish , that are n't doing very well without water . ''
Trump also baselessly accused Virginia Democratic Gov .
Ralph Northam of having `` executed a baby '' — a complete lie .
And on Friday morning , he spent two hours with bigoted right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh .
It was his most bizarre interview of the three , in which he lied about there being a coronavirus cure and said `` Black Lives Matter '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He spoke to Limbaugh so long the conservative host had to end the interview himself , telling Trump , `` I know you 've got a jam-packed day left on your schedule ... '' as music played Trump off the air .
Trump 's hours of talking to right-wing media to appeal to his base comes as he faces a massive polling deficit to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
But only appealing to his base will not be enough for him to win .
He needs to convince independent voters , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to back his candidacy .
Time is running out for Trump , with the election just 25 days away .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

For days, Donald Trump’s family has been praising him for working hard during his stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Yet despite insistence that he’s working nonstop, he will have spent more than 4 hours talking to right-wing media personalities, spreading lies and misinformation about everything from the coronavirus to the Russia probe, and complained that Fox News isn’t nice to him anymore.
On Friday night, Trump will spend a half-hour with right-wing radio show host Mark Levin, as well as time on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show, where he’s expected to be examined by a doctor.
Ranting to right-wing media personalities doesn’t seem like “working for the American people,” which first daughter Ivanka Trump tweeted on Oct. 3 of her father, along with a staged photo of Trump “working” at Walter Reed.
That same day, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, “Day two into it and he’s working hard and looking great. That’s our President. That tweet included one of Trump’s “proof of life” videos filmed in the hospital.
On Oct. 4, Eric Trump tweeted, “If only all elected officials had this work ethic.” He also included a photo of Trump signing a blank sheet of paper, writing, “I have admired this unrelenting drive my entire life.”
Of course, calling in to right-wing media programs is one of Trump’s favorite pastimes. And despite once claiming he doesn’t have time to watch television, Trump is an avid cable news watcher who recently admitted to watching seven hours of Fox News programming in one day.
Trump’s appearances with Fox News hosts and right-wing radio personalities over the past two days have often included bizarre moments.
On Thursday morning, he spent an hour with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, where he told her he’s a “perfect physical specimen” and complained that his Cabinet officials aren’t arresting his political enemies.
Later on Thursday, he spent 30 minutes with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, in which Trump bizarrely claimed California let “millions of gallons of water” go out to sea because they “want to take care of certain little tiny fish, that aren’t doing very well without water.” Trump also baselessly accused Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam of having “executed a baby” — a complete lie.
And on Friday morning, he spent two hours with bigoted right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh. It was his most bizarre interview of the three, in which he lied about there being a coronavirus cure and said “Black Lives Matter” is racist, among other claims.
He spoke to Limbaugh so long the conservative host had to end the interview himself, telling Trump, “I know you’ve got a jam-packed day left on your schedule…” as music played Trump off the air.
Trump’s hours of talking to right-wing media to appeal to his base comes as he faces a massive polling deficit to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
But only appealing to his base will not be enough for him to win. He needs to convince independent voters, who are so far heavily breaking for Biden, to back his candidacy.
Time is running out for Trump, with the election just 25 days away.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-09--Kansas GOP: We have to win to gerrymander state's only Democrat out of Congress

Sen. Susan Wagle , the Republican president of the Kansas state Senate , told donors last month that if her party keeps its supermajority in the legislature , she will gerrymander the state 's four congressional districts to create an entirely Republican delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives .
`` Redistricting is right around the corner .
And if Gov .
Kelly can veto a Republican bill that gives us four Republican congressmen , that takes out Sharice Davids up in the 3rd — we can do that , I guarantee it .
We can draw four Republican congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it unless we have a two-thirds majority in the Senate and House . ''
Rep. Davids is the only Democratic member of the Kansas congressional delegation .
Wagle 's candid comments , made during a speech to the Wichita Pachyderm Club , a Republican Party affiliate , on Sept. 25 , were first flagged Friday by political activist Davis Hammet .
Like all other states , Kansas must create new legislative and congressional maps next year based on the results of the 2020 U.S. census .
The state is not expected to gain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House delegation , meaning the legislature will have to draw four congressional districts with roughly equal populations .
Political analysts expect that the same parties will likely hold all four seats after the November election .
Kansans elected Laura Kelly , a Democrat , as governor in 2018 .
But Republicans currently hold supermajorities in the legislature that are large enough to override Kelly 's vetoes , both on legislation and on redistricting maps .
After gaining ground in Kansas in recent years , Democrats are mounting a push to win enough seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deny the GOP their long-held two-thirds share .
Though few political leaders are as brazen about their gerrymandering plans as Wagle , the sort of partisan scheme she is suggesting is not all that unusual .
Democrats and Republicans have both long used gerrymandering to game the system in states where they hold a majority .
In recent years Republicans have managed to rig the maps in some purple and blue-leaning states , ensuring congressional delegations that are much more Republican than the voting population .
In 2012 , for example , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points , but Republicans won nine of the state 's 14 House seats .
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 last year that the federal courts may not step in to block political gerrymanders .
But in recent years , GOP political gerrymanders have been struck down by state Supreme Courts in Pennsylvania and North Carolina , under their state constitutions .
While the Kansas electorate has a distinct Republican tilt , it is not 75 % Republican , let alone 100 % .
According to the Kansas secretary of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly 1,850,000 registered voters ( 43.9 % ) are registered Republicans ; 26 % are Democrats , and 29.2 % are unaffiliated .
FiveThirtyEight 's polling average currently finds Donald Trump with a 6.8-point lead over Joe Biden in the presidential race , with Trump polling at only 50 % .
If Wagle is able to craft the maps as she hopes to , 100 % of Kansas ' House seats will be represented by the party supported by less than 44 % of its voters .
Published with permission of The American @ @ @

Sen. Susan Wagle, the Republican president of the Kansas state Senate, told donors last month that if her party keeps its supermajority in the legislature, she will gerrymander the state’s four congressional districts to create an entirely Republican delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Redistricting is right around the corner. And if Gov. Kelly can veto a Republican bill that gives us four Republican congressmen, that takes out Sharice Davids up in the 3rd — we can do that, I guarantee it. We can draw four Republican congressional maps, but we can’t do it unless we have a two-thirds majority in the Senate and House.”
Rep. Davids is the only Democratic member of the Kansas congressional delegation.
Wagle’s candid comments, made during a speech to the Wichita Pachyderm Club, a Republican Party affiliate, on Sept. 25, were first flagged Friday by political activist Davis Hammet.
Like all other states, Kansas must create new legislative and congressional maps next year based on the results of the 2020 U.S. census. The state is not expected to gain or lose any seats in its U.S. House delegation, meaning the legislature will have to draw four congressional districts with roughly equal populations.
Political analysts expect that the same parties will likely hold all four seats after the November election.
Kansans elected Laura Kelly, a Democrat, as governor in 2018. But Republicans currently hold supermajorities in the legislature that are large enough to override Kelly’s vetoes, both on legislation and on redistricting maps. After gaining ground in Kansas in recent years, Democrats are mounting a push to win enough seats in November’s state legislative races to deny the GOP their long-held two-thirds share.
Though few political leaders are as brazen about their gerrymandering plans as Wagle, the sort of partisan scheme she is suggesting is not all that unusual.
Democrats and Republicans have both long used gerrymandering to game the system in states where they hold a majority. In recent years Republicans have managed to rig the maps in some purple and blue-leaning states, ensuring congressional delegations that are much more Republican than the voting population. In 2012, for example, President Barack Obama won Michigan by nearly 10 points, but Republicans won nine of the state’s 14 House seats.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 last year that the federal courts may not step in to block political gerrymanders. But in recent years, GOP political gerrymanders have been struck down by state Supreme Courts in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, under their state constitutions.
While the Kansas electorate has a distinct Republican tilt, it is not 75% Republican, let alone 100%.
According to the Kansas secretary of state, only about 812,000 the state’s roughly 1,850,000 registered voters (43.9%) are registered Republicans; 26% are Democrats, and 29.2% are unaffiliated. FiveThirtyEight’s polling average currently finds Donald Trump with a 6.8-point lead over Joe Biden in the presidential race, with Trump polling at only 50%.
If Wagle is able to craft the maps as she hopes to, 100% of Kansas’ House seats will be represented by the party supported by less than 44% of its voters.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.