inquisitr--2020-05-16--Donald Trump Blasts ‘Sleepy’ Joe Biden, ‘Lamestream’ Media In Saturday Tweetstorm

On Saturday morning , President Donald Trump took to Twitter to blast former Vice President Joe Biden and the media , The Hill reported .
In one of the tweets , Trump said that Biden — the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee — is “ not even a factor ” in the 2020 presidential election .
Trump added that he is not actually running against Biden , but against the Democratic-leaning media .
As The Hill noted , Trump launched his attacks on Biden less than 24 hours after the former vice president ’ s campaign announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — traditionally Republican-leaning states — as key to winning the November election .
The campaign said that those three states are being viewed as battlegrounds , adding that Biden can win back a slew of states former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 .
Ohio , Pennsylvania , Iowa , Wisconsin , Michigan , North Carolina and Florida will all be in play , according to team Biden .
Trump has previously argued that the media is protecting Biden from scrutiny .
“ We have a sleepy guy in the basement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving a free pass to who doesn ’ t want to do debates because of COVID , ” Trump said during an April press conference .
In another tweet , Trump blasted Biden again , sharing a clip of the former vice president ’ s recent interview with MSNBC anchor Lawrence O ’ Donnell .
Trump also slammed O ’ Donnell , bragging about confronting the host over disputes pertaining to the reality television program The Apprentice .
In a third Twitter message , Trump slammed the “ Lamestream Media ” over what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration , arguing that the press is echoing Democratic Party talking points and not giving him enough credit amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I made everybody look good , but me !
” Trump said , writing that the federal government ’ s actions have helped governors across the nation do their jobs .
Tensions between Trump and Democratic governors have been brewing since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak .
Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker recently said that “ the governors that have risen to the challenge ” without much help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of not acting quickly enough .
On a number of occasions , Trump expressed support for demonstrators opposed to social distancing and lockdown measures , encouraging them to “ liberate ” their states .
The remarks were met with criticism from Democratic politicians , with Gov .
Jay Inslee of Washington arguing that Trump is undermining his own administration ’ s efforts .


inquisitr--2020-05-16--Donald Trump Says ‘Radical Left Is In Total Command & Control’ Of Social Media, Vows To ‘Remedy’ Sit

Donald Trump Says ‘Radical Left Is In Total Command & Control’ Of Social Media, Vows To ‘Remedy’ Situation

On Saturday morning , U.S. President Donald Trump wrote a tweet threatening social media sites like Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , and Google after claiming they were engaging in “ illegal ” activity and were controlled by the “ radical left.
” “ The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and Google .
The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation .
Stay tuned , and send names & events .
Thank you Michelle !
” he wrote .
The message linked to a clip showing Michelle Malkin giving a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no longer available on Twitter .
Malkin has claimed in the past that she has been censored by Facebook after one of her posts was removed by the social media giant .
She also claimed that hosts like WordPress are censoring people based on political ideology in an attempt to harm Trump ’ s chances of winning the 2020 election .
Trump and other Republicans have long said that they believe social media sites censor them for political reasons , and the White House launched a tool in 2019 that allowed people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been wrongly censored .
As of this reporting , the site no longer accepts submissions .
In 2019 , as Business Insider reported , Trump said during a press conference that he believed that he didn ’ t have more followers at the time because social media sites blocked people .
“ There ’ s no doubt in my mind that I should have millions and millions of people… but I know that we ’ ve been blocked , ” Trump said .
“ People come up to me and say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ … They make it absolutely impossible.
” The president also vowed to meet with executives from various social media sites .
“ I ’ m announcing that we will ask representatives of the major social media platforms to join me at the White House over the next month , ” Trump said .
Since then , Trump has met privately with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in November , and prior to the press conference , he had sat down with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to discuss social media issues .
Trump didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim on Saturday that people on the left were engaging in illegal activity on social media , nor did he expand on what exactly his administration was planning to do to remedy the situation .
Trump also tweeted messages on Saturday morning about the Russia investigation and his claim that the former administration was in on a conspiracy , which he calls Obamagate , to sabotage his run for president in 2016 .

On Saturday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote a tweet threatening social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google after claiming they were engaging in “illegal” activity and were controlled by the “radical left.”
“The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google. The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tuned, and send names & events. Thank you Michelle!” he wrote.
The message linked to a clip showing Michelle Malkin giving a speech about censorship, though the clip is no longer available on Twitter.
Malkin has claimed in the past that she has been censored by Facebook after one of her posts was removed by the social media giant. She also claimed that hosts like WordPress are censoring people based on political ideology in an attempt to harm Trump’s chances of winning the 2020 election.
Trump and other Republicans have long said that they believe social media sites censor them for political reasons, and the White House launched a tool in 2019 that allowed people to report when they believe they’ve been wrongly censored. As of this reporting, the site no longer accepts submissions.
In 2019, as Business Insider reported, Trump said during a press conference that he believed that he didn’t have more followers at the time because social media sites blocked people.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I should have millions and millions of people… but I know that we’ve been blocked,” Trump said. “People come up to me and say, ‘Sir I cannot follow you’ … They make it absolutely impossible.”
The president also vowed to meet with executives from various social media sites.
“I’m announcing that we will ask representatives of the major social media platforms to join me at the White House over the next month,” Trump said.
Since then, Trump has met privately with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in November, and prior to the press conference, he had sat down with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to discuss social media issues.
Trump didn’t offer any evidence for his claim on Saturday that people on the left were engaging in illegal activity on social media, nor did he expand on what exactly his administration was planning to do to remedy the situation.
Trump also tweeted messages on Saturday morning about the Russia investigation and his claim that the former administration was in on a conspiracy, which he calls Obamagate, to sabotage his run for president in 2016.


inquisitr--2020-05-16--Donald Trump Praises ‘Great People!’ As He Retweets Video Of Anti-Lockdown Protesters Confronting Jo

Donald Trump Praises ‘Great People!’ As He Retweets Video Of Anti-Lockdown Protesters Confronting Journalist

U.S. President Donald Trump offered praise for what he called “ Great people !
” as he shared a video of coronavirus anti-lockdown protesters confronting a local journalist and accusing him of peddling “ fake news.
” The president shared a video originally posted by Kevin Vesey , a reporter for News 12 Long Island who covered this week ’ s protest in the area against the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
In the video , Vesey made his way down a sidewalk while surrounded by protesters carrying signs calling for the reopening of businesses along with others supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped to harass the journalist , including one who repeated a common phrase used by Trump toward media members and outlets who are critical of him .
“ You are the enemy of the people !
” a protester was heard shouting as the journalist walked past .
Others began chanting “ Fake news is not essential ” as the journalist continued to film .
Trump actually retweeted the video two separate times , including one late on Friday in which he quoted that phrase .
In sharing the message on Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling them “ Great people.
” Vesey also shared a longer report where he explained what happened behind the scenes as he filmed the protest , showing many people who were cordial along with a small number who stopped to harass him .
Vesey noted that he was narrating the Facebook live video where he made observations about the size of the protest and whether people were observing social distancing .
He initially interviewed a woman who was concerned about her family ’ s small business closing , which Vesey said was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview.
” It was after he moved on and began to show other protesters that some turned to harassing him , including a woman who he had interviewed for a previous story and whom Vesey said did not agree with his reporting on people who did not observe social distancing .
“ You can see that she ’ s not wearing a mask and she ’ s getting pretty close to me , ” he said , noting that the woman said she had COVID-19 and did not believe she needed to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had COVID-19 but still wears a mask as there is no conclusive evidence that people who have been infected have antibodies that prevent further infections .
While Trump appeared to encourage the protesters harassing Vesey , other journalists have praised him for showing professionalism in the face of such hostility .
“ Thanks for trying to do your job , ” Katie Couric tweeted on Friday .

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inquisitr--2020-05-16--Donald Trump Upset That He Isn’t As Respected As Barack Obama, Pundits Claim

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked his predecessor , former President Barack Obama , over the past week , and at least one critic says that part of the reason for this it that Trump is jealous of Obama ’ s seeming popularity .
According to a report from The Guardian , former Republican communications director — and current CNN analyst — Tara Setmayer claimed that there are several reasons for the president ’ s attacks against Obama .
First , she said , he “ always needs a foil.
” “ This riles up his base ” so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said , indicating that Obama is the target right now .
Trump may have gone after the former president due to racist sentiment , per the CNN analyst .
“ I think he has a problem with people of color who are in authority that don ’ t do the kind of song and dance that he wants them to do.
” But the other issue that reportedly upsets Trump , according to the president ’ s critics , is that Obama is respected .
The former director of the office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matthew Miller , echoed these sentiments .
“ There ’ s some racism there but , most of all , it ’ s driven by the fact that Obama has the thing that Trump has always craved but never achieved , and that ’ s respect .
I ’ ve always thought that the respect that Barack Obama gets from people in this country and around the world is something that just eats Trump alive inside.
” Author and journalist Michael D ’ Antonio claimed that it seems as though Trump is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian report .
Trump has attacked Obama numerous times even before taking office , as he did during the so-called birther scandal .
But his most recent conflict seems to have emerged after leaked audio revealed Obama slamming Trump , and his administration , for their response to the coronavirus crisis .
Since then , Trump has pushed the idea that Obama was involved in a conspiracy to frame Trump as having worked with Russia during the 2016 race for the Oval Office .
While Trump hasn ’ t fully explained what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has called for Lindsey Graham to compel Obama to testify before Congress to address what he is calling “ Obamagate.
” While Graham shut the idea down — warning Trump that it would set a dangerous precedent to force a former president to testify — Miller says he worries that the justice department might go after people from the Obama administration in the days to come .

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, over the past week, and at least one critic says that part of the reason for this it that Trump is jealous of Obama’s seeming popularity.
According to a report from The Guardian, former Republican communications director — and current CNN analyst — Tara Setmayer claimed that there are several reasons for the president’s attacks against Obama. First, she said, he “always needs a foil.”
“This riles up his base” so that they have someone else to blame, she said, indicating that Obama is the target right now.
Trump may have gone after the former president due to racist sentiment, per the CNN analyst.
“I think he has a problem with people of color who are in authority that don’t do the kind of song and dance that he wants them to do.”
But the other issue that reportedly upsets Trump, according to the president’s critics, is that Obama is respected.
The former director of the office of public affairs at the Justice Department, Matthew Miller, echoed these sentiments.
“There’s some racism there but, most of all, it’s driven by the fact that Obama has the thing that Trump has always craved but never achieved, and that’s respect. I’ve always thought that the respect that Barack Obama gets from people in this country and around the world is something that just eats Trump alive inside.”
Author and journalist Michael D’Antonio claimed that it seems as though Trump is always mentally comparing himself with Obama, per The Guardian report.
Trump has attacked Obama numerous times even before taking office, as he did during the so-called birther scandal. But his most recent conflict seems to have emerged after leaked audio revealed Obama slamming Trump, and his administration, for their response to the coronavirus crisis.
Since then, Trump has pushed the idea that Obama was involved in a conspiracy to frame Trump as having worked with Russia during the 2016 race for the Oval Office. While Trump hasn’t fully explained what he believes took place, the president has called for Lindsey Graham to compel Obama to testify before Congress to address what he is calling “Obamagate.”
While Graham shut the idea down — warning Trump that it would set a dangerous precedent to force a former president to testify — Miller says he worries that the justice department might go after people from the Obama administration in the days to come.


inquisitr--2020-05-17--Eric Trump Suggests That Democrats Are Using Coronavirus Restrictions To Stop His Father From Campai

Eric Trump Suggests That Democrats Are Using Coronavirus Restrictions To Stop His Father From Campaigning

Eric Trump said that Democrats are thrilled that restrictions put in place to slow the coronavirus are also slowing his father ’ s campaign schedule , suggesting that they may be using the stay-at-home orders to purposely keep the president off the campaign trail .
The son of President Donald Trump appeared in an interview with Fox News host Jeanine Pirro on Saturday , saying that Democrats are happy to be able to keep Joe Biden out of the public spotlight and keep his father in the White House .
“ Listen , Biden loves this .
Biden can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrible blunder .
I mean even from his basement he ’ s awful gaffes every single day .
So his campaign is thrilled he ’ s not going out there , ” Trump said , adding , “ They think they are taking away Donald Trump ’ s greatest tool which is to go into an arena with 50,000 people every single time.
” Trump went on to suggest that Democrats plan to “ milk it ” to keep restrictions in place in order to prevent his father from actively campaigning .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus will magically all of a sudden go away and disappear and everybody will be able to re-open , ” he said .
While Donald Trump has been forced off the campaign trail as restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the virus have prevented travel and canceled large events like Trump ’ s rallies , the president has found other means of drawing crowds and sharing his successes .
Late last month , the campaign launched its first major advertising blitz , which CBS News reported was a seven-day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s response to the coronavirus crisis .
An NBC News report also noted that Trump has managed to make some recent visits outside the White House for campaign-style events in battleground states as he toured facilities making critical personal protective equipment .
The report noted that these visits have included Trump ’ s campaign rally soundtrack , with many in the audience wearing “ Make America Great Again ” hats , despite the visits being officially listed as part of his White House outreach rather than related to his re-election campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the coming months .
Republican leaders have been steadfast in insisting that the Republican National Convention would go on as scheduled this summer , planning to draw thousands of people despite social distancing restrictions .
The party released a statement this week saying it expects to draw close to 50,000 people for the convention , set for August in Charlotte , North Carolina .


inquisitr--2020-05-17--Blackfeet Nation Member Blasts Donald Trump’s ‘White Supremacist Regime’

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Saturday , Gyasi Ross , a member of the Blackfeet Nation , blasted President Donald Trump and his “ white supremacist regime , ” Raw Story reported .
Ross made the remarks during a discussion about the racial disparities of the coronavirus pandemic .
Anchor Ali Velsh began the conversation by pointing out that the United States is facing an unprecedented crisis , and that nearly 500 casinos owned by Native American tribes have been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Velsh then pointed to data from Indian Health Service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans have tested positive for the dangerous virus .
Ross was then asked to weigh in on the issue .
He said that the disparities are a “ byproduct of hundreds of years of neglect , ” and that the Native American community is facing major economic issues because of the pandemic .
Other disadvantaged communities are in a similar situation , he argued .
“ And so Native people , along with black people , along with Latinx as well as Asian American people have been well within the purview of Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supremacy , ” Ross said .
Ross posited that the government is capitalizing on the crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic , saying that Native Americans have “ been criminalized in this white supremacist regime that has taken advantage of this coronavirus pandemic.
” The Blackfeet Nation member then pointed to South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem ’ s recent actions .
As Refinery29 reported earlier this week , two South Dakota tribes have set up checkpoints on roads leading to their reservations .
In response , Noem threatened to take the tribes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native people ’ s behaviors have been criminalized to the degree that the governor of South Dakota was talking about taking legal action against the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as well as the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
” According to Refinery29 , the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe ’ s strategy appears to have worked .
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the reservations is much lower than in the rest of the state .
Noem , a Republican , has previously feuded with Native American tribes in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to target those protesting against the Keystone Pipeline System .
The law was later challenged in court , and the governor has been banned from stepping foot on the Pine Ridge Reservation , As The Inquisitr reported , the world seems to have taken note of Native Americans ’ struggles with the United States government amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Earlier this month , citizens of Ireland organized a GoFundMe campaign to help Navajo Nation tribes in Arizona , Utah , and New Mexico .


inquisitr--2020-05-17--Mitt Romney Denounces Donald Trump’s Inspector General Firings As ‘Threat To Accountable Democracy’

On Saturday , Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah described President Donald Trump ‘ s firings of inspectors general in several federal government offices as a “ threat to accountable democracy , ” CNN reported .
In a Twitter message , Romney described the recent firings as “ unprecedented.
” The senator made the comments on the heels of Trump ’ s decision to fire State Department Inspector General Steve Linick .
Since being acquitted by the United States Senate in the impeachment trial , Trump has fired a number of independent government watchdogs .
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives overwhelmingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP-controlled upper chamber cleared the president of any wrongdoings .
Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on the charge of abuse of power .
Romney is also the only Republican so far to clearly condemn the president ’ s actions toward internal government oversight officials .
As The New York Times reported , few Republicans have criticized the president ’ s decision to remove Linick from his position .
Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley , who has previously defended inspectors general said that “ a general lack of confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress.
” As the publication noted , Trump has fired a number of inspectors general in recent months .
In early May , amid the coronavirus pandemic , he fired Christi A. Grimm , the principal deputy inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Service .
Grimm authored a report about the government ’ s response to the pandemic .
In April , Trump fired Michael K. Atkinson , the inspector general for the intelligence community .
Atkinson was involved in revelations related to the White House whistleblower complaint , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Linick was reportedly investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , and he was fired at Pompeo ’ s urging .
Democratic Rep. Eliot L. Engel and Sen. Bob Menendez have launched an investigation into the official ’ s ousting .
“ Such an action , transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability , would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation , ” they wrote in a formal letter .
It is not only Romney who believes Trump ’ s recent actions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MSNBC , former national security official Samantha Vinograd said that in Trump ’ s administration “ keeping your job means not doing it.
” Vinograd argued that the firings could lead to “ fraud and abuse ” in the government .

On Saturday, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah described President Donald Trump‘s firings of inspectors general in several federal government offices as a “threat to accountable democracy,” CNN reported.
In a Twitter message, Romney described the recent firings as “unprecedented.”
“The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power.”
The senator made the comments on the heels of Trump’s decision to fire State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. Since being acquitted by the United States Senate in the impeachment trial, Trump has fired a number of independent government watchdogs.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to impeach Trump, but the GOP-controlled upper chamber cleared the president of any wrongdoings. Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on the charge of abuse of power.
Romney is also the only Republican so far to clearly condemn the president’s actions toward internal government oversight officials. As The New York Times reported, few Republicans have criticized the president’s decision to remove Linick from his position. Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley, who has previously defended inspectors general said that “a general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress.”
As the publication noted, Trump has fired a number of inspectors general in recent months. In early May, amid the coronavirus pandemic, he fired Christi A. Grimm, the principal deputy inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Service. Grimm authored a report about the government’s response to the pandemic.
In April, Trump fired Michael K. Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community. Atkinson was involved in revelations related to the White House whistleblower complaint, which led to Trump’s impeachment.
Linick was reportedly investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he was fired at Pompeo’s urging. Democratic Rep. Eliot L. Engel and Sen. Bob Menendez have launched an investigation into the official’s ousting.
“Such an action, transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability, would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation,” they wrote in a formal letter.
It is not only Romney who believes Trump’s recent actions are unprecedented. During a Saturday interview with MSNBC, former national security official Samantha Vinograd said that in Trump’s administration “keeping your job means not doing it.” Vinograd argued that the firings could lead to “fraud and abuse” in the government.


inquisitr--2020-05-17--In Donald Trump Administration ‘Keeping Your Job Means Not Doing It,’ Says Former National Security

In Donald Trump Administration ‘Keeping Your Job Means Not Doing It,’ Says Former National Security Official

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Saturday , former national security official Samantha Vinograd discussed President Donald Trump ‘ s firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick , reported Raw Story .
According to Vinograd , the timing of Linick ’ s ousting “ could not be worse.
” “ It seems almost impossible that it will be feasible for the current inspector general to do a sequence transmission to the acting inspector general without dropping the ball , ” she said , explaining that the coronavirus pandemic has not only consumed the attention and resources of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to work from home .
Anchor Victor Blackwell pointed out that Linick is not the first official Trump has fired since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak , pointing out that Christi Grimm , the acting inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services , was also removed from her position .
Vinograd argued that Trump ’ s decision to fire the officials amid the coronavirus pandemic “ amplifies the narrative over what constitutes job security ” in his administration .
The former national security official added that the officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and abuse to run rampant in the U.S. government as long as it benefits the president.
” Trump reportedly fired Linick at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s urging — as the official was allegedly investigating Pompeo .
Linick was first appointed to his most recent position in 2013 by President Barack Obama .
Prior to being appointed by the Democrat , he served in the Justice Department under George W. Bush and as an attorney in Bill Clinton ’ s administration .
Linick was also involved in the investigations pertaining to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ukrainian government .
The president ’ s dealings with Ukraine were at the heart of House Democrats ’ impeachment investigation .
A number of officials involved in Ukraine-related investigations have been removed from their positions since the Senate ’ s acquittal of Trump .
According to Vinograd , the repercussions of Trump ’ s decisions will also be felt globally .
The former national security official argued that the president ’ s actions undermine the nation ’ s interests abroad .
“ How can we credibly promote the rule of law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign policy priorities , overseas , when President Trump is dismantling them here at home ?
” she asked .
As BBC News reported , Democrats have launched an investigation into Linick ’ s firing .
Rep. Eliot Engel of New York and Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey , the top Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees , have requested additional documentation from the State Department and the White House .

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Saturday, former national security official Samantha Vinograd discussed President Donald Trump‘s firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, reported Raw Story.
According to Vinograd, the timing of Linick’s ousting “could not be worse.”
“It seems almost impossible that it will be feasible for the current inspector general to do a sequence transmission to the acting inspector general without dropping the ball,” she said, explaining that the coronavirus pandemic has not only consumed the attention and resources of State Department officials but also forced many of them to work from home.
Anchor Victor Blackwell pointed out that Linick is not the first official Trump has fired since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, pointing out that Christi Grimm, the acting inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services, was also removed from her position.
Vinograd argued that Trump’s decision to fire the officials amid the coronavirus pandemic “amplifies the narrative over what constitutes job security” in his administration.
“Keeping your job means not doing it. These inspectors general were ostensibly removed without cause.”
The former national security official added that the officials’ removal could potentially “allow fraud and abuse to run rampant in the U.S. government as long as it benefits the president.”
Trump reportedly fired Linick at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s urging — as the official was allegedly investigating Pompeo. Linick was first appointed to his most recent position in 2013 by President Barack Obama. Prior to being appointed by the Democrat, he served in the Justice Department under George W. Bush and as an attorney in Bill Clinton’s administration.
Linick was also involved in the investigations pertaining to Trump’s alleged pressure campaign against the Ukrainian government. The president’s dealings with Ukraine were at the heart of House Democrats’ impeachment investigation. A number of officials involved in Ukraine-related investigations have been removed from their positions since the Senate’s acquittal of Trump.
According to Vinograd, the repercussions of Trump’s decisions will also be felt globally. The former national security official argued that the president’s actions undermine the nation’s interests abroad. “How can we credibly promote the rule of law, accountability, and oversight, core U.S. foreign policy priorities, overseas, when President Trump is dismantling them here at home?” she asked.
As BBC News reported, Democrats have launched an investigation into Linick’s firing. Rep. Eliot Engel of New York and Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, have requested additional documentation from the State Department and the White House.


inquisitr--2020-05-17--Former Republican Rep. David Jolly: ‘I’ve Left The Party And I’m Not Going Back’

Jolly said that 'most of my fellow Never Trump Republicans will go right back to being a Republican when Donald Trump is gone . '
During an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Saturday , former Republican Congressman David Jolly said that he will never go back to the GOP , Raw Story reported .
Anchor Ali Velshi opened the discussion by asking about the Serve America Movement ( SAM ) , Jolly ’ s political organization .
The former congressman explained that SAM is a group of Democrats , Republicans , and Independents who want to jointly address the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who represented Florida in the House of Representatives , said that “ most of my fellow Never Trump Republicans will go right back to being a Republican when Donald Trump is gone.
” According to Jolly , even though a large percentage of voters care about political ideology , a lot of them “ just want a government that works , that appeals to a cross-partisan coalition.
” The former congressman suggested that his organization could fill that vacuum and pointed to the government ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump that bungled the response to the pandemic , but also the United States Congress , which is why there is room for a coalition focused on creating a competent government .
“ It was a missed opportunity by an unfit administration and the distracted Congress .
It wasn ’ t missed intelligence .
We need better .
SAM hopes to fill that gap , ” he said .
Polling suggests that Republican voters are not interested in projects such as Jolly ’ s .
According to Gallup , President Donald Trump ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high .
In April , for instance , 93 percent of Republicans approved of Trump ’ s job performance .
The president is not nearly as popular among Democrats and independent voters .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee , is reportedly interested in forming a coalition with Republicans opposed to Trump .
Biden is allegedly holding secret talks with prominent “ Never Trump ” Republicans and his campaign is working on creating a “ Republicans for Biden ” movement .
Jolly is reportedly being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the group .
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael , conservative pundit Bill Kristol , and political analyst Charlie Sykes have all reportedly expressed interest in joining the yet-undefined group .
However , some anti-Trump Republicans seem to be skeptical about the Biden campaign ’ s ability to manage such an organization .
The 2020 presidential election appears to be a close race , with Biden and Trump virtually tied in most national polls .

During an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Saturday, former Republican Congressman David Jolly said that he will never go back to the GOP, Raw Story reported.
Anchor Ali Velshi opened the discussion by asking about the Serve America Movement (SAM), Jolly’s political organization. The former congressman explained that SAM is a group of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who want to jointly address the most pressing issues in the nation.
Jolly, who represented Florida in the House of Representatives, said that “most of my fellow Never Trump Republicans will go right back to being a Republican when Donald Trump is gone.”
“I’m not. I’ve left the party and I’m not going back, but I also feel liberated by rejecting partisanship, and I’m not ready to pick up the blue jersey, if you will, the ideological blue jersey.”
According to Jolly, even though a large percentage of voters care about political ideology, a lot of them “just want a government that works, that appeals to a cross-partisan coalition.” The former congressman suggested that his organization could fill that vacuum and pointed to the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jolly argued that it was not only Trump that bungled the response to the pandemic, but also the United States Congress, which is why there is room for a coalition focused on creating a competent government.
“It was a missed opportunity by an unfit administration and the distracted Congress. It wasn’t missed intelligence. We need better. SAM hopes to fill that gap,” he said.
Polling suggests that Republican voters are not interested in projects such as Jolly’s. According to Gallup, President Donald Trump‘s approval rating among Republicans is remarkably high. In April, for instance, 93 percent of Republicans approved of Trump’s job performance. The president is not nearly as popular among Democrats and independent voters.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, is reportedly interested in forming a coalition with Republicans opposed to Trump. Biden is allegedly holding secret talks with prominent “Never Trump” Republicans and his campaign is working on creating a “Republicans for Biden” movement.
Jolly is reportedly being talked about as one of the potential members of the group. Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael, conservative pundit Bill Kristol, and political analyst Charlie Sykes have all reportedly expressed interest in joining the yet-undefined group. However, some anti-Trump Republicans seem to be skeptical about the Biden campaign’s ability to manage such an organization.
The 2020 presidential election appears to be a close race, with Biden and Trump virtually tied in most national polls.


inquisitr--2020-05-17--Donald Trump Tweets Video Of Himself Superimposed Over Bill Pullman During Famous ‘Independence Day’

Donald Trump Tweets Video Of Himself Superimposed Over Bill Pullman During Famous ‘Independence Day’ Speech

On Saturday , President Donald Trump shared a video on Twitter featuring his own likeness and that of some notable GOP supporters and allies superimposed over characters during a famous scene from the 1996 sci-fi film Independence Day .
In the original scene , fictional American President Thomas J. Whitmore , as portrayed by Bill Pullman , delivered a rousing speech before a final battle between humans and an invading alien force that threatened to conquer and/or destroy the planet Earth .
The battle took place on July 4 in the film , hence its title .
Pullman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the course of a 90-second clip , with Trump ’ s face edited over that of the actor ’ s .
Meanwhile , several notable Republican figures were edited into the crowd , including Fox News hosts and conservative commentators Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity .
With orchestral music swelling in the background and a raucous crowd cheering on , the speech delves into themes including unification for the common good and the defense of freedom .
“ Should we win the day , the 4th of July will no longer be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the day when the world declared in one voice : ‘ We will not go quietly into the night !
We will not vanish without a fight !
We ’ re going to live on !
We ’ re going to survive !
Today , we celebrate our Independence Day ! '
” The parody video was originally the work of Twitter user @ Mad_Liberals , who Trump credited with a tag in his own tweet .
Their account , which has more than 100,000 followers , is known for creating memes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Republican Party .
In their account bio , @ Mad_Liberals identifies themselves as a “ video manipulator ” from “ Trump County , Florida.
” The original video was posted to the account on April 14 .
Meanwhile , Trump ’ s more recent tweet achieved viral status — well beyond that of the original — notching over 135,000 likes , as well as tens of thousands of replies and retweets at the time of this report .
Commentary on the tweet has hit both ends of the political spectrum , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and the video , while others offered stern criticism .
“ Best President of my lifetime .
Who is with me ?
!
” opined one commenter .
“ The LAME STREAM media is going to be TRIGGERED by this tweet – a LOT !
” wrote another .
Meanwhile , political commentator Edward Hardy tweeted , “ In Independence Day , President Thomas J. Whitmore was a former fighter pilot and a Gulf War veteran .
Donald Trump is a cowardly draft dodger.
” While Trump has seemingly likened himself to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspiring the masses with his words in the video , many continue to criticize the president for his actual choice of words .
As reported by The Inquisitr , Trump was taken to task recently for referring to a rumored new weapon as a “ super duper ” missile .

On Saturday, President Donald Trump shared a video on Twitter featuring his own likeness and that of some notable GOP supporters and allies superimposed over characters during a famous scene from the 1996 sci-fi film Independence Day.
In the original scene, fictional American President Thomas J. Whitmore, as portrayed by Bill Pullman, delivered a rousing speech before a final battle between humans and an invading alien force that threatened to conquer and/or destroy the planet Earth. The battle took place on July 4 in the film, hence its title.
Pullman’s speech is featured almost in its entirety over the course of a 90-second clip, with Trump’s face edited over the actor’s. Meanwhile, several notable Republican figures were edited into the crowd, including Fox News hosts and conservative commentators Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity.
With orchestral music swelling in the background and a raucous crowd cheering on, the speech delves into themes including unification for the common good and the defense of freedom.
“Should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice: ‘We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!'”
The parody video was originally the work of Twitter user @Mad_Liberals, who Trump credited with a tag in his own tweet. Their account, which has more than 100,000 followers, is known for creating memes dedicated to Trump and other prominent members of the Republican Party.
In their account bio, @Mad_Liberals identifies themselves as a “video manipulator” from “Trump County, Florida.”
The original video was posted to the account on April 14. Meanwhile, Trump’s more recent tweet achieved viral status — well beyond that of the original — notching over 135,000 likes, as well as tens of thousands of replies and retweets at the time of this report.
Commentary on the tweet has hit both ends of the political spectrum, with some users expressing their support for Trump and the video, while others offered stern criticism.
“Best President of my lifetime. Who is with me?!” opined one commenter.
“The LAME STREAM media is going to be TRIGGERED by this tweet – a LOT!” wrote another.
Meanwhile, political commentator Edward Hardy tweeted, “In Independence Day, President Thomas J. Whitmore was a former fighter pilot and a Gulf War veteran. Donald Trump is a cowardly draft dodger.”
While Trump has seemingly likened himself to Pullman’s character in terms of inspiring the masses with his words in the video, many continue to criticize the president for his actual choice of words. As reported by The Inquisitr, Trump was taken to task recently for referring to a rumored new weapon as a “super duper” missile.


inquisitr--2020-05-17--Jesse Watters Urges Governors To Lift Coronavirus Restrictions: ‘There’s A Rebellion Brewing’

On Saturday , Fox News anchor Jesse Watters urged governors across the nation to lift the restrictions that have been imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic , Raw Story reported .
In a brief but scathing monologue , the anchor argued that Americans will rebel unless the restrictions are lifted soon .
Watters said that Americans initially accepted the restrictions , but that they are not willing to “ obey ” orders from the government .
“ In March , we agreed to lockdown .
We didn ’ t obey an order .
We ’ re not peasants , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t lock us down day after day after day .
We don ’ t consent .
You can ’ t trample our rights with no end in sight , ” the anchor continued .
In his attacks on governors , Watters appeared to echo President Donald Trump .
Trump has long feuded with Democratic governors , pushing states to reopen their economies amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
The president has also suggested that Democrats want the lockdowns to continue in order to further damage the economy and pave the way for Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Saturday , Trump tweeted that the federal government has helped governors handle the COVID-19 pandemic , accusing the media of echoing Democratic Party talking points and not giving him enough credit .
The president has also voiced support for anti-lockdown protesters in Democratic states .
Apparently in agreement with Trump , Watters concluded his monologue by arguing that the government has no right to impose restrictions as it pleases and once again stressed that Americans are ready to rebel .
“ We have rights we get from above and when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to change the government or abolish it , ” he said .
Watters ’ is not the only Fox News personality whose views on the coronavirus pandemic appear to have evolved .
According to a study from progressive watchdog group Media Matters , the conservative network ’ s coverage of the pandemic has changed over the past few months .
Coronavirus coverage on Fox News has decreased 20 percent every month since the beginning of the outbreak .
From May 4 to May 10 , only 56 percent of the network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When reporting on the pandemic , Fox News has made sure to praise the anti-lockdown demonstrators , according to the study .
Furthermore , the network appears to have shifted most of its focus to the case against Michael Flynn and former President Barack Obama ’ s alleged involvement in it .
“ Increasingly , Fox figures are pushing the idea that Americans should be ‘ patriotic ’ and go back to work for the good of the economy , ” Media Matters noted .


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Donald Trump Says He’s ‘Surprised’ His Attorney General Won’t Investigate Barack Obama

President Donald Trump said that he is “ surprised ” that Attorney General William Barr won ’ t investigate former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden for Trump calls “ Obamagate , ” as a video posted by NBC News shows .
Trump was speaking at a meeting with restaurant owners on Monday when he opened the floor for questions .
He was asked about Barr ’ s recent comments in which he said that it ’ s unlikely his office would initiate criminal prosecution against Obama and Biden , despite Trump ’ s repeated calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think if it was me , I think they would do it , ” Trump said .
“ For them , maybe they ’ re not going to .
I ’ m surprised because Obama knew everything that was happening .
I don ’ t think Obama knows where he is in a lot of ways .
I saw his statements the other day.
” Of Biden , Trump said that “ only he knows what he knows , I don ’ t think he knows too much.
” Trump has called it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history.
” “ I think Obama and Biden knew about it , ” he added .
“ They were participants.
” Barr has said that the political system can ’ t be hijacked for political purposes .
Trump said that he has “ no doubt ” that both Obama and Biden were involved .
and repeated that it was one of the worst political scandals to hit the country .
He declined to say if it was a criminal act , but it was “ serious ” and “ illegal.
” Trump assured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to stay out of the situation , but had chosen to .
The president then went on to slam Democrats for the Mueller investigation , saying that the country has more important things to deal with than “ phony ” investigations , though critics argue that Trump ’ s claims against Obama and Biden are not based in fact .
Obamagate is Trump ’ s term for the theory that Obama and Biden were involved in the investigation over the fact that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election to the benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russia investigation was an attempt to harm his chances of getting elected .
Trump has declined to provide any evidence on his claims , but says that everyone knows what he ’ s referring to .
Trump says that Barr ’ s choice not to investigate his predecessor is a “ double standard.
” In the end , however , he says that he believes Barr is “ honorable ” and is willing to leave the ultimate decision up to him .

President Donald Trump said that he is “surprised” that Attorney General William Barr won’t investigate former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden for what Trump calls “Obamagate,” as a video posted by NBC News shows.
Trump was speaking at a meeting with restaurant owners on Monday when he opened the floor for questions. He was asked about Barr’s recent comments in which he said that it’s unlikely his office would initiate criminal prosecution against Obama and Biden, despite Trump’s repeated calls for him to do so.
“I think if it was me, I think they would do it,” Trump said.
“For them, maybe they’re not going to. I’m surprised because Obama knew everything that was happening. I don’t think Obama knows where he is in a lot of ways. I saw his statements the other day.”
Of Biden, Trump said that “only he knows what he knows, I don’t think he knows too much.”
Trump has called it the “biggest political crime in American history.”
The biggest political crime in American history, by far! https://t.co/m5nPdUHt4u — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2020
“I think Obama and Biden knew about it,” he added. “They were participants.”
Barr has said that the political system can’t be hijacked for political purposes.
Trump said that he has “no doubt” that both Obama and Biden were involved and repeated that it was one of the worst political scandals to hit the country. He declined to say if it was a criminal act, but it was “serious” and “illegal.”
Trump assured the reporter that he didn’t have to stay out of the situation, but had chosen to. The president then went on to slam Democrats for the Mueller investigation, saying that the country has more important things to deal with than “phony” investigations, though critics argue that Trump’s claims against Obama and Biden are not based on fact.
Obamagate is Trump’s term for the theory that Obama and Biden were involved in the investigation over the fact that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election to the benefit of Trump. The claim is that the Russia investigation was an attempt to harm his chances of getting elected.
Trump has declined to provide any evidence on his claims but says that everyone knows what he’s referring to.
Trump says that Barr’s choice not to investigate his predecessor is a “double standard.” In the end, however, he says that he believes Barr is “honorable” and is willing to leave the ultimate decision up to him.


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Fired Watchdog Was Investigating Mike Pompeo For Pushing Saudi Arms Deal Against Will Of Congress, R

Fired Watchdog Was Investigating Mike Pompeo For Pushing Saudi Arms Deal Against Will Of Congress, Report Says

An inspector general fired on Friday by Donald Trump had been investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s decision to push through an arms deal with Saudi Arabia over the objections of Congress , a new report claims .
NBC News reported that State Department Inspector General Steve Linick had been looking into whether Pompeo had improperly gave the green light to the deal after Trump gave an emergency declaration allowing it to move ahead .
Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel , the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , released a statement saying that he had requested the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was investigating — at my request — Trump ’ s phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia , ” Engel said in a statement .
“ We don ’ t have the full picture yet , but it ’ s troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed.
” As NBC News noted , Trump had issued an emergency declaration in May 2019 with regard to Iran , allowing the administration to complete billions of dollars in arms sales to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives on both sides of the aisle had spoke out against the Saudi military ’ s role in atrocities in a civil war in Yemen and to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi , opposing the sale of arms .
This was not the only investigation that Linick was reportedly undertaking regarding Pompeo .
As The Inquisitr noted , several news outlets reported that Linick was looking into claims that Pompeo used State Department staff to carry out personal chores for him and run errands , including walking his dog , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reservations for Pompeo and his wife .
Pompeo was also being investigated for using his diplomatic security agents to carry out other personal tasks for himself and his wife .
As the report noted , Pompeo had suggested to Trump that Linick be fired , and Trump obliged .
Linick ’ s ouster was announced late on Friday .
NBC News reported that the White House “ made it clear ” during the weekend that Trump and aides wanted the State Department to take over and handle the fallout from Linick ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department said this has not been successful .
Trump is already facing scrutiny for firing Linick without having provided written notification to Congress about why he was fired , as is required with firings of inspectors general .
Senators from both parties have called on Trump to provide an explanation for the firing .

An inspector general fired on Friday by Donald Trump had been investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s decision to push through an arms deal with Saudi Arabia over the objections of Congress, a new report claims.
NBC News reported that State Department Inspector General Steve Linick had been looking into whether Pompeo had improperly given the green light to the deal after Trump gave an emergency declaration allowing it to move ahead. Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a statement saying that he had requested the investigation from Linick.
“His office was investigating — at my request — Trump’s phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia,” Engel said in a statement.
“We don’t have the full picture yet, but it’s troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed.”
As NBC News noted, Trump had issued an emergency declaration in May 2019 with regard to Iran, allowing the administration to complete billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudis despite bipartisan opposition from Congress. Representatives on both sides of the aisle had spoken out against the Saudi military’s role in atrocities in a civil war in Yemen and to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, opposing the sale of arms.
This was not the only investigation that Linick was reportedly undertaking regarding Pompeo. As The Inquisitr noted, several news outlets reported that Linick was looking into claims that Pompeo used State Department staff to carry out personal chores for him and run errands, including walking his dog, picking up laundry, and making dinner reservations for Pompeo and his wife. Pompeo was also being investigated for using his diplomatic security agents to carry out other personal tasks for himself and his wife.
As the report noted, Pompeo had suggested to Trump that Linick be fired, and Trump obliged. Linick’s ouster was announced late on Friday.
NBC News reported that the White House “made it clear” during the weekend that Trump and aides wanted the State Department to take over and handle the fallout from Linick’s firing, but officials in the State Department said this has not been successful.
Trump is already facing scrutiny for firing Linick without having provided written notification to Congress about why he was fired, as is required with firings of inspectors general. Senators from both parties have called on Trump to provide an explanation for the firing.


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Donald Trump Losing Key Base Of Support As Older Voters Move To Joe Biden, Analysis Shows

Donald Trump won in 2016 with a strong performance among voters age 65 and older , but a new analysis finds that the president is losing ground among this key demographic .
The polling and analysis site FiveThirtyEight noted that recent public polling as well as Trump ’ s own internal polls show that former Vice President Joe Biden is taking a much larger share of this group than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 .
The flip for Trump has been dramatic among some older demographics , including the oldest voters .
Trump won the 65 and older group by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now is trailing Biden by one point , the average of head-to-head polling showed .
Trump has also lost ground among different splits of older voters , including those from 45 to 64 , 50 to 64 , and 50-plus — but losing these demographics by smaller margins .
As the report noted , Biden achieving support that high among the oldest voters is rare ground for a Democratic candidate , with Al Gore the last candidate to win more voters over the age of 65 .
“ If those figures hold until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift in the voting behavior of America ’ s oldest voters , ” the analysis noted .
The report added that the trend of older voters moving to Biden appears to be reflected in swing key swing states as well , though there is not as much data from these states as there is for national head-to-head polling .
The polling can still change between now and Election Day , the analysis noted , and is likely to do so .
It noted that Biden had previously been trailing Trump among voters 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , with Biden making up ground throughout April and early May .
Part of that rise for Biden has coincided with Trump ’ s falling approval ratings on his handling of the coronavirus crisis .
As CBS News found in a poll , a total of 43 percent of Americans said Trump has been doing a good job in handling the crisis while 57 percent said he was doing a bad job .
Those numbers were nearly flipped from polling initially taken in March , the early days of the outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was seeing a bump in support .
“ Views of President Trump ’ s handling of the outbreak continue to drop from March and are now the lowest he has received , ” the report noted .
“ Today , 43 % say he ’ s doing a good job , 5 points lower than three weeks ago and 10 points lower than in March .
”

Donald Trump won in 2016 with a strong performance among voters age 65 and older, but a new analysis finds that the president is losing ground among this key demographic.
The polling and analysis site FiveThirtyEight noted that recent public polling, as well as Trump’s own internal polls, show that former Vice President Joe Biden is taking a much larger share of this group than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. The flip for Trump has been dramatic among some older demographics, including the oldest voters. Trump won the 65 and older group by 13.3 points in the last election but now is trailing Biden by one point, the average of head-to-head polling showed. Trump has also lost ground among different splits of older voters, including those from 45 to 64, 50 to 64, and 50-plus — but losing these demographics by smaller margins.
As the report noted, Biden achieving support that high among the oldest voters is rare ground for a Democratic candidate, with Al Gore the last candidate to win more voters over the age of 65.
“If those figures hold until November, they would represent a seismic shift in the voting behavior of America’s oldest voters,” the analysis noted.
The report added that the trend of older voters moving to Biden appears to be reflected in swing key swing states as well, though there is not as much data from these states as there is for national head-to-head polling.
The polling can still change between now and Election Day, the analysis noted, and is likely to do so. It noted that Biden had previously been trailing Trump among voters 65 and older in polls from just last month, with Biden making up ground throughout April and early May.
Part of that rise for Biden has coincided with Trump’s falling approval ratings on his handling of the coronavirus crisis. As CBS News found in a poll, a total of 43 percent of Americans said Trump has been doing a good job in handling the crisis while 57 percent said he was doing a bad job. Those numbers were nearly flipped from polling initially taken in March, the early days of the outbreak in the United States and a time when Trump was seeing a bump in support.
“Views of President Trump’s handling of the outbreak continue to drop from March and are now the lowest he has received,” the report noted.


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Donald Trump Says He Started Taking Hydroxychloroquine Prophylactically Weeks Ago

U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that he started taking the medication hydroxychloroquine prophylactically weeks ago amid the coronavirus pandemic .
He shared the detail during a roundtable discussion he had with restaurant executives and industry leaders .
“ A lot of good things have come out about [ hydroxychloroquine ] … a lot of good things have come out .
You ’ d be surprised at how many people are taking it , especially the frontline workers , before you catch it .
The frontline workers , many many are taking it .
I happen to be taking it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been used to treat malaria for decades .
It became controversial after the president mentioned it several times during his daily coronavirus updates as a viable treatment for the novel coronavirus , although no studies corroborated his advice .
When asked when he began taking it , Trump said it was “ a couple of weeks ago.
” When asked why , he responded , “ because I think it ’ s good ; I ’ ve heard a lot of good stories .
And if it ’ s not good , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not going to get hurt by it .
It ’ s been around for 40 years for malaria , for lupus , for other things .
I take it .
Frontline workers take it .
A lot of doctors take it.
” The president admitted that he hopes to stop taking the medication prophylactically soon because health officials will come up with something else to treat or prevent the coronavirus .
The president said that he asked the White House doctor about taking it as a preventative , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president does not take the antibiotic that often goes along with hydroxychloroquine regularly , but he does take zinc along with it .
Trump said he had nothing to lose by taking the medicine .
Trump also told an anecdote of a doctor from the Westchester , New York , area who wrote to him about treating hundreds of his patients with hydroxychloroquine , azithromycin , and zinc .
Out of over 300 patients , the doctor claimed that he hadn ’ t lost one patient .
The president said that the doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite criticism .
He indicated that he ’ d received many such letters from clinicians around the country .
Several recent studies showed that hydroxychloroquine did not have an effect on the number of deaths of those who were hospitalized from COVID-19 , and The Washington Post recently declared it “ useless ” in fighting the virus .
However , SciTech Daily reported that The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) , which is part of the National Institutes of Health , began a trial on hydroxychloroquine combined with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approximately 2,000 adults who are confirmed as infected with the coronavirus and are experiencing fever , cough , and/or shortness of breath .
The study ’ s goal is to determine if the combination of drugs might prevent hospitalization and death for those who become infected with COVID-19 .


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Donald Trump May Be Impeached Again By 2021, Court Filing Suggests

On Monday , CNN reported on a court filing that reveals House Democrats requested the Supreme Court provide them with secret grand jury material from former special counsel Robert Mueller ‘ s 2016 investigation into Russian election interference .
According to the publication , the House Judiciary Committee is looking to determine if the documents contain new evidence of impeachable offenses linked to President Donald Trump , who was impeached last year on two counts and later acquitted by the Senate .
“ The Committee ’ s impeachment investigation related to obstruction of justice pertaining to the Russia investigation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House general counsel , said in the legal filing , which was dated Monday .
According to CNN , the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) has attempted to block the release of the materials , which Letter noted were originally requested by the House over a year ago .
As reported by Breitbart , Attorney General William Barr , an outspoken Trump ally , is the primary roadblock in the release of the records .
“ Normally grand jury proceedings are secret , and so Attorney General William Barr , citing federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the publication noted .
“ They then held him in contempt of Congress , and took their case for the materials to federal court.
” The publication continued to highlight that Democrats ultimately won the case at the D.C .
Circuit , but the DOJ appealed to the Supreme Court on May 7 .
On May 8 , Chief Justice Roberts put a temporary hold on the documents — a decision Letter is pushing back against .
A delay in the release of the materials , Letter argued , would hinder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the current Congress , which ends on January 3 , 2021 .
Mueller ’ s report concluded that there was no evidence that Trump ’ s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia .
Although the report documented multiple perceived instances of obstruction of justice , Mueller declined to indict Trump , citing the DOJ policy against such a process .
Instead , Mueller placed the decision on how to move forward in the hands of Congress and its powers of impeachment .
As The Inquisitr reported , Letter previously suggested that the documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges against Trump .
The president already faced one obstruction charge in December 2019 , along with one charge of abuse of power .

On Monday, CNN reported on a court filing that reveals House Democrats requested the Supreme Court provide them with secret grand jury material from former special counsel Robert Mueller‘s 2016 investigation into Russian election interference. According to the publication, the House Judiciary Committee is looking to determine if the documents contain new evidence of impeachable offenses linked to President Donald Trump, who was impeached last year on two counts and later acquitted by the Senate.
“The Committee’s impeachment investigation related to obstruction of justice pertaining to the Russia investigation is ongoing,” Douglas Letter, the House general counsel, said in the legal filing, which was dated Monday.
“If this material reveals new evidence supporting the conclusion that President Trump committed impeachable offenses that are not covered by the Articles adopted by the House, the Committee will proceed accordingly including, if necessary, by considering whether to recommend new articles of impeachment.”
According to CNN, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has attempted to block the release of the materials, which Letter noted were originally requested by the House over a year ago. As reported by Breitbart, Attorney General William Barr, an outspoken Trump ally, is the primary roadblock in the release of the records.
“Normally grand jury proceedings are secret, and so Attorney General William Barr, citing federal law, declined the Democrats’ request,” the publication noted.
“They then held him in contempt of Congress, and took their case for the materials to federal court.”
The publication continued to highlight that Democrats ultimately won the case at the D.C. Circuit, but the DOJ appealed to the Supreme Court on May 7. On May 8, Chief Justice Roberts put a temporary hold on the documents — a decision Letter is pushing back against. A delay in the release of the materials, Letter argued, would hinder the Committee from concluding its impeachment investigation in the current Congress, which ends on January 3, 2021.
Mueller’s report concluded that there was no evidence that Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. Although the report documented multiple perceived instances of obstruction of justice, Mueller declined to indict Trump, citing the DOJ policy against such a process. Instead, Mueller placed the decision on how to move forward in the hands of Congress and its powers of impeachment.
As The Inquisitr reported, Letter previously suggested that the documents could pave the way to new obstruction charges against Trump. The president already faced one obstruction charge in December 2019, along with one charge of abuse of power.


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Joe Biden Slams Donald Trump As ‘The Most Corrupt President In Modern American History’

Joe Biden attacked Donald Trump on Twitter Monday , calling out the president ’ s corruption and mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic .
The two men have traded punches over the popular social media platform over the past few weeks .
“ Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in modern American history — and his recovery efforts are making that clearer than ever , ” tweeted the presumed 2020 Democratic presidential candidate .
The former vice president ’ s tweet received nearly 17,000 retweets and almost 79,000 “ likes ” in just a couple of hours .
Plus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many agreeing with Biden ’ s sentiment and others disagreeing with his disparaging words about President Trump .
“ YES !
Couldn ’ t agree more .
let ’ s unite as Americans and get rid of this corrupt , incompetent ‘ president.
’ # DrainTheTrumpSwamp # RepublicansForBiden , ” replied one Twitter user .
“ And we ’ re leaving the GOP in mass because of it , ” noted a user who claimed to be a former Republican .
Still , others posted fact checks showing the date that Trump supposedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline of his actions in the days and weeks after that .
Other accounts also stated that the only issue facing the country for the 2020 election is removing President Trump from office , and some railed against the division within the United States , which they blamed on Trump .
However , not every reply agreed with Vice President Biden ’ s statement .
Plenty also expressed their support for the president on November 3 , 2020 .
Several also posted memes about “ Bidengate , ” “ Obamagate , ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And you , Sleepy Joe , are the weakest Presidential Candidate in the modern American history… and your efforts to promote yourself are making that clearer than ever , ” replied one account using Trump ’ s nickname for Biden .
“ This is a very WEAK platform , Joe .
To capture independent & potential crossover voters , you ’ ve got to say more than how much you hate Trump .
Americans are already CLEAR on that , ” another concerned person wrote , asking the former Vice President to solidify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , Biden , who hasn ’ t named a running mate , has remained in his basement and has conducted his recent campaigning virtually .
There is some question about how the 77-year-old will lead his campaign amid the coronavirus pandemic since it has been mostly virtual since mid-March .
Still , Yahoo News reported that it sees a clear path to gaining the 318 electoral votes it needs to beat Trump in November .
The former vice president ’ s tweet came as new polls out of crucial swing states showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Inquisitr reported .
At least one poll analyst took the results as a positive sign that Biden is performing better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 .

Joe Biden attacked Donald Trump on Twitter Monday, calling out the president’s corruption and mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. The two men have traded punches over the popular social media platform over the past few weeks.
“Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in modern American history — and his recovery efforts are making that clearer than ever,” tweeted the presumed 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
The former vice president’s tweet received nearly 17,000 retweets and almost 79,000 “likes” in just a couple of hours. Plus, hundreds of accounts also left comments with many agreeing with Biden’s sentiment and others disagreeing with his disparaging words about President Trump.
“YES! Couldn’t agree more. let’s unite as Americans and get rid of this corrupt, incompetent ‘president.’ #DrainTheTrumpSwamp #RepublicansForBiden,” replied one Twitter user.
“And we’re leaving the GOP in mass because of it,” noted a user who claimed to be a former Republican.
Still, others posted fact checks showing the date that Trump supposedly learned about the novel coronavirus and a timeline of his actions in the days and weeks after that. Other accounts also stated that the only issue facing the country for the 2020 election is removing President Trump from office, and some railed against the division within the United States, which they blamed on Trump.
However, not every reply agreed with Vice President Biden’s statement. Plenty also expressed their support for the president on November 3. Several also posted memes about “Bidengate,” “Obamagate,” and Tara Reade’s accusations.
“And you, Sleepy Joe, are the weakest Presidential Candidate in the modern American history… and your efforts to promote yourself are making that clearer than ever,” replied one account using Trump’s nickname for Biden.
“This is a very WEAK platform, Joe. To capture independent & potential crossover voters, you’ve got to say more than how much you hate Trump. Americans are already CLEAR on that,” another concerned person wrote, asking the former Vice President to solidify his campaign message for 2020.
For now, Biden, who hasn’t named a running mate, has remained in his basement and has conducted his recent campaigning virtually. There is some question about how the 77-year-old will lead his campaign amid the coronavirus pandemic since it has been mostly virtual since mid-March. Still, Yahoo News reported that it sees a clear path to gaining the 318 electoral votes it needs to beat Trump in November.
The former vice president’s tweet came as new polls out of crucial swing states showed Biden holding the lead over Trump nationally, The Inquisitr reported. At least one poll analyst took the results as a positive sign that Biden is performing better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016.


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Barack Obama Turned Commencement Speech Into A ‘Political Drive-By Shooting,’ Bush Adviser Says

Barack Obama took a veiled jab at Donald Trump ‘ s handling of coronavirus during a commencement speech on Saturday , which has led to pushback from some Republicans .
As reported by Breitbart , Karl Rove , former President George W. Bush ’ s senior adviser , appeared on Fox News Channel ’ s Fox & Friends on Monday and compared Obama ’ s comments to a “ political drive-by shooting.
” The conversation began when co-host Brian Kilmeade noted that Obama took “ countless shots ” at Rove and the Bush administration during his speech .
“ Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finger on it .
It is so unseemly for a former president to take the virtual commencement ceremony for a series of historically black colleges and universities and turn it into a political drive-by shooting , ” Rove responded .
Rove suggested that the young graduates should have been “ inspired to a life of service ” and reminded that life would have challenges that would put their character to the test .
As noted by Ashley Reese in Jezebel , Rove ’ s decision to reference a drive-by shooting when speaking of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being spoken to by America ’ s first black president — was “ probably intentional.
” Reese pointed out that Rove was rumored to have been the orchestrator of a 2000 poll that asked voters whether they would support John McCain if he had an “ illegitimate black child.
” The survey came after McCain brought his adopted Bangladeshi daughter on the campaign trail when he was the primary challenger to then-Texas Governor Bush .
Despite Rove ’ s “ dog whistle , ” Reese claims that his beliefs run contrary to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tend to agree with Obama ’ s sentiments .
“ Trump ’ s handling of covid-19 hasn ’ t impressed voters , including those in battleground states , ” she wrote .
According to Reese , the attacks on Obama represent an “ old scapegoat in a new package ” intended to divert attention from the Trump administration ’ s COVID-19 response .
This strategy , she noted , has been fueled by Fox News , which has cut down on its coronavirus coverage to make room for Obamagate .
As reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic has “ torn back the curtain ” on the people in power and exposed them as individuals who don ’ t know what they ’ re doing .
Despite not mentioning Trump or vice president Mike Pence directly , Obama ’ s comments were largely believed to be a criticism of the current administration , which has been under scrutiny for its delayed response to the coronavirus crisis .
Obama also used his speech to address the killing of Ahmaud Arbery , which Reese compared to “ modern-day lynching .
”

Barack Obama took a veiled jab at Donald Trump‘s handling of the coronavirus during a commencement speech on Saturday, which has led to pushback from some Republicans. As reported by Breitbart, Karl Rove, former President George W. Bush’s senior adviser, appeared on Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends on Monday and compared Obama’s comments to a “political drive-by shooting.”
The conversation began when co-host Brian Kilmeade noted that Obama took “countless shots” at Rove and the Bush administration during his speech.
“Well, yeah, but you put your finger on it. It is so unseemly for a former president to take the virtual commencement ceremony for a series of historically black colleges and universities and turn it into a political drive-by shooting,” Rove responded.
Rove suggested that the young graduates should have been “inspired to a life of service” and reminded that life would have challenges that would put their character to the test.
“There are lots of positive messages that the former president could have delivered.”
As noted by Ashley Reese in Jezebel, Rove’s decision to reference a drive-by shooting when speaking of an event of black college students — being spoken to by America’s first black president — was “probably intentional.” Reese pointed out that Rove was rumored to have been the orchestrator of a 2000 poll that asked voters whether they would support John McCain if he had an “illegitimate black child.” The survey came after McCain brought his adopted Bangladeshi daughter on the campaign trail when he was the primary challenger to then-Texas Governor Bush.
Despite Rove’s “dog whistle,” Reese claims that his beliefs run contrary to the feelings of Americans, who she claims tend to agree with Obama’s sentiments.
“Trump’s handling of covid-19 hasn’t impressed voters, including those in battleground states,” she wrote.
According to Reese, the attacks on Obama represent an “old scapegoat in a new package” intended to divert attention from the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response. This strategy, she noted, has been fueled by Fox News, which has cut down on its coronavirus coverage to make room for Obamagate.
As reported by The Hill, Obama claimed that the coronavirus pandemic has “torn back the curtain” on the people in power and exposed them as individuals who don’t know what they’re doing. Despite not mentioning Trump or vice president Mike Pence directly, Obama’s comments were largely believed to be a criticism of the current administration, which has been under scrutiny for its delayed response to the coronavirus crisis.
Obama also used his speech to address the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, which Reese compared to “modern-day lynching.”


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Attorney General William Barr Says He Does Not Expect A Criminal Investigation Of Barack Obama Or Jo

Attorney General William Barr Says He Does Not Expect A Criminal Investigation Of Barack Obama Or Joe Biden

Although Donald Trump continues to implicate former President Barack Obama in alleged crimes linked to the investigation of his 2016 campaign , Attorney General William Barr appeared to pour cold water on the possibility that he or former vice president Joe Biden would face charges .
As reported by Fox News , Barr spoke at length about U.S. Attorney John Durham ’ s investigation into the Russia probe on Monday .
While the outspoken Trump ally claimed that some aspects of the probe are being examined as “ potential crimes , ” he noted that not all abuses of power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Department of Justice ’ s ( DOJ ) decision to pardon Trump ’ s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn led to Democratic criticism of Barr for what some think was a partisan use of the executive branch .
Among Republicans , the move fueled theories that the attorney general would be taking aim at the former administration for allegedly launching a political probe into Trump before taking office .
In his Monday talk , Barr said there has been a growing pattern over the past few decades in which the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political weapon.
” “ It is not good for our criminal justice system , ” he said .
Barr pointed to the divided nation and stressed the importance of an election where the American people choose between Trump and Biden via a “ robust debate of policy issues.
” Durham ’ s probe , which is allegedly looking into the misconduct in the FISA warrants used in the surveillance of former Trump campaign official Carter Page , is expected to wrap up by the end of the summer .
As reported by Raw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sitting well with Trump supporters , some of who appear to be turning on him .
Amid the push of Obamagate , many of the president ’ s backers have hoped to see Obama face charges for his purported role in the 2016 investigation of Trump ’ s campaign , which doesn ’ t appear likely .
According to a Republican informal White House adviser who spoke anonymously , Trump ’ s fixation on Obamagate is not an official strategy and would likely not last long .
Critics have suggested that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off of the president ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic .

Although Donald Trump continues to implicate former President Barack Obama in alleged crimes linked to the investigation of his 2016 campaign, Attorney General William Barr appeared to pour cold water on the possibility that he or former vice president Joe Biden would face charges.
As reported by Fox News, Barr spoke at length about U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation into the Russia probe on Monday. While the outspoken Trump ally claimed that some aspects of the probe are being examined as “potential crimes,” he noted that not all abuses of power are tantamount to a federal crime.
“As for President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement based on what I know, I don’t expect Durham’s work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man. Our concern of potential criminality is focused on others.”
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision to pardon Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn led to Democratic criticism of Barr for what some think was a partisan use of the executive branch. Among Republicans, the move fueled theories that the attorney general would be taking aim at the former administration for allegedly launching a political probe into Trump before taking office.
In his Monday talk, Barr said there has been a growing pattern over the past few decades in which the criminal justice system is harnessed as a “political weapon.”
“It is not good for our criminal justice system,” he said.
Barr pointed to the divided nation and stressed the importance of an election where the American people choose between Trump and Biden via a “robust debate of policy issues.”
“We cannot allow this process to be hijacked by efforts to drum up criminal investigations of either candidate.”
Durham’s probe, which is allegedly looking into the misconduct in the FISA warrants used in the surveillance of former Trump campaign official Carter Page, is expected to wrap up by the end of the summer.
As reported by Raw Story, Barr’s comments are not sitting well with Trump supporters, some of who appear to be turning on him. Amid the push of Obamagate, many of the president’s backers have hoped to see Obama face charges for his purported role in the 2016 investigation of Trump’s campaign, which doesn’t appear likely.
And AG Bill Barr just announced no charges will be made against Obama and Biden! Why doesn’t he just include Hilary in with them. We will never see justice served. I think Rand Paul was right about Bill Barr! SMH 🤦♀ https://t.co/l4TRKFk4EB — Belovedgender (@LadyNRedjagger) May 18, 2020
According to a Republican informal White House adviser who spoke anonymously, Trump’s fixation on Obamagate is not an official strategy and would likely not last long. Critics have suggested that this represents an attempt to take the focus off of the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Barack Obama Blasting Donald Trump Because He Has Reached His ‘Breaking Point,’ Says CNN

Former President Barack Obama has been largely silent about the current administration , but in recent days , he has become more vocally critical about Donald Trump and his team .
CNN says that ’ s because Obama has finally reached his “ breaking point ” and is so concerned about the handling of the coronavirus pandemic that he feels compelled to speak out .
CNN contributor Kate Andersen Brower appeared in an interview on the network ’ s New Day , hosted by John Berman .
The two tackled the topic of COVID-19 and the Trump administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama ’ s recent comments .
Obama broke his silence on Trump ’ s job in office recently after a leaked audio recording revealed him calling the current response a “ chaotic disaster , ” as The Inquisitr previously reported .
He later gave a commencement speech where he slammed leaders who didn ’ t appear to be taking their job seriously , which most people took to be a reference to the president , though he didn ’ t name Trump specifically .
He also said that the pandemic has exposed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t appear to know what they are doing .
Trump later fired back , calling Obama “ incompetent ” and has pushed an unproven theory that he is calling “ Obamagate , ” which suggests that Obama was involved in a conspiracy to hamper Trump ’ s 2016 run for president .
During the show , Berman mused what it was about the current crisis that provoked the former president to criticize his predecessor .
Brower suggested that while Obama has maintained relative silence for the first three years of the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has reached the point where he feels compelled to speak out .
“ I think how we see how its disproportionately affecting African-Americans and minority communities that is of particular concern for President Obama , ” Brower said .
Brower claims that Obama has been relatively careful about being publically critical of Trump to this point because he believes that the current president is looking for someone to act as an enemy that his supporters can rally against .
“ But , you know , he has been very reluctant to say anything @ @ @ @ @

Former President Barack Obama has been largely silent about the current administration, but in recent days, he has become more vocally critical about Donald Trump and his team. CNN says that’s because Obama has finally reached his “breaking point” and is so concerned about the handling of the coronavirus pandemic that he feels compelled to speak out.
CNN contributor Kate Andersen Brower appeared in an interview on the network’s New Day, hosted by John Berman. The two tackled the topic of COVID-19 and the Trump administration’s handling of it, as well as Obama’s recent comments.
Obama broke his silence on Trump’s job in office recently after a leaked audio recording revealed him calling the current response a “chaotic disaster,” as The Inquisitr previously reported.
He later gave a commencement speech where he slammed leaders who didn’t appear to be taking their job seriously, which most people took to be a reference to the president, though he didn’t name Trump specifically. He also said that the pandemic has exposed the fact that people in charge don’t appear to know what they are doing.
Trump later fired back, calling Obama “incompetent” and has pushed an unproven theory that he is calling “Obamagate,” which suggests that Obama was involved in a conspiracy to hamper Trump’s 2016 run for president.
During the show, Berman mused what it was about the current crisis that provoked the former president to criticize his predecessor. Brower suggested that while Obama has maintained relative silence for the first three years of the Trump administration, his recent comments suggest that he has reached the point where he feels compelled to speak out.
“I think how we see how its disproportionately affecting African-Americans and minority communities that is of particular concern for President Obama,” Brower said.
“He’s in a uniquely placed position to criticize President Trump’s handling of the pandemic. He called it a ‘chaotic disaster’ in that call with his aide.”
Brower claims that Obama has been relatively careful about being publically critical of Trump to this point because he believes that the current president is looking for someone to act as an enemy that his supporters can rally against.
“But, you know, he has been very reluctant to say anything,” she added.


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Donald Trump Attacks ’60 Minutes’ After Segment Featuring Whistleblower Who Criticized Coronavirus R

Donald Trump Attacks ’60 Minutes’ After Segment Featuring Whistleblower Who Criticized Coronavirus Response

On Sunday , Donald Trump responded to the latest episode of 60 Minutes after the program featured an interview with whistleblower Rick Bright .
Bright has been critical of the president ’ s response to the coronavirus and claimed that his administration ignored repeated warnings about the early outbreak of the virus .
Bright claims that he tried to warn Trump in January that the outbreak could become a pandemic and threaten the United States .
Despite his warnings , Bright said the Trump administration did not take the information seriously .
Bright went on to say that he continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration have plans for testing , treatment , and vaccines — warnings that he claimed continued to go unheeded .
Trump responded on Twitter to the interview , calling Bright a “ disgruntled employee ” and accusing him of lying .
“ Tonight they put on yet another Fake ‘ Whistleblower ’ , a disgruntled employee who supports Dems , fabricates stories & spews lies .
@ 60Minutes report was incorrect , which they couldn ’ t care less about .
Fake News !
” In a later tweet , Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be investigated , calling on Maine Senator Susan Collins to pay attention to the claim .
This is not the first time that the president has had issues with 60 Minutes .
Last week , he also took to Twitter to claim that both the show and CBS News were using their media platform to defend China and shield the country from criticism over its coronavirus response .
“ .
@ CBS and their show , @ 60Minutes , are doing everything within their power , which is far less today than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend China and the horrible Virus pandemic that was inflicted on the USA and the rest of the World .
I guess they want to do business in China !
” Like Sunday ’ s tweet , this came within minutes of the news program airing a segment about a virologist who said his funding at the National Institutes of Health was cut close to two weeks ago .
The researcher , Peter Daszak , said that he had been warning for close to two decades that a virus-borne pandemic could be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The report said that the funding cut was the result of a “ political disinformation campaign ” claiming that a lab in Wuhan , China , was responsible for the virus outbreak .
The report also noted that Trump incorrectly suggested that a $ 3.7 million grant for Daszak ’ s research went to the Wuhan lab , when the amount was was closer to $ 100,000 .


inquisitr--2020-05-18--Donald Trump Pushing ‘Obamagate’ To Distract Public And Damage Joe Biden, Says Democratic Strategist

In a Sunday op-ed penned for The Hill , longtime Democratic strategist Maria Cardona weighed in on President Donald Trump ‘ s allegations against his predecessor Barack Obama .
In recent weeks , Trump and his allies have regularly referenced “ Obamagate , ” , a claim that the former president sought to undermine the Trump administration .
According to Cardona , “ Obamagate ” is Trump ’ s latest attempt to distract the public from his failures amid the coronavirus pandemic and damage Joe Biden ‘ s White House bid .
The strategist pointed to polling , arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has handled the government ’ s response to the novel coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic .
Cardona added that polls suggest Americans would rather have Biden in charge during a national crisis .
Instead of dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak and gradually reopening the economy , Cardona wrote that Trump and his supporters have instead promoted an “ absurd conspiracy theory.
” Cardona noted that Biden is beating Trump in most national polls , suggesting that the president is lashing out because he is becoming increasingly nervous about his chances of winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even though there is “ no evidence ” Obama attempted to undermine Trump , the president and his allies seem determined to draw the public ’ s attention to the supposed scandal .
Soon after Trump “ unleashed a whirlwind of Twitter fury , ” conservative pundits and media figures began to push the narrative against the former president , she argued .
Cardona also touched upon the accusations Trump has leveled against Obama and Biden .
The president has claimed that the two men were involved in the case pertaining to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigations into Russian election interference .
However , according to Cardona , neither Trump nor Biden did anything wrong or out of the ordinary .
In fact , Obama “ warned ” Trump about Flynn ’ s alleged dealings with the Russian government .
The strategist wrote that those events have not stopped Trump and his supporters from spreading a “ juicy conspiracy theory ” about the former president .
Despite the efforts , she asserts that “ Obamagate ” accusations will not help Trump win the 2020 presidential election .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
It will delight Trump ’ s base , but it will further prove that Trump does not belong in the White House.
” Since leaving the White House , Obama has seldom commented on Trump ’ s job performance , but he appears to be moving off the political sidelines .
On Saturday , during a virtual address to graduates of historically black colleges and universities , he seemed to criticize the way the Trump administration has handled the COVID-19 pandemic .
Less than 24 hours later , Trump responded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

In a Sunday op-ed penned for The Hill, longtime Democratic strategist Maria Cardona weighed in on President Donald Trump’s allegations against his predecessor, Barack Obama.
In recent weeks, Trump and his allies have regularly referenced “Obamagate,” a term surrounding claims that the former president sought to undermine the Trump administration. According to Cardona, “Obamagate” is Trump’s latest attempt to distract the public from his failures amid the coronavirus pandemic while also damaging Joe Biden’s White House bid.
The strategist pointed to polling, arguing that the public is not happy with how Trump has handled the government’s response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Cardona added that polls suggest Americans would rather have Biden in charge during a national crisis. Instead of dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak and gradually reopening the economy, Cardona wrote that Trump and his supporters have instead promoted an “absurd conspiracy theory.”
“The reality is that Obamagate is meant to obfuscate. It is designed to take voters’ minds off Trump’s coronavirus mess by making up something outlandish and scandalous about the former president and his vice president.”
Cardona noted that Biden is beating Trump in most national polls, suggesting that the president is lashing out because he is becoming increasingly nervous about his chances of winning in November.
According to the strategist, even though there is “no evidence” Obama attempted to undermine Trump, the president and his allies seem determined to draw the public’s attention to the supposed scandal. Soon after Trump “unleashed a whirlwind of Twitter fury,” conservative pundits and media figures began to push the narrative against the former president, she argued.
Cardona also touched upon the accusations Trump has leveled against Obama and Biden. The president has claimed that the two men were involved in the case pertaining to Michael Flynn because they sought to substantiate investigations into Russian election interference.
However, according to Cardona, neither Trump nor Biden did anything wrong or out of the ordinary. In fact, Obama “warned” Trump about Flynn’s alleged dealings with the Russian government. The strategist wrote that those events have not stopped Trump and his supporters from spreading a “juicy conspiracy theory” about the former president. Despite the efforts, she asserts that “Obamagate” accusations will not help Trump win the 2020 presidential election.
“The ‘Obamagate’ diversion will not work. It will delight Trump’s base, but it will further prove that Trump does not belong in the White House.”
Since leaving the White House, Obama has seldom commented on Trump’s job performance, but he appears to be moving off the political sidelines.
On Saturday, during a virtual address to graduates of historically black colleges and universities, Obama seemed to criticize the way the Trump administration has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Less than 24 hours later, Trump responded, describing Obama as “grossly incompetent.”