inquisitr--2020-07-10--Donald Trump’s Campaign Delayed New Hampshire Rally To Avoid ‘Embarrassment,’ Ex-RNC Head Says

On Friday , Donald Trump ’ s campaign stated that it had postponed its Portsmouth , New Hampshire rally set for Saturday due to weather concerns , CBS News ’ Boston affiliate reported .
However , according to former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele , the real reason for the rescheduling is a fear of “ embarrassment.
” “ It ’ s a different narrative when you ’ re , as you saw , in Tulsa and in Arizona , where the numbers were far shorter off the mark than what the president ’ s team had projected and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ That kind of political embarrassment where polling numbers , just fresh out today are showing only 37 percent of the country supporting how the president is handling any of this , 33 percent of the American people supporting how the president is handling the racism.
” Steele claims that the Trump campaign doesn ’ t want to “ compound that narrative ” with more pictures and videos of “ half-empty halls.
” The former RNC chair concluded that the postponement likely reflects “ political withdrawal ” as opposed to weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the White House pointed to Tropical Storm Fay as the primary reason for the postponement of the Portsmouth rally and said in a statement that the new date would be announced “ soon.
” But NBC News cited a Trump campaign official who allegedly said that team is working to avoid a repeat of the Tulsa rally , which had an underwhelming turnout .
According to that White House official , the Tulsa rally helped Trump come to the realization that his supporters might not turn out for him in the numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
“ It can ’ t be 2016 , ” the official said .
According to the report , the Portsmouth rally will take a different approach than past rallies when it does take place .
Notably , masks will be “ strongly encouraged.
” Staffers have yet to provide any prediction for crowd size or attendee requests — as campaign manager Brad Parscale previously did before the disappointing Tulsa rally .
As of now , the Trump campaign has not revealed its plans for possible forthcoming rallies after Portsmouth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Alabama before Tuesday , the idea was allegedly scrapped in the face of COVID-19 concerns raised by public health experts .
Trump previously rescheduled his Tulsa rally from Juneteenth — which commemorates the end of slavery — after public backlash .
However , former Barack Obama administration aide Khalilah Harris suggested that the real reason for the date change was Trump ’ s fear of confrontation with counterprotesters .
Harris also accused Trump of purposely scheduling the initial date for Juneteenth , which conflicts with the president ’ s claim that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significance .

On Friday, Donald Trump’s campaign stated that it had postponed its Portsmouth, New Hampshire rally set for Saturday due to weather concerns, CBS News’ Boston affiliate reported. However, according to former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, the real reason for the rescheduling is a fear of “embarrassment,” Raw Story reported.
“It’s a different narrative when you’re, as you saw, in Tulsa and in Arizona, where the numbers were far shorter off the mark than what the president’s team had projected and was telling the public,” Steele said. “That kind of political embarrassment where polling numbers, just fresh out today are showing only 37 percent of the country supporting how the president is handling any of this, 33 percent of the American people supporting how the president is handling the racism.”
Steele claims that the Trump campaign doesn’t want to “compound that narrative” with more pictures and videos of “half-empty halls.” The former RNC chair concluded that the postponement likely reflects “political withdrawal” as opposed to weather concerns.
As reported by CBS News, the White House pointed to Tropical Storm Fay as the primary reason for the postponement of the Portsmouth rally and said in a statement that the new date would be announced “soon.” But NBC News cited a Trump campaign official who allegedly said that team is working to avoid a repeat of the Tulsa rally, which had an underwhelming turnout. According to that White House official, the Tulsa rally helped Trump come to the realization that his supporters might not turn out for him in the numbers they did in 2016 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It can’t be 2016,” the official said.
According to the report, the Portsmouth rally will take a different approach than past rallies when it does take place. Notably, masks will be “strongly encouraged.” Staffers have yet to provide any prediction for crowd size or attendee requests — as campaign manager Brad Parscale previously did before the disappointing Tulsa rally.
As of now, the Trump campaign has not revealed its plans for possible forthcoming rallies after Portsmouth. Although aides have reportedly discussed holding one in Alabama before Tuesday, the idea was allegedly scrapped in the face of COVID-19 concerns raised by public health experts.
Trump previously rescheduled his Tulsa rally from Juneteenth — which commemorates the end of slavery — after public backlash. However, former Barack Obama administration aide Khalilah Harris suggested that the real reason for the date change was Trump’s fear of confrontation with counterprotesters. Harris also accused Trump of purposely scheduling the initial date for Juneteenth, which conflicts with the president’s claim that he was unaware of the date’s significance.


inquisitr--2020-07-10--Republican Lawmaker Says He Wants To ‘See More People’ Get Coronavirus

Republican state lawmaker Del Marsh said that he is “ not concerned ” about the surge in cases of the novel coronavirus in Alabama and hopes to “ see more people ” get the disease in order to hasten herd immunity in the area .
Reshad Hudson , a reporter for CBS in Alabama , posted a video on Twitter of the state lawmaker talking to reporters .
“ In fact , quite honestly , I want to see more people , because we start reaching an immunity as more people have it and get through it , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the state ’ s coronavirus task force , clarified that he wanted to see people in high-risk categories protected , but wanted those who are young and healthy should be exposed to and get the virus .
“ I don ’ t want any deaths — as few as possible , ” he said .
“ So those people who are susceptible to the disease , especially those with preexisting conditions , elderly population , those folks , we need to do all we can to protect them .
But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure that everybody can receive care .
And right now we have , to my knowledge as of today , we still have ample beds.
” The idea of herd immunity is something that many people have spoken about .
The concept is that once enough people have and become immune to the virus , the disease will stop spiking in various regions .
Without a vaccine or effective treatment for the virus , some people consider this to be the best option for moving back to some semblance of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayo Clinic say that herd immunity is a long way off and may not be a viable solution , given that it is still unknown how long and how well people remain immune to the virus once they ’ ve had it .
Sweden famously opted to take the route of aiming for herd immunity , but most experts say that their strategy was ineffective .
The country has seen a higher number of cases and deaths than any other Scandinavian country , but very few citizens appear to have antibodies for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fared better , either .
People were quick to lash out at Marsh ’ s comments .
Kiani Gardener , an Alabama scientist who is running for Congress , tweeted that she found his comments concerning and accused Marsh of not understanding the science behind the disease .
The state has recently seen an increase in coronavirus , with nearly 50,000 confirmed cases , with over 1,300 new cases in one day on Thursday .
President Donald Trump had planned to hold a rally in the state but was forced to cancel after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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inquisitr--2020-07-10--Joe Biden Campaign Is Using ‘Trumpian Slogans’ On Barack Obama Policies, ‘New York Post’ Editorial B

Joe Biden Campaign Is Using ‘Trumpian Slogans’ On Barack Obama Policies, ‘New York Post’ Editorial Board Says

On Thursday evening , the New York Post editorial board accused Joe Biden ’ s campaign of using “ Trumpian slogans ” to cover for Barack Obama-era policies in his new economic plan , “ Build Back Better.
” The editorial board noted that the plan conflicts with Biden ’ s political history of supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership .
“ Now he wants to spend $ 400 billion over four years on having Uncle Sam ‘ buy American , ’ plus $ 300 billion in R & D for progressive pet projects such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The board pointed to the plan ’ s various slogans — “ Make it in America , ” “ Buy American , ” “ Stand up for America , ” — and noted their similarity to the language of the Trump campaign .
Despite the similarities between Biden ’ s plan and Trump ’ s economic approach , the New York Post editorial board claims that the vice president ’ s program differs in its Obama-era approach to taxation .
“ It ’ s an Obama-plus program — including lots of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.4 trillion in tax hikes he promised months ago , ” the article reads .
In conclusion , the board suggested that the new policies are intended to channel the Trump campaign ’ s energy while running a campaign that runs contrary to the president ’ s economic policies and achievements .
Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon previously spoke of Biden ’ s new plan and claimed it was an attempt to lift ideas for Trump ’ s 2016 campaign .
According to Bannon , the project is the result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking to reporters on Friday , Trump accused Biden of plagiarizing his economic proposals .
As reported by Politico , Trump accused the plan of being “ radical left ” and claimed that the former vice president is unable to accomplish the things that he has during his presidency .
As reported by Al Jazeera , Biden ’ s plan proposed to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent , reverting the cut from Trump ’ s Tax Cut and Jobs Act .
The project will also funnel $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investment and procurement programs in industries ranging from clean energy to artificial intelligence and biotechnology .
During his announcement of the plan in northern Pennsylvania , Biden accused Trump of being out of touch with the struggles of regular people .
Notably , Biden lambasted the president ’ s focus on the stock market instead of the success of average families .

On Thursday evening, the New York Post editorial board accused Joe Biden’s campaign of using “Trumpian slogans” to cover for Barack Obama-era policies in his new economic plan, “Build Back Better.”
The editorial board noted that the plan conflicts with Biden’s political history of supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“Now he wants to spend $400 billion over four years on having Uncle Sam ‘buy American,’ plus $300 billion in R&D for progressive pet projects such as electric vehicles,” the board wrote.
The board pointed to the plan’s various slogans — “Make it in America,” “Buy American,” “Stand up for America,” — and noted their similarity to the language of the Trump campaign.
Despite the similarities between Biden’s plan and Trump’s economic approach, the New York Post editorial board claims that the vice president’s program differs in its Obama-era approach to taxation.
“It’s an Obama-plus program — including lots of new taxes, on top of the $3.4 trillion in tax hikes he promised months ago,” the article reads.
In conclusion, the board suggested that the new policies are intended to channel the Trump campaign’s energy while running a campaign that runs contrary to the president’s economic policies and achievements.
“The pre-coronavirus economy was soaring, but Biden’s out to undo all the Trump policies that helped make that happen. You’re not supposed to notice, because Joe’s slogans sound like Make America Great Again. In short, he thinks the voters are fools.”
Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon previously spoke of Biden’s new plan and claimed it was an attempt to lift ideas for Trump’s 2016 campaign. According to Bannon, the project is the result of Biden’s economic advisers.
While speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump accused Biden of plagiarizing his economic proposals. As reported by Politico, Trump accused the plan of being “radical left” and claimed that the former vice president is unable to accomplish the things that he has during his presidency.
As reported by Al Jazeera, Biden’s plan proposed to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, reverting the cut from Trump’s Tax Cut and Jobs Act. The project will also funnel $700 billion of federal funds into government investment and procurement programs in industries ranging from clean energy to artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
During his announcement of the plan in northern Pennsylvania, Biden accused Trump of being out of touch with the struggles of regular people. Notably, Biden lambasted the president’s focus on the stock market instead of the success of average families.


inquisitr--2020-07-10--President Donald Trump Claims Joe Biden ‘Plagiarized’ His Economic Proposals

President Donald Trump has accused his opponent in the upcoming general election — presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden — of plagiarizing his economic proposals .
The president made the claim on Friday while speaking with reporters , according to Politico .
“ He plagiarized from me , but he could never pull it off , ” Trump said in response to a question about about Biden ’ s recently revealed plan for the economy .
The Biden campaign had unveiled the former vice president ’ s “ Build Back Better ” economic strategy 24 hours earlier .
Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of America ” component , which focuses on the revitalization of American manufacturing , the retaining and creation of “ well-paid ” manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and a prompting to buy American goods .
To that end , it calls for a $ 400 billion procurement investment , which the campaign asserts would increase demand for products made in the U.S. Biden has further proposed a $ 300 billion investment in breakthrough technologies and research and development .
That emphasis on boosting American manufacturing and the purchasing of domestic goods in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ America First ” credo of Trump ’ s policies .
However , Andrew Bates — a spokesperson for the Biden campaign — maintained in a statement to Politico that Biden ’ s economic proposals couldn ’ t be more different from those of the president .
“ The truth is , Trump promised voters he ’ d stand with American workers , but spent his entire time in office siding with corporate boardrooms and his big money donors over middle class families — creating giant new financial rewards for outsourcing jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions , ” Bates said .
“ His presidency has thrown American manufacturing into a recession , killed tens of millions of jobs , and sent the strong economy he inherited from the Obama-Biden Administration into a full-on meltdown.
” Before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the shut-down of commerce and public spaces around the country , national unemployment rates had reached record lows during Trump ’ s time in office .
Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , the unemployment rate had plummeted to 3.5 percent as of November of 2019 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February of this year .
However , the unemployment rate reached double-digits in April and has remained historically high as the nation contends with the ongoing health crisis .
Biden ’ s economic plan addresses the pandemic specifically , stating that a Biden administration would provide state , local and tribal governments with the aid to help keep essential workers on the job , extend the COVID-19 crisis unemployment insurance and provide a comeback package for Main Street businesses and entrepreneurs .
Politico further opined that the major focus of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade deals , while the Biden ’ s proposals focus instead on domestic investment and job creation .

President Donald Trump has accused his opponent in the upcoming general election — presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden — of plagiarizing his economic proposals. The president made the claim on Friday while speaking with reporters, according to Politico.
“He plagiarized from me, but he could never pull it off,” Trump said in response to a question about about Biden’s recently revealed plan for the economy.
“He likes plagiarizing. It’s a plan that is very radical left. But he said the right things because he’s copying what I’ve done, but the difference is he can’t do it.”
The Biden campaign had unveiled the former vice president’s “Build Back Better” economic strategy 24 hours earlier. Biden’s plan includes a “made in all of America” component, which focuses on the revitalization of American manufacturing, the retaining and creation of “well-paid” manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and a prompting to buy American goods. To that end, it calls for a $400 billion procurement investment, which the campaign asserts would increase demand for products made in the U.S.
Biden has further proposed a $300 billion investment in breakthrough technologies and research and development.
That emphasis on boosting American manufacturing and the purchasing of domestic goods in particular does strike a similar chord to the “America First” credo of Trump’s policies. However, Andrew Bates — a spokesperson for the Biden campaign — maintained in a statement to Politico that Biden’s economic proposals couldn’t be more different from those of the president.
“The truth is, Trump promised voters he’d stand with American workers, but spent his entire time in office siding with corporate boardrooms and his big money donors over middle class families — creating giant new financial rewards for outsourcing jobs and trying to take healthcare away from millions,” Bates said. “His presidency has thrown American manufacturing into a recession, killed tens of millions of jobs, and sent the strong economy he inherited from the Obama-Biden Administration into a full-on meltdown.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the shut-down of commerce and public spaces around the country, national unemployment rates had reached record lows during Trump’s time in office. Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate had plummeted to 3.5 percent as of November of 2019 and remained at or near that mark through February of this year. However, the unemployment rate reached double-digits in April and has remained historically high as the nation contends with the ongoing health crisis.
Biden’s economic plan addresses the pandemic specifically, stating that a Biden administration would provide state, local and tribal governments with the aid to help keep essential workers on the job, extend the COVID-19 crisis unemployment insurance and provide a comeback package for Main Street businesses and entrepreneurs.
Politico further opined that the major focus of Trump’s economic policies are what he considers unfair trade deals, while the Biden’s proposals focus instead on domestic investment and job creation.


inquisitr--2020-07-10--Donald Trump Says Roger Stone Was ‘Framed,’ Hints At Pardon

Roger Stone is slated to head to prison in just a few days , but President Donald Trump might throw a wrench in those plans .
Over a series of interviews , as the Daily Mail reported , the president suggested that he was considering the idea of pardoning his friend and former political adviser .
As Trump was leaving the White House to head to Florida for the weekend , he told reporters that he is “ looking at ” clemency for Stone , who was convicted of witness tampering and lying to investigators in connection with interference in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roger Stone was very unfairly treated , as were many people , ” Trump said .
He added that he thinks former Vice President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama should be the ones sent to prison .
“ And in the meantime , Comey and all these guys are walking around — including Biden and Obama — because we caught them spying on my campaign .
Who would have believed that one ?
” Trump said .
The president has frequently claimed that both Biden and Obama have committed various crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to give specifics about his assertions .
The day prior , Trump also hinted that he might be considering a pardon for Stone when Fox News host Sean Hannity asked the president about the situation .
“ I am always thinking , ” he said .
“ You ’ ll be watching like everyone else in this case.
” In a separate interview , Trump claimed that Stone was “ framed ” and decried the way his former adviser was treated .
“ He was treated horrible .
He was treated so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not definitively stated that he would pardon Stone , instead , saying that people would have to wait and see .
“ If you say he ’ s praying , his prayer may be answered , ” he said .
“ Let ’ s see what happens.
” Stone was convicted by a jury of seven felony counts , including lying to the FBI and Congress , along with witness tampering and obstruction of justice .
Allegedly , Stone lied about making contact with WikiLeaks and others in order to hamper Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in 2016 .
After Stone ’ s sentencing , Attorney General William Barr stepped in to recommend a shorter sentence , a decision that was met with intense backlash , including four federal prosecutors who withdrew themselves from the case .
Stone was eventually sentenced to 40 months in prison , a reduction from the original 7-9 years that was recommended .
Barr has said that he doesn ’ t agree with commuting Stone ’ s sentence .

Roger Stone is slated to head to prison in just a few days, but President Donald Trump might throw a wrench in those plans. Over a series of interviews, as the Daily Mail reported, the president suggested that he was considering the idea of pardoning his friend and former political adviser.
As Trump was leaving the White House to head to Florida for the weekend, he told reporters that he is “looking at” clemency for Stone, who was convicted of witness tampering and lying to investigators in connection with interference in the 2016 election.
“I think Roger Stone was very unfairly treated, as were many people,” Trump said.
He added that he thinks former Vice President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama should be the ones sent to prison.
“And in the meantime, Comey and all these guys are walking around — including Biden and Obama — because we caught them spying on my campaign. Who would have believed that one?” Trump said.
The president has frequently claimed that both Biden and Obama have committed various crimes, including spying, but he has declined to give specifics about his assertions.
The day prior, Trump also hinted that he might be considering a pardon for Stone when Fox News host Sean Hannity asked the president about the situation.
“I am always thinking,” he said. “You’ll be watching like everyone else in this case.”
In a separate interview, Trump claimed that Stone was “framed” and decried the way his former adviser was treated.
“He was treated horrible. He was treated so badly,” Trump said.
Trump has not definitively stated that he would pardon Stone, instead, saying that people would have to wait and see.
“If you say he’s praying, his prayer may be answered,” he said. “Let’s see what happens.”
Stone was convicted by a jury of seven felony counts, including lying to the FBI and Congress, along with witness tampering and obstruction of justice. Allegedly, Stone lied about making contact with WikiLeaks and others in order to hamper Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president against Trump in 2016.
After Stone’s sentencing, Attorney General William Barr stepped in to recommend a shorter sentence, a decision that was met with intense backlash, including four federal prosecutors who withdrew themselves from the case. Stone was eventually sentenced to 40 months in prison, a reduction from the original 7-9 years that was recommended.
Barr has said that he doesn’t agree with commuting Stone’s sentence.


inquisitr--2020-07-10--Donald Trump Is Fuming Over Brett Kavanaugh & Neil Gorsuch’s ‘Betrayal,’ Journalist Says

On Friday , journalist Jonathan Lemire of the Associated Press appeared on MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe and spoke of Donald Trump ’ s reaction to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch ’ s votes against him .
As reported by Raw Story , Lemire believes Trump considers their vote in favor of a subpoena of his tax returns is a “ betrayal.
” Although Lemire noted that the decision allows Trump to fight the effort in the lower courts , he claims that the president is nevertheless angry at Kavanaugh and Gorsuch ’ s votes .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the court itself , in particular according to our reporting , the justices that he appointed , Kavanaugh and [ Neil ] Gorsuch , who , as you said earlier , he demands loyalty from his appointees , from his staff in his circle even though he doesn ’ t always exhibit it in return.
” Lemire noted Trump ’ s difficult position in his reelection campaign as he faces unfavorable polls , as well as the recent setbacks from the Supreme Court .
Although Lemire says Trump has focused some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roberts , he claims that Trump feels a “ real sense of betrayal ” from Kavanaugh and Gorsuch , citing a person close to the president .
Tony Schwartz , the ghostwriter of Trump : The Art of the Deal , claimed that Trump now sees Kavanaugh and Gorsuch as his enemies .
According to Schwartz , Trump has a black-and-white view of the world that requires absolute loyalty from his allies .
Once this loyalty is not given from an ally , Schwartz says Trump cuts this person from his circle .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Michigan Law School , believes that Kavanaugh and Gorsuch ’ s votes were made with consideration of a future without Trump , NBC News reported .
With this future in mind , Primus suggested that Kavanaugh and Gorsuch are making sure they don ’ t “ completely blow up the Constitution ” on behalf of Trump .
As noted by CBC News , the decision to send the case to the lower courts means it ’ s unclear when it will be resolved .
In this sense , the decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely resolve before the November election .
“ Congressional subpoenas for information from the president , however , implicate special concerns regarding the separation of powers , ” Roberts wrote in the congressional case .
“ The courts below did not take adequate account of those concerns.
” Kavanaugh and Gorsuch ’ s break from Trump comes as multiple Senate Republicans are choosing to forgo the upcoming Republican National Convention ( RNC ) .

On Friday, journalist Jonathan Lemire of the Associated Press appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and spoke of Donald Trump’s reaction to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch’s votes against him. As reported by Raw Story, Lemire believes Trump considers their vote in favor of a subpoena of his tax returns is a “betrayal.”
Although Lemire noted that the decision allows Trump to fight the effort in the lower courts, he claims that the president is nevertheless angry at Kavanaugh and Gorsuch’s votes.
“But the anger from the president was that the court itself, in particular according to our reporting, the justices that he appointed, Kavanaugh and [Neil] Gorsuch, who, as you said earlier, he demands loyalty from his appointees, from his staff in his circle even though he doesn’t always exhibit it in return.”
Lemire noted Trump’s difficult position in his reelection campaign as he faces unfavorable polls, as well as the recent setbacks from the Supreme Court. Although Lemire says Trump has focused some of his purported anger at Chief Justice John Roberts, he claims that Trump feels a “real sense of betrayal” from Kavanaugh and Gorsuch, citing a person close to the president.
Tony Schwartz, the ghostwriter of Trump: The Art of the Deal, claimed that Trump now sees Kavanaugh and Gorsuch as his enemies. According to Schwartz, Trump has a black-and-white view of the world that requires absolute loyalty from his allies. Once this loyalty is not given from an ally, Schwartz says Trump cuts this person from his circle.
Richard Primus, a constitutional scholar at the University of Michigan Law School, believes that Kavanaugh and Gorsuch’s votes were made with consideration of a future without Trump, NBC News reported. With this future in mind, Primus suggested that Kavanaugh and Gorsuch are making sure they don’t “completely blow up the Constitution” on behalf of Trump.
As noted by CBC News, the decision to send the case to the lower courts means it’s unclear when it will be resolved. In this sense, the decision may benefit Trump as it will not likely resolve before the November election.
“Congressional subpoenas for information from the president, however, implicate special concerns regarding the separation of powers,” Roberts wrote in the congressional case. “The courts below did not take adequate account of those concerns.”
Kavanaugh and Gorsuch’s break from Trump comes as multiple Senate Republicans are choosing to forgo the upcoming Republican National Convention (RNC).


inquisitr--2020-07-10--Dr. Anthony Fauci Says He Hasn’t Been On TV Lately Because He Won’t Sugarcoat Coronavirus

Dr. Anthony Fauci hasn ’ t been on television as much lately , and the reason , he says , is likely because he continues to speak plainly and without “ sugar-coating ” the seriousness of the novel coronavirus .
The nation ’ s leading immunologist spoke with the Financial Times for an interview published Friday , as The Hill reported .
During the discussion , he laid bare concerns about the continued growth of the deadly virus and how his blunt way of laying out the facts may have gotten him sidelined as the public face of the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After weeks of reports that Fauci has been held back by the White House from appearing on television , Fauci confirmed that his plain-speaking might be the reason .
“ I have a reputation , as you probably have figured out , of speaking the truth at all times and not sugar-coating things .
And that may be one of the reasons why I haven ’ t been on television very much lately , ” he said .
President Donald Trump has appeared to reach the end of his tolerance from time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
In May , he blocked Fauci from speaking to Congress .
Fauci said that the president hasn ’ t had a meeting with him for over a month even as cases of COVID-19 skyrocket in some parts of the country .
The immunologist warned that the disease shows no signs of slowing in the U.S. and the slope of the curve , rather than being flattened , is growing .
“ It still looks like it ’ s exponential , ” he said .
Part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that some states opened too soon , while others waited until the correct time .
On top of that , many citizens are failing to take the virus seriously and continue to gather in crowds and go to bars or celebrations .
The result , he said , is that the nation is facing a “ serious problem.
” The doctor also brushed off comments that he has become a bit of a focus for what some people call “ Fauci-mania , ” as well as a target for others .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m certain , that the country , in a very stressful time , needed a symbol of someone who tells the truth , which I do , ” he said of his fans .
At the same time , he says that he and his family have been harassed as well .
“ I ’ ve gotten death threats .
My family has been harassed , my wife and my children .
That required my getting security protection for a while , ” he said .


inquisitr--2020-07-10--President Donald Trump Doubles Down On Schools Reopening With Fiery Tweet

President Donald Trump reaffirmed his stance that schools should reopen with children attending in-person classes this fall in a pointed Twitter post on Friday .
In doing so , the president once again threatened to withhold federal funding from schools should they fail to do so .
Trump also strongly decried the “ virtual learning ” that has taken place amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Now that we have witnessed it on a large scale basis , and firsthand , Virtual Learning has proven to be TERRIBLE compared to In School , or On Campus , Learning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even close !
Schools must be open in the Fall .
If not open , why would the Federal Government give Funding ?
It won ’ t !
!
!
” As previously reported by The Inquisitr , Trump held a White House event on Tuesday in an effort to drive officials to reopen educational institutions around the country .
He argued that schools are being kept closed for political reasons and also opined that continuing to keep students out of schools once the fall semester begins would pose a greater health risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One day later , he lauded countries like Denmark , Norway and Germany that have seemingly reopened schools without issue and floated the idea of cutting funding via Twitter .
“ The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election , but is important for the children & families , ” he wrote .
“ May cut off funding if not open.
” Although the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention ( CDC ) has indicated that it won ’ t be changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s criticism that they ’ re both “ impractical ” and “ expensive , ” Trump is getting some measure of support from a group of health officials regarding reopening itself .
For his part , CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has stated that schools are indeed capable of opening safely this fall ( with adherence to the established guidelines ) .
Moreover , several coronavirus experts have actually echoed the president ’ s assertion that keeping students at home could be more detrimental than sending them back to school .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow Trump ’ s advice for handling COVID-19 in general , Dr. Amesh Adalja — an infectious disease physician at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security — did say that the president ’ s position on reopening schools is supported by science in a CBC report .
Other health professionals cited in the report similarly denounced Trump ’ s overarching coronavirus opinions , but indicated a level of agreement about reopening .

President Donald Trump reaffirmed his stance that schools should reopen with children attending in-person classes this fall in a pointed Twitter post on Friday. In doing so, the president once again threatened to withhold federal funding from schools should they fail to do so. Trump also strongly decried the “virtual learning” that has taken place amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now that we have witnessed it on a large scale basis, and firsthand, Virtual Learning has proven to be TERRIBLE compared to In School, or On Campus, Learning,” the president tweeted. “Not even close! Schools must be open in the Fall. If not open, why would the Federal Government give Funding? It won’t!!!”
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Trump held a White House event on Tuesday in an effort to drive officials to reopen educational institutions around the country. He argued that schools are being kept closed for political reasons and also opined that continuing to keep students out of schools once the fall semester begins would pose a greater health risk to them than anything related to COVID-19.
One day later, he lauded countries like Denmark, Norway and Germany that have seemingly reopened schools without issue and floated the idea of cutting funding via Twitter.
“The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families,” he wrote. “May cut off funding if not open.”
Although the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has indicated that it won’t be changing its guidelines for reopening schools amid the president’s criticism that they’re both “impractical” and “expensive,” Trump is getting some measure of support from a group of health officials regarding reopening itself.
For his part, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has stated that schools are indeed capable of opening safely this fall (with adherence to the established guidelines). Moreover, several coronavirus experts have actually echoed the president’s assertion that keeping students at home could be more detrimental than sending them back to school.
While he stated he wouldn’t follow Trump’s advice for handling COVID-19 in general, Dr. Amesh Adalja — an infectious disease physician at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security — did say that the president’s position on reopening schools is supported by science in a CBC report. Other health professionals cited in the report similarly denounced Trump’s overarching coronavirus opinions, but indicated a level of agreement about reopening.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Former US Attorney Says Donald Trump Should Be Impeached, Even If He Loses Reelection

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Friday , former United States Attorney Barbara McQuade argued that President Donald Trump should be impeached , even if he loses reelection , Raw Story reported .
McQuade appeared on Rachel Maddow ’ s show hours after Trump commuted his former adviser Roger Stone ’ s prison sentence .
Discussing the Stone situation , McQuade pointed out that Attorney General William Barr ’ s Department of Justice has explicitly said that a sitting president can not be indicted .
However , she posited , “ one could make an argument that this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to McQuade , this is why Trump could potentially be charged with a crime after he leaves the White House , given that the statue of limitations for bribery is five years .
Impeachment is another option , she said .
Even though Republicans in the United States Senate have made it clear that they would not vote to convict a Republican president , this option would still be worth exploring because impeachment has other political implications , the former U.S. attorney argued .
McQuade explained that “ even if Trump should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be value in impeaching him because the remedy for impeachment is not simply removal from office , but it is to bar someone from seeking office in the future.
” McQuade also discussed the Stone case itself , pointing out that the president ’ s ally has been accused of obstructing justice and threatening witnesses .
However , according to the legal expert , Trump did not commute Stone ’ s sentence because Stone was a “ loyal friend , ” but in order to protect himself .
“ This is President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. attorney said .
As The Inquisitr reported , Trump ’ s decision to intervene in the Stone case was met with intense backlash .
Prominent Democratic politicians denounced Trump ’ s actions , with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren calling him “ the most corrupt president in American history.
” The White House defended Trump ’ s decision .
In a statement , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany described Stone as a “ victim ” of former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe into Russian election interference .
It has long been speculated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP operative ’ s case .
For months , Stone ’ s allies have reportedly been urging the president to take action .
Some of them did so publicly , appearing on Tucker Carlson ’ s Fox News show .
Barr was allegedly opposed to the idea of helping the 67-year-old , as were some of the president ’ s closest advisers .

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Friday, former United States Attorney Barbara McQuade argued that President Donald Trump should be impeached, even if he loses reelection, Raw Story reported.
McQuade appeared on Rachel Maddow’s show hours after Trump commuted his former adviser Roger Stone’s prison sentence.
Discussing the Stone situation, McQuade pointed out that Attorney General William Barr’s Department of Justice has explicitly said that a sitting president cannot be indicted. However, she posited, “one could make an argument that this is bribery, pure, and simple.”
According to McQuade, this is why Trump could potentially be charged with a crime after he leaves the White House, given that the statute of limitations for bribery is five years.
Impeachment is another option, she said. Even though Republicans in the United States Senate have made it clear that they would not vote to convict a Republican president, this option would still be worth exploring because impeachment has other political implications, the former U.S. attorney argued.
McQuade explained that “even if Trump should lose reelection in November, there could be value in impeaching him because the remedy for impeachment is not simply removal from office, but it is to bar someone from seeking office in the future.”
“And if President Trump were to decide to run for president in 2024, if he were impeached, he could also be barred from holding office in the future.”
McQuade also discussed the Stone case itself, pointing out that the president’s ally has been accused of obstructing justice and threatening witnesses. However, according to the legal expert, Trump did not commute Stone’s sentence because Stone was a “loyal friend,” but in order to protect himself.
“This is President Trump protecting President Trump,” the former U.S. attorney said.
As The Inquisitr reported, Trump’s decision to intervene in the Stone case was met with intense backlash. Prominent Democratic politicians denounced his actions, with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren calling him “the most corrupt president in American history.”
The White House defended Trump’s decision. In a statement, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany described Stone as a “victim” of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference.
It has long been speculated that Trump might intervene in the former GOP operative’s case. For months, Stone’s allies have reportedly been urging the president to take action. Some of them did so publicly, appearing on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show.
Barr was allegedly opposed to the idea of helping the 67-year-old, as were some of the president’s closest advisers.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Nancy Pelosi Slams Roger Stone Decision, Wants Law Against Pardon For Those Who Break Law Protecting

Nancy Pelosi Slams Roger Stone Decision, Wants Law Against Pardon For Those Who Break Law Protecting President

Nancy Pelosi is speaking out against Donald Trump ’ s decision to commute the sentence of longtime political adviser Roger Stone , saying she wants a law preventing future pardons from those who commit crimes to protect the president .
Pelosi appeared on CNN hours after the White House announced that Trump would be commuting the sentence of Stone , who was convicted of lying to investigators and intimidating a witness .
Trump had long spoken out against what he believed to be an unfair prosecution and hinted that he would intervene in Stone ’ s sentencing , and followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing the move , the White House said that Stone was the victim of a “ hoax ” in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
“ Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency , ” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement Friday night , via Fox News .
“ There was never any collusion between the Trump Campaign , or the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was never anything other than a fantasy of partisans unable to accept the result of the 2016 election .
The collusion delusion spawned endless and farcical investigations , conducted at great taxpayer expense , looking for evidence that did not exist.
” The decision was widely criticized , with many saying that Trump was trying to protect a longtime confidant who was convicted after lying to protect the president .
Pelosi said blamed “ the president and his henchmen ” and noted that many close to Trump have been convicted of crimes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ law that would outlaw pardons for people who were jailed for a crime that was meant to protect the president .
Pelosi had long been vocal in opposition to what she saw as improper conduct on Trump ’ s part , including a series of statements that he was considering a pardon for his longtime political adviser .
As The Hill noted , Pelosi said back in February that she believed the president engaged in political interference for Stone ’ s sentencing , and called for an investigation into the Department of Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Department of Justice had revised its sentencing recommendation , reversing a call from prosecutors that he serve more significant time in jail .
The decision drew widespread criticism at the time , and led to growing speculation that Trump would pardon Stone before he served time in jail .

Nancy Pelosi spoke out against Donald Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of longtime political adviser Roger Stone, saying she wants a law preventing future pardons for those who commit crimes in order to protect the president.
Pelosi appeared on CNN hours after the White House announced that Trump would be commuting Stone’s sentence. Pelosi said blamed “the president and his henchmen” and noted that many close to Trump have been convicted of crimes. She called on Congress to pass a law that would outlaw pardons for people who were jailed for a crime that was meant to protect the president.
“”I’m recommending that we pass a law that presidents cannot issue a pardon if the crime that the person is in jail for is one that is caused by protecting the President, which this was,” she said.
The House speaker also released a statement condemning Trump’s decision to commute the sentence, again noting that Stone’s offenses appeared to be linked back to his relationship with Trump.
“President Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of top campaign advisor Roger Stone, who could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct, is an act of staggering corruption,” Pelosi said.
The White House had announced the decision to commute Stone’s sentence just before he was scheduled to enter a federal prison in Georgia to serve out his sentence.
Pelosi has long been vocal about her opposition to what she saw as improper conduct on Trump’s part, including a series of statements that he was considering a pardon for his longtime political adviser. As The Hill noted, Pelosi said back in February that she believed the president engaged in political interference for Stone’s sentencing, and called for an investigation into the Department of Justice’s handling of the matter.
The Department of Justice revised its sentencing recommendation, reversing a call from prosecutors that he serve more significant time in jail. The decision drew widespread criticism at the time and led to growing speculation that Trump would pardon Stone before he served time in jail.
Stone was convicted of lying to investigators and tampering with a witness. Trump had long spoken out against what he believed to be an unfair prosecution and hinted that he would intervene in the sentencing. The president followed through on Friday.
The decision was widely criticized, with many saying that Trump was trying to protect a longtime confidant who was convicted after lying to protect the president.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Adam Schiff Slams Donald Trump For Creating ‘Two Systems Of Justice’ After President Commuted Stone’

Adam Schiff Slams Donald Trump For Creating ‘Two Systems Of Justice’ After President Commuted Stone’s Sentence

After President Donald Trump commuted his ally Roger Stone ’ s sentence earlier today , Representative Adam Schiff , who is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , condemned the president for creating what he called separate systems of justice in the United States .
The Massassachuttes Democrat expressed his thoughts on the president singing an Executive Grant of Clemency just days before Stone ’ s sentence was set to begin in a tweet .
The congressman ’ s tweet received a lot of attention , with nearly 60,000 likes and more than 22,000 retweets .
Approximately 14,000 Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many agreed with Schiff ’ s comments , but others expressed their happiness about President Trump ’ s decision to allow Stone not to serve his sentence .
Fox News reported that Stone was convicted of charges related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation in the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
Before the president commuted the sentence , Stone was supposed to begin his 40 months behind bars on July 14 .
He received his sentence in February 2020 after his November 2019 conviction .
A jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven counts of obstruction , witness tampering as well as making false statements to Congress .
For Stone ’ s part , he appealed and has maintained his innocence throughout .
Later , Schiff also tweeted a video of himself speaking with MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow .
They talked about the situation for nearly seven and a half minutes .
The host noted that the interview was one that they ’ d planned last minute .
Schiff said that the intervention that the president and Attorney General William Barr attempted was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the whole thing go away .
“ This is part of the broad pattern of the president rewarding his friends , and potentially the more serious shoe to fall of punishing his enemies , ” noted Schiff .
They also talked about that it appeared that Trump was using Barr to shield the people who lied and covered up for him .
However , Shiff felt the most worrisome thing , though , is that President Trump would use Barr to prosecute his enemies .
Later , the congressman compared Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boss and said that it damaged the rule of law in the country .
Schiff told the host that he did not know that there was anything the House or Congress could do concerning Stone .
However , the representative said that he expected Congress to enact several reforms to prevent such abuses of power in the future .
Schiff said that he felt the ultimate remedy would end up happening in November when the people of the U.S. vote for president .

After President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of his ally, Roger Stone, earlier today, Representative Adam Schiff — who is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee — condemned the president for creating what he called separate justice systems in the United States.
The Massassachuttes Democrat expressed his thoughts on the president signing an Executive Grant of Clemency just days before Stone’s sentence was set to begin in a tweet.
“Trump just commuted Roger Stone’s sentence. Stone lied and intimidated witnesses to hide Trump’s exploitation of the Russian hack of his opponent’s campaign. With Trump there are now two systems of justice in America: One for Trump’s criminal friends and one for everyone else.”
The congressman’s tweet received a lot of attention, gaining nearly 60,000 likes and more than 22,000 retweets. Approximately 14,000 Twitter users also chimed in with a comment. Many agreed with Schiff’s comments, but others expressed their happiness about President Trump’s decision to allow Stone not to serve his sentence.
Fox News reported that Stone was convicted of charges related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation in the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Before the president commuted the sentence, Stone was supposed to begin his 40 months behind bars on July 14.
He received his sentence in February 2020 after his November 2019 conviction. A jury found the high-profile Republican consultant guilty of seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering, and making false statements to Congress. Stone appealed the decision and has maintained his innocence throughout the process.
Commuting Roger Stone’s sentence is a terrible blow to justice and the rule of law. Through this act, Trump is saying: “If you lie for me, if you cover up for me, if you obstruct for me, I will protect you.” Another tragic day for American democracy. pic.twitter.com/kgIXpc6HdG — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 11, 2020
Later, Schiff also tweeted a video of himself speaking with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. They talked about the situation for nearly seven and a half minutes. The host noted that the interview was one that they’d planned last minute. Schiff said that the intervention the president and Attorney General William Barr attempted was not enough, so Trump abused his power to make the whole situation go away.
“This is part of the broad pattern of the president rewarding his friends, and potentially the more serious shoe to fall of punishing his enemies,” noted Schiff.
They also talked about how it appeared that Trump was using Barr to shield the people who lied and covered up for him. However, Schiff felt the most worrisome thing about the situation was that President Trump might use Barr to prosecute his enemies. Later, the congressman compared Trump’s behavior to that of a mafia boss and said that it damaged the rule of law in the country.
Schiff told the host that he did not know if there was anything Congress could do concerning Stone. However, the representative said that he expected Congress to enact several reforms to prevent such abuses of power in the future. Schiff stated that he felt the ultimate remedy would end up happening in November when the people of the United States vote for president.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Shock Poll Shows Joe Biden And Donald Trump Tied, Pollster Says There Are Many ‘Shy’ Trump Voters

A poll release this week shows Donald Trump and Joe Biden tied in the upcoming presidential race , and the pollster behind it believes there are a significant number of “ shy ” Trump voters who aren ’ t showing up in other traditional polling .
The Democracy Institute/Sunday Express poll was released on Tuesday , showing that Trump and Biden were tied at 47 percent apiece .
Patrick Basham , Democracy Institute founder and executive director , told Breitbart News on Friday that he believes there are many voters not too willing to admit to pollsters that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properly counted in other polling that has shown Biden ahead .
Basham noted that his firm also released a poll in 2016 showing Trump winning in the Electoral College and tied with Hillary Clinton in the popular vote .
Though Clinton ultimately took the popular vote by close to 3 million votes , few pollsters predicted Trump ’ s Electoral College win .
Basham said there may be a significant undercurrent of support for Trump that isn ’ t showing up in other polling because these voters don ’ t want to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s exactly a bigger deal now than it was last time , ” he said .
“ We ’ ve identified a ‘ low burn ’ reaction among Trump supporters who ’ ve seen public shaming of those who support the president .
Ever since the May protest riots many Trump supporters are simply unwilling to face the risk and public ridicule of telling even an anonymous person on the phone they plan on voting for the president.
” Basham added that his firm pressed down on the initially undecided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many to break for Trump .
The poll comes as Biden ’ s support in other national polling had reached its widest point .
As the polling analysis site FiveThirtyEight noted , Biden ’ s lead had grown so large that it was “ verging on a landslide.
” “ That ’ s not a word we use lightly , ” the report noted .
The report added that Trump ’ s poor marks for his reaction to the protests that followed George Floyd ’ s killing and his handling of coronavirus helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The report noted that the former vice president ’ s lead has between 8.9 and 9.6 percentage points and has remained there since mid-June after spending months with a lead generally no larger than 6 points .
Some individual polls had put Biden ’ s lead even larger , including some that show him with a double-digit advantage over Trump .
There have been

A poll released this week showed Donald Trump and Joe Biden tied in the upcoming presidential race, and the pollster behind it believes there are a significant number of “shy” Trump voters who aren’t showing up in other traditional polling.
The Democracy Institute/Sunday Express poll released on Tuesday showed that Trump and Biden were tied at 47 percent apiece. On Friday, Patrick Basham, Democracy Institute founder and executive director, told Breitbart News that he believes there are many voters who aren’t willing to admit to pollsters that they’re planning to vote for Trump. He believes these voters aren’t being properly counted in other polls that have shown Biden ahead.
Basham said there may be a significant undercurrent of support for Trump that isn’t showing up in other polling because these voters don’t want to make their support of the president public.
“It’s exactly a bigger deal now than it was last time,” he said. “We’ve identified a ‘low burn’ reaction among Trump supporters who’ve seen public shaming of those who support the president. Ever since the May protest riots many Trump supporters are simply unwilling to face the risk and public ridicule of telling even an anonymous person on the phone they plan on voting for the president.”
Basham added that his firm pressed down on the initially undecided voters, asking additional questions that led many to break for Trump.
Basham also noted that his firm released a poll in 2016 showing Trump winning in the Electoral College and tied with Hillary Clinton in the popular vote. Though Clinton ultimately took the popular vote by close to 3 million votes, few pollsters predicted Trump’s Electoral College win.
The poll comes as Biden’s support in other national polling had reached its widest point. As the polling analysis site, FiveThirtyEight noted, Biden’s lead had grown so large that it was “verging on a landslide.”
“That’s not a word we use lightly,” the report noted.
The report added that Trump’s poor marks for his reaction to the protests that followed George Floyd’s killing and his handling of coronavirus helped lead to a surge for Biden. The report noted that the former vice president’s lead has between 8.9 and 9.6 percentage points and has remained there since mid-June after spending months with a lead generally no larger than 6 points.
Some individual polls have reported Biden’s lead as even larger, including some that show him with a double-digit advantage over Trump.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Democrats Slam Donald Trump For Commuting Roger Stone’s Sentence

On Friday , several prominent Democratic Party politicians slammed President Donald Trump for commuting Roger Stone ’ s prison sentence , The Hill reported .
It has long been speculated that Trump might intervene in Stone ’ s case .
Earlier on Friday , the president formally commuted the operative ’ s prison sentence .
In 2019 , Stone was sentenced to more than three years in prison , after being found guilty of witness tempering and obstruction of justice .
“ Donald Trump has abandoned the rule of law and made a mockery of our democracy .
He truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren write in a tweet .
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff — who led the lower chamber ’ s probes into Trump and his allies — characterized the president ’ s decision as an attack on American democracy .
“ President Trump has engaged in countless acts that are both self-serving and destructive to our democracy while in office , but commuting the sentence of Roger Stone , a crony who lied and obstructed our investigation to protect Trump himself , is among the most offensive to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice.
” In a joint statement , House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler and Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said that Trump “ abused the power of his office ” in order to reward “ an individual that could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct.
” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described Trump as a “ lawless president , ” accusing him of regarding the Department of Justice as “ his personal plaything.
” In a tweet , New Jersey Senator and former presidential candidate , Cory Booker , described Stone as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he “ protected ” the president .
Trump ’ s allies defended the decision to commute Stone ’ s sentence .
In a statement , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that the longtime GOP operative was a “ victim ” of former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian election interference and related matters .
According to CNN , Stone ’ s allies — including his daughter and his friend Michael Caputo — have been lobbying Trump for months , arguing that operative is not able to afford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the operative have also appeared on Tucker Carlson ’ s Fox News show , using the platform to persuade the president to take action .
However , some in Trump ’ s inner circle apparently advised him against commuting the 67-year-old ’ s sentence , warning that the decision could lead to major backlash .
Trump was reportedly reluctant to intervene , and had to be persuaded to do so .
Attorney General William Barr was allegedly opposed to the idea as well .
The commander-in-chief has long alleged that the Russia investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to derail his presidency .

On Friday, several prominent Democratic Party politicians slammed President Donald Trump for commuting Roger Stone’s prison sentence, The Hill reported.
It has long been speculated that Trump might intervene in Stone’s case. Earlier on Friday, the president formally commuted the operative’s prison sentence.
In 2019, Stone was sentenced to more than three years in prison, after being found guilty of witness tampering and obstruction of justice.
“Donald Trump has abandoned the rule of law and made a mockery of our democracy. He truly is the most corrupt president in history,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote in a tweet.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff — who led the lower chamber’s probes into Trump and his allies — characterized the president’s decision as an attack on American democracy.
“President Trump has engaged in countless acts that are both self-serving and destructive to our democracy while in office, but commuting the sentence of Roger Stone, a crony who lied and obstructed our investigation to protect Trump himself, is among the most offensive to the rule of law and principles of justice.”
In a joint statement, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler and Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said that Trump “abused the powers of his office” in order to reward “an individual that could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described Trump as a “lawless president,” accusing him of regarding the Department of Justice as “his personal plaything.”
In a tweet, New Jersey senator and former presidential candidate Cory Booker described Stone as a “criminal” whose sentence was commuted because he “protected” the president.
Trump’s allies defended the decision to commute Stone’s sentence. In a statement, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that the longtime GOP operative was a “victim” of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and related matters.
According to CNN, Stone’s allies — including his daughter and his friend Michael Caputo — have been lobbying Trump for months, arguing that the operative is not able to afford the legal fees. Those supportive of Stone have also appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show, using the platform to persuade the president to take action.
However, some in Trump’s inner circle apparently advised him against commuting the 67-year-old’s sentence, warning that the decision could lead to major backlash.
Trump was reportedly reluctant to intervene and had to be persuaded to do so. Attorney General William Barr was allegedly opposed to the idea as well.
The commander-in-chief has long alleged that the Russia investigation was an elaborate “hoax” meant to derail his presidency.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--GOP Is ‘An Organized Conspiracy To Maintain Power,’ Says Former Republican Operative

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Friday , former adviser to Sen. John McCain , Steve Schmidt , described the Republican Party as an “ organized conspiracy to maintain power , ” Raw Story reported .
Speaking with anchor Chris Hayes , Schmidt argued that the GOP has transformed under President Donald Trump , describing it as “ irredeemable.
” “ Really what it is is an organized conspiracy to maintain power , ” Schmidt continued .
Trump ’ s presidency has resulted in “ the collapse of the Republican Party , its putrefaction , its descent into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , and we see it playing out now every day , ” Schmidt argued .
The former GOP operative said that some of Trump ’ s closest allies in the United States Congress — such as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — will be voted out of office .
“ Generally speaking , in this country don ’ t like it when their politicians take them for fools , look them in the eye and lie to them the way Lindsay Graham has , ” he said .
Schmidt also argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ loyalty oath ” to Trump , which is why they constantly defend the president against criticism .
To conclude his argument , he pointed to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst ’ s recent refusal to criticize the president ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
The former Republican did not mince his words when asked about Trump either , describing him as “ the worst leader ” in American history .
Schmidt is a member of the conservative super PAC the Lincoln Project .
Opposed to Trump and his agenda , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president , expressing support for the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden .
In an ad released in June , Schmidt and his allies accused Trump of betraying American troops stationed in Afghanistan .
The group released the advertisement following reports that the Russian government offered bounties to Taliban militants for killing American soldiers .
While Schmidt and other conservative operatives may be opposed to Trump , the vast majority of Republican voters are not .
According to Gallup research , in the month of June , 91 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president ’ s job performance .
The commander-in-chief seems exceptionally popular among the party ’ s rank and file , given that his approval rating has seldom dropped below 85 percent .
However , polls suggest that Biden is a favorite to win the White House in November .
A The Hill/HarrisX survey released earlier this week found that Trump is trailing Biden by four percentage points nationwide .
According to a Rasmussen Reports poll , the former vice president is ahead by 10 percentage points .

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Friday, former adviser to Sen. John McCain, Steve Schmidt, described the Republican Party as an “organized conspiracy to maintain power,” Raw Story reported.
Speaking with anchor Chris Hayes, Schmidt argued that the GOP has transformed under President Donald Trump, describing it as “irredeemable.”
“It’s become a threat to America’s institutions, to small ‘L’ liberalism. It is an authoritarian-ish party, not so different than the parties that we see in Hungary and Poland.”
“Really what it is is an organized conspiracy to maintain power,” Schmidt continued.
Trump’s presidency has resulted in “the collapse of the Republican Party, its putrefaction, its descent into the cesspool is a real tragedy for the country, and we see it playing out now every day,” Schmidt argued.
The former GOP operative said that some of Trump’s closest allies in the United States Congress — such as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — will be voted out of office.
“People, generally speaking, in this country don’t like it when their politicians take them for fools, look them in the eye and lie to them the way [Lindsey] Graham has,” he said.
Schmidt also argued that Republican politicians are bound by a “loyalty oath” to Trump, which is why they constantly defend the president against criticism. To conclude his argument, he pointed to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst’s recent refusal to criticize Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Republican did not mince his words when asked about Trump either, describing him as “the worst leader” in American history.
Schmidt is a member of the conservative super PAC, The Lincoln Project. Opposed to Trump and his agenda, the group has released dozens of advertisements critical of the president, expressing support for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, Joe Biden.
In an ad released in June, Schmidt and his allies accused Trump of betraying American troops stationed in Afghanistan. The group released the advertisement following reports that the Russian government offered bounties to Taliban militants for killing American soldiers.
While Schmidt and other conservative operatives may be opposed to Trump, the vast majority of Republican voters are not. According to Gallup research, in the month of June, 91 percent of Republicans said that they approve of the president’s job performance. The commander-in-chief seems exceptionally popular among the party’s rank and file, given that his approval rating has seldom dropped below 85 percent.
However, polls suggest that Biden is a favorite to win the White House in November. A The Hill/HarrisX survey released earlier this week found that Trump is trailing Biden by four percentage points nationwide. According to a Rasmussen Reports poll, the former vice president is ahead by 10 percentage points.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Donald Trump Campaign Reportedly Hoping For October Miracle As President’s Reelection Chances Dwindl

Donald Trump Campaign Reportedly Hoping For October Miracle As President’s Reelection Chances Dwindle

According to a Friday report from The Lost Angeles Times , President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign is becoming increasingly nervous about the 2020 presidential election .
In recent weeks , the president ’ s allies have held discussions about his rally in Portsmouth , New Hampshire , reportedly looking for ways to avoid another major “ embarrassment.
” In June , Trump held a rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , but the event — which was advertised as a major comeback — was poorly attended , with television cameras capturing thousands of empty seats .
On Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire rally , citing weather concerns .
According to a former Trump administration official briefed on the matter , concerns about the president ’ s reelection prospects predate the Tulsa rally .
Members of the Trump campaign are reportedly “ pinning their hopes ” on the possibility that the political landscape will change in the coming months .
Those close to the campaign apparently believe that history will repeat itself and that Trump will find a way to pull an upset , like he did in 2016 , when he ran against former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were in dire straits in early October and mid-October ” in 2016 and then the president “ ran the script beautifully , ” a Trump campaign official said .
Four years ago , Trump shook up his campaign twice .
He hired veteran operative Paul Manafort — who was later convicted of tax and bank fraud — and quickly replaced him with with Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway .
Neither Bannon nor Conway are formally involved in the president ’ s reelection effort .
According to one individual familiar with the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been “ sort of pushed aside ” by Jared Kushner , Trump ’ s son-in-law and White House adviser .
A former Trump staffer said that Kushner will most likely remain in charge of the campaign .
“ Who within this family is going to say , ‘ Fire Jared ’ ?
It ’ s just not likely he ’ s going anywhere , ” the staffer said , explaining that Kushner and the president ’ s children were tasked with changing the campaign lineup in 2016 .
According to veteran Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s campaign needs a staff shake-up because the president “ bungled ” the federal government ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ He needs someone on his campaign who is really in charge and can dictate the strategy and message to the candidate , ” Rollins said .
Polling suggests that most Americans agree with Rollins ’ assessment of the president ’ s actions amid the coronavirus pandemic .
According to a ABC News/Ipsos survey released on Friday , 67 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Trump has handled COVID-19 @

According to a Friday report from The Lost Angeles Times, President Donald Trump’s allies are becoming increasingly nervous about the 2020 presidential election.
Members of the Trump campaign are reportedly “pinning their hopes” on the possibility that the political landscape will change in the coming months. Those close to the campaign apparently believe that history will repeat itself and that Trump will find a way to pull an upset, as he did in 2016 when he ran against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“We were in dire straits in early October and mid-October” in 2016 and then the president “ran the script beautifully,” a Trump campaign official said.
Four years ago, Trump shook up his campaign twice. He hired veteran operative Paul Manafort — who was later convicted of tax and bank fraud — and quickly replaced him with Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway. Neither Bannon nor Conway are formally involved in the president’s reelection effort.
According to one individual familiar with the situation, the 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale has been “sort of pushed aside” by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and White House adviser.
A former Trump staffer said that Kushner will most likely remain in charge of the campaign.
“Who within this family is going to say, ‘Fire Jared’? It’s just not likely he’s going anywhere,” the staffer said, explaining that Kushner and the president’s children were tasked with changing the campaign lineup in 2016.
Veteran Republican Party operative Ed Rollins told The Los Angeles Times that Trump’s campaign needs a staff shake-up because the president “bungled” the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“He needs someone on his campaign who is really in charge and can dictate the strategy and message to the candidate,” Rollins said.
Polling suggests that most Americans agree with Rollins’ assessment of the president’s actions amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to an ABC News/Ipsos survey released on Friday, 67 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Trump has handled COVID-19.
Earlier this month, The New York Times similarly alleged that the president’s reelection campaign has been “paralyzed” by his erratic behavior. The publication’s sources also revealed that there are tensions between Kushner and Parscale, and that Parscale is being blamed for the “debacle” in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Trump’s Tulsa rally — which was advertised as a major comeback — was poorly attended, with television cameras capturing thousands of empty seats.
In recent weeks, the president’s allies have held discussions about his rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, reportedly looking for ways to avoid another major “embarrassment.”
On Friday, the White House abruptly canceled the New Hampshire rally, citing weather concerns.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Ted Cruz, Who Called For Nike Boycott Last Year, Attacks Left For Trying To ‘Cancel’ Goya With Boyco

Ted Cruz, Who Called For Nike Boycott Last Year, Attacks Left For Trying To ‘Cancel’ Goya With Boycott

Ted Cruz took issue with what he saw as the left trying to “ cancel ” food maker Goya with a boycott in response to the company ’ s CEO speaking out in support of Donald Trump — just one year after Cruz himself advocated for a boycott of Nike for the company ’ s political stance supporting Colin Kaepernick .
The Texas Senator on Friday lashed out against those calling for a boycott of Goya after CEO Bob Unanue praised Trump during an event held at the White House this week .
The statement had led to a sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying the company ’ s products , which include a number of Hispanic staples including beans and rice .
Unanue said later during an appearance on Fox News that he would not back down in his stance and was sincere in his support of the president .
The Goya CEO added that he has also been invited to the White House under Barack Obama , but was not criticized for his visit then .
“ So , you ’ re allowed to talk good or to praise one president , but you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and educational prosperity ?
And you make a positive comment and all of a sudden , it is not acceptable , ” Unanue said .
Others joined Unannue in defending his remarks and speaking out against those calling for a boycott of Goya products .
While these critics claimed that Trump has been harsh in policies and rhetoric toward Hispanic Americans , many defenders on the right said the boycott is going too far .
Cruz was one of those critics , hinting that the boycott was part of the “ cancel culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a staple of Cuban food .
My grandparents ate Goya black beans twice a day for nearly 90 years , ” Cruz tweeted .
“ And now the Left is trying to cancel Hispanic culture and silence free speech .
# BuyGoya ” But others pointed out that Cruz himself has advocated for boycotts against companies that held political stances opposite to his own , including a call last year for people to boycott Nike for what he believed to be disrespect to the flag .
The spat between Cruz and critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ cancel culture , ” growing boycotts and calls for cancellation of products and individuals who have made controversial statements .
Trump too has spoken out against this , especially the movement to take down Confederate statues and other monuments to figures with complicated racial histories

Ted Cruz took issue with what he saw as liberals trying to “cancel” food maker Goya with a boycott in response to the company’s CEO speaking out in support of President Donald Trump — just one year after Cruz himself advocated for a boycott of Nike for the company’s political stance supporting Colin Kaepernick.
The Texas Senator on Friday lashed out against those calling for a boycott of Goya after CEO Bob Unanue praised Trump during an event held at the White House this week. The statement had led to a sharp backlash and calls for people to stop buying the company’s products, which include a number of Hispanic staples including beans and rice.
Unanue said later during an appearance on Fox News that he would not back down in his stance and was sincere in his support of the president. The Goya CEO added that he has also been invited to the White House under Barack Obama, but was not criticized for his visit then.
“So, you’re allowed to talk good or to praise one president, but you’re not allowed to aid in economic and educational prosperity? And you make a positive comment and all of a sudden, it is not acceptable,” Unanue said in the below video.
Others joined Unannue in defending his remarks and speaking out against those calling for a boycott of Goya products. While these critics claimed that Trump has been harsh in policies and rhetoric toward Hispanic Americans, many defenders on the right said the boycott is going too far.
Cruz was one of those critics, hinting that the boycott was part of the “cancel culture” of the left.
“Goya is a staple of Cuban food. My grandparents ate Goya black beans twice a day for nearly 90 years,” Cruz tweeted. “And now the Left is trying to cancel Hispanic culture and silence free speech. #BuyGoya”
But others pointed out that Cruz himself has advocated for boycotts against companies that held political stances opposite to his own, including a call last year for people to boycott Nike for what he believed to be disrespect to the flag.
I love America. I stand for the anthem, respect the flag & honor the men & women who fought to defend our Nation. I respect Free Speech & I’m exerting mine: until @Nike ends its contempt for those values, I WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE NIKE PRODUCTS. #WalkAwayFromNike RT if you agree. https://t.co/IvXNTgvlHq — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 2, 2019
The spat between Cruz and critics highlighted a debate over what many see as “cancel culture,” growing boycotts and calls for cancellation of products and individuals who have made controversial statements. Trump too has spoken out against this, especially the movement to take down Confederate statues and other monuments to figures with complicated racial histories.
President Barack Obama previously spoke out against cancel culture as well, as part of an interview on youth activism at the Obama Foundation, as The New York Times reported.
“This idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re always politically ‘woke’ and all that stuff. You should get over that quickly,” Obama said.
“That’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change.If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. That’s easy to do,” Obama continued.


inquisitr--2020-07-12--Donald Trump Suggested The United States Sell Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria Struck, Report Claim

Donald Trump Suggested The United States Sell Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria Struck, Report Claims

Donald Trump suggested that the United States sell the island of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria , the president ’ s former secretary of Homeland Security claimed in a new interview .
Trump was widely criticized for his response to the hurricane , which many saw as inadequate and insensitive to the devastation across the island .
A new report sheds even more light on Trump ’ s alleged disinterest in the island ’ s recovery , with former Homeland Security secretary Elaine Duke said Trump suggested that the country might “ divest ” from the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Times that instead of seeing himself as a president trying to find a way to restore electricity and water to the people living on the island , Trump looked at the situation in the terms of a business transaction he could walk away from .
“ The president ’ s initial ideas were more of as a businessman , you know , ” she said .
“ Can we outsource the electricity ?
Can we can we sell the island ?
You know , or divest of that asset ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump would consider selling the island , but Duke said that Trump did not follow through on the idea , and it was never taken seriously or brought up again after his initial suggestion .
Duke added that she tried to convince Trump to take the situation more seriously and give more proper aid to the island , but was derided by other members of the cabinet .
That included Mick Mulvaney , then serving as Trump ’ s budget director , who she recalled as pushing back strongly against the idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being so emotional , Elaine , it ’ s not about the people , it ’ s about the money , ” Duke recalled Mulvaney saying to her , an allegation that Mulvaney denied to the New York Times .
Duke is the latest former cabinet member to speak out against Trump after leaving his administration , including former national security adviser John Bolton , whose tell-all book published last month claimed that Trump improperly pressed foreign leaders to help with his re-election chances .
Duke criticized Trump ’ s temperament and approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be interested in policy but instead wanted only to be “ hate-filled , angry and divisive.
” The claim that Trump brought up the idea of selling Puerto Rico months before he openly considered purchasing the island of Greenland .
Trump revisited the idea of building a presence in Greenland earlier this year , proposing opening an American consulate on the island .

Donald Trump suggested that the United States sell the island of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the president’s former secretary of Homeland Security claimed in a new interview.
Trump was widely criticized for his response to the hurricane, which many saw as inadequate and insensitive to the devastation across the island. A new report sheds even more light on Trump’s alleged disinterest in the island’s recovery, with former Homeland Security secretary Elaine Duke saying Trump suggested that the country might “divest” from the island by selling it outright.
Duke told The New York Times that instead of seeing himself as a president trying to find a way to restore electricity and water to the people living in Puerto Rico, Trump looked at the situation in the terms of a business transaction he could walk away from.
“The president’s initial ideas were more of as a businessman, you know,” she said. “Can we outsource the electricity? Can we…sell the island? You know, or divest of that asset?”
It was not clear to whom Trump would consider selling the island, but Duke said that Trump did not follow through on the idea, and it was never taken seriously or brought up again after his initial suggestion. Duke added that she tried to convince Trump to take the situation more seriously and give more proper aid to the people of Puerto Rico, but was derided by other members of the cabinet.
That included Mick Mulvaney, then serving as Trump’s budget director, who she recalled as pushing back strongly against the idea of issuing an emergency declaration.
“Quit being so emotional, Elaine, it’s not about the people, it’s about the money,” Duke recalled Mulvaney saying to her, an allegation that Mulvaney denied to the New York Times.
Duke is the latest former cabinet member to speak out against Trump after leaving his administration, in addition to former national security adviser John Bolton, whose tell-all book published last month claimed that Trump improperly pressed foreign leaders to help with his re-election chances. Duke criticized Trump’s temperament and approach, saying that he did not appear to be interested in policy but instead wanted only to be “hate-filled, angry and divisive.”
The claim that Trump brought up the idea of selling Puerto Rico occurred before he openly considered purchasing the island of Greenland. Trump revisited the idea of building a presence in Greenland earlier this year, proposing opening an American consulate on the island.


inquisitr--2020-07-12--Republican Sen. Pat Toomey Breaks With Donald Trump: ‘Commuting Roger Stone’s Sentence Is A Mistake’

On Saturday , Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania described President Donald Trump ’ s decision to commute Roger Stone ’ s sentence as a “ mistake , ” The Hill reported .
In a carefully-worded statement , Toomey noted that Trump “ has the legal and constitutional authority to grant clemency for federal crimes , ” arguing that this power “ should be used judiciously and very rarely by any president.
” The Republican described former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian election interference as “ badly flawed , ” but expressed opposition to Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator added that the longtime GOP operative was “ duly convicted of lying to Congress , witness tampering , and obstructing a congressional investigation conducted by a Republican-led committee.
” Toomey pointed out that Attorney General William Barr — who allegedly advised Trump against intervening in the case — recently described Stone ’ s sentence as “ fair.
” “ Any objections to Mr. Stone ’ s conviction and trial should be resolved through the appeals process , ” the Pennsylvania Republican concluded .
Stone , a longtime ally of Trump , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tampering .
The Republican operative was also found guilty of lying to the Untied States Congress during its investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
Trump and his Republican allies have long dismissed investigations into the Kremlin ’ s election meddling as a “ hoax ” meant to derail Trump ’ s presidency .
Mueller and his investigators found that Moscow intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win , but failed to prove that members of the president ’ s campaign conspired with the Russian government .
Toomey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s decision .
Per NPR , in a statement released on Saturday morning , Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah described Trump ’ s actions as “ unprecedented , historic corruption.
” Romney has repeatedly clashed with Trump .
Notably , he was the only Republican to vote for the president ’ s conviction in the United States Senate ’ s impeachment trial .
In a tweet published on Saturday , Trump defended his decision , writing that Stone “ was targeted by an illegal Witch Hunt that never should have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans have remained silent , while others openly supported the president ’ s decision .
Notably , Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio commended the president for intervening in the case .
Trump commuted Stone ’ s sentence on Friday , drawing the ire of Democratic politicians .
Some of the president ’ s advisers were reportedly opposed to the idea , but those who lobbied on Stone ’ s behalf prevailed .

On Saturday, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania described President Donald Trump’s decision to commute Roger Stone’s sentence as a “mistake,” The Hill reported.
In a carefully worded statement, Toomey noted that Trump “has the legal and constitutional authority to grant clemency for federal crimes,” arguing that this power “should be used judiciously and very rarely by any president.”
The Republican described former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference as “badly flawed” but expressed opposition to Trump’s decision to pardon Stone.
“While I understand the frustration with the badly flawed Russia-collusion investigation, in my view, commuting Roger Stone’s sentence is a mistake.”
The senator added that the longtime GOP operative was “duly convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing a congressional investigation conducted by a Republican-led committee.”
Toomey pointed out that Attorney General William Barr — who allegedly advised Trump against intervening in the case — recently described Stone’s sentence as “fair.”
“Any objections to Mr. Stone’s conviction and trial should be resolved through the appeals process,” the Pennsylvania Republican concluded.
Stone, a longtime ally of Trump, was convicted of obstruction of justice and witness tampering. The Republican operative was also found guilty of lying to the United States Congress during its investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Trump and his Republican allies have long dismissed investigations into the Kremlin’s election meddling as a “hoax” meant to derail his presidency. Mueller and his investigators found that Moscow intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win, but failed to prove that members of the president’s campaign conspired with the Russian government.
Toomey is the second Republican senator to criticize Trump’s decision.
Per NPR, in a statement released on Saturday morning, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah described Trump’s actions as “unprecedented, historic corruption.”
Romney has repeatedly clashed with Trump. Notably, he was the only Republican to vote for the president’s conviction in the United States Senate’s impeachment trial.
In a tweet published on Saturday, Trump defended his decision, writing that Stone “was targeted by an illegal Witch Hunt that never should have taken place.”
As NPR noted, some Republicans have remained silent, while others openly supported the president’s decision. Notably, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio commended the president for intervening in the case.
Trump commuted Stone’s sentence on Friday, drawing the ire of Democratic politicians. Some of the president’s advisers were reportedly opposed to the idea, but those who lobbied on Stone’s behalf prevailed.


inquisitr--2020-07-11--Mike Pence Dismisses Joe Biden’s Polling Lead: ‘I Don’t Put A Lot Of Stock In The Polls’

In an interview with The Washington Examiner published on Saturday , Vice President Mike Pence dismissed Joe Biden ’ s polling lead over President Donald Trump .
“ I don ’ t put a lot of stock in the polls , ” Pence said , pointing out that most polls predicted a convincing victory for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
“ In the last election , somebody told me that between Labor Day and Election Day , there were over a hundred different polls that were taken in the states or nationwide , ” the vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led in a handful of them .
And then we saw an incredible victory — historic victory — on Election Day , ” he continued .
According to the RealClearPolitics average of polling data , Biden is nine percentage points ahead of Trump nationwide .
In addition , some surveys suggest that Trump is trailing the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee in a number of key swing states .
A CNBC/Change Research poll released earlier this month put the Democrat ahead in the states of Arizona , Wisconsin , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polling also suggests that Trump is losing ground in red-leaning states such as Texas and Georgia .
Most recently , a The Hill/HarrisX survey found that Biden has a four-point advantage over Trump nationwide , while a poll from Rasmussen Reports gave the former vice president a 10-point national lead .
During his conversation with The Washington Examiner , Pence also expressed optimism about Trump ’ s chances in suburbia , arguing that concerns over the economy — coupled with fears about public safety amid the Black Lives Matter protests — will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finish line .
In 2016 , Trump won in the suburbs by 4 percentage points .
However , the Democratic Party dominated suburbia in the 2018 midterm elections , taking control of the House of Representatives .
According to Pence , mail-in voting is the biggest threat to Trump ’ s reelection .
Echoing the commander-in-chief , the vice president argued that vote-by-mail systems might be more vulnerable to fraud .
He noted , however , that the GOP is not opposed to absentee voting .
Democrats have argued that Americans need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing concerns over public health and safety amid the coronavirus pandemic .
As the publication noted , the Trump campaign plans on dispatching Pence to battleground states , while letting the president put on “ headline-grabbing events.
” The vice president has apparently been tasked with reaching out to right-leaning voters put off by Trump ’ s “ provocative behavior .
”

In an interview with the Washington Examiner published on Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence dismissed Joe Biden’s polling lead over President Donald Trump.
“I don’t put a lot of stock in the polls,” Pence said, pointing out that most polls predicted a convincing victory for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“In the last election, somebody told me that between Labor Day and Election Day, there were over a hundred different polls that were taken in the states or nationwide,” the vice president said.
“The president only led in a handful of them. And then we saw an incredible victory — historic victory — on Election Day,” he continued.
“I sense people are more enthusiastic today than they were four years ago.”
According to the RealClearPolitics average of polling data, Biden is nine percentage points ahead of Trump nationwide. In addition, some surveys suggest that Trump is trailing the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee in a number of key swing states.
A CNBC/Change Research poll released earlier this month put the Democrat ahead in the states of Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida. Polling also suggests that Trump is losing ground in red-leaning states such as Texas and Georgia.
Most recently, a The Hill/HarrisX survey found that Biden has a four-point advantage over Trump nationwide, while a poll from Rasmussen Reports gave the former vice president a 10-point national lead.
During his conversation with the Washington Examiner, Pence also expressed optimism about Trump’s chances in suburbia, arguing that concerns over the economy — coupled with fears about public safety amid the Black Lives Matter protests — will be enough to push the president over the finish line.
In 2016, Trump won in the suburbs by four percentage points. However, the Democratic Party dominated suburbia in the 2018 midterm elections, taking control of the House of Representatives.
According to Pence, mail-in voting is the biggest threat to Trump’s reelection. Echoing the commander-in-chief, the vice president argued that vote-by-mail systems might be more vulnerable to fraud. He noted, however, that the GOP is not opposed to absentee voting.
Democrats have argued that Americans need to be allowed to vote by mail, citing concerns over public health and safety amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As the publication noted, the Trump campaign plans on dispatching Pence to battleground states, while letting the president put on “headline-grabbing events.” The vice president has apparently been tasked with reaching out to right-leaning voters put off by Trump’s “provocative behavior.”