inquisitr--2020-08-21--Leaked Audio Shows Donald Trump Praising Low Black Voter Turnout In 2016: ‘It Was Great’

Donald Trump was reportedly heard praising low Black voter turnout in the 2016 election in leaked audio published this week .
A report from Politico noted that the audio came from a private meeting inside Trump Tower before inauguration day in January 2017 .
Speaking to a group of civil rights leaders , Trump appeared to brag that these voters chose to stay home rather than cast their ballots for his opponent .
“ Many Blacks didn ’ t go out to vote for Hillary [ Clinton ] ’ cause they liked me .
That was almost as good as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it was great , ” he was quoted as saying .
The report added that the leak of the apparent brag came amid a sharpened battle over voting rights , with many of the president ’ s critics saying that he and the Republican Party are aiming to restrict voting access , especially among African Americans .
The GOP has long been accused of attempting to create roadblocks for these voters , including identification laws that , in the past , have been struck down by courts for targeting minorities .
Politico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2017 , just days before he would move into the White House , and met with the voting group Drum Major Institute along with civil rights leaders Harry Wachtel and Martin Luther King III .
Audio of the meeting was provided by Tootsie Warhol , Wachtel ’ s chief of staff , who said he secretly recorded it on his iPhone .
As Warhol told the outlet , Trump came into the meeting bragging about his connections to famous people of color .
“ The first thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you walked in , ( Trump ) name-drops all these Black celebrities and tries to give the illusion that they ’ re his friends , ” he said , adding that the president-elect showed off a sneaker from basketball legend Shaquille O ’ Neal and a boxing glove used by Sugar Ray Leonard .
Later , Trump reportedly boasted that he won the support of 11 percent of African Americans .
As Politico explained , he had actually won 8 percent of this demographic , lower than his claim but still higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitt Romney .
At one point , the real-estate-mogul-turned-president stepped out to take a phone call and later came back to say that he was speaking to Barack Obama .
Though Trump had been highly critical throughout Obama ’ s presidency and has continued sharp attacks on his predecessor in the years that would follow , at the time he bragged about having a close relationship with him .
“ We actually have a very good relationship .
I said he did a great job last night on 60 Minutes , and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good relationship , ” Trump supposedly said .

Donald Trump was reportedly heard praising low Black voter turnout in the 2016 election in leaked audio published this week.
A report from Politico noted that the audio came from a private meeting inside Trump Tower before inauguration day in January 2017. Speaking to a group of civil rights leaders, Trump appeared to brag that these voters chose to stay home rather than cast their ballots for his opponent.
“Many Blacks didn’t go out to vote for Hillary [Clinton] ’cause they liked me. That was almost as good as getting the vote, you know, and it was great,” he was quoted as saying.
The report added that the leak of the apparent brag came amid a sharpened battle over voting rights, with many of the president’s critics saying that he and the Republican Party are aiming to restrict voting access, especially among African Americans. The GOP has long been accused of attempting to create roadblocks for these voters, including identification laws that, in the past, have been struck down by courts for targeting minorities.
Politico reported that Trump held the sit-down on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2017, just days before he would move into the White House, and met with the voting group Drum Major Institute along with civil rights leaders Harry Wachtel and Martin Luther King III.
Audio of the meeting was provided by Tootsie Warhol, Wachtel’s chief of staff, who said he secretly recorded it on his iPhone. As Warhol told the outlet, Trump came into the meeting bragging about his connections to famous people of color.
“The first thing that I can never forget was how when you walked in, (Trump) name-drops all these Black celebrities and tries to give the illusion that they’re his friends,” he said, adding that the president-elect showed off a sneaker from basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal and a boxing glove used by Sugar Ray Leonard.
Later, Trump reportedly boasted that he won the support of 11 percent of African Americans. As Politico explained, he had actually won 8 percent of this demographic, lower than his claim but still higher than previous Republican nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney.
At one point, the real-estate-mogul-turned-president stepped out to take a phone call and later came back to say that he was speaking to Barack Obama. Though Trump had been highly critical throughout Obama’s presidency and has continued sharp attacks on his predecessor in the years that would follow, at the time he bragged about having a close relationship with him.
“We actually have a very good relationship. I said he did a great job last night on 60 Minutes, and, uh, we actually have a very good relationship,” Trump supposedly said.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Kevin McCarthy Says ‘There Is No Place For QAnon In The Republican Party’

In an interview with Fox News broadcast Thursday night , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy denounced the QAnon conspiracy theory , saying that it does not belong in the Republican Party .
“ Let me be very clear .
There is no place for QAnon in the Republican Party , ” McCarthy told anchor Shannon Bream .
“ I do not support it and the candidate you talked about has denounced it , ” McCarthy said , referring to Marjorie Taylor Greene , who recently won a primary election in the state of Georgia .
Followers of the QAnon conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waging a war on a cabal of satanic cannibals who traffic children .
Other Republicans , such as Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois , have also spoken out against the QAnon element of Trump ’ s base , urging their colleagues to denounce it .
Greene — who beat neurosurgeon John Cowan with 57 percent of the vote in the primary — is all but certain to win a seat in the House of Representatives , since she is competing in a very conservative district .
Green has been endorsed by Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She has endorsed a number of similar conspiracy theories , expressing bigoted views about Muslims .
Green has also attacked the Black Lives Matter movement and accused billionaire philanthropist George Soros of trying to ruin her reputation .
McCarthy drew a parallel between QAnon supporters in the Republican Party and allegedly anti-Semitic Democrats , calling on his political opponents to push back against xenophobia and racism within their own ranks .
The Republican leader slammed Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — both of whom are Muslim — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King from his committee for making a racist comment .
“ When a member of the Republican Party said something that we believe is not about the party of Lincoln , we removed them from committee , but in the Democratic party , not only can you be anti-Semitic , you can spend your campaign money giving it to your husband , ” McCarthy said .
Trump has not fully embraced the QAnon component of the Republican Party , but he has not explicitly denounced it either .
As reported by The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this week , Trump appeared to offer encouragement to followers of the mysterious “ Q , ” suggesting that they are patriots who support him and mean well .
The commander-in-chief did not question the validity of the QAnon movement .

In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Thursday night, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy denounced the QAnon conspiracy theory, saying that it does not belong in the Republican Party.
“Let me be very clear. There is no place for QAnon in the Republican Party,” McCarthy told anchor Shannon Bream.
“I do not support it and the candidate you talked about has denounced it,” McCarthy said, referring to Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently won a primary election in the state of Georgia.
Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory believe that President Donald Trump is waging a war on a cabal of satanic cannibals who traffic children.
Other Republicans, such as Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, have also spoken out against the QAnon element of Trump’s base, urging their colleagues to denounce it.
Greene, who beat neurosurgeon John Cowan with 57 percent of the vote in the primary, is all but certain to win a seat in the House of Representatives, since she is competing in a very conservative district.
Green has been endorsed by Trump, who described her as a “star.”
She has endorsed a number of similar conspiracy theories, expressing bigoted views about Muslims. Green has also attacked the Black Lives Matter movement and accused billionaire philanthropist George Soros of trying to ruin her reputation.
McCarthy drew a parallel between QAnon supporters in the Republican Party and allegedly anti-Semitic Democrats, calling on his political opponents to push back against xenophobia and racism within their own ranks.
The Republican leader slammed Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both of whom are Muslim, stating that Republicans removed Iowa Rep. Steve King from his committee for making a racist comment.
“When a member of the Republican Party said something that we believe is not about the party of Lincoln, we removed them from committee, but in the Democratic party, not only can you be anti-Semitic, you can spend your campaign money giving it to your husband,” McCarthy said.
“I think the Democrats should take a lesson from the Republicans and stand up to those things that are unAmerican and are wrong.”
Trump has not fully embraced the QAnon component of the Republican Party, but he has not explicitly denounced it either.
As reported by The New York Times, during a press conference earlier this week, Trump appeared to offer encouragement to followers of the mysterious “Q,” suggesting that they are patriots who support him and mean well.
The president did not question the validity of the QAnon movement.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Donald Trump Explains Key ‘Difference’ Between Hillary Clinton And Joe Biden

On Friday , during an address to the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting , President Donald Trump discussed the key differences between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party ’ s 2020 presidential nominee Joe Biden , The Washington Examiner reported .
“ Somebody said , ‘ What ’ s the difference between Clinton and Biden ?
’ Should I say it ?
Should I tell you ?
” Trump began .
Trump added that he would rather compete against a “ smart ” candidate , than against a well-liked politician like Biden .
“ So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know .
Maybe I ’ d rather have the smarter person , who cares about personality , right ?
” he said .
A Morning Consult/Politico poll released earlier this month found that Biden “ just isn ’ t as loathed ” by the American people as Clinton .
In the survey , 35 percent of respondents said that they view the former vice president very unfavorably , which marked an 8 point difference between him and Clinton .
Notably , the Democratic Party ’ s 2020 nominee is far more popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , more than half of independents said that they view Clinton very unfavorably .
The former Delaware senator is viewed that way by only 31 percent of independents , who will be a key voting bloc in the upcoming election .
Overall , slightly less than half of likely voters polled by Morning Consult said that they perceive Biden unfavorably and 56 percent said that they have an unfavorable view of the commander-in-chief .
In the poll — which surveyed 11 , 968 likely voters — Biden led Trump by 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a research fellow at the University of Minnesota ’ s Humphrey School of Public Affairs , put it , this “ explains a lot of Biden ’ s polling success.
” Ostermeier said that “ at this stage of the campaign Biden ’ s modest advantage — among an electorate with seemingly fewer and fewer persuadable voters each cycle — seems golden.
” Trump has previously discussed the similarities and differences between the two Democrats .
In a June interview , he said that Clinton is “ obviously smarter ” than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more energetic .
However , four years ago , he repeatedly attacked Clinton for having “ no stamina ” to serve in the White House , questioning the former Secretary of State ’ s physical health .
Trump and his allies have launched similar attacks at Biden .
During a conversation with Fox News ’ anchor Chris Wallace last month , the commander-in-chief described his general election opponent as “ mentally shot , ” suggesting that he would not even be able to handle a contentious interview .

On Friday, during an address to the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting, President Donald Trump discussed the key differences between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, The Washington Examiner reported.
“Somebody said, ‘What’s the difference between Clinton and Biden?’ Should I say it? Should I tell you?” Trump began.
“Well, Clinton is much smarter, but not a likable person. Joe is not nearly as smart, but he is more likable.”
Trump added that he would rather compete against a “smart” candidate, than against a well-liked politician like Biden.
“So, you know, I don’t know. Maybe I’d rather have the smarter person, who cares about personality, right?” he said.
Polling suggests that Trump’s theory holds water.
A Morning Consult/Politico poll released earlier this month found that Biden “just isn’t as loathed” by the American people as Clinton.
In the survey, 35 percent of respondents said that they view the former vice president very unfavorably, which marked an eight point difference between him and Clinton.
Notably, the Democratic Party’s 2020 nominee is far more popular than his predecessor among independents.
Four years ago, more than half of independents said that they viewed Clinton very unfavorably. The former Delaware senator is viewed that way by only 31 percent of independents, who will be a key voting bloc in the upcoming election.
Overall, slightly less than half of likely voters polled by Morning Consult said that they perceive Biden unfavorably and 56 percent said that they have an unfavorable view of Trump.
In the poll, which surveyed 11, 968 likely voters, Biden leads Trump by 8 percentage points nationwide.
As Eric Ostermeier, a research fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, put it, this “explains a lot of Biden’s polling success.”
“At this stage of the campaign Biden’s modest advantage — among an electorate with seemingly fewer and fewer persuadable voters each cycle — seems golden,” Ostermeier said.
Trump has previously discussed the similarities and differences between the two Democrats. In a June interview, he said that Clinton is “obviously smarter” than the former vice president, describing her as more energetic.
However, four years ago, he repeatedly attacked Clinton for having “no stamina” to serve in the White House, questioning the former Secretary of State’s physical health.
Trump and his allies have launched similar attacks at Biden. During a conversation with Chris Wallace of Fox News last month, the president described his general election opponent as “mentally shot,” suggesting that he would not even be able to handle a contentious interview.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Barack Obama Is ‘Misleading’ On State Of Coronavirus Pandemic In America, Report Says

A Friday fact-check from Breitbart editor Senior Editor-at-Large Joel B. Pollak claimed that Barack Obama is being “ misleading ” with his recent comments about the state of the coronavirus in the United States .
“ While other countries around the world have successfully managed this pandemic , we ’ ve seen things get worse , ” Obama tweeted on Friday morning .
“ It ’ s not too late for us to work towards recovery , but it ’ s going to require leaders with coherent plans to move us forward.
” The former president linked to an article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States ’ response to COVID-19 .
The article pointed to other countries — such as South Korea — that have successfully turned the curb downward .
As noted by Pollak , the piece is almost three weeks old , and recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) shows a steady decline in coronavirus infections after a peak in July .
Pollak noted that Obama ’ s post remains on Twitter — a platform that has recently taken a harder stance on posts that present inaccurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political commentator also claimed that the spikes in virus infections seen in regions like Los Angeles are due to the Black Lives Matter protests , which he noted Obama has publicly supported .
Obama was previously reported to have slammed Trump ’ s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in a private call .
According to Global News , Obama said that American life under the real estate mogul has been more strongly driven by selfishness , tribalism , and a fear of others as the enemy — patterns he paralleled to global trends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty , ” he allegedly said .
Per Reuters , Obama recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention and took aim at Trump ’ s fitness as U.S. leader and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic .
He claimed that the real estate mogul is not capable of meeting the current crises the country is facing and threw his support behind Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate , Kamala Harris .
As The Inquisitr reported , Pulitzer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump destroyed the Obama administration ’ s pandemic response infrastructure — a focal point of criticism of the current White House ’ s handling of the crisis— out of spite .

A Friday fact-check from Breitbart Senior Editor-at-Large Joel B. Pollak claimed that Barack Obama is being “misleading” with his recent comments about the state of the coronavirus in the United States.
“While other countries around the world have successfully managed this pandemic, we’ve seen things get worse,” Obama tweeted on Friday morning. “It’s not too late for us to work towards recovery, but it’s going to require leaders with coherent plans to move us forward.”
The former president linked to an article from The Atlantic that took aim at the United States’ response to COVID-19. The article pointed to other countries — such as South Korea — that have successfully turned the curve downward. As noted by Pollak, the piece is almost three weeks old, and recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a steady decline in coronavirus infections after a peak in July.
“Moreover, cases are declining in many ‘hot spots’ across the south and west of the country, which experienced a spike in cases in June and July even as cases declined in the Northeast, which was hardest hit in the earliest months of the pandemic.”
Pollak noted that Obama’s post remains on Twitter — a platform that has recently taken a harder stance on posts that present inaccurate information about the coronavirus pandemic. The political commentator also claimed that the spikes in virus infections seen in regions like Los Angeles are due to the Black Lives Matter protests, which he noted Obama has publicly supported.
Obama was previously reported to have slammed Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in a private call. According to Global News, Obama said that American life under the current president’s rule has been more strongly driven by selfishness, tribalism, and a fear of others as the enemy — patterns he paralleled to global trends.
“It’s part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty,” he allegedly said.
Per Reuters, Obama recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention and took aim at Trump’s fitness as U.S. leader and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that he is not capable of meeting the current crises the country is facing and threw his support behind Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris.
As The Inquisitr reported, Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Laurie Garrett previously argued that Trump destroyed the Obama administration’s pandemic response infrastructure — a focal point of criticism of the current White House’s handling of the crisis— out of spite.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Joe Biden’s DNC Acceptance Speech Received 21 Percent Lower Ratings Than Hillary Clinton’s, Report S

Joe Biden’s DNC Acceptance Speech Received 21 Percent Lower Ratings Than Hillary Clinton’s, Report Says

A Friday report from The Hill claimed that the ratings for Joe Biden ’ s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night were 21 percent lower than Hillary Clinton ’ s in 2016 .
According to the report , Biden drew the highest ratings of the DNC as a whole , pulling in 21.8 million views on television networks .
But the numbers are a drop from Clinton ’ s viewers as well as a 38 percent dip from the 34.9 million viewers Donald Trump drew with his 2016 acceptance speech for the Republican Party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat used his address to take aim at Trump and his administration ’ s purported failure to tackle the coronavirus pandemic .
“ While I will be a Democratic candidate , I will be an American president .
I will work as hard for those who didn ’ t support me as I will for those who did .
That ’ s the job of a president .
To represent all of us , not just our base or our party .
This is not a partisan moment .
This must be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were the shortest since Walter Mondale ’ s in 1984 .
Despite drawing lower ratings than Clinton or Trump , Biden ’ s address was generally well-received .
As The Inquisitr reported , Fox News host Chris Wallace , Dana Perino , and Laura Ingraham praised the statement , which came in the wake of months of the Trump campaign attacking his opponent ’ s fitness for the presidency .
In addition , while speaking to Ingraham , Donald Trump Jr. was pressed to admit that Biden provided an effective oration .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also showered Biden ’ s address with praise .
Mike Murphy , a critic of Trump , said on Hacks on Tap that Biden “ knocked it out of the park.
” During an appearance on Fox News , Karl Rove , a GOP strategist who worked in George W. Bush ’ s White House , called Biden ’ s speech “ very good.
” CNN called Biden ’ s statement “ career-defining ” and said his “ smooth performance ” may have rendered the Trump campaign ’ s attacks on his fitness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publication noted that the effectiveness of the Democrat ’ s remarks would only become evident in November when Americans vote on the former vice president or the incumbent president to guide the country through the unprecedented times of the pandemic .
Trump is set to deliver his own statement next week at the 2020 Republican National Convention , which is planned to be held at the White House .

A Friday report from The Hill claimed that the ratings for Joe Biden’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night were 21 percent lower than Hillary Clinton’s in 2016.
According to the report, Biden drew the highest ratings of the DNC as a whole, pulling in 21.8 million views on television networks. But the numbers are a drop from Clinton’s viewers as well as a 38 percent dip from the 34.9 million viewers Donald Trump drew with his 2016 acceptance speech for the Republican Party’s nomination.
Per The Guardian, the Democrat used his address to take aim at Trump and his administration’s purported failure to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
“While I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t support me as I will for those who did. That’s the job of a president. To represent all of us, not just our base or our party. This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment.”
Biden’s remarks were the shortest since Walter Mondale’s in 1984.
Despite drawing lower ratings than Clinton or Trump, Biden’s address was generally well-received. As The Inquisitr reported, Fox News host Chris Wallace, Dana Perino, and Laura Ingraham praised the statement, which came in the wake of months of the Trump campaign attacking his opponent’s fitness for the presidency.
In addition, while speaking to Ingraham, Donald Trump Jr. was pressed to admit that Biden provided an effective oration.
As reported by The Guardian, Republican strategists also showered Biden’s address with praise. Mike Murphy, a critic of Trump, said on Hacks on Tap that Biden “knocked it out of the park.”
“It was so authentic to who Biden is, and … it caught the mood of the country, which is unity, steady, competence, ‘We can rise above this.'”
During an appearance on Fox News, Karl Rove, a GOP strategist who worked in George W. Bush’s White House, called Biden’s speech “very good.”
CNN called Biden’s statement “career-defining” and said his “smooth performance” may have rendered the Trump campaign’s attacks on his fitness a “miscalculation.” Nevertheless, the publication noted that the effectiveness of the Democrat’s remarks would only become evident in November when Americans vote on the former vice president or the incumbent president to guide the country through the unprecedented times of the pandemic.
Trump is set to deliver his own statement next week at the 2020 Republican National Convention, which is planned to be held at the White House.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Hillary Clinton Says Donald Trump ‘Models Himself After Vladimir Putin’

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Friday , former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slammed President Donald Trump , The Hill reported .
“ Donald Trump , unfortunately , models himself after Vladimir Putin , ” Clinton said on Morning Joe .
Clinton commented on a report released earlier this week by the Senate Intelligence Committee , suggesting that it shows members of the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to win the 2016 presidential election .
Clinton said that the document “ paints a very clear and damning picture of the coordination between the Trump campaign and representatives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was directed by Putin from the Kremlin into our election.
” As reported by CBS News , the Senate ’ s 966-page report did not establish that members of Trump ’ s team conspired with Moscow , but it detailed Russia ’ s meddling in the presidential contest four years ago .
The upper chamber concluded that Moscow “ engaged in an aggressive , multifaceted effort to influence ” the electoral process , pointing to supposed links between Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Russian national Konstantin Kilimnik .
The document alleged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which allegedly helped the Russians meddle in the 2016 contest .
The bipartisan report also detailed the alleged coordination between WikiLeaks and longtime GOP operative Roger Stone , and concluded that the infamous Trump Tower meeting provided an opportunity for Russian officials to establish “ unofficial channels ” to conduct diplomacy .
Clinton said that Russia is trying to interfere in the 2020 election , arguing that the scope of its alleged efforts still remains unclear .
“ What ’ s really troubling me now is even Trump ’ s intelligence officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , it has not been stopped .
We don ’ t even know yet the full extent of what they did in 2016 and what they are now doing in 2020.
” As Clinton pointed out , earlier this month , William Evanina , the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center , warned that a number of foreign nations are seeking to influence the ongoing presidential race .
Evanina revealed that the Kremlin is backing the president , while China and Iran appear to be supportive of Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China is reportedly hostile to the president because of the administration ’ s actions pertaining to 5G technology and the ongoing legal battle over the South China Sea .
Iran apparently prefers Biden because they fear that Trump would seek regime change .
Trump has dismissed the intelligence community ’ s findings that the Kremlin is looking to “ denigrate ” Biden , stressing that he has been tough on Vladimir Putin and his allies .

In an interview with MSNBC broadcast on Friday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slammed President Donald Trump, The Hill reported.
“Donald Trump, unfortunately, models himself after Vladimir Putin,” Clinton said on Morning Joe.
Clinton commented on a report released earlier this week by the Senate Intelligence Committee, suggesting that it shows members of the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to win the 2016 presidential election.
Clinton said that the document “paints a very clear and damning picture of the coordination between the Trump campaign and representatives of the Russian government and the interference that was directed by Putin from the Kremlin into our election.”
As reported by CBS News, the Senate’s 966-page report did not establish that members of Trump’s team conspired with Moscow, but it detailed Russia’s meddling in the presidential contest four years ago.
The upper chamber concluded that Moscow “engaged in an aggressive, multifaceted effort to influence” the electoral process, pointing to supposed links between Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Russian national Konstantin Kilimnik.
The document alleged that Manafort provided Kilimnik and others with information, which allegedly helped the Russians meddle in the 2016 contest.
The bipartisan report also detailed the alleged coordination between WikiLeaks and longtime GOP operative Roger Stone, and concluded that the infamous Trump Tower meeting provided an opportunity for Russian officials to establish “unofficial channels” to conduct diplomacy.
Clinton said that Russia is trying to interfere in the 2020 election, arguing that the scope of its alleged efforts still remains unclear.
“What’s really troubling me now is even Trump’s intelligence officials now are saying it is still going on, it has not been stopped. We don’t even know yet the full extent of what they did in 2016 and what they are now doing in 2020.”
As Clinton pointed out, earlier this month, William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, warned that a number of foreign nations are seeking to influence the ongoing presidential race.
Evanina revealed that the Kremlin is backing the president, while China and Iran appear to be supportive of Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s nominee.
China is reportedly hostile to the president because of the administration’s actions pertaining to 5G technology and the ongoing legal battle over the South China Sea. Iran apparently prefers Biden because they fear that Trump would seek regime change.
Trump has dismissed the intelligence community’s findings that the Kremlin is looking to “denigrate” Biden, stressing that he has been tough on Vladimir Putin and his allies.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Kanye West Fails To Make The Ballot In His Home State Of Illinois

Falling on the heels of the news that Kanye West won ’ t be on the ballot in Wisconsin , Politico reports that the rapper failed to make the ballot in his home state of Illinois .
The Board of Elections in Illinois ruled that West fell short by 1,300 qualified signatures to get on the November ballot , despite the fact that the commission had lowered the threshold to qualify .
Because restrictions related to the novel coronavirus pandemic are making it more difficult for campaigners to get out door-to-door , a federal judge lowered the number from 25,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no debate during the board ’ s Zoom hearing when they got to West ’ s case , which was dispensed with when the panel approved a hearing officer ’ s determination that there weren ’ t enough signatures , ” the outlet wrote .
West got just 1,200 signatures , falling below the lowered threshold .
The news comes weeks after it was determined that many of the names on West ’ s original attempt to get on the ticket were invalid , as The Inquisitr previously reported .
West had offended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after he made comments that Harriet Tubman hadn ’ t “ actually freed the slaves.
” One committee member , Sean Tenner , called the comments insulting .
“ Illinois is a solidly blue state and wasn ’ t likely to tip the scales of the presidential race , but for sentimental reasons West would have wanted to appear on the state ’ s ballot given he grew up in the Chicago area and his late mother was an educator there , ” Politico reported .
Yesterday , it was decided that West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key battleground state , as The Inquisitr previously reported .
According to election officials , the petition was submitted too late to qualify .
The petition was turned in 14 seconds after 5 p.m. , which was the cutoff time to submit .
West is unlikely to have any path to win the 2020 race , and his failure in these two states only compounds his uphill battle .
However , West has qualified to be on the ballot in Arkansas , Colorado , Oklahoma , Utah , and Vermont .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoiler campaign that could pull Black and young voters away from Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
West had reportedly met with Donald Trump ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner , and others from inside the White House in the lead up to his campaign announcement .
When asked to comment on the matter , West refused to deny that his campaign was a spoiler that could harm Biden .

Falling on the heels of the news that Kanye West won’t be on the ballot in Wisconsin, Politico reports that the rapper failed to make the ballot in his home state of Illinois.
The Board of Elections in Illinois ruled that West fell short by 1,300 qualified signatures to get on the November ballot, despite the fact that the commission had lowered the threshold to qualify.
Because restrictions related to the novel coronavirus pandemic are making it more difficult for campaigners to get out door-to-door, a federal judge lowered the number from 25,000 to just 2,500.
“There was no debate during the board’s Zoom hearing when they got to West’s case, which was dispensed with when the panel approved a hearing officer’s determination that there weren’t enough signatures,” the outlet wrote.
West got just 1,200 signatures, falling below the lowered threshold. The news comes weeks after it was determined that many of the names on West’s original attempt to get on the ticket were invalid, as The Inquisitr previously reported.
West had offended Democrats in Illinois who challenged his petition after he made comments that Harriet Tubman hadn’t “actually freed the slaves.” One committee member, Sean Tenner, called the comments insulting.
“Illinois is a solidly blue state and wasn’t likely to tip the scales of the presidential race, but for sentimental reasons West would have wanted to appear on the state’s ballot given he grew up in the Chicago area and his late mother was an educator there,” Politico reported.
Yesterday, it was decided that West didn’t qualify in Wisconsin, a key battleground state, as The Inquisitr previously reported. According to election officials, the petition was submitted too late to qualify. The petition was turned in 14 seconds after 5 p.m., which was the cutoff time to submit.
West is unlikely to have any path to win the 2020 race, and his failure in these two states only compounds his uphill battle. However, West has qualified to be on the ballot in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Vermont.
The rapper has been accused of running a spoiler campaign that could pull Black and young voters away from Democratic candidate Joe Biden. West had reportedly met with Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and others from inside the White House in the lead up to his campaign announcement.
When asked to comment on the matter, West refused to deny that his campaign was a spoiler that could harm Biden.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Rose McGowan Blasts Joe Biden And Democratic Party: ‘You Are Monsters’

Actress and # MeToo advocate Rose McGowan took aim at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his party after the conclusion of the group ’ s convention on Thursday , RT reported .
“ You are the season of darkness , ” she wrote on Thursday evening .
“ @ JoeBiden @ dnc You are monsters .
You are frauds .
You are the lie.
” Not long after , she took aim at the party ’ s purported failings .
McGowan received mixed reactions to her comments .
Some accused her of pushing the election in favor of Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while others supported McGowan ’ s sentiments on the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party .
As reported by Fox News , McGowan has made it clear that she does not support Trump , who has been accused of sexual misconduct like his 2020 opponent .
The # MeToo firebrand has been an outspoken critic of Democrats and their purported refusal to address sexual assault claims against people within their political group .
Per The Inquisitr , the actress previously spotlighted the accusations leveled at Biden from his former employee Tara Reade , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McGowan said Democrats were covering up the allegations and pointed to the low media coverage of the claims at the time ; Biden has denied the allegations against him .
McGowan also called for former President Bill Clinton to be arrested after Ghislaine Maxwell — who he reportedly had an affair with — was arrested in connection to Jeffrey Epstein ’ s alleged sex trafficking ring .
As with Biden , Clinton has denied knowing about Epstein ’ s crimes .
McGowan , who was allegedly raped by Harvey Weinstein , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who recently described her change of heart .
She expressed her dismay at its coverage of the accusations against Biden and claimed the incident pushed her from the political affiliation , Fox News reported .
According to McGowan , she used to be a “ proud ” Democrat who believed that the group was a force of good .
The actress then suggested she has seen too much to believe in the party ’ s values and affiliate herself with the movement .

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inquisitr--2020-08-21--New Video Appears To Show Steve Bannon Joking About Stealing Funds From ‘We Build The Wall’

Newly unearthed footage from a YouTube live stream in June 2019 appeared to show Steve Bannon joking about “ We Build the Wall ” founder Brian Kolfage stealing from the organization to help fund his luxury yacht .
Media Matters uncovered the video , which shows Bannon with Kolfage near the U.S.-Mexico border for a fundraiser that they dubbed a “ wall-a-thon.
” “ We ’ re on the million-dollar yacht of Brian Kolfage , and uh , Brian Kolfage , he took all that money from Build the Wall , ” Bannon was heard saying .
Next to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceeded to play off the comment as a joke .
“ No , we ’ re actually in Sunland Park , New Mexico , ” he said .
Bannon was arrested this week after being accused of being party to taking funds from the project , which was aimed at privately funding a barrier along the U.S-Mexico border .
Federal prosecutors have also accused Kolfage of using some of the $ 25 million in raised funding to further bolster his lifestyle , which includes the purchase of a 40-foot-yacht .
Bannon was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and conspiracy to commit money laundering , as well as using hundreds of thousands of dollars from the campaign for his own personal use .
Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea were also charged in the scheme .
The 66-year-old , who formerly worked in Donald Trump ’ s White House and on his 2016 campaign for president , was released on a $ 5 million bond and pleaded not guilty to the charges .
As HuffPost reported , the alleged scheme may also involve some of the other individuals within the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Chad Wolf and both Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump .
The nonprofit organization formed as Congress was debating over funding to build the wall , which Trump had repeatedly pledged Mexico would pay for .
“ Everyone who donates right now , your money goes toward this wall — 100 percent of your money goes toward this wall , ” Kolfage was quoted as telling investors .
“ It ’ s not going to line someone ’ s pocket .
I ’ m taking zero dollars as a salary .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wall.
” The White House has denied that Trump knows anything about the scheme , nor is he familiar with the individuals involved .
However , Shea ’ s wife tweeted last year that she had met with Trump to discuss the project .
“ Had the pleasure of meeting with @ realDonaldTrump personally last week in the Hamptons , answered very specific questions about the wall @ WeBuildTheWall built , ” she tweeted .
“ [ Trump ] said I really know my stuff & our group needs to bid the @ @ @ @ @

Newly unearthed footage from a YouTube live stream in June 2019 appeared to show Steve Bannon joking about “We Build the Wall” founder Brian Kolfage stealing from the organization to help fund his luxury yacht.
Media Matters uncovered the video, which shows Bannon with Kolfage near the U.S.-Mexico border for a fundraiser that they dubbed a “wall-a-thon.”
“We’re on the million-dollar yacht of Brian Kolfage, and uh, Brian Kolfage, he took all that money from Build the Wall,” Bannon was heard saying.
Next to him, Kolfage looked decidedly uncomfortable as Bannon proceeded to play off the comment as a joke.
“No, we’re actually in Sunland Park, New Mexico,” he said.
Bannon was arrested this week after being accused of being party to taking funds from the project, which was aimed at privately funding a barrier along the U.S-Mexico border. Federal prosecutors have also accused Kolfage of using some of the $25 million in raised funding to further bolster his lifestyle, which includes the purchase of a 40-foot-yacht.
Bannon was also charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, as well as using hundreds of thousands of dollars from the campaign for his own personal use. Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea were also charged in the scheme.
The 66-year-old, who formerly worked in Donald Trump’s White House and on his 2016 campaign for president, was released on a $5 million bond and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
As HuffPost reported, the alleged scheme may also involve some of the other individuals within the Trump administration, including Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and both Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
The nonprofit organization formed as Congress was debating over funding to build the wall, which Trump had repeatedly pledged Mexico would pay for.
“Everyone who donates right now, your money goes toward this wall — 100 percent of your money goes toward this wall,” Kolfage was quoted as telling investors. “It’s not going to line someone’s pocket. I’m taking zero dollars as a salary. No compensation. It’s going toward the wall.”
The White House has denied that Trump knows anything about the scheme, nor is he familiar with the individuals involved.
However, Shea’s wife tweeted last year that she had met with Trump to discuss the project.
“Had the pleasure of meeting with @realDonaldTrump personally last week in the Hamptons, answered very specific questions about the wall @WeBuildTheWall built,” she tweeted. “[Trump] said I really know my stuff & our group needs to bid the whole wall project.”


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Donald Trump Is Planning ‘State Sponsored Voter Intimidation,’ Legal Expert Says

Donald Trump ’ s Thursday claim that he wants law enforcement monitoring polling stations on Election Day has received pushback from various legal experts , including Phillip Atiba Goff , a Yale professor and co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity .
As reported by Raw Story , Goff believes that the real estate mogul ’ s plan is tantamount to voter intimidation .
“ This is pretty clearly voter intimidation , ” he tweeted .
“ It is also a commitment for state-sponsored voter intimidation .
In case you needed another reason to do all you can to vote… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s suggestion .
Steve Vladeck , a professor at the University of Texas , claimed that the plan is a violation of U.S. criminal code .
Trump made the comment while speaking to Fox News ’ Sean Hannity , who asked the president whether he is properly prepared to deal with the possibility of fraud in the November election — a possibility experts have suggested is not likely .
According to CNN , Trump doesn ’ t have the authority to use local police to monitor polling booths .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert at the University of California at Irvine , claimed the administration could hire off-duty police to do so .
Nevertheless , the publication claimed that such a course of action would be met with legal action from Democrats , who would likely accuse the president of engaging in voter suppression , as they have amid his attacks on mail-in voting .
Notably , Marc Elias , a lawyer involved in Democratic voting lawsuits , suggested that any attempt to use police to patrol voting booths would spark a battle in court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously predicted that Trump would attempt to suppress the vote by using federal agents .
Juan Carlos Planas , a member of Republicans for Biden , suggested that Trump would likely deploy agents in Michigan and Wisconsin .
According to Planas , these areas include politicians who have clashed with Trump and may not have the power to stop such actions .
Jason Stanley , a fascism expert and philosophy professor at Yale University , also expressed concern over the potential plan and noted that research suggests the presence of government enforcement decreases @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump’s Thursday claim that he wants law enforcement monitoring polling stations on Election Day has received pushback from various legal experts, including Phillip Atiba Goff, a Yale professor and co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity. As reported by Raw Story, Goff believes that the real estate mogul’s plan is tantamount to voter intimidation.
“This is pretty clearly voter intimidation,” he tweeted. “It is also a commitment for state-sponsored voter intimidation. In case you needed another reason to do all you can to vote…”
Other experts also took issue with the president’s suggestion. Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas, claimed that the plan is a violation of U.S. criminal code.
“Federal law expressly prohibits any federal officer from sending ‘troops or armed men’ to any polling place ‘unless such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.'”
Trump made the comment while speaking to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, who asked the president whether he is properly prepared to deal with the possibility of fraud in the November election — a possibility experts have suggested is not likely.
“We’re going to have everything. We’re going to have sheriffs, and we’re going to have law enforcement. And we’re going to have hopefully U.S. attorneys, and we’re going to have everybody and attorney generals.”
According to CNN, Trump doesn’t have the authority to use local police to monitor polling booths. However, Rick Hasen, an elections legal expert at the University of California at Irvine, claimed the administration could hire off-duty police to do so.
Nevertheless, the publication claimed that such a course of action would be met with legal action from Democrats, who would likely accuse the president of engaging in voter suppression, as they have amid his attacks on mail-in voting. Notably, Marc Elias, a lawyer involved in Democratic voting lawsuits, suggested that any attempt to use police to patrol voting booths would spark a battle in court.
As The Inquisitr reported, election lawyers previously predicted that Trump would attempt to suppress the vote by using federal agents. Juan Carlos Planas, a member of Republicans for Biden, suggested that Trump would likely deploy agents in Michigan and Wisconsin. According to Planas, these areas include politicians who have clashed with Trump and may not have the power to stop such actions.
Jason Stanley, a fascism expert and philosophy professor at Yale University, also expressed concern over the potential plan and noted that research suggests the presence of government enforcement decreases the turnout of voters.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Donald Trump Says He Was ‘Embarrassed’ After His ‘Egotistical’ RNC Speech In 2016

Donald Trump delivered remarks to the Council for National Policy on Friday and said he felt “ embarrassed ” about his Republican National Convention speech in 2016 .
As reported by Raw Story , Trump used the previous address to claim he was the one to take control of America and solve its problems .
“ You know , when I made that statement , I was a little embarrassed , because it sounds so egotistical , ” he said .
“ It ’ s like an egotistical statement .
I was a little embarrassed.
” After touching on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his comments .
As reported by The Guardian , Trump said in his 2016 RNC speech that his jump into politics was to take on those in power and ensure they can no longer take advantage of those who are defenseless .
“ Nobody knows the system better than me , which is why I alone can fix it , ” he said .
“ I have seen firsthand how the system is rigged against our citizens , just like it was rigged against Bernie Sanders – he never had a chance.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the streets of America and offered himself as a solution to end it .
The real estate mogul pointed to Hillary Clinton ’ s foreign policy in Barack Obama ’ s administration and linked it to the “ disasters ” unfolding in the world at the time .
Per CNN , Trump is currently focusing on making sure next week ’ s RNC separates itself from the recent Democratic National Convention , which was all digital and included pre-recorded speeches .
According to CNN , Trump is embracing his experience in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will boost his current standing in the polls , which consistently show him lagging behind Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
According to The Washington Post , Trump ’ s 2020 reelection campaign channels many of the same ideas of his 2016 campaign through a new infrastructure .
But the publication also claimed that the real estate mogul ’ s strategy focuses on a “ risky ” and “ narrow ” path to the White House .
Notably , the strategy purportedly relies on a large turnout of his base in regions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The problem , the publication says , is that his popularity in these regions has declined since he was elected .
In addition , some of Trump ’ s advisers are allegedly worried about his reported loss of support among suburban and female voters .

Donald Trump delivered remarks to the Council for National Policy on Friday and said he felt “embarrassed” about his Republican National Convention speech in 2016. As reported by Raw Story, Trump used the previous address to claim he was the one to take control of America and solve its problems.
“You know, when I made that statement, I was a little embarrassed, because it sounds so egotistical,” he said. “It’s like an egotistical statement. I was a little embarrassed.”
After touching on his purported self-awareness, Trump doubled down on his comments.
“But there was no other way to say it. We have to win the election. I’m the one… If we don’t win it’s all gone. Okay? It’s all gone.”
As reported by The Guardian, Trump said in his 2016 RNC speech that his jump into politics was to take on those in power and ensure they can no longer take advantage of those who are defenseless.
“Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it,” he said. “I have seen firsthand how the system is rigged against our citizens, just like it was rigged against Bernie Sanders – he never had a chance.”
Trump also highlighted the violence and crime in the streets of America and offered himself as a solution to end it. The real estate mogul pointed to Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy in Barack Obama’s administration and linked it to the “disasters” unfolding in the world at the time.
Per CNN, Trump is currently focusing on making sure next week’s RNC separates itself from the recent Democratic National Convention, which was all digital and included pre-recorded speeches. According to CNN, Trump is embracing his experience in the television industry to create an experience that will boost his current standing in the polls, which consistently show him lagging behind Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
According to The Washington Post, Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign channels many of the same ideas of his 2016 campaign through a new infrastructure. But the publication also claimed that the real estate mogul’s strategy focuses on a “risky” and “narrow” path to the White House. Notably, the strategy purportedly relies on a large turnout of his base in regions that helped him defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016. The problem, the publication says, is that his popularity in these regions has declined since he was elected. In addition, some of Trump’s advisers are allegedly worried about his reported loss of support among suburban and female voters.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Donald Trump To Hold Funeral For His Brother At White House, First Since JFK

President Donald Trump plans to hold a private funeral for his brother , Robert Trump , who passed away last week at the age of 71 .
The funeral will be the first time a deceased person has been brought into the White House for a service since the death of President John F. Kennedy in November of 1963 , as ABC News reports .
Robert Trump ’ s body will be taken from New York City , where he died , to the White House where 200 family and friends have been invited for the event .
The event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will be paid for personally by Donald Trump , according to reports .
It isn ’ t clear how many of the 200 invitees will actually attend the event , though it is reported that Melania Trump will be in attendance .
Prior to this , the last time a deceased private citizen was brought to the White House was after Louis Howe passed .
Howe was an adviser and friend to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife , Eleanor Roosevelt .
He died in 1936 .
Prior to that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife and daughter of his Secretary of the Navy , who were killed in a fire in 1890 .
The funeral for President Abraham Lincoln ’ s 11-year-old son was held in the same room in 1862 , and three years later , Lincoln himself lay in state there after his assassination .
The president suggested that he was looking into the idea of holding the service at the White House on Monday , as USA Today reported .
“ We ’ re looking at Friday .
And we may do just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House for my brother .
We ’ re looking at doing that , ” he said .
“ I think he ’ d be greatly honored .
He loves our country .
He loved our country so much .
He was so proud of what we were doing and what we are doing for our country.
” Robert Trump died after a brief stint in the hospital with an unknown condition , as The Inquisitr previously reported .
“ It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother , Robert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just my brother , he was my best friend .
He will be greatly missed , but we will meet again .
His memory will live on in my heart forever .
Robert , I love you .
Rest in peace , ” a White House statement said of his passing .
Robert Trump was previously treated in the Intensive Care Unit of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City in June of this year .
Robert Trump , like his sibling , was a real estate developer who started out working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocally supportive of Donald Trump ’ s political ambitions , though he maintained a lower profile than his sibling .

President Donald Trump plans to hold a private funeral for his brother, Robert Trump, who passed away last week at the age of 71. The funeral will be the first time a deceased person has been brought into the White House for a service since the death of President John F. Kennedy in November of 1963, as ABC News reports.
Robert Trump’s body will be taken from New York City, where he died, to the White House where 200 family and friends have been invited for the event.
The event will be held in the East Room and will be paid for personally by Donald Trump, according to reports. It isn’t clear how many of the 200 invitees will actually attend the event, though it is reported that Melania Trump will be in attendance.
Prior to this, the last time a deceased private citizen was brought to the White House was after Louis Howe passed. Howe was an adviser and friend to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. He died in 1936.
Prior to that, President Benjamin Harrison held services for the wife and daughter of his Secretary of the Navy, who were killed in a fire in 1890. The funeral for President Abraham Lincoln’s 11-year-old son was held in the same room in 1862, and three years later, Lincoln himself lay in state there after his assassination.
The president suggested that he was looking into the idea of holding the service at the White House on Monday, as USA Today reported.
“We’re looking at Friday. And we may do just a small service right here in the White House for my brother. We’re looking at doing that,” he said. “I think he’d be greatly honored. He loves our country. He loved our country so much. He was so proud of what we were doing and what we are doing for our country.”
Robert Trump died after a brief stint in the hospital with an unknown condition, as The Inquisitr previously reported.
“It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight. He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace,” a White House statement said of his passing.
Robert Trump was previously treated in the Intensive Care Unit of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City in June of this year.
Robert Trump, like his sibling, was a real estate developer who started out working for the Trump Organization. He was vocally supportive of Donald Trump’s political ambitions, though he maintained a lower profile than his sibling.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--President Trump Says He Wants Law Enforcement To Monitor The Polls On Election Day

Any such move would almost certainly be met with a court challenge from Democrats .
President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he wants to have sheriffs and other law enforcement personnel monitoring the polls on Election Day , a move that , if he were to proceed with it , would almost certainly be challenged in court by the Democrats .
As NBC News reported , Trump spoke to Fox News ’ Sean Hannity by phone on Thursday night .
The host asked him if planned to have “ poll watchers ” on Election Day to , as Hannity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross check whether or not these are registered voters.
” Trump , in his response , appeared to suggest that it ’ s a sure thing that there will be various law enforcement officials at polling places to keep an eye on things .
“ We ’ re going to have everything .
We ’ re going to have sheriffs and law enforcement and we ’ re going to have , hopefully , U.S. attorneys , and we ’ re going to have everybody , and attorney generals , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For months , Trump has repeatedly suggested that this election will be rife with fraud that could undermine his reelection chances , CNN reported .
Specifically , he ’ s railed against voting by mail , suggesting that ballots could be stolen or that fraudulent ballots would be produced and mailed in .
However , in Thursday night ’ s interview , he appeared to be taking direct aim at in-person voting as well .
And indeed , Trump ’ s campaign has already begun recruiting tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republicans ’ largest poll-watching effort in history .
Indeed , poll watching is nothing new , and both parties do it .
However , as the American Civil Liberties Union noted , the line between “ poll watching ” and “ voter intimidation ” can be a thin one and warned voters to act if they believe that efforts are being made to intimidate them or suppress their vote .
“ If someone is attempting to interfere with your or anyone ’ s right to vote , it may be voter intimidation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the document reads in part .
And as for the White House sending law enforcement to the polls , Trump may not even have that authority , noted CNN .
Rick Hasen , an election law expert at the University of California at Irvine , said that Trump ’ s campaign could hire off-duty police officers to monitor the polls , however .
What ’ s more , any White House-backed attempt to send law enforcement to the polls is likely to be met with a lawsuit , tweeted Marc Elias , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ BREAKING : Trump tells Hannity that he will send law enforcement to the polls .
Not without a legal fight he won ’ t !
” he wrote .

President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he wants to have sheriffs and other law enforcement personnel monitoring the polls on Election Day, a move that, if he were to proceed with it, would almost certainly be challenged in court by the Democrats.
As NBC News reported, Trump spoke to Fox News’ Sean Hannity by phone on Thursday night. The host asked him if planned to have “poll watchers” on Election Day to, as Hannity described it, “avoid fraud and cross check whether or not these are registered voters.”
Trump, in his response, appeared to suggest that it’s a sure thing that there will be various law enforcement officials at polling places to keep an eye on things.
“We’re going to have everything. We’re going to have sheriffs and law enforcement and we’re going to have, hopefully, U.S. attorneys, and we’re going to have everybody, and attorney generals, but it’s very hard,” he said.
For months, Trump has repeatedly suggested that this election will be rife with fraud that could undermine his reelection chances, CNN reported. Specifically, he’s railed against voting by mail, suggesting that ballots could be stolen or that fraudulent ballots would be produced and mailed in.
However, in Thursday night’s interview, he appeared to be taking direct aim at in-person voting as well. And indeed, Trump’s campaign has already begun recruiting tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor the polls, for what could be the Republicans’ largest poll-watching effort in history.
However, as the American Civil Liberties Union noted, the line between “poll watching” and “voter intimidation” can be a thin one and warned voters to act if they believe that efforts are being made to intimidate them or suppress their vote.
“If someone is attempting to interfere with your or anyone’s right to vote, it may be voter intimidation and a violation of federal law,” the document reads in part.
And as for the White House sending police to monitor voting at in-person locations, Trump may not even have that authority, noted CNN. Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Irvine, said that Trump’s campaign could hire off-duty police officers to do the job, however.
What’s more, any White House-backed attempt to do this is likely to be met with a lawsuit, tweeted Marc Elias, a Democrat who advocates for voting rights.
“BREAKING: Trump tells Hannity that he will send law enforcement to the polls. Not without a legal fight he won’t!” he wrote.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--Fox News Hosts Heap Praise On Joe Biden For ‘Home Run’ Speech At Democratic National Convention

Joe Biden earned praise from Fox News on Thursday .
Hosts at the normally right-leaning network gave high marks to the speech that the former vice president delivered at the Democratic National Convention .
Biden officially earned the party ’ s nomination this week and on Thursday , delivered an address that launched attacks against President Donald Trump while offering a competing vision for the future of the United States .
After Trump and allies for weeks had attacked him as suffering mental decline , many said the speech surpassed expectations and set the stage for what looks to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Vox noted , the address in which Biden told the story of how he overcame grief from the loss of close family members to launch his presidential campaign was a “ tour de force ” that earned praise from many normally opposed to the Democratic Party .
A panel that included Dana Perino and Karl Rove — both of whom worked in the White House with George W. Bush — praised the address as powerful .
Perino said the remarks were “ a home run in the bottom of the ninth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Wallace , who has in the past offered criticism of Trump and grilled him in a recent interview , said the commander in chief ’ s attempts to paint Biden as facing cognitive decline appeared to backfire in a big way , as he delivered a clear and coherent speech .
“ Remember , Donald Trump has been talking for months about Joe Biden as mentally shot… I thought that he blew a hole , a big hole in that characterization , ” he said .
Wallace went on to say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to paint Biden as ineffective and under the thumb of the far left will not be effective and that Trump will not be able to dictate the tone of the election .
In a live interview with Donald Trump Jr. , who has followed in his father ’ s attacks on Biden as facing mental decline , Laura Ingraham attempted to press him into admitting it was a good speech that beat expectations .
Others noted that Biden came into the convention with higher expectations , given that his campaign has largely been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not held any large events or rallies .
He has instead focused on online events and forums , with even this week ’ s convention being held virtually with delegates casting votes from home .

Joe Biden earned praise from Fox News on Thursday. Hosts at the normally right-leaning network gave high marks to the speech that the former vice president delivered at the Democratic National Convention.
Biden officially earned the party’s nomination this week and on Thursday, delivered an address that launched attacks against President Donald Trump while offering a competing vision for the future of the United States. After Trump and allies for weeks had attacked him as suffering mental decline, many said the speech surpassed expectations and set the stage for what looks to be a difficult re-election campaign for the president.
As Vox noted, the address in which Biden told the story of how he overcame grief from the loss of close family members to launch his presidential campaign was a “tour de force” that earned praise from many normally opposed to the Democratic Party. A panel that included Dana Perino and Karl Rove — both of whom worked in the White House with George W. Bush — praised the address as powerful. Perino said the remarks were “a home run in the bottom of the ninth” for Biden.
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, who has in the past offered criticism of Trump and grilled him in a recent interview, said the commander in chief’s attempts to paint Biden as facing cognitive decline appeared to backfire in a big way, as he delivered a clear and coherent speech.
“Remember, Donald Trump has been talking for months about Joe Biden as mentally shot… I thought that he blew a hole, a big hole in that characterization,” he said.
BIDEN GIVES THE SPEECH OF HIS LIFE: ‘United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America’’ — Joe Biden excoriates Trump, comforts grieving families, and offers a message of hope while accepting the 2020 Democratic nomination for president pic.twitter.com/x967hn5aID — NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 21, 2020
Wallace went on to say the address made it clear that the attempts to paint Biden as ineffective and under the thumb of the far left will not be effective and that Trump will not be able to dictate the tone of the election.
Chris Wallace on Fox News: "an enormously effective speech" that "blew a hole" in Trump's attempts to depict Biden as feeble. "Donald Trump is gonna have to run against a candidate, not a caricature," Wallace said. — Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) August 21, 2020
In a live interview with Donald Trump Jr., who has followed in his father’s attacks on Biden as facing mental decline, Laura Ingraham attempted to press him into admitting it was a good speech that beat expectations.
Others noted that Biden came into the convention with higher expectations, given that his campaign has largely been shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic and has not held any large events or rallies. He has instead focused on online events and forums, with even this week’s convention being held virtually with delegates casting votes from home.


inquisitr--2020-08-21--‘Are You Really Going To Impeach Me’ Donald Trump Reportedly Asked Nancy Pelosi

President Donald Trump allegedly made a phone call to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ahead of his impeachment trial last September , during which he reportedly attempted to plead his case to her in order to head off the proceedings .
A Washington Post report based on information from a new book called Trump on Trial : The Investigation , Impeachment , Acquittal , and Aftermath stated that Trump called Pelosi on the day she was expected to announce impeachment proceedings .
Calling from his Trump Tower penthouse in New York , he told Pelosi that he wanted to talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whistleblower complaint that had been filed against him .
“ Are you really going to impeach me ?
” he reportedly asked .
“ The Senate will never convict .
You don ’ t really want to do this.
” Trump apparently tried to convince Pelosi that the phone conversation with Vladimir Zelensky , which was the focus of the impeachment trial , was harmless and that he hadn ’ t tried to manipulate Zelensky at all .
“ Literally , you would be impressed by my lack of pressure… Why would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questioned .
“ It was 100 percent perfect .
I didn ’ t ask him for anything.
” He told her that he was about to release the transcript of the conversation , but allegedly Pelosi confirmed to him that she was moving forward with the process .
After 20 minutes , the phone call ended , leaving Pelosi concerned about the president ’ s conduct , according to the upcoming book , which will be released next week .
“ Pelosi was left shaking her head .
Either the president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from wrong , she thought , or he didn ’ t care .
Whichever it was , she felt Trump was taking the country down a dangerous path that violated the Constitution ’ s spirit and letter in establishing the president ’ s powers , ” the authors wrote .
Shortly after the call , the White House released the transcript of the chat , followed by a tweet from the president that called the conversation “ totally appropriate ” and asserted that the Democrats were perpetrating a witch hunt against him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted an impeachment inquiry , citing national security concerns .
Ultimately , the president was convicted in the House and acquitted by the Senate for the conversation , during which he asked the Ukrainian president to do him a favor and investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden .
Critics argue that Trump was attempting to harm Biden ’ s chances in the 2020 race , in which Biden currently leads Trump in most polls .

President Donald Trump allegedly made a phone call to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ahead of his impeachment trial last September, during which he reportedly attempted to plead his case to her in order to head off the proceedings. A Washington Post report based on information from a new book called Trump on Trial: The Investigation, Impeachment, Acquittal, and Aftermath stated that Trump called Pelosi on the day she was expected to announce impeachment proceedings.
Calling from his Trump Tower penthouse in New York, he told Pelosi that he wanted to talk about guns, but the conversation shifted to the whistleblower complaint that had been filed against him.
“Are you really going to impeach me?” he reportedly asked. “The Senate will never convict. You don’t really want to do this.”
Trump apparently tried to convince Pelosi that the phone conversation with Vladimir Zelensky, which was the focus of the impeachment trial, was harmless and that he hadn’t tried to manipulate Zelensky at all.
“Literally, you would be impressed by my lack of pressure… Why would I say something bad?” he questioned. “It was 100 percent perfect. I didn’t ask him for anything.”
He told her that he was about to release the transcript of the conversation, but allegedly Pelosi confirmed to him that she was moving forward with the process.
After 20 minutes, the phone call ended, leaving Pelosi concerned about the president’s conduct, according to the upcoming book, which will be released next week.
“Pelosi was left shaking her head. Either the president of the United States didn’t know right from wrong, she thought, or he didn’t care. Whichever it was, she felt Trump was taking the country down a dangerous path that violated the Constitution’s spirit and letter in establishing the president’s powers,” the authors wrote.
Shortly after the call, the White House released the transcript of the chat, followed by a tweet from the president that called the conversation “totally appropriate” and asserted that the Democrats were perpetrating a witch hunt against him.
Shortly after, Pelosi confirmed that she wanted an impeachment inquiry, citing national security concerns.
Ultimately, the president was convicted in the House and acquitted by the Senate for the conversation, during which he asked the Ukrainian president to do him a favor and investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Critics argue that Trump was attempting to harm Biden’s chances in the 2020 race, in which Biden currently leads Trump in most polls.


inquisitr--2020-08-22--Joe Biden Would Institute Second Coronavirus Lockdown If Scientists Recommend It: ‘I Would Shut It D

Joe Biden Would Institute Second Coronavirus Lockdown If Scientists Recommend It: ‘I Would Shut It Down’

Joe Biden said he would be in favor of sending the United States into a second national lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus — if that were the recommendation of top scientists .
The Democratic candidate spoke to ABC News for an interview set to air in full on Sunday , saying he is willing to take the lead of experts and do whatever was needed to control the spread of the coronavirus .
He criticized Donald Trump for what he saw as a “ fundamental flaw ” of believing he could press for the U.S. economy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow its spread .
“ I will be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we can not get the country moving , until we control the virus , ” Biden said .
“ That is the fundamental flaw of this administration ’ s thinking to begin with .
In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing , and people employed , you have to fix the virus , you have to deal with the virus.
” Biden ’ s campaign has released a detailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , including ensuring that testing was free and widely available .
He said the United States must be willing to spend whatever it takes to meet public health needs and fix the economic impacts of the pandemic .
Biden has also touted his past experience leading responses to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the 2014 Ebola epidemic .
Trump has voiced opposition to more stringent measures to combat the coronavirus , long voicing his opposition to wearing a mask until changing course in recent weeks and wearing one at times during appearances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a number of states with Democratic governors while they were slowly lifting restrictions mid-April .
As the summer neared an end , he was vocal in calling for schools to reopen for in-person learning , even as many local leaders raised doubts about whether it would be safe to do so .
Biden has consistently sought to show the contrast between how he would handle the outbreak as president and what he sees as missteps from Trump .
He seized on a remark that appeared to raise the idea of ingesting or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus and backed Dr. Anthony Fauci after the nation ’ s top expert on infectious diseases came under criticism from the president .
Amid rumors that Fauci could be removed from his position , Biden said he would always have a place within his administration .


inquisitr--2020-08-22--Donald Trump Told Homeland Security To Take Marching Orders From Fox Business Host Lou Dobbs, Offici

Donald Trump Told Homeland Security To Take Marching Orders From Fox Business Host Lou Dobbs, Official Claims

Donald Trump told top officials in the Department of Homeland Security to tune into Fox Business and get marching orders from host Lou Dobbs , a former DHS official claimed .
Speaking to Anderson Cooper in a CNN interview , former DHS chief of staff Miles Taylor said the president ’ s affinity for the host grew to the point that Dobbs became the “ shadow chief of staff ” for the department .
Dobbs , known for his unwavering support of Trump and advocacy for hard-line immigration policies , became something of a north star for the agency ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former chief of staff said , Trump regularly asked top officials to listen to Dobbs and take cues from his own views .
“ The president would call us and… he would say , ‘ Why the hell didn ’ t you watch Lou Dobbs last night ?
You need to listen to Lou .
What Lou says is what I want to do , ' ” he claimed .
Taylor said that many people around Trump were afraid to speak up when he would offer up seemingly incorrect claims or share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amplified by the Fox Business host .
“ So if Lou Dobbs peddled a conspiracy theory on late-night television or made an erroneous claim about what should be done… at the border… the president wanted us to be tuning in every night , ” he added .
Dobbs has frequently been criticized for his fiery rhetoric and the sharing of theories with no evidence to back them .
As The Inquisitr reported , he suggested in April that the novel coronavirus could be a biological weapon created by the Chinese government , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military action if it could be proven that it was intentionally released .
“ If we don ’ t go to war over the loss of … 31,000 American lives , what do we go to war over ?
” Dobbs said , via Mediaite , adding that America should consider a strong response even if the virus was not intentionally released .
Taylor worked under former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen from 2017 to 2019 , but has since broken with the administration and endorsed Democratic candidate Joe Biden for November ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part due to Trump ’ s continued support of the policy to separate migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border , bringing up the idea of returning to the policy even after it was scrapped due to a worldwide backlash .
In addition , Taylor alleged that even after being told some ideas were illegal , such as his idea of taking migrants to sanctuary cities and leaving them there as a form of punishment , Trump continued to publicly press for them .

‘The View’ Stars Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro Live It Up With Lavish Trip During Summer Break
The ladies of 'The View' are off for four weeks of vacation, and you can expect to see them back on your television in early September.
By Priyanka Pandey | 1d ago
The View|Alyssa Farah|Ana Navarro


inquisitr--2020-08-22--Donald Trump Slams Mail-In Voting, Claims Nancy Pelosi Could Become President If Election Is Contest

Donald Trump Slams Mail-In Voting, Claims Nancy Pelosi Could Become President If Election Is Contested

On Friday , during an address to the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting , President Donald Trump railed against mail-in voting , suggesting that top Democrat Nancy Pelosi could become commander-in-chief if the election is contested , Fox News reported .
Trump began his remarks by alleging that it could take “ weeks ” if not months to count the votes and declare the winner of the upcoming contest .
He then relayed speculation about the possibility of Pelosi — who is the top Democrat in the House of Representatives — being crowned the leader of the nation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you don ’ t have a choice , that the speaker of the House becomes president .
… Add that to everything else , ” Trump said .
As Fox News pointed out , the hypothesis Trump referred to is not correct .
If the election was contested , it would be unclear what party has the majority in the lower chamber , which means that Pelosi could not be declared commander-in-chief .
Both chambers of Congress have to certify the results of the Electoral College .
According to the Constitution , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate has a majority , it is considered “ contingent.
” In such a scenario , Congress chooses the POTUS and his second in command .
This has only occurred twice in American history , in 1800 and 1824 .
After speculating about the possibility of Pelosi being appointed to lead the nation , Trump described the vote-by-mail process as “ filthy and dirty , ” arguing that Americans need to be allowed to cast their ballots in person .
“ This is a very serious problem for our great democracy .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and something has to be done about it , ” he added .
Trump noted that Democrats — including the party ’ s presidential nominee Joe Biden — have accused him of deliberately blocking mail-in voting expansions to ensure that he wins .
He said that he just wants the results to be “ fair.
” Trump and his Republican allies have claimed that mail-in voting would result in widespread manipulation and fraud .
In addition , the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign have filed a lawsuit to challenge Democratic efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , recently said that Americans can vote in person this November , as long as the process is organized “ carefully , ” with voters wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines .

On Friday, during an address to the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting, President Donald Trump railed against mail-in voting, suggesting that top Democrat Nancy Pelosi could become commander-in-chief if the election is contested, Fox News reported.
Trump began his remarks by alleging that it could take “weeks” if not months to count the votes and declare the winner of the upcoming contest.
He then relayed speculation about the possibility of Pelosi, who is the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, being crowned the leader of the nation.
“You know, there’s a theory crazy Nancy Pelosi would become president. I don’t know if its a theory or if that’s a fact, but I said that’s not good.”
“There is a theory that if you don’t have a choice, that the speaker of the House becomes president. … Add that to everything else,” Trump continued.
As Fox News pointed out, the hypothesis Trump referred to is not correct. If the election was contested, it would be unclear what party has the majority in the lower chamber, which means that Pelosi could not be declared commander-in-chief.
Both chambers of Congress have to certify the results of the Electoral College. According to the Constitution, if the election is contested and no presidential candidate has a majority, it is considered “contingent.”
In such a scenario, Congress chooses the president and his second in command. This has only occurred twice in American history, in 1800 and 1824.
After speculating about the possibility of Pelosi being appointed to lead the nation, Trump described the vote-by-mail process as “filthy and dirty,” arguing that Americans need to be allowed to cast their ballots in person.
“This is a very serious problem for our great democracy. This is a very, very serious problem and something has to be done about it,” he added.
Trump noted that Democrats, including the party’s presidential nominee Joe Biden, have accused him of deliberately blocking mail-in voting expansions to ensure that he wins. He said that he just wants the results to be “fair.”
Trump and his Republican allies have claimed that mail-in voting would result in widespread manipulation and fraud.
In addition, the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign have filed a lawsuit to challenge Democratic efforts to expand the program amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently said that Americans can vote in person this November, as long as the process is organized “carefully,” with voters wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines.


inquisitr--2020-08-22--Republican Martha McSally Asks Donors To ‘Fast A Meal’ So They Can Give To Her Campaign

Arizona Republican Martha McSally unveiled an unusual pitch to potential donors — give up a meal so they can give to her campaign .
The incumbent senator , who appears locked in a tight race to keep her seat , shared the message with donors this week .
As AzFamily.com reported , McSally suggested that her backers could forgo some food and use that cash to help deliver a boost to her re-election chances .
“ We ’ re doing our part to catch up , you know , to get our message out , ” she said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody can give , I ’ m not ashamed to ask , to invest .
If you can give a dollar , five dollars , if you can fast a meal and give what that would be.
” The remarks were made earlier in the week at a private fundraising event , which local Republican businesswoman Christine Jones told the news outlet was an unusual approach that sounded more in line with what a church might ask of its congregants .
Jones added that it appeared an act of desperation on the part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , McSally has struggled to match the strong donations to her Democratic challenger Mark Kelly .
As Salon had reported , she also drew some controversy for declaring that she would suspend all fundraising during the first two weeks of April in favor of “ 15 Days of Giving ” to charitable causes , but finance records showed that her campaign still took in $ 300,000 during that time — and kept it all for their coffers .
A McSally spokesperson told the outlet that the money taken in during that period was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and past money that was not counted until that period , as well as disbursements from joint fundraising committees .
“ Senator McSally and her team channeled 100 % of their efforts during these 15 days to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the thousands of Arizonans served by the Salvation Army and any suggestion otherwise is outrageous and a misleading attempt to politicize this important work , ” said spokeswoman Caroline Anderegg .
McSally ’ s race has garnered national attention , with Democrats eyeing the seat as a potential flip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. Senate .
Polls have shown that Kelly has maintained a small but consistent lead in the race .
The McSally campaign told AzFamily.com that the remarks about fasting a meal and donating that money instead were meant to be a joke , something that other Arizona Republicans said seemed clear from the tone of her remarks .

Arizona Republican Martha McSally gave an unusual pitch to potential donors this week — give up a meal so they can give to her campaign. The incumbent senator is locked in a tight race to keep her seat, and as AzFamily.com reported, she suggested that her backers could forgo some food and use that cash to help boost her re-election chances.
“We’re doing our part to catch up, you know, to get our message out,” she said. “But it takes resources. So, anybody can give, I’m not ashamed to ask, to invest. If you can give a dollar, five dollars, if you can fast a meal and give what that would be.”
The remarks were made earlier in the week at a private fundraising event. Local Republican businesswoman Christine Jones told the outlet that she thought McSally’s approach was unusual and sounded more in line with something a church might ask of its congregants. Jones added that it appeared to be an act of desperation on the senator’s part. McSally has struggled to match the strong donations made to her Democratic challenger, Mark Kelly.
The McSally campaign told AzFamily.com that the statement was meant to be a joke, something that other Arizona Republicans said seemed clear from her tone.
Earlier this year, she also garnered some criticism when it was discovered that her campaign took in $300,000 while fundraising was supposedly on hold for “15 Days of Giving,” as Salon reported. The senator had announced that she would suspend all fundraising during the first two weeks of April to raise money for charitable causes, but finance records showed that her campaign still fundraised during that time — and kept it all for their coffers.
A McSally spokesperson told the outlet that the money raised during that period was “passive,” insisting that it represented recurring donations and past money that hadn’t been counted, as well as disbursements from joint fundraising committees.
“Senator McSally and her team channeled 100% of their efforts during these 15 days to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the thousands of Arizonans served by the Salvation Army and any suggestion otherwise is outrageous and a misleading attempt to politicize this important work,” said spokeswoman Caroline Anderegg.
McSally’s race has garnered national attention, with Democrats eyeing the seat as a potential flip in their attempt to win back control of the U.S. Senate. Polls have shown that Kelly has maintained a small but consistent lead in the race.


inquisitr--2020-08-22--Kanye West Won’t Be On West Virginia Ballot After Turning In More Invalid Signatures Than Valid Ones

Kanye West has been dealt another blow in his long-shot bid to win the presidency in November .
As WDTV reported , the rapper will not be able to appear on the ballot in West Virginia after his campaign turned in more invalid signatures than valid ones .
The West Virginia secretary of state ’ s office said that the rapper and fashion mogul turned in a total of 13,865 signatures , but was not able to reach the mark of 7,144 valid ones in order to qualify for the state ’ s ballot .
That left a total of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7,482 not qualifying .
The report noted that West Virginia will certify ballots next week , leaving the possibility that his campaign may decide to file a petition seeking more time to get the more than 700 signatures needed to qualify .
He has not publicly indicated whether he plans to use that option .
The ruling by West Virginia is the latest setback for the rapper , who also failed to qualify in Wisconsin and his home state of Illinois .
He faced similar issues in these states , as The Inquisitr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatures submitted on his behalf in Illinois were deemed not valid .
Critics have taken aim at West for his idea to run , believing it is a spoiler campaign to help re-elect Donald Trump , whom West has vocally supported in the past .
Some have pointed out that by the time he made the surprise announcement of his run on the Fourth of July , it was already too late to serve as a candidate in a number of states , leaving an almost impossible path to an electoral college victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by razor-thin margins in places like Wisconsin and Michigan in 2016 , so even a small showing for West supporters could potentially tip the race again .
This criticism was sharpened after reports that West had met with top White House adviser Jared Kushner .
This has earned the attention of some top Democrats , with former first lady Michelle Obama making what many believed to be a veiled reference to West during her address at this week ’ s Democratic National Convention “ This is not the time to withhold our votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates who have no chance of winning , ” she said , via Bloomberg .
As Bloomberg noted , the failure to make the cut in several key battleground states could ease some of the risk to Joe Biden .

Kanye West has been dealt another blow in his long-shot bid to win the presidency in November.
As WDTV reported, the rapper will not be able to appear on the ballot in West Virginia after his campaign turned in more invalid signatures than valid ones. The West Virginia secretary of state’s office said that the rapper and fashion mogul turned in a total of 13,865 signatures, but was not able to reach the mark of 7,144 valid ones in order to qualify for the state’s ballot. That left a total of 6,383 counting toward the effort, with 7,482 not qualifying.
The report noted that West Virginia will certify ballots next week, leaving the possibility that his campaign may decide to file a petition seeking more time to get the more than 700 signatures needed to qualify. He has not publicly indicated whether he plans to use that option.
The ruling by West Virginia is the latest setback for the rapper, who also failed to qualify in Wisconsin and his home state of Illinois. He faced similar issues in these states, as The Inquisitr reported that more than half of the signatures submitted on his behalf in Illinois were deemed not valid.
Critics have taken aim at West for his idea to run, believing it is a spoiler campaign to help re-elect Donald Trump, whom West has vocally supported in the past. Some have pointed out that by the time he made the surprise announcement of his run on the Fourth of July, it was already too late to serve as a candidate in a number of states, leaving an almost impossible path to an electoral college victory.
Others have noted that Trump won by razor-thin margins in places like Wisconsin and Michigan in 2016, so even a small showing for West supporters could potentially tip the race again. This criticism was sharpened after reports that West had met with top White House adviser Jared Kushner.
This has earned the attention of some top Democrats, with former first lady Michelle Obama making what many believed to be a veiled reference to West during her address at this week’s Democratic National Convention
“This is not the time to withhold our votes in protest, or play games with candidates who have no chance of winning,” she said, via Bloomberg.
As Bloomberg noted, the failure to make the cut in several key battleground states could ease some of the risk to Joe Biden.