inquisitr--2020-08-08--Joe Biden Might Alienate ‘Key Constituencies’ With His Vice Presidential Pick, Reporter Says

Joe Biden is allegedly close to selecting his running mate , which has been narrowed down to candidates including Kamala Harris , Elizabeth Warren , and Susan Rice .
In a Saturday piece for Breitbart , Haris Alic argued that the current pool of choices all pose the risk of alienating “ key constituencies ” that Biden needs to defeat Donald Trump in November .
“ Although there are many high-profile choices , there is no single candidate acceptable to all of the constituencies within the Democratic Party , creating the likelihood that whomever Biden picks could end up alienating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general election , ” he wrote .
In particular , Alic argued that former National Security Advisor Susan Rice possesses foreign policy views that would likely alienate progressives who don ’ t approve of the hawkish approach to the Middle East she presided over during Barack Obama ’ s administration .
Similarly , the reporter said that Harris ’ record as California ’ s attorney general — which she touts for her tough stance on crime — could rub activists the wrong way .
Notably , USA Today columnist Ruben Navarrette opined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice of a running mate and referred to the pair as a “ disastrous duo.
” “ Biden-Harris .
This is a match made in , well , about as far from heaven as you can get .
More like at a public execution , ” he wrote , pointing to the pair ’ s controversial criminal justice work .
Elsewhere , Alic argued that California Rep. Karen Bass ’ radical past and alleged links to Cuba ’ s communist regime could alienate Cuban Americans .
He also suggested that Michigan Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing down due to her controversial handling of the coronavirus pandemic , which has drawn controversy .
The conclusion of the article outlined underdogs such as Florida Rep. Val Demings , New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham , and former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams .
Biden said his pick would come in the first week of August , which has come and gone .
The former vice president has committed to selecting a woman as his vice president and has also faced pressure to choose a woman of color .
Per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clyburn claims that Biden should choose a Black woman to “ reward ” them for helping him make a comeback in the primary .
Although Biden has not revealed an official shortlist of candidates , the previously mentioned figures are widely believed to be in consideration .

Joe Biden is allegedly close to selecting his running mate, which has been narrowed down to candidates including Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Susan Rice. In a Saturday piece for Breitbart, Haris Alic argued that the current pool of choices all pose the risk of alienating “key constituencies” that Biden needs to defeat Donald Trump in November.
“Although there are many high-profile choices, there is no single candidate acceptable to all of the constituencies within the Democratic Party, creating the likelihood that whomever Biden picks could end up alienating the very coalition he needs to win the general election,” he wrote in the article.
In particular, Alic argued that former National Security Advisor Susan Rice possesses foreign policy views that would likely alienate progressives who don’t approve of the hawkish approach to the Middle East she presided over during Barack Obama’s administration. Similarly, the reporter said that Harris’ record as California’s attorney general — which she touts for her tough stance on crime — could rub activists the wrong way. Notably, USA Today columnist Ruben Navarrette opined that Harris would be a particularly poor choice of a running mate and referred to the pair as a “disastrous duo.”
“Biden-Harris. This is a match made in, well, about as far from heaven as you can get. More like at a public execution,” he wrote, pointing to the pair’s controversial criminal justice work.
Elsewhere, Alic argued that California Rep. Karen Bass’ radical past and alleged links to Cuba’s communist regime could alienate Cuban Americans. He also suggested that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer might drag Biden’s standing down due to her controversial handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has drawn controversy.
The conclusion of the article outlined underdogs such as Florida Rep. Val Demings, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams.
“Apart from those five most frequently mentioned in contention, there are also a series of underdog candidates, unlikely to wind up with the vice-presidential nomination, but politically risky none the less.”
Biden said his pick would come in the first week of August, which has come and gone. The former vice president has committed to selecting a woman as his vice president and has also faced pressure to choose a woman of color. Per The Hill, House Majority Whip James Clyburn claims that Biden should choose a Black woman to “reward” them for helping him make a comeback in the primary.
Although Biden has not revealed an official shortlist of candidates, the previously mentioned figures are widely believed to be in consideration.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--#LetHerSpeak Trends As Twitter Calls For Libertarian Presidential Candidate Jo Jorgensen On Debate S

#LetHerSpeak Trends As Twitter Calls For Libertarian Presidential Candidate Jo Jorgensen On Debate Stage

As the September debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden approaches , social media users trended # LetHerSpeak to push for Libertarian presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen to take the stage with them .
“ The Commission for Presidential @ debates can ’ t ignore the thousands of activists across the country making their voices heard today .
The people deserve to hear a third party.
” wrote Libertarian vice presidential candidate , Spike Cohen .
“ Will you stand up to voter suppression by democrats and demand Jo Jorgensen be allowed to debate ?
” one user asked Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for her presence in the debates .
Still , not everyone was optimistic that the effort would be effective .
“ Every year we demand that the media give 3rd party candidates a podium on the debate stage , and every year the two major parties ignore us , ” one user tweeted .
As reported by Courthouse News Service , the D.C .
Circuit rejected a push from the nonprofit group Level the Playing Field to have the Libertarian and Green parties participate in the debates .
The lawsuit came after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected a push for changes to the debate criteria .
According to U.S .
Circuit Judge Raymond Randolph , the current standards are not against FEC rules In his 13-page opinion on the matter , Randolph noted that there is no legal requirement that the FEC be more welcoming for independent candidate campaigns .
Notably , the polling requirement to make the debate stage is currently 15 percent , which the Green Party called “ exclusionary.
” According to TIME , a CNBC/Change Research from July put Jorgensen at 2 percent support in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not long after congressman Justin Amash — who has endorsed her — ended his exploratory committee into the nomination and decided against running for president .
Per her campaign website , Jorgensen is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Clemson University who is running on a platform of reduced federal spending , ending victimless crime laws , and the elimination of tariffs , trade barriers , and immigration quotas .
Jorgensen recently had to skip a campaign rally after she was allegedly bitten by a bat .
The psychology teacher said she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event as a precaution .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention ( CDC ) recommends that anyone bitten by a bat received medical advice due to the possibility of rabies .

As the September debate between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden approaches, social media users trended #LetHerSpeak to push for Libertarian presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen to take the stage with them.
“The Commission for Presidential @debates can’t ignore the thousands of activists across the country making their voices heard today. The people deserve to hear a third party.” wrote Libertarian vice presidential candidate Spike Cohen.
“Will you stand up to voter suppression by democrats and demand Jo Jorgensen be allowed to debate?” one user asked Biden.
Jorgensen took to Twitter to thank those calling for her presence in the debates.
“All across the Eastern Time Zone #LetHerSpeak convoys are revving their engines in protest of the @debates glass ceiling of #VoterSuppression and #CandidateSuppression. Thank you.”
Still, not everyone was optimistic that the effort would be effective.
“Every year we demand that the media give 3rd party candidates a podium on the debate stage, and every year the two major parties ignore us,” one user tweeted.
As reported by Courthouse News Service, the D.C. Circuit rejected a push from the nonprofit group Level the Playing Field to have the Libertarian and Green parties participate in the debates. The lawsuit came after the Federal Election Commission (FEC) rejected a push for changes to the debate criteria. According to U.S. Circuit Judge Raymond Randolph, the current standards are not against FEC rules.
In his 13-page opinion on the matter, Randolph noted that there is no legal requirement that the FEC be more welcoming for independent candidate campaigns. Notably, the polling requirement to make the debate stage is currently 15 percent, which the Green Party called “exclusionary.” According to TIME, a CNBC/Change Research from July put Jorgensen at 2 percent support in the 2020 race.
Jorgensen was nominated not long after congressman Justin Amash — who has endorsed her — ended his exploratory committee into the nomination and decided against running for president. Per her campaign website, Jorgensen is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Clemson University who is running on a platform of reduced federal spending, ending victimless crime laws, and the elimination of tariffs, trade barriers, and immigration quotas.
Jorgensen recently had to skip a campaign rally after she was allegedly bitten by a bat. The psychology teacher said she was receiving a rabies vaccine and avoiding the event as a precaution. The U.S. Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone bitten by a bat received medical advice due to the possibility of rabies.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Rand Paul Calls Joe Biden A ‘Weakened Vessel’ Who Will Allow Far Left And Socialists To Control Admi

Rand Paul Calls Joe Biden A ‘Weakened Vessel’ Who Will Allow Far Left And Socialists To Control Administration

Rand Paul warned that if elected president , Joe Biden will become a “ weakened vessel ” who will allow “ the far left , the socialists , and the Bernie Sanders of the party ” to control the policies 0f his administration .
The Kentucky senator shared his thoughts on a potential Biden presidency in videos shared by The Hill today .
Paul warned that even though Biden advertises himself as a moderate , his close ties to the far left are too obvious to ignore .
The former vice president is just not strong enough to resist the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rephrased a quote from Mitt Romney , in which the Utah senator said that he had “ binders full of women ” on his campaign staff .
Paul said he expects the Democratic party will make Biden pay a price for his nomination by employing “ very , very radical people ” on his staff .
He mentioned defunding the police as a policy that these potential staffers would be in support of , before going further into the issue and arguing that the American people are looking for law and order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats have not been able to get done .
“ I think that is crazy , ” he said .
Elaborating more on his socialism concerns , Paul said he has watched the ideology grow in popularity alongside the rise of Bernie Sanders .
After noting that recent polls show that over half of young people “ think socialism would be a good idea , ” the 57-year-old issued words of caution for them by citing Venezuela , Cuba , and other countries as warnings .
“ Inflation is multiple thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet they ( Venezuela ) sit upon more oil reserves than any other country including Saudi Arabia and yet it is absolute poverty .
Socialism doesn ’ t work , ” Paul explained .
The politician is an ardent supporter of capitalism , saying that when workers try to maximize profits for themselves and their families , it generates more wealth for everyone in the process .
But while this particular interview saw Paul take aim at liberals , the libertarian-leaning lawmaker is not afraid to take up issue with his fellow Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported , Paul said his own party owes Barack Obama an apology for their critiques of his administration ’ s spending following their own economic mishaps .

Rand Paul warned that if elected president, Joe Biden will become a “weakened vessel” who will allow “the far left, the socialists, and the Bernie Sanders of the party” to control the policies 0f his administration. The Kentucky senator shared his thoughts on a potential Biden presidency in videos shared by The Hill today.
Paul warned that even though Biden advertises himself as a moderate, his close ties to the far left are too obvious to ignore. The former vice president is just not strong enough to resist the influences, he said. Paul then rephrased a quote from Mitt Romney, in which the Utah senator said that he had “binders full of women” on his campaign staff.
“I see Biden saying ‘I have got binders full of socialists.'”
Paul said he expects the Democratic party will make Biden pay a price for his nomination by employing “very, very radical people” on his staff. He mentioned defunding the police as a policy that these potential staffers would be in support of, before going further into the issue and arguing that the American people are looking for law and order to be brought to their communities, something the Democrats have not been able to get done.
“I think that is crazy,” he said.
Elaborating more on his socialism concerns, Paul said he has watched the ideology grow in popularity alongside the rise of Bernie Sanders. After noting that recent polls show that over half of young people “think socialism would be a good idea,” the 57-year-old issued words of caution for them by citing Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries as warnings.
“Inflation is multiple thousands of percents, currency is worthless, and yet they (Venezuela) sit upon more oil reserves than any other country including Saudi Arabia and yet it is absolute poverty. Socialism doesn’t work,” Paul explained.
The politician is an ardent supporter of capitalism, saying that when workers try to maximize profits for themselves and their families, it generates more wealth for everyone in the process.
“The most selfless or greatest distribution of goods, the most humanitarian thing you can do is actually have an economy based on self interest.”
But while this particular interview saw Paul take aim at liberals, the libertarian-leaning lawmaker is not afraid to take up issue with his fellow Republicans, either. As The Inquisitr previously reported, Paul said his own party owes Barack Obama an apology for their critiques of his administration’s spending following their own economic mishaps.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Bill Maher Says ‘Horny Guy’ Bill Clinton May Have Visited Jeffrey Epstein’s Island

On Friday ’ s edition of HBO ’ s Real Time , comedian and host Bill Maher floated the possibility that Bill Clinton may have visited Jeffrey Epstein ’ s notorious Caribbean estate , also referred to as “ Pedophile Island.
” As reported by Breitbart , the comment comes in the wake of court documents that revealed allegations that Clinton visited the island with two young girls .
Maher made the comment while speaking to former Clinton adviser Paul Begala and pressed her on what should be done about the connections between the Clintons — who were alleged regulars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and the accused sex trafficker .
Maher also warned that the Clinton family could pose a distraction in the lead up to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s battle against Donald Trump in November .
“ He has assets and he has things that are not quite assets—and the same with Hillary .
What should the Democrats do with the Clintons ?
” the host asked .
“ They are huge distractions .
I can see them being huge distractions.
” As reported by The Daily Mail , Begala dodged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Epstein and instead praised the former U.S. president for his work on the economy .
Virginia Roberts Guiffre claims that she saw Clinton on Epstein ’ s island “ strolling into the darkness ” with two young girls .
Roberts claimed that the former U.S. leader was staying on the property because he owed Epstein a “ favor.
” According to Roberts , she was uncertain whether the term was used by Epstein as a joke or to refer to something serious .
Clinton has denied visiting the infamous island and claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for over a decade and only did so before his crimes were revealed .
Still , the former president ’ s sexual transgressions have long been known , and the recent revelations have again cast him under the spotlight .
Clinton has also been linked to Ghislaine Maxwell , Epstein ’ s former girlfriend , who is currently facing charges linked to her alleged involvement in the disgraced financier ’ s purported trafficking ring .
According to A Convenient Death : The Mysterious Demise of Jeffrey Epstein , the former U.S. leader had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disgraced financier to get close to her .

'Jersey Shore's Angelina Pivarnick Vows to Avoid Big Lavish Weddings After Breakup With Chris Larangeira
"If I'm going to ever get married, it would be an eloping and something very small with just a couple [of] people," Angelina Pivarnick said.
2h ago


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Donald Trump Abruptly Ends Press Event After Asked Why He’s Taking Credit For Barack Obama’s Veteran

Donald Trump Abruptly Ends Press Event After Asked Why He’s Taking Credit For Barack Obama’s Veteran Program

Donald Trump abruptly ended a press conference on Saturday after facing a question about why he has repeatedly claimed credit for a major bill helping former military members access healthcare that was actually passed by Barack Obama in 2014 .
The president held a press conference on Saturday from his company ’ s golf resort in New Jersey , where he has spent the last several days .
While announcing an executive order issuing some relief measures for Americans hurt by the coronavirus — which reporters noted was an unusual precedent that appeared to go around Congress and is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also claimed credit for passing the Veterans Choice program .
After the signing , as Trump was taking questions from reporters , he was asked by Paula Reid of CBS News why he continues to claim responsibility for the Obama administration program .
Instead of answering , he thanked reporters and walked away from the podium , ending the event .
As The Inquisitr reported , Trump has frequently said that it was him that signed the measure , which aims to give military vets greater access to health care by paying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not obtain treatment through a VA hospital .
When Trump repeated this statement back in January , CNN fact-checking correspondent Daniel Dale reported on Twitter that he falsely claimed more than 100 times that he was responsible for the Veterans Choice Act , which was formally known as the Veterans ’ Access to Care Through Choice , Accountability , and Transparency Act of 2014 .
Trump ’ s administration has signed legislation that expanded eligibility for the program and made it easier for them to seek treatment , cutting the wait period to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted , Trump had not pointed to the expansion when making the statement , and had also incorrectly stated that no previous president passed a Veterans Choice initiative .
Many believed that the claim was a matter of pride for Trump , as the original legislation was passed by Obama and crafted heavily by Senator John McCain , both seen by Trump as political enemies .
As many critics also noted after Saturday ’ s claim , it was the second time in a matter of days that Trump appeared to try stealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his predecessor .
Earlier in the week , he had floated the idea of issuing an executive order that would mandate all insurance providers to cover pre-existing conditions — which is already a law in the United States thanks to the Affordable Care Act , commonly known as Obamacare .

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly ended a press conference on Saturday after facing a question about why he has repeatedly claimed credit for a major bill helping former military members access healthcare that was actually passed by Barack Obama in 2014.
The president held a press conference on Saturday from his company’s golf resort in New Jersey, where he has spent the last several days. While announcing an executive order issuing some relief measures for Americans hurt by the coronavirus, which reporters noted was an unusual precedent that appeared to go around Congress and is expected to face legal challenges, the president also claimed credit for passing the Veterans Choice program.
Trump begins his August 8 Bedminster news conference with some casual xenophobia, and takes credit for Veterans Choice legislation that was actually signed into law by President Obama in 2014 pic.twitter.com/NPjNdhDHQ2 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 8, 2020
Yesterday, Trump took credit for the ACA, passed by Obama. Today, Trump is taking credit for veterans choice, also passed by Obama. For a guy who hates his predecessor so much, Trump sure does love everything Obama accomplished. — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 8, 2020
After the signing, as Trump was taking questions from reporters, he was asked by Paula Reid of CBS News why he continues to claim responsibility for the Obama administration program. Instead of answering, he thanked reporters and walked away from the podium, ending the event.
CBS's @PaulaReidCBS presses Trump for lying about passing Veterans Choice when he did not pass Veterans Choice. Trump leaves his news conference without answering. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 8, 2020
As The Inquisitr reported, Trump has frequently said that it was him that signed the measure, which aims to give military vets greater access to health care by paying for doctor visits for those who cannot obtain treatment through a VA hospital.
When Trump repeated this statement back in January, CNN fact-checking correspondent Daniel Dale reported on Twitter that he falsely claimed more than 100 times that he was responsible for the Veterans Choice Act, which was formally known as the Veterans’ Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014.
Trump’s administration has signed legislation that expanded eligibility for the program and made it easier for vets to seek treatment, cutting the waiting period to 20 days. But as The Inquisitr noted, Trump had not pointed to the expansion when making the statement, and he also incorrectly stated that no previous president passed a Veterans Choice initiative.
Many believed that the claim was a matter of pride for Trump, as the original legislation was passed by Obama and crafted heavily by Sen. John McCain, both seen by Trump as political enemies.
As many critics also noted after Saturday’s claim, it was the second time in a matter of days that Trump appeared to try to steal credit for one of the major accomplishments of his predecessor. Earlier in the week, he had floated the idea of issuing an executive order that would mandate all insurance providers to cover pre-existing conditions — which is already a law in the United States thanks to the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Cory Booker Slams Donald Trump, Says He Wonders ‘What Planet Our President Is Living On’

Cory Booker spoke with MSNBC ’ s Zerlina Maxwell today where the two discussed Donald Trump and the Republican response to COVID-19 .
The New Jersey senator slammed both before questioning the president ’ s grasp on reality .
Booker talked about the city of Newark , where he served as mayor from 2006-2013 , saying it has been getting hit especially hard by the virus and its fallout , acknowledging that to be the case in many other Black and low-income communities around the country as well .
The 51-year-old talked about the human angle of the crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling to make rent payments or those who find themselves in food lines that “ in many communities go for miles.
” His words of sympathy soon turned to frustration , as he said he was angry that so many Americans have been suffering financially over the last few months , throwing blame across the aisle to Donald Trump and the Republicans .
Noting that Republicans were not willing to come to the table to negotiate a new coronavirus relief package until after the expiration of unemployment benefits and PPP loan programs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a time to let citizens suffer for prolonged periods of time .
Economists from both parties have recognized the need to have another stimulus package , he said , and that cutting unemployment checks is not the way do bring the country back to its feet .
The former Democratic presidential candidate also came to the defense of public workers , saying firefighters , teachers and the like should not be laid off because local governments are struggling .
It is on the federal government to help , he contended .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including both Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy , who said acted boldly as leaders .
But Trump , he argued , has not risen to the occasion .
“ But this president has done nothing , ” he said .
Booker is no stranger to criticizing Trump .
In July , he called the administration ’ s decision to commute the sentence of Roger Stone “ criminal , ” while also proclaiming that he would “ sooner die ” than see Trump refuse to vacate the White House if he loses @ @ @ @ @

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inquisitr--2020-08-08--After Donald Trump Said It Was His Dream To Be On Mount Rushmore, W.H. Asked How To Add More Preside

After Donald Trump Said It Was His Dream To Be On Mount Rushmore, W.H. Asked How To Add More Presidents

After Donald Trump told South Dakota ’ s governor that it was always his dream to have his face on Mount Rushmore , the White House reportedly asked the state leader if they was any way they could add more presidents to the mountainside , a new report claims .
As the New York Times reported , a White House aide last year had asked South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem how to add more presidents to the famed monument .
Noem said that during her first meeting with Trump after he took office , he raised the idea of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas Jefferson , Theodore Roosevelt , and Abraham Lincoln .
As she recalled , Trump was dead serious in his request .
“ He said , ‘ Kristi , come on over here .
Shake my hand , ' ” she told the Argus Leader .
“ I shook his hand , and I said , ‘ Mr .
President , you should come to South Dakota sometime .
We have Mount Rushmore.
’ And he goes , ‘ Do you know it ’ s my dream to have my face on Mount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ He wasn ’ t laughing , so he was totally serious.
” As Business Insider noted , it is not possible to add another face to the mountain sculpture , as the only remaining space to the left of Washington is not stable enough .
But , as the report noted , Trump ’ s administration was still interested enough to make an inquiry to Roem ’ s office about the possibility .
The story appears to have taken on greater significance amid rumors that Trump could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 ticket and replace him with Noem , though the New York Times report noted that she has expressed that she would not want to replace the former Indiana governor .
Trump has been vocal in his admiration of the monument , holding a speech there during the Fourth of July weekend in which he extolled the virtues of the national landmark and vowed to protect it from destruction .
While it was not clear if there were any real efforts to have the monument taken down , Trump referred to the growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate leaders , tying in the mountainside carving with those efforts .
The speech was blasted by Trump ’ s critics for being overtly political during a holiday that has traditionally been free from politics .
Others slammed the president for holding the speech before large crowds despite warnings from public health experts that doing so could lead to a coronavirus outbreak .

After Donald Trump told South Dakota’s governor that it was always his dream to have his face on Mount Rushmore, a White House aide asked Gov. Kristi Noem last year if there was a way more presidents could be added to the mountainside, according to a The New York Times report.
Noem reportedly said that during her first meeting with Trump after he took office, he raised the idea of having his own bust alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
As she recalled, Trump was dead serious in his request.
“He said, ‘Kristi, come on over here. Shake my hand,'” she told the Argus Leader. “I shook his hand, and I said, ‘Mr. President, you should come to South Dakota sometime. We have Mount Rushmore.’ And he goes, ‘Do you know it’s my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?’ “I started laughing,” she said. “He wasn’t laughing, so he was totally serious.”
The White House reportedly continued to press on the idea, later asking the South Dakota governor if there would be room to add another image to the mountainside.
As Business Insider noted, it is not possible to add another face to the mountain sculpture, as the only remaining space to the left of Washington is not stable enough. But, as the report noted, Trump’s administration was still interested enough to make an inquiry to Roem’s office about the possibility.
The story appears to have taken on greater significance amid rumors that Trump could drop Vice President Mike Pence from the 2020 ticket and replace him with Noem, though the New York Times report noted that she has said that she would not want to replace the former Indiana governor.
Trump has been vocal in his admiration of the monument, holding a speech there during the Fourth of July weekend in which he extolled the virtues of the national landmark and vowed to protect it from destruction. While it was not clear if there were any real efforts to have the monument taken down, Trump referred to the growing movement to remove statues and monuments to Confederate leaders, tying in the mountainside carving with those efforts.
The speech was blasted by Trump’s critics for being overtly political during a holiday that has traditionally been free from politics. Others slammed the president for holding the speech before large crowds despite warnings from public health experts that doing so could lead to a coronavirus outbreak.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--After Elon Musk Slams ‘Socialist’ Tax Plan, Bernie Sanders Mocks Him For Taking $4.9B In ‘Corporate

After Elon Musk Slams ‘Socialist’ Tax Plan, Bernie Sanders Mocks Him For Taking $4.9B In ‘Corporate Socialism’

Elon Musk took to Twitter to attack a proposal from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders that would place a 60 percent tax on wealth gained by billionaires during the coronavirus , calling it “ socialism.
” Sanders responded by reminding the Tesla founder that he ’ s taken a total of $ 4.9 billion in “ corporate socialism ” to prop up his businesses .
As Business Insider noted , the exchange between the billionaire tech mogul and the former Democratic Party presidential candidate has attracted some interest amid a larger debate over growing income disparities during the COVID-19 crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders , suggesting that he ’ s only trying to take the hard-earned money of others .
Sanders responded by pointing out that while Musk is attacking the idea of expanding government assistance for average Americans , he has taken $ 4.9 billion in government subsidies , which the Vermont senator referred to as “ corporate socialism.
” As Business Insider noted , the subsidies have come to a number of Musk ’ s business interests including SpaceX , Tesla , and the newly acquired SolarCity .
It has included grants , tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and discounted loans , the report noted .
Under the proposal from Sanders , the revenue raised from the increased tax on billionaires for wealth made during the pandemic would go toward paying the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for all Americans .
The proposal has captured some interest , with many pointing to Musk specifically as he has seen a significant windfall during the pandemic .
As CNBC reported , he would be hit with a one-time tax of $ 27.5 billion .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg would be on the hook for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bezos would owe $ 42.8 billion , while the Walmart-owning Walton family would collectively pay $ 12.9 billion , the report added .
The bill , which is co-sponsored by Democrats Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York , aims to address the massive gains that some have made in the last few months , mostly from people hit hard by the coronavirus crisis .
“ Under the bill , tech and other business titans who have seen their wealth shoot up during the pandemic would take huge charges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Walmart , for example , have both seen their stocks grow as Americans increasingly relied on their services during stay-at-home orders during the pandemic.
” The sometimes massive gains for billionaires has drawn sharp scrutiny , especially as the crisis has led to a massive spike in unemployment and financial struggles for millions of people who are out of work .

Elon Musk took to Twitter to attack a proposal from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders that would place a 60% tax on wealth gained by billionaires during the coronavirus, calling it “socialism.”
Sanders responded by reminding the Tesla founder that he’s taken a total of $4.9 billion in “corporate socialism” to prop up his businesses.
As Business Insider reported, the exchange between the billionaire tech mogul and the former Democratic Party presidential candidate has attracted some interest amid a larger debate over growing income disparities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Musk started by tweeting an attack at Sanders, suggesting that he’s only trying to take the hard-earned money of others.
Sanders responded by pointing out that while Musk is attacking the idea of expanding government assistance for average Americans, he has taken $4.9 billion in government subsidies, which the Vermont senator referred to as “corporate socialism.”
As Business Insider noted, the subsidies have come to a number of Musk’s business interests including SpaceX, Tesla, and the newly acquired SolarCity. It has included grants, tax breaks, construction subsidies, environmental credits, and discounted loans, the report noted.
Every time Elon Musk pokes fun at government assistance for the 99%, remember that he would be worth nothing without $4.9 billion in corporate welfare. Oh, Elon just l-o-v-e-s corporate socialism for himself, rugged capitalism for everyone else. https://t.co/rj8FgwEDMQ pic.twitter.com/bxHcXul925 — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 7, 2020
Under the proposal from Sanders, the revenue raised from the increased tax on billionaires for wealth made during the pandemic would go toward paying the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for all Americans.
The proposal has captured some interest, with many pointing to Musk specifically as he has seen a significant windfall during the pandemic.
As CNBC reported, he would be hit with a one-time tax of $27.5 billion. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg would be on the hook for $22.8 billion, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos would owe $42.8 billion, while the Walmart-owning Walton family would collectively pay $12.9 billion, the report added.
The bill, which is co-sponsored by Democrats Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, aims to address the massive gains that some have made in the last few months, mostly from people hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.
“Under the bill, tech and other business titans who have seen their wealth shoot up during the pandemic would take huge charges,” the report noted. “Amazon and Walmart, for example, have both seen their stocks grow as Americans increasingly relied on their services during stay-at-home orders during the pandemic.”
The sometimes-massive gains for billionaires has drawn sharp scrutiny, especially as the crisis has led to a massive spike in unemployment and financial struggles for millions of people who are out of work.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Donald Trump Only Has Two Paths To Victory In November, Historian Says

American University history professor Allan Lichtman , who has correctly predicted every election since 1984 and believes Joe Biden is on track to win in November , said on Saturday that Donald Trump only has two paths to victory .
As reported by Raw Story , Lichtman outlined the two scenarios to CNN ’ s Michael Smerconish after acknowledging that the majority of the “ keys ” to winning the election are working against Trump .
“ One is voter suppression , ” the author said .
The historian claimed that Trump relies on votes from the older white demographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most shrinking part of the electorate.
” To combat this weakness , the author claims that Trump will attempt to prevent key Democratic-leaning demographics from making it to the ballot box .
“ But you can try to make it hard for the rising Democratic base of minorities and young people .
We heard your earlier speaker [ Trump campaign official Hogan Gidley ] , who is sowing fear and confusion .
But , Michael , he never answered your question about what the Trump administration is doing , if anything , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The second scenario involves Russian intervention .
The historian claimed that the Kremlin might attempt to influence voter registration rolls and speculated that Trump would welcome any form of help from the superpower .
“ So the keys are set .
We live in such an uncertain world .
There ’ s an old Chinese saying , some call it a curse : ‘ May you live in interesting times , ' ” he concluded .
In a piece for Rolling Stone , Andy Kroll argued that Trump and the Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by attacking mail-in voting , which they have suggested will lead to fraud and compromise the results of the November election .
As for Russian interference , CNN reported that U.S. intelligence officials are claiming that Russia is engaging in a disinformation campaign that is designed to undermine Biden .
However , Republicans have pushed back on the suggestion that the purported interference efforts are designed to help Biden and believe it ’ s a broader attempt to sow chaos .
William Evanina , the intelligence community ’ s top election security official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to influence the election and would prefer Trump to lose .
As The Inquisitr reported , FiveThirtyEight analyst Nate Silver previously cautioned against taking Lichtman ’ s word on election predictions .
Nevertheless , the historian was one of the few people who correctly predicted Trump ’ s win in 2016 , which came as a shock after many polls suggested that Hillary Clinton would take the White House .

American University history professor Allan Lichtman, who has correctly predicted every election since 1984 and believes Joe Biden is on track to win in November, said on Saturday that Donald Trump only has two paths to victory. As reported by Raw Story, Lichtman outlined the two scenarios for CNN’s Michael Smerconish after acknowledging that the majority of the “keys” to winning the election are working against Trump.
“One is voter suppression,” the author said.
The historian claimed that Trump relies on votes from the older white demographic, which he says is the “most shrinking part of the electorate.” To combat this weakness, the author claims that Trump will attempt to prevent key Democratic-leaning demographics from making it to the ballot box.
“But you can try to make it hard for the rising Democratic base of minorities and young people. We heard your earlier speaker [Trump campaign official Hogan Gidley], who is sowing fear and confusion. But, Michael, he never answered your question about what the Trump administration is doing, if anything, to make this a full and fair vote.”
The second scenario involves Russian intervention. The historian claimed that the Kremlin might attempt to influence voter registration rolls and speculated that Trump would welcome any form of help from the superpower.
“So the keys are set. We live in such an uncertain world. There’s an old Chinese saying, some call it a curse: ‘May you live in interesting times,'” he concluded.
In a piece for Rolling Stone, Andy Kroll argued that Trump and the Republican Party are indeed attempting to suppress voter turnout by attacking mail-in voting, which they have suggested will lead to fraud and compromise the results of the November election.
As for Russian interference, CNN reported that U.S. intelligence officials are claiming that Russia is engaging in a disinformation campaign that is designed to undermine Biden. However, Republicans have pushed back on the suggestion that the purported interference efforts are designed to help Biden and believe it’s a broader attempt to sow chaos.
William Evanina, the intelligence community’s top election security official, also claimed that China is attempting to influence the election and would prefer Trump to lose.
As The Inquisitr reported, FiveThirtyEight analyst Nate Silver previously cautioned against taking Lichtman’s word on election predictions. Nevertheless, the historian was one of the few people who correctly predicted Trump’s win in 2016, which came as a shock after many polls suggested that Hillary Clinton would take the White House.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Spanish-Language Ad Slams Joe Biden For Considering ‘Only One’ Hispanic Politician For Running Mate

The Committee to Defend the President , a super PAC supportive of U.S. President Donald Trump , is set to release an advertisement slamming the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , The Washington Examiner reported on Friday .
The ad , which will air nationally beginning Saturday on Spanish-language network Telemundo , attacks Biden for failing to consider more than one Hispanic politician to be his running mate .
“ We came from all over .
We built skyscrapers and successful businesses .
We risked everything , even our lives , to make America home , ” the narrator can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brief video clip features images of several prominent Hispanic politicians .
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , former White House hopeful Julian Castro and Republican strategist Ana Navarro all appear in the ad .
“ Although Latinos make up more than one-sixth of the United States population and Latinos contribute more than two trillion dollars to our economy .
So … why aren ’ t Latinos good enough for Joe ?
” the narrator asks .
As the group ’ s executive director Chad Banghart explained , up to $ 600,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various online platforms , including YouTube and Twitter .
According to exit polls , Trump won 28 percent of the Latino vote when he competed against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .
Biden appears to be more popular than Trump among Hispanic voters , but every vote will matter in swing states such as Florida and Arizona , both of which have large Hispanic populations .
The Democrat ’ s campaign has acknowledged that Biden needs to carry Arizona , where he is currently leading Trump by 4 percentage points , per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency .
As The Washington Post pointed out , Biden won the Democratic Party ’ s presidential primaries largely thanks to votes from white moderates and African Americans .
He has , however , struggled to generate support among Hispanics , most of whom backed his most formidable primary rival , Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont .
Clinton won between 66 and 79 percent of the Latino vote four years ago and still lost to Trump .
Most polls suggest that Biden ’ s support among Hispanic voters is somewhere between 45 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major issue in November .
Biden has promised to pick a female running mate , and he has been pressured to choose a woman of color .
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , California Sen. Kamala Harris appears to have emerged as the top contender for the position .

The Committee to Defend the President, a super PAC supportive of U.S. President Donald Trump, is set to release an advertisement slamming the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, The Washington Examiner reported on Friday.
The ad, which will air nationally beginning Saturday on Spanish-language network Telemundo, attacks Biden for failing to consider more than one Hispanic politician to be his running mate.
“We came from all over. We built skyscrapers and successful businesses. We risked everything, even our lives, to make America home,” the narrator can be heard saying in Spanish.
“Latino Americans love our country. But that’s not good enough for Joe Biden. He’s interviewed thirteen candidates for vice president, but only one is Hispanic.”
The brief video clip features images of several prominent Hispanic politicians.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, former White House hopeful Julian Castro and Republican strategist Ana Navarro all appear in the ad.
“Although Latinos make up more than one-sixth of the United States population and Latinos contribute more than two trillion dollars to our economy. So … why aren’t Latinos good enough for Joe?” the narrator asks.
As the group’s executive director Chad Banghart explained, up to $600,000 will be spent promoting the spot on various online platforms, including YouTube and Twitter.
According to exit polls, Trump won 28 percent of the Latino vote when he competed against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Biden appears to be more popular than Trump among Hispanic voters, but every vote will matter in swing states such as Florida and Arizona, both of which have large Hispanic populations.
The Democrat’s campaign has acknowledged that Biden needs to carry Arizona, where he is currently leading Trump by 4 percentage points, per RealClearPolitics, in order to win the presidency.
As The Washington Post pointed out, Biden won the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries largely thanks to votes from white moderates and African Americans. He has, however, struggled to generate support among Hispanics, most of whom backed his most formidable primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Clinton won between 66 and 79 percent of the Latino vote four years ago and still lost to Trump. Most polls suggest that Biden’s support among Hispanic voters is somewhere between 45 and 62 percent, which could be a major issue in November.
Biden has promised to pick a female running mate, and he has been pressured to choose a woman of color. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, California Sen. Kamala Harris appears to have emerged as the top contender for the position.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Tucker Carlson Defends Kanye West: ‘Sometimes It Is Only The Crazy People Who Can See The World Clea

Tucker Carlson Defends Kanye West: ‘Sometimes It Is Only The Crazy People Who Can See The World Clearly’

On Friday night , during the latest edition of his Fox News show , anchor Tucker Carlson defended rapper Kanye West from criticism , Mediaite reported .
Carlson began his monologue by praising West for being an outspoken opponent of abortion and Planned Parenthood , saying that “ no one with a national platform has been more honest or sincere or effective ” when it comes to these issues .
The anchor conceded that “ not everything ” the rapper stands for can be considered conservative , but argued that he is still far more courageous than most Republican politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking their mind .
Carlson then ripped into Democratic Party politicians and liberal-leaning media for attacking West ’ s mental health .
“ They decided to attack him as mentally ill. You hear that a lot now , but it ’ s a relatively new tactic , ” he began , noting that the media used to describe the musician as “ controversial , ” but never discussed his alleged mental illness .
Carlson posited that coverage of the entertainer changed once West expressed support for President Donald Trump .
“ They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poses to Democratic party orthodoxy and therefore to their power , ” he argued .
Carlson pointed out that West has openly discussed his mental health struggles , and noted that his aim was not to diagnose the musician with some kind of illness but to expose the apparent change in tone among Democrats and their media allies .
Carlson said that “ we ’ re not pretending to be mental health experts and maybe Kanye West is crazy .
But it ’ s also true — and wise people know this — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lunatic time , sometimes it is only the crazy people who can see the world clearly.
” As Mediaite noted , West — who announced in July that he is running for President of the United States — recently held an emotional speech about abortion , sharing his own family ’ s experiences .
West has been criticized for deciding to launch a presidential campaign , with some suggesting that he is only doing so to help Trump win reelection .
In a recent interview , House Majority Whip James Clyburn argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily an attempt to take votes from Joe Biden , the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee .
According to reports , several Republican operatives — including former Trump campaign lawyer Lane Ruhland — are working on West ’ s bid and trying to help him get on the ballot in key states .
The famous artist has missed the final deadline to appear on the ballot in many states , but even a write-in campaign could potentially influence the outcome of the election in battlegrounds such as Wisconsin .

On Friday night, during the latest edition of his Fox News show, anchor Tucker Carlson defended rapper Kanye West from criticism, Mediaite reported.
Carlson began his monologue by praising West for being an outspoken opponent of abortion and Planned Parenthood, saying that “no one with a national platform has been more honest or sincere or effective” when it comes to these issues.
The anchor conceded that “not everything” the rapper stands for can be considered conservative, but argued that he is still far more courageous than most Republican politicians, who remain “afraid” of speaking their mind.
Carlson then ripped into Democratic Party politicians and liberal-leaning media for attacking West’s mental health.
“They decided to attack him as mentally ill. You hear that a lot now, but it’s a relatively new tactic,” he began, noting that the media used to describe the musician as “controversial,” but never discussed his alleged mental illness.
Carlson posited that coverage of the entertainer changed once West expressed support for President Donald Trump.
“They’re worried about the threat that West poses to Democratic party orthodoxy and therefore to their power,” he argued.
Carlson pointed out that West has openly discussed his mental health struggles, and noted that his aim was not to diagnose the musician with some kind of illness but to expose the apparent change in tone among Democrats and their media allies.
Carlson said that “we’re not pretending to be mental health experts and maybe Kanye West is crazy. But it’s also true — and wise people know this — that in a time like this, a lunatic time, sometimes it is only the crazy people who can see the world clearly.”
As Mediaite noted, West — who announced in July that he is running for President of the United States — recently held an emotional speech about abortion, sharing his own family’s experiences.
West has been criticized for deciding to launch a presidential campaign, with some suggesting that he is only doing so to help Trump win reelection.
In a recent interview, House Majority Whip James Clyburn argued that the musician’s bid is primarily an attempt to take votes from Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee.
According to reports, several Republican operatives — including former Trump campaign lawyer Lane Ruhland — are working on West’s bid and trying to help him get on the ballot in key states.
The famous artist has missed the final deadline to appear on the ballot in many states, but even a write-in campaign could potentially influence the outcome of the election in battlegrounds such as Wisconsin.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Traveled To Delaware To Meet Joe Biden As VP Search Nears Conclus

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Traveled To Delaware To Meet Joe Biden As VP Search Nears Conclusion

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer may be among the finalists for Joe Biden ’ s vice presidential post , with a report claiming that she flew to Delaware to meet with the presumptive Democratic candidate in the last week .
As The Associated Press reported , Whitmer flew to meet in person with the former vice president , who is reportedly nearing the conclusion of his search for a running mate to face Donald Trump in November .
Biden has already said that he plans to pick a woman , but there are a number of high-ranking officials who are regarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden Sunday , according to two high-ranking Michigan Democrats who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly , ” the report noted .
“ The first-term governor of the battleground state has long been on his short list of possible running mates.
” The report cited flight records that showed a chartered plane leaving the airport in Lansing and arriving in Delaware , then returning close to six hours later .
Whitmer ’ s office did not confirm or deny the trip , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her personal schedule .
Whitmer has already played the role of surrogate , appearing alongside the presumptive candidate at a rally that took place before the coronavirus outbreak forced him to end all in-person events .
She has also appeared on cable news programs speaking in support of Biden and criticizing the sitting president .
Though Whitmer is in her first term as governor , she is seen as a strong pick .
She has garnered national attention for her leadership during the coronavirus crisis and her efforts to address racial inequality .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump , who has , at times , hurled very personal criticisms in reply to her critiques of the national pandemic response .
Whitmer has strong competition for the role .
Other names that have been mentioned for the No .
2 spot on the ticket include California Senator Kamala Harris and California Congresswoman Karen Bass , as well as U.S. ambassador Susan Rice .
It is not clear if Whitmer could hold any significant geographic advantage .
Running mates have often been selected for their ability to deliver a home state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key battleground in 2020 .
After Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 , Democrats have put a strong focus on winning it back .
As The Inquisitr reported , Biden has polled well there in recent weeks , opening up a double-digit lead in a number of recent polls .

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer may be among the finalists for Joe Biden’s vice presidential post, with a report claiming that she flew to Delaware to meet with the presumptive Democratic candidate in the last week. As The Associated Press reported, Whitmer flew to meet in person with the former vice president, who is reportedly nearing the conclusion of his search for a running mate to face Donald Trump in November. Biden has already said that he plans to pick a woman, but there are a number of high-ranking officials who are regarded as potential picks.
“Whitmer visited Biden Sunday, according to two high-ranking Michigan Democrats who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly,” the report noted. “The first-term governor of the battleground state has long been on his short list of possible running mates.”
The report cited flight records that showed a chartered plane leaving the airport in Lansing and arriving in Delaware, then returning close to six hours later. Whitmer’s office did not confirm or deny the trip, saying that they do not release information about her personal schedule.
Whitmer has already played the role of surrogate, appearing alongside the presumptive candidate at a rally that took place before the coronavirus outbreak forced him to end all in-person events. She has also appeared on cable news programs speaking in support of Biden and criticizing the sitting president.
Though Whitmer is in her first term as governor, she is seen as a strong pick. She has garnered national attention for her leadership during the coronavirus crisis and her efforts to address racial inequality. During that time she has also sparred with Trump, who has, at times, hurled very personal criticisms in reply to her critiques of the national pandemic response.
Whitmer has strong competition for the role. Other names that have been mentioned for the No. 2 spot on the ticket include California Senator Kamala Harris and California Congresswoman Karen Bass, as well as U.S. ambassador Susan Rice.
It is not clear if Whitmer could hold any significant geographic advantage. Running mates have often been selected for their ability to deliver a home state, and Michigan is set to be a key battleground in 2020. After Trump narrowly won the state in 2016, Democrats have put a strong focus on winning it back. As The Inquisitr reported, Biden has polled well there in recent weeks, opening up a double-digit lead in a number of recent polls.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Donald Trump Dismisses Intelligence Community Findings That Russia Is Looking To ‘Denigrate’ Joe Bid

Donald Trump Dismisses Intelligence Community Findings That Russia Is Looking To ‘Denigrate’ Joe Biden

During a press conference on Friday , President Donald Trump dismissed the U.S. intelligence community ’ s findings pertaining to foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election , Mediaite reported .
The intelligence community determined that the Russian government is looking to “ denigrate ” Joe Biden , the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee , in order to help Trump win reelection .
When asked to weigh in on the findings , the commander-in-chief argued that he has been “ tougher ” on the Kremlin than any of his predecessors .
“ I think the last person Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump because nobody ’ s been tougher on Russia than I have ever , ” he said .
When a reporter pointed out that the intelligence community ’ s findings suggest otherwise , Trump responded , “ Well , I don ’ t care what anybody says.
” He then pointed to his administration ’ s actions to strengthen the U.S. military and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) .
“ Nobody with any common sense would say — look at what we ’ ve done with our military and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipeline with billions of dollars going to Russia , ” Trump said .
“ Look at all of the things we ’ ve done with NATO I ’ ve raised $ 130 billion a year from countries that were delinquent and now they ’ re paying all of this money.
” The findings Trump commented on were revealed by William Evanina , the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center .
Evanina warned that several foreign nations are looking to meddle in the upcoming election .
One of them is apparently backing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two , China and Iran , appear to be more supportive of Biden .
According to Evanina , official Moscow and Kremlin-linked actors are hostile toward the Democrat because he backed Ukrainian efforts while serving as Barack Obama ’ s vice president .
Ukrainian officials supportive of Vladimir Putin ’ s policies have reportedly sought to “ undermine ” Biden ’ s White House bid .
The commander-in-chief has been accused of welcoming the Kremlin ’ s help in the 2016 election when he competed against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ unpredictable ” by the Chinese government , which remains staunchly opposed to his administration ’ s efforts in Hong Kong .
Furthermore , Chinese leaders are reportedly unnerved by the administration ’ s policies regarding 5G technology and TikTok .
As for Iran , Evanina said that its leaders believe Trump ’ s victory would result in more pressure on their country and possibly result in regime change .
Biden has long warned of looming election interference .
As reported by Politico , the Democrat has vowed to hold hostile foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

During a press conference on Friday, President Donald Trump dismissed the U.S. intelligence community’s findings pertaining to foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election, Mediaite reported. The intelligence community determined that the Russian government is looking to “denigrate” Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, in order to help Trump win reelection.
When asked to weigh in on the findings, the commander-in-chief argued that he has been “tougher” on the Kremlin than any of his predecessors.
“I think the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump because nobody’s been tougher on Russia than I have ever,” he said.
When a reporter pointed out that the intelligence community’s findings suggest otherwise, Trump responded, “Well, I don’t care what anybody says.”
He then pointed to his administration’s actions to strengthen the U.S. military and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“Nobody with any common sense would say — look at what we’ve done with our military and what we’ve done in exposing the pipeline with billions of dollars going to Russia,” Trump said. “Look at all of the things we’ve done with NATO I’ve raised $130 billion a year from countries that were delinquent and now they’re paying all of this money.”
The findings Trump commented on were revealed by William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. Evanina warned that several foreign nations are looking to meddle in the upcoming election. One of them is apparently backing Trump’s candidacy. The other two, China and Iran, appear to be more supportive of Biden.
According to Evanina, official Moscow and Kremlin-linked actors are hostile toward the Democrat because he backed Ukrainian efforts while serving as Barack Obama’s vice president. Ukrainian officials supportive of Vladimir Putin’s policies have reportedly sought to “undermine” Biden’s White House bid.
The commander-in-chief has been accused of welcoming the Kremlin’s help in the 2016 election when he competed against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
As Evanina explained, Trump is viewed as “unpredictable” by the Chinese government, which remains staunchly opposed to his administration’s efforts in Hong Kong. Furthermore, Chinese leaders are reportedly unnerved by the administration’s policies regarding 5G technology and TikTok.
As for Iran, Evanina said that its leaders believe Trump’s victory would result in more pressure on their country and possibly result in regime change.
Biden has long warned of looming election interference. As reported by Politico, the Democrat has vowed to hold hostile foreign powers accountable if he wins in November.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Donald Trump Suggests His Supporters’ Refusal To Wear Masks Is A Form Of ‘Peaceful Protest’

During a press conference on Friday , President Donald Trump argued that his supporters ’ refusal to wear protective masks amid the coronavirus pandemic is a form of political demonstration , The Hill reported .
Trump held the briefing before a group of supporters , some of whom , apparently , lacked face masks .
A reporter pointed out that 6,000 Americans died of complications caused by COVID-19 this week , telling the commander-in-chief that some individuals present at the event are not wearing masks and are therefore breaking the rules established by the state of New Jersey .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we lost 6,000 Americans this week and just in this room you have dozens of people who are not following the guidelines in New Jersey , ” the reporter argued .
“ You ’ re wrong about that because it ’ s a political activity , ” Trump responded .
“ And it ’ s also a peaceful protest .
To me they all look like they pretty much all have masks on , ” the commander-in-chief continued , prompting cheers from the crowd .
Trump argued that those who participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear masks , suggesting that his backers are , in fact , protesting the news media .
As The Hill noted , Trump held the briefing at the Bedminster golf club , where he discussed the devastating coronavirus pandemic and announced several executive orders meant to boost the nation ’ s economy and expand health care coverage .
According to the publication , photos taken at the event suggest that the crowd did not follow social distancing guidelines , with attendees standing in close proximity to each other , some of them without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in violation of New Jersey ’ s coronavirus restrictions .
The state requires all workers and customers at golf courses to wear masks and limits public gatherings to 25 percent capacity of a venue .
As CNN noted , for months , Trump refused to embrace face coverings , despite advice from experts and health officials in his own administrations .
However , the commander-in-chief apparently changed his mind .
He first wore a mask during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in July .
Later that month , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask and described the act as “ patriotic.
” Key Republican senators have fully accepted the practice .
As previously reported by The Inquistir , Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , Marco Rubio of Florida and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have urged their constituents to follow social distancing guidelines .


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Donald Trump Mocked For Order That Insurances Cover Pre-Existing Conditions, Already The Law Under O

Donald Trump Mocked For Order That Insurances Cover Pre-Existing Conditions, Already The Law Under Obamacare

Donald Trump is facing some mockery for proposing an executive order mandating that insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions — which critics noted has already been the law for close to a decade under Obamacare .
As The Hill reported , the president teased the order on Friday , saying he was in favor of the idea and apparently did not know that it is already a requirement under the Affordable Care Act .
In his statement , Trump said that such a move had “ never been done before , ” despite the insurance industry already being required to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the major achievements of Obamacare , addressing one of the chief concerns about the industry .
“ Over the next two weeks I ’ ll be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions for all companies , ” Trump said at a press conference from his golf resort in New Jersey .
“ That ’ s a big thing .
I ’ ve always been very strongly in favor .
We have to cover preexisting conditions.
” The announcement faced considerable criticism and mockery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most vocal opponents .
Many took to social media to point out that Trump apparently did not know that his predecessor had already accomplished what he was promising to do .
Some made note of his long opposition to Obamacare , which he regularly criticized both as president and before his time in politics .
Trump mounted an effort to have the law overturned that was ultimately unsuccessful .
Trump and the Republican Party have faced criticism for taking aim at the provision requiring the industry to cover pre-existing conditions while also at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
As The Hill noted , the president has backed a court challenge to the ACA that , if successful , would overturn the law and eliminate the protections for people with such conditions .
Trump also supported a 2017 bill from House Republicans that would have weakened the existing protections in place , and his efforts to repeal the ACA also would have eliminated the provision , the report added .
Despite his backing of the legal challenge , Trump has at times spoken in support of protecting this provision and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I was the person who saved Pre-Existing Conditions in your Healthcare , you have it now , while at the same time winning the fight to rid you of the expensive , unfair and very unpopular Individual Mandate , ” Trump tweeted in January .

Donald Trump is facing some mockery for proposing an executive order mandating that insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions — which critics noted has already been the law for close to a decade under Obamacare.
As The Hill reported, the president teased the order on Friday, saying he was in favor of the idea and apparently did not know that it is already a requirement under the Affordable Care Act. In his statement, Trump said that such a move had “never been done before,” despite the insurance industry already being required to cover all pre-existing conditions. It was considered one of the major achievements of Obamacare, addressing one of the chief concerns about the industry.
“Over the next two weeks I’ll be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions for all companies,” Trump said at a press conference from his golf resort in New Jersey. “That’s a big thing. I’ve always been very strongly in favor. We have to cover preexisting conditions.”
The announcement faced considerable criticism and mockery from some of the president’s most vocal opponents. Many took to social media to point out that Trump apparently did not know that his predecessor had already accomplished what he was promising to do. Some made note of his long opposition to Obamacare, which he regularly criticized both as president and before his time in politics. Trump mounted an effort to have the law overturned that was ultimately unsuccessful.
Trump says he's looking at doing an executive order to require health care providers to cover preexisting conditions, which is already the law of the land thanks to the Affordable Care Act he hates so much pic.twitter.com/2EG5iL9DCA — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 7, 2020
Trump and the Republican Party have faced criticism for taking aim at the provision requiring the industry to cover pre-existing conditions while also at times claiming they were trying to protect it. As The Hill noted, the president has backed a court challenge to the ACA that, if successful, would overturn the law and eliminate the protections for people with such conditions. Trump also supported a 2017 bill from House Republicans that would have weakened the existing protections in place, and his efforts to repeal the ACA also would have eliminated the provision, the report added.
Despite his backing of the legal challenge, Trump has at times spoken in support of protecting this provision and taken credit for putting it in place.
“I was the person who saved Pre-Existing Conditions in your Healthcare, you have it now, while at the same time winning the fight to rid you of the expensive, unfair and very unpopular Individual Mandate,” Trump tweeted in January.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--Tom Eckerle Will Not Resign, Michigan Republican Who Used Racial Slur Claims To Get More Support Tha

Tom Eckerle Will Not Resign, Michigan Republican Who Used Racial Slur Claims To Get More Support Than Backlash

A Michigan Republican under fire for using a racial slur when claiming that Black residents are responsible for the state ’ s COVID-19 outbreak is refusing to resign , saying this week that he has received more support than criticism .
Leelanau County Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle has faced nationwide scrutiny after making the incendiary claim at a meeting on Thursday , in which he used the n-word in placing blame for the pandemic and its spread .
“ Well , this whole thing is because of them ni****s in Detroit , ” Eckerle said , according to the Leelanau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eckerle will reportedly resign his position , according to the Detroit Free Press .
As Fox News noted , the incident took place after an official had asked Eckerle why he was not wearing a mask at the public meeting .
He responded by criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement and saying that the outbreak is the fault of the city ’ s Black residents .
Eckerle refused to take back the comments when reached by reporters later in the week , telling the Detroit Free Press that he stood by what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes of support from some in the community .
“ I ’ ve got a hell of a lot more of that than I ’ ve got criticism , ” he said , pointing to a message from a supporter saying the Eckerle could count on their backing .
But the Michigan Republican official is facing growing calls to leave his post .
As the Detroit Free Press noted , other members of the county road commission released a letter on Friday calling for him to step down from his position .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , joined a number of other top officials in calling on Eckerle to step down as well .
“ Governor Whitmer believes that Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle must resign immediately .
His comments are atrocious , ” said a spokesperson for Whitmer , via Fox News .
“ The Governor has been very clear – there ’ s no place for hate and racism in Michigan.
” As the Fox News report added , Whitmer also this week declared racism to be a public health crisis , echoing her statement about not tolerating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and pointed out the racial disparities in the effects of the coronavirus , where the total number of infections and deaths have been higher in communities of color .
Eckerle has said that he would not be heeding calls to resign , though has not released a statement since the governor and other top officials have weighed in on the controversy .

A Michigan Republican under fire for using a racial slur when claiming that Black residents are responsible for the state’s COVID-19 outbreak is refusing to resign, saying this week that he has received more support than criticism.
Leelanau County Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle has faced nationwide scrutiny after making the incendiary claim at a meeting on Thursday, in which he used the n-word in placing blame for the pandemic and its spread.
“Well, this whole thing is because of them ni****s in Detroit,” Eckerle said, according to the Leelanau Enterprise.
Editor’s note: Eckerle will reportedly resign his position, according to the Detroit Free Press.
As Fox News noted, the incident took place after an official had asked Eckerle why he was not wearing a mask at the public meeting. He responded by criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement and saying that the outbreak is the fault of the city’s Black residents.
Eckerle refused to take back the comments when reached by reporters later in the week, telling the Detroit Free Press that he stood by what he said and noted that he had received notes of support from some in the community.
“I’ve got a hell of a lot more of that than I’ve got criticism,” he said, pointing to a message from a supporter saying the Eckerle could count on their backing.
But the Michigan Republican official is facing growing calls to leave his post. As the Detroit Free Press noted, other members of the county road commission released a letter on Friday calling for him to step down from his position. The state’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, joined a number of other top officials in calling on Eckerle to step down as well.
“Governor Whitmer believes that Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle must resign immediately. His comments are atrocious,” said a spokesperson for Whitmer, via Fox News. “The Governor has been very clear – there’s no place for hate and racism in Michigan.”
Today, I declared racism to be a public health crisis in Michigan and created the Black Leadership Advisory Council.#COVID19 has highlighted what Black & Brown communities have always known — inequities caused by systemic racism can be deadly. We’re confronting this head on. pic.twitter.com/Jem2Sj8QsB — Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) August 5, 2020
As the Fox News report added, Whitmer also this week declared racism to be a public health crisis, echoing her statement about not tolerating hatred and racism. She has spoken in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and pointed out the racial disparities in the effects of the coronavirus, where the total number of infections and deaths have been higher in communities of color.
Eckerle has said that he would not be heeding calls to resign, though has not released a statement since the governor and other top officials have weighed in on the controversy.


inquisitr--2020-08-08--America’s Progressive Promise, Super PAC Run By Bernie Sanders Allies, Puts Weight Behind Joe Biden

A Super PAC run by allies of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is gearing up to launch its first advertisement campaign boosting presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , The Hill reported on Friday .
Formed in April by top aides to Sanders ’ 2020 campaign , America ’ s Progressive Promise PAC is set to release an ad highlighting the former White House hopeful ’ s endorsement of Biden .
The 30-second video clip features Sanders ’ suggestion that Biden would be “ the most progressive president since ” Franklin Delano Roosevelt .
“ Every person who voted for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is the most dangerous president in the history of our country , and that it is absolutely imperative that we come together to defeat him — and defeat him badly , ” the Vermont independent can be heard saying in the ad .
It remains unclear how much the group plans to spend on promoting the clip , but it is expected to run nationally during the Democratic National Convention .
According to the group ’ s founder Jeff Weaver — who managed Sanders ’ 2016 White House bid and worked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden needs left-leaning voters to beat President Donald Trump .
“ The importance of the Democratic primary coalition that supported Senator Sanders can not be overstated in the general election and it is critical that we reach out to them , ” he said .
Weaver noted that there are significant differences between the two men , but pointed out that the Sanders has been urging his supporters to back Biden .
Weaver ’ s PAC will join efforts with Nuestro , a group founded by Chuck Rocha , who also served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rocha ’ s organization is focused on turning out the Latino , youth and left wing vote in November .
Other similar groups have sprung up following Sanders ’ decision to drop out of the presidential race .
Also run by Sanders supporters , RootsAction.org launched its first # VoteTrumpOut campaign earlier this week , urging left-leaning voters to cast their ballot for Biden .
As The Hill noted , polling suggests that the vast majority of those who backed the independent Vermonter in the primaries now support Biden .
For instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released in July revealed that 87 percent of Sanders supporters said that they plan on voting for Biden in November .
Sanders has previously said that he is “ confident ” his backers will turn out for Biden .

A Super PAC run by allies of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is gearing up to launch its first advertisement campaign boosting presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, The Hill reported on Friday.
Formed in April by top aides to Sanders’ 2020 campaign, America’s Progressive Promise PAC is set to release an ad highlighting the former White House hopeful’s endorsement of Biden.
The 30-second video clip features Sanders’ suggestion that Biden would be “the most progressive president since” Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
“Every person who voted for me and for the other candidates understands Donald Trump is the most dangerous president in the history of our country, and that it is absolutely imperative that we come together to defeat him — and defeat him badly,” the Vermont independent can be heard saying in the ad.
It remains unclear how much the group plans to spend on promoting the clip, but it is expected to run nationally during the Democratic National Convention.
According to the group’s founder Jeff Weaver — who managed Sanders’ 2016 White House bid and worked for him in the 2020 presidential primaries — Biden needs left-leaning voters to beat President Donald Trump.
“The importance of the Democratic primary coalition that supported Senator Sanders cannot be overstated in the general election and it is critical that we reach out to them,” he said.
Weaver noted that there are significant differences between the two men, but pointed out that the Sanders has been urging his supporters to back Biden.
“Those of us in the progressive movement will continue to push for transformative change after the election, but there won’t be any progress if Trump is re-elected.”
Weaver’s PAC will join efforts with Nuestro, a group founded by Chuck Rocha, who also served as an adviser to the Vermont senator. Rocha’s organization is focused on turning out the Latino, youth and left wing vote in November.
Other similar groups have sprung up following Sanders’ decision to drop out of the presidential race. Also run by Sanders supporters, RootsAction.org launched its first #VoteTrumpOut campaign earlier this week, urging left-leaning voters to cast their ballot for Biden.
As The Hill noted, polling suggests that the vast majority of those who backed the independent Vermonter in the primaries now support Biden.
For instance, a New York Times/ Sienna College poll released in July revealed that 87 percent of Sanders supporters said that they plan on voting for Biden in November.
Sanders has previously said that he is “confident” his backers will turn out for Biden.


inquisitr--2020-08-09--Kamala Harris Slams Donald Trump’s Executive Order On Coronavirus Relief, Says The White House Is ‘G

Kamala Harris Slams Donald Trump’s Executive Order On Coronavirus Relief, Says The White House Is ‘Giving Up’

Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday afternoon aimed at extending federal coronavirus relief efforts .
The signing came after negotiations to reach a new deal in Congress came to a virtual standstill between the two parties amid growing economic uncertainty .
Kamala Harris took to her Twitter page shortly after the news broke , slamming the president for an action she called totally insufficient before saying that both he and Republicans are “ giving up and moving on ” from struggling Americans .
You can view Harris ’ tweet here .
Democrats have long contended that they will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full $ 600 per week unemployment benefits to Americans .
Under Trump ’ s new orders , the checks have been reduced down to $ 400 , in part leading to the California senator calling him out in front of her 1.6 million followers .
Harris went on to write that congress must act while including a link to an article from the Los Angeles Times .
The piece , written by Chris Megerian , Anna M. Phillips , and Sarah D. Wire , went into detail about some of orders while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders .
When Harris said that the White House and Republicans had given up and were moving on , she was echoing the sentiments of house speaker Nancy Pelosi and senate minority leader Charles Schumer , who issued a joint-statement that was quoted in the article .
“ We ’ re disappointed that instead of putting in the work to solve Americans ’ problems , the president instead chose to stay on his luxury golf course to announce unworkable , weak and narrow policy announcements to slash the unemployment benefits that millions desperately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Medicare , ” it read .
The article also quoted Joe Biden , who said these orders were not real solutions nor was Trump displaying presidential leadership .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , Harris is a considered to be one of the front runners to be selected vice president and run alongside Biden in the 2020 election .
Many of Harris ’ followers rallied behind her after the tweet .
“ $ 400 with a catch is not enough .
There is still a pandemic and many people , or thier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or health issues that put them in the high risk catagory so they must stay home to stay safe , ” one wrote .
Another commented that it was all was just a political stunt to help Trump get reelected in November .
“ But we ’ ve seen who he is and that ’ s a big “ NO , ” the tweet said .
But regardless of the opinions of Harris or anyone else , the implementation of these newly signed decrees will not happen right away .
As the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncertainty about ( Trump ’ s ) legal authority ” to enact them .


inquisitr--2020-08-09--Donald Trump Faces GOP Opposition Over Executive Orders

On Saturday , several Republicans expressed opposition to President Donald Trump ’ s latest series of executive orders , The Hill reported .
Earlier in the day , the commander-in-chief issued four executive orders meant to help Americans deal with the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
He extended unemployment benefits , offered eviction and student loan relief .
By issuing the orders , he effectively bypassed the United States Congress , where Democrats and Republicans have struggled to reach a bipartisan agreement .
Some GOP lawmakers expressed concern about the development .
In a statement , Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against stimulating the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic — said that “ the pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop.
” Sasse drew a parallel between Trump ’ s latest executive orders and former President Barack Obama ’ s actions pertaining to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program .
“ [ Obama ] did not have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration law with DACA , and [ Trump ] does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law , ” he said .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he used his executive powers to enact policies related to controversial issues such as immigration reform .
Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said that Trump “ is doing all he can to help workers , students and renters , but Congress is the one who should be acting.
” Alexander blamed Democrats for the congressional gridlock , saying that they should “ stop blocking common sense proposals to help students going back to school & college & parents going back to work who need child care.
” Michigan Rep. Justin Amash — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Party last year — suggested that Trump ’ s actions were unconstitutional .
“ Our Constitution doesn ’ t authorize the president to act as king whenever Congress doesn ’ t legislate , ” he tweeted .
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said that he appreciated Trump ’ s orders , but noted that he “ would much prefer a congressional agreement.
” As reported by Forbes , Trump used his executive powers to extend unemployment benefits .
The expired CARES Act provided a $ 600-per-week unemployment insurance , while Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly payment .
The executive order related to evictions allows authorities to prevent evictions in consultation with Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency ( FHFA ) director .
One of the executive orders provides relief for borrowers with federally held student loans .
The commander-in-chief — who has long advocated for payroll tax cuts , claiming they would boost the economy — also signed an order to alter the current payroll tax scheme .
According to Joe Biden , the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Security at risk .

On Saturday, several Republicans expressed opposition to President Donald Trump’s latest series of executive orders, The Hill reported.
Earlier in the day, the commander-in-chief issued four executive orders meant to help Americans deal with the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He extended unemployment benefits and offered eviction and student loan relief.
By issuing the orders, he effectively bypassed the U.S. Congress, where Democrats and Republicans have struggled to reach a bipartisan agreement.
Some GOP lawmakers expressed concern about the development.
In a statement, Sen. Ben Sasse — who has previously argued against stimulating the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic — said that “the pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop.”
Sasse drew a parallel between Trump’s latest executive orders and former President Barack Obama’s actions pertaining to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“[Obama] did not have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration law with DACA, and [Trump] does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law,” he said.
As The Hill noted, Republicans criticized Obama when he used his executive powers to enact policies related to controversial issues such as immigration reform.
Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said that Trump “is doing all he can to help workers, students and renters, but Congress is the one who should be acting.”
Alexander blamed Democrats for the congressional gridlock, saying that they should “stop blocking common sense proposals to help students going back to school & college & parents going back to work who need child care.”
Michigan Rep. Justin Amash — a libertarian-leaning lawmaker who left the Republican Party last year — suggested that Trump’s actions were unconstitutional.
“Our Constitution doesn’t authorize the president to act as king whenever Congress doesn’t legislate,” he tweeted.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said that he appreciated Trump’s orders, but noted that he “would much prefer a congressional agreement.”
As reported by Forbes, Trump used his executive powers to extend unemployment benefits.
The expired CARES Act provided a $600-per-week unemployment insurance, while Trump’s order calls for a $400 weekly payment.
The executive order related to evictions allows authorities to prevent evictions in consultation with Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director.
One of the executive orders provides relief for borrowers with federally held student loans.
The commander-in-chief — who has long advocated for payroll tax cuts, claiming they would boost the economy — also signed an order to alter the current payroll tax scheme.
According to Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, by deferring the taxes, Trump is putting Social Security at risk.


inquisitr--2020-08-09--Joe Biden Says Donald Trump ‘Didn’t Want To Deal With The Pandemic, So He Stopped Trying’

On Saturday , in a statement published on Medium , the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden slammed President Donald Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
Biden released the statement following reports that the United States has set a record for COVID-19 cases , with more than five million people now infected .
“ It ’ s a number that boggles the mind and breaks the heart , ” Biden said , offering condolences and words of encouragement to the families of more than 160,000 Americans who have died due to complications associated with the disease .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the advice of medical experts , wear masks and practice social distancing .
He then ripped into Trump , accusing him of offering “ excuses and lies ” instead of leading the nation amid the devastating crisis .
“ It should never have gotten this bad .
No other country in the world has been hit as hard as we have .
No other high-income economy is still struggling to get this under control , ” Biden said .
Biden noted that American citizens are not allowed to travel because other nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat , ” stating that Trump is to blame for this predicament .
The commander-in-chief , Biden said , “ waived the white flag and gave up.
” “ Trump has already thrown away months of the American people ’ s sacrifice and hard work .
Imagine what four more years of his failures will cost us , ” he concluded .
Biden released a similar statement in late July , when the United States passed 4 million active coronavirus cases .
Last month , the former Delaware senator pointed out that reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealing with the pandemic , choosing to focus on his reelection campaign instead .
At the time , Trump ’ s alleged plan was to let state and local governments grapple with the virus , while the federal government focuses on other issues .
Those close to Trump have reportedly urged him to change his approach to the COVID-19 crisis , which is seen as one of the defining issues of the 2020 election .
But the commander-in-chief has , it seems , struggled to stay stay on message , attacking health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Polling suggests that Americans do not rate Trump ’ s performance in office highly .
For instance , in a ABC News/Ipsos poll released last week , only 34 percent of respondents said that they approve of Trump ’ s handling of the federal government ’ s response to the virus .


inquisitr--2020-08-09--Joe Biden Accuses Donald Trump Of Waging A ‘Reckless War On Social Security’

On Saturday , the Democratic Party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee , Joe Biden , accused President Donald Trump of waging a “ reckless war ” on Social Security .
In a lengthy statement published on Medium , Biden said that Trump is “ putting Social Security at grave risk ” amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The Democrat described Trump ’ s latest executive orders as “ dubious , ” arguing that the president should have worked with Republicans and Democrats in the United States Congress to provide relief for American families , instead of resorting to using his presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan , Biden posited , offers no protections for the Social Security Trust Fund , which suggests that the commander-in-chief is open to cutting the popular program if reelected in November .
“ He is laying out his roadmap to cutting Social Security .
Our seniors and millions of Americans with disabilities are under enough stress without Trump putting their hard-earned Social Security benefits in doubt , ” he wrote .
Biden also criticized Trump ’ s orders pertaining to unemployment insurance , evictions and student debt .
The Democrat accused the commander-in-chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laid off workers could receive amid the COVID-19 crisis , said that his eviction order is bad for both renters and landlords and argued that Trump ’ s student debt forgiveness plan would leave out 7 million borrowers .
Biden concluded that a competent leader would work together with both chambers of Congress to help those struggling amid the unprecedented public health crisis .
“ There is a solution to all of this pain and suffering .
A real leader would go back to Washington , call together the leaders of the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that delivers real relief to Americans who are struggling in this pandemic .
We need a president who understands their struggle and believes in their courage to overcome.
” As reported by CNN , earlier in the day , Trump issued a series of executive orders meant to provide economic relief to hurting Americans .
One of the directives would defer and possibly forgive payroll taxes , which would almost certainly harm programs like Social Security and Medicare .
During a press conference , Trump said that he would make the cuts permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bipartisan Policy Center , if the ongoing economic crisis is as bad as the 2008 recession , the Social Security Trust Fund could run out of money by 2029 .
During the Democratic Party ’ s presidential primaries , Biden was attacked over his past statements about Social Security .
Notably , Sen. Bernie Sanders and his allies pointed out that the former Delaware used to support slashing the popular program .
Biden responded by accusing his critics of spreading “ doctored ” videos .