occupydemocrats--2020-12-31--GOP Sen. Sasse defies Trump with scathing argument against fighting Biden’s election certification

If there has been one happy consequence to the otherwise disastrous presidency of Donald Trump , it has been that Trump ’ s ideological takeover of the Republican Party has transformed it and may eventually lead to its fracturing and ultimate demise .
With Trump ’ s noisily belligerent departure from the White House imminent , those few GOP politicians who retain a conscience and a soul are beginning to speak up as the exiting president ’ s power to control their political futures ebbs away .
The split between those Republicans who are willing to continue to support Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed election results and those who see the danger in undermining the fundamentals of our democracy are causing a schism in the GOP that won ’ t be easily mended .
Count Senator Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) among those who refuse to jump on the Trump treason train .
Sasse took to social media last night to condemn those fellow Republicans who are planning to object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s Electoral College votes on January 6th .
In a lengthy , over 2,000 word post on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the American public with a primer on what will happen on January 6th , and refuting Joe Biden ’ s election victory was nowhere to be found in his explanation .
Sasse used the post to explain why he decided not to join Senator Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) in objecting to the certification of the electoral college results .
“ Every public official has a responsibility to tell the truth , and here ’ s what I think the truth is – about our duties on January 6th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what it takes to keep a republic , ” he continued .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
Senator Sasse then poses a series of questions and answers that detail his reasoning in a way that ensures that he won ’ t be subject to the charges of sedition being lobbed at his less democratically-minded GOP colleagues .
“ 1 .
IS THERE A CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS FOR CONGRESS TO DISMISS ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES ?
Yes .
A member of the House and the Senate can object @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( s ) in question to be dismissed , both chambers must vote to reject those votes .
But is it wise ?
Is there any real basis for it here ?
Absolutely not .
Since the Electoral College Act of 1887 was passed into law in the aftermath of the Civil War , not a single electoral vote has ever been thrown out by the Congress .
( One goofy senator attempted this maneuver after George W. Bush won reelection in 2004 , but her anti-democratic play was struck down by her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 74-1 . )
” Basing his argument here on both practicality and principle , Sasse wisely tries to manage the expectations of the fanatical Trump supporters among his readers .
He then continues on , refuting the central claim of massive voter fraud that Donald Trump has ceaselessly proclaimed since before the first ballot was even cast , including point by point rebuttals with media citations for each swing state that the defeated president is contesting .
In the remainder of his post , Senator Sasse reveals that he hasn ’ t “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election results were fraudulent – not one.
” We will let the Nebraska Senator ’ s conclusion of his post speak for itself as his vision of the path forward from where we are today .
As Senator Sasse says , “ We ought to be better than that .
”

If there has been one happy consequence to the otherwise disastrous presidency of Donald Trump, it has been that Trump’s ideological takeover of the Republican Party has transformed it and may eventually lead to its fracturing and ultimate demise.
With Trump’s noisily belligerent departure from the White House imminent, those few GOP politicians who retain a conscience and a soul are beginning to speak up as the exiting president’s power to control their political futures ebbs away.
The split between those Republicans who are willing to continue to support Trump’s seditious campaign to overturn the confirmed election results and those who see the danger in undermining the fundamentals of our democracy are causing a schism in the GOP that won’t be easily mended.
Count Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) among those who refuse to jump on the Trump treason train.
Sasse took to social media last night to condemn those fellow Republicans who are planning to object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College votes on January 6th.
In a lengthy, over 2,000 word post on Facebook, Senator Sasse provided his constituents and the rest of the American public with a primer on what will happen on January 6th, and refuting Joe Biden’s election victory was nowhere to be found in his explanation.
Sasse used the post to explain why he decided not to join Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) in objecting to the certification of the electoral college results.
“Having been in private conversation with two dozen of my colleagues over the past few weeks, it seems useful to explain in public why I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election – and why I have been urging my colleagues also to reject this dangerous ploy,” the Nebraska Senator began.
“Every public official has a responsibility to tell the truth, and here’s what I think the truth is – about our duties on January 6th, about claims of election fraud, and about what it takes to keep a republic,” he continued. Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede! Senator Sasse then poses a series of questions and answers that detail his reasoning in a way that ensures that he won’t be subject to the charges of sedition being lobbed at his less democratically-minded GOP colleagues. “1. IS THERE A CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS FOR CONGRESS TO DISMISS ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES? Yes. A member of the House and the Senate can object and, in order for the vote(s) in question to be dismissed, both chambers must vote to reject those votes. But is it wise? Is there any real basis for it here? Absolutely not. Since the Electoral College Act of 1887 was passed into law in the aftermath of the Civil War, not a single electoral vote has ever been thrown out by the Congress. (One goofy senator attempted this maneuver after George W. Bush won reelection in 2004, but her anti-democratic play was struck down by her Senate colleagues in a shaming vote of 74-1.)” Basing his argument here on both practicality and principle, Sasse wisely tries to manage the expectations of the fanatical Trump supporters among his readers.
He then continues on, refuting the central claim of massive voter fraud that Donald Trump has ceaselessly proclaimed since before the first ballot was even cast, including point by point rebuttals with media citations for each swing state that the defeated president is contesting.
“2. IS THERE EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD SO WIDESPREAD THAT IT COULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? No. For President-Elect Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College victory to be overturned, President Trump would need to flip multiple states. But not a single state is in legal doubt. But given that I was not a Trump voter in either 2016 or 2020 (I wrote in Mike Pence in both elections), I understand that many Trump supporters will not want to take my word for it. So, let’s look at the investigations and tireless analysis from Andy McCarthy over at National Review. McCarthy has been a strong, consistent supporter of President Trump, and he is also a highly regarded federal prosecutor. Let’s run through the main states where President Trump has claimed widespread fraud: * In Pennsylvania, Team Trump is right that lots went wrong. Specifically, a highly partisan state supreme court rewrote election law in ways that are contrary to what the legislature had written about the deadline for mail-in ballots – this is wrong. But Biden won Pennsylvania by 81,000 votes – and there appear to have been only 10,000 votes received and counted after election day. So even if every one of these votes were for Biden and were thrown out, they would not come close to affecting the outcome. Notably, Stephanos Bibas (a Trump appointee) of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled against the president’s lawsuit to reverse Biden’s large victory, writing in devastating fashion: “calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.” * In Michigan, which Biden won by 154,000 votes, the Trump team initially claimed generic fraud statewide – but with almost no particular claims, so courts roundly rejected suit after suit. The Trump team then objected to a handful of discrepancies in certain counties and precincts, some more reasonable than others. But for the sake of argument, let’s again assume that every single discrepancy was resolved in the president’s favor: It would potentially amount to a few thousand votes and not come anywhere close to changing the state’s result. * In Arizona, a federal judge jettisoned a lawsuit explaining that “allegations that find favor in the public sphere of gossip and innuendo cannot be a substitute for earnest pleadings and procedure in federal court,” she wrote. “They most certainly cannot be the basis for upending Arizona’s 2020 General Election.” Nothing presented in court was serious, let alone providing a basis for overturning an election. ( https://www.azcentral.com/…/federal-judge…/6506927002 * In Nevada, there do appear to have been some irregularities – but the numbers appear to have been very small relative to Biden’s margin of victory. It would be useful for there to be an investigation into these irregularities, but a judge rejected the president’s suit because the president’s lawyers “did not prove under any standard of proof” that enough illegal votes were cast, or legal votes not counted, “to raise reasonable doubt as to the outcome of the election.” ( https://www.8newsnow.com/…/judge-no-evidence-to…/ * In Wisconsin, as McCarthy has written, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against President Trump, suggesting that President-Elect Biden’s recorded margin of victory (about 20,000 votes) was probably slightly smaller in fact, but even re-calculating all of the votes in question in a generously pro-Trump way would not give the president a victory in the state. ( https://www.nationalreview.com/…/biden-won-wisconsin…/ * In Georgia, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation complete audit of more than 15,000 votes found one irregularity – a situation where a woman illegally signed both her and her husband’s ballot envelopes. At the end of the day, one of the President Trump’s strongest supporters, his own Attorney General, Bill Barr, was blunt: “We have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.” ( https://apnews.com/…/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud… )”
Senator Sasse is providing the difficult truths that many Trump supporters — indeed, including the lame-duck himself — refuse to acknowledge despite the evidence presented. He then went on to savage Trump’s legal team and his continuing bleating about a “stolen” election. “3. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CLAIMS OF THE PRESIDENT’S LAWYERS THAT THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN?” “I started with the courts for a reason. From where I sit, the single-most telling fact is that there a giant gulf between what President Trump and his allies say in public – for example, on social media, or at press conferences outside Philadelphia landscaping companies and adult bookstores – and what President Trump’s lawyers actually say in courts of law. And that’s not a surprise. Because there are no penalties for misleading the public. But there are serious penalties for misleading a judge, and the president’s lawyers know that – and thus they have repeated almost none of the claims of grand voter fraud that the campaign spokespeople are screaming at their most zealous supporters. So, here’s the heart of this whole thing: this isn’t really a legal strategy – it’s a fundraising strategy.” “Since Election Day, the president and his allied organizations have raised well over half a billion (billion!) dollars from supporters who have been led to believe that they’re contributing to a ferocious legal defense. But in reality, they’re mostly just giving the president and his allies a blank check that can go to their super-PACs, their next plane trip, their next campaign or project. That’s not serious governing. It’s swampy politics – and it shows very little respect for the sincere people in my state who are writing these checks.” It’s rare for a Sitting Republican Senator to call out the party leader’s essential corruption and deceptive fund-raising practices, so kudos to Senator Sasse for having the courage to be so blunt in his characterization of the strategy behind the president’s post-election fund-raising efforts.
In the remainder of his post, Senator Sasse reveals that he hasn’t “heard a single Congressional Republican allege that the election results were fraudulent – not one.”
“Instead, I hear them talk about their worries about how they will “look” to President Trump’s most ardent supporters,” Sasse confesses while throwing his GOP colleagues under the bus.
We will let the Nebraska Senator’s conclusion of his post speak for itself as his vision of the path forward from where we are today.
“…WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? The president and his allies are playing with fire. They have been asking – first the courts, then state legislatures, now the Congress – to overturn the results of a presidential election. They have unsuccessfully called on judges and are now calling on federal officeholders to invalidate millions and millions of votes. If you make big claims, you had better have the evidence. But the president doesn’t and neither do the institutional arsonist members of Congress who will object to the Electoral College vote. Let’s be clear what is happening here: We have a bunch of ambitious politicians who think there’s a quick way to tap into the president’s populist base without doing any real, long-term damage. But they’re wrong – and this issue is bigger than anyone’s personal ambitions. Adults don’t point a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government. We have a deep cancer in American politics right now: Both Republicans and Democrats are growing more distrustful of the basic processes and procedures that we follow. Some people will respond to these arguments by saying: “The courts are just in the tank for Democrats!” And indeed the President has been tweeting that “the courts are bad” (and the Justice Department, and more). That’s an example of the legitimacy crisis so many of us have been worried about. Democrats spent four years pretending Trump didn’t win the election, and now (shocker) a good section of Republicans are going to spend the next four years pretending Biden didn’t win the election. All the clever arguments and rhetorical gymnastics in the world won’t change the fact that this January 6th effort is designed to disenfranchise millions of Americans simply because they voted for someone in a different party. We ought to be better than that. If we normalize this, we’re going to turn American politics into a Hatfields and McCoys endless blood feud – a house hopelessly divided. America has always been fertile soil for groupthink, conspiracy theories, and showmanship. But Americans have common sense. We know up from down, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We need that common sense if we’re going to rebuild trust. It won’t be easy, but it’s hardly beyond our reach. And it’s what self-government requires. It’s part of how, to recall Benjamin Franklin, we struggle to do right by the next generation and ‘keep a republic.'”
Those are pretty harsh words about the state of partisan politics coming from a man whose party has abandoned the democratic principles that he thought were the entire point of our government.
As Senator Sasse says, “We ought to be better than that.”
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-12-31--Ivanka wishes “best brother” Don Jr. a happy birthday and it immediately blows up in her face

When dealing with creatures as habitually cruel and destructive as the Trumps it can be difficult to resist the urge to be petty .
Sometimes giving into that urge should be encouraged .
These vile people have inflicted such irreparable damage to our democracy , ruined so many lives in their solipsistic pursuit of power and wealth , that one can ’ t help but treat them as if they deserve every insult piled onto them .
Simply put , they do not deserve the common decency one would afford normal , nonsociopathic individuals .
They deserve your scorn and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remainder of their lives .
With that harsh reality in mind , one can take some delight in the responses to First Daughter Ivanka Trump ’ s tweet today .
Doing her best impression of someone capable of empathy , she wished a happy birthday to Donald Trump Jr. , her virulent ignoramus of a brother .
He turns 43 today , as clueless and swaddled in privilege as he was the day he was born into his criminal family all those years ago .
Add your name to tell Trump : You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father ’ s namesake the “ best brother ( and uncle ! )
in the world !
” and said she looks “ forward to the many laughs and adventures in the years ahead !
” Knowing what we know about these crooks , those “ laughs and adventures ” will assuredly be at the expense of innocent people — be they the workers in Ivanka ’ s sweatshops or those targeted by the insane conspiracy theorists Don Jr. regularly works into a lather .
The Trumps take from the world , leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiritually in their wake .
Mankind would be better off if none of them had ever been born .
Notably , President Trump , who seems to see his children as nothing more than props and occasionally useful political pawns , has yet to wish his son a happy birthday on Twitter .
Perhaps the man known for his inability to admit fault has at least one regret nagging at the back of his mind… The Twitter responses to the First Daughter ’ s tweet serve as a good barometer for the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

When dealing with creatures as habitually cruel and destructive as the Trumps it can be difficult to resist the urge to be petty. Sometimes giving into that urge should be encouraged.
These vile people have inflicted such irreparable damage to our democracy, ruined so many lives in their solipsistic pursuit of power and wealth, that one can’t help but treat them as if they deserve every insult piled onto them. Simply put, they do not deserve the common decency one would afford normal, nonsociopathic individuals. They deserve your scorn and will continue to deserve it for the remainder of their lives.
With that harsh reality in mind, one can take some delight in the responses to First Daughter Ivanka Trump’s tweet today. Doing her best impression of someone capable of empathy, she wished a happy birthday to Donald Trump Jr., her virulent ignoramus of a brother. He turns 43 today, as clueless and swaddled in privilege as he was the day he was born into his criminal family all those years ago.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
Ivanka called her father’s namesake the “best brother (and uncle!) in the world!” and said she looks “forward to the many laughs and adventures in the years ahead!” Knowing what we know about these crooks, those “laughs and adventures” will assuredly be at the expense of innocent people — be they the workers in Ivanka’s sweatshops or those targeted by the insane conspiracy theorists Don Jr. regularly works into a lather. The Trumps take from the world, leaving it uglier and impoverished both materially and spiritually in their wake. Mankind would be better off if none of them had ever been born.
Notably, President Trump, who seems to see his children as nothing more than props and occasionally useful political pawns, has yet to wish his son a happy birthday on Twitter. Perhaps the man known for his inability to admit fault has at least one regret nagging at the back of his mind…
https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/1344641497640144902?s=20
The Twitter responses to the First Daughter’s tweet serve as a good barometer for the way much of the country feels about these individuals.
https://twitter.com/gailendavid/status/1344644795189366784?s=20
Notice @IvankaTrump didn't say @DonaldTrumpJrA1 is the best "father" in the world! https://t.co/UImzdJKu9i — Kathy Terrified, Graduated from@ Kathy Concern (@KathyConcerned) December 31, 2020
Fuck both of you. https://t.co/O60CYOMGxd — Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) December 31, 2020
You will all have TIME to spend together you can count on that! pic.twitter.com/DNztWtZZil — Nettlebarn (@anthonydellomes) December 31, 2020
This will be something we won’t have to hear about next year. — Ann Lueck (@AnnLueck) December 31, 2020
Ivanka’s Kids are the only kids on EARTH to have had one Grandfather pardon another grandfather on their own fathers request and will very likely have their grandfather pardon their own mom, their dad and uncle (lol uncle don jr) and subsequently be pardoned himself by his VP — O (@AnObliviousGeek) December 31, 2020
Looking forward to many laughs and adventures and, perhaps most importantly, many years in jail in the years ahead! — Jon Stone (@jonnie_stone) December 31, 2020
Looking forward to many years in prison. How anyone could let him anywhere near their children is beyond me. They obviously all deserve each other. January 20th won't be here soon enough. — Edward Monaco (@bluecrew126) December 31, 2020
“Adventures in Prison” could be an interesting concept for a reality TV series I’d watch w your entire family starring in it. pic.twitter.com/N7CJaREalA — Lisa Ann Hardy (@LisaHardySF) December 31, 2020
Happy birthday jr- enjoy it cause your next one will be spent behind bars !!! — rojaquib (@Jacquih1969) December 31, 2020
Hopefully, you will share good tomes looking through steel bars. — Artislove (@swachsman) December 31, 2020
His birthday!? Another occasion to do a few lines and then post more "words of wisdom." Leave already! https://t.co/oF50ha3orr — Jeanne (@Jeanne16485442) December 31, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-03-30--Reporter publicly shreds Marco Rubio for claiming media feels “glee” over pandemic

Senator Marco Rubi0 ( R-FL ) took the time yesterday to remind us all of just what a fundamentally craven , dishonest man he really is .
The senator likes to play-act as a reasonable , level-headed Republican even as he continues to mindlessly serve a party lacking any semblance of morality , led by an ignoramus president who every day inflicts more irreparable damage on the country Rubio claims to love .
Rubio tweeted out a claim that some members of the media “ can ’ t contain their glee & delight ” when reporting that the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He accused them of “ beyond grotesque ” behavior and of being engaged in “ bad journalism.
” The failed presidential candidate went on to say that we have “ NO IDEA ” how many cases of COVID-19 truly exist in China but that the number is “ significantly ” more than they ’ re reporting .
While Rubio is correct that the Communist Party of China is almost certainly lying about the number of infections in order to save face and cover up their own mistakes , it ’ s absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media of enjoying this pandemic .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
More importantly , Rubio is shamelessly engaging in the concerted GOP effort to completely exonerate Trump—who originally called the virus a “ Democratic hoax ” —by heaping all of the blame on China .
Two things can be true at once : the Chinese government played a large part in causing this crisis and Trump played a large part in making it hit the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat it .
People are dying and Rubio is engaged in the lowest form of partisan politicking .
ABC ’ s Jonathan Karl felt compelled to respond to Rubio ’ s vile remarks by challenging him to explain exactly which reporters he was referring to .
Earlier today , Karl appeared on The View and tore into Rubio for his “ outrageous ” tweet and said that the senator owes journalists an apology .
“ It is outrageous .
It is wrong .
It is hurtful .
I called out Senator Rubio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now to say , who are you talking about , senator ?
That tweet hit just after our friends at CBS News learned that one of their colleagues , one of their co-workers died from coronavirus .
A colleague at NBC died of coronavirus , ” said Karl .
“ We have two members of the White House press corps who are now suspected to have Coronavirus .
Who does Marco Rubio think is taking joy and glee at more people being sick ?
” he added .
Karl is right to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The reporters working to educate the public on a virus that the Republican president dismissed and downplayed are every bit as susceptible to sickness and death as the rest of us .
Just like the rest of us they desperately want this pandemic to end and to accuse them of enjoying this heartbreaking global tragedy is inexcusable .

Senator Marco Rubi0 (R-FL) took the time yesterday to remind us all of just what a fundamentally craven, dishonest man he really is. The senator likes to play-act as a reasonable, level-headed Republican even as he continues to mindlessly serve a party lacking any semblance of morality, led by an ignoramus president who every day inflicts more irreparable damage on the country Rubio claims to love.
Rubio tweeted out a claim that some members of the media “can’t contain their glee & delight” when reporting that the United States now has more coronavirus cases than China. He accused them of “beyond grotesque” behavior and of being engaged in “bad journalism.”
The failed presidential candidate went on to say that we have “NO IDEA” how many cases of COVID-19 truly exist in China but that the number is “significantly” more than they’re reporting. While Rubio is correct that the Communist Party of China is almost certainly lying about the number of infections in order to save face and cover up their own mistakes, it’s absolutely disgusting for him to baselessly accuse the media of enjoying this pandemic.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
More importantly, Rubio is shamelessly engaging in the concerted GOP effort to completely exonerate Trump—who originally called the virus a “Democratic hoax”—by heaping all of the blame on China. Two things can be true at once: the Chinese government played a large part in causing this crisis and Trump played a large part in making it hit the United States so hard by failing to quickly combat it.
People are dying and Rubio is engaged in the lowest form of partisan politicking.
Some in our media can’t contain their glee & delight in reporting that the U.S. has more #CoronaVirus cases than #China Beyond being grotesque,its bad journalism We have NO IDEA how many cases China really has but without any doubt its significantly more than why they admit to — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 29, 2020
ABC’s Jonathan Karl felt compelled to respond to Rubio’s vile remarks by challenging him to explain exactly which reporters he was referring to.
Who are you talking about, Senator Rubio? Who feels “glee & delight” when more people are sick? Who? https://t.co/aIVdYQhXaW — Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) March 29, 2020
Earlier today, Karl appeared on The View and tore into Rubio for his “outrageous” tweet and said that the senator owes journalists an apology.
“It is outrageous. It is wrong. It is hurtful. I called out Senator Rubio, and I’ll do it again now to say, who are you talking about, senator? That tweet hit just after our friends at CBS News learned that one of their colleagues, one of their co-workers died from coronavirus. A colleague at NBC died of coronavirus,” said Karl.
“We have two members of the White House press corps who are now suspected to have Coronavirus. Who does Marco Rubio think is taking joy and glee at more people being sick?” he added.
Karl is right to be outraged and Rubio should be ashamed. The reporters working to educate the public on a virus that the Republican president dismissed and downplayed are every bit as susceptible to sickness and death as the rest of us. Just like the rest of us they desperately want this pandemic to end and to accuse them of enjoying this heartbreaking global tragedy is inexcusable.
Watch the clip here.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-30--Trump admits that Republicans will never win another election if more Americans vote

Donald Trump is enough of a showman and TV performer that he ’ s learned to tailor his message and demeanor to the audience to whom he ’ s playing .
The difference between the somber Trump sometimes present at coronavirus press conferences — reading from prewritten scripts to avoid the outrage that his departures from the carefully vetted text invariably bring — and the unshackled persona that the president reveals in the comfortable confines of the Fox News airwaves — where he knows the audience will be his faithful supporters who revel in his angry , drunk uncle schtick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hyde dichotomy in his personality that flips between practically business-like and manic outrageousness .
In Trump ’ s hour-long phone interview with Fox and Friends this morning , the president unleashed the unhinged side of his public face to the welcoming audience , none of whom seemed to question why — during this crucial time in the largest national crisis of his presidency — Trump was spending so much time doing campaign PR rather than doing his day job .
That the entire exercise was a ploy to score political points among a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt Trump ’ s handling of a pandemic that is beginning to massively affect their families and friends was obvious from the president ’ s attacks on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) .
Blaming Pelosi for the delay in passing the most recent economic stimulus bill — a delay due to the Democrats ’ insistence that the bill contained provisions to oversee the distribution of half a billion dollars worth of aid to prevent it from being used to benefit the businesses of Trump and his family or go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lambasted the House Speaker using a description more aptly reserved for his own behavior .
Mistakenly attributing responsibility for the management of the city that contains the district that Pelosi represents in Congress to the Speaker , Trump trashed San Francisco as a “ slum , ” surely knowing that it would please his rural right-wing base to insult the city that won ’ t be likely to provide many votes for his reelection .
Trump was apparently also angry about Democratic efforts to ensure that the health crisis and social distancing orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections by attempting to include provisions in the stimulus bill to increase access to voting by mail at a time when showing up at a polling station could put one ’ s life at risk .
In a rare admission of truth from the president , Trump confirmed what most Democrats already suspected — that Republicans don ’ t really believe in democracy and want to exclude as many people as possible from exercising their voting rights to ensure their own hold on power .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives to save the stock market !
The president also continued to contradict what non-Fox News viewers could plainly see with their own eyes and ears as the governors of the states hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic complain loudly and publicly about the poor performance of Trump ’ s federal response and delivery of aid to their states .
Creating his own reality distortion field , Trump simply denied that governors were unhappy — despite the plain evidence to the contrary — and blamed the media for spreading false reports — false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors desperate please for help .
Trump ’ s narcissism was on full display as he tried to steal valor from Andrew Cuomo , the New York state governor who has been most highly lauded for his management of the crisis in his state and his accurate , informative , and compassionate daily press briefings to the public , to the kind of public acclaim that the president could only dream of receiving for his own misinformation-laden and emotionally-distant pressers .
Asked about a report in The Washington Post that revealed social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at America to take advantage of the chaos surrounding the pandemic , Trump dismissed the cyber-attacks as unimportant .
As one probably heard from one ’ s mother , “ if everyone jumped off a bridge , that doesn ’ t mean that you have to.
” Trump also went on one of his patented rants against the Democratic proposals for the Green New Deal — a proposal that could become the foundation of a significant jobs program that could help bring the American economy back from recession once the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the contents of the proposal , falsely claiming that it would ban all airplane travel ( something that has virtually happened on its own during the pandemic ) and limit each American family to a single electric-powered vehicle , neither of which has been proposed by any of the Green New Deals ’ sponsoring legislators .
Of course , no Trump rant about the environment would be complete with his quixotic tilting at energy-producing windmills that reduce the earnings capacity of his buddies in the oil , gas , and coal industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda spree certainly revealed the Mr. Hyde aspect of his bifurcated-persona .
Likely this is the real Trump , with the sober teleprompter reader a mask that he dons only when he absolutely needs to .
While he may have given his supporters exactly what they expected of him , for the rest of America his interview this morning was just another reminder of why he needs to be removed from office as soon as possible .
Original reporting by Brad Reed , Travis Gettys , and David Badash at RawStory .

Donald Trump is enough of a showman and TV performer that he’s learned to tailor his message and demeanor to the audience to whom he’s playing.
The difference between the somber Trump sometimes present at coronavirus press conferences — reading from prewritten scripts to avoid the outrage that his departures from the carefully vetted text invariably bring — and the unshackled persona that the president reveals in the comfortable confines of the Fox News airwaves — where he knows the audience will be his faithful supporters who revel in his angry, drunk uncle schtick — gives the president a Jekyll and Hyde dichotomy in his personality that flips between practically business-like and manic outrageousness.
In Trump’s hour-long phone interview with Fox and Friends this morning, the president unleashed the unhinged side of his public face to the welcoming audience, none of whom seemed to question why — during this crucial time in the largest national crisis of his presidency — Trump was spending so much time doing campaign PR rather than doing his day job.
That the entire exercise was a ploy to score political points among a base that may just be beginning to doubt Trump’s handling of a pandemic that is beginning to massively affect their families and friends was obvious from the president’s attacks on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Blaming Pelosi for the delay in passing the most recent economic stimulus bill — a delay due to the Democrats’ insistence that the bill contained provisions to oversee the distribution of half a billion dollars worth of aid to prevent it from being used to benefit the businesses of Trump and his family or go to his favored friends — the president lambasted the House Speaker using a description more aptly reserved for his own behavior.
“She’s a sick puppy, in my opinion,” Trump said. “She has a lot of problems… There’s something wrong with the woman.”
Mistakenly attributing responsibility for the management of the city that contains the district that Pelosi represents in Congress to the Speaker, Trump trashed San Francisco as a “slum,” surely knowing that it would please his rural right-wing base to insult the city that won’t be likely to provide many votes for his reelection.
Trump was apparently also angry about Democratic efforts to ensure that the health crisis and social distancing orders don’t interfere in the 2020 elections by attempting to include provisions in the stimulus bill to increase access to voting by mail at a time when showing up at a polling station could put one’s life at risk.
In a rare admission of truth from the president, Trump confirmed what most Democrats already suspected — that Republicans don’t really believe in democracy and want to exclude as many people as possible from exercising their voting rights to ensure their own hold on power.
“They had things, um, levels of voting that if you ever agreed to it you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Trump admitted, providing progressives with a dream for the future to hold onto for hope. “They had things in there,” Trump continued, “you know, about Election days, and a, what you do,” the sub-literate president said of the Democrats’ efforts to ensure the November elections are run safely and smoothly despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump openly admitting if we made voting easier in America, Republicans wouldn't win elections Trump: "The things they had in there were crazy. They had levels of voting, that if you ever agreed to it you'd never have a Republican elected in this country again." pic.twitter.com/x5HmX6uogo — Lis Power (@LisPower1) March 30, 2020
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The president also continued to contradict what non-Fox News viewers could plainly see with their own eyes and ears as the governors of the states hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic complain loudly and publicly about the poor performance of Trump’s federal response and delivery of aid to their states.
Creating his own reality distortion field, Trump simply denied that governors were unhappy — despite the plain evidence to the contrary — and blamed the media for spreading false reports — false reports backed up by video of the governors’ desperate pleas for help.
Trump’s narcissism was on full display as he tried to steal valor from Andrew Cuomo, the New York state governor who has been most highly lauded for his management of the crisis in his state and his accurate, informative, and compassionate daily press briefings to the public, to the kind of public acclaim that the president could only dream of receiving for his own misinformation-laden and emotionally-distant pressers.
“We’re giving him four hospitals and four medical centers and all of the things that we’ve done,” Trump whined. “One of the reasons he’s successful is we’ve helped make him successful,” he said, enviously.
Asked about a report in The Washington Post that revealed social media misinformation campaigns from both Russia and China aimed at America to take advantage of the chaos surrounding the pandemic, Trump dismissed the cyber-attacks as unimportant.
“They do it and we do it,” the president said. “Every country does it.”
As one probably heard from one’s mother, “if everyone jumped off a bridge, that doesn’t mean that you have to.”
Trump also went on one of his patented rants against the Democratic proposals for the Green New Deal — a proposal that could become the foundation of a significant jobs program that could help bring the American economy back from recession once the coronavirus outbreak is tamed — once again spreading lies about the contents of the proposal, falsely claiming that it would ban all airplane travel (something that has virtually happened on its own during the pandemic) and limit each American family to a single electric-powered vehicle, neither of which has been proposed by any of the Green New Deals’ sponsoring legislators.
Of course, no Trump rant about the environment would be complete with his quixotic tilting at energy-producing windmills that reduce the earnings capacity of his buddies in the oil, gas, and coal industries.
“Windmills all over the place to ruin everybody’s house and farm!” Trump warned, apparently forgetting to add in his usual false claim that they cause cancer as well.
Trump’s Fox and Friends propaganda spree certainly revealed the Mr. Hyde aspect of his bifurcated-persona. Likely this is the real Trump, with the sober teleprompter reader a mask that he dons only when he absolutely needs to.
While he may have given his supporters exactly what they expected of him, for the rest of America his interview this morning was just another reminder of why he needs to be removed from office as soon as possible.
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Original reporting by Brad Reed, Travis Gettys, and David Badash at RawStory.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-30--Trump attacks media and hospitals, extends social distancing in hostile Sunday virus presser

It ’ s increasingly difficult to watch Donald Trump ’ s grandstanding delivery of spin , lies , and misinformation as we wait for Dr. Anthony Fauci — the only administration official on the White House Pandemic Response Team with a shred of credibility left— to tell us what is really going on with the federal response to the still-spreading coronavirus pandemic .
Trump ’ s performance today was one for the record books — until tomorrow at least — as the president repeatedly denied recorded statements he made just days ago as figments of the imaginations of vengeful reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection and tried to assign blame anywhere but with himself .
Vox ’ s Aaron Rupar has been dutifully compiling on his Twitter feed the best excerpts from Trump ’ s ongoing substitute for the rallies that he can no longer safely hold to give us a near-live commentary on the daily COVID-19 press conferences .
Here are a few of the highlights from today : Trump as a paranoid shopkeeper thinking that his customers are stealing from him and lying about the poor level of customer service that they are receiving from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seinfeld ’ s soup Nazi .
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Rather than admitting that the Trump administration did not plan ahead to ensure that the nation had enough ventilators to handle a long-predicted pandemic , the president instead accused hospitals and the medical professionals who work in them of lying and hoarding .
Ignoring his own February 26th statement that “ within a couple of days ” the number of coronavirus cases “ is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump has now extended federal guidelines to maintain social distancing until the end of April .
( Thank you , Dr .
Fauci ! )
Easter ?
Who said anything about reopening the country by Easter ?
Oh yeah , Trump tried to walk that statement back as well as merely “ aspirational.
” After ranting about the biased media on Twitter all day , Trump was equally nasty with them in person during the question and answer portion of the press conference…and equally racist as well , judging from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters .
Not that Trump ’ s responses to other reporters ’ questions were any better .
Death may be everyone ’ s enemy , but Trump ’ s performance at today ’ s press conference demonstrates that he still considers a free press that calls out his lies and misstatements as his biggest enemy as he helps death find new foes to confront with his own incompetence .

It’s increasingly difficult to watch Donald Trump’s grandstanding delivery of spin, lies, and misinformation as we wait for Dr. Anthony Fauci — the only administration official on the White House Pandemic Response Team with a shred of credibility left— to tell us what is really going on with the federal response to the still-spreading coronavirus pandemic.
Trump’s performance today was one for the record books — until tomorrow at least — as the president repeatedly denied recorded statements he made just days ago as figments of the imaginations of vengeful reporters out to bring down his chances for reelection and tried to assign blame anywhere but with himself.
Vox’s Aaron Rupar has been dutifully compiling on his Twitter feed the best excerpts from Trump’s ongoing substitute for the rallies that he can no longer safely hold to give us a near-live commentary on the daily COVID-19 press conferences.
Here are a few of the highlights from today:
Trump as a paranoid shopkeeper thinking that his customers are stealing from him and lying about the poor level of customer service that they are receiving from a vendor with a worse attitude than Seinfeld’s soup Nazi.
"Many of the states are stocked up. Some don't admit it. But we have sent so much." — Trump paints governors who are asking for more federal help as complainers pic.twitter.com/fpaDBIlSiM — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 29, 2020
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Rather than admitting that the Trump administration did not plan ahead to ensure that the nation had enough ventilators to handle a long-predicted pandemic, the president instead accused hospitals and the medical professionals who work in them of lying and hoarding.
TRUMP: "The modeling estimates that the peak in death rate is likely to hit in 2 weeks. I will say it again. The peak, the highest point of death rates, remember this, is likely to hit in 2 weeks … Therefore, we will be extending our guidelines to April 30, to slow the spread." pic.twitter.com/fPhtgmTchl — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 29, 2020
Ignoring his own February 26th statement that “within a couple of days” the number of coronavirus cases “is going to be down to close to zero,” Trump has now extended federal guidelines to maintain social distancing until the end of April. (Thank you, Dr. Fauci!)
Easter? Who said anything about reopening the country by Easter? Oh yeah, Trump tried to walk that statement back as well as merely “aspirational.”
OANN asks Trump a leading question asking him to talk about why his approval ratings are so high pic.twitter.com/m3dqbaJcbl — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 29, 2020
After ranting about the biased media on Twitter all day, Trump was equally nasty with them in person during the question and answer portion of the press conference…and equally racist as well, judging from his reaction to questions from two African American reporters.
Before attacking Alcindor, Trump took umbrage and questioned the integrity of a Bloomberg reporter who asked him about public statements he made the day before pic.twitter.com/TyBU8AgZER — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 29, 2020
Not that Trump’s responses to other reporters’questions were any better.
REPORTER: Florida has reportedly had 100% of their requests for supplies from the national strategic stockpile filled but Massachusetts has not. Why is that? TRUMP, dodging: "I was on the call yesterday with the governors & they were happy with the job we are doing" pic.twitter.com/5PHJG25C7m — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 29, 2020
"Your statement is a lie" — Trump attacks a CNN reporter for asking him to explain his direct quotes from Friday about how he wants Democratic governors to be more "appreciative" pic.twitter.com/uv6fowVLZw — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 29, 2020
"The enemy is death," Trump says in conclusion pic.twitter.com/x4XOb2u4KR — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 29, 2020
Death may be everyone’s enemy, but Trump’s performance at today’s press conference demonstrates that he still considers a free press that calls out his lies and misstatements as his biggest enemy as he helps death find new foes to confront with his own incompetence.
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Original reporting by Aaron Rupar at Vox.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-29--Trump Sunday tweet roundup: Ratings and Royals dominate as Trump takes eye off virus crisis

National emergencies require a singular focus from those tasked with the enormous responsibilities of responding to and solving the avalanche of problems associated with them .
In the days before national leaders transcribed their every brain fart into social media posts for the whole world to see what was weighing heavily in their consciousnesses , the American people were blissfully unaware of what was occupying a president ’ s mind as crisis and disaster unfolded around us all .
We could simply assume that the leader of the free world was locked in deep discussions with expert advisors in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems at hand as quickly and effectively as possible given the circumstances .
Donald Trump destroyed that paradigm — along with so much else Americans took for granted about their government — when it quickly became apparent early in his term that his days as president would be filled with “ executive time , ” golf , public relations appearances , and tweets , lots of tweets .
Now at the height of the largest crisis faced by any president since , well , the last Republican president held office , Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the sort of unceasing crisis management that our nation both expects and needs in this difficult time .
Much more important for the former reality TV host than preventing the spread of coronavirus and its concomitant death rates — and even reviving the plunging economy — are Trump ’ s own TV ratings .
His thread on Twitter today made that distorted sense of priority painfully clear .
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The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author whose public delusions and paranoid narcissism begs for the invocation of the 25th Amendment as soon as possible .
One tweet like this would have been bad enough , but too much is never enough for Donald Trump .
Unfortunately , as Trump crows about his ratings success , his available audience is dwindling at a frighteningly rapid pace as the death toll from the coronavirus — a number that his inaction , lost opportunities , and the misinformation he peddled in his portion of the daily pandemic briefings has caused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters who favored Trump in the last election from the rolls permanently .
This does not bode well for the man who lost the popular vote in the last election and only won because of a few thousand votes in key counties in a handful of swing states — particularly at a time when the death rate from the COVID-19 virus is expected to soon reach thousands of Americans per day .
Trump ’ s inability to stop boasting about his ratings may be a sign of his extreme narcissism , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on anything but the issue that the rest of the nation was focusing on with 100 % of their beings .
The president ’ s tabloid sensibilities rose to the forefront as one of his next tweets emerged from out of left-field to address a question that no one had asked him about or cared about— in other words , a topic likely inspired by a segment he saw on one his favorite right-wing TV broadcasters .
Always the benevolent and generous diplomat that Trump !
Given the millions that taxpayers are footing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequent golf trips and the travels of his wealthy offspring who could easily afford to fund their own protective details — and the fact that he has stiffed many cities where he ’ s held his political rallies for security costs — Trump ’ s reaction to the news of the newly self-exiled royals ’ move to Los Angeles would be considered outrageous more for its hypocrisy than anything else at any other time .
Now it just shows that America is led by a president too consumed by his own vanity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time when the nation needs it the most .
At this point , even if Trump were to stop proving that he is focused everywhere except on the one issue that his attention should now be exclusively dedicated to , the public knows where his mind will be wandering to .
Trump can ’ t be trusted to manage this crisis and should be removed from office immediately as a matter of national security .
Right now America needs a Commander-in-Chief , not a Jester-in-Chief .

National emergencies require a singular focus from those tasked with the enormous responsibilities of responding to and solving the avalanche of problems associated with them.
In the days before national leaders transcribed their every brain fart into social media posts for the whole world to see what was weighing heavily in their consciousnesses, the American people were blissfully unaware of what was occupying a president’s mind as crisis and disaster unfolded around us all.
We could simply assume that the leader of the free world was locked in deep discussions with expert advisors in a desperate struggle to find solutions to the problems at hand as quickly and effectively as possible given the circumstances.
Donald Trump destroyed that paradigm — along with so much else Americans took for granted about their government — when it quickly became apparent early in his term that his days as president would be filled with “executive time,” golf, public relations appearances, and tweets, lots of tweets.
Now at the height of the largest crisis faced by any president since, well, the last Republican president held office, Donald Trump is demonstrating his true priorities are far from the sort of unceasing crisis management that our nation both expects and needs in this difficult time.
Much more important for the former reality TV host than preventing the spread of coronavirus and its concomitant death rates — and even reviving the plunging economy — are Trump’s own TV ratings.
His thread on Twitter today made that distorted sense of priority painfully clear.
Because the “Ratings” of my News Conferences etc. are so high, “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers” according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. “Trump is reaching too many people, we must stop him.” said one lunatic. See you at 5:00 P.M.! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
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The only lunatic visible in this tweet is its author whose public delusions and paranoid narcissism begs for the invocation of the 25th Amendment as soon as possible.
One tweet like this would have been bad enough, but too much is never enough for Donald Trump.
…On Monday, nearly 12.2 million people watched Mr. Trump’s briefing on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, according to Nielsen — ‘Monday Night Football’ numbers. Millions more are watching on ABC, CBS, NBC and online streaming sites, and the audience is expanding. On Monday, Fox News… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
…The CBS News poll said 13 percent of Republicans trusted the news media for information about the virus.” Michael M. Grynbaum @NYTimes — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
Unfortunately, as Trump crows about his ratings success, his available audience is dwindling at a frighteningly rapid pace as the death toll from the coronavirus — a number that his inaction, lost opportunities, and the misinformation he peddled in his portion of the daily pandemic briefings has caused to rise exponentially — disproportionately removes the older voters who favored Trump in the last election from the rolls permanently.
This does not bode well for the man who lost the popular vote in the last election and only won because of a few thousand votes in key counties in a handful of swing states — particularly at a time when the death rate from the COVID-19 virus is expected to soon reach thousands of Americans per day.
Trump’s inability to stop boasting about his ratings may be a sign of his extreme narcissism, but he continued to show that his attention was on anything but the issue that the rest of the nation was focusing on with 100% of their beings.
The president’s tabloid sensibilities rose to the forefront as one of his next tweets emerged from out of left-field to address a question that no one had asked him about or cared about— in other words, a topic likely inspired by a segment he saw on one his favorite right-wing TV broadcasters.
I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
Always the benevolent and generous diplomat that Trump!
Given the millions that taxpayers are footing to fund security for Trump’s frequent golf trips and the travels of his wealthy offspring who could easily afford to fund their own protective details — and the fact that he has stiffed many cities where he’s held his political rallies for security costs — Trump’s reaction to the news of the newly self-exiled royals’ move to Los Angeles would be considered outrageous more for its hypocrisy than anything else at any other time.
Now it just shows that America is led by a president too consumed by his own vanity and privilege to function effectively as a leader at a time when the nation needs it the most.
At this point, even if Trump were to stop proving that he is focused everywhere except on the one issue that his attention should now be exclusively dedicated to, the public knows where his mind will be wandering to.
Trump can’t be trusted to manage this crisis and should be removed from office immediately as a matter of national security. Right now America needs a Commander-in-Chief, not a Jester-in-Chief.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-29--“My main focus is now executing”: Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says as coronavirus rages

It was a poor choice of words that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin used to describe his primary marching orders as the coronavirus outbreak was forcing doctors in overwhelmed hospitals around the world to become ad-hoc “ death panels ” as they decide which patients ’ lives to try to save amidst shortages of basic medical equipment like respirators and masks .
Secretary Mnuchin was appearing on CBS ‘ s Face The Nation this morning while trying to convince host Margaret Brennan that $ 1200 would be enough cash to see Americans through 10 weeks of unemployment as the economy shuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of quarantine orders across the nation .
While simple math will tell you that the figure Mnuchin feels will be sufficient to sustain people during the 10 weeks of the extended shutdown that he envisions works out to just $ 17 per day — a paltry sum in most major metropolitan areas that could barely cover food , much less clothing , shelter , and other basic necessities — wealthy , out of touch Republicans are so divorced from reality that they are patting themselves on their backs for their merciful generosity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until election time .
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As Brennan pressed the Treasury Secretary for details of when the Trump administration would be looking at additional financial assistance for the average American if the quarantines extend beyond the Memorial Day deadline that Mnuchin mentioned as a new arbitrary alternative to the president ’ s wishful thinking target of Easter , the Treasury Secretary was evasive and used the unfortunate phraseology that should be best avoided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine who is allowed access to limited ventilators and who is left to suffer and die abounds amidst America ’ s over-crowded hospitals .
Mnuchin went on to say that the administration was consulting medical experts on when it would be safe to reopen the nation ’ s businesses and would go back to Congress to seek additional assistance for the American economy .
Notedly , he promised to seek more support for the economy , not the people .
While Secretary Mnuchin ’ s job is to oversee the economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he should avoid framing his responsibilities by using terms like “ executing.
” There are enough conspiracy theories floating around regarding the supposedly deliberate release of the deadly virus to cull the old and infirm from the population to reduce the economic drag that they place upon society that we don ’ t need any ill-considered words from the Secretary of the Treasury to add fuel to those baseless rumors .
You can watch a clip of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin ’ s appearance on CBS ‘ s Face The Nation in the @ @ @ @

It was a poor choice of words that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin used to describe his primary marching orders as the coronavirus outbreak was forcing doctors in overwhelmed hospitals around the world to become ad-hoc “death panels” as they decide which patients’ lives to try to save amidst shortages of basic medical equipment like respirators and masks.
Secretary Mnuchin was appearing on CBS‘s Face The Nation this morning while trying to convince host Margaret Brennan that $1200 would be enough cash to see Americans through 10 weeks of unemployment as the economy shuts down in the face of an unprecedented number of quarantine orders across the nation.
“I think the entire package provides economic relief overall for about 10 weeks,” Mnuchin explained. “Hopefully we will kill this virus quicker and we won’t need it, but we have liquidity to put into the American economy to support American workers and American business.”
While simple math will tell you that the figure Mnuchin feels will be sufficient to sustain people during the 10 weeks of the extended shutdown that he envisions works out to just $17 per day — a paltry sum in most major metropolitan areas that could barely cover food, much less clothing, shelter, and other basic necessities — wealthy, out of touch Republicans are so divorced from reality that they are patting themselves on their backs for their merciful generosity to the peons whom they usually ignore until election time.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
As Brennan pressed the Treasury Secretary for details of when the Trump administration would be looking at additional financial assistance for the average American if the quarantines extend beyond the Memorial Day deadline that Mnuchin mentioned as a new arbitrary alternative to the president’s wishful thinking target of Easter, the Treasury Secretary was evasive and used the unfortunate phraseology that should be best avoided as talk of “death panels” to determine who is allowed access to limited ventilators and who is left to suffer and die abounds amidst America’s over-crowded hospitals.
“Well, my main focus is now executing,” Mnuchin said in a morbid turn of phrase. “We have everybody within Treasury and the adminsistration working round the clock to get this money out quickly, since it doesn’t do people any good if it takes a long time.”
Mnuchin went on to say that the administration was consulting medical experts on when it would be safe to reopen the nation’s businesses and would go back to Congress to seek additional assistance for the American economy. Notedly, he promised to seek more support for the economy, not the people.
While Secretary Mnuchin’s job is to oversee the economy, not to save American lives, perhaps he should avoid framing his responsibilities by using terms like “executing.”
There are enough conspiracy theories floating around regarding the supposedly deliberate release of the deadly virus to cull the old and infirm from the population to reduce the economic drag that they place upon society that we don’t need any ill-considered words from the Secretary of the Treasury to add fuel to those baseless rumors.
You can watch a clip of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s appearance on CBS‘s Face The Nation in the video excerpt below.
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Original reporting by David Edwards at RawStory.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-29--“And then the Virus came along”: Trump tweets in nostalgic reverie for dying economy

Donald Trump is feeling nostalgic for the pre-pandemic times when the economy was booming — for his billionaire buddies , at least — and jobs were plentiful — even if wages were not high enough to provide a cushion for sudden emergencies — judging from the elegiac tweet he sent this morning .
The president ’ s tweet of a quote from his Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow — yes , the same Larry Kudlow who a little over a month ago was going on cable news programs to parrot Trump ’ s claims that the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a combination of wistful longing for a now forever-gone past and an unearned and uninformed optimism for the future health of an economy that is likely to be forever transformed by the trauma of the pandemic and the expected unprecedented death toll it is still bringing .
Sadly , Trump ’ s yearningly plaintive reflections on the economic past of a now unrecognizable nation display no awareness that the tax cuts and trade deals born of disruptive tariff policies played such a large role in the financial free-fall that the president blindly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he actually could will the economic rollercoaster to go back up to the top of the curve without the benefit of a motorized pulley .
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With the Republican tax cut plan largely benefiting billionaires and the large corporations that simply used the money to buy back shares and increase the wealth of their executives and shareholders rather than reinvest in their employees and the future health of their companies , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country without a meaningful economic cushion and left Trump without one of his most potent reelection messages , his continuance of the formerly strong economy left to him by Barack Obama .
Despite Trump ’ s rosy predictions for the future , the past tense is the appropriate one to use in any positive description of the American economy and hopefully one that we will soon use to refer to the Trump presidency .

Donald Trump is feeling nostalgic for the pre-pandemic times when the economy was booming — for his billionaire buddies, at least — and jobs were plentiful — even if wages were not high enough to provide a cushion for sudden emergencies — judging from the elegiac tweet he sent this morning.
“With the Tax Cuts and new Trade Deals, we were set for a tremendous growth rate this year…. and then the Virus came along.” @larry_kudlow @MariaBartiromo We were breaking all records, especially on employment. It will all come roaring back again, and fast! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
The president’s tweet of a quote from his Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow — yes, the same Larry Kudlow who a little over a month ago was going on cable news programs to parrot Trump’s claims that the coronavirus was “contained” – is imbued with a combination of wistful longing for a now forever-gone past and an unearned and uninformed optimism for the future health of an economy that is likely to be forever transformed by the trauma of the pandemic and the expected unprecedented death toll it is still bringing.
Sadly, Trump’s yearningly plaintive reflections on the economic past of a now unrecognizable nation display no awareness that the tax cuts and trade deals born of disruptive tariff policies played such a large role in the financial free-fall that the president blindly insists will quickly reverse — as if he actually could will the economic rollercoaster to go back up to the top of the curve without the benefit of a motorized pulley.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
With the Republican tax cut plan largely benefiting billionaires and the large corporations that simply used the money to buy back shares and increase the wealth of their executives and shareholders rather than reinvest in their employees and the future health of their companies, the sudden surge of coronavirus-caused unemployment has left the country without a meaningful economic cushion and left Trump without one of his most potent reelection messages, his continuance of the formerly strong economy left to him by Barack Obama.
Despite Trump’s rosy predictions for the future, the past tense is the appropriate one to use in any positive description of the American economy and hopefully one that we will soon use to refer to the Trump presidency.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-28--Trump offers respirators to UK after fighting with US governors over providing them to states

After arguing with some of the governors of the states hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic over the federal government ’ s responsibility to provide adequate assistance in responding to the crisis , Donald “ I don ’ t take responsibility at all ” Trump offered to send ventilators to the United Kingdom where his British doppelganger Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been diagnosed with the deadly virus .
The astonishing offer was made as the president leveraged the crisis for the best possible public relations opportunity for his now-threatened reelection campaign by offering a televised address at a needless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort from the naval base in Norfolk , Virginia to head to the heavily-infected New York City where officials warn that they will shortly run out of medical facilities to care for the rapidly escalating number of patients suffering from the coronavirus .
The USNS Comfort is a Mercy-class hospital ship that will arrive in New York Harbor on Monday and add an additional 1,000 hospital beds to the 53,000 places that the city typically has available .
New York state estimates that it will need at least 140,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approaching peak of the pandemic .
The ease with which Trump offered desperately needed ventilators to another country — after refusing to heed the pleas of governors in states already overwhelmed with the predicably exponential spread of the disease due to the Trump administration ’ s molasses-slow response to the outbreak in its early stages when quick action could have slowed the contagion — shocked those to whom the president ’ s mantra of “ America First !
” would seem to preclude such a generous helping hand .
Trump also shocked both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area and the authorities in the tri-state region that comprise it by publicly announcing that he was considering an executive order restricting the interstate travel of anyone from the region to prevent the further spread of the disease , despite the fact that much of the area is on already lockdown .
Trump also sent a tweet expanding on his off the cuff answer to the reporter ’ s question .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the president ’ s idea “ unworkable ” as soon as he heard about it — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ ’ I spoke to the president about the ship coming up and the four sites , I didn ’ t speak to him about any quarantine , ’ Mr. Cuomo said at an afternoon briefing , referring to a hospital ship and four emergency hospitals being installed in New York , ” The New York Times reported .
“ ’ I don ’ t even know what that means , ’ the governor said of a potential quarantine of New York .
‘ I don ’ t know how that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point of view , I don ’ t know what you would be accomplishing .
I don ’ t even like the sound of it , ’ ” the newpaper reported Cuomo as commenting .
A spokesperson for Mayor Bill DeBlasio indicated that his administration had also not been consulted by the president in advance of his comments .
Trump ’ s decision to hold a public relations media event in the midst of a crisis in which medical professionals have urged the public to isolate and practice “ social distancing ” also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a bad example to set for the nation and a waste of valuable time that should have been spent on more urgent priorities .
According to The New York Times : “ We don ’ t need Donald Trump in Virginia doing a photo op , ” Terry McAuliffe , the former Democratic governor of Virginia , said in an interview .
“ We need respirators and we need masks , like every other state in the country .
He ought to be staying in Washington , in his job .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr. McAuliffe said that a presidential visit to a naval base meant that officials who needed to be addressing a public health crisis had to instead “ spend their time doing a Trump re-election photo op .
He ought to stop the politicking and lead the nation.
” With the president dragging a number of senior administration officials along to the ego- and campaign-boosting publicity grab —including Defense Secretary Mark Esper , Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway , his next Chief of Staff Congressman Mark Meadows , and acting Director of National Intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these folks don ’ t have anything more important to do at this juncture and that they are expendable if they get infected during the unnecessary exposure the trip to the Naval base provided them .
Unfortunately , the expendability of the majority of the Trump administration is what landed us in this mess to begin with .
An offer to provide an ally with assistance would barely raise an eyebrow if a competent president had responded quickly to the intelligence briefings that warned Trump of the impending crisis and instituted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the beginning of the arrival of the virus in this country .
Original reporting by Aaron Rupar at Vox and by Annie Karni at The New York Times .

After arguing with some of the governors of the states hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic over the federal government’s responsibility to provide adequate assistance in responding to the crisis, Donald “I don’t take responsibility at all” Trump offered to send ventilators to the United Kingdom where his British doppelganger Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been diagnosed with the deadly virus.
The astonishing offer was made as the president leveraged the crisis for the best possible public relations opportunity for his now-threatened reelection campaign by offering a televised address at a needless ceremony to mark the departure of the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort from the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia to head to the heavily-infected New York City where officials warn that they will shortly run out of medical facilities to care for the rapidly escalating number of patients suffering from the coronavirus.
The USNS Comfort is a Mercy-class hospital ship that will arrive in New York Harbor on Monday and add an additional 1,000 hospital beds to the 53,000 places that the city typically has available. New York state estimates that it will need at least 140,000 beds to treat patients at the rapidly approaching peak of the pandemic.
"My administration has also taken action to disbend, and suspend federal student loan payments" pic.twitter.com/XsyqfLZX57 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 28, 2020
The ease with which Trump offered desperately needed ventilators to another country — after refusing to heed the pleas of governors in states already overwhelmed with the predicably exponential spread of the disease due to the Trump administration’s molasses-slow response to the outbreak in its early stages when quick action could have slowed the contagion — shocked those to whom the president’s mantra of “America First!” would seem to preclude such a generous helping hand.
Trump also shocked both the people in the New York metropolitan area and the authorities in the tri-state region that comprise it by publicly announcing that he was considering an executive order restricting the interstate travel of anyone from the region to prevent the further spread of the disease, despite the fact that much of the area is on already lockdown.
Here's Trump saying he's considering imposing an enforceable quarantine on New York because "they're having problems down in Florida. A lot of New Yorkers going down — we don't want that. Heavily infected." pic.twitter.com/yaC1AwYTJg — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 28, 2020
Trump also sent a tweet expanding on his off the cuff answer to the reporter’s question.
I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing “hot spots”, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2020
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the president’s idea “unworkable” as soon as he heard about it — from the media, not Trump himself.
“’I spoke to the president about the ship coming up and the four sites, I didn’t speak to him about any quarantine,’ Mr. Cuomo said at an afternoon briefing, referring to a hospital ship and four emergency hospitals being installed in New York,” The New York Times reported. “’I don’t even know what that means,’ the governor said of a potential quarantine of New York. ‘I don’t know how that could be legally enforceable. From a medical point of view, I don’t know what you would be accomplishing. I don’t even like the sound of it,’” the newpaper reported Cuomo as commenting.
A spokesperson for Mayor Bill DeBlasio indicated that his administration had also not been consulted by the president in advance of his comments.
“’We don’t have any details and aren’t sure what the president means by his comment,’ the spokeswoman, Freddi Goldstein, said. ‘What we know is that while New York City is the epicenter of this crisis right now, it’s in all 50 states. What we need is more supplies for our hospitals — that’s how we can save lives,’” the Times reported.
Trump’s decision to hold a public relations media event in the midst of a crisis in which medical professionals have urged the public to isolate and practice “social distancing” also generated criticism from those who saw it as a bad example to set for the nation and a waste of valuable time that should have been spent on more urgent priorities.
According to The New York Times:
“We don’t need Donald Trump in Virginia doing a photo op,” Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic governor of Virginia, said in an interview. “We need respirators and we need masks, like every other state in the country. He ought to be staying in Washington, in his job. It’s a total waste of time.” Mr. McAuliffe said that a presidential visit to a naval base meant that officials who needed to be addressing a public health crisis had to instead “spend their time doing a Trump re-election photo op. He ought to stop the politicking and lead the nation.”
With the president dragging a number of senior administration officials along to the ego- and campaign-boosting publicity grab —including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway, his next Chief of Staff Congressman Mark Meadows, and acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell — Trump is both indicating that these folks don’t have anything more important to do at this juncture and that they are expendable if they get infected during the unnecessary exposure the trip to the Naval base provided them.
Unfortunately, the expendability of the majority of the Trump administration is what landed us in this mess to begin with. An offer to provide an ally with assistance would barely raise an eyebrow if a competent president had responded quickly to the intelligence briefings that warned Trump of the impending crisis and instituted a national effort to prepare well in advance of the beginning of the arrival of the virus in this country.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Aaron Rupar at Vox and by Annie Karni at The New York Times.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-28--Trump admin revokes reservation of Native American tribe that welcomed the Pilgrims

While the nation grapples with the terrifying coronavirus pandemic , the Trump administration ’ s heinous agenda continues to quietly unfold behind the scenes .
On Friday afternoon , the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that they will be disestablishing the reservation of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and taking their Massachusetts tribal lands out of trust , just four years after 320 acres were placed in trust and 13 years after the tribe was finally recognized by the federal government .
It is a painful irony since the Mashpee Wampanoag are the only survivors of the nine tribes who signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and celebrated the First Thanksgiving .
They hold a prominent position in America ’ s whitewashed mythology , but that has inexcusably not translated to any material benevolence in the modern era .
The Mashpee Wampanoag have had to fight a decades-long battle to reclaim their ancestral lands and win recognition from the federal government since their first filing in 1976 — and now they ’ ve had them snatched away again by the Trump administration .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today ’ s action was cruel and it was unnecessary .
The Secretary is under no court order to take our land out of trust .
He is fully aware that litigation to uphold our status as a tribe eligible for the benefits of the Indian Reorganization Act is ongoing…It begs the question , what is driving our federal trustee ’ s crusade against our reservation ?
” wrote Chairman Cedric Cromwell in a statement .
“ Regardless of the answer , we the People of the First Light have lived here since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Interior , since before there was a State of Massachusetts , since before the Pilgrims arrived 400 years ago .
We have survived , we will continue to survive .
These are our lands , these are the lands of our ancestors , and these will be the lands of our grandchildren .
This Administration has come and it will go .
But we will be here , always .
And we will not rest until we are treated equally with other federally recognized tribes and the status of our reservation is confirmed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition to the Interior Department ’ s placing of the land in a trust by David and Michelle Littlefield , seeking to stymie the tribe ’ s plans to build their own casino and hotel .
That eventually led to the 1st U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in late February that the Interior Department never had the authority to take the land into a trust because the tribe was not federally recognized at the time of the passage of the 1934 Indian Reform Act , upholding a mystifying and discriminating precedent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision in Carcieri vs. Salazar .
The House of Representatives has passed a bill , H.R .
312 , affirming the tribe ’ s reservation as trust land , that now lies in the purgatory of Senate Majority Mitch McConnell ’ s “ legislative graveyard.
” The idea that a Native American tribe shouldn ’ t be allowed to reclaim their ancestral homelands because they were forcibly displaced from that land by racist settler-colonists and didn ’ t meet the white man ’ s criteria for tribal status seventy years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest kick in the teeth to the survivors of American genocide by an administration that prides itself on abusing our nation ’ s minorities .
It will not surprise you to learn that the President has a long-standing feud with the Wampanoag .

While the nation grapples with the terrifying coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration’s heinous agenda continues to quietly unfold behind the scenes.
On Friday afternoon, the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that they will be disestablishing the reservation of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and taking their Massachusetts tribal lands out of trust, just four years after 320 acres were placed in trust and 13 years after the tribe was finally recognized by the federal government.
In the middle of the #coronavirus crisis, the Trump admin disestablished the reservation of the Mashpee Wampanoag—the tribe that welcomed the pilgrims. https://t.co/UCkt02ST0W — Rebecca Nagle (@rebeccanagle) March 28, 2020
It is a painful irony since the Mashpee Wampanoag are the only survivors of the nine tribes who signed a treaty with the Pilgrims in 1621 and celebrated the First Thanksgiving. They hold a prominent position in America’s whitewashed mythology, but that has inexcusably not translated to any material benevolence in the modern era.
The Mashpee Wampanoag have had to fight a decades-long battle to reclaim their ancestral lands and win recognition from the federal government since their first filing in 1976 — and now they’ve had them snatched away again by the Trump administration.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
“Today’s action was cruel and it was unnecessary. The Secretary is under no court order to take our land out of trust. He is fully aware that litigation to uphold our status as a tribe eligible for the benefits of the Indian Reorganization Act is ongoing…It begs the question, what is driving our federal trustee’s crusade against our reservation?” wrote Chairman Cedric Cromwell in a statement.
“Regardless of the answer, we the People of the First Light have lived here since before there was a Secretary of the Interior, since before there was a State of Massachusetts, since before the Pilgrims arrived 400 years ago. We have survived, we will continue to survive. These are our lands, these are the lands of our ancestors, and these will be the lands of our grandchildren. This Administration has come and it will go. But we will be here, always. And we will not rest until we are treated equally with other federally recognized tribes and the status of our reservation is confirmed.”
A lawsuit was immediately filed in opposition to the Interior Department’s placing of the land in a trust by David and Michelle Littlefield, seeking to stymie the tribe’s plans to build their own casino and hotel.
That eventually led to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in late February that the Interior Department never had the authority to take the land into a trust because the tribe was not federally recognized at the time of the passage of the 1934 Indian Reform Act, upholding a mystifying and discriminating precedent established by the conservative-dominated 2009 Supreme Court’s decision in Carcieri vs. Salazar.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill, H.R. 312, affirming the tribe’s reservation as trust land, that now lies in the purgatory of Senate Majority Mitch McConnell’s “legislative graveyard.”
The idea that a Native American tribe shouldn’t be allowed to reclaim their ancestral homelands because they were forcibly displaced from that land by racist settler-colonists and didn’t meet the white man’s criteria for tribal status seventy years ago is outrageous.
This disestablishment is just the latest kick in the teeth to the survivors of American genocide by an administration that prides itself on abusing our nation’s minorities.
It will not surprise you to learn that the President has a long-standing feud with the Wampanoag.
True story: Trump had a longstanding feud with this tribe over control of a casino and https://t.co/nvMFC4Vsmx — Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) March 28, 2020
Original reporting by Elie Levine at WUBR.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-28--Trump frantically denies report he asked baseball star Alex Rodriguez for virus advice

A global pandemic of this magnitude would be a nightmare even with the most-accomplished , competent leader at the helm .
Under our current president , a washed-up reality television star with the intellectual horsepower of a hamster , the crisis is rapidly evolving into a disaster of near-apocalyptic proportions .
Since the outbreak began , Trump has had access to the world ’ s great scientific and medical minds .
Rather than leaning on their expertise to properly prepare the country for the viral onslaught , he chose instead to dismiss the coronavirus as a “ Democratic hoax.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that lie became untenable , he simply pivoted to heaping blame on the governors actually doing the heavy-lifting to fight the virus .
Tragically for the American people , there are no indications that Trump intends to change his behavior and begin treating this pandemic with the gravity and attention it so clearly deserves .
Instead , he appears to be retreating even further into his bizarre idiosyncrasies , including his unhealthy obsession with celebrities .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ABC ’ s John Stanucci , Trump called up former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez to ask for his “ thoughts ” on the administration ’ s response to the pandemic .
While the call was apparently “ pleasant , ” it was obviously a pathetic effort on the part of the president to have his monstrous ego stroked and appeased .
Most news coverage has been pointing out how badly the White House has fumbled its response and Trump , a man who lives for flattery , is incapable of taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be pointed out that Rodriguez , despite his illustrious career playing for the New York Yankees , has absolutely no medical expertise and shouldn ’ t be one of the people the president spends his limited time discussing the virus with .
Once again , we see that he simply isn ’ t taking this crisis seriously enough .
Of course , the news that he is consulting with athletes as a deadly virus ravages the country isn ’ t exactly flattering PR for Trump , so our habitually mendacious leader decried the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” At this point though , anyone who believes a single thing that comes out of this man ’ s mouth , digital or otherwise , is a total fool .

A global pandemic of this magnitude would be a nightmare even with the most-accomplished, competent leader at the helm. Under our current president, a washed-up reality television star with the intellectual horsepower of a hamster, the crisis is rapidly evolving into a disaster of near-apocalyptic proportions.
Since the outbreak began, Trump has had access to the world’s great scientific and medical minds. Rather than leaning on their expertise to properly prepare the country for the viral onslaught, he chose instead to dismiss the coronavirus as a “Democratic hoax.” Once the bodies began to pile up and that lie became untenable, he simply pivoted to heaping blame on the governors actually doing the heavy-lifting to fight the virus.
Tragically for the American people, there are no indications that Trump intends to change his behavior and begin treating this pandemic with the gravity and attention it so clearly deserves. Instead, he appears to be retreating even further into his bizarre idiosyncrasies, including his unhealthy obsession with celebrities.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
According to ABC’s John Stanucci, Trump called up former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez to ask for his “thoughts” on the administration’s response to the pandemic. While the call was apparently “pleasant,” it was obviously a pathetic effort on the part of the president to have his monstrous ego stroked and appeased. Most news coverage has been pointing out how badly the White House has fumbled its response and Trump, a man who lives for flattery, is incapable of taking criticism.
It should hardly need to be pointed out that Rodriguez, despite his illustrious career playing for the New York Yankees, has absolutely no medical expertise and shouldn’t be one of the people the president spends his limited time discussing the virus with. Once again, we see that he simply isn’t taking this crisis seriously enough.
A source close to Rodriguez told @ABC the call with Trump was “pleasant” adding that Trump was seeking thoughts from ARod about the coronavirus response. Sources say there was no discussion of AROD or his fiancé Jennifer Lopez taking on any official effort. — John Santucci (@Santucci) March 28, 2020
Of course, the news that he is consulting with athletes as a deadly virus ravages the country isn’t exactly flattering PR for Trump, so our habitually mendacious leader decried the report as “More Fake News!” At this point though, anyone who believes a single thing that comes out of this man’s mouth, digital or otherwise, is a total fool.
Rob Haffey Latest Posts