occupydemocrats--2020-06-09--Trump flag-waving men in KKK hoods just tried to crash a BlackLivesMatter march in Nevada

You almost have to admire their nerve while you ’ re amazed at their crass stupidity .
Two white unidentified men in Fallon , Nevada decided that they wanted to join that town ’ s Black Lives Matter protest yesterday .
While that in and of itself would not be particularly remarkable , the garb that they wore and the banners that they decided to carry sent their appearance trending on social media today .
You see , like firefighters dousing a burning house with gasoline , the men thought it appropriate or even humorous to join the demonstration — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winding down — while wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods and brandishing Trump 2020 flags emblazoned with the slogan “ No more bullshit , ” a marketing phrase that seems particularly ironic when applied to a president who shovels bovine manure onto social media feeds at every available opportunity .
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It ’ s difficult enough to imagine anyone who would think that wearing hoods so emblematic of racism would be acceptable in private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps they were simply trying to provoke the demonstrators who were heading home after making their public displays of anger and frustration over the systemic racism that has led to so many killings of unarmed African Americans at the hands of unaccountable police .
If they did want to try to start an altercation , the men were frustrated in their attempts , since all they got was outraged jeering and a stern discussion with local police who intervened and turned the men around before anything ugly could happen , as another video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At least one local resident was grateful that the men turned up at their protest if only to prove to her skeptical neighbors that racism is indeed alive in well in their town .
Predictably deplorable right-wingers immediately accused the men dressed in Klan garb of being impersonators likely sent by Antifa or some other left-wing organization to create a false flag operation designed to harm Donald Trump ’ s chances at re-election .
There ’ s a reason the members of the Klan have historically donned white hoods .
The white symbolizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underneath the hoods , faces obscured to protect them from prosecution if they get observed committing violent and illegal acts like harassment or , at the extreme , lynchings .
It ’ s a cowardly move from people whose opinions are today so shameful that they even want to protect their identities when protesting publicly .
It ’ s a shame that they completely and totally deserve .
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You almost have to admire their nerve while you’re amazed at their crass stupidity.
Two white unidentified men in Fallon, Nevada decided that they wanted to join that town’s Black Lives Matter protest yesterday.
While that in and of itself would not be particularly remarkable, the garb that they wore and the banners that they decided to carry sent their appearance trending on social media today.
You see, like firefighters dousing a burning house with gasoline, the men thought it appropriate or even humorous to join the demonstration — which was already in the process of winding down — while wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods and brandishing Trump 2020 flags emblazoned with the slogan “No more bullshit,” a marketing phrase that seems particularly ironic when applied to a president who shovels bovine manure onto social media feeds at every available opportunity.
WATCH:
At the BLM protest in Fallon, two unidentified protesters dressed in white hats, similar to the Klu Klux Klan, showed up after demonstrators on both sides were dispersing. Both walked away from the demonstration but were followed by Fallon police. Video: Desire Lynn pic.twitter.com/LjadjLIjAY — Miles Buergin (@milesjbuergin) June 9, 2020
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It’s difficult enough to imagine anyone who would think that wearing hoods so emblematic of racism would be acceptable in private much less at a BLM protest. Perhaps they were simply trying to provoke the demonstrators who were heading home after making their public displays of anger and frustration over the systemic racism that has led to so many killings of unarmed African Americans at the hands of unaccountable police.
If they did want to try to start an altercation, the men were frustrated in their attempts, since all they got was outraged jeering and a stern discussion with local police who intervened and turned the men around before anything ugly could happen, as another video shot by a BLM protestor shows.
https://twitter.com/MayMayZeller/status/1270179472625373185?s=20
At least one local resident was grateful that the men turned up at their protest if only to prove to her skeptical neighbors that racism is indeed alive in well in their town.
https://twitter.com/magaronincheeze/status/1270197909825282048?s=20
Predictably deplorable right-wingers immediately accused the men dressed in Klan garb of being impersonators likely sent by Antifa or some other left-wing organization to create a false flag operation designed to harm Donald Trump’s chances at re-election.
Doesn’t cost much to get a couple liberals to dress in a KKK outfit and carry a Trump sign. They are only trying to influence the vote come Nov 3rd — EMU (@thunderemu) June 9, 2020
There’s a reason the members of the Klan have historically donned white hoods. The white symbolizes the color of the skin hidden shamefully underneath the hoods, faces obscured to protect them from prosecution if they get observed committing violent and illegal acts like harassment or, at the extreme, lynchings.
It’s a cowardly move from people whose opinions are today so shameful that they even want to protect their identities when protesting publicly.
It’s a shame that they completely and totally deserve.
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Original reporting by David Edwards at RawStory.
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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--2020-06-09--Fox’s Chris Wallace delivers brutal news about Trump’s re-election prospects: “a very bad week”

Given his uncanny ability to somehow always make things worse for himself and the country , it ’ s difficult to say for sure that this current moment represents the nadir of Donald Trump ’ s presidency .
But the case is a compelling one .
COVID-19 continues to kill Americans daily , with over 113,000 deaths and over 2,000,000 infections so far .
This colossal public health failure can be laid squarely at the feet of a president who refused to act soon enough and who still seems far more interested in reopening the economy than saving lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ House had pushed for social distancing just one week sooner 36,000 lives could have been saved .
Trump never took the coronavirus seriously enough and Americans are dead because of it .
At the same time , the past few weeks have seen a nation coming apart at the seams as law enforcement officers , with Trump ’ s blessing , have responded to protests over the George Floyd murder with shocking brutality .
President Trump himself had peaceful demonstrators attacked and dispersed with tear gas and flashbang grenades so that he could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an inane Bible photo op .
In the process , members of the clergy were gassed and expelled from the church grounds , prompting Mariann E. Budde , the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington , to denounce Trump ’ s actions .
On top of all that bad press , Trump also had to contend with exceptionally harsh words from his former Secretary of Defense James Mattis and his former Chief of Staff , General John Kelly .
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Throughout it all , Fox News has been beating the drums of “ law & order ” in defense of this lawless president , stoking bigoted white fears over the protests and smearing the majority of activists as violent rioters .
Thankfully , there are some sane voices left at the conservative outlet .
Fox ’ s Chris Wallace , a man who hasn ’ t been afraid to criticize Trump even as it earns him the vilification of many of his network ’ s viewers , appeared on The View to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His analysis was less-than-flattering to our president .
“ Trump is positioning himself as a law and order president , but these movements that we are seeing in the streets are protesting law enforcement as we know it .
He is also reigniting the fight now over taking a knee in silent protest during the national anthem .
Is this , in your view , the right tone for the president to be taking in this moment ?
” asked host Sunny Hostin .
“ Well , I ’ m not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or wrong .
I mean , you know the president has his base and he has his beliefs , and he ’ s entitled to them .
Let me talk about it in terms of politics .
And I would say that the last week was a very bad week for the president in terms of politics , in terms of his potential reelection prospects , ” said Wallace .
“ I mean when you ’ re getting called out by the Episcopal bishop of Washington and the archbishop of the Catholic Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting called out by everybody from Jim Mattis to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen , and even your own current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper breaks with you , that ’ s not a good week , ” Wallace added .
The sober-headed analysis was spot on and bodes well for the country .
What ’ s bad for Trump ’ s reelection prospects is good for America .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section @

Given his uncanny ability to somehow always make things worse for himself and the country, it’s difficult to say for sure that this current moment represents the nadir of Donald Trump’s presidency. But the case is a compelling one.
COVID-19 continues to kill Americans daily, with over 113,000 deaths and over 2,000,000 infections so far. This colossal public health failure can be laid squarely at the feet of a president who refused to act soon enough and who still seems far more interested in reopening the economy than saving lives. One estimate shows that if the White House had pushed for social distancing just one week sooner 36,000 lives could have been saved. Trump never took the coronavirus seriously enough and Americans are dead because of it.
At the same time, the past few weeks have seen a nation coming apart at the seams as law enforcement officers, with Trump’s blessing, have responded to protests over the George Floyd murder with shocking brutality.
President Trump himself had peaceful demonstrators attacked and dispersed with tear gas and flashbang grenades so that he could make his way to a church for an inane Bible photo op. In the process, members of the clergy were gassed and expelled from the church grounds, prompting Mariann E. Budde, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, to denounce Trump’s actions.
On top of all that bad press, Trump also had to contend with exceptionally harsh words from his former Secretary of Defense James Mattis and his former Chief of Staff, General John Kelly.
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump’s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors!
Throughout it all, Fox News has been beating the drums of “law & order” in defense of this lawless president, stoking bigoted white fears over the protests and smearing the majority of activists as violent rioters. Thankfully, there are some sane voices left at the conservative outlet.
Fox’s Chris Wallace, a man who hasn’t been afraid to criticize Trump even as it earns him the vilification of many of his network’s viewers, appeared on The View to give his take on recent events. His analysis was less-than-flattering to our president.
“Trump is positioning himself as a law and order president, but these movements that we are seeing in the streets are protesting law enforcement as we know it. He is also reigniting the fight now over taking a knee in silent protest during the national anthem. Is this, in your view, the right tone for the president to be taking in this moment?” asked host Sunny Hostin.
“Well, I’m not going to talk about it in terms of right or wrong. I mean, you know the president has his base and he has his beliefs, and he’s entitled to them. Let me talk about it in terms of politics. And I would say that the last week was a very bad week for the president in terms of politics, in terms of his potential reelection prospects,” said Wallace.
“I mean when you’re getting called out by the Episcopal bishop of Washington and the archbishop of the Catholic Church of Washington, when you’re getting called out by everybody from Jim Mattis to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen, and even your own current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper breaks with you, that’s not a good week,” Wallace added.
The sober-headed analysis was spot on and bodes well for the country. What’s bad for Trump’s reelection prospects is good for America.
Watch the interview below.
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace tells us he hopes to see “reform and improvement” in race relations following protests sparked by George Floyd’s death, but says it was “a very bad week” politically for Pres. Trump after his handling of it. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/clI7exuUJb — The View (@TheView) June 9, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-06-09--Governor Cuomo publicly condemns Trump for accusing elderly man of being antifa provocateur

As Fox News ‘ Chris Wallace pointed out on The View today , Donald Trump is not having a good week .
“ I would say that the last week was a very bad week for the president in terms of politics , in terms of his potential reelection prospects , ” Wallace said .
“ I mean when you ’ re getting called out by the Episcopal Bishop of Washington , and the archbishop of the Catholic Church of Washington , when you ’ re getting called out by everybody from Jim Mattis to former Chairman of the Joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper breaks with you , that ’ s not a good week.
” Trump ’ s tweet this morning , questioning whether Martin Gugino — the 75-year-old man who was pushed to the sidewalk by Buffalo , NY police , cracking open his head and putting him in the hospital in serious condition — was an Antifa activist , did not improve the quality of the president ’ s week in the least .
The governor of the state where the police assault took place , Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help but remark on the insanity inherent in the president ’ s tweeted conspiracy theory , which seemed to originate from a reporter at OANN who was previously in the employ of Russian state-owned propaganda outlet Sputnik news .
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump ’ s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors !
Governor Cuomo expanded upon the sentiments contained in his tweeted response to Trump ’ s baseless accusations in his daily press conference .
“ It is all made up , ” Cuomo said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no fact to any of it .
He is accusing this man of being associated with Antifa , and no proof whatsoever.
” “ You think that the blood coming out of his head was staged ?
Is that what you are saying ?
” he said .
“ You saw his head hit the pavement , and you see blood on the pavement .
Maybe he fell harder than he was pushed .
How reckless , how irresponsible , how mean , how crude .
I mean , if there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from the president of the united States .
At this moment of anguish and anger , what does he do ?
Pours gasoline on the fire .
If he ever feels a moment of decency , he should apologize for that tweet .
Because it is wholly unacceptable .
Not a piece of proof , totally personally disparaging , and in a moment where the man is still in the hospital .
Show some decency .
Show some humanity .
Show some fairness .
You are the president of the United States.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ task for his substantially less-than-presidential behavior might be interpreted as a typical partisan attack with any other president or at any other time , but when video evidence is available for the entire world to see exactly what happened in the encounter and local prosecutors in Buffalo have taken the extraordinary step of charging the officers involved with assault , Cuomo ’ s comments seem to be less a matter of a Democrat governor attacking a Republican president than a judiciously sane person reacting the ravings of a lunatic madman .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing in the video attached to the tweet below .
His comments on Donald Trump ’ s “ reprehensible dumb ” tweet begin at around 10:40 into the video .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

As Fox News‘ Chris Wallace pointed out on The View today, Donald Trump is not having a good week.
“I would say that the last week was a very bad week for the president in terms of politics, in terms of his potential reelection prospects,” Wallace said. “I mean when you’re getting called out by the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, and the archbishop of the Catholic Church of Washington, when you’re getting called out by everybody from Jim Mattis to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen, and even your own current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper breaks with you, that’s not a good week.”
Trump’s tweet this morning, questioning whether Martin Gugino — the 75-year-old man who was pushed to the sidewalk by Buffalo, NY police, cracking open his head and putting him in the hospital in serious condition — was an Antifa activist, did not improve the quality of the president’s week in the least.
The governor of the state where the police assault took place, Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) couldn’t help but remark on the insanity inherent in the president’s tweeted conspiracy theory, which seemed to originate from a reporter at OANN who was previously in the employ of Russian state-owned propaganda outlet Sputnik news.
The president is tweeting conspiracy theories about the Buffalo incident based on no evidence, no proof. Was the blood coming out of his head staged? Were our eyes lying to us? No. The man is still in the hospital & the president is disparaging him. It's cruel & reckless. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 9, 2020
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump’s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors!
Governor Cuomo expanded upon the sentiments contained in his tweeted response to Trump’s baseless accusations in his daily press conference.
“It is all made up,” Cuomo said. “It is all fabricated. There is no fact to any of it. He is accusing this man of being associated with Antifa, and no proof whatsoever.” “You think that the blood coming out of his head was staged? Is that what you are saying?” he said. “You saw his head hit the pavement, and you see blood on the pavement. Maybe he fell harder than he was pushed. How reckless, how irresponsible, how mean, how crude. I mean, if there is ever a reprehensible dumb comment, and from the president of the united States. At this moment of anguish and anger, what does he do? Pours gasoline on the fire. If he ever feels a moment of decency, he should apologize for that tweet. Because it is wholly unacceptable. Not a piece of proof, totally personally disparaging, and in a moment where the man is still in the hospital. Show some decency. Show some humanity. Show some fairness. You are the president of the United States.”
Cuomo’s taking Trump to task for his substantially less-than-presidential behavior might be interpreted as a typical partisan attack with any other president or at any other time, but when video evidence is available for the entire world to see exactly what happened in the encounter and local prosecutors in Buffalo have taken the extraordinary step of charging the officers involved with assault, Cuomo’s comments seem to be less a matter of a Democrat governor attacking a Republican president than a judiciously sane person reacting the ravings of a lunatic madman.
You can watch Governor Cuomo’s daily press briefing in the video attached to the tweet below. His comments on Donald Trump’s “reprehensible dumb” tweet begin at around 10:40 into the video.
Giving my daily press briefing now. Watch Live: https://t.co/lGWcrKGhcl — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 9, 2020
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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--2020-06-09--An ex-Kremlin-paid propagandist gave the TV report that fed Trump his elderly man “antifa” theory

Donald Trump loves to bash the “ Fake News ” media for pushing a narrative that he characterizes as false — mostly of because the mainstream media ’ s nasty habit of reporting facts that contradict the president ’ s own lies — it turns out , however , that one of Trump ’ s favorite sources for news that he trusts employs a reporter who also gets paid by Russian state-run media .
Christopher Miller , the Eastern European correspondent for BuzzFeed News , pointed out that strange coincidence today after Trump tweeted out accusations that Martin Gugino , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sidewalk by Buffalo , NY police , cracking open his head and putting him in the hospital in serious condition , was an Antifa activist .
Trump ’ s source for this evidence-free accusation ?
One America News Network ( OANN ) .
Miller took a closer look at the Russian-accented reporter who filed the story that captured the president ’ s attention and discovered that he also works for Sputnik , formerly known as The Voice of Russia , a news agency and media platform established by the Russian government-owned news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tell states and police to reject Trump ’ s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors !
Watching the report , it seems clear that the elderly Gugino is merely trying to capture images of the badges and identifying tattoos of the police officers surrounding the longtime peace activist , who was likely opposed to fascism long before the term “ Antifa ” was even coined .
It ’ s bad enough that Trump seeks to shift focus from the inspiration for the massive demonstrations against police brutality and murders that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against a shadowy bogeyman group with no formal leadership , agenda , or structure , but when the president of the United States starts taking his cues from proven Russian propagandists , our nation has reached a new nadir .
Is this who you want your president to be retweeting ?
If this doesn ’ t convince you that Trump is following strategic moves delivered to him straight from the Kremlin , how much of a smoking gun do you need ?
Perhaps the missing translator ’ s notes from his conversations with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can convince you then .
Too bad Trump seized and likely destroyed those documents immediately after the conversation .
If the president had a functioning brain , he could easily have noted that local prosecutors in Buffalo have charged the two police officers involved in the incident shoving Gugino with felony Assault as CNN ’ s Jake Tapper pointed out .
If Trump is indeed taking his cues from Moscow , he is a traitorous slime who needs to be removed from office immediately .
If he arrived at his decisions independently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traitorous slime who needs to be removed from office immediately .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Donald Trump loves to bash the “Fake News” media for pushing a narrative that he characterizes as false — mostly of because the mainstream media’s nasty habit of reporting facts that contradict the president’s own lies — it turns out, however, that one of Trump’s favorite sources for news that he trusts employs a reporter who also gets paid by Russian state-run media.
Christopher Miller, the Eastern European correspondent for BuzzFeed News, pointed out that strange coincidence today after Trump tweeted out accusations that Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old man who was pushed to the sidewalk by Buffalo, NY police, cracking open his head and putting him in the hospital in serious condition, was an Antifa activist.
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
Trump’s source for this evidence-free accusation? One America News Network (OANN).
Miller took a closer look at the Russian-accented reporter who filed the story that captured the president’s attention and discovered that he also works for Sputnik, formerly known as The Voice of Russia, a news agency and media platform established by the Russian government-owned news agency Rossiya Segodnya.
Fun fact: The @OANN reporter with the Russian accent who did this wildly misleading story filled with unsubstantiated claims that Trump has now referenced on Twitter moonlights for Russia's state-run propaganda and disinfo-peddling network @SputnikInt. https://t.co/UFcFKDYAnf — Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 9, 2020
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump’s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors!
Watching the report, it seems clear that the elderly Gugino is merely trying to capture images of the badges and identifying tattoos of the police officers surrounding the longtime peace activist, who was likely opposed to fascism long before the term “Antifa” was even coined.
It’s bad enough that Trump seeks to shift focus from the inspiration for the massive demonstrations against police brutality and murders that have erupted across the country to false accusations against a shadowy bogeyman group with no formal leadership, agenda, or structure, but when the president of the United States starts taking his cues from proven Russian propagandists, our nation has reached a new nadir.
Is this who you want your president to be retweeting? If this doesn’t convince you that Trump is following strategic moves delivered to him straight from the Kremlin, how much of a smoking gun do you need?
Perhaps the missing translator’s notes from his conversations with Vladimir Putin will be the only thing that can convince you then.
Too bad Trump seized and likely destroyed those documents immediately after the conversation.
If the president had a functioning brain, he could easily have noted that local prosecutors in Buffalo have charged the two police officers involved in the incident shoving Gugino with felony Assault as CNN’s Jake Tapper pointed out.
The two officers have been charged with felony assault by the local prosecutor. https://t.co/mRL5AOIRTr — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 9, 2020
If Trump is indeed taking his cues from Moscow, he is a traitorous slime who needs to be removed from office immediately.
If he arrived at his decisions independently from Putin, he is still a traitorous slime who needs to be removed from office immediately.
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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--2020-06-09--White woman who screamed “I’ll f*cking kill you!” at Black mother and daughter apologizes, blames an

White woman who screamed “I’ll f*cking kill you!” at Black mother and daughter apologizes, blames anxiety

A California woman at the center of an embarrassing viral video has issued an apology — but it ’ s not likely to land very well .
Carrie Maxwell of Bakersfield , California , had grown very disturbed by the sound of protesters near her home on June 5th .
She could hear “ profanities ” being yelled as protesters marching against police brutality and racism engaged with Trump-flag waving counter-protesters and grew frustrated when police said there was nothing they could do .
So Maxwell took matters into her own hands , going outside and immediately accosting protester Erika @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were on their way back to their car .
Maxwell told Baze that she wasn ’ t allowed to be there , that she would call the cops on her , and then got violent , prompting Baze to begin filming her .
“ I ’ ll f*cking kill you !
” screamed Maxwell at Baze before being dragged away by her husband as Baze ’ s daughter sobbed .
Now Maxwell has issued an apology through her lawyer , claiming that it was “ anxiety , frustration , and panic ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to kill a Black mother in front of her child .
“ I want to offer my sincerest apology to anyone who was hurt by my behavior in that video .
My behavior was never intended in any way to diminish this important time in the life of our country .
Like everyone else , I was horrified by the video of the murder of George Floyd .
every man , woman , and child deserves to be treated with dignity , compassion , and equality , regardless of the color of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live a life free of fear .
What you saw in that video was a captured moment of my anxiety , frustration , and panic for the safety of my family .
I am the caretaker for my 18-year-old autistic son and my elderly mother who has COPD and is extremely vulnerable to health complications .
I had seen news coverage of the protests turning into riots across the country and was aware that the protest near my home had turned to confrontation the day before .
When I heard protesters gathering near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I became overwhelmed with anxiety and fear .
I called the police and was told there was nothing they could do .
I went out to ask the protesters to move the protest away from my home .
This was not shown on the video that was posted .
there was a woman who became confrontational and I responded in a inappropriate manner .
I never intended to cause fear .
i never spoke to or threatened this woman ’ s daughter .
I have never even been in a physical altercation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take her apology seriously after behaving so appallingly during a protest that was focused on fighting the exact kind of behavior that Maxwell exhibited !
She saw a random black person who “ didn ’ t belong.
” Her white fear and subconscious racism told her this mother and her daughter were a threat , and she responded first by threatening to have the cops come — which , at this point , we know is , in essence , a death threat — and then threatened to kill her when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
This exact scenario has played out so many times before and has resulted in the death of the black person involved far too often , and that is why we must continue marching .
Maxwell can apologize all she wants , but she clearly needs to do some serious soul-searching and self-reflection on why she behaved the way she did .
Read the whole story at WJTV.com .

A California woman at the center of an embarrassing viral video has issued an apology — but it’s not likely to land very well.
Carrie Maxwell of Bakersfield, California, had grown very disturbed by the sound of protesters near her home on June 5th. She could hear “profanities” being yelled as protesters marching against police brutality and racism engaged with Trump-flag waving counter-protesters and grew frustrated when police said there was nothing they could do.
So Maxwell took matters into her own hands, going outside and immediately accosting protester Erika Baze and her eight-year-old daughter, who were on their way back to their car. Maxwell told Baze that she wasn’t allowed to be there, that she would call the cops on her, and then got violent, prompting Baze to begin filming her.
“I’ll f*cking kill you!” screamed Maxwell at Baze before being dragged away by her husband as Baze’s daughter sobbed.
https://twitter.com/Lizz287babe/status/1269382263881510913?s=20
Now Maxwell has issued an apology through her lawyer, claiming that it was “anxiety, frustration, and panic” that caused her to lash out and threaten to kill a Black mother in front of her child.
“I want to offer my sincerest apology to anyone who was hurt by my behavior in that video. My behavior was never intended in any way to diminish this important time in the life of our country. Like everyone else, I was horrified by the video of the murder of George Floyd. every man, woman, and child deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and equality, regardless of the color of their skin, and every person deserves to live a life free of fear. What you saw in that video was a captured moment of my anxiety, frustration, and panic for the safety of my family. I am the caretaker for my 18-year-old autistic son and my elderly mother who has COPD and is extremely vulnerable to health complications. I had seen news coverage of the protests turning into riots across the country and was aware that the protest near my home had turned to confrontation the day before. When I heard protesters gathering near my home, loudly chanting profanities, I became overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. I called the police and was told there was nothing they could do. I went out to ask the protesters to move the protest away from my home. This was not shown on the video that was posted. there was a woman who became confrontational and I responded in a inappropriate manner. I never intended to cause fear. i never spoke to or threatened this woman’s daughter. I have never even been in a physical altercation in my life.”
It’s hard to take her apology seriously after behaving so appallingly during a protest that was focused on fighting the exact kind of behavior that Maxwell exhibited!
She saw a random black person who “didn’t belong.” Her white fear and subconscious racism told her this mother and her daughter were a threat, and she responded first by threatening to have the cops come — which, at this point, we know is, in essence, a death threat — and then threatened to kill her when the cops wouldn’t do it for her.
This exact scenario has played out so many times before and has resulted in the death of the black person involved far too often, and that is why we must continue marching. Maxwell can apologize all she wants, but she clearly needs to do some serious soul-searching and self-reflection on why she behaved the way she did.
Read the whole story at WJTV.com.
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occupydemocrats--2020-06-09--Ted Cruz’s dunk on naked Chris Cuomo yoga pic backfires

Senator Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) is one of the most cynical operators in American politics .
He seems to believe in little more than his own imagined right to hold power and has demonstrated time and again a repulsive penchant for the worst kind of political pandering .
It was this fixation on maintaining GOP influence above all other concerns that defined his behavior in 2016 .
Even after Donald Trump implied that his wife was ugly , the kind of thing that would alienate any respectable person for life , Cruz ended up supporting Trump in 2016 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our disastrous president .
The incident with his wife would reasonably make one expect that he would keep his nose firmly out of the business of other married couples , but Cruz has no shame .
In a yoga video recorded by the wife of CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo last month , the well-respected anchor can be seen outside in the background naked .
The obvious mistakenly captured image was eventually noticed and the video ultimately deleted , but not before it went viral .
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Ted Cruz , demonstrating a degree of classlessness unbecoming of a U.S. senator but perfectly in keeping with the behavior of many Republican officials during the Trump gutter era retweeted the image with the caption : “ It ’ s about time CNN embraced transparency.
” The tweet racked up over 19,000 likes because clearly many Republican voters share a taste for crude political discourse .
They also lap up any kind of insults or criticism aimed at what President Trump calls the “ Fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes on a rather hilarious level of irony when one recalls that his own Twitter account was caught in 2017 “ liking ” a hardcore pornographic tweet which , all things considered , is more embarrassing for an elected official than briefly being seen naked is for a television personality .
Cruz ’ s office tried to blame the porn incident on a mistake by a staffer , but we maintain our suspicions about what actually happened .
In the case of Ted Cruz , the well-worn axiom proves especially true : people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throw stones .
Twitter users were quick to unload on Cruz with mockery .
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Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is one of the most cynical operators in American politics. He seems to believe in little more than his own imagined right to hold power and has demonstrated time and again a repulsive penchant for the worst kind of political pandering.
It was this fixation on maintaining GOP influence above all other concerns that defined his behavior in 2016. Even after Donald Trump implied that his wife was ugly, the kind of thing that would alienate any respectable person for life, Cruz ended up supporting Trump in 2016 and continues to serve as a staunch ally to our disastrous president.
Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016
The incident with his wife would reasonably make one expect that he would keep his nose firmly out of the business of other married couples, but Cruz has no shame.
In a yoga video recorded by the wife of CNN’s Chris Cuomo last month, the well-respected anchor can be seen outside in the background naked. The obvious mistakenly captured image was eventually noticed and the video ultimately deleted, but not before it went viral.
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump’s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors!
Ted Cruz, demonstrating a degree of classlessness unbecoming of a U.S. senator but perfectly in keeping with the behavior of many Republican officials during the Trump gutter era retweeted the image with the caption: “It’s about time CNN embraced transparency.”
The tweet racked up over 19,000 likes because clearly many Republican voters share a taste for crude political discourse. They also lap up any kind of insults or criticism aimed at what President Trump calls the “Fake News Media.”
It’s about time CNN embraced transparency! https://t.co/LHE5Y7vLm2 — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 8, 2020
Cruz’s tweet takes on a rather hilarious level of irony when one recalls that his own Twitter account was caught in 2017 “liking” a hardcore pornographic tweet which, all things considered, is more embarrassing for an elected official than briefly being seen naked is for a television personality. Cruz’s office tried to blame the porn incident on a mistake by a staffer, but we maintain our suspicions about what actually happened.
In the case of Ted Cruz, the well-worn axiom proves especially true: people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Twitter users were quick to unload on Cruz with mockery.
This kind of commentary from a Senator of the U.S. govt seems shallow and mendacious. Over 110,000 Americans have died in the past 3 months. Law enforcement officers are brutalizing old men, homeless, Black youth and women in ICE detention. But you CHOOSE to post about this? — Maureen Moore (@HopesMom12) June 8, 2020
Hell Yeah! Glad it is not you, Ted. — Sid (@SidMoneypenny) June 9, 2020
Wow. Some people are nude at their own property. Thankfully, it sounds like you're clothed constantly. — Secret Society Sally (@Kats_GA) June 8, 2020
Anyone else think it's weird that this is what Ted spends his time on? — Rich Swinton (@RicoSuaveJD) June 8, 2020
Ted, a similar image of you would be nauseating. In fact, any image of you is nauseating. — ⭐ Merrill – sheltering at home ⭐ (@MerrillLynched) June 9, 2020
Wait, he was nude at his own house? Crazy — Fred G. Sanford (@uglyauntesther) June 8, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-06-09--Trump appears to accuse 75-year-old man assaulted by police of being an “antifa provacteur”

While liberals spent most of yesterday needlessly fretting about whether or not “ Defund The Police ” was too controversial a slogan , President Trump showed us all on Tuesday morning how meaningless those concerns are with one of his wildest tweets yet .
After watching a conspiracy theory video on right-wing nut job channel OANN , the President decided that the 75-year-old man who had his skull cracked open by the Buffalo Police after they brutally shoved him to the ground was actually an ANTIFA “ provocateur ” who was planning to “ blackout ” police communications , thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against an old man .
Martin Gugino is still hospitalized and is in serious condition following his assault by two Buffalo police officers , Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe .
The officers were charged with felony assault this morning .
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Not that it matters , but Gugino is a peace activist and a volunteer at several nonprofits and was marching for black lives when he was attacked .
But on the far-right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The more fringe extremists have come to the inevitable conclusion that the entire incident was a false flag operation designed to smear the police by the leftist boogeyman of “ antifa , ” which is not a real organization but an umbrella term to applies to anyone who opposes fascism in America .
Those conspiracy theories have trickled their way up to the President ’ s new favorite TV network , One American News , and are now apparently being accepted by him as fact .
OAN is like FOX News if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ostensible news reporters and replaced them with a constantly rotating cast of Hannitys and Tucker Carlsons with a dash of Alex Jones thrown in for good measure .
It is beyond disturbing to see the President repeating fantastical , paranoid conspiracy theories that were once relegated to the depths of talk radio for the whole world to see — and repulsive to see him insulting the sacrifice of a brave man like Martin Gugino with preposterous smears .

While liberals spent most of yesterday needlessly fretting about whether or not “Defund The Police” was too controversial a slogan, President Trump showed us all on Tuesday morning how meaningless those concerns are with one of his wildest tweets yet.
After watching a conspiracy theory video on right-wing nut job channel OANN, the President decided that the 75-year-old man who had his skull cracked open by the Buffalo Police after they brutally shoved him to the ground was actually an ANTIFA “provocateur” who was planning to “blackout” police communications, thus somehow justifying the heinous act of violence against an old man.
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
Martin Gugino is still hospitalized and is in serious condition following his assault by two Buffalo police officers, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe. The officers were charged with felony assault this morning.
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Not that it matters, but Gugino is a peace activist and a volunteer at several nonprofits and was marching for black lives when he was attacked.
#MartinGugino, the 75 year old man knocked to the ground by police in Buffalo, is a longtime peace activist and volunteer at the Catholic Worker, a movement dedicated to justice and peace, founded by Servant of God Dorothy Day, who also took to the streets to advocate for justice pic.twitter.com/9SxDS0705Y — James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) June 6, 2020
But on the far-right, conspiracy theories have inevitably flourished. The more fringe extremists have come to the inevitable conclusion that the entire incident was a false flag operation designed to smear the police by the leftist boogeyman of “antifa,” which is not a real organization but an umbrella term to applies to anyone who opposes fascism in America.
Those conspiracy theories have trickled their way up to the President’s new favorite TV network, One American News, and are now apparently being accepted by him as fact.
Here’s the absolutely insane OAN report that Trump is referencing: “The latest tensions in the Buffalo police department could be the result of a false flag provocation by far left group antifa” pic.twitter.com/d709XfSj8U — Lis Power (@LisPower1) June 9, 2020
OAN is like FOX News if you took away Shep Smith and all the ostensible news reporters and replaced them with a constantly rotating cast of Hannitys and Tucker Carlsons with a dash of Alex Jones thrown in for good measure. It is beyond disturbing to see the President repeating fantastical, paranoid conspiracy theories that were once relegated to the depths of talk radio for the whole world to see — and repulsive to see him insulting the sacrifice of a brave man like Martin Gugino with preposterous smears.
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occupydemocrats--2020-06-10--Conservatives seethe with fury after NASCAR bans Confederate flag from races

Perhaps no sport is more associated with the confederate flag than NASCAR .
So it can as quite a shock today when the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing , headquartered in the southern city of Daytona Beach , Florida , announced that henceforth Confederate flags would be banned from all NASCAR events and properties .
“ The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans , our competitors and our industry .
Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans and sport special .
The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties , ” a statement issued by the auto racing organization said .
The move was greeted with disbelief and dismay from hard-core confederate sympathizers among the NASCAR fanbase and they let their displeasure at the cultural shift be known through their social media posts .
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Despite the people claiming that the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an insult to their slave-owning heritage , others applauded NASCAR ’ s new policy as a welcome and long-overdue change .
The rejection of the confederate flag by NASCAR is a cause of major celebrations for many people .
Might we suggest that you go to your favorite music streaming service , search for the second , self-titled album by The Band , and play the following song to commemorate the occasion ?
“ The night they drove old Dixie down And the bells were ringing The night they drove old Dixie down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went , “ Na , la , la , la , na , na La la , na , na , la , la , la , la , la ” Now that sounds great !
One more time in three-part harmony !
Old Dixie is taking a long time , but hopefully , it ’ s down for good .
All hail a New Dixie , free of racism and divisive symbols !
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
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Perhaps no sport is more associated with the confederate flag than NASCAR.
So it can as quite a shock today when the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, headquartered in the southern city of Daytona Beach, Florida, announced that henceforth Confederate flags would be banned from all NASCAR events and properties.
“The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry. Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties,” a statement issued by the auto racing organization said.
The move was greeted with disbelief and dismay from hard-core confederate sympathizers among the NASCAR fanbase and they let their displeasure at the cultural shift be known through their social media posts.
this is discusting! I've been a lifelong NASCAR fan since 2017 and I'm going to be sick!! You let the libs win!!!! — SportsCenter (@TotalToughScene) June 10, 2020
This is the last straw.
I have been watching NASCAR events for 10 years and I have weathered all of the sjw bulshit.
I'm cancelling my subscription and myself, my wife, and her boyfriend will not be watching any further NASCAR events. you have lost a valuable customer today — The Mx The Myth The Legend (@Devon_OnEarth) June 10, 2020
Canceling your wife’s boyfriend’s subscription?!?! Man, that’s harsh!
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Despite the people claiming that the move to ban displays of confederate paraphernalia was an insult to their slave-owning heritage, others applauded NASCAR’s new policy as a welcome and long-overdue change.
https://twitter.com/2017Gamora/status/1270838567867224065?s=20
hey relax, NASCAR flies the real confederate flag at the start of the final lap — Chad Loder (@chadloder) June 10, 2020
https://twitter.com/Davebriers2/status/1270848875838963712?s=20
https://twitter.com/vanallenmark/status/1270852706706440193?s=20
I probably wouldn't brag about the fact that my ancestors were traitors trying to overthrow the US government. Just saying. pic.twitter.com/gerlLePYie — Ronnie Bissinger (@RonnieBissinger) June 10, 2020
how many will wear confederate underwear to make themselves feel more at home? — Joseph (@joetweets1987) June 10, 2020
Lol Another way to think about this is that the @TheSimpsons has been on the air almost 8x longer than the Confederacy had been in existence. Homer is heritage. Not hate. — Sky Mirror (@Real_Sky_Mirror) June 10, 2020
https://twitter.com/Greg_Sideyr/status/1270822182529138691?s=20
https://twitter.com/DavidCeeya/status/1270856511569330179?s=20
https://twitter.com/LelainaPiercen/status/1270823907998793730?s=20
The rejection of the confederate flag by NASCAR is a cause of major celebrations for many people.
Might we suggest that you go to your favorite music streaming service, search for the second, self-titled album by The Band, and play the following song to commemorate the occasion?
“The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, “Na, la, la, la, na, na
La la, na, na, la, la, la, la, la”
Now that sounds great! One more time in three-part harmony!
Old Dixie is taking a long time, but hopefully, it’s down for good.
All hail a New Dixie, free of racism and divisive symbols!
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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--2020-06-10--Police finally release their report about killing of EMT nurse Breonna Taylor — and it’s blank

For two weeks , our nation has watched as hundreds upon hundreds of horrifying acts of brutal violence have been perpetrated by the police against peaceful protesters in the wake of the murder of George Floyd .
Politicians and police alike agree that “ reforms ” are in order , but have been highly resistant to any kind of fundamental change to the way police departments operate and the staggering amount of taxpayer funds they are given to oppress us with .
But the way in which the Louisville Police have handled the killing of an EMT nurse while she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it clear to the whole nation that the police are utterly unwilling to reform themselves and have no intention of changing the way they treat the citizens of this country .
On March 13th , the Louisville police burst into the home of Breonna Taylor while executing a no-knock drug warrant .
Thinking they were being robbed , Taylor ’ s boyfriend Kenneth Walker fired at the intruders , wounding one in the leg .
The cops responded with a blind fire 20 shot barrage that riddled Taylor with eight bullets , killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have finally released the incident report from that awful night — and left it almost entirely blank .
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Some of the little information they did deign to give was unequivocally and appallingly false , like listing “ injuries ” as “ none ” even though Taylor was shot eight times and died on the floor in a pool of her own blood , according to her family ’ s attorneys .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ forced entry , ” even though officers used a battering ram to break down her door .
But when the report asks the cops to describe what happens , it just says “ PIU investigation.
” It is the height of arrogance and callous cruelty for the Louisville police to lie so brazenly on a public document and to not even make the most cursory of efforts at a pretense of transparency in the case of an innocent young woman murdered for no reason by overzealous and incompetent police officers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Louisville Courier-Journal , couldn ’ t contain his disgust with the contents of the report : The three officers involved are on “ administrative reassignment ” but are still free .
As the nation begins a very public debate over the role of police in our society and how to best fix the rot of corruption , racism , and authoritarianism at the core of every American police department , the police are going out of their way to prove to us that they have no intention of following through with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways .
The condescending and outrageous disrespect with which the Louisville police prepared this report makes it painfully clear that regulations and guidance aren ’ t going to end the epidemic of police violence in this country .
Only fundamental , top-to-bottom transformation is capable of producing the kind of change that the millions of protesters across the country are calling for with their marches .
Original reporting by Tessa Duvall at the Louisville Courier-Journal .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
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For two weeks, our nation has watched as hundreds upon hundreds of horrifying acts of brutal violence have been perpetrated by the police against peaceful protesters in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Politicians and police alike agree that “reforms” are in order, but have been highly resistant to any kind of fundamental change to the way police departments operate and the staggering amount of taxpayer funds they are given to oppress us with.
But the way in which the Louisville Police have handled the killing of an EMT nurse while she slept in her own bed should make it clear to the whole nation that the police are utterly unwilling to reform themselves and have no intention of changing the way they treat the citizens of this country.
On March 13th, the Louisville police burst into the home of Breonna Taylor while executing a no-knock drug warrant. Thinking they were being robbed, Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker fired at the intruders, wounding one in the leg. The cops responded with a blind fire 20 shot barrage that riddled Taylor with eight bullets, killing her.
Three months later, police have finally released the incident report from that awful night — and left it almost entirely blank.
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump’s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors!
Some of the little information they did deign to give was unequivocally and appallingly false, like listing “injuries” as “none” even though Taylor was shot eight times and died on the floor in a pool of her own blood, according to her family’s attorneys. It also checks the “no” box for “forced entry,” even though officers used a battering ram to break down her door.
But when the report asks the cops to describe what happens, it just says “PIU investigation.”
The rest is blank.
It is the height of arrogance and callous cruelty for the Louisville police to lie so brazenly on a public document and to not even make the most cursory of efforts at a pretense of transparency in the case of an innocent young woman murdered for no reason by overzealous and incompetent police officers.
Richard A. Green, the editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal, couldn’t contain his disgust with the contents of the report:
“I read this report and have to ask the mayor, the police chief, and the city’s lawyers: Are you kidding? This is what you consider being transparent to taxpayers and the public? At a time when so many are rightfully demanding to know more details about that tragic March evening, I fail to understand this lack of transparency. The public deserves more.”
The three officers involved are on “administrative reassignment” but are still free.
NONE of the @LMPD officers who murdered Breonna Taylor on March 13th have been fired or charged any crimes. They are all being paid as usual. (L-R) their names are: Myles Cosgrove
Jonathan Mattingly
Brett Hankison pic.twitter.com/SQQfWcpUXk — Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) June 10, 2020
As the nation begins a very public debate over the role of police in our society and how to best fix the rot of corruption, racism, and authoritarianism at the core of every American police department, the police are going out of their way to prove to us that they have no intention of following through with any “reforms” or change their ways.
The condescending and outrageous disrespect with which the Louisville police prepared this report makes it painfully clear that regulations and guidance aren’t going to end the epidemic of police violence in this country. Only fundamental, top-to-bottom transformation is capable of producing the kind of change that the millions of protesters across the country are calling for with their marches.
Original reporting by Tessa Duvall at the Louisville Courier-Journal.
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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--2020-06-10--Trump signals support for white supremacy with Twitter refusal to rename confederate forts

It doesn ’ t take much intelligence or common sense to realize that taking a stance against renaming American military bases that honor Confederate generals in the middle of the largest protests against racism and police brutality in United States history might be — at best — bad timing and — even worse — as foolishly insensitive and counterproductive to quelling racial tensions .
Intelligence and common sense have never been among Trump ’ s hallmarks as his tweets today perfectly indicate .
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump ’ s calls to use violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a suggestion to rename these “ Legendary Military Bases ” to eliminate their association with traitorous slavery-protecting generals that has been circulating in the military recently as our nation confronts the unhealed wounds of systemic racism hiding in plain sight .
Trump ’ s tweets come two days after Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that they were “ open ” to renaming the bases .
Responses to the president ’ s tweet explained exactly why Trump ’ s reactionary defense of the existing names of the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Heritage ” is so wrongheaded and insulting to the intelligence of the American people .
No , it doesn ’ t take much intelligence or common sense to realize that taking a stance against renaming American military bases that honor Confederate generals is a bad idea at any time post-1865 .
It does , however , take a special blend of stupidity and malice to try to make that argument right now , and those are two “ qualities ” that Donald Trump has in abundance .
He must be removed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say .
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Donald Trump is a dim bulb.
It doesn’t take much intelligence or common sense to realize that taking a stance against renaming American military bases that honor Confederate generals in the middle of the largest protests against racism and police brutality in United States history might be — at best — bad timing and — even worse — as foolishly insensitive and counterproductive to quelling racial tensions.
Intelligence and common sense have never been among Trump’s hallmarks as his tweets today perfectly indicate.
It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
…Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
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Trump was reacting to a suggestion to rename these “Legendary Military Bases” to eliminate their association with traitorous slavery-protecting generals that has been circulating in the military recently as our nation confronts the unhealed wounds of systemic racism hiding in plain sight.
Trump’s tweets come two days after Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that they were “open” to renaming the bases.
Responses to the president’s tweet explained exactly why Trump’s reactionary defense of the existing names of the military facilities as “part of a Great American Heritage” is so wrongheaded and insulting to the intelligence of the American people.
Fort Bragg is named after Confederate general and traitorous loser Braxton Bragg. Not only was he a traitor, but he literally sucked ass as a general and lost too many battles to count. The fact that this loser has his name on an army base despite being such a loser is laughable. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) June 10, 2020
In summary, all these piece of shit Confederate Generals are rotting in hell where they belong. Sayonara motherfuckers. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) June 10, 2020
If you want to respect the military, then how about you let our own military make this decision, Captain Bone Spur? — Black Lives Matter (@HKrassenstein) June 10, 2020
Germany doesn’t have Military Bases named after Nazi SS officers or monuments of Nazi SS officers. In America they call it "Great American Heritage" — Chidi® (@ChidiNwatu) June 10, 2020
#BREAKING Man Whose Imaginary Bone Spurs Prevented Him From Serving His Country In A Time Of War Has Opinion On Honoring The Military — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) June 10, 2020
https://twitter.com/Cathygraphics1/status/1270789306223861763?s=20
https://twitter.com/scientificrealm/status/1270789584322953218?s=20
https://twitter.com/the_resistor/status/1270796069866074112?s=20
I DON'T GET IT…HE CALLS HIMSELF ANOTHER LINCOLN, HE SAYS REPUBLICANS ENDED SLAVERY SO WHY DOES HE LOVE THE CONFEDERATE FLAG? HE SHOULD HUG THAT FLAG THAN OUR GREAT FLAG THAT HE NEVER FOUGHT FOR…"CON PRES." — GL (@glane2007) June 10, 2020
Names of Confederate generals should live on in our history books, museums, battlefields but these traitors should not be glorified by the country that defeated them, and 155 years later still struggles to solidify victory, to fulfill promise to those the Confederacy had enslaved — David Rothschild (@DavMicRot) June 10, 2020
I propose changing the names to Fort McCain, Fort Mattis, Fort Vindman, Fort McRaven, Fort Mueller, Fort Allen, Fort Clapper, Fort McChrystal, and Fort Taylor. — Tami Burages (@tburages) June 10, 2020
No, it doesn’t take much intelligence or common sense to realize that taking a stance against renaming American military bases that honor Confederate generals is a bad idea at any time post-1865.
It does, however, take a special blend of stupidity and malice to try to make that argument right now, and those are two “qualities” that Donald Trump has in abundance.
He must be removed.
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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--2020-06-10--A top Tulsa cop says police aren’t shooting as many Blacks as they “probably ought” to

The George Floyd protests , rather than pushing law enforcement agencies to do some much-needed soul-searching and address the atmosphere of police brutality that permeates so many American cities , have instead largely responded with a shocking wave of violence against peaceful protestors .
Deeply disturbing videos have emerged over the past few weeks , showing cops tear-gassing , beating , firing rubber bullets , and in some cases even driving their vehicles into demonstrators .
It has never before been more apparent how desperately this country needs to reform its policing systems and specifically the way cops interact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 study found that police are 3 times more likely to kill Black people during legal interactions than they are white people .
Even with such clarity , the American people face an uphill battle because many police departments refuse to even admit that there are problems .
The Hill reports that Major Travis Yates , one of the top police officers within the Tulsa Police Department , said this past week that systemic racism “ doesn ’ t exist.
” Astonishingly , he also implied according to research that police are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we probably ought to be , based on the crimes being committed.
” Less astonishingly , Yates is white .
The incredibly calloused comments came up during a conversation with podcaster Pat Campbell .
“ You get this meme of , ‘ Blacks are shot two times , two and a half times more , ’ and everybody just goes , ‘ Oh , yeah.
’ They ’ re not making sense here .
You have to come into contact with law enforcement for that to occur , ” said Yates .
Add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reject Trump ’ s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors !
The officer then went on to use crime statistics to argue that it makes sense that there are higher rates of police shootings targeting Blacks than whites .
The reality , despite Yates ’ s implication , is not that African Americans are more prone to crime , but rather that the government disproportionately targets people of color for prosecution while ignoring a litany of crimes committed by white people .
Additionally , Black communities are statistically more impoverished than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and interconnected racist government and financial policies .
Poverty , in turn , contributes to higher crime rates .
America is failing its Black communities by first systematically denying them the same access to opportunity it affords white people , and then over-policing and incarcerating them .
Yates , eager to push his bigoted narrative , displayed no interest in these facts .
“ If a certain group is committing more crimes , more violent crimes , and law enforcement ’ s having to come into more contact with them , that number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world in their right mind would think that our shootings should be right along the U.S. census lines ?
That ’ s insanity , ” said Yates .
After backlash erupted against his comments , Yates tried to defend himself by claiming his words were misrepresented by Public Radio Tulsa and said he intends to file a lawsuit .
“ …the article states that ‘ TPD Maj. Travis Yates also suggested that , according to his interpretation of crime data , police should actually be shooting black Americans more frequently.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plainly false and factually inaccurate .
And to think that beyond a discussion of comparative statistics that I would suggest that the ‘ police should actually be shooting ’ anyone is simply outrageous , ” said Yates to KTUL .
“ Clearly the published article does not reflect my hypothetical discussion of statistics based on the research of others .
It makes no mention of the sources I cited .
And it absolutely does not factually reflect my words , ” Yates added .
Unfortunately for Yates , his original comments are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to wash away the obvious racism baked into everything he said .
If nothing else , this man offers a prime example of the kind of people who shouldn ’ t become cops and reinforces the dire need for reform .
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The George Floyd protests, rather than pushing law enforcement agencies to do some much-needed soul-searching and address the atmosphere of police brutality that permeates so many American cities, have instead largely responded with a shocking wave of violence against peaceful protestors.
Deeply disturbing videos have emerged over the past few weeks, showing cops tear-gassing, beating, firing rubber bullets, and in some cases even driving their vehicles into demonstrators.
It has never before been more apparent how desperately this country needs to reform its policing systems and specifically the way cops interact with people of color. One particularly disturbing 2016 study found that police are 3 times more likely to kill Black people during legal interactions than they are white people.
Even with such clarity, the American people face an uphill battle because many police departments refuse to even admit that there are problems.
The Hill reports that Major Travis Yates, one of the top police officers within the Tulsa Police Department, said this past week that systemic racism “doesn’t exist.” Astonishingly, he also implied according to research that police are “shooting African-Americans about 24 percent less than we probably ought to be, based on the crimes being committed.” Less astonishingly, Yates is white.
The incredibly calloused comments came up during a conversation with podcaster Pat Campbell.
“You get this meme of, ‘Blacks are shot two times, two and a half times more,’ and everybody just goes, ‘Oh, yeah.’ They’re not making sense here. You have to come into contact with law enforcement for that to occur,” said Yates.
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The officer then went on to use crime statistics to argue that it makes sense that there are higher rates of police shootings targeting Blacks than whites. The reality, despite Yates’s implication, is not that African Americans are more prone to crime, but rather that the government disproportionately targets people of color for prosecution while ignoring a litany of crimes committed by white people.
Additionally, Black communities are statistically more impoverished than white communities because of generations of complex and interconnected racist government and financial policies. Poverty, in turn, contributes to higher crime rates.
America is failing its Black communities by first systematically denying them the same access to opportunity it affords white people, and then over-policing and incarcerating them. Yates, eager to push his bigoted narrative, displayed no interest in these facts.
“If a certain group is committing more crimes, more violent crimes, and law enforcement’s having to come into more contact with them, that number is going to be higher. Who in the world in their right mind would think that our shootings should be right along the U.S. census lines? That’s insanity,” said Yates.
After backlash erupted against his comments, Yates tried to defend himself by claiming his words were misrepresented by Public Radio Tulsa and said he intends to file a lawsuit.
“…the article states that ‘TPD Maj. Travis Yates also suggested that, according to his interpretation of crime data, police should actually be shooting black Americans more frequently.’ I never said actually. This is plainly false and factually inaccurate. And to think that beyond a discussion of comparative statistics that I would suggest that the ‘police should actually be shooting’ anyone is simply outrageous,” said Yates to KTUL.
“Clearly the published article does not reflect my hypothetical discussion of statistics based on the research of others. It makes no mention of the sources I cited. And it absolutely does not factually reflect my words,” Yates added.
Unfortunately for Yates, his original comments are still available. No appeal to statistics now is going to wash away the obvious racism baked into everything he said. If nothing else, this man offers a prime example of the kind of people who shouldn’t become cops and reinforces the dire need for reform.
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occupydemocrats--2020-06-10--Ocasio-Cortez dunks on “Chicken Heir” Tucker Carlson for complaining about “Elmo” explaining racism

It is reasonable to say that the United States is in a period of crisis unlike any before in the modern era .
As protests continue to rock the nation over the brutal police murder of George Floyd , the coronavirus crisis quietly continues to pick up steam while tens of millions of Americans find themselves without work in a damaged economy in full recession .
But you wouldn ’ t know that if you watched FOX News ’ white supremacist evening programming , which is focusing on the real issues facing Americans these days , like…liberalism on Sesame Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night ran an entire segment on a recent sketch the beloved children ’ s show produced in order to explain the recent protests and systemic racism in America to young children , which in Tucker ’ s mind is clearly another plot by the leftist media to teach kids to hate America and themselves for being white .
Elmo ’ s “ father , ” Louie , told kids that “ they are sad and upset , and they have every right to be , Elmo .
People are upset because racism is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Racism is when people treat other people unfairly because of the way they look or the color of their skin.
” Carlson , who is honestly just phoning it in at this point , explained that this wholesome message was bad : “ Got that , Bobby ?
America is a very bad place and it ’ s your fault , so no matter what happens , no matter what they do to you when you grow up , you have no right to complain , ” Carlson groused .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bag of Carlson ’ s , took to Twitter to mock him for being such a snowflake that he ’ s getting mad at children ’ s television shows : To people like Tucker Carlson , whose worldview can be explained in just fourteen words , any mention of race or racism in America or acknowledging the monstrous inequalities upon which our society is founded is in and of itself an attack on America and thus can not be tolerated or allowed to spread .
It ’ s infuriatingly ironic that the conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened also throw ridiculous tantrums over any kind of healthy discussion that is actually based in reality and not in the discriminatory delusions of men like Donald Trump .

It is reasonable to say that the United States is in a period of crisis unlike any before in the modern era. As protests continue to rock the nation over the brutal police murder of George Floyd, the coronavirus crisis quietly continues to pick up steam while tens of millions of Americans find themselves without work in a damaged economy in full recession.
But you wouldn’t know that if you watched FOX News’ white supremacist evening programming, which is focusing on the real issues facing Americans these days, like…liberalism on Sesame Street.
Tucker Carlson’s program last night ran an entire segment on a recent sketch the beloved children’s show produced in order to explain the recent protests and systemic racism in America to young children, which in Tucker’s mind is clearly another plot by the leftist media to teach kids to hate America and themselves for being white.
Elmo’s “father,” Louie, told kids that “they are sad and upset, and they have every right to be, Elmo. People are upset because racism is a huge problem in our country. Racism is when people treat other people unfairly because of the way they look or the color of their skin.”
Carlson, who is honestly just phoning it in at this point, explained that this wholesome message was bad: “Got that, Bobby? America is a very bad place and it’s your fault, so no matter what happens, no matter what they do to you when you grow up, you have no right to complain,” Carlson groused.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a favorite punching bag of Carlson’s, took to Twitter to mock him for being such a snowflake that he’s getting mad at children’s television shows:
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1270545967755001856?s=20
To people like Tucker Carlson, whose worldview can be explained in just fourteen words, any mention of race or racism in America or acknowledging the monstrous inequalities upon which our society is founded is in and of itself an attack on America and thus cannot be tolerated or allowed to spread.
It’s infuriatingly ironic that the conservatives who constantly complain about having their speech threatened also throw ridiculous tantrums over any kind of healthy discussion that is actually based in reality and not in the discriminatory delusions of men like Donald Trump.
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occupydemocrats--2020-06-10--Morning Joe unloads on cowardly Senate GOP for refusing to address Trump’s attacks on old man

Donald Trump ’ s ludicrous tweet yesterday accusing a 75-year-old man — who had his head cracked open after Buffalo police shoved him to the pavement during a BLM protest last week — of being an Antifa activist continues to come back to haunt him and is now inspiring terror within members of his own party as they are forced to deal with the blowback against the out of control president .
MSNBC anchor Morning Joe Scarborough excoriated GOP legislators today for their efforts to ignore the president ’ s tweet and sweep it under the table rather than condemning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-wing conspiracy theory .
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump ’ s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors !
After playing a video montage of numerous Republican senators declining to comment on the scabrous presidential tweet , Scarborough condemned them for their cowardice in refusing to admonish the president for increasingly divisive behavior .
The MSNBC host added that on the contrary , their silence is “ so damning ” to Trump at a time when his language has become “ even more inflammatory.
” “ For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they obviously aren ’ t going to stand up for the rights of senior citizens who are getting brutalized by police officers and sent to the hospital in critical condition , since Mitch McConnell is not going to defend a senior citizen , and since every one of those Republicans aren ’ t going to defend a senior citizen , and , in fact , the president — who put that senior citizen ’ s life at risk by saying he ’ s part of Antifa , which he calls a ‘ terrorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress tweet out should be hunted down and killed — since they don ’ t care about that , every picture of one of those Republicans walking past the microphones not saying anything is damning to the Republican party.
” Not as if everything else the GOP has done or has advocated doing hasn ’ t contributed to sufficient evidence of eternal damnation already .
Willie Geist , a co-host on Morning Joe , added further to the indictment of Trump ’ s enablers and handlers with his account of how White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busy yesterday — the day , of course , of George Floyd ’ s funeral — and conveyed to him the quieter he could be , the better , out of respect for the Floyd family.
” Representatives of children ’ s advocacy organizations may bristle at the comparison — which many would find slanderous — but impulse control is not one of the qualities that this president is particularly known for .
Meanwhile , Martin Gugino , the 75-year-old Catholic protestor criminally assaulted by Buffalo police remains hospitalized with the injuries he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bleeding from his ear .
Gugino is conscious and responded to reporters seeking comment on the president ’ s tweet by replying yesterday : Hopefully , American democracy will recover eventually as well , but likely not until Donald Trump is removed from the presidency by the quickest legal means possible .
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Donald Trump’s ludicrous tweet yesterday accusing a 75-year-old man — who had his head cracked open after Buffalo police shoved him to the pavement during a BLM protest last week — of being an Antifa activist continues to come back to haunt him and is now inspiring terror within members of his own party as they are forced to deal with the blowback against the out of control president.
MSNBC anchor Morning Joe Scarborough excoriated GOP legislators today for their efforts to ignore the president’s tweet and sweep it under the table rather than condemning Trump’s promulgation of an insane right-wing conspiracy theory.
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump’s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors!
After playing a video montage of numerous Republican senators declining to comment on the scabrous presidential tweet, Scarborough condemned them for their cowardice in refusing to admonish the president for increasingly divisive behavior.
“A lot of people look at those Republicans walking past, not saying a word, as somehow being helpful for the president,” Scarborough said.
The MSNBC host added that on the contrary, their silence is “so damning” to Trump at a time when his language has become “even more inflammatory.”
“For these Republicans, most importantly, since they obviously aren’t going to stand up for the rights of senior citizens who are getting brutalized by police officers and sent to the hospital in critical condition, since Mitch McConnell is not going to defend a senior citizen, and since every one of those Republicans aren’t going to defend a senior citizen, and, in fact, the president — who put that senior citizen’s life at risk by saying he’s part of Antifa, which he calls a ‘terrorist’ operation, which other members of Congress tweet out should be hunted down and killed — since they don’t care about that, every picture of one of those Republicans walking past the microphones not saying anything is damning to the Republican party.”
Not as if everything else the GOP has done or has advocated doing hasn’t contributed to sufficient evidence of eternal damnation already.
Willie Geist, a co-host on Morning Joe, added further to the indictment of Trump’s enablers and handlers with his account of how White House staff “tried to keep the president busy yesterday — the day, of course, of George Floyd’s funeral — and conveyed to him the quieter he could be, the better, out of respect for the Floyd family.”
“Joe, I don’t say this lightly, but that’s the way you talk about a young child,” Geist astutely pointed out.
Representatives of children’s advocacy organizations may bristle at the comparison — which many would find slanderous — but impulse control is not one of the qualities that this president is particularly known for.
Meanwhile, Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old Catholic protestor criminally assaulted by Buffalo police remains hospitalized with the injuries he sustained including a cracked skull and profuse bleeding from his ear.
“His condition continues to improve and we hope he will be released within the next two weeks,” said a spokesperson for Erie County Medical Center whereis he was treated.
Gugino is conscious and responded to reporters seeking comment on the president’s tweet by replying yesterday:
“No comment other than Black lives matter. Just out of the ICU. Should recover eventually. Thx.”
Hopefully, American democracy will recover eventually as well, but likely not until Donald Trump is removed from the presidency by the quickest legal means possible.
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Original reporting by Lindsey Ellefson at Yahoo! News.
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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--2020-06-10--Press Sec defends Trump’s tweets about elderly police brutality victim: “questions need to be asked”

The White House Press Secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , has finally admitted that “ very questionable tweets ” require intense scrutiny and should subject their sender to criticism and censure .
Unfortunately , “ Kay-lie McEnemy ” — as her detractors have taken to calling her — was not referring to her boss , Donald Trump , when she made that admission but was defending the president ’ s outrageous tweet that he posted yesterday accusing Martin Gugino , the 75-year-old man who was pushed to the sidewalk and had his head cracked open by Buffalo , NY police during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being an Antifa activist .
Trump was promoting a baseless conspiracy theory from extreme right-wing news outlet OANN when he posted the tweet below and earned immediate blowback not just from his political opponents but from his own White House aides who were reportedly “ despondent ” over the tweet being sent during a week that they had hoped would be dedicated to messages of reconciliation rather facing the flames of divisiveness .
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump ’ s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this morning where co-host Brian Kilmeade asked whether trump really believed that the elderly Gugino was part of Antifa , the group that the administration has turned into its own all-purpose bogeyman for any fears of violent left-wing activism .
The press secretary was quite clear that the administration had examined the Twitter posts attributed to Gugino and had not liked what they saw since the posts reportedly included several tweets critical of police behavior .
“ The president was raising questions based on a report that he saw , questions that need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t jump on one side without looking at all of the facts at play , ” McEnany told Kilmeade .
“ This individual has some very questionable tweets , some profanity-laden tweets about police officers .
Of course no on condones any sort of violence .
We need the appropriate amount of force used in any interaction , but there are a lot of questions in that case.
” Despite the fact that McEnany continued to insist that “ the president was just raising some of those questions , ” Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the propriety of Trump targeting the elderly activist during the massive protests against police brutality inspired by the murder of George Floyd .
The press secretary continued to defend her boss oblivious to the fact that his history of inflammatory tweets far exceeds anything posted by Gugino both in tone and in reach .
While it ’ s understandable that part of the job of the White House Press Secretary is to defend and explain the president ’ s statements , few presidents have forced their spokespeople to offer a rationale for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of police violence — in the midst of a protest against exactly such brutal misbehavior — that it resulted in the immediate suspension of the officers caught perpetrating the assault on video .
If McEnany had any principles whatsoever , she would resign rather than try to defend Trump in this case .
That she didn ’ t tells you everything that you might need to know about anything that comes out of her mouth .
You can watch a clip of White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Fox & Friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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The White House Press Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, has finally admitted that “very questionable tweets” require intense scrutiny and should subject their sender to criticism and censure.
Unfortunately, “Kay-lie McEnemy” — as her detractors have taken to calling her — was not referring to her boss, Donald Trump, when she made that admission but was defending the president’s outrageous tweet that he posted yesterday accusing Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old man who was pushed to the sidewalk and had his head cracked open by Buffalo, NY police during a BLM protest last week, of being an Antifa activist.
Trump was promoting a baseless conspiracy theory from extreme right-wing news outlet OANN when he posted the tweet below and earned immediate blowback not just from his political opponents but from his own White House aides who were reportedly “despondent” over the tweet being sent during a week that they had hoped would be dedicated to messages of reconciliation rather facing the flames of divisiveness.
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
Add your name to tell states and police to reject Trump’s calls to use violence against peaceful protestors!
McEnany appeared on Fox & Friends this morning where co-host Brian Kilmeade asked whether trump really believed that the elderly Gugino was part of Antifa, the group that the administration has turned into its own all-purpose bogeyman for any fears of violent left-wing activism.
The press secretary was quite clear that the administration had examined the Twitter posts attributed to Gugino and had not liked what they saw since the posts reportedly included several tweets critical of police behavior.
“The president was raising questions based on a report that he saw, questions that need to be asked and every case we can’t jump on one side without looking at all of the facts at play,” McEnany told Kilmeade. “This individual has some very questionable tweets, some profanity-laden tweets about police officers. Of course no on condones any sort of violence. We need the appropriate amount of force used in any interaction, but there are a lot of questions in that case.”
Despite the fact that McEnany continued to insist that “the president was just raising some of those questions,” Fox News‘ Kilmeade continued to press her on the propriety of Trump targeting the elderly activist during the massive protests against police brutality inspired by the murder of George Floyd.
The press secretary continued to defend her boss oblivious to the fact that his history of inflammatory tweets far exceeds anything posted by Gugino both in tone and in reach.
“The president has acknowledged so many times and rightfully so the injustice with George Floyd,” McEnany said. “He was upset when he saw that video as I noted he gave an entire speech about Mr. Floyd and the grave injustice there, but the president was raising some questions, some legitimate ones about that particular interaction and it’s his prerogative to do so.”
While it’s understandable that part of the job of the White House Press Secretary is to defend and explain the president’s statements, few presidents have forced their spokespeople to offer a rationale for indefensible conspiracy theories after such a blatant form of police violence — in the midst of a protest against exactly such brutal misbehavior — that it resulted in the immediate suspension of the officers caught perpetrating the assault on video.
If McEnany had any principles whatsoever, she would resign rather than try to defend Trump in this case.
That she didn’t tells you everything that you might need to know about anything that comes out of her mouth.
You can watch a clip of White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Fox & Friends this morning in the video attached below.
welp, the WH is doubling down Kilmeade: Trump tweeted the 75-year-old protester might have been an antifa provocateur, can you expand on that? McEnany: He was raising questions, there are questions that need to be asked in every case …This guy had profanity laden tweets pic.twitter.com/KJUjjbqQxt — Lis Power (@LisPower1) June 10, 2020
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Original reporting by Ken Meyer at Mediaite.
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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