occupydemocrats--2020-03-25--Trump accuses “LameStream Media” of pushing virus safety to hurt his reelection

These serious signs of mental illness require the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from the helm of an America that is quickly resembling The Titanic after hitting an iceberg that was in plain sight while the captain was trying to convince all the passengers on-board that the chunk of the broken-off glacier was merely a mirage .
Unfortunately , none of the Republican toadies in Trump ’ s cabinet who could take this necessary action have the intestinal fortitude to rise to the occasion , even in these most desperate of times .
Narcissism , paranoia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ display this afternoon as the president launched into an unhinged rant against his favorite target : the media that reports the real , verifiable facts about what has been occurring and continues to happen in this country during the coronavirus pandemic that Trump failed to move quickly enough to minimize , rather than the alternative facts that seem to exist only inside the president ’ s disturbed and disordered mind .
Add your name to tell Congress : Say NO to Trump ’ s $ 500 billion slush fund for corporations in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inability to see beyond his own interests in being reelected — and the possibility of losing the race including his likely indictment on a wide range of charges for which he ’ s been immune from prosecution as a sitting president overseeing the Department of Justice that maintains that dubious constitutional opinion — Trump is basically telling the American people to screw the sound judgment of medical experts to maintain a national quarantine for as long as is necessary to prevent the deaths of potentially millions of Americans unable to be saved by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare system and get the hell back to work to ensure that the economy recovers enough to give him a strong argument for a second term .
“ Real people ” may “ want to get back to work ASAP , ” but anyone with an ounce of intelligence and an instinct for self-preservation that is a mere fraction of the president ’ s own butt-covering reflexes would likely prefer to preserve their own lives and those of their families and friends than go out there and win one for the Grifter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unconvincing “ inspirational ” call to return to work before anyone but the president — and his billionaire corporate cronies who ’ ve grown fabulously wealthy off the backs of American workers while refusing to guarantee their healthcare or pay taxes sufficient to provide social services — believes that it is safe to do so is likely to find themselves not “ stronger than ever ” but potentially dead or with permanently reduced lung capacity .
While many may think that anyone foolish enough to believe a president with a demonstrable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it comes to dealing with a pandemic is just a form of social Darwinism that will reduce the pool of available voters who are also dumb enough to give Trump a second term , many of these people — with proper care and deprogramming of the years of right-wing propaganda fed to them by Trump and his right-wing media partners in crime — can return to productive roles in society…if they ignore the president and allow themselves the chance to stay uninfected and alive .
Trump may be playing a long game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-presidential prosecution by establishing a bona fide insanity defense well in advance of any actual trials .
Let ’ s not fall prey to his machinations .
If Trump tries to reopen America prematurely , simply ignore him and stay home as part of a general strike that should only end when every American has a guarantee of affordable universal healthcare and a living wage — all funded by taxes on the billionaires who have siphoned all the wealth from the disappearing middle class since the Reagan era .
What do you think @

Narcissism. Paranoia. Delusions.
These serious signs of mental illness require the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from the helm of an America that is quickly resembling The Titanic after hitting an iceberg that was in plain sight while the captain was trying to convince all the passengers on-board that the chunk of the broken-off glacier was merely a mirage.
Unfortunately, none of the Republican toadies in Trump’s cabinet who could take this necessary action have the intestinal fortitude to rise to the occasion, even in these most desperate of times.
Narcissism, paranoia, and delusion were all on full display this afternoon as the president launched into an unhinged rant against his favorite target: the media that reports the real, verifiable facts about what has been occurring and continues to happen in this country during the coronavirus pandemic that Trump failed to move quickly enough to minimize, rather than the alternative facts that seem to exist only inside the president’s disturbed and disordered mind.
The LameStream Media is the dominant force in trying to get me to keep our Country closed as long as possible in the hope that it will be detrimental to my election success. The real people want to get back to work ASAP. We will be stronger than ever before! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020
Add your name to tell Congress: Say NO to Trump’s $500 billion slush fund for corporations in the emergency relief bill!
With a complete inability to see beyond his own interests in being reelected — and the possibility of losing the race including his likely indictment on a wide range of charges for which he’s been immune from prosecution as a sitting president overseeing the Department of Justice that maintains that dubious constitutional opinion — Trump is basically telling the American people to screw the sound judgment of medical experts to maintain a national quarantine for as long as is necessary to prevent the deaths of potentially millions of Americans unable to be saved by an overwhelmed, understaffed, and under-equipped healthcare system and get the hell back to work to ensure that the economy recovers enough to give him a strong argument for a second term.
“Real people ” may “want to get back to work ASAP,” but anyone with an ounce of intelligence and an instinct for self-preservation that is a mere fraction of the president’s own butt-covering reflexes would likely prefer to preserve their own lives and those of their families and friends than go out there and win one for the Gipper Grifter.
The type of person who follows Trump’s unconvincing “inspirational” call to return to work before anyone but the president — and his billionaire corporate cronies who’ve grown fabulously wealthy off the backs of American workers while refusing to guarantee their healthcare or pay taxes sufficient to provide social services — believes that it is safe to do so is likely to find themselves not “stronger than ever” but potentially dead or with permanently reduced lung capacity.
While many may think that anyone foolish enough to believe a president with a demonstrable record of compulsive fabulism over a doctor when it comes to dealing with a pandemic is just a form of social Darwinism that will reduce the pool of available voters who are also dumb enough to give Trump a second term, many of these people — with proper care and deprogramming of the years of right-wing propaganda fed to them by Trump and his right-wing media partners in crime — can return to productive roles in society…if they ignore the president and allow themselves the chance to stay uninfected and alive.
Trump may be playing a long game here and simply be protecting himself from post-presidential prosecution by establishing a bona fide insanity defense well in advance of any actual trials.
Let’s not fall prey to his machinations. If Trump tries to reopen America prematurely, simply ignore him and stay home as part of a general strike that should only end when every American has a guarantee of affordable universal healthcare and a living wage — all funded by taxes on the billionaires who have siphoned all the wealth from the disappearing middle class since the Reagan era.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-25--Ocasio-Cortez tears into McConnell for planning month long Senate recess during virus crisis

The U.S. Senate has always considered itself the elite body of Congress .
With their six-year terms that at least partially insulate its members from the need to constantly be in campaign mode like the lowly members of the House of Representatives with their measly two-year mandates , Senators have prided themselves as the more deliberative body ready to quash any rash populist actions that the young whippersnappers on the other side of the Capitol building may try to sneak into legislation .
Unfortunately , in a crisis such as America currently faces as the COVID-19 virus begins to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the economy of the country , a slow and deliberative pace is not the optimal manner in which to address the mounting damages .
That was painfully obvious when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) faced such a torrent of derision for his decision to adjourn the Senate this past weekend while members of the House worked until the wee hours of Saturday morning crafting a relief bill for individuals and small businesses whose livelihoods have been overturned as quickly as if a tsunami had suddenly flooded their lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ included such urgently needed provisions such as guaranteed free testing for the virus at the center of the crisis , Speaker McConnell was not inclined to spend the weekend in Washington DC working on solutions and being at the ready to help move the process forward through the Senate .
The missing sense of urgency in the Senate has continued this week as the GOP members of the party have slowed the process of crafting a bill acceptable to both chambers of Congress and both political parties by including such obviously unacceptable provisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be used at the discretion of the Trump administration to dole out to any oligarch that they may want without any real supervision .
Now , after Senate negotiators have finally eked out a deal for legislation that is the best compromise that Democrats can currently wrangle from their Republican counterparts and are set to vote on it , word comes that Speaker McConnell considers the Senate ’ s work done and is planning on sending members back home for an extended month-long recess .
Yes , while so many Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deemed necessary for essential services , and Donald Trump is champing at the bit to reopen the country by Easter against the advice of all medical experts , McConnell is planning on sending the people necessary to respond quickly to new developments in the crisis back home for a leisurely one-month paid vacation after today ’ s expected Senate vote on the stimulus package when he ’ s not even willing to include mandated paid sick leave — or the needed universal healthcare coverage in the coronavirus relief bill they are considering .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t believe her ears when she heard of McConnell ’ s plans and quickly took to Twitter to express her outrage at the dereliction of responsibility that the Senate Majority Leader is contemplating in this time of dire need .
At times like this , it ’ s easy to distinguish the comfortable fat cat politicians at ease with their senses of privilege and the wealth that they have amassed while in office — some under questionable circumstances — from those who are truly in Washington because of their sense of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand if you think that any Senator not in quarantine from exposure to COVID-19 should remain in Washington to address the financial and economic fallout from a disaster growing exponentially worse every day and to prevent any further damage from the bumbling of the incompetents in the Trump administration .
At least we have representatives like Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez to hector and shame the feckless Republican Majority Leader and his compliant minions .
Let ’ s not forget which politicians rose to the challenge and which treated the crisis as just another day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means may still be available in November .
What do you think ?

The U.S. Senate has always considered itself the elite body of Congress.
With their six-year terms that at least partially insulate its members from the need to constantly be in campaign mode like the lowly members of the House of Representatives with their measly two-year mandates, Senators have prided themselves as the more deliberative body ready to quash any rash populist actions that the young whippersnappers on the other side of the Capitol building may try to sneak into legislation.
Unfortunately, in a crisis such as America currently faces as the COVID-19 virus begins to take its exponential toll on both the population and the economy of the country, a slow and deliberative pace is not the optimal manner in which to address the mounting damages.
That was painfully obvious when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) faced such a torrent of derision for his decision to adjourn the Senate this past weekend while members of the House worked until the wee hours of Saturday morning crafting a relief bill for individuals and small businesses whose livelihoods have been overturned as quickly as if a tsunami had suddenly flooded their lives.
Despite the fact that the House bill included such urgently needed provisions such as guaranteed free testing for the virus at the center of the crisis, Speaker McConnell was not inclined to spend the weekend in Washington DC working on solutions and being at the ready to help move the process forward through the Senate.
The missing sense of urgency in the Senate has continued this week as the GOP members of the party have slowed the process of crafting a bill acceptable to both chambers of Congress and both political parties by including such obviously unacceptable provisions as a half a billion-dollar slush fund to be used at the discretion of the Trump administration to dole out to any oligarch that they may want without any real supervision.
Now, after Senate negotiators have finally eked out a deal for legislation that is the best compromise that Democrats can currently wrangle from their Republican counterparts and are set to vote on it, word comes that Speaker McConnell considers the Senate’s work done and is planning on sending members back home for an extended month-long recess.
Yes, while so many Americans are sheltering in place, except for those deemed necessary for essential services, and Donald Trump is champing at the bit to reopen the country by Easter against the advice of all medical experts, McConnell is planning on sending the people necessary to respond quickly to new developments in the crisis back home for a leisurely one-month paid vacation after today’s expected Senate vote on the stimulus package when he’s not even willing to include mandated paid sick leave — or the needed universal healthcare coverage in the coronavirus relief bill they are considering.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) couldn’t believe her ears when she heard of McConnell’s plans and quickly took to Twitter to express her outrage at the dereliction of responsibility that the Senate Majority Leader is contemplating in this time of dire need.
The Senate might ADJOURN FOR A MONTH after this bill? This is completely dangerous and unacceptable. We HAVE to be able to respond to people’s needs. People don’t have this time. Even IF the Senate can even return on the 20th (big IF) that may not be enough time to solve May. https://t.co/O5XnubG0l1 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 25, 2020
At times like this, it’s easy to distinguish the comfortable fat cat politicians at ease with their senses of privilege and the wealth that they have amassed while in office — some under questionable circumstances — from those who are truly in Washington because of their sense of public service and patriotic duty.
Raise your hand if you think that any Senator not in quarantine from exposure to COVID-19 should remain in Washington to address the financial and economic fallout from a disaster growing exponentially worse every day and to prevent any further damage from the bumbling of the incompetents in the Trump administration.
At least we have representatives like Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez to hector and shame the feckless Republican Majority Leader and his compliant minions. Let’s not forget which politicians rose to the challenge and which treated the crisis as just another day in their privileged lives when voting by whatever means may still be available in November.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Travis Gettys at RawStory.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-25--Republican senator claims his tweet calling Speaker Pelosi a slur was a “typo”

Donald Trump has so polluted our discourse and pulled the GOP so far into the gutter that the idea of a sitting Republican senator intentionally hurling a slur at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) is unfortunately no longer an impossibility .
Senator Kevin Cramer ( R-ND ) claims that a tweet in which he called Pelosi “ retarded ” was actually a typo caused by autocorrect which he is now apologizing for .
Cramer made the original post in response to an article from far-right rag The Daily Caller about Pelosi ’ s thoughts on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Add your name to tell the Senate : Say NO to Trump ’ s $ 500 billion slush fund for corporations in the emergency relief bill !
“ She ’ s retarded , ” Cramer responded to the post , but now claims he meant to write “ ridiculous ” instead of the slur , which is deeply offensive to people with mental disabilities .
He further claims that he didn ’ t realize his mistake for a few minutes , at which point he deleted the tweet .
Screenshots , as always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a word I just don ’ t apply to people .
I can be pretty tough in my rhetoric , but that ’ s not a word I apply to people for really good obvious reasons , ” said Cramer , according to The Washington Post .
“ I ’ m really sorry it happened , ” he said and tried to chalk the alleged mistake up to “ fat fingers.
” Even if we take Cramer ’ s at his word—a dubious prospect given that he serves in a party led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bully—one must wonder why the word “ ridiculous ” would autocorrect to “ retarded.
” It seems to indicate that he uses the word freely and often in his private communications .
It ’ s worth noting that President Trump himself has a history of cruelly mocking disabled individuals .
It should go without saying that people with disabilities , be they mental or physical , deserve all the respect and dignity afforded to non-disabled people .
Kylie Oversen , the Chairwoman of the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party , stated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Cramer ) is telling the truth , ” and added that the autocorrect explanation only makes sense if Cramer regularly uses the R-word .
“ I have no idea why anyone would use that word , let alone a sitting U.S. senator .
It ’ s offensive and hurtful and unacceptable , ” said Oversen .
It ’ s impossible to know for sure if Cramer is telling the truth about the typo , but the fact that we now live in a political reality where it ’ s even conceivable that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the House “ retarded ” is a sad indicator of how inhumane our discourse has become under Donald Trump .
What do you think ?

Donald Trump has so polluted our discourse and pulled the GOP so far into the gutter that the idea of a sitting Republican senator intentionally hurling a slur at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is unfortunately no longer an impossibility.
Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) claims that a tweet in which he called Pelosi “retarded” was actually a typo caused by autocorrect which he is now apologizing for. Cramer made the original post in response to an article from far-right rag The Daily Caller about Pelosi’s thoughts on the federal government’s coronavirus bill.
Add your name to tell the Senate: Say NO to Trump’s $500 billion slush fund for corporations in the emergency relief bill!
“She’s retarded,” Cramer responded to the post, but now claims he meant to write “ridiculous” instead of the slur, which is deeply offensive to people with mental disabilities. He further claims that he didn’t realize his mistake for a few minutes, at which point he deleted the tweet. Screenshots, as always, survived.
“It’s a word I just don’t apply to people. I can be pretty tough in my rhetoric, but that’s not a word I apply to people for really good obvious reasons,” said Cramer, according to The Washington Post. “I’m really sorry it happened,” he said and tried to chalk the alleged mistake up to “fat fingers.” Even if we take Cramer’s at his word—a dubious prospect given that he serves in a party led by the world’s most infamous liar and bully—one must wonder why the word “ridiculous” would autocorrect to “retarded.” It seems to indicate that he uses the word freely and often in his private communications. It’s worth noting that President Trump himself has a history of cruelly mocking disabled individuals. It should go without saying that people with disabilities, be they mental or physical, deserve all the respect and dignity afforded to non-disabled people. Kylie Oversen, the Chairwoman of the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party, stated that there is “not a shot that (Cramer) is telling the truth,” and added that the autocorrect explanation only makes sense if Cramer regularly uses the R-word.
“I have no idea why anyone would use that word, let alone a sitting U.S. senator. It’s offensive and hurtful and unacceptable,” said Oversen.
It’s impossible to know for sure if Cramer is telling the truth about the typo, but the fact that we now live in a political reality where it’s even conceivable that a Republican senator might call the Speaker of the House “retarded” is a sad indicator of how inhumane our discourse has become under Donald Trump.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-25--NY Times’ Maggie Haberman publicly calls out Trump’s false brags about virus testing

The president who cried wolf is having a difficult time getting people to accept the lies that he is peddling .
Perhaps it ’ s better to describe Donald Trump as the boy who didn ’ t cry wolf after being warned that the beast was barreling rapidly towards our wide-open front door at top speed .
As the nation wakes up to the consequences of Trump ’ s failure to mobilize resources quickly enough to respond to a pandemic that his administration was warned about the possibility of multiple times but nonetheless dismantled the national security task force dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is scrambling to project competence and an ability to handle the dire results of his early inaction .
Unfortunately , Trump still thinks he can worm his way out of the crisis with the same avalanche of deceit and thickly-slathered bull turds that he ’ s used to get his way his entire life .
With much of the nation on lockdown and in panic mode , particularly in the hard-hit urban areas of New York , California , and Washington state , the president tweeted out this overly rosy picture of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The news that America has now surpassed South Korea in testing — a nation that has widely praised for its speedy reaction to the epidemic by instituting rapid and near-universal testing of its citizens that quickly allowed them to slow the spread of the virus — would be welcome and comforting news to Americans worried about their health and that of their families and friends .
If only it had any resemblance whatsoever to the truth .
Notice the lack of any attribution of the source that “ just reported ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply made up out of thin air .
The New York Times ‘ White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman pointed out the depth of the disconnect between reality and Trump ’ s self-congratulatory nonsense in a tweet responding to the president ’ s putrid propaganda .
Haberman followed up her tweet with a second response that further explained why Trump ’ s pathetic boasts were so far off the mark .
Keep in mind that both the United States and South Korea both had their first reported cases of coronavirus on the same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korean government immediately recognized the magnitude of the problem that they would soon be facing if immediate measures weren ’ t taken , Donald Trump was busy downplaying the virus as no worse than a normal flu .
The results of South Korea ’ s quick action meant that they were able to quickly ramp up testing and isolate those with the virus to prevent its spread from overwhelming their healthcare system .
With a population of 51 million packed into the much smaller country at a density more than 10 times that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to test one out of every 170 people in their country since then .
While the United States may have finally caught up with South Korea in the number of raw tests that have been administered as of yesterday , what Trump fails to mention is that , with over 275 million more people in our country , only one out of every 1,090 Americans have been tested , over six times less per capita than in South Korea .
While Trump tries to spin statistics to make himself look good , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have died from COVID-19 infections in our country are likely spinning in their graves as Trump makes political hay out of his misleading tweets .
What do you think ?

The president who cried wolf is having a difficult time getting people to accept the lies that he is peddling.
Perhaps it’s better to describe Donald Trump as the boy who didn’t cry wolf after being warned that the beast was barreling rapidly towards our wide-open front door at top speed.
As the nation wakes up to the consequences of Trump’s failure to mobilize resources quickly enough to respond to a pandemic that his administration was warned about the possibility of multiple times but nonetheless dismantled the national security task force dedicated to addressing such emergencies, the president is scrambling to project competence and an ability to handle the dire results of his early inaction.
Unfortunately, Trump still thinks he can worm his way out of the crisis with the same avalanche of deceit and thickly-slathered bull turds that he’s used to get his way his entire life.
With much of the nation on lockdown and in panic mode, particularly in the hard-hit urban areas of New York, California, and Washington state, the president tweeted out this overly rosy picture of the state of coronavirus testing of U.S. residents.
Just reported that the United States has done far more “testing” than any other nation, by far! In fact, over an eight day span, the United States now does more testing than what South Korea (which has been a very successful tester) does over an eight week span. Great job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020
The news that America has now surpassed South Korea in testing — a nation that has widely praised for its speedy reaction to the epidemic by instituting rapid and near-universal testing of its citizens that quickly allowed them to slow the spread of the virus — would be welcome and comforting news to Americans worried about their health and that of their families and friends.
If only it had any resemblance whatsoever to the truth.
Notice the lack of any attribution of the source that “just reported” the claim that it appears as if Trump simply made up out of thin air.
The New York Times‘ White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman pointed out the depth of the disconnect between reality and Trump’s self-congratulatory nonsense in a tweet responding to the president’s putrid propaganda.
This isn’t true; and there are few things more dangerous than a president or top official saying something like this to a scared public. Most people still can’t get tests. https://t.co/3RA7JKTiRL — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 25, 2020
Haberman followed up her tweet with a second response that further explained why Trump’s pathetic boasts were so far off the mark.
The figures that matter are over time, and per capita. The president's tweet creates an impression of the testing in the US that isn't matched by the reality of how many lags and delays there were. https://t.co/FX95FPpOrE — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 25, 2020
Keep in mind that both the United States and South Korea both had their first reported cases of coronavirus on the same day back in January. While the South Korean government immediately recognized the magnitude of the problem that they would soon be facing if immediate measures weren’t taken, Donald Trump was busy downplaying the virus as no worse than a normal flu.
The results of South Korea’s quick action meant that they were able to quickly ramp up testing and isolate those with the virus to prevent its spread from overwhelming their healthcare system. With a population of 51 million packed into the much smaller country at a density more than 10 times that of the U.S., South Korea managed to test one out of every 170 people in their country since then.
While the United States may have finally caught up with South Korea in the number of raw tests that have been administered as of yesterday, what Trump fails to mention is that, with over 275 million more people in our country, only one out of every 1,090 Americans have been tested, over six times less per capita than in South Korea.
While Trump tries to spin statistics to make himself look good, the over 800 (and counting) people who have died from COVID-19 infections in our country are likely spinning in their graves as Trump makes political hay out of his misleading tweets.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-25--Trump cruelly mocks Romney after coronavirus scare with a sarcastic celebratory tweet

Donald Trump ’ s pettiness truly knows no bounds .
As the country struggles through the coronavirus pandemic , with infections and deaths piling up and the economy hurtling towards disaster , the president is still making time to remind us all what a fundamentally small , cruel man he is .
Earlier today , Trump tweeted out a mocking message over the news that Senator Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) has tested negative for the coronavirus after fearing that he might have contracted it from being in close proximity to Senator Rand Paul ( R-KY ) , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great news !
I am so happy I can barely speak , ” Trump wrote , quote-tweeting a Breitbart News tweet about Romney ’ s negative testing .
He went on to call the senator—who was not coincidentally the only Republican senator with the courage to vote in favor of impeaching Trump—a “ terrible presidential candidate ” and a “ worse U.S.
Senator ” as well as a RINO ( Republican In Name Only ) .
Add your name to tell the Senate : Say NO to Trump ’ s $ 500 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief bill !
The obvious sarcasm was only exaggerated by Trump ’ s statement that he likes Romey “ a lot , ” something which anyone who has seen his frequent attacks on the senator knows is untrue .
Trump previously made similar comments to the press about Romney .
When told that the senator was in quarantine Trump facetiously said “ Gee that ’ s too bad , ” making it abundantly clear that he was rooting against Romney ’ s health .
It can hardly be stressed enough just how despicable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be leading us through this national nightmare and instead , he ’ s acting like an imbecilic schoolyard bully .
His ability to joke about anyone contracting COVID-19 , even a political enemy , shows he isn ’ t taking this outbreak seriously enough on any level which in turn explains why his administration ’ s response has been so languid and inefficient .
At this point , saying Trump is a disgrace to his office doesn ’ t even begin to describe the damage he ’ s inflicted on the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his stain on our country ’ s soul will remain .
We will always be the country that elected Donald J. Trump to lead us .
The path out of this national shame will be a long one , and it will take the work of numerous successors to reconvince that world that the United States can be a strong , moral world leader .
The first step on that journey comes this November when we vote him out of office and consign him to the past .
What do you think @

Donald Trump’s pettiness truly knows no bounds. As the country struggles through the coronavirus pandemic, with infections and deaths piling up and the economy hurtling towards disaster, the president is still making time to remind us all what a fundamentally small, cruel man he is.
Earlier today, Trump tweeted out a mocking message over the news that Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has tested negative for the coronavirus after fearing that he might have contracted it from being in close proximity to Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who has tested positive.
“This is really great news! I am so happy I can barely speak,” Trump wrote, quote-tweeting a Breitbart News tweet about Romney’s negative testing. He went on to call the senator—who was not coincidentally the only Republican senator with the courage to vote in favor of impeaching Trump—a “terrible presidential candidate” and a “worse U.S. Senator” as well as a RINO (Republican In Name Only).
Add your name to tell the Senate: Say NO to Trump’s $500 billion slush fund for corporations in the emergency relief bill!
The obvious sarcasm was only exaggerated by Trump’s statement that he likes Romey “a lot,” something which anyone who has seen his frequent attacks on the senator knows is untrue.
This is really great news! I am so happy I can barely speak. He may have been a terrible presidential candidate and an even worse U.S. Senator, but he is a RINO, and I like him a lot! https://t.co/42zpWW9vzy — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020
Trump previously made similar comments to the press about Romney. When told that the senator was in quarantine Trump facetiously said “Gee that’s too bad,” making it abundantly clear that he was rooting against Romney’s health.
“Romney’s in isolation? Gee, that’s too bad” — Trump, sarcastically, on Mitt Romney going into quarantine over coronavirus concerns. #BeBest pic.twitter.com/d4KPIDto6Z — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 22, 2020
It can hardly be stressed enough just how despicable this behavior is. Trump is supposed to be leading us through this national nightmare and instead, he’s acting like an imbecilic schoolyard bully. His ability to joke about anyone contracting COVID-19, even a political enemy, shows he isn’t taking this outbreak seriously enough on any level which in turn explains why his administration’s response has been so languid and inefficient.
At this point, saying Trump is a disgrace to his office doesn’t even begin to describe the damage he’s inflicted on the presidency. Long after he’s gone, his stain on our country’s soul will remain. We will always be the country that elected Donald J. Trump to lead us.
The path out of this national shame will be a long one, and it will take the work of numerous successors to reconvince that world that the United States can be a strong, moral world leader. The first step on that journey comes this November when we vote him out of office and consign him to the past.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-03-25--Ex-Wells Fargo CEO: people should go back to work early even if “some may die, I don’t know”

It took just one week of mass quarantine and a shuttered economy for our nation ’ s ruling class to pull off their masks and admit that they would rather see us die than lose their money .
Alarmed by the damage to a plunging stock market and shrinking economic growth , the wealthy elites and their mouthpieces have already begun pushing for people to begin returning to work and begin producing profit for them despite it being clear to everyone that we are nowhere near peak infection rates and that to do so would exacerbate the crisis and cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The suffering and deaths of working Americans have always been an acceptable price to pay for the preservation of the wealthy ’ s fortunes , but never before have they articulated it so explicitly .
“ We ’ ll gradually bring those people back and see what happens .
Some of them will get sick , some may even die , I don ’ t know , ” shrugged millionaire Dick Kovacevich , the former CEO of Wells Fargo.
“ Do you want to suffer more economically or take some risk that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a flu-like experience ?
Do you want to take an economic risk or a health risk ?
You get to choose.
” He ’ s not the only one .
Lloyd Blankfein , the billionaire senior chairman of Goldman Sachs , argues that as soon as “ a very few weeks , let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work , ” while Texas ’ Lt .
Governor Dan Patrick made headlines the other night when he called on our nation ’ s grandparents to “ sacrifice ” themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go back to work .
Add your name to tell Congress : Say NO to Trump ’ s $ 500 billion slush fund for corporations in the emergency relief bill !
President Trump himself has already begun arguing that the “ cure can not be worse than the disease ” and pushing to re-open the economy as soon as two weeks from now — on Easter , so that people can be packed into churches by the hundreds .
Right-wing commentators who work from home promoting racist conspiracy theories for billionaire-funded propaganda rags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Federalist ’ s Jesse Kelly have been bravely volunteering to die for the good of the economy , comfortably aware they will never be in danger of doing so .
The Federalist even went one further , taking a break from stoking transphobia to publish an article by an Oregon dermatologist this morning that called for deliberately infecting people with the coronavirus in order for them to become “ immune ” to the disease .
Twitter quickly flagged the piece as misinformation and forced them to take it down .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the right-wing media machine and the oligarchs that fund it have taken to promoting the idea that ordinary people need to sacrifice their lives and those of their families in support of some nebulous , self-serving conception of the greater good .
“ It is absolutely necessary to shut down the economy so that millions of people don ’ t die .
For the privileged among us to fail to see that and to give the economy precedence over this public health emergency is morally reprehensible ” raged former Labor Secretary Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very clear that abandoning quarantine procedures and having the nation resume some level of normalcy in just two weeks will produce so many cases that our already stretched and insufficient healthcare system will be utterly overwhelmed .
The president ’ s own disease expert , Dr. Fauci , warned this afternoon that the virus could return for another “ cycle ” and we need to be prepared for it , but Trump and the CEOs whispering in his ear are clearly more concerned about their wallets than about the lives of the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @

It took just one week of mass quarantine and a shuttered economy for our nation’s ruling class to pull off their masks and admit that they would rather see us die than lose their money.
Alarmed by the damage to a plunging stock market and shrinking economic growth, the wealthy elites and their mouthpieces have already begun pushing for people to begin returning to work and begin producing profit for them despite it being clear to everyone that we are nowhere near peak infection rates and that to do so would exacerbate the crisis and cause the needless deaths of thousands of people.
The suffering and deaths of working Americans have always been an acceptable price to pay for the preservation of the wealthy’s fortunes, but never before have they articulated it so explicitly. “We’ll gradually bring those people back and see what happens. Some of them will get sick, some may even die, I don’t know,” shrugged millionaire Dick Kovacevich, the former CEO of Wells Fargo.“Do you want to suffer more economically or take some risk that you’ll get flu-like symptoms and a flu-like experience? Do you want to take an economic risk or a health risk? You get to choose.”
He’s not the only one. Lloyd Blankfein, the billionaire senior chairman of Goldman Sachs, argues that as soon as “a very few weeks, let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work,” while Texas’ Lt. Governor Dan Patrick made headlines the other night when he called on our nation’s grandparents to “sacrifice” themselves if necessary so that young people can go back to work.
Add your name to tell Congress: Say NO to Trump’s $500 billion slush fund for corporations in the emergency relief bill!
President Trump himself has already begun arguing that the “cure cannot be worse than the disease” and pushing to re-open the economy as soon as two weeks from now — on Easter, so that people can be packed into churches by the hundreds.
Right-wing commentators who work from home promoting racist conspiracy theories for billionaire-funded propaganda rags and YouTube channels like Glenn Beck and the Federalist’s Jesse Kelly have been bravely volunteering to die for the good of the economy, comfortably aware they will never be in danger of doing so.
The Federalist even went one further, taking a break from stoking transphobia to publish an article by an Oregon dermatologist this morning that called for deliberately infecting people with the coronavirus in order for them to become “immune” to the disease.
Twitter quickly flagged the piece as misinformation and forced them to take it down.
But it is terrifying to see the rapidity with which the right-wing media machine and the oligarchs that fund it have taken to promoting the idea that ordinary people need to sacrifice their lives and those of their families in support of some nebulous, self-serving conception of the greater good.
“It is absolutely necessary to shut down the economy so that millions of people don’t die. For the privileged among us to fail to see that and to give the economy precedence over this public health emergency is morally reprehensible” raged former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
Healthcare experts have made it very clear that abandoning quarantine procedures and having the nation resume some level of normalcy in just two weeks will produce so many cases that our already stretched and insufficient healthcare system will be utterly overwhelmed.
The president’s own disease expert, Dr. Fauci, warned this afternoon that the virus could return for another “cycle” and we need to be prepared for it, but Trump and the CEOs whispering in his ear are clearly more concerned about their wallets than about the lives of the American people.
For days, major CEOs & certain powerful people have been admitting, in clear terms, that they are willing to sacrifice people’s lives for their profits, but are NOT willing to sacrifice their profit for people’s lives. Remember this lesson, bc it informs a LOT of US policy. https://t.co/Dk0jNshuoE — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 25, 2020
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--2020-04-17--Trump whines nobody “told us early” about COVID-19 despite being told at least 10 times

Every time the bar seems like it can ’ t go any lower when it comes to Donald Trump and the incessant battle he wages against the truth , it does .
During tonight ’ s White House press briefing , President Trump had the nerve to complain that the world “ wasn ’ t ” told there was an epidemic and groused that “ people knew it was happening but people didn ’ t want to talk about it.
” He was obviously insinuating that the Chinese are somehow responsible for the coronavirus pandemic for not warning the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO inspectors in fast enough , which is a reasonable topic for debate .
But it is horrifyingly ironic to hear him make this argument because it is well documented that he and his administration knew it was happening and he didn ’ t want to talk about it and that his inaction allowed the crisis to spiral out of control .
President Trump was first briefed on the threat posed by the virus on January 18th , just three days after the first COVID-19 case in the United States was discovered .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navarro warned the White House in a memo that the novel coronavirus could kill half a million Americans and cause trillions in economic damage .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar personally warned Trump about the pandemic on January 30th , the same day that the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic .
In all , Trump ’ s administration would be warned at least ten times in the time between the discovery of the virus and the declaration of a national emergency on March 11th .
But not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Trump team actively sabotaged early efforts to combat the virus .
POLITICO reports that his team refused to aggressively pursue testing until it was far too late out of fear that it would hurt his re-election efforts .
A Congressional report compiled by Rep. Katie Porter ( D-CA ) discovered that the Trump team was pushing sales of America ’ s mask and ventilator stockpiles to China as late as February 2nd .
On top of that , she discovered that the administration was doing nothing to prepare for the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The import data that we identified and reviewed also reveal that the Trump Administration failed to prepare for COVID-19 and to protect the health of Americans .
From January to February , when the U.S. should have been stockpiling medical supplies , the value of ventilator imports dropped by more than 10 percent .
The data shows a similar pattern with PPE and cleaning supplies , which fell by 11.3 % , over $ 161 million from January to February 2020 , and N95 masks in particular , which fell by 14.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Donald Trump , as is his fondness for blaming his enemies for what he himself has done .
His excuses , deflections , and provocations are a blueprint of guilt exposed for the whole nation to see .
But that doesn ’ t change how outrageous it is to see him complain that he wasn ’ t warned when there is well-documented evidence proving that he was , in fact , warned — and that his failure to act is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans .

Every time the bar seems like it can’t go any lower when it comes to Donald Trump and the incessant battle he wages against the truth, it does.
During tonight’s White House press briefing, President Trump had the nerve to complain that the world “wasn’t” told there was an epidemic and groused that “people knew it was happening but people didn’t want to talk about it.”
Trump says he's angry he wasn't told there was an epidemic: "And I was angry, because this should have been told to us. It should have been told to us early. It should have been told to us a lot sooner. People knew it was happening and people didn't want to talk about it." pic.twitter.com/XgWWaXAWTF — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 16, 2020
He was obviously insinuating that the Chinese are somehow responsible for the coronavirus pandemic for not warning the world in time and for refusing to allow WHO inspectors in fast enough, which is a reasonable topic for debate.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
But it is horrifyingly ironic to hear him make this argument because it is well documented that he and his administration knew it was happening and he didn’t want to talk about it and that his inaction allowed the crisis to spiral out of control.
President Trump was first briefed on the threat posed by the virus on January 18th, just three days after the first COVID-19 case in the United States was discovered. On January 29th, economic advisor Peter Navarro warned the White House in a memo that the novel coronavirus could kill half a million Americans and cause trillions in economic damage.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar personally warned Trump about the pandemic on January 30th, the same day that the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic. In all, Trump’s administration would be warned at least ten times in the time between the discovery of the virus and the declaration of a national emergency on March 11th.
But not only did he not take any action, the Trump team actively sabotaged early efforts to combat the virus. POLITICO reports that his team refused to aggressively pursue testing until it was far too late out of fear that it would hurt his re-election efforts.
A Congressional report compiled by Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) discovered that the Trump team was pushing sales of America’s mask and ventilator stockpiles to China as late as February 2nd. On top of that, she discovered that the administration was doing nothing to prepare for the pandemic’s arrival here in America:
“The import data that we identified and reviewed also reveal that the Trump Administration failed to prepare for COVID-19 and to protect the health of Americans. From January to February, when the U.S. should have been stockpiling medical supplies, the value of ventilator imports dropped by more than 10 percent. The data shows a similar pattern with PPE and cleaning supplies, which fell by 11.3%, over $161 million from January to February 2020, and N95 masks in particular, which fell by 14.2%.”
Projection is a hallmark of Donald Trump, as is his fondness for blaming his enemies for what he himself has done. His excuses, deflections, and provocations are a blueprint of guilt exposed for the whole nation to see.
But that doesn’t change how outrageous it is to see him complain that he wasn’t warned when there is well-documented evidence proving that he was, in fact, warned — and that his failure to act is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-16--Trump blames Pelosi for virus deaths, falsely accuses her of deleting video

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least 31,000 Americans and infected over 600,000 others so far and still President Trump proves incapable of focusing on the matters at hand .
Instead of spending every waking hour working to ensure that medical professionals have the supplies they need and state leaders the support they require , he ’ s wasting time engaging in his usual petty , partisan feuds .
Today ’ s incredible inappropriate and poorly timed tweet was aimed at the president ’ s arch-nemesis , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) .
Using his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he shared an old video of Pelosi from February .
Not surprisingly , our infamously mendacious president twisted the meaning of Pelosi ’ s remarks in an effort to unfairly smear her as reckless .
Trump accused Pelosi of wanting “ everyone to pack into Chinatown ” and claimed she ’ s responsible for coronavirus deaths .
He also childishly called her an “ incompetent , third-rate politician ” which is frankly a far better description of Trump himself than the incredibly accomplished Speaker .
Add your name to reject Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Pelosi was not urging “ everyone to pack into Chinatown ” in February .
Rather , she was trying to stem the tide of anti-Chinese bigotry that the pandemic , coupled with Trump ’ s racist rhetoric , has unleashed .
She didn ’ t want Asian businesses to suffer unfairly .
The virus may have started in Wuhan , China but that doesn ’ t mean that Chinese Americans became suddenly and magically infected just because of their ancestry as the president seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s claim that Pelosi tweeted and deleted the video also appears to be untrue .
Josh Wingrove writes in Bloomberg News : “ Trump also accused Pelosi of deleting footage from her Twitter account , but did not provide any evidence of that .
Her office said it ’ s a news clip and that they had never tweeted it or deleted it .
A database of deleted tweets , Politwoops , shows no evidence Pelosi posted and deleted the video .
The White House didn ’ t immediately respond to a request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting Pelosi made her remarks a full three weeks before San Francisco residents were told to shelter in place .
In fact , the day after the clip came out Trump actively downplayed the virus by saying “ people are getting better ” and that the country would be in “ very good shape very , very soon.
” Trump ’ s attack on her is the epitome of hypocrisy .
He himself dismissed the coronavirus outbreak as a Democratic “ hoax ” and repeatedly downplayed the risks involved , leading many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that would quickly and easily fizzle out .
The only reckless one here is the president .
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COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least 31,000 Americans and infected over 600,000 others so far and still President Trump proves incapable of focusing on the matters at hand. Instead of spending every waking hour working to ensure that medical professionals have the supplies they need and state leaders the support they require, he’s wasting time engaging in his usual petty, partisan feuds.
Today’s incredible inappropriate and poorly timed tweet was aimed at the president’s arch-nemesis, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Using his characteristically lazy moniker “Crazy Nancy Pelosi,” he shared an old video of Pelosi from February. Not surprisingly, our infamously mendacious president twisted the meaning of Pelosi’s remarks in an effort to unfairly smear her as reckless.
Trump accused Pelosi of wanting “everyone to pack into Chinatown” and claimed she’s responsible for coronavirus deaths. He also childishly called her an “incompetent, third-rate politician” which is frankly a far better description of Trump himself than the incredibly accomplished Speaker.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Pelosi was not urging “everyone to pack into Chinatown” in February. Rather, she was trying to stem the tide of anti-Chinese bigotry that the pandemic, coupled with Trump’s racist rhetoric, has unleashed. She didn’t want Asian businesses to suffer unfairly. The virus may have started in Wuhan, China but that doesn’t mean that Chinese Americans became suddenly and magically infected just because of their ancestry as the president seems to be implying.
The president’s claim that Pelosi tweeted and deleted the video also appears to be untrue. Josh Wingrove writes in Bloomberg News:
“Trump also accused Pelosi of deleting footage from her Twitter account, but did not provide any evidence of that. Her office said it’s a news clip and that they had never tweeted it or deleted it. A database of deleted tweets, Politwoops, shows no evidence Pelosi posted and deleted the video. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.”
It’s worth noting Pelosi made her remarks a full three weeks before San Francisco residents were told to shelter in place. In fact, the day after the clip came out Trump actively downplayed the virus by saying “people are getting better” and that the country would be in “very good shape very, very soon.”
Trump’s attack on her is the epitome of hypocrisy. He himself dismissed the coronavirus outbreak as a Democratic “hoax” and repeatedly downplayed the risks involved, leading many of his followers to believe the virus was something that would quickly and easily fizzle out. The only reckless one here is the president.
Crazy Nancy Pelosi deleted this from her Twitter account. She wanted everyone to pack into Chinatown long after I closed the BORDER TO CHINA. Based on her statement, she is responsible for many deaths. She’s an incompetent, third-rate politician! pic.twitter.com/uWNI7DCG3o — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2020
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Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-16--Trump renews bizarre love affair with trucks in White House presser

It can sometimes be easy to forget , amidst all of his gross incompetencies and sadistic cruelties , what a fundamentally bizarre man Donald J. Trump really is .
His obsessions are often entirely arbitrary to the outside eye and when he gets to rambling on one of his semi-coherent rants his stream of consciousness can take him to random and genuinely perplexing places .
Today , the president decided to host an event with American truckers at the White House .
Readers may recall a similar past event , during which Trump climbed inside a Mack truck and pretended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of childish facial expressions , indulging in his fantasy of being a man ’ s man instead of just a coddled scion who inherited hundreds of millions of dollars from his crooked father .
One would have to be a fool to believe that a plutocrat like Trump genuinely cares about truckers , but he knows that co-opting the image of these hardworking Americans is a useful way to bamboozle those voters gullible enough to fall for his man-of-the-people , champion of blue-collar workers shtick .
Add your name to reject Trump & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ lives to save the stock market !
What should have been a straightforward PR event quickly took a turn for the weird though , as the president once again displayed his uncanny inability to act like a normal human being .
Trump approached the podium to give his speech but stopped to pat the truck like a pet dog , remarking that it was “ beautiful stuff.
” “ They are beautiful , beautiful trucks .
That ’ s the real deal .
You wouldn ’ t switch jobs with anybody would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I know the truckers .
They wouldn ’ t switch with anybody .
It ’ s what they love , right ?
” Trump said , glibly sanding over the fact that truck driving is a demanding , exhausting profession that many Americans turn to out of necessity rather than desire .
For Trump , a man who has never worked an honest day in his life , to pretend like he has any understanding of trucking is laughable .
What ’ s less laughable were his comments that drivers are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be able to take a day to rest , a reality which has been facilitated by his administration ’ s decision to exempt truckers carrying essential pandemic supplies from the mandated rest stops .
While this temporary change in regulations might be for the best given the ongoing crisis , it should not be made light of .
There is nothing funny about drivers working themselves to the bone to deliver relief supplies .
Their sacrifice should be respected , not made light of by the president .
We want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It can sometimes be easy to forget, amidst all of his gross incompetencies and sadistic cruelties, what a fundamentally bizarre man Donald J. Trump really is. His obsessions are often entirely arbitrary to the outside eye and when he gets to rambling on one of his semi-coherent rants his stream of consciousness can take him to random and genuinely perplexing places.
Today, the president decided to host an event with American truckers at the White House. Readers may recall a similar past event, during which Trump climbed inside a Mack truck and pretended to steer it while making all kinds of childish facial expressions, indulging in his fantasy of being a man’s man instead of just a coddled scion who inherited hundreds of millions of dollars from his crooked father.
One would have to be a fool to believe that a plutocrat like Trump genuinely cares about truckers, but he knows that co-opting the image of these hardworking Americans is a useful way to bamboozle those voters gullible enough to fall for his man-of-the-people, champion of blue-collar workers shtick.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
What should have been a straightforward PR event quickly took a turn for the weird though, as the president once again displayed his uncanny inability to act like a normal human being. Trump approached the podium to give his speech but stopped to pat the truck like a pet dog, remarking that it was “beautiful stuff.”
“They are beautiful, beautiful trucks. That’s the real deal. You wouldn’t switch jobs with anybody would you huh? You wouldn’t. I know the truckers. They wouldn’t switch with anybody. It’s what they love, right?” Trump said, glibly sanding over the fact that truck driving is a demanding, exhausting profession that many Americans turn to out of necessity rather than desire.
Trump begins a speech about truckers by patting a truck. He says: "They are beautiful, beautiful trucks. That's the real deal. You wouldn't switch jobs with anybody, would you, huh? You wouldn't. I know the truckers. They wouldn't switch with anybody. It's what they love, right?" — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 16, 2020
Trump: "They are beautiful, beautiful trucks. That's the real deal. You wouldn't switch jobs with anybody, would you? I know the truckers. They wouldn't switch with anybody." WATCH LIVE: President Trump delivers remarks celebrating truckers https://t.co/c0PyIXXkNY pic.twitter.com/HoU3m2diml — The Hill (@thehill) April 16, 2020
For Trump, a man who has never worked an honest day in his life, to pretend like he has any understanding of trucking is laughable. What’s less laughable were his comments that drivers are going to be working so hard they won’t be able to take a day to rest, a reality which has been facilitated by his administration’s decision to exempt truckers carrying essential pandemic supplies from the mandated rest stops.
While this temporary change in regulations might be for the best given the ongoing crisis, it should not be made light of. There is nothing funny about drivers working themselves to the bone to deliver relief supplies. Their sacrifice should be respected, not made light of by the president.
Trump: “Once we get going, the truckers are gonna be workin’ so hard you’re not gonna be able to take a day of rest in between. Maybe a couple of hours.” (His administration has exempted truckers carrying relief goods from the usual mandatory rest requirements.) — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 16, 2020
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Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-16--Trump’s new Press Secretary goes full Spicer with misleading brags about US virus testing

While new White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany still has not held her first press briefing yet , she hasn ’ t wasted any time filling the lie-filled shoes of her infamous predecessors .
On Thursday , the former right-wing TV pundit and outspoken racism apologist took to Twitter to deliver a Sean Spiceresque series of tweets which praised the president and claimed that thanks to Trump , we have “ quickly developed ” the “ most expansive and accurate ” testing system in the world and celebrates the fact that we have conducted 3.3 million tests , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this may look good at first glance , there ’ s a lot of problems with her claims .
First off , we had to develop a testing system extremely quickly because the Donald Trump administration deliberately slow-walked testing , knowing it would have led to the discovery of more coronavirus cases and potentially damage his re-election chances .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
On top of that , the Trump administration decided to refuse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization was shipping to countries around the world at the end of February and played a key role in enabling the spread of the virus .
Instead , reports POLITICO , they decided to go ahead with an American-made test that inevitably was delayed by manufacturing issues , lab contamination , and logistical problems .
More importantly is the insinuation that we have been testing more people than anyone in the world .
While the virus was first picking up steam in February , America lagged far behind the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocols , allowing the virus to spread at ease through major population centers .
VOX ’ s Dylan Scott reports that “ the US has improved from ‘ horrifically bad ’ to ‘ woefully short ’ on Covid-19 tests.
” Far from being the “ most expansive in world , America ’ s COVID-19 testing system is an absolute mess .
” The system is decentralized and not coordinated…And the federal government has not stepped in to provide that coordination and help ramp up the manufacturing .
Finally , we have such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible game of catch-up , ” warned Kaiser Family Foundation global health director Jen Kates to VOX .
As recently as yesterday , CNN was reporting that states had recieved the “ rapid testing systems ” being celebrated by Trump and his staff but weren ’ t given enough tests to make them effective .
Sadly , the actual number of tests don ’ t matter nearly as much as does the per-capita rate of testing , which the United States still trails the rest of the world in .
Germany ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to consider re-opening their economy on the schedule that President Trump is hoping for — but we won ’ t reach that level of testing for another month and a half , thanks to the President ’ s unforgivable decision to try to pretend the pandemic wasn ’ t happening and avoid a public relations crisis .
Instead , he ’ s earned himself a national disaster , an economy in recession , unprecedented levels of unemployment , and tens of thousands of dead Americans who might still be alive today if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McEnany ’ s out-of-context brags and sycophantic praise of the man who mismanaged and possibly deliberately exacerbated this crisis makes it clear that we can not expect any honesty or reliable information from the White House ’ s official mouthpieces anytime soon .

While new White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany still has not held her first press briefing yet, she hasn’t wasted any time filling the lie-filled shoes of her infamous predecessors.
On Thursday, the former right-wing TV pundit and outspoken racism apologist took to Twitter to deliver a Sean Spiceresque series of tweets which praised the president and claimed that thanks to Trump, we have “quickly developed” the “most expansive and accurate” testing system in the world and celebrates the fact that we have conducted 3.3 million tests, more than any country in the world.
Under President @realDonaldTrump’s leadership we have quickly developed the most expansive and accurate testing system in the world. — Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) April 16, 2020
As a result, the United States has now conducted more than 3.3 million tests, FAR MORE than any other country in the world. — Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) April 16, 2020
While this may look good at first glance, there’s a lot of problems with her claims.
First off, we had to develop a testing system extremely quickly because the Donald Trump administration deliberately slow-walked testing, knowing it would have led to the discovery of more coronavirus cases and potentially damage his re-election chances.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
On top of that, the Trump administration decided to refuse to accept the test kits that the World Health Organization was shipping to countries around the world at the end of February and played a key role in enabling the spread of the virus.
Instead, reports POLITICO, they decided to go ahead with an American-made test that inevitably was delayed by manufacturing issues, lab contamination, and logistical problems.
More importantly is the insinuation that we have been testing more people than anyone in the world. While the virus was first picking up steam in February, America lagged far behind the rest of the world in testing and in declaring quarantine protocols, allowing the virus to spread at ease through major population centers.
VOX’s Dylan Scott reports that “the US has improved from ‘horrifically bad’ to ‘woefully short’ on Covid-19 tests.” Far from being the “most expansive in world, America’s COVID-19 testing system is an absolute mess.
”The system is decentralized and not coordinated…And the federal government has not stepped in to provide that coordination and help ramp up the manufacturing. Finally, we have such a testing deficit that we are playing a terrible game of catch-up,” warned Kaiser Family Foundation global health director Jen Kates to VOX.
Testing falls woefully short in U.S.: “Nationally, an average of 145,000 people have been tested for the virus/day over the past week.” In total, the US. has administered 3.26 million tests, which comes to just 1% of the population. https://t.co/2RwymTSB2N — Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) April 16, 2020
As recently as yesterday, CNN was reporting that states had recieved the “rapid testing systems” being celebrated by Trump and his staff but weren’t given enough tests to make them effective.
US governors and state health officials expressed frustration after receiving rapid testing systems touted by President Trump, but only enough tests for 115 peoplehttps://t.co/YqV3VdIuNz — CNN (@CNN) April 16, 2020
Sadly, the actual number of tests don’t matter nearly as much as does the per-capita rate of testing, which the United States still trails the rest of the world in.
Germany’s rigorous and efficient testing program has allowed them to consider re-opening their economy on the schedule that President Trump is hoping for — but we won’t reach that level of testing for another month and a half, thanks to the President’s unforgivable decision to try to pretend the pandemic wasn’t happening and avoid a public relations crisis.
“Germany has been testing at twice the US rate,” says Len Yaffe. “At the current rate of testing, the US should reach Germany’s .. around May 22. That does not validate a desire to loosen restrictions; rather, it should serve as an earliest possible consideration” – @SeekingAlpha pic.twitter.com/FWB5W9oXvX — Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) April 16, 2020
Instead, he’s earned himself a national disaster, an economy in recession, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and tens of thousands of dead Americans who might still be alive today if he had done his job.
Kaleigh McEnany’s out-of-context brags and sycophantic praise of the man who mismanaged and possibly deliberately exacerbated this crisis makes it clear that we cannot expect any honesty or reliable information from the White House’s official mouthpieces anytime soon.
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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--2020-04-16--George Conway snarks Ivanka’s “stay at home” call after her vacation trip to golf club

It ’ s hardly a revelation at this point that the Trumps think themselves above the rest of America .
Donald himself has long flaunted his disregard for the laws the rest of us abide by , rising to his position of great wealth largely through tax schemes devised by his father .
The rest of the president ’ s family shares his ridiculously inflated sense of self , which is why people like Ivanka and Jared Kushner , who have no government experience and no qualifications to serve , hold unearned positions of serious power within the administration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could never hope to do these jobs well given their resumes , but Ivanka and Jared grossly overestimate their own value .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Recently , the First Daughter once again reminded us that the Trumps believe themselves immune to the rules the rest of us play by .
She urged Americans to stay home if they have the ability to do so in order to combat the coronavirus… …and then proceeded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband took their three children out of Washington D.C. to celebrate Passover at Trump National Golf Club Bedminister , located in New Jersey .
Apparently , the American people are expected to practice social distancing and make sacrifices to slow the spread of COVID-19 but our self-styled rulers can ’ t even be bothered to skip a vacation .
The level of entitlement at play here is nauseating .
Outrage would be an appropriate response to this hypocrisy , but mockery is a reasonable alternative .
George Conway , husband of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequent critic of this administration , took to Twitter to mock Ivanka ’ s statement that those “ lucky enough ” to be able to stay home should do so .
“ those lucky enough to be in a position to have a taxpayer-funded Secret Service detail drive them hundreds of miles to their second homes at their father ’ s golf club , please , please do so , ” Conway tweeted , succinctly boiling the absurdity of the First Daughter ’ s behavior to its core elements .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly her around and protect her , we also have to listen to her patronize us about taking safety precautions which she herself can not even be bothered to adhere to .
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It’s hardly a revelation at this point that the Trumps think themselves above the rest of America. Donald himself has long flaunted his disregard for the laws the rest of us abide by, rising to his position of great wealth largely through tax schemes devised by his father.
The rest of the president’s family shares his ridiculously inflated sense of self, which is why people like Ivanka and Jared Kushner, who have no government experience and no qualifications to serve, hold unearned positions of serious power within the administration. A normal person would have realized they could never hope to do these jobs well given their resumes, but Ivanka and Jared grossly overestimate their own value.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Recently, the First Daughter once again reminded us that the Trumps believe themselves immune to the rules the rest of us play by. She urged Americans to stay home if they have the ability to do so in order to combat the coronavirus…
https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/1244432019251175426?s=20
…and then proceeded to ignore her own advice. She and her husband took their three children out of Washington D.C. to celebrate Passover at Trump National Golf Club Bedminister, located in New Jersey.
Apparently, the American people are expected to practice social distancing and make sacrifices to slow the spread of COVID-19 but our self-styled rulers can’t even be bothered to skip a vacation. The level of entitlement at play here is nauseating.
Outrage would be an appropriate response to this hypocrisy, but mockery is a reasonable alternative. George Conway, husband of Trump’s counselor Kellyanne Conway and a frequent critic of this administration, took to Twitter to mock Ivanka’s statement that those “lucky enough” to be able to stay home should do so.
“those lucky enough to be in a position to have a taxpayer-funded Secret Service detail drive them hundreds of miles to their second homes at their father’s golf club, please, please do so,” Conway tweeted, succinctly boiling the absurdity of the First Daughter’s behavior to its core elements.
It’s not enough that Americans are paying to fly her around and protect her, we also have to listen to her patronize us about taking safety precautions which she herself cannot even be bothered to adhere to.
those lucky enough be in a position to have a taxpayer-funded Secret Service detail drive them hundreds of miles to their second homes at their father’s golf club, please, please do so https://t.co/vd03u5PHl6 — George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 16, 2020
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Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-16--FOX News doctor says re-opening schools early is “appetizing” because only 2-3% will die

With the coronavirus crisis showing no signs of abating any time soon , the president and his loyal sycophants in the media are growing more and more worried that the staggering unemployment and economic instability will drag into November and hamper Trump ’ s re-election efforts .
The chorus of right-wing voices making the case for re-opening the economy and resuming normal life before medical experts believe it is safe to do so is growing with each passing day — and the more desperate they become , so grows the ghoulishness of their arguments .
Television quack doctor and pseudoscience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as “ Dr .
Oz , ” made the appalling argument today on FOX News that public schools were an “ appetizing opportunity ” for early re-opening because projections indicate that *only* 2-3 % of children and their parents would die from virus exposure .
Dr. Oz did not go into detail about what exactly was appetizing about the prospect of over a million dead Americans from unnessessary coronavirus exposure .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of propaganda and coronavirus misinformation that FOX News and the rest of the right-wing media colossus is spitting out at a stunning pace .
There is absolutely no need to put so many lives at risk and cause so many preventable deaths , and we all know Dr. Oz ’ s four children aren ’ t going to be the ones in the most danger .
Re-opening the schools puts not just of America ’ s schoolchildren at risk but also their parents , grandparents , teachers , cafeteria workers , janitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is involved in keeping the nation ’ s children safe , fed , and educated .
Broadcasting this kind of horrifying drivel to the nation from a fake TV doctor not only undermines the credibility of America ’ s actual medical experts but also sends a monstrous reminder to the rest of the nation : the upper class believes that your lives are worth less than their pocketbooks and stock portfolios , and they ’ ll gladly sacrifice your children in order to protect them .

With the coronavirus crisis showing no signs of abating any time soon, the president and his loyal sycophants in the media are growing more and more worried that the staggering unemployment and economic instability will drag into November and hamper Trump’s re-election efforts.
The chorus of right-wing voices making the case for re-opening the economy and resuming normal life before medical experts believe it is safe to do so is growing with each passing day — and the more desperate they become, so grows the ghoulishness of their arguments.
Television quack doctor and pseudoscience promoter Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Öz, better known as “Dr. Oz,” made the appalling argument today on FOX News that public schools were an “appetizing opportunity” for early re-opening because projections indicate that *only* 2-3% of children and their parents would die from virus exposure.
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1250807416872189952?s=20
Dr. Oz did not go into detail about what exactly was appetizing about the prospect of over a million dead Americans from unnessessary coronavirus exposure.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
It is terrifying to see the kind of propaganda and coronavirus misinformation that FOX News and the rest of the right-wing media colossus is spitting out at a stunning pace. There is absolutely no need to put so many lives at risk and cause so many preventable deaths, and we all know Dr. Oz’s four children aren’t going to be the ones in the most danger.
Re-opening the schools puts not just of America’s schoolchildren at risk but also their parents, grandparents, teachers, cafeteria workers, janitors, nurses, crossing guards, everyone who is involved in keeping the nation’s children safe, fed, and educated.
Broadcasting this kind of horrifying drivel to the nation from a fake TV doctor not only undermines the credibility of America’s actual medical experts but also sends a monstrous reminder to the rest of the nation: the upper class believes that your lives are worth less than their pocketbooks and stock portfolios, and they’ll gladly sacrifice your children in order to protect them.
Social media immediately erupted in outrage and disgust:
The Hippocratic Oath – Dr. Oz edition: First, do 2 to 3 % harm. https://t.co/QUDYQDO5XL — Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) April 16, 2020
Dr. Oz says a 2%-3% death rate among school children is a acceptable trade-off. The worshipers of Moloch ain't got nothin' on MAGA. pic.twitter.com/UWCIZ0CKaN — Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) April 16, 2020
On Fox Dr. Oz called re-opening schools "an appetizing opportunity" with a death rate of only "2 to 3 percent." He was later seen hanging upside down from a tree beside Rudy Giuliani at a schoolyard, where they referred to children as "tempting little juice boxes" pic.twitter.com/rc2YrNaN1R — Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) April 16, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-04-16--Trump hurls avalanche of insults at Nancy Pelosi in unprompted Twitter outburst

The coronavirus crisis is at its height , and still , the president of the United States refuses to make even a cursory effort to show leadership and unite the country in the face of a common enemy .
President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning to antagonize House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a slew of childish insults and petty jabs .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Quoting his favorite FOX News conspiracy theorist , Sean Hannity and mixing in some invective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one political leader in Washington who has actually shown some competence and resolve in the face of this horror .
The president ’ s rant speaks more to his own insecurity than it says anything about Speaker Pelosi .
Donald Trump is a weak person and a poor leader , a man who has proven time and time again that he is totally incompetent and controlled by whoever the last person he spoke to was — and a man who needs to start actually doing his job and taking the action that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
It just goes to show that the president would rather pursue his petty feuds than work with the party that controls Congress to try to aid the American people as millions file for unemployment and thousands die of disease .
Removing him from office has to be a national priority this November ; he ’ s proven time and time again he has no interest in taking care of us , working with anyone he doesn ’ t like , or actually doing his job .

The coronavirus crisis is at its height, and still, the president of the United States refuses to make even a cursory effort to show leadership and unite the country in the face of a common enemy.
President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning to antagonize House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a slew of childish insults and petty jabs.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Quoting his favorite FOX News conspiracy theorist, Sean Hannity and mixing in some invective of his own, Trump tore into the one political leader in Washington who has actually shown some competence and resolve in the face of this horror.
Crazy “Nancy Pelosi, you are a weak person. You are a poor leader. You are the reason America hates career politicians, like yourself.” @seanhannity She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2020
The president’s rant speaks more to his own insecurity than it says anything about Speaker Pelosi.
Donald Trump is a weak person and a poor leader, a man who has proven time and time again that he is totally incompetent and controlled by whoever the last person he spoke to was — and a man who needs to start actually doing his job and taking the action that the people of this country need from him.
It just goes to show that the president would rather pursue his petty feuds than work with the party that controls Congress to try to aid the American people as millions file for unemployment and thousands die of disease. Removing him from office has to be a national priority this November; he’s proven time and time again he has no interest in taking care of us, working with anyone he doesn’t like, or actually doing his job.
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Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-04-17--Governor Jay Inslee slams Trump for promoting violence with “LIBERATE” tweets

The idea is quickly taking hold on the far right that the government should immediately move to reopen the economy and send people back to work even if it means a big spike in coronavirus deaths .
Fox News has been steadily beating the drum that such losses would be acceptable and Trump himself is actively pushing for a speedy return to economic productivity .
It ’ s hardly surprising that the GOP , a political party that exists primarily to protect the wealth of the super-rich , would be willing to sacrifice American lives for profits , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be falling for it .
Yes , being unable to work is a terrible burden and the economic downturn will hurt all of us , but sending people back to work early and skyrocketing the infection and mortality rates would overwhelm hospitals and perhaps even push us into a worse economic position .
The sudden deaths of thousands of Americans would have an unimaginable effect on this country , both psychologically and economically .
There is simply no sane argument to ease virus restrictions yet .
Protests are starting to heat up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take this pandemic seriously enough pressure their state leadership to prematurely end shelter in place laws .
Michigan saw a mob of conservatives and Trump supporters descend on the state capitol to protest the Democratic governor and demand an end to virus restrictions .
Similar protests against stay at home orders were held at the governor ’ s mansions in Minnesota and Virginia .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
The position the president finds himself in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He rode into the White House on a wave of far-right populism , with all the warts ( namely anti-science biases ) that come with such politics .
Now he must decide between these frankly suicidal calls for an early reopening against his desire to keep his base happy and convinced that he ’ s on that side .
To that end , Trump tweeted out in all caps that Americans must “ LIBERATE ” Minnesota , followed up by a similar tweet about Michigan and one about Virginia .
The deranged all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protestors will be able to read them as unwavering support for their causes and unspecific enough that he has plausible deniability when it ’ s pointed out that he ’ s backing an idea that will kill countless Americans .
Governor Jay Inslee ( D-WA ) , a man unafraid to push back against Donald Trump , saw the president ’ s dangerous calls to action and unleashed an impressive Twitter thread , slamming the president for encouraging “ illegal and dangerous acts.
” Inslee correctly pointed out that Trump is putting millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets could spur his followers to violence .
He also reiterated the need for these virus restrictions and called for Americans to “ work together to protect each other.
” In every sense , it was the polar opposite of the president ’ s frothing animal rhetoric .
Give the whole thread a read to remind yourself what real leadership looks like .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The idea is quickly taking hold on the far right that the government should immediately move to reopen the economy and send people back to work even if it means a big spike in coronavirus deaths. Fox News has been steadily beating the drum that such losses would be acceptable and Trump himself is actively pushing for a speedy return to economic productivity.
It’s hardly surprising that the GOP, a political party that exists primarily to protect the wealth of the super-rich, would be willing to sacrifice American lives for profits, but it is surprising how many people seem to be falling for it.
Yes, being unable to work is a terrible burden and the economic downturn will hurt all of us, but sending people back to work early and skyrocketing the infection and mortality rates would overwhelm hospitals and perhaps even push us into a worse economic position. The sudden deaths of thousands of Americans would have an unimaginable effect on this country, both psychologically and economically. There is simply no sane argument to ease virus restrictions yet.
Protests are starting to heat up, as Americans who clearly don’t take this pandemic seriously enough pressure their state leadership to prematurely end shelter in place laws. Michigan saw a mob of conservatives and Trump supporters descend on the state capitol to protest the Democratic governor and demand an end to virus restrictions. Similar protests against stay at home orders were held at the governor’s mansions in Minnesota and Virginia.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
The position the president finds himself in is one of his own making. He rode into the White House on a wave of far-right populism, with all the warts (namely anti-science biases) that come with such politics. Now he must decide between these frankly suicidal calls for an early reopening against his desire to keep his base happy and convinced that he’s on that side.
To that end, Trump tweeted out in all caps that Americans must “LIBERATE” Minnesota, followed up by a similar tweet about Michigan and one about Virginia.
The deranged all caps messages were just vague enough that protestors will be able to read them as unwavering support for their causes and unspecific enough that he has plausible deniability when it’s pointed out that he’s backing an idea that will kill countless Americans.
LIBERATE MINNESOTA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020
LIBERATE MICHIGAN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020
LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020
Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA), a man unafraid to push back against Donald Trump, saw the president’s dangerous calls to action and unleashed an impressive Twitter thread, slamming the president for encouraging “illegal and dangerous acts.”
Inslee correctly pointed out that Trump is putting millions of lives in danger and that his tweets could spur his followers to violence. He also reiterated the need for these virus restrictions and called for Americans to “work together to protect each other.” In every sense, it was the polar opposite of the president’s frothing animal rhetoric.
Give the whole thread a read to remind yourself what real leadership looks like.
The president’s statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to “liberate” states could also lead to violence. We’ve seen it before. 1/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies – even while his own administration says the virus is real, it is deadly and we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted. 2/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
Yesterday, the president told the nation science would guide his plan for easing restrictions. The White House released a sensible plan to resume economic activity. 24 hrs later he is off the rails, ignoring his own plan and spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric. 3/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
The president’s actions threaten his own goal of recovery. His words will likely cause a spike in infections where distancing is working. That will further postpose the 14 days of decline his own guidance says is necessary to ease restrictions. 4/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
We appreciate our continued relationship with the vice president, Dr. Birx, Admiral Polowczyk, Admiral Giroir and others. But their work is undermined by the president's irresponsible actions. 5/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
I hope someday we can look at today’s meltdown as something to be pitied, rather than condemned. But we don’t have that luxury today. There is too much at stake. 6/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
I encourage political leaders to speak out firmly against the president’s calls for rebellion. Americans need to work together to protect each other. That’s what is working in WA. And it’s the only way to slow the spread of this virus and get us on the road to recovery. 7/7 — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
My full statement: https://t.co/WQ0AaIHiJj — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 17, 2020
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