occupydemocrats--2020-08-30--GOP Congressman caught manipulating “deep fake” video of progressive activist to support Trump

Republicans are seeing their misbegotten party about to be relegated to the dustbins of history , thanks to the abysmal presidential performance of one Donald Trump , according to most recent polls .
So desperate have some members of the GOP become that they have taken to even more audacious lies and subterfuge in an attempt to halt the precipitous slide in their electoral prospects .
Today ’ s case in point is Congressman Steve Scalise , a Trump-loving right-winger who would be a barely noticeable footnote to history had he not been shot by a disgruntled man likely driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration at a Republican congressional baseball practice .
Scalise ’ s brush with death apparently erased any fear of God that he may have had , judging by his willingness to so blatantly break the commandment against bearing false witness towards his neighbors that was revealed today .
Scalise ’ s deceptive sin came in the form of a “ deep fake ” video that he circulated on Twitter today , one so false that the social media platform was moved to append a “ Manipulated media ” tag to the post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious upon viewing it without context what part of the post had been manipulated to deserve the Twitter warning , a warning that by all rights should have been supplanted by an immediate deletion of Scalise ’ offending tweet , progressive activist Ady Barkan — who suffers from the incurable degenerative disease ALS , also known as Lou Gehrig ’ s disease , and can now only communicate with the aid of an electronic voice box – provided the details of how his actual words were deliberately replaced with those more convenient to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peddle .
Given the generic electronic voice that Barkan is forced to use due to his affliction , manipulation of his words can be done fairly seamlessly .
That Congressman Scalise was so devious and of such low moral standing as to try this malicious trick is a stunt that motivated many a Twitter respondent to call for Twitter to ban both the post and the man who posted it .
Versa Sharma of NowThisNews went so far as to accuse Scalise of the additional infraction of copyright infringement .
Twitter is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remain on their platform if they are posted by someone whom they deem a politically significant public figure in the name of the public interest .
If you disagree with this policy , it ’ s up to you to let @ Jack — Jack Dorsey , Twitter ’ s CEO — know how you feel .
The inconsistency with which phony political propaganda is treated is unacceptable , allowing the manipulation of social media posts in service of political goals with no regard to the truth whatsoever .
This has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Republicans are seeing their misbegotten party about to be relegated to the dustbins of history, thanks to the abysmal presidential performance of one Donald Trump, according to most recent polls.
So desperate have some members of the GOP become that they have taken to even more audacious lies and subterfuge in an attempt to halt the precipitous slide in their electoral prospects.
Today’s case in point is Congressman Steve Scalise, a Trump-loving right-winger who would be a barely noticeable footnote to history had he not been shot by a disgruntled man likely driven mad by the unfettered criminality of the Trump administration at a Republican congressional baseball practice.
Scalise’s brush with death apparently erased any fear of God that he may have had, judging by his willingness to so blatantly break the commandment against bearing false witness towards his neighbors that was revealed today.
Scalise’s deceptive sin came in the form of a “deep fake” video that he circulated on Twitter today, one so false that the social media platform was moved to append a “Manipulated media” tag to the post.
There's a clip here of @AdyBarkan, who has ALS and speaks via voice assistance, asking Biden about "re-directing" public safety funding. The clip alters the quote. It splices "for police" into it, using Barkan's artificial voice. https://t.co/WKkbRzlrXF https://t.co/mUysm9YDeQ pic.twitter.com/uofqi9428E — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 30, 2020
While it may not be immediately obvious upon viewing it without context what part of the post had been manipulated to deserve the Twitter warning, a warning that by all rights should have been supplanted by an immediate deletion of Scalise’ offending tweet, progressive activist Ady Barkan — who suffers from the incurable degenerative disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and can now only communicate with the aid of an electronic voice box – provided the details of how his actual words were deliberately replaced with those more convenient to the lies that Scalise was trying to peddle.
.@SteveScalise, These are not my words. I have lost my ability to speak, but not my agency or my thoughts. You and your team have doctored my words for your own political gain. Please remove this video immediately. You owe the entire disability community an apology. https://t.co/N6G5RgMXlO — Ady Barkan (@AdyBarkan) August 30, 2020
Given the generic electronic voice that Barkan is forced to use due to his affliction, manipulation of his words can be done fairly seamlessly.
That Congressman Scalise was so devious and of such low moral standing as to try this malicious trick is a stunt that motivated many a Twitter respondent to call for Twitter to ban both the post and the man who posted it.
The GOP became a goddam disgrace long ago. I gave up on them completely after the 9/11 attack that might have been prevented except that Republicans in power at the time intentionally dismissed warnings from intelligence analysts. Then they lied about Iraq and WMD to start a war. — Bill Rich (@CovidMayChgUs) August 30, 2020
He has a lot of hate. This fool spoke at a EURO convention in 2002. EURO was founded by non other than David Duke. This fool later “claimed” he didn’t know it was a hate group. I don’t believe that for a minute. Right Steve? — Penny (@Penny_816) August 30, 2020
Versa Sharma of NowThisNews went so far as to accuse Scalise of the additional infraction of copyright infringement.
Disgraceful. This whole fucking party is disgraceful. — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) August 30, 2020
Twitter is still insisting on allowing posts filled with falsehoods to remain on their platform if they are posted by someone whom they deem a politically significant public figure in the name of the public interest.
If you disagree with this policy, it’s up to you to let @Jack — Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s CEO — know how you feel.
The inconsistency with which phony political propaganda is treated is unacceptable, allowing the manipulation of social media posts in service of political goals with no regard to the truth whatsoever.
This has to stop.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Sarah K. Burris at RawStory.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
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--2020-08-30--Portland mayor buries Trump in blame for devastating Portland MAGA violence

As Donald Trump repeatedly took to social media this morning to point fingers at Portland , Oregon ’ s state and municipal Democratic leadership while assigning blame for the latest politically-instigated death in that city last night , Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler picked up the flaming ball of ultimate responsibility and threw it right back in the president ’ s orange-hued face .
“ Yesterday ’ s event began with hundreds of cars filled with supporters of the president rallying and driving through downtown Portland .
They were supported and energized by the president himself , ” Wheeler began .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have had to live with you and your racist attacks on Black people .
We learned early about your sexist attitudes towards women .
We ’ ve had to endure clips of you mocking a disabled man .
We ’ ve had to listen to your anti-democratic attacks on journalists .
We have read your tweets slamming private citizens to the point of receiving death threats , and we have listened to the attacks on immigrants .
We have listened to you label Mexicans rapists .
We ’ ve heard you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hero because he was a prisoner of war , and now you ’ re attacking Democratic mayors and the very institutions of democracy that have served this nation well since its founding.
” The outspoken mayor , who has been attacked by both the left and right-wing for his handling of the unrest in his heavily divided city , wasn ’ t done with his excoriation of the president as he continued with his extended attack on Trump and his followers .
“ It ’ s you who have created the hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s you who have not found a way to say the names of Black people killed by police officers even as people in law enforcement have .
It ’ s you who claimed that white issue supremacists are good people .
Your campaign of fear is anti-democratic of anything you have done to create hate and vitriol in our country .
You have tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history .
Now you want me to stop the violence ta you helped to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be stopped so we can come back together as one America while recognizing that we must demand that all people , Black , brown , white , every color from every political persuasion pull together and hold all people accountable in stopping racism and violence .
We together are peaceful again under new leadership that reflects who we really are .
We the people of this great nation.
” “ President Trump , you bring no peace .
You bring no respect to our democracy , ” he continued .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your job as the leader of this nation .
I , Mr. President , will do my job as the mayor of this city .
We will both be held accountable as we should .
I ’ m calling out every other elected official in Oregon to join me .
Not only in defeating racism but helping me to stop the violence as we are and will continue to be held accountable by all of our residents.
” Wheeler made it clear that he will not accede to the president ’ s offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a second time after their presence only ratcheted up tensions in the volatile area when they were initially deployed without the approval of city officials .
You can watch Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler speak these words for himself in the video attached below .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

As Donald Trump repeatedly took to social media this morning to point fingers at Portland, Oregon’s state and municipal Democratic leadership while assigning blame for the latest politically-instigated death in that city last night, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler picked up the flaming ball of ultimate responsibility and threw it right back in the president’s orange-hued face.
“Yesterday’s event began with hundreds of cars filled with supporters of the president rallying and driving through downtown Portland. They were supported and energized by the president himself,” Wheeler began. “President Trump, for four years, we have had to live with you and your racist attacks on Black people. We learned early about your sexist attitudes towards women. We’ve had to endure clips of you mocking a disabled man. We’ve had to listen to your anti-democratic attacks on journalists. We have read your tweets slamming private citizens to the point of receiving death threats, and we have listened to the attacks on immigrants. We have listened to you label Mexicans rapists. We’ve heard you say that John McCain wasn’t a hero because he was a prisoner of war, and now you’re attacking Democratic mayors and the very institutions of democracy that have served this nation well since its founding.”
The outspoken mayor, who has been attacked by both the left and right-wing for his handling of the unrest in his heavily divided city, wasn’t done with his excoriation of the president as he continued with his extended attack on Trump and his followers.
“It’s you who have created the hate and the division,” he said. “It’s you who have not found a way to say the names of Black people killed by police officers even as people in law enforcement have. It’s you who claimed that white issue supremacists are good people. Your campaign of fear is anti-democratic of anything you have done to create hate and vitriol in our country. You have tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history. Now you want me to stop the violence ta you helped to create. What America needs is for you to be stopped so we can come back together as one America while recognizing that we must demand that all people, Black, brown, white, every color from every political persuasion pull together and hold all people accountable in stopping racism and violence. We together are peaceful again under new leadership that reflects who we really are. We the people of this great nation.” “President Trump, you bring no peace. You bring no respect to our democracy,” he continued. “You, Mr. President, need to do your job as the leader of this nation. I, Mr. President, will do my job as the mayor of this city. We will both be held accountable as we should. I’m calling out every other elected official in Oregon to join me. Not only in defeating racism but helping me to stop the violence as we are and will continue to be held accountable by all of our residents.”
Wheeler made it clear that he will not accede to the president’s offer to send Federal forces into his city for a second time after their presence only ratcheted up tensions in the volatile area when they were initially deployed without the approval of city officials.
You can watch Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler speak these words for himself in the video attached below.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Sarah K. Burris at RawStory.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
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--2020-08-30--Trump explodes in unhinged Twitter rampage after a supporter is shot and killed in Portland

Donald Trump woke up this morning to the news that a member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer who had been traveling with a caravan of his supporters in Portland , Oregon yesterday had been shot and killed .
The news inspired the president — who has yet to utter a word about the 2 people that another one of his supporters murdered just days earlier in Kenosha , Wisconsin — to launch into a barrage of dozens of tweets and retweets , around 90 in total , spewing invective towards the Democratic leadership in the northwestern city and bleating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually didn ’ t get to making any comments on yesterday ’ s shooting without first tweeting out a defense of his obviously vastly inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic by citing the words of praise that many state governors felt forced to offer to him in order to get any federal resources directed their way in a timely manner during the initial stages of the outbreak .
His next tweet , however , directly attacked Ted Wheeler , the Democratic mayor of Portland , for refusing his offer to return federal troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that when a large contingent of poorly-identified federal forces descended on the city earlier in the unrest tensions escalated and violence flared further .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
Trump punctuated his angry tweet with footnotes in the form of seven retweets exclusively from far-right luminaries like Charlie Kirk and others before weighing in with two more original posts that laid the blame for the local problem in Oregon with national Democratic leadership .
The president continued to blatantly lie about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defunding of police in this last post which has the audacity to accuse Ted Wheeler of incompetence so soon after bragging that his own inability to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic was “ incredible ” as he has often described it .
Trump was back to retweeting extremist right-wing voices and their coverage of the events in Portland , peppered with the occasional defense of his COVID-19 response , before aiming his rage at his favorite shibboleth : Antifa .
The inclusion of a dollar sign before the all-caps “ FOOLS ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circles to the supposed funding of left-wing activists by Jewish billionaire George Soros , a recurring fantasy in the anti-Semitic tropes in the extremist views of the far right .
Trump continued his retweets punctuated with the occasional comment to blame all the unrest on weak Democratic leadership rather than his own impotent actions when he ’ s not to busy playing golf .
Perhaps the best response to this last tweet would be : “ Resign now….Problem Over !
” Such a stirring paean to free expression of one ’ s political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment , one may sarcastically exclaim !
Trump demonstrated that his sympathies likely extended only to those deluded souls who still back his presidency enthusiastically enough to grabs their guns and hop in a caravan to disrupt demonstrations of anger over yet another killing of an unarmed Black man by trigger-happy police with his next original post .
Still , with all the weighty issues confronting him , Trump still had time to complain about the lack of college sports during the deadly pandemic that has killed over 182,000 Americans and has led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be forced to deal with campus outbreaks .
Trump ’ s next original tweet was part of what seemed to be a coordinated GOP response to the bevy of anti-Trump Republicans who have endorsed Joe Biden out of disgust with the president ’ s defiance of federal laws and presidential precedent .
Commenting on a post that claims C-Span was overwhelmed by callers claiming to be Democrats who were so overwhelmed by the coverage of the Republican National Convention that they were no staunch Trump supporters , the president hyped what was likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unverifiable account of self-identified respondents .
Trump continued with his rampage of retweets , occasionally commenting on the posts he was forwarding on .
Substitute Donald Trump for Ted Wheeler in Tiff ’ s tweet and you ’ d actually see the truth in Trump ’ s Twitter feed for a change .
After a few more Portland-themed retweets , the president turned to trying to spin polling data anyway except the dismal results that most major polling organizations have been reporting for weeks : that he is losing badly to Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American who hasn ’ t already fully imbibed the Trump Kool-Aid .
He even went so far as to cite Michael Moore ’ s fear-mongering plea to progressives that the support for Trump in the hinterlands still remains strong , endorsing Moore ’ s perceptiveness in the process .
Trump ended his avalanche of cherry-picked polling data by posting a single poll that shows him leading Biden by three points nationally and by seven points in battleground swing states .
Unfortunately for the president , the average of national polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight points and showed nary a single poll in the last week that indicates Trump leading in the presidential contest .
After that exhausting deluge of social media posts , Trump finally ended his Twiter binge with a summation of his campaign message — one that specifically harkens back to the politically polarized late 1960s and early 1970s era of Richard Nixon with an appropriated slogan .
Three exclamation points !
He must really be counting on that message to resonate with his fear-based campaign .
Don ’ t be taken in by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restore law & order in America is to rid ourselves of a president who believes he himself is above the law .
Check your registration and vote in the best manner available to you to evict Trump from the White House as soon as possible .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Donald Trump woke up this morning to the news that a member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer who had been traveling with a caravan of his supporters in Portland, Oregon yesterday had been shot and killed.
The news inspired the president — who has yet to utter a word about the 2 people that another one of his supporters murdered just days earlier in Kenosha, Wisconsin — to launch into a barrage of dozens of tweets and retweets, around 90 in total, spewing invective towards the Democratic leadership in the northwestern city and bleating for “LAW & ORDER.”
Trump actually didn’t get to making any comments on yesterday’s shooting without first tweeting out a defense of his obviously vastly inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic by citing the words of praise that many state governors felt forced to offer to him in order to get any federal resources directed their way in a timely manner during the initial stages of the outbreak.
Everything a Governor asked the Federal Government for with respect to the Pandemic, they got. They all said, on tape, the Federal government did a great job. Governor Cuomo used the word “phenomenal.” The Task Force worked well with the States. Feds bailed out many States! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
His next tweet, however, directly attacked Ted Wheeler, the Democratic mayor of Portland, for refusing his offer to return federal troops to the city, despite the fact that when a large contingent of poorly-identified federal forces descended on the city earlier in the unrest tensions escalated and violence flared further.
The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected after 95 days of watching and incompetent Mayor admit that he has no idea what he is doing. The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer.The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard! https://t.co/bM6ypak94t — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
Trump punctuated his angry tweet with footnotes in the form of seven retweets exclusively from far-right luminaries like Charlie Kirk and others before weighing in with two more original posts that laid the blame for the local problem in Oregon with national Democratic leadership.
Our great National Guard could solve these problems in less than 1 hour. Local authorities must ask before it is too late. People of Portland, and other Democrat run cities, are disgusted with Schumer, Pelosi, and thier local “leaders”. They want Law & Order! https://t.co/f6LOKcf7BU — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Wheeler is incompetent, much like Sleepy Joe Biden. This is not what our great Country wants. They want Safety & Security, and do NOT want to Defund our Police! https://t.co/lZigDBjvKJ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
The president continued to blatantly lie about Joe Biden’s position on the defunding of police in this last post which has the audacity to accuse Ted Wheeler of incompetence so soon after bragging that his own inability to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic was “incredible” as he has often described it.
Trump was back to retweeting extremist right-wing voices and their coverage of the events in Portland, peppered with the occasional defense of his COVID-19 response, before aiming his rage at his favorite shibboleth: Antifa.
ANTIFA is a Radical Left group that only wants bad things for our Country. They are supported by $FOOLS! https://t.co/Be8avd2wPL — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Talk about coded dog whistles!
The inclusion of a dollar sign before the all-caps “FOOLS” is a fairly clear reference in right-wing circles to the supposed funding of left-wing activists by Jewish billionaire George Soros, a recurring fantasy in the anti-Semitic tropes in the extremist views of the far right.
Trump continued his retweets punctuated with the occasional comment to blame all the unrest on weak Democratic leadership rather than his own impotent actions when he’s not to busy playing golf.
Democrat “Leadership” has no clue. Request help now….Problem Over!!! https://t.co/Jifo9JwTD0 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Perhaps the best response to this last tweet would be: “Resign now….Problem Over!”
Disgraceful Anarchists. We are watching them closely, but stupidly protected by the Radical Left Dems! https://t.co/IvuIh6cRz5 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Such a stirring paean to free expression of one’s political beliefs and the strength of the First Amendment, one may sarcastically exclaim!
Trump demonstrated that his sympathies likely extended only to those deluded souls who still back his presidency enthusiastically enough to grabs their guns and hop in a caravan to disrupt demonstrations of anger over yet another killing of an unarmed Black man by trigger-happy police with his next original post.
Still, with all the weighty issues confronting him, Trump still had time to complain about the lack of college sports during the deadly pandemic that has killed over 182,000 Americans and has led many colleges that attempted to open to be forced to deal with campus outbreaks.
Play Football Big Ten! https://t.co/tlMFxv2mvx — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Trump’s next original tweet was part of what seemed to be a coordinated GOP response to the bevy of anti-Trump Republicans who have endorsed Joe Biden out of disgust with the president’s defiance of federal laws and presidential precedent.
Commenting on a post that claims C-Span was overwhelmed by callers claiming to be Democrats who were so overwhelmed by the coverage of the Republican National Convention that they were no staunch Trump supporters, the president hyped what was likely a disinformation campaign in an anecdotal and unverifiable account of self-identified respondents.
Thank you. We will not let them down! https://t.co/IOAVJpJji5 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Trump continued with his rampage of retweets, occasionally commenting on the posts he was forwarding on.
Tone down the language, but TRUE! https://t.co/CcdNwlLsb3 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Substitute Donald Trump for Ted Wheeler in Tiff’s tweet and you’d actually see the truth in Trump’s Twitter feed for a change.
After a few more Portland-themed retweets, the president turned to trying to spin polling data anyway except the dismal results that most major polling organizations have been reporting for weeks: that he is losing badly to Joe Biden in the hearts and minds of any American who hasn’t already fully imbibed the Trump Kool-Aid.
He even went so far as to cite Michael Moore’s fear-mongering plea to progressives that the support for Trump in the hinterlands still remains strong, endorsing Moore’s perceptiveness in the process.
Trump ended his avalanche of cherry-picked polling data by posting a single poll that shows him leading Biden by three points nationally and by seven points in battleground swing states.
Unfortunately for the president, the average of national polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight.com still has Biden leading by more than eight points and showed nary a single poll in the last week that indicates Trump leading in the presidential contest.
After that exhausting deluge of social media posts, Trump finally ended his Twiter binge with a summation of his campaign message — one that specifically harkens back to the politically polarized late 1960s and early 1970s era of Richard Nixon with an appropriated slogan.
LAW & ORDER!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Three exclamation points! He must really be counting on that message to resonate with his fear-based campaign.
Don’t be taken in by his propaganda. The only way to restore law & order in America is to rid ourselves of a president who believes he himself is above the law.
Check your registration and vote in the best manner available to you to evict Trump from the White House as soon as possible.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
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--2020-09-01--Trump defends right-wing Kenosha killer at White House presser

He went there .
After holding a press briefing this afternoon — ostensibly an update on the administration ’ s efforts against the coronavirus pandemic — where he spent the majority of his time lambasting Joe Biden and “ Democrat-run cities ” for the violence that has broken out on his own watch , Trump went beyond the rabble-rousing encouragement of his violent right-wing brownshirt equivalents to the actual excusing of the murder of two people by 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha , Wisconsin last week .
Trump began by providing a one-sided partisan interpretation of the primary causes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has followed police murders of unarmed Black Americans .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
Trump is doubling down on his fear-mongering with each new poll that shows him trailing Joe Biden .
By reaching deep into the fascist playbook pioneered by Adolph Hitler in 1930s Germany , the president is laying the groundwork for a massive security effort that will likely target his political opponents or at least satiate his base ’ s appetite for liberal tears .
Trump continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking place was happening during the administration of some other president from the Democratic party , despite the fact that he is the one ostensibly in control of the levers of power and by rights should accept all of the responsibility of what happens during his watch .
Instead , he simply assigned blame to those who lack the power to even pass a bill successfully without the cooperation of the GOP controlled Senate and play at political culture wars .
The number of outright lies that Trump spews anytime he opens his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they eat away at the souls of those who believe that our democracy is worth defending .
It was only when the Q & A session with reporters at the end of the presser came around that Trump was forced to display the full measure of his hypocrisy , excusing and justifying Kyle Rittenhouse ’ s murderous actions while condemning the considerably less-lethal actions taken by the protestors whom the heavily-armed out-of-state teen killed .
Trump has sunk to a new low that is even more reprehensible than even his most fervent detractors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evidence of what he is capable .
How anyone can still support this man is one of the greatest mysteries of the 21st century to date .
He must be defeated by an overwhelming margin before this country can even begin to start a long recovery process that may take a decade or more to complete .
You can jump-start the process by doing everything you can to make sure that Joe Biden — and not this infernal monster of megalomania and narcissism — becomes our next president .
We want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

He went there.
After holding a press briefing this afternoon — ostensibly an update on the administration’s efforts against the coronavirus pandemic — where he spent the majority of his time lambasting Joe Biden and “Democrat-run cities” for the violence that has broken out on his own watch, Trump went beyond the rabble-rousing encouragement of his violent right-wing brownshirt equivalents to the actual excusing of the murder of two people by 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin last week.
Trump began by providing a one-sided partisan interpretation of the primary causes and instigation of the wave of violence that has followed police murders of unarmed Black Americans.
Trump absurdly claims that Portland has been "under siege" for "years." (As someone who has spent a lot of time in Portland I can assure you this is a lie.) pic.twitter.com/ssq60Ct30y — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
Trump is doubling down on his fear-mongering with each new poll that shows him trailing Joe Biden.
By reaching deep into the fascist playbook pioneered by Adolph Hitler in 1930s Germany, the president is laying the groundwork for a massive security effort that will likely target his political opponents or at least satiate his base’s appetite for liberal tears.
Trump is still disrespectfully pronouncing Kamala Harris's name incorrectly pic.twitter.com/NxM2Pft1Pd — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
Trump continues to speak as if the violence that is taking place was happening during the administration of some other president from the Democratic party, despite the fact that he is the one ostensibly in control of the levers of power and by rights should accept all of the responsibility of what happens during his watch.
Instead, he simply assigned blame to those who lack the power to even pass a bill successfully without the cooperation of the GOP controlled Senate and play at political culture wars.
Trump's rant about antifa is uncut lunacy. If this guy wins another term this country will be beyond salvaging, if it isn't already. pic.twitter.com/yS0N7Zv6ez — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
The number of outright lies that Trump spews anytime he opens his mouth is no longer surprising, but they eat away at the souls of those who believe that our democracy is worth defending.
REPORTER: Did you give any consideration to the governor and mayor's request to not go to Kenosha tomorrow? TRUMP: No pic.twitter.com/rpAwO5HqN6 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
It was only when the Q & A session with reporters at the end of the presser came around that Trump was forced to display the full measure of his hypocrisy, excusing and justifying Kyle Rittenhouse’s murderous actions while condemning the considerably less-lethal actions taken by the protestors whom the heavily-armed out-of-state teen killed.
https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1300570807253508102?s=20
Trump has sunk to a new low that is even more reprehensible than even his most fervent detractors could have imagined him reaching despite all the evidence of what he is capable.
How anyone can still support this man is one of the greatest mysteries of the 21st century to date.
He must be defeated by an overwhelming margin before this country can even begin to start a long recovery process that may take a decade or more to complete.
You can jump-start the process by doing everything you can to make sure that Joe Biden — and not this infernal monster of megalomania and narcissism — becomes our next president.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
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--2020-08-31--Pelosi responds with outrage after court rules Congress can’t enforce subpoenas

Elections have consequences , some of which aren ’ t immediately apparent .
The “ election ” of Donald Trump with a sizable deficit of the popular vote has had so many visibly disturbing consequences that some of the more insidiously hidden repercussions of that damnable day are still playing out…and may continue to affect our body politic long after Trump is likely to be either serving a long prison sentence or has become worm-food of a particularly disgusting vintage .
The latest ramification to result from the 2016 debacle comes from two Republican-appointed judges who have handed the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would likely never even have been necessary in any administration before this one .
In a two-to-one decision handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C .
Circuit , Judges Thomas Griffith and Karen Henderson ruled that the House of Representatives can not compel President Trump ’ s former White House counsel Donald McGahn to comply with a congressional subpoena dating back to the impeachment investigations of Donald Trump .
It was a surprising and disturbing decision that came just weeks after the full Court of Appeals for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the standing to sue the administration to get the information that it needed to fully investigate the executive branch .
The ruling was based on a simple premise : that despite having a legitimate right to the information it was seeking , Congress had never enacted any legislation that authorized a remedy to the refusal to honor a lawful subpoena and enforce it in federal courts .
The result is a toothless legislative branch with no power whatsoever to sanction a rogue administration hell-bent on ignoring any oversight by congressional leaders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no time in incorporating the decision in the McGahn case into its filing seeking to block a House subpoena seeking documents related to the 2020 census .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) reacted to the news with outrage and announced that the House will appeal the judgment from the sub-panel of the full court to the entire Court of Appeals for the D.C .
Circuit .
While the ruling means that the case will likely eventually worm its way to the Supreme Court for a definitive decision on the matter — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go before an iota of new evidence is gleaned from McGahn or any other Trump White House players — Congress still has other tools at its disposal that could help convince recalcitrant officials to testify , including fines and “ inherent contempt.
” This last power , which has yet to be challenged by the Trump administration , includes the rarely used power to arrest , detain , and jail anyone convicted of inherent contempt by a congressional chamber ’ s votes .
With the Trump administration using everything in its arsenal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution ’ s separation of powers , it ’ s now time for Democratic congressional leaders to start playing hardball before it ’ s too late for any potential revelations to be disclosed before the November elections .
Dust off that rumored cell in the Capitol basement .
It ’ s time to start populating it again !
Original reporting by Spencer S. Hsu and Ann E. Marimow at The Washington Post .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW @ @ @

Elections have consequences, some of which aren’t immediately apparent.
The “election” of Donald Trump with a sizable deficit of the popular vote has had so many visibly disturbing consequences that some of the more insidiously hidden repercussions of that damnable day are still playing out…and may continue to affect our body politic long after Trump is likely to be either serving a long prison sentence or has become worm-food of a particularly disgusting vintage.
The latest ramification to result from the 2016 debacle comes from two Republican-appointed judges who have handed the Trump administration a temporary victory in a case that would likely never even have been necessary in any administration before this one.
In a two-to-one decision handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Judges Thomas Griffith and Karen Henderson ruled that the House of Representatives can not compel President Trump’s former White House counsel Donald McGahn to comply with a congressional subpoena dating back to the impeachment investigations of Donald Trump.
It was a surprising and disturbing decision that came just weeks after the full Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed that Congress indeed had the standing to sue the administration to get the information that it needed to fully investigate the executive branch.
The ruling was based on a simple premise: that despite having a legitimate right to the information it was seeking, Congress had never enacted any legislation that authorized a remedy to the refusal to honor a lawful subpoena and enforce it in federal courts.
The result is a toothless legislative branch with no power whatsoever to sanction a rogue administration hell-bent on ignoring any oversight by congressional leaders.
Trump’s Department of Justice wasted no time in incorporating the decision in the McGahn case into its filing seeking to block a House subpoena seeking documents related to the 2020 census.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reacted to the news with outrage and announced that the House will appeal the judgment from the sub-panel of the full court to the entire Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
PELOSI: "This wrong-headed Court of Appeals panel ruling threatens to strike a grave blow to one of the most fundamental Constitutional roles of the Congress: to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people, including by issuing our lawful and legitimate subpoenas." — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 31, 2020
While the ruling means that the case will likely eventually worm its way to the Supreme Court for a definitive decision on the matter — ensuring that election day will come and go before an iota of new evidence is gleaned from McGahn or any other Trump White House players — Congress still has other tools at its disposal that could help convince recalcitrant officials to testify, including fines and “inherent contempt.”
This last power, which has yet to be challenged by the Trump administration, includes the rarely used power to arrest, detain, and jail anyone convicted of inherent contempt by a congressional chamber’s votes.
With the Trump administration using everything in its arsenal to avoid congressional scrutiny in a repudiation of the Constitution’s separation of powers, it’s now time for Democratic congressional leaders to start playing hardball before it’s too late for any potential revelations to be disclosed before the November elections.
Dust off that rumored cell in the Capitol basement. It’s time to start populating it again!
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Spencer S. Hsu and Ann E. Marimow at The Washington Post.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
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--2020-08-31--NYPD union accused of minting racist challenge coins about hunting Black people

The American people ’ s faith in law enforcement has been deeply and likely irreparably damaged by the events of the past year .
When protests sprang up over the killing of unarmed Black Americans at the hands of police , cops in cities across the country , with the urging of the president , responded with overwhelming brutal force , tear-gassing innocent civilians on numerous occasions , beating them , siccing dogs on them , and even ramming into them with vehicles in some cases .
The New York City Police Department ’ s actions proved especially egregious and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went viral in the weeks following the killing of George Floyd .
After such a string of incidents , one might imagine the NYPD would be eager to rehabilitate its image but a new report from The Gothamist indicates no such eagerness .
The NYPD has come out in defense of a clearly racist “ challenge coin ” from 2017 that refers to East Flatbush as “ Fort Jah.
” The coin was created by the Police Benevolent Association and sold in the 67th Precinct headquarters .
Four other coins have also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precinct in question along with the “ Fort Jah ” phrase .
One of them bears the image of two white cops hunting a Black man alongside a Hemingway quote about the “ hunting ” of men .
Another image shows a skull with dreadlocks , clearly an attempt to otherize and dehumanize members of the West Indian communities in East Flatbush .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
NYPD spokesperson Detective Denise Moroney claimed to The Gothamist that only the 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and denied any connection to the ones with the overt racist imagery .
Morony further claimed that both she and the precinct commander were unaware of what “ Fort Jah ” referred to but did concede that “ Jah ” is a religious term for God in the Rastafarian faith .
Even so , Morony stated she doesn ’ t know where the nickname came from .
“ There ’ s always nicknames that fly around , they ’ ve floated around since the 1980s , 1970s .
You have Fort Apache , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nicknames that have stuck around through the ages , ” said Moroney said .
Given what we know about the NYPD ’ s often adversarial relationship with the truth , such claims of ignorance should be taken with a grain of salt .
The likeliest explanation is that officers had the horrifyingly racist coins made as an-joke for their white coworkers and are now denying their involvement to save face .
The simple undeniable fact though is that our law enforcement agents have a dire , systemic racism problem .
Every time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it makes it clear that the problem is far worse than many of us ever expected .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The American people’s faith in law enforcement has been deeply and likely irreparably damaged by the events of the past year. When protests sprang up over the killing of unarmed Black Americans at the hands of police, cops in cities across the country, with the urging of the president, responded with overwhelming brutal force, tear-gassing innocent civilians on numerous occasions, beating them, siccing dogs on them, and even ramming into them with vehicles in some cases.
The New York City Police Department’s actions proved especially egregious and numerous clips of disturbingly violent police behavior went viral in the weeks following the killing of George Floyd. After such a string of incidents, one might imagine the NYPD would be eager to rehabilitate its image but a new report from The Gothamist indicates no such eagerness. The NYPD has come out in defense of a clearly racist “challenge coin” from 2017 that refers to East Flatbush as “Fort Jah.”
The coin was created by the Police Benevolent Association and sold in the 67th Precinct headquarters. Four other coins have also been found online bearing the markings of the precinct in question along with the “Fort Jah” phrase. One of them bears the image of two white cops hunting a Black man alongside a Hemingway quote about the “hunting” of men. Another image shows a skull with dreadlocks, clearly an attempt to otherize and dehumanize members of the West Indian communities in East Flatbush.
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
NYPD spokesperson Detective Denise Moroney claimed to The Gothamist that only the 2017 fundraiser coin is connected to the department and denied any connection to the ones with the overt racist imagery. Morony further claimed that both she and the precinct commander were unaware of what “Fort Jah” referred to but did concede that “Jah” is a religious term for God in the Rastafarian faith. Even so, Morony stated she doesn’t know where the nickname came from.
“There’s always nicknames that fly around, they’ve floated around since the 1980s, 1970s. You have Fort Apache, Fort Surrender, you have a lot of nicknames that have stuck around through the ages,” said Moroney said.
Given what we know about the NYPD’s often adversarial relationship with the truth, such claims of ignorance should be taken with a grain of salt. The likeliest explanation is that officers had the horrifyingly racist coins made as an-joke for their white coworkers and are now denying their involvement to save face. The simple undeniable fact though is that our law enforcement agents have a dire, systemic racism problem. Every time a story like this hits the news it makes it clear that the problem is far worse than many of us ever expected.
the NYPD is not even pretending to try to hide it pic.twitter.com/yObheIb15a — Shaun King is a grifter, don't give him money (@NatTowsen) August 30, 2020
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-31--Twitter slaps manipulated media warning tag on Trump team for editing video of Biden speech

Trump and his lackeys are desperate to land a punch on the Biden campaign .
November is almost upon us and still the Republicans are struggling to construct a narrative to make their disastrous incumbent leader somehow look more competent and better suited to be president than Joe Biden .
Unfortunately for them , they have nothing to run on .
COVID-19 continues to ravage the country due to Trump ’ s failure to properly respond to the outbreak , countless Americans have lost their jobs , racial divisions continue to widen and protestors fill the streets .
Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insanity , a chance to return to an America where the people running our government know what they ’ re doing and our daily political discourse is more than just a glorified reality TV show .
Unable to honestly grapple with the president ’ s monumental failures and repeatedly demonstrated inability to lead , the Trump campaign is resorting to blatant misinformation and intentionally misleading videos to attack Biden .
Earlier today the “ Trump War Room ” Twitter account , which is run by the official Trump 2020 campaign , tweeted out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America.
” Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
While the original video shows that Biden was simply quoting and refuting Trump ’ s ridiculous claim about him , the War Room tweet presented the snippet as if Biden was literally promising viewers that they would not be safe if he were president .
It was a pathetically transparent dirty trick on the part of the Trump campaign and a clear indication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupid .
To prevent people from falling for it , Twitter slapped a “ Manipulated Media ” tag on the tweet .
Here is the original clip in context .
And here is what the Trump campaign released .
The account sent a follow-up tweet in which the campaign tried to present the deliberately misleading tweet as a “ joke , ” but one struggles to believe they would have done so if Twitter hadn ’ t tagged the tweet as manipulated .
All-in-all , this is just embarrassing for the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrified of losing that they ’ re resorting to this kind of childish and ultimately ineffective smearing ?
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Trump and his lackeys are desperate to land a punch on the Biden campaign. November is almost upon us and still the Republicans are struggling to construct a narrative to make their disastrous incumbent leader somehow look more competent and better suited to be president than Joe Biden. Unfortunately for them, they have nothing to run on.
COVID-19 continues to ravage the country due to Trump’s failure to properly respond to the outbreak, countless Americans have lost their jobs, racial divisions continue to widen and protestors fill the streets. Biden is offering a reprieve from the chaos and insanity, a chance to return to an America where the people running our government know what they’re doing and our daily political discourse is more than just a glorified reality TV show.
Unable to honestly grapple with the president’s monumental failures and repeatedly demonstrated inability to lead, the Trump campaign is resorting to blatant misinformation and intentionally misleading videos to attack Biden. Earlier today the “Trump War Room” Twitter account, which is run by the official Trump 2020 campaign, tweeted out a video of Biden saying: “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
While the original video shows that Biden was simply quoting and refuting Trump’s ridiculous claim about him, the War Room tweet presented the snippet as if Biden was literally promising viewers that they would not be safe if he were president. It was a pathetically transparent dirty trick on the part of the Trump campaign and a clear indication that they think American voters are deeply stupid. To prevent people from falling for it, Twitter slapped a “Manipulated Media” tag on the tweet.
Here is the original clip in context.
This is straight up LYING. ACTUAL Biden quote: “Trump and Pence are running on this, and I find it fascinating, quote: ‘You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America’. And what’s their proof? The violence we’re seeing in Donald Trump’s America.” REPORTEDpic.twitter.com/pYf1Exu63P — HawaiiDelilah™ (@HawaiiDelilah) August 31, 2020
And here is what the Trump campaign released.
Joe Biden says "You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America!" pic.twitter.com/wSKe4N1XzF — Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) August 31, 2020
The account sent a follow-up tweet in which the campaign tried to present the deliberately misleading tweet as a “joke,” but one struggles to believe they would have done so if Twitter hadn’t tagged the tweet as manipulated. All-in-all, this is just embarrassing for the president. Are he and his team really so terrified of losing that they’re resorting to this kind of childish and ultimately ineffective smearing?
To all the triggered journalists who can’t take a joke about their candidate, it’s not our fault Joe Biden was dumb enough to say this on camera. — Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) August 31, 2020
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-31--Prosecutors try to smear Breonna Taylor as drug dealer in ex-boyfriend’s plea deal

The term “ systemic racism ” has been bandied about quite a bit in recent months , with right-wing critics of those who cite it as one of the major problems that our nation must overcome to have our democracy survive and prosper denying its very existence .
New evidence surfaced today to provide these naysayers — who likely don ’ t wear face masks during the pandemic but seem to cover their eyes with blinders or rose-colored glasses to prevent themselves from seeing what is so obvious to so many others — with sufficient evidence of the racist rot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopefully make claims that it is nonexistent evaporate .
Vice News correspondent Roberto Aram Ferdman posted the shocking information about how prosecutors in Kentucky tried to leverage a plea deal for the ex-boyfriend of Breonna Taylor into an excuse to exonerate her police officer murderers of any responsibility for their no-knock home invasion that resulted in the young Black emergency medical technician ’ s death .
This shameless attempt at retroactive victim-blaming to prevent the prosecution of the police officers involved is one of the most despicable prosecutorial maneuvers imaginable in these times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been outraged by police brutality and abuse of power , joining Black Lives Matters protests in record numbers .
The very idea of predicting a plea deal on smearing the name and reputation of an innocent victim of a deadly police screwup is not only infuriating , but it also demonstrates the stunning lack of accountability that is routine in the halls of justice in way too many of our disunited states .
Response to Ferdman ’ s post was fierce among those who have needed no additional proof that systemic racism has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far beyond the letter of the law .
Until America ’ s justice system stops trying to protect corrupt cops and their disgusting misdeeds , mistakes and deliberate trickery , our cities will be filled with unrest , at least until a Democratic regime takes power and works hard to reverse the tragic source that we ’ ve trodden for the past three and a half years .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The term “systemic racism” has been bandied about quite a bit in recent months, with right-wing critics of those who cite it as one of the major problems that our nation must overcome to have our democracy survive and prosper denying its very existence.
New evidence surfaced today to provide these naysayers — who likely don’t wear face masks during the pandemic but seem to cover their eyes with blinders or rose-colored glasses to prevent themselves from seeing what is so obvious to so many others — with sufficient evidence of the racist rot pervading our justice system that it will hopefully make claims that it is nonexistent evaporate.
Vice News correspondent Roberto Aram Ferdman posted the shocking information about how prosecutors in Kentucky tried to leverage a plea deal for the ex-boyfriend of Breonna Taylor into an excuse to exonerate her police officer murderers of any responsibility for their no-knock home invasion that resulted in the young Black emergency medical technician’s death.
On Tuesday, we were told Breonna Taylor’s ex-boyfriend Jamarcus Glover was offered a plea deal, which would have required him to say that Taylor was part of his drug operation. Just now, the family’s attorney shared a picture of a plea deal that appears to show it is true pic.twitter.com/E9nsWQLKrb — Roberto Aram Ferdman (@robferdman) August 31, 2020
According to the family’s lawyer, he only has this photo, which was shared w/ him. The others listed in the document were all arrested on 3/13. Unclear why Breonna Taylor is included as a member of Glover's “organized crime syndicate,” but… easy to see why they would want that — Roberto Aram Ferdman (@robferdman) August 31, 2020
This shameless attempt at retroactive victim-blaming to prevent the prosecution of the police officers involved is one of the most despicable prosecutorial maneuvers imaginable in these times when so much of the country has been outraged by police brutality and abuse of power, joining Black Lives Matters protests in record numbers.
The very idea of predicting a plea deal on smearing the name and reputation of an innocent victim of a deadly police screwup is not only infuriating, but it also demonstrates the stunning lack of accountability that is routine in the halls of justice in way too many of our disunited states.
Response to Ferdman’s post was fierce among those who have needed no additional proof that systemic racism has perverted America’s justice system to far beyond the letter of the law.
And more proof that there should be video of these same cops! https://t.co/8wYKlGDHMb — Mary#Blacklivesmatter (@careabout) August 31, 2020
They want to be able to say her death wasn't as bad as it sounds, and that she wasn't as good of a person as we say she was. Just like they do with every other police killing. Hell even this will be used against her. "see?? She was a criminal! Why would they want to charge her??" — Edward Silva (@EdwardSilva28) August 31, 2020
Until America’s justice system stops trying to protect corrupt cops and their disgusting misdeeds, mistakes and deliberate trickery, our cities will be filled with unrest, at least until a Democratic regime takes power and works hard to reverse the tragic source that we’ve trodden for the past three and a half years.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Roberto Aram Ferdman at Vice News.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
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--2020-08-31--Trump’s Press Secretary refuses to condemn Kenosha shooter

Donald Trump presides over an America in chaos .
Police continue to shoot and kill Black people in the streets , protests rage , and right-wing agitators descend on cities to violently “ counter-protest , ” transforming peaceful communities into burning warzones .
The president refuses to offer any kind of leadership on these issues , preferring instead to rant about “ law & order ” while ridiculously blaming Democrats for the violence that ’ s occurring under his watch .
He is in every sense the last person this country needs in the Oval Office right now .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police in Kenosha , Wisconsin has prompted Trump to behave in his usual shameful , cynical fashion .
The cops shot Blake numerous times in the back , paralyzing him from the waist down .
The video of the incident ignited protests in the city and armed right-wingers traveled to Kenosha .
One such right-winger , 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse , ended up shooting and killing two individuals and has been brought up on homicide charges .
Conservatives are already flocking to Rittenhouse ’ s support , claiming that he acted in self-defense .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that Rittenhouse illegally transported his AR-15 across state lines to inject himself into the heart of the unrest in Kenosha .
Simply put , if he had stayed home instead of running off to show off his weapon and fulfill some kind of tough-guy militia fantasy the two people he killed would still be alive today .
Regardless of the other details of the case , this harsh reality can not be overlooked .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was asked if Trump condemns Rittenhouse ’ s actions .
In a normal political world , one where the president is something more than a cynical political operator pandering to right-wing kooks and racists , the White House would offer a simple response to such a question .
McEnany could say that the president condemns all violence and that heavily armed children should not be driving into cities and shooting people .
Instead , McEnany showcased her usual cowardice .
“ Um , the president , um , is not going to again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ Um , you can ask him this evening and he may weigh in further but at the moment he ’ s not weighing into that.
” It ’ s worth noting that Rittenhouse is a Trump supporter who attended at least one of the president ’ s rallies , so the administration ’ s reluctance to condemn his actions can be at least partially explained by that detail .
More broadly , Trump clearly doesn ’ t want to alienate the bloodthirsty Republicans who are glad that two protestors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is far more important to him than offering anything like moral leadership .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Donald Trump presides over an America in chaos. Police continue to shoot and kill Black people in the streets, protests rage, and right-wing agitators descend on cities to violently “counter-protest,” transforming peaceful communities into burning warzones. The president refuses to offer any kind of leadership on these issues, preferring instead to rant about “law & order” while ridiculously blaming Democrats for the violence that’s occurring under his watch. He is in every sense the last person this country needs in the Oval Office right now.
The recent tragic shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin has prompted Trump to behave in his usual shameful, cynical fashion. The cops shot Blake numerous times in the back, paralyzing him from the waist down. The video of the incident ignited protests in the city and armed right-wingers traveled to Kenosha. One such right-winger, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, ended up shooting and killing two individuals and has been brought up on homicide charges.
Conservatives are already flocking to Rittenhouse’s support, claiming that he acted in self-defense. Such claims are obviously complicated by the fact that Rittenhouse illegally transported his AR-15 across state lines to inject himself into the heart of the unrest in Kenosha. Simply put, if he had stayed home instead of running off to show off his weapon and fulfill some kind of tough-guy militia fantasy the two people he killed would still be alive today. Regardless of the other details of the case, this harsh reality cannot be overlooked.
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
Today, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if Trump condemns Rittenhouse’s actions. In a normal political world, one where the president is something more than a cynical political operator pandering to right-wing kooks and racists, the White House would offer a simple response to such a question. McEnany could say that the president condemns all violence and that heavily armed children should not be driving into cities and shooting people. Instead, McEnany showcased her usual cowardice.
“Um, the president, um, is not going to again to weigh in on that,” she said. “Um, you can ask him this evening and he may weigh in further but at the moment he’s not weighing into that.”
It’s worth noting that Rittenhouse is a Trump supporter who attended at least one of the president’s rallies, so the administration’s reluctance to condemn his actions can be at least partially explained by that detail. More broadly, Trump clearly doesn’t want to alienate the bloodthirsty Republicans who are glad that two protestors have been killed. Maintaining their support is far more important to him than offering anything like moral leadership.
REPORTER: Does the president condemn the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused of shooting protesters? McENANY: The president is not going to weigh in on that pic.twitter.com/MNaL1tkESx — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-31--Senator King sounds alarm over Trump admin ending election briefings: “looks like a pre-coverup!”

The announcement this weekend that the Director of National Intelligence will no longer provide in-person briefings about election security to members of the congressional intelligence committees came and went without generating the quantity of outrage that it truly deserves .
Senator Angus King ( I-ME ) is doing his best to change that , saying today that the sudden move “ looks like a pre-cover-up.
” “ I can ’ t get into the head of these people , but we have a president who never likes to hear the word ‘ Russia , ’ at least not in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meddling in our elections , ” Senator King told CNN .
“ I hate to say this but it looks like a pre-cover-up .
It looks like they don ’ t want to share the information , they ’ re covering up information , ” he continued .
“ I don ’ t know what they have or don ’ t have , but it looks like they ’ re trying to keep this information from the public so when everybody goes to vote on Nov. 3 , they won ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been attempted to be influenced by the Russians or some other country.
” Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has said that the in-person briefings will cease for now to prevent leaks of classified material , although since he will continue to deliver a written intelligence briefing , it ’ s uncertain how the lack of an opportunity for legislators to directly question intelligence officials about their findings will prevent further leaks of secret information .
“ I reiterated to Congress , look , I ’ m going to keep you fully and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , ” Ratcliffe told Fox News ’ Maria Bartiromo yesterday .
“ But I also said , we ’ re not going to do a repeat of what happened a month ago , when I did more than what was required , at the request of Congress , to brief not just the Oversight Committees , but every member of Congress.
” Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
Other legislators besides Senator King have condemned Ratcliffe ’ s decision , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) issuing a joint statement denouncing the move .
“ This intelligence belongs to the American people , not the agencies which are its custodian .
And the American people have both the right and the need to know that another nation , Russia , is trying to help decide who their president should be , ” the statement from Pelosi and Schiff said .
With Trump already calling the election rigged before a single vote is cast and indications that Russia is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to or beyond how they meddled in 2016 , American voters have to stay aware that much of the divisive propaganda on social media sites may actually originate from sources linked to the Kremlin with an agenda of re-electing Donald Trump .
Now that this “ pre-coverup , ” as Senator King calls it , is already in place , the only way to ensure that the election results won ’ t be corrupted by Russian trickery is to turn out in such massive numbers that it delivers the presidency to Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be denied .
Original reporting by Zack Budryk at The Hill .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

The announcement this weekend that the Director of National Intelligence will no longer provide in-person briefings about election security to members of the congressional intelligence committees came and went without generating the quantity of outrage that it truly deserves.
Senator Angus King (I-ME) is doing his best to change that, saying today that the sudden move “looks like a pre-cover-up.”
“I can’t get into the head of these people, but we have a president who never likes to hear the word ‘Russia,’ at least not in the context of the relationships or of Russia meddling in our elections,” Senator King told CNN. “I hate to say this but it looks like a pre-cover-up. It looks like they don’t want to share the information, they’re covering up information,” he continued. “I don’t know what they have or don’t have, but it looks like they’re trying to keep this information from the public so when everybody goes to vote on Nov. 3, they won’t know the extent to which they’ve been attempted to be influenced by the Russians or some other country.”
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has said that the in-person briefings will cease for now to prevent leaks of classified material, although since he will continue to deliver a written intelligence briefing, it’s uncertain how the lack of an opportunity for legislators to directly question intelligence officials about their findings will prevent further leaks of secret information.
“I reiterated to Congress, look, I’m going to keep you fully and currently informed, as required by the law,” Ratcliffe told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo yesterday. “But I also said, we’re not going to do a repeat of what happened a month ago, when I did more than what was required, at the request of Congress, to brief not just the Oversight Committees, but every member of Congress.”
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
Other legislators besides Senator King have condemned Ratcliffe’s decision, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) issuing a joint statement denouncing the move.
“This intelligence belongs to the American people, not the agencies which are its custodian. And the American people have both the right and the need to know that another nation, Russia, is trying to help decide who their president should be,” the statement from Pelosi and Schiff said.
With Trump already calling the election rigged before a single vote is cast and indications that Russia is already repeating its electoral interference on levels equal to or beyond how they meddled in 2016, American voters have to stay aware that much of the divisive propaganda on social media sites may actually originate from sources linked to the Kremlin with an agenda of re-electing Donald Trump.
Now that this “pre-coverup,” as Senator King calls it, is already in place, the only way to ensure that the election results won’t be corrupted by Russian trickery is to turn out in such massive numbers that it delivers the presidency to Joe Biden in an unprecedented landslide that can’t be denied.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Zack Budryk at The Hill.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
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--2020-08-31--“It’s too late.” Reporter reveals Jacob Blake family’s response to a Trump outreach

It can be exhausting cataloging all of the myriad ways in which Donald Trump has damaged this country , but the way in which he has consistently inflamed America ’ s racial divides is perhaps the most unforgivable .
Protests against police brutality and the killing of Black Americans continue to rock the country and Donald Trump continues to overwhelmingly side with cops , even in cases where they ’ re actions are utterly indefensible .
This president has made it abundantly clear that masquerading as a “ law & order ” leader and appeasing the racists in his base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger priorities than stopping the loss of innocent life .
Just over a week ago , police in Kenosha , Wisconsin shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake several times in the back , paralyzing him from the waist down .
The brutal police incident unleashed a wave of protests in the city and predictably Trump has focused on these “ riots , ” absurdly blaming Joe Biden and Democrats for disorder , and completely losing sight of the most important part of the whole tragic saga : a young man has had his life irreparably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restraint .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
Today , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if Trump has spoken to Blake ’ s family .
She claimed that the administration has been “ efforting outreach ” but that they ’ ve been “ unable to connect yet.
” According to NBC News ’ s Peter Alexander , the attorney for the Blake family said that his office has yet to receive a call to set up any kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , it looks like the White House is shamelessly lying .
At the same time , The Washington Post ’ s Dave Weigel reports that he spoke to Jacob Blake ’ s father this past Friday who said that it ’ s “ too late ” for Trump to call him but that he already “ talked to President Biden.
” The decision to preemptively call him President Biden instead of vice president would seem to indicate that he knows exactly who he ’ s voting for this election and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in talking to a racist , pro-police brutality president like Donald Trump .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It can be exhausting cataloging all of the myriad ways in which Donald Trump has damaged this country, but the way in which he has consistently inflamed America’s racial divides is perhaps the most unforgivable.
Protests against police brutality and the killing of Black Americans continue to rock the country and Donald Trump continues to overwhelmingly side with cops, even in cases where they’re actions are utterly indefensible. This president has made it abundantly clear that masquerading as a “law & order” leader and appeasing the racists in his base ahead of the November election are much bigger priorities than stopping the loss of innocent life.
Just over a week ago, police in Kenosha, Wisconsin shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake several times in the back, paralyzing him from the waist down. The brutal police incident unleashed a wave of protests in the city and predictably Trump has focused on these “riots,” absurdly blaming Joe Biden and Democrats for disorder, and completely losing sight of the most important part of the whole tragic saga: a young man has had his life irreparably changed because police officers refused to display restraint.
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
Today, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if Trump has spoken to Blake’s family. She claimed that the administration has been “efforting outreach” but that they’ve been “unable to connect yet.” According to NBC News’s Peter Alexander, the attorney for the Blake family said that his office has yet to receive a call to set up any kind of meeting with the Trump administration. Once again, it looks like the White House is shamelessly lying.
Asked whether Trump has spoken to Jacob Blake's family, Kayleigh McEnany says, "We are efforting outreach, have not been able to connect yet." But, Blake family lawyer @AttorneyCrump tells @HallieJackson @MSNBC: “My office has received no calls to set up any kind of meeting.” https://t.co/Wb5GJ4jrh5 — Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) August 31, 2020
At the same time, The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel reports that he spoke to Jacob Blake’s father this past Friday who said that it’s “too late” for Trump to call him but that he already “talked to President Biden.” The decision to preemptively call him President Biden instead of vice president would seem to indicate that he knows exactly who he’s voting for this election and it’s little surprise that he has no interest in talking to a racist, pro-police brutality president like Donald Trump.
Jacob Blake’s father told me on Friday that it was too late for Trump to call him and “I’ve already talked to President Biden.” https://t.co/W923twh3ul — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 31, 2020
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-31--State Attorney joins Morning Joe and destroys Kenosha killer’s absurd “self-defense” claims

Kyle Rittenhouse , the Illinois wannabe-cop teenager who killed two people and wounded one more while playing vigilante militiaman during last week ’ s protests in Kenosha , Wisconsin , somehow has the nerve to try to claim that the shootings were done in self-defense .
The idea that you can shoot someone in self-defense because you are forced to defend yourself after you ’ ve already shot someone is absolutely ridiculous , especially considering all the trouble that Rittenhouse went to put himself in the position to be able to shoot someone .
Palm Beach County state attorney articulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense in legal terms on this morning ’ s episode of Morning Joe , outlining “ His lawyers are setting up for a self-defense claim , ” Aronberg said .
“ Keep in mind he was the one that put the night of violence in motion .
He was the one that traveled across state lines as a 17-year-old , to possess a weapon he was not allowed to possess , to stand guard outside a used car lot that no one asked him to stand guard at .
Sign the petition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sabotage of the post office !
So he was the initial aggressor , and under the initial aggressor doctrine , he ’ s not allowed self-defense unless he makes it clear he ’ s abandoning the fight or others come at him using excessive force , and according to videos doesn ’ t look like either of those claims hold water .
Because the first person that he shot didn ’ t have a weapon .
The second person he shot and killed came at him with a skateboard .
The lawyers will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be dangerous .
You tell that to a jury that Rittenhouse , who had an AR-15 , was in reasonable fear of his life from a guy with a skateboard.
” Aronberg thought the first-degree murder charge was a little overambitious but went on to explain that Rittenhouse is still in deep trouble .
“ I think the first-degree murder charges here may need to be dropped down to second-degree murder or manslaughter because I don ’ t know if the elements are there…But he could face 60 years in prison instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essentially life .
Another thing we need to be concerned about , what kind of message does this send to young people , when you hold this guy up to be a hero .
There ’ s hundreds of thousands of dollars being raised for his defense fund .
Well , that encourages other vigilantes to go into conflict zones and possibly take other lives knowing they too could be a hero on the far right .
That puts everyone at risk.
” It is absolutely disgusting to see the right-wing flock to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declare him to be a hero , and it is imperative that the state of Wisconsin brings down the hammer on Rittenhouse lest they send a signal to the rest of the nation that you can get away with murdering protesters as long as you claim it ’ s “ self-defense .
”

Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois wannabe-cop teenager who killed two people and wounded one more while playing vigilante militiaman during last week’s protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, somehow has the nerve to try to claim that the shootings were done in self-defense.
The idea that you can shoot someone in self-defense because you are forced to defend yourself after you’ve already shot someone is absolutely ridiculous, especially considering all the trouble that Rittenhouse went to put himself in the position to be able to shoot someone.
Palm Beach County state attorney articulated the huge holes in Rittenhouse’s defense in legal terms on this morning’s episode of Morning Joe, outlining
“His lawyers are setting up for a self-defense claim,” Aronberg said. “Keep in mind he was the one that put the night of violence in motion. He was the one that traveled across state lines as a 17-year-old, to possess a weapon he was not allowed to possess, to stand guard outside a used car lot that no one asked him to stand guard at.
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
So he was the initial aggressor, and under the initial aggressor doctrine, he’s not allowed self-defense unless he makes it clear he’s abandoning the fight or others come at him using excessive force, and according to videos doesn’t look like either of those claims hold water. Because the first person that he shot didn’t have a weapon. The second person he shot and killed came at him with a skateboard. The lawyers will say a guy wielding a skateboard could be dangerous. You tell that to a jury that Rittenhouse, who had an AR-15, was in reasonable fear of his life from a guy with a skateboard.”
Aronberg thought the first-degree murder charge was a little overambitious but went on to explain that Rittenhouse is still in deep trouble.
“I think the first-degree murder charges here may need to be dropped down to second-degree murder or manslaughter because I don’t know if the elements are there…But he could face 60 years in prison instead of life, so it’s still essentially life. Another thing we need to be concerned about, what kind of message does this send to young people, when you hold this guy up to be a hero. There’s hundreds of thousands of dollars being raised for his defense fund. Well, that encourages other vigilantes to go into conflict zones and possibly take other lives knowing they too could be a hero on the far right. That puts everyone at risk.”
It is absolutely disgusting to see the right-wing flock to this murderous man’s defense and declare him to be a hero, and it is imperative that the state of Wisconsin brings down the hammer on Rittenhouse lest they send a signal to the rest of the nation that you can get away with murdering protesters as long as you claim it’s “self-defense.”
Watch it here:
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-31--Trump congratulates himself for saving Kenosha from being destroyed and preventing “great death”

On Monday morning , President Trump took to Twitter and congratulated himself for saving the city of Kenosha , Wisconsin , which apparently was on the verge of being entirely destroyed by an enormous raging mob of liberals who were ready to kill and burn .
“ There would be no Kenosha ” and “ great death and injury ” declared Trump , diving off the deep end of into the depths of absurd hyperbole like he always does .
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
It is extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media seizing on the riots that followed the appalling police shooting of Jacob Blake as a 2020 re-election tactic ; the message coming out of last week ’ s Republican National Convention and this weekend ’ s propagandizing is “ this chaos wouldn ’ t be happening if Donald Trump was president , ” even though he is the president and himself spent the weekend implicitly encouraging his supporters to commit violence against the protesters .
While some looting has occurred and some police-affiliated buildings have been burned , the idea that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ridiculous .
As president , there are many things that he could do to calm the protesters and rein in America ’ s hyperviolent and racist police forces — which is all they want .
But instead , he would rather fearmonger from the sidelines and fan the flames of racial fear for his own benefit — like every Republican president has before him .

On Monday morning, President Trump took to Twitter and congratulated himself for saving the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, which apparently was on the verge of being entirely destroyed by an enormous raging mob of liberals who were ready to kill and burn.
“There would be no Kenosha” and “great death and injury” declared Trump, diving off the deep end of into the depths of absurd hyperbole like he always does.
If I didn’t INSIST on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now. Also, there would have been great death and injury. I want to thank Law Enforcement and the National Guard. I will see you on Tuesday! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2020
The Radical Left Mayors & Governors of Cities where this crazy violence is taking place have lost control of their “Movement”. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but the Anarchists & Agitators got carried away and don’t listen anymore – even forced Slow Joe out of basement! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
It is extremely bizarre to watch Trump and the right-wing media seizing on the riots that followed the appalling police shooting of Jacob Blake as a 2020 re-election tactic; the message coming out of last week’s Republican National Convention and this weekend’s propagandizing is “this chaos wouldn’t be happening if Donald Trump was president,” even though he is the president and himself spent the weekend implicitly encouraging his supporters to commit violence against the protesters.
The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected after 95 days of watching and incompetent Mayor admit that he has no idea what he is doing. The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer.The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard! https://t.co/bM6ypak94t — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
While some looting has occurred and some police-affiliated buildings have been burned, the idea that the entire city is somehow at risk is ridiculous.
As president, there are many things that he could do to calm the protesters and rein in America’s hyperviolent and racist police forces — which is all they want. But instead, he would rather fearmonger from the sidelines and fan the flames of racial fear for his own benefit — like every Republican president has before him.
OD STAFF Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-01--Portland Fire & Rescue claps back at Trump after he says their “entire city is ablaze”

As election day grows closer it ’ s going to get harder and harder to keep track of the flurry of jaw-dropping lies issuing forth from the White House .
Trump has nothing concrete to offer the American people beyond four more years of chaos and incompetency and so he ’ s trying to slime Joe Biden will all manner of blatantly untrue allegations .
The president is also reaching deep into the bag of unhinged right-wing conspiracy theories to scare voters into supporting his reactionary agenda .
Perhaps the most ludicrous part of the Republican strategy is claiming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under a President Biden .
For some reason , they ’ ve decided the best way to prove this point is to package clips of cities protesting and burning as if Americans are too stupid to realize that Trump is president right now so the destruction unfolding can be laid directly at his feet .
When protests against police brutality sprang up all across the country rather than listening to their demands and pushing for reforms Trump urged police to respond with more violence .
During yesterday ’ s White House Press briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland , Oregon—which has been a hotbed for protests recently—is “ ablaze all the time.
” Then , during an interview with far-right loon Laura Ingraham , Trump claimed that Portland has been “ burning for many years , for decades it ’ s been burning.
” Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump ’ s sabotage of the post office !
The claim is obviously utterly ridiculous and it shows just how dirt stupid Trump thinks American voters are .
What sane person would buy the line that the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for decades ?
At some point wouldn ’ t it cease to be a city altogether and just be a pile of smoldering ash ?
Now , the Portland fire department is pushing back against the president ’ s ludicrous rhetoric .
Lieutenant Rich Chatman , a spokesperson for Portland Fire & Rescue told CNN via text message last night that : “ WE ARE NOT ABLAZE IN PORTLAND.
” “ There is a very isolated pocket of demonstrations that have involved fire , none of which has been substantial enough to need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added Chatman .
While he conceded that there has been some kind of fire set “ just about every night ” of the protests , most of them have been contained to “ dumpsters or trash cans ” and were not set near buildings .
Only a “ handful of incidents ” have occurred in which individuals attempted to directly set fire to structures .
“ I would like to emphasize again : this is a small group of demonstrators , ” he added .
Not only are Trump ’ s fiery claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re deeply disrespectful to the men and women of the Portland Fire & Rescue who regularly risk their lives to put out flames that actually exist .
By stating that the city is burning to the ground , the president is saying that they ’ re not doing their jobs properly .
He owes them an apology but of course , they ’ ll never get one from a man as habitually unrepentant as Donald Trump .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know @ @ @ @ @ @

As election day grows closer it’s going to get harder and harder to keep track of the flurry of jaw-dropping lies issuing forth from the White House. Trump has nothing concrete to offer the American people beyond four more years of chaos and incompetency and so he’s trying to slime Joe Biden will all manner of blatantly untrue allegations. The president is also reaching deep into the bag of unhinged right-wing conspiracy theories to scare voters into supporting his reactionary agenda.
Perhaps the most ludicrous part of the Republican strategy is claiming that America will not be “safe” under a President Biden. For some reason, they’ve decided the best way to prove this point is to package clips of cities protesting and burning as if Americans are too stupid to realize that Trump is president right now so the destruction unfolding can be laid directly at his feet. When protests against police brutality sprang up all across the country rather than listening to their demands and pushing for reforms Trump urged police to respond with more violence.
During yesterday’s White House Press briefing, Trump claimed that the city of Portland, Oregon—which has been a hotbed for protests recently—is “ablaze all the time.” Then, during an interview with far-right loon Laura Ingraham, Trump claimed that Portland has been “burning for many years, for decades it’s been burning.”
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop Trump’s sabotage of the post office!
The claim is obviously utterly ridiculous and it shows just how dirt stupid Trump thinks American voters are. What sane person would buy the line that the largest city in Oregon has been in flames for decades? At some point wouldn’t it cease to be a city altogether and just be a pile of smoldering ash?
Trump begins his hour-long interview Laura Ingraham by saying "Portland has been burning for many years, for decades it's been burning," which is a lie pic.twitter.com/wbzMqy6Uyj — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 1, 2020
Now, the Portland fire department is pushing back against the president’s ludicrous rhetoric. Lieutenant Rich Chatman, a spokesperson for Portland Fire & Rescue told CNN via text message last night that: “WE ARE NOT ABLAZE IN PORTLAND.”
“There is a very isolated pocket of demonstrations that have involved fire, none of which has been substantial enough to need more than 1 fire engine,” added Chatman. While he conceded that there has been some kind of fire set “just about every night” of the protests, most of them have been contained to “dumpsters or trash cans” and were not set near buildings. Only a “handful of incidents” have occurred in which individuals attempted to directly set fire to structures.
“I would like to emphasize again: this is a small group of demonstrators,” he added.
Not only are Trump’s fiery claims about Portland patently untrue, they’re deeply disrespectful to the men and women of the Portland Fire & Rescue who regularly risk their lives to put out flames that actually exist. By stating that the city is burning to the ground, the president is saying that they’re not doing their jobs properly. He owes them an apology but of course, they’ll never get one from a man as habitually unrepentant as Donald Trump.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
OD STAFF Latest Posts