occupydemocrats--2020-11-30--Trump unloads on “hapless” Republican governor of Georgia over election results

President-elect Joe Biden will assume the office of the American presidency in 51 days and yet Donald Trump is still insisting that he won the election .
His ludicrous attempts to overturn the results have been repeatedly thrown out of the courts and his team has failed to provide even a scrap of evidence to back up their allegations of widespread voter fraud .
To everyone except the most diehard MAGA fanatics , it ’ s clear that Donald Trump lost this election by an overwhelming margin .
Trump ’ s efforts to undermine faith in the integrity of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s also starting to damage his own party .
As the president and his lackeys work to convince state-level GOP officials to finagle a win for Trump , they ’ re pitting the frothing Trumpist hordes against some mainline Republicans who aren ’ t quite ready to completely destroy our democracy .
Today , Trump went directly after the Republican Governor of Georgia , Brian Kemp .
Kemp has been a loyal supporter of Trump , but his refusal to override the will of the people of Georgia to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a Twitter attack in which Trump called him “ hapless ” and urged him to use his “ emergency powers ” to “ overrule his obstinate Secretary of State ” and force a “ match of signatures of envelopes.
” Georgia ’ s Secretary of State is Brad Raffensperger who is also a Republican .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
The soon-to-be-ex-president went on to claim that a signature match would uncover a “ ‘ goldmine ’ of fraud ' ” and help him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the number of envelopes should also be checked against the number of ballots and that it would be “ so simple , so easy to do.
” His claim that Republicans “ are angry ” is certainly true but their angry because the president has convinced them that the election was stolen when it wasn ’ t , not because they have any legitimate cause for anger .
As usual , Trump failed to provide any evidence for his outlandish claims and seems to be either delusional or simply stroking his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won Georgia and rather than accept that simple fact Trump has decided to wage war on his own party .
He could not have possibly chosen a worse time to do so as far as the GOP is concerned since there are currently two Senate runoffs underway which will determine whether or not Democrats seize control of the chamber .
Every time Trump lobs a tweet like this he ’ s giving a handout to his enemies .
The Republicans made a deal with the Devil , now it ’ s time for @ @ @ @ @

President-elect Joe Biden will assume the office of the American presidency in 51 days and yet Donald Trump is still insisting that he won the election. His ludicrous attempts to overturn the results have been repeatedly thrown out of the courts and his team has failed to provide even a scrap of evidence to back up their allegations of widespread voter fraud. To everyone except the most diehard MAGA fanatics, it’s clear that Donald Trump lost this election by an overwhelming margin.
Trump’s efforts to undermine faith in the integrity of our elections damage our Republic in obvious ways, but it’s also starting to damage his own party. As the president and his lackeys work to convince state-level GOP officials to finagle a win for Trump, they’re pitting the frothing Trumpist hordes against some mainline Republicans who aren’t quite ready to completely destroy our democracy.
Today, Trump went directly after the Republican Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp. Kemp has been a loyal supporter of Trump, but his refusal to override the will of the people of Georgia to hand the state to the president earned him a Twitter attack in which Trump called him “hapless” and urged him to use his “emergency powers” to “overrule his obstinate Secretary of State” and force a “match of signatures of envelopes.” Georgia’s Secretary of State is Brad Raffensperger who is also a Republican.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
The soon-to-be-ex-president went on to claim that a signature match would uncover a “‘goldmine’ of fraud'” and help him to “easily WIN the state.” He added that the number of envelopes should also be checked against the number of ballots and that it would be “so simple, so easy to do.” His claim that Republicans “are angry” is certainly true but their angry because the president has convinced them that the election was stolen when it wasn’t, not because they have any legitimate cause for anger.
As usual, Trump failed to provide any evidence for his outlandish claims and seems to be either delusional or simply stroking his ego in bad faith. Joe Biden won Georgia and rather than accept that simple fact Trump has decided to wage war on his own party. He could not have possibly chosen a worse time to do so as far as the GOP is concerned since there are currently two Senate runoffs underway which will determine whether or not Democrats seize control of the chamber. Every time Trump lobs a tweet like this he’s giving a handout to his enemies.
The Republicans made a deal with the Devil, now it’s time for them to get burned.
Why won’t Governor @BrianKempGA, the hapless Governor of Georgia, use his emergency powers, which can be easily done, to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State, and do a match of signatures on envelopes. It will be a “goldmine” of fraud, and we will easily WIN the state…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
….Also, quickly check the number of envelopes versus the number of ballots. You may just find that there are many more ballots than there are envelopes. So simple, and so easy to do. Georgia Republicans are angry, all Republicans are angry. Get it done! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-12-02--New court documents reveal DOJ investigating pay-for-pardon scheme in Trump administration

As the Trump administration enters its final days , it appears as if it will leave the White House as enmeshed in scandal as it entered it .
According to new court documents , the Department of Justice has begun an investigation of a potential crime that involves a transfer of money to either the White House or a political committee related to the Trump campaign in exchange for the promise of a pardon by Donald Trump .
Because all of the names in the court documents have been redacted and the investigation is still ongoing , there are few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the shocking allegations .
However , the documents do reveal that communications between the people involved were seized in a raid that took place “ sometime before the end of this summer , according to CNN .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
More than 50 devices including iPhones , iPads , laptops , thumb drives , and computer drives were gathered during that raid and handed to a “ filter team , ” a group tasked with ensuring that material covered by attorney/client privilege doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of prosecutors .
The court documents detail the request made by prosecutors to access the material held by the filter team because the DOJ prosecutors believe that they will provide evidence for an allegedly criminal bribery plot that included a “ secret lobbying scheme ” and a conspiracy that offered “ a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of sentence.
” The name of the convicted defendant whose sentence the plot was to benefit has their name redacted in the documents released today .
Since there is only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a presidential pardon , Donald Trump himself , the beneficiary of the alleged bribery plot is obvious .
While most communication between lawyers and their clients are considered privileged and inaccessible to prosecutors , the law makes exceptions to that rule when the communications concern the planning of a crime .
An already existing grand jury investigation seems to cite unidentified people who acted as unregistered “ lobbyists to senior White House officials ” as they tried to arrange a pardon and use a third-party intermediary to forward an illegal bribe , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department prosecutors have yet to produce evidence of a direct payment but instead were presenting an argument that the target of the pardon was using their history of past contributions and the promise of future donations as leverage for the pardon .
The prosecutors also told the judge that they were planning to “ confront ” three people with the evidence gathered and complete their investigation , but that no charges have yet been formally filed .
While Trump has pardoned many people , including most recently his former national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centered on the possibility that the case involves Paul Pogue , a construction company owner who pleaded guilty in 2010 to underpaying his taxes by nearly half a million dollars and whose son and his daughter-in-law have donated over $ 200,000 to Trump ’ s campaign since August of 2019 .
With so much still unknown about the evidence that the Justice Department has uncovered , it is too early to say whether Donald Trump himself was aware of the bribery scheme .
Hopefully , a full investigation under incoming President Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public needs to know about this alleged corruption and see that everyone involved is appropriately punished .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

As the Trump administration enters its final days, it appears as if it will leave the White House as enmeshed in scandal as it entered it.
According to new court documents, the Department of Justice has begun an investigation of a potential crime that involves a transfer of money to either the White House or a political committee related to the Trump campaign in exchange for the promise of a pardon by Donald Trump.
According to CNN:
“The disclosure is in 20 pages of partially redacted documents made public by the DC District Court on Tuesday afternoon. The records show Chief Judge Beryl Howell’s review in August of a request from prosecutors to access documents obtained in a search as part of a bribery-for-pardon investigation.”
Because all of the names in the court documents have been redacted and the investigation is still ongoing, there are few details of the participants or the timeline of the shocking allegations.
However, the documents do reveal that communications between the people involved were seized in a raid that took place “sometime before the end of this summer, according to CNN.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
More than 50 devices including iPhones, iPads, laptops, thumb drives, and computer drives were gathered during that raid and handed to a “filter team,” a group tasked with ensuring that material covered by attorney/client privilege doesn’t accidentally fall into the hands of prosecutors.
The court documents detail the request made by prosecutors to access the material held by the filter team because the DOJ prosecutors believe that they will provide evidence for an allegedly criminal bribery plot that included a “secret lobbying scheme” and a conspiracy that offered “a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of sentence.”
The name of the convicted defendant whose sentence the plot was to benefit has their name redacted in the documents released today.
Since there is only one person who can agree to offer a presidential pardon, Donald Trump himself, the beneficiary of the alleged bribery plot is obvious.
While most communication between lawyers and their clients are considered privileged and inaccessible to prosecutors, the law makes exceptions to that rule when the communications concern the planning of a crime.
“The political strategy to obtain a presidential pardon was ‘parallel’ to and distinct from [redacted]’s role as an attorney-advocate for [redacted name],” Judge Howell wrote in her court order.
An already existing grand jury investigation seems to cite unidentified people who acted as unregistered “lobbyists to senior White House officials” as they tried to arrange a pardon and use a third-party intermediary to forward an illegal bribe, the unsealed court records show.
Apparently, the Justice Department prosecutors have yet to produce evidence of a direct payment but instead were presenting an argument that the target of the pardon was using their history of past contributions and the promise of future donations as leverage for the pardon.
The prosecutors also told the judge that they were planning to “confront” three people with the evidence gathered and complete their investigation, but that no charges have yet been formally filed.
While Trump has pardoned many people, including most recently his former national security advisor Michael Flynn, online speculation has centered on the possibility that the case involves Paul Pogue, a construction company owner who pleaded guilty in 2010 to underpaying his taxes by nearly half a million dollars and whose son and his daughter-in-law have donated over $200,000 to Trump’s campaign since August of 2019.
With so much still unknown about the evidence that the Justice Department has uncovered, it is too early to say whether Donald Trump himself was aware of the bribery scheme.
Hopefully, a full investigation under incoming President Joe Biden’s Justice Department will reveal everything the public needs to know about this alleged corruption and see that everyone involved is appropriately punished.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Katelyn Polantz at CNN.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--“Resistance” hero Neal Katyal sparks outrage with appalling legal defense of Nestlé in child slavery

“Resistance” hero Neal Katyal sparks outrage with appalling legal defense of Nestlé in child slavery case

Much of the criticism leveled at the anti-Trump “ Resistance ” from the left is provoked by the performative nature of its wokeness and disgust at how certain prominent figures exploited people ’ s well-deserved horror and disgust at the Trump presidency to pull a hood over their own sins .
One such figure is former Obama solicitor general and # Resistance legal hero Neal Katyal , who sparked outrage on social media this afternoon when he gave the defense of the Nestlé USA and Cargill corporations before the Supreme Court in the cases of Nestlé USA v. Doe I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The accusations ?
Aiding and abetting child slavery in West Africa .
“ Plaintiffs are former child slaves who were kidnapped and forced to work on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast for up to fourteen hours a day without pay .
While being forced to work on the cocoa farms , plaintiffs witnessed the beating and torture of other child slaves who attempted to escape , ” stated the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in their summary .
“ Defendants were well aware that child slave labor is a pervasive problem in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to provide financial support and technical farming aid , even though they knew their acts would assist farmers who were using forced child labor , and knew their assistance would facilitate child slavery .
Indeed , the gravamen of the complaint is that defendants depended on—and orchestrated—a slave-based supply chain.
” Katyal , a frequent MSNBC contributor and outspoken Trump critic , used precedents from a 1789 statue preventing freed American slaves from suing corporations and the infamous “ Zyklon B ” argument to articulate a monstrous defense that essentially argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could do that it should be held accountable for , including if a U.S. corporation had paid for the child-slaves to be kidnapped before being forced into labor .
At one point , this depraved scumbag even laughed at the concern for human rights from noted bleeding heart-liberal…Brett Kavanaugh .
Imagine how morally repulsive your argument has to be to elicit concern for human rights from a cold-blooded psychopath like Brett Kavanaugh .
Nestlé and other major chocolate corporations pledged nearly twenty years ago that they would stop using child labor to produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to actually do anything about it — and now have given up entirely , simply choosing to argue that they shouldn ’ t be held responsible for how their products get made or how many children are abused and exploited in the process .
A 2015 U.S. Labor Department report shows that nearly 2 million children across West Africa are engaged in the dangerous and grueling work of cocoa harvesting .
It ’ s hard to imagine the twisted and macabre gymnastics one must twist their soul into to publicly condemn the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration but then argue before the Supreme Court that corporations shouldn ’ t be held liable for the mass child slavery that fuels their bottom lines .
Many of Katyal ’ s defenders may claim that he ’ s just doing his job , or that the problem is with the arcane and vague nuances of the law itself , which is evidence itself of how blindly partisan and fanatical Americans have become in the wake of the Trump years .
There is no defending this abomination , and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleep at night after this — and infuriating to know that this weekend , he ’ ll probably be back on the Rachel Maddow Show pretending to be a defender of liberty and freedom against a tyrant like Trump .

Much of the criticism leveled at the anti-Trump “Resistance” from the left is provoked by the performative nature of its wokeness and disgust at how certain prominent figures exploited people’s well-deserved horror and disgust at the Trump presidency to pull a hood over their own sins.
One such figure is former Obama solicitor general and #Resistance legal hero Neal Katyal, who sparked outrage on social media this afternoon when he gave the defense of the Nestlé USA and Cargill corporations before the Supreme Court in the cases of Nestlé USA v. Doe I and Cargill, Inc. v. Doe.
The accusations? Aiding and abetting child slavery in West Africa.
“Plaintiffs are former child slaves who were kidnapped and forced to work on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast for up to fourteen hours a day without pay. While being forced to work on the cocoa farms, plaintiffs witnessed the beating and torture of other child slaves who attempted to escape,” stated the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in their summary.
“Defendants were well aware that child slave labor is a pervasive problem in the Ivory Coast. Nonetheless, defendants continued to provide financial support and technical farming aid, even though they knew their acts would assist Farming Simulator 22 mods farmers, who were using forced child labor, and knew their assistance would facilitate child slavery. Indeed, the gravamen of the complaint is that defendants depended on—and orchestrated—a slave-based supply chain.”
Katyal, a frequent MSNBC contributor and outspoken Trump critic, used precedents from a 1789 statue preventing freed American slaves from suing corporations and the infamous “Zyklon B” argument to articulate a monstrous defense that essentially argued that there was almost nothing a major corporation could do that it should be held accountable for, including if a U.S. corporation had paid for the child-slaves to be kidnapped before being forced into labor.
At one point, this depraved scumbag even laughed at the concern for human rights from noted bleeding heart-liberal…Brett Kavanaugh. Imagine how morally repulsive your argument has to be to elicit concern for human rights from a cold-blooded psychopath like Brett Kavanaugh.
Third, Alito (!) asks Katyal: If a U.S. corporation hired foreign agents to kidnap children and hold them in bondage on a plantation in Africa, could those children sue the corporation in U.S. courts under this law? Katyal says: Nope. pic.twitter.com/WWcj9oPjrH — Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) December 1, 2020
Nestlé and other major chocolate corporations pledged nearly twenty years ago that they would stop using child labor to produce their cocoa, but they’ve failed to actually do anything about it — and now have given up entirely, simply choosing to argue that they shouldn’t be held responsible for how their products get made or how many children are abused and exploited in the process. A 2015 U.S. Labor Department report shows that nearly 2 million children across West Africa are engaged in the dangerous and grueling work of cocoa harvesting.
It’s hard to imagine the twisted and macabre gymnastics one must twist their soul into to publicly condemn the separation of children from their parents by the Trump administration but then argue before the Supreme Court that corporations shouldn’t be held liable for the mass child slavery that fuels their bottom lines.
Many of Katyal’s defenders may claim that he’s just doing his job, or that the problem is with the arcane and vague nuances of the law itself, which is evidence itself of how blindly partisan and fanatical Americans have become in the wake of the Trump years. There is no defending this abomination, and it’s hard to comprehend how Katyal can sleep at night after this — and infuriating to know that this weekend, he’ll probably be back on the Rachel Maddow Show pretending to be a defender of liberty and freedom against a tyrant like Trump.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--Trump makes laughable claim that a “large truck” full of fake ballots robbed him of victory

Around the same time that Attorney General William Barr was announcing that the Justice Department has failed to find evidence of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election , his boss President Trump was on Twitter pumping out more lies about how the Democrats stole the election from him .
The president ’ s claims about fraud have grown so outlandish that even Fox News has become hesitant to spread them so Trump and his MAGA cultists have begun to migrate to even further right outlets like OANN , where unhinged conspiracy theories and blatant lies are gleefully trafficked on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in anything even resembling the truth at this point , they just want to have their paranoid beliefs confirmed and repeated .
In his tweet , Trump wrote that he hoped “ everybody is watching @ OANN right now ” because they ’ re showing things that other networks are “ afraid to show.
” The reality , of course , is not that CNN and MSNBC and Fox News are “ afraid ” to say what OANN is saying , it ’ s that these legacy networks know that OANN ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of things that would have once been relegated to fringe corners of the internet .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
“ People are coming forward like never before , ” Trump went on , presumably referring to unsubstantiated and unreliable witnesses who claim to have seen voter fraud operations unfolding .
So far , none of these people have been able to provide any real proof to back up their allegations .
“ Large truck carrying hundreds of thousands of fraudulent ( FAKE ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TERRIBLE – SAVE AMERICA !
” Trump added , blasting out a completely baseless story to his tens of millions of followers .
The cartoonish image of a massive truck rolling up to a vote-counting center and unloading piles and piles of fake ballots is one that no rational person would take seriously but one which Trumpists desperate for an explanation for their loss are sure to eat up in droves .
As for his final exhortation , that we must “ SAVE AMERICA , ” that ’ s already been done .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country when they voted this pathologically mendacious , would-be authoritarian out of the White House .
In just 50 days , President-elect Joe Biden will finally sweep the trash out for good .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Around the same time that Attorney General William Barr was announcing that the Justice Department has failed to find evidence of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election, his boss President Trump was on Twitter pumping out more lies about how the Democrats stole the election from him.
The president’s claims about fraud have grown so outlandish that even Fox News has become hesitant to spread them so Trump and his MAGA cultists have begun to migrate to even further right outlets like OANN, where unhinged conspiracy theories and blatant lies are gleefully trafficked on a daily basis. Trumpers have no interest in anything even resembling the truth at this point, they just want to have their paranoid beliefs confirmed and repeated.
In his tweet, Trump wrote that he hoped “everybody is watching @OANN right now” because they’re showing things that other networks are “afraid to show.” The reality, of course, is not that CNN and MSNBC and Fox News are “afraid” to say what OANN is saying, it’s that these legacy networks know that OANN’s stories are pure fabricated rubbish, the kind of things that would have once been relegated to fringe corners of the internet.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
“People are coming forward like never before,” Trump went on, presumably referring to unsubstantiated and unreliable witnesses who claim to have seen voter fraud operations unfolding. So far, none of these people have been able to provide any real proof to back up their allegations.
“Large truck carrying hundreds of thousands of fraudulent (FAKE) ballots to a voting center?” TERRIBLE – SAVE AMERICA!” Trump added, blasting out a completely baseless story to his tens of millions of followers. The cartoonish image of a massive truck rolling up to a vote-counting center and unloading piles and piles of fake ballots is one that no rational person would take seriously but one which Trumpists desperate for an explanation for their loss are sure to eat up in droves.
As for his final exhortation, that we must “SAVE AMERICA,” that’s already been done. The American people chose to save their country when they voted this pathologically mendacious, would-be authoritarian out of the White House. In just 50 days, President-elect Joe Biden will finally sweep the trash out for good.
Hope everybody is watching @OANN right now. Other media afraid to show. People are coming forward like never before. Large truck carrying hundreds of thousands of fraudulent (FAKE) ballots to a voting center? TERRIBLE – SAVE AMERICA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--Civil war breaks out as Rudy Giuliani publicly disputes Barr’s claim of no election fraud

How one responded to Attorney General William Barr ’ s revelation — made today in an interview with The Associated Press — that the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election depends on whether or not you are an attorney continuing to attempt to overturn the election results on behalf of Donald Trump .
While those who do not fall into that rarefied category saw Barr ’ s admission as a sign that the Republican establishment is beginning to face the reality of Trump ’ s defeat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not say the same of his hair-dye-leaking barrister Rudy Giuliani .
The former New York City mayor , along with fellow Trump attorney Jenna Ellis , responded to the news of the Attorney General ’ s quote that “ To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election , ” with a statement published on official Trump campaign letterhead that essentially claims that Bill Barr doesn ’ t know what he ’ s talking about .
The Trump legal team ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight will continue despite the assertions by the Attorney General that the legal court jester for the president was running a fool ’ s errand means that the nation will suffer through more sore-losing temper tantrums because of a president who simply can ’ t accept that he lost the election fair and square .
With Attorney General Barr reportedly meeting with Trump at the White House this afternoon , we will soon see whether he suffers the same fate as the last senior administration official who dared to say that reports of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are technically incoherent , ” Christopher Krebs , the former head of the Department of Homeland Security ’ s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency .
Krebs was famously fired by Trump in a Twitter post after the president disputed that assessment of the unprecedented security of this election and repeated a litany of claims about election fraud that Twitter itself felt compelled to flag as disputed .
Whether we will soon see Rudy Giuliani — a man said to be under active investigation by the prosecutors in the Justice Department ’ s Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he once headed — will be named as acting Attorney General for the last 50 days of the Trump regime after the president angrily terminates Barr for the cardinal sin of disloyalty remains to be seen .
Stay tuned to the news today , though .
With Donald Trump just about any desperate measure is possible .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

How one responded to Attorney General William Barr’s revelation — made today in an interview with The Associated Press — that the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election depends on whether or not you are an attorney continuing to attempt to overturn the election results on behalf of Donald Trump.
While those who do not fall into that rarefied category saw Barr’s admission as a sign that the Republican establishment is beginning to face the reality of Trump’s defeat by Democrat Joe Biden, one cannot say the same of his hair-dye-leaking barrister Rudy Giuliani.
The former New York City mayor, along with fellow Trump attorney Jenna Ellis, responded to the news of the Attorney General’s quote that “To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” with a statement published on official Trump campaign letterhead that essentially claims that Bill Barr doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
The Trump legal team’s indication that Trump’s legal fight will continue despite the assertions by the Attorney General that the legal court jester for the president was running a fool’s errand means that the nation will suffer through more sore-losing temper tantrums because of a president who simply can’t accept that he lost the election fair and square.
With Attorney General Barr reportedly meeting with Trump at the White House this afternoon, we will soon see whether he suffers the same fate as the last senior administration official who dared to say that reports of election manipulation “have been unsubstantiated or are technically incoherent,” Christopher Krebs, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Krebs was famously fired by Trump in a Twitter post after the president disputed that assessment of the unprecedented security of this election and repeated a litany of claims about election fraud that Twitter itself felt compelled to flag as disputed.
…votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more. Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2020
Whether we will soon see Rudy Giuliani — a man said to be under active investigation by the prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Southern District of New York, a division that he once headed — will be named as acting Attorney General for the last 50 days of the Trump regime after the president angrily terminates Barr for the cardinal sin of disloyalty remains to be seen.
Stay tuned to the news today, though. With Donald Trump just about any desperate measure is possible.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--No consequences: Former Trump team members already landing cushy jobs

If the corollary to the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished is that no bad behavior goes unrewarded , then the people who have helped enable Donald Trump during his unprecedentedly scandal-ridden presidency would be the poster children for that observation .
Now that Trump has lost the 2020 election — whether he is willing to publicly concede that loss or not — questions are being raised as to whether those who worked for the lame-duck president and protected him during his tenure will face any stigma in their careers going forward for having been part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American Prospect suggests that — judging from the example of Trump ’ s former national security advisor Lt. Gen. H.R .
McMaster — accountability will slide off the backs of ex-Trump administration officials like an omelet from a Teflon pan .
Author Jonathan Guyer writes of McMaster ’ s silence in the face of numerous outrageous steps taken by Trump including his Muslim ban efforts and his revealing of highly classified military intelligence to Russian officials , despite his supposed status as one of the “ adults in the room ” who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inexperienced president from going too far off the deep end .
Guyer ’ s account of McMaster ’ s subsequent fate after leaving the administration in March of 2018 demonstrates that few of the people integral to enabling Donald Trump are likely to face any serious blowback from prospective employers as they move back into the private sector .
“ In a sign of what other departing Trump appointees are likely to encounter when they look for their next jobs , McMaster has faced no repercussions for any of this .
Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political appointees , he has leveraged the time he spent in the administration into previously unobtainable prestige and wealth .
Interviews with 20 current and former national-security officials from the Trump administration show that those who worked with the president at the highest levels have been welcomed back into the establishment fold .
The fact that so many Trump advisers have landed in powerful positions suggests no one who served the administration is too tainted for a university , consultancy , law firm , or corporation .
Once again , Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an intensification of business as usual.
” For McMaster , his post-administration rewards include “ appointments at Stanford University , board seats at distinguished nonpartisan institutions , and a lucrative position at Zoom , ” according to the article .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
Other former senior Trump officials have done equally well for themselves in their post-White House endeavors , and Guyer presents formidable evidence of their success .
Apparently , human resources executives in Washington DC circles are rather forgiving in their assessments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some believe that these officials should face some consequences for ignoring Trump ’ s misdeeds while they worked with him .
A former colleague of McMaster ’ s condemned those who would surrender their integrity for the material rewards and power that cooperating with Trump could bring them .
You can read the rest of Jonathan Guyer ’ s detailed account of Lt. Gen. H.R .
McMaster ’ s lucrative post-administration career as published by The American Prospect at this link .
Suffice it to say that until social ostracism of everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration brings them the shame and the difficulty of finding new work that their behavior deserves , justice will not be served .
Original reporting by Jonathan Guyer at The American Prospect .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

If the corollary to the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished is that no bad behavior goes unrewarded, then the people who have helped enable Donald Trump during his unprecedentedly scandal-ridden presidency would be the poster children for that observation.
Now that Trump has lost the 2020 election — whether he is willing to publicly concede that loss or not — questions are being raised as to whether those who worked for the lame-duck president and protected him during his tenure will face any stigma in their careers going forward for having been part of the corrupt administration.
A new article at The American Prospect suggests that — judging from the example of Trump’s former national security advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster — accountability will slide off the backs of ex-Trump administration officials like an omelet from a Teflon pan.
Author Jonathan Guyer writes of McMaster’s silence in the face of numerous outrageous steps taken by Trump including his Muslim ban efforts and his revealing of highly classified military intelligence to Russian officials, despite his supposed status as one of the “adults in the room” who were meant to prevent the volatile and inexperienced president from going too far off the deep end.
Guyer’s account of McMaster’s subsequent fate after leaving the administration in March of 2018 demonstrates that few of the people integral to enabling Donald Trump are likely to face any serious blowback from prospective employers as they move back into the private sector.
“In a sign of what other departing Trump appointees are likely to encounter when they look for their next jobs, McMaster has faced no repercussions for any of this. Instead, like many of Trump’s early political appointees, he has leveraged the time he spent in the administration into previously unobtainable prestige and wealth. Interviews with 20 current and former national-security officials from the Trump administration show that those who worked with the president at the highest levels have been welcomed back into the establishment fold. The fact that so many Trump advisers have landed in powerful positions suggests no one who served the administration is too tainted for a university, consultancy, law firm, or corporation. Once again, Trump’s presidency is less a Republican anomaly than an intensification of business as usual.”
For McMaster, his post-administration rewards include “appointments at Stanford University, board seats at distinguished nonpartisan institutions, and a lucrative position at Zoom,” according to the article.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
Other former senior Trump officials have done equally well for themselves in their post-White House endeavors, and Guyer presents formidable evidence of their success.
“Former Defense Secretary James Mattis has a board seat at the giant weapons-maker General Dynamics, a day job at the powerful consultancy the Cohen Group, and a fellowship from Stanford’s Hoover Institution. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has gotten a job on the board of Caliburn International, a for-profit company with lucrative government contracts to operate shelters for migrant children. Chief of staff Reince Priebus, White House counsel Donald McGahn, and director of national intelligence Daniel Coats parlayed their administration experience into jobs at top corporate law firms. Economic adviser Gary Cohn landed at a new consultancy. National-security adviser John Bolton, with a $2 million advance in hand, authored a best-seller. Even press secretary Sean Spicer landed a prestigious fellowship from Harvard’s Institute of Politics,” he writes.
Apparently, human resources executives in Washington DC circles are rather forgiving in their assessments of former Trump administration figures.
“’Everyone who served is a grown-up, and everyone understands the exigencies of serving,” a researcher at a conservative think tank told Guyer. “I’m not big on guilt by association.”
Still, some believe that these officials should face some consequences for ignoring Trump’s misdeeds while they worked with him.
A former colleague of McMaster’s condemned those who would surrender their integrity for the material rewards and power that cooperating with Trump could bring them.
“’There is no honorable way to serve a corrupt and racist president,’ Paul Yingling, a retired military officer who served in combat alongside McMaster in Iraq, told me,” Guyer writes. “’President Trump has this capacity to sense in people that corruption that allows you to trade your integrity for proximity to power. He found it in Jim Mattis. He found it in John Kelly. He found it in H.R. McMaster.’”
You can read the rest of Jonathan Guyer’s detailed account of Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster’s lucrative post-administration career as published by The American Prospect at this link.
Suffice it to say that until social ostracism of everyone associated with the criminal excesses of the Trump administration brings them the shame and the difficulty of finding new work that their behavior deserves, justice will not be served.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Jonathan Guyer at The American Prospect.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--Republican Governor ignores White House phone call on national TV as he certifies votes

The civil war within the Republican Party continues to rage , pitting the cult of MAGA against what could perhaps be generously described as the saner elements of the GOP .
Due to a steady stream of lies from the White House about widespread voter fraud , the former faction has convinced itself that President Trump was robbed of his rightful election victory by a Democratic conspiracy to steal votes .
The latter group recognizes that Trump lost by an astounding margin to Biden and that there is no way at this point that Trump will have a second term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group is moving ahead with certifying the election and preparing for a Biden administration which is , in turn , incensing the Trumpists who see such rational behavior as an unforgivable betrayal .
The president ’ s delusional attacks on the Republican governor of Georgia—a man who has long been a vocal supporter of his—for refusing to reverse the election show that Trump is not above setting his own party on fire on the way out .
The message is clear : past loyalty to the president will not protect you from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in with him in his quest to destroy our democracy or you ’ re marked as an enemy .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
Last night , Rachel Maddow ran a segment on Arizona ’ s Governor Doug Ducey ( R ) .
A longtime supporter of Trump , Ducey has bragged in the past that Vice President Pence and President Trump call him so frequently that they have their own ringtone on his phone : “ Hail to the Chief , ” the official anthem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unfortunately for the governor , his pathetic sycophancy earned him no leniency with Trump when it came to the election , and yesterday the president accused him on Twitter of betraying the people of Arizona .
A clear sign of the falling out between Ducey and the White House came as the govenor was certifying Arizona ’ s vote .
While cameras were rolling and the governor sat at his desk , his phone rang and “ Hail to the Chief ” played .
Rather than answer the phone and speak to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took the phone out , hit ignore , and went back to what he was doing .
A call he would have never dared to miss before is now no more important than one from an irritating telemarketer .
The rift within the party continues to grow .

The civil war within the Republican Party continues to rage, pitting the cult of MAGA against what could perhaps be generously described as the saner elements of the GOP. Due to a steady stream of lies from the White House about widespread voter fraud, the former faction has convinced itself that President Trump was robbed of his rightful election victory by a Democratic conspiracy to steal votes. The latter group recognizes that Trump lost by an astounding margin to Biden and that there is no way at this point that Trump will have a second term.
Recognizing this reality, the saner group is moving ahead with certifying the election and preparing for a Biden administration which is, in turn, incensing the Trumpists who see such rational behavior as an unforgivable betrayal. The president’s delusional attacks on the Republican governor of Georgia—a man who has long been a vocal supporter of his—for refusing to reverse the election show that Trump is not above setting his own party on fire on the way out. The message is clear: past loyalty to the president will not protect you from his ire. Either you throw your lot in with him in his quest to destroy our democracy or you’re marked as an enemy.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
Last night, Rachel Maddow ran a segment on Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey (R). A longtime supporter of Trump, Ducey has bragged in the past that Vice President Pence and President Trump call him so frequently that they have their own ringtone on his phone: “Hail to the Chief,” the official anthem of the President of the United States. Unfortunately for the governor, his pathetic sycophancy earned him no leniency with Trump when it came to the election, and yesterday the president accused him on Twitter of betraying the people of Arizona.
A clear sign of the falling out between Ducey and the White House came as the govenor was certifying Arizona’s vote. While cameras were rolling and the governor sat at his desk, his phone rang and “Hail to the Chief” played. Rather than answer the phone and speak to the vice president or president, Ducey took the phone out, hit ignore, and went back to what he was doing. A call he would have never dared to miss before is now no more important than one from an irritating telemarketer.
The rift within the party continues to grow.
Watch below.
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occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--New report reveals Trump and Giuliani scheming “pre-emptive” pardon

Before he became a hair-dye leaking advocate claiming the election was stolen from Donald Trump , Rudy Giuliani was both the mayor of the nation ’ s largest city and the lead federal prosecutor in New York ’ s Southern District , responsible for enforcing the law .
Now , Giuliani is reportedly trying to evade that law by seeking a pre-emptive pardon from the lame-duck president before Trump leaves power and is unable to help his loyal consiglieri , according to a new account in The New York Times .
The Times alleges that Giuliani , who has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overturn the election results in the key swing states that he lost to Joe Biden , discussed the idea of being granted a pardon for crimes for which he has yet to be even charged with Trump “ as recently as last week.
” The newspaper attributes the account to “ to two people told of the discussion ” but is uncertain whether it was Giuliani or Trump who initially raised the topic .
The Times also reports that the idea of a pre-emptive pardon for Giuliani , who could face legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up dirt on Hunter Biden in Ukraine , has been brought up previously as well and that Trump has yet to give any indication as to whether he will agree to the idea .
According to The New York Times : The Wall Street Journal warned of Giuliani ’ s potential indictment last November , writing : Given Trump ’ s record of pardons of people who he sees as protecting his interests , such as his recent pardon of Michael Flynn , the idea of pardoning Giuliani — even before he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not seem so farfetched in an administration and with a president with seemingly nothing left to lose by taking such an obviously corrupt action .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
Christianne Allen , a spokeswoman for Giuliani , said , “ Mayor Giuliani can not comment on any discussions that he has with his client , ” and The White House has yet to issue a statement in reply to the report .
The idea of pardoning someone for crimes that might have been committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedents in American history according to The New York Times : Still , in none of these cases were the subjects of the pardons suspected of committing crimes to shield the president from the scrutiny of their own potential criminal actions , a factor that could render any pardon invalid if the Justice Department under Joe Biden decided to challenge the legitimacy of any of Trump ’ s grants .
It will be interesting to see if the uproar that the advance notice of a potential pre-emptive pardon for Rudy Giuliani is causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will actually take that step .
Or maybe Trump will refuse to offer mercy to Giuliani simply to be able to have a prison buddy if he himself is eventually held to account for his actions while in office .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Before he became a hair-dye leaking advocate claiming the election was stolen from Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani was both the mayor of the nation’s largest city and the lead federal prosecutor in New York’s Southern District, responsible for enforcing the law.
Now, Giuliani is reportedly trying to evade that law by seeking a pre-emptive pardon from the lame-duck president before Trump leaves power and is unable to help his loyal consiglieri, according to a new account in The New York Times.
The Times alleges that Giuliani, who has been leading the president’s quixotic effort to overturn the election results in the key swing states that he lost to Joe Biden, discussed the idea of being granted a pardon for crimes for which he has yet to be even charged with Trump “as recently as last week.”
The newspaper attributes the account to “to two people told of the discussion” but is uncertain whether it was Giuliani or Trump who initially raised the topic.
The Times also reports that the idea of a pre-emptive pardon for Giuliani, who could face legal jeopardy for his work trying to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden in Ukraine, has been brought up previously as well and that Trump has yet to give any indication as to whether he will agree to the idea.
According to The New York Times:
“Mr. Giuliani’s potential criminal exposure is unclear. He was under investigation as recently as last summer by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for his business dealings in Ukraine and his role in ousting the American ambassador there, a plot that was at the heart of the impeachment of Mr. Trump.”
The Wall Street Journal warned of Giuliani’s potential indictment last November, writing:
“Subpoenas issued to people with ties to President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and his associates indicate a broad federal investigation into possible money laundering, obstruction of justice and campaign-finance violations, and suggest that prosecutors are looking closely at the work of Mr. Giuliani himself, according to people familiar with the matter.”
Given Trump’s record of pardons of people who he sees as protecting his interests, such as his recent pardon of Michael Flynn, the idea of pardoning Giuliani — even before he has formally been charged with any crimes — does not seem so farfetched in an administration and with a president with seemingly nothing left to lose by taking such an obviously corrupt action.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
Christianne Allen, a spokeswoman for Giuliani, said, “Mayor Giuliani cannot comment on any discussions that he has with his client,” and The White House has yet to issue a statement in reply to the report.
The idea of pardoning someone for crimes that might have been committed before any indictments are issued has few precedents in American history according to The New York Times:
“George Washington pardoned plotters of the Whiskey Rebellion, shielding them from treason prosecutions. In the most famous example, Gerald R. Ford pardoned Richard M. Nixon for all of his actions as president. Jimmy Carter pardoned thousands of American men who illegally avoided the draft for the Vietnam War,” the newspaper writes.
Still, in none of these cases were the subjects of the pardons suspected of committing crimes to shield the president from the scrutiny of their own potential criminal actions, a factor that could render any pardon invalid if the Justice Department under Joe Biden decided to challenge the legitimacy of any of Trump’s grants.
It will be interesting to see if the uproar that the advance notice of a potential pre-emptive pardon for Rudy Giuliani is causing makes it any less likely that Trump will actually take that step.
Or maybe Trump will refuse to offer mercy to Giuliani simply to be able to have a prison buddy if he himself is eventually held to account for his actions while in office.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Maggie Haberman and
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--Reporter Brian J. Karem torches Kayleigh McEnany for calling him a “misogynist” for asking questions

In just one long month , our collective minds might be relieved from the constant barrage of breathtaking hypocrisy and utter lack of self-awareness ; perhaps in a year or so , we might once again be able to process irony with some modicum of enjoyment rather than the teeth-clenching numbness that four years of a Donald Trump presidency has left us .
But that light at the end of the tunnel is still several weeks away , and until then we ’ re going to have to put up with the outrageous pearl-clutching of people like his press secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning complained that it was “ misogynist ” for PLAYBOY reporter Brian Karem to ask tough “ chauvinistic ” questions to “ female women ” like herself .
Those “ chauvinistic questions ” include such incredibly sexist queries like “ why do you lie so much ” and “ why won ’ t the President do anything about the bounties on U.S. soldiers ?
” It could not be more obvious that her sudden concern for misogyny is simply a lazy attempt to hijack the language of social justice in order to tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press corps who is particularly relentless in his efforts to hold the Trump administration accountable for their heinous policies .
Perhaps shouting questions at her as she walks away isn ’ t the most polite way to go about it , but given her refusal to offer any substantial answers or respond to questions that aren ’ t softballs from pro-Trump propaganda outlets , Karem has very few options at his disposal .
On top of that , it is absolutely laughable for her to complain about the misogyny of a Playboy reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cover of Playboy magazine and even appeared in a 2000 softcore Playboy pornographic film — and has been credibly accused of serial sexual harassment , assault , and rape by over 20 different women .
Seeing as she ’ s devoted her life to publicly defending Trump and everything he does , it ’ s clear that fighting against misogyny is not exactly high on her list of priorities .
Brian Karem himself fired back with a biting response that put the Press Secretary squarely in her place :

In just one long month, our collective minds might be relieved from the constant barrage of breathtaking hypocrisy and utter lack of self-awareness; perhaps in a year or so, we might once again be able to process irony with some modicum of enjoyment rather than the teeth-clenching numbness that four years of a Donald Trump presidency has left us.
But that light at the end of the tunnel is still several weeks away, and until then we’re going to have to put up with the outrageous pearl-clutching of people like his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, who on Tuesday morning complained that it was “misogynist” for PLAYBOY reporter Brian Karem to ask tough “chauvinistic” questions to “female women” like herself.
Kayleigh McEnany: "…It's a double standard. It's one that's ridiculous and one that the White House Correspondents' Association should look into, when you have Playboy reporters shouting at women in a misogynistic manner simply because they're a member of the GOP." (2/2) — Quint Forgey (@QuintForgey) December 1, 2020
Those “chauvinistic questions” include such incredibly sexist queries like “why do you lie so much” and “why won’t the President do anything about the bounties on U.S. soldiers?”
It could not be more obvious that her sudden concern for misogyny is simply a lazy attempt to hijack the language of social justice in order to tear down a member of the White House press corps who is particularly relentless in his efforts to hold the Trump administration accountable for their heinous policies. Perhaps shouting questions at her as she walks away isn’t the most polite way to go about it, but given her refusal to offer any substantial answers or respond to questions that aren’t softballs from pro-Trump propaganda outlets, Karem has very few options at his disposal.
On top of that, it is absolutely laughable for her to complain about the misogyny of a Playboy reporter since Donald Trump himself has appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine and even appeared in a 2000 softcore Playboy pornographic film — and has been credibly accused of serial sexual harassment, assault, and rape by over 20 different women. Seeing as she’s devoted her life to publicly defending Trump and everything he does, it’s clear that fighting against misogyny is not exactly high on her list of priorities.
Brian Karem himself fired back with a biting response that put the Press Secretary squarely in her place:
Lame. @realDonaldTrump failed 3 times in court to ban me. Speaking truth to power is not misogyny. You work for a misogynist. Your briefings are propaganda. You failed the American people who pay your salary. You're sore because you can't answer questions honestly. https://t.co/n0vHZJipiV — Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) December 1, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-12-01--Trump makes likely illegal demand of Georgia’s governor in wild twitter outburst

President-elect Joe Biden will assume the office of the American presidency in 51 days and yet Donald Trump is still insisting that he won the election .
His ludicrous attempts to overturn the results have been repeatedly thrown out of the courts and his team has failed to provide even a scrap of evidence to back up their allegations of widespread voter fraud .
To everyone except the most diehard MAGA fanatics , it ’ s clear that Donald Trump lost this election by an overwhelming margin .
Trump ’ s efforts to undermine faith in the integrity of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s also starting to damage his own party .
As the president and his lackeys work to convince state-level GOP officials to finagle a win for Trump , they ’ re pitting the frothing Trumpist hordes against some mainline Republicans who aren ’ t quite ready to completely destroy our democracy .
Yesterday , Trump went directly after the Republican Governor of Georgia , Brian Kemp .
Kemp has been a loyal supporter of Trump , but his refusal to override the will of the people of Georgia to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a Twitter attack in which Trump called him “ hapless ” and urged him to use his “ emergency powers ” to “ overrule his obstinate Secretary of State ” and force a “ match of signatures of envelopes.
” Georgia ’ s Secretary of State is Brad Raffensperger who is also a Republican .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
The soon-to-be-ex-president went on to claim that a signature match would uncover a “ ‘ goldmine ’ of fraud ' ” and help him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the number of envelopes should also be checked against the number of ballots and that it would be “ so simple , so easy to do.
” His claim that Republicans “ are angry ” is certainly true but their angry because the president has convinced them that the election was stolen when it wasn ’ t , not because they have any legitimate cause for anger .
As usual , Trump failed to provide any evidence for his outlandish claims and seems to be either delusional or simply stroking his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won Georgia and rather than accept that simple fact Trump has decided to wage war on his own party .
Kemp ’ s office felt the need to respond to the president ’ s attacks yesterday .
The governor ’ s Communications Director Cody Hall told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that “ Georgia law prohibits the governor from interfering in elections.
” Hall explained that Georgia ’ s Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing elections and that the governor does not have the power to override them .
“ As the governor has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the law and encourage the Secretary of State to take reasonable steps — including a sample audit of signatures — to restore trust and address serious issues that have been raised , ” added Hall .
Rather than heed this perfectly reasonable explanation , Trump doubled down on his ill-advised attack today .
He tweeted to urge Kemp to “ do something ” and claimed that the governor is allowing his state to be “ scammed.
” He repeated his order to check signatures and count signed envelopes against the ballots .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t be needed .
We will all WIN !
” Trump concluded , seemingly calling for Kemp to unilaterally cancel out the will of the people of Georgia and violate the state ’ s election laws .
It ’ s unclear exactly how he wants Kemp to cancel an election that already happened but luckily there is no legal mechanism that will allow him to do so .
Trump can demand illegal election interference all he wants , it won ’ t work and he won ’ t get a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Deal with it .
It ’ s important that the Republican Party never be allowed to wash this stain out .
They ’ ve empowered and supported a would-be authoritarian for four years and now , as he is trying to execute a soft coup , the party is silent .
There is some small joy to be gleaned from the fact that Trump is now turning on his allies , but it doesn ’ t make up for the incalcuable damage being inflicted on our democracy .

President-elect Joe Biden will assume the office of the American presidency in 51 days and yet Donald Trump is still insisting that he won the election. His ludicrous attempts to overturn the results have been repeatedly thrown out of the courts and his team has failed to provide even a scrap of evidence to back up their allegations of widespread voter fraud. To everyone except the most diehard MAGA fanatics, it’s clear that Donald Trump lost this election by an overwhelming margin.
Trump’s efforts to undermine faith in the integrity of our elections damage our Republic in obvious ways, but it’s also starting to damage his own party. As the president and his lackeys work to convince state-level GOP officials to finagle a win for Trump, they’re pitting the frothing Trumpist hordes against some mainline Republicans who aren’t quite ready to completely destroy our democracy.
Yesterday, Trump went directly after the Republican Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp. Kemp has been a loyal supporter of Trump, but his refusal to override the will of the people of Georgia to hand the state to the president earned him a Twitter attack in which Trump called him “hapless” and urged him to use his “emergency powers” to “overrule his obstinate Secretary of State” and force a “match of signatures of envelopes.” Georgia’s Secretary of State is Brad Raffensperger who is also a Republican.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
The soon-to-be-ex-president went on to claim that a signature match would uncover a “‘goldmine’ of fraud'” and help him to “easily WIN the state.” He added that the number of envelopes should also be checked against the number of ballots and that it would be “so simple, so easy to do.” His claim that Republicans “are angry” is certainly true but their angry because the president has convinced them that the election was stolen when it wasn’t, not because they have any legitimate cause for anger.
As usual, Trump failed to provide any evidence for his outlandish claims and seems to be either delusional or simply stroking his ego in bad faith. Joe Biden won Georgia and rather than accept that simple fact Trump has decided to wage war on his own party.
Why won’t Governor @BrianKempGA, the hapless Governor of Georgia, use his emergency powers, which can be easily done, to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State, and do a match of signatures on envelopes. It will be a “goldmine” of fraud, and we will easily WIN the state…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
….Also, quickly check the number of envelopes versus the number of ballots. You may just find that there are many more ballots than there are envelopes. So simple, and so easy to do. Georgia Republicans are angry, all Republicans are angry. Get it done! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
Kemp’s office felt the need to respond to the president’s attacks yesterday. The governor’s Communications Director Cody Hall told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that “Georgia law prohibits the governor from interfering in elections.” Hall explained that Georgia’s Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing elections and that the governor does not have the power to override them.
“As the governor has said repeatedly, he will continue to follow the law and encourage the Secretary of State to take reasonable steps — including a sample audit of signatures — to restore trust and address serious issues that have been raised,” added Hall.
Rather than heed this perfectly reasonable explanation, Trump doubled down on his ill-advised attack today. He tweeted to urge Kemp to “do something” and claimed that the governor is allowing his state to be “scammed.” He repeated his order to check signatures and count signed envelopes against the ballots.
“Then call off election. It won’t be needed. We will all WIN!” Trump concluded, seemingly calling for Kemp to unilaterally cancel out the will of the people of Georgia and violate the state’s election laws.
It’s unclear exactly how he wants Kemp to cancel an election that already happened but luckily there is no legal mechanism that will allow him to do so. Trump can demand illegal election interference all he wants, it won’t work and he won’t get a second term. Joe Biden will be president. Deal with it.
Do something @BrianKempGA. You allowed your state to be scammed. We must check signatures and count signed envelopes against ballots. Then call off election. It won’t be needed. We will all WIN! https://t.co/UiJrlyBGiK — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2020
It’s important that the Republican Party never be allowed to wash this stain out. They’ve empowered and supported a would-be authoritarian for four years and now, as he is trying to execute a soft coup, the party is silent. There is some small joy to be gleaned from the fact that Trump is now turning on his allies, but it doesn’t make up for the incalcuable damage being inflicted on our democracy.
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occupydemocrats--2020-12-03--Ivanka Trump forced to sit for deposition in 2016 inaugural committee lawsuit

It looks like the recent discussions in the White House about a presidential pardon for Donald Trump ’ s children may be more timely than we initially thought .
According to a court filing in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia , Ivanka Trump was deposed today as part of the Washington DC attorney general ’ s office lawsuit alleging the misuse of inaugural funds for her father ’ s January 2017 inaugural festivities .
The Trump family bilking the inaugural committee out of money for their own personal profit ?
How on-brand !
Ivanka ’ s deposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s inaugural committee , offered his sworn testimony in the case a few weeks back .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
The court filing also indicates that the Washington DC attorney general ’ s office has subpoenaed records from Barrack , Ivanka Trump , first lady Melania Trump , and Rick Gates , the former inaugural committee deputy chairman , in their quest to prosecute the siphoning of funds from the millions in donations that poured into the inaugural committee .
The lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who “ personally managed ” the negotiations with the Trump hotel about renting space for their inaugural events .
The details provided in the court documents show that Gates himself was worried about the appearance of impropriety in the committee ’ s contracting with a property owned by the Trump Organization .
In a letter to Ivanka in December of 2016 , Gates said that he was “ a bit worried about the optics of PIC [ Presidential Inaugural Committee ] paying Trump Hotel a high fee and the media making a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end , the lawsuit contends , Rick Gates reached an agreement with The Trump International Hotel ’ s managing director and Trump family members to pay $ 175,000 per day for the committee to use the space for four days .
One would think that the protestations of the committee ’ s own event planner — Stephanie Winston Wolkoff , a friend of First Lady Melania Trump — that the rates agreed to were at least twice the market rate might have at least indicated that they should hire a better negotiator on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gates .
The lawsuit cites Wolkoff ’ s expression of concern about the costly deal in a subsequent meeting with both the then-President-elect and his daughter Ivanka and in a follow-up email as a key part of its evidence of impropriety in the transaction .
Despite Wolkoff ’ s trepidations about the deal , it was accepted by the Inaugural Committee nonetheless .
With Wolkoff set to give her own deposition next week , the case is proceeding as the DC attorney general has planned , but is not expected to reach any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festivities begins .
Perhaps Ivanka will soon have a concrete conviction for which to have her daddy pardon her .
Hopefully , she will be only the first of many Trump family members to be convicted for their grifting ways .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It looks like the recent discussions in the White House about a presidential pardon for Donald Trump’s children may be more timely than we initially thought.
According to a court filing in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Ivanka Trump was deposed today as part of the Washington DC attorney general’s office lawsuit alleging the misuse of inaugural funds for her father’s January 2017 inaugural festivities.
CNN reports:
In January, the DC attorney general’s office sued the Trump Organization and Presidential Inaugural Committee alleging they abused more than $1 million raised by the nonprofit by “grossly overpaying” for use of event space at the Trump hotel in Washington for the 2017 inauguration.
The Trump family bilking the inaugural committee out of money for their own personal profit? How on-brand!
Ivanka’s deposition comes after Tom Barrack, the chairman of Trump’s inaugural committee, offered his sworn testimony in the case a few weeks back.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
The court filing also indicates that the Washington DC attorney general’s office has subpoenaed records from Barrack, Ivanka Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and Rick Gates, the former inaugural committee deputy chairman, in their quest to prosecute the siphoning of funds from the millions in donations that poured into the inaugural committee.
The lawsuit claims that Rick Gates was the person who “personally managed” the negotiations with the Trump hotel about renting space for their inaugural events.
The details provided in the court documents show that Gates himself was worried about the appearance of impropriety in the committee’s contracting with a property owned by the Trump Organization.
In a letter to Ivanka in December of 2016, Gates said that he was “a bit worried about the optics of PIC [Presidential Inaugural Committee] paying Trump Hotel a high fee and the media making a big story out of it.”
How prescient.
In the end, the lawsuit contends, Rick Gates reached an agreement with The Trump International Hotel’s managing director and Trump family members to pay $175,000 per day for the committee to use the space for four days.
One would think that the protestations of the committee’s own event planner — Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a friend of First Lady Melania Trump — that the rates agreed to were at least twice the market rate might have at least indicated that they should hire a better negotiator on behalf of the Presidential Inaugural Committee than Gates.
The lawsuit cites Wolkoff’s expression of concern about the costly deal in a subsequent meeting with both the then-President-elect and his daughter Ivanka and in a follow-up email as a key part of its evidence of impropriety in the transaction.
Despite Wolkoff’s trepidations about the deal, it was accepted by the Inaugural Committee nonetheless.
With Wolkoff set to give her own deposition next week, the case is proceeding as the DC attorney general has planned, but is not expected to reach any conclusion before the next set of inaugural festivities begins.
Perhaps Ivanka will soon have a concrete conviction for which to have her daddy pardon her.
Hopefully, she will be only the first of many Trump family members to be convicted for their grifting ways.
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Original reporting by Kara Scannell at CNN.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-12-02--Trump’s old tweets come back to haunt him as he tries to claim credit for COVID-19 vaccines

As Donald Trump is dragged kicking and screaming from the White House — at least metaphorically — he still clings to the delirious proposition that he and his administration have done a phenomenal job in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic in this country .
Phenomenally bad , you might reply , but Trump will simply turn around and point to the development of two vaccines on the verge of emergency approval by the FDA and claim credit for their development through his administration ’ s Operation Warp Speed program to accelerate a process that normally takes years to complete .
Never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines , the one developed by Pfizer , was done completely outside the parameters of Operation Warp Speed , Trump will claim the glory nonetheless .
Trump ’ s sudden enthusiasm for vaccines may raise suspicions that he is merely championing the COVID-19 prophylactic treatments because he has nothing else to crow about in regards to the viral outbreak that has killed over a quarter of a million Americans and counting , thanks to his failures to come up with a nationally coordinated plan to fight the disease .
Trump has improbably had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his time in office and likely sees the development of vaccines that could end the destructive pandemic as one of the few diamonds that can be extracted from the rubble of his presidency .
He said as much in a tweet that he posted a couple of weeks back when the Moderna vaccine was announced .
At a press conference today , Trump ’ s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany even referred to the upcoming drugs as “ the Trump vaccine ” while discussing the rollout plan .
Trump ’ s recent enthusiasm for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given his historical association with the conspiracy-minded anti-vaxxer contingent among his followers — and his past comments on vaccines on social media .
Luckily , Trump ’ s old tweets are always at the ready to come back to haunt him .
Scientific studies have proven that there is no causal link between autism and vaccines , but Trump has never been one to let mere facts interfere with his agenda or with his history re-writing efforts .
One would think that , in fact , Donald Trump has no deeply held principles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most politically or financially opportune at any given moment , as quickly as he changes opinions to fit the occasion .
If only someone could develop a vaccine against Trumpism and innoculate everyone in this country with it post haste !
Whoever comes up with that vital and much-needed medicine is the one who deserves to be remembered by future historians .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

As Donald Trump is dragged kicking and screaming from the White House — at least metaphorically — he still clings to the delirious proposition that he and his administration have done a phenomenal job in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic in this country.
Phenomenally bad, you might reply, but Trump will simply turn around and point to the development of two vaccines on the verge of emergency approval by the FDA and claim credit for their development through his administration’s Operation Warp Speed program to accelerate a process that normally takes years to complete.
Never mind the fact that one of those vaccines, the one developed by Pfizer, was done completely outside the parameters of Operation Warp Speed, Trump will claim the glory nonetheless.
Trump’s sudden enthusiasm for vaccines may raise suspicions that he is merely championing the COVID-19 prophylactic treatments because he has nothing else to crow about in regards to the viral outbreak that has killed over a quarter of a million Americans and counting, thanks to his failures to come up with a nationally coordinated plan to fight the disease.
Trump has improbably had an eye on how history will judge his time in office and likely sees the development of vaccines that could end the destructive pandemic as one of the few diamonds that can be extracted from the rubble of his presidency.
He said as much in a tweet that he posted a couple of weeks back when the Moderna vaccine was announced.
Another Vaccine just announced. This time by Moderna, 95% effective. For those great “historians”, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2020
At a press conference today, Trump’s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany even referred to the upcoming drugs as “the Trump vaccine” while discussing the rollout plan.
“And we will have 40 million doses by the end of the year, which is a tremendous achievement — not just to have gotten a vaccine in this time, but to have produced 40 million in advance. It’s — having a businessman as President, it’s the Trump vaccine,” McEnany boasted.
Trump’s recent enthusiasm for vaccines, however, hardly seems plausible given his historical association with the conspiracy-minded anti-vaxxer contingent among his followers — and his past comments on vaccines on social media.
Luckily, Trump’s old tweets are always at the ready to come back to haunt him.
Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes – AUTISM. Many such cases! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2014
Scientific studies have proven that there is no causal link between autism and vaccines, but Trump has never been one to let mere facts interfere with his agenda or with his history re-writing efforts.
One would think that, in fact, Donald Trump has no deeply held principles or beliefs outside that which might be the most politically or financially opportune at any given moment, as quickly as he changes opinions to fit the occasion.
If only someone could develop a vaccine against Trumpism and innoculate everyone in this country with it post haste!
Whoever comes up with that vital and much-needed medicine is the one who deserves to be remembered by future historians.
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--2020-12-02--McEnany admits Trump is holding military budget ransom over feud with social media companies

Donald Trump ’ s skewed priorities have been apparent since day one .
The man who swore an oath to defend our Constitution never had any interest in doing so and pursued the presidency for the mercenary purpose of accumulating personal power to line the pockets of himself , his family , and his cronies .
This president has spent the last four years waging way against the institutions that lend our democracy its strength in service to his own ego and immediate political needs .
He claimed to be the “ law & order ” president while flagrantly violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on national security while not even bothering to read the President ’ s Daily Briefing .
The simple fact is that Trump has never cared about anything other than himself and he will leave our nation plundered , divided , and weaker in his wake .
Joe Biden will strive to do undo the damage that Trump has inflicted on our Republic , but unfortunately , we still 49 days until he ’ s sworn into office and there ’ s no telling what Trump might do in the interim .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last night , Trump hopped on Twitter and threatened to veto the annual defense bill unless Congress agrees to repeal Section 230 , a law that shields social media giants like Twitter and Facebook from legal liability for the content posted on their websites .
It also gives them near unlimited leeway to police their platforms and decide what to delete or keep up .
Add your name to tell Trump : You Lost !
Concede !
Section 230 has become a personal obsession of Trump ’ s .
He and other Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that social media companies are violating the rights of conservatives and unfairly suppressing their opinions on their websites .
The allegations are unproven and conveniently overlook the fact that many right-wingers are often banned or censored on social media for violating the relevant terms of services—for reasons ranging from the posting of Nazi memes to targeted harassment to the spreading of blatant misinformation .
The Republican Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee James Inhofe has already pushed back on the president ’ s boneheaded idea .
While he , like many conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 230 he at least recognized that it has nothing to do with the military .
“ First of all 230 has nothing to do with the military .
And I agree with his sentiments we ought to do away with 230 but you can ’ t do it in this bill .
That ’ s not a part of the bill , ” Inhofe said to reporters .
The Democratic Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Adam Smith also released a statement on the issue , tweeting that a repeal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House or Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act .
“ You ’ re mad at Twitter .
We all know it , ” taunted Smith before taking Trump to task over making national security an issue of ego .
Whether or not Trump will ultimately fold on his threats remains unclear , but today White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if the president really intends to tie his support of the National Defense Authorization Act to a repeal of Section 230 .
“ Yes , the president is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s veto threat .
“ And I noted you have other world leaders that are making calls for genocide and Twitter not finding that worthy of flagging or blocking , ” she went on , pretending as if Trump ’ s issue with 230 is rooted in some kind of humanitarian impulse rather than his own egomania .
“ Beyond that , you look at China who ’ s putting out disinformation .
China tweeted out , I believe it was six days ago , I think it was November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , something that was not deemed worthy of flagging by Twitter .
There are real grave concerns here and the president stands by that , ” she added , conveniently failing to mention the massive amounts of misinformation that Trump pumps out on Twitter .
If the Republicans want Twitter to be held accountable for China ’ s lies , it means Twitter will also have to be held accountable for Trump ’ s .
If that becomes the case , Twitter might end up deciding it ’ s safer to simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And it is also worth noting that the president will always defend our military and ensure we get adequate defense spending as he ’ s gotten 2.9 trillion dollars so far but he is going to put the pressure on Congress to step up on this , ” McEnany concluded , somehow managing to maintain a straight face .
By dragging the roughly $ 740 billion defense budget into his personal vendetta against Silicon Valley , Trump is once again showing that he will always put his own interests over those of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the safety of our country is just another bargaining chip in the endless series of corrupt deals that constitutes his life .
Regardless of what one thinks of the defense budget—and there are compelling arguments for why it should be reconsidered and reshaped—this is not the way to do it .
Trump has no interest in meaningful reform or in taking a hard , clear-eyed look at the role of the military-industrial complex in American politics .
This is just a cheap , dangerous stunt to get what he wants .
After supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , Republicans can never again claim to be the party of national security .

Donald Trump’s skewed priorities have been apparent since day one. The man who swore an oath to defend our Constitution never had any interest in doing so and pursued the presidency for the mercenary purpose of accumulating personal power to line the pockets of himself, his family, and his cronies.
This president has spent the last four years waging way against the institutions that lend our democracy its strength in service to his own ego and immediate political needs. He claimed to be the “law & order” president while flagrantly violating the law and pretended to be strong on national security while not even bothering to read the President’s Daily Briefing. The simple fact is that Trump has never cared about anything other than himself and he will leave our nation plundered, divided, and weaker in his wake.
Joe Biden will strive to do undo the damage that Trump has inflicted on our Republic, but unfortunately, we still 49 days until he’s sworn into office and there’s no telling what Trump might do in the interim. So far, the indicators are grim.
Late last night, Trump hopped on Twitter and threatened to veto the annual defense bill unless Congress agrees to repeal Section 230, a law that shields social media giants like Twitter and Facebook from legal liability for the content posted on their websites. It also gives them near unlimited leeway to police their platforms and decide what to delete or keep up.
Add your name to tell Trump: You Lost! Concede!
Section 230 has become a personal obsession of Trump’s. He and other Republicans believe or at least pretend to believe that social media companies are violating the rights of conservatives and unfairly suppressing their opinions on their websites. The allegations are unproven and conveniently overlook the fact that many right-wingers are often banned or censored on social media for violating the relevant terms of services—for reasons ranging from the posting of Nazi memes to targeted harassment to the spreading of blatant misinformation.
…..Therefore, if the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful Resolute desk. Take back America NOW. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020
The Republican Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee James Inhofe has already pushed back on the president’s boneheaded idea. While he, like many conservatives, is not a fan of Section 230 he at least recognized that it has nothing to do with the military.
“First of all 230 has nothing to do with the military. And I agree with his sentiments we ought to do away with 230 but you can’t do it in this bill. That’s not a part of the bill,” Inhofe said to reporters.
The Democratic Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Adam Smith also released a statement on the issue, tweeting that a repeal of Section 230 doesn’t appear in the House or Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act.
“You’re mad at Twitter. We all know it,” taunted Smith before taking Trump to task over making national security an issue of ego.
To be clear, Mr. President, Section 230 repeal wasn’t included in the House OR Senate version of the NDAA. You’re mad at Twitter. We all know it. You're willing to veto the defense bill over something that has everything to do with your ego, and nothing to do with defense. https://t.co/qsELyzU9O0 — Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) December 2, 2020
Whether or not Trump will ultimately fold on his threats remains unclear, but today White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if the president really intends to tie his support of the National Defense Authorization Act to a repeal of Section 230.
“Yes, the president is serious about it,” said McEnany of Trump’s veto threat. “And I noted you have other world leaders that are making calls for genocide and Twitter not finding that worthy of flagging or blocking,” she went on, pretending as if Trump’s issue with 230 is rooted in some kind of humanitarian impulse rather than his own egomania.
“Beyond that, you look at China who’s putting out disinformation. China tweeted out, I believe it was six days ago, I think it was November 25th that COVID-19 did not originate in Wuhan, something that was not deemed worthy of flagging by Twitter. There are real grave concerns here and the president stands by that,” she added, conveniently failing to mention the massive amounts of misinformation that Trump pumps out on Twitter.
If the Republicans want Twitter to be held accountable for China’s lies, it means Twitter will also have to be held accountable for Trump’s. If that becomes the case, Twitter might end up deciding it’s safer to simply delete the soon-to-be-ex-president’s account.
“And it is also worth noting that the president will always defend our military and ensure we get adequate defense spending as he’s gotten 2.9 trillion dollars so far but he is going to put the pressure on Congress to step up on this,” McEnany concluded, somehow managing to maintain a straight face.
“The president is serious about it” — McEnany says Trump is serious about defunding the military unless Congress punishes Twitter pic.twitter.com/esG2CoXwoI — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 2, 2020
By dragging the roughly $740 billion defense budget into his personal vendetta against Silicon Valley, Trump is once again showing that he will always put his own interests over those of the United States. To him, the safety of our country is just another bargaining chip in the endless series of corrupt deals that constitutes his life.
Regardless of what one thinks of the defense budget—and there are compelling arguments for why it should be reconsidered and reshaped—this is not the way to do it. Trump has no interest in meaningful reform or in taking a hard, clear-eyed look at the role of the military-industrial complex in American politics. This is just a cheap, dangerous stunt to get what he wants. After supporting and enabling this ignorant beast for four years, Republicans can never again claim to be the party of national security.
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