occupydemocrats--2020-07-27--Video reveals four cops brutally ambushing and arresting young woman

A shocking video out of Oregon is igniting a fresh bout of outrage against the police and their seemingly unshakeable fondness for violence .
It depicts several law enforcement officers brutally attacking and subduing a 14-year old girl , exerting far more force than necessary to arrest her .
The clip is difficult to watch as the officers involved appear completely comfortable with the idea of inflicting serious physical harm to a child .
According to ABC affiliate KEZI , the mother of the victim slammed the cops ’ behavior as unnecessary and a display of excessive force .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her daughter kicking a trash can into the street .
While the police claim that the girl threw rocks at officers , the video does not show her doing so and it certainly wouldn ’ t be the first time law enforcement lied about an incident to justify their own brutality .
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The girl was taken to jail and given citations for “ rioting , ” “ interfering with police , ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trash can could possibly be interpreted as “ rioting ” shows how liberally police use the word to misrepresent the behavior of protestors .
The “ resisting arrest ” citation is even more ludicrous .
The girl was clearly terrified as the four large men ambushed her out of the blue .
She reacted naturally the same way anyone would to such a sudden attack .
“ This is why the riots are all happening , right ?
Because of police aggressiveness , ” stated the girls ’ mother , who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely “ innocent ” of wrongdoing .
“ She ’ s a small girl .
She ’ s very petite .
I think that was a little out of control… .
especially since it was a child , ” she added .
At this time it seems unlikely that the officers will face any kind of disciplinary action , meaning they ’ ll be free to attack other children should they once again get the urge .
By failing to hold them accountable the police department is tacitly signaling that his kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change is needed to fix this broken system .
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A shocking video out of Oregon is igniting a fresh bout of outrage against the police and their seemingly unshakeable fondness for violence. It depicts several law enforcement officers brutally attacking and subduing a 14-year old girl, exerting far more force than necessary to arrest her. The clip is difficult to watch as the officers involved appear completely comfortable with the idea of inflicting serious physical harm to a child.
According to ABC affiliate KEZI, the mother of the victim slammed the cops’ behavior as unnecessary and a display of excessive force. She explained that the attack was prompted by her daughter kicking a trash can into the street. While the police claim that the girl threw rocks at officers, the video does not show her doing so and it certainly wouldn’t be the first time law enforcement lied about an incident to justify their own brutality.
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The girl was taken to jail and given citations for “rioting,” “interfering with police,” and “resisting arrest.” The fact that kicking a trash can could possibly be interpreted as “rioting” shows how liberally police use the word to misrepresent the behavior of protestors.
The “resisting arrest” citation is even more ludicrous. The girl was clearly terrified as the four large men ambushed her out of the blue. She reacted naturally the same way anyone would to such a sudden attack.
“This is why the riots are all happening, right? Because of police aggressiveness,” stated the girls’ mother, who also conceded that her daughter wasn’t entirely “innocent” of wrongdoing.
“She’s a small girl. She’s very petite. I think that was a little out of control…. especially since it was a child,” she added.
At this time it seems unlikely that the officers will face any kind of disciplinary action, meaning they’ll be free to attack other children should they once again get the urge. By failing to hold them accountable the police department is tacitly signaling that his kind of violent behavior is acceptable. Real systemic change is needed to fix this broken system.
She is 14 years old.
pic.twitter.com/3UFTigy00M — Brynn (@pcbrynn) July 27, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-07-27--Video reveals four cops brutally arresting a 14-year-old girl


occupydemocrats--2020-07-27--Social media erupts as Trump announces he’ll skip memorial service for civil rights icon John Lewis

Business in Washington DC ground to a temporary halt today as legislators and Capitol Hill staff say goodbye to one of their most beloved departed colleagues , Representative John Lewis , a towering figure in America ’ s struggle for civil rights for all its citizens , regardless of their skin color .
One notably absent ( if not actually missed ) figure in the memorial services for Congressman Lewis — whose body lay in state today at the Capitol rotunda before being moved outdoors for public mourning — was Donald Trump , who confirmed to reporters on the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the events commemorating Lewis ’ life .
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The attached comment was only the first of many responses that varied between telling the president that he was .
not welcome to attend anyway and decrying the racism of his lack of respect towards the late civil rights icon .
While Trump ’ s decision to skip the memorial service for Congressman Lewis is a minor offense compared to all of the other despicable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by this president , it is so in keeping with his inherently racist attitudes that it just adds an additional reminder of his lack of fitness for the office that he holds…for now .
It ’ s just one more bit of motivation to work as hard as we can to remove this insufferable man from the White House with immediate effect .
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Business in Washington DC ground to a temporary halt today as legislators and Capitol Hill staff say goodbye to one of their most beloved departed colleagues, Representative John Lewis, a towering figure in America’s struggle for civil rights for all its citizens, regardless of their skin color.
One notably absent (if not actually missed) figure in the memorial services for Congressman Lewis — whose body lay in state today at the Capitol rotunda before being moved outdoors for public mourning — was Donald Trump, who confirmed to reporters on the White House lawn that he would skip any of the events commemorating Lewis’ life.
How can he pay something he doesn’t have? — Saje Williams (@Saje3D) July 27, 2020
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The attached comment was only the first of many responses that varied between telling the president that he was. not welcome to attend anyway and decrying the racism of his lack of respect towards the late civil rights icon.
While Trump’s decision to skip the memorial service for Congressman Lewis is a minor offense compared to all of the other despicable and illegal behaviors we’ve seen committed by this president, it is so in keeping with his inherently racist attitudes that it just adds an additional reminder of his lack of fitness for the office that he holds…for now.
It’s just one more bit of motivation to work as hard as we can to remove this insufferable man from the White House with immediate effect.
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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--2020-07-27--New Jersey cops brutally restrain Latino child for not wearing bike helmet

Public trust in the American policing system has been eroding for months and yet cops still don ’ t seem to see any need to change their behavior .
The latest reminder of how desperately this country needs to reform its approach to law enforcement comes in the form of a video from Ridgewood , New Jersey which allegedly shows police brutalizing a Latino minor for failing to wear a helmet while riding his bike .
The infuriating irony of hurting someone because they didn ’ t take the proper precautions against hurting themselves was apparently lost on the cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Protect and Serve ” slogan as a bad joke .
The clip shows the boy peacefully sitting on his bicycle when a cop pounces on him from behind before he and another officer violently force the boy to the ground as he cries out for them to stop .
The child clearly doesn ’ t demonstrate a threat to the officers or himself .
NorthJersey.com reports that civil rights organization Ridgewood for Black Liberation is pushing for the officers involved in the incident to be fired .
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“ These grown men beat a child in front of a group of children riding bicycles , traumatizing each and every one , ” Emily Rizzo , a Ridgewood for Black Liberation organizer , told NorthJersey.com .
“ This is why we call for defunding the police and funding the community instead .
Because clearly , these Ridgewood officers can ’ t be trusted to so much as respond to youth bike riding on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” added Rizzo .
Simply put , the behavior on display in the video is inexcusable .
The officers involved clearly overreacted and employed excessive force and one can ’ t help but wonder how far they would have taken things if there weren ’ t witnesses there to film it .
Hopefully , these men are held accountable and prevented from terrorizing more children in the future .
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Public trust in the American policing system has been eroding for months and yet cops still don’t seem to see any need to change their behavior. The latest reminder of how desperately this country needs to reform its approach to law enforcement comes in the form of a video from Ridgewood, New Jersey which allegedly shows police brutalizing a Latino minor for failing to wear a helmet while riding his bike.
The infuriating irony of hurting someone because they didn’t take the proper precautions against hurting themselves was apparently lost on the cops involved in the encounter and renders the “Protect and Serve” slogan as a bad joke.
The clip shows the boy peacefully sitting on his bicycle when a cop pounces on him from behind before he and another officer violently force the boy to the ground as he cries out for them to stop. The child clearly doesn’t demonstrate a threat to the officers or himself.
NorthJersey.com reports that civil rights organization Ridgewood for Black Liberation is pushing for the officers involved in the incident to be fired. The group has been actively posting about the video on Twitter.
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“These grown men beat a child in front of a group of children riding bicycles, traumatizing each and every one,” Emily Rizzo, a Ridgewood for Black Liberation organizer, told NorthJersey.com. “This is why we call for defunding the police and funding the community instead. Because clearly, these Ridgewood officers can’t be trusted to so much as respond to youth bike riding on a Sunday without escalating to violence,” added Rizzo.
Simply put, the behavior on display in the video is inexcusable. The officers involved clearly overreacted and employed excessive force and one can’t help but wonder how far they would have taken things if there weren’t witnesses there to film it. Hopefully, these men are held accountable and prevented from terrorizing more children in the future.
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occupydemocrats--2020-07-27--Melania Trump won’t let a pandemic get in the way of her White House Rose Garden renovation

She may as well have said : “ Let them eat roses !
” The news that Melania Trump had announced this morning a plan to renovate the Rose Garden at the White House was greeted with incredulity over the tone-deafness of the time , attention , and federal tax dollars that will be dedicated to the project at a time when the country is not only suffering from a pandemic and its resulting record unemployment but is in the midst of massive street protests over exactly the type of inequality that the garden restoration symbolizes .
The project , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ includes electrical upgrades for television appearances , a new walkway , and new flowers and shrubs , is meant to be an ‘ act of expressing hope and optimism for the future , ’ according to remarks Mrs. Trump delivered to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House on Monday morning.
” Many people saw the symbolism quite differently , including former California Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill .
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The Rose Garden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic has prevented Donald Trump from traveling around the country and holding his ego-stroking rallies .
Instead , he ’ s been forced to campaign largely in the form of Hatch Act-violating press conferences held outdoors in the Rose Garden to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission , when weather permits .
According to The New York Times , another reason that the garden has become such a popular location for presidential news conferences of late is the fact that Trump believes that natural lighting favors his complexion , White House aides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnatural shade of orange better than the direct rays of the sun , the president apparently believes .
Other people saw the First Lady ’ s new initiative as an attempt to project a more traditional image in the mold of Jacqueline Kennedy ’ s famous redecoration efforts at the White House in the early 1960s .
“ It ’ s just such a traditional venue when a president wants to get national attention for something he ’ s doing or something he ’ s saying , ” said Lori Cox Han , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in California who has written about how presidents use the Rose Garden .
“ There ’ s not a lot that ’ s been traditional about this presidency or about how we view the president or the first lady , but for Melania , this is one of those opportunities to be seen as a traditional first lady.
” The move to embark on a major renovation of the Rose Garden would include improvements to the area ’ s electrical infrastructure that would make it easier to broadcast video of the president from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the project , coming so late in Trump ’ s term as an acknowledgment from Melania that her time in the White House is limited and that if she wants to have any legacy left behind , now is the time to act .
Perhaps , but , given the impending homelessness crisis that our country is about to face now that eviction moratoriums are expiring , there are much better ways to spend federal tax dollars than indulging the whims of wealthy First Ladies .
If Donald Trump is really so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t he donating the money for the renovation from his personal fortune which has been amply contributed to by his many federally-funded golfing trips to the resorts he owns ?
Original reporting by Katie Rogers at The New York Times .
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She may as well have said: “Let them eat roses!”
The news that Melania Trump had announced this morning a plan to renovate the Rose Garden at the White House was greeted with incredulity over the tone-deafness of the time, attention, and federal tax dollars that will be dedicated to the project at a time when the country is not only suffering from a pandemic and its resulting record unemployment but is in the midst of massive street protests over exactly the type of inequality that the garden restoration symbolizes.
The project, as The New York Times reports, “includes electrical upgrades for television appearances, a new walkway, and new flowers and shrubs, is meant to be an ‘act of expressing hope and optimism for the future,’ according to remarks Mrs. Trump delivered to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House on Monday morning.”
“Our country has seen difficult times before, but the White House and the Rose Garden have always stood as a symbol of our strength, resilience and continuity.”
Many people saw the symbolism quite differently, including former California Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill.
That’s some Marie Antoinette shit right there. https://t.co/oA2UZ1r72M — Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) July 27, 2020
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The Rose Garden has seen greater than normal use as the pandemic has prevented Donald Trump from traveling around the country and holding his ego-stroking rallies.
Instead, he’s been forced to campaign largely in the form of Hatch Act-violating press conferences held outdoors in the Rose Garden to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, when weather permits.
According to The New York Times, another reason that the garden has become such a popular location for presidential news conferences of late is the fact that Trump believes that natural lighting favors his complexion, White House aides said.
Nothing complements that ghastly, unnatural shade of orange better than the direct rays of the sun, the president apparently believes.
Other people saw the First Lady’s new initiative as an attempt to project a more traditional image in the mold of Jacqueline Kennedy’s famous redecoration efforts at the White House in the early 1960s.
“It’s just such a traditional venue when a president wants to get national attention for something he’s doing or something he’s saying,” said Lori Cox Han, a political science professor at Chapman University in California who has written about how presidents use the Rose Garden. “There’s not a lot that’s been traditional about this presidency or about how we view the president or the first lady, but for Melania, this is one of those opportunities to be seen as a traditional first lady.”
The move to embark on a major renovation of the Rose Garden would include improvements to the area’s electrical infrastructure that would make it easier to broadcast video of the president from the garden.
Still, some people see the project, coming so late in Trump’s term as an acknowledgment from Melania that her time in the White House is limited and that if she wants to have any legacy left behind, now is the time to act.
“’One reading of this project is that maybe Melania Trump is sensing that she has a relatively brief time in the White House,’ said Katherine Jellison, a professor at Ohio University who studies first ladies. ‘And if she’s going to make her mark in the way Jackie Kennedy did in her brief time, a project of this sort would be appropriate,’” vreports.
Perhaps, but, given the impending homelessness crisis that our country is about to face now that eviction moratoriums are expiring, there are much better ways to spend federal tax dollars than indulging the whims of wealthy First Ladies.
If Donald Trump is really so rich and so patriotic, why isn’t he donating the money for the renovation from his personal fortune which has been amply contributed to by his many federally-funded golfing trips to the resorts he owns?
Just askin’.
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Original reporting by Katie Rogers at The New York Times.
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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--2020-07-26--RETRACTION: And the wall came tumbling down…but not during Hurricane Hanna

Yesterday , Occupy Democrats published a story in good faith that included the video attached below which was posted on Twitter and claimed to be footage of a portion of Donald Trump ’ s newly constructed border wall being knocked over by the powerful winds from Hurricane Hannah .
Unfortunately , due to the fact that it was a Sunday , we were unable to obtain comments from government officials to confirm the claims and decided that because the story had already been published by several reputable news organizations that it was likely a breaking news story and was true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned the truth behind the video footage .
While it does show a portion of the border wall being knocked over by high winds and rain , in fact , the video was not taken during the recent landfall of Hurricane Hanna in Texas , but was actually taken at a construction site in June in New Mexico , government officials say .
Here is the statement released by officials at the U.S. Customs and Broder Protection division of the Department of Homeland Security about the video .
“ U.S .
Customs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border wall panels falling over due to Hurricane Hanna hitting the Rio Grande Valley Sector this past weekend .
The video circulating on social media appears to be from June 2020 when high winds caused several border wall panels that were pending additional anchoring to fall over at a construction site near Deming , New Mexico .
That project is funded by the Department of Defense using 2808 Military Construction Funds , so any questions regarding the incident should be directed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers .
The original poster of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has deleted the original tweet , which is still available from other sources on Twitter .
We make every effort to ensure that we do not propagate “ fake news ” and , in this instance , we let our audience — and ourselves — down .
Please be assured that we will do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again and regain your trust as a reliable source of real news that is thoroughly fact-checked and free of dubious claims .
We are humbled and hope that you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Yesterday, Occupy Democrats published a story in good faith that included the video attached below which was posted on Twitter and claimed to be footage of a portion of Donald Trump’s newly constructed border wall being knocked over by the powerful winds from Hurricane Hannah.
Unfortunately, due to the fact that it was a Sunday, we were unable to obtain comments from government officials to confirm the claims and decided that because the story had already been published by several reputable news organizations that it was likely a breaking news story and was true.
It was only today that we learned the truth behind the video footage.
While it does show a portion of the border wall being knocked over by high winds and rain, in fact, the video was not taken during the recent landfall of Hurricane Hanna in Texas, but was actually taken at a construction site in June in New Mexico, government officials say.
Here is the statement released by officials at the U.S. Customs and Broder Protection division of the Department of Homeland Security about the video.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is not aware of any border wall panels falling over due to Hurricane Hanna hitting the Rio Grande Valley Sector this past weekend. The video circulating on social media appears to be from June 2020 when high winds caused several border wall panels that were pending additional anchoring to fall over at a construction site near Deming, New Mexico. That project is funded by the Department of Defense using 2808 Military Construction Funds, so any questions regarding the incident should be directed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The original poster of the video, journalist Yadith Valdez, has deleted the original tweet, which is still available from other sources on Twitter.
Occupy Democrats apologizes profusely for the error.
We make every effort to ensure that we do not propagate “fake news” and, in this instance, we let our audience — and ourselves — down.
Please be assured that we will do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again and regain your trust as a reliable source of real news that is thoroughly fact-checked and free of dubious claims.
We are humbled and hope that you will accept our deepest apologies for the error.
Trump wall falls on the Mexico USA border pic.twitter.com/85Cr3OXuty — GABRIEL DIZ MENDOZA (@GABRIELDIZMEND1) July 26, 2020
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--2020-07-26--Trump’s example of mail-in voter fraud just proves how safe it really is

Donald Trump is beginning to panic at the thought that so many people detest him at this point in his term that he will lose in a landslide of historic proportions in the November presidential elections .
What better way to prepare for the cognitive dissonance that such a massive loss will trigger in his over-inflated ego than to try to discredit the entire electoral process in advance .
While Trump has been railing against mail-in voting for some time now , the latest polls show such a steep decline in the swing states that landed him in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss in the popular vote — that he has redoubled his efforts to prevent everyone else from having the same type of safe alternative to in-person voting that he and other senior Republican officials have themselves employed to vote during these times when every trip venturing out of the house is a torturous decision to wrestle with the chance of contracting a potentially life-ending disease .
The president was at it again this afternoon as he posted a purposefully misleading tweet to warn against the dangers of mail-in voting .
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In a statement that is likely an unconscious use of the same psychological projection that usually telegraphs his intentions , trump practically affixes his personal guarantee that the 2020 presidential election will “ be totally rigged if Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place.
” While he may think that “ everyone knows it , ” the preponderance of evidence and past history proves that if any rigging is done it will likely be on his behalf by those recidivist ballot box tamperers the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect in any hanky panky involving election fraud by stolen or misrepresented ballots or outright voter suppression measures like limiting the availability of polling place in heavily Democratic districts .
Trump doesn ’ t make his argument any more compelling by referring to the ballot in Patterson , New Jersey , particularly since he has artificially inflated the percentage of votes that were “ corrupted ” since he last used it as an example less than a month ago .
Hmm , last month it was 19 % and it has climbed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they say the man has a way with numbers .
More importantly , it ’ s crucial to note that the example of the problems with mail-in voting in the northern New Jersey town actually proves the exact opposite of what Trump intends to suggest .
The situation in Patterson — rather than being a cautionary tale about the dangers of mail-in voting — actually demonstrates that the safeguards against mail-in voting fraud actually work and how rare instances of fraud involving mail-in voting truly are .
According to a fact check of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject published by NPR , the Patterson incident “ started after the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service tipped off state law enforcement officials to hundreds of mail-in ballots stuffed in a Paterson mailbox .
Other bundled ballots were discovered in another nearby city.
” In other words , the system designed to prevent illegal ballots from being counted actually works .
Trump is likely doing everything he can to undermine confidence in the electoral process in advance of the election so that he can contest and reject the results when America overwhelmingly votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his presidency .
This president cares as little about the health of America ’ s electorate as he does about the health of children , teachers , and school staff whom he ’ s trying to send back into schools ill-prepared to deal with an out of control COVID-19 virus .
All the more reason to vote him out of office and ignore his inevitable claims of voter fraud when he loses by an embarrassingly large margin .
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Donald Trump is beginning to panic at the thought that so many people detest him at this point in his term that he will lose in a landslide of historic proportions in the November presidential elections.
What better way to prepare for the cognitive dissonance that such a massive loss will trigger in his over-inflated ego than to try to discredit the entire electoral process in advance.
While Trump has been railing against mail-in voting for some time now, the latest polls show such a steep decline in the swing states that landed him in the White House in 2016 — despite a significant loss in the popular vote — that he has redoubled his efforts to prevent everyone else from having the same type of safe alternative to in-person voting that he and other senior Republican officials have themselves employed to vote during these times when every trip venturing out of the house is a torturous decision to wrestle with the chance of contracting a potentially life-ending disease.
The president was at it again this afternoon as he posted a purposefully misleading tweet to warn against the dangers of mail-in voting.
The 2020 Election will be totally rigged if Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place, & everyone knows it. So much time is taken talking about foreign influence, but the same people won’t even discuss Mail-In election corruption. Look at Patterson, N.J. 20% of vote was corrupted! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
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In a statement that is likely an unconscious use of the same psychological projection that usually telegraphs his intentions, trump practically affixes his personal guarantee that the 2020 presidential election will “be totally rigged if Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place.”
While he may think that “everyone knows it,” the preponderance of evidence and past history proves that if any rigging is done it will likely be on his behalf by those recidivist ballot box tamperers the Republican party which has been the usual suspect in any hanky panky involving election fraud by stolen or misrepresented ballots or outright voter suppression measures like limiting the availability of polling place in heavily Democratic districts.
Trump doesn’t make his argument any more compelling by referring to the ballot in Patterson, New Jersey, particularly since he has artificially inflated the percentage of votes that were “corrupted” since he last used it as an example less than a month ago.
Absentee Ballots are fine. A person has to go through a process to get and use them. Mail-In Voting, on the other hand, will lead to the most corrupt Election is USA history. Bad things happen with Mail-Ins. Just look at Special Election in Patterson, N.J. 19% of Ballots a FRAUD! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2020
Hmm, last month it was 19% and it has climbed to 20% in the interim? And they say the man has a way with numbers.
More importantly, it’s crucial to note that the example of the problems with mail-in voting in the northern New Jersey town actually proves the exact opposite of what Trump intends to suggest.
The situation in Patterson — rather than being a cautionary tale about the dangers of mail-in voting — actually demonstrates that the safeguards against mail-in voting fraud actually work and how rare instances of fraud involving mail-in voting truly are.
According to a fact check of Trump’s last tweet on the subject published by NPR, the Patterson incident “started after the U.S. Postal Inspection Service tipped off state law enforcement officials to hundreds of mail-in ballots stuffed in a Paterson mailbox. Other bundled ballots were discovered in another nearby city.”
In other words, the system designed to prevent illegal ballots from being counted actually works.
Trump is likely doing everything he can to undermine confidence in the electoral process in advance of the election so that he can contest and reject the results when America overwhelmingly votes to rid the nation of the cancer of his presidency.
This president cares as little about the health of America’s electorate as he does about the health of children, teachers, and school staff whom he’s trying to send back into schools ill-prepared to deal with an out of control COVID-19 virus.
All the more reason to vote him out of office and ignore his inevitable claims of voter fraud when he loses by an embarrassingly large margin.
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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--2020-07-26--Trump attacks Republicans — and reality —  in Sunday afternoon tweetstorm

It ’ s fun to watch the Republican party implode before our very eyes .
We all knew that demographic trends would eventually make the GOP as irrelevant as buggy whip manufacturers , but the total takeover of the party by Donald Trump and his sycophants has accelerated the process mightily .
Moreover , the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and this administration ’ s failure to respond effectively to it — as European nations have largely tamped down the virus ’ worst effects — has proven that the party responsible for every major economic disaster of the past century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the impending rupture of the Republican party was widespread in the past 24 hours .
First , the news emerged that the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute has demanded that Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee cease from using former President Reagan ’ s name and image in their fundraising efforts , attempting to sever any association with the current president and his plummeting campaign .
That news may have remained an obscure and little-noted occurrence if Trump himself wasn ’ t the vainly vindictive individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resorted to trying to achieve revenge on the Reagan Foundation by retweeting conspiratorial speculation about the fact that Frederick J. Ryan Jr. , the organization ’ s chairman , is also the publisher and CEO of the Jeff Bezos -owned Washington Post .
Whether it was Frederick Ryan ’ s last name or his new-found antipathy towards Fox News — now that they dare to predict his November defeat with their polls unsullied by their day to day propaganda slinging — Trump lashed out at the man who was the number two congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 , Paul Ryan ( no relation to Frederick Ryan . )
While Trump may be in denial about their findings , the Fox News poll which shows him being roundly defeated by the presumed Democratic candidate Joe Biden is largely in line with all the other major opinion polls , no matter how much the president may object .
Trump ’ s denial over his poor standing in multiple polls spilled over into his next tweet as well .
As Madonna might reply to Wayne and Garth on a Saturday Night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WAY !
Delude yourself all you want , Donnie , but there is no way that a place like Pennsylvania will vote for the man who presided over this country ’ s decimation by a pandemic that he failed to take the proper actions to control and the nation ’ s descent into racist conflict .
Likewise , Texas and many other states !
!
!
Petrified of losing , the president resorted to fear-mongering for his next tweet .
The media has had no problem showing America exactly what is really going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal deployment of federal troops with no distinguishing service emblems to deploy chemical weapons and extreme violence against peaceful demonstrators who are fighting the very racism that is at the center of Trump ’ s ideology .
The same polls that show Trump losing by double digits against Biden also show how out of step he is with public sentiment about the BLM demonstrations against the very police brutality that the president is enabling to continue and be reinforced by his federal Gestapo violating the 4th Amendment prohibitions against unreasonable search and seizure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his campaign is doomed and that the Republican party is destined for the trash heap of history is trump ’ s final original tweet of the day so far .
Yes , it ’ s his strong focus on applying racist names to the COVID-19 virus and all those meetings to which he ’ ll likely contribute nothing but ignorance and bluster that will be preventing him from throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium in August , not that fact that the native New Yorkers in the crowd , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis , will likely throw anything they can get their hands on back at him if he dares venture into the field .
Everyone knows that the only reason Trump even broached the idea of throwing the first pitch out at a Yankees game was because of his jealousy that Dr. Anthony Fauc was asked to do the honors by the Washington Nationals at their first game of a season truncated due to the pandemic .
While it may be fun watching Trump and Republicans squirm as their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happens to untamed beasts when they are cornered .
Let ’ s not let our guard down .
Trump may be in denial , but he still has the resources to cause considerable damage between now and his expulsion from the White House .
That he won ’ t go quietly is guaranteed .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It’s fun to watch the Republican party implode before our very eyes.
We all knew that demographic trends would eventually make the GOP as irrelevant as buggy whip manufacturers, but the total takeover of the party by Donald Trump and his sycophants has accelerated the process mightily.
Moreover, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and this administration’s failure to respond effectively to it — as European nations have largely tamped down the virus’ worst effects — has proven that the party responsible for every major economic disaster of the past century is unqualified to govern.
The evidence of the impending rupture of the Republican party was widespread in the past 24 hours.
First, the news emerged that the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute has demanded that Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee cease from using former President Reagan’s name and image in their fundraising efforts, attempting to sever any association with the current president and his plummeting campaign.
That news may have remained an obscure and little-noted occurrence if Trump himself wasn’t the vainly vindictive individual that he is.
Instead, he resorted to trying to achieve revenge on the Reagan Foundation by retweeting conspiratorial speculation about the fact that Frederick J. Ryan Jr., the organization’s chairman, is also the publisher and CEO of the Jeff Bezos -owned Washington Post.
So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible. We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)! https://t.co/fOi3AROxuz — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
Whether it was Frederick Ryan’s last name or his new-found antipathy towards Fox News — now that they dare to predict his November defeat with their polls unsullied by their day to day propaganda slinging — Trump lashed out at the man who was the number two congressional republican as House Speaker until his retirement in 2018, Paul Ryan (no relation to Frederick Ryan.)
While Trump may be in denial about their findings, the Fox News poll which shows him being roundly defeated by the presumed Democratic candidate Joe Biden is largely in line with all the other major opinion polls, no matter how much the president may object.
Trump’s denial over his poor standing in multiple polls spilled over into his next tweet as well.
There is NO WAY a place like Pennsylvania can vote for the Radical Left and their puppet, Joe Biden, when they are against fracking, steel production, and just about everything else that Pennsylvania stands for. Likewise, Texas, and many other states!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
As Madonna might reply to Wayne and Garth on a Saturday Night Live Wayne’s World sketch, WAY!
Delude yourself all you want, Donnie, but there is no way that a place like Pennsylvania will vote for the man who presided over this country’s decimation by a pandemic that he failed to take the proper actions to control and the nation’s descent into racist conflict. Likewise, Texas and many other states!!!
Petrified of losing, the president resorted to fear-mongering for his next tweet.
The Lamestream Media, including @FoxNews, which has really checked out, is refusing to show what is REALLY going on in Portland, Seattle, and other places. They want the American public to believe that these are just some wonderful protesters, not radical left ANARCHISTS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
The media has had no problem showing America exactly what is really going on in Portland and Seattle: the illegal deployment of federal troops with no distinguishing service emblems to deploy chemical weapons and extreme violence against peaceful demonstrators who are fighting the very racism that is at the center of Trump’s ideology.
The same polls that show Trump losing by double digits against Biden also show how out of step he is with public sentiment about the BLM demonstrations against the very police brutality that the president is enabling to continue and be reinforced by his federal Gestapo violating the 4th Amendment prohibitions against unreasonable search and seizure.
The true sign that Trump knows that his campaign is doomed and that the Republican party is destined for the trash heap of history is trump’s final original tweet of the day so far.
Because of my strong focus on the China Virus, including scheduled meetings on Vaccines, our economy and much else, I won’t be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the @Yankees on August 15th. We will make it later in the season! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
Yes, it’s his strong focus on applying racist names to the COVID-19 virus and all those meetings to which he’ll likely contribute nothing but ignorance and bluster that will be preventing him from throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium in August, not that fact that the native New Yorkers in the crowd, who were among the first to suffer from his mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis, will likely throw anything they can get their hands on back at him if he dares venture into the field.
Everyone knows that the only reason Trump even broached the idea of throwing the first pitch out at a Yankees game was because of his jealousy that Dr. Anthony Fauc was asked to do the honors by the Washington Nationals at their first game of a season truncated due to the pandemic.
While it may be fun watching Trump and Republicans squirm as their anticipated defeat looms, one must remember what happens to untamed beasts when they are cornered.
Let’s not let our guard down. Trump may be in denial, but he still has the resources to cause considerable damage between now and his expulsion from the White House. That he won’t go quietly is guaranteed.
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--2020-07-26--Ted Cruz slams waiters and waitresses over reluctance to return to work in pandemic

“ The way I like it is the way it is , I got mine , don ’ t worry ’ bout his !
” The Republican party may as well make this lyric from James Brown their official anthem as they fight to spend every last COVID-19 recovery dollar they can muster on businesses and corporations controlled by their biggest donors rather than ensuring that every American man , woman , and child has enough money for food , clothing , and shelter in this direst of emergencies .
The pervasive punitiveness of the GOP ethos as it applies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful in our society demonstrates their utter lack of concern for the average working stiffs who have continually lost ground in the battle of income distribution in this country since the days of Ronald Reagan ’ s shifting of the tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class , thereby ensuring that this economic segment would rapidly disappear into relative poverty .
That ethos has been on full display this past week as Congress fights over the provisions of a new coronavirus relief bill to replace the expiring stimulus of its initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for every America — a check that many are still waiting to receive — and a supplemental $ 600 per week added to their state ’ s unemployment benefit to help tide them through the exploding employment and the nation ’ s impending housing crisis as the ban on evictions for unpaid rents and mortgages expires as well .
With the pandemic forcing many businesses large and small to permanently shutter their doors and lifting unemployment to levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s , the need for a social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but , old habits die hard among the party of the compassionless .
No better example exists of this tendency towards heartlessness than Texas Senator Ted Cruz .
Senator Cruz demonstrated his inexplicable inability to put himself in the shoes of many of his own constituents during an interview this morning on CBS ‘ s Face The Nation .
Seeing the supplemental $ 600 weekly unemployment insurance payment as a barrier to the desperation that people will need to be willing to return to work in dangerous , virus-laden workplaces , Cruz declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has kept many Americans fed and housed during the lockdown that has prevented many from returning to work if they still have jobs available or from seeking new employment in a tight job market .
Cruz specifically targeted some of the lowest-paid and hardest-hit by the pandemic workers in our economy , the service staff at restaurants who already are exempted from the already too-low minimum wage requirements under the assumption that their incomes are amply supplemented by tips from generous customers .
The Texas senator railed at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her advocacy of “ shoveling cash at the problem ” of the pandemic .
Cruz ’ s reply demonstrates how hard it will be for Republicans to retain control of the Senate as well as the White House in the November elections .
“ The policy the Democrats and Nancy Pelosi are pushing adds an additional $ 600 a week , ” Cruz complained as if the sum wasn ’ t a pittance compared to his state ’ s precious oil industry subsidies .
“ The problem is , for 68 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being paid more on unemployment than they made in their job.
” “ I ’ ve spoken to small business owners all over the state of Texas who are trying to reopen , ” he continued , “ and they are calling their waiters and waitresses , they are calling their bus boys and they won ’ t come back.
” Cruz added : “ And of course they won ’ t come back because the federal government is paying them in some instances twice as much money to stay home.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment to contemplate the possibility that these low wage servers are underpaid to begin with and can ’ t survive on their existing wages or to ponder the idea that like schoolteachers , waiters , waitresses , and table-bussers have no burning desire to return to a workplace that could put them out of work permanently , particularly in the COVID-19-friendly environs of the small confined indoor space of a restaurant .
All the more reason to fight to remove the control of the Senate from its self-absorbed GOP overlords who answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve got theirs and they ’ re not worrying about anyone else ’ s .
You can watch some of Ted Cruz ’ s despicable comments on CBS ‘ s Face The Nation in the video clip below .
The rest of the interview , including his comments on the renewal of the $ 600 weekly unemployment supplement can be found at this link .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

“The way I like it is the way it is,
I got mine, don’t worry ’bout his!”
— James Brown – “Sex Machine”
The Republican party may as well make this lyric from James Brown their official anthem as they fight to spend every last COVID-19 recovery dollar they can muster on businesses and corporations controlled by their biggest donors rather than ensuring that every American man, woman, and child has enough money for food, clothing, and shelter in this direst of emergencies.
The pervasive punitiveness of the GOP ethos as it applies to anyone but the most wealthy and powerful in our society demonstrates their utter lack of concern for the average working stiffs who have continually lost ground in the battle of income distribution in this country since the days of Ronald Reagan’s shifting of the tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class, thereby ensuring that this economic segment would rapidly disappear into relative poverty.
That ethos has been on full display this past week as Congress fights over the provisions of a new coronavirus relief bill to replace the expiring stimulus of its initial package that included a $1200 check for every America — a check that many are still waiting to receive — and a supplemental $600 per week added to their state’s unemployment benefit to help tide them through the exploding employment and the nation’s impending housing crisis as the ban on evictions for unpaid rents and mortgages expires as well.
With the pandemic forcing many businesses large and small to permanently shutter their doors and lifting unemployment to levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the need for a social safety net has never been greater, but, old habits die hard among the party of the compassionless.
No better example exists of this tendency towards heartlessness than Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
Senator Cruz demonstrated his inexplicable inability to put himself in the shoes of many of his own constituents during an interview this morning on CBS‘s Face The Nation.
Seeing the supplemental $600 weekly unemployment insurance payment as a barrier to the desperation that people will need to be willing to return to work in dangerous, virus-laden workplaces, Cruz declared his opposition to renewing the program that has kept many Americans fed and housed during the lockdown that has prevented many from returning to work if they still have jobs available or from seeking new employment in a tight job market.
Cruz specifically targeted some of the lowest-paid and hardest-hit by the pandemic workers in our economy, the service staff at restaurants who already are exempted from the already too-low minimum wage requirements under the assumption that their incomes are amply supplemented by tips from generous customers.
The Texas senator railed at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi whom he attacked for what he sees as her advocacy of “shoveling cash at the problem” of the pandemic.
Face The Nation host Margaret Brennan asked Cruz:
“Do you object to providing any kind or any amount of federal boost to unemployment?” Brennan queried the senator. “Because not everyone is choosing to be out of work.”
Cruz’s reply demonstrates how hard it will be for Republicans to retain control of the Senate as well as the White House in the November elections.
“The policy the Democrats and Nancy Pelosi are pushing adds an additional $600 a week,” Cruz complained as if the sum wasn’t a pittance compared to his state’s precious oil industry subsidies. “The problem is, for 68% of people receiving it right now, they are being paid more on unemployment than they made in their job.” “I’ve spoken to small business owners all over the state of Texas who are trying to reopen,” he continued, “and they are calling their waiters and waitresses, they are calling their bus boys and they won’t come back.” Cruz added: “And of course they won’t come back because the federal government is paying them in some instances twice as much money to stay home.”
Crus doesn’t even stop for a moment to contemplate the possibility that these low wage servers are underpaid to begin with and can’t survive on their existing wages or to ponder the idea that like schoolteachers, waiters, waitresses, and table-bussers have no burning desire to return to a workplace that could put them out of work permanently, particularly in the COVID-19-friendly environs of the small confined indoor space of a restaurant.
All the more reason to fight to remove the control of the Senate from its self-absorbed GOP overlords who answer only to their oligarchic masters.
They’ve got theirs and they’re not worrying about anyone else’s.
You can watch some of Ted Cruz’s despicable comments on CBS‘s Face The Nation in the video clip below.
.@SenTedCruz tells @margbrennan he is "not" on board with current #coronavirus relief legislation supported by @thewhitehouse and @senatemajldr Adds that @speakerpelosi objectives are "shoveling cash at the problem and shutting American down" pic.twitter.com/aWg23kAlkU — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 26, 2020
The rest of the interview, including his comments on the renewal of the $600 weekly unemployment supplement can be found at this link.
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Original reporting by Melissa Quinn at CBS News.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-07-26--The virus spreads, cities are racked with protests, and Trump spends his Sunday morning tweeting

In the nineteenth century , the pseudoscience of phrenol0gy had a brief spell of popularity , with many people convinced that it was possible to determine one ’ s psychological destiny by interpreting the bumps on one ’ s skull .
In the modern world , such crackpot theories have been discredited by real science and we are left with using more substantive and empirical means to determine the personality traits of others .
Donald Trump makes it quite easy to diagnose his personality disorders without any need to mess up his carefully-coiffed comb-over and discern the contours of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get insight into the president ’ s disordered thinking is to glance at his Twitter feed each morning where he excretes the detritus of his mind in ways that are both telling and indicting .
Trump began his morning today with a semi-coherent attack on the current bane of his existence , his rival in the 2020 presidential race , Joe Biden .
Add your name to demand an investigation into Trump letting Putin pay Taliban fighters to kill US troops !
Perhaps it ’ s best not to try to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental acuity as a campaign cudgel when you refer to the Obama/Biden administration in the present tense , despite the fact that you have occupied the office of the presidency for the past three and a half years .
Apparently , some poor government doctor forgot to ask Trump who the current president is when administering that test to evaluate his patient ’ s level of mental impairment .
Although Trump didn ’ t provide the details of his test results beyond bragging that he could remember five words in order , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any included projection tests by his assigning his own culpabilities for corruption to his opponent .
Trump then went on to post a photo of himself with former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre at his Bedminster , NJ golf course where the president spent his day yesterday rather than attend the memorial services for the late civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis , services where he was unlikely to receive a warm welcome anyway .
No day is complete for the president without an ego-gratifying retweet of “ Dear Leader ” -type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today ’ s contribution came from Fox News anchor Tammy Bruce who seems to be living in a parallel universe where Trump wasn ’ t the one hiding in his bunker and leading the nation into a coronavirus disaster .
Bruce — like Trump — sees empathy as a weakness , rather than the basis for shared humanity .
Ignoring the fact that the reasons for the national unrest are massive inequalities in the administration of justice , Trump reflexively retweets anyone parroting back his political talking points and gives his cult members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his social media feed , providing positive reinforcement for his negative ideology .
Trump always tries to keep his tweets timely to prove that he is up on all the things that the youngsters are doing .
This morning , his priority was justifying his destruction of the Constitution by sending uninvited and unwanted federal troops to cities around the country .
He started by spreading lies meant to divide the opposition by falsely suggesting that it is Antifa and not their right-wing white-supremacist militia opponents who are the racist terror group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nationwide BLM protests .
The president also engaged in fear-mongering with a retweet of Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolfe ’ s post showing trash leftover from the Portland protests against their city ’ s illegal invasion by the federal stormtroopers .
Trump moved back to attacking Democrats with his next tweet , targeting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and well as Joe Biden with more lies about his early and ineffective moves to try to halt the entry of COVID-19 in the country by instituting a poorly designed travel ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the bulk of the earliest cases in the hard-hit northeast part of our country snuck in from Italy .
If only Trump hadn ’ t made exceptions to the travel ban that offered the coronavirus mile-wide loopholes to enter the country and had used the intervening months to prepare the nation for the eventual spread of the disease by stockpiling PPE and other measures recommended by the Obama pandemic plan that his administration ignored .
Trump ’ s last tweet of the morning was a snarl of denial aimed at his plummeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin to grasp the enormity of his failures in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout .
If the president thinks that “ ENTHUSIASM ” can be generated by simply typing the word in capital letters , THEN HE IS SORELY MISTAKEN !
As thousands of people risk their health to gather in crowds to protest his heinous policies on the streets in cities across the country , it ’ s difficult to miss the enthusiasm of the American people — a majority of whom voted for his opponent in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the scourge of his presidency .
Blame “ Fake News , ” blame the “ Radical Left , ” blame “ Fake Suppression Polls ” ( whatever he thinks that means ) , but the only Silent Majority that exists in this country is the one that wants Trump out of office as soon as possible so we can try to claw back whatever sense of normalcy that we can salvage after his divisive and destructive regime .
Tweet away , Donald Trump , your days are numbered , and , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of your mind , you know it .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

In the nineteenth century, the pseudoscience of phrenol0gy had a brief spell of popularity, with many people convinced that it was possible to determine one’s psychological destiny by interpreting the bumps on one’s skull.
In the modern world, such crackpot theories have been discredited by real science and we are left with using more substantive and empirical means to determine the personality traits of others.
Donald Trump makes it quite easy to diagnose his personality disorders without any need to mess up his carefully-coiffed comb-over and discern the contours of his cranium.
All one needs to do to get insight into the president’s disordered thinking is to glance at his Twitter feed each morning where he excretes the detritus of his mind in ways that are both telling and indicting.
Sunday morning’s tweets provide a perfect example.
Trump began his morning today with a semi-coherent attack on the current bane of his existence, his rival in the 2020 presidential race, Joe Biden.
This week you had Joe Biden call Arizona a CITY. Nothing matters with him, however, because the Opposition Party (Lamestream Media) covers everything up – especially the corruption. The Obama/Biden Administration is the most corrupt in history. They even spied on my campaign! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
Add your name to demand an investigation into Trump letting Putin pay Taliban fighters to kill US troops!
Perhaps it’s best not to try to use your opponent’s supposed lack of mental acuity as a campaign cudgel when you refer to the Obama/Biden administration in the present tense, despite the fact that you have occupied the office of the presidency for the past three and a half years.
Apparently, some poor government doctor forgot to ask Trump who the current president is when administering that test to evaluate his patient’s level of mental impairment.
Although Trump didn’t provide the details of his test results beyond bragging that he could remember five words in order, it’s clear that he has aced any included projection tests by his assigning his own culpabilities for corruption to his opponent.
Trump then went on to post a photo of himself with former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre at his Bedminster, NJ golf course where the president spent his day yesterday rather than attend the memorial services for the late civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis, services where he was unlikely to receive a warm welcome anyway.
Brett LOVES Wisconsin, Mississippi and Minnesota. A good golfer – hits it LONG! https://t.co/JcBJJEWI0X — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
No day is complete for the president without an ego-gratifying retweet of “Dear Leader”-type praise from a sycophantic cult member.
Today’s contribution came from Fox News anchor Tammy Bruce who seems to be living in a parallel universe where Trump wasn’t the one hiding in his bunker and leading the nation into a coronavirus disaster.
Oh shut up w the patronizing garbage. YOU’RE HIDING IN YOUR BASEMENT while the rest of us are dealing w riots enabled by Democrat politicians. We aren’t alone only because @realDonaldTrump has our backs, isn’t hiding, and is leading us out of this disaster. #getajob https://t.co/HZnyH6POqB — Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) July 25, 2020
Bruce — like Trump — sees empathy as a weakness, rather than the basis for shared humanity.
Ignoring the fact that the reasons for the national unrest are massive inequalities in the administration of justice, Trump reflexively retweets anyone parroting back his political talking points and gives his cult members 15 minutes of fame for being featured on his social media feed, providing positive reinforcement for his negative ideology.
Trump always tries to keep his tweets timely to prove that he is up on all the things that the youngsters are doing.
This morning, his priority was justifying his destruction of the Constitution by sending uninvited and unwanted federal troops to cities around the country. He started by spreading lies meant to divide the opposition by falsely suggesting that it is Antifa and not their right-wing white-supremacist militia opponents who are the racist terror group that is the source of violence in the nationwide BLM protests.
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1286723936546414594?s=20
The president also engaged in fear-mongering with a retweet of Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolfe’s post showing trash leftover from the Portland protests against their city’s illegal invasion by the federal stormtroopers.
Day 56. Last night six DHS law enforcement officers were injured in Portland. To be clear, criminals assaulted FEDERAL officers on FEDERAL property…and the city of Portland did nothing. pic.twitter.com/lzPPBl060y — Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) July 25, 2020
Trump moved back to attacking Democrats with his next tweet, targeting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and well as Joe Biden with more lies about his early and ineffective moves to try to halt the entry of COVID-19 in the country by instituting a poorly designed travel ban from China in January that proved ineffective when the bulk of the earliest cases in the hard-hit northeast part of our country snuck in from Italy.
Crazy Nancy Pelosi said I made a mistake when I banned people from infected China from entering the U.S. in January. Tens of thousands of lives were saved, as she danced in the Streets of Chinatown (SF) in late February. Biden agreed with her, but soon admitted that I was right! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
If only Trump hadn’t made exceptions to the travel ban that offered the coronavirus mile-wide loopholes to enter the country and had used the intervening months to prepare the nation for the eventual spread of the disease by stockpiling PPE and other measures recommended by the Obama pandemic plan that his administration ignored.
Trump’s last tweet of the morning was a snarl of denial aimed at his plummeting poll numbers as even low information voters begin to grasp the enormity of his failures in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout.
The Trump Campaign has more ENTHUSIASM, according to many, than any campaign in the history of our great Country – Even more than 2016. Biden has NONE! The Silent Majority will speak on NOVEMBER THIRD!!! Fake Suppression Polls & Fake News will not save the Radical Left. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
If the president thinks that “ENTHUSIASM” can be generated by simply typing the word in capital letters, THEN HE IS SORELY MISTAKEN!
As thousands of people risk their health to gather in crowds to protest his heinous policies on the streets in cities across the country, it’s difficult to miss the enthusiasm of the American people — a majority of whom voted for his opponent in the last election — in ridding the nation of the scourge of his presidency.
Blame “Fake News,” blame the “Radical Left,” blame “Fake Suppression Polls” (whatever he thinks that means), but the only Silent Majority that exists in this country is the one that wants Trump out of office as soon as possible so we can try to claw back whatever sense of normalcy that we can salvage after his divisive and destructive regime.
Tweet away, Donald Trump, your days are numbered, and, in the deepest recesses of what is left of your mind, you know it.
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--2020-07-28--Trump tries to explain why “nobody” likes him: “It can only be my personality”

Yes , those gaslighting gatherings at the White House that Donald Trump calls his Coronavirus Task Force press briefings are now entering the second week of their second season after weeks of the president essentially pretending that the COVID-19 pandemic simply wasn ’ t happening or serious enough to take him away from his campaign plotting .
The major difference is that the briefings are now all Trump , all the time , as the president has jettisoned all of the scientific experts who previously would show up from time to time to pronounce the words that Trump himself couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competence to the administration ’ s efforts to fight the pandemic .
Of course , experts aren ’ t worth much if you don ’ t follow their advice , as the president has studiously avoided doing so far .
With Trump having tweeted out more misinformation about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine against the COVID-19 virus earlier in the day , anticipation was high for today ’ s briefing to see how the president would react to Twitter ’ s removal of his posts for including dangerously false medical advice .
It didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start telling tales of the fictional America that exists only in his mind .
Add your name to demand an investigation into Trump letting Putin pay Taliban fighters to kill US troops !
Trump fails to mention that the large portions of the country that are coronavirus free are also those sections of the map with population densities near zero .
He also fails to explain why he elevates the opinions of a few outlier medical crackpots — one of who believes in space aliens and warns about sex with demons who visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preponderance of the medical community who agree with the scientific studies proving that Trump ’ s favorite placebo has no proven medical benefit and can , in fact , create problems of its own for the health of those foolish enough , like Trump himself , to take it .
As far as those deleted tweets go ?
Well , whatever Trump may have said to himself and anyone within earshot when his and his son Don Jr. ’ s tweets were removed , he downplayed their importance at the briefing this afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have any idea why social media companies were deleting the medical disinformation campaign he was engaging upon .
That was Trump in full Orwellian-mode , denying that what many saw with their own eyes ever existed .
Still , the president demonstrated a rare form of self-insight while simultaneously making it quite clear how jealous he is of the attention and credibility that Dr. Fauci and other Medical professionals on the task force have while he is regarded as leftover chopped liver…without the redeeming qualities of that delicacy .
For once , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scariest moment of the press conference came when the president revealed that he interpreted the recent Supreme Court smacking down his destruction of the DACA program as vastly expanding his powers to rule by executive decree .
While Trump stuck to prepared remarks during the majority of the briefing , his tortuous reading style making for an excitement level usually reserved for observing blades of grass grow in the summer sun , the Q & A session at the end is usually good for a few unscripted moments of note .
Today was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about one African American reporter ’ s resemblance to Michael Bloomberg ( an attempt to prove his color blindness , perhaps ? )
and a quick exit from the room as soon as the questions started getting too pointed and difficult to answer .
You can lead an ass to water , they say , but you can ’ t make them drink or answer questions , apparently .
Don ’ t worry , the White House correspondents will get another chance to have Trump avoid answering their questions tomorrow since , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these briefings are the only way Trump can try to reverse his precipitous slide in the polls and address the pandemic failures that caused his personality to be seen as so loathsome by so many people .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

They’re baaaack!
Yes, those gaslighting gatherings at the White House that Donald Trump calls his Coronavirus Task Force press briefings are now entering the second week of their second season after weeks of the president essentially pretending that the COVID-19 pandemic simply wasn’t happening or serious enough to take him away from his campaign plotting.
The major difference is that the briefings are now all Trump, all the time, as the president has jettisoned all of the scientific experts who previously would show up from time to time to pronounce the words that Trump himself couldn’t and add an air of competence to the administration’s efforts to fight the pandemic.
Of course, experts aren’t worth much if you don’t follow their advice, as the president has studiously avoided doing so far.
With Trump having tweeted out more misinformation about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine against the COVID-19 virus earlier in the day, anticipation was high for today’s briefing to see how the president would react to Twitter’s removal of his posts for including dangerously false medical advice.
It didn’t take long for Trump to start telling tales of the fictional America that exists only in his mind.
"They think it is extremely successful, the hydroxychloroquine, coupled with the zinc … it's safe" — Trump is back to using the White House briefing to push unproven, potentially deadly coronavirus miracle cures pic.twitter.com/SfKWiDvvl8 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 28, 2020
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Trump fails to mention that the large portions of the country that are coronavirus free are also those sections of the map with population densities near zero.
He also fails to explain why he elevates the opinions of a few outlier medical crackpots — one of who believes in space aliens and warns about sex with demons who visit you in your sleep — over the preponderance of the medical community who agree with the scientific studies proving that Trump’s favorite placebo has no proven medical benefit and can, in fact, create problems of its own for the health of those foolish enough, like Trump himself, to take it.
As far as those deleted tweets go? Well, whatever Trump may have said to himself and anyone within earshot when his and his son Don Jr.’s tweets were removed, he downplayed their importance at the briefing this afternoon, feigning that he didn’t have any idea why social media companies were deleting the medical disinformation campaign he was engaging upon.
Trump denies that he posted retweets accusing Dr. Fauci of misleading the public about coronavirus that he most definitely posted pic.twitter.com/oelKHDB5dT — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 28, 2020
That was Trump in full Orwellian-mode, denying that what many saw with their own eyes ever existed.
Still, the president demonstrated a rare form of self-insight while simultaneously making it quite clear how jealous he is of the attention and credibility that Dr. Fauci and other Medical professionals on the task force have while he is regarded as leftover chopped liver…without the redeeming qualities of that delicacy.
President Trump asks why Dr. Anthony Fauci has high approval ratings, but he doesn't. He says of Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx: "They are highly thought of, but nobody likes me. It can only be my personality, that's all." https://t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/R7h647fiQR — CBS News (@CBSNews) July 28, 2020
For once, Trump got one thing right.
Perhaps the scariest moment of the press conference came when the president revealed that he interpreted the recent Supreme Court smacking down his destruction of the DACA program as vastly expanding his powers to rule by executive decree.
"We are going to make DACA happy" — Trump seems to think DACA is a person pic.twitter.com/Pw9sNFyKAp — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 28, 2020
While Trump stuck to prepared remarks during the majority of the briefing, his tortuous reading style making for an excitement level usually reserved for observing blades of grass grow in the summer sun, the Q & A session at the end is usually good for a few unscripted moments of note.
Today was no exception, with an inexplicable comment about one African American reporter’s resemblance to Michael Bloomberg (an attempt to prove his color blindness, perhaps?) and a quick exit from the room as soon as the questions started getting too pointed and difficult to answer.
.@kaitlancollins: The woman you say is a 'great doctor' said masks don't work & doctors make medicine using DNA from aliens- TRUMP: "I can tell you this: She was on air, along with many other doctors, & they were big fans of hydroxychloroquine. I thought she was very impressive" pic.twitter.com/nSui8DOLDL — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 28, 2020
You can lead an ass to water, they say, but you can’t make them drink or answer questions, apparently.
Don’t worry, the White House correspondents will get another chance to have Trump avoid answering their questions tomorrow since, with the COVID-19 virus still spreading rapidly, these briefings are the only way Trump can try to reverse his precipitous slide in the polls and address the pandemic failures that caused his personality to be seen as so loathsome by so many people.
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Original reporting by Aaron Rupar at Vox.
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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--2020-07-28--Video shows Florida man illegally detaining Black teen and calling cops on him

It seems as if every day that we find ourselves still stuck inside the Trump era we witness some new heinous racist video explode across the internet .
Oftentimes they depict police officers engaged in racial profiling or extreme brutality against minorities , but sometimes they show just a garden variety citizen taking it upon themselves to terrorize a person of color .
Today we are confronted with the latter kind of bigotry .
News Channel 8 reports that a 54-year-old man named Luis Santos from Seffner , Florida was charged this month for illegally detaining a Black teenager who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to basketball practice .
Officially , Santos is being charged with carrying out False Imprisonment .
The Office of Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren claims that the teenager was riding a bicycle on his way to practice when Santos accosted him and stopped him from proceeding on his way .
Footage of the incident filmed by Santos reveals that he told the boy that he wasn ’ t “ going anywhere ” and hit him with a series of probing , loaded questions that he had no right to ask .
The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself shows how entitled he felt to harass the teenager for seemingly no other reason than that he is Black .
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“ You ’ re being detained , ” Santos can be heard saying in the clip .
Understandably confused , the teen says , “ I ’ m sorry ?
” at which point the man proceeds to call 911 and lie , saying he captured someone who was breaking into cars and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked by the police dispatcher for the boy ’ s race , Santos readily replies that “ he ’ s a Black guy.
” He also accuses the teen of stealing bicycles and later claims to the dispatcher that he himself is an off-duty cop .
The boy was never charged with a crime and a police officer ultimately escorted him to practice .
“ The evidence shows the victim had not committed any crime and Santos made misleading statements to law enforcement about what he had witnessed .
The young man felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while Santos acted as though he had the legal authority of a law enforcement officer , including compelling the victim to put his hands in the air until sheriff ’ s deputies arrived , ” Warren ’ s office explained in an email to News Channel 8 .
Prosecutors further claim that Santos hovered his hand around his pocket , perhaps trying to trick the teenager into believing he had a gun in order to compel compliance for his illegal orders .
“ The victim was visibly shaken and hyperventilating when deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his head .
He reasonably believed his life may be in jeopardy if he tried to leave or even move .
Santos had no lawful authority to restrain a person in a public place and his own recorded words establish that he was restraining the victim , by threat , against his will , ” stated Warren ’ s office .
Simply put there is no reasonable explanation for Santos ’ s behavior other than that he was racial profiling the teenager and his own ingrained anti-Black prejudices caused him to infringe on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s reassuring to learn that Santos will be held accountable for his crime because it shows that sometimes this country ’ s justice system gets it right .
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It seems as if every day that we find ourselves still stuck inside the Trump era we witness some new heinous racist video explode across the internet. Oftentimes they depict police officers engaged in racial profiling or extreme brutality against minorities, but sometimes they show just a garden variety citizen taking it upon themselves to terrorize a person of color. Today we are confronted with the latter kind of bigotry.
News Channel 8 reports that a 54-year-old man named Luis Santos from Seffner, Florida was charged this month for illegally detaining a Black teenager who was simply trying to make his way to basketball practice. Officially, Santos is being charged with carrying out False Imprisonment.
The Office of Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren claims that the teenager was riding a bicycle on his way to practice when Santos accosted him and stopped him from proceeding on his way.
Footage of the incident filmed by Santos reveals that he told the boy that he wasn’t “going anywhere” and hit him with a series of probing, loaded questions that he had no right to ask. The fact that he decided to record the encounter himself shows how entitled he felt to harass the teenager for seemingly no other reason than that he is Black.
Add your name to demand an investigation into Trump letting Putin pay Taliban fighters to kill US troops!
“You’re being detained,” Santos can be heard saying in the clip. Understandably confused, the teen says, “I’m sorry?” at which point the man proceeds to call 911 and lie, saying he captured someone who was breaking into cars and that he has video evidence. When asked by the police dispatcher for the boy’s race, Santos readily replies that “he’s a Black guy.” He also accuses the teen of stealing bicycles and later claims to the dispatcher that he himself is an off-duty cop.
The boy was never charged with a crime and a police officer ultimately escorted him to practice.
“The evidence shows the victim had not committed any crime and Santos made misleading statements to law enforcement about what he had witnessed. The young man felt threatened and was not free to leave, while Santos acted as though he had the legal authority of a law enforcement officer, including compelling the victim to put his hands in the air until sheriff’s deputies arrived,” Warren’s office explained in an email to News Channel 8.
Prosecutors further claim that Santos hovered his hand around his pocket, perhaps trying to trick the teenager into believing he had a gun in order to compel compliance for his illegal orders.
“The victim was visibly shaken and hyperventilating when deputies arrived, with his hands still over his head. He reasonably believed his life may be in jeopardy if he tried to leave or even move. Santos had no lawful authority to restrain a person in a public place and his own recorded words establish that he was restraining the victim, by threat, against his will,” stated Warren’s office.
Simply put there is no reasonable explanation for Santos’s behavior other than that he was racial profiling the teenager and his own ingrained anti-Black prejudices caused him to infringe on the rights of an innocent boy. It’s reassuring to learn that Santos will be held accountable for his crime because it shows that sometimes this country’s justice system gets it right.
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occupydemocrats--2020-07-28--Rep. Jayapal hammers Bill Barr over the gassing of BLM protesters but not Trump’s fans

As Democrats take their turns peppering Attorney General William Barr with questions at today ’ s House Judiciary Committee hearing , each is focusing on a different aspect of Barr ’ s misconduct in office .
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal ( D-WA ) took on a subject very relevant to voters in her home state of Washington where federal troops are now in Seattle to repeat their campaign of unwarranted provocations of otherwise primarily peaceful BLM protestors with violent suppression tactics that have so devastated people where they were first deployed in nearby Portland , Oregon .
Rep. Jayapal interrogated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reactions the Trump administration has responded to so viciously in dealing with the protestors at the Portland federal courthouse versus the tweets of support and complete inaction when armed right-wing anti-maskers intimidatingly occupied the steps of the Michigan statehouse back in April .
“ When white men with swastikas storm a government building with guns , there is no need for the president to ‘ activate ’ you , because they ’ re getting the president ’ s personal agenda done , ” Jayapal said .
“ But when black people and people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism and the president ’ s very own lack of response to those critical issues , then you forcibly remove them with armed federal officers [ and ] pepper bombs because they are considered terrorists by the president.
” Add your name to demand an investigation into Trump letting Putin pay Taliban fighters to kill US troops !
After Barr made an incredulous protestation of ignorance of the threats of lynching made by the maskless deplorables against Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer , Congresswoman Jayapal really let Barr have it over his sycophantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rule of law .
Representative Jayapal also forced Attorney General Barr to continue trying to pass off his proven lie that “ tear gas ” — a substance characterized as a chemical weapon by the Geneva Convention — was not used against protestors when clearing a path for Trump ’ s infamous Bible-clutching photo op was actually true .
The congresswoman accused the Attorney General of making a “ semantic distinction ” in his continued denials that have been widely disproven by eyewitnesses to the violent behavior of federal troops on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little to protestors dousing their eyes with milk , water , or whatever liquid was at hand whether the substance used by to make their eyes water and sting was a called a “ chemical irritant ” or “ tear gas.
” The effect was still the same .
The questioning of Attorney General Barr on Capitol Hill continues .
Check-in with Occupy Democrats for more coverage of the hearings .
Original reporting by Matt Zapotosky , Karoun Demirjian , John Wagner , Felicia Sonmez , and Devlin Barrett at The Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

As Democrats take their turns peppering Attorney General William Barr with questions at today’s House Judiciary Committee hearing, each is focusing on a different aspect of Barr’s misconduct in office.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) took on a subject very relevant to voters in her home state of Washington where federal troops are now in Seattle to repeat their campaign of unwarranted provocations of otherwise primarily peaceful BLM protestors with violent suppression tactics that have so devastated people where they were first deployed in nearby Portland, Oregon.
Rep. Jayapal interrogated the Attorney General about the disparity in the reactions the Trump administration has responded to so viciously in dealing with the protestors at the Portland federal courthouse versus the tweets of support and complete inaction when armed right-wing anti-maskers intimidatingly occupied the steps of the Michigan statehouse back in April.
“When white men with swastikas storm a government building with guns, there is no need for the president to ‘activate’ you, because they’re getting the president’s personal agenda done,” Jayapal said. “But when black people and people of color protest police brutality, systemic racism and the president’s very own lack of response to those critical issues, then you forcibly remove them with armed federal officers [and] pepper bombs because they are considered terrorists by the president.”
Rep. Jayapal hammers AG Barr pic.twitter.com/LvWHUkTvLf — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) July 28, 2020
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After Barr made an incredulous protestation of ignorance of the threats of lynching made by the maskless deplorables against Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Congresswoman Jayapal really let Barr have it over his sycophantic support of the president above the nation’s rule of law.
“You take an aggressive approach to Black Lives Matter protests, but not to right-wing extremists threatening to lynch a governor if it’s for … the president’s benefit,” she said.
Representative Jayapal also forced Attorney General Barr to continue trying to pass off his proven lie that “tear gas” — a substance characterized as a chemical weapon by the Geneva Convention — was not used against protestors when clearing a path for Trump’s infamous Bible-clutching photo op was actually true.
The congresswoman accused the Attorney General of making a “semantic distinction” in his continued denials that have been widely disproven by eyewitnesses to the violent behavior of federal troops on Lafayette Square that night.
It matters little to protestors dousing their eyes with milk, water, or whatever liquid was at hand whether the substance used by to make their eyes water and sting was a called a “chemical irritant” or “tear gas.”
The effect was still the same.
The questioning of Attorney General Barr on Capitol Hill continues. Check-in with Occupy Democrats for more coverage of the hearings.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Matt Zapotosky, Karoun Demirjian, John Wagner, Felicia Sonmez, and Devlin Barrett at The Washington Post.
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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--2020-07-28--Rep. Jeffries wrecks Barr’s COVID-19 Obama smear: “That is a myth. That is a lie.”

Over 4.2 million Americans have now contracted COVID-19 and over 146,000 Americans have died already .
While the coronavirus outbreak was likely to become a tragedy to some extent even with the most competent leadership imaginable , the sheer magnitude of the current tragedy can be directly laid at the incomplete feet of President Trump and his White House enablers .
From gutting the Centers for Disease Control ’ s pandemic response team to dismissing coronavirus concerns as a Democratic “ hoax , ” Trump has repeatedly botched the federal response since day one .
This virus has proven to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has failed it in staggering fashion .
True to odious form , the president still refuses to take any responsibility for his mistakes .
His attempts to shift the blame away from himself ahead of the 2020 election have grown so desperate that he even went so far as to imply that President Obama is responsible for inadequate COVID-19 testing , even though the disease didn ’ t occur during his tenure .
It ’ s a truly pathetic strategy and one which his lackeys appear to be mimicking .
Add your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letting Putin pay Taliban fighters to kill US troops !
Attorney General William Barr , as an obsequious a Trumpian lapdog as one is likely to find in the current administration , was called before Congress today to testify about the numerous scandals and controversies that have rocked his office since his tenure began .
His performance was quintessentially Barrian , which is to say heavy on obfuscation and dishonesty while focused firmly on saying or admitting nothing that might upset his boss .
At one point , Rep. Hakeem Jeffries ( D-NY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s statement that he takes no responsibility for testing failings demonstrates strong leadership .
Barr responded by shamelessly attempting to ingratiate himself with Trump by repeating the president ’ s lie that Barack Obama is to blame for the inadequate virus testing .
“ It was accurate , ” Barr said of Trump ’ s remarks .
“ The problem with the testing system was a function of President Obama ’ s mishandling of the CDC and his efforts to centralize everything in the CDC when it didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffries interjected to dismiss the claim as both a myth and a lie .
It ’ s telling that like Trump , Barr was unable to provide any evidence for his smear and is clearly just assuming that MAGAheads will simply accept any unflattering characterizations of Obama as fact .
Jeffries ’ s response was the perfect way to handle such a blatantly untrue statement and he should be commended for refusing to even entertain it .
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Over 4.2 million Americans have now contracted COVID-19 and over 146,000 Americans have died already. While the coronavirus outbreak was likely to become a tragedy to some extent even with the most competent leadership imaginable, the sheer magnitude of the current tragedy can be directly laid at the incomplete feet of President Trump and his White House enablers.
From gutting the Centers for Disease Control’s pandemic response team to dismissing coronavirus concerns as a Democratic “hoax,” Trump has repeatedly botched the federal response since day one. This virus has proven to be the test of his presidency and he has failed it in staggering fashion.
True to odious form, the president still refuses to take any responsibility for his mistakes. His attempts to shift the blame away from himself ahead of the 2020 election have grown so desperate that he even went so far as to imply that President Obama is responsible for inadequate COVID-19 testing, even though the disease didn’t occur during his tenure. It’s a truly pathetic strategy and one which his lackeys appear to be mimicking.
Add your name to demand an investigation into Trump letting Putin pay Taliban fighters to kill US troops!
Attorney General William Barr, as an obsequious a Trumpian lapdog as one is likely to find in the current administration, was called before Congress today to testify about the numerous scandals and controversies that have rocked his office since his tenure began. His performance was quintessentially Barrian, which is to say heavy on obfuscation and dishonesty while focused firmly on saying or admitting nothing that might upset his boss.
At one point, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) asked Barr if he believes that Trump’s statement that he takes no responsibility for testing failings demonstrates strong leadership. Barr responded by shamelessly attempting to ingratiate himself with Trump by repeating the president’s lie that Barack Obama is to blame for the inadequate virus testing.
“It was accurate,” Barr said of Trump’s remarks. “The problem with the testing system was a function of President Obama’s mishandling of the CDC and his efforts to centralize everything in the CDC when it didn’t have the capacity–” Barr went on until Jeffries interjected to dismiss the claim as both a myth and a lie.
It’s telling that like Trump, Barr was unable to provide any evidence for his smear and is clearly just assuming that MAGAheads will simply accept any unflattering characterizations of Obama as fact. Jeffries’s response was the perfect way to handle such a blatantly untrue statement and he should be commended for refusing to even entertain it.
While being grilled by @RepJeffries, Barr absurdly tries to blame Obama for the Trump's disastrous coronavirus response: "The problem with the testing system was a function of President Obama's mishandling of the CDC." pic.twitter.com/I58V2cL5Xq — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 28, 2020
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