occupydemocrats--2020-09-26--Ilhan Omar hilariously trolls Marco Rubio after he accuses Democrats of being anti-Catholic

Marco Rubio , like most Republican Senators , is doing everything he can to help Trump ram his latest Supreme Court nominee through the Senate confirmation process .
Now that Trump is expected to momentarily announce that he will nominate Amy Coney Barrett —a former clerk for right-wing jurist Antonin Scalia and someone who is the polar opposite of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — to replace the woman whose death created the ill-timed opening on the court , Rubio has sent a tweet that already accuses Democrats of being anti-Catholic after criticism of Barrett ’ s membership in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Catholic Church .
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Rubio is perhaps confused about the status of the tightly knit charismatic Christian group called People of Praise that Barrett is a long-standing member of and about the Democrats who are attacking Barrett for her affiliation with the extreme conservative activists who are her fellow members in the group .
Firstly , it is an ecumenical group that is not sanctioned by or a division of the Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its members declare themselves to be part of that faith .
Secondly , the Democrats nominated a devout , church-going Catholic , Joe Biden , as their presidential nominee .
Thirdly , the Supreme Court already has five Catholic Justices among its remaining eight members , meaning that the 62.5 percent of the court identify with the religion , a number that would grow to 66.6 percent if Barrett were to be confirmed and that far exceeds the 22 percent of the U.S. population who belong to the church .
Most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Chief Justice John Roberts , Samuel Alito , Clarence Thomas , and Brett Kavanaugh .
The only Catholic jurist on the court who was appointed by a Democratic president is Justice Sonia Sotomayor , whom I can personally attest is a Catholic since we were in the same class together in the Bronx ’ s parochial Cardinal Spellman High School until we graduated .
I have the yearbook to prove it .
It ’ s hardly like the population of U.S. Catholics should have any fear of underrepresentation on the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious affiliations of the justices should make no difference if the judges are doing their jobs properly and basing their decisions on the text of the Constitution and the historical precedents of the court .
Progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar ( D-MN ) noticed the hypocrisy in the values that Rubio professes to support in his video comments compared to the actual record of what Donald Trump and his Republican enablers like Senator Rubio have done in this country since taking office , including the separation of families and the demonization of immigrants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has taken that Jesus Christ himself would be ashamed to see associated with his name .
Her reply to Senator Rubio ’ s assertion — that Democrats ’ insistence on maintaining the separation of church and state that is mandated by the U.S. Constitution is tantamount to requiring Supreme Court nominees to abandon or hide their faith — hopefully helped remind Rubio that Trump and the GOP might be singing a different tune if the nominee was , like Representative Omar , a practicing Muslim .
Somebody needs to tell Rubio .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be reading this article , but , hopefully , the electorate will give him the response directly at the ballot box , repudiating the GOP ’ s judicial nominee hypocrisy by sending Donald Trump packing along with the Republican majority in the Senate .
Until then simply ignore Rubio ’ s insane allegations and do what you can to elect the practicing Catholic— Joe Biden — to erase the cynical exploitation of religious values being practiced by the current occupant of the White House .
We want to hear what YOU have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know in our NEW comment section !

Marco Rubio, like most Republican Senators, is doing everything he can to help Trump ram his latest Supreme Court nominee through the Senate confirmation process.
Now that Trump is expected to momentarily announce that he will nominate Amy Coney Barrett —a former clerk for right-wing jurist Antonin Scalia and someone who is the polar opposite of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — to replace the woman whose death created the ill-timed opening on the court, Rubio has sent a tweet that already accuses Democrats of being anti-Catholic after criticism of Barrett’s membership in an extremist religious organization not formally affiliated with the Catholic Church.
Today the assault may be on Catholicism. But tomorrow, no religion will be safe from the same attacks And then the message will be clear,if you want to serve in public office,especially on the highest court in the land,only those willing to hide or deny their faith need apply. pic.twitter.com/zj4a9mmMCq — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) September 26, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
Rubio is perhaps confused about the status of the tightly knit charismatic Christian group called People of Praise that Barrett is a long-standing member of and about the Democrats who are attacking Barrett for her affiliation with the extreme conservative activists who are her fellow members in the group.
Firstly, it is an ecumenical group that is not sanctioned by or a division of the Catholic Church, even though 90% of its members declare themselves to be part of that faith.
Secondly, the Democrats nominated a devout, church-going Catholic, Joe Biden, as their presidential nominee.
Thirdly, the Supreme Court already has five Catholic Justices among its remaining eight members, meaning that the 62.5 percent of the court identify with the religion, a number that would grow to 66.6 percent if Barrett were to be confirmed and that far exceeds the 22 percent of the U.S. population who belong to the church.
Most of the Catholic justices were appointed by Republican presidents, including Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh. The only Catholic jurist on the court who was appointed by a Democratic president is Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whom I can personally attest is a Catholic since we were in the same class together in the Bronx’s parochial Cardinal Spellman High School until we graduated. I have the yearbook to prove it.
It’s hardly like the population of U.S. Catholics should have any fear of underrepresentation on the Supreme Court at this point, but the religious affiliations of the justices should make no difference if the judges are doing their jobs properly and basing their decisions on the text of the Constitution and the historical precedents of the court.
Progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) noticed the hypocrisy in the values that Rubio professes to support in his video comments compared to the actual record of what Donald Trump and his Republican enablers like Senator Rubio have done in this country since taking office, including the separation of families and the demonization of immigrants, among the many other actions the administration has taken that Jesus Christ himself would be ashamed to see associated with his name.
Her reply to Senator Rubio’s assertion — that Democrats’ insistence on maintaining the separation of church and state that is mandated by the U.S. Constitution is tantamount to requiring Supreme Court nominees to abandon or hide their faith — hopefully helped remind Rubio that Trump and the GOP might be singing a different tune if the nominee was, like Representative Omar, a practicing Muslim.
https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1309943542870093824?s=20
Somebody needs to tell Rubio.
It’s unlikely that he’ll be reading this article, but, hopefully, the electorate will give him the response directly at the ballot box, repudiating the GOP’s judicial nominee hypocrisy by sending Donald Trump packing along with the Republican majority in the Senate.
Until then simply ignore Rubio’s insane allegations and do what you can to elect the practicing Catholic— Joe Biden — to erase the cynical exploitation of religious values being practiced by the current occupant of the White House.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
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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--2020-09-26--Former Pence aide: White House staffers already discussing what to do if Trump refuses to leave

While Democrats and those on the left have been contemplating f0r quite some time what to do if Donald Trump refuses to concede the election and abandon the presidency once he loses the upcoming popular and subsequent electoral vote , little did we know that even White House staffers have been busy making plans for that petulant eventuality .
Olivia Troye — the former coronavirus task force aide to Vice President Mike Pence who made headlines when she delivered an impassioned endorsement of Joe Biden — disclosed yesterday that she participated in closed-door meetings with fellow Trump administration staffers about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave office after his likely defeat in a fair and honest election , or at least as close to one as we can manage with the president ’ s constant attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the balloting .
Troye disclosed the meetings after she grew concerned over Trump ’ s latest refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power .
“ It ’ s frightening to me , because to be honest , during my tenure at the White House , I ’ ve had conversations behind closed doors with White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including people in the intelligence community , where we ’ ve actually discussed what if , what if he loses and refuses to leave , or better yet , what if his plan is four more years of Donald Trump should he win , and would he leave after that ?
” Troye told CNN .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
Trump has repeatedly said that he would really only consider the election free and fair if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prelude to his immediately formally challeging the legitimacy of the voting if Joe Biden wins as the polls now predict .
“ We ’ re going to have to see what happens , you know , but I ’ ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots .
The ballots are a disaster , ” Trump saiod to reporters at a Wednesday White House briefing .
“ Get rid of the ballots and you ’ ll have a very peaceful — there won ’ t be a transfer , frankly .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added in a frightening premonition of post election violence .
“ The ballots are out of control .
You know it , and you know who knows it better than anyone else ?
The Democrats know it better than anyone else.
” Such a stunning repudiation of our nation ’ s democratic norms is unprecedented and has raised fears that Trump will attempt to steal the election through voter suppression tactics , legal challenges , and a Supreme Court packed with his latest illegitimate nominee .
Troye herself found those fears all too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leading member of the Republican anti-Trump minority since she left the White House last month .
She has appeared in ads created by other GOP defectors from the president ’ s party and , having witnessed first-hand his failures to address the COVID-19 pandemic , called out the legacy of coronavirus deaths that she places at Trump ’ s feet .
If even those people working in lower-level administration positions are concerned that Trump will not respect the results of the elections and will defy the U.S. Constitution ’ s outline for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can blame the Democrats for raising the alarm ?
Of course , in the face of a massive blow-out in favor of Joe Biden , Trump will have difficulty finding enough people who would believe his claims of electoral fraud as the reason for his defeat .
That hasn ’ t stopped him before , but it ’ s likely our only chance to ensure that his already incipient schemes don ’ t play out the way that he envisions .
You must vote for Joe Biden , even if he wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win the primaries .
The stakes are simply too high to do otherwise , no matter how much ideological purity that you want to maintain .
\Original reporting by Tal Axelrod at The Hill .
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While Democrats and those on the left have been contemplating f0r quite some time what to do if Donald Trump refuses to concede the election and abandon the presidency once he loses the upcoming popular and subsequent electoral vote, little did we know that even White House staffers have been busy making plans for that petulant eventuality.
Olivia Troye — the former coronavirus task force aide to Vice President Mike Pence who made headlines when she delivered an impassioned endorsement of Joe Biden — disclosed yesterday that she participated in closed-door meetings with fellow Trump administration staffers about the very scenario of Trump refusing to leave office after his likely defeat in a fair and honest election, or at least as close to one as we can manage with the president’s constant attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the balloting.
Troye disclosed the meetings after she grew concerned over Trump’s latest refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
“It’s frightening to me, because to be honest, during my tenure at the White House, I’ve had conversations behind closed doors with White House staffers and other government officials, including people in the intelligence community, where we’ve actually discussed what if, what if he loses and refuses to leave, or better yet, what if his plan is four more years of Donald Trump should he win, and would he leave after that?” Troye told CNN.
"The President can call it a hoax, but the truth is we have increasing cases … I don't see the President changing the course of the direction that we're doing in terms of the response to this." – Olivia Troye, a former VP Mike Pence aide who rebuked Trump's Covid-19 response pic.twitter.com/4Xh1teVnmJ — The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) September 25, 2020
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Trump has repeatedly said that he would really only consider the election free and fair if he wins, which many people see as a prelude to his immediately formally challeging the legitimacy of the voting if Joe Biden wins as the polls now predict.
“We’re going to have to see what happens, you know, but I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. The ballots are a disaster,” Trump saiod to reporters at a Wednesday White House briefing. “Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation,” Trump added in a frightening premonition of post election violence. “The ballots are out of control. You know it, and you know who knows it better than anyone else? The Democrats know it better than anyone else.”
Such a stunning repudiation of our nation’s democratic norms is unprecedented and has raised fears that Trump will attempt to steal the election through voter suppression tactics, legal challenges, and a Supreme Court packed with his latest illegitimate nominee.
Troye herself found those fears all too plausible.
“The president when he’s joking, if he says that he’s joking, he’s telling you a half truth,” Troye said. “And in there is something fairly frightening and scary.”
Troye has established herself as a leading member of the Republican anti-Trump minority since she left the White House last month. She has appeared in ads created by other GOP defectors from the president’s party and, having witnessed first-hand his failures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, called out the legacy of coronavirus deaths that she places at Trump’s feet.
“If the president had taken this virus seriously, or if he had actually made an effort to tell how serious it was, he would have slowed the virus spread, he would have saved lives,” Troye said in the anti-Trump ad she appeared in recently.
If even those people working in lower-level administration positions are concerned that Trump will not respect the results of the elections and will defy the U.S. Constitution’s outline for the peaceful transfer of power, who can blame the Democrats for raising the alarm?
Of course, in the face of a massive blow-out in favor of Joe Biden, Trump will have difficulty finding enough people who would believe his claims of electoral fraud as the reason for his defeat. That hasn’t stopped him before, but it’s likely our only chance to ensure that his already incipient schemes don’t play out the way that he envisions.
You must vote for Joe Biden, even if he wasn’t the Democratic candidate that you wanted to win the primaries. The stakes are simply too high to do otherwise, no matter how much ideological purity that you want to maintain.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
\Original reporting by Tal Axelrod at The Hill.
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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--2020-09-26--Customs and Border Protection’s latest arrest has furious immigration advocates up in arms

As Donald Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful acceptance of the results of the upcoming presidential election , the authoritarian threat to our nation ’ s democracy has never been clearer .
Anyone who has been paying attention to this president ’ s transformation of the Department of Homeland Security into his personal army designed to remove those Trump considers undesirables or illegal has seen this turn of events coming for a long time .
Now come reports that the DHS ’ s Customs and Border Protection division has taken a fifteen-year-old girl straight from her San Antonio hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she sought emergency treatment , in a move that is designed to scare undocumented immigrants from ever seeking necessary medical care .
The intimidation of these undocumented residents could possibly further the spread of COVID-19 by discouraging anyone with questionable immigration status from seeking tests and leaving them in their communities spreading the virus unknowingly if they are asymptomatic .
Sarah Valdez , the attorney for the unnamed minor now in custody , gave the details of her client ’ s arrest to CBS News .
The Mexican-born teenager went to a hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aunt last week after she started feeling pain in her gall bladder .
A quick examination revealed that she needed surgery that would be best performed at a different hospital in San Antonio .
Unfortunately , in between the Edinburg medical facility and the San Antonio hospital , a Customs and Border Protection checkpoint had been set up on the highway .
Without proper citizenship documents , the girl and her aunt were prevented from heading straight to the scheduled surgery .
Instead , they arrested the aunt and sent CBP agents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency medical documents that would allow the 15-year-old to pass the checkpoint and head to her emergency medical procedure .
In the doublespeak of immigration authorities , the CBP spokesperson said that agency was merely following the law to “ process her and her aunt consistent with their immigration status.
” Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
Separated from her arrested family member , the girl was eventually taken to the San Antonio hospital and was taken into surgery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside her room to guard her after her medical procedure was completed .
With both the aunt and the girl now in separate ICE detention facilities , the Trump administration is continuing to split families and has detained a young girl who has spent the vast majority of her life in the United States to be returned to Mexico , a country that she doesn ’ t know at all .
All of this comes because once CBP arrested her aunt , the girl became an unaccompanied minor immigrant and was subject to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossed the border alone yesterday , not after years of living in the U.S .
If this all wasn ’ t bad enough , the 15-year-old tested positive for coronavirus while in the hospital and is likely now infecting other detainees at the facility where she was brought .
The girl ’ s parents , who are also undocumented , are in the U.S. but can ’ t come forward to help their daughter with her unaccompanied status without suffering the same fate as the girl and her aunt .
First they came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not speak out—because I was not a socialist .
Then they came for the trade unionists , and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist .
Then they came for the Jews , and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew .
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me .
The only way to avoid more stories like this from filling the news is to ensure Donald Trump ’ s defeat by an enormous margin in this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and a straight Democratic ticket as soon as you are legally able to do so in your state .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

As Donald Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful acceptance of the results of the upcoming presidential election, the authoritarian threat to our nation’s democracy has never been clearer.
Anyone who has been paying attention to this president’s transformation of the Department of Homeland Security into his personal army designed to remove those Trump considers undesirables or illegal has seen this turn of events coming for a long time.
Now come reports that the DHS’s Customs and Border Protection division has taken a fifteen-year-old girl straight from her San Antonio hospital bed into an ICE detention center after she sought emergency treatment, in a move that is designed to scare undocumented immigrants from ever seeking necessary medical care.
The intimidation of these undocumented residents could possibly further the spread of COVID-19 by discouraging anyone with questionable immigration status from seeking tests and leaving them in their communities spreading the virus unknowingly if they are asymptomatic.
Sarah Valdez, the attorney for the unnamed minor now in custody, gave the details of her client’s arrest to CBS News.
The Mexican-born teenager went to a hospital in Edinburg, Texas accompanied by her aunt last week after she started feeling pain in her gall bladder. A quick examination revealed that she needed surgery that would be best performed at a different hospital in San Antonio.
Unfortunately, in between the Edinburg medical facility and the San Antonio hospital, a Customs and Border Protection checkpoint had been set up on the highway. Without proper citizenship documents, the girl and her aunt were prevented from heading straight to the scheduled surgery.
Instead, they arrested the aunt and sent CBP agents to the first hospital in Edinburg to gather emergency medical documents that would allow the 15-year-old to pass the checkpoint and head to her emergency medical procedure. In the doublespeak of immigration authorities, the CBP spokesperson said that agency was merely following the law to “process her and her aunt consistent with their immigration status.”
“There are protocols in place with area medical facilities to prevent delays or the detention of individuals traveling through the checkpoints to seek emergency medical care,” CBP said in a statement.
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
Separated from her arrested family member, the girl was eventually taken to the San Antonio hospital and was taken into surgery, but a CBP guard was posted outside her room to guard her after her medical procedure was completed.
According to CBS News:
“After the surgery, the 15-year-old girl, who found herself in a hospital without an accompanying adult family member, was taken into CBP custody and designated an unaccompanied migrant child. U.S. anti-trafficking law requires all government agencies, including CBP, to transfer undocumented minors classified as unaccompanied to the U.S. refugee agency, which holds children in shelters and other housing facilities.
With both the aunt and the girl now in separate ICE detention facilities, the Trump administration is continuing to split families and has detained a young girl who has spent the vast majority of her life in the United States to be returned to Mexico, a country that she doesn’t know at all. All of this comes because once CBP arrested her aunt, the girl became an unaccompanied minor immigrant and was subject to the same regulations as a child who crossed the border alone yesterday, not after years of living in the U.S.
“It’s a reiteration of family separation,” said Valdes, a lawyer for the Texas-based Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). “She’s only unaccompanied because they showed up at the hospital and they arrested her adult family member,” the attorney told CBS News.
If this all wasn’t bad enough, the 15-year-old tested positive for coronavirus while in the hospital and is likely now infecting other detainees at the facility where she was brought.
The girl’s parents, who are also undocumented, are in the U.S. but can’t come forward to help their daughter with her unaccompanied status without suffering the same fate as the girl and her aunt.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. — Martin Niemöller
The only way to avoid more stories like this from filling the news is to ensure Donald Trump’s defeat by an enormous margin in this election.
Go out and vote for Joe Biden and a straight Democratic ticket as soon as you are legally able to do so in your state.
Stop the madness!
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Original reporting by Camilo Montoya-Galvez 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--2020-09-27--The New York Times reveals that Trump only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017

Just in time for the election and Tuesday ’ s presidential debates , The New York Times “ has obtained tax-return data extending over more than two decades for Mr. Trump and the hundreds of companies that make up his business organization , including detailed information from his first two years in office , ” the newspaper said today in a surprise development in the presidential race .
While The Times hasn ’ t been able to obtain the president ’ s tax returns for the past two years , the information that they did manage to get ahold of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s term .
The New York Times tempered public expectations of what the tax data actually reveals by prefacing their initial report on the info with this disclaimer .
Still , the filings themselves reveal some facts that may prove damaging to Trump as he tries to turn his failing poll numbers around as early voting has already begun in some states .
The most shocking confirmation of what you likely already suspected is the fact that in 2016 and 2017 — the year he was running for the presidency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only paid $ 750 in federal taxes , much less than many less wealthy Americans paid to the federal government .
That was a major outlay for the president considering that the tax data also shows that “ He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made , ” as The Times writes .
The article portrays Trump as financially stressed and “ beset by losses and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Also hanging over him is a decade-long audit battle with the Internal Revenue Service over the legitimacy of a $ 72.9 million tax refund that he claimed , and received , after declaring huge losses .
An adverse ruling could cost him more than $ 100 million , ” The New York Times explains .
“ The tax returns that Mr. Trump has long fought to keep private tell a story fundamentally different from the one he has sold to the American public .
His reports to the I.R.S .
portray a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars a year yet racks up chronic losses that he aggressively employs to avoid paying taxes .
Now , with his financial challenges mounting , the records show that he depends more and more on making money from businesses that put him in potential and often direct conflict of interest with his job as president , ” the article continues .
In a finding that may prove to be disappointing to the president ’ s political opponents , after reviewing the data , the reporters found no additional evidence of any previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported connections already on the public radar more than demonstrate sufficient contacts with Russian money sources to raise questions about what kind of influence the Kremlin has had on Trump ’ s actions and policies .
A lawyer for the Trump Organization , Alan Garten , responded to media disclosure of the president ’ s tax info by claiming that “ most , if not all , of the facts ” in the newspaper ’ s possession “ appear to be inaccurate.
” The New York Times countered with the following rebuttal : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details of the president ’ s tax data , including a mysterious “ $ 26 million in unexplained ‘ consulting fees ’ as a business expense across nearly all of his projects.
” Trump himself replied to the allegations in the article this afternoon at his press briefing , where he essentially relied on his standard dodge that The New York Times is “ Fake News ” and not to be believed .
The Times , for their part , promises to mine the data in order to publish additional findings in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times article to see the details of what they ’ ve already found in their initial perusal of the info they ’ ve obtained here .
( Paywall , subscription may be required . )
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Just in time for the election and Tuesday’s presidential debates, The New York Times “has obtained tax-return data extending over more than two decades for Mr. Trump and the hundreds of companies that make up his business organization, including detailed information from his first two years in office,” the newspaper said today in a surprise development in the presidential race.
While The Times hasn’t been able to obtain the president’s tax returns for the past two years, the information that they did manage to get ahold of will reverberate throughout the remainder of Donald Trump’s term.
The New York Times tempered public expectations of what the tax data actually reveals by prefacing their initial report on the info with this disclaimer.
“By their very nature, the filings will leave many questions unanswered, many questioners unfulfilled. They comprise information that Mr. Trump has disclosed to the I.R.S., not the findings of an independent financial examination,” the newspaper wrote, referencing the possibility that Trump is as untruthful in his tax filings as he is in everyhting that spills forth from his lips.
Still, the filings themselves reveal some facts that may prove damaging to Trump as he tries to turn his failing poll numbers around as early voting has already begun in some states.
The most shocking confirmation of what you likely already suspected is the fact that in 2016 and 2017 — the year he was running for the presidency and his first year in office — Trump only paid $750 in federal taxes, much less than many less wealthy Americans paid to the federal government.
That was a major outlay for the president considering that the tax data also shows that “He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made,” as The Times writes.
The article portrays Trump as financially stressed and “beset by losses and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming due that he has personally guaranteed.”
“Also hanging over him is a decade-long audit battle with the Internal Revenue Service over the legitimacy of a $72.9 million tax refund that he claimed, and received, after declaring huge losses. An adverse ruling could cost him more than $100 million,” The New York Times explains. “The tax returns that Mr. Trump has long fought to keep private tell a story fundamentally different from the one he has sold to the American public. His reports to the I.R.S. portray a businessman who takes in hundreds of millions of dollars a year yet racks up chronic losses that he aggressively employs to avoid paying taxes. Now, with his financial challenges mounting, the records show that he depends more and more on making money from businesses that put him in potential and often direct conflict of interest with his job as president,” the article continues.
In a finding that may prove to be disappointing to the president’s political opponents, after reviewing the data, the reporters found no additional evidence of any previously unreported connections to Russia, although the reported connections already on the public radar more than demonstrate sufficient contacts with Russian money sources to raise questions about what kind of influence the Kremlin has had on Trump’s actions and policies.
A lawyer for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, responded to media disclosure of the president’s tax info by claiming that “most, if not all, of the facts” in the newspaper’s possession “appear to be inaccurate.”
“Over the past decade, President Trump has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015,” the Trump Organization lawyer said in a statement.
The New York Times countered with the following rebuttal:
“With the term “personal taxes,” however, Mr. Garten appears to be conflating income taxes with other federal taxes Mr. Trump has paid — Social Security, Medicare and taxes for his household employees. Mr. Garten also asserted that some of what the president owed was “paid with tax credits,” a misleading characterization of credits, which reduce a business owner’s income-tax bill as a reward for various activities, like historic preservation,” the Times’ reporters write.
The article goes on to analyze the details of the president’s tax data, including a mysterious “$26 million in unexplained ‘consulting fees’ as a business expense across nearly all of his projects.”
Trump himself replied to the allegations in the article this afternoon at his press briefing, where he essentially relied on his standard dodge that The New York Times is “Fake News” and not to be believed.
Listen to this pathetically weak pushback on the New York Times report about his tax returns. Trump is a con man. pic.twitter.com/be15BS005Z — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 27, 2020
The Times, for their part, promises to mine the data in order to publish additional findings in the days ahead
You can read the entire New York Times article to see the details of what they’ve already found in their initial perusal of the info they’ve obtained here. (Paywall, subscription may be required.)
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Original reporting by , and
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-27--Dr. Jill Biden slaps down CNN’s Jake Tapper the minute he brings up her husband’s “gaffes”

It ’ s debatable whether Donald Trump ’ s attempts to portray his Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden as “ sleepy , ” mentally feeble , and considerably past his prime will actually backfire by setting such low expectations for the former Vice President that simply showing up and uttering coherent sentences will allow Biden to exceed them , particularly since coherent sentences aren ’ t part of Trump ’ s repertoire .
Still , Biden ’ s reputation as being prone to verbal gaffes has helped the president ’ s insinuations about his opponent ’ s mental preparedness for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than they would have otherwise , even though Trump has thoroughly demonstrated his own plain incapacity for the leadership position .
CNN ’ s Jake Tapper tried to bring up the topic of Biden ’ s history of mistakes and misstatements while interviewing the Democratic candidate ’ s wife , Dr. Jill Biden , on his Sunday morning news show State of the Union this morning .
Ms. Biden quickly cut the CNN host off at the pass when he started his line of questioning .
It only took Dr. Jill Biden an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push forward with his pursuit of the topic .
Dr. Biden was smart enough to cut him off again .
Voters will get the chance to decide for themselves how the relative intellectual strength and physical fortitude of the two candidates compare when they face off in the first of three planned presidential debates on Tuesday night .
Trump has already tried to find an excuse for Joe Biden ’ s likely ability to undermine all the accusations of senility and lack of vigor that the president has flung towards him by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponent musters is likely due to performance-enhancing drugs .
In a Sunday morning Twitter post , Trump demanded that Biden submit to a drug test before the debate , indicating that he himself would also be willing to take a test for artificial mental enhancements .
Biden should call his bluff .
and see if Trump would be willing to risk attempting to take the stage without a strong dose of the Adderall that he is rumored to be fond of .
In the meantime , while we are waiting for Tuesday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Jill Biden parry with Jake Tapper on CNN in the video excerpt below .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It’s debatable whether Donald Trump’s attempts to portray his Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden as “sleepy,” mentally feeble, and considerably past his prime will actually backfire by setting such low expectations for the former Vice President that simply showing up and uttering coherent sentences will allow Biden to exceed them, particularly since coherent sentences aren’t part of Trump’s repertoire.
Still, Biden’s reputation as being prone to verbal gaffes has helped the president’s insinuations about his opponent’s mental preparedness for the job running the country stick more than they would have otherwise, even though Trump has thoroughly demonstrated his own plain incapacity for the leadership position.
CNN’s Jake Tapper tried to bring up the topic of Biden’s history of mistakes and misstatements while interviewing the Democratic candidate’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, on his Sunday morning news show State of the Union this morning.
Ms. Biden quickly cut the CNN host off at the pass when he started his line of questioning.
“Your husband has been known to make the occasional gaffe,” Tapper began.
It only took Dr. Jill Biden an instant to interject.
“You can’t even go there! After Donald Trump, you cannot even say the word gaffe,” the candidate’s spouse declared, likely referencing the many insane statements made by the man who coined the term “covfefe.”
Tapper nonetheless tried to push forward with his pursuit of the topic.
“I can’t even say the word gaffe,” Tapper gamely tried again. “But…”
Dr. Biden was smart enough to cut him off again.
“Nope,” Biden said, interupting her interrogator for a second time. “Done. It’s gone.” “The gaffe issue is over?” Tapper replied quizically. “Over, so over,” Jill Biden replied definitively.
Voters will get the chance to decide for themselves how the relative intellectual strength and physical fortitude of the two candidates compare when they face off in the first of three planned presidential debates on Tuesday night.
Trump has already tried to find an excuse for Joe Biden’s likely ability to undermine all the accusations of senility and lack of vigor that the president has flung towards him by insinuating that any capable performance that his opponent musters is likely due to performance-enhancing drugs.
In a Sunday morning Twitter post, Trump demanded that Biden submit to a drug test before the debate, indicating that he himself would also be willing to take a test for artificial mental enhancements.
Biden should call his bluff. and see if Trump would be willing to risk attempting to take the stage without a strong dose of the Adderall that he is rumored to be fond of.
In the meantime, while we are waiting for Tuesday evening’s showdown, you can watch Dr. Jill Biden parry with Jake Tapper on CNN in the video excerpt below.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by David Edwards at RawStory.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-27--Trump demands that Joe Biden take a drug test before debate in morning tweetstorm

After a relative scarcity of social media activity yesterday , Donald Trump jumped back onto Twitter with a vengeance this morning , tweeting and retweeting 40 posts since he left his Pennsylvania rally last evening .
He started with the easy retweets of the Republican National Committee ’ s posts of footage of his speech at the COVID superspreader event in Middletown , Pennsylvania where he carefully placed the few in attendance wearing face masks strategically arrayed behind his podium for the cameras .
It was likely more for Trump ’ s own protection from the coronavirus than for any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of face coverings mandates to help prevent the ever-continuing spread of the pandemic .
Trump ’ s retweets of his rally speech allowed him to quickly disseminate his empty promises and campaign tropes about “ LAW & ORDER , ” the supposed fraudulent nature of mail-in voting , and , foremost on his mind right now , his nomination of a right-wing religious extremist to the Supreme Court seat that opened with the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After highlighting his campaign speech on the subject of his nominee , Trump then proceeded to demonstrate how thoroughly he has the Republicans in the Senate under his orange thumb , by retweeting 15 GOP senators ’ posts announcing their support for Amy Coney Barrett — a woman likely to overturn the rights of others of her gender to their own reproductive freedom .
Here ’ s an example of the lengthy list of retweets .
The retweets served as a sinister roll call of hypocrites who have suddenly decided that it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominate a Supreme Court justice in the waning months of their term — as long as they aren ’ t a Black President like Barack Obama .
Trump next moved on to demanding that “ Sleepy Joe Biden ” be tested for drug use prior to their upcoming Tuesday debate , allowing that he would also take one as well .
After portraying Biden as a mentally-addled geriatric with barely enough energy to crawl out of bed in the morning , Trump has painted himself in a corner for the debates by lowering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the level that if the Democratic candidate shows up and manages to stay awake through the debate , he ’ s already exceeded the stereotype that the president has tried to impose upon him .
Trump is likely now raising allegations of drug abuse — allegations that he has faced himself , particularly after a rock of some unknown white substance flew from his nose during a recent press conference — to belie his false accusations against his Democratic opponent and explain away whatever vigor that Biden displays at Tuesday ’ s debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of question marks at the end of his allegations will somehow protect him from any libel suits .
Any fears of libel were far from the president ’ s mind in his next few posts as he proceeded to attack Democratic senators opposed to his nomination of a religious fanatic to the nation ’ s highest court .
He targeted Senator Richard Blumenthal ( D-CT ) in particular in two separate tweets .
Cadet Bone Spurs truly has no shame .
Unlike Senator Blumenthal , Trump ’ s supposed medical condition allowed him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump then went on to attack former NY City Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate , billionaire Mike Bloomberg , for his decision to pay the fines of the Florida felons who had finished their sentences and were granted the ability to vote after a statewide ballot initiative passed but had their rights stripped away by a GOP-controlled Florida legislature that insisted that they first pay newly-invented fees to cover the cost of their trials and incarceration before being allowed to exercise their newly restored rights , despite their likely inability to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the man who suddenly announced last week that all seniors on Medicare would be awarded $ 200 vouchers to cover the costs of prescription drugs would accuse someone else of the “ serious crime ” of bribing people to vote for a particular candidate or party , it ’ s likely an instance of hypocrisy that will be ignored by the president ’ s deplorable followers .
Trump finished his morning social media rampage with a few more rote attempts at his deceitful political propaganda , trying to convince the public that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him trailing badly will be illegitimate and that he actually has a real plan to replace the Affordable Care Act with anything more than his broken promises .
The only “ big WIN for the USA ” that is in the offing would be Trump ’ s defeat by an unprecedented margin at the polls in the weeks ahead .
Go ahead and make that dream a reality .
Vote for the Democrats ’ Biden/Harris ticket and continue straight down the Democratic line in all the local races .
We can restore our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeated by an indisputable margin .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

After a relative scarcity of social media activity yesterday, Donald Trump jumped back onto Twitter with a vengeance this morning, tweeting and retweeting 40 posts since he left his Pennsylvania rally last evening.
He started with the easy retweets of the Republican National Committee’s posts of footage of his speech at the COVID superspreader event in Middletown, Pennsylvania where he carefully placed the few in attendance wearing face masks strategically arrayed behind his podium for the cameras.
It was likely more for Trump’s own protection from the coronavirus than for any sudden change of heart on the benefits of face coverings mandates to help prevent the ever-continuing spread of the pandemic.
Patrick Yoes, President of the National Fraternal Order of Police to @realDonaldTrump: “You sir, have never turned your back on America’s law enforcement… On behalf of America’s largest law enforcement organization… we give you our unanimous & enthusiastic endorsement.” pic.twitter.com/NRYvPT2kZj — GOP (@GOP) September 27, 2020
Trump’s retweets of his rally speech allowed him to quickly disseminate his empty promises and campaign tropes about “LAW & ORDER,” the supposed fraudulent nature of mail-in voting, and, foremost on his mind right now, his nomination of a right-wing religious extremist to the Supreme Court seat that opened with the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
I’ve just come from the Rose Garden of the White House where I proudly nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court.” –@realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/CvLegdPKwm — GOP (@GOP) September 27, 2020
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
After highlighting his campaign speech on the subject of his nominee, Trump then proceeded to demonstrate how thoroughly he has the Republicans in the Senate under his orange thumb, by retweeting 15 GOP senators’ posts announcing their support for Amy Coney Barrett — a woman likely to overturn the rights of others of her gender to their own reproductive freedom. Here’s an example of the lengthy list of retweets.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett is an exceptionally impressive jurist and an exceedingly well-qualified nominee to the Supreme Court.
A brilliant scholar. An exemplary judge. President Trump could not have made a better decision. pic.twitter.com/FKadx6TJeU — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) September 26, 2020
The retweets served as a sinister roll call of hypocrites who have suddenly decided that it’s perfectly OK for a president to nominate a Supreme Court justice in the waning months of their term — as long as they aren’t a Black President like Barack Obama.
Trump next moved on to demanding that “Sleepy Joe Biden” be tested for drug use prior to their upcoming Tuesday debate, allowing that he would also take one as well.
I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy??? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020
After portraying Biden as a mentally-addled geriatric with barely enough energy to crawl out of bed in the morning, Trump has painted himself in a corner for the debates by lowering expectations of Biden’s performance to the level that if the Democratic candidate shows up and manages to stay awake through the debate, he’s already exceeded the stereotype that the president has tried to impose upon him.
Trump is likely now raising allegations of drug abuse — allegations that he has faced himself, particularly after a rock of some unknown white substance flew from his nose during a recent press conference — to belie his false accusations against his Democratic opponent and explain away whatever vigor that Biden displays at Tuesday’s debate.
Trump likely believes that his use of question marks at the end of his allegations will somehow protect him from any libel suits.
Any fears of libel were far from the president’s mind in his next few posts as he proceeded to attack Democratic senators opposed to his nomination of a religious fanatic to the nation’s highest court. He targeted Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in particular in two separate tweets.
Hanoi Dick, who lied for years by saying he was a war hero in Vietnam, and was never even there (Impeach him!), should not be entitled to a vote on anything of importance! https://t.co/QC2zv4IhYJ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020
YES, for many years, and hundreds of times a year. He is a Senatorial JOKE! https://t.co/Yvtt9FWzZK — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020
Cadet Bone Spurs truly has no shame. Unlike Senator Blumenthal, Trump’s supposed medical condition allowed him to avoid serving his country at all.
Trump then went on to attack former NY City Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate, billionaire Mike Bloomberg, for his decision to pay the fines of the Florida felons who had finished their sentences and were granted the ability to vote after a statewide ballot initiative passed but had their rights stripped away by a GOP-controlled Florida legislature that insisted that they first pay newly-invented fees to cover the cost of their trials and incarceration before being allowed to exercise their newly restored rights, despite their likely inability to pay those fees.
Wow, nobody realized how far Mini Mike Bloomberg went in bribing ex-prisoners to go out and vote for Sleepy Joe. He is desperate to get back into the good graces of the people who not only badly beat him, but made him look like a total fool. Now he’s committed a serious crime! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020
While it is laughable that the man who suddenly announced last week that all seniors on Medicare would be awarded $200 vouchers to cover the costs of prescription drugs would accuse someone else of the “serious crime” of bribing people to vote for a particular candidate or party, it’s likely an instance of hypocrisy that will be ignored by the president’s deplorable followers.
Trump finished his morning social media rampage with a few more rote attempts at his deceitful political propaganda, trying to convince the public that the election in which the polls show him trailing badly will be illegitimate and that he actually has a real plan to replace the Affordable Care Act with anything more than his broken promises.
WATCH THE BALLOTS!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020
Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better, and FAR cheaper, alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court. Would be a big WIN for the USA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020
The only “big WIN for the USA” that is in the offing would be Trump’s defeat by an unprecedented margin at the polls in the weeks ahead.
Go ahead and make that dream a reality.
Vote for the Democrats’ Biden/Harris ticket and continue straight down the Democratic line in all the local races.
We can restore our nation, but only if Trump is defeated by an indisputable margin.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-27--Trump confirms new Supreme Court pick “maybe would” overturn Roe v. Wade

Even though most thinking people were fairly certain that Amy Coney Barrett — Trump ’ s Handmaids ’ Tale-like nominee for the Supreme Court seat that opened with the lamentable death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — would be likely to work to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed reproductive freedom to American women , the president casually confirmed those fears this morning in an interview that aired on Fox & Friends .
Trump ’ s remarks were set up by Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth who noted that Trump had previously claimed that his nominees to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reverse the Roe v. Wade decision .
Trump started his reply with a little equivocation that both proved that he knew that he shouldn ’ t by rights be saying what he was about to say , having been warned against it , but simultaneously declaring that he can do whatever the hell he wants .
He then immediately feigned innocence and referenced Barrett ’ s judicial record , rather than his deliberate political intent , as a key to auguring the future of abortion rights in this country .
“ But if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rulings , I guess , she maybe would be in the category that you mentioned , ” the president continued .
“ I don ’ t know .
I can say this , that she is certainly conservative in her views and her rulings .
And we ’ ll have to see how that all works out.
” Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
Trump is likely hoping that right-wing voters and evangelicals — and conservative women in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a replacement for Ginsburg who is determined to accomplish their long-cherished aim of eliminating a woman ’ s right to chose their own reproductive destiny .
He almost certainly betting that the move will help reverse his dismal poll numbers , propelling him to a re-election victory .
Trump also cited Barret ’ s likelihood of siding with gun fanatics obsessed with the idea that the government may try to restrict their ability to buy large quantities of automatic weapons as another reason for his choice of the extremist jurist as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clerk for the late arch-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia and a member of the tightly knit charismatic Christian group People of Praise that many people have compared to the religious cult running Gilead in The Handmaid ’ s Tale book and TV series — giving Trump an unexpected last-minute chance to upset the balance between the liberal and conservative factions on the court , the only hope American women may have to preserve their reproductive rights is to mount a massive campaign to convince Republicans in the Senate to reject her nomination or face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Whether any attempts to sway the GOP senators from exercising their powers to confirm Trump ’ s nominee so close to the election will be successful is unknown , but without major pushback from the public at large , you can be assured that they will rush to confirm the president ’ s nominee as quickly as possible before the election to also help pack the court for any of the predicted lawsuits surrounding the presidential ballots .
You can watch an excerpt from Donald Trump ’ s appearance on Fox & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Donald Trump admitted it this morning.
Even though most thinking people were fairly certain that Amy Coney Barrett — Trump’s Handmaids’ Tale-like nominee for the Supreme Court seat that opened with the lamentable death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — would be likely to work to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed reproductive freedom to American women, the president casually confirmed those fears this morning in an interview that aired on Fox & Friends.
Trump’s remarks were set up by Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth who noted that Trump had previously claimed that his nominees to the Supreme Court would “automatically” reverse the Roe v. Wade decision.
Trump started his reply with a little equivocation that both proved that he knew that he shouldn’t by rights be saying what he was about to say, having been warned against it, but simultaneously declaring that he can do whatever the hell he wants.
“I didn’t think it was for me to discuss that with her,” Trump said. “Because it’s something that she’s going to be ruling on. And this is what I was told — although, I would have had the right to do that.”
He then immediately feigned innocence and referenced Barrett’s judicial record, rather than his deliberate political intent, as a key to auguring the future of abortion rights in this country.
“But if you look at her past actions and rulings, I guess, she maybe would be in the category that you mentioned,” the president continued. “I don’t know. I can say this, that she is certainly conservative in her views and her rulings. And we’ll have to see how that all works out.”
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
Trump is likely hoping that right-wing voters and evangelicals — and conservative women in particular — will be swayed by his nomination of a replacement for Ginsburg who is determined to accomplish their long-cherished aim of eliminating a woman’s right to chose their own reproductive destiny. He almost certainly betting that the move will help reverse his dismal poll numbers, propelling him to a re-election victory.
Trump also cited Barret’s likelihood of siding with gun fanatics obsessed with the idea that the government may try to restrict their ability to buy large quantities of automatic weapons as another reason for his choice of the extremist jurist as his nominee.
With Barrett — a former clerk for the late arch-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia and a member of the tightly knit charismatic Christian group People of Praise that many people have compared to the religious cult running Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale book and TV series — giving Trump an unexpected last-minute chance to upset the balance between the liberal and conservative factions on the court, the only hope American women may have to preserve their reproductive rights is to mount a massive campaign to convince Republicans in the Senate to reject her nomination or face a political future that ends their careers.
Whether any attempts to sway the GOP senators from exercising their powers to confirm Trump’s nominee so close to the election will be successful is unknown, but without major pushback from the public at large, you can be assured that they will rush to confirm the president’s nominee as quickly as possible before the election to also help pack the court for any of the predicted lawsuits surrounding the presidential ballots.
You can watch an excerpt from Donald Trump’s appearance on Fox & Friends this morning in the video attached below.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by David Edwards at RawStory.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-09-29--CNN host owns Trump spokesperson after he claims NY TImes schemed with Dems on tax story

Mainstream media has been rightly criticized for continuing to allow Trump surrogates to come on their airwaves and disseminate the same talking points filled with lies and misinformation that the president himself constantly spews without really challenging the truthfulness of their guests .
So used to old-style political battles and the notion that each side must be given the opportunity to present their side of the debate , cable news outlets have often failed their viewers by giving equal weight to both sides , even when one side ’ s point of view is based in rationality and facts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories that sprang directly from the inner recesses of the president ’ s failing mind .
Now , it seems as if at least CNN may now be calling an end to this practice if CNN anchor Poppy Harlow ’ s on-air interaction with White House spokesperson Biran Morgenstern today is any indication .
Harlow was discussing the blockbuster scoop published by The New York Times late yesterday that indicated that the supposed billionaire president paid next to no federal income taxes over a period of over 10 years including his first year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive amount of debt hanging over his head that could be considered a national security liability .
Morgenstern immediately accused The New York Times of writing the story to deliberately harm Trump in his re-election bid , echoing Trump ’ s own characterization of the newspaper ’ s reporting as “ Fake News.
” He also steered the conversation to a discussion of the alleged financial crimes that Trump has been trying to pin on his rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter in that use of psychological projection that the president loves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes of which he himself is most likely guilty .
Harlow quickly warned the White House flack to leave Hunter Biden out of the conversation , since he is not on the November ballot .
The Trump mouthpiece then continued assailing The New York Times and repeating his false claim that the newspaper ’ s coverage of Trump ’ s tax data was “ coordinated with the Democrats as a political hit.
” That was enough to have Harlow threaten to end the interview there and then if Morgenstern continued with his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see cable news hosts finally challenging the liars sent to spew propaganda on their broadcasts and give Trump valuable free airtime for his re-election .
You can watch the entire inspiring exchange in the video excerpt below .
Original reporting by Evan Brechtel at Second Nexus .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Mainstream media has been rightly criticized for continuing to allow Trump surrogates to come on their airwaves and disseminate the same talking points filled with lies and misinformation that the president himself constantly spews without really challenging the truthfulness of their guests.
So used to old-style political battles and the notion that each side must be given the opportunity to present their side of the debate, cable news outlets have often failed their viewers by giving equal weight to both sides, even when one side’s point of view is based in rationality and facts and the other side is weaving fantastical conspiracy theories that sprang directly from the inner recesses of the president’s failing mind.
Now, it seems as if at least CNN may now be calling an end to this practice if CNN anchor Poppy Harlow’s on-air interaction with White House spokesperson Brian Morgenstern today is any indication.
Harlow was discussing the blockbuster scoop published by The New York Times late yesterday that indicated that the supposed billionaire president paid next to no federal income taxes over a period of over 10 years including his first year in office and that he had a massive amount of debt hanging over his head that could be considered a national security liability.
Morgenstern immediately accused The New York Times of writing the story to deliberately harm Trump in his re-election bid, echoing Trump’s own characterization of the newspaper’s reporting as “Fake News.”
“The New York Times reported basically the same thing four years ago on the eve of the debate. The Democrats had ads up and running within minutes of this coming out which means that it’s probably a coordinated political smear,” Morgenstern claimed, adding a conspiracy with Democratic politicians to his allegations against The New York Times.
He also steered the conversation to a discussion of the alleged financial crimes that Trump has been trying to pin on his rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter in that use of psychological projection that the president loves to do, accusing others of the crimes of which he himself is most likely guilty.
Harlow quickly warned the White House flack to leave Hunter Biden out of the conversation, since he is not on the November ballot.
“The New York Times reported basically the same thing four years ago on the eve of the debate. The Democrats had ads up and running within minutes of this coming out which means that it’s probably a coordinated political smear,” she told Morgenstern.
The Trump mouthpiece then continued assailing The New York Times and repeating his false claim that the newspaper’s coverage of Trump’s tax data was “coordinated with the Democrats as a political hit.”
That was enough to have Harlow threaten to end the interview there and then if Morgenstern continued with his own media-bashing lies.
“I’m just going to stop you there. These are remarkable reporters from The New York Times that went through 20 years of documents. It’s not okay to accuse them, with no facts, of coordinating with the Democratic Party. Please stop doing that or this interview will end,” the CNN anchor bluntly told the Trump surrogate.
It’s wonderful to see cable news hosts finally challenging the liars sent to spew propaganda on their broadcasts and give Trump valuable free airtime for his re-election.
You can watch the entire inspiring exchange in the video excerpt below.
CNN's Poppy Harlow to WH Spox Brian Morgenstern: "These are remarkable reporters from the NYTimes… It is not OK for you to accuse them with no facts of coordinating with the Democratic Party. Please stop doing that or this interview will end. Brian, stop attacking the press." pic.twitter.com/XrXx8Gz8IL — The Hill (@thehill) September 28, 2020
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Original reporting by Evan Brechtel at Second Nexus.
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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--2020-09-28--New book reveals details about Trump’s choice for Vice President: “I think it should be Ivanka”

Nepotism has been a shameful problem in the Trump White House .
With the president ’ s daughter Ivanka and her husband , Jared Kushner tasked with major responsibilities in the administration despite a lack of senate confirmations and with dubious qualifications for security clearances , Trump has consistently chosen family ties over competence in his choice of senior advisors .
Now comes news that as bad as the current arrangement is , it could have been much worse .
According to a new book by former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates — yes , the same Rick Gates who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation into the campaign ’ s interactions with Russia and eventually pled guilty to one count of false statements and one count of conspiracy against the United States — Trump initially wanted to name Ivanka to be his running mate in the 2016 election .
The book , which will be published in mid-October , goes on to explain that Donald Trump was so serious about the idea that he brought it up multiple times and even organized polls of potential voters to see what they thought of the idea .
Sign the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
Ivanka herself reportedly told her father that the idea might not be as good as he thought it was .
In light of the recent revelations in The New York Times that claim that Ivanka ’ s advice to the Trump Organization was likely deducted as a consulting fee to reduce her father ’ s taxes , perhaps the president ’ s daughter is at least smart enough to have known that it might not be a great idea to bring more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect finances by running as her father ’ s vice-presidential candidate .
Gates also gives details of the other candidates who were considered before Trump decided on Mike Pence after the former Indiana Governor gave a “ vicious and extended monologue ” attacking Hillary Clinton .
Reportedly , Gates writes that former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice , Tennessee senator Bob Corker , Alabama senator Jeff Sessions ( eventually Trump ’ s first attorney general ) , Iowa senator Joni Ernst and former defense secretary Robert Gates were also floated as possible running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part , Trump ’ s influential family members , Ivanka and Jared , favored former House speaker Newt Gingrich as the best person for the vice-presidential slot , although it ’ s uncertain whether two egos as big as those of Donald Trump and Gingrich could have ever peacefully co-existed in the same administration , much less the same room .
Gate ’ s book , of which only short excerpts are available through reporting in Bloomberg News , is reportedly less of a Trump administration alumnus tell-all confessional than a spirited “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others helped elect him , ” as The Washington Post describes the tome .
Due to Gates ’ cooperation in the Mueller investigation , his plea deal resulted in a wrist slap penalty for him as his testimony helped convict his close associate Paul Manafort , one of Trump ’ s campaign managers , and send him to prison , albeit briefly .
It ’ s good to know that America dodged the bullet that would have placed not one but two Trumps in the White House with all their concomitant “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want to hear what YOU have to say .
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Nepotism has been a shameful problem in the Trump White House.
With the president’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner tasked with major responsibilities in the administration despite a lack of senate confirmations and with dubious qualifications for security clearances, Trump has consistently chosen family ties over competence in his choice of senior advisors.
Now comes news that as bad as the current arrangement is, it could have been much worse.
According to a new book by former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates — yes, the same Rick Gates who was indicted as part of the Mueller investigation into the campaign’s interactions with Russia and eventually pled guilty to one count of false statements and one count of conspiracy against the United States — Trump initially wanted to name Ivanka to be his running mate in the 2016 election.
“I think it should be Ivanka,” Trump is quoted by Gates in his new book, Wicked Game: An Insider’s Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed and America Lost. “What about Ivanka as my VP?”
The book, which will be published in mid-October, goes on to explain that Donald Trump was so serious about the idea that he brought it up multiple times and even organized polls of potential voters to see what they thought of the idea.
“All heads turned toward her, and she just looked surprised,” Gates writes of when Trump first raised the ideain front of a group of staffers. “We all knew Trump well enough to keep our mouths shut and not laugh. He went on: ‘She’s bright, she’s smart, she’s beautiful, and the people would love her!”’
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Ivanka herself reportedly told her father that the idea might not be as good as he thought it was.
In light of the recent revelations in The New York Times that claim that Ivanka’s advice to the Trump Organization was likely deducted as a consulting fee to reduce her father’s taxes, perhaps the president’s daughter is at least smart enough to have known that it might not be a great idea to bring more attention to the Trump family’s suspect finances by running as her father’s vice-presidential candidate.
Gates also gives details of the other candidates who were considered before Trump decided on Mike Pence after the former Indiana Governor gave a “vicious and extended monologue” attacking Hillary Clinton.
Reportedly, Gates writes that former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, Tennessee senator Bob Corker, Alabama senator Jeff Sessions (eventually Trump’s first attorney general), Iowa senator Joni Ernst and former defense secretary Robert Gates were also floated as possible running mates for the president.
For their part, Trump’s influential family members, Ivanka and Jared, favored former House speaker Newt Gingrich as the best person for the vice-presidential slot, although it’s uncertain whether two egos as big as those of Donald Trump and Gingrich could have ever peacefully co-existed in the same administration, much less the same room.
Gate’s book, of which only short excerpts are available through reporting in Bloomberg News, is reportedly less of a Trump administration alumnus tell-all confessional than a spirited “defense of the president and how he and others helped elect him,” as The Washington Post describes the tome.
Due to Gates’ cooperation in the Mueller investigation, his plea deal resulted in a wrist slap penalty for him as his testimony helped convict his close associate Paul Manafort, one of Trump’s campaign managers, and send him to prison, albeit briefly.
It’s good to know that America dodged the bullet that would have placed not one but two Trumps in the White House with all their concomitant “alleged” financial fraud in tow.
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Original reporting by Jennifer Jacobs at Bloomberg 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--2020-09-28--Trump issues furious excuses after his taxes reveal he’s a terrible business man

Yesterday , The New York Times released a bombshell report which exposed Donald Trump as not only a serial tax evader , but a deeply incompetent businessman who has constructed an image for himself as a successful mogul to obfuscate his staggeringly terrible business practices .
He ’ s awash in debt and it appears there is a good chance that he ran for president in an effort to reinvigorate his brand and excavate himself from financial ruin .
Everything about his image is manufactured and fake .
Starting in 2000 , Trump managed to avoid paying federal income taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following years by writing off massive losses .
In both 2016 and 2017 , he finagled his way into paying a paltry $ 750 in annual federal income taxes .
The fact that Trump rarely pays taxes is something that many critics have long suspected but now that there is definitive proof it ’ ll be difficult for his fans to argue in good faith that he has any real love for this country .
The same man determined to gut the social safety net on behalf of the plutocrats running the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the operating costs of the government he was elected to run .
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell : No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration !
Today , Trump lashed out at the “ Fake News Media ” on Twitter for “ bringing up ” his taxes as well as “ all sorts of other nonsense.
” He claimed without evidence that the Times “ illegally ” and maliciously obtained the information contained in the tax article .
The president claimed that he has paid “ millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he used “ depreciation & tax credits ” to lessen his tax burden , an explanation that simply doesn ’ t add up given the magnitude of avoidance on display in the Times article .
Even factoring in depreciation and whatever unspecified tax credits he ’ s referring to , he should have paid much more than he did .
Trump wasn ’ t done with one tweet though , and went on to claim that he has “ extraordinary assets ” and claimed that he is “ under leveraged ” with “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of assets.
” The claim is a transparent attempt to shore up his master businessman image but simply doesn ’ t seem to be true based on the Times ’ s reporting .
The president wound down his little tweetstorm by stating that he “ may release ” financial statements revealing his assets , debts , and properties .
Like most promises about transparency Trump makes though , it seems unlikely he will actually follow through .
It ’ s clear that yesterday ’ s public revelations have burrowed under Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows that they ’ re true and hates it .
He ’ s a failed businessman and a failed president and all he has to defend himself at this point are lies .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Yesterday, The New York Times released a bombshell report which exposed Donald Trump as not only a serial tax evader, but a deeply incompetent businessman who has constructed an image for himself as a successful mogul to obfuscate his staggeringly terrible business practices. He’s awash in debt and it appears there is a good chance that he ran for president in an effort to reinvigorate his brand and excavate himself from financial ruin. Everything about his image is manufactured and fake.
Starting in 2000, Trump managed to avoid paying federal income taxes altogether for 10 out of the 15 following years by writing off massive losses. In both 2016 and 2017, he finagled his way into paying a paltry $750 in annual federal income taxes.
The fact that Trump rarely pays taxes is something that many critics have long suspected but now that there is definitive proof it’ll be difficult for his fans to argue in good faith that he has any real love for this country. The same man determined to gut the social safety net on behalf of the plutocrats running the GOP has a habitual aversion to contributing to the operating costs of the government he was elected to run.
Sign the petition to tell Mitch McConnell: No vote on a new Supreme Court Justice until after inauguration!
Today, Trump lashed out at the “Fake News Media” on Twitter for “bringing up” his taxes as well as “all sorts of other nonsense.” He claimed without evidence that the Times “illegally” and maliciously obtained the information contained in the tax article. The president claimed that he has paid “millions of dollars in taxes” but that he used “depreciation & tax credits” to lessen his tax burden, an explanation that simply doesn’t add up given the magnitude of avoidance on display in the Times article. Even factoring in depreciation and whatever unspecified tax credits he’s referring to, he should have paid much more than he did.
Trump wasn’t done with one tweet though, and went on to claim that he has “extraordinary assets” and claimed that he is “under leveraged” with “very little debt compared to the value of assets.” The claim is a transparent attempt to shore up his master businessman image but simply doesn’t seem to be true based on the Times’s reporting.
The president wound down his little tweetstorm by stating that he “may release” financial statements revealing his assets, debts, and properties. Like most promises about transparency Trump makes though, it seems unlikely he will actually follow through. It’s clear that yesterday’s public revelations have burrowed under Trump’s infamously thin-skin, most likely because he knows that they’re true and hates it. He’s a failed businessman and a failed president and all he has to defend himself at this point are lies.
The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020
…..Also, if you look at the extraordinary assets owned by me, which the Fake News hasn’t, I am extremely under leveraged – I have very little debt compared to the value of assets. Much of this information is already on file, but I have long said that I may release…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020
…..Financial Statements, from the time I announced I was going to run for President, showing all properties, assets and debts. It is a very IMPRESSIVE Statement, and also shows that I am the only President on record to give up my yearly $400,000 plus Presidential Salary! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-09-28--Police documents show Brad Parscale beat his wife and threatened her with a gun

Sworn police reports say the Trump Campaign ’ s senior advisor and former campaign manager Brad Parscale beats his wife and is a threat to harm her , and himself .
In five narrative reports , officers detailed how Parscale may have also committed firearms infractions , a domestic violence simple battery , and resisted arrest .
Yesterday , Brad Parscale physically battered , before threatening Mrs. Candace Parscale with his gun after they had a verbal altercation , before resisting arrest when the Fort Lauderdale Police Department ’ s SWAT team tried to detain him .
Officers removed ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s home , including a rifle , a shotgun , and a pricey AR-15-style Daniel Defense Rifle .
News of Parscale ’ s arrest broke late last night without any other actual details after police detained him under Florida ’ s Baker Act , which allows a mental health hold of up to 72-hours for a person who is found to be a threat to themselves or others .
The Washington Press obtained an exclusive copy of Parscale ’ s sworn police incident reports and the calls for service report from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) These five narrative reports and the service logs paint a graphic portrait of a battered wife fleeing her home for her life—without anything in hand , not even her cellphone—after her drunken husband threatened her with a loaded gun inside their $ 2.4 million waterfront home .
Multiple Fort Lauderdale officers reported that Candace Parscale had numerous scratches and bruises on her arms , and specifically , contusions her cheek and forehead .
Officers photographed Mrs. Parscale ’ s injuries and uploaded them to evidence.com .
Here ’ s an excerpt from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S. Smith ’ s report , he noted the Trump campaign official “ racked the slide ” of his gun , cocking the weapon to prepare it for firing “ right in his wife ’ s presence .
Candace Parscale became so afraid for her safety that she immediately fled… ” Smith reported that Parscale ’ s neighbor was an “ independent witness ” who lives a “ couple houses down ” and gave “ credibility to the consistent storyline ” and “ also witnessing the bruising on Candace Parscale.
” In Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improperly exhibit a firearm “ in a rude , careless , angry , or threatening manner , not in necessary self-defense.
” Parscale was not arrested or cited for any weapons violations .
The rest of Ofc .
Smith ’ s report describes the incident from Candace Parscale ’ s perspective : After Brad Parscale sent his wife fleeing for her life , she told officer T. Skaggs that she heard a “ loud bang , ” which she thought was a gunshot ringing from their home shortly after running away .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t commit suicide only because after she fled , he started loudly ranting and raving and making the family dog agitated .
Officer Skaggs contacted Parscale by phone and observed that his speech was slurred .
When he refused to leave home , a SWAT Immediate Action Team got deployed to the posh residence situated only blocks from Fort Lauderdale ’ s famed Las Olas Boulevard .
While the SWAT team arrived , one of Brad Parscale ’ s friends on the police force placed a call to their mutual friend , Officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was facing off with the heavily armed officers at his home .
Wilson had just left his regular duty at a protest , and headed to his friend ’ s home “ was advised that Brad was refusing to come out of his house to speak with them after threatening his wife with a gun.
” Then , Wilson convinced Parscale to leave his home and come to the edge of his driveway to speak with police , which he did with a beer in hand .
His friend described Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” but didn ’ t write in his narrative how the political operative resisted arrest .
However , SWAT Officer Matthew Moceri filled in the blanks about the “ armed barricaded subject , ” whom he described as “ substantially larger than himself ” who “ disobeyed ” his five lawful commands to submit to an arrest .
Here ’ s an excerpt from his report : That forced Officer Moceri to arrest the larger man with a “ double leg takedown ” because he was “ wearing shorts with pockets that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest Officer Smith reported the Trump senior advisor emitted a “ strong odor ” which he thought was from alcohol , noting that a pat-down showed him to be unarmed , but that “ one of Brad Parscale ’ s firearms that were recovered within the residence was small enough to be concealed in a pocket.
” He also noted that only “ after refusing to comply with the commands operators physically brought him to the ground to establish control and place him into custody.
” In other words , multiple officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he refused to comply with officers ’ commands .
“ Family and intimate assaults involving firearms are 12 times more likely to end in a fatality than those not associated with firearms , ” according to the Florida Bar Journal , Households with guns are almost eight times more likely to involve a firearm homicide by a family member or intimate acquaintance than homes without guns.
” In Florida , it is a misdemeanor to resist an officer without violence , although Mr. Parscale was not charged with any criminal offenses for firearms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reports make clear why that is the case .
While in custody , Parscale told the officers that he wasn ’ t on any medication , nor suffer from any mental illnesses , although his wife told the officers without substantiation that he “ suffers from PTSD.
” The officer on the scene still decided not to arrest Parscale and instead invoke the mental health hold because of “ Bradley ’ s violent behavior , his alcohol consumption , his agitated mental state of mind , and his previous comments of suicide.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can prevent suicides by calling 1800-273-8255 .
Domestic violence survivors can call 1−800−799−7233 for help We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Sworn police reports say the Trump Campaign’s senior advisor and former campaign manager Brad Parscale beats his wife and is a threat to harm her, and himself. In five narrative reports, officers detailed how Parscale may have also committed firearms infractions, a domestic violence simple battery, and resisted arrest.
Yesterday, Brad Parscale physically battered, before threatening Mrs. Candace Parscale with his gun after they had a verbal altercation, before resisting arrest when the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s SWAT team tried to detain him. Officers removed ten firearms from the former Trump campaign manager’s home, including a rifle, a shotgun, and a pricey AR-15-style Daniel Defense Rifle.
News of Parscale’s arrest broke late last night without any other actual details after police detained him under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows a mental health hold of up to 72-hours for a person who is found to be a threat to themselves or others.
The Washington Press obtained an exclusive copy of Parscale’s sworn police incident reports and the calls for service report from the Fort Lauderdale PD. (embedded below)
These five narrative reports and the service logs paint a graphic portrait of a battered wife fleeing her home for her life—without anything in hand, not even her cellphone—after her drunken husband threatened her with a loaded gun inside their $2.4 million waterfront home.
Multiple Fort Lauderdale officers reported that Candace Parscale had numerous scratches and bruises on her arms, and specifically, contusions her cheek and forehead. Officers photographed Mrs. Parscale’s injuries and uploaded them to evidence.com. Here’s an excerpt from the report:
According to Officer Steven S. Smith’s report, he noted the Trump campaign official “racked the slide” of his gun, cocking the weapon to prepare it for firing “right in his wife’s presence. Candace Parscale became so afraid for her safety that she immediately fled…”
Smith reported that Parscale’s neighbor was an “independent witness” who lives a “couple houses down” and gave “credibility to the consistent storyline” and “also witnessing the bruising on Candace Parscale.”
In Florida, it is a first-degree misdemeanor to improperly exhibit a firearm “in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner, not in necessary self-defense.” Parscale was not arrested or cited for any weapons violations. The rest of Ofc. Smith’s report describes the incident from Candace Parscale’s perspective:
After Brad Parscale sent his wife fleeing for her life, she told officer T. Skaggs that she heard a “loud bang,” which she thought was a gunshot ringing from their home shortly after running away. She told officers that her husband didn’t commit suicide only because after she fled, he started loudly ranting and raving and making the family dog agitated.
Officer Skaggs contacted Parscale by phone and observed that his speech was slurred. When he refused to leave home, a SWAT Immediate Action Team got deployed to the posh residence situated only blocks from Fort Lauderdale’s famed Las Olas Boulevard.
While the SWAT team arrived, one of Brad Parscale’s friends on the police force placed a call to their mutual friend, Officer Christopher Wilson, advising the political operative was facing off with the heavily armed officers at his home. Wilson had just left his regular duty at a protest, and headed to his friend’s home “was advised that Brad was refusing to come out of his house to speak with them after threatening his wife with a gun.”
Then, Wilson convinced Parscale to leave his home and come to the edge of his driveway to speak with police, which he did with a beer in hand. His friend described Trump’s former campaign manager as “clearly intoxicated,” but didn’t write in his narrative how the political operative resisted arrest.
However, SWAT Officer Matthew Moceri filled in the blanks about the “armed barricaded subject,” whom he described as “substantially larger than himself” who “disobeyed” his five lawful commands to submit to an arrest. Here’s an excerpt from his report:
That forced Officer Moceri to arrest the larger man with a “double leg takedown” because he was “wearing shorts with pockets that could easily conceal a firearm.”
Regarding the arrest Officer Smith reported the Trump senior advisor emitted a “strong odor” which he thought was from alcohol, noting that a pat-down showed him to be unarmed, but that “one of Brad Parscale’s firearms that were recovered within the residence was small enough to be concealed in a pocket.” He also noted that only “after refusing to comply with the commands operators physically brought him to the ground to establish control and place him into custody.”
In other words, multiple officers tackled Brad Parscale to arrest him after he refused to comply with officers’ commands.
“Family and intimate assaults involving firearms are 12 times more likely to end in a fatality than those not associated with firearms,” according to the Florida Bar Journal, Households with guns are almost eight times more likely to involve a firearm homicide by a family member or intimate acquaintance than homes without guns.”
In Florida, it is a misdemeanor to resist an officer without violence, although Mr. Parscale was not charged with any criminal offenses for firearms violations, simple battery, nor do the reports make clear why that is the case.
While in custody, Parscale told the officers that he wasn’t on any medication, nor suffer from any mental illnesses, although his wife told the officers without substantiation that he “suffers from PTSD.”
The officer on the scene still decided not to arrest Parscale and instead invoke the mental health hold because of “Bradley’s violent behavior, his alcohol consumption, his agitated mental state of mind, and his previous comments of suicide.”
Author’s note: You can prevent suicides by calling 1800-273-8255. Domestic violence survivors can call 1−800−799−7233 for help
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!