occupydemocrats--2020-08-02--Trump tweets 73 times in 15 hours — Here’s the condensed version of his social media rampage

It ’ s terrible what stress can do to a person .
Faced with a collapsing economy that perfectly mirrors the trajectory of his re-election campaign , confronted with polls that show him badly trailing Democrat Joe Biden in key swing states , forced to deal with a pandemic far outside his already feeble capabilities to deal with effectively , Donald Trump is feeling the pressure .
How does the president deal with such an avalanche of stress factors when it ’ s too dark to go play a round of golf ?
By obsessively and compulsively retweeting every existent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said about himself , peppered with paranoid attacks on his growing number of detractors .
From Saturday night into Sunday morning , Trump posted 73 times in the space of 15 hours .
While not quite the record pace of 200 tweets in a 24 hour period that he set during his impeachment hearings , Trump ’ s barrage of posts indicate that he may have a social media addiction problem that he should seek professional help for…after he deals with the more serious issue of his malignant narcissism .
Faced with such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , let ’ s break down Trump ’ s posts into manageable categories and provide you with representative examples of each so you don ’ t have to waste too much time evaluating each and every tweet .
Let ’ s dispense with the more trivial posts first : Trump ’ s ritual endorsements of Republican candidates , a dubious distinction these days when many candidates would perhaps prefer not tying their line to a sinking anchor .
This type of tweet typically fits a standard formula : a quick sentence or two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swears to uphold followed by a “ Complete and Total Endorsement ” from the president .
Next , come the retweets from conservative media luminaries pushing right-wing talking points , often accompanied by video clips or articles that parrot the president ’ s despicable views on society .
Often Trump will retweet several posts in a row from the same source as he scrolls down their Twitter page and finds new serotonin-releasing posts to click on .
Last night Trump retweeted several posts from Mike Schellenberger , an author specializing in environmental iconoclasm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a position that the president who never met an oil well that he didn ’ t like apparently likes enough to present to a wider audience .
He also retweeted a post from the right-wing creator of the Dilbert comic strip , Scott Adams , that included a new video ad aimed at pushing Latinx Americans away from their overwhelming support for Joe Biden by trying to use a heinous divide and conquer strategy of pitting them against African Americans .
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump ’ s dictatorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the media retweets Trump made included attached video clips which made all that tiresome reading unnecessary .
Among his other sources for this type of tweet were TV News HQ , which specializes in aggregating cable news clips , the ultra-right Heritage Foundation , conservative talk radio star Hugh Hewitt , Students for Trump , and various , GOP politicians , former administration officials , and supporters .
Of course , there were numerous retweets of Trump ’ s late-night phone buddy Sean Hannity , each promoting one or another of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking someone in the Democratic party .
Here ’ s one focused on a perennial favorite : the “ Russia Hoax.
” A true sign that tweeting has become an unhealthy obsession with this president is his habit of simply going back in his feed and retweeting posts that he made hours — or even days — earlier when he can ’ t find anything new that he finds ego-gratifying enough to post in that moment when his Twitter fingers start to itch .
Some of these act as palate cleansers — short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly inserted into his Twitter feed so often that they function like a liturgical response akin to “ Amen.
” All of the types of tweets listed above are basically appetizers for the main course , the Trump originals that provide insight into what ’ s left of the president ’ s brain and inspire at various times derision , contempt , laughter , pity , disgust , and perplexity from their readers .
These are the tweets that lately demonstrate how truly afraid Trump is that he will lose the election since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed evils and dangers of mail-in voting or contain attacks on Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats and their agenda .
Nevada is working on ways to enable voting without contributing to an even larger COVID-19 outbreak than they already have !
Must be equally tough to win after allowing the state to ravaged by a pandemic that Trump mismanaged spectacularly , as well , judging from the latest polls that show Biden ahead by two points in the state .
The pandemic was also a frequent subject of the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump tries to turn around the accurate perception that his handling of the crisis has ranged from the incompetence of the Three Stooges and the malevolent ignorance of a third world dictator .
Trump seems to think that a recurrence of the virus in parts of the world that handled it much better than he has somehow exonerates his failures , rather than increasing the terror that people feel about being pummeled by an invisible enemy with no leadership even trying to find a way out of the crisis .
Knowing that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2018 midterms was due to the attempts by him and his Republican enablers to eradicate Obamacare without having a coherent plan to replace it , Trump dangled a health care carrot in front of voters in the form of a promise of lower drug prices .
The attempt is just another example of how disconnected from reality the president truly is .
The GOP still hasn ’ t come up with a credible replacement for Obamacare despite having had three years to do so , and millions have lost their company-provided health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income — due to the pandemic that gives many of them a new pre-existing condition for which Trump and the Republicans are actively trying to eliminate coverage guarantees in the federal courts .
Now , that ’ s the kind of stress that everyday Americans currently have that won ’ t be diminished by tweeting obsessively .
It can , however , be practically eradicated by one simple act .
Register and vote in the November election and rid the nation of our biggest scourge , the man currently in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It’s terrible what stress can do to a person.
Faced with a collapsing economy that perfectly mirrors the trajectory of his re-election campaign, confronted with polls that show him badly trailing Democrat Joe Biden in key swing states, forced to deal with a pandemic far outside his already feeble capabilities to deal with effectively, Donald Trump is feeling the pressure.
How does the president deal with such an avalanche of stress factors when it’s too dark to go play a round of golf?
By obsessively and compulsively retweeting every existent positive comment he can find written or said about himself, peppered with paranoid attacks on his growing number of detractors.
From Saturday night into Sunday morning, Trump posted 73 times in the space of 15 hours. While not quite the record pace of 200 tweets in a 24 hour period that he set during his impeachment hearings, Trump’s barrage of posts indicate that he may have a social media addiction problem that he should seek professional help for…after he deals with the more serious issue of his malignant narcissism.
Faced with such a mountain of content to sift through, let’s break down Trump’s posts into manageable categories and provide you with representative examples of each so you don’t have to waste too much time evaluating each and every tweet.
Let’s dispense with the more trivial posts first: Trump’s ritual endorsements of Republican candidates, a dubious distinction these days when many candidates would perhaps prefer not tying their line to a sinking anchor.
This type of tweet typically fits a standard formula: a quick sentence or two about a Trump policy that the candidate swears to uphold followed by a “Complete and Total Endorsement” from the president.
Next, come the retweets from conservative media luminaries pushing right-wing talking points, often accompanied by video clips or articles that parrot the president’s despicable views on society. Often Trump will retweet several posts in a row from the same source as he scrolls down their Twitter page and finds new serotonin-releasing posts to click on.
Last night Trump retweeted several posts from Mike Schellenberger, an author specializing in environmental iconoclasm, slamming renewable energy sources as unsustainable, a position that the president who never met an oil well that he didn’t like apparently likes enough to present to a wider audience.
He also retweeted a post from the right-wing creator of the Dilbert comic strip, Scott Adams, that included a new video ad aimed at pushing Latinx Americans away from their overwhelming support for Joe Biden by trying to use a heinous divide and conquer strategy of pitting them against African Americans.
You might want to adjust your presidential bets after seeing this. I think it’s over. https://t.co/1vcPYWcTnf — Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) July 31, 2020
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump’s dictatorial call to delay the election!
Most of the media retweets Trump made included attached video clips which made all that tiresome reading unnecessary.
Among his other sources for this type of tweet were TV News HQ, which specializes in aggregating cable news clips, the ultra-right Heritage Foundation, conservative talk radio star Hugh Hewitt, Students for Trump, and various, GOP politicians, former administration officials, and supporters.
Of course, there were numerous retweets of Trump’s late-night phone buddy Sean Hannity, each promoting one or another of the president’s paranoid conspiracy theories or attacking someone in the Democratic party.
Here’s one focused on a perennial favorite: the “Russia Hoax.”
His name is Igor Danchenko https://t.co/0NVKGM0hWn — Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) August 1, 2020
A true sign that tweeting has become an unhealthy obsession with this president is his habit of simply going back in his feed and retweeting posts that he made hours — or even days — earlier when he can’t find anything new that he finds ego-gratifying enough to post in that moment when his Twitter fingers start to itch.
Some of these act as palate cleansers — short punctuations in ALL CAPS that Trump has repeatedly inserted into his Twitter feed so often that they function like a liturgical response akin to “Amen.”
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020
All of the types of tweets listed above are basically appetizers for the main course, the Trump originals that provide insight into what’s left of the president’s brain and inspire at various times derision, contempt, laughter, pity, disgust, and perplexity from their readers.
These are the tweets that lately demonstrate how truly afraid Trump is that he will lose the election since so many of them now concern the supposed evils and dangers of mail-in voting or contain attacks on Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats and their agenda.
This is outrageous. Must be met with immediate litigation! @GOPChairwoman https://t.co/CD6bD3Kn6J — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020
How terrible!
Nevada is working on ways to enable voting without contributing to an even larger COVID-19 outbreak than they already have!
Call the lawyers!
Was in the Great State of Texas this week and explained that the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats, headed up by their great leader, Sleepy Joe Biden (who never leaves his basement), are strongly against “Oil, Gas, Guns, & God”. Must be tough to win Texas on that platform! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020
Must be equally tough to win after allowing the state to ravaged by a pandemic that Trump mismanaged spectacularly, as well, judging from the latest polls that show Biden ahead by two points in the state.
The pandemic was also a frequent subject of the president’s tweets in the last 15 hours as Trump tries to turn around the accurate perception that his handling of the crisis has ranged from the incompetence of the Three Stooges and the malevolent ignorance of a third world dictator.
Big China Virus breakouts all over the World, including nations which were thought to have done a great job. The Fake News doesn’t report this. USA will be stronger than ever before, and soon! https://t.co/pZwjvgmVTO — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020
Trump seems to think that a recurrence of the virus in parts of the world that handled it much better than he has somehow exonerates his failures, rather than increasing the terror that people feel about being pummeled by an invisible enemy with no leadership even trying to find a way out of the crisis.
Trump concluded his social media morning today with a hail Mary pass.
Knowing that a large portion of the GOP losses in the 2018 midterms was due to the attempts by him and his Republican enablers to eradicate Obamacare without having a coherent plan to replace it, Trump dangled a health care carrot in front of voters in the form of a promise of lower drug prices.
When you see the Drug Companies taking massive television ads against me, forget what they say (which is false), YOU KNOW THAT DRUG PRICES ARE COMING DOWN, BIG. Favored Nations Clause means USA will pay the lowest price of any nation in the World. Never done before. Watch!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020
The attempt is just another example of how disconnected from reality the president truly is.
The GOP still hasn’t come up with a credible replacement for Obamacare despite having had three years to do so, and millions have lost their company-provided health insurance — along with their jobs and income — due to the pandemic that gives many of them a new pre-existing condition for which Trump and the Republicans are actively trying to eliminate coverage guarantees in the federal courts.
Now, that’s the kind of stress that everyday Americans currently have that won’t be diminished by tweeting obsessively.
It can, however, be practically eradicated by one simple act.
Register and vote in the November election and rid the nation of our biggest scourge, the man currently in the White House.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-03--“Not Dr. Birx”: Nancy Pelosi slams Trump’s virus expert in relief package negotiations with Mnuchin

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) likely knew that Donald Trump would not react well when she attacked the president for actively spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 virus — and expressed a lack of confidence in one of his chief medical advisors , Dr. Deborah Birx , for failing to aggressively counter Trump ’ s self-serving lies .
The San Francisco representative didn ’ t know that the critique she gave as part of her interview on ABC ‘ s This Week yesterday would motivate the president to pen a testy tweet calling her “ Crazy Nancy ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemingly responding to the House Speaker ’ s comments with a more realistic view of our nation ’ s pandemic prognosis .
Apparently it wouldn ’ t have made a difference if Pelosi had known what Trump ’ s reaction would be , since she doubled down on her assessment of the complicit role that Dr. Birx plays in enabling the president ’ s dissemination of a false picture of the progression of the deadly disease and the administration ’ s lackluster efforts to contain it .
Speaker Pelosi had this to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as she continued her attacks on the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator : “ I don ’ t have confidence in anyone who stands there while the president says , swallow Lysol , it ’ s going to cure your virus .
It ’ ll kill you and you won ’ t have the virus anymore , ” Pelosi told Sciutto .
“ There has to be some responsibility .
So if the president is saying these things , who ’ s advising him that this is OK and enabling that to happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the Speaker said .
Pelosi told CNN today that Birx ’ s name came up while she was negotiating a new relief package with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during a discussion about contact tracing .
“ What happened is that we had a conversation about how we stop the virus .
And when we did , they were making contentions about how tracing isn ’ t a valuable thing , we shouldn ’ t do it .
I said , well that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said , well we ’ ll bring a scientist to say that .
I said , sure , [ if ] it ’ s not Dr. Birx , ” Pelosi said .
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump ’ s dictatorial call to delay the election !
Even more frightening than the lack of confidence that the top Democrat in Congress has in one of Trump ’ s top medical advisors is the fact that people like Mnuchin and Meadows are denying the efficacy of contact tracing as a tool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease .
This is particularly concerning since it is only those countries that have adopted strict quarantine measures , enacted facial mask requirements , and implemented well-executed contact tracing programs that have been able to avoid the kind of runaway infection levels that the United States has experienced under Trump ’ s lack of leadership .
As the Trump administration and the Republican party begin their collapse into infighting and acrimony , Speaker Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues have a massive electoral victory in their sights .
With even control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can soon look forward to a time when those who work in the government at least seem to agree to a shared reality with the rest of the population .
Original reporting by Cristina Marcos at The Hill .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) likely knew that Donald Trump would not react well when she attacked the president for actively spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 virus — and expressed a lack of confidence in one of his chief medical advisors, Dr. Deborah Birx, for failing to aggressively counter Trump’s self-serving lies.
The San Francisco representative didn’t know that the critique she gave as part of her interview on ABC‘s This Week yesterday would motivate the president to pen a testy tweet calling her “Crazy Nancy” and throwing Dr. Birx under the bus for seemingly responding to the House Speaker’s comments with a more realistic view of our nation’s pandemic prognosis.
Apparently it wouldn’t have made a difference if Pelosi had known what Trump’s reaction would be, since she doubled down on her assessment of the complicit role that Dr. Birx plays in enabling the president’s dissemination of a false picture of the progression of the deadly disease and the administration’s lackluster efforts to contain it.
Speaker Pelosi had this to say to CNN‘s Jim Sciutto today as she continued her attacks on the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator:
“I don’t have confidence in anyone who stands there while the president says, swallow Lysol, it’s going to cure your virus. It’ll kill you and you won’t have the virus anymore,” Pelosi told Sciutto. “There has to be some responsibility. So if the president is saying these things, who’s advising him that this is OK and enabling that to happen while millions of people have died?” the Speaker said.
Pelosi told CNN today that Birx’s name came up while she was negotiating a new relief package with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during a discussion about contact tracing.
“What happened is that we had a conversation about how we stop the virus. And when we did, they were making contentions about how tracing isn’t a valuable thing, we shouldn’t do it. I said, well that’s not what most scientists say. And they said, well we’ll bring a scientist to say that. I said, sure, [if] it’s not Dr. Birx,” Pelosi said.
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump’s dictatorial call to delay the election!
Even more frightening than the lack of confidence that the top Democrat in Congress has in one of Trump’s top medical advisors is the fact that people like Mnuchin and Meadows are denying the efficacy of contact tracing as a tool to use to combat the spread of the disease.
This is particularly concerning since it is only those countries that have adopted strict quarantine measures, enacted facial mask requirements, and implemented well-executed contact tracing programs that have been able to avoid the kind of runaway infection levels that the United States has experienced under Trump’s lack of leadership.
As the Trump administration and the Republican party begin their collapse into infighting and acrimony, Speaker Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues have a massive electoral victory in their sights.
With even control of the Senate within the Democrats’ reach now, we can soon look forward to a time when those who work in the government at least seem to agree to a shared reality with the rest of the population.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Cristina Marcos at The Hill.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-03--Pelosi shreds Dr. Birx for enabling the president as he tells people to “swallow Lysol”


occupydemocrats--2020-08-03--White couple arrested for attacking Black couple’s car with a shovel, giving Nazi salute

Of all the hateful trends to emerge in the Trump era , white people getting caught on video shouting racist remarks at people of color offers one of the most insightful looks into the psychology of bigotry .
The aggressors in these kinds of clips never seem to care one iota that they ’ re being filmed , either because they ’ re so worked up into a racist rage that they don ’ t stop to consider the possible consequences or because they feel so insulated and confident in their white privilege that they belive themselves entitled to behave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go viral shows a white couple in Torrance , California harassing a Black couple in the middle of traffic .
The white woman , Rachel Howell , can be seen flipping the middle finger and saying : “ only white lives matter b*tch.
” The white man , Gregory Howell , gives the Nazi salute and yells “ white power !
” After the clip ends , Mr. Howell allegedly attacked the Black couple ’ s vehicle with a shovel , damaging one of the side mirrors .
Add your name to demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to delay the election !
The Washington Post reports that the white couple has been arrested and charged with a hate crime and vandalism for attacking the vehicle .
The incident occurred on July 22 .
Itzel Lopez , one of the victims , shared the video on her Instagram page and wrote : “ Today on my 25th birthday I was a victim of racism and so was my boyfriend who is black .
We were being harassed for miles .
Until we came to a red light .
When all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shock .
We didn ’ t know what was going on .
Never in my life did I think I was gon na experience this .
It ’ s actually really scary .
They don ’ t even know you , and they ’ re willing to hurt you , ” Lopez said to KTLA .
As disturbing as this footage is it ’ s unfortunately an all-too-common occurrence .
Racist encounters like happen on a near-daily basis and the grim reality is that oftentimes they ’ re not caught on camera .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legal consequences that come from getting caught on camera like this will dissuade couples like the Howells from flaunting their racism so cavalierly .
Things have to change .

Of all the hateful trends to emerge in the Trump era, white people getting caught on video shouting racist remarks at people of color offers one of the most insightful looks into the psychology of bigotry.
The aggressors in these kinds of clips never seem to care one iota that they’re being filmed, either because they’re so worked up into a racist rage that they don’t stop to consider the possible consequences or because they feel so insulated and confident in their white privilege that they belive themselves entitled to behave atrociously.
The latest such video to go viral shows a white couple in Torrance, California harassing a Black couple in the middle of traffic. The white woman, Rachel Howell, can be seen flipping the middle finger and saying: “only white lives matter b*tch.” The white man, Gregory Howell, gives the Nazi salute and yells “white power!” After the clip ends, Mr. Howell allegedly attacked the Black couple’s vehicle with a shovel, damaging one of the side mirrors.
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump’s dictatorial call to delay the election!
The Washington Post reports that the white couple has been arrested and charged with a hate crime and vandalism for attacking the vehicle. The incident occurred on July 22.
Itzel Lopez, one of the victims, shared the video on her Instagram page and wrote: “Today on my 25th birthday I was a victim of racism and so was my boyfriend who is black. We were being harassed for miles. Until we came to a red light. When all this happened…”
“We were just in shock. We didn’t know what was going on. Never in my life did I think I was gonna experience this. It’s actually really scary. They don’t even know you, and they’re willing to hurt you,” Lopez said to KTLA.
As disturbing as this footage is it’s unfortunately an all-too-common occurrence. Racist encounters like happen on a near-daily basis and the grim reality is that oftentimes they’re not caught on camera. Hopefully, the proliferation of smartphones and the legal consequences that come from getting caught on camera like this will dissuade couples like the Howells from flaunting their racism so cavalierly. Things have to change.
Last week, a White Couple was arrested for Hate Crime and Vandalism for saying “only white lives matter” and doing a Nazi Salute to a Black Couple at a red light The couple was relased today after being in custody for a few days pic.twitter.com/wG2okpeeZ3 — Breaking News USA (@_breakingnewsUS) August 3, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-08-03--Trump snaps at CNN’s Jim Acosta after being confronted by his pandemic response failures

According to Donald Trump , anything said by anyone associated with CNN is automatically “ FAKE NEWS !
” no matter how factually-based it may be .
Trump ’ s reflexive denial of the truth being told by the cable news network has been particularly egregious since the coronavirus pandemic began earlier this year .
After all , while it may be difficult to ascertain the truth behind allegations of Russian collusion and other potential crimes committed behind the secrecy of closed-door huddles , it ’ s more difficult to argue with the cold , hard facts of medical statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That hasn ’ t deterred Donald Trump in the least .
While speaking with reporters today at the White House , Trump droned on about what a tremendous job his administration has been doing in handling the effects of the pandemic in this country , continuing to peddle false information about his favorite “ miracle cure ” drug , hydroxychloroquine , in the process .
Only CNN ‘ s Jim Acosta , a frequent thorn in the president ’ s tiny paw , had the temerity to challenge Trump ’ s fictional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis as successful .
Acosta barely had time to begin his question and hadn ’ t even the time to cite the actual statistics when he interrupted the president ’ s fairy tale with a sharp left turn towards reality .
Trump wouldn ’ t let him finish before interjecting , “ Hold it !
” Trump refused to allow Acosta to get his point of comparison with the much more controlled outbreaks of the virus in other major Western countries before bursting in with paranoid accusations .
The president mistakenly used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more appropriate “ blame , ” to describe what he and his administration deserve for their feeble and politically-motivated lessons .
His contention that the administration ’ s task force “ has done a great job ” in dealing with the virus is seemingly not an opinion shared by anyone outside his immediate circle since most people only need to look around themselves to see how disconnected from reality the president ’ s propagandistic fantasy world is .
You can watch the exchange between CNN ’ s Jim Acosta and Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

According to Donald Trump, anything said by anyone associated with CNN is automatically “FAKE NEWS!” no matter how factually-based it may be.
Trump’s reflexive denial of the truth being told by the cable news network has been particularly egregious since the coronavirus pandemic began earlier this year.
After all, while it may be difficult to ascertain the truth behind allegations of Russian collusion and other potential crimes committed behind the secrecy of closed-door huddles, it’s more difficult to argue with the cold, hard facts of medical statistics about caseloads and deaths attributed to COVID-19.
That hasn’t deterred Donald Trump in the least.
While speaking with reporters today at the White House, Trump droned on about what a tremendous job his administration has been doing in handling the effects of the pandemic in this country, continuing to peddle false information about his favorite “miracle cure” drug, hydroxychloroquine, in the process.
Only CNN‘s Jim Acosta, a frequent thorn in the president’s tiny paw, had the temerity to challenge Trump’s fictional painting of the federal response to the crisis as successful.
Acosta barely had time to begin his question and hadn’t even the time to cite the actual statistics when he interrupted the president’s fairy tale with a sharp left turn towards reality.
“The U.S. has so many deaths,” Acosta began.
Trump wouldn’t let him finish before interjecting, “Hold it!”
“So many countries around the world…,” the CNN corrspondent tried to resume his question.
Trump refused to allow Acosta to get his point of comparison with the much more controlled outbreaks of the virus in other major Western countries before bursting in with paranoid accusations.
“Fake news CNN,” he said. “Hold it. We have done a great job in this country. We haven’t been given enough — not me, Vice President Pence, the task force — have not been given the kind of credit.”
The president mistakenly used the word “credit,” rather than the more appropriate “blame,” to describe what he and his administration deserve for their feeble and politically-motivated lessons.
His contention that the administration’s task force “has done a great job” in dealing with the virus is seemingly not an opinion shared by anyone outside his immediate circle since most people only need to look around themselves to see how disconnected from reality the president’s propagandistic fantasy world is.
You can watch the exchange between CNN’s Jim Acosta and Donald Trump in the video clips below.
“Fake news CNN” — Trump dismisses the US’s world-worst coronavirus death toll by attacking Acosta pic.twitter.com/Mb5k0rm2qm — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 3, 2020
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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--2020-08-03--Trump defiantly ignores Congress and bypasses Pentagon nominee rejection

Last Thursday , the Trump administration informed the Senate Armed Services Committee that they were officially withdrawing Retired Army Brigadier General Anthony Tata ’ s nomination for the Department of Defense ’ s Undersecretary of Defense for Policy .
The decision came in the wake of revelations that Tata has a record of Islamaphobic comments and peddling conspiracy theories , including tweets that Barack Obama was a “ terrorist leader.
” Opposition to Tata ’ s nomination was bipartisan .
Never ones to let something like documented bigotry get in the way of their political agenda , members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put Tata into power at the Pentagon .
CNN reports that the president directed his staff to maneuver Tata into a position that would not require a confirmation hearing , essentially bypassing the will of Congress in the process .
Tata has been absurdly named “ the official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy reporting to the Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson.
” In practice , this new position will be more or less the same as the position he was originally nominated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job the president and his lackeys are making a mockery of Congress .
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump ’ s dictatorial call to delay the election !
Senator Jack Reed ( RI ) , the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee , slammed the Trump administration ’ s underhanded strategy .
“ Gen .
Tata should not be appointed to a Senate-confirmed position .
This method of appointment is an insult to our troops , professionals at the Pentagon , the Senate , and the American people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Once again , we see how little Donald Trump cares about our democratic institutions and norms .
Confirmations are important processes that allow the American people , through their elected officials , to hold the White House accountable .
They are meant to serve as a safeguard against unfit and unhinged nominees like Tata .
There is no reason why Trump could not have simply chosen a different nominee after Tata ’ s offensive comments came to light , but it ’ s not surprising that a president with a history of anti-Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These men share a toxic worldview and neither should be pulling the levers of power .
Come November , we will finally get the opportunity to restore some sanity to our federal government , We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Last Thursday, the Trump administration informed the Senate Armed Services Committee that they were officially withdrawing Retired Army Brigadier General Anthony Tata’s nomination for the Department of Defense’s Undersecretary of Defense for Policy. The decision came in the wake of revelations that Tata has a record of Islamaphobic comments and peddling conspiracy theories, including tweets that Barack Obama was a “terrorist leader.” Opposition to Tata’s nomination was bipartisan.
Never ones to let something like documented bigotry get in the way of their political agenda, members of the Trump administration have devised a workaround to put Tata into power at the Pentagon. CNN reports that the president directed his staff to maneuver Tata into a position that would not require a confirmation hearing, essentially bypassing the will of Congress in the process.
Tata has been absurdly named “the official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy reporting to the Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson.” In practice, this new position will be more or less the same as the position he was originally nominated to fill. In giving Tata this crucial job the president and his lackeys are making a mockery of Congress.
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump’s dictatorial call to delay the election!
Senator Jack Reed (RI), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, slammed the Trump administration’s underhanded strategy.
“Gen. Tata should not be appointed to a Senate-confirmed position. This method of appointment is an insult to our troops, professionals at the Pentagon, the Senate, and the American people,” Reed said in a statement.
Once again, we see how little Donald Trump cares about our democratic institutions and norms. Confirmations are important processes that allow the American people, through their elected officials, to hold the White House accountable. They are meant to serve as a safeguard against unfit and unhinged nominees like Tata.
There is no reason why Trump could not have simply chosen a different nominee after Tata’s offensive comments came to light, but it’s not surprising that a president with a history of anti-Muslim remarks would side with someone like Tata. These men share a toxic worldview and neither should be pulling the levers of power. Come November, we will finally get the opportunity to restore some sanity to our federal government,
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occupydemocrats--2020-08-03--Navy SEALs open investigation into disturbing video of dogs sicced on man in Colin Kaepernick jersey

The right-wing ’ s pathological hatred for Colin Kaepernick can not be interpreted solely as an organic backlash to his decision to kneel in protest of police brutality .
There has been since the beginning a disturbing racial animus underpinning the entire saga , as evinced by the white people who chose to burn his football jersey or hang him in effigy .
It ’ s one thing to disagree with Kaepernick ’ s politics , it ’ s another thing entirely to take your criticisms to such a dark , hateful place .
Clearly , even in the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this country that grows collectively infuriated when they suspect a Black doesn ’ t “ know his place.
” This despicable idealogy must be called out and condemned every time it emerges .
With that in mind , it ’ s reassuring to learn that the U.S. Navy seals are investigating an incident in which specially trained dogs used by the SEALs were sicced on a “ Colin Kaepernick ” stand-in at a K-9 event at the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce , Florida .
While the video has been on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received new interest as it spread virally across Twitter this past weekend .
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The shameful performance is especially vile because it tacitly evokes images of the Civil Rights era during which policemen unleashed dogs on Black demonstrators .
There is a violent history being channeled here that makes the racism all the more overt and pernicious .
The SEALs released a statement via Twitter and said that the clip is “ completely inconsistent with the values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Navy ” and that despite the fact that there appear to be no active-duty Navy personnel in the video they will be investigating it “ fully.
” Hopefully , the SEALs get to the bottom of this quickly and the men responsible are held accountable .
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The right-wing’s pathological hatred for Colin Kaepernick cannot be interpreted solely as an organic backlash to his decision to kneel in protest of police brutality. There has been since the beginning a disturbing racial animus underpinning the entire saga, as evinced by the white people who chose to burn his football jersey or hang him in effigy.
It’s one thing to disagree with Kaepernick’s politics, it’s another thing entirely to take your criticisms to such a dark, hateful place. Clearly, even in the year 2020, there is a meaningful portion of this country that grows collectively infuriated when they suspect a Black doesn’t “know his place.” This despicable idealogy must be called out and condemned every time it emerges.
With that in mind, it’s reassuring to learn that the U.S. Navy seals are investigating an incident in which specially trained dogs used by the SEALs were sicced on a “Colin Kaepernick” stand-in at a K-9 event at the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. While the video has been on the internet since last January, it received new interest as it spread virally across Twitter this past weekend.
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The shameful performance is especially vile because it tacitly evokes images of the Civil Rights era during which policemen unleashed dogs on Black demonstrators. There is a violent history being channeled here that makes the racism all the more overt and pernicious.
Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce used “Colin Kaepernick stand-in" for K-9 demonstration at fundraiser last year #BecauseFlorida https://t.co/COHFCeJ3GN pic.twitter.com/EpcELHxrSe — Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) August 2, 2020
The SEALs released a statement via Twitter and said that the clip is “completely inconsistent with the values and ethos of Naval Special Warfare and the U.S. Navy” and that despite the fact that there appear to be no active-duty Navy personnel in the video they will be investigating it “fully.” Hopefully, the SEALs get to the bottom of this quickly and the men responsible are held accountable.
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occupydemocrats--2020-08-03--Trump rudely smears Pelosi and Dr. Birx while defending his coronavirus response failures

It ’ s no secret that Donald Trump has a problem with powerful women .
With no female politician more powerful than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Trump has denigrated , attacked , and smeared the California Democrat perhaps more so than any other woman in the world who hasn ’ t accused him of personal sexual assault .
The president verbally assaulted his congressional adversary today on Twitter over the House Speaker ’ s weekend comments regarding Dr. Deborah Birx , the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force , whom Pelosi essentially dismissed as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation campaign .
Unlike Dr. Anthony Fauci , who has been seen as unwilling to adjust his medical pronouncements on the coronavirus to suit the president ’ s political agenda and has subsequently been forced to have a security detail assigned to him to deal with the resultant death threats , Dr. Birx has seemingly gone out of her way to avoid contradicting Trump publicly when he blurts out another counterfactual gem regarding the pandemic and its progress .
Still , perhaps in reaction to Pelosi ’ s stinging vote of no confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground are so glaringly obvious , Dr. Birx changed her tone yesterday and warned that the COVID-19 pandemic has entered “ a new phase ” in this country .
“ What we are seeing today is different from March and April .
It is extraordinarily widespread .
It ’ s into the rural as equal urban areas , ” Dr. Birx said to CNN ‘ s Dana Bash on State of the Union .
“ To everybody who lives in a rural area , you are not immune or protected from this virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re in multi-generational households , and there ’ s an outbreak in your rural area or in your city , you need to really consider wearing a mask at home , assuming that you ’ re positive , if you have individuals in your households with comorbidities.
” “ This epidemic right now is different and it ’ s more widespread and it ’ s both rural and urban , ” she also explained .
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump ’ s dictatorial call to delay the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic-stalled American economy and fixated on prematurely reopening schools ill-prepared to deal with preventing further spread of the virus , it wasn ’ t surprising that he was not happy to hear one of his top medical advisors suggest a narrative so far removed from his own rosy predictions about the progress of the disease and the efficacy of his administration ’ s response to it .
Given the president ’ s mixed messages on masks throughout the course of the pandemic , Dr. Birx ’ s suggestion that it may now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facial coverings even indoors at home was a non-starter in Trump ’ s mind and inspired a rage-filled tweet that targeted both Speaker Pelosi and the top immunologist .
Casually mixing his racism ( “ the China Virus ” ) with misogynistic nicknames , Trump attacks the messenger who is trying to convey the obvious fact that any conscious human could discern from the caseload and death rate due to COVID-19 in America : that the Trump administration is indeed not doing a “ very good job ” fighting the pandemic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s told that what he thinks is his sartorial splendor is actually non-existent , and he is left naked and shivering .
Not content with hitting at Speaker Pelosi , Trump paints his Coronavirus Response Coordinator as a patsy and a dupe who only increased her alarm at the current situation due to the pressure from the House leader .
Yes , it is “ Pathetic !
” , Donnie , but it is your behavior that fits that descriptor , not the truth emanating from the lips of the woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your failures from the public .
Trump ’ s self-serving narrative simply proves that he cares nothing for the health of the American people and everything about his increasingly diminished re-election prospects .
Unfortunately for him , he doesn ’ t realize that tweets like this simply give the American people another reason to vote him out of office in November…if we last that long .
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It’s no secret that Donald Trump has a problem with powerful women.
With no female politician more powerful than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump has denigrated, attacked, and smeared the California Democrat perhaps more so than any other woman in the world who hasn’t accused him of personal sexual assault.
The president verbally assaulted his congressional adversary today on Twitter over the House Speaker’s weekend comments regarding Dr. Deborah Birx, the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, whom Pelosi essentially dismissed as a willing tool in Trump’s COVID-19 misinformation campaign.
“I think the president is spending — spreading disinformation about the virus and she is his — she is his appointee,” Pelosi said in an appreaance on ABC‘s This Week yesterday. “So I don’t have confidence there, no.”
Unlike Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been seen as unwilling to adjust his medical pronouncements on the coronavirus to suit the president’s political agenda and has subsequently been forced to have a security detail assigned to him to deal with the resultant death threats, Dr. Birx has seemingly gone out of her way to avoid contradicting Trump publicly when he blurts out another counterfactual gem regarding the pandemic and its progress.
Still, perhaps in reaction to Pelosi’s stinging vote of no confidence, perhaps because the facts on the ground are so glaringly obvious, Dr. Birx changed her tone yesterday and warned that the COVID-19 pandemic has entered “a new phase” in this country.
“What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It’s into the rural as equal urban areas,” Dr. Birx said to CNN‘s Dana Bash on State of the Union. “To everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus,” Birx said. “If you’re in multi-generational households, and there’s an outbreak in your rural area or in your city, you need to really consider wearing a mask at home, assuming that you’re positive, if you have individuals in your households with comorbidities.” “This epidemic right now is different and it’s more widespread and it’s both rural and urban,” she also explained.
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump’s dictatorial call to delay the election!
With Trump still trying to re-start the pandemic-stalled American economy and fixated on prematurely reopening schools ill-prepared to deal with preventing further spread of the virus, it wasn’t surprising that he was not happy to hear one of his top medical advisors suggest a narrative so far removed from his own rosy predictions about the progress of the disease and the efficacy of his administration’s response to it.
Given the president’s mixed messages on masks throughout the course of the pandemic, Dr. Birx’s suggestion that it may now be the time to start wearing protective facial coverings even indoors at home was a non-starter in Trump’s mind and inspired a rage-filled tweet that targeted both Speaker Pelosi and the top immunologist.
So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020
Casually mixing his racism (“the China Virus”) with misogynistic nicknames, Trump attacks the messenger who is trying to convey the obvious fact that any conscious human could discern from the caseload and death rate due to COVID-19 in America: that the Trump administration is indeed not doing a “very good job” fighting the pandemic.
The emperor doesn’t like it when he’s told that what he thinks is his sartorial splendor is actually non-existent, and he is left naked and shivering.
Not content with hitting at Speaker Pelosi, Trump paints his Coronavirus Response Coordinator as a patsy and a dupe who only increased her alarm at the current situation due to the pressure from the House leader.
Yes, it is “Pathetic!”, Donnie, but it is your behavior that fits that descriptor, not the truth emanating from the lips of the woman who has too long tried to hide your failures from the public.
Trump’s self-serving narrative simply proves that he cares nothing for the health of the American people and everything about his increasingly diminished re-election prospects.
Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t realize that tweets like this simply give the American people another reason to vote him out of office in November…if we last that long.
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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--2020-08-05--Trump launches new Beirut conspiracy theory at press briefing

If Donald Trump thought that restarting his daily coronavirus briefings was going to provide him a boost to his faltering re-election bid that could make up for his inability to gather large crowds of his supporters together for the massive COVID infection parties like his June Tulsa rally , he may need to start reconsidering that strategy .
Trump entered the briefing room over half an hour later than its scheduled start time , dragging one of his legs like a semi-functional appendage and with the energy level of a garden slug after a big meal .
Once he began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he mostly read from prepared remarks — obviated any need for pharmaceutical soporifics .
Even sticking to the pre-scripted comments , Trump managed to adlib a conspiracy theory as he began his briefing with condolences to Lebanon after the massive explosion that took place today on Beirut , calling the explosion an “ attack ” despite no conclusive evidence of the cause of the explosion so soon after it occurred .
Trump was forced to clarify his characterization of the explosion when an astute reporter asked him the basis for his claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion .
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CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale added another plausible explanation for the president ’ s explanation of his theory .
Trump moved on to reciting a number of economic developments meant to convince Americans that despite their own personal financial misfortunes , large mega-corporations were doing just fine , so the economy is roaring despite what your own eyes and ears may tell you .
Eventually , he got around to discussing the ostensible topic of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic .
Unsurprisingly , his comments consisted of the usual false claims about the robustness of his administration ’ s response and twisting of the publicly available statistics .
CNN ‘ s Dale conveniently posted evidence to the contrary of Trump ’ s pollyanna-ish assertions .
Once Trump went off script during the Q & A portion of the briefing , he just dug himself a deeper hole .
Yes , if you ignore the places where people actually live , we ’ re doing just fine !
Or as Daniel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments on what many people see as inadequate testing for the coronavirus in this country were equally duplicitous , and his verbal gaffe in referring to TikTok with the name of a breath mint inspired a few chuckles .
Naturally , the president ’ s tweet from earlier in the day encouraging Floridians to vote by mail was bound to come up in the questions from the White House correspondents .
How those reporters managed to suppress guffaws when Trump called the home of the infamous “ Florida man ” “ very well-run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have rushed out of the briefing to avoid further questioning — amazingly no one had the chance to ask him about the disastrous Axios interview that premiered last night — but luckily CNN ’ s fact-checker was on the case to provide the antidote to the president ’ s self-serving lies .
All in all , it was another waste of time for both Trump and anyone who bothered watching the briefing .
Nothing he said will be believed by anyone except his loyal base who are seemingly impervious to reality .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ He should quit the charade that he even has a chance of winning the election without massive fraud at this point and resign immediately .
The whole nation will breathe a sigh of relief…at least if their lungs aren ’ t already filed with coronavirus .
Original reporting by Daniel Dale at CNN and By Aaron Rupar at Vox .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
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If Donald Trump thought that restarting his daily coronavirus briefings was going to provide him a boost to his faltering re-election bid that could make up for his inability to gather large crowds of his supporters together for the massive COVID infection parties like his June Tulsa rally, he may need to start reconsidering that strategy.
Trump entered the briefing room over half an hour later than its scheduled start time, dragging one of his legs like a semi-functional appendage and with the energy level of a garden slug after a big meal.
Once he began speaking, his drone-like speaking cadence — as he mostly read from prepared remarks — obviated any need for pharmaceutical soporifics.
Even sticking to the pre-scripted comments, Trump managed to adlib a conspiracy theory as he began his briefing with condolences to Lebanon after the massive explosion that took place today on Beirut, calling the explosion an “attack” despite no conclusive evidence of the cause of the explosion so soon after it occurred.
Trump begins by sending "America's deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many, many people were killed." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
Trump didn't seem confident in calling the explosion an "attack." It seemed like an ad-lib he added at the end of his prepared remarks, and he said it kind of haltingly. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
Trump was forced to clarify his characterization of the explosion when an astute reporter asked him the basis for his claim of sabotage as the basis for the explosion.
The President says he met with the generals and they “seem to think” what happened in Lebanon was an attack. pic.twitter.com/7CxywTB7iu — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) August 4, 2020
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CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale added another plausible explanation for the president’s explanation of his theory.
I can’t emphasize this enough. Trump usually prefers to make things up to cover an error rather than admitting he misspoke. He could prove correct here, but extreme caution required. https://t.co/8rKTwEj5BA — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
Trump moved on to reciting a number of economic developments meant to convince Americans that despite their own personal financial misfortunes, large mega-corporations were doing just fine, so the economy is roaring despite what your own eyes and ears may tell you.
Eventually, he got around to discussing the ostensible topic of the briefing: the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unsurprisingly, his comments consisted of the usual false claims about the robustness of his administration’s response and twisting of the publicly available statistics.
Trump on the virus: "We're seeing indications that our strong mitigation efforts are working. Very well, actually." He adds, "The numbers are getting very good." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
The same song as always. "We're putting out embers. We're putting out flames." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
CNN‘s Dale conveniently posted evidence to the contrary of Trump’s pollyanna-ish assertions.
Once Trump went off script during the Q & A portion of the briefing, he just dug himself a deeper hole.
Trump explains that the US coronavirus numbers are actually good — if you take out the hardest hit states pic.twitter.com/qy7wm1c1fD — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 4, 2020
Yes, if you ignore the places where people actually live, we’re doing just fine! Or as Daniel Dale puts it:
Trump says that a lot of the bad US numbers were because NY and NJ had a bad time, and "when you take them out," "our numbers are among the lowest." So aside from all the American deaths, there have been fewer American deaths. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
Trump’s comments on what many people see as inadequate testing for the coronavirus in this country were equally duplicitous, and his verbal gaffe in referring to TikTok with the name of a breath mint inspired a few chuckles.
"I've spoken to the leaders of the world, and they'll ask me about it. No country thought it's even believable that we're able to test so much … they can't believe we're able to do it" — well, i'm convinced! pic.twitter.com/bOlRZwUUG4 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 4, 2020
Naturally, the president’s tweet from earlier in the day encouraging Floridians to vote by mail was bound to come up in the questions from the White House correspondents.
How those reporters managed to suppress guffaws when Trump called the home of the infamous “Florida man” “very well-run” was quite impressive anyway.
"I think you have to do that election over" — Trump makes completely unfounded allegations that fraud took place in a New York Democratic primary, then ends the news conference pic.twitter.com/bFSGeCS1cQ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 4, 2020
Trump may have rushed out of the briefing to avoid further questioning — amazingly no one had the chance to ask him about the disastrous Axios interview that premiered last night — but luckily CNN’s fact-checker was on the case to provide the antidote to the president’s self-serving lies.
Contrary to Trump’s claims, there’s no evidence of voter fraud, let alone mass voter fraud, in the NY Dem primaries that remain uncalled. The counting has been slow because of quantity of ballots and administrative/tech/staffing problems. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 4, 2020
All in all, it was another waste of time for both Trump and anyone who bothered watching the briefing.
Nothing he said will be believed by anyone except his loyal base who are seemingly impervious to reality.
Trump seems worn down and tired. He should quit the charade that he even has a chance of winning the election without massive fraud at this point and resign immediately.
The whole nation will breathe a sigh of relief…at least if their lungs aren’t already filed with coronavirus.
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Original reporting by Daniel Dale at CNN and By Aaron Rupar at Vox.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-04--CNN host shuts down Trump campaign Senior Advisor’s misinformation: “You’re saying a bunch of crap.”

The Republican Party is hellbent on engendering broad distrust in the concept of mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election ( except when they deem it advantageous to Trump ) because GOP operatives realize that keeping their unpopular , incompetent president in the White House will be much easier with widespread voter suppression in place .
Trump himself has been spearheading the efforts and numerous surrogates have been swarming the airwaves to peddle his mendacious talking points .
Mercedes Schlapp , a Senior Advisor for the Trump 2020 campaign , appeared on CNN today and tried to argue the repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots are sent out to facilitate mail-in voting which in turn leads to rampant fraud .
The host , Brianna Keilar , immediately called her on her lies .
“ Mercedes , the only evidence that we ’ ve seen of ballot harvesting recently was by Republicans and you know that , in North Carolina , right ?
They had to redo the election , ” explained Keilar .
Schlapp responded by reeling off a bunch of vague , paranoid accusations and when Keilar pushed back again Schlapp said : “ Obviously I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing eye to eye.
” “ No , because I ’ m talking about facts , ” Keilar replied bluntly .
She then tried to forge ahead with the interview by again explaining that voter fraud is not a common problem .
Schlapp again responded by referring to her notes and spewing out more GOP misinformation .
“ This is just pointless .
Okay ?
This is pointless .
I get it .
You ’ re just saying a bunch of crap , okay ?
You ’ re saying a bunch of crap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with Schlapp ’ s nonsense .
Keilar then attempted to steer the interview back on track by focusing on the important issue : voting during a pandemic .
Schlapp refused to continue in good faith , forcing Keilar to end the conversation .
It ’ s always telling to see Trump minions confronted with the facts because they immediately fall to pieces .
Keilar was right to call Schlapp on her crap .

The Republican Party is hellbent on engendering broad distrust in the concept of mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election (except when they deem it advantageous to Trump) because GOP operatives realize that keeping their unpopular, incompetent president in the White House will be much easier with widespread voter suppression in place. Trump himself has been spearheading the efforts and numerous surrogates have been swarming the airwaves to peddle his mendacious talking points.
Mercedes Schlapp, a Senior Advisor for the Trump 2020 campaign, appeared on CNN today and tried to argue the repeatedly and widely debunked conspiracy theory that mass ballots are sent out to facilitate mail-in voting which in turn leads to rampant fraud. The host, Brianna Keilar, immediately called her on her lies.
“Mercedes, the only evidence that we’ve seen of ballot harvesting recently was by Republicans and you know that, in North Carolina, right? They had to redo the election,” explained Keilar.
Schlapp responded by reeling off a bunch of vague, paranoid accusations and when Keilar pushed back again Schlapp said: “Obviously I don’t think we’re seeing eye to eye.”
“No, because I’m talking about facts,” Keilar replied bluntly. She then tried to forge ahead with the interview by again explaining that voter fraud is not a common problem. Schlapp again responded by referring to her notes and spewing out more GOP misinformation.
“This is just pointless. Okay? This is pointless. I get it. You’re just saying a bunch of crap, okay? You’re saying a bunch of crap,” said Keilar, clearly fed up with Schlapp’s nonsense. Keilar then attempted to steer the interview back on track by focusing on the important issue: voting during a pandemic. Schlapp refused to continue in good faith, forcing Keilar to end the conversation.
It’s always telling to see Trump minions confronted with the facts because they immediately fall to pieces. Keilar was right to call Schlapp on her crap.
"This is just pointless. I get it. You're just saying a bunch of crap, okay? You're saying a bunch of crap" — @brikeilarcnn to Mercedes Schlapp as she conspiracy-mongers about mail-in voting pic.twitter.com/mv91jx9pEB — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 4, 2020
Following the interview, Schlapp made the mistake of engaging Keilar on Twitter and promptly had her and Trump’s propaganda exposed for the dangerous lies that they are:
Thanks for posting this link, Mercedes. This is actually the data I referred to in our interview today so I’m glad anyone who is curious can click and see just how few cases of voter fraud occurred in their state during the 38 year span of this data base. A few facts… https://t.co/z5HqXr4t2p — Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) August 5, 2020
Also consider that in 2016 there were only 62 cases of voter fraud across the country (according to Heritage). Then consider that there have been 155,000+ deaths from coronavirus in the last six months. — Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) August 5, 2020
Voter fraud of any kind is statistically negligible, as the Heritage database you link to makes clear. It certainly doesn’t seem worth the time and effort you or @realdonaldtrump spend knocking mail-in ballots. It’s logical to conclude that you have another objective. — Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) August 5, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-08-04--Trump suddenly scrambles to encourage mail-in voting in Florida after weeks of attacking it

Donald Trump thinks that mail-in voting is rife with the potential for fraud and should be banned…except in states where it can hurt his re-election prospects .
That ’ s the only possible conclusion for the reversal of course that the president took today in his tweet absolving Florida of any the taint that he ’ s liberally slathered on the absentee voting processes in states controlled by Democratic leaders and in other swing states where he eked out tiny victories in 2016 .
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump ’ s dictatorial call to delay the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s personal certification of the Florida Vote by Mail election system is the fact that — for once — Trump is actually correct .
It ’ s just that his testimony that the Florida election process is “ Safe and Secure , Tried and True ” applies just as much to every other state in the union , despite the president ’ s self-serving campaign to claim otherwise in the face of poll numbers that would have inspired any sane person — or one not under the threat of indictment , conviction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office — to drop out of the race .
Perhaps the only thing more infuriating than Trump ’ s obvious attempts to contradict everything he ’ s been saying about mail-in voting for the past few weeks — including erasing the non-existent distinction between absentee ballots and mail-in voting — is his unwarranted confidence that the American people won ’ t see through his self-serving pivot so obviously inspired by reports that his rhetoric would convince Florida ’ s considerable population of GOP seniors to refuse to vote by mail and avoid what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers even in November .
The response on social media to Trump ’ s latest 180-degree turn predictably ranged from outraged to derisive and indicated that the president was fooling no one with his latest gambit .
At least Twitter has Trump ’ s number .
Let ’ s hope that enough of the rest of the country can see through his dissembling to ensure his defeat whether by in-person ballots , mail-in votes , or the indistinguishable absentee ballots .
We want to hear what YOU have to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our NEW comment section !

Donald Trump thinks that mail-in voting is rife with the potential for fraud and should be banned…except in states where it can hurt his re-election prospects.
That’s the only possible conclusion for the reversal of course that the president took today in his tweet absolving Florida of any the taint that he’s liberally slathered on the absentee voting processes in states controlled by Democratic leaders and in other swing states where he eked out tiny victories in 2016.
Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True. Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! #MAGA — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump’s dictatorial call to delay the election!
The biggest problem with Trump’s personal certification of the Florida Vote by Mail election system is the fact that — for once — Trump is actually correct.
It’s just that his testimony that the Florida election process is “Safe and Secure, Tried and True” applies just as much to every other state in the union, despite the president’s self-serving campaign to claim otherwise in the face of poll numbers that would have inspired any sane person — or one not under the threat of indictment, conviction, and imprisonment at the instant he leaves office — to drop out of the race.
Perhaps the only thing more infuriating than Trump’s obvious attempts to contradict everything he’s been saying about mail-in voting for the past few weeks — including erasing the non-existent distinction between absentee ballots and mail-in voting — is his unwarranted confidence that the American people won’t see through his self-serving pivot so obviously inspired by reports that his rhetoric would convince Florida’s considerable population of GOP seniors to refuse to vote by mail and avoid what will likely be polling places still filled with asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers even in November.
The response on social media to Trump’s latest 180-degree turn predictably ranged from outraged to derisive and indicated that the president was fooling no one with his latest gambit.
Allow me to translate: someone told him that he's scaring his elderly supporters in Florida away from vote-by-mail and it's gonna hurt him so hence this. https://t.co/mPAlUlfpiV — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) August 4, 2020
Fact is, voting by mail has been utilized and safe ever since the Civil War. Each ballot has a unique bar code and must have a signature that matches the signatures on record at the election office. It’s as safe as it can get. — Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) August 4, 2020
At this point, a debate isn't even necessary. Just let Trump continue to implode. — Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) August 4, 2020
Keep trying , god bless your little heart — Seanie_QQ7-45+Eyes-Wide-Open (@007Seanie) August 4, 2020
He had trouble finding the right polling place in 2004. That's when he switched to voting by mail. His lap dog Billy Bush was no help. pic.twitter.com/YiLH3dtMwZ — Toony (@WhatsUpToonboy) August 4, 2020
At least Twitter has Trump’s number.
Let’s hope that enough of the rest of the country can see through his dissembling to ensure his defeat whether by in-person ballots, mail-in votes, or the indistinguishable absentee ballots.
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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--2020-08-04--Trump fumbles with charts as his pandemic statistics explanation gets quickly demolished by reporter

It is a video clip that should be required viewing for every American eligible to cast a ballot in November ’ s presidential election .
Axios ’ s Jonathan Swan scored an exclusive interview with Donald Trump at the White House recently which premiered as part of the weekly Axios program on HBO last night .
Unlike many other broadcast journalists , with perhaps the exception of Fox News ‘ Chris Wallace , Swan seemed completely willing to challenge the president when , as he invariably does in these situations , he veers into his falsified political spin mode and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of magical thinking .
The decision to accept the interview invitation may prove to have been a calamitous mistake on Trump ’ s part , particularly if the video clip attached below gets any significant viewership .
Not only does Swan have no problem calling out the president ’ s faulty logic and mathematical deficiencies , but he does so with charts and graphs provided by Trump himself .
The resulting interaction demonstrates either how little understanding Trump has of the extent of the pandemic and its trajectory or how willingly he tries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand worthy of the most skilled three-card monte dealers on the planet .
Take a look for yourself .
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump ’ s dictatorial call to delay the election !
Yes , America is currently stuck with a president who is either too dumb to understand how to compare apples to apples or with one who is trying to sell you oranges while swearing that they are indeed absolutely , positively apples .
One has to admire Jonathan Swan for pushing back against the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact-checked in a forum where Trump is unable to simply avoid answering uncomfortable questions by pointing his finger at another reporter and moving on to the next topic .
You also have to give him credit for not flinching when Trump leans forward past the 6-foot social distancing limit to hand him the papers with the graphs and charts .
Show this clip to anyone who hasn ’ t imbibed the hallucinatory Trump Kool-Aid and they will find it difficult to vote for a man with this level of cognitive incapabilities to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is your imperative , dear reader , to forward this video to everyone you know and to follow through by checking your voter registration status and casting your ballot to remove the man who is simultaneously too imbecilic and too slitheringly deceptive to continue to remain in the White House .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

It is a video clip that should be required viewing for every American eligible to cast a ballot in November’s presidential election.
Axios’s Jonathan Swan scored an exclusive interview with Donald Trump at the White House recently which premiered as part of the weekly Axios program on HBO last night.
Unlike many other broadcast journalists, with perhaps the exception of Fox News‘ Chris Wallace, Swan seemed completely willing to challenge the president when, as he invariably does in these situations, he veers into his falsified political spin mode and starts spouting counterfactual claims from the realm of magical thinking.
The decision to accept the interview invitation may prove to have been a calamitous mistake on Trump’s part, particularly if the video clip attached below gets any significant viewership.
Not only does Swan have no problem calling out the president’s faulty logic and mathematical deficiencies, but he does so with charts and graphs provided by Trump himself.
The resulting interaction demonstrates either how little understanding Trump has of the extent of the pandemic and its trajectory or how willingly he tries to manipulate facts with a sleight of hand worthy of the most skilled three-card monte dealers on the planet.
Take a look for yourself.
.@jonathanvswan: “Oh, you’re doing death as a proportion of cases. I’m talking about death as a proportion of population. That’s where the U.S. is really bad. Much worse than South Korea, Germany, etc.”@realdonaldtrump: “You can’t do that.” Swan: “Why can’t I do that?” pic.twitter.com/MStySfkV39 — Axios (@axios) August 4, 2020
Add your name to demand Congress reject Trump’s dictatorial call to delay the election!
Yes, America is currently stuck with a president who is either too dumb to understand how to compare apples to apples or with one who is trying to sell you oranges while swearing that they are indeed absolutely, positively apples.
One has to admire Jonathan Swan for pushing back against the president’s illogical explanations of statistics that are easily fact-checked in a forum where Trump is unable to simply avoid answering uncomfortable questions by pointing his finger at another reporter and moving on to the next topic.
You also have to give him credit for not flinching when Trump leans forward past the 6-foot social distancing limit to hand him the papers with the graphs and charts.
Show this clip to anyone who hasn’t imbibed the hallucinatory Trump Kool-Aid and they will find it difficult to vote for a man with this level of cognitive incapabilities to continue as America’s president.
Thus it is your imperative, dear reader, to forward this video to everyone you know and to follow through by checking your voter registration status and casting your ballot to remove the man who is simultaneously too imbecilic and too slitheringly deceptive to continue to remain in the White House.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
We want to hear what YOU have to say. Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section!
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-08-04--Social media explodes in outrage over Trump’s sleazy attack on the late John Lewis

Even after almost four years in office , Donald Trump still has the capability to shock with how small and mean-spirited he can be .
He sat down for an interview with Axios ’ s Jonathan Swan which aired last night and while presumably the president was hoping the conversation would offer him a chance to reshape his reelection narrative amidst flagging poll numbers and rampant disapproval , it ended up being an unmitigated disaster for him .
When he wasn ’ t rambling incoherently or being directly confronted for his misinformation , Trump was showcasing his cruelty and pettiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he was asked how he thinks history will remember the late Rep. John Lewis , the Civil Rights icon who he refused to pay respects to while Lewis was lying in state in the Capitol and whose funeral he ultimately did not attend .
“ I don ’ t know .
I really don ’ t know .
Uh , I don ’ t know .
I don ’ t know John Lewis , ” said Trump , even though a brief glance at a history book would show that John Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his country .
“ He chose not to come to my inauguration , ” the president went on , making it immediately clear that he was not going to praise the deceased hero because of his own personal grudge against the man .
“ He chose… I never met John Lewis I don ’ t believe.
” “ Uh… I can ’ t say one way or the other .
But I find a lot of people impressive , I find a lot of people not impressive , but no .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t come to my inauguration .
He didn ’ t come to my State of the Union speeches and that ’ s okay .
That ’ s his right .
And again , nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have , ” Trump said , repeating one of his favorite false talking points .
“ He should have come .
I think he made a big mistake .
He should have come , ” said Trump , refusing to make the conversation about anyone other than himself .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , do you find his story impressive ?
What he ’ s done for this country ?
” asked Swan .
“ He was a person that devoted a lot of energy and a lot of heart to Civil Rights but there were many others also , ” said Trump , seemingly trying to belittle and undermine Lewis ’ s accomplishments on the absurd grounds that he didn ’ t fight for Civil Rights solely by himself .
Swan then asked if Trump supports the drive to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at which point the president finally backed off a bit from his shameful attacks and said would have “ no objection to it.
” The exchange is truly remarkable for what it reveals about Donald Trump .
Even during an election year where he seems likely to lose unless he makes drastic changes , he is unable to step outside his own ego and project even a shred of statesmanship .
Likely , he ’ s deeply jealous of Lewis and the respect and love this country feels for him .
On some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while history will shine on Lewis it will revile Trump .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Even after almost four years in office, Donald Trump still has the capability to shock with how small and mean-spirited he can be. He sat down for an interview with Axios’s Jonathan Swan which aired last night and while presumably the president was hoping the conversation would offer him a chance to reshape his reelection narrative amidst flagging poll numbers and rampant disapproval, it ended up being an unmitigated disaster for him.
When he wasn’t rambling incoherently or being directly confronted for his misinformation, Trump was showcasing his cruelty and pettiness. At one point in the interview, he was asked how he thinks history will remember the late Rep. John Lewis, the Civil Rights icon who he refused to pay respects to while Lewis was lying in state in the Capitol and whose funeral he ultimately did not attend.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. Uh, I don’t know. I don’t know John Lewis,” said Trump, even though a brief glance at a history book would show that John Lewis is already being remembered for his contributions to his country.
“He chose not to come to my inauguration,” the president went on, making it immediately clear that he was not going to praise the deceased hero because of his own personal grudge against the man. “He chose… I never met John Lewis I don’t believe.”
“Do you find him impressive?” asked Swan.
“Uh… I can’t say one way or the other. But I find a lot of people impressive, I find a lot of people not impressive, but no. But I didn’t… He didn’t come to my inauguration. He didn’t come to my State of the Union speeches and that’s okay. That’s his right. And again, nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have,” Trump said, repeating one of his favorite false talking points.
“I understand,” said Swan.
“He should have come. I think he made a big mistake. He should have come,” said Trump, refusing to make the conversation about anyone other than himself.
“But taking your relationship with him out of it, do you find his story impressive? What he’s done for this country?” asked Swan.
“He was a person that devoted a lot of energy and a lot of heart to Civil Rights but there were many others also,” said Trump, seemingly trying to belittle and undermine Lewis’s accomplishments on the absurd grounds that he didn’t fight for Civil Rights solely by himself.
Swan then asked if Trump supports the drive to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama after John Lewis at which point the president finally backed off a bit from his shameful attacks and said would have “no objection to it.”
The exchange is truly remarkable for what it reveals about Donald Trump. Even during an election year where he seems likely to lose unless he makes drastic changes, he is unable to step outside his own ego and project even a shred of statesmanship. Likely, he’s deeply jealous of Lewis and the respect and love this country feels for him. On some deep level, he must know that while history will shine on Lewis it will revile Trump.
.@jonathanvswan: "How do you think history will remember John Lewis?" President Trump to #AxiosOnHBO: "I don't know…I don't know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration." pic.twitter.com/LDv76rrIFc — Axios (@axios) August 4, 2020
Twitter users were understandably outraged.
https://twitter.com/natashadalua/status/1290495857477873665?s=20
Fuck this guy. — Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) August 4, 2020
In all my life, I don't think that I've ever been this ashamed to be an American. I've never really thought about my citizenship. But I am so ashamed of being an American. This is mortifying. — Efrunè Bonquiqui (@Pugable) August 4, 2020
History will not be kind to you and your family. Just remember that. — Dawn Anderson (@Dandie00) August 4, 2020
How will history remember John Lewis versus how will history remember Donald Trump? Here’s one metric: three former presidents, of both parties, attended Lewis’s funeral. How many former presidents will attend Trump’s? — Ruth Marcus (@RuthMarcus) August 4, 2020
Presidementia is a sociopath that should never have been considered for the presidency. The insanity is on full display in this interview. There has to be a price to pay for those who enabled this disaster. — Serenity Now! Social Distancing Pro 2.0 (@BoulderGirl2014) August 4, 2020
Imagine being a small, malignant, scared little "man" so empty inside willing to say that the dude in this picture isn't impressive. Knowing you're about to get smacked in the mouth and calmly standing out front defines impressive. @realDonaldTrump doesn't have it in him. pic.twitter.com/fuIDtk5RGz — Steve Hooper (@SteveHooper22) August 4, 2020
Poor Trump. He will never have the respect and admiration that John Lewis had. He did nothing for black people. He can't even admit there are some police that are racist like him. — MSPEGGY (@mspeggy50) August 4, 2020
https://twitter.com/mindfulkoala/status/1290503020002701315?s=20
What an insensitive, petty man. Apparently he holds a grudge if there's no worshiping of the Donald. The lengths he goes to avoid answering a simple question. Smh. John Lewis was a extraordinary example of a human being. His devotion to Civil Rights is one for All Books. — LTags (@lsatag14) August 4, 2020
I’ve witnessed more maturity from an elementary-aged child than from this guy. Simple analogy here- “Do you think (MJ,Tom Brady) deserves to be in the Hall of Fame?””I don’t know. They never came to any of my little league games. I don’t know. Maybe. — Mr. Brown (@MrBrownPC) August 4, 2020
its always about him…we need him out — Marco Frieri (@Frieri_Marco) August 4, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-08-04--Trump complains John Lewis didn’t attend inauguration, belittles Civil Rights legacy

Even after almost four years in office, Donald Trump still has the capability to shock with how small and mean-spirited he can be. He sat down for an interview with Axios’s Jonathan Swan which aired last night and while presumably the president was hoping the conversation would offer him a chance to reshape his reelection narrative amidst flagging poll numbers and rampant disapproval, it ended up being an unmitigated disaster for him.
When he wasn’t rambling incoherently or being directly confronted for his misinformation, Trump was showcasing his cruelty and pettiness. At one point in the interview, he was asked how he thinks history will remember the late Rep. John Lewis, the Civil Rights icon who he refused to pay respects to while Lewis was lying in state in the Capitol and whose funeral he ultimately did not attend.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. Uh, I don’t know. I don’t know John Lewis,” said Trump, even though a brief glance at a history book would show that John Lewis is already being remembered for his contributions to his country.
“He chose not to come to my inauguration,” the president went on, making it immediately clear that he was not going to praise the deceased hero because of his own personal grudge against the man. “He chose… I never met John Lewis I don’t believe.”
“Do you find him impressive?” asked Swan.
“Uh… I can’t say one way or the other. But I find a lot of people impressive, I find a lot of people not impressive, but no. But I didn’t… He didn’t come to my inauguration. He didn’t come to my State of the Union speeches and that’s okay. That’s his right. And again, nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have,” Trump said, repeating one of his favorite false talking points.
“I understand,” said Swan.
“He should have come. I think he made a big mistake. He should have come,” said Trump, refusing to make the conversation about anyone other than himself.
“But taking your relationship with him out of it, do you find his story impressive? What he’s done for this country?” asked Swan.
“He was a person that devoted a lot of energy and a lot of heart to Civil Rights but there were many others also,” said Trump, seemingly trying to belittle and undermine Lewis’s accomplishments on the absurd grounds that he didn’t fight for Civil Rights solely by himself.
Swan then asked if Trump supports the drive to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama after John Lewis at which point the president finally backed off a bit from his shameful attacks and said would have “no objection to it.”
The exchange is truly remarkable for what it reveals about Donald Trump. Even during an election year where he seems likely to lose unless he makes drastic changes, he is unable to step outside his own ego and project even a shred of statesmanship. Likely, he’s deeply jealous of Lewis and the respect and love this country feels for him. On some deep level, he must know that while history will shine on Lewis it will revile Trump.
.@jonathanvswan: "How do you think history will remember John Lewis?" President Trump to #AxiosOnHBO: "I don't know…I don't know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration." pic.twitter.com/LDv76rrIFc — Axios (@axios) August 4, 2020
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