occupydemocrats--2020-05-05--CBS reporter claps back at Trump after he complains she’s “angry” and not like 50s housewife

Forget the pandemic with its unprecedented death toll , massive unemployment , food insecurity , and societal disruption .
For Donald Trump , it ’ s always about the ratings and the adulation from the crowds .
In an interview published today in the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post — the Post that , unlike the Jeff Bezos-owned one in Washington , is less likely to challenge his veracity — Trump said that he will be bringing back his Pandemic Task Force coronavirus briefings soon because “ everybody ” enjoyed them .
“ We set every record with those press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
You know we had tremendous numbers , literally , it was in [ Fox News host ] Bret Baier ’ s slot , and we did like 30 in a row , ” Trump said .
“ I heard , is this true ?
It was the highest-rated hour in cable television history .
That ’ s what I heard .
I don ’ t know if that ’ s true , ” he said , adding plausible deniability to his hyperbolic claim .
The president went on to say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management to focusing on reopening the economy — since he apparently believes the crisis is handled — that the number of briefings would be scaled back to just one or two per week with his latest press secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , presiding over some of those sessions , having apparently passed her audition after holding the first official White House press conference in over a year .
With the coronavirus pandemic preventing Trump from holding the raucous cattle-roundup of his supporters that his campaign rallies have been , the press briefings were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unalloyed attention that his narcissism requires .
Linking both the rallies and the pandemic press conferences are the president ’ s desires to “ get around the ‘ fake news ’ , ” which peskily insists on correcting his misinformation and pointing out his blatant lies .
After an increasingly deranged series of briefing appearances culminating in his infamous speculation on whether injections of disinfectant or ultraviolet-light could kill the COVID-19 virus in the body , Trump ’ s political advisors tried to tell him that major disasters may deliver great ratings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the election .
The president managed to last one day after petulantly saying that the briefings were “ not worth the time and effort , ” before heading right back into the fray .
He also continued to vent his frustrations , express his grudges , and attack his perceived enemies in his perpetual Twitter battleground and arranged events like Sunday ’ s town hall within the relatively friendly security blanket of Fox News to keep his unfiltered , if reality-free , messages in front of the public .
Still , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good fight to attract eyeballs in his direction , so despite his complaints about “ hostile questions ” from “ the Lamestream Media , ” he sees the briefings as a way to not just project his strength — as he apparently sees his bullying demeanor with the press conveying — but as a way to keep the audience from lapsing into somnambulism while tedious facts and figures about contagion curves and pandemic projections are recited .
Perhaps if Trump actually answered any of the questions that were asked instead of deflecting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to keep asking the same questions repeatedly .
Just saying .
The president even admitted that he liked the sparring with the press himself .
So is sex , but not everybody would want to watch him do that , certainly .
Unsurprisingly , Trump singled out two female reporters who have been persistent questioners at his Pandemic Task Force briefings as his primary irritants , both from CBS News : Weijia Jiang and Paula Reid .
“ Paula Reid , she ’ s sitting there and I say , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the purpose ?
’ They ’ re not even tough questions , but you see the attitude of these people , it ’ s like incredible , ” the president complained “ It wasn ’ t Donna Reed , I can tell you that , ” Trump said , referring to the actress who played the perfect compliant domestic goddess in a 1950s TV show during his younger days .
“ You know , we didn ’ t stop them .
I mean , this is breaking , this , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because we ’ ll probably do maybe one a week , sometimes two depending on the news , but Kayleigh ’ s going to be able to do them , ” Trump said .
“ We ’ ll do them .
We get a lot of people watching , and it ’ s the way that you get around fake news .
In other words , I have a much bigger audience than anybody ’ s ever had.
” Forget the pandemic with its unprecedented death toll , massive unemployment , food insecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , it ’ s always about the ratings and the adulation from the crowds .
Particularly at a time of crisis such as we now find ourselves in due to Trump ’ s floundering narcissism , we need a real president who can bring the country together with purpose and fortitude , not an insecure carnival barker whose actions are sending the entire nation into a downward spiral from which we may never recover .
Whatever you need to do to vote in November , do it and let ’ s rid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He never likes being bested so perhaps we should get # 2ndBiggestPestilence trending .
In the meantime , let ’ s give CBS News ’ Paula Reid the last word here as she replies to the president ’ s characterization of her with a rare positive fact check .
Original reporting by Steven Nelson and Ebony Bowden at The New York Post .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Forget the pandemic with its unprecedented death toll, massive unemployment, food insecurity, and societal disruption.
For Donald Trump, it’s always about the ratings and the adulation from the crowds.
In an interview published today in the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post — the Post that, unlike the Jeff Bezos-owned one in Washington, is less likely to challenge his veracity — Trump said that he will be bringing back his Pandemic Task Force coronavirus briefings soon because “everybody” enjoyed them.
“We set every record with those press conferences. Six million people all the time. You know we had tremendous numbers, literally, it was in [Fox News host] Bret Baier’s slot, and we did like 30 in a row,” Trump said. “I heard, is this true? It was the highest-rated hour in cable television history. That’s what I heard. I don’t know if that’s true,” he said, adding plausible deniability to his hyperbolic claim.
The president went on to say that since he is now transitioning from crisis management to focusing on reopening the economy — since he apparently believes the crisis is handled — that the number of briefings would be scaled back to just one or two per week with his latest press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, presiding over some of those sessions, having apparently passed her audition after holding the first official White House press conference in over a year.
With the coronavirus pandemic preventing Trump from holding the raucous cattle-roundup of his supporters that his campaign rallies have been, the press briefings were the president’s main outlet for the unalloyed attention that his narcissism requires.
“I hope we’re going to be able to get the rallies back before the election,” Trump said. “I actually think it’s very important. I think that would be a big — a big disadvantage to me if we didn’t, if we couldn’t have the rallies back. “People are wanting the rallies. They want to have them so badly. They were informative but they were fun.”
Linking both the rallies and the pandemic press conferences are the president’s desires to “get around the ‘fake news’,” which peskily insists on correcting his misinformation and pointing out his blatant lies.
“So, which is more important, the rally or the press conferences?” Trump mused. “I think they both work. You know, they are very different, though, I suspect.”
After an increasingly deranged series of briefing appearances culminating in his infamous speculation on whether injections of disinfectant or ultraviolet-light could kill the COVID-19 virus in the body, Trump’s political advisors tried to tell him that major disasters may deliver great ratings but won’t necessarily help him win the election.
The president managed to last one day after petulantly saying that the briefings were “not worth the time and effort,” before heading right back into the fray. He also continued to vent his frustrations, express his grudges, and attack his perceived enemies in his perpetual Twitter battleground and arranged events like Sunday’s town hall within the relatively friendly security blanket of Fox News to keep his unfiltered, if reality-free, messages in front of the public.
Still, the WWE-experienced president knows the value of a good fight to attract eyeballs in his direction, so despite his complaints about “hostile questions” from “the Lamestream Media,” he sees the briefings as a way to not just project his strength — as he apparently sees his bullying demeanor with the press conveying — but as a way to keep the audience from lapsing into somnambulism while tedious facts and figures about contagion curves and pandemic projections are recited.
“I was told that some people didn’t like the combative attitude so much. And I can a little bit understand that. But I would say from the standpoint of watching it and wanting to watch, that would be more interesting than having boring questions asked. “And you know, at the same time, they shouldn’t be asking the same question every press conference just trying to get a rise, you know.”
Perhaps if Trump actually answered any of the questions that were asked instead of deflecting and laying blame elsewhere, reporters wouldn’t have to keep asking the same questions repeatedly. Just saying.
“A lot of people love when the press hits me, you know, when I go at it with the press — they like it,” Trump said.
The president even admitted that he liked the sparring with the press himself.
“Yeah, I do, I, I’m OK with it. I’d rather have a normal, you know, normal — a more normal situation, but I do. And they like it. Some people don’t like it. I have a feeling everybody likes it because, you know, it’s more exciting than sitting there falling asleep.”
So is sex, but not everybody would want to watch him do that, certainly.
Unsurprisingly, Trump singled out two female reporters who have been persistent questioners at his Pandemic Task Force briefings as his primary irritants, both from CBS News: Weijia Jiang and Paula Reid.
“Paula Reid, she’s sitting there and I say, ‘How angry. I mean, what’s the purpose?’ They’re not even tough questions, but you see the attitude of these people, it’s like incredible,” the president complained “It wasn’t Donna Reed, I can tell you that,” Trump said, referring to the actress who played the perfect compliant domestic goddess in a 1950s TV show during his younger days. “So you know, I enjoyed it,” Trump admitted. “You know, we didn’t stop them. I mean, this is breaking, this, but we didn’t stop them. Because we’ll probably do maybe one a week, sometimes two depending on the news, but Kayleigh’s going to be able to do them,” Trump said. “We’ll do them. We get a lot of people watching, and it’s the way that you get around fake news. In other words, I have a much bigger audience than anybody’s ever had.”
Forget the pandemic with its unprecedented death toll, massive unemployment, food insecurity, and societal disruption.
For Donald Trump, it’s always about the ratings and the adulation from the crowds.
Particularly at a time of crisis such as we now find ourselves in due to Trump’s floundering narcissism, we need a real president who can bring the country together with purpose and fortitude, not an insecure carnival barker whose actions are sending the entire nation into a downward spiral from which we may never recover.
Whatever you need to do to vote in November, do it and let’s rid the country of our second biggest pestilence. He never likes being bested so perhaps we should get #2ndBiggestPestilence trending.
In the meantime, let’s give CBS News’ Paula Reid the last word here as she replies to the president’s characterization of her with a rare positive fact check.
President Trump tells @nypost I am nothing like 50's American archetypal mom Donna Reed. Fact-check: True. pic.twitter.com/sUTgWwsNX9 — Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCBS) May 5, 2020
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Original reporting by Steven Nelson and Ebony Bowden at The New York Post.
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-05-05--Trump admits real reason for blocking Dr. Fauci from testifying to Congress: they’re “Trump haters”

Last week , the House Appropriations Committee revealed that their request to have Dr. Fauci—the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key member of the White House ’ s Coroanvirus Task Force—testify before the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee for a hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic had been blocked by the White House .
“ While the Trump Administration continues its whole-of-government response to COVID-19 , including safely opening up America again and expediting vaccine development , it is counter-productive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at Congressional hearings .
We are committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the appropriate time , ” White House Spokesperson Judd Deere said to NBC News .
Then yesterday , the Trump administration took things a step further and expanded the ban , ordering that no member of the Coronavirus Task Force be allowed to testify before Congress for the entire month of May .
Their excuse was that they want Task Force members to “ focus on the task at hand.
” Now , President Trump has let slip the real reason he blocked Dr. Fauci and the rest of the Task Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make his administration look bad .
Asked by a reporter about the ban today , the president admitted it was a political decision .
“ Because the House is a setup , ” he said .
“ The House is a bunch of Trump haters .
They put every Trump hater on the committee , the same old stuff .
They frankly want our situation to be unsuccessful , which means death , which means death , ” Trump went on , invoking his usual fearmongering about Democrats .
“ And our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful .
The House has put on a committee , an oversight committee of Maxine Water and Maloney and the same people and it ’ s just a setup .
But Dr. Fauci will be testifying in front of the Senate , ” Trump added .
The Senate is of course controlled by Trump-friendly Republicans , so any hearing given before it will invariably be a gentler , soft-ball session .
GOP senators would do their best to steer questioning in such a way that the countless failings of the Trump White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
“ But the House I will tell you , the House they should be ashamed of themselves and frankly the Democrats should be ashamed .
Because they don ’ t want us to succeed .
They want us to fail an election which they ’ re not going to win , ” Trump said , making it clear that he sees this entire deadly outbreak as nothing more than a political football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he ’ s fixated on the PR and political ramifications .
Trump knows that if Dr. Fauci is allowed to testify before Congress he might be forced to answer questions honestly and his answers could paint the president and his deeply incompetent cronies in an unflattering light .
The American people deserve to hear this truth and Trump is doing everything he can to keep us in the dark .
If it wasn ’ t already abundantly clear by now , Donald Trump cares only for his own interests and little for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee revealed that their request to have Dr. Fauci—the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key member of the White House’s Coroanvirus Task Force—testify before the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee for a hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic had been blocked by the White House.
CONFIRMED: The House Appropriations Committee says it sought Dr. Anthony Fauci as a witness at Wednesday’s Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee hearing on COVID-19 response. It says an administration official informed it that the White House has blocked Dr. Fauci from testifying. — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 1, 2020
“While the Trump Administration continues its whole-of-government response to COVID-19, including safely opening up America again and expediting vaccine development, it is counter-productive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at Congressional hearings. We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time,” White House Spokesperson Judd Deere said to NBC News.
Then yesterday, the Trump administration took things a step further and expanded the ban, ordering that no member of the Coronavirus Task Force be allowed to testify before Congress for the entire month of May. Their excuse was that they want Task Force members to “focus on the task at hand.”
White House stopped Fauci from testifying last week. New guidance will apply to all members of the task force for May. The goal is to make sure "task force members have the time they need to focus on the task at hand." https://t.co/F0HsCAkymq — Philip Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) May 4, 2020
Now, President Trump has let slip the real reason he blocked Dr. Fauci and the rest of the Task Force: He doesn’t want them to make his administration look bad. Asked by a reporter about the ban today, the president admitted it was a political decision.
“Because the House is a setup,” he said. “The House is a bunch of Trump haters. They put every Trump hater on the committee, the same old stuff. They frankly want our situation to be unsuccessful, which means death, which means death,” Trump went on, invoking his usual fearmongering about Democrats.
“And our situation’s going to be very successful. The House has put on a committee, an oversight committee of Maxine Water and Maloney and the same people and it’s just a setup. But Dr. Fauci will be testifying in front of the Senate,” Trump added.
The Senate is of course controlled by Trump-friendly Republicans, so any hearing given before it will invariably be a gentler, soft-ball session. GOP senators would do their best to steer questioning in such a way that the countless failings of the Trump White House during this pandemic are whitewashed,
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
“But the House I will tell you, the House they should be ashamed of themselves and frankly the Democrats should be ashamed. Because they don’t want us to succeed. They want us to fail an election which they’re not going to win,” Trump said, making it clear that he sees this entire deadly outbreak as nothing more than a political football. Rather than focusing on saving lives, he’s fixated on the PR and political ramifications.
Trump knows that if Dr. Fauci is allowed to testify before Congress he might be forced to answer questions honestly and his answers could paint the president and his deeply incompetent cronies in an unflattering light. The American people deserve to hear this truth and Trump is doing everything he can to keep us in the dark.
If it wasn’t already abundantly clear by now, Donald Trump cares only for his own interests and little for the welfare of this nation.
REPORTER: Why won't you let Fauci testify before the House? TRUMP: "Because the House is a set up. The House is a bunch of Trump haters … they, frankly, want our situation to be unsuccessful, which means death." pic.twitter.com/G3G5OoV5IV — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-05--George Conway issues sarcastic jab at Trump over “moonface” attack tweet: you forgot my friend!

President Trump may think he had the last laugh when he called prominent NeverTrump D.C. lawyer George Conway “ Moonface ” this morning in a furious tweetstorm that also dragged Conway ’ s wife into the fray , but it looks like he played right into Conway ’ s hands .
Donald Trump ’ s original Twitter outburst was directed at Conway and his fellow “ NeverTrump ” Republicans at the Lincoln Project over their latest attack ad , entitled “ Mourning In America , ” which correctly lays the blame for America ’ s horrifying coronavirus death toll on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
By choosing to respond to them so publicly and so forcefully , he ’ s made sure that everyone on social media will hear and see this ad .
George Conway quickly picked up on this and replied to the president with a sarcastic petition to the president to attack his colleague Windsor Mann , who he says is feeling left out from the personalized insult-spree .
Looks like the president ’ s barbs didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted them to !
Scroll down and let us know what YOU think in our NEW comment section !

President Trump may think he had the last laugh when he called prominent NeverTrump D.C. lawyer George Conway “Moonface” this morning in a furious tweetstorm that also dragged Conway’s wife into the fray, but it looks like he played right into Conway’s hands.
Donald Trump’s original Twitter outburst was directed at Conway and his fellow “NeverTrump” Republicans at the Lincoln Project over their latest attack ad, entitled “Mourning In America,” which correctly lays the blame for America’s horrifying coronavirus death toll on President Trump.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
By choosing to respond to them so publicly and so forcefully, he’s made sure that everyone on social media will hear and see this ad. George Conway quickly picked up on this and replied to the president with a sarcastic petition to the president to attack his colleague Windsor Mann, who he says is feeling left out from the personalized insult-spree.
Dear Mr. President: My friend @WindsorMann, who gave me the idea that we do a “Mourning in America” (not “Morning”) ad, is sad you didn’t rage-tweet at him. Could you take a moment from your busy day of abject self-pity to attack him? Many thanks. Love,
Your friend,
Moonface https://t.co/FUZr78PfIO pic.twitter.com/V5z2Wr0emO — George Conway, Noble Committee Chair (@gtconway3d) May 5, 2020
Looks like the president’s barbs didn’t fall as deep as he wanted them to!
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-05--Trump publicly drags Kellyanne into his feud with her “deranged loser of a husband” George Conway

President Trump ’ s endless disgust for those who have slighted him was leveled at his own party on Tuesday morning as he took aim at the “ Lincoln Project , ” a group of so-called “ NeverTrump ” Republicans who have been vocal critics of his administration and have been making headlines by running attack ads against him .
Trump must have finally seen one of these ads , because he erupted in a furious outburst on Twitter and pulled every cheap insult and knock he could out of his little black book .
Add your name to reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
He was particularly vicious to George Conway , the husband of Trump ’ s counselor and chief spin doctor Kellyanne .
In the past , he ’ s largely left her out of his attacks against her husband and allowed their family to continue to play both sides in peace , but it appears he was angry enough to drag Kellyanne into it this time .
“ I don ’ t know what Kellyanne did to her deranged loser of a husband , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad !
” ranted Trump as he took cheap shots at everyone involved in the group and recited their substantial political failures .
Even more bizarre was his final declaration that President Abe Lincoln , who would have been horrified by what Donald Trump has done to this country while in office and has been dead for over a century , was “ is all smiles.
” While these might not be the most politically successful men in the country , they certainly succeeded in getting under the President ’ s skin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s grip on the Republican Party isn ’ t as ironclad as he would like you to think it is .
The work the Lincoln Project does to convince moderate Republican voters to jump ship is vital to any Joe Biden election effort this fall , and while these Never Trumpers are still our enemies and are diametrically opposed to a progressive vision of America , ridding this nation of Trump once and for all is a mission we all can put aside our differences to accomplish .

President Trump’s endless disgust for those who have slighted him was leveled at his own party on Tuesday morning as he took aim at the “Lincoln Project,” a group of so-called “NeverTrump” Republicans who have been vocal critics of his administration and have been making headlines by running attack ads against him.
Trump must have finally seen one of these ads, because he erupted in a furious outburst on Twitter and pulled every cheap insult and knock he could out of his little black book.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
He was particularly vicious to George Conway, the husband of Trump’s counselor and chief spin doctor Kellyanne. In the past, he’s largely left her out of his attacks against her husband and allowed their family to continue to play both sides in peace, but it appears he was angry enough to drag Kellyanne into it this time.
“I don’t know what Kellyanne did to her deranged loser of a husband, Moonface, but it must have been bad!” ranted Trump as he took cheap shots at everyone involved in the group and recited their substantial political failures.
….get even for all of their many failures. You see, these loser types don’t care about 252 new Federal Judges, 2 great Supreme Court Justices, a rebuilt military, a protected 2nd Amendment, biggest EVER Tax & Regulation cuts, and much more. I didn’t use any of them…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2020
….lost for Evan “McMuffin” McMullin (to me). Steve Schmidt & Reed Galvin lost for John McCain, Romney’s campaign manager (?) lost big to “O”, & Jennifer Horn got thrown out of the New Hampshire Republican Party. They’re all LOSERS, but Abe Lincoln, Republican, is all smiles! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2020
Even more bizarre was his final declaration that President Abe Lincoln, who would have been horrified by what Donald Trump has done to this country while in office and has been dead for over a century, was “is all smiles.”
While these might not be the most politically successful men in the country, they certainly succeeded in getting under the President’s skin and making sure the whole country knows that Trump’s grip on the Republican Party isn’t as ironclad as he would like you to think it is.
The work the Lincoln Project does to convince moderate Republican voters to jump ship is vital to any Joe Biden election effort this fall, and while these Never Trumpers are still our enemies and are diametrically opposed to a progressive vision of America, ridding this nation of Trump once and for all is a mission we all can put aside our differences to accomplish.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-05-06--Republican editor sparks outrage with demand to end lockdowns: “Call me a Grandma Killer”

The beacons have been lit , the bells rung , and underpaid urchin couriers dispatched across America by the oligarchy that yearns to see the capital flow once more .
Their message to their minions is clear : it is time to begin emphatically pushing for an end to the COVID-19 lockdowns , no matter the human cost that they openly acknowledge will be high .
As gun-toting psychos storm statehouses across the country and preposterous Trump administration apologia fill op-ed sections of our nation ’ s biggest newspapers , militant propagandists are both figuratively and literally taking their mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they are bored and want to things back to normal now !
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Bethany S. Mandel , self-described homeschool mom , and contributor to right-wing media company Ricochet — and whose husband happens to be the executive editor of conservative publication the Washington Examiner — set off a firestorm on social media this afternoon when she dared the world to call her a “ Grandma Killer ” for wanting the lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penning an article for the Forward entitled “ We Need To Begin Befriending Neo-Nazis ” and for visiting Donald Trump at the White House for a Hannukkah celebration just weeks after his promotion of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories helped provoked a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh , PA .
It is truly remarkable to see the bootstraps and austerity crowd suddenly begin throwing tantrums two months into not being able to abuse service staff at restaurants or leave their misbehaving children in the care of someone else .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect the most vulnerable members of our society from a horrifyingly brutal disease .
They are not there to make other people comfortable , as Bethany would have you believe , it is to save them from death .
Social media immediately erupted in derision and mockery of the “ Grandma Killer , ” as her tweet quickly racked up 4,000 responses as the world sought to set the record straight .
Here ’ s a selection of the best responses :

The beacons have been lit, the bells rung, and underpaid urchin couriers dispatched across America by the oligarchy that yearns to see the capital flow once more.
Their message to their minions is clear: it is time to begin emphatically pushing for an end to the COVID-19 lockdowns, no matter the human cost that they openly acknowledge will be high.
As gun-toting psychos storm statehouses across the country and preposterous Trump administration apologia fill op-ed sections of our nation’s biggest newspapers, militant propagandists are both figuratively and literally taking their mask off to declare that enough is enough and they are bored and want to things back to normal now!
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Bethany S. Mandel, self-described homeschool mom, and contributor to right-wing media company Ricochet — and whose husband happens to be the executive editor of conservative publication the Washington Examiner — set off a firestorm on social media this afternoon when she dared the world to call her a “Grandma Killer” for wanting the lockdowns to end.
Doesn’t mean it won’t be done responsibly but I am just. I am done. I feel lied to about the terms of this lockdown and I regret ever trusting that it would be done responsibly. — Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) May 6, 2020
Mandel is infamous for penning an article for the Forward entitled “We Need To Begin Befriending Neo-Nazis” and for visiting Donald Trump at the White House for a Hannukkah celebration just weeks after his promotion of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories helped provoked a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA.
It is truly remarkable to see the bootstraps and austerity crowd suddenly begin throwing tantrums two months into not being able to abuse service staff at restaurants or leave their misbehaving children in the care of someone else.
These quarantine protocols and lockdowns are there to protect the most vulnerable members of our society from a horrifyingly brutal disease. They are not there to make other people comfortable, as Bethany would have you believe, it is to save them from death.
Social media immediately erupted in derision and mockery of the “Grandma Killer,” as her tweet quickly racked up 4,000 responses as the world sought to set the record straight.
Here’s a selection of the best responses:
https://twitter.com/uhshanti/status/1258130258890338305?s=20
some people call me the space cowboy, yeah
some call me the gangster of love
some people call me grandma killer
cause of speak of the pompatus of zoos — David Mack (@davidmackau) May 6, 2020
To be honest, "grandma killer" doesn't do justice to "Nazi-chummy" pic.twitter.com/3ewOnfVn1j — Eric Rauchway (@rauchway) May 6, 2020
The strain of being trapped together with her husband Seth Mandel really exposed Bethany's dark side. I took her only seven weeks to go from "the elderly and vulnerable deserve protection" to "you can call me Grandma killer". pic.twitter.com/V6A7f9e8WR — Oliver Darko (@oliver_drk) May 6, 2020
the grandma killer tweet is probably the most selfish thing ive seen in years. as someone who lost a family member to covid19 this week i cannot even begin to think how someone negotiates calling themself "grandma killer" — jay | nyc & ☁ (@jaydestro) May 6, 2020
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-05-06--Trump contradicts nurse to her face after she complains of “sporadic” protective equipment

The grand delusion that Donald Trump has tried to foist upon America that his administration has properly managed the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic and that there is an abundance of testing equipment , face masks , and other personal protective equipment for the brave medical personnel who need them hit hard reality today in the White House .
The occasion was a dog and pony show appearance in the Oval Office by a group of nurses to provide a photo op for the president in celebration of National Nurses Day .
If ever there was a time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unheralded nurses on the front lines of medical care in this country it ’ s during the current virus outbreak , but Trump ’ s reaction to the outspokenness of one nurse practitioner undermined any feigned gratitude he may have hoped would be the primary message culled from the made-for-cable-news-soundbites press event .
According to Bloomberg News , a reporter first asked a “ volunteer nurse ” from New York state , Luke Adams , whether he had access to “ sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment , or PPE.
” After Adams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed , Sophia Thomas , president of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners and an employee of New Orleans ’ Daughters of Charity Health System , told the reporter the stark reality of the current situation : that there were still pockets of the country that lacked good protective equipment .
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Hearing his carefully constructed fantasy of a message be demolished in front of his very eyes , Donald Trump interrupted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the product of his magical thinking process .
Thomas conceded that others may not have had the same experience .
although she refrained from asking the president whether those with easy access to PPE had any particular political connections or affiliations , something that hopefully the Democrats in the House of Representatives will get to investigate at some point .
For his part , Trump returned to the scripted portion of the day ’ s agenda , repeating his mantra that America is “ now loaded up ” with PPE and that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tremendous supply to almost all places.
” The other nurses were apparently unwilling to see the president ’ s magic sandcastle of a notion come crumbling to the ground before him and seemingly knew that they were only there as compliant props for Trump ’ s grandstanding .
Many expressed their agreement with the president despite continued documented shortages in some areas .
Well , it wasn ’ t National Journalists Day , after all .
Perhaps the proper celebration of National Nurses Day would consist of ensuring that these vital workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making defensive excuses and covering up his own failures to properly manage the nation ’ s emergency response by pretending that no problems exist .
But Trump would rather continue to foist his grand delusion with an eye on the November elections , hoping that he can conjure an alternative reality that can distract the public from the bodies piling up in overcrowded morgues across the country .
The American public needs to show Donald Trump that most of us are neither blind nor stupid and eject this man from any position of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want to hear what YOU have to say .
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The grand delusion that Donald Trump has tried to foist upon America that his administration has properly managed the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic and that there is an abundance of testing equipment, face masks, and other personal protective equipment for the brave medical personnel who need them hit hard reality today in the White House.
The occasion was a dog and pony show appearance in the Oval Office by a group of nurses to provide a photo op for the president in celebration of National Nurses Day.
If ever there was a time to show appreciation towards the underpaid and generally unheralded nurses on the front lines of medical care in this country it’s during the current virus outbreak, but Trump’s reaction to the outspokenness of one nurse practitioner undermined any feigned gratitude he may have hoped would be the primary message culled from the made-for-cable-news-soundbites press event.
According to Bloomberg News, a reporter first asked a “volunteer nurse” from New York state, Luke Adams, whether he had access to “sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment, or PPE.”
After Adams affirmed that he had received what he needed, Sophia Thomas, president of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners and an employee of New Orleans’ Daughters of Charity Health System, told the reporter the stark reality of the current situation: that there were still pockets of the country that lacked good protective equipment.
“She said she had been wearing the same N95 face mask for “a few weeks” and called the supply of PPE at her health system ‘sporadic’ but ‘manageable.’ She said she and her colleagues do what they have to do.” Bloomberg News reported.
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Hearing his carefully constructed fantasy of a message be demolished in front of his very eyes, Donald Trump interrupted Thomas to rebuild his dream world, the product of his magical thinking process.
“Sporadic for you” but not for a lot of other people, Trump interjected.
Thomas conceded that others may not have had the same experience. although she refrained from asking the president whether those with easy access to PPE had any particular political connections or affiliations, something that hopefully the Democrats in the House of Representatives will get to investigate at some point.
For his part, Trump returned to the scripted portion of the day’s agenda, repeating his mantra that America is “now loaded up” with PPE and that he’s been told that “we have tremendous supply to almost all places.”
The other nurses were apparently unwilling to see the president’s magic sandcastle of a notion come crumbling to the ground before him and seemingly knew that they were only there as compliant props for Trump’s grandstanding. Many expressed their agreement with the president despite continued documented shortages in some areas.
“Maria Arvonio, a nursing supervisor at a community hospital in Willingboro, New Jersey, said she had not heard of any gear shortages in her area, even though it is considered a ‘hot zone’ of infections,” Bloomberg News wrote. “I really appreciate you saying that. It’s so nice that you stepped up because they’re fake news,” Trump replied, insulting the assembled media to their faces.
Well, it wasn’t National Journalists Day, after all.
Perhaps the proper celebration of National Nurses Day would consist of ensuring that these vital workers are protected wherever they are rather than making defensive excuses and covering up his own failures to properly manage the nation’s emergency response by pretending that no problems exist.
But Trump would rather continue to foist his grand delusion with an eye on the November elections, hoping that he can conjure an alternative reality that can distract the public from the bodies piling up in overcrowded morgues across the country.
The American public needs to show Donald Trump that most of us are neither blind nor stupid and eject this man from any position of power at the earliest possible opportunity.
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Original reporting by Jordan Fabian 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--2020-05-06--White House official reveals Trump plans to dispute the virus death toll to make himself look better

President Trump is trying his hardest to rewrite history .
When the coronavirus pandemic first broke out he sought to downplay the risks , presumably out of a concern that panic could hurt the economy or his approval ratings ahead of the 2020 election .
Now , he wants us to believe that he took immediate , brilliant action and deserves our eternal thanks .
The result of the White House ’ s inaction is that the United States failed to act quickly enough to prepare for the viral onslaught and consequentially has been absolutely ravaged by COVID-19 .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.2 million cases of the virus have been confirmed in the U.S .
It is a colossal and tragic failure on the part of the Trump administration and one that will scar this country for decades to come .
Of course , an egomaniacal political hack like Donald Trump will never admit how badly he botched this crisis and now seems poised to dive into an even more odious form of revisionism .
It ’ s not enough for him to lie about he reacted to the coronavirus outbreak , he now intends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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Axios reports that a senior administration official has revealed that President Trump might soon begin “ publicly questioning ” the official death toll numbers as they outstretch his inaccurate and overly optimistic predictions .
The intention is political damage control and Trump ’ s willingness to engage in this kind of vile misinformation shows that at the end of the day he only cares about Americans dying insofar as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other administration officials , have been batting around the baseless idea that COVID-19 death numbers are being exaggerated because hospitals can receive 20 % more from Medicare for treating patients suffering from the novel coronavirus .
There is no evidence that hospitals are engaged in fraud to exploit this financial incentive and the administration members toying with the idea are clearly just trying to fashion a narrative advantageous for Trump .
In reality , it ’ s like the numbers are even higher than confirmed thus far and likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump begins publicly casting doubt on the death count he will be doing a grave insult to the deceased and their surviving loved ones .
First , his incompetence ensured more people would die and now he intends to deny those deaths .
In every sense of the word , this is reprehensible conduct .
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President Trump is trying his hardest to rewrite history. When the coronavirus pandemic first broke out he sought to downplay the risks, presumably out of a concern that panic could hurt the economy or his approval ratings ahead of the 2020 election. Now, he wants us to believe that he took immediate, brilliant action and deserves our eternal thanks.
The result of the White House’s inaction is that the United States failed to act quickly enough to prepare for the viral onslaught and consequentially has been absolutely ravaged by COVID-19. At least 71,000 Americans have died and over 1.2 million cases of the virus have been confirmed in the U.S. It is a colossal and tragic failure on the part of the Trump administration and one that will scar this country for decades to come.
Of course, an egomaniacal political hack like Donald Trump will never admit how badly he botched this crisis and now seems poised to dive into an even more odious form of revisionism. It’s not enough for him to lie about he reacted to the coronavirus outbreak, he now intends to lie about the number of deaths.
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Axios reports that a senior administration official has revealed that President Trump might soon begin “publicly questioning” the official death toll numbers as they outstretch his inaccurate and overly optimistic predictions. The intention is political damage control and Trump’s willingness to engage in this kind of vile misinformation shows that at the end of the day he only cares about Americans dying insofar as it affects his reelection prospects.
The president, as well as other administration officials, have been batting around the baseless idea that COVID-19 death numbers are being exaggerated because hospitals can receive 20% more from Medicare for treating patients suffering from the novel coronavirus. There is no evidence that hospitals are engaged in fraud to exploit this financial incentive and the administration members toying with the idea are clearly just trying to fashion a narrative advantageous for Trump.
In reality, it’s like the numbers are even higher than confirmed thus far and likely to continue rising. If and when Trump begins publicly casting doubt on the death count he will be doing a grave insult to the deceased and their surviving loved ones. First, his incompetence ensured more people would die and now he intends to deny those deaths. In every sense of the word, this is reprehensible conduct.
"A senior administration official said he expects the president to begin publicly questioning the death toll" The Fox News presidency: https://t.co/SGIiidVnEX https://t.co/RGSZ695AiU — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) May 6, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-06--Trump claims he wore a mask at mask-obligatory mask factory despite video showing otherwise

An Orwellian dystopia is what you get when America is governed by a president that rejects the very concepts of truth and reality and tells you to reject the very evidence provided by your senses and instead accept their “ alternative facts.
” Donald Trump dragged us further into that dystopia today by claiming that he did indeed wear a face mask while touring a Honeywell factory in Arizona yesterday that manufactures now precious N95 masks despite the plethora of photos and video footage showing otherwise .
Reuters White House Correspondent Jeff Mason was the brave reporter willing to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing a mask in the factory despite having said in advance that he would be donning protective gear while taking the thinly-disguised campaign appearance masquerading as a factory tour .
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If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to see it , how can anyone be sure that it actually happened ?
In all fairness to the president — which is quite obviously more than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing protective goggles during the tour .
However , briefly donning a mask off camera and then appearing publicly without one is not exactly the sterling example of following safety guidelines provided by medical experts for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic that the American public needs to see right now .
Instead , Trump subjected himself to accusations of tone-deaf privilege and arrogance as he blithely feigned interest in the mask manufacturing process while he and his retinue walked past signs that read “ Attention Face Mask required in this Area ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Acosta clearly demonstrates .
Trump then used the factory setting to hold the closest equivalent he could manage to one of his pre-pandemic campaign rallies , minus the usual adoring crowds of raucous deplorables .
Whoever controls the music playing in the background at the factory at least managed to get in a bit of ironic mockery of the president ’ s current push to reopen the economy before most states have met the CDC guidelines to do so , particularly since the reopening has been egged on by Trump supporters refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made on the premises of the Arizona factory .
The soundtrack to Trump ’ s factory tour ?
The theme song to Live and Let Die .
Any realization that the background music was a perfect description of his own admission that reopening the economy — and consequently trying to boost his ever fainter chances at re-election — would result in some people “ being affected badly , ” as the president euphemizes the steadily increasing death toll , was apparently lost on Trump .
Hopefully , it will not be lost on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear what YOU have to say .
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An Orwellian dystopia is what you get when America is governed by a president that rejects the very concepts of truth and reality and tells you to reject the very evidence provided by your senses and instead accept their “alternative facts.”
Donald Trump dragged us further into that dystopia today by claiming that he did indeed wear a face mask while touring a Honeywell factory in Arizona yesterday that manufactures now precious N95 masks despite the plethora of photos and video footage showing otherwise.
Reuters White House Correspondent Jeff Mason was the brave reporter willing to ask the president why he wasn’t wearing a mask in the factory despite having said in advance that he would be donning protective gear while taking the thinly-disguised campaign appearance masquerading as a factory tour.
I asked @realDonaldTrump why he didn’t wear a mask at the Honeywell plant yesterday. He said he had worn one. I said we did not see him wearing one. He said he wore one backstage and the Honeywell chief said it was not necessary to wear in the plant. pic.twitter.com/4KYvq3J6yE — Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) May 6, 2020
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If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to see it, how can anyone be sure that it actually happened?
In all fairness to the president — which is quite obviously more than the decidedly partisan Trump deserves — he was wearing protective goggles during the tour.
However, briefly donning a mask off camera and then appearing publicly without one is not exactly the sterling example of following safety guidelines provided by medical experts for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic that the American public needs to see right now.
Instead, Trump subjected himself to accusations of tone-deaf privilege and arrogance as he blithely feigned interest in the mask manufacturing process while he and his retinue walked past signs that read “Attention Face Mask required in this Area” as this tweet from CNN‘s Jim Acosta clearly demonstrates.
Trump not wearing mask but goggles at Honeywell facility. Other aides not wearing masks at all. Sign in facility says “face mask required in this area.” pic.twitter.com/Uq7Fr2ioeS — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 5, 2020
Trump then used the factory setting to hold the closest equivalent he could manage to one of his pre-pandemic campaign rallies, minus the usual adoring crowds of raucous deplorables.
Whoever controls the music playing in the background at the factory at least managed to get in a bit of ironic mockery of the president’s current push to reopen the economy before most states have met the CDC guidelines to do so, particularly since the reopening has been egged on by Trump supporters refusing to wear the types of masks being made on the premises of the Arizona factory.
The soundtrack to Trump’s factory tour? The theme song to Live and Let Die.
They blasted “Live and Let Die” while Trump walked around a Honeywell plant today in Arizona without a mask. It’s hard to believe this clip is real. pic.twitter.com/M1dMe8KaMK — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2020
Any realization that the background music was a perfect description of his own admission that reopening the economy — and consequently trying to boost his ever fainter chances at re-election — would result in some people “being affected badly,” as the president euphemizes the steadily increasing death toll, was apparently lost on Trump.
Hopefully, it will not be lost on voters in November.
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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--2020-05-06--Trump tasks Jared Kushner with finding COVID-19 vaccine sooner: “Operation Warp Speed”

The truly stunning breadth and depth of the Trump administration ’ s mishandling of the novel coronavirus pandemic could very well take years to fully comprehend .
Since day one the president has misrepresented the facts to the American people , gradually transitioning from a narrative where he downplayed the risks and even called the outbreak a Democratic hoax to one where he claims that his White House has done an incredible job and that he ’ s saved countless lives .
One of the clearest indications that the Trump administration isn ’ t taking COVID-19 seriously enough is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slumlord son-in-law—has been spearheading some of the White House ’ s efforts to curb the outbreak .
Previous reports from administration officials indicate that so far Kushner has proven to be completely unequal to the task .
He and his team failed to deliver on the massive COVID-19 testing increase they promised and his ham-fisted efforts at allocating resources have complicated FEMA ’ s logistics as the agency works to distribute medical supplies .
One administration official went so far as to say Kushner “ could be in his office just googling ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , and still get a gold sticker from his dad-in-law.
” Yesterday , it was revealed that Kushner foolishly hired volunteers from consulting and private equity firms to find and distribute personal protection equipment to hospitals .
The decision was an unmitigated disaster since the young hires had little if any experience in “ health care , procurement or supply-chain operations.
” They weren ’ t ready or qualified for the assignment , much like the man who hired them .
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So how does a leader like Trump reward such blatant incompetence ?
More responsibilities of course !
The Daily Beast now reports that Kushner is to be entrusted with facilitating one of the most important tasks currently facing the human species : developing a vaccine for this coronavirus .
The president believes ( with all of his nonexistent medical expertise ) that a vaccine could be available by year ’ s end .
Kushner is supposed to aid this process as what ’ s part of what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” White House Senior Advisor Peter Navarro proposed the initiative and will be working in tandem with Kushner .
The ostensible rationale for including Kushner in the process is a hope that he will be able to tap his personal business contacts to streamline it .
The quixotic quest to finish a vaccine in such a short time frame has been called into question by some members of the administration .
“ We just do not see it happening , ” said one such official with knowledge of the Coronavirus Task Force ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Beast that they voiced concerns about the proposed timeline to Trump personally and he simply replied : “ I want it done ” or “ I want it taken care of.
” Given Kushner ’ s track record and Trump ’ s seeming inability to do anything right when it comes to this pandemic , prospects look grim .
Lives are on the line and instead of assigning the most qualified individuals to lead us through this crisis , the president is indulging in his usual nepotism .
There is simply no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held accountable at the ballot box come November .
Original reporting by Erin Banco , Asawin Suebsaeng , and Adam Rawnsley for The Daily Beast .
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The truly stunning breadth and depth of the Trump administration’s mishandling of the novel coronavirus pandemic could very well take years to fully comprehend.
Since day one the president has misrepresented the facts to the American people, gradually transitioning from a narrative where he downplayed the risks and even called the outbreak a Democratic hoax to one where he claims that his White House has done an incredible job and that he’s saved countless lives.
One of the clearest indications that the Trump administration isn’t taking COVID-19 seriously enough is that Jared Kushner—the president’s incredibly underqualified slumlord son-in-law—has been spearheading some of the White House’s efforts to curb the outbreak.
Previous reports from administration officials indicate that so far Kushner has proven to be completely unequal to the task. He and his team failed to deliver on the massive COVID-19 testing increase they promised and his ham-fisted efforts at allocating resources have complicated FEMA’s logistics as the agency works to distribute medical supplies.
One administration official went so far as to say Kushner “could be in his office just googling ‘coronavirus,’ show the results to the president, and still get a gold sticker from his dad-in-law.”
Yesterday, it was revealed that Kushner foolishly hired volunteers from consulting and private equity firms to find and distribute personal protection equipment to hospitals. The decision was an unmitigated disaster since the young hires had little if any experience in “health care, procurement or supply-chain operations.” They weren’t ready or qualified for the assignment, much like the man who hired them.
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So how does a leader like Trump reward such blatant incompetence? More responsibilities of course! The Daily Beast now reports that Kushner is to be entrusted with facilitating one of the most important tasks currently facing the human species: developing a vaccine for this coronavirus.
The president believes (with all of his nonexistent medical expertise) that a vaccine could be available by year’s end. Kushner is supposed to aid this process as what’s part of what’s being called “Operation Warp Speed.”
White House Senior Advisor Peter Navarro proposed the initiative and will be working in tandem with Kushner. The ostensible rationale for including Kushner in the process is a hope that he will be able to tap his personal business contacts to streamline it.
The quixotic quest to finish a vaccine in such a short time frame has been called into question by some members of the administration. “
We just do not see it happening,” said one such official with knowledge of the Coronavirus Task Force’s workings. Other officials told The Daily Beast that they voiced concerns about the proposed timeline to Trump personally and he simply replied: “I want it done” or “I want it taken care of.”
Given Kushner’s track record and Trump’s seeming inability to do anything right when it comes to this pandemic, prospects look grim. Lives are on the line and instead of assigning the most qualified individuals to lead us through this crisis, the president is indulging in his usual nepotism. There is simply no excuse for it and he must be held accountable at the ballot box come November.
Original reporting by Erin Banco, Asawin Suebsaeng, and Adam Rawnsley for The Daily Beast.
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-06--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg blasts top Trump official from her hospital bed in live hearing

Many people were momentarily set into a panic last evening when the first reports emerged that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had been admitted to the hospital with an infection .
Their concerns were slightly eased when more details of her illness were released , and it turned out that the 87-year-old justice was suffering from a minor gallstone infection and not stricken with the COVID-19 virus .
Any further worries about Ginsburg ’ s vitality were erased today when she was an active and quite vocal participant from her hospital bed in a telephone hearing of a Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adopted by the court during the coronavirus pandemic .
Judge Ginsburg retained her legendary feistiness as she slammed the Trump administration over their attempts to expand a provision that would allow businesses to opt-out of an ObamaCare regulation mandating that women be provided contraceptives at no additional cost beyond their health care premiums .
Speaking to the Trump administration ’ s Solicitor General Noel Francisco , Ginsburg criticized the rule in question for expressly defying the intent of Congress as stated in the Affordable Care Act .
“ What the government has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the wind entirely Congress ’ instruction that women need and shall have seamless , no-cost comprehensive coverage , ” Ginsburg said over the phone from her hospital bed .
“ They can get contraception coverage by paying out of their own pocket which is exactly what Congress did not want to happen.
” Ginsburg noted a growing disparity in recent rulings involving interpretations of the First Amendment protections for religious liberty , saying that a “ major trend in religious freedom is to give everything to one side and nothing to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock market !
Referring back to an earlier case — Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores , Inc. — that confirmed the ability of privately held companies to claim religious exemptions to the ObamaCare birth-control regulations , Ginsburg argued that the Trump administration ’ s position was the type of overreach that essentially was throwing the baby out with the bathwater “ Nothing in the interim rules affects the ability of employees and students to obtain without costs the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospitalized justice said .
“ You have just tossed entirely to the wind what Congress thought was essential .
That is that women be provided these services with no hassle , no cost to them.
” “ Instead , you are shifting the cost of the employer ’ s religious beliefs to the employees who do not share those religious beliefs , ” she astutely pointed out .
“ The women end up getting nothing .
They are required to do just what Congress didn ’ t want.
” Francisco tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were afforded the opportunity to receive exceptions to the contraceptive mandate , then churches and other religious institutions would also be prohibited from getting such exemptions .
Justice Ginsburg did not respond well to that claim .
Today ’ s exchange on the telephone hearing proves not only that Justice Ginsburg is healthy enough to retain the mental acuity that Donald Trump would be lucky to possess an infinitesimal portion of , but how much America needs her to continue to stay healthy enough to serve on the court as long as Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate .
Let ’ s all hope for a speedy recovery for Justice Ginsburg and a long , long life .
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Many people were momentarily set into a panic last evening when the first reports emerged that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had been admitted to the hospital with an infection.
Their concerns were slightly eased when more details of her illness were released, and it turned out that the 87-year-old justice was suffering from a minor gallstone infection and not stricken with the COVID-19 virus.
Any further worries about Ginsburg’s vitality were erased today when she was an active and quite vocal participant from her hospital bed in a telephone hearing of a Supreme Court case streamed live under new protocols adopted by the court during the coronavirus pandemic.
Judge Ginsburg retained her legendary feistiness as she slammed the Trump administration over their attempts to expand a provision that would allow businesses to opt-out of an ObamaCare regulation mandating that women be provided contraceptives at no additional cost beyond their health care premiums.
Speaking to the Trump administration’s Solicitor General Noel Francisco, Ginsburg criticized the rule in question for expressly defying the intent of Congress as stated in the Affordable Care Act.
“What the government has done in expanding this exemption is to toss to the wind entirely Congress’ instruction that women need and shall have seamless, no-cost comprehensive coverage,” Ginsburg said over the phone from her hospital bed. “They can get contraception coverage by paying out of their own pocket which is exactly what Congress did not want to happen.”
Ginsburg noted a growing disparity in recent rulings involving interpretations of the First Amendment protections for religious liberty, saying that a “major trend in religious freedom is to give everything to one side and nothing to the other side.”
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Referring back to an earlier case — Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. — that confirmed the ability of privately held companies to claim religious exemptions to the ObamaCare birth-control regulations, Ginsburg argued that the Trump administration’s position was the type of overreach that essentially was throwing the baby out with the bathwater
“Nothing in the interim rules affects the ability of employees and students to obtain without costs the full range of FDA-approved contraceptives,” the hospitalized justice said. “You have just tossed entirely to the wind what Congress thought was essential. That is that women be provided these services with no hassle, no cost to them.” “Instead, you are shifting the cost of the employer’s religious beliefs to the employees who do not share those religious beliefs,” she astutely pointed out. “The women end up getting nothing. They are required to do just what Congress didn’t want.”
Solicitor General Francisco presented his counter-argument, saying:
“There’s nothing in the [Affordable Care Act] as this court recognized in Hobby Lobby that requires contraceptive coverage,” the Trump administration attorney said. “Rather it delegated to the agencies whether or not to cover it in the first place.”
Francisco tried to take the position that unless private businesses were afforded the opportunity to receive exceptions to the contraceptive mandate, then churches and other religious institutions would also be prohibited from getting such exemptions.
Justice Ginsburg did not respond well to that claim.
“The church has enjoyed traditionally an exception from the very first case… the church itself is different from these organizations that employ a lot of people who do not share the employer’s faith,” she replied.
Today’s exchange on the telephone hearing proves not only that Justice Ginsburg is healthy enough to retain the mental acuity that Donald Trump would be lucky to possess an infinitesimal portion of, but how much America needs her to continue to stay healthy enough to serve on the court as long as Trump is still in office and Republicans control the Senate.
Let’s all hope for a speedy recovery for Justice Ginsburg and a long, long life.
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Original reporting by David Edwards at RawStory.
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-07--Trump calls Obama admin “human scum” in wild rant about Flynn’s innocence

The New York Times reported today that the Department of Justice has decided to drop its criminal case against disgraced former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn .
Flynn previously pleaded guilty after lying to the FBI during the Trump-Russia investigation .
The stunning development comes in the wake of the DOJ ’ s release of documents that MAGA-heads claim show FBI agents illegally plotting to entrap Flynn .
In reality , they simply show agents discussing the possibility of being able to prosecute him and get him fired if he committed perjury ( which he ended up doing ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican partisanship can be made that the documents justify the DoJ abandoning their criminal case .
With that fact in mind , it ’ s worth remembering that the Department of Justice is lead by Trump ’ s handpicked lapdog Attorney General Attorney Barr .
Cast in that light , this decision to abandon prosecution looks a lot like overt corruption .
Explain Adam Goldman and Katie Benner in The New York Times : “ The move also appeared to be the latest example of Attorney General William P. Barr ’ s efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russia investigation .
The documents that Mr. Flynn ’ s lawyers have cited were turned over as a result of a review by an outside prosecutor whom Mr. Barr assigned to review the Justice Department ’ s case .
Mr. Barr has cast doubt not only on some of the prosecutions in the broader Russia investigation but also on the premise itself , assigning another independent prosecutor to scrutinize the inquiry ’ s origins.
” Trump was quick to leap on the news and hold it aloft as validation of his oft-repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking in front of reporters inside the Oval Office today , Trump tore into the Obama administration and accused his predecessor ’ s administration of “ targeting Flynn to take down a president.
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As he often does , Trump was trying to mischaracterize the FBI ’ s justifiable concerns about his campaign ’ s interactions with Russian operatives as a gross abuse of power on Obama ’ s part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing their job .
The FBI was right to investigate Flynn and his crooked associates and his eventual guilty plea , as well as the numerous indictments and convictions of other Trump associates , proves it .
Trump went on to say that he hopes a “ big price is gon na be paid ” by those responsible for the alleged wrongdoing .
“ There ’ s never be anything like this in the history of this country , ” he went on , employing his trademark hyperbole .
“ What they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented .
It ’ s never happened , never happened , a thing like this has never happened before in the history of our country .
And I hope a lot of people are gon na pay a big price because they ’ re dishonest , crooked people.
” “ They ’ re scum and I say it a lot .
They ’ re scum .
They ’ re human scum , ” Trump added , sinking into the gutter yet again to smear his political enemies .
As is often the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments a ludicrous degree of psychological projection .
He accuses others of being crooked because he ’ s a lifelong crook .
He says others deserve to pay a “ big price ” because he himself deserves to pay for all the damage he ’ s inflicted on our country .
He calls people “ human scum ” because… Well , you see the trend .
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The New York Times reported today that the Department of Justice has decided to drop its criminal case against disgraced former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn previously pleaded guilty after lying to the FBI during the Trump-Russia investigation.
The stunning development comes in the wake of the DOJ’s release of documents that MAGA-heads claim show FBI agents illegally plotting to entrap Flynn. In reality, they simply show agents discussing the possibility of being able to prosecute him and get him fired if he committed perjury (which he ended up doing).
No good faith argument not motivated by Republican partisanship can be made that the documents justify the DoJ abandoning their criminal case. With that fact in mind, it’s worth remembering that the Department of Justice is lead by Trump’s handpicked lapdog Attorney General Attorney Barr. Cast in that light, this decision to abandon prosecution looks a lot like overt corruption.
Explain Adam Goldman and Katie Benner in The New York Times:
“The move also appeared to be the latest example of Attorney General William P. Barr’s efforts to chisel away at the results of the Russia investigation . The documents that Mr. Flynn’s lawyers have cited were turned over as a result of a review by an outside prosecutor whom Mr. Barr assigned to review the Justice Department’s case . Mr. Barr has cast doubt not only on some of the prosecutions in the broader Russia investigation but also on the premise itself, assigning another independent prosecutor to scrutinize the inquiry’s origins.”
Trump was quick to leap on the news and hold it aloft as validation of his oft-repeated claim that Flynn is an innocent man. Speaking in front of reporters inside the Oval Office today, Trump tore into the Obama administration and accused his predecessor’s administration of “targeting Flynn to take down a president.”
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
As he often does, Trump was trying to mischaracterize the FBI’s justifiable concerns about his campaign’s interactions with Russian operatives as a gross abuse of power on Obama’s part when the truth is they were simply doing their job. The FBI was right to investigate Flynn and his crooked associates and his eventual guilty plea, as well as the numerous indictments and convictions of other Trump associates, proves it.
Trump went on to say that he hopes a “big price is gonna be paid” by those responsible for the alleged wrongdoing.
“There’s never be anything like this in the history of this country,” he went on, employing his trademark hyperbole. “What they did, what the Obama administration did is unprecedented. It’s never happened, never happened, a thing like this has never happened before in the history of our country. And I hope a lot of people are gonna pay a big price because they’re dishonest, crooked people.”
“They’re scum and I say it a lot. They’re scum. They’re human scum,” Trump added, sinking into the gutter yet again to smear his political enemies.
As is often the case with Trump, we see in his comments a ludicrous degree of psychological projection. He accuses others of being crooked because he’s a lifelong crook. He says others deserve to pay a “big price” because he himself deserves to pay for all the damage he’s inflicted on our country. He calls people “human scum” because… Well, you see the trend.
Trump says people from the Obama DOJ committed "treason." (Nobody committed treason, which has an actual definition that is not this.) — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 7, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-07--Adam Schiff issues sharp condemnation of A.G. Barr’s dropping of Flynn case

President Trump ’ s Justice Department , led by his appointee Attorney General Bill Bar and recommended by Trump-nominated Judge Timothy Shea , announced today that they would be dropping the case against disgraced ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn .
The move is an astonishing miscarriage of justice in the case against the treasonous Flynn , who pled guilty to lying to FBI investigators and cooperated with the Mueller probe before abruptly changing counsel and rescinding his guilty plea .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives to save the stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple terms is House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff , who oversaw the Russia probe and the investigation into Michael Flynn over his unreported work as a paid agent for foreign powers and his secret communications with Russian agents prior to Trump ’ s inauguration .
The former Trump campaign advisor who briefly held the role of NSA was indicted in February 2019 for lying to FBI agents about his secret communications with Russian diplomats prior to the inauguration of Donald Trump , the discovery of which led to the firing of acting Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump-Russia investigation .
Now the Trump team is using the cover of the coronavirus crisis to exonerate the President ’ s lackeys from crimes that they openly admitted to committing .
The rule of law in America is on life support right now , and the only thing that can save it is a Democratic victory in the 2020 elections .

President Trump’s Justice Department, led by his appointee Attorney General Bill Bar and recommended by Trump-nominated Judge Timothy Shea, announced today that they would be dropping the case against disgraced ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
The move is an astonishing miscarriage of justice in the case against the treasonous Flynn, who pled guilty to lying to FBI investigators and cooperated with the Mueller probe before abruptly changing counsel and rescinding his guilty plea.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
Putting the situation in extremely simple terms is House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, who oversaw the Russia probe and the investigation into Michael Flynn over his unreported work as a paid agent for foreign powers and his secret communications with Russian agents prior to Trump’s inauguration.
Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his illicit Russian contacts. His lies do not now become truths. This dismissal does not exonerate him. But it does incriminate Bill Barr. In the worst politicization of the Justice Department in its history. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 7, 2020
The former Trump campaign advisor who briefly held the role of NSA was indicted in February 2019 for lying to FBI agents about his secret communications with Russian diplomats prior to the inauguration of Donald Trump, the discovery of which led to the firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates and the beginning of the Trump-Russia investigation.
Now the Trump team is using the cover of the coronavirus crisis to exonerate the President’s lackeys from crimes that they openly admitted to committing. The rule of law in America is on life support right now, and the only thing that can save it is a Democratic victory in the 2020 elections.
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-07--At two-year anniversary, Melania’s “BeBest” initiative has accomplished “few” objectives: report

While the Trump administration has been obsessed with erasing the accomplishments of former First Lady Michelle Obama , they have not been nearly as diligent with making any of their own .
Two years after the launch of First Lady Melania ’ s “ Be Best ” initiative , it ’ s unclear what — if anything — the program has accomplished .
CNN ’ s Kate Bennett reports that “ Be Best ” ends its second year with “ few of the objectives announced at the first anniversary accomplished ” and “ continues to exist without specific policy or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplishments in terms of advancing funding for children ’ s issues under the banner of ‘ Be Best ’ come via partnerships with programs that already exist within the federal government.
” The original vision for the program was focused on fighting cyberbullying — an ironic goal indeed since her husband is the most prolific cyberbully in the country — along with combating the opioid epidemic and a vague promise to improve the “ well being of children.
” Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
At the one-year anniversary of the program start , First Lady Melania promised an “ expansion ” of the three pillars , but Bennet notes that “ there was no definitive follow-up on what that would entail , nor was there a significant addition of events or remarks over ‘ Be Best ’ s ’ second-year aimed directly at addressing the issue.
” The White House claims that the First Lady has “ met with ” 4,000 kids and toured nearly 20 hospitals .
She has held just one overseas trip ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but never actually happened .
While the program is supposed to be focused on stopping cyberbullying , Melania has held less than ten events focused specifically on the subject .
As Trump ’ s first term comes to an end , Melania ’ s legacy is one of absence and reluctantly fulfilled obligation .
It pales in comparison to the vibrancy and passion of former First Lady Michelle Obama , who became a national icon for her tireless fight for girl ’ s education across the globe , healthy meals for kids here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s youth .
While they may have succeeded in repealing her historic school lunch program , the Trumps can seethe with the bitter knowledge that Melania will never measure up to the standard set by Michelle .

While the Trump administration has been obsessed with erasing the accomplishments of former First Lady Michelle Obama, they have not been nearly as diligent with making any of their own.
Two years after the launch of First Lady Melania’s “Be Best” initiative, it’s unclear what — if anything — the program has accomplished.
CNN’s Kate Bennett reports that “Be Best” ends its second year with “few of the objectives announced at the first anniversary accomplished” and “continues to exist without specific policy or legislation goals, and most of its accomplishments in terms of advancing funding for children’s issues under the banner of ‘Be Best’ come via partnerships with programs that already exist within the federal government.”
The original vision for the program was focused on fighting cyberbullying — an ironic goal indeed since her husband is the most prolific cyberbully in the country — along with combating the opioid epidemic and a vague promise to improve the “well being of children.”
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
At the one-year anniversary of the program start, First Lady Melania promised an “expansion” of the three pillars, but Bennet notes that “there was no definitive follow-up on what that would entail, nor was there a significant addition of events or remarks over ‘Be Best’s’ second-year aimed directly at addressing the issue.”
The White House claims that the First Lady has “met with” 4,000 kids and toured nearly 20 hospitals. She has held just one overseas trip; a second one was announced last year but never actually happened. While the program is supposed to be focused on stopping cyberbullying, Melania has held less than ten events focused specifically on the subject.
Today, @FLOTUS celebrates the two year anniversary of #BeBest, her initiative dedicated to bringing awareness to issues that impact the lives of children. Congratulations, and thank you! https://t.co/3jM5GfSvfg pic.twitter.com/dvh1MnzcFK — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2020
As Trump’s first term comes to an end, Melania’s legacy is one of absence and reluctantly fulfilled obligation. It pales in comparison to the vibrancy and passion of former First Lady Michelle Obama, who became a national icon for her tireless fight for girl’s education across the globe, healthy meals for kids here in America, and encouraging exercise in America’s youth.
While they may have succeeded in repealing her historic school lunch program, the Trumps can seethe with the bitter knowledge that Melania will never measure up to the standard set by Michelle.
Original reporting by Kate Bennet at CNN.com.
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-07--Twitter brutally mocks Trump’s campaign manager after he calls his operation a  “Death Star”

Sometimes Trump and his lackeys let their collective mask slip just enough to give us a clear picture of how they truly view themselves .
Today , Trump ’ s campaign manager Brad Parscale took to Twitter and did just that .
The results were , as usual , disturbing .
Parscale shared a Star Wars GIF of the Death Star—the moon-sized weapon used by the evil Galactic Empire in the movies to commit planetary genocide—and compared it to his campaign team .
He wrote that for three years they have been “ building a juggernaut campaign ( Death Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on all cylinders.
” “ In a few days we starting pressing FIRE for the first time , ” he added , seemingly delighted to paint his boss as the leader of a mass-murdering fascist organization .
Parscale followed the tweet with one claiming that it was the media who originally gave the Trump campaign the “ Death Star ” nickname but that he ’ s “ happy to use the analogy.
” The analogy is apt , but not for the reasons Parscale thinks .
Perhaps he ’ s never seen the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laboring under the impression that the villains ultimately triumph in Star Wars .
In reality , the Death Star is obliterated by the brave Rebel Alliance fighters and good defeats evil .
In other words , Parscale is accidentally implying that Trump ’ s campaign will implode and he ’ ll be defeated in 2020 .
On a more serious note , there is something truly disgusting about the campaign team for Trump—a man who has torn apart families , thrown children in cages , and indulged in all manner of racist policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even fictional ones .

Sometimes Trump and his lackeys let their collective mask slip just enough to give us a clear picture of how they truly view themselves. Today, Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale took to Twitter and did just that. The results were, as usual, disturbing.
Parscale shared a Star Wars GIF of the Death Star—the moon-sized weapon used by the evil Galactic Empire in the movies to commit planetary genocide—and compared it to his campaign team. He wrote that for three years they have been “building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star)” which is now “firing on all cylinders.”
“In a few days we starting pressing FIRE for the first time,” he added, seemingly delighted to paint his boss as the leader of a mass-murdering fascist organization.
For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star). It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc. In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time. pic.twitter.com/aJgCNfx1m0 — Brad Parscale – Download our Trump 2020 App today! (@parscale) May 7, 2020
Parscale followed the tweet with one claiming that it was the media who originally gave the Trump campaign the “Death Star” nickname but that he’s “happy to use the analogy.”
The analogy is apt, but not for the reasons Parscale thinks. Perhaps he’s never seen the movies, but he seems to be laboring under the impression that the villains ultimately triumph in Star Wars. In reality, the Death Star is obliterated by the brave Rebel Alliance fighters and good defeats evil. In other words, Parscale is accidentally implying that Trump’s campaign will implode and he’ll be defeated in 2020.
On a more serious note, there is something truly disgusting about the campaign team for Trump—a man who has torn apart families, thrown children in cages, and indulged in all manner of racist policies and rhetoric—gleefully comparing itself to overt fascists, even fictional ones.
I didn’t give our campaign the name, Death Star, the media did. However, I am happy to use the analogy. The fact is, we haven’t used it yet. Laugh all you want, we will take the win! — Brad Parscale – Download our Trump 2020 App today! (@parscale) May 7, 2020
Not surprisingly, Twitter users quickly inundated Parscale with backlash.
“Death Star” is the perfect brand ID. You can update it every day. “The Trump Death Star has killed 74,773 Americans…”
Or
“Trump has so far caused 74,773 deaths, and when you’re a star, they let you do it” — Tom Joseph (@TomJChicago) May 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/AresStopell/status/1258391159195516929?s=20
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1258393478393978883?s=20
So the official goal of the Trump Regime is to destroy the planet, but plucky resistance can restore the republic? Does Trump think of himself more as Darth Vader or the Emperor? — David Rothschild (@DavMicRot) May 7, 2020
Why is it that everything about this administration from the lies, the bullying, the poor behavior, and now this bizarre tweet is so childish? — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 7, 2020
Who chooses to portray themselves as the Death Star? — Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) May 7, 2020
Yes, I guess when you botch a pandemic response so badly you could call yourself Death Star. — Devin Duke (@sirDukeDevin) May 7, 2020
What are the chances Trump realizes his campaign is packed with grifters before the Death Star explodes? — Anita Creamer (@AnitaCreamer) May 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/PresVillain/status/1258399216545792002?s=20
The same campaign that compares Trump to Thanos would of course compare itself to the Death Star. At least you guys totally own the fact that you’re the evil villains in your own narrative. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) May 7, 2020
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occupydemocrats--2020-05-07--Trump is sending a henchman to the Pentagon to weed out those disloyal to him

Given all we know about Donald Trump personally and the authoritarian instincts we ’ ve seen him display during his tenure as president it ’ s not unreasonable to speculate that , given the opportunity , he would happily crown himself president for life .
Thankfully , our democratic institutions have blunted his ability to seize total unilateral power for himself .
He ’ s inflicted massive and perhaps irreparable damage to our Republic but we still have an opportunity to vote him out this November and restore the rule of law to the White House .
Even with such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to weather Trump ’ s illiberal nature , we must still remain vigilant so that we can condemn and oppose his more sinister overreaches .
Foreign Policy is now reporting on just such an overreach .
Officials have revealed that Trump has decided to send an administration ally to the Pentagon to fill a crucial policy position and there are concerns that the move is aimed primarily at weeding out civilian employees who lack sufficient loyalty .
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans ’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors ’ lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispatched ally in question , Michael Cutrone , has served as part of Vice President ’ s Mike Pence ’ s national security team for three years and is slated to become principal deputy assistant secretary for international security affairs .
His predecessor left the role last year after serving in a temporary capacity .
Officials are worried that Cutrone ’ s arrival and possible purging of personnel could weaken the Department of Defense and make it harder for Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to do his job properly .
“ He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OSD that are not aligned with the White House .
Esper has no say in who the key people are going into senior positions , ” a senior administration official said of the Office of the Secretary of Defense to Foreign Policy .
Pentagon officials are fearful that more appointees will be replaced by Trump loyalists until it becomes impossible for the DoD to argue against ill-conceived or poorly designed policy directives from the White House .
Each new Trump loyalist pumped into the Pentagon makes it less and less an independent organ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people and more and more an echo chamber blindly obedient to the president ’ s worst ideas .
“ Points of resistance to really bad policy ideas keep evaporating one after the other , ” said Bilal Saab , a former Pentagon senior advisor .
The appointment of Cutrone is part of a broader effort to bring the DoD under Donald Trump ’ s heel and dovetails with the methodical removal of appointees seen as allies of the former Secretary of Defense James Mattis , a man who has criticized Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreements with the president ’ s military leadership .
“ It ’ s becoming a bit of a purge , ” former Pentagon official Jim Townsend revealed .
“ Some of these true believers … they might not know how to work with the bureaucracy , they might not know the issues as well , and they ’ re feeling the pressure from the bosses , ” he added .
The president is the commander-in-chief , not a dictator .
He makes the ultimate military decisions for the United States , but at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a certain degree of autonomy to do its job .
The Pentagon is staffed with experts in their fields and removing them on the basis of petty partisan loyalties is a recipe for a weaker Department of Defense .
As in all things , Donald Trump is putting his own political interests over the safety of the American people .
We want to hear what YOU have to say .
Scroll down and let us know in our NEW comment section !

Given all we know about Donald Trump personally and the authoritarian instincts we’ve seen him display during his tenure as president it’s not unreasonable to speculate that, given the opportunity, he would happily crown himself president for life.
Thankfully, our democratic institutions have blunted his ability to seize total unilateral power for himself. He’s inflicted massive and perhaps irreparable damage to our Republic but we still have an opportunity to vote him out this November and restore the rule of law to the White House.
Even with such confidence in our system’s ability to weather Trump’s illiberal nature, we must still remain vigilant so that we can condemn and oppose his more sinister overreaches. Foreign Policy is now reporting on just such an overreach.
Officials have revealed that Trump has decided to send an administration ally to the Pentagon to fill a crucial policy position and there are concerns that the move is aimed primarily at weeding out civilian employees who lack sufficient loyalty.
Add your name to reject Trump & Republicans’ vile idea of sacrificing seniors’ lives to save the stock market!
The dispatched ally in question, Michael Cutrone, has served as part of Vice President’s Mike Pence’s national security team for three years and is slated to become principal deputy assistant secretary for international security affairs. His predecessor left the role last year after serving in a temporary capacity.
Officials are worried that Cutrone’s arrival and possible purging of personnel could weaken the Department of Defense and make it harder for Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to do his job properly.
“He is pushing to replace and remove civilians in OSD that are not aligned with the White House. Esper has no say in who the key people are going into senior positions,” a senior administration official said of the Office of the Secretary of Defense to Foreign Policy.
Pentagon officials are fearful that more appointees will be replaced by Trump loyalists until it becomes impossible for the DoD to argue against ill-conceived or poorly designed policy directives from the White House. Each new Trump loyalist pumped into the Pentagon makes it less and less an independent organ of the United States dedicated to protecting the American people and more and more an echo chamber blindly obedient to the president’s worst ideas.
“Points of resistance to really bad policy ideas keep evaporating one after the other,” said Bilal Saab, a former Pentagon senior advisor.
The appointment of Cutrone is part of a broader effort to bring the DoD under Donald Trump’s heel and dovetails with the methodical removal of appointees seen as allies of the former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, a man who has criticized Trump and left his Cabinet position over deep disagreements with the president’s military leadership.
“It’s becoming a bit of a purge,” former Pentagon official Jim Townsend revealed. “Some of these true believers … they might not know how to work with the bureaucracy, they might not know the issues as well, and they’re feeling the pressure from the bosses,” he added.
The president is the commander-in-chief, not a dictator. He makes the ultimate military decisions for the United States, but at the same time, the military relies on a certain degree of autonomy to do its job. The Pentagon is staffed with experts in their fields and removing them on the basis of petty partisan loyalties is a recipe for a weaker Department of Defense.
As in all things, Donald Trump is putting his own political interests over the safety of the American people.
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