usatoday--2020-06-17--'Detect waste, fraud': Watchdogs warn of potential problems in $2.4T coronavirus spending

WASHINGTON – Federal workers face serious risks during the coronavirus pandemic performing jobs such as guarding prisoners , delivering mail or providing nursing care .
But teleworking has also led to problems , such as delays processing millions of paper tax forms or potentially exposing national secrets to hackers .
Just spending $ 2.2 trillion as quickly as Congress directed in response to the pandemic opened doors for waste , fraud and abuse .
These are among the potential problems that a group of inspectors general warned federal agencies to avoid in a 92-page report Wednesday called “ Top Challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Response Efforts . ''
“ Part of our mandate is to not only detect waste , fraud , abuse and mismanagement , but hopefully prevent it from happening on the front end , ” Robert Westbrooks , executive director of the inspectors general group called the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee , told USA TODAY .
“ This is a road map for agency managers and for policy makers to help them address some common issues.
” Congress created the committee of 20 inspectors general to track the pandemic response because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic .
“ Inspectors general continue to conduct aggressive , independent oversight of the more than $ 2.4 trillion in emergency coronavirus response spending , ” said Michael Horowitz , the inspector general for the Justice Department and acting chairman of the committee .
Just weeks after funding was approved , a dispute arose about the extent of oversight .
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee created the website pandemic.oversight.gov to provide information for how pandemic funds were being spent .
But the panel notified lawmakers by letter June 11 that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Management and Budget contend the law 's transparency requirements do n't apply to $ 1.1 trillion in spending , including $ 670 billion for small business loans and $ 454 billion for loan guarantees and investments in businesses and local governments .
If the programs were n't subject to public reporting , that could raise questions about inspectors general overseeing the spending , Horowitz and Westbrooks told top lawmakers on the government oversight and spending committees .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has refused to disclose the list of companies that received small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tweet that he would discuss with lawmakers how to strike `` the appropriate balance for proper oversight . ''
Rep. Carolyn Maloney , D-N.Y. , chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee , said the administration seemed to be arguing over loopholes after signaling strong support for inspectors general .
“ They seem to be saying one thing while doing exactly the opposite , '' Maloney said in a statement Monday .
`` If the Trump Administration is committed to full cooperation and transparency with taxpayer dollars , it is unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid responding to legitimate oversight requests .
The Trump administration has ousted four inspectors general since the start of April , typically after saying the president had lost confidence in each of them .
Steve Linick , who was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for possible misuse of staff and also a weapons deal with Saudi Arabia , was removed May 15 .
Christi Grimm ’ s removal May 1 followed her report at the Department of Health and Human Services about shortages of critical medical supplies and staff during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as acting inspector for the Defense Department , which prevented his appointment to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee .
Michael Atkinson , who notified Congress about the whistleblower complaint about Ukraine that led to the impeachment of Trump , was removed April 3 as inspector for the intelligence community .
Westbrooks told USA TODAY that inspectors general have n't encountered any problems getting agency data to conduct audits and investigations .
The committee is `` moving fast to design and build '' the equipment to post data about recipients of recovery funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s our mandate and we ’ re moving forward with all due speed in that regard , '' Westbrooks said .
`` If and when we encounter roadblocks , we will let the administration and Congress know . ''
Congress approved the funding in four pieces of legislation that responded to the health crisis and , as the economy shut down , to deal with the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression .
The economy lost 20 million jobs in April and the unemployment rate spiked to 14.7 % .
The largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 27 , including $ 1,200 payments to individual taxpayers , $ 349 billion in forgivable loans for small businesses , $ 150 billion in grants to state and local governments , and $ 500 billion for loan guarantees and investments in businesses and state and local governments .
Another $ 321 billion was approved April 24 for small business loans and funding health care providers .
The first legislation included $ 8.3 billion for public health measures on March 4 .
And a measure for enhanced unemployment benefits and paid sick leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested several realms where problems could emerge , including when federal workers must continue reporting to their workplaces , challenges working from home and difficulties tracking spending .
The Department of Veterans Affairs , which runs health care facilities , and the Department of Health and Human Services , which regulates hospitals and nursing homes , each had to cope with shortages of personal protective equipment .
The Bureau of Prisons has 160,000 prisoners , 61,000 detainees awaiting trial or sentencing and 40,000 staffers who struggle with `` serious challenges '' maintaining proper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The General Services Administration , which manages government real estate , had 963 cases of confirmed or suspected coronavirus in federal buildings by May 7 , the report said .
More than 1,000 U.S .
Postal Service workers tested positive for the virus and there have been numerous deaths , the report said .
Staffing shortages could potentially lead to delays in deliveries , the report said .
If federal workers fall ill , services could suffer across the government in areas that have already seen staffing issues .
The Transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their luggage , spent $ 75 million to train 9,000 officers in 2017 , but about 20 % left within six months , the report said .
Customs and Border Protection consistently fell below hiring targets in hard-to-fill locations , according to a March 2019 Government Accountability Office report before the pandemic .
Teleworking also presents challenges , as more staffers work from home .
The Internal Revenue Service estimated that 13.6 million paper tax forms from businesses and individuals remained unprocessed on April 25 and 10 million pieces of mail were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in government computer systems could expose personal information and compromise national security , the report said .
`` These challenges are exacerbated by the pandemic , '' the report said .
Tracking how the money is spent is an administrative challenge .
The Small Business Administration must ensure that loans go to qualified recipients for the right reasons , the report said .
The Department of Agriculture had records `` that were not accurate , timely or of good quality , '' according to a November inspector general report , before it received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief .
But the report also noted bright spots .
The Transportation Department swiftly distributed $ 36 billion , including $ 25 billion to the Federal Transit Administration and about $ 1 billion for Amtrak , to prevent , prepare and respond to the pandemic , the report said .
Westbrooks said the initial report offered an overview of potential problem areas and how inspectors general were coordinating to report on them .
“ We ’ re standing up a leading edge , world class oversight office to provide accountability at historic levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in the middle of global pandemic , '' he said .
`` We ’ ve got eyes and ears in every corner of the department . ''

'Detect waste, fraud': Watchdogs warn of potential problems in $2.4T coronavirus spending
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: US hits two million cases as country opens back up Of the confirmed two million coronavirus cases, more than 113,000 Americans have died since the virus emerged here a few months ago. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Federal workers face serious risks during the coronavirus pandemic performing jobs such as guarding prisoners, delivering mail or providing nursing care. But teleworking has also led to problems, such as delays processing millions of paper tax forms or potentially exposing national secrets to hackers.
Just spending $2.2 trillion as quickly as Congress directed in response to the pandemic opened doors for waste, fraud and abuse.
These are among the potential problems that a group of inspectors general warned federal agencies to avoid in a 92-page report Wednesday called “Top Challenges Facing Federal Agencies: Covid-19 Emergency Relief and Response Efforts."
“Part of our mandate is to not only detect waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement, but hopefully prevent it from happening on the front end,” Robert Westbrooks, executive director of the inspectors general group called the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, told USA TODAY. “This is a road map for agency managers and for policy makers to help them address some common issues.”
Congress created the committee of 20 inspectors general to track the pandemic response because of the unprecedented size and speed of the response to the pandemic.
“Inspectors general continue to conduct aggressive, independent oversight of the more than $2.4 trillion in emergency coronavirus response spending,” said Michael Horowitz, the inspector general for the Justice Department and acting chairman of the committee.
Dispute over oversight
Just weeks after funding was approved, a dispute arose about the extent of oversight. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee created the website pandemic.oversight.gov to provide information for how pandemic funds were being spent.
But the panel notified lawmakers by letter June 11 that the Treasury Department and the White House Office of Management and Budget contend the law's transparency requirements don't apply to $1.1 trillion in spending, including $670 billion for small business loans and $454 billion for loan guarantees and investments in businesses and local governments.
If the programs weren't subject to public reporting, that could raise questions about inspectors general overseeing the spending, Horowitz and Westbrooks told top lawmakers on the government oversight and spending committees.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has refused to disclose the list of companies that received small business loans. But Mnuchin said Monday in a tweet that he would discuss with lawmakers how to strike "the appropriate balance for proper oversight."
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, said the administration seemed to be arguing over loopholes after signaling strong support for inspectors general.
“They seem to be saying one thing while doing exactly the opposite," Maloney said in a statement Monday. "If the Trump Administration is committed to full cooperation and transparency with taxpayer dollars, it is unclear why it is manufacturing legal loopholes to avoid responding to legitimate oversight requests.
The Trump administration has ousted four inspectors general since the start of April, typically after saying the president had lost confidence in each of them.
Steve Linick, who was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for possible misuse of staff and also a weapons deal with Saudi Arabia, was removed May 15. Christi Grimm’s removal May 1 followed her report at the Department of Health and Human Services about shortages of critical medical supplies and staff during the pandemic.
Glenn Fine was removed April 7 as acting inspector for the Defense Department, which prevented his appointment to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. Michael Atkinson, who notified Congress about the whistleblower complaint about Ukraine that led to the impeachment of Trump, was removed April 3 as inspector for the intelligence community.
Westbrooks told USA TODAY that inspectors general haven't encountered any problems getting agency data to conduct audits and investigations. The committee is "moving fast to design and build" the equipment to post data about recipients of recovery funding, he said.
"That’s our mandate and we’re moving forward with all due speed in that regard," Westbrooks said. "If and when we encounter roadblocks, we will let the administration and Congress know."
Huge stakes
Congress approved the funding in four pieces of legislation that responded to the health crisis and, as the economy shut down, to deal with the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. The economy lost 20 million jobs in April and the unemployment rate spiked to 14.7%.
The largest spending bill provided $2.2 trillion on March 27, including $1,200 payments to individual taxpayers, $349 billion in forgivable loans for small businesses, $150 billion in grants to state and local governments, and $500 billion for loan guarantees and investments in businesses and state and local governments.
Another $321 billion was approved April 24 for small business loans and funding health care providers.
The first legislation included $8.3 billion for public health measures on March 4. And a measure for enhanced unemployment benefits and paid sick leave was approved March 18.
Potential problems
The report suggested several realms where problems could emerge, including when federal workers must continue reporting to their workplaces, challenges working from home and difficulties tracking spending.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, which runs health care facilities, and the Department of Health and Human Services, which regulates hospitals and nursing homes, each had to cope with shortages of personal protective equipment.
The Bureau of Prisons has 160,000 prisoners, 61,000 detainees awaiting trial or sentencing and 40,000 staffers who struggle with "serious challenges" maintaining proper health care and hygiene, the report said.
The General Services Administration, which manages government real estate, had 963 cases of confirmed or suspected coronavirus in federal buildings by May 7, the report said.
More than 1,000 U.S. Postal Service workers tested positive for the virus and there have been numerous deaths, the report said. Staffing shortages could potentially lead to delays in deliveries, the report said.
If federal workers fall ill, services could suffer across the government in areas that have already seen staffing issues. The Transportation Security Administration, which screens airline passengers and their luggage, spent $75 million to train 9,000 officers in 2017, but about 20% left within six months, the report said. Customs and Border Protection consistently fell below hiring targets in hard-to-fill locations, according to a March 2019 Government Accountability Office report before the pandemic.
“Public health is paramount," Westbrooks said. "It’s a major concern."
Teleworking also presents challenges, as more staffers work from home. The Internal Revenue Service estimated that 13.6 million paper tax forms from businesses and individuals remained unprocessed on April 25 and 10 million pieces of mail were unopened, the report said.
Breaches in government computer systems could expose personal information and compromise national security, the report said. "These challenges are exacerbated by the pandemic," the report said.
Tracking how the money is spent is an administrative challenge. The Small Business Administration must ensure that loans go to qualified recipients for the right reasons, the report said. The Department of Agriculture had records "that were not accurate, timely or of good quality," according to a November inspector general report, before it received an additional $35.8 billion for pandemic relief.
But the report also noted bright spots. The Transportation Department swiftly distributed $36 billion, including $25 billion to the Federal Transit Administration and about $1 billion for Amtrak, to prevent, prepare and respond to the pandemic, the report said.
Westbrooks said the initial report offered an overview of potential problem areas and how inspectors general were coordinating to report on them.
“We’re standing up a leading edge, world class oversight office to provide accountability at historic levels of funding and we’re doing that in the middle of global pandemic," he said. "We’ve got eyes and ears in every corner of the department."


usatoday--2020-06-17--Supreme Court blocks execution for Texas prisoner denied spiritual adviser

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court blocked the execution Tuesday of a Texas inmate who was not allowed to die in the presence of a Christian priest .
`` The District Court should promptly determine , based on whatever evidence the parties provide , whether serious security problems would result if a prisoner facing execution is permitted to choose the spiritual adviser the prisoner wishes to have in his immediate presence during the execution , '' the high court ruled in an unsigned order .
The court , which customarily looks favorably upon issues involving religious freedom , was in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked a Buddhist prisoner 's execution last year because he was denied his own spiritual adviser .
To avoid further discrimination , Texas barred all clergy from being present at executions .
The high court 's action in the Buddhist prisoner 's case represented an about-face , following its refusal to block an Alabama inmate 's execution for being denied the company of a Muslim imam .
The court 's five conservative justices were widely criticized for that decision , which they justified by saying the prisoner made his request too late .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ profoundly wrong , '' asserting that the prisoner 's `` religious rights will be violated at the moment the state puts him to death . ''
In the subsequent Buddhist case , Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh said barring all religious advisers would be one way to solve the discrimination .
At the time , only Christian and Muslim advisers had the proper clearance to accompany prisoners into the execution chamber .
`` As this court has repeatedly held , governmental discrimination against religion – in particular , discrimination against religious persons , religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution , '' Kavanaugh wrote .
`` What the state may not do , in my view , is allow Christian or Muslim inmates but not Buddhist inmates to have a religious adviser of their religion in the execution room , '' he said .
The latest case involved Ruben Gutierrez , 43 , who was convicted of killing an elderly woman during a home robbery in 1998 .
His execution was stopped by a federal judge last week to review both the religious claim and his request for DNA testing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit .
`` Ruben Gutierrez believes that the presence of a Christian chaplain in the execution chamber will assist his passing from life to death and guide his path to the afterlife , '' his lawyer , Matthew Lawry , argued .
`` Prior to April 2019 , the state of Texas would have allowed this practice , as chaplains have been present for hundreds of executions in Texas .
But Texas changed the rules . ''

Supreme Court blocks execution for Texas prisoner denied spiritual adviser
Show Caption Hide Caption Supreme Court upholds that workers cannot be fired for being LGBTQ The Supreme Court ruled LGBTQ workers cannot be fired under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch wrote the decision. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court blocked the execution Tuesday of a Texas inmate who was not allowed to die in the presence of a Christian priest.
"The District Court should promptly determine, based on whatever evidence the parties provide, whether serious security problems would result if a prisoner facing execution is permitted to choose the spiritual adviser the prisoner wishes to have in his immediate presence during the execution," the high court ruled in an unsigned order.
The court, which customarily looks favorably upon issues involving religious freedom, was in a bind of its own making: It blocked a Buddhist prisoner's execution last year because he was denied his own spiritual adviser. To avoid further discrimination, Texas barred all clergy from being present at executions.
The high court's action in the Buddhist prisoner's case represented an about-face, following its refusal to block an Alabama inmate's execution for being denied the company of a Muslim imam.
The court's five conservative justices were widely criticized for that decision, which they justified by saying the prisoner made his request too late. Associate Justice Elena Kagan called it "profoundly wrong," asserting that the prisoner's "religious rights will be violated at the moment the state puts him to death."
More: Ruling on LGBTQ rights reveals precarious nature of Supreme Court's conservative majority
In the subsequent Buddhist case, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh said barring all religious advisers would be one way to solve the discrimination. At the time, only Christian and Muslim advisers had the proper clearance to accompany prisoners into the execution chamber.
"As this court has repeatedly held, governmental discrimination against religion – in particular, discrimination against religious persons, religious organizations, and religious speech – violates the Constitution," Kavanaugh wrote.
"What the state may not do, in my view, is allow Christian or Muslim inmates but not Buddhist inmates to have a religious adviser of their religion in the execution room," he said.
The latest case involved Ruben Gutierrez, 43, who was convicted of killing an elderly woman during a home robbery in 1998. His execution was stopped by a federal judge last week to review both the religious claim and his request for DNA testing. But it later was reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
"Ruben Gutierrez believes that the presence of a Christian chaplain in the execution chamber will assist his passing from life to death and guide his path to the afterlife," his lawyer, Matthew Lawry, argued. "Prior to April 2019, the state of Texas would have allowed this practice, as chaplains have been present for hundreds of executions in Texas. But Texas changed the rules."


usatoday--2020-06-18--'Driven by re-election': John Bolton book accuses Donald Trump of seeking foreign help for political

WASHINGTON – During a meeting last year , President Donald Trump turned to Chinese President Xi Jinping and asked for an important favor : China should increase its purchase of American soybeans and wheat because aiding American farmers would help him win the upcoming 2020 election , according to excerpts of a new book by Trump 's former national security adviser John Bolton .
The request , made during the G20 summit in Osaka , Japan , is laid out in Bolton 's forthcoming book , `` The Room Where it Happened : A White House Memoir , '' according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street Journal .
In it , the former adviser paints the president as someone consumed with winning a second term and willing to pressure , cajole and plead with foreign powers to aid his quest .
`` Trump ’ s conversations with Xi reflected not only the incoherence in his trade policy but also the confluence in Trump ’ s mind of his own political interests and U.S. national interests , '' Bolton writes according to an excerpt published in the Wall street Journal .
`` Trump commingled the personal and the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole field of national security . ''
Bolton 's book , set for a June 23 release , is expected to detail other pressure campaigns on foreign governments beyond China and Ukraine , where the president 's efforts to pressure the East European government to publicly investigate former vice president – and now presumptive general election opponent – Joe Biden led to Trump 's impeachment last year , according to a book preview released last week by Bolton 's publisher , Simon & Schuster .
`` I am hard-pressed to identify any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenure that wasn ’ t driven by reelection calculations , '' Bolton writes in the book .
On Tuesday , the Trump administration filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the former national security adviser from publishing his long expected memoir .
The move came a day after Trump dismissed Bolton 's forthcoming book as `` highly inappropriate '' and said it would be a `` criminal problem '' if published .
`` This book is full of classified information , which is inexcusable , '' White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were published .
`` Former national security adviser John Bolton should know all too well that it 's unacceptable to have highly classified information from the government of the United States in a book that will be published . ''
White House officials did not immediately respond to the specific allegation that Trump raised his own reelection in a trade discussion with Xi .
The president fired back in a series of interviews Wednesday , telling the Wall Street Journal that Bolton is a `` liar '' who everybody in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News in a late interview that Bolton was a `` washed up guy '' who `` broke the law . ''
Several media organizations , including the New York Times , the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal obtained the book and have published stories on it .
Among the observations Bolton makes in the book is that Trump did not seem to know Britain is a nuclear power and asked if Finland is part of Russia , according to The New York Times .
Bolton also writes that the president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he often calls `` Fake News , '' told him reporters should be in prison .
`` These people should be executed .
They are scumbags , '' according to The Washington Post .
Guy Snodgrass , who served as chief speechwriter to Trump 's Former Defense Secretary James Mattis , tweeted Wednesday that he `` can confirm '' the president shared similar feeling with the Pentagon .
Bolton , national security adviser from April 2018 until he was pushed out in September 2019 , was a central figure in the Senate impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House 's decision to forward two charges to the Senate for consideration : abuse of power and obstruction of Congress After Bolton did n't appear voluntarily before a House impeachment hearing in November , his lawyer , Charles Cooper , told the investigating committees that his client was `` personally involved '' in meetings relevant to the inquiry into whether Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine for political reasons .
News outlets reported at the time that a manuscript for Bolton 's upcoming book says Trump explicitly told Bolton he did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped with investigations related to the 2016 election and Democrats , including Biden , a political rival .
Bolton never testified and the president was acquitted on both charges by the Senate on a largely party-line vote .
Biden issued a statement Wednesday saying Trump `` sold out the American people to protect his political future '' in his dealings with China that Bolton outlined .
`` He was willing to trade away our most cherished democratic values for the empty promise of a flimsy trade deal that bailed him out of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage to our farmers , manufacturers , and consumers , '' Biden said .
Bolton aims his pen at Democrats as well , scolding them for being `` so obsessed with their Ukraine blitzkrieg , '' they missed a larger opportunity to put the president on trial for a raft of misconduct that stretched across his entire foreign policy , according to the excerpts .
The New York Times cites Bolton 's claims that Trump was willing to `` intervene in investigations '' into certain companies doing business with the U.S. `` to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and China .
Bolton also writes in the excerpts that the president seemed unmoved by the massive protests last year in Hong Kong against China 's communist government over human rights crackdowns .
`` I first heard Trump react on June 12 , upon hearing that some 1.5 million people had been at Sunday ’ s demonstrations .
'That ’ s a big deal , ' he said .
But he immediately added , ' I don ’ t want to get involved , ' and , 'We have human-rights problems too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excerpts .
`` I hoped Trump would see these Hong Kong developments as giving him leverage over China .
I should have known better , '' Bolton continues .
`` That same month , on the 30th anniversary of China ’ s massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square , Trump refused to issue a White House statement .
'That was 15 years ago , ' he said , inaccurately .
'Who cares about it ?
I ’ m trying to make a deal .
I don ’ t want anything . '
@ @ @ @ @ @

'Driven by re-election': John Bolton book accuses Donald Trump of seeking foreign help for political gain
Show Caption Hide Caption President Donald Trump: 'Nothing was ever said to John Bolton' President Donald Trump says a claim by former national security adviser John Bolton that Trump wanted to withhold security aid from Ukraine until it helped secure investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden is patently "false." (Jan. 27) AP
WASHINGTON – During a meeting last year, President Donald Trump turned to Chinese President Xi Jinping and asked for an important favor: China should increase its purchase of American soybeans and wheat because aiding American farmers would help him win the upcoming 2020 election, according to excerpts of a new book by Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton.
The request, made during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, is laid out in Bolton's forthcoming book, "The Room Where it Happened: A White House Memoir," according to an excerpt published by the Wall Street Journal. In it, the former adviser paints the president as someone consumed with winning a second term and willing to pressure, cajole and plead with foreign powers to aid his quest.
"Trump’s conversations with Xi reflected not only the incoherence in his trade policy but also the confluence in Trump’s mind of his own political interests and U.S. national interests," Bolton writes according to an excerpt published in the Wall street Journal. "Trump commingled the personal and the national not just on trade questions but across the whole field of national security."
Bolton's book, set for a June 23 release, is expected to detail other pressure campaigns on foreign governments beyond China and Ukraine, where the president's efforts to pressure the East European government to publicly investigate former vice president – and now presumptive general election opponent – Joe Biden led to Trump's impeachment last year, according to a book preview released last week by Bolton's publisher, Simon & Schuster.
"I am hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my White House tenure that wasn’t driven by reelection calculations," Bolton writes in the book.
More: Trump Justice Department sues to block John Bolton from publishing book
On Tuesday, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the former national security adviser from publishing his long expected memoir.
The move came a day after Trump dismissed Bolton's forthcoming book as "highly inappropriate" and said it would be a "criminal problem" if published.
"This book is full of classified information, which is inexcusable," White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Wednesday, hours before the excerpts were published. "Former national security adviser John Bolton should know all too well that it's unacceptable to have highly classified information from the government of the United States in a book that will be published."
White House officials did not immediately respond to the specific allegation that Trump raised his own reelection in a trade discussion with Xi. The president fired back in a series of interviews Wednesday, telling the Wall Street Journal that Bolton is a "liar" who everybody in the White House "hated." He told Fox News in a late interview that Bolton was a "washed up guy" who "broke the law."
Several media organizations, including the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal obtained the book and have published stories on it.
Among the observations Bolton makes in the book is that Trump did not seem to know Britain is a nuclear power and asked if Finland is part of Russia, according to The New York Times.
Bolton also writes that the president, who has clashed with the media that he often calls "Fake News," told him reporters should be in prison .
"These people should be executed. They are scumbags," according to The Washington Post.
Guy Snodgrass, who served as chief speechwriter to Trump's Former Defense Secretary James Mattis, tweeted Wednesday that he "can confirm" the president shared similar feeling with the Pentagon.
"Bolton alleges Trump privately told him reporters deserve prison. "These people should be executed. They are scumbags.""
Can confirm. This sentiment expressed again during Trump's meeting with Mattis in the Pentagon.https://t.co/8JdBVA6xYU — Guy Snodgrass (@GuySnodgrass) June 17, 2020
More: President Trump acquitted on both impeachment charges, avoids removal
Bolton, national security adviser from April 2018 until he was pushed out in September 2019, was a central figure in the Senate impeachment trial of Trump earlier this year following the House's decision to forward two charges to the Senate for consideration: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress
After Bolton didn't appear voluntarily before a House impeachment hearing in November, his lawyer, Charles Cooper, told the investigating committees that his client was "personally involved" in meetings relevant to the inquiry into whether Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine for political reasons.
News outlets reported at the time that a manuscript for Bolton's upcoming book says Trump explicitly told Bolton he did not want to release the aid until Ukraine helped with investigations related to the 2016 election and Democrats, including Biden, a political rival.
Bolton never testified and the president was acquitted on both charges by the Senate on a largely party-line vote.
Biden issued a statement Wednesday saying Trump "sold out the American people to protect his political future" in his dealings with China that Bolton outlined.
"He was willing to trade away our most cherished democratic values for the empty promise of a flimsy trade deal that bailed him out of his disastrous tariff war that did so much damage to our farmers, manufacturers, and consumers," Biden said.
Bolton aims his pen at Democrats as well, scolding them for being "so obsessed with their Ukraine blitzkrieg," they missed a larger opportunity to put the president on trial for a raft of misconduct that stretched across his entire foreign policy, according to the excerpts.
The New York Times cites Bolton's claims that Trump was willing to "intervene in investigations" into certain companies doing business with the U.S. "to curry favor" with leaders in Turkey and China.
Bolton also writes in the excerpts that the president seemed unmoved by the massive protests last year in Hong Kong against China's communist government over human rights crackdowns.
"I first heard Trump react on June 12, upon hearing that some 1.5 million people had been at Sunday’s demonstrations. 'That’s a big deal,' he said. But he immediately added, 'I don’t want to get involved,' and, 'We have human-rights problems too,' Bolton writes, according to the excerpts.
"I hoped Trump would see these Hong Kong developments as giving him leverage over China. I should have known better," Bolton continues. "That same month, on the 30th anniversary of China’s massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, Trump refused to issue a White House statement. 'That was 15 years ago,' he said, inaccurately. 'Who cares about it? I’m trying to make a deal. I don’t want anything.' And that was that."
Contributing: John Fritze


usatoday--2020-06-18--Trump blasts DACA decision, asking if people get the impression 'the Supreme Court doesn't like me?'

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump denounced the Supreme Court on Thursday for upholding a program allowing young , undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States , accusing the court of `` shotgun blasts '' in the face of conservatives .
`` Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn ’ t like me ? ''
Trump tweeted after the immigration ruling that came three days after the court ruled against the administration in a LGBTQ rights case .
Trump , who is making conservative judges a key argument in his reelection bid , was scathing in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised supporters he would appoint more conservative jurists in the future .
In another missive on social media , Trump said `` these horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives . ''
Legal and political analysts said Trump is making these Supreme Court cases too much about himself , and not enough about the law .
`` Maybe it ’ s the constitution , '' tweeted Gen. Michael Hayden , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a divided Supreme Court blocked his administration from ending the DACA program that allows nearly 650,000 young , undocumented immigrants – known as `` Dreamers '' – to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation .
Chief Justice John Roberts , a Republican appointee who wrote the majority opinion , said the administration was `` arbitrary and capricious '' in ending the the program entitled Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival .
On Monday , in another decision criticized by conservatives , a divided Supreme Court further advanced the cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a landmark civil rights law barring sex discrimination in the workplace applies to gay , lesbian and transgender workers .
Trump turned his tweets on these decisions into an election pitch , saying `` we need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd .
Amendment & everything else .
Vote Trump 2020 ! ''
On the stump , Trump promotes his record of appointing conservative jurists by telling gun owners , abortion opponents , and religious voters in particular that their rights will be protected .
Looking ahead to the Nov. 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue a new list of potential Supreme Court nominees he would consider if a vacancy occurs .
Trump , who also promoted lists of Supreme Court candidates during his 2016 campaign , tweeted that `` based on decisions being rendered now , this list is more important than ever before ( Second Amendment , Right to Life , Religous Liberty , etc. )
. ''
Court watchers do not expect any justice to retire this year , not this close to a presidential election .
Trump appointed two members of the current Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – though Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion in the case granting federal job protections to gay , lesbian , and transgender workers .
Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson said the president always attacks institutions that do n't do what he wants : `` Trump says cops are 'dirty ' and 'corrupt ' If they are investigating his crimes ... Trump does n't believe in law and order .
He only believes in loyalty to Trump . ''
Barb McQuade , a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been `` disastrous '' for Trump and the people who voted for him .
Some of those voters backed him `` solely to ensure the appointment of conservative justices and judges , '' McQuade said , and Trump risks losing their support `` if he can ’ t deliver favored outcomes in court decisions . ''
Trump supporters , meanwhile , backed his attacks on the Supreme Court .
They noted that the court prescribed rules for the taking of executive action , and Trump should now follow through .
`` Trump should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieve everything Congress won ’ t do , '' said Matt Mackowiak , a Republican political consultant based in Texas .
`` This is the precedent SCOTUS has set .
Maybe we can abolish Congress . ''
Trump had called on Congress to pass legislation to preserve DACA and prevent the deportation of thousands of young people .
It seems unlikely that Democrats would be willing to work on a legislative fix given their victory in the Supreme Court .
In yet another tweet after the immigration decision , Trump said he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on DACA , not a political one , consistent with the rule of law .
The Supreme Court is not willing to give us one , so now we have to start this process all over again . ''
He did not elaborate .
The current Supreme Court , meanwhile , has other cases remaining this term – including ones on whether prosecutors and members of Congress can get access to Trump 's financial records .

Trump blasts DACA decision, asking if people get the impression 'the Supreme Court doesn’t like me?'
Show Caption Hide Caption Immigrant anxiously awaits Supreme Court decision A DACA recipient who became an immigrant activist is now anxiously awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision on President Donald Trump’s attempt to end protection from deportation. Alejandra Gonzalez's family brought her to the U.S. when she was 5. (June 12) AP
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump denounced the Supreme Court on Thursday for upholding a program allowing young, undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States, accusing the court of "shotgun blasts" in the face of conservatives.
"Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn’t like me?" Trump tweeted after the immigration ruling that came three days after the court ruled against the administration in a LGBTQ rights case.
Trump, who is making conservative judges a key argument in his reelection bid, was scathing in his attacks on the high court. He promised supporters he would appoint more conservative jurists in the future.
In another missive on social media, Trump said "these horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives."
Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn’t like me? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives. We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment & everything else. Vote Trump 2020! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
Legal and political analysts said Trump is making these Supreme Court cases too much about himself, and not enough about the law.
"Maybe it’s the constitution," tweeted Gen. Michael Hayden, a former CIA director.
Trump tweeted shortly after a divided Supreme Court blocked his administration from ending the DACA program that allows nearly 650,000 young, undocumented immigrants – known as "Dreamers" – to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.
More: Supreme Court ruling upholds DACA program for young, undocumented immigrants
More: Supreme Court grants federal job protections to gay, lesbian, transgender workers
Chief Justice John Roberts, a Republican appointee who wrote the majority opinion, said the administration was "arbitrary and capricious" in ending the the program entitled Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival.
On Monday, in another decision criticized by conservatives, a divided Supreme Court further advanced the cause of LGBTQ rights Monday by ruling that a landmark civil rights law barring sex discrimination in the workplace applies to gay, lesbian and transgender workers.
Trump turned his tweets on these decisions into an election pitch, saying "we need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment & everything else. Vote Trump 2020!"
On the stump, Trump promotes his record of appointing conservative jurists by telling gun owners, abortion opponents, and religious voters in particular that their rights will be protected.
Looking ahead to the Nov. 3 election, Trump said he would soon issue a new list of potential Supreme Court nominees he would consider if a vacancy occurs.
Trump, who also promoted lists of Supreme Court candidates during his 2016 campaign, tweeted that "based on decisions being rendered now, this list is more important than ever before (Second Amendment, Right to Life, Religous Liberty, etc.)."
Court watchers do not expect any justice to retire this year, not this close to a presidential election.
Trump appointed two members of the current Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh – though Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion in the case granting federal job protections to gay, lesbian, and transgender workers.
Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson said the president always attacks institutions that don't do what he wants: "Trump says cops are 'dirty' and 'corrupt' If they are investigating his crimes ... Trump doesn't believe in law and order. He only believes in loyalty to Trump."
Barb McQuade, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Michigan, said the recent Supreme Court decisions have been "disastrous" for Trump and the people who voted for him.
Some of those voters backed him "solely to ensure the appointment of conservative justices and judges," McQuade said, and Trump risks losing their support "if he can’t deliver favored outcomes in court decisions."
Trump supporters, meanwhile, backed his attacks on the Supreme Court. They noted that the court prescribed rules for the taking of executive action, and Trump should now follow through.
"Trump should start filing hundreds of executive orders to achieve everything Congress won’t do," said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican political consultant based in Texas. "This is the precedent SCOTUS has set. Maybe we can abolish Congress."
Trump had called on Congress to pass legislation to preserve DACA and prevent the deportation of thousands of young people. It seems unlikely that Democrats would be willing to work on a legislative fix given their victory in the Supreme Court.
In yet another tweet after the immigration decision, Trump said he is now "asking for a legal solution on DACA, not a political one, consistent with the rule of law. The Supreme Court is not willing to give us one, so now we have to start this process all over again."
He did not elaborate.
The current Supreme Court, meanwhile, has other cases remaining this term – including ones on whether prosecutors and members of Congress can get access to Trump's financial records.


usatoday--2020-06-18--Supreme Court rules against Trump administration regarding DACA program

The Trump administration wanted to dismantled the program protecting so-called `` Dreamers , '' but the Supreme Court decided against @ @

Supreme Court rules to keep program protecting undocumented immigrants
The Trump administration wanted to dismantled the program protecting so-called "Dreamers," but the Supreme Court decided against it.
USA TODAY, Wochit


usatoday--2020-06-18--Top Republican senator to introduce bill protecting watchdogs at government agencies

WASHINGTON — A top Republican senator said Wednesday in a Washington Post op-ed he would introduce legislation to protect independent watchdogs at federal agencies amid increased scrutiny of the Trump 's administration 's dismissals of watchdogs .
Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , is a longtime supporter of the inspectors general at federal agencies .
He recently held up Trump administration appointees over his concerns about the administration 's recent firings of inspectors general and lack of justification for doing so .
`` It ’ s really this simple : If inspectors general are doing good work , they should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go .
If the president is going to remove an inspector general , there ’ d better be a good reason , '' Grassley wrote .
The Trump administration has recently ousted several government watchdogs .
One of them , State Department IG Steve Linick , was reportedly probing allegations that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used a political appointee at the State Department to perform personal errands for Pompeo and his wife .
And at the beginning of April , Trump replaced the top Pentagon watchdog , who had been serving as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillions of dollars disbursed by Congress in response to the coronavirus .
Grassley 's legislation would , among other provisions , require the administration to provide `` substantive rationale , including detailed and case-specific reasons '' for dismissing an inspector general .
`` To address conflicts of interest that could arise by temporarily replacing inspectors general with political appointees , the bill requires acting IGs to be selected from senior ranks within the watchdog community , '' Grassley wrote .
More : 'Lapdog ' or watchdog ?
The State Department 's new inspector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , inexperience More : The Trump administration has recently moved to oust 4 government watchdogs .
Here they are : Grassley said the firings had brought attention because of President Trump 's involvement , but he would `` continue to champion inspectors general , whistleblowers and robust government accountability regardless of who occupies the White House or has the majority in Congress , just as I ’ ve always done . ''

Top Republican senator to introduce bill protecting watchdogs at government agencies
Show Caption Hide Caption Pompeo: Trump has 'unilateral right' to choose IG Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says "the president has the unilateral right to choose who he wants to be, his inspector general." (May 20) AP
WASHINGTON — A top Republican senator said Wednesday in a Washington Post op-ed he would introduce legislation to protect independent watchdogs at federal agencies amid increased scrutiny of the Trump's administration's dismissals of watchdogs.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is a longtime supporter of the inspectors general at federal agencies. He recently held up Trump administration appointees over his concerns about the administration's recent firings of inspectors general and lack of justification for doing so.
"It’s really this simple: If inspectors general are doing good work, they should stay; if not, they should go. If the president is going to remove an inspector general, there’d better be a good reason," Grassley wrote.
The Trump administration has recently ousted several government watchdogs. One of them, State Department IG Steve Linick, was reportedly probing allegations that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used a political appointee at the State Department to perform personal errands for Pompeo and his wife.
And at the beginning of April, Trump replaced the top Pentagon watchdog, who had been serving as the head watchdog tasked with overseeing the trillions of dollars disbursed by Congress in response to the coronavirus.
Grassley's legislation would, among other provisions, require the administration to provide "substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons" for dismissing an inspector general.
"To address conflicts of interest that could arise by temporarily replacing inspectors general with political appointees, the bill requires acting IGs to be selected from senior ranks within the watchdog community," Grassley wrote.
More: 'Lapdog' or watchdog? The State Department's new inspector general under fire for conflicts of interest, inexperience
More: The Trump administration has recently moved to oust 4 government watchdogs. Here they are:
Grassley said the firings had brought attention because of President Trump's involvement, but he would "continue to champion inspectors general, whistleblowers and robust government accountability regardless of who occupies the White House or has the majority in Congress, just as I’ve always done."
Contributing: Deidre Shesgreen, Ledyard King


usatoday--2020-06-18--'Offended and angry as hell': Police reform hearing gets heated as lawmakers trade barbs

WASHINGTON – House lawmakers got their first chance on Wednesday to debate how the country should reform policing , which resulted in a heated committee hearing with spats of yelling , cursing and head shaking .
The House Judiciary Committee took up Democrats ' police reform legislation Wednesday and examined a host of potential changes to the bill , which aims to end protections that shield officers from civil lawsuits , ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants , and create a national database for officers with problematic records The panel is expected to approve the legislation Wednesday evening , teeing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The legislation is n't expected to be taken up by the Senate as the chamber plans to vote on its own police reform bill next week , a bill that was unveiled Wednesday morning in the aftermath of George Floyd 's death and the national protests that followed .
Both chambers will have to negotiate out legislative differences in order to pass something that President Donald Trump will sign .
Throughout Wednesday 's hearing , Democrats argued that Republicans were n't taking the issue of police violence against Black Americans seriously following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election , abortion and antifa .
The veering away from discussions about the Black community led to a particularly heated exchange between Reps. Cedric Richmond , D-La.
, and Matt Gaetz , R-Fla. , where Richmond bluntly told Republicans that their amendments during the hearing left him `` offended and angry as hell . ''
More : GOP police bill would incentivize cities to stop using chokeholds but would n't ban them '' You all are white males , you never lived in my shoes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to be an African American male , '' he said .
`` Please do not come in this committee room and make a mockery of the pain that exists in my community . ''
Gaetz , who is white and a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus , said he appreciated Richmond 's passion but questioned whether the Democrat was saying that no Republicans have non-white children and thus could n't understand his pain .
“ Matt , stop .
I am not about to get sidetracked by the color of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It is not about the color of your kids .
It is about Black males , Black people in the streets that are getting killed and if one of them happen to be your kid , I 'm concerned about him , too . ''
Richmond then said , `` And clearly , I 'm more concerned about him than you are . ''
Richmond 's comments led to a furious rebuttal from Gaetz , who yelled `` who in the hell do you think you are '' as the committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pounded his gavel calling the panel to order .
`` If the shoe fits , '' quipped Richmond as Gaetz continued yelling .
`` A kicked dog hollers . ''
Gaetz continued , calling for the Democrat to take down his comments .
`` You do n't know how much we care about our families , '' Gaetz yelled , swiveling his chair around and pointing at Richmond .
`` That is outrageous !
You should take those words down ! ''
While the episode marked one of the most contentious moments of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparred multiple times , eventually turning into a debate over saying Black lives matter versus all lives matter .
At one point , Rep. Eric Swalwell , D-Calif. , specifically put Republicans on the spot and asked if any of them could say unequivocally that Black live matter without any qualifiers .
`` Black lives matter .
Period .
So I would yield to any of my colleagues on the Republican side who can unequivocally say , as we calibrate where we are right now , that Black lives matter , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swalwell , `` Does the gentleman believe that all lives matter as well ?
I think Black lives matter .
I think all lives matter . ''
Swalwell , who was shaking his head , cut off Gaetz and again asked if anyone could say unequivocally that Black lives matter .

'Offended and angry as hell': Police reform hearing gets heated as lawmakers trade barbs
Show Caption Hide Caption Qualified immunity: How it protects police from civil lawsuits The doctrine of qualified immunity has been used to protect police from civil lawsuits and trials. Here's why it was put in place. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – House lawmakers got their first chance on Wednesday to debate how the country should reform policing, which resulted in a heated committee hearing with spats of yelling, cursing and head shaking.
The House Judiciary Committee took up Democrats' police reform legislation Wednesday and examined a host of potential changes to the bill, which aims to end protections that shield officers from civil lawsuits, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and create a national database for officers with problematic records
The panel is expected to approve the legislation Wednesday evening, teeing up a full House vote for next week. The legislation isn't expected to be taken up by the Senate as the chamber plans to vote on its own police reform bill next week, a bill that was unveiled Wednesday morning in the aftermath of George Floyd's death and the national protests that followed. Both chambers will have to negotiate out legislative differences in order to pass something that President Donald Trump will sign.
Throughout Wednesday's hearing, Democrats argued that Republicans weren't taking the issue of police violence against Black Americans seriously following debate and several amendments related to the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, abortion and antifa. The veering away from discussions about the Black community led to a particularly heated exchange between Reps. Cedric Richmond, D-La., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., where Richmond bluntly told Republicans that their amendments during the hearing left him "offended and angry as hell."
More: Democrats unveil sweeping police reform bill, honor George Floyd with 8 minutes, 46 seconds of silence
More: GOP police bill would incentivize cities to stop using chokeholds but wouldn't ban them
"You all are white males, you never lived in my shoes and you do not know what it's like to be an African American male," he said. "Please do not come in this committee room and make a mockery of the pain that exists in my community."
Gaetz, who is white and a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he appreciated Richmond's passion but questioned whether the Democrat was saying that no Republicans have non-white children and thus couldn't understand his pain.
“Matt, stop. I am not about to get sidetracked by the color of our children,” Richmond shot back. "It is not about the color of your kids. It is about Black males, Black people in the streets that are getting killed and if one of them happen to be your kid, I'm concerned about him, too."
Richmond then said, "And clearly, I'm more concerned about him than you are."
A fiery exchange in the House police reform hearing just now.
Rep. Gaetz berates Rep. Richmond: “Who in the hell do you think you are?” pic.twitter.com/4czwRkhD5D — The Recount (@therecount) June 17, 2020
Richmond's comments led to a furious rebuttal from Gaetz, who yelled "who in the hell do you think you are" as the committee's chairman, Rep. Jerry Nadler, pounded his gavel calling the panel to order. "If the shoe fits," quipped Richmond as Gaetz continued yelling. "A kicked dog hollers."
Gaetz continued, calling for the Democrat to take down his comments. "You don't know how much we care about our families," Gaetz yelled, swiveling his chair around and pointing at Richmond. "That is outrageous! You should take those words down!"
While the episode marked one of the most contentious moments of the hours-long hearing, Democrats and Republicans sparred multiple times, eventually turning into a debate over saying Black lives matter versus all lives matter.
.@RepSwalwell: "Can anyone on the Republican side say unequivocally black lives matter?"
Rep. @MattGaetz: "Unequivocally, all lives matter." pic.twitter.com/Ukk0auQxw7 — The Hill (@thehill) June 17, 2020
At one point, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., specifically put Republicans on the spot and asked if any of them could say unequivocally that Black live matter without any qualifiers.
"Black lives matter. Period. So I would yield to any of my colleagues on the Republican side who can unequivocally say, as we calibrate where we are right now, that Black lives matter," he said.
Gaetz jumped in and asked Swalwell, "Does the gentleman believe that all lives matter as well? I think Black lives matter. I think all lives matter."
Swalwell, who was shaking his head, cut off Gaetz and again asked if anyone could say unequivocally that Black lives matter.
"Unequivocally, all lives matter," Gaetz responded.


usatoday--2020-06-20--'Insensitive and isolated': Rev. Sharpton slams Trump at Tulsa Juneteenth celebration - live updates

Our live blog will be updated throughout the day .
For first-in-the-morning updates , sign up for The Daily Briefing .
TULSA , Okla. – About a mile away from the arena where President Trump will hold a Saturday rally , the Reverend Al Sharpton spoke to a field filled with people on the campus of Oklahoma State University - Tulsa , near where the city 's infamous 1921 race massacre took place .
Sharpton , one of several speakers for this year ’ s Juneteenth celebration in Tulsa , said “ they tell their children that Lincoln freed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freed Lincoln.
” He also rejected claims that protesters for the Black Lives Matter movement were violent .
“ We are not violent , we 're fighting violence , ” he said to the crowd .
Sharpton said Juneteenth needed to be a federal holiday , because “ it 's the first date this country stepped toward living up to the model that announced that all men were created equal.
” Several lawmakers have introduced legislation to make the day a holiday .
“ The president said he was coming on June 19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the audience , who were watching in the rain , and slammed the president for admitting he did not know about Juneteenth .
He said that Trump 's admission showed he was “ not qualified ” to represent the country as a head of state .
Sharpton also called Trump “ insensitive and isolated , ” especially when “ he was born and raised in New York , where two-thirds of New York is black and Latino.
” Earlier in the week , Trump claimed that `` nobody had ever heard of '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding his rally , which he originally scheduled to be on Juneteenth .
Tulsa officials have rescinded a curfew tied to President Donald Trump 's controversial rally scheduled there Saturday in an extraordinary reversal that came after Trump spoke with the city ’ s mayor .
But in another update Friday night , Tulsa officials announced a police zone downtown for Secret Service and police to eject `` individuals that are only present to break the law and disrupt the rights of people assembling peacefully . ''
`` In lieu of the Executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established by the United States Secret Service in cooperation with the Tulsa Police Department and multiple law enforcement agencies , '' the department posted .
The reversal came hours before Trump was set to touch down for the pivotal campaign event .
The president tweeted on Friday , “ I just spoke to the highly respected Mayor of Tulsa , G.T .
Bynum , who informed me there will be no curfew tonight or tomorrow for our many supporters attending the # MAGA Rally .
Enjoy yourselves - thank you to Mayor Bynum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Bynum , a Republican , who hours earlier imposed a curfew to cover Friday and Saturday nights based on projections that 100,000 people could attend and concerns about civil unrest .
The timing of that curfew represented a challenge to Trump rally attendees , many of whom have been lined up for days at the BOK Center in anticipation of the rally .
Bynum said in a statement that he imposed the curfew Thursday at the request of Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin , after consulting with the Secret Service and based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secret Service asked the city Friday to lift the curfew .
“ Today , we were told the curfew is no longer necessary so I am rescinding it , '' Bynum said .
Trump ’ s rally is being closely watched by supporters and critics because it is his first event since a rally in North Carolina in March during the early weeks of the coronavirus .
Local health officials in Oklahoma had recommended against holding the massive indoor event for fear it could spread the virus further .
After the curfew was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 19,000-seat BOK Center were forced to move as city officials began setting up concrete barriers to section the area ahead of expected crowds of thousands who plan to attend .
Kelli Butler , 43 , drove with her husband Dan and 13-year-old son Friday morning from Stillwell , about an hour southeast of Tulsa .
Butler , who arrived at about 8:30 A.M. local time , said some of the groups , hovered under tents and seated in camping chairs , were told to move behind the barriers but were told their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday denied a request for a temporary injunction to block the BOK Center in Tulsa from hosting President Donald Trump 's campaign rally Saturday .
The justices cited a lack of any mandatory language in the state 's reopening plan , which provides social distancing guidelines for entertainment venues .
Attorneys in Tulsa filed a lawsuit earlier this week on behalf of two businesses and two residents to stop ASM Global , which manages the 19,000-seat arena , from hosting the rally `` to protect against a substantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community . ''
They argued the rally should be prohibited because it would act as a `` spreader '' event for the transmission of the COVID-19 virus .
Paul DeMuro , a lawyer who brought the case , said the goal was to enforce Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidlines .
“ The only winner today is the virus .
The virus won , '' DeMuro said .
`` Our lawsuit didn ’ t fail .
Our local leaders failed us.
” The petition cited a rise in documented cases of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent days .
Oklahoma set a new state record for case increases in a single day on Thursday , confirming 450 new cases .
The state added 352 new cases on Friday , giving it 802 new cases in two days .
`` Despite this alarming uptick ... ASM Global plans to host an event that will bring tens of thousands of people into an enclosed area in downtown Tulsa ... without putting precautions in place to prevent the spread of the virus , '' the petition stated .
`` All credible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC , agree that this type of mass-gathering indoor event creates the greatest possible risk of community-wide viral transmission . ''
The Trump campaign said it will check attendees temperature as they come in , provide hand sanitizer and issue masks but not require they be worn .
Tickets to the rally come with a liability waiver that says the campaign or other parties associated with the event can not be held liable for exposure to the coronavirus .
In addition , the BOK Center will provide personal protective gear to event staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the rally , and install plexiglass partitions at all concessions stands .
Oklahoma Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt said earlier this week that people concerned about the spread of COVID-19 at the rally should stay home .
Trump campaign : Hope any protests are peaceful A Trump campaign spokesman said Friday peaceful protests are common around the president ’ s rallies , but that officials hope the latest event in Tulsa on Saturday doesn ’ t become as violent as protests for racial justice in other cities .
Trump tweeted Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowlifes ” won ’ t be treated like in New York , Seattle or Minneapolis , but that Tulsa will “ be a much different scene !
” Civil-rights advocates have argued that Trump lumped peaceful protesters , who have a First Amendment right to protest , with the violent rioters .
Marc Lotter , the director of strategic communications for the Trump 2020 campaign , told MSNBC that the campaign hopes the protests remain peaceful .
“ Well , I think if they ’ re peaceful and if they ’ re agitating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that will be a different story , ” Lotter said .
“ But we normally have peaceful protests going on around our rallies .
And we would hope that anybody that ’ s coming in from out of town would continue to honor that peaceful tradition in our country and not go to violence.
” Lotter also said the campaign is providing masks for attendees , but wouldn ’ t mandate they be worn because people are free to make their own decisions .
“ Well , we ’ re making the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to wear one to be able to do so , ” Lotter said .
“ But we also understand that this is an individual choice .
And that people have a right to make the decision for themselves whether they want to come to the rally , whether they want to come inside , whether they want to be outside and also if they want to wear a mask .
This is a risk that people know and that they are free to make the decisions that best reflect their needs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” President Donald Trump threatened to crack down on protesters expected to show up at his campaign rally in Tulsa , Okla. , on Saturday , the first such event since the coronavirus pandemic sidelined his campaign schedule .
“ Any protesters , anarchists , agitators , looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis , ” Trump tweeted on Friday .
“ It will be a much different scene !
” Kayleigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Trump was referring to `` destructive '' protesters , noting that buildings have been burned , looted , and vandalized during recent demonstrations against police brutality .
`` These things are unacceptable , '' she said .
`` And we will not see that in Oklahoma . ''
The president ’ s tweet came hours after Tulsa mayor G. T. Bynum imposed a curfew , citing expected rally crowds of more than 100,000 , planned protests and the civil unrest that has already erupted in the city and around the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bipartisan criticism for his last interaction with protesters , when U.S. Park Police and other law enforcement agencies used force to clear Lafayette Square near the White House so the president could pose with a Bible in front of the historic St. John ’ s Church .
William Kristol , former editor of The Weekly Standard , posted on Twitter that the constitutional right `` of protesters are the same in Tulsa as elsewhere in the US .
So are the 1A rights of Trump supporters .
It 's up to OK and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect all citizens .
But what Trump 's doing is inciting his followers to extra-legal action . ''
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer , D-N.Y. , accused Trump of `` threatening peaceful protesters standing up for justice . ''
Concerns among Tulsa officials about the potential for violence outside Trump 's rally Saturday appeared to come from social media postings , according to Tulsa police .
Jeanne Pierce , a Tulsa Police Department spokesperson , told USA TODAY the city 's information on threats came from social media postings on sites like Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited posts on Craigslist that urged people to come to Tulsa and make trouble or for people infected with COVID-19 to attend and expose others to the sometimes fatal illness .
At least some of the posts have been confirmed fake .
They `` don ’ t know if they ’ re hoaxes or they ’ re true but it ’ s a precautionary measure , ” Pierce explained .
Asked about the mayor 's estimate of over 100,000 people at the rally , Pierce said the numbers were what the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factoring in the 19,1990-person capacity of the arena and the overflow capacity outside .
The mayor of Tulsa , Oklahoma , imposed a curfew ahead of President Donald Trump 's campaign rally there , prompting officers to move out supporters who had been camping out in front of the arena .
Mayor G. T. Bynum announced the order Thursday evening , citing the expected crowds of more than 100,000 , the planned protests and the civil unrest that has already erupted in the city and around the nation this month .
Bynum also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies `` that shows that individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive or violent behavior in other states are planning to travel to the City of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally . ''
Bynum said the order is needed to protect health and safety and preserve lives and property .
The curfew of parts of the city 's downtown started at 10 p.m. Thursday and is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday .
It begins again at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues into Sunday morning .
“ Big crowds and lines already forming in Tulsa , ” Trump tweeted Friday morning , hours after the curfew went into effect .
He also issued this warning : `` Any protesters , anarchists , agitators , looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis .
It will be a much different scene ! ''
Trump supporters began lining up outside the BOK Center days in advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of our lives is nothing for what Trump has done for us , '' Robin Stites , who arrived on Monday to secure the No .
2 place in line , told the The Oklahoman earlier this week .
In a Facebook post Thursday evening , the Tulsa Police Department said anyone in violation of the mayor 's executive order will be asked to leave the area .
Those who refuse may be cited or arrested .
In addition to the curfew , the order bans Molotov cocktails or other combustible devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the City of Tulsa and has hundreds of moving parts , '' the post said .
`` We are asking for everyone ’ s help in making this a safe event for all citizens . ''
More : Health experts fear Trump 's campaign rally in Tulsa could turn into a coronavirus 'super spreader ' event Organizers of an Oklahoma City celebration of Black culture postponed the event Friday because of concerns about gathering crowds during a time when the number of COVID-19 cases is surging in the state .
The Plaza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half-dozen events during the weekend collectively called “ Solidarity in the Plaza : Black Lives Matter , ” to showcase Black artists , vendors , filmmakers and performers .
But the event that coincided with Juneteenth on Friday was expected to draw 10,000 people at a time when health officials have warned that any large gatherings could spread the coronavirus pandemic .
`` We 're crushed .
We were so excited to do something that felt important and like a celebration and artistic .
But we just have to put safety and public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Plaza District ’ s executive director , told The Oklahoman .
`` We are definitely going to reschedule . ''
The number of state cases of COVID-19 rose by 450 on Thursday , in a surge beyond the 259 infections reported Wednesday .
“ You can ’ t say Black Lives Matter and then put the lives of those who are most vulnerable to the disease at risk , ” Chaya Fletcher , one of the Plaza District event organizers , said in a statement .
“ Black people have been disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility to not contribute to the increase in those numbers .
”

Nicholas Wu, Courtney Subramanian, Bart Jansen, Tim Willert, and Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY

‘Insensitive and isolated’: Rev. Sharpton slams Trump at Tulsa Juneteenth celebration - live updates
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump changes Tulsa rally date after Juneteenth controversy After days of controversy over Trump's choice to hold his first rally since the coronavirus lockdowns in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was changed to July 20. USA TODAY, Wochit
Our live blog will be updated throughout the day. For first-in-the-morning updates, sign up for The Daily Briefing.
TULSA, Okla. – About a mile away from the arena where President Trump will hold a Saturday rally, the Reverend Al Sharpton spoke to a field filled with people on the campus of Oklahoma State University - Tulsa, near where the city's infamous 1921 race massacre took place.
Sharpton, one of several speakers for this year’s Juneteenth celebration in Tulsa, said “they tell their children that Lincoln freed the slaves. The fact is the slaves freed Lincoln.” He also rejected claims that protesters for the Black Lives Matter movement were violent.
“We are not violent, we're fighting violence,” he said to the crowd.
Sharpton said Juneteenth needed to be a federal holiday, because “it's the first date this country stepped toward living up to the model that announced that all men were created equal.”
Several lawmakers have introduced legislation to make the day a holiday.
“The president said he was coming on June 19,” Sharpton said to boos from the audience, who were watching in the rain, and slammed the president for admitting he did not know about Juneteenth.
He said that Trump's admission showed he was “not qualified” to represent the country as a head of state. Sharpton also called Trump “insensitive and isolated,” especially when “he was born and raised in New York, where two-thirds of New York is black and Latino.”
Earlier in the week, Trump claimed that "nobody had ever heard of" the June 19 holiday before the controversy surrounding his rally, which he originally scheduled to be on Juneteenth.
— Nicholas Wu, Courtney Subramanian, Savannah Behrmann
Pressed by reporter, Pence won't say ‘Black lives matter’
Vice President Mike Pence refused to say Black lives matter when pressed on the issue Friday and instead responded to a question with “all lives matter.”
“Let me just say that what happened to George Floyd was a tragedy,” Pence told an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia, when asked if he would say that Black lives matter. “And in this nation, especially on Juneteenth, we celebrate the fact that from the founding of this nation we’ve cherished the ideal that all, all of us are created equal, and endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. And so all lives matter in a very real sense.”
The reporter pressed Pence, “But I will note you did not say those words, ‘Black lives matter,’ and there is an important distinction. People are saying, of course all lives matter, but to say the words is an acknowledgement that Black lives also matter at a time in this country when it appears that there’s a segment of our society that doesn’t agree. So why will you not say those words?”
Pence responded, “Well, I don’t accept the fact that there’s a segment of American society that disagrees, in the preciousness and importance of every human life. And it’s one of the reasons why as we advance important reforms in law enforcement, as we look for ways to strengthen and improve our inner cities, that we’re not going to stop there.”
All lives matter is a saying often tied to criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement, and is viewed as those associated with the Black Lives Matter movement as dismissing and detracting from the concerns of racial injustice.
– Savannah Behrmann
Tulsa mayor lifts curfew ahead of Trump's rally
Tulsa officials have rescinded a curfew tied to President Donald Trump's controversial rally scheduled there Saturday in an extraordinary reversal that came after Trump spoke with the city’s mayor.
But in another update Friday night, Tulsa officials announced a police zone downtown for Secret Service and police to eject "individuals that are only present to break the law and disrupt the rights of people assembling peacefully."
"In lieu of the Executive Order, a secure zone has been established by the United States Secret Service in cooperation with the Tulsa Police Department and multiple law enforcement agencies," the department posted.
The reversal came hours before Trump was set to touch down for the pivotal campaign event. The president tweeted on Friday, “I just spoke to the highly respected Mayor of Tulsa, G.T. Bynum, who informed me there will be no curfew tonight or tomorrow for our many supporters attending the #MAGA Rally. Enjoy yourselves - thank you to Mayor Bynum!”
The move represented a reversal by Bynum, a Republican, who hours earlier imposed a curfew to cover Friday and Saturday nights based on projections that 100,000 people could attend and concerns about civil unrest.
The timing of that curfew represented a challenge to Trump rally attendees, many of whom have been lined up for days at the BOK Center in anticipation of the rally.
Bynum said in a statement that he imposed the curfew Thursday at the request of Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin, after consulting with the Secret Service and based on their intelligence. Bynum said the Secret Service asked the city Friday to lift the curfew.
“Today, we were told the curfew is no longer necessary so I am rescinding it," Bynum said.
Trump’s rally is being closely watched by supporters and critics because it is his first event since a rally in North Carolina in March during the early weeks of the coronavirus. Local health officials in Oklahoma had recommended against holding the massive indoor event for fear it could spread the virus further.
After the curfew was announced, Trump supporters lined up outside the 19,000-seat BOK Center were forced to move as city officials began setting up concrete barriers to section the area ahead of expected crowds of thousands who plan to attend.
Kelli Butler, 43, drove with her husband Dan and 13-year-old son Friday morning from Stillwell, about an hour southeast of Tulsa. Butler, who arrived at about 8:30 A.M. local time, said some of the groups, hovered under tents and seated in camping chairs, were told to move behind the barriers but were told their place in line would be honored.
– John Fritze, Nicholas Wu, Courtney Subramanian, Savannah Behrmann
How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
State Supreme Court denies challenge to rally
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday denied a request for a temporary injunction to block the BOK Center in Tulsa from hosting President Donald Trump's campaign rally Saturday.
The justices cited a lack of any mandatory language in the state's reopening plan, which provides social distancing guidelines for entertainment venues.
Attorneys in Tulsa filed a lawsuit earlier this week on behalf of two businesses and two residents to stop ASM Global, which manages the 19,000-seat arena, from hosting the rally "to protect against a substantial, imminent and deadly risk to the community."
They argued the rally should be prohibited because it would act as a "spreader" event for the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Paul DeMuro, a lawyer who brought the case, said the goal was to enforce Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidlines.
“The only winner today is the virus. The virus won," DeMuro said. "Our lawsuit didn’t fail. Our local leaders failed us.”
The petition cited a rise in documented cases of COVID-19 in Tulsa County, which have spiked in recent days. Oklahoma set a new state record for case increases in a single day on Thursday, confirming 450 new cases. The state added 352 new cases on Friday, giving it 802 new cases in two days.
"Despite this alarming uptick ... ASM Global plans to host an event that will bring tens of thousands of people into an enclosed area in downtown Tulsa ... without putting precautions in place to prevent the spread of the virus," the petition stated.
"All credible, qualified medical experts, including the CDC, agree that this type of mass-gathering indoor event creates the greatest possible risk of community-wide viral transmission."
The Trump campaign said it will check attendees temperature as they come in, provide hand sanitizer and issue masks but not require they be worn. Tickets to the rally come with a liability waiver that says the campaign or other parties associated with the event cannot be held liable for exposure to the coronavirus.
In addition, the BOK Center will provide personal protective gear to event staff, periodically clean and disinfect the arena during the rally, and install plexiglass partitions at all concessions stands.
Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said earlier this week that people concerned about the spread of COVID-19 at the rally should stay home.
– Tim Willert, The Oklahoman
Trump campaign: Hope any protests are peaceful
A Trump campaign spokesman said Friday peaceful protests are common around the president’s rallies, but that officials hope the latest event in Tulsa on Saturday doesn’t become as violent as protests for racial justice in other cities.
Trump tweeted Friday that “protesters, anarchists, looters or lowlifes” won’t be treated like in New York, Seattle or Minneapolis, but that Tulsa will “be a much different scene!”
Civil-rights advocates have argued that Trump lumped peaceful protesters, who have a First Amendment right to protest, with the violent rioters. Marc Lotter, the director of strategic communications for the Trump 2020 campaign, told MSNBC that the campaign hopes the protests remain peaceful.
“Well, I think if they’re peaceful and if they’re agitating and getting into the violence and other things that will be a different story,” Lotter said. “But we normally have peaceful protests going on around our rallies. And we would hope that anybody that’s coming in from out of town would continue to honor that peaceful tradition in our country and not go to violence.”
Lotter also said the campaign is providing masks for attendees, but wouldn’t mandate they be worn because people are free to make their own decisions.
“Well, we’re making the masks available and we encourage anyone who wants to wear one to be able to do so,” Lotter said. “But we also understand that this is an individual choice. And that people have a right to make the decision for themselves whether they want to come to the rally, whether they want to come inside, whether they want to be outside and also if they want to wear a mask. This is a risk that people know and that they are free to make the decisions that best reflect their needs, their desires and their own personal health.”
–Bart Jansen, USA TODAY
Trump threatens Tulsa protesters on rally eve
President Donald Trump threatened to crack down on protesters expected to show up at his campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, the first such event since the coronavirus pandemic sidelined his campaign schedule.
“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis,” Trump tweeted on Friday. “It will be a much different scene!”
Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, said Trump was referring to "destructive" protesters, noting that buildings have been burned, looted, and vandalized during recent demonstrations against police brutality.
"These things are unacceptable," she said. "And we will not see that in Oklahoma."
The president’s tweet came hours after Tulsa mayor G. T. Bynum imposed a curfew, citing expected rally crowds of more than 100,000, planned protests and the civil unrest that has already erupted in the city and around the nation this month.
Trump drew widespread and bipartisan criticism for his last interaction with protesters, when U.S. Park Police and other law enforcement agencies used force to clear Lafayette Square near the White House so the president could pose with a Bible in front of the historic St. John’s Church.
The latest threat also drew fire.
William Kristol, former editor of The Weekly Standard, posted on Twitter that the constitutional right "of protesters are the same in Tulsa as elsewhere in the US. So are the 1A rights of Trump supporters. It's up to OK and Tulsa authorities to follow the law and protect all citizens. But what Trump's doing is inciting his followers to extra-legal action."
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Trump of "threatening peaceful protesters standing up for justice."
–John Fritze, USA TODAY
Police: Threats to Trump rally from social media
Concerns among Tulsa officials about the potential for violence outside Trump's rally Saturday appeared to come from social media postings, according to Tulsa police.
Jeanne Pierce, a Tulsa Police Department spokesperson, told USA TODAY the city's information on threats came from social media postings on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Craigslist. Pierce cited posts on Craigslist that urged people to come to Tulsa and make trouble or for people infected with COVID-19 to attend and expose others to the sometimes fatal illness. At least some of the posts have been confirmed fake.
They "don’t know if they’re hoaxes or they’re true but it’s a precautionary measure,” Pierce explained.
Asked about the mayor's estimate of over 100,000 people at the rally, Pierce said the numbers were what the White House press office had told the city, factoring in the 19,1990-person capacity of the arena and the overflow capacity outside.
– Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY
Curfew imposed ahead of rally
The mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, imposed a curfew ahead of President Donald Trump's campaign rally there, prompting officers to move out supporters who had been camping out in front of the arena.
Mayor G. T. Bynum announced the order Thursday evening, citing the expected crowds of more than 100,000, the planned protests and the civil unrest that has already erupted in the city and around the nation this month.
Bynum also said he's received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies "that shows that individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive or violent behavior in other states are planning to travel to the City of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally."
Bynum said the order is needed to protect health and safety and preserve lives and property.
The curfew of parts of the city's downtown started at 10 p.m. Thursday and is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday. It begins again at the conclusion of Trump's rally and continues into Sunday morning.
“Big crowds and lines already forming in Tulsa,” Trump tweeted Friday morning, hours after the curfew went into effect.
Big crowds and lines already forming in Tulsa. My campaign hasn’t started yet. It starts on Saturday night in Oklahoma! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
He also issued this warning: "Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!"
Trump supporters began lining up outside the BOK Center days in advance of the rally.
"Sacrificing a week of our lives is nothing for what Trump has done for us," Robin Stites, who arrived on Monday to secure the No. 2 place in line, told the The Oklahoman earlier this week.
In a Facebook post Thursday evening, the Tulsa Police Department said anyone in violation of the mayor's executive order will be asked to leave the area. Those who refuse may be cited or arrested.
In addition to the curfew, the order bans Molotov cocktails or other combustible devices.
"This is an unprecedented event for the City of Tulsa and has hundreds of moving parts," the post said. "We are asking for everyone’s help in making this a safe event for all citizens."
More: Health experts fear Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa could turn into a coronavirus 'super spreader' event
More: Oklahoma coronavirus cases surge, hospitalizations rise ahead of Trump's Tulsa rally
Oklahoma City festival postponed for COVID-19
Organizers of an Oklahoma City celebration of Black culture postponed the event Friday because of concerns about gathering crowds during a time when the number of COVID-19 cases is surging in the state.
The Plaza District in the city had scheduled a half-dozen events during the weekend collectively called “Solidarity in the Plaza: Black Lives Matter,” to showcase Black artists, vendors, filmmakers and performers.
But the event that coincided with Juneteenth on Friday was expected to draw 10,000 people at a time when health officials have warned that any large gatherings could spread the coronavirus pandemic.
"We're crushed. We were so excited to do something that felt important and like a celebration and artistic. But we just have to put safety and public health first," Selena Skorman, the Plaza District’s executive director, told The Oklahoman. "We are definitely going to reschedule."
The number of state cases of COVID-19 rose by 450 on Thursday, in a surge beyond the 259 infections reported Wednesday.
“You can’t say Black Lives Matter and then put the lives of those who are most vulnerable to the disease at risk,” Chaya Fletcher, one of the Plaza District event organizers, said in a statement. “Black people have been disproportionately affected by COVID and it is our responsibility to not contribute to the increase in those numbers.”
– Brandy McDonnell, The Oklahoman


usatoday--2020-06-20--Citing 'problems' receiving a ballot, Trump campaign manager acknowledges he didn't vote in '16

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump 's campaign manager acknowledged Friday that he did not vote for his boss in the 2016 election – or vote at all – citing problems receiving his absentee ballot while working on the campaign in New York .
Parscale , then a Texas resident , oversaw Trump 's digital operation in 2016 and became the reelection campaign manager in 2018 .
Election documents in Texas reviewed by CBS News showed that Parscale voted in the 2016 primary but not in the November election .
`` In 2016 , I was in New York working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of problems receiving my absentee ballot from Texas and missed the deadline , '' Parscale said in a statement , arguing that the issues underscored problems with mail-in voting .
Trump has complained about Democratic proposals to increase the availability of mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic , arguing it is more susceptible to fraud .
`` There ’ s a vast difference between voting absentee by mail when you can ’ t get to the polls on election day versus mailing every registered voter a ballot , even those who didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The media thinks they ’ re playing ‘ gotcha ’ by purposefully ignoring that difference . ''

David Jackson and John Fritze, USA TODAY

Citing 'problems' receiving a ballot, Trump campaign manager acknowledges he didn't vote in '16
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump changes Tulsa rally date after Juneteenth controversy After days of controversy over Trump's choice to hold his first rally since the coronavirus lockdowns in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was changed to July 20. USA TODAY, Wochit
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's campaign manager acknowledged Friday that he did not vote for his boss in the 2016 election – or vote at all – citing problems receiving his absentee ballot while working on the campaign in New York.
Brad Parscale, then a Texas resident, oversaw Trump's digital operation in 2016 and became the reelection campaign manager in 2018. Election documents in Texas reviewed by CBS News showed that Parscale voted in the 2016 primary but not in the November election.
"In 2016, I was in New York working to elect Donald Trump and encountered a series of problems receiving my absentee ballot from Texas and missed the deadline," Parscale said in a statement, arguing that the issues underscored problems with mail-in voting.
Trump has complained about Democratic proposals to increase the availability of mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic, arguing it is more susceptible to fraud.
"There’s a vast difference between voting absentee by mail when you can’t get to the polls on election day versus mailing every registered voter a ballot, even those who didn’t request one," Parscale said. "The media thinks they’re playing ‘gotcha’ by purposefully ignoring that difference."


usatoday--2020-06-19--Nancy Pelosi orders portraits honoring past Confederate House speakers to be removed

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the removal of four portraits in the U.S. Capitol of former Speakers of the House @ @ @ @ @ .

Pelosi ordered removal of four Confederate House speakers' portraits
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the removal of four portraits in the U.S. Capitol of former Speakers of the House who served in the Confederacy.
USA TODAY, Wochit


usatoday--2020-06-20--Reps. Matt Gaetz and Cedric Richmond disagree over differences in American experiences

Matt Gaetz and Cedric Richmond disagree on different race experiences Rep. Matt Gaetz disagrees with Rep. Cedric Richmond over the @ @ @ @ @ do n't understand the experiences of Black America

Matt Gaetz and Cedric Richmond disagree on different race experiences
Rep. Matt Gaetz disagrees with Rep. Cedric Richmond over the assertion that many GOP congressmen don't understand the experiences of Black America
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-06-21--President Trump talks about 'Chinese virus' at first campaign rally in months

During the rally , President Trump touted his success during the pandemic , saying he saved hundreds of thousands of @ @

Coronavirus conversation dominates President Trump's campaign rally
During the rally, President Trump touted his success during the pandemic, saying he saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
USA TODAY, Wochit


usatoday--2020-06-21--President Trump: People who burn the American flag should go to jail for one year

Trump : Those who burn the American flag should get 1 year in jail President Trump suggested a one-year prison @ @ @ @ @ an American flag , an act of protest covered by the First Amendment .

Trump: Those who burn the American flag should get 1 year in jail
President Trump suggested a one-year prison sentence for those who burn an American flag, an act of protest covered by the First Amendment.
USA TODAY, Wochit