alternet--2020-10-01--Trump is the “single largest driver” of coronavirus misinformation in the world: study

President Donald Trump is responsible for nearly 38 % of coronavirus misinformation in traditional media around the world , according to a new study by researchers at Cornell University .
The study looked at what the World Health Organization has termed the `` infodemic '' of misinformation about the new coronavirus across 38 million traditional media articles published between Jan. 1 and May 26 in English-language media around the world .
`` We found that media mentions of U.S. President Donald Trump within the context of COVID-19 misinformation made up by far the largest share of the infodemic , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentions comprised 37.9 % of the overall misinformation conversation .
`` The biggest surprise was that the president of the United States was the single largest driver of misinformation around COVID , '' Sarah Evnega , the study 's lead author and director of the Cornell Alliance for Science , told The New York Times .
`` That 's concerning in that there are real-world dire health implications . ''
The researchers looked at 11 topics of misinformation , including conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus .
But the most widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Trump 's hype of hydroxychloroquine and his suggestion that disinfectant could be used as a coronavirus treatment , which accounted for more misinformation mentions than all of the other topics .
The number of articles about `` miracle cures '' skyrocketed from fewer than 10,000 to more than 30,000 after Trump suggested people inject themselves with disinfectant in April .
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein , the former deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration who now serves as vice dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the major reasons '' that the United States had lagged behind other countries in containing the virus .
`` There is a science of rumors .
It 's when there is uncertainty and fear , '' he said , adding that consistent public health messaging was key to any successful strategy . ''
This is what we need to save lives , '' he said .
`` If it 's not done well , you get far more infections and deaths . ''
Overall , the findings were a mixed bag .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of traditional media articles included misinformation , but only 16.4 % of the articles including fact-checking , `` suggesting that the majority of COVID misinformation is conveyed by the media without question or correction . ''
All conspiracy theories combined for 46 % of misinformation mentions .
Nearly 300,000 involved miracle cures , 49,000 mentioned conspiracy theories about the `` deep state , '' 40,000 mentioned Trump 's conspiracy theory that the virus was a Democratic hoax and 29,000 mentioned the Trump-hyped conspiracy theory that the virus had originated in a lab in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Gates ' involvement with vaccines and 5G contributing to the spread of the virus were mentioned in more than 23,000 articles .
Another 17,000 mentioned Antisemitic conspiracy theories , and 14,000 mentioned conspiracy theories about population control .
More than 11,000 articles mentioned conspiracy theories alleging Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , was exaggerating the threat of the pandemic or stood to benefit from pharmaceutical treatments . ''
Misinformation about COVID-19 is a serious threat to global public health , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misled by unsubstantiated claims about the nature and treatment of the disease , they are less likely to observe official health advice and may thus contribute to the spread of the pandemic and pose a danger to themselves and others . ''
Previous studies have found that people in counties which voted for Trump were less likely to social distance , and Republicans were far less likely to view the pandemic as a serious threat .
`` It is especially notable that while misinformation and conspiracy theories promulgated by ostensibly grassroots sources , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political extremists , do appear in our analysis in several of the topics , '' the Cornell researchers wrote .
`` They contributed far less to the overall volume of misinformation than more powerful actors , in particular the U.S .
president . ''

President Donald Trump is responsible for nearly 38% of coronavirus misinformation in traditional media around the world, according to a new study by researchers at Cornell University.
The study looked at what the World Health Organization has termed the "infodemic" of misinformation about the new coronavirus across 38 million traditional media articles published between Jan. 1 and May 26 in English-language media around the world.
"We found that media mentions of U.S. President Donald Trump within the context of COVID-19 misinformation made up by far the largest share of the infodemic," the study said, noting that Trump mentions comprised 37.9% of the overall misinformation conversation.
"The biggest surprise was that the president of the United States was the single largest driver of misinformation around COVID," Sarah Evnega, the study's lead author and director of the Cornell Alliance for Science, told The New York Times. "That's concerning in that there are real-world dire health implications."
The researchers looked at 11 topics of misinformation, including conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus. But the most widespread topic was "miracle cures," including Trump's hype of hydroxychloroquine and his suggestion that disinfectant could be used as a coronavirus treatment, which accounted for more misinformation mentions than all of the other topics.
The number of articles about "miracle cures" skyrocketed from fewer than 10,000 to more than 30,000 after Trump suggested people inject themselves with disinfectant in April.
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the former deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration who now serves as vice dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told The Times that misinformation was "one of the major reasons" that the United States had lagged behind other countries in containing the virus.
"There is a science of rumors. It's when there is uncertainty and fear," he said, adding that consistent public health messaging was key to any successful strategy."
This is what we need to save lives," he said. "If it's not done well, you get far more infections and deaths."
Overall, the findings were a mixed bag. The study found that less than 3% of traditional media articles included misinformation, but only 16.4% of the articles including fact-checking, "suggesting that the majority of COVID misinformation is conveyed by the media without question or correction."
All conspiracy theories combined for 46% of misinformation mentions. Nearly 300,000 involved miracle cures, 49,000 mentioned conspiracy theories about the "deep state," 40,000 mentioned Trump's conspiracy theory that the virus was a Democratic hoax and 29,000 mentioned the Trump-hyped conspiracy theory that the virus had originated in a lab in Wuhan, China.
Conspiracy theories about Bill Gates' involvement with vaccines and 5G contributing to the spread of the virus were mentioned in more than 23,000 articles. Another 17,000 mentioned Antisemitic conspiracy theories, and 14,000 mentioned conspiracy theories about population control.
More than 11,000 articles mentioned conspiracy theories alleging Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was exaggerating the threat of the pandemic or stood to benefit from pharmaceutical treatments."
Misinformation about COVID-19 is a serious threat to global public health," the study said. "If people are misled by unsubstantiated claims about the nature and treatment of the disease, they are less likely to observe official health advice and may thus contribute to the spread of the pandemic and pose a danger to themselves and others."
Previous studies have found that people in counties which voted for Trump were less likely to social distance, and Republicans were far less likely to view the pandemic as a serious threat.
"It is especially notable that while misinformation and conspiracy theories promulgated by ostensibly grassroots sources, such as anti-vaccination groups, 5G opponents and political extremists, do appear in our analysis in several of the topics," the Cornell researchers wrote. "They contributed far less to the overall volume of misinformation than more powerful actors, in particular the U.S. president."


alternet--2020-10-01--Why Greenland's rapid melting could wreak havoc with the ocean and cause drastic consequences

The ice sheet that covers most of Greenland , the world 's largest island , is on pace to start melting faster than it has in the past 12,000 years .
The rate of melting is so fast that one scientist told Salon the potential consequences could be analogous to those of the 2004 global warming-themed disaster movie , `` The Day After Tomorrow . ''
The study — which was published in the scientific journal Nature and co-authored by researchers from the United States , Canada and Denmark — attempts to reconstruct the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or the period of the last 11,700 years . ''
Given the short-term nature of the observational record , it is difficult to assess the historical importance of this mass-loss trend , '' the authors explained .
`` Unlike records of greenhouse gas concentrations and global temperature , in which observations have been merged with palaeoclimate datasets , there are no comparably long records for rates of [ Greenland Ice Sheet ] mass change . ''
After studying the southwestern portion of Greenland Ice Sheet , the scientists predicted `` mass loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the twenty-first century . ''
They note that the rate of ice loss is higher than it has been at any point in the past 12,000 years .
`` Our results indicate , with high confidence , that the rate of mass loss from the [ Greenland Ice Sheet ] will exceed Holocene rates this century , '' they wrote .
One likely consequence of this is that the global mean sea level will rise to dangerous levels .
At the current rate at which it is melting , the Greenland Ice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level increase of 0.7 millimeters each year .
If the scientists ' models are correct , however , global mean sea level could increase by between 2 and 7 millimeters each year .
As global sea levels rise , human populations that reside along coasts will become increasingly vulnerable to flooding and other extreme weather conditions .
In the United States alone , almost 40 percent of the population lives in densely populated areas that could be endangered by rising sea levels , including major cities like Boston , New York , Baltimore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the planet 's 10 largest cities are near a coast .
Another problems with the accelerating melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is the impact it will have on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation .
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is an ocean current that moves warm water from the tropic regions near the equator up to the north Atlantic , including much of western Europe .
It forms a part of the larger circulation of water currents throughout the Earth 's oceans , a phenomenon known colloquially as the Global Ocean Conveyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation moves warm , salty water north through the Atlantic Ocean .
The warmer water eventually begins to cool once it reaches the ocean near the United Kingdom , sinking to the bottom of the Labrador and Nordic Seas , settling to the ocean floor and flowing back to the Antarctic Southern Ocean .
This system continues to move in what some scientists compare to a conveyor belt — and if it is slowed down or even halted entirely because of the infusion of melted icewater from Greenland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for humanity and the rest of life on Earth .
`` That rate of Greenland melt is approaching or exceeding rates of melt during natural warming periods over the past 12,000 years is not surprising , '' Michael Mann , a professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University who did not participate in the study , told Salon by email .
`` It 's what I would expect given the evidence we have already .
This study however provides a better quantification of this matter using climate model simulations combined with long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he and Kevin Trenberth , who works for the National Center for Atmospheric Research at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research , produced a recent study which `` shows evidence of the freshening of the sub-polar North Atlantic that we would expect as Greenland continues to melt .
That freshening is reducing the stratification of the ocean and likely slowing down the 'conveyor belt ' ocean circulation ( the real-world equivalent of the 'The Day After Tomorrow ' scenario ) showing how these potentially threshold like climate responses are potentially linked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ am fond of saying , uncertainty is not our friend .
It 's cutting against us , not in our favor , as we see and learn more . ''

The ice sheet that covers most of Greenland, the world's largest island, is on pace to start melting faster than it has in the past 12,000 years. The rate of melting is so fast that one scientist told Salon the potential consequences could be analogous to those of the 2004 global warming-themed disaster movie, "The Day After Tomorrow."
The study — which was published in the scientific journal Nature and co-authored by researchers from the United States, Canada and Denmark — attempts to reconstruct the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) during the Holocene epoch, or the period of the last 11,700 years."
Given the short-term nature of the observational record, it is difficult to assess the historical importance of this mass-loss trend," the authors explained. "Unlike records of greenhouse gas concentrations and global temperature, in which observations have been merged with palaeoclimate datasets, there are no comparably long records for rates of [Greenland Ice Sheet] mass change."
After studying the southwestern portion of Greenland Ice Sheet, the scientists predicted "mass loss of between 8,800 and 35,900 billion tonnes over the twenty-first century." They note that the rate of ice loss is higher than it has been at any point in the past 12,000 years.
"Our results indicate, with high confidence, that the rate of mass loss from the [Greenland Ice Sheet] will exceed Holocene rates this century," they wrote.
One likely consequence of this is that the global mean sea level will rise to dangerous levels. At the current rate at which it is melting, the Greenland Ice Sheet has contributed to a global sea level increase of 0.7 millimeters each year. If the scientists' models are correct, however, global mean sea level could increase by between 2 and 7 millimeters each year. As global sea levels rise, human populations that reside along coasts will become increasingly vulnerable to flooding and other extreme weather conditions. In the United States alone, almost 40 percent of the population lives in densely populated areas that could be endangered by rising sea levels, including major cities like Boston, New York, Baltimore and Miami. Worldwide, eight of the planet's 10 largest cities are near a coast.
Another problems with the accelerating melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is the impact it will have on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is an ocean current that moves warm water from the tropic regions near the equator up to the north Atlantic, including much of western Europe. It forms a part of the larger circulation of water currents throughout the Earth's oceans, a phenomenon known colloquially as the Global Ocean Conveyer Belt and formally as thermohaline circulation.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation moves warm, salty water north through the Atlantic Ocean. The warmer water eventually begins to cool once it reaches the ocean near the United Kingdom, sinking to the bottom of the Labrador and Nordic Seas, settling to the ocean floor and flowing back to the Antarctic Southern Ocean. This system continues to move in what some scientists compare to a conveyor belt — and if it is slowed down or even halted entirely because of the infusion of melted icewater from Greenland, it could have unpredictable and disruptive consequences for humanity and the rest of life on Earth.
"That rate of Greenland melt is approaching or exceeding rates of melt during natural warming periods over the past 12,000 years is not surprising," Michael Mann, a professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University who did not participate in the study, told Salon by email. "It's what I would expect given the evidence we have already. This study however provides a better quantification of this matter using climate model simulations combined with long ice core records."
Mann added that he and Kevin Trenberth, who works for the National Center for Atmospheric Research at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, produced a recent study which "shows evidence of the freshening of the sub-polar North Atlantic that we would expect as Greenland continues to melt. That freshening is reducing the stratification of the ocean and likely slowing down the 'conveyor belt' ocean circulation (the real-world equivalent of the 'The Day After Tomorrow' scenario) showing how these potentially threshold like climate responses are potentially linked."
He concluded, "As I am fond of saying, uncertainty is not our friend. It's cutting against us, not in our favor, as we see and learn more."


alternet--2020-10-01--A wave of panic is overtaking Trump and the GOP as their fortunes look increasingly grim

President Donald Trump 's supporters hoped his debate with former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday night would give his campaign a boost .
But many pundits have argued that while Trump 's unhinged ranting and raving during the debate probably did n't hurt his support among true MAGA diehards , it did n't win over many swing voters who were on the fence .
And two Washington Post opinion columnists , Never Trump conservative Jennifer Rubin and liberal Greg Sargent , are emphasizing that Trump has only made things worse for himself this week and that a mood of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Party .
Tuesday night 's debate was followed by a MAGA rally in Minnesota , where Trump once again attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar .
Trump 's campaign is hoping that he will be able to flip Minnesota , which Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won in 2016 .
But according to Sargent , the Minnesota rally only underscored how dysfunctional Trump 's reelection campaign is .
Trump reignited his racist attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar , trying to pull out the same bag of tricks that snagged him a Midwest victory in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like it 's working this time around .
Sargent explained : Trump spent months on a `` law and order '' strategy to galvanize his core White supporters while frightening White suburbanites back to him .
That failed .
Then , at the debate , Trump kept it up , falsely insisting Biden would n't utter the words `` law and order , '' winking to right-wing extremists and white supremacists , and again rallying supporters to intimidate the opposition 's voters .
Yet Republicans believe this is failing for him , reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash politics and threats of voter intimidation risk further alienating `` women , moderates , suburban voters and people of color , '' as the Times puts it .
The people outside what he calls `` our country . ''
Republicans fear this approach is putting Trump and his party on track to a big loss .
But as his Minnesota rally showed , he remains absolutely committed to winning only in this fashion .
`` In his desperation to discredit his opponent and an election that he looks likely to lose — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to plausibly scream 'Fraud ! '
— President Trump 's lies and outbursts are getting increasingly bizarre , '' Rubin explains .
`` ( Tuesday ) night 's 'debate ' showcased Trump at his most unhinged and out of control , unable to conduct a civil conversation or maintain a coherent train of thought . ''
This week , Rubin writes , one `` could practically feel the panic emanating from the White House . ''
`` Trump is becoming more frantic and unhinged by the day , '' Rubin argues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a possible landslide defeat , but potentially , also economic ruin and criminal prosecution .
And his kids ' inheritance may be going down the drain as well .
Certainly , Trump 's presidency has been a four-year nightmare for the country , but for Trump , it may turn out to be devastating and permanent . ''
Some red states , according to polls , are turning out to be surprisingly competitive for Biden , including Texas and Georgia : recent polls in those states have either shown Trump slightly ahead or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a new Quinnipiac poll that shows Biden trailing Trump by only 1 % in South Carolina .
While Texas and Georgia , truth be told , are light red at this point , South Carolina is known for being deep red : Trump won the state by 14 % in 2016 .
And in South Carolina , Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Jaime Harrison .
Polls are also showing that race to be close .
Graham , during recent appearances on Fox News , has warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with donations .
And McClatchy reports that a Republican PAC , the Senate Leadership Fund , is planning to spend $ 10 million in a three-week ad blitz in the hope of saving Graham from being voted out of office .
The fact that the GOP suddenly seems extremely concerned about saving a Senate seat in South Carolina of all places shows what dire straits the party has found itself in .

President Donald Trump's supporters hoped his debate with former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday night would give his campaign a boost. But many pundits have argued that while Trump's unhinged ranting and raving during the debate probably didn't hurt his support among true MAGA diehards, it didn't win over many swing voters who were on the fence. And two Washington Post opinion columnists, Never Trump conservative Jennifer Rubin and liberal Greg Sargent, are emphasizing that Trump has only made things worse for himself this week and that a mood of desperation and panic is evident in the Republican Party.
Tuesday night's debate was followed by a MAGA rally in Minnesota, where Trump once again attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar. Trump's campaign is hoping that he will be able to flip Minnesota, which Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won in 2016. But according to Sargent, the Minnesota rally only underscored how dysfunctional Trump's reelection campaign is. Trump reignited his racist attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, trying to pull out the same bag of tricks that snagged him a Midwest victory in 2016, but it doesn't look like it's working this time around. Sargent explained:
Trump spent months on a "law and order" strategy to galvanize his core White supporters while frightening White suburbanites back to him. That failed.
Then, at the debate, Trump kept it up, falsely insisting Biden wouldn't utter the words "law and order," winking to right-wing extremists and white supremacists, and again rallying supporters to intimidate the opposition's voters.
Yet Republicans believe this is failing for him, reports the New York Times. His racist backlash politics and threats of voter intimidation risk further alienating "women, moderates, suburban voters and people of color," as the Times puts it. The people outside what he calls "our country."
Republicans fear this approach is putting Trump and his party on track to a big loss. But as his Minnesota rally showed, he remains absolutely committed to winning only in this fashion.
Rubin, similarly, views Trump's hysterical anti-Democrat rants as acts of "desperation."
"In his desperation to discredit his opponent and an election that he looks likely to lose — potentially by a margin too large for him to plausibly scream 'Fraud!' — President Trump's lies and outbursts are getting increasingly bizarre," Rubin explains. "(Tuesday) night's 'debate' showcased Trump at his most unhinged and out of control, unable to conduct a civil conversation or maintain a coherent train of thought."
This week, Rubin writes, one "could practically feel the panic emanating from the White House."
"Trump is becoming more frantic and unhinged by the day," Rubin argues. "He is staring not only at a possible landslide defeat, but potentially, also economic ruin and criminal prosecution. And his kids' inheritance may be going down the drain as well. Certainly, Trump's presidency has been a four-year nightmare for the country, but for Trump, it may turn out to be devastating and permanent."
Some red states, according to polls, are turning out to be surprisingly competitive for Biden, including Texas and Georgia: recent polls in those states have either shown Trump slightly ahead or Biden slightly ahead. But especially shocking is a new Quinnipiac poll that shows Biden trailing Trump by only 1% in South Carolina. While Texas and Georgia, truth be told, are light red at this point, South Carolina is known for being deep red: Trump won the state by 14% in 2016. And in South Carolina, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Jaime Harrison. Polls are also showing that race to be close.
Graham, during recent appearances on Fox News, has warned fellow Republicans that Harrison is being inundated with donations. And McClatchy reports that a Republican PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, is planning to spend $10 million in a three-week ad blitz in the hope of saving Graham from being voted out of office.
The fact that the GOP suddenly seems extremely concerned about saving a Senate seat in South Carolina of all places shows what dire straits the party has found itself in.


alternet--2020-10-01--A Republican official was just forced to debunk Trump's bogus claim of vote-selling in West Virginia

President Donald Trump has claimed that a postal worker in West Virginia was `` selling '' voting ballots .
But West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner , a Republican , has refuted the president 's claim — and a postal worker who did plead guilty to attempted election fraud in that state , according to the Associated Press , was n't selling them .
During the raucous , chaotic presidential debate on Tuesday night , Trump referred to the case of Thomas Cooper — a postal worker who , AP notes , `` pleaded guilty , in July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mail after changing five ballot requests from Democrat to Republican .
He also altered three other ballot applications by circling the word 'Republican ' in a different color ink than what was used on the forms , Secretary of State Mac Warner said in a written statement . ''
Cooper , according to AP , did admit to an illegal act , but Trump mischaracterized his actions .
No ballots were sold , and Warner said that the attempted fraud was a `` unique circumstance where a postal carrier altered absentee ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ballots in West Virginia , Trump said , `` They 're being sold .
They 're being dumped in rivers . ''
And Trump has claimed , `` There is going to be a fraud like you 've never seen , '' but Warner wanted to assure West Virginia residents that the state is not being plagued by rampant voter fraud and that the Cooper case was an isolated incident .
`` Voters should be confident that this election will be safe , secure , and fair , '' Warner stressed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in West Virginia are also being disputed by the state 's two U.S .
Senators : Republican Shelly Moore Capito and centrist Democrat Joe Manchin .
`` A lot of states are going to go all mail-in , '' AP quotes Capito as saying , `` and I think it undermines the election to plant those seeds of doubt . ''
Manchin , in a written statement , said , `` There is no widespread voter fraud in West Virginia , and any claim to the contrary is false . ''
If Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November , it is most unlikely to be because of West Virginia .
A WPA Intelligence poll released earlier this year found Biden trailing Trump by 35 % in that state .
And in 2016 , Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by 42 % in West Virginia .

President Donald Trump has claimed that a postal worker in West Virginia was "selling" voting ballots. But West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, a Republican, has refuted the president's claim — and a postal worker who did plead guilty to attempted election fraud in that state, according to the Associated Press, wasn't selling them.
During the raucous, chaotic presidential debate on Tuesday night, Trump referred to the case of Thomas Cooper — a postal worker who, AP notes, "pleaded guilty, in July, to attempted election fraud and injury to the mail after changing five ballot requests from Democrat to Republican. He also altered three other ballot applications by circling the word 'Republican' in a different color ink than what was used on the forms, Secretary of State Mac Warner said in a written statement."
Cooper, according to AP, did admit to an illegal act, but Trump mischaracterized his actions. No ballots were sold, and Warner said that the attempted fraud was a "unique circumstance where a postal carrier altered absentee ballot applications, not ballots."
Referring to ballots in West Virginia, Trump said, "They're being sold. They're being dumped in rivers." And Trump has claimed, "There is going to be a fraud like you've never seen," but Warner wanted to assure West Virginia residents that the state is not being plagued by rampant voter fraud and that the Cooper case was an isolated incident.
"Voters should be confident that this election will be safe, secure, and fair," Warner stressed.
Trump's claims about rampant voter fraud in West Virginia are also being disputed by the state's two U.S. Senators: Republican Shelly Moore Capito and centrist Democrat Joe Manchin.
"A lot of states are going to go all mail-in," AP quotes Capito as saying, "and I think it undermines the election to plant those seeds of doubt." Manchin, in a written statement, said, "There is no widespread voter fraud in West Virginia, and any claim to the contrary is false."
If Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden in November, it is most unlikely to be because of West Virginia. A WPA Intelligence poll released earlier this year found Biden trailing Trump by 35% in that state. And in 2016, Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by 42% in West Virginia.


alternet--2020-10-01--Donald Trump can't escape blame for America's disastrous failure to manage Covid-19

Bob Woodward 's revelation that President Trump was well aware of how deadly and contagious Covid-19 was in early February definitively answered a famous question from an earlier presidential scandal : `` what did the president know , and when did he know it ? ''
But there has still been much lingering confusion – much of it intentionally sown by the president – around two related questions : whether the US really did fail in its pandemic response , and whether that failure is actually Trump 's fault .
So let 's clear this up once and for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a resounding yes : we failed on Covid , and Trump was the leading cause .
As examples of some of the rationalizing and data-chopping that have muddled the issue in recent months , the president claimed in July that our high Covid case counts are simply due to more testing , and then this week he claimed again that we were doing exceptionally well relative to an invented baseline of two and a half million deaths , especially if you only count `` red states . ''
The conservative media have helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journal Reason reached a mixed verdict on whether the US compares favorably to the European Union on Covid mortality rates .
Ross Douthat argued in the New York Times that America 's performance is satisfactory on cumulative excess deaths when measured against peers in Europe or Latin America , and that any struggles we have are attributable to multiple causes .
These assertions are misleading at best , and simply wrong at worst .
More testing was not the cause of more cases ( Sten Vermund , dean of the Yale School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blowing smoke '' ) .
Red states alone have one of the worst death rates in the world .
And the favorable death rate comparisons are cherry-picked .
In reality , we have the most deaths of any country by far and our per capita death rates are twice as high as the average among high-income countries .
The FREOPP World Index of Healthcare Innovation ( a source that Douthat paradoxically cites ) puts the US 27th out of 31 countries in its `` COVID-19 Pandemic Performance Rankings . ''
Indeed , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health infrastructures in the world , the most money , and the most global influence , should n't we be doing far better than most other countries ?
And why would n't we compare ourselves to the Asian countries that lack some of our advantages and are still running laps around us ?
China was where the virus started , has four times our population , and yet has had 1/40th the total deaths of the US .
Other Asian countries have shown that with smart government leadership it is possible to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are certainly beating us hands down .
So of course we have failed .
Nor should one buy arguments that the blame for our dysfunction should be more broadly ascribed to cultural or bureaucratic factors .
Of course there are many influences that contributed to the mess we are in .
But the idea that libertarian social currents or CDC test-development delays are the real culprit are simply a `` whataboutism . ''
There are many clear , specific , and demonstrable ways that our government has cost us in lives and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them directly to Donald Trump .
Trump failed in three clear ways : he was responsible for missing the early signs of danger , for refusing to lead a fast ramp-up when he did know the danger , and for leading in the wrong direction ever since .
First , the Trump administration worked overtime to turn off the mechanisms that previous governments had established as our early-warning radar .
The Trump administration `` explicitly dismantled the office in the White House '' meant to deal with potential pandemics .
It cut CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other on-the-ground health monitoring functions to wither as tensions rose around Trump 's trade war .
And when the information that was available led US intelligence to warn the President with increasing urgency throughout January , he ignored it .
Second , Trump deliberately and stubbornly sat on his hands in the face of danger to the American people .
The Trump-imposed blindness to the threat set us back by multiple – and critical – weeks .
Yet there was still time to act by the end of January , when Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public health emergency .
But Trump spent February golfing , lunching , and watching TV , while claiming that the threat would disappear `` like magic . ''
He delayed accelerating production of personal protective equipment , especially masks , and was slow to lift tariffs on Chinese imports or invoke the Defense Production Act , steps that would have made equipment widely available earlier .
These shortages led to concerns that medical providers would not have enough , and thereby contributed to confusing guidance for the public not to wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much faster in the early days , with ripple effects that we are still feeling ( studies show that routine mask use by even half the population would have flattened out disease spread and reduced the need for ongoing lockdowns ) .
There is no more damning fact than knowing that accelerating our national response by a mere two weeks would likely have prevented 90 percent of the subsequent first wave deaths , a figure that easily equals 100,000 Americans .
This was totally do-able : the CDC 's respiratory-disease chief publicly called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks before Trump issued social distancing guidelines on March 16 .
Fifty-three countries imposed similar national guidelines or lockdowns before Trump took action .
Third , since March 16 , Trump has spread confusion and inhibited our ability to implement public health measures that have been proven life-savers elsewhere .
Researchers at Stamford University analyzed 38 million English-language articles about the pandemic and found that , as The New York Times described it , Trump `` made up nearly 38 percent of the overall 'misinformation conversation , ' making the president the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsehoods involving the pandemic . ''
Trump pushed re-opening by Easter , urged a slowdown of testing , called for `` liberating '' states with anti-lockdown protests , pushed quack remedies like hydroxychloroquine or injecting disinfectant , and has sent mixed messages on masks .
One could argue that America 's opposition to mask-wearing is cultural , so Trump is not to blame .
But pockets of mask resistance fall predominantly among Republicans , a group that is highly responsive to messaging from the President .
We can only imagine what might have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed mask-wearing as patriotic duty throughout this year .
Among the worst mistakes is that Trump has failed to lead on using all federal resources to address either the continuing shortage of tests or the resulting inability to enact meaningful contact tracing programs , neutering the most effective public health tools we have .
There are a lot of confusing and complicated things going on in this pandemic , as there are in our politics .
The question of whether Donald Trump was responsible for a catastrophic failure in responding to Covid is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crisis , and America 's elected leader failed miserably .
with disastrous consequences .

Bob Woodward's revelation that President Trump was well aware of how deadly and contagious Covid-19 was in early February definitively answered a famous question from an earlier presidential scandal: "what did the president know, and when did he know it?" But there has still been much lingering confusion – much of it intentionally sown by the president – around two related questions: whether the US really did fail in its pandemic response, and whether that failure is actually Trump's fault.
So let's clear this up once and for all. The answers to both questions are a resounding yes: we failed on Covid, and Trump was the leading cause.
As examples of some of the rationalizing and data-chopping that have muddled the issue in recent months, the president claimed in July that our high Covid case counts are simply due to more testing, and then this week he claimed again that we were doing exceptionally well relative to an invented baseline of two and a half million deaths, especially if you only count "red states."
The conservative media have helped Trump muddy the waters. The libertarian journal Reasonreached a mixed verdict on whether the US compares favorably to the European Union on Covid mortality rates. Ross Douthat argued in the New York Times that America's performance is satisfactory on cumulative excess deaths when measured against peers in Europe or Latin America, and that any struggles we have are attributable to multiple causes.
These assertions are misleading at best, and simply wrong at worst. More testing was not the cause of more cases (Sten Vermund, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, called this claim "blowing smoke"). Red states alone have one of the worst death rates in the world. And the favorable death rate comparisons are cherry-picked. In reality, we have the most deaths of any country by far and our per capita death rates are twice as high as the average among high-income countries. The FREOPP World Index of Healthcare Innovation (a source that Douthat paradoxically cites) puts the US 27th out of 31 countries in its "COVID-19 Pandemic Performance Rankings."
Indeed, since the US has one of the best public health infrastructures in the world, the most money, and the most global influence, shouldn't we be doing far better than most other countries? And why wouldn't we compare ourselves to the Asian countries that lack some of our advantages and are still running laps around us? China was where the virus started, has four times our population, and yet has had 1/40th the total deaths of the US. Other Asian countries have shown that with smart government leadership it is possible to beat back Covid almost completely. They are certainly beating us hands down.
So of course we have failed.
Nor should one buy arguments that the blame for our dysfunction should be more broadly ascribed to cultural or bureaucratic factors. Of course there are many influences that contributed to the mess we are in. But the idea that libertarian social currents or CDC test-development delays are the real culprit are simply a "whataboutism." There are many clear, specific, and demonstrable ways that our government has cost us in lives and economic suffering. We can attribute most of them directly to Donald Trump.
Trump failed in three clear ways: he was responsible for missing the early signs of danger, for refusing to lead a fast ramp-up when he did know the danger, and for leading in the wrong direction ever since.
First, the Trump administration worked overtime to turn off the mechanisms that previous governments had established as our early-warning radar. The Trump administration "explicitly dismantled the office in the White House" meant to deal with potential pandemics. It cut CDC staff inside China by 2/3 and allowed other on-the-ground health monitoring functions to wither as tensions rose around Trump's trade war. And when the information that was available led US intelligence to warn the President with increasing urgency throughout January, he ignored it.
Second, Trump deliberately and stubbornly sat on his hands in the face of danger to the American people. The Trump-imposed blindness to the threat set us back by multiple – and critical – weeks. Yet there was still time to act by the end of January, when Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar announced a public health emergency.
But Trump spent February golfing, lunching, and watching TV, while claiming that the threat would disappear "like magic." He delayed accelerating production of personal protective equipment, especially masks, and was slow to lift tariffs on Chinese imports or invoke the Defense Production Act, steps that would have made equipment widely available earlier. These shortages led to concerns that medical providers would not have enough, and thereby contributed to confusing guidance for the public not to wear masks. That likely helped spread the disease much faster in the early days, with ripple effects that we are still feeling (studies show that routine mask use by even half the population would have flattened out disease spread and reduced the need for ongoing lockdowns).
There is no more damning fact than knowing that accelerating our national response by a mere two weeks would likely have prevented 90 percent of the subsequent first wave deaths, a figure that easily equals 100,000 Americans. This was totally do-able: the CDC's respiratory-disease chief publicly called for widespread school and work closures three weeks before Trump issued social distancing guidelines on March 16. Fifty-three countries imposed similar national guidelines or lockdowns before Trump took action.
Third, since March 16, Trump has spread confusion and inhibited our ability to implement public health measures that have been proven life-savers elsewhere. Researchers at Stamford University analyzed 38 million English-language articles about the pandemic and found that, as The New York Timesdescribed it, Trump "made up nearly 38 percent of the overall 'misinformation conversation,' making the president the largest driver of the "infodemic" — falsehoods involving the pandemic."
Trump pushed re-opening by Easter, urged a slowdown of testing, called for "liberating" states with anti-lockdown protests, pushed quack remedies like hydroxychloroquine or injecting disinfectant, and has sent mixed messages on masks. One could argue that America's opposition to mask-wearing is cultural, so Trump is not to blame. But pockets of mask resistance fall predominantly among Republicans, a group that is highly responsive to messaging from the President. We can only imagine what might have happened if Trump had clearly and consistently pushed mask-wearing as patriotic duty throughout this year.
Among the worst mistakes is that Trump has failed to lead on using all federal resources to address either the continuing shortage of tests or the resulting inability to enact meaningful contact tracing programs, neutering the most effective public health tools we have.
There are a lot of confusing and complicated things going on in this pandemic, as there are in our politics. The question of whether Donald Trump was responsible for a catastrophic failure in responding to Covid is not among them. Leadership matters in a crisis, and America's elected leader failed miserably. with disastrous consequences.


alternet--2020-10-01--McEnany claims Amy Coney Barrett is a Rhodes scholar — in reality, she just attended Rhodes College:

McEnany claims Amy Coney Barrett is a Rhodes scholar — in reality, she just attended Rhodes College: ‘My bad’

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has incorrectly described Judge Amy Coney Barrett , President Donald Trump 's third nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court , as a `` Rhodes scholar . ''
But reporters corrected McEnany during a press conference on Thursday , letting her know that although Barrett graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis , she is n't a Rhodes scholar .
The reporter told McEnany , `` You said that Judge Barrett is a Rhodes scholar .
I 'm not sure that that 's true '' — and McEnany , looking at her notes , responded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here . ''
Another reporter at the press conference chimed in , `` She attended Rhodes College . ''
And McEnany acknowledged her mistake , saying , `` Attended Rhodes College .
So , my bad . ''
Trump nominated Barrett — a far-right social conservative who has been involved with the extremist religious cult People of Praise — for the U.S. Supreme Court following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
People of Praise have been controversial for their extreme patriarchal views and teaching that female members should be totally submissive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation hearings are set to begin on Monday , October 12 .
Trying to rally his white evangelical Christian Right base , Trump is hoping that the Senate will have a full vote on Barrett 's nomination before Election Day .

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has incorrectly described Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's third nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, as a "Rhodes scholar." But reporters corrected McEnany during a press conference on Thursday, letting her know that although Barrett graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, she isn't a Rhodes scholar.
The reporter told McEnany, "You said that Judge Barrett is a Rhodes scholar. I'm not sure that that's true" — and McEnany, looking at her notes, responded, "That's what I have written here."
Another reporter at the press conference chimed in, "She attended Rhodes College." And McEnany acknowledged her mistake, saying, "Attended Rhodes College. So, my bad."
Trump nominated Barrett — a far-right social conservative who has been involved with the extremist religious cult People of Praise — for the U.S. Supreme Court following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. People of Praise have been controversial for their extreme patriarchal views and teaching that female members should be totally submissive to their husbands.
Barrett's Senate confirmation hearings are set to begin on Monday, October 12. Trying to rally his white evangelical Christian Right base, Trump is hoping that the Senate will have a full vote on Barrett's nomination before Election Day.


alternet--2020-10-01--Furious Fox News’ John Roberts blows up on the White House after contentious press briefing: ‘I’m ti

Furious Fox News’ John Roberts blows up on the White House after contentious press briefing: ‘I’m tired of it’

Fox News ' John Roberts was enraged after the White House press briefing on Thursday in which Kayleigh McEnany refused @ @ @ @ @ explain why the president refuses to do so .
During Tuesday 's debate , Trump @ @ @ @ @ Biden on denouncing violent protesters , which Biden did , saying that violence is not @ @ @ @ @ induces violence should be prosecuted .
President Donald Trump , by contrast , refused to @ @ @ @ @ who are trying to stir up more unrest to help Trump craft a narrative that @ @ @ @ @ violence .
`` All of you on Twitter who were hammering me for asking that @ @ @ @ @ care ! ''
Roberts said after the contentious press briefing .
`` Because it 's @ @ @ @ @ be asked and clearly the president 's Republican colleagues , a mile away from here @ @ @ @ @ answer for it too .
So stop deflecting !
Stop blaming the media !
I @ @ @ @ @ '' See the video below :

Fox News' John Roberts was enraged after the White House press briefing on Thursday in which Kayleigh McEnany refused to denounce white supremacy or explain why the president refuses to do so.
During Tuesday's debate, Trump hammered former Vice President Joe Biden on denouncing violent protesters, which Biden did, saying that violence is not the answer and anyone who induces violence should be prosecuted. President Donald Trump, by contrast, refused to condemn white supremacists and militias who are trying to stir up more unrest to help Trump craft a narrative that Democrats are dangerous and create violence.
"All of you on Twitter who were hammering me for asking that question, I don't care!" Roberts said after the contentious press briefing. "Because it's a question that needs to be asked and clearly the president's Republican colleagues, a mile away from here, are looking for an answer for it too. So stop deflecting! Stop blaming the media! I'm tired of it!"
See the video below:


alternet--2020-10-01--Amy Coney Barrett supported extreme anti-abortion group that believes life begins at fertilization

If President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are successful in ramming Judge Amy Coney Barrett 's nomination through the Senate before Election Day , the U.S. Supreme Court could end up with another far-right social conservative who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade .
Barrett has made no secret of her strident opposition to the ruling , and in the Guardian , journalist Stephanie Kirchgaessner reports that Barrett has supported a group that is `` considered to be extreme even within the anti-abortion movement . ''
That group is St. Joseph County Right to Life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kirchgaessner notes that the group `` has said life begins at fertilization '' and that `` the discarding of unused or frozen embryos created in the in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) process ought to be criminalized . ''
According to Kirchgaessner , `` In 2006 , while Barrett worked as a law professor at Notre Dame , she was one of hundreds of people who signed a full-page newspaper advertisement sponsored by St Joseph County Right to Life… .
The advertisement , which appeared in the South Bend Tribune , stated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death .
Please continue to pray to end abortion . '
'' Jackie Appleman , executive director of St. Joseph County Right to Life , told the Guardian , `` We support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions .
At this point , we are not supportive of criminalizing the women .
We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process . ''
Kirchgaessner explains why St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are controversial even within the anti-abortion movement , noting , `` For years , mainstream anti-abortion activists have avoided including discarded embryos created in the in vitro fertilization process in their crusade to protect every embryo , in part because seeking to curtail IVF treatment would be very unpopular .
In Alabama , which has passed a near-total ban on abortion , embryos created through IVF are excepted from the law .
But the issue has gained resonance with some fringe groups who have sought to give fertilized eggs a constitutionally protected 'right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Senate confirmed Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018 , many feminists and pro-choice activists feared that Roe v. Wade ( which , 47 years ago , legalized abortion nationwide ) was in jeopardy — and if Barrett is confirmed , that 1973 decision is almost certain to be struck down .
The end of Roe would not be a nationwide abortion ban , but it would allow individual states to outlaw abortion .
A nationwide post-Roe abortion ban would need to be passed by both houses of Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as Democrats have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives .
Barrett 's Senate confirmation hearings are set to begin on Monday , October 12 , and Trump is hoping that the Senate will have a full vote on her nomination before Election Day .

If President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are successful in ramming Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination through the Senate before Election Day, the U.S. Supreme Court could end up with another far-right social conservative who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. Barrett has made no secret of her strident opposition to the ruling, and in the Guardian, journalist Stephanie Kirchgaessner reports that Barrett has supported a group that is "considered to be extreme even within the anti-abortion movement."
That group is St. Joseph County Right to Life, based in South Bend, Indiana. Kirchgaessner notes that the group "has said life begins at fertilization" and that "the discarding of unused or frozen embryos created in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process ought to be criminalized."
According to Kirchgaessner, "In 2006, while Barrett worked as a law professor at Notre Dame, she was one of hundreds of people who signed a full-page newspaper advertisement sponsored by St Joseph County Right to Life…. The advertisement, which appeared in the South Bend Tribune, stated, 'We, the following citizens of Michiana, oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death. Please continue to pray to end abortion.'"
Jackie Appleman, executive director of St. Joseph County Right to Life, told the Guardian, "We support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions. At this point, we are not supportive of criminalizing the women. We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process."
Kirchgaessner explains why St. Joseph County Right to Life's views are controversial even within the anti-abortion movement, noting, "For years, mainstream anti-abortion activists have avoided including discarded embryos created in the in vitro fertilization process in their crusade to protect every embryo, in part because seeking to curtail IVF treatment would be very unpopular. In Alabama, which has passed a near-total ban on abortion, embryos created through IVF are excepted from the law. But the issue has gained resonance with some fringe groups who have sought to give fertilized eggs a constitutionally protected 'right to life.'"
When the U.S. Senate confirmed Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018, many feminists and pro-choice activists feared that Roe v. Wade (which, 47 years ago, legalized abortion nationwide) was in jeopardy — and if Barrett is confirmed, that 1973 decision is almost certain to be struck down. The end of Roe would not be a nationwide abortion ban, but it would allow individual states to outlaw abortion. A nationwide post-Roe abortion ban would need to be passed by both houses of Congress, which isn't going to happen as long as Democrats have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Barrett's Senate confirmation hearings are set to begin on Monday, October 12, and Trump is hoping that the Senate will have a full vote on her nomination before Election Day.


alternet--2020-10-01--FBI memo warns of far-right violence to come during post-election 'flashpoint'

One day after President Donald Trump urged his supporters to engage in voter intimidation during the general election and called on the violent white supremacist group Proud Boys to `` stand by '' rather than `` stand down , '' The Nation reported that the FBI is preparing for a `` violent extremist threat '' posed by a far-right , anti-government militia whose members have advocated for a `` race war . ''
Identifying the loosely-organized group known as the `` Boogaloos '' as the specific threat , the FBI 's Dallas field office prepared an intelligence report on Tuesday—the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document , `` Boogaloo Adherents Likely Increasing Anti-Government Violent Rhetoric and Activities , Increasing Domestic Violent Extremist Threat in the FBI Dallas Area of Responsibility . ''
Known for wearing Hawaiian shirts and military fatigues and carrying weapons to rallies , `` Boogaloos '' reportedly intend to bring about a second American Civil War , which some adherents believe will be a `` race war . ''
In one high-profile case against a Boogaloo proponent , Steven Carrillo was accused this year of killing two law enforcement officers with the aim of `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators '' at a Black Lives Matter rally .
The Boogaloo movement has also had a strong presence at protests against Covid-19 restrictions , where many adherents were armed .
With Trump repeatedly stoking the perception among his supporters that—despite the fact that he trails Democratic candidate Joe Biden in several swing state polls—the only legitimate election will be one that he wins and that mail-in ballots will result in a rigged election , the FBI believes Election Day could be a `` potential flashpoint '' in an escalation of the Boogaloos ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading up to Inauguration Day in January 2021 .
`` Boogaloo adherents likely will expand influence within the FBI Dallas AOR [ Area of Responsibility ] due to the presence of existing anti-government or anti-authority violent extremists , the sentiment of perceived government overreach , heightened tensions due to Covid-19-related state and local restrictions , and violence or criminal activity at lawful protests as a result of the death of an African American USPER [ US person ] in Minneapolis , factors that led to violence at otherwise peaceful and lawful protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report reads .
`` Indicators that this assessment is correct include increased violent social media posts of boogaloo adherents and increased 'patrolling ' or attendance at events that are anti-law enforcement , anti-government , or anti-authority , '' the Dallas field office continues .
On social media , journalist Medhi Hasan called the report `` a huge story . ''
Nation reporter Ken Klippenstein , who wrote about the FBI 's warning for the outlet , urged federal law enforcement agents to share more information about their concerns regarding the election and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Common Dreams reported Wednesday , members of the Proud Boys celebrated the president 's refusal to denounce white supremacy at the debate .
The group 's reaction was `` a perfect example of how Trump 's voter fraud disinformation and emboldened white supremacists and other violent extremists are a recipe for disaster this fall , '' tweeted Amy Spitalnick of the anti-racist group Integrity First for America .

One day after President Donald Trump urged his supporters to engage in voter intimidation during the general election and called on the violent white supremacist group Proud Boys to "stand by" rather than "stand down," The Nationreported that the FBI is preparing for a "violent extremist threat" posed by a far-right, anti-government militia whose members have advocated for a "race war."
Identifying the loosely-organized group known as the "Boogaloos" as the specific threat, the FBI's Dallas field office prepared an intelligence report on Tuesday—the day of the first presidential debate—titling the document, "Boogaloo Adherents Likely Increasing Anti-Government Violent Rhetoric and Activities, Increasing Domestic Violent Extremist Threat in the FBI Dallas Area of Responsibility."
Known for wearing Hawaiian shirts and military fatigues and carrying weapons to rallies, "Boogaloos" reportedly intend to bring about a second American Civil War, which some adherents believe will be a "race war." In one high-profile case against a Boogaloo proponent, Steven Carrillo was accused this year of killing two law enforcement officers with the aim of "provoking retaliation from the police against the demonstrators" at a Black Lives Matter rally.
The Boogaloo movement has also had a strong presence at protests against Covid-19 restrictions, where many adherents were armed.
With Trump repeatedly stoking the perception among his supporters that—despite the fact that he trails Democratic candidate Joe Biden in several swing state polls—the only legitimate election will be one that he wins and that mail-in ballots will result in a rigged election, the FBI believes Election Day could be a "potential flashpoint" in an escalation of the Boogaloos' violent activities over the next three months, leading up to Inauguration Day in January 2021.
"Boogaloo adherents likely will expand influence within the FBI Dallas AOR [Area of Responsibility] due to the presence of existing anti-government or anti-authority violent extremists, the sentiment of perceived government overreach, heightened tensions due to Covid-19-related state and local restrictions, and violence or criminal activity at lawful protests as a result of the death of an African American USPER [US person] in Minneapolis, factors that led to violence at otherwise peaceful and lawful protests in the FBI Dallas AOR," the report reads.
"Indicators that this assessment is correct include increased violent social media posts of boogaloo adherents and increased 'patrolling' or attendance at events that are anti-law enforcement, anti-government, or anti-authority," the Dallas field office continues.
On social media, journalist Medhi Hasan called the report "a huge story." Nation reporter Ken Klippenstein, who wrote about the FBI's warning for the outlet, urged federal law enforcement agents to share more information about their concerns regarding the election and potential violence by white supremacist groups.
As Common Dreams reported Wednesday, members of the Proud Boys celebrated the president's refusal to denounce white supremacy at the debate.
The group's reaction was "a perfect example of how Trump's voter fraud disinformation and emboldened white supremacists and other violent extremists are a recipe for disaster this fall," tweeted Amy Spitalnick of the anti-racist group Integrity First for America.


alternet--2020-10-01--Trump ‘is aiding and abetting Putin’s efforts’: HR McMaster

During an appearance on MSNBC this Thursday , former National Security advisor to President Trump , H.R .
McMaster , @ @ @ @ @ is posing a greater threat to the 2020 election than Vladimir Putin .
McMaster said @ @ @ @ @ `` aiding an abetting Putin 's efforts '' by not directly `` calling out Putin @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The retired lieutenant general also addressed what many say is President Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ supremacist groups , saying he `` missed a huge opportunity '' and that it should @ @ @ @ @ condemn white supremacists . ''

During an appearance on MSNBC this Thursday, former National Security advisor to President Trump, H.R. McMaster, was asked if President Trump is posing a greater threat to the 2020 election than Vladimir Putin.
McMaster said that he agrees Trump is "aiding an abetting Putin's efforts" by not directly "calling out Putin for what he's doing."
The retired lieutenant general also addressed what many say is President Trump's refusal to directly condemn white supremacist groups, saying he "missed a huge opportunity" and that it should be "super easy to condemn white supremacists."
Watch the full segment below:


alternet--2020-10-01--Yale psychiatrist: 'We cannot pretend' to have a debate when 'management of psychological impairment

Yale psychiatrist: 'We cannot pretend' to have a debate when 'management of psychological impairment' is required

A Yale psychiatrist who has repeatedly raised questions about President Trump 's mental health argued that Tuesday 's debate against Joe Biden should never have been allowed to go forward .
Dr. Bandy X. Lee , a forensic psychiatrist at Yale School of Medicine and the president of the World Mental Health Coalition , said in an interview with Salon that Trump lacked the basic `` mental health '' to participate in a presidential debate .
Trump derailed the debate throughout the entire 90 minutes , repeatedly refusing to comply with the rules his campaign had agreed to and incessantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universally panned as a `` sh*tshow '' and `` a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck . ''
Lee , the author of the textbook `` Violence '' and editor of `` The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump : 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President , '' has led an organization of mental health professionals calling for Trump to be removed from the White House and the 2020 ballot because of his `` psychological dangerousness and mental unfitness . ''
She told Salon that the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the result of a years-long problem that has gone ignored far too long .
`` The predicament that we are facing , of being unable to be certain even of a democratic election , is because we have done everything possible to avoid naming the problem , '' she said .
`` We saw from Robert Mueller 's team and the Democratic House 's handling of impeachment that not taking psychological factors into consideration predetermined their poor outcome .
This is because psychological issues need to be dealt with psychologically — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Lee said she plans to publish a `` Profile of the Nation '' on her website to provide a `` full psychological profile of Donald Trump in the context of his followers and the nation . ''
`` My 'Profile of the Nation ' hopes to provide 'the missing link ' that explains why the president does what he does , why he has so tragically mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic , why he stokes racial tensions and national conflict , and ultimately how he is bringing about a near-destruction of democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is power , and we need to spread this knowledge . ''
Lee spoke to Salon about the debate and the responsibility of mental health professionals to speak out about the president 's mental health ahead of the election .
Trump spent most of the debate heckling and interrupting , mixed with some blatant lying .
How would you assess his debate performance ?
The huge error was in allowing the debate to happen in the first place .
`` How was his debate performance ? ''
is the wrong question to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can not pretend to have one when management of psychological impairment is what is warranted .
The majority of the country may be horrified at what he is doing , but we continue to help the disorder in every way possible by treating his behavior as normal .
It applies first to the politicians , then to the media and then to pundits who do not come out and honestly say : `` This is beyond anything I have seen and beyond what I can understand — can we consult with experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychological matter , would be mental health experts .
Perhaps even specialists of personality disorders or sociopathy would be necessary , given the severity .
Instead , where mental health is concerned , everyone seems to believe one knows all there is to know and that expertise is unnecessary .
We have seen what a disastrous difference it makes when we leave pandemic management to random persons ' whims , as opposed to pandemic experts — it makes the difference of hundreds of thousands of lives .
Problems of the human mind are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a virus .
We are not helpless , yet we continue to make the problem worse through the seeming notion that an expert 's lifetime accumulation of scientific knowledge and clinical experience do not count .
This attitude leaves us in ignorance , and we can not properly respond to the needs of the situation .
Is there anything Joe Biden could have done differently to counter Trump 's incessant attempts at bullying ?
Again , we can not expect non-professionals to handle a person who requires professional-level care .
He did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , because of a lack of knowledge about what exactly is happening outside the realm of rationality , and not having a systematic plan that accords with proven principles of management — which is again an area of specialized knowledge and practice — he could not do what was necessary .
As far as Donald Trump 's followers are concerned , this was a winner for Trump , not Joe Biden .
What did you make of Chris Wallace 's attempts to rein in Trump ?
Is there anything future moderators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , back to the need for an honest national debate .
Ask yourself : How many times have you heard a mental health professional speak about the problems of the president 's mental health in the past week , month or year ?
Yet this is a matter that warrants discussion every day with experts , until it is brought under control .
We are currently under enormous danger because of the platform that is provided the president , which he uses daily to fuel conspiracy theories , to bewitch his followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would oppose him , and now to subvert democracy itself .
It is unreasonable and inapplicable to ask anchors to do the job that has now become a public health problem of such magnitude that all the different disciplines and sectors must step up and collaborate .
Without a clear vision of what is happening , this is nearly impossible .
Treating a psychological issue as a purely political one is the first problem .
This was the basic message when more than 800 mental health professionals signed a petition during impeachment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consult with us .
We predicted that as long as the psychological factors were ignored , any procedure would fail .
This was also the underlying message of over 300 pages of letters , petitions and conference transcripts which my organization has recently published in `` Documents '' — people can see how we predicted , almost with uncanny timing , what would happen if we failed to contain the psychological dangers of the president .
It has now spread into social , cultural , civic and geopolitical dangers , just as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend was the American Psychiatric Association 's distortion of ethics .
The reinterpretation of the `` Goldwater rule , '' as happened at the onset of this presidency , has been exceedingly harmful , in my view , for silence in the face of grave dangers facilitates conditions for atrocities .
Last month , we created a blow-by-blow account of how we exactly foretold the president 's mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic , based on his psychological makeup .
We could not effectively convey this in advance , because the public was led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' which is a guild rule applying only to 6 % of practicing mental health professionals , was universal , or worse yet , some kind of law .
But in truth , to change a guideline whose purpose is to protect public health to protect a public figure at the expense of public health violates all core tenets of medical ethics .
I predicted early on that this distortion to suit this administration would cause more harm than what the American Psychiatric Association 's counterpart , the American Psychological Association , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and design programs for torture .
This is because any stifling of speech , let alone education , regarding such dangers to society was bound to cause far more devastating harm than 1,000 torture victims , as bad as that is .
More than 200,000 deaths later , I think this will be hard to argue .
There is a reason why thousands of mental health professionals have joined us at the World Mental Health Coalition to step up where the American Psychiatric Association has failed in leadership .
We call on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and to apologize for misleading the American people and the media .
Trump 's ability to impose his will on the debate allowed his lies to be aired to millions without any fact-checking or response .
Are you worried that events like this could `` normalize '' the alternative reality Trump is trying to create ?
Absolutely .
What we see is a `` bulldozing effect '' of mental pathology .
The drive for psychic survival ingeniously senses what it needs to get ahead , through illegitimate means .
This primitive and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has no place in politics .
A lot of people seemed to turn off the debate .
It was almost traumatic .
How does watching a debate , or three , like the one on Tuesday , affect the general electorate 's psychology heading into the election ?
This has been one of the hardest things to watch as a mental health professional .
Unprecedented rises in stress and anxiety , including retraumatization , have been well documented far before the disastrous mismanagement of the pandemic and the economic devastation that followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is immense , and we have not seen the tip of the iceberg of suicides , homicides and `` deaths of despair '' that will be a direct consequence of this presidency .
We now have considerable research evidence to be able to make the links and to predict and prevent such harm , and yet we have not made use of any of that knowledge .
It is time for this to change .
This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity .

A Yale psychiatrist who has repeatedly raised questions about President Trump's mental health argued that Tuesday's debate against Joe Biden should never have been allowed to go forward.
Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a forensic psychiatrist at Yale School of Medicine and the president of the World Mental Health Coalition, said in an interview with Salon that Trump lacked the basic "mental health" to participate in a presidential debate.
Trump derailed the debate throughout the entire 90 minutes, repeatedly refusing to comply with the rules his campaign had agreed to and incessantly heckling his opponent. The event was universally panned as a "sh*tshow" and "a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck."
Lee, the author of the textbook "Violence" and editor of "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President," has led an organization of mental health professionals calling for Trump to be removed from the White House and the 2020 ballot because of his "psychological dangerousness and mental unfitness." She told Salon that the media's shock at Trump's disastrous performance was the result of a years-long problem that has gone ignored far too long.
"The predicament that we are facing, of being unable to be certain even of a democratic election, is because we have done everything possible to avoid naming the problem," she said. "We saw from Robert Mueller's team and the Democratic House's handling of impeachment that not taking psychological factors into consideration predetermined their poor outcome. This is because psychological issues need to be dealt with psychologically — and we are now gambling with our elections."
Lee said she plans to publish a "Profile of the Nation" on her website to provide a "full psychological profile of Donald Trump in the context of his followers and the nation."
"My 'Profile of the Nation' hopes to provide 'the missing link' that explains why the president does what he does, why he has so tragically mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic, why he stokes racial tensions and national conflict, and ultimately how he is bringing about a near-destruction of democracy," she said. "Knowledge is power, and we need to spread this knowledge."
Lee spoke to Salon about the debate and the responsibility of mental health professionals to speak out about the president's mental health ahead of the election.
Trump spent most of the debate heckling and interrupting, mixed with some blatant lying. How would you assess his debate performance?
The huge error was in allowing the debate to happen in the first place. "How was his debate performance?" is the wrong question to start. A debate presupposes mental health. We cannot pretend to have one when management of psychological impairment is what is warranted. The majority of the country may be horrified at what he is doing, but we continue to help the disorder in every way possible by treating his behavior as normal. It applies first to the politicians, then to the media and then to pundits who do not come out and honestly say: "This is beyond anything I have seen and beyond what I can understand — can we consult with experts?" And experts, for a psychological matter, would be mental health experts. Perhaps even specialists of personality disorders or sociopathy would be necessary, given the severity.
Instead, where mental health is concerned, everyone seems to believe one knows all there is to know and that expertise is unnecessary. We have seen what a disastrous difference it makes when we leave pandemic management to random persons' whims, as opposed to pandemic experts — it makes the difference of hundreds of thousands of lives. Problems of the human mind are arguably far more complex than problems arising from a virus. We are not helpless, yet we continue to make the problem worse through the seeming notion that an expert's lifetime accumulation of scientific knowledge and clinical experience do not count. This attitude leaves us in ignorance, and we cannot properly respond to the needs of the situation.
Is there anything Joe Biden could have done differently to counter Trump's incessant attempts at bullying?
Again, we cannot expect non-professionals to handle a person who requires professional-level care. He did as well as anyone could possibly expect. However, because of a lack of knowledge about what exactly is happening outside the realm of rationality, and not having a systematic plan that accords with proven principles of management — which is again an area of specialized knowledge and practice — he could not do what was necessary. As far as Donald Trump's followers are concerned, this was a winner for Trump, not Joe Biden.
What did you make of Chris Wallace's attempts to rein in Trump? Is there anything future moderators can do?
It returns, for me, back to the need for an honest national debate. Ask yourself: How many times have you heard a mental health professional speak about the problems of the president's mental health in the past week, month or year? Yet this is a matter that warrants discussion every day with experts, until it is brought under control. We are currently under enormous danger because of the platform that is provided the president, which he uses daily to fuel conspiracy theories, to bewitch his followers' minds, to exhaust those who would oppose him, and now to subvert democracy itself. It is unreasonable and inapplicable to ask anchors to do the job that has now become a public health problem of such magnitude that all the different disciplines and sectors must step up and collaborate. Without a clear vision of what is happening, this is nearly impossible.
Treating a psychological issue as a purely political one is the first problem. This was the basic message when more than 800 mental health professionals signed a petition during impeachment, asking that the speaker of the House consult with us. We predicted that as long as the psychological factors were ignored, any procedure would fail. This was also the underlying message of over 300 pages of letters, petitions and conference transcripts which my organization has recently published in "Documents" — people can see how we predicted, almost with uncanny timing, what would happen if we failed to contain the psychological dangers of the president. It has now spread into social, cultural, civic and geopolitical dangers, just as we said.
Of course, leading this trend was the American Psychiatric Association's distortion of ethics. The reinterpretation of the "Goldwater rule," as happened at the onset of this presidency, has been exceedingly harmful, in my view, for silence in the face of grave dangers facilitates conditions for atrocities. Last month, we created a blow-by-blow account of how we exactly foretold the president's mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic, based on his psychological makeup. We could not effectively convey this in advance, because the public was led to believe that the "Goldwater rule," which is a guild rule applying only to 6% of practicing mental health professionals, was universal, or worse yet, some kind of law. But in truth, to change a guideline whose purpose is to protect public health to protect a public figure at the expense of public health violates all core tenets of medical ethics.
I predicted early on that this distortion to suit this administration would cause more harm than what the American Psychiatric Association's counterpart, the American Psychological Association, did with its ethics guidelines to facilitate and design programs for torture. This is because any stifling of speech, let alone education, regarding such dangers to society was bound to cause far more devastating harm than 1,000 torture victims, as bad as that is. More than 200,000 deaths later, I think this will be hard to argue. There is a reason why thousands of mental health professionals have joined us at the World Mental Health Coalition to step up where the American Psychiatric Association has failed in leadership. We call on the APA to retract its "gag order" and to apologize for misleading the American people and the media.
Trump's ability to impose his will on the debate allowed his lies to be aired to millions without any fact-checking or response. Are you worried that events like this could "normalize" the alternative reality Trump is trying to create?
Absolutely. What we see is a "bulldozing effect" of mental pathology. The drive for psychic survival ingeniously senses what it needs to get ahead, through illegitimate means. This primitive and destructive force is a form of disorder that has no place in politics.
A lot of people seemed to turn off the debate. It was almost traumatic. How does watching a debate, or three, like the one on Tuesday, affect the general electorate's psychology heading into the election?
This has been one of the hardest things to watch as a mental health professional. Unprecedented rises in stress and anxiety, including retraumatization, have been well documented far before the disastrous mismanagement of the pandemic and the economic devastation that followed. The psychological toll on the population is immense, and we have not seen the tip of the iceberg of suicides, homicides and "deaths of despair" that will be a direct consequence of this presidency. We now have considerable research evidence to be able to make the links and to predict and prevent such harm, and yet we have not made use of any of that knowledge. It is time for this to change.
This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity.


alternet--2020-10-01--'Unacceptable': Republicans criticize Trump for not condemning white supremacy

President Donald Trump faces backlash from fellow Republicans after refusing to condemn white supremacy during a contentious moment in the first debate of the 2020 cycle against Democratic rival Joe Biden .
Though Trump told debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News that `` sure '' he would be willing to condemn white supremacist groups , he failed multiple times to do so .
When asked if he would denounce the Proud Boys , which was labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center , the president told its members to `` stand back , and stand by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do something about antifa and the left , '' Trump declared .
In a rare rebuke of Trump , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , told reporters on Wednesday that the president 's failure to denounce white supremacy was `` unacceptable . ''
The GOP leader aligned himself with Sen. Tim Scott , R-S.C. , the only Black Republican in the upper chamber , who had earlier called for Trump to `` correct '' his answer .
`` With regard to the white supremacy issue , I want to associate myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' McConnell said .
`` I think he said it exactly correctly , and that 's exactly how I would express myself on that issue . ''
`` [ Scott ] said it was unacceptable not to condemn white supremacists , and so I do so in the strongest possible way , '' McConnell added .
Scott posited in his earlier remarks that Trump might not have spoken clearly , and the senator extended the president an opportunity to clarify his answer .
`` I think he misspoke .
I think he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Republican said .
`` If he does n't correct it , I guess he did n't misspeak . ''
Sen. Bill Cassidy , R-La , said Trump `` should unequivocally condemn white supremacy , '' as did Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , a frequent critic of the president .
Sen. Mike Rounds , R-S.D.
, added that he `` was hoping for more clarity . ''
Even the co-host of `` Fox & Friends , '' the president 's favorite morning show which frequently showers him with the praise , expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` blew the biggest layup in the history of debates by saying – not condemning white supremacists . ''
He also requested clarification from the president .
`` I do n't know if he did n't hear it , but he 's got to clarify that right away , '' Kilmeade said of Trump .
`` That 's like , 'Are you against evil ? '
Why the president did n't just knock that out of the park , I 'm not sure . ''
But White House communications director Alyssa Farah told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration did not see a need to clear up the matter .
`` I do n't think that there 's anything to clarify , '' Farah said .
`` He 's told them to 'stand back . '
'' Trump campaign chief strategist Jason Miller responded to questions from USA Today by pointing out that Trump had recently promised to designate the Ku Klux Klan a terrorist organization as part of what the president calls his `` Platinum Plan '' for Black voters .
However , there is currently no legal process for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller also said that Trump had been telling the Proud Boys to `` knock it off , '' even though the group 's own leaders publicly celebrated `` stand back and stand by '' as an activating order .
In a testy exchange with CNN 's John Berman , Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley falsely claimed that the president `` did call them out . ''
When Gidley claimed that Trump had denounced white supremacists three times , Berman responded : `` The president said , 'Yes , I will ' .
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do it . ''
Reporters gave Trump a chance to clarify his answer in a Wednesday afternoon press spray , during which he claimed to not `` know who the Proud Boys are . ''
`` I can only say they have to stand down , and let law enforcement do their work , '' Trump said .
`` And law enforcement will do their work more and more . ''
`` Whoever they are , they have to stand down , '' the president added .
Asked again to condemn white supremacist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a declarative statement .
`` I 've always denounced any form — any form , any form of any of that you have to denounce , '' he claimed .
Then the president then called on Biden to denounce antifa .
In 2017 , the president responded to a violent white nationalist rally in Virginia — an event organized by former Proud Boys member Jason Kessler — by saying , `` There 's blame on both sides . ''

President Donald Trump faces backlash from fellow Republicans after refusing to condemn white supremacy during a contentious moment in the first debate of the 2020 cycle against Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Though Trump told debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News that "sure" he would be willing to condemn white supremacist groups, he failed multiple times to do so. When asked if he would denounce the Proud Boys, which was labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the president told its members to "stand back, and stand by."
"Somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left," Trump declared.
In a rare rebuke of Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters on Wednesday that the president's failure to denounce white supremacy was "unacceptable." The GOP leader aligned himself with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only Black Republican in the upper chamber, who had earlier called for Trump to "correct" his answer.
"With regard to the white supremacy issue, I want to associate myself with the remarks of Sen. Tim Scott," McConnell said. "I think he said it exactly correctly, and that's exactly how I would express myself on that issue."
"[Scott] said it was unacceptable not to condemn white supremacists, and so I do so in the strongest possible way," McConnell added.
Scott posited in his earlier remarks that Trump might not have spoken clearly, and the senator extended the president an opportunity to clarify his answer.
"I think he misspoke. I think he should correct it," the Palmetto State Republican said. "If he doesn't correct it, I guess he didn't misspeak."
A number of Senate Republicans made similar requests on Wednesday.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La, said Trump "should unequivocally condemn white supremacy," as did Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, a frequent critic of the president. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., added that he "was hoping for more clarity."
Even the co-host of "Fox & Friends," the president's favorite morning show which frequently showers him with the praise, expressed bafflement. Brian Kilmeade lamented that Trump "blew the biggest layup in the history of debates by saying – not condemning white supremacists." He also requested clarification from the president.
"I don't know if he didn't hear it, but he's got to clarify that right away," Kilmeade said of Trump. "That's like, 'Are you against evil?' Why the president didn't just knock that out of the park, I'm not sure."
But White House communications director Alyssa Farah told Fox News' Sandra Smith that the administration did not see a need to clear up the matter.
"I don't think that there's anything to clarify," Farah said. "He's told them to 'stand back.'"
Trump campaign chief strategist Jason Miller responded to questions from USA Today by pointing out that Trump had recently promised to designate the Ku Klux Klan a terrorist organization as part of what the president calls his "Platinum Plan" for Black voters. However, there is currently no legal process for designating domestic groups as terrorist organizations.
Miller also said that Trump had been telling the Proud Boys to "knock it off," even though the group's own leaders publicly celebrated "stand back and stand by" as an activating order.
In a testy exchange with CNN's John Berman, Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley falsely claimed that the president "did call them out." When Gidley claimed that Trump had denounced white supremacists three times, Berman responded: "The president said, 'Yes, I will' . . . and then the president didn't do it."
Reporters gave Trump a chance to clarify his answer in a Wednesday afternoon press spray, during which he claimed to not "know who the Proud Boys are."
"I can only say they have to stand down, and let law enforcement do their work," Trump said. "And law enforcement will do their work more and more."
"Whoever they are, they have to stand down," the president added.
Asked again to condemn white supremacist groups, Trump again came up short of a declarative statement.
"I've always denounced any form — any form, any form of any of that you have to denounce," he claimed.
Then the president then called on Biden to denounce antifa.
In 2017, the president responded to a violent white nationalist rally in Virginia — an event organized by former Proud Boys member Jason Kessler — by saying, "There's blame on both sides."


alternet--2020-10-01--Trump allies fear his debate performance may ultimately destroy his chances at re-election

Publicly , President Donald Trump 's allies are displaying a united front on his behalf but numerous reports detailing private conversations suggest otherwise .
Trump 's aides and allies fear his first presidential debate performance could greatly impact his chances of re-election .
According to Washington Post reporter Eugene Scott , many of the former president 's aides have revealed the debate actually gave the American public `` a window into how he leads and how he governs . ''
White House aides have revealed the president 's behavior in White House staff meetings is no different than the behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
The undermining , disrespect , repeated interruptions , and personal attacks launched when people disagree with him are common occurrences .
The president 's allies were also disappointed about him missing `` repeated opportunities '' to challenge Biden in the critical areas discussed leading up to the debate .
In addition to debate aftermath , Trump 's campaign rally in Duluth , Minn. , just one day after the debate also did not help his current situation .
Although Trump faced heightened backlash for his refusal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same type of racist rhetoric and anti-immigrant propaganda during the rally when he took aim at Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) as he suggested Biden wants to `` turn Minnesota into a refugee camp . ''
Despite the concerns about the performance , the president believes he did an exceptional job .
In fact , he took to Twitter on Wednesday to rave about the historic ratings .
He tweeted , `` HIGHEST CABLE TELEVISION RATINGS OF ALL TIME .
SECOND HIGHEST OVERALL TELEVISION RATINGS OF ALL TIME .
Some day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miss me , very badly !
!
! ''
While many Americans tuned in to watch the debate , poll results show the vast majority of those who watched were not pleased with what they saw .
A CNN poll also indicated that an estimated 60 % of viewers believe Biden won the debate while only 28 % sided with Trump .

Publicly, President Donald Trump's allies are displaying a united front on his behalf but numerous reports detailing private conversations suggest otherwise.
Trump's aides and allies fear his first presidential debate performance could greatly impact his chances of re-election. According to Washington Post reporter Eugene Scott, many of the former president's aides have revealed the debate actually gave the American public "a window into how he leads and how he governs."
White House aides have revealed the president's behavior in White House staff meetings is no different than the behavior he exhibited during the chaotic debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The undermining, disrespect, repeated interruptions, and personal attacks launched when people disagree with him are common occurrences.
The president's allies were also disappointed about him missing "repeated opportunities" to challenge Biden in the critical areas discussed leading up to the debate.
In addition to debate aftermath, Trump's campaign rally in Duluth, Minn., just one day after the debate also did not help his current situation. Although Trump faced heightened backlash for his refusal to denounce white supremacy, he continued with the same type of racist rhetoric and anti-immigrant propaganda during the rally when he took aim at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) as he suggested Biden wants to "turn Minnesota into a refugee camp."
Despite the concerns about the performance, the president believes he did an exceptional job. In fact, he took to Twitter on Wednesday to rave about the historic ratings.
He tweeted, "HIGHEST CABLE TELEVISION RATINGS OF ALL TIME. SECOND HIGHEST OVERALL TELEVISION RATINGS OF ALL TIME. Some day these Fake Media Companies are going to miss me, very badly!!!"
While many Americans tuned in to watch the debate, poll results show the vast majority of those who watched were not pleased with what they saw. A CNN poll also indicated that an estimated 60% of viewers believe Biden won the debate while only 28% sided with Trump.