alternet--2020-12-29--Here are 5 events that made 2020 one of the most chaotic years in modern US history

2020 will go down in history as one of the most chaotic , disturbing years in United States history .
The Trump era in general has been tumultuous ; President Donald Trump thrives on chaos , and he was facing two articles of impeachment — one for abuse of power , the other for obstruction of Congress — when 2020 started .
But Trump 's impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate , which ended when he was acquitted on both articles , accounted for only a small fraction of the chaos of 2020 .
Here are five of the things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's impeachment was a major story in January and early February 2020 .
On December 18 , 2019 , the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives indicted Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in connection with the Ukraine scandal .
House Democrats argued that Trump needed to be removed from office for trying to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden and making military aid to Ukraine a condition of such an investigation , and the two articles were submitted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Republicans acquitted Trump on both articles on February 5 .
During Trump 's impeachment trial , a novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , was proving to be highly infectious in Mainland China — and after COVID-19 made its way to the U.S. , Europe , Latin America and other parts of the world , it turned out to be the deadliest health crisis since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918/1919 .
COVID-19 was first reported in Mainland China in December 2019 , and no one in the U.S. had died from COVID-19 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , COVID-19 has killed more than 335,000 people in the U.S. ( according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore ) and over 1.7 million people worldwide .
The U.S. became the COVID-19 epicenter of the world thanks , in part , to Trump 's mishandling of the crisis .
Trump repeatedly downplayed the severity of COVID-19 , discouraging social distancing measures and claiming that Democrats were exaggerating the crisis to hurt Republicans .
And Trump was hardly the only Republican to make that claim .
Countless other Republicans and coronavirus deniers politicized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP governors who promoted social distancing , including Maryland 's Larry Hogan and Ohio 's Mike DeWine , were slammed as RINOs ( Republicans in Name Only ) by far-right Trump supporters .
Police overreach , the Prison Industrial Complex and the militarization of police existed in the U.S. long before the brutal killing of George Floyd , who died while in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers on May 25 .
But the horrific way in which Floyd died was the straw that broke the camel 's back , resulting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , but all over the world .
The demonstrations in the U.S. were mostly peaceful , but even if the vast majority of protestors at a demonstration are nonviolent , a minority of violent agitators can cause all hell to break loose .
And the U.S. was rocked by severe unrest during the summer of 2020 , from Seattle and Portland to Philadelphia to Atlanta .
Philly suffered considerable looting in June only to suffer more looting in late October following the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. During the Summer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social unrest it had seen since the chaotic Summer of 1968 — and adding to the tensions were far-right extremist groups like the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Bois .
The Proud Boys went out of their way to provoke and clash with Antifa demonstrators at protests all over the U.S. , and the threat of violence from the far right was a never-ending concern .
Far-right groups were not only angry because of the `` Justice for George Floyd '' and Black Lives Matter protests , but also , because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic .
One of the targets of white nationalists and militia members was Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , who was the target of a kidnapping plot .
Extremists , according to the FBI , planned to kidnap Whitmer , subject her to a fake `` trial '' and execute her if found guilty .
As extremists and coronavirus deniers saw it , Whitmer was violating their civil liberties by imposing social distancing restrictions in her state — never mind the fact that COVID-19 had killed tens of thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the QAnon cult continued to make its presence felt .
QAnon , which the FBI has identified as a source of potential violence , believes that the U.S. government has been infiltrated by an international cabal of pedophiles , child sex traffickers , Satanists and cannibals and that Trump was placed in the White House to fight the cabal .
As wacky as QAnon 's beliefs are , QAnon supporters are quite serious — and it was n't hard to find them at Trump rallies this year .
Between the Proud Boys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia members , the extremism of the far right was alive and well in 2020 .
4 .
The 2020 presidential election and its chaotic aftermath 2020 saw the most intense presidential election since 1968 , and Trump 's inflammatory `` law and order '' rhetoric often recalled the divisive campaigns of Richard Nixon and segregationist George Wallace in 1968 .
But in many respects , Trump was much worse than Nixon in 1968 — angrier , more inflammatory , more likely to incite violence .
And Trump 's rhetoric was much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 52 years ago .
Trump went beyond claiming that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was wrong on the issues — he tried to paint Biden as a `` socialist '' who , if elected , would destroy American as we knew it .
Of course , Biden has a very centrist record ; it would be a stretch to call Biden a liberal or a progressive , let alone a socialist .
But that did n't prevent Trump from doing everything he could to inflame his MAGA base in 2020 .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day .
Regardless , Biden was victorious , winning 306 electoral votes and defeating Trump by more than 7 million in the popular vote .
But Trump has yet to concede defeat , repeatedly making debunked voter fraud claims and trying to overturn the election results .
Some pro-Trump extremists , including attorney Lin Wood , former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell , have gone all-out authoritarian and urged Trump to declare martial law .
As if the deadliest health crisis in over 100 years , civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorism and an exhausting presidential race were n't enough , the U.S. has suffered a painful recession because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
When going out in public became potentially fatal , millions of Americans limited their activity away from home — and that meant that millions of bartenders , waiters , restaurant owners , hair stylists , caterers and others suffered a dramatic drop in income .
And as economist and liberal New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has stressed , those unemployed Americans and struggling business owners have n't had nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they should be receiving .

2020 will go down in history as one of the most chaotic, disturbing years in United States history. The Trump era in general has been tumultuous; President Donald Trump thrives on chaos, and he was facing two articles of impeachment — one for abuse of power, the other for obstruction of Congress — when 2020 started. But Trump's impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, which ended when he was acquitted on both articles, accounted for only a small fraction of the chaos of 2020.
Here are five of the things that made 2020 so chaotic.
1. The COVID-19 pandemic
Trump's impeachment was a major story in January and early February 2020. On December 18, 2019, the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives indicted Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in connection with the Ukraine scandal. House Democrats argued that Trump needed to be removed from office for trying to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden and making military aid to Ukraine a condition of such an investigation, and the two articles were submitted to the U.S. Senate on January 16. Senate Republicans acquitted Trump on both articles on February 5.
During Trump's impeachment trial, a novel coronavirus, COVID-19, was proving to be highly infectious in Mainland China — and after COVID-19 made its way to the U.S., Europe, Latin America and other parts of the world, it turned out to be the deadliest health crisis since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918/1919. COVID-19 was first reported in Mainland China in December 2019, and no one in the U.S. had died from COVID-19 when 2020 started. But as of December 29, COVID-19 has killed more than 335,000 people in the U.S. (according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore) and over 1.7 million people worldwide.
The U.S. became the COVID-19 epicenter of the world thanks, in part, to Trump's mishandling of the crisis. Trump repeatedly downplayed the severity of COVID-19, discouraging social distancing measures and claiming that Democrats were exaggerating the crisis to hurt Republicans. And Trump was hardly the only Republican to make that claim. Countless other Republicans and coronavirus deniers politicized the pandemic and fought social distancing. GOP governors who promoted social distancing, including Maryland's Larry Hogan and Ohio's Mike DeWine, were slammed as RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) by far-right Trump supporters.
2. The Killing of George Floyd
Police overreach, the Prison Industrial Complex and the militarization of police existed in the U.S. long before the brutal killing of George Floyd, who died while in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers on May 25. But the horrific way in which Floyd died was the straw that broke the camel's back, resulting in huge demonstrations not only all over the U.S., but all over the world. The demonstrations in the U.S. were mostly peaceful, but even if the vast majority of protestors at a demonstration are nonviolent, a minority of violent agitators can cause all hell to break loose. And the U.S. was rocked by severe unrest during the summer of 2020, from Seattle and Portland to Philadelphia to Atlanta. Philly suffered considerable looting in June only to suffer more looting in late October following the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.
3. Far-right violence and white nationalist terrorism
During the Summer of 2020, the U.S. suffered the worst social unrest it had seen since the chaotic Summer of 1968 — and adding to the tensions were far-right extremist groups like the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Bois. The Proud Boys went out of their way to provoke and clash with Antifa demonstrators at protests all over the U.S., and the threat of violence from the far right was a never-ending concern. Far-right groups were not only angry because of the "Justice for George Floyd" and Black Lives Matter protests, but also, because of the social distancing measures enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the targets of white nationalists and militia members was Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was the target of a kidnapping plot. Extremists, according to the FBI, planned to kidnap Whitmer, subject her to a fake "trial" and execute her if found guilty. As extremists and coronavirus deniers saw it, Whitmer was violating their civil liberties by imposing social distancing restrictions in her state — never mind the fact that COVID-19 had killed tens of thousands of people.
2020 was also a year in which the QAnon cult continued to make its presence felt. QAnon, which the FBI has identified as a source of potential violence, believes that the U.S. government has been infiltrated by an international cabal of pedophiles, child sex traffickers, Satanists and cannibals and that Trump was placed in the White House to fight the cabal. As wacky as QAnon's beliefs are, QAnon supporters are quite serious — and it wasn't hard to find them at Trump rallies this year.
Between the Proud Boys, the Boogaloo Bois, QAnon and militia members, the extremism of the far right was alive and well in 2020.
4. The 2020 presidential election and its chaotic aftermath
2020 saw the most intense presidential election since 1968, and Trump's inflammatory "law and order" rhetoric often recalled the divisive campaigns of Richard Nixon and segregationist George Wallace in 1968. But in many respects, Trump was much worse than Nixon in 1968 — angrier, more inflammatory, more likely to incite violence. And Trump's rhetoric was much more over-the-top than what Nixon had to say 52 years ago. Trump went beyond claiming that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was wrong on the issues — he tried to paint Biden as a "socialist" who, if elected, would destroy American as we knew it. Of course, Biden has a very centrist record; it would be a stretch to call Biden a liberal or a progressive, let alone a socialist. But that didn't prevent Trump from doing everything he could to inflame his MAGA base in 2020. It's no wonder that violence was feared on Election Day.
Regardless, Biden was victorious, winning 306 electoral votes and defeating Trump by more than 7 million in the popular vote. But Trump has yet to concede defeat, repeatedly making debunked voter fraud claims and trying to overturn the election results. Some pro-Trump extremists, including attorney Lin Wood, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, have gone all-out authoritarian and urged Trump to declare martial law.
5. A brutal recession
As if the deadliest health crisis in over 100 years, civil unrest, white supremacist and white nationalist terrorism and an exhausting presidential race weren't enough, the U.S. has suffered a painful recession because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When going out in public became potentially fatal, millions of Americans limited their activity away from home — and that meant that millions of bartenders, waiters, restaurant owners, hair stylists, caterers and others suffered a dramatic drop in income. And as economist and liberal New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has stressed, those unemployed Americans and struggling business owners haven't had nearly as much help from the federal government as they should be receiving.


alternet--2020-12-29--'I don't believe you': Georgia senators face backlash after claiming to support $2K stimulus checks

Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue ( R-GA ) are facing tough reelection battles — made even tougher last week President Donald Trump demanded Congress increase individual stimulus checks from $ 600 to $ 2,000 .
When Loeffler announced her support of $ 2,000 stimulus checks during an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday , Dec. 29 , Twitter users quickly chimed in to criticize the Republican senator .
During the interview , Loeffler said , `` I 've stood by the president 100 % of the time .
I 'm proud to do that and I 've said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief to Americans now and I will support that . ''
Shortly after her appearance , Perdue tweeted his support of increased checks saying , `` President [ Donald Trump ] is right — I support this push for $ 2,000 in direct relief for the American people . ''
Their responses were not missed by Twitter users .
One Twitter user criticized Loeffler 's need to have approval from Trump before standing for what is right .
`` Pretty sure Rev Warnock did n't need someone 's approval to support doing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia ! ''
that Twitter user said .
Other Twitter users also noted that Perdue opposed $ 600 stimulus checks less than one week ago .
These are the same two senators who found themselves at the center of controversy for voting to lower the amount of funding for hospitals amid the pandemic .
Just weeks before the United States shut down due to the pandemic , the two were also accused of dumping off stock .
Back in July , Loeffler and Perdue were among the Senate Republicans that refused to even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expired .
Now , after supporting about the relief bill which included the $ 600 direct payments President Donald Trump described as a `` disgrace , '' both senators have jumped ship and are now expressing support for the $ 2,000 stimulus checks .

Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue (R-GA) are facing tough reelection battles — made even tougher last week President Donald Trump demanded Congress increase individual stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000.
When Loeffler announced her support of $2,000 stimulus checks during an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday, Dec. 29, Twitter users quickly chimed in to criticize the Republican senator.
During the interview, Loeffler said, "I've stood by the president 100% of the time. I'm proud to do that and I've said, absolutely, we need to get relief to Americans now and I will support that."
Shortly after her appearance, Perdue tweeted his support of increased checks saying, "President [Donald Trump] is right — I support this push for $2,000 in direct relief for the American people."
Their responses were not missed by Twitter users. One Twitter user criticized Loeffler's need to have approval from Trump before standing for what is right. "Pretty sure Rev Warnock didn't need someone's approval to support doing the right thing. Vote Loeffler out, Georgia!" that Twitter user said.
Other Twitter users also noted that Perdue opposed $600 stimulus checks less than one week ago.
These are the same two senators who found themselves at the center of controversy for voting to lower the amount of funding for hospitals amid the pandemic. Just weeks before the United States shut down due to the pandemic, the two were also accused of dumping off stock.
Back in July, Loeffler and Perdue were among the Senate Republicans that refused to even negotiate another stimulus package as unemployment benefits expired. Now, after supporting about the relief bill which included the $600 direct payments President Donald Trump described as a "disgrace," both senators have jumped ship and are now expressing support for the $2,000 stimulus checks.


alternet--2020-12-29--Clinical psychologist breaks down the final, desperate days of our psychopath-in-chief: How bad will

Clinical psychologist breaks down the final, desperate days of our psychopath-in-chief: How bad will it get

We must face the alarming truth .
Our irrational and reckless president will spend his last 23 days in office harboring the hope that a military coup in our country will allow him to remain in power .
Or that Congress will overthrow the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6 .
Donald Trump is totally preoccupied with his existential survival as the walls of reality are closing in on him .
He has been repudiated in the election .
His psyche can not comprehend how he could have lost to such an ordinary , mortal man .
He is beside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is driven by revenge .
He wants to settle scores .
His thin veneer of greatness and superiority is crumbling away .
He is desperate and flailing .
Trump is a psychopath .
He has all the defining characteristics in spades : narcissistic , sadistic , antisocial , paranoid .
This is malignant psychopathology in the embodiment of our president .
He has the kind of personality pathology that should be unacceptable in our top public servant .
Trump should have been rooted out in 2016 .
A psychopath should never have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land .
We have been suffering for it ever since : division , tribalism , hostility , racism , xenophobia , terrorism and more .
Some mental health professionals voiced concern about Trump 's mental health after his election in 2016 .
In late 2017 , 37 mental health professionals described Trump 's dangerousness and unfitness in a bestselling book , `` The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump . ''
But the publication of that book did not open the floodgates for mental health experts to voice their opinions in the media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from concerned colleagues .
Plus , the mainstream media showed a rather strong allegiance to the antiquated `` Goldwater rule '' advanced by the American Psychiatric Association .
Mental health experts were largely rebuffed by the media .
As a result , the public was ill-informed and Donald Trump was elected .
Four years later , Trump was defeated by Vice President Joe Biden in November 2020 , but not with the help of the mainstream media .
Once again , the media buckled under the smothering influence of the Goldwater rule .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were published in the media , but experts themselves were muzzled .
The primary exception , in fact , was Salon , which published commentary from a number of mental health professionals leading up to the November election and did not shy away from exposing the disturbing features of Donald Trump .
So here we are .
Twenty-three days to go , and we are all sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for the next dreadful and unimaginable act from this disordered man .
Our Constitution states that we are to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to the next president .
But we should not be surprised by Trump 's desperate attempts to save himself by throwing democracy under the bus .
Once and for all , we should be convinced that our psychopath in chief does not give a damn about the preciousness of our democratic way of life .
Trump is now totally consumed with his survival , his self-preservation .
He cares about nothing else .
He has totally abdicated his role as president .
He is preoccupied with his anger , his grievances , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is a man on a mission to save his power and his pride simultaneously .
It is a mission borne out of utter contempt for the will of the people .
He is willing to use corruption and seditious behavior to subvert democracy for his personal gain .
He is trying to find the right conspiracy theory or voter-fraud narrative that will allow him to hang onto power .
He does not understand why the guardrails of democracy are deterring him .
He can not fathom why the U.S. Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially after he has appointed three `` Trump '' associate justices .
He does not treasure democracy .
If anything , he sees it as an annoying obstacle to his goal of establishing a family dynasty .
He wants to be a dictator or , better yet , a king .
He has turned his back on the thousands of Americans who are dying each week from the coronavirus .
He has not mentioned the pandemic in weeks .
He has not listened to a public health expert in months .
He does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has washed his hands of all responsibility for our pathetic response to this once-in-a-century national emergency .
He is pretending that the coronavirus is gone , much as he pretends that he is smart and great and strong .
He seems to derive a kind of sadistic pleasure from watching Americans die under his direction .
He must see himself as the master of misery .
Remember it was Trump who shut down a U.S .
Postal Service plan to mail masks to all Americans .
He also shut down mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoned the economic mess he caused .
He did not lift a finger in the negotiation and passage of the new COVID relief bill , held it hostage for a couple of days for the drama of it all , and finally signed it .
His erratic behavior has cost millions of Americans one week of their unemployment benefits .
He acts as if the economy is humming along well when , in fact , we have had a net loss of 11 million jobs during the pandemic .
More than 100,000 small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has not had a concrete plan for restoring the country 's economy .
Such a plan is not possible while the coronavirus is still surging in infections and deaths .
To this day , he will not acknowledge the interconnectedness of the pandemic with our collapsed economy .
And our economy is getting worse , not better .
His paranoia is raging as his desperation mounts .
Trump is lashing out against even his most ardent apologists .
He is accusing others of disloyalty and abandonment .
He asked for Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He always sees himself as the victim when he is exposed or challenged or cornered .
To be sure , his victimhood is both inaccurate and disingenuous .
He is never the victim .
He is always the one who is aggressive , cruel and reckless .
His victimhood is a cynical psychological ploy to garner sympathy from his supporters and to try to wriggle out of a jam .
But this jam is too much for him : He has lost the election fair and square , he has been abysmal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy is in dire shape .
This trifecta can not be overcome .
Trump is now issuing a spree of sleazy pardons .
He has pardoned two people who lied to the FBI during the Mueller investigation , two corrupt ex-congressmen , and four war criminals who were involved in a 2007 massacre of civilians in Iraq .
A few days ago , he pardoned his son-in-law 's father and two of his closest associates ( Roger Stone and Paul Manafort ) .
Trump has always been aligned with criminal friends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychopaths .
They have a shared lack of conscience and an obvious absence of shame .
This is the president who put young children in cages at the border and now has pardoned murderers — a glimpse inside the hollow heart and soul of Donald Trump .
If Trump pardons his children and himself during the next three weeks , it will be a clear confession of wrongdoing by the psychopath in chief .
Innocent presidents do not need to pardon themselves or their family members .
A pardon is intended to absolve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's victimhood is pure mythology .
Let us not forget Trump 's unrelenting adulation of Russian President Vladimir Putin .
He has recently turned a blind eye to Russia 's massive cyberattack on our country .
Trump has consistently put Putin 's interests above ours .
Two psychopaths in collusion will be the confirmed story .
Trump has been grifting nonstop since his election defeat in November .
He has received more than $ 220 million in donations from his supporters , under the guise of fighting election fraud .
In truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay off his campaign debt and to fund his PAC .
It will be his personal piggybank .
He is fleecing his supporters , and they do not seem to notice or care .
Grifting others is Trump 's only natural skill .
But it is hardly the makings of a president who deserves to be on Mount Rushmore .
Trump still finds time to play golf on weekends and holidays .
Nothing will stop that — not even a car bombing in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day .
He would never let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his pleasure at taxpayer expense ( $ 151 million and counting ) .
He has no understanding of how pathetic he looks on the golf course while thousands of Americans are struggling to take their last breaths or standing in food bank lines because they have been unemployed since March .
A chance to cheat at golf while the country is not looking is way too much fun for him to pass up .
Trump is on a collision course with self-destruction .
He is the Titanic and everyone around him is beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Barr has jumped ship .
Evangelist Pat Robertson has jumped ship .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has jumped ship .
Even Vice President Mike Pence has one foot in the water .
It is just a matter of time before Trump wakes up in an empty room of silence and gold toilets .
Republicans must accept their share of blame for their complicity with this destructive president .
At any point along the way they could have found their collective voices and stopped him .
Their party is teetering on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate themselves from Trump .
They have a chance to begin that separation on Jan. 6 in Congress when they refuse to participate in Trump 's demand — fueled by bribes and threats — to reject the Electoral College results .
Because loyalty is a one-way street for Trump , he will end up alone .
He will still have his children and his son-in-law , of course — they are stuck with him .
But one or all of them may turn on him when criminal charges are finally filed .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend may be his cellmate .
Democracy will prevail .
Trump will be gone on Jan. 20 .
He will not attend Joe Biden 's inauguration because he can not tolerate the embarrassment of his loss .
He can not even fake humility and kindness for an hour or two for the good of the country .
He will slither away through the back door of the White House , all the while proclaiming victory and affirming his exalted status as the best president ever .
After all , he has to maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatness .
Historians will be extremely unkind to Trump .
He will be seared by presidential scholars .
He will deserve all their harshness and condemnation .
He will likely be remembered as the worst president in U.S. history .
His legacy will be one of incompetence , cruelty and corruption .
If he thinks he is humiliated now , wait until his supporters wake up and finally reject him for being such a failed , miserable and treasonous leader .
Hopefully , Donald Trump will be our one and only psychopath as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through this national anguish and darkness again .
Above all else , we must make sure the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans teach us an unforgettable lesson .

We must face the alarming truth. Our irrational and reckless president will spend his last 23 days in office harboring the hope that a military coup in our country will allow him to remain in power. Or that Congress will overthrow the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6. Donald Trump is totally preoccupied with his existential survival as the walls of reality are closing in on him. He has been repudiated in the election. His psyche cannot comprehend how he could have lost to such an ordinary, mortal man. He is beside himself with embarrassment and humiliation. He is driven by revenge. He wants to settle scores. His thin veneer of greatness and superiority is crumbling away. He is desperate and flailing.
Trump is a psychopath. He has all the defining characteristics in spades: narcissistic, sadistic, antisocial, paranoid. This is malignant psychopathology in the embodiment of our president. He has the kind of personality pathology that should be unacceptable in our top public servant. Trump should have been rooted out in 2016. A psychopath should never have been elected to the highest office in the land. We have been suffering for it ever since: division, tribalism, hostility, racism, xenophobia, terrorism and more.
Some mental health professionals voiced concern about Trump's mental health after his election in 2016. In late 2017, 37 mental health professionals described Trump's dangerousness and unfitness in a bestselling book, "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump." But the publication of that book did not open the floodgates for mental health experts to voice their opinions in the media. In fact, there was considerable pushback from concerned colleagues. Plus, the mainstream media showed a rather strong allegiance to the antiquated "Goldwater rule" advanced by the American Psychiatric Association. Mental health experts were largely rebuffed by the media. As a result, the public was ill-informed and Donald Trump was elected.
Four years later, Trump was defeated by Vice President Joe Biden in November 2020, but not with the help of the mainstream media. Once again, the media buckled under the smothering influence of the Goldwater rule. Journalists' descriptions of Trump's pathology were published in the media, but experts themselves were muzzled. The primary exception, in fact, was Salon, which published commentary from a number of mental health professionals leading up to the November election and did not shy away from exposing the disturbing features of Donald Trump.
So here we are. Twenty-three days to go, and we are all sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for the next dreadful and unimaginable act from this disordered man. Our Constitution states that we are to have a peaceful and orderly transition of power to the next president. But we should not be surprised by Trump's desperate attempts to save himself by throwing democracy under the bus. Once and for all, we should be convinced that our psychopath in chief does not give a damn about the preciousness of our democratic way of life.
Trump is now totally consumed with his survival, his self-preservation. He cares about nothing else. He has totally abdicated his role as president. He is preoccupied with his anger, his grievances, his conspiracy theories and his conniving plans. He is a man on a mission to save his power and his pride simultaneously. It is a mission borne out of utter contempt for the will of the people.
He is willing to use corruption and seditious behavior to subvert democracy for his personal gain. He is trying to find the right conspiracy theory or voter-fraud narrative that will allow him to hang onto power. He does not understand why the guardrails of democracy are deterring him. He cannot fathom why the U.S. Supreme Court has not come to his rescue, especially after he has appointed three "Trump" associate justices. He does not treasure democracy. If anything, he sees it as an annoying obstacle to his goal of establishing a family dynasty. He wants to be a dictator or, better yet, a king.
He has turned his back on the thousands of Americans who are dying each week from the coronavirus. He has not mentioned the pandemic in weeks. He has not listened to a public health expert in months. He does not pay tribute to our fallen Americans. He has washed his hands of all responsibility for our pathetic response to this once-in-a-century national emergency. He is pretending that the coronavirus is gone, much as he pretends that he is smart and great and strong. He seems to derive a kind of sadistic pleasure from watching Americans die under his direction. He must see himself as the master of misery. Remember it was Trump who shut down a U.S. Postal Service plan to mail masks to all Americans. He also shut down mass testing and trace contacting.
Trump has abandoned the economic mess he caused. He did not lift a finger in the negotiation and passage of the new COVID relief bill, held it hostage for a couple of days for the drama of it all, and finally signed it. His erratic behavior has cost millions of Americans one week of their unemployment benefits. He acts as if the economy is humming along well when, in fact, we have had a net loss of 11 million jobs during the pandemic. More than 100,000 small businesses have closed permanently since March. He has not had a concrete plan for restoring the country's economy. Such a plan is not possible while the coronavirus is still surging in infections and deaths. To this day, he will not acknowledge the interconnectedness of the pandemic with our collapsed economy. And our economy is getting worse, not better.
His paranoia is raging as his desperation mounts. Trump is lashing out against even his most ardent apologists. He is accusing others of disloyalty and abandonment. He asked for Joe Biden to be arrested weeks before the election. He always sees himself as the victim when he is exposed or challenged or cornered. To be sure, his victimhood is both inaccurate and disingenuous. He is never the victim. He is always the one who is aggressive, cruel and reckless. His victimhood is a cynical psychological ploy to garner sympathy from his supporters and to try to wriggle out of a jam. But this jam is too much for him: He has lost the election fair and square, he has been abysmal in his handling of the pandemic and the economy is in dire shape. This trifecta cannot be overcome.
Trump is now issuing a spree of sleazy pardons. He has pardoned two people who lied to the FBI during the Mueller investigation, two corrupt ex-congressmen, and four war criminals who were involved in a 2007 massacre of civilians in Iraq. A few days ago, he pardoned his son-in-law's father and two of his closest associates (Roger Stone and Paul Manafort). Trump has always been aligned with criminal friends and associates. Psychopaths are attracted to other psychopaths. They have a shared lack of conscience and an obvious absence of shame. This is the president who put young children in cages at the border and now has pardoned murderers — a glimpse inside the hollow heart and soul of Donald Trump.
If Trump pardons his children and himself during the next three weeks, it will be a clear confession of wrongdoing by the psychopath in chief. Innocent presidents do not need to pardon themselves or their family members. A pardon is intended to absolve criminal actions. It would prove that Trump's victimhood is pure mythology.
Let us not forget Trump's unrelenting adulation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has recently turned a blind eye to Russia's massive cyberattack on our country. Trump has consistently put Putin's interests above ours. Two psychopaths in collusion will be the confirmed story.
Trump has been grifting nonstop since his election defeat in November. He has received more than $220 million in donations from his supporters, under the guise of fighting election fraud. In truth, the money will be used to pay off his campaign debt and to fund his PAC. It will be his personal piggybank. He is fleecing his supporters, and they do not seem to notice or care. Grifting others is Trump's only natural skill. But it is hardly the makings of a president who deserves to be on Mount Rushmore.
Trump still finds time to play golf on weekends and holidays. Nothing will stop that — not even a car bombing in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day. He would never let responsibility or care for others interfere with his pleasure at taxpayer expense ($151 million and counting). He has no understanding of how pathetic he looks on the golf course while thousands of Americans are struggling to take their last breaths or standing in food bank lines because they have been unemployed since March. A chance to cheat at golf while the country is not looking is way too much fun for him to pass up.
Trump is on a collision course with self-destruction. He is the Titanic and everyone around him is beginning to jump ship. Former Attorney General Bill Barr has jumped ship. Evangelist Pat Robertson has jumped ship. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has jumped ship. Even Vice President Mike Pence has one foot in the water. It is just a matter of time before Trump wakes up in an empty room of silence and gold toilets.
Republicans must accept their share of blame for their complicity with this destructive president. At any point along the way they could have found their collective voices and stopped him. Their party is teetering on the brink of irrelevance if they do not separate themselves from Trump. They have a chance to begin that separation on Jan. 6 in Congress when they refuse to participate in Trump's demand — fueled by bribes and threats — to reject the Electoral College results.
Because loyalty is a one-way street for Trump, he will end up alone. He will still have his children and his son-in-law, of course — they are stuck with him. But one or all of them may turn on him when criminal charges are finally filed. Before it is over, Trump's closest friend may be his cellmate.
Democracy will prevail. Trump will be gone on Jan. 20. He will not attend Joe Biden's inauguration because he cannot tolerate the embarrassment of his loss. He cannot even fake humility and kindness for an hour or two for the good of the country. He will slither away through the back door of the White House, all the while proclaiming victory and affirming his exalted status as the best president ever. After all, he has to maintain his "idealized self" of indispensable greatness.
Historians will be extremely unkind to Trump. He will be seared by presidential scholars. He will deserve all their harshness and condemnation. He will likely be remembered as the worst president in U.S. history. His legacy will be one of incompetence, cruelty and corruption. If he thinks he is humiliated now, wait until his supporters wake up and finally reject him for being such a failed, miserable and treasonous leader.
Hopefully, Donald Trump will be our one and only psychopath as president. We must not put ourselves through this national anguish and darkness again. Above all else, we must make sure the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans teach us an unforgettable lesson.
Lesson learned. Never again.


alternet--2020-12-29--Wall Street Journal op-ed warns Trump's push for $2,000 stimulus checks will cost GOP the Senate

With all eyes on the Senate as senators determine the fate of $ 2,000 direct payments to American workers , the Wall Street Journal is warning that the vote could cost Republicans the Senate .
The publication 's editorial board notes how President Donald Trump 's push for increased stimulus payments has placed Republicans in an awkward position .
`` Senate Republicans oppose the $ 2,000 for these sound reasons , but Mr. Trump has put them in a political spot .
Democrats immediately joined Mr. Trump 's call for the $ 2,000 , and on Monday they passed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the WSJ editorial board wrote .
The editorial board went on to note the consequences awaiting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) , emphasizing the vote could impact the future of the Senate with Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler 's ( R-GA ) seats on the line in the upcoming Georgia runoff .
`` That leaves Mr. McConnell with a tough call of barring a vote as Democrats bang away in TV ads in Georgia against GOP incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler , '' the editorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vote , which would split the GOP caucus and upset fiscally conservative voters . ''
So why did Trump suddenly jump ship to express support for higher stimulus payments ?
Having lost the presidential election , Trump has spent the last several weeks attacking those he believes have betrayed him , including McConnell and Senate Minority Leader John Thune ( R-SD ) .
The angered president has also accused the Republican Party of failing to actively participate in his post-election battle to overturn the election .
`` By all accounts Mr. Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he is lashing out at anyone who wo n't indulge his hopeless campaign to overturn it .
... Mr. Trump 's narcissism is n't news .
But if Republicans lose the two Georgia seats and their majority , Republicans across the country should know to thank Mr. Trump for their 2021 tax increase . ''

With all eyes on the Senate as senators determine the fate of $2,000 direct payments to American workers, the Wall Street Journal is warning that the vote could cost Republicans the Senate.
The publication's editorial board notes how President Donald Trump's push for increased stimulus payments has placed Republicans in an awkward position. "Senate Republicans oppose the $2,000 for these sound reasons, but Mr. Trump has put them in a political spot. Democrats immediately joined Mr. Trump's call for the $2,000, and on Monday they passed the larger amount through the House, 275-134," the WSJ editorial board wrote.
The editorial board went on to note the consequences awaiting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), emphasizing the vote could impact the future of the Senate with Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler's (R-GA) seats on the line in the upcoming Georgia runoff.
"That leaves Mr. McConnell with a tough call of barring a vote as Democrats bang away in TV ads in Georgia against GOP incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler," the editorial writes. "Or he can hold a vote, which would split the GOP caucus and upset fiscally conservative voters."
So why did Trump suddenly jump ship to express support for higher stimulus payments? Having lost the presidential election, Trump has spent the last several weeks attacking those he believes have betrayed him, including McConnell and Senate Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD). The angered president has also accused the Republican Party of failing to actively participate in his post-election battle to overturn the election.
"By all accounts Mr. Trump is angry about his election defeat, and he is lashing out at anyone who won't indulge his hopeless campaign to overturn it. ... Mr. Trump's narcissism isn't news. But if Republicans lose the two Georgia seats and their majority, Republicans across the country should know to thank Mr. Trump for their 2021 tax increase."


alternet--2020-12-29--Watch: Trump never won the Nobel Peace Prize — but that's not stopping him from pretending he did

In the final days of his presidency , Trump has resorted to desperate social media theatrics to maintain some level of relevance .
And on Monday , Dec. 28 , the lame-duck president went a step further by tweeting a bizarre campaign-style video for the election he lost two months ago .
One element about the video focused on a glaring falsehood that has led to even more criticism of Trump and his team .
The video , according to New York Magazine , featured `` the Nobel Peace Prize Photoshopped in front of a clip of the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel . ''
`` A video President Trump tweeted today features the Nobel Peace Prize superimposed over photographs of him with the prime minister of Israel , and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates , '' NPR journalist David Gura tweeted , adding , `` A REMINDER : The president has not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . ''
The latest campaign video follows a string of other videos Trump has shared highlighting misinformation and conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election to other damaging claims and conspiracy theories , Trump continues to wreak havoc despite the Electoral College affirming President-elect Joe Biden 's win earlier this month .
Regardless of Trump 's continued efforts to hold on to presidential power , Biden 's inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 20 .

In the final days of his presidency, Trump has resorted to desperate social media theatrics to maintain some level of relevance.
And on Monday, Dec. 28, the lame-duck president went a step further by tweeting a bizarre campaign-style video for the election he lost two months ago. One element about the video focused on a glaring falsehood that has led to even more criticism of Trump and his team.
The video, according to New York Magazine, featured "the Nobel Peace Prize Photoshopped in front of a clip of the White House ceremony for the Abraham Accords, in which Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel."
"A video President Trump tweeted today features the Nobel Peace Prize superimposed over photographs of him with the prime minister of Israel, and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates," NPR journalist David Gura tweeted, adding, "A REMINDER: The president has not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize."
The latest campaign video follows a string of other videos Trump has shared highlighting misinformation and conspiracy theories. From falsehoods about the presidential election to other damaging claims and conspiracy theories, Trump continues to wreak havoc despite the Electoral College affirming President-elect Joe Biden's win earlier this month.
Regardless of Trump's continued efforts to hold on to presidential power, Biden's inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 20.


alternet--2020-12-29--Trump supporters seethe after hotel cancels their reservations ahead of January 6th protest

Supporters of President Donald Trump are furious after a hotel in Washington D.C. canceled their reservations en masse ahead of a pro-Trump demonstration scheduled for January 6th .
As The Daily Beast 's Will Sommer reports , the Hotel Harrington sent out a notice on Monday night announcing that it will be closed on January 4th through January 6th in a move intended to `` protect the safety of our visitors , guests , and employees . ''
Hotel Harrington has become a favorite D.C. haunt of the Proud Boys , a far-right gang of Trump supporters who vowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6th to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election .
Per Sommer , many Trump supporters subsequently took to pro-Trump social media website The Donald to rip into the hotel for canceling their reservations .
`` HOTEL HARRINGTON GOT CUCKED BY A BUNCH OF LOSER LIBERALS , '' wrote one poster .
`` HOTEL HARRINGTON HAS NO BACKBONE ! ''
`` F*CK HOTEL HARRINGTON , '' wrote another .
`` THEY CANCELED OUR ROOMS ... THEN WE 'LL CANCEL THEIR BUSINESS .
NOBODY BOOK WITH THEM , THEY WILL F*CK YOU OVER @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CANCELLED my reservation , '' wrote another disgruntled Trump fan .
`` F*CK THESE COWARDS !
!
!
!
I gave this lady an earful and the hotel GM as well . ''
See a screen cap of more angry Trump reactions below .

Supporters of President Donald Trump are furious after a hotel in Washington D.C. canceled their reservations en masse ahead of a pro-Trump demonstration scheduled for January 6th.
As The Daily Beast's Will Sommer reports, the Hotel Harrington sent out a notice on Monday night announcing that it will be closed on January 4th through January 6th in a move intended to "protect the safety of our visitors, guests, and employees."
Hotel Harrington has become a favorite D.C. haunt of the Proud Boys, a far-right gang of Trump supporters who vowed to show up in the streets on January 6th to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Per Sommer, many Trump supporters subsequently took to pro-Trump social media website The Donald to rip into the hotel for canceling their reservations.
"HOTEL HARRINGTON GOT CUCKED BY A BUNCH OF LOSER LIBERALS," wrote one poster. "HOTEL HARRINGTON HAS NO BACKBONE!"
"F*CK HOTEL HARRINGTON," wrote another. "THEY CANCELED OUR ROOMS... THEN WE'LL CANCEL THEIR BUSINESS. NOBODY BOOK WITH THEM, THEY WILL F*CK YOU OVER!!!"
"Hotel Harrington CANCELLED my reservation," wrote another disgruntled Trump fan. "F*CK THESE COWARDS!!!! I gave this lady an earful and the hotel GM as well."
See a screen cap of more angry Trump reactions below.


alternet--2020-12-29--Kris Kobach cut off from 'We Build the Wall' funds during Steve Bannon's trial

While former Breitbart News Chairman Steve Bannon continues to battle federal criminal fraud charges in connection with the We Build the Wall campaign , one of the far-right Republicans who has been unable to access funds from that project is former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach .
And on Monday , December 28 , Kobach went to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to plead his case .
Kobach — a `` birther '' known for his anti-immigrant views and voter suppression efforts — has not faced any criminal charges in connection with We Build the Wall , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S./Mexico border .
Those who have been charged with fraud include not only Bannon , who served as White House chief strategist in the Trump Administration in 2017 , but also , We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage and Bannon allies Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea .
Prosecutors allege that Bannon , Kolfage , Badolato and Shea deceived donors by not using 100 % of the funds for the construction of a border wall , and instead used a lot of the money for personal expenses .
Federal prosecutors for the Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crime reporter Adam Klasfeld notes , allege that `` Bannon pocketed at least $ 1 million of the money , and Kolfage took $ 350,000 plus went on a spending spree to buy a Jupiter Marine yacht called the Warfighter , a Range Rover SUV , a golf cart , jewelry , and cosmetic surgery . ''
Klasfeld adds that as general counsel for We Build the Wall , `` Kobach was compensated handsomely in attorneys ' fees that the government does not allege to be improper . ''
And because Kobach has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlike Kolfage , Badolato and Shea — he believes it is unfair that he is being cut off from We Build the Wall assets during the prosecution .
But U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres disagrees .
On December 14 , according to Klasfeld , `` Torres rejected Kobach 's argument that blocking the money interfered with his due process rights . ''
Torres wrote , `` Although the Supreme Court has made clear that pretrial hearings on forfeiture may be required when the forfeiture order is challenged by a criminal defendant , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is implicated , the law concerning the rights of third parties is less clear . ''
Now , Kobach — who ran for governor of Kansas in 2018 and lost to Democrat Laura Kelly — is hoping that the Second Circuit will disagree with Torres ' ruling .
Kobach 's attorney , Justin S. Weddle , according to Klasfeld , is arguing `` that the indictment '' in the fraud case against Bannon and the others `` concedes that any alleged fraud ended when We Build the Wall updated the website to disclose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weddle told Law & Crime , `` The government has frozen funds donated well after that date , which can have no logical or legal connection to the alleged fraud .
Regardless of the government 's intent , the result is that the government has frozen We Build the Wall 's pursuit of its mission , which is the opposite of what its donors intended . ''
Kobach has a reputation for being an extremist even in Republican circles .
When Barack Obama was president , Kobach promoted the racist `` birther '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero evidence , that Obama was n't really born in the U.S. and was really born in Kenya .
Obama 's birth certificate made it abundantly clear that he was born in Hawaii and is a life-long U.S. citizen , contrary to what Kobach and other birthers claimed .
In addition to embracing birtherism , Kobach is known for his anti-immigrant views and for promoting voter suppression .
But Kobach 's xenophobia could n't get him past the finish line in Kansas ' 2018 gubernatorial race .
Even in a deep red state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Laura Kelly , by 5 % — and Kelly is now governor or Kansas .

While former Breitbart News Chairman Steve Bannon continues to battle federal criminal fraud charges in connection with the We Build the Wall campaign, one of the far-right Republicans who has been unable to access funds from that project is former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. And on Monday, December 28, Kobach went to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to plead his case.
Kobach — a "birther" known for his anti-immigrant views and voter suppression efforts — has not faced any criminal charges in connection with We Build the Wall, a crowdfunding project for a wall along the U.S./Mexico border. Those who have been charged with fraud include not only Bannon, who served as White House chief strategist in the Trump Administration in 2017, but also, We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage and Bannon allies Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea. Prosecutors allege that Bannon, Kolfage, Badolato and Shea deceived donors by not using 100% of the funds for the construction of a border wall, and instead used a lot of the money for personal expenses.
Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York, Law & Crime reporter Adam Klasfeld notes, allege that "Bannon pocketed at least $1 million of the money, and Kolfage took $350,000 plus went on a spending spree to buy a Jupiter Marine yacht called the Warfighter, a Range Rover SUV, a golf cart, jewelry, and cosmetic surgery."
Klasfeld adds that as general counsel for We Build the Wall, "Kobach was compensated handsomely in attorneys' fees that the government does not allege to be improper." And because Kobach has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing — unlike Kolfage, Badolato and Shea — he believes it is unfair that he is being cut off from We Build the Wall assets during the prosecution.
But U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres disagrees. On December 14, according to Klasfeld, "Torres rejected Kobach's argument that blocking the money interfered with his due process rights."
Torres wrote, "Although the Supreme Court has made clear that pretrial hearings on forfeiture may be required when the forfeiture order is challenged by a criminal defendant, particularly where their Sixth Amendment right to counsel is implicated, the law concerning the rights of third parties is less clear."
Now, Kobach — who ran for governor of Kansas in 2018 and lost to Democrat Laura Kelly — is hoping that the Second Circuit will disagree with Torres' ruling. Kobach's attorney, Justin S. Weddle, according to Klasfeld, is arguing "that the indictment" in the fraud case against Bannon and the others "concedes that any alleged fraud ended when We Build the Wall updated the website to disclose that Kolfage would be compensated."
Weddle told Law & Crime, "The government has frozen funds donated well after that date, which can have no logical or legal connection to the alleged fraud. Regardless of the government's intent, the result is that the government has frozen We Build the Wall's pursuit of its mission, which is the opposite of what its donors intended."
Kobach has a reputation for being an extremist even in Republican circles. When Barack Obama was president, Kobach promoted the racist "birther" conspiracy theory — which claimed, with zero evidence, that Obama wasn't really born in the U.S. and was really born in Kenya. Obama's birth certificate made it abundantly clear that he was born in Hawaii and is a life-long U.S. citizen, contrary to what Kobach and other birthers claimed.
In addition to embracing birtherism, Kobach is known for his anti-immigrant views and for promoting voter suppression. But Kobach's xenophobia couldn't get him past the finish line in Kansas' 2018 gubernatorial race. Even in a deep red state, Kobach lost to the Democratic nominee, Laura Kelly, by 5% — and Kelly is now governor or Kansas.


alternet--2020-12-29--Attorney for Blackwater murder victim: Trump's pardons 'a slap in the face' to US justice

With less than a month left in his presidency , President Trump on Tuesday pardoned four Blackwater security contractors whose convictions for killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in 2007 had in recent years become a right-wing rallying cry .
One of the contractors , Nicholas Slatten , was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder , and the others — Dustin Heard , Evan Liberty and Paul Slough — had each been sentenced to between 12 and 15 years for voluntary manslaughter .
Their convictions came after the largest and most expensive federal investigation since the Sept. 11 , 2001 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House statement , which came among a batch of 20 , claimed that the pardons were `` broadly supported by the public , '' citing specifically Fox News personality Pete Hegseth and a number of conservative members of the House .
The statement described the 14 deaths and other injuries as `` unfortunate . ''
The four convicted killers , all military veterans , worked for Blackwater Worldwide , a security firm founded by former Navy SEAL Erik Prince , brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos .
The State Department had contracted with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomats in Iraq .
The company changed its name to Xe Services in 2009 , and then changed it again to Academi after Prince sold the business to private investors in 2011 .
`` The investigation was monumental , '' Paul Dickinson , a plaintiff 's attorney in North Carolina who represented six of the Iraqi victims in a lawsuit in U.S. civil court , told Salon .
`` To put it all aside because Erik Prince is one of Trump 's cronies is a slap in the face to the U.S. legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Justice Department and the assurances it put in place to ensure these men had fair trials .
And despite being the 'law and order president , ' Trump has humiliated these families for obtaining justice for the crimes committed against them . ''
On Sept. 16 , 2007 , in response to reports of a nearby car bomb , a Blackwater security detail blocked off traffic in Baghdad 's Nisour Square to create a safe exit path for diplomatic officials leaving a nearby meeting .
However , the guards soon began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped cars , even deploying grenades , reportedly out of fear that one had matched the description of a suspicious vehicle in the area .
The massacre left at least 17 Iraqis dead — all of them unarmed , including a nine-year-old child , whose brain fell to the ground at his father 's feet .
The official number is uncertain , however , because of the difficulties the chaotic scene presented for investigators : Some bodies could not be recovered , some evidence may have been moved or removed , and shell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident , because , as an FBI official later told The New York Times , `` The city is littered with brass . ''
A U.S. military investigation found the shooting was unprovoked .
`` It was obviously excessive , '' a defense official told The Washington Post .
`` The civilians that were fired upon , they did n't have any weapons to fire back at them .
And none of the [ Iraqi police ] or any of the local security forces fired back at them . ''
The FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no evidence to support the claims by Blackwater guards that Iraqi civilians had opened fire on them .
Asked about the deaths in a 2019 debate with NBC legal analyst Mehdi Hasan , Blackwater founder Prince explained , `` Sadly , the insurgents do n't wear uniforms . ''
The attack sparked global backlash against U.S. efforts to contain the fallout from the Iraq War through the use of private contractors — many of them veterans — who wielded military power in war zones , but operated outside the military chain of command @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's license the nation , and within a few years Prince had changed the company 's name and then sold it , after the Blackwater name became shorthand for the perceived reckless impunity of contract mercenaries around the world .
Prince later lobbied Trump to `` privatize '' the war in Afghanistan by replacing U.S. troops with mercenaries , citing the notorious East India Company as a model .
`` Prince made millions by sending these men back to Iraq , but Blackwater made it harder for the soldiers to do their job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The sad fact is that they did n't follow rules of engagement .
They drove around in tan-colored Army vehicles without markings , and most Iraqi citizens did n't know the difference until it was too late .
Blackwater convoys that ran through town , shooting indiscriminately , made it more difficult for soldiers trying to do the right thing the right way . ''
The U.S. refused to allow the four men to be tried in Iraq , and on Dec. 31 , 2009 , a federal judge dismissed charges against them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence .
At the time , then-Vice President Joe Biden , who had recently taken office , told the Iraqi government that the Obama administration would continue with the prosecution .
`` A dismissal is not an acquittal , '' Biden said .
Over the next decade , as the complicated criminal and civil cases made their way through the justice system , the Blackwater guards became known as the `` Biden Four '' in right-wing circles .
Prince captured the criticism of that process in his debate with Hasan , claiming falsely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which would have violated of basic constitutional rights .
`` The federal government finally got them in a D.C. jury on the fourth time they tried it , '' Prince said .
Hasan asked if Prince was saying that a Washington , D.C. , jury is not legitimate .
Prince responded : `` A jury of your peers — it does not really compare to the rest of America .
No . ''
Dickinson , the attorney who represented some of the victims , including the family of the nine-year-old , Ali @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets it backwards : The trial ran long precisely because it was fair .
`` It misses the point that somehow there were multiple attempts to convict .
The point is that the trials went through , the system worked , '' Dickinson said .
`` The case went through the full appellate process .
It needed to be fair , and they were given fair trials and fair convictions . ''
The men were not tried four times .
After the 2009 dismissal , the government appealed , and in 2011 the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a ruling which the Supreme Court declined to review .
The case went to trial , and in 2014 a jury convicted Slatten , who had fired first , of first-degree murder ; the other three men were convicted of voluntary manslaughter .
Slatten appealed the verdict , and three years later , the D.C. Court of Appeals overturned his conviction , ruling that his case should be tried separately .
The court also ordered new sentences for his associates , ruling that their 30-year terms qualified as `` cruel and unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintained his innocence , declined to accept a plea deal on manslaughter charges , and in his 2018 retrial was once again convicted of first-degree murder .
The next year , a federal judge sentenced him to life , and sentenced his associates to between 12 and 15 years .
President Trump has intervened in similar military crimes before , such as pardoning Army Lt. Clint Lorance , who was convicted of second-degree murder charges in the deaths of two Afghans , and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher — described as `` freakin ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit — who and was convicted of war crimes in July 2019 after posing in pictures with the body of a teenage prisoner he had killed with a hunting knife .
Dickinson lamented the effect that Trump 's actions would have on allies , and on the way the world views the U.S. justice system .
The men were not tried four times .
After the 2009 dismissal , the government appealed , and in 2011 the D.C. Court of Appeals reinstated the charges , a ruling which the Supreme Court declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and in 2014 a jury convicted Slatten , who had fired first , of first-degree murder ; the other three men were convicted of voluntary manslaughter .
Slatten appealed the verdict , and three years later , the D.C. Court of Appeals overturned his conviction , ruling that his case should be tried separately .
The court also ordered new sentences for his associates , ruling that their 30-year terms qualified as `` cruel and unusual punishment . ''
Slatten , who has maintained his innocence , declined to accept a plea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 2018 retrial was once again convicted of first-degree murder .
The next year , a federal judge sentenced him to life , and sentenced his associates to between 12 and 15 years .
President Trump has intervened in similar military crimes before , such as pardoning Army Lt. Clint Lorance , who was convicted of second-degree murder charges in the deaths of two Afghans , and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher — described as `` freakin ' evil '' by members of his own unit — who and was convicted of war crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the body of a teenage prisoner he had killed with a hunting knife .
Dickinson lamented the effect that Trump 's actions would have on allies , and on the way the world views the U.S. justice system .
In a January 2019 Fox News opinion column , then-Rep. Duncan Hunter , R-Calif. , described the `` Biden Four '' as `` political pawns who now sit in jail .
...
The fact remains , these brave men were sent to prison for doing their jobs . ''
A year later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to misuse of campaign funds , including expenses for multiple extramarital affairs .
He was slated to begin an 11-month prison sentence , until he was also pardoned by Trump on Tuesday .

With less than a month left in his presidency, President Trump on Tuesday pardoned four Blackwater security contractors whose convictions for killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in 2007 had in recent years become a right-wing rallying cry.
One of the contractors, Nicholas Slatten, was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, and the others — Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty and Paul Slough — had each been sentenced to between 12 and 15 years for voluntary manslaughter. Their convictions came after the largest and most expensive federal investigation since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The accompanying White House statement, which came among a batch of 20, claimed that the pardons were "broadly supported by the public," citing specifically Fox News personality Pete Hegseth and a number of conservative members of the House. The statement described the 14 deaths and other injuries as "unfortunate."
The four convicted killers, all military veterans, worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a security firm founded by former Navy SEAL Erik Prince, brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The State Department had contracted with Blackwater to provide private protection for U.S. diplomats in Iraq. The company changed its name to Xe Services in 2009, and then changed it again to Academi after Prince sold the business to private investors in 2011.
"The investigation was monumental," Paul Dickinson, a plaintiff's attorney in North Carolina who represented six of the Iraqi victims in a lawsuit in U.S. civil court, told Salon. "To put it all aside because Erik Prince is one of Trump's cronies is a slap in the face to the U.S. legal system, a slap in the face to the Justice Department and the assurances it put in place to ensure these men had fair trials. And despite being the 'law and order president,' Trump has humiliated these families for obtaining justice for the crimes committed against them."
On Sept. 16, 2007, in response to reports of a nearby car bomb, a Blackwater security detail blocked off traffic in Baghdad's Nisour Square to create a safe exit path for diplomatic officials leaving a nearby meeting. However, the guards soon began firing their machine guns indiscriminately into the stopped cars, even deploying grenades, reportedly out of fear that one had matched the description of a suspicious vehicle in the area. The massacre left at least 17 Iraqis dead — all of them unarmed, including a nine-year-old child, whose brain fell to the ground at his father's feet. The official number is uncertain, however, because of the difficulties the chaotic scene presented for investigators: Some bodies could not be recovered, some evidence may have been moved or removed, and shell casings could not be definitively linked to the incident, because, as an FBI official later told The New York Times, "The city is littered with brass."
A U.S. military investigation found the shooting was unprovoked. "It was obviously excessive," a defense official told The Washington Post. "The civilians that were fired upon, they didn't have any weapons to fire back at them. And none of the [Iraqi police] or any of the local security forces fired back at them." The FBI later concurred, saying that investigators found no evidence to support the claims by Blackwater guards that Iraqi civilians had opened fire on them.
Asked about the deaths in a 2019 debate with NBC legal analyst Mehdi Hasan, Blackwater founder Prince explained, "Sadly, the insurgents don't wear uniforms."
The attack sparked global backlash against U.S. efforts to contain the fallout from the Iraq War through the use of private contractors — many of them veterans — who wielded military power in war zones, but operated outside the military chain of command. The Iraqi government immediately yanked Blackwater's license the nation, and within a few years Prince had changed the company's name and then sold it, after the Blackwater name became shorthand for the perceived reckless impunity of contract mercenaries around the world. Prince later lobbied Trump to "privatize" the war in Afghanistan by replacing U.S. troops with mercenaries, citing the notorious East India Company as a model.
"Prince made millions by sending these men back to Iraq, but Blackwater made it harder for the soldiers to do their job," Dickinson told Salon. "The sad fact is that they didn't follow rules of engagement. They drove around in tan-colored Army vehicles without markings, and most Iraqi citizens didn't know the difference until it was too late. Blackwater convoys that ran through town, shooting indiscriminately, made it more difficult for soldiers trying to do the right thing the right way."
The U.S. refused to allow the four men to be tried in Iraq, and on Dec. 31, 2009, a federal judge dismissed charges against them in the U.S., citing inappropriately handled evidence. At the time, then-Vice President Joe Biden, who had recently taken office, told the Iraqi government that the Obama administration would continue with the prosecution.
"A dismissal is not an acquittal," Biden said.
Over the next decade, as the complicated criminal and civil cases made their way through the justice system, the Blackwater guards became known as the "Biden Four" in right-wing circles.
Prince captured the criticism of that process in his debate with Hasan, claiming falsely that the men were prosecuted four times, which would have violated of basic constitutional rights. "The federal government finally got them in a D.C. jury on the fourth time they tried it," Prince said. Hasan asked if Prince was saying that a Washington, D.C., jury is not legitimate. Prince responded: "A jury of your peers — it does not really compare to the rest of America. No."
Dickinson, the attorney who represented some of the victims, including the family of the nine-year-old, Ali Kinani, told Salon that the criticism gets it backwards: The trial ran long precisely because it was fair.
"It misses the point that somehow there were multiple attempts to convict. The point is that the trials went through, the system worked," Dickinson said. "The case went through the full appellate process. It needed to be fair, and they were given fair trials and fair convictions."
The men were not tried four times. After the 2009 dismissal, the government appealed, and in 2011 the D.C. Court of Appeals reinstated the charges, a ruling which the Supreme Court declined to review. The case went to trial, and in 2014 a jury convicted Slatten, who had fired first, of first-degree murder; the other three men were convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Slatten appealed the verdict, and three years later, the D.C. Court of Appeals overturned his conviction, ruling that his case should be tried separately. The court also ordered new sentences for his associates, ruling that their 30-year terms qualified as "cruel and unusual punishment."
Slatten, who has maintained his innocence, declined to accept a plea deal on manslaughter charges, and in his 2018 retrial was once again convicted of first-degree murder. The next year, a federal judge sentenced him to life, and sentenced his associates to between 12 and 15 years.
President Trump has intervened in similar military crimes before, such as pardoning Army Lt. Clint Lorance, who was convicted of second-degree murder charges in the deaths of two Afghans, and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher — described as "freakin' evil" by members of his own unit — who and was convicted of war crimes in July 2019 after posing in pictures with the body of a teenage prisoner he had killed with a hunting knife.
Dickinson lamented the effect that Trump's actions would have on allies, and on the way the world views the U.S. justice system.
The men were not tried four times. After the 2009 dismissal, the government appealed, and in 2011 the D.C. Court of Appeals reinstated the charges, a ruling which the Supreme Court declined to review. The case went to trial, and in 2014 a jury convicted Slatten, who had fired first, of first-degree murder; the other three men were convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Slatten appealed the verdict, and three years later, the D.C. Court of Appeals overturned his conviction, ruling that his case should be tried separately. The court also ordered new sentences for his associates, ruling that their 30-year terms qualified as "cruel and unusual punishment."
Slatten, who has maintained his innocence, declined to accept a plea deal on manslaughter charges, and in his 2018 retrial was once again convicted of first-degree murder. The next year, a federal judge sentenced him to life, and sentenced his associates to between 12 and 15 years.
President Trump has intervened in similar military crimes before, such as pardoning Army Lt. Clint Lorance, who was convicted of second-degree murder charges in the deaths of two Afghans, and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher — described as "freakin' evil" by members of his own unit — who and was convicted of war crimes in July 2019 after posing in pictures with the body of a teenage prisoner he had killed with a hunting knife.
Dickinson lamented the effect that Trump's actions would have on allies, and on the way the world views the U.S. justice system.
In a January 2019 Fox News opinion column, then-Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., described the "Biden Four" as "political pawns who now sit in jail. ... The fact remains, these brave men were sent to prison for doing their jobs."
A year later, Hunter resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to misuse of campaign funds, including expenses for multiple extramarital affairs. He was slated to begin an 11-month prison sentence, until he was also pardoned by Trump on Tuesday.


alternet--2020-12-29--Biden: Trump's mishandling of transition is 'nothing short' of 'irresponsibility'

President-elect Joe Biden made it clear Monday that his incoming administration will be operating from a disadvantage on day one if the Trump administration did n't start cooperating immediately .
`` From some agencies , our team received exemplary cooperation … from others , most notable , the Department of Defense , we encountered obstruction from the political leadership of that department , '' Biden said in remarks delivered after a briefing with his national security and foreign policy advisers .
`` Right now , as our nation is in a period of transition , we need to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between administrations , '' Biden said .
`` My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies . ''
He then added , `` We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch up that our adversaries may try to exploit . ''
Biden then called out the current administration for their `` irresponsibility '' in protecting the nation .
`` Right now , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas , '' he said .
`` It 's nothing short , in my view , of irresponsibility .
Rebuilding the full set of our instruments of foreign policy and national security is a key challenge that the Vice President-elect Harris and I will face upon taking office , starting with our diplomacy . ''

President-elect Joe Biden made it clear Monday that his incoming administration will be operating from a disadvantage on day one if the Trump administration didn't start cooperating immediately.
"From some agencies, our team received exemplary cooperation … from others, most notable, the Department of Defense, we encountered obstruction from the political leadership of that department," Biden said in remarks delivered after a briefing with his national security and foreign policy advisers.
"Right now, as our nation is in a period of transition, we need to make sure that nothing is lost in the hand-off between administrations," Biden said. "My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies."
He then added, "We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch up that our adversaries may try to exploit."
Biden then called out the current administration for their "irresponsibility" in protecting the nation.
"Right now, we just aren't getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas," he said. "It's nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility. Rebuilding the full set of our instruments of foreign policy and national security is a key challenge that the Vice President-elect Harris and I will face upon taking office, starting with our diplomacy."
Watch the video below.


alternet--2020-12-29--Ted Cruz defends push to secure $35 million in COVID relief for Big Oil — including company run by m

Ted Cruz defends push to secure $35 million in COVID relief for Big Oil — including company run by major donors

Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) is doubling down on his efforts to secure pandemic relief funding for big oil and gas companies .
According to Dallas News , the Republican senator took to Twitter on Sunday , Dec. 27 , in response to a Wall Street Journal report highlighting the conflict of interest between Cruz and Texas billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks .
The publication reported that the Texas billionaires , who happen to be strong supporters of Cruz , received a staggering $ 35 million in coronavirus relief funding .
Around the same time they received the funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of money into a number of other energy companies .
However , Cruz tweeted to defend his actions .
`` This tweet is misleading .
I did n't `` weigh-in '' on behalf of any specific company , Cruz tweeted .
`` I sent a public letter to the Fed arguing that the ENTIRE oil & gas industry should n't be wrongfully excluded from emergency loans .
I 'm proud to defend jobs in Texas . ''
He added , `` It was n't in secret ; I sent out a press release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job is to fight for 29 million Texans , and when the Fed agreed with my public letter , it helped save over 300,000 energy jobs in Texas . ''
A spokesperson for the Texas senator also released a statement to The Wall Street Journal saying `` that the senator spoke to some 40 oil and gas firms , including the Wilks brothers ' , about what kind of coronavirus assistance they needed .
Those conversations caused Cruz to ask the Fed to tweak the lending program 's rules to address industry concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also told the publication that he `` worked to ensure small and medium-sized businesses directly harmed by the economic impacts of this pandemic had access to emergency liquidity . ''

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is doubling down on his efforts to secure pandemic relief funding for big oil and gas companies.
According to Dallas News, the Republican senator took to Twitter on Sunday, Dec. 27, in response to a Wall Street Journal report highlighting the conflict of interest between Cruz and Texas billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks.
The publication reported that the Texas billionaires, who happen to be strong supporters of Cruz, received a staggering $35 million in coronavirus relief funding. Around the same time they received the funding, they also invested a substantial amount of money into a number of other energy companies. However, Cruz tweeted to defend his actions.
"This tweet is misleading. I didn't "weigh-in" on behalf of any specific company, Cruz tweeted. "I sent a public letter to the Fed arguing that the ENTIRE oil & gas industry shouldn't be wrongfully excluded from emergency loans. I'm proud to defend jobs in Texas."
He added, "It wasn't in secret; I sent out a press release on it: https://tinyurl.com/y9ln7wl7 My job is to fight for 29 million Texans, and when the Fed agreed with my public letter, it helped save over 300,000 energy jobs in Texas."
A spokesperson for the Texas senator also released a statement to The Wall Street Journal saying "that the senator spoke to some 40 oil and gas firms, including the Wilks brothers', about what kind of coronavirus assistance they needed. Those conversations caused Cruz to ask the Fed to tweak the lending program's rules to address industry concerns."
Cruz's spokeswoman Lauren Bianchi also told the publication that he "worked to ensure small and medium-sized businesses directly harmed by the economic impacts of this pandemic had access to emergency liquidity."


alternet--2020-12-30--Michael Flynn is now selling QAnon merchandise

Michael Flynn , former National Security Adviser for the Trump administration , is taking his support of conspiracies to a whole new level with the promotion of QAnon merchandise .
According to The Daily Beast , Flynn 's longstanding legal battle with special counsel Robert Mueller made him a popular among QAnon supporters .
In fact , the publication explained that many QAnon supporters often rely on subtle `` clues '' to `` to construct a worldview where the Democratic Party and other institutions are controlled by a cabal of pedophile-cannibals . ''
Some QAnon supporters actually believe Flynn could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the entire conspiracy .
On Tuesday , Flynn publicized his support of a website called `` Shirt Show USA '' which sells QAnon merchandise .
The site showcases a number of products featuring QAnon 's signature slogan `` WWG1WGA , '' a key reference to QAnon 's motto , `` Where we go one , we go all . ''
The site also features `` other 'official ' Flynn-themed merchandise '' and some of the product descriptions also argue that QAnon is not just another conspiracy theory .
`` It 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a theory , '' the description reads .
`` The Great Awakening is happening and the signs are everywhere . ''
Flynn 's son Michael Flynn Jr. also expressed support for the movement .
On Tuesday , Flynn Jr. , took to the conservative social media platform Parler , where he released a brief statement claiming the profits from the site would be used to support `` his father and 'digital soldiers ' '' in their battle against the so-called `` fake news . '
'' `` Each purchase helps @ genflynn and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against fake news , '' Flynn 's son said .
`` Digital Soldiers '' is an upcoming conservative media outlet deriving from a collaboration between `` Flynn and conspiracy theory website UncoverDC , which is run by major QAnon promoter Tracy Diaz . ''
On the website , it reads , `` Digital Soldiers from all over the world have stepped up to fill the void where real journalism once stood , '' the site reads .
`` We are pushing back against the rise of fake news . ''

Michael Flynn, former National Security Adviser for the Trump administration, is taking his support of conspiracies to a whole new level with the promotion of QAnon merchandise.
According to The Daily Beast, Flynn's longstanding legal battle with special counsel Robert Mueller made him a popular among QAnon supporters. In fact, the publication explained that many QAnon supporters often rely on subtle "clues" to "to construct a worldview where the Democratic Party and other institutions are controlled by a cabal of pedophile-cannibals." Some QAnon supporters actually believe Flynn could be "Q," the person behind the entire conspiracy.
On Tuesday, Flynn publicized his support of a website called "Shirt Show USA" which sells QAnon merchandise. The site showcases a number of products featuring QAnon's signature slogan "WWG1WGA," a key reference to QAnon's motto, "Where we go one, we go all." The site also features "other 'official' Flynn-themed merchandise" and some of the product descriptions also argue that QAnon is not just another conspiracy theory.
"It's no conspiracy and it's certainly more than a theory," the description reads. "The Great Awakening is happening and the signs are everywhere."
Flynn's son Michael Flynn Jr. also expressed support for the movement. On Tuesday, Flynn Jr., took to the conservative social media platform Parler, where he released a brief statement claiming the profits from the site would be used to support "his father and 'digital soldiers'" in their battle against the so-called "fake news.'"
"Each purchase helps @genflynn and his army of Digital Soldiers in the fight against fake news," Flynn's son said.
"Digital Soldiers" is an upcoming conservative media outlet deriving from a collaboration between "Flynn and conspiracy theory website UncoverDC, which is run by major QAnon promoter Tracy Diaz."
On the website, it reads, "Digital Soldiers from all over the world have stepped up to fill the void where real journalism once stood," the site reads. "We are pushing back against the rise of fake news."


alternet--2020-12-30--McConnell's 'cynical gambit' condemned as he pushes poison pills in bid to tank $2,000 checks

Shortly after blocking efforts by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Senate Democrats to force a vote on a House-passed bill that would provide $ 2,000 direct payments to most Americans , Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell late Tuesday introduced new legislation tying the checks to Trump-backed provisions to repeal legal protections for tech companies and establish a commission to study virtually non-existent voter fraud .
Senate Democrats immediately rejected the Kentucky Republican 's bill ( pdf ) as a non-starter and warned the measure is an obvious effort to ensure that the $ 2,000 direct payments do n't clear the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody 's mind is how do I survive , how do I feed my kids , how do I not get evicted ?
So what we have got to do is just demand that McConnell bring forth a clean House bill . ''
—Sen .
Bernie Sanders '' Senator McConnell knows how to make $ 2,000 survival checks reality and he knows how to kill them , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) said in a statement .
`` If Sen. McConnell tries loading up the bipartisan House-passed CASH Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do absolutely nothing to help struggling families across the country , it will not pass the House and can not become law . ''
`` Any move like this by Sen. McConnell would be a blatant attempt to deprive Americans of a $ 2,000 survival check , '' Schumer continued .
`` Will Senate Republicans go along with Sen. McConnell 's cynical gambit or will they push him to give a vote on the standalone House-passed CASH Act ? ''
Rep. Don Beyer ( D-Va. ) echoed Schumer , tweeting that `` people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vote on the bill we passed to send Americans $ 2,000 checks , so now he 's planning to try to kill it by adding poison pills that have nothing to do with Covid relief . ''
An essential problem with McConnell 's legislation , as conservative policy analyst Rachel Bovard pointed out on Twitter , is that it `` violates the constitutional requirement that revenue bills initiate in the House . ''
`` This means it ca n't pass the Congress even if it accidentally passes the Senate , '' Bovard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violates the origination clause .
The Senate deals with this issue all of the time .
But why bother fixing a bill that is supposed to fail ? ''
Sen. John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) —a top McConnell ally and an opponent of the stand-alone $ 2,000 payments bill—suggested Tuesday that the GOP should push legislation attaching the checks to liability protections for corporations that expose workers and customers to the coronavirus , a proposal Democrats viewed as further confirmation that Republicans are dead-set on killing the $ 2,000 payments .
Cornyn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the wealthy in 2017 , also expressed concerns about the deficit impact of sending people larger direct payments .
`` This is all funny money , borrowed money at this point , and that 's another consideration , '' said the Texas Republican .
The efforts by Senate Republican leaders to prevent so much as an up-or-down vote on the CASH Act came after new polling showed that the proposed $ 2,000 payments are overwhelmingly popular among U.S. voters , including Republicans .
Some Senate Republicans , including Sens .
David Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voiced support for the $ 2,000 payments—though they have not backed Sanders ' effort to secure a clean vote on the House-passed measure .
In a tweet late Tuesday , Trump reiterated his call for $ 2,000 payments—up from the $ 600 checks in the relief measure he signed into law on Sunday—while also demanding that lawmakers repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and prevent Democrats from `` steal [ ing ] the presidential election , '' which Trump lost decisively despite his false claims to the contrary .
`` Unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is also the right thing to do , they must approve the $ 2000 payments ASAP , '' the president tweeted .
`` $ 600 IS NOT ENOUGH !
Also , get rid of Section 230—do n't let Big Tech steal our country , and do n't let the Democrats steal the presidential election .
Get tough ! ''
Led by Sanders , members of the Senate Democratic caucus are expected to continue pushing for a clean vote on the House bill , which passed the lower chamber Monday with the support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vermont senator stood in the way of McConnell 's attempt to schedule a Wednesday vote to override Trump 's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act , legislation that would greenlight $ 740 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2021 .
`` The House passed , to their credit , a simple , straightforward bill , '' Sanders told reporters on Tuesday .
`` Let 's not muddy the waters : Are you for $ 2,000 or are you not ? ''
In an interview with CNN 's Jim Acosta Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid a deadly pandemic and massive economic crisis , the U.S. public is pining for the repeal of Section 230 .
`` Do you think , Jim , that all over America people are saying , my god , we have to repeal Section 230 ... my god , that is a major national priority ? ''
Sanders said .
`` Right now the issue on everybody 's mind is how do I survive , how do I feed my kids , how do I not get evicted ?
So what we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell bring forth a clean House bill . ''
`` I ca n't guarantee that it 's gon na win in the Senate , '' the Vermont senator continued .
`` We need 60 votes .
I think we got a damn good shot to win it .
Bring it to the floor for a vote , Mitch . ''

Shortly after blocking efforts by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Senate Democrats to force a vote on a House-passed bill that would provide $2,000 direct payments to most Americans, Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell late Tuesday introduced new legislation tying the checks to Trump-backed provisions to repeal legal protections for tech companies and establish a commission to study virtually non-existent voter fraud.
Senate Democrats immediately rejected the Kentucky Republican's bill (pdf) as a non-starter and warned the measure is an obvious effort to ensure that the $2,000 direct payments don't clear the Senate.
"Right now the issue on everybody's mind is how do I survive, how do I feed my kids, how do I not get evicted? So what we have got to do is just demand that McConnell bring forth a clean House bill."
—Sen. Bernie Sanders
"Senator McConnell knows how to make $2,000 survival checks reality and he knows how to kill them," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "If Sen. McConnell tries loading up the bipartisan House-passed CASH Act with unrelated, partisan provisions that will do absolutely nothing to help struggling families across the country, it will not pass the House and cannot become law."
"Any move like this by Sen. McConnell would be a blatant attempt to deprive Americans of a $2,000 survival check," Schumer continued. "Will Senate Republicans go along with Sen. McConnell's cynical gambit or will they push him to give a vote on the standalone House-passed CASH Act?"
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) echoed Schumer, tweeting that "people are furious with Mitch McConnell for blocking a vote on the bill we passed to send Americans $2,000 checks, so now he's planning to try to kill it by adding poison pills that have nothing to do with Covid relief."
"Don't be fooled," said Beyer.
An essential problem with McConnell's legislation, as conservative policy analyst Rachel Bovard pointed out on Twitter, is that it "violates the constitutional requirement that revenue bills initiate in the House."
"This means it can't pass the Congress even if it accidentally passes the Senate," Bovard explained. "The Senate knows it violates the origination clause. The Senate deals with this issue all of the time. But why bother fixing a bill that is supposed to fail?"
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)—a top McConnell ally and an opponent of the stand-alone $2,000 payments bill—suggested Tuesday that the GOP should push legislation attaching the checks to liability protections for corporations that expose workers and customers to the coronavirus, a proposal Democrats viewed as further confirmation that Republicans are dead-set on killing the $2,000 payments.
Cornyn, who voted for Trump's tax cuts for the wealthy in 2017, also expressed concerns about the deficit impact of sending people larger direct payments.
"This is all funny money, borrowed money at this point, and that's another consideration," said the Texas Republican.
The efforts by Senate Republican leaders to prevent so much as an up-or-down vote on the CASH Act came after new polling showed that the proposed $2,000 payments are overwhelmingly popular among U.S. voters, including Republicans.
Some Senate Republicans, including Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, have voiced support for the $2,000 payments—though they have not backed Sanders' effort to secure a clean vote on the House-passed measure.
In a tweet late Tuesday, Trump reiterated his call for $2,000 payments—up from the $600 checks in the relief measure he signed into law on Sunday—while also demanding that lawmakers repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and prevent Democrats from "steal[ing] the presidential election," which Trump lost decisively despite his false claims to the contrary.
"Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP," the president tweeted. "$600 IS NOT ENOUGH! Also, get rid of Section 230—don't let Big Tech steal our country, and don't let the Democrats steal the presidential election. Get tough!"
Led by Sanders, members of the Senate Democratic caucus are expected to continue pushing for a clean vote on the House bill, which passed the lower chamber Monday with the support of 44 Republicans. On Tuesday, the Vermont senator stood in the way of McConnell's attempt to schedule a Wednesday vote to override Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, legislation that would greenlight $740 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2021.
"The House passed, to their credit, a simple, straightforward bill," Sanders told reporters on Tuesday. "Let's not muddy the waters: Are you for $2,000 or are you not?"
In an interview with CNN's Jim Acosta Tuesday evening, Sanders mocked the notion that amid a deadly pandemic and massive economic crisis, the U.S. public is pining for the repeal of Section 230.
"Do you think, Jim, that all over America people are saying, my god, we have to repeal Section 230... my god, that is a major national priority?" Sanders said. "Right now the issue on everybody's mind is how do I survive, how do I feed my kids, how do I not get evicted? So what we have got to do is just demand that McConnell bring forth a clean House bill."
"I can't guarantee that it's gonna win in the Senate," the Vermont senator continued. "We need 60 votes. I think we got a damn good shot to win it. Bring it to the floor for a vote, Mitch."