talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--Coastal Louisiana A Hot Mess As Laura Moves East Ahead Of Trump’s Weekend Visit

LAKE CHARLES , La .
( AP ) — The remnants of Hurricane Laura unleashed heavy rain and twisters hundreds of miles inland from a path of death and mangled buildings along the Gulf Coast , and forecasters warn of new dangers as the tropical weather blows toward the Eastern Seaboard this weekend .
Flooding and more tornadoes were possible as the leftovers of the once fearsome Category 4 hurricane move eastward through Tennessee , Mississippi and Alabama Friday after an apparent tornado tore through a church and homes in Arkansas Thursday night .
Laura weakened to a tropical depression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tropical storm again when it moves off the mid-Atlantic coast on Saturday .
More than 750,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana , Texas and Arkansas in the storm ’ s wake , according to poweroutage.us , which tracks utility reports .
One of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States , Laura was blamed for six deaths as it barreled across Louisiana and parts of Texas .
A sense of relief prevailed that Laura was not the annihilating menace forecasters had feared , but a full assessment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were demolished and entire neighborhoods left in ruins along the coast .
Thunderstorms and sizzling heat were expected in the disaster area on Friday , complicating recovery efforts .
“ It is clear that we did not sustain and suffer the absolute , catastrophic damage that we thought was likely , ” Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said .
“ But we have sustained a tremendous amount of damage.
” Finishing search and rescue efforts was a top priority , Edwards said , followed by efforts to find hotel or motel rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes .
Officials in Texas and Louisiana both sought to avoid traditional mass shelters for evacuees over fears of spreading COVID-19 .
He called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana , meaning it surpassed even Katrina , which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005 .
The hurricane ’ s top wind speed of 150 mph ( 241 kph ) put it among the strongest systems on record in the U.S. Not until 11 hours after landfall did Laura finally lose hurricane status as it plowed north and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening it remained a tropical storm with winds of 40 mph ( 65 kph ) .
The storm crashed ashore in low-lying Louisiana and clobbered Lake Charles , an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people .
On Broad Street , many buildings had partially collapsed .
Windows were blown out , awnings ripped away and trees split in eerily misshapen ways .
A floating casino came unmoored and hit a bridge , and small planes were thrown atop each other at the airport .
A television station ’ s tower toppled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ courthouse that local officials had voted to keep in place just days earlier was knocked down by Laura .
“ It looks like 1,000 tornadoes went through here .
It ’ s just destruction everywhere , ” said Brett Geymann , who rode out the storm with three relatives in Moss Bluff , near Lake Charles .
He described a roar like a jet engine as Laura passed over his house around 2 a.m. “ There are houses that are totally gone , ” he said .
As the extent of the damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of smoke visible for miles began rising from a chemical plant .
Police said the leak was at a facility run by Biolab , which manufactures chemicals used in household cleaners and chlorine powder for pools .
Nearby residents were told to close their doors and windows , and the fire smoldered into the night .
Four people were killed by falling trees in Louisiana , including a 14-year-old girl and a 68-year-old man .
A 24-year-old man died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator inside his residence .
Another man drowned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm , authorities said .
No deaths had been confirmed in Texas , which Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott called “ a miracle.
” Chevellce Dunn considered herself among the fortunate after a night spent huddling on a sofa with her son , daughter and four nieces and nephews as winds rocked their home in Orange , Texas .
Left without power in sweltering heat , she wondered when the electricity might come back .
“ It ain ’ t going to be easy .
As long as my kids are fine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
More than 580,000 coastal residents evacuated despite fears of infection from the coronavirus pandemic , saving many lives , but it was unclear when their journeys might end .
There ’ s no electricity or running water in Lake Charles , a city of 80,000 , and the coastal towns of Cameron and Holly Beach were swamped by the storm surge .
Restoring these services could take weeks .
“ People who are outside of Lake Charles , thinking about coming back , they need to be really blunt with themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re coming back to , ” Mayor Nic Hunter told NBC ’ s Today show Friday .
“ I ’ m sorry about that , but we just got hit with the largest hurricane to hit Louisiana in the last 150 years.
” A lower-than-expected storm surge also helped save lives .
Edwards said ocean water rose as much as 12 feet ( 4 meters ) rather than the 20 feet ( 6 meters ) that was predicted .
Bucky Millet , 78 , of Lake Arthur , Louisiana , considered evacuating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride out the storm with family .
A small tornado blew the cover off the bed of his pickup .
That made him think the roof of his house was next .
“ You ’ d hear a crack and a boom and everything shaking , ” he said .
Laura ’ s winds blew out every window of the living room in the Lake Charles house where Bethany Agosto huddled in a closet with her sister and two others .
“ It was like a jigsaw puzzle…we were on top of each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crying.
” Laura was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year , setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August .
Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola , including 20 in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic .
President Donald Trump planned to visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour the damage .
Associated Press contributors include Jeff Martin in Marietta , Georgia ; Kevin McGill in New Orleans ; John L. Mone in Holly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Austin , Texas ; Seth Borenstein in Kensington , Maryland ; Juan A. Lozano in Houston ; Jay Reeves in Birmingham , Alabama ; Jill Bleed in Little Rock , Arkansas ; and Sophia Tulp in Atlanta .

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — The remnants of Hurricane Laura unleashed heavy rain and twisters hundreds of miles inland from a path of death and mangled buildings along the Gulf Coast, and forecasters warn of new dangers as the tropical weather blows toward the Eastern Seaboard this weekend.
Flooding and more tornadoes were possible as the leftovers of the once fearsome Category 4 hurricane move eastward through Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama Friday after an apparent tornado tore through a church and homes in Arkansas Thursday night. Laura weakened to a tropical depression late Thursday, but could become a tropical storm again when it moves off the mid-Atlantic coast on Saturday.
More than 750,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas in the storm’s wake, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.
One of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States, Laura was blamed for six deaths as it barreled across Louisiana and parts of Texas.
A sense of relief prevailed that Laura was not the annihilating menace forecasters had feared, but a full assessment of the damage could take days. Buildings were demolished and entire neighborhoods left in ruins along the coast. Thunderstorms and sizzling heat were expected in the disaster area on Friday, complicating recovery efforts.
“It is clear that we did not sustain and suffer the absolute, catastrophic damage that we thought was likely,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “But we have sustained a tremendous amount of damage.”
Finishing search and rescue efforts was a top priority, Edwards said, followed by efforts to find hotel or motel rooms for those unable to stay in their homes. Officials in Texas and Louisiana both sought to avoid traditional mass shelters for evacuees over fears of spreading COVID-19.
He called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, meaning it surpassed even Katrina, which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005.
The hurricane’s top wind speed of 150 mph (241 kph) put it among the strongest systems on record in the U.S. Not until 11 hours after landfall did Laura finally lose hurricane status as it plowed north and thrashed Arkansas, and up until Thursday evening it remained a tropical storm with winds of 40 mph (65 kph).
The storm crashed ashore in low-lying Louisiana and clobbered Lake Charles, an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people. On Broad Street, many buildings had partially collapsed. Windows were blown out, awnings ripped away and trees split in eerily misshapen ways. A floating casino came unmoored and hit a bridge, and small planes were thrown atop each other at the airport. A television station’s tower toppled.
A Confederate statue in front of a courthouse that local officials had voted to keep in place just days earlier was knocked down by Laura.
“It looks like 1,000 tornadoes went through here. It’s just destruction everywhere,” said Brett Geymann, who rode out the storm with three relatives in Moss Bluff, near Lake Charles. He described a roar like a jet engine as Laura passed over his house around 2 a.m.
“There are houses that are totally gone,” he said.
As the extent of the damage came into focus, a massive plume of smoke visible for miles began rising from a chemical plant. Police said the leak was at a facility run by Biolab, which manufactures chemicals used in household cleaners and chlorine powder for pools. Nearby residents were told to close their doors and windows, and the fire smoldered into the night.
Four people were killed by falling trees in Louisiana, including a 14-year-old girl and a 68-year-old man. A 24-year-old man died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator inside his residence. Another man drowned in a boat that sank during the storm, authorities said.
No deaths had been confirmed in Texas, which Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called “a miracle.” Chevellce Dunn considered herself among the fortunate after a night spent huddling on a sofa with her son, daughter and four nieces and nephews as winds rocked their home in Orange, Texas. Left without power in sweltering heat, she wondered when the electricity might come back.
“It ain’t going to be easy. As long as my kids are fine, I’m fine,” Dunn said.
More than 580,000 coastal residents evacuated despite fears of infection from the coronavirus pandemic, saving many lives, but it was unclear when their journeys might end. There’s no electricity or running water in Lake Charles, a city of 80,000, and the coastal towns of Cameron and Holly Beach were swamped by the storm surge. Restoring these services could take weeks.
“People who are outside of Lake Charles, thinking about coming back, they need to be really blunt with themselves about the harsh reality of what they’re coming back to,” Mayor Nic Hunter told NBC’s Today show Friday. “I’m sorry about that, but we just got hit with the largest hurricane to hit Louisiana in the last 150 years.”
A lower-than-expected storm surge also helped save lives. Edwards said ocean water rose as much as 12 feet (4 meters) rather than the 20 feet (6 meters) that was predicted.
Bucky Millet, 78, of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, considered evacuating but decided because of the coronavirus to ride out the storm with family. A small tornado blew the cover off the bed of his pickup. That made him think the roof of his house was next.
“You’d hear a crack and a boom and everything shaking,” he said.
Laura’s winds blew out every window of the living room in the Lake Charles house where Bethany Agosto huddled in a closet with her sister and two others. “It was like a jigsaw puzzle…we were on top of each other, just holding each other and crying.”
Laura was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year, setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August. Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola, including 20 in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic.
President Donald Trump planned to visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour the damage.
___
Associated Press contributors include Jeff Martin in Marietta, Georgia; Kevin McGill in New Orleans; John L. Mone in Holly Beach, Louisiana; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland; Juan A. Lozano in Houston; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama; Jill Bleed in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Sophia Tulp in Atlanta.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-29--Biden To Resume In-Person Campaigning In Coming Days

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will restart efforts to campaign in person in the coming days , answering calls from allies who say that his lead on Trump has narrowed .
The Washington Post reports that the former Vice President will conduct in-person campaign events amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , particularly to tackle concerns about a need to recapture Minnesota voters and to quell fears that rapper Kanye West , who qualified for the state ’ s ballot and has petitioned to appear on ballots in a number of battleground states may try to siphon votes with help from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden recently mentioned Minnesota among three other states— Arizona , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as states due for in-person visits soon .
Republicans have for month teased Biden for not “ coming out of the basement , ” as Trump put it at a New Hampshire rally on Friday — criticizing the former Vice President ’ s vigilance about preventing the spread of coronavirus at large gatherings .
We ’ re going to do it in a way that is totally consistent with being responsible , ” Biden told supporters at a virtual fundraiser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who he has often criticized for making public appearances to largely maskless crowds of spectators .
Aides told the Post that the Biden campaign is considering a range of event types that honor state rules around group assembly amid the pandemic .
One option is “ drive-in ” rallies modeled after the one Biden and Harris held in Delaware after Biden ’ s acceptance speech at the virtual Democratic National Convention .
“ We ’ re going to try to find ways to give him venues to connect with people to hear what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Biden deputy campaign manager and communications director , Kate Bedingfield said .
She added : “ As we are doing this traveling to battleground states , you ’ re going to hear him talking a lot about his plans to bring manufacturing and supply chains back to America , ” in addition to provisions for affordable child care .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will restart efforts to campaign in person in the coming days, answering calls from allies who say that his lead on Trump has narrowed.
The Washington Post reports that the former Vice President will conduct in-person campaign events amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, particularly to tackle concerns about a need to recapture Minnesota voters and to quell fears that rapper Kanye West, who qualified for the state’s ballot and has petitioned to appear on ballots in a number of battleground states may try to siphon votes with help from GOP strategists. Per the Post, Biden recently mentioned Minnesota among three other states— Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as states due for in-person visits soon.
Republicans have for months teased Biden for not “coming out of the basement,” as Trump put it at a New Hampshire rally on Friday — criticizing the former Vice President’s vigilance about preventing the spread of coronavirus at large gatherings.
We’re going to do it in a way that is totally consistent with being responsible,” Biden told supporters at a virtual fundraiser Thursday — pointing a finger at Trump who he has often criticized for making public appearances to largely maskless crowds of spectators.
Aides told the Post that the Biden campaign is considering a range of event types that honor state rules around group assembly amid the pandemic. One option is “drive-in” rallies modeled after the one Biden and Harris held in Delaware after Biden’s acceptance speech at the virtual Democratic National Convention.
“We’re going to try to find ways to give him venues to connect with people to hear what’s going on in their lives,” Biden deputy campaign manager and communications director, Kate Bedingfield said. She added: “As we are doing this traveling to battleground states, you’re going to hear him talking a lot about his plans to bring manufacturing and supply chains back to America,” in addition to provisions for affordable child care.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-29--Kanye West Wisconsin Ballot Lawsuit Linked To Firm Of Former RNC Chief Counsel

After rapper Kanye West sued the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Friday to get his name on the presidential ballot in the state this fall , a not-so surprising discovery was made : the address listed for West ’ s court filing matches that of a GOP state senator who previously served as chief counsel for the Republican National Committee .
The rapper ’ s filing lists an address for the law office of Virginia state Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel — managing partner for the firm Holtzman Vozel , Josefiak , Torchinsky PLLC , which is among the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vogel ’ s firm has specialized in often stealthily supporting wealthy donors , corporations and political action committees in their efforts to influence elections .
The firm has represented super PACs including American Crossroads , the brainchild of former Bush aide and RNC chairman Ed Gillespie and strategist Karl Rove .
In a 2017 run for lieutenant governor of Virginia — Vogel adopted Trump ’ s drain-the-swamp approach in her platform .
Other partners at the firm include former Trump cabinet secretary Bill McGinley .
Republicans have supported West ’ s attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lane Ruhland , the attorney who delivered the rapper ’ s nominating petitions earlier this month , has built a wide profile working for Republicans , including for the Trump campaign .
West ’ s lawsuit on Friday requested that the local court rule that his nominating papers met the submission deadline to ensure that he appears on the swing state ’ s ballot in November after he narrowly appeared to miss the state ’ s filing deadline .
While the WEC voted to dismiss the rapper ’ s petition on the basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys contend in the complaint that Wisconsin ’ s deadline expires one minute after 5 p.m. , making West ’ s submission which reportedly arrived seconds after 5 p.m. valid .
The news of West ’ s address on the lawsuit being tied to the RNC , is the latest evidence that the hiphop icon is being boosted by GOP strategists to drive votes away from the Democratic presidential ticket .
Earlier this month , the rapper met with Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner in Colorado , who during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident , downplayed the meeting saying the pair both “ happened ” to be in Colorado and simply met for a “ friendly discussion.
” West has succeeded in getting his name on a growing list of ballots , recently adding Minnesota and Tennessee .
West has likely zeroed in on Wisconsin as a line of attack because it is among a group of key battleground states where the siphoning even a relatively small number of votes could impact an outcome .
Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by a margin of roughly 22,700 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past , and in a Forbes interview earlier this month said that he is “ not denying ” that his campaign could hurt former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s presidential bid .

After rapper Kanye West sued the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Friday to get his name on the presidential ballot in the state this fall, a less than surprising discovery was made: the address listed for West’s court filing matched that of a GOP state senator who previously served as chief counsel for the Republican National Committee.
Kanye West's address in his court filing to get on the ballot in Wisconsin is the law office of Jill Holtzman Vogel, a Republican state senator from Virginia who previously served as chief counsel for the RNC https://t.co/eA5zrv1uWp — Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) August 29, 2020
The rapper’s filing lists an address for the law office of Virginia state Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel — managing partner for the firm Holtzman Vozel, Josefiak, Torchinsky PLLC, which is among the nation’s most prominent GOP elections law firms.
Vogel’s firm has specialized in often stealthily supporting wealthy donors, corporations and political action committees in their efforts to influence elections. The firm has represented super PACs including American Crossroads, the brainchild of former Bush aide and RNC chairman Ed Gillespie and strategist Karl Rove.
In a 2017 run for lieutenant governor of Virginia — Vogel adopted Trump’s drain-the-swamp approach in her platform.
Other partners at the firm include former Trump cabinet secretary Bill McGinley.
Republicans have supported West’s attempts to get on ballots around the country. Lane Ruhland, the attorney who delivered the rapper’s nominating petitions earlier this month, has built a wide profile working for Republicans, including for the Trump campaign.
West’s lawsuit on Friday requested that the local court rule that his nominating papers met the submission deadline to ensure that he appears on the swing state’s ballot in November after he narrowly appeared to miss the state’s filing deadline.
While the WEC voted to dismiss the rapper’s petition on the basis of its lateness, West’s attorneys contend in the complaint that Wisconsin’s deadline expires one minute after 5 p.m., making West’s submission which reportedly arrived seconds after 5 p.m. valid.
The news of West’s address on the lawsuit being tied to the RNC, is the latest evidence that the hiphop icon is being boosted by GOP strategists to drive votes away from the Democratic presidential ticket.
Earlier this month, the rapper met with Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner in Colorado, who during a White House press briefing following the incident, downplayed the meeting saying the pair both “happened” to be in Colorado and simply met for a “friendly discussion.”
West has succeeded in getting his name on a growing list of ballots, recently adding Minnesota and Tennessee.
West has likely zeroed in on Wisconsin as a line of attack because it is among a group of key battleground states where the siphoning even a relatively small number of votes could impact an outcome. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by a margin of roughly 22,700 votes.
West has supported President Trump in the past, and in a Forbes interview earlier this month said that he is “not denying” that his campaign could hurt former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential bid.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-29--Trump Claims He Wants To See ‘First Woman President Also’: If It’s His Daughter

President Donald Trump railed against Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris during a New Hampshire campaign rally on Friday night , suggesting that the California senator is “ not competent ” enough to make history as the first female president .
“ I want to see the first woman president also , ” Trump said , before rebuffing Harris and then boosting his own daughter for the role , claiming that Ivanka Trump who is also among his advisers , is the kind of female leader his supporters could back .
“ They ’ re all saying , ‘ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I don ’ t blame them.
” The comments follow Trump ’ s ongoing attack of Harris who is the first Black woman and Asian American to be nominated to a major party ’ s presidential ticket .
Harris — the woman that he has said is “ not competent ” — is also the woman that he has repeatedly called “ dangerous , ” “ nasty , ” and even “ disrespectful ” in her tough questioning of his Supreme Court justice pick , Brett Kavanaugh during Senate Judiciary Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then opponent and now running mate , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , during the party ’ s debates last year .
Trump has also fanned the flame surrounding a false and racist conspiracy theory about Harris ’ eligibility for the vice presidency , suggesting that she may not have been born in the United States .
On Thursday , ahead of the Trump ’ s GOP acceptance speech , Harris had ripped the President during her first solo campaign event , saying that he had mishandled the coronavirus pandemic and failed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all Americans as COVID-19 continues to ravage the nation .
The rally follows Trump ’ s speech on Thursday concluding the Republican National Convention on the South Lawn of the White House .
Few of the spectators in New Hampshire wore masks , and they stood close together , ignoring the six feet of social distance recommended to slow the spread of the new coronavirus .
Notable is not only Trump ’ s effort to expand the profile of his daughter , but also a tactical move to continue to paint Harris as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stoking fear among conservatives about a “ dangerous ” and “ radical ” woman of color hijacking the presidency from Biden who he referred to on Friday as a “ puppet ” to a much more liberal agenda .
Trump ’ s rebuke of Harris follows efforts to shore up support from female voters during the RNC this past week where several speakers touted Trump ’ s record on advancing women ’ s issues and addressing concerns of people of color .
As he tore into Harris in his remarks on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baldasaro in a shoutout .
The New Hampshire Republican previously called for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be “ shot in firing squad ” during her 2016 presidential bid .

President Donald Trump railed against Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris during a New Hampshire campaign rally on Friday night, suggesting that the California senator is “not competent” enough to make history as the first female president.
Trump: You know I want to see the first woman president also but I don’t want to see a woman president get into that position the way she’d do it and she’s not competent. pic.twitter.com/7CpFsE2wuo — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) August 28, 2020
“I want to see the first woman president also,” Trump said, before rebuffing Harris and then boosting his own daughter for the role, claiming that Ivanka Trump who is also among his advisers, is the kind of female leader his supporters could back.
“They’re all saying, ‘We want Ivanka!’” Trump said. “I don’t blame them.”
The comments follow Trump’s ongoing attack of Harris who is the first Black woman and Asian American to be nominated to a major party’s presidential ticket.
Harris — the woman that he has said is “not competent” — is also the woman that he has repeatedly called “dangerous,” “nasty,” and even “disrespectful” in her tough questioning of his Supreme Court justice pick, Brett Kavanaugh during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and in her criticisms of her then opponent and now running mate, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, during the party’s debates last year.
Trump has also fanned the flame surrounding a false and racist conspiracy theory about Harris’ eligibility for the vice presidency, suggesting that she may not have been born in the United States.
On Thursday, ahead of the Trump’s GOP acceptance speech, Harris had ripped the President during her first solo campaign event, saying that he had mishandled the coronavirus pandemic and failed in his duty to ensure the safety of all Americans as COVID-19 continues to ravage the nation.
The rally follows Trump’s speech on Thursday concluding the Republican National Convention on the South Lawn of the White House. Few of the spectators in New Hampshire wore masks, and they stood close together, ignoring the six feet of social distance recommended to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
Notable is not only Trump’s effort to expand the profile of his daughter, but also a tactical move to continue to paint Harris as his true opponent for the presidency — stoking fear among conservatives about a “dangerous” and “radical” woman of color hijacking the presidency from Biden who he referred to on Friday as a “puppet” to a much more liberal agenda.
Trump’s rebuke of Harris follows efforts to shore up support from female voters during the RNC this past week where several speakers touted Trump’s record on advancing women’s issues and addressing concerns of people of color.
As he tore into Harris in his remarks on Friday, the President also acknowledged state Rep. Al Baldasaro in a shoutout. The New Hampshire Republican previously called for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be “shot in firing squad” during her 2016 presidential bid.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-29--Mary Trump Condemns RNC, Says Trump Will ‘Use Anybody For His Own Purposes’

Mary Trump who authored a bestselling book that featured a stinging critique about her uncle , President Donald Trump , rebuked the President ’ s abuse of office for his own political objectives , condemning the Republican National Convention that wrapped late Thursday as “ a law-breaking enterprise.
” “ He co-opted or the Republican National Committee co-opted the people ’ s house for their own political benefit , ” Mary Trump told Politico in an interview that was published early Saturday .
Trump ’ s niece described the four-day affair which featured speeches and appearances from many of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump ’ s speeches “ hateful ” and “ mendacious , ” respectively .
Trump ’ s niece ’ s comments follow her release of a series of new secret audio recordings with the President ’ s sister Maryanne Trump Barry on Friday who can be heard calling Ivanka Trump , the President ’ s daughter and adviser a “ mini-Donald.
” While Ivanka Trump defended her father ’ s style in her remarks at the RNC Thursday , saying that he has challenged norms in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans from which Ivanka says her father diverges , were largely unseen at the RNC .
While there were a great many Trumps and Trump allies , the party ’ s convention saw a marked separation between the “ old guard ” and the newer Trump establishment .
Former Republican presidents , vice presidents and former cabinet members were not given a place at the podium — but in their opposition to Trump appear to have little desire to speak on his behalf .
( A good number have even publicly stated support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Mary Trump told Politico that she found it particularly alarming that “ almost every single participant ” of Trump ’ s new brand in Washington featured at the convention was “ willing to lie , and knew they were lying , and didn ’ t care that pretty much everything they said was a lie.
” The deceit Trump ’ s niece describes was evident in the manner by which many of Trump ’ s associates painted a rosy picture of the President ’ s widely criticized response to the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even talked about the pandemic in the past tense .
Individuals featured in at least two of the video clips that featured prominently during the convention have also said they were misled or did not know that footage lifted from interviews about public housing or in a naturalization ceremony taking place at the White House would be used as a prop to score a more diverse range of supporters during the RNC .
When asked what she wants voters to know about her uncle as the November election approaches , Mary Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody but himself .
” She said that her uncle “ has no loyalty to anybody .
And that he will use anybody for his own purposes and lie to them about his motives .
”

Mary Trump who authored a bestselling book that featured a stinging critique about her uncle, President Donald Trump, rebuked the President’s abuse of office for his own political objectives, condemning the Republican National Convention that wrapped late Thursday as “a law-breaking enterprise.”
“He co-opted or the Republican National Committee co-opted the people’s house for their own political benefit,” Mary Trump told Politico in an interview that was published early Saturday.
Trump’s niece described the four-day affair which featured speeches and appearances from many of her own relatives “disturbing.”
Mary Trump called Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump’s speeches “hateful” and “mendacious,” respectively.
Trump’s niece’s comments follow her release of a series of new secret audio recordings with the President’s sister Maryanne Trump Barry on Friday who can be heard calling Ivanka Trump, the President’s daughter and adviser a “mini-Donald.”
While Ivanka Trump defended her father’s style in her remarks at the RNC Thursday, saying that he has challenged norms in Washington, it is notable that the establishment Republicans from which Ivanka says her father diverges, were largely unseen at the RNC.
While there were a great many Trumps and Trump allies, the party’s convention saw a marked separation between the “old guard” and the newer Trump establishment.
Former Republican presidents, vice presidents and former cabinet members were not given a place at the podium — but in their opposition to Trump appear to have little desire to speak on his behalf. (A good number have even publicly stated support for his Democratic opponent Joe Biden.)
Mary Trump told Politico that she found it particularly alarming that “almost every single participant” of Trump’s new brand in Washington featured at the convention was “willing to lie, and knew they were lying, and didn’t care that pretty much everything they said was a lie.”
The deceit Trump’s niece describes was evident in the manner by which many of Trump’s associates painted a rosy picture of the President’s widely criticized response to the coronavirus pandemic. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow even talked about the pandemic in the past tense.
Individuals featured in at least two of the video clips that featured prominently during the convention have also said they were misled or did not know that footage lifted from interviews about public housing or in a naturalization ceremony taking place at the White House would be used as a prop to score a more diverse range of supporters during the RNC.
When asked what she wants voters to know about her uncle as the November election approaches, Mary Trump said simply, “that he cares about nobody but himself. ”
She said that her uncle “has no loyalty to anybody. And that he will use anybody for his own purposes and lie to them about his motives.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-29--Tenants Say They Were Tricked Into RNC Video Appearance: ‘I Am Not A Trump Supporter’

Three of the tenants who appeared in a public housing clip that aired during the Republican National Convention have said they were never told that their interviews with a longtime Trump associate who oversees New York ’ s federal housing programs would be edited and used during the GOP convention .
“ I am not a Trump supporter , ” one of the tenants , Claudia Perez told The New York Times in an interview on Friday .
“ I am not a supporter of his racist policies on immigration .
I am a first-generation Honduran .
It was my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revelation is the latest example of President Donald Trump ’ s willful exploitation government resources to advance his chances at re-election .
In the video , the tenants spoke candidly about poor conditions in the housing authority ’ s buildings and appeared to praise Trump ’ s record on public housing while bashing Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio .
Perez told the Times on Friday that while she stood by her criticism of the housing authority she was very upset about being misled to appear in a video that was later shown at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenant , told the Times that his grievances about public housing were “ not an endorsement of Trump.
” While Perez and two other tenants told the Times that they had not been informed that their interviews would be used for the convention a fourth tenant , Judy Smith , said she was a Trump backer and knew the purpose of the video .
Carmen Quiñones , a self-described “ lifelong Democrat ” and tenant leader who took part in organizing participants for the video told the Times that she wished that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be used at the RNC .
She said she plans to vote for her party ’ s nominee Joe Biden in November .
Tim Murtaugh , a spokesman for the Trump campaign , denied claims that the participants interviewed for the clip had been misled .
“ All interview subjects were fully aware of the purpose of the interviews , ” he said .
He added that Patton was “ acting in her own personal capacity.
” Patton also issued a statement denying that she had misled anyone and saying that each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be featured at the convention “ to increase awareness of the inhumane conditions that Mayor de Blasio has allowed for far too long.
” “ Each participated regardless of political party because they recognized the importance of having a voice on the national stage and the undeniable improvements that have transpired under this administration , ” Patton said .
In tweets , Patton later condemned the Times ’ story and said that before it aired she had showed the full video to the resident organizer who she says called it “ amazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public housing clip was not the first example of the Trump campaign ’ s deceiving participants for an event involving the federal government that was then used as a pro-Trump prop during the RNC .
On Tuesday , the convention showed a video of naturalization ceremony where five people became American citizens .
Several of those participants have said they had no knowledge of the fact that they were being filmed for a political event .
As head of the New York office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development , Patton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a government employee to engage in political activity under the Hatch Act .
She told the Times that video was vetted and cleared for Hatch Act violations by the White House although Patton notably was found in violation of the Hatch Act in 2019 .

Three of the tenants who appeared in a public housing clip that aired during the Republican National Convention have said they were never told that their interviews with a longtime Trump associate who oversees New York’s federal housing programs would be edited and used during the GOP convention.
“I am not a Trump supporter,” one of the tenants, Claudia Perez told The New York Times in an interview on Friday. “I am not a supporter of his racist policies on immigration. I am a first-generation Honduran. It was my people he was sending back.”
The revelation is the latest example of President Donald Trump’s willful exploitation government resources to advance his chances at re-election.
In the video, the tenants spoke candidly about poor conditions in the housing authority’s buildings and appeared to praise Trump’s record on public housing while bashing Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Perez told the Times on Friday that while she stood by her criticism of the housing authority she was very upset about being misled to appear in a video that was later shown at the RNC.
Manny Martinez, another tenant, told the Times that his grievances about public housing were “not an endorsement of Trump.”
While Perez and two other tenants told the Times that they had not been informed that their interviews would be used for the convention a fourth tenant, Judy Smith, said she was a Trump backer and knew the purpose of the video.
Carmen Quiñones, a self-described “lifelong Democrat” and tenant leader who took part in organizing participants for the video told the Times that she wished that she had been told beforehand that the clip would be used at the RNC. She said she plans to vote for her party’s nominee Joe Biden in November.
Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, denied claims that the participants interviewed for the clip had been misled. “All interview subjects were fully aware of the purpose of the interviews,” he said. He added that Patton was “acting in her own personal capacity.”
Patton also issued a statement denying that she had misled anyone and saying that each of the four tenants knew that they would be featured at the convention “to increase awareness of the inhumane conditions that Mayor de Blasio has allowed for far too long.”
“Each participated regardless of political party because they recognized the importance of having a voice on the national stage and the undeniable improvements that have transpired under this administration,” Patton said.
In tweets, Patton later condemned the Times’ story and said that before it aired she had showed the full video to the resident organizer who she says called it “amazing” and “wholly accurate.”
The public housing clip was not the first example of the Trump campaign’s deceiving participants for an event involving the federal government that was then used as a pro-Trump prop during the RNC. On Tuesday, the convention showed a video of naturalization ceremony where five people became American citizens. Several of those participants have said they had no knowledge of the fact that they were being filmed for a political event.
As head of the New York office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Patton is technically banned from leveraging her position as a government employee to engage in political activity under the Hatch Act. She told the Times that video was vetted and cleared for Hatch Act violations by the White House although Patton notably was found in violation of the Hatch Act in 2019.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-30--GOPers Punt To Blaming Local Officials As Trump Praises Supporters In Portland Clash

Republicans on Sunday wouldn ’ t condemn President Trump ’ s praise for his supporters involved in a violent clash with Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland , Oregon , but instead shifted blame to local officials .
On Friday , Portland mayor Ted Wheeler wrote in a letter to Trump “ no thanks ” after the President said that he offered aid to Portland by sending federal law enforcement into the city to quell unrest amid ongoing protests against police brutality .
The next day , Trump supporters descended upon Portland and violently clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one person .
In Sunday morning tweets , the President appeared to only condemn Black Lives Matter protesters .
In one tweet , Trump tweeted a video of his supporters driving into Portland and called them “ GREAT PATRIOTS.
” In another tweet , Trump called Wheeler a “ FOOL ” and called for the deployment of the National Guard in Portland .
Trump later continued airing his grievances towards Wheeler in a series of tweets on Sunday afternoon , which also included a jab at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President ’ s latest tweets that condemned “ violence of every kind by anyone , whether on the left or the right ” and that he “ challenges ” Trump to do the same .
Here ’ s how they weighed in on the unrest in Portland : After insisting that “ most of Donald Trump ’ s America is peaceful , ” Meadows railed against the “ Democrat-led city ” of Portland after its mayor denied the assistance of federal law enforcement , during an interview on MSNBC ’ s “ Meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President believes he has responsibility of governing and leading the entire country , Meadows continued going after Portland ’ s mayor .
“ Well he does govern and lead the entire country but , Chuck , you ’ re smarter than that .
These are local law enforcement efforts that can be supported by a federal backstop , whether it be National Guard or the FBI , ” Meadows said .
“ And so when we look at that as we look in Portland , it ’ s not Donald Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , it ’ s not Donald Trump that is saying that we need to look the other way , it ’ s the mayor of Portland .
So let ’ s at least have a true version of what ’ s happening in these cities.
” During an interview on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation , ” Wolf was asked whether the Trump administration will request that everyone , including the Trump supporters involved in the violent clashes in Portland , to pull back .
“ Well , we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really for over three months now .
What you see in Portland is an environment — they foster an environment of this lawlessness and chaos , ” Wolf said .
“ We ’ ve been asking the governor and others to send in the National Guard to address the violence so that you don ’ t have dueling demonstrations.
” After saying that local officials need to “ do their job , ” Wolf was pressed on Trump hailing his supporters who descended upon Portland as “ GREAT PATRIOTS ” and whether he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heightens tensions further .
“ Absolutely not , ” Wolf said .
“ I think what — again , what we see in Portland and various other cities is local officials not doing their job and protecting the people of those communities.
” Although she didn ’ t directly address the unrest in Portland during an interview on “ Fox News Sunday , ” Trump went after “ Democrat-run cities ” where “ the people that are in charge , the mayors of these cities have let their citizens down.
” “ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have not protected their citizens .
They have not protected small businesses , ” Trump said .
Trump went on to rip Democratic mayors for “ playing politics instead of looking out for the safety of their citizens ” and suggested for them to “ look to this and say , hey , the President has offered all of us this opportunity and they should take it.
” Trump later slammed Biden in the interview for supposedly taking three months to condemn the violence that erupted during protests in the wake of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield wasted no time in fact-checking during her interview on “ Fox News Sunday ” that aired right after Trump ’ s .
When asked to respond to Trump ’ s Sunday morning tweets that appeared to “ inflame tensions ” following clashes in Portland during an interview on CNN , Johnson dodged by saying that he is personally “ urging calm across the board ” and that “ we need to get control of the situation.
” A heated exchange between Johnson and CNN ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressed him on Trump ’ s tweets , which didn ’ t condemn his supporters ’ involvement in the violent clashes that broke out in Portland .
Johnson replied by asserting that “ there are people agitating all over the place ” and pointed out that Trump “ responded immediately ” to the violence that erupted in Kenosha , after Rep. Bryan Steil ( R-WI ) called him and requested assistance from federal law enforcement .

Republicans on Sunday wouldn’t condemn President Trump’s praise for his supporters involved in a violent clash with Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, but instead shifted blame to local officials.
On Friday, Portland mayor Ted Wheeler wrote in a letter to Trump “no thanks” after the President said that he offered aid to Portland by sending federal law enforcement into the city to quell unrest amid ongoing protests against police brutality.
The next day, Trump supporters descended upon Portland and violently clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters, which resulted in the fatal shooting of one person.
In Sunday morning tweets, the President appeared to only condemn Black Lives Matter protesters. In one tweet, Trump tweeted a video of his supporters driving into Portland and called them “GREAT PATRIOTS.” In another tweet, Trump called Wheeler a “FOOL” and called for the deployment of the National Guard in Portland.
Trump later continued airing his grievances towards Wheeler in a series of tweets on Sunday afternoon, which also included a jab at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who issued a statement shortly before the President’s latest tweets that condemned “violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right” and that he “challenges” Trump to do the same.
Ted Wheeler, the wacky Radical Left Do Nothing Democrat Mayor of Portland, who has watched great death and destruction of his City during his tenure, thinks this lawless situation should go on forever. Wrong! Portland will never recover with a fool for a Mayor…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
..The people of Portland, like all other cities & parts of our great Country, want Law & Order. The Radical Left Democrat Mayors, like the dummy running Portland, or the guy right now in his basement unwilling to lead or even speak out against crime, will never be able to do it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
The only way you will stop the violence in the high crime Democrat run cities is through strength! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Republicans echoed Trump’s sentiments during Sunday morning interviews.
Here’s how they weighed in on the unrest in Portland:
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows
After insisting that “most of Donald Trump’s America is peaceful,” Meadows railed against the “Democrat-led city” of Portland after its mayor denied the assistance of federal law enforcement, during an interview on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press.”
When asked whether the President believes he has responsibility of governing and leading the entire country, Meadows continued going after Portland’s mayor.
“Well he does govern and lead the entire country but, Chuck, you’re smarter than that. These are local law enforcement efforts that can be supported by a federal backstop, whether it be National Guard or the FBI,” Meadows said. “And so when we look at that as we look in Portland, it’s not Donald Trump’s DA that’s saying to stand down, it’s not Donald Trump that is saying that we need to look the other way, it’s the mayor of Portland. So let’s at least have a true version of what’s happening in these cities.”
WATCH: @MarkMeadows says “Donald Trump’s America is peaceful” after deadly shootings in Kenosha and Portland. #MTP @chucktodd: “You’re saying these are all Democratic cities … does the president not believe he has responsibility of governing and leading the entire country?" pic.twitter.com/5WRA7AzV53 — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 30, 2020
Acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf
During an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Wolf was asked whether the Trump administration will request that everyone, including the Trump supporters involved in the violent clashes in Portland, to pull back.
“Well, we’ve been asking Portland to do their job really for over three months now. What you see in Portland is an environment — they foster an environment of this lawlessness and chaos,” Wolf said. “We’ve been asking the governor and others to send in the National Guard to address the violence so that you don’t have dueling demonstrations.”
After saying that local officials need to “do their job,” Wolf was pressed on Trump hailing his supporters who descended upon Portland as “GREAT PATRIOTS” and whether he thinks that the President’s praise heightens tensions further.
“Absolutely not,” Wolf said. “I think what — again, what we see in Portland and various other cities is local officials not doing their job and protecting the people of those communities.”
As @RealDonaldTrump hailed pro-Trump demonstrators driving into #Portland as "great patriots", @DHS_Wolf claims as soon as local officials "do their job" to address any violent activity "we'll see violence go down to almost zero" https://t.co/PiiHNLMeF5 pic.twitter.com/dvuFNcmpND — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 30, 2020
Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump
Although she didn’t directly address the unrest in Portland during an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Trump went after “Democrat-run cities” where “the people that are in charge, the mayors of these cities have let their citizens down.”
“They have not upheld the laws. They have not protected their citizens. They have not protected small businesses,” Trump said.
Trump went on to rip Democratic mayors for “playing politics instead of looking out for the safety of their citizens” and suggested for them to “look to this and say, hey, the President has offered all of us this opportunity and they should take it.”
Trump later slammed Biden in the interview for supposedly taking three months to condemn the violence that erupted during protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in late May, which Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield wasted no time in fact-checking during her interview on “Fox News Sunday” that aired right after Trump’s.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
When asked to respond to Trump’s Sunday morning tweets that appeared to “inflame tensions” following clashes in Portland during an interview on CNN, Johnson dodged by saying that he is personally “urging calm across the board” and that “we need to get control of the situation.”
A heated exchange between Johnson and CNN’s Dana Bash ensued as she repeatedly pressed him on Trump’s tweets, which didn’t condemn his supporters’ involvement in the violent clashes that broke out in Portland.
Johnson replied by asserting that “there are people agitating all over the place” and pointed out that Trump “responded immediately” to the violence that erupted in Kenosha, after Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) called him and requested assistance from federal law enforcement.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-30--Biden Camp Fact-Checks Lara Trump’s Claim On Ex-VP Response To Violence At Protests

Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield on Sunday fact-checked Trump campaign adviser Lara Trump ’ s assertion that the Democratic presidential nominee failed to condemn the violence that erupted during protests in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death soon enough .
During an interview on “ Fox News Sunday , ” Trump was asked whether the President ’ s re-election campaign thinks that this violence in the streets plays to the President ’ s political advantage .
After acknowledging “ that is never something that any of us would want to see happen , ” Trump claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrests happening at protests .
“ I think , unfortunately , what ’ s really bad , specifically for Joe Biden and the Biden campaign because — Chris , you might remember that it took him about three months to finally come out and condemn this violence and say that people should stop doing it , ” Trump said .
Trump then bolstered the President ’ s claim that there are “ federal resources available to every mayor and every city across this country ” before once again slamming Biden for supposedly taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemn violence during protests .
“ I think it ’ s probably because he knows that that is his base and he doesn ’ t want to upset these people , ” Trump said .
Right after Trump ’ s interview aired , Bedingfield was interviewed on “ Fox News Sunday ” as well where she initially bypassed anchor Chris Wallace ’ s question on Biden ’ s upcoming campaign trip and proceeded to fact-check Trump ’ s claim instead .
“ First of all , she said that Vice President Biden did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests — that ’ s absolutely not true , ” Bedingfield said .
“ He came out right after George Floyd was killed back in May and said there ’ s no place for violence .
He said it forcefully again this week .
So that ’ s simply not true.
” Bedingfield added that “ a President ’ s words matter ” before criticizing the President for getting the country into a “ state of chaos ” due to his failure on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Hours after Bedingfield ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Biden issued a statement condemning violence after one person was fatally shot amid clashes between Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland , Oregon .
In late May during protests in the wake of Floyd ’ s death , Biden issued a statement saying that although protesting police brutality is “ right and necessary , ” the unrest that ensued such as “ burning down communities and needless destruction is not.
” “ Violence that endangers lives is not .
Violence that guts and shutters businesses that serve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The act of protesting should never be allowed to overshadow the reason we protest .
It should not drive people away from the just cause that protest is meant to advance.
” At the time Biden ’ s statement was issued , Trump had not directly addressed Floyd ’ s death , but slammed Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey instead in a tweet .

Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield on Sunday fact-checked Trump campaign adviser Lara Trump’s assertion that the Democratic presidential nominee failed to condemn the violence that erupted during protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death soon enough.
During an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Trump was asked whether the President’s re-election campaign thinks that this violence in the streets plays to the President’s political advantage.
After acknowledging “that is never something that any of us would want to see happen,” Trump claimed that Biden took three months to condemn the unrests happening at protests.
“I think, unfortunately, what’s really bad, specifically for Joe Biden and the Biden campaign because — Chris, you might remember that it took him about three months to finally come out and condemn this violence and say that people should stop doing it,” Trump said.
Trump then bolstered the President’s claim that there are “federal resources available to every mayor and every city across this country” before once again slamming Biden for supposedly taking “a bit too long” to condemn violence during protests.
“I think it’s probably because he knows that that is his base and he doesn’t want to upset these people,” Trump said.
Right after Trump’s interview aired, Bedingfield was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday” as well where she initially bypassed anchor Chris Wallace’s question on Biden’s upcoming campaign trip and proceeded to fact-check Trump’s claim instead.
“First of all, she said that Vice President Biden did not quickly condemn the violence around these protests — that’s absolutely not true,” Bedingfield said. “He came out right after George Floyd was killed back in May and said there’s no place for violence. He said it forcefully again this week. So that’s simply not true.”
Bedingfield added that “a President’s words matter” before criticizing the President for getting the country into a “state of chaos” due to his failure on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hours after Bedingfield’s interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Biden issued a statement condemning violence after one person was fatally shot amid clashes between Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon.
NEW from Joe Biden: "I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same." pic.twitter.com/TgK3pnKCq2 — Matt Viser (@mviser) August 30, 2020
In late May during protests in the wake of Floyd’s death, Biden issued a statement saying that although protesting police brutality is “right and necessary,” the unrest that ensued such as “burning down communities and needless destruction is not.”
“Violence that endangers lives is not. Violence that guts and shutters businesses that serve the community is not,” Biden wrote. “The act of protesting should never be allowed to overshadow the reason we protest. It should not drive people away from the just cause that protest is meant to advance.”
At the time Biden’s statement was issued, Trump had not directly addressed Floyd’s death, but slammed Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey instead in a tweet.
The National Guard has been released in Minneapolis to do the job that the Democrat Mayor couldn’t do. Should have been used 2 days ago & there would not have been damage & Police Headquarters would not have been taken over & ruined. Great job by the National Guard. No games! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020
Watch Lara Trump’s and Bedingfield’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-30--Lara Trump Downplays COVID Concerns Over Trump Speech: ‘People Want To Get Back To Normal’

Trump campaign adviser Lara Trump defended the mostly maskless crowd who attended President Trump ’ s Republican National Convention speech last week amid concerns that it will prove to be a COVID-19 superspreader event , during an interview on “ Fox News Sunday.
” When pressed on the President delivering his acceptance speech on the South Lawn of the White House to an audience of more than 1,500 people who weren ’ t practicing social distancing and largely flouted masks , Trump insisted that “ we always encourage people to follow the guidelines and do what they think is best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always have masks available .
We encourage people to use them , ” Trump said .
We always have hand sanitizer available .
And we encourage people to spread themselves out.
” Trump then suggested that supporters of the President can ’ t help but want to get physically closer to him .
“ But I think you know as it always works out — people always rush towards the front of the stage , ” Trump said .
“ They want to be around this president .
They pack themselves in.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ we all have to recognize that people want to get back to normal.
” “ And maybe it ’ s going to a Trump rally that does that , but we are always following the guidelines , ” Trump said .
After “ Fox News Sunday ” anchor Chris Wallace pointed out that some health officials say that the stacking of chairs next to each other has the potential to be a superspreader event , Trump reasoned that the President ’ s speech was held at an outdoor venue before going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ ll remind everybody that the folks that were spitting in the faces of our people leaving the convention that night were not social distancing , ” Trump said .
‘ There was an absolutely disgusting display .
The next day , there were , you know , thousands of people on the National Mall all packed together as well.
” Trump went on to insinuate that the flack that the President ’ s speech has gotten over the flouting of coronavirus restrictions is unfair .
“ So , look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plays by the same rules , or we have to stop talking about it because whenever you ’ re talking about the President ’ s campaign , you know , and how people weren ’ t specifically socially distanced , but the next day , thousands of people on the National Mall , and that ’ s not a problem for anybody , ” Trump said .
“ It seems a little hypocritical.
” Trump ’ s latest remarks aren ’ t far off from those that a senior White House official told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Acosta , a senior White House official had brushed off concerns to him on Thursday evening about the lack of social distancing at the President ’ s acceptance speech , saying , “ everybody is going to catch this thing eventually.
” Marc Short , chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence , also got into a heated exchange during an interview on MSNBC Thursday morning as he fiercely defended the large maskless crowd who attended the VP ’ s RNC speech at Fort McHenry the night before .

Trump campaign adviser Lara Trump defended the mostly maskless crowd who attended President Trump’s Republican National Convention speech last week amid concerns that it will prove to be a COVID-19 superspreader event, during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
When pressed on the President delivering his acceptance speech on the South Lawn of the White House to an audience of more than 1,500 people who weren’t practicing social distancing and largely flouted masks, Trump insisted that “we always encourage people to follow the guidelines and do what they think is best for themselves.”
“So, we always have masks available. We encourage people to use them,” Trump said. We always have hand sanitizer available. And we encourage people to spread themselves out.”
Trump then suggested that supporters of the President can’t help but want to get physically closer to him.
“But I think you know as it always works out — people always rush towards the front of the stage,” Trump said. “They want to be around this president. They pack themselves in.”
Trump argued that at a certain point “we all have to recognize that people want to get back to normal.”
“And maybe it’s going to a Trump rally that does that, but we are always following the guidelines,” Trump said.
After “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace pointed out that some health officials say that the stacking of chairs next to each other has the potential to be a superspreader event, Trump reasoned that the President’s speech was held at an outdoor venue before going on to slam protesters outside the White House.
“I’ll remind everybody that the folks that were spitting in the faces of our people leaving the convention that night were not social distancing,” Trump said. ‘There was an absolutely disgusting display. The next day, there were, you know, thousands of people on the National Mall all packed together as well.”
Trump went on to insinuate that the flack that the President’s speech has gotten over the flouting of coronavirus restrictions is unfair.
“So, look we either have to say that everybody plays by the same rules, or we have to stop talking about it because whenever you’re talking about the President’s campaign, you know, and how people weren’t specifically socially distanced, but the next day, thousands of people on the National Mall, and that’s not a problem for anybody,” Trump said. “It seems a little hypocritical.”
Trump’s latest remarks aren’t far off from those that a senior White House official told CNN’s Jim Acosta. According to Acosta, a senior White House official had brushed off concerns to him on Thursday evening about the lack of social distancing at the President’s acceptance speech, saying, “everybody is going to catch this thing eventually.”
Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, also got into a heated exchange during an interview on MSNBC Thursday morning as he fiercely defended the large maskless crowd who attended the VP’s RNC speech at Fort McHenry the night before.
Watch Trump’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-30--DNI Defends Halting Election Security Briefings By Accusing Congressional Members Of Leaking

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe on Sunday defended his move to no longer give in-person briefings about election security and foreign election interference by accusing members of Congress of leaking classified information “ within minutes ” after briefings were held .
On Friday , Ratcliffe told the House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence that his office “ will primarily meet its obligation to keep Congress fully and currently informed leading into the Presidential election through written finished intelligence products.
” Ratcliffe argued that the move would better protect sources and methods and that it reflects “ the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-CA ) and Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) , who serves as House Intelligence Committee chairman , reacted to Ratcliffe ’ s cancelation of in-person election security briefings the day after by calling the decision “ shocking ” and demanding that the ODNI resume briefings .
During an interview on Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures , ” Ratcliffe insisted that he went beyond expectations by briefing “ not just the oversight committees , but every member of Congress.
” Ratcliffe then accused members of Congress of violating his “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the briefings are treated with “ the respect that it deserves and you keep it private.
” “ Within minutes of one of those briefings ending , a number of members of Congress went to a number of different outlets and leaked classified information for political purposes , ” Ratcliffe said .
“ To create a narrative that simply isn ’ t true , that somehow Russia is a greater national security threat than China.
” Ratcliffe went on to say that he doesn ’ t “ mean to minimize Russia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious national security threat , ” before arguing that “ the threats that we face from China are significantly greater.
” “ Anyone who says otherwise is just politicizing intelligence for their own narrative , ” Ratcliffe said .
Ratcliffe ’ s move to scale back congressional briefings has prompted rebuke from congressional Democrats , who argue that the Trump administration has downplayed the threat of foreign interference in U.S. presidential elections , especially with regard to Russia .
On Sunday , Schiff tore into the Trump administration over what he views as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian interference in the November election , during an interview on CNN .
“ They ’ re going to put it in writing now instead of giving an oral briefing — that doesn ’ t make any sense unless the goal is not to allow members of Congress , the representatives of the American people , to ask questions , ” Schiff said .
“ Concealing the truth is concealing Russians are again intervening to help the president in his reelection , ” Schiff said .
Schiff also told CNN that Congress may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to testify on election interference before the November election .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) expressed a similar sentiment during an interview on ABC News on Sunday , calling Ratcliffe ’ s move a “ complete outrage ” and that the House will have to “ subpoena ” the Ratcliffe for information .
On the other hand , Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) , chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , brushed off concerns over Ratcliffe ending in-person election security briefings .
During an interview on CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ uproar over Ratcliffe ’ s move “ blown so way out of proportion.
” “ I can probably count on one or two fingers the things that are actually classified in those briefings , ” Johnson said .

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe on Sunday defended his move to
no longer give in-person briefings about election security and foreign election interference by accusing members of Congress of leaking classified information “within minutes” after briefings were held.
On Friday, Ratcliffe told the House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence that his office “will primarily meet its obligation to keep Congress fully and currently informed leading into the Presidential election through written finished intelligence products.” Ratcliffe argued that the move would better protect sources and methods and that it reflects “the highest analytic standards.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who serves as House Intelligence Committee chairman, reacted to Ratcliffe’s cancellation of in-person election security briefings the day after by calling the decision “shocking” and demanding that the ODNI resume briefings.
During an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Ratcliffe insisted that he went beyond expectations by briefing “not just the oversight committees, but every member of Congress.”
Ratcliffe then accused members of Congress of violating his “only condition” that the information shared in the briefings are treated with “the respect that it deserves and you keep it private.”
“Within minutes of one of those briefings ending, a number of members of Congress went to a number of different outlets and leaked classified information for political purposes,” Ratcliffe said. “To create a narrative that simply isn’t true, that somehow Russia is a greater national security threat than China.”
Ratcliffe went on to say that he doesn’t “mean to minimize Russia,” which he acknowledged is “a serious national security threat,” before arguing that “the threats that we face from China are significantly greater.”
“Anyone who says otherwise is just politicizing intelligence for their own narrative,” Ratcliffe said.
Ratcliffe’s move to scale back congressional briefings has prompted rebuke from congressional Democrats, who argue that the Trump administration has downplayed the threat of foreign interference in U.S. presidential elections, especially with regard to Russia.
On Sunday, Schiff tore into the Trump administration over what he views as an effort to downplay the threat of Russian interference in the November election, during an interview on CNN.
“They’re going to put it in writing now instead of giving an oral briefing — that doesn’t make any sense unless the goal is not to allow members of Congress, the representatives of the American people, to ask questions,” Schiff said. “Concealing the truth is concealing Russians are again intervening to help the president in his reelection,” Schiff said.
Schiff also told CNN that Congress may “certainly” subpoena U.S intelligence officials to testify on election interference before the November election.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) expressed a similar sentiment during an interview on ABC News on Sunday, calling Ratcliffe’s move a “complete outrage” and that the House will have to “subpoena” the Ratcliffe for information.
On the other hand, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, brushed off concerns over Ratcliffe ending in-person election security briefings.
During an interview on CNN on Sunday, Johnson called the Democrats’ uproar over Ratcliffe’s move “blown so way out of proportion.”
“I can probably count on one or two fingers the things that are actually classified in those briefings,” Johnson said.
Watch Ratcliffe’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-30--Acting DHS Secretary Denies Knowing WH Naturalization Ceremony Would Air During RNC

Acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf on Sunday denied knowing that the Trump administration ’ s naturalization ceremony would later air as part of the Republican National Convention amid concerns that the RNC event was one of several incidents that violated the Hatch Act , which prohibits executive government officials from participating in political activity while on duty .
When pressed during an interview on ABC News on whether he knew that the naturalization ceremony would be broadcasted in the RNC , Wolf first dodged the question as he insisted that the DHS conducts “ hundreds , if not , thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I participated in several of them not only with the President , but with the Vice President , ” Wolf said .
“ So , it ’ s absolutely a legitimate role for the department to do.
” Wolf added that he conducted a naturalization ceremony the day after the one filmed at the White House aired during the RNC , and that “ we ’ ll continue to do that ” since it was “ an official event at the White House.
” ABC News ’ Jon Karl attempted to interject as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uploaded to a public YouTube channel and argued that “ anyone , any individual , organization or political party can pull down that video and do with it as they wish.
” Karl then circled back to his initial question about whether Wolf knew that he was taking part in a ceremony that it was going to be used during the RNC .
Wolf responded by denying that he had knowledge of it being part of the RNC ’ s broadcast , before reiterating that the Trump administration will continue holding naturalization ceremonies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What I knew is again , participating in a naturalization ceremony , we had a number of USCIS employees there , as they do every naturalization ceremony , making sure that that ceremony goes off without a hitch .
They were giving that oath of allegiance to those individuals there .
And again , we ’ ll continue to do that , because that ’ s our mission at the department.
” Wolf ’ s remarks come on the heels of the Wall Street Journal ’ s report that two of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the naturalization ceremony at the White House found out only minutes before the ceremony that President Trump would attend the event , and that they were unaware that it would be aired during the RNC .
On Wednesday morning , a White House official told TPM in an emailed statement that “ there was no violation of law ” because “ the White House publicized the content of the event on a public website this afternoon and the campaign decided to use the publicly available content for campaign purposes .
”

Acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf on Sunday denied knowing that the Trump administration’s naturalization ceremony would later air as part of the Republican National Convention amid concerns that the RNC event was one of several incidents that violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits executive government officials from participating in political activity while on duty.
When pressed during an interview on ABC News on whether he knew that the naturalization ceremony would be broadcasted in the RNC, Wolf first dodged the question as he insisted that the DHS conducts “hundreds, if not, thousands” of naturalization ceremonies annually.
“I participated in several of them not only with the President, but with the Vice President,” Wolf said. “So, it’s absolutely a legitimate role for the department to do.”
Wolf added that he conducted a naturalization ceremony the day after the one filmed at the White House aired during the RNC, and that “we’ll continue to do that” since it was “an official event at the White House.”
ABC News’ Jon Karl attempted to interject as Wolf mentioned that the naturalization ceremony was uploaded to a public YouTube channel and argued that “anyone, any individual, organization or political party can pull down that video and do with it as they wish.”
Karl then circled back to his initial question about whether Wolf knew that he was taking part in a ceremony that it was going to be used during the RNC.
Wolf responded by denying that he had knowledge of it being part of the RNC’s broadcast, before reiterating that the Trump administration will continue holding naturalization ceremonies.
“No,” Wolf said. “What I knew is again, participating in a naturalization ceremony, we had a number of USCIS employees there, as they do every naturalization ceremony, making sure that that ceremony goes off without a hitch. They were giving that oath of allegiance to those individuals there. And again, we’ll continue to do that, because that’s our mission at the department.”
Wolf’s remarks come on the heels of the Wall Street Journal’s report that two of the five immigrants who were part of the naturalization ceremony at the White House found out only minutes before the ceremony that President Trump would attend the event, and that they were unaware that it would be aired during the RNC.
On Wednesday morning, a White House official told TPM in an emailed statement that “there was no violation of law” because “the White House publicized the content of the event on a public website this afternoon and the campaign decided to use the publicly available content for campaign purposes.”
Watch Wolf’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-30--1 Killed In Portland Amid Clash Between Trump Supporters And Black Lives Matter Protesters

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) — One person was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland , Oregon , as a large caravan of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the streets , police said .
It wasn ’ t clear if the shooting was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by counter-demonstrators in the city ’ s downtown .
Police said the caravan had left the area around 8:30 p.m. , and officers heard gunshots at about 8:46 p.m. , according to a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ within a minute , ” police said , but the man who was shot did not survive .
An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then observed police medics working on the body of the victim , who appeared to be a white man .
The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer , a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past .
Police said the man was shot in the chest .
He was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who shot him .
Homicide detectives were looking for more evidence , acknowledging that several images and videos had been posted on social media .
“ It is important for detectives get a full and accurate picture of what happened before , during , and after the shooting , ” a police statement said .
“ If anyone was a witness , has video , or has information about the homicide , they ’ re asked to contact the primary detectives.
” “ This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals responsible , ” Chief Chuck Lovell said .
Portland has been the site of nightly protests for more than three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Many of them end in vandalism and violence , and hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested by local and federal law enforcement since late May .
In the two hours following the shooting , protesters gathered downtown and there was sporadic fighting and vandalism , police stated .
Some gave speeches in Lownsdale Square Park before the protest petered out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The caravan had arrived downtown just as a protest planned for Saturday was getting underway .
The chaotic scene came two days after Trump invoked Portland as a liberal city overrun with violence in a speech at the Republican National Convention as part of his “ law and order ” re-election campaign theme .
The caravan marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have rallied in the city .
Trump and other speakers at last week ’ s convention evoked a violent , dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans .
The pro-Trump rally ’ s organizer , who recently coordinated a similar caravan in Boise , Idaho , said in a video posted on Twitter Saturday afternoon that attendees should only carry concealed weapons and the route was being kept secret for safety reasons .
The caravan had gathered earlier in the day at a suburban mall and drove as a group to the heart of Portland .
As they arrived in the city , protesters attempted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and blocking bridges .
Videos from the scene showed sporadic fighting , as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan .
The Black Lives Matter demonstrations usually target police buildings and federal buildings .
Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city ’ s mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence , saying it ’ s counterproductive .
Early Saturday morning , fires set outside a police union building that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to declare a riot .
An accelerant was used to ignite a mattress and other debris that was laid against the door of the Portland Police Association building , police said in a statement .
At least one dumpster had also been set on fire in the street nearby .
The commotion followed a sit-in in the lobby of the Portland mayor ’ s condominium building Friday night .

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — One person was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland, Oregon, as a large caravan of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the streets, police said.
It wasn’t clear if the shooting was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by counter-demonstrators in the city’s downtown.
Police said the caravan had left the area around 8:30 p.m., and officers heard gunshots at about 8:46 p.m., according to a statement. Officers arrived at the shooting scene “within a minute,” police said, but the man who was shot did not survive.
An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then observed police medics working on the body of the victim, who appeared to be a white man. The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past.
Police said the man was shot in the chest. He was not immediately identified. It’s unclear who shot him.
Homicide detectives were looking for more evidence, acknowledging that several images and videos had been posted on social media.
“It is important for detectives get a full and accurate picture of what happened before, during, and after the shooting,” a police statement said. “If anyone was a witness, has video, or has information about the homicide, they’re asked to contact the primary detectives.”
“This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible,” Chief Chuck Lovell said.
Portland has been the site of nightly protests for more than three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many of them end in vandalism and violence, and hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested by local and federal law enforcement since late May.
In the two hours following the shooting, protesters gathered downtown and there was sporadic fighting and vandalism, police stated. Some gave speeches in Lownsdale Square Park before the protest petered out. Ten people were arrested, police said.
The caravan had arrived downtown just as a protest planned for Saturday was getting underway. The chaotic scene came two days after Trump invoked Portland as a liberal city overrun with violence in a speech at the Republican National Convention as part of his “law and order” re-election campaign theme. The caravan marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have rallied in the city.
Trump and other speakers at last week’s convention evoked a violent, dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans.
The pro-Trump rally’s organizer, who recently coordinated a similar caravan in Boise, Idaho, said in a video posted on Twitter Saturday afternoon that attendees should only carry concealed weapons and the route was being kept secret for safety reasons.
The caravan had gathered earlier in the day at a suburban mall and drove as a group to the heart of Portland. As they arrived in the city, protesters attempted to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges.
Videos from the scene showed sporadic fighting, as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan.
The Black Lives Matter demonstrations usually target police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city’s mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence, saying it’s counterproductive.
Early Saturday morning, fires set outside a police union building that is a frequent site for protests prompted police to declare a riot.
An accelerant was used to ignite a mattress and other debris that was laid against the door of the Portland Police Association building, police said in a statement. At least one dumpster had also been set on fire in the street nearby.
The commotion followed a sit-in in the lobby of the Portland mayor’s condominium building Friday night.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-31--Evers Urges Trump To ‘Reconsider’ Trip To Kenosha: ‘Your Presence Will Only Hinder Our Healing’

Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers ( D ) implored President Donald Trump on Sunday to cancel his upcoming trip to Kenosha , Wisconsin on Tuesday as unrest rages on in the city over the shooting of Jacob Blake by police .
“ I , along with other community leaders who have reached out , are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state , ” Evers wrote in a letter to Trump .
“ I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing .
I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evers also pointed out that there would have to be a “ massive re-direction ” of state resources needed to deal with a visit from the President “ at a time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and supporting the community ’ s response.
” White House spokesperson Judd Deere told TPM in an emailed statement that Trump will not cancel plans for the visit .
“ The White House has been humbled by the outreach of individuals from Kenosha who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are longing for leadership to support local law enforcement and businesses that have been vandalized , ” Deere said .
“ President Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild.
” Protests began last week after Jacob Blake , a Black man , was shot several times in the back by a police officer and was left paralyzed .
The peaceful protests turned violent when police officers clashed with demonstrators , and tensions were further inflamed on Tuesday when 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has repeatedly railed against anti-police brutality protesters and accused Democratic state leaders of allowing “ crime ” during the demonstrations , has offered little commentary on either of the shootings , stating on Friday that he was “ looking into ” the Blake shooting “ very strongly ” and claiming similarly on Saturday that he was looking at the Rittenhouse case “ very , very carefully.
” However , the President has “ liked ” a tweet that asserted that “ Kyle Rittenhouse good example of why I decided to vote for @ @ @

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) implored President Donald Trump on Sunday to cancel his upcoming trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday as unrest rages on in the city over the shooting of Jacob Blake by police.
“I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state,” Evers wrote in a letter to Trump. “I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.”
Evers also pointed out that there would have to be a “massive re-direction” of state resources needed to deal with a visit from the President “at a time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and supporting the community’s response.”
White House spokesperson Judd Deere told TPM in an emailed statement that Trump will not cancel plans for the visit.
“The White House has been humbled by the outreach of individuals from Kenosha who have welcomed the President’s visit and are longing for leadership to support local law enforcement and businesses that have been vandalized,” Deere said. “President Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild.”
Protests began last week after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot several times in the back by a police officer and was left paralyzed. The peaceful protests turned violent when police officers clashed with demonstrators, and tensions were further inflamed on Tuesday when 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha.
Trump, who has repeatedly railed against anti-police brutality protesters and accused Democratic state leaders of allowing “crime” during the demonstrations, has offered little commentary on either of the shootings, stating on Friday that he was “looking into” the Blake shooting “very strongly” and claiming similarly on Saturday that he was looking at the Rittenhouse case “very, very carefully.”
However, the President has “liked” a tweet that asserted that “Kyle Rittenhouse good example of why I decided to vote for Trump.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-31--Trump & Co. Gleefully Twist CDC COVID Stat To Artificially Lessen Death Count

On Monday , from behind the lectern in the White House briefing room , Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany doubled down on a weekend retweet from President Donald Trump on CDC COVID-19 data that was so dangerously misleading that Twitter has removed it from the platform .
“ The President was referring to new information from the CDC that shows that 94 percent of cases of fatalities were not just COVID alone , there was another comorbidity or extenuating matter , so he was just pointing to those numbers , ” she said , adding : “ He was highlighting new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth noting.
” What he actually did was retweet the patently untrue assertion of a QAnon supporter that new CDC data contained a bombshell : only six percent of people died from COVID-19 alone , meaning that the death count and fear of the pandemic has been falsely inflated .
On Sunday “ only 6 % ” was trending on Twitter .
That interpretation of the data is simply wrong , and disregards the fact that in almost all cases , COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death .
Epidemiologist Gideon Meyerowitz Katz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article .
If someone had lung cancer , underwent surgery to have part of the lung removed , then died of infection while in the hospital , the immediate cause of death would be the infection — but the underlying cause would be the cancer .
So too with COVID-19 .
A person could die of pneumonia while being hospitalized for COVID-19 , but COVID-19 is still the underlying cause of death .
The six percent statistic means that only a relatively small number of people die from COVID-19 without having any secondary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions to begin with .
There have also been inconsistencies with how COVID-19 deaths are recorded state to state , and a lack of tests or test-confirmed deaths periodically threw a wrench in the works , making an undercount of COVID-19-caused deaths much more likely than an over-count .
But the fallacy of the claim hasn ’ t stopped team Trump from parroting it .
Jenna Ellis , senior legal adviser on Trump ’ s 2020 campaign , wildly took the misinterpretation as proof that “ there is no pandemic.
” Supporters from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same line as the campaign and White House .
Diamond and Silk , a Trump-loving YouTube duo who until recently made constant appearances on Fox News , claimed vindication .
Pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee Greg Locke , who has made headlines for his aversion to masked and socially-distanced services , bemoaned to his many social media followers the acquiescence of the sheeple who followed the CDC ’ s guidelines .
A particularly Trumpian candidate for office took up the party line as well .
Buzz Patterson , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who supported QAnon until he didn ’ t , declared it high time to throw open the doors of business and schools .
The newest public exercise in bad faith is just a continuation of Trump ’ s oft-repeated wish : that the pandemic will go away by itself , and that in the meantime , it ’ s being overblown by his political enemies .
In reality , the country under his leadership hit its grimmest milestone yet on Monday : over 6 million COVID-19 cases , with more than 183,000 people @ @

On Monday, from behind the lectern in the White House briefing room, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany doubled down on a weekend retweet from President Donald Trump on CDC COVID-19 data that was so dangerously misleading that Twitter has removed it from the platform.
“The President was referring to new information from the CDC that shows that 94 percent of cases of fatalities were not just COVID alone, there was another comorbidity or extenuating matter, so he was just pointing to those numbers,” she said, adding: “He was highlighting new CDC information that came out that was worth noting.”
What he actually did was retweet the patently untrue assertion of a QAnon supporter that new CDC data contained a bombshell: only six percent of people died from COVID-19 alone, meaning that the death count and fear of the pandemic has been falsely inflated. On Sunday “only 6%” was trending on Twitter.
That interpretation of the data is simply wrong, and disregards the fact that in almost all cases, COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death. Epidemiologist Gideon Meyerowitz Katz gave a helpful analogy in a Medium article. If someone had lung cancer, underwent surgery to have part of the lung removed, then died of infection while in the hospital, the immediate cause of death would be the infection — but the underlying cause would be the cancer.
So too with COVID-19. A person could die of pneumonia while being hospitalized for COVID-19, but COVID-19 is still the underlying cause of death. The six percent statistic means that only a relatively small number of people die from COVID-19 without having any secondary conditions develop, or having other health conditions to begin with.
There have also been inconsistencies with how COVID-19 deaths are recorded state to state, and a lack of tests or test-confirmed deaths periodically threw a wrench in the works, making an undercount of COVID-19-caused deaths much more likely than an over-count.
But the fallacy of the claim hasn’t stopped team Trump from parroting it.
Jenna Ellis, senior legal adviser on Trump’s 2020 campaign, wildly took the misinterpretation as proof that “there is no pandemic.”
Pastor @johnmacarthur is absolutely correct to cite CDC’s updated Covid-19 numbers. There is no pandemic. 6%!!!! — Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) August 31, 2020
Supporters from the MAGA fever swamps have been echoing the same line as the campaign and White House.
Diamond and Silk, a Trump-loving YouTube duo who until recently made constant appearances on Fox News, claimed vindication.
Only 6%
We tried to tell y’all! — Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) August 31, 2020
Pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee Greg Locke, who has made headlines for his aversion to masked and socially-distanced services, bemoaned to his many social media followers the acquiescence of the sheeple who followed the CDC’s guidelines.
The CDC, yeah the actual CDC had to admit that only 6% of the 170,000 “Covid” deaths were actually due to Covid. ONLY 6%. This whole thing was a set up. Wake up people. It’s craziness. THANK GOD our church never bought into this stupid nonsense!! — Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) August 31, 2020
A particularly Trumpian candidate for office took up the party line as well.
Buzz Patterson, a candidate in California’s 7th district who supported QAnon until he didn’t, declared it high time to throw open the doors of business and schools.
So, the CDC revised their total of COVID deaths. Only 6% were specifically due to COVID, the other 94% were due to preexisting/underlying conditions. Feeling pretty duped now? Open our schools, open our businesses, open our churches. Science, right?https://t.co/CWXrOue7bo — Buzz Patterson for Congress (CA-7) (@BuzzPatterson) August 30, 2020
The newest public exercise in bad faith is just a continuation of Trump’s oft-repeated wish: that the pandemic will go away by itself, and that in the meantime, it’s being overblown by his political enemies.
In reality, the country under his leadership hit its grimmest milestone yet on Monday: over 6 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 183,000 people dead.