talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-16--In Memoriam: A Tribute To The Stupidest Moments Of The Three-Year Unmasking Saga

Pour one out for Devin Nunes .
And Lindsey Graham .
And Rand Paul .
Pour a great big cold one out for Bill Barr , who , after all of his dutiful political investigating , is now going the way of a Jeff Sessions in the President ’ s eyes as his carefully publicized unmasking probe collapses in a whimper .
Let us have a moment of silence for the hundreds of hours of Fox News programming devoted to blowing open the BOMBSHELL unmasking revelations , the cubic tons of carbon dioxide expelled by Sean Hannity as he tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Obama administration officials involved .
We are gathered here today to remember our constant , dependable companion of the last three years who , even after losing touch for months at a time , always came back into our lives at the most politically advantageous moments : the completely fake and stupid unmasking conspiracy theory .
Last week , U.S. Attorney John Bash slipped out a back door of the Justice Department , a hint at news the DOJ would not announce : that the probe created by Barr into unmasking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up absolutely nothing in the way of criminal charges or wrongdoing , that it had resolved quietly without leaving behind even a public report .
It was an unceremonious end to what has been a long and excruciatingly dumb journey .
President Donald Trump , who held the unmasking bologna near and dear even before he took office , is in mourning .
“ I ’ m not happy with all of the evidence I have , I can tell you that , ” he said to Newsmax .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
After years of priming the pump for an explosive , pre-reelection scandal that would tarnish his enemies and provide ultimate vindication for a four-year-old paranoia he will never shake , he ’ s left only with memories of happier times .
Times such as March of 2017 , to be exact .
Then , back when the world could still be shocked , Trump shocked it by announcing without a scintilla of evidence that the Obama administration had wiretapped Trump Tower .
Determined to find an explanation , truly any explanation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insane tweet , one Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) reported for duty .
The call came when he was in a car with a communications staffer .
Devin ‘ 007 ’ Nunes ditched the pleb , switched cars and hightailed it to the White House .
There , Nunes got some ~intel~ from secret sources ( White House officials ) about members of the Trump transition team that were incidentally collected and unmasked by U.S. intelligence .
How do we know this ?
Because Nunes , like any sane human , took said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it the very next day !
Nunes and Trump seized upon the information as proof that the Obama administration had preemptively weaponized intelligence resources to undermine Trump ’ s coming presidency , to give some kind of squint-your-eyes and tilt-your-head credence to the bizarre Trump Tower wiretapping claim .
Further , the unmasking claims were a convenient way for Nunes and Trump to direct attention away from the crux of the situation : that intelligence agencies were collecting this information because of troubling relationships between the Trump campaign and transition team and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : a reminder that literally thousands of U.S. citizens are “ incidentally collected ” every year during U.S. agencies ’ surveillance of foreign nationals .
Their names are kept secret unless a high-level U.S. officer asks for it to be “ unmasked.
” It ’ s not a pernicious practice — rather , it ’ s a routine one sometimes needed for an official to make sense of the intelligence .
Back to March 2017 .
Nunes joyfully presented his scavenged scandal at his boss ’ feet — success !
Kind of .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” — and held another press conference .
Nunes was soon facing haters on all fronts .
Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) , then ranking member of the House Intel Committee , was pissed that Nunes a ) was pretending that this was a big deal and b ) hadn ’ t bothered to tell any Democrats that he was going to pretend it was a big deal .
Some Republicans ( RINOs ! )
like Graham and Sen. John McCain ( R-AZ ) poured cold water on Nunes ’ efforts , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation , ” the latter saying the House had lost the “ credibility ” needed to conduct a Russia probe .
Loser and sucker , respectively .
The pressure became too much , and Nunes recused* himself from the investigation in the face off an ethics probe about the possibility that he had leaked classified documents ( *the kind of recusal in which you can still read and be part of every step of the committee ’ s investigation and later decide to shed the label altogether because you ’ re the chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words , “ do whatever you want.
” ) As Washington became absorbed with interest in the unfolding story of Russia ’ s actual 2016 election interference and Trumpworld ’ s connections to it , Nunes pulled out a glittery object to distract the rightwing media : subpoenas !
As House Intelligence chair , he threw fistfuls at the FBI , CIA and NSA , ( party pooper Schiff deemed the subpoenas unnecessary because those agencies were already cooperating with the committee ) .
No matter : Nunes tried to fill the airwaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Intel Committee Chairman Richard Burr ( R-NC ) had gleaned that “ the unmasking thing was all created by Devin Nunes.
” Burr had also brought former national security adviser Susan Rice , one of the main characters in Nunes ’ unmasking tale , in for questioning , though in a major lapse , didn ’ t care enough to ask her about Nunes ’ pet conspiracy theory .
Bragging about having been unmasked became as popular among Republican lawmakers as cultivating a folksy twang and “ not seeing ” Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham was on the bandwagon , claiming that he too had been unmasked .
Nunes ’ efforts ultimately lost steam when Democrats retook the House in 2018 and Nunes ’ had to hand the chair of the House Intelligence Committee over to Schiff .
But now-ranking member Nunes could rest easy knowing that this administration was full of those of his ilk who ’ d happily carry on the tradition .
The inevitable resurrection came this spring , before a background of Trump ’ s constant OBAMAGATE tweets .
( What does that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You know what the crime is.
” ) Then-acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grennell stepped into Nunes ’ big shoes , delivering into the DOJ ’ s hands ( within sight of a coincidentally positioned Fox News camera ) a declassified list of Obama officials who had unmasked former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn .
Flynn , as you recall , pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations during the transition with then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak , only to reverse himself later .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The MAGAverse enshrined Flynn as a great man , who by virtue of his relationship with Trump , incurred the wrath and unjust prosecution of vindictive Obama administration officials and was unmasked .
Sens .
Chuck Grassley ( R-IA ) and Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) promptly requested a copy of the list .
While it demonstrated no wrongdoing , and was later found to have no relation to the report on the intercepted Kislyak call that led to Flynn ’ s prosecution , it contained the name of ( gasp !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From the ever-serious Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) : “ We sort of have the smoking gun because we now have the declassified document with Joe Biden ’ s name on it.
” Got ‘ em .
Barr started up the Bash probe to ascertain if the requests were improper .
Months later , as we now know , the probe quietly perished alongside Trump ’ s hopes and dreams .
Until another Nunes comes along , we must find ways to keep the unmasking conspiracy alive in our hearts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Jordan ( R-OH ) , who made this pronouncement while interrupting another lawmaker at a hearing with CEOs of big tech companies , and being asked to put on a mask to protect his colleagues from the pandemic : “ If you want to talk about masks , why would the deputy secretary of the secretary of the treasury unmask Michael Flynn ’ s name , Mr. Raskin ?
” he shouted , unmaskedly .
Too right .

Pour one out for Devin Nunes. And Lindsey Graham. And Rand Paul.
Pour a great big cold one out for Bill Barr, who, after all of his dutiful political investigating, is now going the way of a Jeff Sessions in the President’s eyes as his carefully publicized unmasking probe collapses in a whimper.
Let us have a moment of silence for the hundreds of hours of Fox News programming devoted to blowing open the BOMBSHELL unmasking revelations, the cubic tons of carbon dioxide expelled by Sean Hannity as he tried to impress upon his viewers the wickedness of the Obama administration officials involved.
We are gathered here today to remember our constant, dependable companion of the last three years who, even after losing touch for months at a time, always came back into our lives at the most politically advantageous moments: the completely fake and stupid unmasking conspiracy theory.
Last week, U.S. Attorney John Bash slipped out a back door of the Justice Department, a hint at news the DOJ would not announce: that the probe created by Barr into unmasking allegations against various Obama-era officials had turned up absolutely nothing in the way of criminal charges or wrongdoing, that it had resolved quietly without leaving behind even a public report.
It was an unceremonious end to what has been a long and excruciatingly dumb journey.
President Donald Trump, who held the unmasking bologna near and dear even before he took office, is in mourning. “I’m not happy with all of the evidence I have, I can tell you that,” he said to Newsmax. “I’m not happy.”
How could he be? After years of priming the pump for an explosive, pre-reelection scandal that would tarnish his enemies and provide ultimate vindication for a four-year-old paranoia he will never shake, he’s left only with memories of happier times.
2017
Times such as March of 2017, to be exact. Then, back when the world could still be shocked, Trump shocked it by announcing without a scintilla of evidence that the Obama administration had wiretapped Trump Tower.
Determined to find an explanation, truly any explanation, to give cover to Trump’s insane tweet, one Devin Nunes (R-CA) reported for duty. The call came when he was in a car with a communications staffer. Devin ‘007’ Nunes ditched the pleb, switched cars and hightailed it to the White House.
There, Nunes got some ~intel~ from secret sources (White House officials) about members of the Trump transition team that were incidentally collected and unmasked by U.S. intelligence. How do we know this? Because Nunes, like any sane human, took said classified intelligence and held a press conference about it the very next day!
Nunes and Trump seized upon the information as proof that the Obama administration had preemptively weaponized intelligence resources to undermine Trump’s coming presidency, to give some kind of squint-your-eyes and tilt-your-head credence to the bizarre Trump Tower wiretapping claim.
Further, the unmasking claims were a convenient way for Nunes and Trump to direct attention away from the crux of the situation: that intelligence agencies were collecting this information because of troubling relationships between the Trump campaign and transition team and foreign governments.
Quick interruption of rationality: a reminder that literally thousands of U.S. citizens are “incidentally collected” every year during U.S. agencies’ surveillance of foreign nationals. Their names are kept secret unless a high-level U.S. officer asks for it to be “unmasked.” It’s not a pernicious practice — rather, it’s a routine one sometimes needed for an official to make sense of the intelligence.
Back to March 2017. Nunes joyfully presented his scavenged scandal at his boss’ feet — success! Kind of. Trump said he felt “somewhat vindicated” — and held another press conference.
Nunes was soon facing haters on all fronts. Adam Schiff (D-CA), then ranking member of the House Intel Committee, was pissed that Nunes a) was pretending that this was a big deal and b) hadn’t bothered to tell any Democrats that he was going to pretend it was a big deal. Some Republicans (RINOs!) like Graham and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) poured cold water on Nunes’ efforts, the former calling it an “Inspector Clouseau investigation,” the latter saying the House had lost the “credibility” needed to conduct a Russia probe. Loser and sucker, respectively.
The pressure became too much, and Nunes recused* himself from the investigation in the face off an ethics probe about the possibility that he had leaked classified documents (*the kind of recusal in which you can still read and be part of every step of the committee’s investigation and later decide to shed the label altogether because you’re the chairman and you can, in Nunes’ words, “do whatever you want.”)
As Washington became absorbed with interest in the unfolding story of Russia’s actual 2016 election interference and Trumpworld’s connections to it, Nunes pulled out a glittery object to distract the rightwing media: subpoenas! As House Intelligence chair, he threw fistfuls at the FBI, CIA and NSA, (party pooper Schiff deemed the subpoenas unnecessary because those agencies were already cooperating with the committee).
No matter: Nunes tried to fill the airwaves with chaos, hopefully blocking out that Senate Intel Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) had gleaned that “the unmasking thing was all created by Devin Nunes.” Burr had also brought former national security adviser Susan Rice, one of the main characters in Nunes’ unmasking tale, in for questioning, though in a major lapse, didn’t care enough to ask her about Nunes’ pet conspiracy theory.
Worrying Bragging about having been unmasked became as popular among Republican lawmakers as cultivating a folksy twang and “not seeing” Trump’s tweets. By June 2017, Graham was on the bandwagon, claiming that he too had been unmasked.
Nunes’ efforts ultimately lost steam when Democrats retook the House in 2018 and Nunes’ had to hand the chair of the House Intelligence Committee over to Schiff. But now-ranking member Nunes could rest easy knowing that this administration was full of those of his ilk who’d happily carry on the tradition.
2020
The inevitable resurrection came this spring, before a background of Trump’s constant OBAMAGATE tweets. (What does that mean, you ask? Come on. “You know what the crime is.”) Then-acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grennell stepped into Nunes’ big shoes, delivering into the DOJ’s hands (within sight of a coincidentally positioned Fox News camera) a declassified list of Obama officials who had unmasked former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Flynn, as you recall, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations during the transition with then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, only to reverse himself later. The Justice Department agreed, dropping the charges. The MAGAverse enshrined Flynn as a great man, who by virtue of his relationship with Trump, incurred the wrath and unjust prosecution of vindictive Obama administration officials and was unmasked.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) promptly requested a copy of the list. While it demonstrated no wrongdoing, and was later found to have no relation to the report on the intercepted Kislyak call that led to Flynn’s prosecution, it contained the name of (gasp!) Joe Biden. It was enough. From the ever-serious Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “We sort of have the smoking gun because we now have the declassified document with Joe Biden’s name on it.” Got ‘em.
Barr started up the Bash probe to ascertain if the requests were improper. Months later, as we now know, the probe quietly perished alongside Trump’s hopes and dreams.
Until another Nunes comes along, we must find ways to keep the unmasking conspiracy alive in our hearts. For inspiration, we turn to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who made this pronouncement while interrupting another lawmaker at a hearing with CEOs of big tech companies, and being asked to put on a mask to protect his colleagues from the pandemic:
“If you want to talk about masks, why would the deputy secretary of the secretary of the treasury unmask Michael Flynn’s name, Mr. Raskin?” he shouted, unmaskedly. Too right.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-16--WH Installs Political Operatives at CDC In Effort To Muzzle Agency

NEW YORK ( AP ) — The Trump White House has installed two political operatives at the nation ’ s top public health agency to try to control the information it releases about the coronavirus pandemic as the administration seeks to paint a positive outlook , sometimes at odds with the scientific evidence .
The two appointees assigned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s Atlanta headquarters in June have no public health background .
They have instead been tasked with keeping an eye on Dr. Robert Redfield , the agency director , as well as scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal government affairs .
The appointments were part of a push to get more “ politicals ” into the CDC to help control messaging after a handful of leaks were “ upsetting the apple cart , ” said an administration official .
When the two appointees showed up in Atlanta , their roles were a mystery to senior CDC staff , the people said .
They had not even been assigned offices .
Eventually one , Nina Witkofsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an influential role as Redfield ’ s right hand .
The other , her deputy Chester “ Trey ” Moeller , also began sitting in on scientific meetings , the sources said .
It ’ s not clear to what extent the two appointees have affected the agency ’ s work , according to interviews with multiple CDC officials .
But congressional investigators are examining that very question after evidence has mounted of political interference in CDC scientific publications , guidance documents and web postings .
The White House declined to comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moeller were working at the agency reporting to Redfield , but did not comment further .
Moeller said in an email to The AP , “ I work for Dr. Redfield who is 100 % committed to the science and the thousands of incredibly dedicated employees at the CDC working on behalf of the American people.
” During previous pandemics such as Ebola or SARS , the CDC was the public face of the U.S. response , offering scientifically driven advice to doctors and patients alike .
The agency played the same role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but stumbled in February when a test for the virus sent to states proved to be flawed .
Then , in late February , a top CDC infectious disease expert , Dr. Nancy Messonnier , upset the administration by speaking frankly at a news conference about the dangers of the virus when the president was still downplaying it .
Within weeks , the agency was pushed offstage as President Donald Trump and other administration officials , during daily news briefings , became the main sources of information about the U.S. epidemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , CDC persisted in assembling science-based information that conflicted with the White House narrative .
In May , a series of leaked emails and scientific documents obtained by The AP detailed how the White House had buried CDC ’ s detailed guidelines for communities reopening during a still-surging pandemic .
The emails revealed that the administration was vetting CDC ’ s science through the Office of Management and Budget , rather than relying on its medical experts on the White House coronavirus task force .
The resulting news stories of the shelving of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparked renewed efforts to exert control over CDC , according to current and former officials .
On a Monday in June , the new faces arrived at CDC ’ s Atlanta offices .
One was Witkofsky , who according to federal election records had a minor role in Trump ’ s presidential campaign .
Witkofsky was installed initially as a senior adviser to Redfield .
In a few weeks , she would take over as the agency ’ s acting chief of staff and gradually become the person at CDC headquarters who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CDC officials said .
Senior CDC staff found out about the appointments the week before they happened , according to a CDC official who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency affairs .
They had no office , and no one knew their role .
“ They just showed up on a Monday , ” the official said .
Presidential administrations appoint CDC directors .
And there ’ s nothing new about a White House seeking a better handle on information released by the CDC , said Glen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ran the agency ’ s media relations for more than a dozen years .
But past administrations placed overtly political appointees at HHS in Washington ; the Trump administration has taken it to a new level by placing other people in CDC ’ s Atlanta headquarters , Nowak said .
Before Witkofsky and Moeller , the Trump administration had appointed others at CDC in Atlanta who were viewed by staff with some suspicion .
But none of the predecessors ’ roles was so clearly to report internal agency business up to Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The AP .
And Witkofsky seemed a particularly strange fit for the nation ’ s top public health agency .
She studied finance and business administration in college and graduate school , and at one point worked as a publicist and talent booker for Turner Broadcasting ’ s Cartoon Network .
Her political work included being an events director during the George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign .
As a State Department official , she developed an international engagement program for U.S. athletes and coaches .
Her lack of familiarity with the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became clear in meetings , according to multiple agency officials .
At one , Witkofsky expressed surprise that the CDC had a supporting foundation , one agency official recalled .
Though Witkofsky was largely unknown , she had met a few CDC workers months earlier .
In March , on behalf of the administration , she had worked communications when Trump visited a CDC lab .
Clad in a red “ Keep America Great ” baseball cap , Trump had praised the CDC and assured the public “ we ’ re prepared for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a terrific grasp of public health .
“ Maybe I have a natural ability , ” he boasted .
In her new role , Witkofsky communicated regularly with Michael Caputo , chief of communications for CDC ’ s parent agency , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , two administration officials said .
At the time Caputo ’ s office was attempting to gain control over the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , or MMWR , a CDC scientific weekly known for publishing authoritative and unvarnished information about disease-fighting efforts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s deputy , Moeller , who began work on the same day , is a longtime GOP supporter who worked on the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2004 .
The most recent post on his Facebook page was a “ Make America Great Again ” Trump campaign banner .
They wanted him to sit in meetings and “ listen to scientists , ” said a former CDC official .
Witkofsky was added to CDC ’ s website when she became acting chief of staff , but Moeller ’ s name appears nowhere on either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HHS spokesperson said both Witkofsky and Moeller report to Redfield but refused to comment further on personnel matters .
Some CDC officials noted that a pandemic like this involves many parts of the government , and the political people sent to Atlanta have at times helped speed the flow of information coming to the agency from Washington .
But there has been a huge downside , public health experts and former CDC staffers say : damage to the once-venerated CDC .
The agency ’ s guidance for how to reduce viral infections has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , where officials have refused to wear masks and continued to hold large gatherings with few protective measures .
Witkofsky and Moeller are among officials the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis is seeking to interview as part of a probe it launched in mid-September into allegations the Trump administration blocked the CDC from publishing accurate scientific reports during the pandemic .
The subcommittee ’ s investigators want to know more about Witkofsky and Moeller ’ s roles in reported attempts by Caputo and administration officials to gain editorial control over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The investigators are also interested in whether Witkofsky and Moeller were involved in making changes to CDC COVID-19 guidance for schools , as well as agency information that has been changed multiple times on how the virus spreads through the air .
Caputo took a leave of absence from HHS after he described government scientists as the “ resistance ” against Trump in a video posted online .
In an HHS podcast , Caputo accused Democrats in the government , along with the news media , of not wanting a vaccine so as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents gained news coverage , one of Caputo ’ s top advisers , Dr. Paul Alexander , resigned .
The apparent meddling and political pressure from the Trump White House , and from HHS , have caused even scientific experts to question some CDC decisions .
And they have made an already trying job of responding to the worst pandemic in a century even harder , according to multiple CDC officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity .
“ I don ’ t trust the ( political appointees ) that they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Dr. Rick Bright , a federal vaccine expert who filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was reassigned to a lesser job because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine , a malaria drug pushed by Trump as a COVID-19 treatment .
Bright said CDC scientists should be the face of the federal response , as has been the tradition , and the absence of their counsel to the public has contributed to confusion .
“ That is absolutely frightening , ” he said .
“ ( It ) leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I think that is increasing the magnitude and duration of this entire pandemic.
” Bright resigned last week from his post at the National Institutes of Health , saying his superiors had ignored a national coronavirus testing strategy he ’ d developed .
All of the added political pressure is contributing to a high burnout rate for CDC scientists working on the coronavirus response .
One agency official said it “ creates distractions from the real threat ” of the virus , and extra work .
From March through September , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure and leadership in CDC ’ s COVID response , according to internal organizational charts obtained by The AP .
In a chart from March , Messonnier was listed as a “ Senior Official , ” one step below the director , Redfield .
But in the following chart , posted weeks after the press conference that angered the White House , her name disappeared completely from the top ranks .
A new box had appeared on next to Redfield ’ s name : the White House Coronavirus Task Force led by Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and outbreaks like Ebola that lasted for months or years , records and interviews show that the CDC ’ s leadership remained largely stable to create a consistency that staff could rely upon .
The appearance of political interference and disarray are hurting the agency ’ s standing , experts say .
“ There ’ s a cumulative effect .
And each one of them is doing its own damage to the agency ’ s credibility , ” Nowak said .

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump White House has installed two political operatives at the nation’s top public health agency to try to control the information it releases about the coronavirus pandemic as the administration seeks to paint a positive outlook, sometimes at odds with the scientific evidence.
The two appointees assigned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Atlanta headquarters in June have no public health background. They have instead been tasked with keeping an eye on Dr. Robert Redfield, the agency director, as well as scientists, according to a half-dozen CDC and administration officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal government affairs.
The appointments were part of a push to get more “politicals” into the CDC to help control messaging after a handful of leaks were “upsetting the apple cart,” said an administration official.
When the two appointees showed up in Atlanta, their roles were a mystery to senior CDC staff, the people said. They had not even been assigned offices. Eventually one, Nina Witkofsky, became acting chief of staff, an influential role as Redfield’s right hand. The other, her deputy Chester “Trey” Moeller, also began sitting in on scientific meetings, the sources said.
It’s not clear to what extent the two appointees have affected the agency’s work, according to interviews with multiple CDC officials. But congressional investigators are examining that very question after evidence has mounted of political interference in CDC scientific publications, guidance documents and web postings.
The White House declined to comment. A CDC spokesperson confirmed that Witkofsky and Moeller were working at the agency reporting to Redfield, but did not comment further.
Moeller said in an email to The AP, “I work for Dr. Redfield who is 100% committed to the science and the thousands of incredibly dedicated employees at the CDC working on behalf of the American people.”
During previous pandemics such as Ebola or SARS, the CDC was the public face of the U.S. response, offering scientifically driven advice to doctors and patients alike. The agency played the same role at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but stumbled in February when a test for the virus sent to states proved to be flawed. Then, in late February, a top CDC infectious disease expert, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, upset the administration by speaking frankly at a news conference about the dangers of the virus when the president was still downplaying it.
Within weeks, the agency was pushed offstage as President Donald Trump and other administration officials, during daily news briefings, became the main sources of information about the U.S. epidemic and the attempts to control it.
Still, CDC persisted in assembling science-based information that conflicted with the White House narrative. In May, a series of leaked emails and scientific documents obtained by The AP detailed how the White House had buried CDC’s detailed guidelines for communities reopening during a still-surging pandemic. The emails revealed that the administration was vetting CDC’s science through the Office of Management and Budget, rather than relying on its medical experts on the White House coronavirus task force. The resulting news stories of the shelving of the documents angered the administration, and sparked renewed efforts to exert control over CDC, according to current and former officials.
On a Monday in June, the new faces arrived at CDC’s Atlanta offices. One was Witkofsky, who according to federal election records had a minor role in Trump’s presidential campaign.
Witkofsky was installed initially as a senior adviser to Redfield. In a few weeks, she would take over as the agency’s acting chief of staff and gradually become the person at CDC headquarters who has the most daily interactions with him, the CDC officials said.
Senior CDC staff found out about the appointments the week before they happened, according to a CDC official who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency affairs. They had no office, and no one knew their role.
“They just showed up on a Monday,” the official said.
Presidential administrations appoint CDC directors. And there’s nothing new about a White House seeking a better handle on information released by the CDC, said Glen Nowak, a University of Georgia professor who ran the agency’s media relations for more than a dozen years. But past administrations placed overtly political appointees at HHS in Washington; the Trump administration has taken it to a new level by placing other people in CDC’s Atlanta headquarters, Nowak said.
Before Witkofsky and Moeller, the Trump administration had appointed others at CDC in Atlanta who were viewed by staff with some suspicion. But none of the predecessors’ roles was so clearly to report internal agency business up to Washington, according to officials who talked to The AP.
And Witkofsky seemed a particularly strange fit for the nation’s top public health agency. She studied finance and business administration in college and graduate school, and at one point worked as a publicist and talent booker for Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Network. Her political work included being an events director during the George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign. As a State Department official, she developed an international engagement program for U.S. athletes and coaches.
Her lack of familiarity with the CDC, and how it worked, quickly became clear in meetings, according to multiple agency officials. At one, Witkofsky expressed surprise that the CDC had a supporting foundation, one agency official recalled.
Though Witkofsky was largely unknown, she had met a few CDC workers months earlier. In March, on behalf of the administration, she had worked communications when Trump visited a CDC lab. Clad in a red “Keep America Great” baseball cap, Trump had praised the CDC and assured the public “we’re prepared for anything.” Trump asserted that he has a terrific grasp of public health. “Maybe I have a natural ability,” he boasted.
In her new role, Witkofsky communicated regularly with Michael Caputo, chief of communications for CDC’s parent agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, two administration officials said. At the time Caputo’s office was attempting to gain control over the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, or MMWR, a CDC scientific weekly known for publishing authoritative and unvarnished information about disease-fighting efforts, according to multiple accounts.
Witkofsky’s deputy, Moeller, who began work on the same day, is a longtime GOP supporter who worked on the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2004. The most recent post on his Facebook page was a “Make America Great Again” Trump campaign banner.
They wanted him to sit in meetings and “listen to scientists,” said a former CDC official.
Witkofsky was added to CDC’s website when she became acting chief of staff, but Moeller’s name appears nowhere on either the HHS or CDC sites.
An HHS spokesperson said both Witkofsky and Moeller report to Redfield but refused to comment further on personnel matters.
Some CDC officials noted that a pandemic like this involves many parts of the government, and the political people sent to Atlanta have at times helped speed the flow of information coming to the agency from Washington.
But there has been a huge downside, public health experts and former CDC staffers say: damage to the once-venerated CDC.
The agency’s guidance for how to reduce viral infections has been largely ignored by the Trump White House, where officials have refused to wear masks and continued to hold large gatherings with few protective measures.
Witkofsky and Moeller are among officials the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis is seeking to interview as part of a probe it launched in mid-September into allegations the Trump administration blocked the CDC from publishing accurate scientific reports during the pandemic.
The subcommittee’s investigators want to know more about Witkofsky and Moeller’s roles in reported attempts by Caputo and administration officials to gain editorial control over the MMWR and other CDC publications. The investigators are also interested in whether Witkofsky and Moeller were involved in making changes to CDC COVID-19 guidance for schools, as well as agency information that has been changed multiple times on how the virus spreads through the air.
Caputo took a leave of absence from HHS after he described government scientists as the “resistance” against Trump in a video posted online. In an HHS podcast, Caputo accused Democrats in the government, along with the news media, of not wanting a vaccine so as to punish the president. After the incidents gained news coverage, one of Caputo’s top advisers, Dr. Paul Alexander, resigned.
The apparent meddling and political pressure from the Trump White House, and from HHS, have caused even scientific experts to question some CDC decisions. And they have made an already trying job of responding to the worst pandemic in a century even harder, according to multiple CDC officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“I don’t trust the (political appointees) that they’ve dropped into the CDC,” said Dr. Rick Bright, a federal vaccine expert who filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was reassigned to a lesser job because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug pushed by Trump as a COVID-19 treatment. Bright said CDC scientists should be the face of the federal response, as has been the tradition, and the absence of their counsel to the public has contributed to confusion.
“That is absolutely frightening,” he said. “(It) leads to the mixed signals to the public. And I think that is increasing the magnitude and duration of this entire pandemic.”
Bright resigned last week from his post at the National Institutes of Health, saying his superiors had ignored a national coronavirus testing strategy he’d developed.
All of the added political pressure is contributing to a high burnout rate for CDC scientists working on the coronavirus response. One agency official said it “creates distractions from the real threat” of the virus, and extra work.
From March through September, there has been a constantly changing organizational structure and leadership in CDC’s COVID response, according to internal organizational charts obtained by The AP.
In a chart from March, Messonnier was listed as a “Senior Official,” one step below the director, Redfield. But in the following chart, posted weeks after the press conference that angered the White House, her name disappeared completely from the top ranks. A new box had appeared on next to Redfield’s name: the White House Coronavirus Task Force led by Vice President Mike Pence.
In previous pandemics and outbreaks like Ebola that lasted for months or years, records and interviews show that the CDC’s leadership remained largely stable to create a consistency that staff could rely upon.
The appearance of political interference and disarray are hurting the agency’s standing, experts say.
“There’s a cumulative effect. And each one of them is doing its own damage to the agency’s credibility,” Nowak said.
___
Lardner reported from Washington.
___
To contact AP’s investigative team, email [email protected]


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-16--Town Hall Attendee Who Kept Nodding Behind Trump Was Pro-Trump Candidate In ’18

The woman who went viral for repeatedly nodding at President Donald Trump ’ s remarks in the background during his @ @ @ @ @ out to be a former congressional candidate who ran on a pro-Trump platform in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ her as Mayra Joli , an immigration lawyer and former beauty queen who ran against @ @ @ @ @ ) two years ago as an independent who strongly supported Trump .
Joli was seated @ @ @ @ @ seen nodding approvingly multiple times and giving Trump a thumbs up at one point as @ @ @ @ @ hall .
She later posted a Facebook live video of herself calling out to the @ @ @ @ @ a crowd of supporters after the event , and shouting “ We have your back @ @ @ @ @ the best , ” she told him .
“ You are the favorite.
” Joli @ @ @ @ @ out as one of most memorable moments during the town hall :

The woman who went viral for repeatedly nodding at President Donald Trump’s remarks in the background during his town hall on Thursday turns out to be a former congressional candidate who ran on a pro-Trump platform in 2018.
The Miami Herald identified her as Mayra Joli, an immigration lawyer and former beauty queen who ran against Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) two years ago as an independent who strongly supported Trump.
Joli was seated behind Trump and could be seen nodding approvingly multiple times and giving Trump a thumbs up at one point as he spoke throughout the town hall.
She later posted a Facebook live video of herself calling out to the President, who was greeting a crowd of supporters after the event, and shouting “We have your back!”
“You are the best,” she told him. “You are the favorite.”
Joli’s approving gestures stood out as one of most memorable moments during the town hall:
I’m channel surfing. The woman to @realDonaldTrump ‘s right keeps nodding her head which I find very distracting. #NBCTrumptownhall — Katie Couric (@katiecouric) October 16, 2020
The nodding is to the Trump town hall what the fly was to the VP debate. — Allison Harris (@AllisonFox4News) October 16, 2020
And who is that lady behind Trump who nods at everything? — Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) October 16, 2020


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-17--Biden Camp Says ‘Even The Best Polling Can Be Wrong’ In Call To Deepen Lead

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s campaign is urging supporters not to let down their guard in the final stretch of the presidential race suggesting in a memo that “ even the best polling can be wrong.
” “ We can not become complacent because the very searing truth is that Donald Trump can still win this race , and every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire , ” Biden campaign manager Jennifer O ’ Malley Dillon wrote in a memo to supporters obtained by the Washington Post .
Dillon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a widening lead for the Democratic candidate , polls can lack precision or be faulty , which appeared to be the case in 2016 .
The memo further warned that Biden held only a slim lead in some key battleground states and Biden ’ s campaign manager urged Democratic supporters to stay focused in the last leg of the race in spite of a shifting attitude and move by some GOP senators to distance themselves from the President in what some within the party have projected as a potential Republican loss of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we see robust leads at the national level , in the states we ’ re counting on to carry us to victory like Arizona and North Carolina we ’ re only up by three points , ” Dillon said , according to the Post .
“ We also know that even the best polling can be wrong , and that variables like turnout mean that in a number of critical states we are functionally tied — and that we need to campaign like we ’ re trailing.
” A number of polls have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but polling averages offer a different picture , Dillon said .
“ This race is far closer than some of the punditry we ’ re seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest , ” she wrote .
“ In the key battleground states where this election will be decided , we remain neck and neck with Donald Trump.
” “ If we learned anything from 2016 , it ’ s that we can not underestimate Donald Trump or his ability to claw his way back into contention in the final days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underhanded tactics he has at his disposal , ” she added .
According to The New York Times , Dillon made a similar pleas urging grass-roots supporters to beat back complacency during a call with Biden backers on Friday .
She contended during the call that Biden was not as comfortably ahead as some public polls have suggested .
“ Please take the fact that we are not ahead by double digits , ” she said .
“ Those are inflated national public polling numbers.
” Still , she was particularly bullish on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know we ’ re going to win Arizona , ” she said .
She predicted that the Trump campaign would throw “ the kitchen sink at us ” in the final stretch and called on supporters to continue volunteering and donating .
Dillion said the campaign hopes to raise an additional $ 234 million before Election Day after entering October with a record-breaking $ 432 million the Times said .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign is urging supporters not to let down their guard in the final stretch of the presidential race suggesting in a memo that “even the best polling can be wrong.”
“We cannot become complacent because the very searing truth is that Donald Trump can still win this race, and every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire,” Biden campaign manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon wrote in a memo to supporters obtained by the Washington Post.
Dillon said that although many national polls show a widening lead for the Democratic candidate, polls can lack precision or be faulty, which appeared to be the case in 2016.
The memo further warned that Biden held only a slim lead in some key battleground states and Biden’s campaign manager urged Democratic supporters to stay focused in the last leg of the race in spite of a shifting attitude and move by some GOP senators to distance themselves from the President in what some within the party have projected as a potential Republican loss of the White House in November.
“While we see robust leads at the national level, in the states we’re counting on to carry us to victory like Arizona and North Carolina we’re only up by three points,” Dillon said, according to the Post. “We also know that even the best polling can be wrong, and that variables like turnout mean that in a number of critical states we are functionally tied — and that we need to campaign like we’re trailing.”
A number of polls have shown Biden with a healthy lead, but polling averages offer a different picture, Dillon said.
“This race is far closer than some of the punditry we’re seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest,” she wrote. “In the key battleground states where this election will be decided, we remain neck and neck with Donald Trump.”
“If we learned anything from 2016, it’s that we cannot underestimate Donald Trump or his ability to claw his way back into contention in the final days of a campaign, through whatever smears or underhanded tactics he has at his disposal,” she added.
According to The New York Times, Dillon made a similar pleas urging grass-roots supporters to beat back complacency during a call with Biden backers on Friday. She contended during the call that Biden was not as comfortably ahead as some public polls have suggested.
“Please take the fact that we are not ahead by double digits,” she said. “Those are inflated national public polling numbers.” Still, she was particularly bullish on Arizona on the call: “I know we’re going to win Arizona,” she said.
She predicted that the Trump campaign would throw “the kitchen sink at us” in the final stretch and called on supporters to continue volunteering and donating.
Dillion said the campaign hopes to raise an additional $234 million before Election Day after entering October with a record-breaking $432 million the Times said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-17--Man Arrested In Threat To Kidnap and Kill Wichita Mayor Over Mask Mandate

A Wichita man has been arrested for an alleged threat to kidnap and kill Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple ( D ) over frustration with the city ’ s mask mandate .
Per the Witchita Eagle , the suspect had expressed opposition to “ masks and tyranny , ” in a series of texts reviewed by the city ’ s mayor .
“ He said he was going to kidnap me and slash my throat and he needed my address because I needed to see the hangman , ” Whipple said .
“ It sounded like the person was very upset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said something about not being able to see his mother because of COVID restrictions on elderly homes , ” he added .
The news comes months after Whipple in July pushed for a city ordinance requiring face coverings to be worn in most public spaces in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus amid a wave of similar mandates in other cities and states nationwide .
According to the Eagle , the suspect , Meredith Dowty , 59 , a retired Wichita city firefighter , was also a well-known local musician who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in local bars and nightclubs under the name “ Cathead.
” Years before his alleged threat to kidnap and kill the mayor over mask requirements , Dowty was honored for his service by the Wichita City Council in 2008 for helping to save the life of a Wichita police officer who was shot in the line of duty , the Eagle reported .
According to the Eagle , Dowty was also notably among the first rescuers on the scene at a 1998 explosion of the DeBruce Grain Elevator south of Wichita , helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the damaged elevator which killed seven and injured 10 employees .
Dowty who was placed behind bars at Sedgwick County Jail on Friday evening could face a charge of criminal threat the police told the Eagle .
Wichita police spokesman Charley Davidson confirmed to the paper that the department is investigating the threat and did not as of Friday evening believe that other officials had been targeted in the case .
The case is the latest example of how President Donald Trump ’ s months-long tirade against masks , mocking officials who wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has appeared to promote sometimes violent consequences .
The President after falling ill with COVID-19 earlier this month , only recently offered tepid acceptance of masks during a Thursday night town hall on NBC — saying he was “ okay with masks ” after a long record of politicizing the point of guidance from public health officials to promote a fiery debate that appears to be on the verge of drawing blood in recently foiled plots .
The reported threat comes just weeks after a foiled alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was targeted for restrictions in her state amid efforts to protect against the virus ’ spread .
13 men were charged with various state and federal crimes in the Whitmer case , including terrorism and conspiracy in the alleged kidnapping scheme to put Whitmer on trial for “ treason.
” On Tuesday , Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam was revealed as a second Democratic target for what authorities have said were violent plots against lockdown orders to curb the spread of coronavirus .
Whipple , also a Democrat , has said he believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that he will need additional security to protect his family in the aftermath of the alleged threat .
“ This wasn ’ t just some guy popping off on social media , ” Whipple said .
“ He contacted someone that knows where I live that apparently he thought would give him my address .
”

A Wichita man has been arrested for an alleged threat to kidnap and kill Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple (D) over frustration with the city’s mask mandate.
Per the Witchita Eagle, the suspect had expressed opposition to “masks and tyranny,” in a series of texts reviewed by the city’s mayor.
“He said he was going to kidnap me and slash my throat and he needed my address because I needed to see the hangman,” Whipple said.
“It sounded like the person was very upset about pretty much mask mandates and he said something about not being able to see his mother because of COVID restrictions on elderly homes,” he added.
The news comes months after Whipple in July pushed for a city ordinance requiring face coverings to be worn in most public spaces in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus amid a wave of similar mandates in other cities and states nationwide.
According to the Eagle, the suspect, Meredith Dowty, 59, a retired Wichita city firefighter, was also a well-known local musician who plays guitar and harmonica and has performed in local bars and nightclubs under the name “Cathead.”
Years before his alleged threat to kidnap and kill the mayor over mask requirements, Dowty was honored for his service by the Wichita City Council in 2008 for helping to save the life of a Wichita police officer who was shot in the line of duty, the Eagle reported.
According to the Eagle, Dowty was also notably among the first rescuers on the scene at a 1998 explosion of the DeBruce Grain Elevator south of Wichita, helping to remove four seriously injured people from the damaged elevator which killed seven and injured 10 employees.
Dowty who was placed behind bars at Sedgwick County Jail on Friday evening could face a charge of criminal threat the police told the Eagle.
Wichita police spokesman Charley Davidson confirmed to the paper that the department is investigating the threat and did not as of Friday evening believe that other officials had been targeted in the case.
The case is the latest example of how President Donald Trump’s months-long tirade against masks, mocking officials who wear them while refusing to wear one himself has appeared to promote sometimes violent consequences.
The President after falling ill with COVID-19 earlier this month, only recently offered tepid acceptance of masks during a Thursday night town hall on NBC — saying he was “okay with masks” after a long record of politicizing the point of guidance from public health officials to promote a fiery debate that appears to be on the verge of drawing blood in recently foiled plots.
The reported threat comes just weeks after a foiled alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, (D) who was targeted for restrictions in her state amid efforts to protect against the virus’ spread.
13 men were charged with various state and federal crimes in the Whitmer case, including terrorism and conspiracy in the alleged kidnapping scheme to put Whitmer on trial for “treason.”
On Tuesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was revealed as a second Democratic target for what authorities have said were violent plots against lockdown orders to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Whipple, also a Democrat, has said he believes Dowty’s posed a credible threat and that he will need additional security to protect his family in the aftermath of the alleged threat.
“This wasn’t just some guy popping off on social media,” Whipple said. “He contacted someone that knows where I live that apparently he thought would give him my address.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-17--Michigan Court Blocks 2-Week Extension For Absentee Ballots

The Michigan Court of Appeals on Friday said that absentee ballots must arrive by Election Day to be counted , blocking a 14-day extension that had been ordered by a lower court .
The Republican-appointed appeals court judges said changes rest with the Legislature , not the judiciary , in a 3-0 opinion that was met with criticism by Democratic officials in the battleground state which is being closely watched this year after President Trump won the state by a slim margin in the 2016 presidential election .
Absentee ballot extensions in two other Midwestern states including Wisconsin and Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of next month ’ s election as parties scramble to gain an edge .
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson noted a marked increase in requests for absentee ballots last week by roughly 2.7 million voters total , after a change in law made them available to any voter in an election that has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic and pushed many voters toward casting ballots by mail .
Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens had previously ordered that any ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 could be counted if they arrived within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting that there was “ unrefuted evidence ” about mail delivery problems citing more than 6,400 late-arriving ballots that were not counted in the August primary .
The appeals court , however , said the pandemic and widely criticized mail delivery challenges that became central to congressional debate over the summer “ are not attributable to the state.
” “ Although those factors may complicate plaintiffs ’ voting process , they do not automatically amount to a loss of the right to vote absentee , ” the court said .
In its decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to special boxes to deposit completed ballots .
The court also reversed part of Stephens ’ earlier decision which would permit a non-family member to deliver a voter ’ s ballot with consent in the final days before the election .
“ The constitution is not suspended or transformed even in times of a pandemic , and judges do not somehow become authorized in a pandemic to rewrite statutes or to displace the decisions made by the policymaking branches of government , ” Judge Mark Boonstra said of the allowance in a separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Boonstra along with two other appeals court judges who heard the case — Michael Gadola and Thomas Cameron — were appointees of former Michigan Gov .
Rick Snyder ( R ) when he held that post .
Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel , both Democrats , had declined to appeal Stephens ’ rulings , leaving it to the Republican-controlled Legislature to offer intervening opinions .
“ Happy to see this unanimous ruling to uphold the integrity of our elections process and reject judicial overreach , ” Michigan Senate Majority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision on Friday .
The Michigan Democratic Party called the reversal an unfair punishment for postal delays .
“ Voters should not be punished for delays in the U.S .
Postal Service or for unexpected emergencies that could make it a challenge for them to get to the polls on Election Day , ” the party said per AP .

The Michigan Court of Appeals on Friday said that absentee ballots must arrive by Election Day to be counted, blocking a 14-day extension that had been ordered by a lower court.
The Republican-appointed appeals court judges said changes rest with the Legislature, not the judiciary, in a 3-0 opinion that was met with criticism by Democratic officials in the battleground state which is being closely watched this year after President Trump won the state by a slim margin in the 2016 presidential election.
Absentee ballot extensions in two other Midwestern states including Wisconsin and Indiana have also been overturned by higher courts ahead of next month’s election as parties scramble to gain an edge.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson noted a marked increase in requests for absentee ballots last week by roughly 2.7 million voters total, after a change in law made them available to any voter in an election that has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic and pushed many voters toward casting ballots by mail.
Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens had previously ordered that any ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 could be counted if they arrived within two weeks after the Nov. 3 election noting that there was “unrefuted evidence” about mail delivery problems citing more than 6,400 late-arriving ballots that were not counted in the August primary.
The appeals court, however, said the pandemic and widely criticized mail delivery challenges that became central to congressional debate over the summer “are not attributable to the state.”
“Although those factors may complicate plaintiffs’ voting process, they do not automatically amount to a loss of the right to vote absentee,” the court said. In its decision, the court underlined voters’ access to special boxes to deposit completed ballots.
The court also reversed part of Stephens’ earlier decision which would permit a non-family member to deliver a voter’s ballot with consent in the final days before the election.
“The constitution is not suspended or transformed even in times of a pandemic, and judges do not somehow become authorized in a pandemic to rewrite statutes or to displace the decisions made by the policymaking branches of government,” Judge Mark Boonstra said of the allowance in a separate opinion, according to the Associated Press.
Boonstra along with two other appeals court judges who heard the case — Michael Gadola and Thomas Cameron — were appointees of former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) when he held that post.
Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats, had declined to appeal Stephens’ rulings, leaving it to the Republican-controlled Legislature to offer intervening opinions.
“Happy to see this unanimous ruling to uphold the integrity of our elections process and reject judicial overreach,” Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said in a tweet lauding the decision on Friday.
The Michigan Democratic Party called the reversal an unfair punishment for postal delays.
“Voters should not be punished for delays in the U.S. Postal Service or for unexpected emergencies that could make it a challenge for them to get to the polls on Election Day,” the party said per AP.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-17--Perdue ‘Didn’t Mean Anything By’ Mocking ‘Kamala-mala-mala’

The reelection campaign for Sen. David Perdue ( R-GA ) is responding to criticism of what some have called a willfully racist move — claiming that the Georgia senator on Friday “ didn ’ t mean anything by ” what looked like a purposeful mispronunciation of the first name of the senator ’ s colleague of nearly four years , Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris .
Perdue , who serves on the Senate Budget Committee with Harris , appeared to mock his Senate colleague ’ s name when ahead of Trump ’ s speech at a rally in Macon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice presidential candidate as “ Kamala , -mala , -mala , I don ’ t know , whatever , ” to jeers of laughter from the crowd .
The nominee ’ s press secretary , Sabrina Singh , swiftly condemned the move to mock Harris ’ name calling it “ incredibly racist ” in a tweet on Friday .
But Perdue ’ s campaign has rebuffed complaints in a statement on Friday saying the lawmaker had “ simply mispronounced Sen. Harris ’ s name , and he didn ’ t mean anything by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comma-la , ’ like the punctuation mark , ” the California senator has previously said .
“ He knows her name , ” Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) chimed in on Saturday in a tweet rebuking Perdue ’ s butchered pronunciation of his colleague ’ s name .
“ There are only 100 of us .
And he thinks he can get by with this.
” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Helen Kalla called the response from Perdue ’ s campaign a “ trash cleanup that literally no one believes ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue had served along Harris in the Senate since 2017 .
“ He knows her name and he knows how to say it , ” Kalla said , adding : “ His disgusting performance today is nothing more than a desperate dog whistle from a losing politician who was already caught running anti-Semitic ads against Jon Ossoff.
” Perdue previously came under fire for an anti-Semitic move — depicting Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff with a digitally altered nose in an ad that was later removed from Facebook by Perdue ’ s campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ accidental ” in what has become a common excuse for race-baiting and anti-Semitic attacks .
Chair of Georgia ’ s Democratic Party , Nikema Williams went a step further when she suggested that Perdue owed voters in the state an apology for what she also contended was a deliberate mispronunciation of the Democratic vice presidential nominee ’ s name .
“ Senator Perdue ’ s intentionally disrespectful mispronunciation of Senator Harris ’ s name is a bigoted and racist tactic straight from President Trump ’ s handbook .
He owes Georgians an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Democratic Party of Georgia Chairwoman Nikema Williams .
President Donald Trump has repeatedly mispronounced the vice presidential nominee ’ s name while conservative commentators following that lead have often claimed to do so by mistake .
Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson — who on his Friday show appeared to question the necessity of disavowing white supremacy — snapped at a guest when he was corrected for mispronouncing Harris ’ name shortly after Biden revealed the California senator as his running mate claiming he had done so “ unintentionally.
” “ So it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to criticize Kuh-MAH-la Harris , or CA-muh-la , or whatever , ” Carson said in August .
He has since repeatedly attacked the senator on the basis of her race and gender , as she takes the spotlight as the first Black and South Asian-American woman to appear on a major party ’ s presidential ticket .

The reelection campaign for Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) is responding to criticism of what some have called a willfully racist move — claiming that the Georgia senator on Friday “didn’t mean anything by” what looked like a purposeful mispronunciation of the first name of the senator’s colleague of nearly four years, Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Perdue, who serves on the Senate Budget Committee with Harris, appeared to mock his Senate colleague’s name when ahead of Trump’s speech at a rally in Macon, Georgia, he referred to the vice presidential candidate as “Kamala, -mala, -mala, I don’t know, whatever,” to jeers of laughter from the crowd.
Here is the video of Senator David Perdue mangling the pronunciation of Kamala Harris’s name. pic.twitter.com/aVJU451bDi — Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) October 16, 2020
The nominee’s press secretary, Sabrina Singh, swiftly condemned the move to mock Harris’ name calling it “incredibly racist” in a tweet on Friday.
But Perdue’s campaign has rebuffed complaints in a statement on Friday saying the lawmaker had “simply mispronounced Sen. Harris’s name, and he didn’t mean anything by it.”
Kamala is pronounced “‘comma-la,’ like the punctuation mark,” the California senator has previously said.
“He knows her name,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) chimed in on Saturday in a tweet rebuking Perdue’s butchered pronunciation of his colleague’s name. “There are only 100 of us. And he thinks he can get by with this.”
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Helen Kalla called the response from Perdue’s campaign a “trash cleanup that literally no one believes” in a Friday tweet, later noting that Perdue had served along Harris in the Senate since 2017.
“He knows her name and he knows how to say it,” Kalla said, adding: “His disgusting performance today is nothing more than a desperate dog whistle from a losing politician who was already caught running anti-Semitic ads against Jon Ossoff.”
Perdue previously came under fire for an anti-Semitic move — depicting Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff with a digitally altered nose in an ad that was later removed from Facebook by Perdue’s campaign. A campaign spokeswoman called the distorted image “accidental” in what has become a common excuse for race-baiting and anti-Semitic attacks.
Chair of Georgia’s Democratic Party, Nikema Williams went a step further when she suggested that Perdue owed voters in the state an apology for what she also contended was a deliberate mispronunciation of the Democratic vice presidential nominee’s name.
“Senator Perdue’s intentionally disrespectful mispronunciation of Senator Harris’s name is a bigoted and racist tactic straight from President Trump’s handbook. He owes Georgians an apology for his offensive display,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Chairwoman Nikema Williams.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly mispronounced the vice presidential nominee’s name while conservative commentators following that lead have often claimed to do so by mistake.
Fox News’ Tucker Carlson — who on his Friday show appeared to question the necessity of disavowing white supremacy — snapped at a guest when he was corrected for mispronouncing Harris’ name shortly after Biden revealed the California senator as his running mate claiming he had done so “unintentionally.”
“So it begins, you’re not allowed to criticize Kuh-MAH-la Harris, or CA-muh-la, or whatever,” Carson said in August. He has since repeatedly attacked the senator on the basis of her race and gender, as she takes the spotlight as the first Black and South Asian-American woman to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-17--Trump Says Sasse Who Rebuked Him ‘Doesn’t Have What It Takes To Be Great’

President Donald Trump on Saturday took aim at Republican Sen. Ben Sasse ( NE ) appearing to lick his wounds amid a growing list of Party critics by suggesting that his latest detractor from within the Republican Party “ doesn ’ t have what it takes to be great.
” “ The least effective of our 53 Republican Senators , and a person who truly doesn ’ t have what it takes to be great , is Little Ben Sasse of Nebraska , a State which I have gladly done so much to help , ” Trump tweeted early Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Republican Party , and an embarrassment to the Great State of Nebraska , ” he added in a second venomous tweet about the GOP senator .
The comments come after the Nebraska lawmaker rebuked President Trump in a telephone town hall with constituents on Wednesday , criticizing the President ’ s bungled response to the coronavirus pandemic , and tearing into the President ’ s for “ kissing dictators ’ butts ” while appearing to “ flirt with white supremacists.
” In audio first obtained from the call by the Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s behavior had so badly offended voters that he might be the root of a “ Republican blood bath ” in the Senate .
Sasse is among a group of GOP senators who have begun to distance themselves from the President as his chances of winning November ’ s election appear to be receding as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden widens his lead in national polls .
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) suggested during a committee hearing to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that Democrats have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier this week , at least two GOP governors made clear that they wouldn ’ t support Trump ’ s reelection bid in November .
On Thursday , Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan ( R ) told the Washington Post that he had casted a ballot by mail writing in the name of the late Ronald Reagan for this year ’ s election .
Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker ( R ) offered similar sentiments on Wednesday , suggesting that he wouldn ’ t vote Trump in the critical final days before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledge the possibility of loss during a rally on Friday night telling a crowd in Macon , Georgia , that he might have to “ leave the country ” if he loses the election .
“ Could you imagine if I lose ?
My whole life , what am I going to do ?
I ’ m going to say ‘ I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics.
’ I ’ m not going to feel so good , ” Trump said .
“ Maybe I ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know , ” he added .

President Donald Trump on Saturday took aim at Republican Sen. Ben Sasse (NE) appearing to lick his wounds amid a growing list of Party critics by suggesting that his latest detractor from within the Republican Party “doesn’t have what it takes to be great.”
“The least effective of our 53 Republican Senators, and a person who truly doesn’t have what it takes to be great, is Little Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a State which I have gladly done so much to help,” Trump tweeted early Saturday.
“Little Ben is a liability to the Republican Party, and an embarrassment to the Great State of Nebraska,” he added in a second venomous tweet about the GOP senator.
The comments come after the Nebraska lawmaker rebuked President Trump in a telephone town hall with constituents on Wednesday, criticizing the President’s bungled response to the coronavirus pandemic, and tearing into the President’s for “kissing dictators’ butts” while appearing to “flirt with white supremacists.” In audio first obtained from the call by the Washington Examiner, Sasse said that Trump’s behavior had so badly offended voters that he might be the root of a “Republican blood bath” in the Senate.
Sasse is among a group of GOP senators who have begun to distance themselves from the President as his chances of winning November’s election appear to be receding as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden widens his lead in national polls.
While Sasse has periodically critiqued the President and has said he didn’t support Trump’s presidential bid in 2016, he’s been a reliable vote for Trump administration nominees and GOP policies. Sasse has primarily stood with Republican colleagues who have largely avoided publicly challenging President Trump since he took office — a trend that’s changed in recent weeks as a Republican defeat for the White House seems increasingly likely.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) suggested during a committee hearing to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that Democrats have a good chance of winning the White House.
Earlier this week, at least two GOP governors made clear that they wouldn’t support Trump’s reelection bid in November. On Thursday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) told the Washington Post that he had casted a ballot by mail writing in the name of the late Ronald Reagan for this year’s election. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) offered similar sentiments on Wednesday, suggesting that he wouldn’t vote Trump in the critical final days before the election.
President Trump seemed to acknowledge the possibility of loss during a rally on Friday night telling a crowd in Macon, Georgia, that he might have to “leave the country” if he loses the election.
“Could you imagine if I lose? My whole life, what am I going to do? I’m going to say ‘I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics.’ I’m not going to feel so good,” Trump said.
“Maybe I’ll have to leave the country? I don’t know,” he added.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-18--Trump Camp Jabs Whitmer For Lacking Gratitude After Prez Emboldened ‘Lock Her Up’ Chants

The Trump campaign deepened the echo chamber of the President ’ s attacks against Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) on Sunday as they repeated his gripe that the Democratic governor should be more appreciative after the FBI foiled an alleged right-wing conspiracy to kidnap and possibly kill her earlier this month .
On Saturday night , Trump echoed his supporters ’ “ lock her up ” chants as he brought up Whitmer , who he has repeatedly criticized for the COVID-19 restrictions she implemented .
The President laughed and grinned as he snarked : “ Lock her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Shortly after Trump delivered his remarks , Whitmer condemned the President for his incendiary remarks to his supporters in a tweet on Saturday night .
The Michigan governor reiterated her condemnation of Trump the following morning , telling MSNBC that Trump ’ s rhetoric is “ dangerous ” not only for her and her family , but also “ for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans.
” The President ’ s surrogates continued taking aim at Whitmer a day after the President amplified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” chants against her .
The Trump campaign baselessly accused the Michigan governor of advocating for Trump ’ s assassination in a tweet referencing the term “ 86 , ” which commonly means to have someone removed from a service establishment such as a bar or restaurant .
Here are other examples of the Trump campaign deflecting from the President ’ s “ lock her up ” rally call by continuing to attack Whitmer instead : Pressed on the President ’ s amplification of his supporters ’ “ lock her up ” chants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN , Lara Trump piggybacked off of her father-in-law ’ s talking point that his Department of Justice “ actually thwarted this attack against ” the Michigan governor .
After saying that the alleged plot against Whitmer is “ awful ” and that “ no one should ever have this thing happen to them , ” Trump echoed the President by arguing that “ people are frustrated around America ” and in Michigan , particularly , when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions .
Asked again about the threats Whitmer has received , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well and that “ this is not just on one side.
” The President ’ s daughter-in-law also denied that Trump was doing anything to “ provoke ” people to threaten Whitmer and quipped that “ he was having fun at a Trump rally.
” Upon being asked about her response to Trump ’ s amplification of his supporters ’ “ lock her up ” chants at his Michigan rally during an interview on ABC News , McDaniel first replied that “ the President and his FBI foiled this plot ” against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer is really inappropriate to try to lay blame at the President , ” McDaniel said .
“ These were sick individuals .
There was no political affiliation .
They were attacking the capitol as well .
We ’ re glad she is safe , her family is safe.
” After McDaniel doubled down on her argument , she was then pressed about the threats that Whitmer has received each time the President attacks her .
Much like Lara Trump ’ s remarks in her interview with CNN on Sunday , McDaniel hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us too.
” Asked about whether the President has any regrets about his incendiary remarks toward Whitmer during an interview on Fox News Sunday , Miller denied the notion as he repeated Trump ’ s call for the Michigan governor to “ open up your state.
” “ No , not at all , ” Miller said .
“ The fact of the matter is that many residents of Michigan are pretty frustrated with the governor.
” Miller went on to add that he ’ s “ glad that President Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and put them away , ” referring to the 14 charged suspects in the foiled kidnapping plot targeting Whitmer , before reiterating that “ people in Michigan want to get their state open back up .
”

The Trump campaign deepened the echo chamber of the President’s attacks against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Sunday as they repeated his gripe that the Democratic governor should be more appreciative after the FBI foiled an alleged right-wing conspiracy to kidnap and possibly kill her earlier this month.
On Saturday night, Trump echoed his supporters’ “lock her up” chants as he brought up Whitmer, who he has repeatedly criticized for the COVID-19 restrictions she implemented. The President laughed and grinned as he snarked: “Lock her up? Lock them all up!”
Shortly after Trump delivered his remarks, Whitmer condemned the President for his incendiary remarks to his supporters in a tweet on Saturday night. The Michigan governor reiterated her condemnation of Trump the following morning, telling MSNBC that Trump’s rhetoric is “dangerous” not only for her and her family, but also “for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans.”
The President’s surrogates continued taking aim at Whitmer a day after the President amplified his supporters’ “lock her up” chants against her. The Trump campaign baselessly accused the Michigan governor of advocating for Trump’s assassination in a tweet referencing the term “86,” which commonly means to have someone removed from a service establishment such as a bar or restaurant.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer displayed an "86 45" sign during her TV appearance. 86 can be shorthand for killing someone. Whitmer is encouraging assassination attempts against President Trump just weeks after someone sent a ricin-laced package to the White House. pic.twitter.com/GzvtrjH40A — Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) October 18, 2020
Here are other examples of the Trump campaign deflecting from the President’s “lock her up” rally call by continuing to attack Whitmer instead:
Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump
Pressed on the President’s amplification of his supporters’ “lock her up” chants the morning after during an interview on CNN, Lara Trump piggybacked off of her father-in-law’s talking point that his Department of Justice “actually thwarted this attack against” the Michigan governor.
After saying that the alleged plot against Whitmer is “awful” and that “no one should ever have this thing happen to them,” Trump echoed the President by arguing that “people are frustrated around America” and in Michigan, particularly, when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions.
Asked again about the threats Whitmer has received, Trump hit back that she has gotten threats as well and that “this is not just on one side.”
The President’s daughter-in-law also denied that Trump was doing anything to “provoke” people to threaten Whitmer and quipped that “he was having fun at a Trump rally.”
When asked if the President should tone down his rhetoric against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump says, "He wasn't doing anything, I don't think, to provoke people to threaten this woman at all. He was having fun at a Trump rally" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/Hm9GIWeH5d — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) October 18, 2020
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel
Upon being asked about her response to Trump’s amplification of his supporters’ “lock her up” chants at his Michigan rally during an interview on ABC News, McDaniel first replied that “the President and his FBI foiled this plot” against Whitmer.
“And I think Governor Whitmer is really inappropriate to try to lay blame at the President,” McDaniel said. “These were sick individuals. There was no political affiliation. They were attacking the capitol as well. We’re glad she is safe, her family is safe.”
After McDaniel doubled down on her argument, she was then pressed about the threats that Whitmer has received each time the President attacks her.
Much like Lara Trump’s remarks in her interview with CNN on Sunday, McDaniel hit back by saying that “Democrats attack us too.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Trump’s rhetoric “put me, my family, and other government officials’ lives in danger.” Pressed on Trump’s rhetoric by @GStephanopoulos, McDaniel defends the president and criticizes Whitmer’s handling of the pandemic. https://t.co/YcEjTthlQh pic.twitter.com/AyNChlT3n2 — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 18, 2020
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller
Asked about whether the President has any regrets about his incendiary remarks toward Whitmer during an interview on Fox News Sunday, Miller denied the notion as he repeated Trump’s call for the Michigan governor to “open up your state.”
“No, not at all,” Miller said. “The fact of the matter is that many residents of Michigan are pretty frustrated with the governor.”
Miller went on to add that he’s “glad that President Trump’s DOJ was able to get these psychopaths and put them away,” referring to the 14 charged suspects in the foiled kidnapping plot targeting Whitmer, before reiterating that “people in Michigan want to get their state open back up.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-18--Dems Answer Whitmer’s Call To Roundly Condemn Trump For Amplifying ‘Lock Her Up’ Chants

Prominent Democrats echoed Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s ( D ) call for the public to roundly condemn President Trump a day after he joined his supporters ’ “ lock her up ” chants during a rally in Michigan .
On Sunday morning , Whitmer told MSNBC that Trump ’ s incendiary rhetoric is “ dangerous ” not only for her and her family , but also “ for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans.
” Whitmer , who was targeted in an alleged right-wing conspiracy to kidnap and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month , called on the public to come together to join her in condemning Trump ’ s remarks .
“ People of good will on both sides of the aisle need to step up and call this out and bring the heat down , ” Whitmer said .
“ This is the United States of America .
We do not tolerate actions like he is giving comfort to and that ’ s why we all have to be in this together.
” Democrats were quick to roundly condemn Trump in light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Sunday morning interviews : When asked about Whitmer ’ s remarks that Trump ’ s attacks against her endanger her safety as well as those of her family and other government officials , Pelosi agreed with the Michigan governor as she criticized the President for injecting “ fear tactics.
” “ The President has to realize that the words of the president of the United States weigh a ton , ” Pelosi told ABC News .
“ And , in our political dialogue , to inject fear tactics into it , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so irresponsible .
And , in all fairness to people who listen to him , people think the president is important and what he says should be adhered to.
” Pelosi added that this is a “ horrible situation ” where “ the biggest antidote to his poison is the vote.
” After slamming Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump on her “ obviously unfounded , inappropriate ” remark that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is experiencing a cognitive decline while appearing on CNN earlier Sunday morning , Coons said he also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ lock her up ” chants against Whitmer to be “ particularly troubling , ” given the alleged right-wing conspiracy that the FBI foiled earlier this month .
The President ’ s daughter-in-law denied to CNN on Sunday morning that the President was doing anything to “ provoke ” people to threaten Whitmer and quipped that “ he was having fun at a Trump rally.
” “ ( Lara Trump ’ s ) comment was : he was just having fun .
If that means that , for a President , fun is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do things that are threatening and completely inappropriate , well , that ’ s a reminder of what kind of President we currently have , in sharp contrast to Joe Biden , someone who can and will bring our country together , ” Coons , who serves as a Biden surrogate , told CNN .
Although Perez wasn ’ t directly asked about Trump ’ s amplification of his supporters ’ “ lock her up ” chants during his rally in Michigan the night before , the DNC chair brought it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stated that he “ disagrees categorically ” with a Michigan court ruling that mail-in ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day .
“ This is a crisis .
People understand this President has no plan .
His closing argument in Michigan is ‘ lock her up , ' ” Perez said , before going on add that Trump is “ fanning the flames of division , ” and slamming him for lacking a plan on COVID-19 and the economy .

Prominent Democrats echoed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) call for the public to roundly condemn President Trump a day after he joined his supporters’ “lock her up” chants during a rally in Michigan.
On Sunday morning, Whitmer told MSNBC that Trump’s incendiary rhetoric is “dangerous” not only for her and her family, but also “for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans.”
Whitmer, who was targeted in an alleged right-wing conspiracy to kidnap and possibly kill her that the FBI thwarted earlier this month, called on the public to come together to join her in condemning Trump’s remarks.
“People of good will on both sides of the aisle need to step up and call this out and bring the heat down,” Whitmer said. “This is the United States of America. We do not tolerate actions like he is giving comfort to and that’s why we all have to be in this together.”
Democrats were quick to roundly condemn Trump in light of his remarks at his Michigan rally during Sunday morning interviews:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
When asked about Whitmer’s remarks that Trump’s attacks against her endanger her safety as well as those of her family and other government officials, Pelosi agreed with the Michigan governor as she criticized the President for injecting “fear tactics.”
“The President has to realize that the words of the president of the United States weigh a ton,” Pelosi told ABC News. “And, in our political dialogue, to inject fear tactics into it, especially a woman governor and her family, is so irresponsible. And, in all fairness to people who listen to him, people think the president is important and what he says should be adhered to.”
Pelosi added that this is a “horrible situation” where “the biggest antidote to his poison is the vote.”
JUST IN: Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells @GStephanopoulos Trump’s rhetoric at Michigan rally was “irresponsible.” “The president has to realize that words of the president of the United States weigh a ton … the biggest antidote to his poison is the vote.” https://t.co/qdyRUdx4xE pic.twitter.com/KDp2DiwMVp — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 18, 2020
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
After slamming Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump on her “obviously unfounded, inappropriate” remark that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is experiencing a cognitive decline while appearing on CNN earlier Sunday morning, Coons said he also found her defense of the President encouraging “lock her up” chants against Whitmer to be “particularly troubling,” given the alleged right-wing conspiracy that the FBI foiled earlier this month.
The President’s daughter-in-law denied to CNN on Sunday morning that the President was doing anything to “provoke” people to threaten Whitmer and quipped that “he was having fun at a Trump rally.”
“(Lara Trump’s) comment was: he was just having fun. If that means that, for a President, fun is fueling division and encouraging folks to say and do things that are threatening and completely inappropriate, well, that’s a reminder of what kind of President we currently have, in sharp contrast to Joe Biden, someone who can and will bring our country together,” Coons, who serves as a Biden surrogate, told CNN.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) condemns Trump for joining in on "lock her up" chants at Michigan rally pic.twitter.com/48MyLv4GQF — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) October 18, 2020
Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez
Although Perez wasn’t directly asked about Trump’s amplification of his supporters’ “lock her up” chants during his rally in Michigan the night before, the DNC chair brought it up during an interview on CBS as he stated that he “disagrees categorically” with a Michigan court ruling that mail-in ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
“This is a crisis. People understand this President has no plan. His closing argument in Michigan is ‘lock her up,'” Perez said, before going on add that Trump is “fanning the flames of division,” and slamming him for lacking a plan on COVID-19 and the economy.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-18--Cornyn Likens His Private Disagreements With Trump To A Bad Marriage: ‘He Is Who He Is’

Sen. John Cornyn ( R-TX ) admitted to having private disagreements with President Trump on several issues during an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board published Sunday .
While acknowledging that he has broken with Trump on issues such as budget deficits and debt , tariffs and trade agreements and border security , Cornyn said that he actively decided to air his disagreements privately rather than publicly .
The Texas senator is up for re-election against Democrat challenger MJ Hegar , with polls currently showing that Cornyn has a small lead over Hegar .
When asked whether he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to combat the COVID-19 crisis more aggressively , Cornyn used a bad marriage analogy when describing his relationship with the President to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram .
“ Maybe like a lot of women who get married and think they ’ re going to change their spouse , and that doesn ’ t usually work out very well , ” Cornyn said , according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram .
“ I think what we found is that we ’ re not going to change President Trump .
He is who he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , and there ’ s not much in between.
” Cornyn told the Forth Worth Star-Telegram that he has tried avoiding public confrontations with Trump because “ as I ’ ve observed , those usually don ’ t end too well.
” Cornyn noted how Trump soured on his friend , former Sen. Bob Corker ( R-TN ) , when the then-Tennessee senator broke with the President on issues such as a border wall .
Corker decided against running for re-election in 2018 after his clash with Trump .
However , Cornyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s had an easier time working with the President on judicial nominations , Hurricane Harvey relief , a U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal and tax cuts — issues he was comfortable praising Trump for publicly .
“ But when I have had differences of opinion , which I have , ( I ) do that privately , ” Cornyn told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram .
“ I have found that has allowed me to be much more effective , I believe , than to satisfy those who say I ought to call him out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him.
” Cornyn ’ s admission of privately breaking from Trump on some issues was reported a day after the President took aim at Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) , who rebuked him during a telephone town hall with constituents last week .
Sasse said that Trump ’ s behavior had so badly offended voters that he might be the root of a “ Republican blood bath ” in the Senate .
Sasse ’ s remarks , which came amid a growing list of GOP detractors breaking from the President ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to suggest in a tweet on Saturday that the Nebraska senator “ doesn ’ t have what it takes to be great .
”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) admitted to having private disagreements with President Trump on several issues during an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board published Sunday.
While acknowledging that he has broken with Trump on issues such as budget deficits and debt, tariffs and trade agreements and border security, Cornyn said that he actively decided to air his disagreements privately rather than publicly.
The Texas senator is up for re-election against Democrat challenger MJ Hegar, with polls currently showing that Cornyn has a small lead over Hegar.
When asked whether he and other Republicans regretted not pushing Trump to combat the COVID-19 crisis more aggressively, Cornyn used a bad marriage analogy when describing his relationship with the President to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“Maybe like a lot of women who get married and think they’re going to change their spouse, and that doesn’t usually work out very well,” Cornyn said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think what we found is that we’re not going to change President Trump. He is who he is. You either love him or hate him, and there’s not much in between.”
Cornyn told the Forth Worth Star-Telegram that he has tried avoiding public confrontations with Trump because “as I’ve observed, those usually don’t end too well.”
Cornyn noted how Trump soured on his friend, former Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), when the then-Tennessee senator broke with the President on issues such as a border wall. Corker decided against running for re-election in 2018 after his clash with Trump.
However, Cornyn told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he’s had an easier time working with the President on judicial nominations, Hurricane Harvey relief, a U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal and tax cuts — issues he was comfortable praising Trump for publicly.
“But when I have had differences of opinion, which I have, (I) do that privately,” Cornyn told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I have found that has allowed me to be much more effective, I believe, than to satisfy those who say I ought to call him out or get into a public fight with him.”
Cornyn’s admission of privately breaking from Trump on some issues was reported a day after the President took aim at Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), who rebuked him during a telephone town hall with constituents last week. Sasse said that Trump’s behavior had so badly offended voters that he might be the root of a “Republican blood bath” in the Senate.
Sasse’s remarks, which came amid a growing list of GOP detractors breaking from the President ahead of next month’s election, prompted Trump to suggest in a tweet on Saturday that the Nebraska senator “doesn’t have what it takes to be great.”
…Nomination to run for a second term. Then he went back to his rather stupid and obnoxious ways. Must feel he can’t lose to a Dem. Little Ben is a liability to the Republican Party, and an embarrassment to the Great State of Nebraska. Other than that, he’s just a wonderful guy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2020