talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--Trump Hijacked White House For RNC Speech Rehashing His Same Tired Talking Points

Fear-mongering over “ open borders , ” dog-whistling about crime-ridden cities run by Democrats , cop fetishization .
Haven ’ t we heard all this before ?
President Donald Trump ’ s Republican National Convention speech Thursday was supposed to be a show-stopping spectacle , one he was so desperate for everyone to see that he forced the GOP to relocate the convention to another state so he could flout social distancing mandates and potentially expose attendees to COVID-19 .
But you wouldn ’ t know it if you listened the speech , which sounded virtually identically to the rants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefings , Fox News interviews and rallies .
The one difference was that he used the White House , a site for all Americans , including ones who didn ’ t vote for him , as a backdrop for his partisan rants .
Critics assailed Trump for the unprecedented move , and he openly reveled in the outrage as he accepted the Republican Party ’ s nomination for president .
“ What ’ s the name of that building ?
” Trump asked while gesturing behind him , an “ own the libs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expect from him .
“ The fact is , we ’ re here and they ’ re not , ” Trump said of his political opponents .
In his remarks , the President vowed to “ defeat ” COVID-19 “ and emerge better than ever before.
” He bragged about tax cuts .
Supreme Court justices .
“ The best unemployment numbers for African-Americans , Hispanic Americans , and Asian Americans ever recorded.
” Even his jaw-dropping and patently false claim that he ’ s done more for Black people since Abraham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also regurgitated his attacks on China ( who are “ robbing our country blind ” and who also caused “ the China virus ” ) , Biden ( “ Nobody will be safe in Biden ’ s America ” ) and cities lead by Democrats ( “ There ’ s violence and danger in the streets of in Democrat-run cities throughout America ” ) .
“ Gathered here at our beautiful and majestic White House , known all over the world is the people ’ s house , we can not help but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great American story , ” Trump said in the beginning of his speech .
But that night , it wasn ’ t the people ’ s house .
It was a prop for Trump ’ s partisan attacks on his political enemies and yet another opportunity for him to shatter norms for his own self-aggrandizement .

Fear-mongering over “open borders,” dog-whistling about crime-ridden cities run by Democrats, cop fetishization.
Haven’t we heard all this before?
President Donald Trump’s Republican National Convention speech Thursday was supposed to be a show-stopping spectacle, one he was so desperate for everyone to see that he forced the GOP to relocate the convention to another state so he could flout social distancing mandates and potentially expose attendees to COVID-19.
But you wouldn’t know it if you listened the speech, which sounded virtually identically to the rants he’s given in countless press briefings, Fox News interviews and rallies.
The one difference was that he used the White House, a site for all Americans, including ones who didn’t vote for him, as a backdrop for his partisan rants. Critics assailed Trump for the unprecedented move, and he openly reveled in the outrage as he accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president.
“What’s the name of that building?” Trump asked while gesturing behind him, an “own the libs”-style dig we’ve come to expect from him.
“The fact is, we’re here and they’re not,” Trump said of his political opponents.
Trump sums up his whole presidency: "We're here, and they're not" pic.twitter.com/JyaJqLUwxN — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) August 28, 2020
In his remarks, the President vowed to “defeat” COVID-19 “and emerge better than ever before.” He bragged about tax cuts. Supreme Court justices. “The best unemployment numbers for African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans ever recorded.”
Even his jaw-dropping and patently false claim that he’s done more for Black people since Abraham Lincoln wasn’t new.
Trump also regurgitated his attacks on China (who are “robbing our country blind” and who also caused “the China virus”), Biden (“Nobody will be safe in Biden’s America”) and cities lead by Democrats (“There’s violence and danger in the streets of in Democrat-run cities throughout America”).
“Gathered here at our beautiful and majestic White House, known all over the world is the people’s house, we cannot help but marvel at the miracle that is our great American story,” Trump said in the beginning of his speech.
But that night, it wasn’t the people’s house. It was a prop for Trump’s partisan attacks on his political enemies and yet another opportunity for him to shatter norms for his own self-aggrandizement.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--Trump Tries To Paint Biden As China’s Choice In Conspiratorial RNC Speech

Midway through his speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night , with the White House as his backdrop , President Donald Trump said Joe Biden had “ cheered the rise of China as a positive development for America and the world.
” Then Trump cocked his head and said , “ That ’ s why China supports Joe Biden and desperately wants him to win — I can tell you that upon very good information.
” The implication that the President was referring to secret intelligence drew laughter from the crowd , but Trump kept going , returning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country if Joe Biden got elected , ” he declared .
It ’ s not the first time Trump sought to cast Biden as China ’ s candidate of choice .
In a radio interview earlier this month , for instance , Trump said , “ If I don ’ t win the election , China will own the United States .
You ’ re going to have to learn to speak Chinese.
” But Trump ’ s convention speech and others , notably from the hawkish Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign ’ s effort to paint Biden as China ’ s preference in 2020 .
“ President Trump is clear-eyed about the Chinese threat and he is making China pay , ” Cotton said .
In addition to highlighting Biden ’ s past support for international trade deals that , RNC speakers asserted , benefited China , the convention programming at one point used a sepia-toned video montage to string together ominous snippets of unrelated China news , reports on Joe Biden ’ s son ’ s Hunter ’ s dealings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s own comments on foreign policy .
It painted a dark and conspiratorial picture , even if the exact lesson to be learned from this montage was murky .
In between video clips of Biden talking about China at an event last year — he was downplaying the extent to which he saw China as the “ competition ” — the RNC ’ s montage slammed block letters like a movie trailer : The messaging may be an attempt to address some of Trump ’ s weaknesses : He has business interests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has granted companies controlled by him and his daughter Ivanka multiple trademarks since Trump took office .
Former national security adviser John Bolton even accused Trump of attempting to cut a deal with the Chinese government to help himself politically .
And while Trump on Thursday pumped up his reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic — and again referred to it as the “ China virus ” — he initially praised China ’ s response to the virus for months after the first case was confirmed in the United States .
Near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a canned line that the Republican Party ’ s twitter account boosted a few minutes later , and which seemed likely to make the rounds ahead of Nov. 3 .
“ Joe Biden ’ s agenda is Made in China , ” the President declared .
“ My agenda is made in the USA .
”

Midway through his speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, with the White House as his backdrop, President Donald Trump said Joe Biden had “cheered the rise of China as a positive development for America and the world.”
Then Trump cocked his head and said, “That’s why China supports Joe Biden and desperately wants him to win — I can tell you that upon very good information.”
The implication that the President was referring to secret intelligence drew laughter from the crowd, but Trump kept going, returning to his teleprompter.
“China would own our country if Joe Biden got elected,” he declared.
It’s not the first time Trump sought to cast Biden as China’s candidate of choice. In a radio interview earlier this month, for instance, Trump said, “If I don’t win the election, China will own the United States. You’re going to have to learn to speak Chinese.”
But Trump’s convention speech and others, notably from the hawkish Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton on Thursday, marked a ramping up in the Trump campaign’s effort to paint Biden as China’s preference in 2020.
“President Trump is clear-eyed about the Chinese threat and he is making China pay,” Cotton said.
“But China’s not giving up,” Cotton added. “In fact, they’re rooting for Joe Biden.”
In addition to highlighting Biden’s past support for international trade deals that, RNC speakers asserted, benefited China, the convention programming at one point used a sepia-toned video montage to string together ominous snippets of unrelated China news, reports on Joe Biden’s son’s Hunter’s dealings in the country, and Biden’s own comments on foreign policy. It painted a dark and conspiratorial picture, even if the exact lesson to be learned from this montage was murky.
In between video clips of Biden talking about China at an event last year — he was downplaying the extent to which he saw China as the “competition” — the RNC’s montage slammed block letters like a movie trailer:
“WHAT DOES IT TAKE …
TO STEAL OUR IDEAS …
TO BUY OUR INFLUENCE …
AND CONTROL OUR LEADERS …
JUST ASK JOE BIDEN …
TIME IS RUNNING OUT …
CHINA HAS INFILTRATED …
THE AMERICAN ESTABLISHMENT …
AND THEY HAVE CHOSEN THEIR NEW CANDIDATE …
JOE BIDEN FOR CHINA.”
The messaging may be an attempt to address some of Trump’s weaknesses: He has business interests in the country himself, and the Chinese government has granted companies controlled by him and his daughter Ivanka multiple trademarks since Trump took office. Former national security adviser John Bolton even accused Trump of attempting to cut a deal with the Chinese government to help himself politically.
And while Trump on Thursday pumped up his reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic — and again referred to it as the “China virus” — he initially praised China’s response to the virus for months after the first case was confirmed in the United States.
Near the end of his speech, Trump uncapped a canned line that the Republican Party’s twitter account boosted a few minutes later, and which seemed likely to make the rounds ahead of Nov. 3.
“Joe Biden’s agenda is Made in China,” the President declared. “My agenda is made in the USA.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--Top General Promises An ‘Apolitical’ Military That Will Stay Out Of Electoral Disputes

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley assured two House Democrats Friday that he saw no role for the military in monitoring polling places or taking part in other aspects of the electoral process .
The comments —made in written answers supplied to Reps. Elissa Slotkin ( D-MI ) and Mikie Sherrill ( D-NJ ) , both members of the Armed Service Committee — come as President Trump has suggested that he would send law enforcement , such as U.S .
Attorneys and sheriffs , to monitor voting sites .
Trump has also said that any election he loses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Noting the “ qualified officials ” who , under state and U.S. law , oversee the electoral process , Milley said that , “ We follow the rule of law and have done so with regard to past elections , and will continue to do so in the future.
” “ I do not see the U.S. Military as part of this process ; this is the responsibility of Congress , the Supreme Court and components of the Executive Branch , ” Milley said in the written response , which was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another set of questions put forth by the lawmakers about the need for a peaceful transition in power , Milley said that , “ In the event of a dispute over some aspect of the elections , by law U.S. courts and the U.S. Congress are required to resolve any disputes , not the U.S. Military.
” “ I foresee no role for U.S. Armed Forces in this process , ” he said .
Slotkin and Sherrill ’ s written questions listed several examples of what they described as “ politicization of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s deployment of the military to the U.S.-Mexico border just before the 2018 election , as well as the involvement of the National Guard in dispersing peaceful protestors outside the White House just before President Trump took a photo-op by a nearby trip .
Milley had previously said he regretted appearing in those photos .
The lawmakers asked if Milley agreed that the military should not be used for the President ’ s personal political gain and whether he would refuse orders for military action meant to “ distract the American public instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe deeply in the principle of an apolitical U.S. Military , ” he said , later adding that he will comply with all “ lawful orders ” but not with an “ unlawful order.
” Read the full set of written questions and answers below :

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley assured two House Democrats Friday that he saw no role for the military in monitoring polling places or taking part in other aspects of the electoral process.
The comments —made in written answers supplied to Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), both members of the Armed Service Committee — come as President Trump has suggested that he would send law enforcement, such as U.S. Attorneys and sheriffs, to monitor voting sites. Trump has also said that any election he loses would be a “rigged” one.
Noting the “qualified officials” who, under state and U.S. law, oversee the electoral process, Milley said that, “We follow the rule of law and have done so with regard to past elections, and will continue to do so in the future.”
“I do not see the U.S. Military as part of this process; this is the responsibility of Congress, the Supreme Court and components of the Executive Branch,” Milley said in the written response, which was first reported by the AP.
Responding to another set of questions put forth by the lawmakers about the need for a peaceful transition in power, Milley said that, “In the event of a dispute over some aspect of the elections, by law U.S. courts and the U.S. Congress are required to resolve any disputes, not the U.S. Military.”
“I foresee no role for U.S. Armed Forces in this process,” he said.
Slotkin and Sherrill’s written questions listed several examples of what they described as “politicization of the U.S. military.” They included Trump’s deployment of the military to the U.S.-Mexico border just before the 2018 election, as well as the involvement of the National Guard in dispersing peaceful protestors outside the White House just before President Trump took a photo-op by a nearby trip. Milley had previously said he regretted appearing in those photos.
The lawmakers asked if Milley agreed that the military should not be used for the President’s personal political gain and whether he would refuse orders for military action meant to “distract the American public instead of protect American security.”
“I believe deeply in the principle of an apolitical U.S. Military,” he said, later adding that he will comply with all “lawful orders” but not with an “unlawful order.”
Read the full set of written questions and answers below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--This Is What It Looks Like: Trump Leverages Fight Against COVID For His Reelection

This summer , President Trump discovered a new tool to conscript into his fight to win re-election : the country ’ s war against COVID-19 .
Trump has embarked on an unprecedented campaign to use the infrastructure the country has developed to fight the virus in service of own re-election .
It is no small irony that Trump is trying to turn the pandemic to his political benefit , having epically downplayed the virus and spectacularly bungled the initial and the ongoing responses .
Despite , or maybe because of , the death of more than 180,000 Americans , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his political advantage .
But there is a consistency to the Trump response both initially and now : it is focused on his political needs , not the exigencies of public health , science , or the sick and dying .
The steps Trump has taken fit a pattern in which through bluster and misconduct , the President and his allies are turning tools meant to fight the disease into a way of fighting the PR problem of the disease , ensuring that there appear to be fewer cases than there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered before it ’ s ready .
HHS Spokesman Michael Caputo told TPM in a statement that “ doctors and data are driving the development of all COVID-19 countermeasures.
” “ Everybody at H.H.S .
hopes Operation Warp Speed will achieve 300 million doses of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for Americans by January 2021 , ” he said , adding that “ I have never heard mention of any other timeline.
” Last week , Dr. Tony Fauci had the unpleasant experience of having a key decision made for him while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgery for a polyp on his vocal cords last Thursday , as the Trump administration ’ s coronavirus task force met to approve a serious change to its testing guidance .
No longer would the administration recommend testing everyone who has been exposed to someone positive for the virus ; now , the Trump administration says that testing for those who have been exposed to the virus , but lack symptoms , is not recommended .
Critics immediately accused the Trump administration of trying to tamp down on testing .
The move reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” without clear evidence for why .
Even HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir would not deny that the policy would reduce testing volume when asked directly on a Wednesday call with reporters ; all he had to say was that , “ conceptually , we believe there should be more testing.
” The effect of the policy will be to lower case counts .
Adrianne Casalotti , chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials , slammed the “ politicization of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively puts local officials and doctors in a position to contradict the federal government if they want to practice good public health .
“ By removing the national recommendation and putting the decision-making squarely on individual leaders , it allows for skeptical elected officials and members of the public to again blame the individual public health leader who is simply trying to protect their health and safety , ” Casalotti said in a statement .
The vast majority of states and localities have publicly said that they will disregard the change in guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re weighing how to proceed .
The political approach has extended to vaccines as well , as Trump has repeatedly called for a vaccine to be ready by the November election .
Officials with Operation Warp Speed – the Trump administration effort to accelerate vaccine development and distribution – have already said that the federal government is planning to “ overwhelm ” the airwaves with vaccine messaging by November .
But the move faces a key problem : the COVID-19 vaccine candidates undergoing trials right now won ’ t be complete until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , experts say .
Approving a vaccine before the election would require the Food and Drug Administration to issue an Emergency Use Authorization .
Paul Mango , an Operation Warp Speed official , told reporters on Friday that the decision on approval would come down to safety and efficiency data and the FDA .
Dr. Robert Redfield , CDC director , added that the administration was “ planning for the assumption that it ’ s ” an emergency use authorization .
Emergency use has a far more lenient standard , allowing the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack any known cure .
But Dr. Doran Fink , deputy director of the FDA ’ s Division of Vaccines , told a CDC vaccine panel in July that giving doses to millions of people means that the bar is still very hard to clear – the more people who receive a vaccine , the higher the standard for safety .
In spite of that , Trump has pressed forward , accusing the FDA last week of being part of a “ deep state ” plot to slow down vaccine development .
Noel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Department of Health Behavior who focuses on why people accept or reject vaccines , expressed concern to TPM that Trump ’ s comments would already reduce the number of people who choose to get vaccinated , dampening trust in the vaccine on both sides .
“ It ’ s really concerning to see how far public health has been politicized , and polarized , ” he told TPM .
It ’ s not clear what form such a vaccine would take .
The push comes as the FDA has already issued emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intense political pressure .
In the case of hydroxychloroquine , the FDA issued the emergency approval for a limited class of patients , a pattern that some say could serve as a blueprint for the vaccine rollout : a limited approval of a small amount of vaccine , in time for the election but not enough to make any difference in fighting the disease .
To Efthimios Parasidis , a professor of health law at Ohio State University , the damage done to the FDA and other public health institutions by the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed public health officials for recklessly handling the pandemic , and many public health leaders—particularly at the FDA and the CDC—have cowered to Trump ’ s political , non-evidence-based commands , ” Parasidis wrote in Barron ’ s this week .
“ Untoward consequences from a few rash decisions can impact a generation ’ s trust in an agency that is instrumental to the health and welfare of society.
” This story has been updated .

This summer, President Trump discovered a new tool to conscript into his fight to win re-election: the country’s war against COVID-19. Trump has embarked on an unprecedented campaign to use the infrastructure the country has developed to fight the virus in service of his own re-election.
It is no small irony that Trump is trying to turn the pandemic to his political benefit, having epically downplayed the virus and spectacularly bungled the initial and the ongoing responses. Despite, or maybe because of, the death of more than 180,000 Americans, Trump still seems determined to turn the pandemic to his political advantage.
But there is a consistency to the Trump response both initially and now: it is focused on his political needs, not the exigencies of public health, science, or the sick and dying.
The steps Trump has taken fit a pattern in which through bluster and misconduct, the President and his allies are turning tools meant to fight the disease into a way of fighting the PR problem of the disease, ensuring that there appear to be fewer cases than there are while raising fears about a vaccine being delivered before it’s ready.
HHS Spokesman Michael Caputo told TPM in a statement that “doctors and data are driving the development of all COVID-19 countermeasures.”
“Everybody at H.H.S. hopes Operation Warp Speed will achieve 300 million doses of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for Americans by January 2021,” he said, adding that “I have never heard mention of any other timeline.”
Artificially Lowering Case Counts
Last week, Dr. Tony Fauci had the unpleasant experience of having a key decision made for him while he was unconscious.
Fauci was undergoing surgery for a polyp on his vocal cords last Thursday, as the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force met to approve a serious change to its testing guidance. No longer would the administration recommend testing everyone who has been exposed to someone positive for the virus; now, the Trump administration says that testing for those who have been exposed to the virus, but lack symptoms, is not recommended.
Critics immediately accused the Trump administration of trying to tamp down on testing. The move reportedly came from the “top down,” without clear evidence for why.
Even HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir would not deny that the policy would reduce testing volume when asked directly on a Wednesday call with reporters; all he had to say was that, “conceptually, we believe there should be more testing.”
The effect of the policy will be to lower case counts.
Adrianne Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, slammed the “politicization of public health,” saying that the policy effectively puts local officials and doctors in a position to contradict the federal government if they want to practice good public health.
“By removing the national recommendation and putting the decision-making squarely on individual leaders, it allows for skeptical elected officials and members of the public to again blame the individual public health leader who is simply trying to protect their health and safety,” Casalotti said in a statement.
The vast majority of states and localities have publicly said that they will disregard the change in guidance, while others have indicated that they’re weighing how to proceed.
Pushing For A Vaccine Before It’s Safe
The political approach has extended to vaccines as well, as Trump has repeatedly called for a vaccine to be ready by the November election.
Officials with Operation Warp Speed – the Trump administration effort to accelerate vaccine development and distribution – have already said that the federal government is planning to “overwhelm” the airwaves with vaccine messaging by November.
But the move faces a key problem: the COVID-19 vaccine candidates undergoing trials right now won’t be complete until, at the earliest, next year, experts say.
Approving a vaccine before the election would require the Food and Drug Administration to issue an Emergency Use Authorization.
Paul Mango, an Operation Warp Speed official, told reporters on Friday that the decision on approval would come down to safety and efficiency data and the FDA. Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director, added that the administration was “planning for the assumption that it’s” an emergency use authorization.
Emergency use has a far more lenient standard, allowing the government to issue new treatments for diseases that lack any known cure.
But Dr. Doran Fink, deputy director of the FDA’s Division of Vaccines, told a CDC vaccine panel in July that giving doses to millions of people means that the bar is still very hard to clear – the more people who receive a vaccine, the higher the standard for safety.
In spite of that, Trump has pressed forward, accusing the FDA last week of being part of a “deep state” plot to slow down vaccine development.
Noel Brewer, a professor at UNC’s Department of Health Behavior who focuses on why people accept or reject vaccines, expressed concern to TPM that Trump’s comments would already reduce the number of people who choose to get vaccinated, dampening trust in the vaccine on both sides.
“It’s really concerning to see how far public health has been politicized, and polarized,” he told TPM.
It’s not clear what form such a vaccine would take. The push comes as the FDA has already issued emergency approvals for hydroxychloroquine and blood plasma under intense political pressure.
In the case of hydroxychloroquine, the FDA issued the emergency approval for a limited class of patients, a pattern that some say could serve as a blueprint for the vaccine rollout: a limited approval of a small amount of vaccine, in time for the election but not enough to make any difference in fighting the disease.
To Efthimios Parasidis, a professor of health law at Ohio State University, the damage done to the FDA and other public health institutions by the political push is enough.
“Trump has blamed public health officials for recklessly handling the pandemic, and many public health leaders—particularly at the FDA and the CDC—have cowered to Trump’s political, non-evidence-based commands,”Parasidis wrote in Barron’s this week. “Untoward consequences from a few rash decisions can impact a generation’s trust in an agency that is instrumental to the health and welfare of society.”
This story has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--‘Highly Inflammatory’ Posts From We Build The Wall Founder Could Taint Jury Pool, Feds Say

“ We Build The Wall ” founder Brian Kolfage ’ s cries of “ witch hunt ” to refer to the federal charges against him could taint a potential jury pool , prosecutors said Friday .
Kolfage , who along with Steve Bannon and two others faces charges for activity related to the GoFundMe-powered private border wall project , has trashed the case against him non-stop on social media .
On Tuesday , he claimed on Facebook that federal prosecutors wanted to seize donors ’ information and target the donors “ for political reasons.
” In a letter to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reaction on social media to the charges has in many cases “ been highly inflammatory ” and risked tainting the pool of potential jurors .
In all , We Build The Wall solicited more than $ 25 million in donations to build stretches of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border .
Kolfage , a triple-amputee Air Force veteran , was a relentless pitchman for the project .
He and others involved with We Build The Wall have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering .
Kolfage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the group despite publicly promising to forgo a salary .
Prosecutors asked Judge Analisa Torres to remind Kolfage on Monday , when he ’ s due in court , about a Southern District of New York rule against commenting on a case “ if there is substantial likelihood that such dissemination will interfere with a fair trial.
” They attached several examples to the letter of Kolfage ’ s posts .
“ The witch hunt is on !
” Kolfage said a day after the charges were unveiled last week .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullied into being a political prisoner for my beliefs.
” “ They will ruin innocent peoples [ sic ] lives in order to have a war trophy pinned to the wall just before elections , ” he added , referring to prosecutors — who he said were on an “ all out assault to take down every Trump insider from the 2016 election , that means Bannon.
” The posts go on and on ( read them here ) .
Kolfage reaches 630,000 people on Facebook and 68,000 on Instagram , the feds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken down shortly after the charges were announced . )
Kolfage isn ’ t alone in trashing the case against We Build The Wall ’ s leadership .
Steve Bannon , who also faces the two conspiracy charges , called the situation “ a total political hit job ” a day after he was arrested .
The federal prosecutors who wrote to Judge Torres Friday noted in their letter that they brought their concerns to Kolfage ’ s attorney on Aug. 25 .
Unfortunately , they said , “ the posts appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The prosecutors said they were simply asking for the judge to remind Kolfage of the rules .
But if Kolfage keeps it up , they said , they could ask for a court order on the matter .
Kolfage didn ’ t immediately respond to TPM ’ s request for comment .
But an automated Facebook response from him copied over one of his public Facebook posts : “ I ’ ve obtained one the best super lawyers around who isnt afffraid [ sic ] to fight back , ” it read .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom is drawn , pick a side… ”

“We Build The Wall” founder Brian Kolfage’s cries of “witch hunt” to refer to the federal charges against him could taint a potential jury pool, prosecutors said Friday.
Kolfage, who along with Steve Bannon and two others faces charges for activity related to the GoFundMe-powered private border wall project, has trashed the case against him non-stop on social media. On Tuesday, he claimed on Facebook that federal prosecutors wanted to seize donors’ information and target the donors “for political reasons.”
In a letter to the court Friday, prosecutors said Kolfage’s reaction on social media to the charges has in many cases “been highly inflammatory” and risked tainting the pool of potential jurors.
In all, We Build The Wall solicited more than $25 million in donations to build stretches of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Kolfage, a triple-amputee Air Force veteran, was a relentless pitchman for the project.
He and others involved with We Build The Wall have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kolfage is accused of secretly taking $350,000 from the group despite publicly promising to forgo a salary.
Prosecutors asked Judge Analisa Torres to remind Kolfage on Monday, when he’s due in court, about a Southern District of New York rule against commenting on a case “if there is substantial likelihood that such dissemination will interfere with a fair trial.”
They attached several examples to the letter of Kolfage’s posts. “The witch hunt is on!” Kolfage said a day after the charges were unveiled last week. “I’m not going to be bullied into being a political prisoner for my beliefs.”
“They will ruin innocent peoples [sic] lives in order to have a war trophy pinned to the wall just before elections,” he added, referring to prosecutors — who he said were on an “all out assault to take down every Trump insider from the 2016 election, that means Bannon.”
The posts go on and on (read them here). Kolfage reaches 630,000 people on Facebook and 68,000 on Instagram, the feds noted. (His Twitter account was taken down shortly after the charges were announced.)
Reached for comment Friday, the We Build The Wall Founder wrote to TPM, “They tainted the jury pool when they made opinionated statements in the indictment about me ‘living a lavish life’ and the main investigator calling me a ‘fraudster.’ Someone is going to get ripped Monday and it won’t be me.”
Kolfage isn’t alone in trashing the case against We Build The Wall’s leadership. Steve Bannon, who also faces the two conspiracy charges, called the situation “a total political hit job” a day after he was arrested.
The federal prosecutors who wrote to Judge Torres Friday noted in their letter that they brought their concerns to Kolfage’s attorney on Aug. 25. Unfortunately, they said, “the posts appear to have continued unabated since that conversation.”
The prosecutors said they were simply asking for the judge to remind Kolfage of the rules. But if Kolfage keeps it up, they said, they could ask for a court order on the matter.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

Trump Hijacks The White House For His Reelection Effort • President Trump on Thursday turned the White House into his own personal playground for reelection , festooning the South Lawn with giant “ TRUMP ” signs as if it were one of his real estate projects .
• The President ’ s GOP Convention acceptance speech stretched on for 70 minutes , but the remarks largely rehashed his favorite talking points .
• Trump leveraged the weight of the White House during the RNC on Tuesday night , too , hosting a naturalization ceremony and announcing a pardon during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s epic and boisterous speech on the opening night of the RNC Monday , the convention took on a more subdued tone .
But it still brought plenty of the crazy .
• The TPM staff live-blogged the final night of the convention .
Catch up on all the key moments here .
• The week began with a striking statement from Jerry Falwell Jr. , who has headed up Liberty University for more than a decade .
• In the statement , Falwell admitted that his wife had carried out an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the couple had gone into business with years ago .
• On Monday afternoon , Reuters published an exclusive interview with the pool boy , Giancarlo Granda , who claimed that not only did Becki Falwell have a sexual relationship with him , but that Jerry Falwell would sometimes watch the pair have sex .
• Reports surfaced later Monday that Falwell had agreed to step down as president of the university .
But Falwell cried foul , and said he had not yet stepped down .
• By Tuesday morning , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news outlets that he was leaving his post .
• Borrowing a line from Martin Luther King Jr. , Falwell celebrated the move , saying that he was “ free at last.
” • The evangelical leader stands to rake in as much as $ 10.5 million over the next two years as part of his exit package .
• Yet another instance of excessive police force shocked the nation this week after a Kenosha , Wisconsin officer shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back , in front of his children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Protests broke out over the shooting in the Wisconsin town .
• On Tuesday night , two protesters were shot dead after an armed vigilante allegedly fired into a crowd of demonstrators .
• Police arrested a suspect in the shooting , 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch , Illinois .
Rittenhouse ’ s social media was reportedly replete with pro-police messages .
• Blake ’ s father said his son , who remains hospitalized , was paralyzed from the waist down from the shooting .
It ’ s unclear if Blake ’ @ @ @ @ @ @

The California State Bar is arguing that recent criminal charges against John Eastman in Fulton County, Georgia should not prevent…


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--NBA Announces Playoff Deal With Players That Includes Big Win For Voting Rights

Several cities with NBA arenas could see those facilities turned into in-person voting sites this fall , thanks to a deal reached Friday between players and franchise officials to resume the NBA playoffs this weekend .
The NBA and NBA players ’ association announced the agreement — which also includes the establishment of a social justice coalition and an NBA ad campaign promoting civic engagement — after several playoff games were put on hold this week due to team boycotts .
The player strike was in protest of a Wisconsin police officer on Sunday shooting and paralyzing a black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property , team governors will continue to work with local elections officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID , ” the statement announcing the new deal said .
While some , including White House senior advisor Jared Kushner , dismissed the NBA strike , the benefits this agreement stands to bring voters — including voters of color — are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most populous counties hosted in-person voting in a sporting arena for its June primary and it proved to an effective approach in the pandemic to keep wait times low while keeping voters and workers spaced out to limit coronavirus transmission .
Furthermore , NBA arenas are often located near public transportation , making them accessible to low-income voters .
Georgia election officials had already announced a plan with the NBA Hawks to use their Atlanta arena for early voting , and since then , a civic engagement group launched by NBA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use sporting facilities in other parts of the country for voting .
These partnerships between election officials and sporting facilities have also facilitated the use of arena employees as poll workers , helping to solve the poll worker shortage COVID-19 has caused .
Friday ’ s announcement acknowledged that there might be legal or logistical challenges in some NBA hometowns in transforming those arenas into voting sites .
“ If a deadline has passed , team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ballot receiving board , ” the announcement said .

Several cities with NBA arenas could see those facilities turned into in-person voting sites this fall, thanks to a deal reached Friday between players and franchise officials to resume the NBA playoffs this weekend.
The NBA and NBA players’ association announced the agreement — which also includes the establishment of a social justice coalition and an NBA ad campaign promoting civic engagement — after several playoff games were put on hold this week due to team boycotts. The player strike was in protest of a Wisconsin police officer on Sunday shooting and paralyzing a black man who appeared to show no immediate threat.
“In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team governors will continue to work with local elections officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID,” the statement announcing the new deal said.
While some, including White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, dismissed the NBA strike, the benefits this agreement stands to bring voters — including voters of color — are concrete and significant.
One of Kentucky’s most populous counties hosted in-person voting in a sporting arena for its June primary and it proved to an effective approach in the pandemic to keep wait times low while keeping voters and workers spaced out to limit coronavirus transmission.
Furthermore, NBA arenas are often located near public transportation, making them accessible to low-income voters.
Georgia election officials had already announced a plan with the NBA Hawks to use their Atlanta arena for early voting, and since then, a civic engagement group launched by NBA star LeBron James has helped craft deals to use sporting facilities in other parts of the country for voting.
These partnerships between election officials and sporting facilities have also facilitated the use of arena employees as poll workers, helping to solve the poll worker shortage COVID-19 has caused.
Friday’s announcement acknowledged that there might be legal or logistical challenges in some NBA hometowns in transforming those arenas into voting sites.
“If a deadline has passed, team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility, including but not limited to voter registration and ballot receiving board,” the announcement said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--4 People Test Positive For COVID-19 Following RNC Event In Charlotte

Four people involved with the Republican National Convention events in Charlotte , North Carolina have tested positive for coronavirus , Mecklenburg County officials announced Friday morning .
The Charlotte Observer was the first to report that two attendees and two support staff at the RNC had been infected with the virus .
All of the infected individuals were told to isolate immediately .
Close contacts of those who returned positive tests were also encouraged to quarantine , county officials said in a statement .
The announcement comes after county health officials had expressed concerns at an RNC meeting in Charlotte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely ignoring social distancing measures and many were not wearing masks .
It may be weeks before the true impact of fresh cases linked to the RNC ’ s presence in the North Carolina city becomes clear .
Earlier this month Dr. Jeffrey Runge , the RNC ’ s senior advisor for health and safety , said the gathering — which had been cut back from its original plans to host more than 50,000 people to a largely virtual convention with its central hub at the White House — still posed a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveled from around the country to attend .
Sweeping protocols were still expected to be enforced to prevent any potential coronavirus outbreaks at the event .
Upon arrival in Charlotte last week , the Observer reported that delegates were tested at registration and were regularly checked for symptoms .
According to officials , roughly 800 tests had been administered among both attendees and convention staff .
But over the weekend , delegates mingled for business meetings in a hotel ballroom and in events around the city that did not mandate masks — increasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s event at the Charlotte Convention Center .
On Monday , delegates were seated at individual well-spaced tables for most of the RNC ’ s formal business .
But according to the Observer , few wore masks and some even formed close circles and shook hands as they waited for an appearance by Vice President Mike Pence .
Delegates similarly gathered near the stage as President Donald Trump wrapped up his remarks on Monday .

Four people involved with the Republican National Convention events in Charlotte, North Carolina have tested positive for coronavirus, Mecklenburg County officials announced Friday morning.
The Charlotte Observer was the first to report that two attendees and two support staff at the RNC had been infected with the virus. All of the infected individuals were told to isolate immediately. Close contacts of those who returned positive tests were also encouraged to quarantine, county officials said in a statement.
The announcement comes after county health officials had expressed concerns at an RNC meeting in Charlotte on Monday, noting that convention-goers were largely ignoring social distancing measures and many were not wearing masks.
It may be weeks before the true impact of fresh cases linked to the RNC’s presence in the North Carolina city becomes clear.
Earlier this month Dr. Jeffrey Runge, the RNC’s senior advisor for health and safety, said the gathering — which had been cut back from its original plans to host more than 50,000 people to a largely virtual convention with its central hub at the White House — still posed a “high risk.” More than 300 delegates traveled from around the country to attend.
Sweeping protocols were still expected to be enforced to prevent any potential coronavirus outbreaks at the event.
Upon arrival in Charlotte last week, the Observer reported that delegates were tested at registration and were regularly checked for symptoms. According to officials, roughly 800 tests had been administered among both attendees and convention staff.
But over the weekend, delegates mingled for business meetings in a hotel ballroom and in events around the city that did not mandate masks — increasing the potential for infection ahead of Monday’s event at the Charlotte Convention Center.
On Monday, delegates were seated at individual well-spaced tables for most of the RNC’s formal business.
But according to the Observer, few wore masks and some even formed close circles and shook hands as they waited for an appearance by Vice President Mike Pence. Delegates similarly gathered near the stage as President Donald Trump wrapped up his remarks on Monday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--House Panel To Consider Contempt For Pompeo For Stiffing Them On Ukraine ‘Smear’ Docs

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs announced Friday that it was taking a step towards contempt proceedings for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his refusal to comply with its subpoena for various Ukraine-related documents that the State Department has already turned over to GOP senators .
The announcement did not set a date for when specifically it would take up a measure holding Pompeo in contempt , but it said that work on such a resolution is beginning .
In a statement , Chairman Eliot Engel accused Pompeo of being willing to “ bolster a Senate Republican-led smear against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and noted “ his speech to the RNC ” this week “ defied his own guidance and possibly the law.
” Pompeo has “ demonstrated alarming disregard for the laws and rules governing his own conduct and for the tools the constitution provides to prevent government corruption , ” Engel said .
Friday ’ s announcement came after the State Department sent the committee a letter on Thursday informing it that it would not comply with the subpoena because it was “ premature , ” while suggesting that the request violated “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a subpoena to Pompeo last month for documents that State had provided to Sens .
Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) and Chuck Grassley ( R-IA ) .
The two GOP lawmakers have been investigating long-discredited allegations that Biden abused his authority to pressure the Ukrainian government into backing off of an investigation into his son .
The Johnson-Grassley probe has come under fire for allegedly serving as a sieve for Russian disinformation .
Johnson has confirmed that he took information from Andrii Telizhenko , a one-time staffer at Ukraine ’ s embassy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past four years peddling damaging stories about Democratic Party politicians .
The senators have asked — and received — documents from the State Department regarding the allegations , as the same agency refused to provide the same information to Engel .
Director of National Intelligence William Evanina alluded to the probe in a statement earlier this month , saying that foreign actors were targeting Congress .
Evanina named one Ukrainian MP who has propagated supposed recordings of Biden and the Ukrainian president from his time in office and said the MP was acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson himself has said that his probe will “ certainly ” help Trump win re-election .
He has also complained about slow responses from some government agencies to his own records demands , including the FBI .
“ You ’ d think with a Republican president , they ’ d be more responsive to the Republican head of a Senate committee , ” Johnson said .
In the Thursday letter to the House committee , the State Department ’ s congressional liaison Ryan M. Kaldahl denied that the Department was “ politicizing its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed back on the allegation that the Department was participating in a smear job by pointing to the ostensible explanation the GOP senators gave for their own requests to the State Department in Nov. 2019 ( around the time the Trump impeachment push was heating up ) .
The senators claimed that they were looking at actions the “ Obama administration took to ensure that policy decisions relating to Ukraine and Burisma were not improperly influenced by the employment and financial interests of family members.
” The State Department letter then , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the documents it was seeking if it expressed that they were for an inquiry with similar goals as the GOP Senate review .
“ If you can confirm by letter that the Committee is , in fact , substantively investigating identical or very similar corruption issues involving Ukraine and corrupt influence related to U.S. foreign policy , the Department is ready to commence production of documents responsive to such a request , ” the letter said .
Asked by TPM for a response to Engel ’ s announcement , a State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the docs to the committee once Engel sends “ a letter explaining what foreign policy issue he is investigating that requires these documents.
” “ This press release is political theatrics and is an unfortunate waste of taxpayer resources , ” the spokesperson said .
Engel , in his announcement Friday , said that this suggestion further showed that Pompeo was working to spread the very disinformation the U.S. intelligence community had warned against .
“ I want no part of it , ” Engel said .
“ Under no circumstances will I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or lend them credence .
And I won ’ t stand by and see the Committee or the House treated with such disdain by anyone.
” Johnson and Grassley have also taken their probe in a less-publicized , but no-less-bogus direction : the so-called “ unmasking ” of Michael Flynn during the transition from Obama to Trump .
As reports of Russian interference in the 2016 election steamed in , a few high-ranking Obama administration officials asked for the identity of an unnamed American citizen to be revealed in intelligence reports about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House officials .
That person turned out to be Flynn .
Since then , Republicans have contended that Obama officials somehow knew what they were asking for , and allege that it was part of a grand scheme to sabotage the fledgling Trump presidency .
The State Department has also reportedly provided the Republicans with documents regarding those allegations as well .
This post has been updated .

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs announced Friday that it was taking a step towards contempt proceedings for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his refusal to comply with its subpoena for various Ukraine-related documents that the State Department has already turned over to GOP senators.
The announcement did not set a date for when specifically it would take up a measure holding Pompeo in contempt, but it said that work on such a resolution is beginning.
In a statement, Chairman Eliot Engel accused Pompeo of being willing to “bolster a Senate Republican-led smear against the President’s political rivals” and noted “his speech to the RNC” this week “defied his own guidance and possibly the law.”
Pompeo has “demonstrated alarming disregard for the laws and rules governing his own conduct and for the tools the constitution provides to prevent government corruption,” Engel said.
Friday’s announcement came after the State Department sent the committee a letter on Thursday informing it that it would not comply with the subpoena because it was “premature,” while suggesting that the request violated “the Separation of Powers doctrine.”
Engel issued a subpoena to Pompeo last month for documents that State had provided to Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
The two GOP lawmakers have been investigating long-discredited allegations that Biden abused his authority to pressure the Ukrainian government into backing off of an investigation into his son.
The Johnson-Grassley probe has come under fire for allegedly serving as a sieve for Russian disinformation. Johnson has confirmed that he took information from Andrii Telizhenko, a one-time staffer at Ukraine’s embassy in Washington who has spent much of the past four years peddling damaging stories about Democratic Party politicians.
The senators have asked — and received — documents from the State Department regarding the allegations, as the same agency refused to provide the same information to Engel.
Director of National Intelligence William Evanina alluded to the probe in a statement earlier this month, saying that foreign actors were targeting Congress. Evanina named one Ukrainian MP who has propagated supposed recordings of Biden and the Ukrainian president from his time in office and said the MP was acting in the interests of Russian intelligence.
Johnson himself has said that his probe will “certainly” help Trump win re-election. He has also complained about slow responses from some government agencies to his own records demands, including the FBI.
“You’d think with a Republican president, they’d be more responsive to the Republican head of a Senate committee,” Johnson said.
In the Thursday letter to the House committee, the State Department’s congressional liaison Ryan M. Kaldahl denied that the Department was “politicizing its responses to Congressional oversight requests.”
Kaldahl pushed back on the allegation that the Department was participating in a smear job by pointing to the ostensible explanation the GOP senators gave for their own requests to the State Department in Nov. 2019 (around the time the Trump impeachment push was heating up). The senators claimed that they were looking at actions the “Obama administration took to ensure that policy decisions relating to Ukraine and Burisma were not improperly influenced by the employment and financial interests of family members.”
The State Department letter then, rather trollishly, suggested the House committee would get the documents it was seeking if it expressed that they were for an inquiry with similar goals as the GOP Senate review.
“If you can confirm by letter that the Committee is, in fact, substantively investigating identical or very similar corruption issues involving Ukraine and corrupt influence related to U.S. foreign policy, the Department is ready to commence production of documents responsive to such a request,” the letter said.
Asked by TPM for a response to Engel’s announcement, a State Department spokesperson stressed that the Department would turnover the docs to the committee once Engel sends “a letter explaining what foreign policy issue he is investigating that requires these documents.”
“This press release is political theatrics and is an unfortunate waste of taxpayer resources,” the spokesperson said.
Engel, in his announcement Friday, said that this suggestion further showed that Pompeo was working to spread the very disinformation the U.S. intelligence community had warned against.
“I want no part of it,” Engel said. “Under no circumstances will I amplify Putin’s debunked conspiracy theories or lend them credence. And I won’t stand by and see the Committee or the House treated with such disdain by anyone.”
Johnson and Grassley have also taken their probe in a less-publicized, but no-less-bogus direction: the so-called “unmasking” of Michael Flynn during the transition from Obama to Trump.
As reports of Russian interference in the 2016 election steamed in, a few high-ranking Obama administration officials asked for the identity of an unnamed American citizen to be revealed in intelligence reports about the meddling — a right granted to senior White House officials.
That person turned out to be Flynn. Since then, Republicans have contended that Obama officials somehow knew what they were asking for, and allege that it was part of a grand scheme to sabotage the fledgling Trump presidency.
The State Department has also reportedly provided the Republicans with documents regarding those allegations as well.
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--Rand Paul Calls Demonstrators Who Confronted Him ‘Paid Anarchists’

Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) asserted that a crowd of demonstrators who confronted him as as he was leaving the White House following the Republican National Convention early Friday were “ paid anarchists.
” “ I know it sounds like over-the-top to say , ” Paul told “ Fox & Friends ” hosts during an interview Friday as he prefaced the unfounded conspiracy .
He then laid out a convoluted claim that the group who surrounded him and his wife and chanted the refrain “ No Justice , No Peace ” had been hired from out of town “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the group was neither local to Washington , D.C. nor acting on their own convictions .
“ This is disturbing , because really , if you ’ re inciting a riot that ’ s a crime — but if you ’ re paying someone to incite a riot , that person needs to go to jail as well .
But we can ’ t live this way .
It ’ s getting worse and worse , ” Paul said , adding that he and his wife can not go outside now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I don ’ t hear Joe Biden or Kamala Harris saying one thing about the violence .
This mob is their voters .
This is the new Democratic Party.
” But Paul ’ s effort to paint Biden as anti-police and a promoter of mob violence starkly contrasts the actual words of Biden who during an MSNBC interview Thursday suggested it was Trump ’ s leadership that had yielded social unrest , saying that the President was “ rooting for more violence , not less.
” “ He ’ s pouring gasoline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be Donald Trump ’ s America , ” Biden said , adding : “ I condemn violence in any form , whether it ’ s looting or whatever it is.
” Harris had similarly denounced acts of violence in remarks Thursday afternoon during her first solo campaign event , saying that peaceful protesters should not be confused with “ those looting and committing acts of violence.
” Throughout his interview on Friday , Paul seized the opportunity to politicize the moment , saying that although he and his wife were unharmed , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November would bring an end to law and order — “ the country will be on fire , ” he said .
Video footage posted to Twitter from Paul ’ s encounter with demonstrators shows dozens of people confronting the senator and his wife within blocks of the White House .
The couple was closely guarded by police who used bicycles as barriers against the demonstrators .
Paul later tweeted that he “ got attacked ” by a “ crazed mob ” one block away from the White House .
He thanked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It was not clear whether any protesters made physical contact with Paul and he confirmed to Fox News hosts that he and his wife had not been physically harmed .

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) asserted that a crowd of demonstrators who confronted him as as he was leaving the White House following the Republican National Convention early Friday were “paid anarchists.”
“I know it sounds like over-the-top to say,” Paul told “Fox & Friends” hosts during an interview Friday as he prefaced the unfounded conspiracy. He then laid out a convoluted claim that the group who surrounded him and his wife and chanted the refrain “No Justice, No Peace” had been hired from out of town “specifically in our case,” suggesting that the group was neither local to Washington, D.C. nor acting on their own convictions.
“This is disturbing, because really, if you’re inciting a riot that’s a crime — but if you’re paying someone to incite a riot, that person needs to go to jail as well. But we can’t live this way. It’s getting worse and worse,” Paul said, adding that he and his wife cannot go outside now.
“Its become so dangerous for us and I don’t hear Joe Biden or Kamala Harris saying one thing about the violence. This mob is their voters. This is the new Democratic Party.”
Sen. Rand Paul pushed a conspiracy that a group confronting him as he left the White House early Friday were "paid anarchists." He labeled them as a "mob" representing "the new Democrat party." He also seized the opportunity to plug for law and order and support for the police. pic.twitter.com/HCnZ5ppWax — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) August 28, 2020
But Paul’s effort to paint Biden as anti-police and a promoter of mob violence starkly contrasts the actual words of Biden who during an MSNBC interview Thursday suggested it was Trump’s leadership that had yielded social unrest, saying that the President was “rooting for more violence, not less.”
“He’s pouring gasoline on the fire. This happens to be Donald Trump’s America,” Biden said, adding: “I condemn violence in any form, whether it’s looting or whatever it is.”
Harris had similarly denounced acts of violence in remarks Thursday afternoon during her first solo campaign event, saying that peaceful protesters should not be confused with “those looting and committing acts of violence.”
Throughout his interview on Friday, Paul seized the opportunity to politicize the moment, saying that although he and his wife were unharmed, a vote for Trump’s Democratic challenger in November would bring an end to law and order — “the country will be on fire,” he said.
Video footage posted to Twitter from Paul’s encounter with demonstrators shows dozens of people confronting the senator and his wife within blocks of the White House. The couple was closely guarded by police who used bicycles as barriers against the demonstrators.
Paul later tweeted that he “got attacked” by a “crazed mob” one block away from the White House. He thanked the police for “saving his life.”
It was not clear whether any protesters made physical contact with Paul and he confirmed to Fox News hosts that he and his wife had not been physically harmed.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-28--Is Your State Ready For The Pandemic Election? A Look At AL, KY, NC, NV, and TN

Our journey through America ’ s varying levels of pandemic-voting preparedness continues this week with looks at Tennessee , Kentucky , Alabama , North Carolina and Nevada .
Every week , we ’ re looking at what states have done — or not done — to make voting easier during the coronavirus outbreak , where the fights over those moves have been the most contentious , and which states feature the kind of competitive races that could make things extra messy and volatile come November .
Here ’ s this week ’ s installment of our survey , and check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examined .
Alabama has been ground zero for some of the biggest voting rights battles in U.S. history , so it ’ s not surprising that its fight over absentee voting during COVID-19 has been among the most contentious in the country .
And while Alabama is not a presidential swing state , Sen. Doug Jones ( D ) still sees an outside chance of retaining his Senate seat , meaning that it could be the site of a national , partisan fight if things in November go awry .
Alabama requires an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually sees mail ballots making up a very small percentage — among of the lowest in the county — of all ballots cast .
The use of mail voting is expected to skyrocket now that Secretary of State John Merrill has said that voters can use the excuse related to physical infirmities to avoid in-person voting while the coronavirus poses a risk to their health .
But he has resisted efforts to relax the state ’ s photo ID and witness requirements for absentee voting , and went all the way to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s order that those requirements be waived in certain counties for the July primary .
The case also sought an order allowing for counties to implement curbside voting , which Merrill has issued guidance against , even if it isn ’ t explicitly prohibited by state law .
A trial on the merits in the lawsuit begins in September , though if the state loses , it ’ s expected to get the Supreme Court involved again .
Regardless of how that case unfolds , election officials are preparing for a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance , they are beginning to think they may have to triple their staff so that the ballots can be fully processed and counted on the evening of Election Day .
“ To be quite frank , I think everybody in the state is going to need to hire more people , ” Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Jacqueline Anderson told TPM .
Additionally , the state does not offer early in-person voting in a traditional sense — though absentee voters can apply for and submit their mail ballots in-person at their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the election .
Voter advocates are encouraging that option , because the witness , ID and notary requirements can be fulfilled on the spot by the election workers on staff at the office .
Alabama also has a quick turnaround time for absentee requests , letting voters request mail ballots just five days before they must be received back at the elections office , by noon the day before the Election .
Experts have cautioned that that window could be too tight for the ballot to make it to the voter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s messaging is focused on encouraging absentee voters to submit their requests much earlier than the deadline .
This June , Kentucky pulled off the impossible : a smooth election amid a pandemic with primary turnout higher than the state had seen in over a decade .
Seventy five percent of those 1.13 million voters cast their ballots by mail in a state where the vote-by-mail share usually hovers around 2 percent .
The success was due in large part to the bipartisan cooperation between Gov .
Andy Beshear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Adams , a Republican .
The two used their emergency powers to extend absentee voting eligibility to all voters ; Kentuckians usually need an excuse to vote absentee .
They also extended the early voting period , set up drop boxes and , with the state Board of Elections , set up an online portal through which voters could request their ballots .
The two reached another agreement for the general election , and the state Board of Elections approved it last week .
Though it nixes the no-excuse absentee voting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus now qualifies as an excuse .
It also provides for three weeks of Monday-through-Saturday early voting , and again stands up an online portal for requesting a ballot .
The plan mandates at least one “ super-center ” polling place in each county , where every voter can go regardless of his or her precinct .
This time , clerks will be required to contact voters whose ballots lack a signature , or have a signature mismatch , to give them time to correct it .
Though the changes are positive enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to become permanent even after the pandemic subsides , there are still some concerns about whether the relatively smooth primary experience will translate to a smooth general election .
Election officials haven ’ t yet recruited enough poll workers , and a higher turnout in the general will put the mail-in ballot apparatus to the test .
Election officials in Kentucky ’ s biggest counties already reported being strained to the breaking point in June .
Don Blevin , clerk for Fayette County , which includes Lexington , has a grim outlook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get in the mail ( we are at 24k requests already ) , mountains to process , I don ’ t have locations nailed down for in-person nor the people needed to man them , ” he told TPM in an email .
“ This is the equivalent of running three different elections simultaneously and is the absolute worst case scenario for County Clerks.
” It could be a mess of an election this year in North Carolina , amid a perfect storm of the pandemic , record numbers of absentee ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the White House and the Senate , where Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-NC ) is fighting for reelection .
Meanwhile , the GOP enjoys a supermajority in the state legislature , which could be obliterated this year after a court order mandated that the state redraw its district maps .
Right-wing groups are suing to purge more than a million voters from the state ’ s rolls due to “ inactivity ” in majority liberal areas , while numerous lawsuits have been filed over the state ’ s absentee voting laws .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the state is home to an extremely rare , live case of absentee voter fraud .
GOP operative McCrae Dowless was charged with election fraud for an alleged absentee ballot harvesting scheme that could have thrown a tight election to a Republican congressional candidate .
After that scandal , the state passed a law by bipartisan majorities that set new limits on voting by mail , including a restriction that only a close relative could help a voter complete the ballot .
Then , COVID-19 struck .
When it comes to voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has an early primary , which took place before the pandemic began in earnest .
The state responded to the pandemic by halving the number of signatures required on an absentee ballot , from two to one .
Any voter can request an absentee ballot in North Carolina , and people who choose to vote early can register the day of .
The state mails out absentee ballots earlier than any other , while voters can choose to either mail the ballot back or drop it off in person .
Precincts can begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well .
But the state still faces serious challenges come November .
The deadline to request ballots is a week before the election — a short turnaround time — though the state will accept ballots up to three days after the election if they were postmarked by Election Day .
The new law mandating that only close relatives can help others vote threatens to cut off access for the old and people with a disability .
Meanwhile , a federal judge already rejected one lawsuit aiming to loosen absentee ballot restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the state must allow voters a chance to fix potential errors .
Overall , the state faces a deluge of absentee ballots , with one informed political observer forecasting more than 1 million absentee votes cast in North Carolina this fall based on current request statistics , a number that could overwhelm local election precincts which have never grappled before with so high a volume .
In 2016 , the vast majority of Nevadans voted early and in-person , setting the state apart .
During the primary elections earlier this summer the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the state ’ s decision to send every active registered voter in the state a ballot to help contend with the pandemic .
( The state ’ s largest county , Clark , also sent ballots to inactive registered voters . )
The subsequent passage of COVID-19-related voting legislation this month — known as AB4 — codified the practice of sending ballots to all registered active voters in emergencies , such as the pandemic .
The law attracted a lawsuit from the Trump campaign .
The Nevada Independent has a good rundown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it mandates at least one early and day-of polling place per county , and much more than that in Nevada ’ s two largest counties .
It also loosens existing rules to allow voters to authorize someone else to submit their ballot for them .
Republicans , including Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske , have taken to calling that policy “ ballot harvesting , ” a term Democrats have pointed out has negative connotations .
The law also sets healthy deadlines by which the state must mail voters their ballot : 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for out-of-state voters , and 45 days for military and overseas voters .
In other words : enough time to fill it out and either mail it back or drop it off before Election Day .
And even then , voters have some cushion : Ballots postmarked by Election Day can be legally received by election officials up to seven days later .
The U.S .
Postal Service ’ s general counsel last month warned 46 states and Washington , D.C. that their timetables for mail-in ballots risked disenfranchising voters : Nevada was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-mail ballot state primary earlier this year , ” observed Michael McDonald , a professor specializing in elections at the University of Florida .
“ There were no complaints about fraud .
They got this.
” Though Hillary Clinton won Nevada by 2 points , and though Joe Biden is polling well there now , there ’ s a reason the Republicans have litigated so fiercely in the state : It would be a prize for Donald Trump , and it may well be a crucial swing state this November .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screaming , in court , over who exactly ought to qualify to receive an absentee ballot .
Just this week , a state judge ruled that Tennessee must make clear on absentee ballot applications that voters with underlying health conditions — including those that place them at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 — do qualify to skip the polling place and use the mail instead , The Tennessean reported .
Importantly , that determination is up to voters , and it also applies to the caretakers of those with health conditions that make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But voter suppression runs deep in Tennessee : First-time voters , even now , must present proof of their identities in-person to election officials , and they must vote in person their first time as well .
Third-party groups are prohibited from distributing absentee ballot applications .
Residents with past felony convictions must first , among other things , repay all court fees and child support before they can regain their voting rights .
And Tennessee ’ s absentee ballot application now features , of all things , an ominous reward notice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you make a report of voter fraud that leads to a conviction.
” “ Tennessee works harder to suppress the vote of eligible voters than to support Tennesseans ’ right to exercise their franchise , ” Hedy Weinberg , executive director of the Tennessee ACLU , told TPM .
A record number of Tennesseans voted absentee in the state ’ s primary elections earlier this month , nearly doubling previous general election records — though in the primary , any registered voter was allowed to vote by mail .
The state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month .
Currently , applications for absentee ballots must be received by election officials “ no later than seven ( 7 ) days before the election.
” That earned Tennessee , like 45 other states , a warning from the USPS that the tight turnaround time — during which a ballot must reach the voter and return to election officials — could end up disenfranchising voters .
Tennesseans are also required to mail their ballots back , unlike in other states where voters can hand-deliver the ballot .
Tennessee voters can also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though local schedules vary ) .
For day-of voters , concerns from past elections years over the state ’ s restrictive voter ID law remain , as do fresh worries about a new law threatening felony charges against certain protesters , which could , in turn , strip them of their voting rights .
The presidential race is lopsided in Trump ’ s favor in the state , but there ’ ll be an open Senate seat on the ballot , currently belonging to Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump-endorsed Republican Bill Hagerty , Marquita Bradshaw faces an uphill battle to be Tennessee ’ s first Democratic senator in this century .
Update : This post has been updated to clarify Alabama ’ s procedures for voting in-person with an absentee ballot , and to clarify the deadlines for delivery of mail-in ballots in Nevada .

Our journey through America’s varying levels of pandemic-voting preparedness continues this week with looks at Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina and Nevada.
Every week, we’re looking at what states have done — or not done — to make voting easier during the coronavirus outbreak, where the fights over those moves have been the most contentious, and which states feature the kind of competitive races that could make things extra messy and volatile come November.
Here’s this week’s installment of our survey, and check out the other states we’ve examined.
Alabama
Alabama has been ground zero for some of the biggest voting rights battles in U.S. history, so it’s not surprising that its fight over absentee voting during COVID-19 has been among the most contentious in the country. And while Alabama is not a presidential swing state, Sen. Doug Jones (D) still sees an outside chance of retaining his Senate seat, meaning that it could be the site of a national, partisan fight if things in November go awry.
Alabama requires an excuse to vote absentee and thus it usually sees mail ballots making up a very small percentage — among of the lowest in the county — of all ballots cast.
The use of mail voting is expected to skyrocket now that Secretary of State John Merrill has said that voters can use the excuse related to physical infirmities to avoid in-person voting while the coronavirus poses a risk to their health. But he has resisted efforts to relax the state’s photo ID and witness requirements for absentee voting, and went all the way to the Supreme Court to reverse a federal judge’s order that those requirements be waived in certain counties for the July primary. The case also sought an order allowing for counties to implement curbside voting, which Merrill has issued guidance against, even if it isn’t explicitly prohibited by state law. A trial on the merits in the lawsuit begins in September, though if the state loses, it’s expected to get the Supreme Court involved again.
Regardless of how that case unfolds, election officials are preparing for a major surge in absentee voting. In Birmingham, for instance, they are beginning to think they may have to triple their staff so that the ballots can be fully processed and counted on the evening of Election Day.
“To be quite frank, I think everybody in the state is going to need to hire more people,” Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Jacqueline Anderson told TPM.
Additionally, the state does not offer early in-person voting in a traditional sense — though absentee voters can apply for and submit their mail ballots in-person at their election offices in the weeks leading up to the election. Voter advocates are encouraging that option, because the witness, ID and notary requirements can be fulfilled on the spot by the election workers on staff at the office. Alabama also has a quick turnaround time for absentee requests, letting voters request mail ballots just five days before they must be received back at the elections office, by noon the day before the Election. Experts have cautioned that that window could be too tight for the ballot to make it to the voter and back to officials, and much of the state’s messaging is focused on encouraging absentee voters to submit their requests much earlier than the deadline.
Kentucky
This June, Kentucky pulled off the impossible: a smooth election amid a pandemic with primary turnout higher than the state had seen in over a decade. Seventy five percent of those 1.13 million voters cast their ballots by mail in a state where the vote-by-mail share usually hovers around 2 percent. The success was due in large part to the bipartisan cooperation between Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, and Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican. The two used their emergency powers to extend absentee voting eligibility to all voters; Kentuckians usually need an excuse to vote absentee. They also extended the early voting period, set up drop boxes and, with the state Board of Elections, set up an online portal through which voters could request their ballots.
The two reached another agreement for the general election, and the state Board of Elections approved it last week. Though it nixes the no-excuse absentee voting, concern about catching or spreading the novel coronavirus now qualifies as an excuse. It also provides for three weeks of Monday-through-Saturday early voting, and again stands up an online portal for requesting a ballot. The plan mandates at least one “super-center” polling place in each county, where every voter can go regardless of his or her precinct. This time, clerks will be required to contact voters whose ballots lack a signature, or have a signature mismatch, to give them time to correct it.
Though the changes are positive enough that many voting advocates are calling for them to become permanent even after the pandemic subsides, there are still some concerns about whether the relatively smooth primary experience will translate to a smooth general election. Election officials haven’t yet recruited enough poll workers, and a higher turnout in the general will put the mail-in ballot apparatus to the test. Election officials in Kentucky’s biggest counties already reported being strained to the breaking point in June.
Don Blevin, clerk for Fayette County, which includes Lexington, has a grim outlook. There are “mountains of ballots to get in the mail (we are at 24k requests already), mountains to process, I don’t have locations nailed down for in-person nor the people needed to man them,” he told TPM in an email. “This is the equivalent of running three different elections simultaneously and is the absolute worst case scenario for County Clerks.”
North Carolina
It could be a mess of an election this year in North Carolina, amid a perfect storm of the pandemic, record numbers of absentee ballot requests, and fiercely contested races both for the White House and the Senate, where Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is fighting for reelection. Meanwhile, the GOP enjoys a majority in the state legislature, which could be diminished this year after a court order mandated that the state redraw its district maps. Right-wing groups are suing to purge more than a million voters from the state’s rolls due to “inactivity” in majority liberal areas, while numerous lawsuits have been filed over the state’s absentee voting laws.
The ironic backdrop to all this is that the state is home to an extremely rare, live case of absentee voter fraud. GOP operative McCrae Dowless was charged with election fraud for an alleged absentee ballot harvesting scheme that could have thrown a tight election to a Republican congressional candidate. After that scandal, the state passed a law by bipartisan majorities that set new limits on voting by mail, including a restriction that only a close relative could help a voter complete the ballot.
Then, COVID-19 struck. When it comes to voting, the state got lucky: it has an early primary, which took place before the pandemic began in earnest. The state responded to the pandemic by halving the number of signatures required on an absentee ballot, from two to one.
Any voter can request an absentee ballot in North Carolina, and people who choose to vote early can register the day of. The state mails out absentee ballots earlier than any other, while voters can choose to either mail the ballot back or drop it off in person. Precincts can begin counting ballots two weeks before Election Day, as well.
But the state still faces serious challenges come November. The deadline to request ballots is a week before the election — a short turnaround time — though the state will accept ballots up to three days after the election if they were postmarked by Election Day. The new law mandating that only close relatives can help others vote threatens to cut off access for the old and people with a disability. Meanwhile, a federal judge already rejected one lawsuit aiming to loosen absentee ballot restrictions, but did so with the proviso that the state must allow voters a chance to fix potential errors. Overall, the state faces a deluge of absentee ballots, with one informed political observer forecasting more than 1 million absentee votes cast in North Carolina this fall based on current request statistics, a number that could overwhelm local election precincts which have never grappled before with so high a volume.
Nevada
In 2016, the vast majority of Nevadans voted early and in-person, setting the state apart. During the primary elections earlier this summer the vast majority voted by mail — aided by the state’s decision to send every active registered voter in the state a ballot to help contend with the pandemic. (The state’s largest county, Clark, also sent ballots to inactive registered voters.)
The subsequent passage of COVID-19-related voting legislation this month — known as AB4 — codified the practice of sending ballots to all registered active voters in emergencies, such as the pandemic. The law attracted a lawsuit from the Trump campaign.
The Nevada Independent has a good rundown of AB4: Among other things, it mandates at least one early and day-of polling place per county, and much more than that in Nevada’s two largest counties. It also loosens existing rules to allow voters to authorize someone else to submit their ballot for them. Republicans, including Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, have taken to calling that policy “ballot harvesting,” a term Democrats have pointed out has negative connotations.
The law also sets healthy deadlines by which the state must mail voters their ballot: 20 days for in-state voters, 40 days for out-of-state voters, and 45 days for military and overseas voters. In other words: enough time to fill it out and either mail it back or drop it off before Election Day. And even then, voters have some cushion: Ballots postmarked by Election Day can be legally received by election officials up to seven days later. The U.S. Postal Service’s general counsel last month warned 46 states and Washington, D.C. that their timetables for mail-in ballots risked disenfranchising voters: Nevada was an exception.
“Nevada ran an all-mail ballot state primary earlier this year,” observed Michael McDonald, a professor specializing in elections at the University of Florida. “There were no complaints about fraud. They got this.” Though Hillary Clinton won Nevada by 2 points, and though Joe Biden is polling well there now, there’s a reason the Republicans have litigated so fiercely in the state: It would be a prize for Donald Trump, and it may well be a crucial swing state this November.
Tennessee
The state of Tennessee has spent months kicking and screaming, in court, over who exactly ought to qualify to receive an absentee ballot. Just this week, a state judge ruled that Tennessee must make clear on absentee ballot applications that voters with underlying health conditions — including those that place them at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 — do qualify to skip the polling place and use the mail instead, The Tennessean reported. Importantly, that determination is up to voters, and it also applies to the caretakers of those with health conditions that make them especially susceptible to the virus.
But voter suppression runs deep in Tennessee: First-time voters, even now, must present proof of their identities in-person to election officials, and they must vote in person their first time as well. Third-party groups are prohibited from distributing absentee ballot applications. Residents with past felony convictions must first, among other things, repay all court fees and child support before they can regain their voting rights. And Tennessee’s absentee ballot application now features, of all things, an ominous reward notice, “of up to $1,000 if you make a report of voter fraud that leads to a conviction.”
“Tennessee works harder to suppress the vote of eligible voters than to support Tennesseans’ right to exercise their franchise,” Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the Tennessee ACLU, told TPM.
A record number of Tennesseans voted absentee in the state’s primary elections earlier this month, nearly doubling previous general election records — though in the primary, any registered voter was allowed to vote by mail. The state’s Supreme Court struck down that expansion earlier this month.
Currently, applications for absentee ballots must be received by election officials “no later than seven (7) days before the election.” That earned Tennessee, like 45 other states, a warning from the USPS that the tight turnaround time — during which a ballot must reach the voter and return to election officials — could end up disenfranchising voters. Tennesseans are also required to mail their ballots back, unlike in other states where voters can hand-deliver the ballot.
Tennessee voters can also vote early, from Oct. 14-29 (though local schedules vary). For day-of voters, concerns from past elections years over the state’s restrictive voter ID law remain, as do fresh worries about a new law threatening felony charges against certain protesters, which could, in turn, strip them of their voting rights.
The presidential race is lopsided in Trump’s favor in the state, but there’ll be an open Senate seat on the ballot, currently belonging to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who’s retiring this year. Running against Trump-endorsed Republican Bill Hagerty, Marquita Bradshaw faces an uphill battle to be Tennessee’s first Democratic senator in this century.
Update: This post has been updated to clarify Alabama’s procedures for voting in-person with an absentee ballot, and to clarify the deadlines for delivery of mail-in ballots in Nevada.
Correction: This post initially stated that Republicans enjoyed a supermajority in the North Carolina state legislature. They have a majority, but not a supermajority. TPM regrets the error.