talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--Trump Campaign Goes After GOP Rep. Who Denounced Marjorie Greene

The deputy communications director for President Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at a Republican congressman who disavowed Marjorie Greene , a QAnon-supporting candidate who will almost certainly become a member of Congress this fall .
Rep. Adam Kinzinger ( R-IL ) has broken with the party and President Donald Trump before , particularly on military affairs .
Kinzinger is an Air Force veteran and continues to serve in the Air National Guard .
Along with adherence to extreme parts of the QAnon conspiracy theory , Greene also has recorded herself saying racist , Islamophobic and antisemitic things in social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , they did little to change the trajectory of the race .
After beating neurosurgeon John Cowan in the first round of the Republican primary for Georgia ’ s 14th district , Greene crushed him Tuesday night in the runoff with 57 percent of the vote .
Trump , who had congratulated her upon her first victory , tweeted again Wednesday morning to welcome the “ rising Republican star ” to the ranks .
Republican leadership is falling in line .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-CA ) , who once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greene ’ s comments , followed Trump ’ s lead Wednesday .
“ We look forward to Georgians Andrew Clyde and Marjorie Taylor Greene – and all of our Republican candidates across the country – winning in November so that we can enact policies to renew the American dream , restore our way of life , and rebuild the greatest economy in the world , ” a McCarthy spokesperson told CNN .
McCarthy ’ s office did not respond to TPM ’ s questions .
Greene continued her victory lap on Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night party where she promises to “ kick that bitch out of Congress , ” referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) .
She also continued , in her new biggest fan ’ s footsteps , her screed against the media .

The deputy communications director for President Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at a Republican congressman who disavowed Marjorie Greene, a QAnon-supporting candidate who will almost certainly become a member of Congress this fall.
When will @RepKinzinger condemn the Steele Dossier fabrications and conspiracy theories pushed by Democrats? That actually WAS Russian propaganda. https://t.co/NzVjbkkk8l — Matt Wolking (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@MattWolking) August 12, 2020
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) has broken with the party and President Donald Trump before, particularly on military affairs. Kinzinger is an Air Force veteran and continues to serve in the Air National Guard.
Along with adherence to extreme parts of the QAnon conspiracy theory, Greene also has recorded herself saying racist, Islamophobic and antisemitic things in social media videos.
Though national Republicans initially disavowed her, they did little to change the trajectory of the race. After beating neurosurgeon John Cowan in the first round of the Republican primary for Georgia’s 14th district, Greene crushed him Tuesday night in the runoff with 57 percent of the vote.
Trump, who had congratulated her upon her first victory, tweeted again Wednesday morning to welcome the “rising Republican star” to the ranks.
Republican leadership is falling in line. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who once said he was “appalled” by Greene’s comments, followed Trump’s lead Wednesday.
“We look forward to Georgians Andrew Clyde and Marjorie Taylor Greene – and all of our Republican candidates across the country – winning in November so that we can enact policies to renew the American dream, restore our way of life, and rebuild the greatest economy in the world,” a McCarthy spokesperson told CNN. McCarthy’s office did not respond to TPM’s questions.
Greene continued her victory lap on Wednesday, fundraising off a video from her Tuesday night party where she promises to “kick that bitch out of Congress,” referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
She also continued, in her new biggest fan’s footsteps, her screed against the media.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--Members Of CDC Advisory Panel Slammed Trump Admin Move To Divert COVID Data

Current and former members of a committee that advises the Centers for Disease controlled slammed the decision last month to divert the collection of COVID-19 hospital data away from the CDC and to a private company .
The signatories to the scathing letter , which was dated July 31 and published by The New York Times on Wednesday , include past and present members of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee ( HICPAC ) .
“ We are extremely concerned about this abrupt change in COVID-19 reporting , ” the health experts said .
“ Retiring NHSN ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on data integrity.
” HICPAC advises the CDC division , known as the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion , that maintains a national hospital survey called the National Healthcare Safety Network ( NHSN ) .
The NHSN was the initial destination for hospitals ’ COVID-19 data , until last month .
In mid-July , on just a few days ’ notice , the administration told hospitals to stop submitting their COVID-19 data to the CDC ’ s NHSN system and instead submit it to TeleTracking , a private vendor based in Pittsburgh that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Department of Health and Human Services a few months prior .
The CDC , its director Robert Redfield testified , did not know about the switch until it was made by the director of Health and Human Services , Alex Azar .
The sudden switch led to chaos at the state and local level , with some states losing days ’ -worth of COVID-19 hospitalization data and the federal government displaying incorrect data for weeks at a time .
A spokesperson for HHS told TPM that the sudden switch was necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have specific data in order to allocate the [ the anti-viral drug ] remdesivir for that week , ” but other administration spokespeople have said the CDC wasn ’ t able to keep up with the administration ’ s COVID-19 data collection needs more broadly .
The letters ’ signatories , the Times noted , included the two co-chairs of HICPAC , who Azar had reappointed to the job .
As a result of the administration ’ s sudden shift away from the CDC , they wrote , “ hospitals are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting requirements to DHHS.
” “ Moving forward , ” they added , “ it will be even more challenging to perform meaningful inter-state comparisons , and to understand which COVID-19 mitigation strategies were successful ( or failed ) .
” Writing that they were “ troubled ” to divert COVID-19 data away from the experts at the CDC ’ s DHQP , the letters ’ signatories said the United States “ can not lose their decades of expertise in interpreting and analyzing crucial data with the goal of developing interventions that improve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We strongly advise that the CDC ’ s DHQP data experts be allowed to continue their important and trusted work in their mission to save lives and protect Americans from health threats .
”

Current and former members of a committee that advises the Centers for Disease controlled slammed the decision last month to divert the collection of COVID-19 hospital data away from the CDC and to a private company.
The signatories to the scathing letter, which was dated July 31 and published by The New York Times on Wednesday, include past and present members of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC).
“We are extremely concerned about this abrupt change in COVID-19 reporting,” the health experts said. “Retiring NHSN’s COVID-19 surveillance system will have serious consequences on data integrity.”
HICPAC advises the CDC division, known as the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, that maintains a national hospital survey called the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). The NHSN was the initial destination for hospitals’ COVID-19 data, until last month.
In mid-July, on just a few days’ notice, the administration told hospitals to stop submitting their COVID-19 data to the CDC’s NHSN system and instead submit it to TeleTracking, a private vendor based in Pittsburgh that had received a $10 million contract with the Department of Health and Human Services a few months prior.
The CDC, its director Robert Redfield testified, did not know about the switch until it was made by the director of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar.
The sudden switch led to chaos at the state and local level, with some states losing days’-worth of COVID-19 hospitalization data and the federal government displaying incorrect data for weeks at a time.
A spokesperson for HHS told TPM that the sudden switch was necessary because “we had an urgent need to have specific data in order to allocate the [the anti-viral drug] remdesivir for that week,” but other administration spokespeople have said the CDC wasn’t able to keep up with the administration’s COVID-19 data collection needs more broadly.
The letters’ signatories, the Times noted, included the two co-chairs of HICPAC, who Azar had reappointed to the job.
As a result of the administration’s sudden shift away from the CDC, they wrote, “hospitals are now scrambling to determine how to meet daily reporting requirements to DHHS.”
“Moving forward,” they added, “it will be even more challenging to perform meaningful inter-state comparisons, and to understand which COVID-19 mitigation strategies were successful (or failed).”
Writing that they were “troubled” to divert COVID-19 data away from the experts at the CDC’s DHQP, the letters’ signatories said the United States “cannot lose their decades of expertise in interpreting and analyzing crucial data with the goal of developing interventions that improve the public’s health.”
“We strongly advise that the CDC’s DHQP data experts be allowed to continue their important and trusted work in their mission to save lives and protect Americans from health threats.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--Trump Has Said Privately He May Replace Esper After Election

President Donald Trump has privately said he intends to replace Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after the November election , people familiar with internal discussions told Bloomberg News .
But Trump ’ s plans may not matter anyway .
A Bloomberg source also said Esper has told people close to him that he intends to resign from his position regardless of November ’ s election results .
Trump ’ s frustration with Esper intensified in June when he broke with the President ’ s call to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell social unrest following the police killing of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infamous tear-gassing photo op outside of a church on June 1 , Esper held a news conference rejecting the use of active-duty military forces to do the work of law enforcement , saying the dispatch of military troops would be “ a matter of last resort ” and that the National Guard was better-suited to the task .
According to a CNN report following Esper ’ s remarks at the time , Trump and other top officials were “ not happy ” with the top defense official .
Trump has also grumbled that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly defend him on recent reports regarding alleged bounty intelligence that Russian operatives had offered rewards to Taliban-linked militias in Afghanistan to kill American and coalition troops .
In spite of private murmurs about Esper ’ s potential departure , White House spokesman Judd Deere told Bloomberg News Wednesday that the White House had “ no personnel announcements at this time nor would it be appropriate to speculate about changes after the election or in a 2nd term.
” If he departs after the election in November , Esper will have been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a half .

President Donald Trump has privately said he intends to replace Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after the November election, people familiar with internal discussions told Bloomberg News.
But Trump’s plans may not matter anyway. A Bloomberg source also said Esper has told people close to him that he intends to resign from his position regardless of November’s election results.
Trump’s frustration with Esper intensified in June when he broke with the President’s call to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell social unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. Days after Trump’s infamous tear-gassing photo op outside of a church on June 1, Esper held a news conference rejecting the use of active-duty military forces to do the work of law enforcement, saying the dispatch of military troops would be “a matter of last resort” and that the National Guard was better-suited to the task.
According to a CNN report following Esper’s remarks at the time, Trump and other top officials were “not happy” with the top defense official.
Trump has also grumbled that Esper hasn’t done enough to publicly defend him on recent reports regarding alleged bounty intelligence that Russian operatives had offered rewards to Taliban-linked militias in Afghanistan to kill American and coalition troops.
In spite of private murmurs about Esper’s potential departure, White House spokesman Judd Deere told Bloomberg News Wednesday that the White House had “no personnel announcements at this time nor would it be appropriate to speculate about changes after the election or in a 2nd term.”
If he departs after the election in November, Esper will have been in the role for less than a year and a half.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--FL Sheriff Bans Deputies From Wearing Masks As Fatality Rates Skyrocket In The State

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods on Tuesday told his deputies that they are prohibited from wearing masks while on duty just as Florida set a new daily record for COVID-19 fatalities .
According to the Ocala Star-Banner , Woods wrote in an email to the sheriff ’ s department on Tuesday that “ my order will stand as is when you are on-duty/working as my employee and representing my Office – masks will not be worn.
” Woods ’ order also applies to visitors to the sheriff ’ s office , but makes exceptions for officers in locations where there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspected of having contracted COVID-19 , such as hospitals .
Woods added that deputies working special events are prohibited from wearing masks unless it falls under the exceptions he outlined .
Woods then instructed employees to walk away if anyone confronts them about their lack of mask-wearing after they “ politely and professionally tell them I am not required to wear a mask nor will I , per the Order of the Sheriff.
” Woods further dismissed assertions by health experts that wearing masks or face coverings will help slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argue all day of why and why not , ” Woods wrote , according to the Ocala Star-Banner .
“ The fact is , the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should , I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn ’ t. ” Woods , who participated in a conference call with President Trump and other sheriffs on Tuesday , concluded that email by stating that his mask ban order is “ no longer a debate nor is it up for discussion.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is fluid and constantly changing the way things are done , ” Woods wrote , according to the Ocala Star-Banner .
‘ However , my orders will be followed or my actions will be swift to address.
” Woods ’ order on Tuesday came the same day Florida reported a record high of deaths in a single day from COVID-19 : 277 .
Marion County alone hit a new record on daily fatalities from COVID-19 on Tuesday with 13 .
Woods ’ order also comes a week after the council of Ocala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , approved an emergency ordinance requiring people to wear masks inside businesses .
However , Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn vetoed the ordinance on Monday , prompting the council to schedule a meeting on Wednesday to consider overriding Guinn ’ s veto .
When reached by TPM on Wednesday afternoon , Sgt .
Paul Bloom , director of Woods ’ public information office , declined to comment .

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods on Tuesday told his deputies that they are prohibited from wearing masks while on duty just as Florida set a new daily record for COVID-19 fatalities.
According to the Ocala Star-Banner, Woods wrote in an email to the sheriff’s department on Tuesday that “my order will stand as is when you are on-duty/working as my employee and representing my Office – masks will not be worn.”
Woods’ order also applies to visitors to the sheriff’s office, but makes exceptions for officers in locations where there are people who are at high-risk or suspected of having contracted COVID-19, such as hospitals.
Woods added that deputies working special events are prohibited from wearing masks unless it falls under the exceptions he outlined. Woods then instructed employees to walk away if anyone confronts them about their lack of mask-wearing after they “politely and professionally tell them I am not required to wear a mask nor will I, per the Order of the Sheriff.”
Woods further dismissed assertions by health experts that wearing masks or face coverings will help slow the spread of COVID-19.
“We can debate and argue all day of why and why not,” Woods wrote, according to the Ocala Star-Banner. “The fact is, the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should, I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn’t.”
Woods, who participated in a conference call with President Trump and other sheriffs on Tuesday, concluded that email by stating that his mask ban order is “no longer a debate nor is it up for discussion.”
“Please keep in mind this entire pandemic is fluid and constantly changing the way things are done,” Woods wrote, according to the Ocala Star-Banner. ‘However, my orders will be followed or my actions will be swift to address.”
Woods’ order on Tuesday came the same day Florida reported a record high of deaths in a single day from COVID-19: 277. Marion County alone hit a new record on daily fatalities from COVID-19 on Tuesday with 13.
Woods’ order also comes a week after the council of Ocala City, a municipality in Marion County, approved an emergency ordinance requiring people to wear masks inside businesses. However, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn vetoed the ordinance on Monday, prompting the council to schedule a meeting on Wednesday to consider overriding Guinn’s veto.
When reached by TPM on Wednesday afternoon, Sgt. Paul Bloom, director of Woods’ public information office, declined to comment.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--Kanye West Met Recently With Presidential Son-In-Law Jared Kushner

The New York Times reported that Kushner met with West , who ’ s attempting to launch his own bid for the presidency backed by plenty of Republican political operative muscle , last weekend in Colordao .
West confirmed the news on Twitter .
The rapper and businessman isn ’ t having much luck with the presidential run .
He ’ s missed the deadline to get on the ballot in several states .
In New Jersey and Illinois West failed to get on the ballot due to thousands of signatures that were deemed invalid .
“ Literally every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person , ” said election lawyer Scott Salmon , who challenged West ’ s signatures in New Jersey .
“ Signatures that were clearly identical signatures where the signed name didn ’ t match the printed name , where there was a first name but no last name , where it included a street address but , no town.
” In Wisconsin , a lawyer who has also represented the Trump campaign in court turned in signatures for West 14 seconds too late , according to the state .
West ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through 5:00:59 p.m. should be considered “ inclusive to 5 p.m , ” which is the state ’ s deadline .
And in Montana , the Billings Gazette reported that organizers collecting signatures for West on Tuesday pitched passersby on their support for the President .
“ You want to help Trump ?
” one organizer said , per the paper .
“ We ’ re trying to take votes away from creepy Uncle Joe.
” President Donald Trump has said he ’ s not personally involved with West ’ s run , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least , that the White House is in touch with the candidate .
Pressed recently on the fact that he ’ s not going to be listed on enough states ’ ballots to win the presidency , West didn ’ t contest the point that he might serve as a “ spoiler ” candidate .
“ I ’ m not going to argue with you , ” he said .
This post has been updated .

Kanye West met recently with White House adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The New York Times reported that Kushner met with West, who’s attempting to launch his own bid for the presidency backed by plenty of Republican political operative muscle, last weekend in Colordao. West confirmed the news on Twitter.
I’m willing to do a live interview with the New York Time about my meeting with Jared where we discussed Dr Claude Anderson’s book Powernomics — ye (@kanyewest) August 12, 2020
The rapper and businessman isn’t having much luck with the presidential run. He’s missed the deadline to get on the ballot in several states. In New Jersey and Illinois West failed to get on the ballot due to thousands of signatures that were deemed invalid.
“Literally every single signature on there came from the same person,” said election lawyer Scott Salmon, who challenged West’s signatures in New Jersey. “Signatures that were clearly identical signatures where the signed name didn’t match the printed name, where there was a first name but no last name, where it included a street address but, no town.”
In Wisconsin, a lawyer who has also represented the Trump campaign in court turned in signatures for West 14 seconds too late, according to the state. West’s campaign has now filed suit alleging that 5:00:00 through 5:00:59 p.m. should be considered “inclusive to 5 p.m,” which is the state’s deadline.
And in Montana, the Billings Gazette reported that organizers collecting signatures for West on Tuesday pitched passersby on their support for the President.
“You want to help Trump?” one organizer said, per the paper. “We’re trying to take votes away from creepy Uncle Joe.”
President Donald Trump has said he’s not personally involved with West’s run, but the Kushner-West meeting confirms, at least, that the White House is in touch with the candidate.
Pressed recently on the fact that he’s not going to be listed on enough states’ ballots to win the presidency, West didn’t contest the point that he might serve as a “spoiler” candidate. “I’m not going to argue with you,” he said.
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--Pelosi Calls Harris ‘Best Person’ Biden Could Name As VP

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) on Wednesday said that Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) was the “ best person ” that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden could have picked as running mate .
Pelosi told MSNBC ’ s Craig Melvin in an interview Wednesday that the former prosecutor outpaced others in criteria that had little to do with her race and gender — factors which had eclipsed headlines even before Biden announced a historic decision to select Harris as the first Black and Asian-American woman to appear on a major party ’ s presidential ticket .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the first woman of color to be vice president , but the best possible person he could have chosen to proceed into this election and , of course , to win and serve the American people , ” Pelosi said .
Pelosi ’ s comments come on the heels of remarks by President Donald Trump and others , who are race-baiting as a tactic for Trump ’ s re-election .
Trump and conservative news hosts latched onto race and gender as defining attributes and the sole criteria at stake in Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Biden during the early primaries to select a woman of color as VP .
Hours before Biden unveiled his decision Tuesday , Trump pitied his Democratic opponent during a Fox Sports Radio broadcast , suggesting that Biden had “ roped himself into , you know , a certain group of people.
” Trump told show host Clay Travis that some men could be “ insulted ” if Biden kept with his commitment to select a woman .
Last week , Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson accused Biden of making his VP selection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race and gender a move that he said was “ probably illegal.
” In an effort to discredit Harris and others , Carlson said that “ no mainstream candidate ” would ordinarily consider the California senator or several of the other Black women who Biden allies had said were being vetted for the role , claiming that “ all of them would be disqualified without debate.
” Trump repeatedly called Harris “ nasty ” in a news conference after Biden ’ s announcement on Tuesday and hours later told Fox News ’ Sean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ disrespectful ” and a “ dangerous choice.
” “ I don ’ t quite get the choice , ” Trump told Hannity late Tuesday .
“ But we will have it out here we have a great vice president named Mike Pence and he will take care of business just like he did the last time against a different candidate .
”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Wednesday said that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) was the “best person” that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden could have picked as running mate.
Pelosi told MSNBC’s Craig Melvin in an interview Wednesday that the former prosecutor outpaced others in criteria that had little to do with her race and gender — factors which had eclipsed headlines even before Biden announced a historic decision to select Harris as the first Black and Asian-American woman to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket.
“Let’s recognize her not only as the first woman of color to be vice president, but the best possible person he could have chosen to proceed into this election and, of course, to win and serve the American people,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi’s comments come on the heels of remarks by President Donald Trump and others, who are race-baiting as a tactic for Trump’s re-election. Trump and conservative news hosts latched onto race and gender as defining attributes and the sole criteria at stake in Biden’s selection after some Democratic lawmakers called on Biden during the early primaries to select a woman of color as VP.
Hours before Biden unveiled his decision Tuesday, Trump pitied his Democratic opponent during a Fox Sports Radio broadcast, suggesting that Biden had “roped himself into, you know, a certain group of people.” Trump told show host Clay Travis that some men could be “insulted” if Biden kept with his commitment to select a woman.
Last week, Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson accused Biden of making his VP selection “exclusively” on the basis of race and gender a move that he said was “probably illegal.” In an effort to discredit Harris and others, Carlson said that “no mainstream candidate” would ordinarily consider the California senator or several of the other Black women who Biden allies had said were being vetted for the role, claiming that “all of them would be disqualified without debate.”
Trump repeatedly called Harris “nasty” in a news conference after Biden’s announcement on Tuesday and hours later told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview that Harris was “disrespectful” and a “dangerous choice.”
“I don’t quite get the choice,” Trump told Hannity late Tuesday. “But we will have it out here we have a great vice president named Mike Pence and he will take care of business just like he did the last time against a different candidate.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--It’s Illegal For Federal Officials To Campaign On The Job. Trump Staffers Keep Doing It Anyway.

This story first appeared a ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
President Donald Trump ’ s recent musings about staging his Republican National Convention speech at the White House drew criticism from government ethics watchdogs and even one Republican senator , John Thune of South Dakota .
The suggestion wasn ’ t an isolated blending of official presidential duties and the campaign .
It was part of a yearslong pattern of disregarding such boundaries in the Trump White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hatch Act , that prohibits most government officials from engaging in politicking in the course of their official work .
The law does not apply to the president or vice president .
While other presidents took campaign advantage of the trappings of the office , something that came to be known as the “ Rose Garden strategy , ” they typically refrained from explicit electoral appeals or attacks on their opponents at official presidential events .
Federal election law and measures governing appropriations prohibit using taxpayer dollars for electioneering .
Since resuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a coronavirus-imposed pause , Trump has held 25 presidential out-of-town events .
Of these events , transcribed on the official White House website , the president spoke about the election or attacked his opponent , Joe Biden , at 12 of them , nearly half .
His presidential stage provided a venue for supporters to urge others to vote for Trump in November at three additional events .
Administration officials have been cited for breaking the Hatch Act 13 times by federal investigators at the Office of Special Counsel ( not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Twelve more investigations are underway .
The law dates from the New Deal era , enacted after a scandal where employees of the Works Progress Administration were pressured to work on the campaigns of candidates friendly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt .
Neither the White House , the campaign or Trump ’ s campaign treasurer , Bradley Crate , responded to requests for comment .
Kellyanne Conway , counselor to the president , violated the Hatch Act so many times that the OSC took the drastic measure of recommending she be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , notorious and ongoing.
” ( Trump refused to do so . )
The special counsel , Henry Kerner , is a Trump appointee and member of the conservative Federalist Society .
He previously worked for Republicans Darrell Issa and Jason Chaffetz on Capitol Hill .
When asked about the OSC ’ s recommendation , Conway said , “ blah blah blah , ” adding , “ Let me know when the jail sentence starts.
” Hatch Act violations are not criminal .
The most significant result of a violation is dismissal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previous two presidential administrations .
Two cabinet officials were cited for Hatch Act violations during the eight years of Barack Obama ’ s presidency .
Some half-dozen senior officials in the Obama and Bush administrations said that they were frequently advised to avoid even the appearance of electioneering at official events .
“ There was a very bright line between what was a campaign event and what was an official event , ” said Greg Jenkins , the director of advance for President George W. Bush during the period that included the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could stretch things and say , yes , it ’ s perfectly legal to do this , but it has the appearance of impropriety — you don ’ t do it.
” Kathleen Sebelius , the former secretary of health and human services under Obama , was cited for making a statement urging his reelection during a gala for the Human Rights Campaign , an LGBTQ rights group .
Sebelius apologized , and the Treasury was reimbursed for the cost of the trip .
“ I ’ d prefer that it not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an interview from her home in Lawrence , Kansas .
Given that she was on the Kansas ethics commission and was a national board member of Common Cause , “ it ’ s kind of a black mark.
” She added : “ But I did what they say I did , ” and said that “ it puts into perspective what goes on every day in this current administration that just makes the top of my head come off.
” Previous campaigns have reimbursed taxpayers for costs associated with politicking while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do show that campaign committees associated with Trump have paid $ 896,000 to the Treasury and the White House Military Office in May and June , federal law doesn ’ t require an accounting of what those expenses were for .
Trump would not violate the Hatch Act if he chose the White House for his nomination acceptance speech , but executive branch employees in the White House and agencies might be in jeopardy if they support or attend the event , experts said .
“ There are several laws that prohibit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisan political events like the president ’ s RNC speech , ” said Donald Sherman , deputy director of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington , or CREW .
“ Trump ’ s predecessors scrupulously avoided mixing official conduct with politics in this way , but President Trump has routinely used the apparatus of the government to try to boost his electoral prospects .
”

This story first appeared a ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
President Donald Trump’s recent musings about staging his Republican National Convention speech at the White House drew criticism from government ethics watchdogs and even one Republican senator, John Thune of South Dakota.
The suggestion wasn’t an isolated blending of official presidential duties and the campaign. It was part of a yearslong pattern of disregarding such boundaries in the Trump White House. There is a law, called the Hatch Act, that prohibits most government officials from engaging in politicking in the course of their official work.
The law does not apply to the president or vice president. While other presidents took campaign advantage of the trappings of the office, something that came to be known as the “Rose Garden strategy,” they typically refrained from explicit electoral appeals or attacks on their opponents at official presidential events. Federal election law and measures governing appropriations prohibit using taxpayer dollars for electioneering.
Since resuming official travel at the beginning of May after a coronavirus-imposed pause, Trump has held 25 presidential out-of-town events. Of these events, transcribed on the official White House website, the president spoke about the election or attacked his opponent, Joe Biden, at 12 of them, nearly half. His presidential stage provided a venue for supporters to urge others to vote for Trump in November at three additional events.
Administration officials have been cited for breaking the Hatch Act 13 times by federal investigators at the Office of Special Counsel (not to be confused with special counsel Robert Mueller). Twelve more investigations are underway. The law dates from the New Deal era, enacted after a scandal where employees of the Works Progress Administration were pressured to work on the campaigns of candidates friendly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Neither the White House, the campaign or Trump’s campaign treasurer, Bradley Crate, responded to requests for comment.
Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, violated the Hatch Act so many times that the OSC took the drastic measure of recommending she be fired, calling her actions “egregious, notorious and ongoing.” (Trump refused to do so.)
The special counsel, Henry Kerner, is a Trump appointee and member of the conservative Federalist Society. He previously worked for Republicans Darrell Issa and Jason Chaffetz on Capitol Hill.
When asked about the OSC’s recommendation, Conway said, “blah blah blah,” adding, “Let me know when the jail sentence starts.” Hatch Act violations are not criminal. The most significant result of a violation is dismissal.
Hatch Act violations were relatively rare in the previous two presidential administrations. Two cabinet officials were cited for Hatch Act violations during the eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency. Some half-dozen senior officials in the Obama and Bush administrations said that they were frequently advised to avoid even the appearance of electioneering at official events.
“There was a very bright line between what was a campaign event and what was an official event,” said Greg Jenkins, the director of advance for President George W. Bush during the period that included the 2004 reelection campaign. “If you could stretch things and say, yes, it’s perfectly legal to do this, but it has the appearance of impropriety — you don’t do it.”
Kathleen Sebelius, the former secretary of health and human services under Obama, was cited for making a statement urging his reelection during a gala for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ rights group. Sebelius apologized, and the Treasury was reimbursed for the cost of the trip.
“I’d prefer that it not be on my record,” Sebelius said in an interview from her home in Lawrence, Kansas. Given that she was on the Kansas ethics commission and was a national board member of Common Cause, “it’s kind of a black mark.” She added: “But I did what they say I did,” and said that “it puts into perspective what goes on every day in this current administration that just makes the top of my head come off.”
Previous campaigns have reimbursed taxpayers for costs associated with politicking while on official travel. And while disclosures do show that campaign committees associated with Trump have paid $896,000 to the Treasury and the White House Military Office in May and June, federal law doesn’t require an accounting of what those expenses were for.
Trump would not violate the Hatch Act if he chose the White House for his nomination acceptance speech, but executive branch employees in the White House and agencies might be in jeopardy if they support or attend the event, experts said.
“There are several laws that prohibit the use of federal funds and resources for partisan political events like the president’s RNC speech,” said Donald Sherman, deputy director of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. “Trump’s predecessors scrupulously avoided mixing official conduct with politics in this way, but President Trump has routinely used the apparatus of the government to try to boost his electoral prospects.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--Pompeo Goes On Attack After IG Report Cites Civilian Casualties From Saudi Arms Sales

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo kept up his attacks on members of Congress Wednesday after an internal watchdog report found that the State Department didn ’ t fully consider potential civilian casualties when it used emergency powers to sell arms to Saudi Arabia last year .
The arms sales supplied Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and Jordan with billions of dollars in weapons .
Congress had blocked some of the sales for months before Pompeo used a May 2019 emergency declaration to push them through .
Legislators on both sides of the aisle have denounced the ongoing Saudi-led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has resulted in what the United Nations calls the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
And though the watchdog report found that the State Department didn ’ t fully assess the risk to civilians of the arms sales , Pompeo on Wednesday celebrated what the department has characterized as an exoneration .
“ We ’ d had United States senators impugn the integrity of foreign service officers , suggesting they had done something unlawful , ” Pompeo said Wednesday .
“ It was outrageous then .
It ’ s outrageous for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The report found that the emergency powers themselves were used according to the law , as Pompeo pointed out : “ We did everything by the book .
We complied with the law , that ’ s what the State Department OIG found as well , ” he said , referring to the Office of the Inspector General .
But the secretary failed to mention that the Arms Export Control act doesn ’ t actually define the term “ emergency ” — and that , as a result , the OIG “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constituted an emergency .
What ’ s more , an unredacted version of the report , which was leaked shortly after its publication , shows Pompeo planning to use his emergency powers for weeks before announcing the news publicly — suggesting that the urgency one might expect to find in a true “ emergency ” wasn ’ t there .
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel ( D-CA ) said in a statement Tuesday that no one doubted that the mechanics of the State Department ’ s emergency powers .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration abuse that authority in order to ram through more than $ 8 billion in sales to Gulf countries ? '
” he said .
“ The IG didn ’ t offer an opinion on that .
But the report ’ s details signal a resounding , ‘ Yes.
’ ” Asked about the report ’ s findings on civilian casualties Wednesday while at a press conference with the Czech Prime Minister , Pompeo went after the Office of the Inspector General directly .
“ As for the statement that was in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfounded , ” he said .
“ We were very thoughtful about how we reviewed the risks.
” “ We want to protect civilian lives in Yemen , ” he added later .
“ We want to protect civilian lives in Riyadh , in Abu Dhabi , and in Dubai .
And the decision that we made absolutely did that.
” The details of the department ’ s analysis of the civilian toll of these weapons sales are mostly classified .
At several points in the report , the OIG points to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decision .
That document , Engel told members of the Foreign Affairs Committee , is only available to read in the committee ’ s Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility , or SCIF .
“ We understand the Department may have inappropriately redacted certain sections of the classified annex sent to Congress , ” Engel wrote to committee members Tuesday .
The State Department presented the emergency declaration as an urgent matter last year , when it announced the sales — but the IG report tells a slightly different story .
As early as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff had proposed using the emergency powers to proceed with the arms transfers despite several congressional holds .
On May 4 , according to the report , Pompeo directed the department ’ s Bureau of Political-Military and Legislative Affairs to complete the process of certifying an emergency by May 24 .
Notably , this portion of the report was heavily redacted in the version the OIG released publicly .
Politico subsequently obtained and published an unredacted version Tuesday .
See an example of the differences below : Engel noted the report ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency declaration was a “ sham.
” “ What sort of emergency makes itself known a few months in advance and can be resolved with weapons delivered years later ?
” he wrote .
The inspector general in place when the review started , Steve Linick , was fired in May as part of a wave of watchdog firings encouraged by President Donald Trump .
And in subsequent congressional testimony , Linick said that a close friend of Pompeo ’ s , Under Secretary of State for Management Brian Bulatao , had expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At one point , Linick testified , Bulato tried to pressure him not to investigate the Saudi arms sales , telling the IG that it “ wasn ’ t an appropriate review because it was a review of policy.
” Linick ’ s acting replacement , Stephen Akard , resigned last week after less than three months on the job .
The department ’ s deputy inspector general and new acting inspector general , Diana Shaw , wrote the report that was released Tuesday .
In a letter to Congress accompanying the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annex to the report — the part that detailed the civilian cost of the arms sales .
“ The Department asserted that its requested redactions were necessary to protect executive branch confidentiality interests , ” she wrote .
“ Further , ” she added , the Department “ stated its position that the Secretary ‘ has the authority to direct the OIG not to disclose privileged information , and the Department may do so without any final assertion of executive privilege .
’ ”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo kept up his attacks on members of Congress Wednesday after an internal watchdog report found that the State Department didn’t fully consider potential civilian casualties when it used emergency powers to sell arms to Saudi Arabia last year.
The arms sales supplied Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan with billions of dollars in weapons. Congress had blocked some of the sales for months before Pompeo used a May 2019 emergency declaration to push them through.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle have denounced the ongoing Saudi-led and American-supplied bombing campaign in Yemen, which has resulted in what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
And though the watchdog report found that the State Department didn’t fully assess the risk to civilians of the arms sales, Pompeo on Wednesday celebrated what the department has characterized as an exoneration.
“We’d had United States senators impugn the integrity of foreign service officers, suggesting they had done something unlawful,” Pompeo said Wednesday. “It was outrageous then. It’s outrageous for them to continue to make those claims.”
The report found that the emergency powers themselves were used according to the law, as Pompeo pointed out: “We did everything by the book. We complied with the law, that’s what the State Department OIG found as well,” he said, referring to the Office of the Inspector General.
But the secretary failed to mention that the Arms Export Control act doesn’t actually define the term “emergency” — and that, as a result, the OIG “did not evaluate” whether the situation constituted an emergency.
What’s more, an unredacted version of the report, which was leaked shortly after its publication, shows Pompeo planning to use his emergency powers for weeks before announcing the news publicly — suggesting that the urgency one might expect to find in a true “emergency” wasn’t there.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-CA) said in a statement Tuesday that no one doubted that the mechanics of the State Department’s emergency powers.
“The question was always, ‘Did the administration abuse that authority in order to ram through more than $8 billion in sales to Gulf countries?'” he said. “The IG didn’t offer an opinion on that. But the report’s details signal a resounding, ‘Yes.’”
State ‘Did Not Fully Assess Risks’ Of Civilian Casualties
Asked about the report’s findings on civilian casualties Wednesday while at a press conference with the Czech Prime Minister, Pompeo went after the Office of the Inspector General directly.
“As for the statement that was in the IG report, it’s totally unfounded,” he said. “We were very thoughtful about how we reviewed the risks.”
“We want to protect civilian lives in Yemen,” he added later. “We want to protect civilian lives in Riyadh, in Abu Dhabi, and in Dubai. And the decision that we made absolutely did that.”
The details of the department’s analysis of the civilian toll of these weapons sales are mostly classified. At several points in the report, the OIG points to an “annex” that details Pompeo’s decision. That document, Engel told members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is only available to read in the committee’s Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF.
“We understand the Department may have inappropriately redacted certain sections of the classified annex sent to Congress,” Engel wrote to committee members Tuesday.
Redacted Report Obscures Pompeo’s Emergency Orders
The State Department presented the emergency declaration as an urgent matter last year, when it announced the sales — but the IG report tells a slightly different story.
As early as April 3, investigators found, department staff had proposed using the emergency powers to proceed with the arms transfers despite several congressional holds. On May 4, according to the report, Pompeo directed the department’s Bureau of Political-Military and Legislative Affairs to complete the process of certifying an emergency by May 24.
Notably, this portion of the report was heavily redacted in the version the OIG released publicly. Politico subsequently obtained and published an unredacted version Tuesday. See an example of the differences below:
Engel noted the report’s timeline to underline his point that the emergency declaration was a “sham.”
“What sort of emergency makes itself known a few months in advance and can be resolved with weapons delivered years later?” he wrote.
Hints Of Political Pressure
The inspector general in place when the review started, Steve Linick, was fired in May as part of a wave of watchdog firings encouraged by President Donald Trump.
And in subsequent congressional testimony, Linick said that a close friend of Pompeo’s, Under Secretary of State for Management Brian Bulatao, had expected him to behave like a partisan. At one point, Linick testified, Bulato tried to pressure him not to investigate the Saudi arms sales, telling the IG that it “wasn’t an appropriate review because it was a review of policy.”
Linick’s acting replacement, Stephen Akard, resigned last week after less than three months on the job. The department’s deputy inspector general and new acting inspector general, Diana Shaw, wrote the report that was released Tuesday.
In a letter to Congress accompanying the report, Shaw noted the heavily redacted classified annex to the report — the part that detailed the civilian cost of the arms sales. “The Department asserted that its requested redactions were necessary to protect executive branch confidentiality interests,” she wrote.
“Further,” she added, the Department “stated its position that the Secretary ‘has the authority to direct the OIG not to disclose privileged information, and the Department may do so without any final assertion of executive privilege.’”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--Layoffs Drop Below 1 Million For First Time In 5 Months

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — 963,000 workers seek US jobless aid as layoffs fall below 1 million for first time @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the viral pandemic intensified five months ago, yet still remains at a high level. The pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships for many.
The number of weekly applications declined to 963,000, the second straight drop, from 1.2 million the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The decline signaled that layoffs are slowing, though the latest figure still far exceeds the pre-pandemic weekly record of just under 700,000.
The pandemic, the shutdowns that are meant to fight it and the reluctance or inability of many people to shop, travel or eat out are continuing to weaken the economy and force companies to cut staff. Twenty-three states have paused or reversed their business re-openings. In a hopeful sign, the rate of new confirmed viral cases has declined in the past couple of weeks, though it remains far above the rates that prevailed during May and June.
All told, fewer people are continuing to receive state jobless aid. That figure dropped last week to 15.5 million, from 16.1 million the previous week, reflecting the fact that some employers are hiring or re-hiring.
“Another larger-than-expected decline in jobless claims suggests that the jobs recovery is regaining some momentum, but…much labor market progress remains to be done,” said Lydia Boussour, senior economist at Oxford Economics.
Thursday’s figures, Boussour added, underscore “the painfully slow recovery in the labor market.”
Applications for unemployment aid declined last week in 44 states; several others reported small increases. Nevada said that jobless claims in that state rose 6,900 to more than 20,000. Kansas reported an increase of 2,400 to more than 11,000.
For months, on top of their state benefit, the unemployed had also been receiving the $600 a week in federal jobless aid. But the federal payment has expired, and negotiations in Congress to extend that benefit, likely at a lower level of payment, have collapsed in rancor.
The supplemental federal aid had enabled many jobless Americans to afford rent, food and utilities, and its expiration threatens to weaken consumer spending and further slow the economy. Unemployment benefits have accounted for roughly 5% of national income since April, a larger share than even Social Security. The loss of the $600 has shrunk benefits for the average recipient by one-half to three-quarters.
Michelle Meyer, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, says that the loss of the additional aid will reduce Americans’ incomes by $18 billion a week.
“That’s a big hit to purchasing power,” she said.
Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that would provide $300 a week in federal aid to the jobless to replace the expired $600-a-week benefit. But experts say it would take weeks for the states to implement that payment.
In addition to people who applied last week for state benefits, nearly 489,000 others sought jobless aid under a new program that has made self-employed and gig workers eligible for the first time. That figure isn’t adjusted for seasonal trends, so it’s reported separately. But including the gig and self-employed recipients, the Labor Department says 28.2 million people — roughly 18% of the U.S. workforce — are now receiving some form of unemployment benefits.
For states to set up systems to distribute a new $300 federal jobless benefit, their labor departments would need more guidance from the federal government, noted Michele Evermore, a senior researcher at the National Employment Law Project. The money, which is supposed to come from a federal disaster relief fund, would likely require states to hire more people and possibly contract with software vendors to establish a system to process the payments, Evermore said.
“I can’t imagine that this goes up in less than a month anywhere,” she said.
The disaster relief fund contains just $44 billion, which is only enough to provide benefits for five to six weeks, analysts say. So far, only Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia have said they will implement the program. Most other states have said they need further guidance from the Labor Department to determine their next steps, Evermore said.
After the pandemic hit, Congress approved a $2 trillion aid package. Among other things, it provided the $600-a-week benefit and made self-employed and gig workers newly eligible for unemployment aid.
Both programs required the states to create new processing systems while handling a crush of benefit applications. That influx resulted in huge backlogs and left millions of the unemployed frustrated by their inability to access benefits. Washington state, for one, eventually called in National Guard troops to help process applications.
In the meantime, with confirmed virus cases still high, it’s not clear when business owners will be able to reopen or will have enough customers to rehire.
Grace Della is one of them. She opened her food tour business in Miami a decade ago with $300 from her mother. On weekends, she led the tours herself and eventually built up a business with 13 tour guides, averaging 10 tours a day through culinary hot spots in South Beach and Little Havana.
Yet with the risk of infection still high and with scant customer demand, it’s been more than four months since Miami Culinary Tours has taken out guests, and Della, 46, says she doesn’t expect to recall her employees anytime soon.
She hopes to reopen later this month but isn’t sure she can, given the state’s high level of confirmed infections. Della said she tries to stay positive but confesses to moments of crippling fear. At one point, hyperventilating with anxiety, she contacted firefighters.
“There’s no money coming in,” Della said. “We’re all scared.”
___
AP writer Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--Biden Points Out Predictable Trump ‘Whining’ About ‘Strong Women’ Like Harris

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden fired back at President Donald Trump during his first public appearance with his vice presidential pick in Delaware last night , saying the President ’ s insulting nicknames for Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) were predictable at best .
“ You all knew it was coming .
You could have set your watches to it , ” Biden said calling out the President for “ whining ” and lashing out with names like “ nasty ” and “ mean ” to paint an unflattering image of his running mate .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump does best .
Better than any president in American history.
” Biden said .
“ Is anyone surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman or strong women across the board ?
We know that more is to come.
” Within hours of the announcement of Harris as Biden ’ s running mate Trump described her as “ nasty ” or “ nastier ” repeatedly — terms he routinely has used to detract from female opponents .
He also complained that the former prosecutor ’ s line of questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick Brett Kavanaugh was “ disrespectful.
” During a news conference shortly after Biden and Harris delivered remarks on Wednesday , Trump continued his attacks , making the unfounded claim that Harris was “ angry ” when she bowed out of the Democratic primary race .
“ She left angry , she left mad , ” Trump said , dismissively adding that he had not watched the pair deliver remarks together in Delaware less than an hour before .
“ There was nobody more insulting to Biden than she was , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first Black woman and first Asian American named on a major party ’ s presidential ticket , appeared unfazed by Trump ’ s attacks on Wednesday as she cut into the his administration ’ s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation ’ s economy which has faltered under his direction .
“ He inherited the longest economic expansion in history , from Barack Obama and Joe Biden , ” Harris said , motioning at her running mate and clearing a space for herself as a formidable challenger to Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ inherited , he ran it straight into the ground .
”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden fired back at President Donald Trump during his first public appearance with his vice presidential pick in Delaware last night, saying the President’s insulting nicknames for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) were predictable at best.
“You all knew it was coming. You could have set your watches to it,” Biden said calling out the President for “whining” and lashing out with names like “nasty” and “mean” to paint an unflattering image of his running mate.
“It’s no surprise, because whining is what Donald Trump does best. Better than any president in American history.” Biden said. “Is anyone surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman or strong women across the board? We know that more is to come.”
Within hours of the announcement of Harris as Biden’s running mate Trump described her as “nasty” or “nastier” repeatedly — terms he routinely has used to detract from female opponents.
He also complained that the former prosecutor’s line of questioning during confirmation hearings for his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh was “disrespectful.”
During a news conference shortly after Biden and Harris delivered remarks on Wednesday, Trump continued his attacks, making the unfounded claim that Harris was “angry” when she bowed out of the Democratic primary race.
“She left angry, she left mad,” Trump said, dismissively adding that he had not watched the pair deliver remarks together in Delaware less than an hour before.
“There was nobody more insulting to Biden than she was,” Trump said.
But Harris, who is the first Black woman and first Asian American named on a major party’s presidential ticket, appeared unfazed by Trump’s attacks on Wednesday as she cut into the his administration’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation’s economy which has faltered under his direction.
“He inherited the longest economic expansion in history, from Barack Obama and Joe Biden,” Harris said, motioning at her running mate and clearing a space for herself as a formidable challenger to Trump. “And then like everything else he inherited, he ran it straight into the ground.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--Barr On Durham Probe: ‘We Are Trying To Get Some Things Accomplished Before The Election’

Attorney General Bill Barr said Wednesday that while he didn ’ t want to do anything to “ affect the election , ” he ’ s trying to get parts of the Durham probe completed before then .
Before the House Judiciary Committee last month , Barr declined to promise that he wouldn ’ t release the report before the election .
“ We are gon na proceed with this investigation and not put it on hold right now during election season , ” Barr said Wednesday on an interview on “ The Buck Sexton Show.
” “ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re not going to do anything for the purposes of affecting an election , but we are trying to get some things accomplished before the election , ” he said .
He declined to answer Sexton ’ s question about if the probe is in its final stages , but promised that “ people will be held accountable ” if prosecutor John Durham finds that any criminal laws were violated .
The probe has become increasingly colored by partisanship as President Donald Trump openly hopes for , and pins Barr ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discredit the origin of the FBI ’ s investigation into his campaign .
And , as Trump has made clear , he wants that exculpation before the November election .
“ Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country , or he can go down as an average guy , ” Trump said Thursday , about the probe ’ s findings .
“ We ’ ll see what happens.
” “ ( Barr and Durham ) have all the answers , ” he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it goes right to Biden.
” Witnesses who sat for interviews with Durham told CNN that they sensed investigators were under pressure to deliver findings before the election .
Barr has repeatedly broken with Justice Department practice by speaking out and opining about Durham ’ s ongoing investigation .
During a Fox News interview , he called the FBI ’ s investigation into the Trump campaign “ one of the greatest travesties in American history.
” CNN also reported Thursday that Barr initially wanted Michael Mukasey to head the probe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ W. Bush administration , and , later , a law partner of Rudy Giuliani .
Mukasey has advocated publicly for the Mueller probe to be called off .
During his interview with Sexton , Barr added that he and FBI Director Chris Wray have been discussing “ checks and balances ” to install in the FBI to avoid replicating the “ abuses of the past.
” He did not , however , discuss last week ’ s report from the director of national intelligence that found that Russia is supporting efforts to damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election .

Attorney General Bill Barr said Wednesday that while he didn’t want to do anything to “affect the election,” he’s trying to get parts of the Durham probe completed before then.
Before the House Judiciary Committee last month, Barr declined to promise that he wouldn’t release the report before the election.
“We are gonna proceed with this investigation and not put it on hold right now during election season,” Barr said Wednesday on an interview on “The Buck Sexton Show.”
“We’re all aware of the calendar and we’re not going to do anything for the purposes of affecting an election, but we are trying to get some things accomplished before the election,” he said.
He declined to answer Sexton’s question about if the probe is in its final stages, but promised that “people will be held accountable” if prosecutor John Durham finds that any criminal laws were violated.
The probe has become increasingly colored by partisanship as President Donald Trump openly hopes for, and pins Barr’s legacy on, Durham finding evidence to discredit the origin of the FBI’s investigation into his campaign. And, as Trump has made clear, he wants that exculpation before the November election.
“Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country, or he can go down as an average guy,” Trump said Thursday, about the probe’s findings. “We’ll see what happens.”
“(Barr and Durham) have all the answers,” he added. “It goes all to Obama, and it goes right to Biden.”
Witnesses who sat for interviews with Durham told CNN that they sensed investigators were under pressure to deliver findings before the election.
Barr has repeatedly broken with Justice Department practice by speaking out and opining about Durham’s ongoing investigation. During a Fox News interview, he called the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign “one of the greatest travesties in American history.”
CNN also reported Thursday that Barr initially wanted Michael Mukasey to head the probe. Mukasey was attorney general during the George W. Bush administration, and, later, a law partner of Rudy Giuliani. Mukasey has advocated publicly for the Mueller probe to be called off.
During his interview with Sexton, Barr added that he and FBI Director Chris Wray have been discussing “checks and balances” to install in the FBI to avoid replicating the “abuses of the past.” He did not, however, discuss last week’s report from the director of national intelligence that found that Russia is supporting efforts to damage Joe Biden and boost Trump during the 2020 election.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--Trump Gives Barr An Ultimatum: You Could Be ‘Greatest’ AG Or ‘Average Guy’

President Trump on Thursday issued an ultimatum to Attorney General Bill Barr over the months-long probe led by U.S. Attorney John Durham , whom Barr tapped last year to investigate the origins of the Russia probe .
When pressed during a Fox Business Network interview on Thursday morning on his thoughts regarding the Durham probe , Trump replied that he hopes Durham ’ s team will do a “ great job ” and that his team “ is not going to be politically correct.
” Trump then railed against former FBI Director James Comey , former CIA Director John Brennan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clapper for being “ terrible ” and lying to Congress about supposedly spying on his campaign .
The President then went on to issue an ultimatum directed at his attorney general .
“ Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country , or he can go down as an average guy , ” Trump said , regarding the Durham probe .
“ We ’ ll see what happens.
” The President added that Barr is “ great most of the time ” but that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” if he “ wants to be politically correct.
” “ ( Barr and Durham ) have all the answers , ” Trump said .
“ It goes all to Obama , and it goes right to Biden.
” In a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee late last month , Barr wouldn ’ t commit to releasing the Durham report until after the November election .
“ Under oath , do you commit to not releasing any report by Mr. Durham before the November election ?
” Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell ( D-FL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Barr said , before doubling down on his denial and adding that he “ will be very careful .
”

President Trump on Thursday issued an ultimatum to Attorney General Bill Barr over the months-long probe led by U.S. Attorney John Durham, whom Barr tapped last year to investigate the origins of the Russia probe.
When pressed during a Fox Business Network interview on Thursday morning on his thoughts regarding the Durham probe, Trump replied that he hopes Durham’s team will do a “great job” and that his team “is not going to be politically correct.”
Trump then railed against former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for being “terrible” and lying to Congress about supposedly spying on his campaign.
The President then went on to issue an ultimatum directed at his attorney general.
“Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country, or he can go down as an average guy,” Trump said, regarding the Durham probe. “We’ll see what happens.”
The President added that Barr is “great most of the time” but that “he’ll be just another guy” if he “wants to be politically correct.”
“(Barr and Durham) have all the answers,” Trump said. “It goes all to Obama, and it goes right to Biden.”
In a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee late last month, Barr wouldn’t commit to releasing the Durham report until after the November election.
“Under oath, do you commit to not releasing any report by Mr. Durham before the November election?” Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) asked Barr.
“No,” Barr said, before doubling down on his denial and adding that he “will be very careful.”
Watch Trump’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--Biden Camp: Trump Sabotaging USPS Is Desperate Man’s ‘Assault On Democracy’

President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that he was intentionally blocking additional funding for the US Postal Service in an effort to disrupt attempts to expand mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic — an effort that the Biden campaign has called a desperate man ’ s “ assault on democracy.
” Biden campaign rapid response director Andrew Bates told TPM in a statement that Trump ’ s effort to deny a Democratic proposal for additional funding for the USPS amounted to a selfish move to deprive Americans of their fundamental right to vote safely .
“ Even Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail , and his own administration has conclusively refuted his wild-eyed conspiracy theories about the most secure form of voting , ” Bates said in the statement .
“ This is an assault on our democracy and economy by a desperate man who ’ s terrified that the American people will force him to confront what he ’ s done everything in his power to escape for months — responsibility for his own actions.
” Trump suggested as much during a White House press conference Wednesday , implying that perhaps without the additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he is convinced will hurt him in November , will just disappear .
“ They don ’ t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting , ” Trump said on Wednesday .
“ Therefore , they can ’ t do it , I guess .
Right ?
” The President , whose comments imply a commitment to leveraging his office to boost his campaign prospects , appears to be bent on crippling efforts by congressional Democrats to make voting safer amid the pandemic , which he is convinced will hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus relief bill , known as the CARES Act , provided USPS a $ 10 billion loan .
Trump has said he is unwilling to budge on congressional Democrats ’ request for $ 25 billion in USPS funding this round — which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) confirmed during an MSNBC interview Thursday morning was simply the figure requested by the Trump-appointed USPS Board of Governors .
“ When the President goes after the Postal Service , he ’ s going after an all-American , highly approved-by-the-public institution , ” Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that the dollar-amount for the USPS camedirectly from a recommendation by a bipartisan Board of Governors “ 100 percent appointed by Donald Trump.
” Trump has for months railed against mail-in voting broadly , changing course recently to direct those attacks at Democratic-governed states , suggesting that voting-by-mail in GOP-led states like Florida is safe and secure .
“ The President of the United States is sabotaging a basic service that hundreds of millions of people rely upon , cutting a critical lifeline for rural economies and for delivery of medicines , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their fundamental right to vote safely during the most catastrophic public health crisis in over 100 years — a crisis so devastatingly worsened by his own failed leadership that we are now the hardest hit country in the world by the coronavirus pandemic .
Even Donald Trump ’ s own campaign has endorsed voting by mail , and his own administration has conclusively refuted his wild-eyed conspiracy theories about the most secure form of voting .
This is an assault on our democracy and economy by a desperate man who ’ s terrified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confront what he ’ s done everything in his power to escape for months – responsibility for his own actions .
”

President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that he was intentionally blocking additional funding for the US Postal Service in an effort to disrupt attempts to expand mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic — an effort that the Biden campaign has called a desperate man’s “assault on democracy.”
Biden campaign rapid response director Andrew Bates told TPM in a statement that Trump’s effort to deny a Democratic proposal for additional funding for the USPS amounted to a selfish move to deprive Americans of their fundamental right to vote safely.
“Even Donald Trump’s own campaign has endorsed voting by mail, and his own administration has conclusively refuted his wild-eyed conspiracy theories about the most secure form of voting,” Bates said in the statement. “This is an assault on our democracy and economy by a desperate man who’s terrified that the American people will force him to confront what he’s done everything in his power to escape for months — responsibility for his own actions.”
Trump suggested as much during a White House press conference Wednesday, implying that perhaps without the additional funding, his woes about vote-by-mail, which he is convinced will hurt him in November, will just disappear.
“They don’t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting,” Trump said on Wednesday. “Therefore, they can’t do it, I guess. Right?”
The President, whose comments imply a commitment to leveraging his office to boost his campaign prospects, appears to be bent on crippling efforts by congressional Democrats to make voting safer amid the pandemic, which he is convinced will hurt his chances for re-election.
The previous coronavirus relief bill, known as the CARES Act, provided USPS a $10 billion loan. Trump has said he is unwilling to budge on congressional Democrats’ request for $25 billion in USPS funding this round — which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) confirmed during an MSNBC interview Thursday morning was simply the figure requested by the Trump-appointed USPS Board of Governors.
“When the President goes after the Postal Service, he’s going after an all-American, highly approved-by-the-public institution,” Pelosi told “Morning Joe” hosts, adding that the dollar-amount for the USPS camedirectly from a recommendation by a bipartisan Board of Governors “100 percent appointed by Donald Trump.”
Trump has for months railed against mail-in voting broadly, changing course recently to direct those attacks at Democratic-governed states, suggesting that voting-by-mail in GOP-led states like Florida is safe and secure.
Read the Biden campaign’s full statement below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--Twitter Roasts DeSantis For Comparing School Reopenings To Osama bin Laden Raid

Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ’ ( R ) audacious comparison of reopening schools to the raid that killed Osama @ @ @ @ @ prompted Twitter users to pan his remark , which comes amid skyrocketing COVID-19 fatalities in @ @ @ @ @ press conference on Wednesday , DeSantis continued pushing for schools to resume in-person instruction and @ @ @ @ @ a conversation that he supposedly had with Martin County Superintendent Laurie Gaylord recently .
“ @ @ @ @ @ as a mission akin to a Navy SEAL operation , ” DeSantis said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice , so too would the Martin County @ @ @ @ @ to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning.
” @ @ @ @ @ schools to reopen — which echoes President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos ’ calls @ @ @ @ @ schools despite surging COVID-19 cases nationwide — prompted both criticism and mockery on Twitter soon @ @

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) audacious comparison of reopening schools to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden on Wednesday swiftly prompted Twitter users to pan his remark, which comes amid skyrocketing COVID-19 fatalities in the state.
During a press conference on Wednesday, DeSantis continued pushing for schools to resume in-person instruction and brought up a remark from a conversation that he supposedly had with Martin County Superintendent Laurie Gaylord recently.
“She viewed reopening her schools as a mission akin to a Navy SEAL operation,” DeSantis said. “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too would the Martin County School system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning.”
DeSantis’ latest remarks demanding schools to reopen — which echoes President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ calls for in-person instruction resume at schools despite surging COVID-19 cases nationwide — prompted both criticism and mockery on Twitter soon after.
Who’s bin laden in this metaphor? https://t.co/gJG1uDGCVy — Molly Jong-Fast? (@MollyJongFast) August 13, 2020
No really. He really says that. Listen. Is *everyone* in the trump cult insane? https://t.co/2qdhjnr3Bs — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) August 13, 2020
Something only a Democratic president can do successfully? https://t.co/mpFSCeFsfX — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 13, 2020
I didn’t believe this, until I watched it. What in the fresh hell… https://t.co/gnftSU4CUl — S.E. Cupp (@secupp) August 13, 2020
I can’t believe this is the leader of a place. That has people. https://t.co/ogyucEWcdM — Zach Braff (@zachbraff) August 13, 2020


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--SCOTUS Lets RI Move Forward With Agreement To Make Voting Easier For Pandemic

A Republican Party request that the Supreme Court block an agreement Rhode Island reached in court to expand absentee voting for the pandemic was a bridge too far for the conservative Court , which has otherwise sided against efforts to making voting easier in the emergency disputes that have reached it during the pandemic .
The court said Thursday that it would not block Rhode Island ’ s consent decree , as the RNC and state GOP was requesting ahead of its upcoming primary .
Rhode Island had recently settled a lawsuit brought against it by the voting rights group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s witness and notary requirements for absentee voting .
Justice Clarence Thomas , Justice Samual Alito , and Justice Neil Gorsuch indicated in Thursday ’ s order they would have blocked the consent decree .
In several other instances , the Supreme Court has favored the more restrictive voting regime when these sort of disputes were brought to its doorstep .
But unlike cases out of Alabama and Texas , where state officials are continuing to fight the efforts to make voting easier , Rhode Island ’ s state officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking to put it on hold .
That distinction appears to have led at least five members of the court ( not every dissent must be noted publicly ) to okay the more lax absentee voting procedure that Rhode Island agreed to .
“ Unlike Merrill v. People First of Alabama , 591 U. S. ___ ( 2020 ) , and other similar cases where a State defends its own law , here the state election officials support the challenged decree , and no state official has expressed opposition , ” the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the applicants lack a cognizable interest in the State ’ s ability to ‘ enforce its duly enacted ’ laws.
” The three public conservative dissenters did not elaborate on what they disagreed with about the court ’ s move .
The majority ’ s rationale leaves the door wide open for states to continue to seek the Supreme Court intervention in court cases where lower courts rule in favor of expanding voting access during the pandemic .

A Republican Party request that the Supreme Court block an agreement Rhode Island reached in court to expand absentee voting for the pandemic was a bridge too far for the conservative Court, which has otherwise sided against efforts to making voting easier in the emergency disputes that have reached it during the pandemic.
The court said Thursday that it would not block Rhode Island’s consent decree, as the RNC and state GOP was requesting ahead of its upcoming primary.
Rhode Island had recently settled a lawsuit brought against it by the voting rights group Common Cause by agreeing to waive to the state’s witness and notary requirements for absentee voting.
Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samual Alito, and Justice Neil Gorsuch indicated in Thursday’s order they would have blocked the consent decree.
In several other instances, the Supreme Court has favored the more restrictive voting regime when these sort of disputes were brought to its doorstep.
But unlike cases out of Alabama and Texas, where state officials are continuing to fight the efforts to make voting easier, Rhode Island’s state officials supported the consent decree and where not seeking to put it on hold.
That distinction appears to have led at least five members of the court (not every dissent must be noted publicly) to okay the more lax absentee voting procedure that Rhode Island agreed to.
“Unlike Merrill v. People First of Alabama, 591 U. S. ___ (2020), and other similar cases where a State defends its own law, here the state election officials support the challenged decree, and no state official has expressed opposition,” the court said. “Under these circumstances, the applicants lack a cognizable interest in the State’s ability to ‘enforce its duly enacted’ laws.”
The three public conservative dissenters did not elaborate on what they disagreed with about the court’s move. The majority’s rationale leaves the door wide open for states to continue to seek the Supreme Court intervention in court cases where lower courts rule in favor of expanding voting access during the pandemic.
Read the order below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-13--Trump Announces Israel, UAE Agree To Establish Full Diplomatic Ties

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) — President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state .
The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel .
Trump tweeted a statement from the countries , acknowledging the deal .
He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates , ” he said .
The recognition grants a rare diplomatic win to Trump ahead of the November election as his efforts to see an end to the war in Afghanistan have yet to come to fruition while efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have made no headway .
For Israel , the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Netanyahu has sought to build settlements on lands sought by the Palestinians and embraced a Trump proposal that would allow him to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank while granting Palestinians limited autonomy in other areas .
For the UAE , home to skyscraper-studded Dubai and the rolling , oil-rich sand dunes of Abu Dhabi , it further burnishes its international campaign to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic rulers .
It also puts the UAE out first in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
And for the Palestinians , who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence , the announcement marked both a win and setback .
While Thursday ’ s deal halts Israeli annexation plans , the Palestinians have repeatedly urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached .
A joint statement from the U.S. , the UAE and Israel was issued immediately after Trump ’ s tweet .
It said delegations would meet in the coming weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security , telecommunications , energy , tourism and health care .
The two countries also will partner on fighting the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East ’ s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth , enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations , ” said the statement by Trump , Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , the day-to-day ruler of the UAE .
It said the leaders had a three-way call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Mike Pompeo praised the deal .
“ This is a remarkable achievement for two of the world ’ s most forward leaning , technologically advanced states , and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region , ” he said in a statement .
“ It also illustrates their commitment to confronting common threats , as small — but strong — nations.
” He added : “ Blessed are the peacemakers .
Mabruk and Mazal Tov.
” Netanyahu tweeted an Israeli flag with a short message in Hebrew : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel .
Egypt made a peace deal with Israel in 1979 , followed by Jordan in 1994 .
Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999 , but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel ’ s war in Gaza at the time .
In addition to Trump , the main U.S. mediators for agreement were the president ’ s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner , special Mideast envoy Avi Berkowitz and David Friedman , the U.S. ambassador to Israel .
The UAE is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabian Peninsula .
Formed in 1971 , the country like other Arab nations at the time did not recognize Israel over its occupation of land home to the Palestinians .
“ Arab oil is not dearer than Arab blood , ” the UAE ’ s founding ruler , Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan , once pronounced when agreeing to an oil boycott over U.S. military support to Israel in the 1973 Mideast war .
The UAE relied on white-collar Palestinians in creating its nation .
Over time , it maintained its stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinian state on land it seized in the 1967 war .
But in recent years , ties between Gulf Arab nations and Israel have quietly grown , in part over their shared enmity of Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah .
Prince Mohammed also shares Israel ’ s distrust of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the militant group Hamas that holds the Gaza Strip .
The UAE ’ s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged the deal , framing it as not just a move that helps the UAE and Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Palestinians .
It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now .
In June , the United Arab Emirates ’ ambassador to the U.S. warned in an Israeli newspaper op-ed that Israel ’ s planned annexing the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank would “ upend ” Israel ’ s efforts to improve ties with Arab nations .
The agreement gives Netanyahu a domestic boost at a time when Israel ’ s shaky coalition government is plagued by infighting and facing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet as the country grapples with a renewed coronavirus outbreak and skyrocketing unemployment as the result of earlier lockdown measures .
Netanyahu also delivered a valuable diplomatic achievement to his good friend , Trump , ahead of U.S. elections .
Still , by dropping the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House .
Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , has made clear that he would oppose any moves by Israel to unilaterally redraw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Palestinians .
Netanyahu also risked criticism inside his own hard-line Likud Party , whose members strongly supported annexation .
Netanyahu appears to be betting that Likud members — and the small , but influential settler movement — will agree the peace agreement delivers more benefits than unilateral annexation .
Opinion polls have shown that annexation is not a high priority for the vast majority of the Israeli public .
Abandoning its annexation plan changes little on the ground .
Israel already holds overall control of the West Bank and continues to expand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinians autonomy in a series of disconnected enclaves .
Some 500,000 Israelis now live in the rapidly expanding West Bank settlements .
Next year , Israel will take part in the UAE ’ s delayed Expo 2020 , the world ’ s fair being hosted by Dubai .
A secret synagogue also draws practicing Jews in Dubai .
The UAE also has announced plans to build the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi , which will house a mosque , a church and a synagogue .
Israelis traveling with Western passports routinely enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one still can ’ t make a phone call between the two countries .
Israelis also work in Dubai ’ s gold and diamond trade as well .
Emirati officials also have allowed Israeli officials to visit and the Israeli national anthem was played after an athlete won gold in an Abu Dhabi judo tournament .
Israel also has a small mission representing its interests at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi .
Lee reported from Bled , Slovenia , and Federman reported from Jerusalem .
Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , United Arab Emirates , contributed to this report .

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.
The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.
Trump tweeted a statement from the countries, acknowledging the deal. He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it was “a truly historic moment.”
“Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
The recognition grants a rare diplomatic win to Trump ahead of the November election as his efforts to see an end to the war in Afghanistan have yet to come to fruition while efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have made no headway.
For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. Netanyahu has sought to build settlements on lands sought by the Palestinians and embraced a Trump proposal that would allow him to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank while granting Palestinians limited autonomy in other areas.
For the UAE, home to skyscraper-studded Dubai and the rolling, oil-rich sand dunes of Abu Dhabi, it further burnishes its international campaign to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic rulers. It also puts the UAE out first in a regional recognition race among neighboring Gulf Arab states.
And for the Palestinians, who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the announcement marked both a win and setback. While Thursday’s deal halts Israeli annexation plans, the Palestinians have repeatedly urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached.
A joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel was issued immediately after Trump’s tweet. It said delegations would meet in the coming weeks to sign deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and health care. The two countries also will partner on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
“Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations,” said the statement by Trump, Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the day-to-day ruler of the UAE. It said the leaders had a three-way call discussing the deal.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised the deal.
“This is a remarkable achievement for two of the world’s most forward leaning, technologically advanced states, and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region,” he said in a statement. “It also illustrates their commitment to confronting common threats, as small — but strong — nations.”
He added: “Blessed are the peacemakers. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.”
Netanyahu tweeted an Israeli flag with a short message in Hebrew: “Historic Day.”
Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt made a peace deal with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994. Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999, but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel’s war in Gaza at the time.
In addition to Trump, the main U.S. mediators for agreement were the president’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, special Mideast envoy Avi Berkowitz and David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
The UAE is a U.S.-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Formed in 1971, the country like other Arab nations at the time did not recognize Israel over its occupation of land home to the Palestinians.
“Arab oil is not dearer than Arab blood,” the UAE’s founding ruler, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once pronounced when agreeing to an oil boycott over U.S. military support to Israel in the 1973 Mideast war.
The UAE relied on white-collar Palestinians in creating its nation. Over time, it maintained its stance that Israel allow the creation of a Palestinian state on land it seized in the 1967 war.
But in recent years, ties between Gulf Arab nations and Israel have quietly grown, in part over their shared enmity of Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Prince Mohammed also shares Israel’s distrust of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the militant group Hamas that holds the Gaza Strip.
The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged the deal, framing it as not just a move that helps the UAE and Israel, but one that also carries benefits for the Palestinians.
It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now. In June, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the U.S. warned in an Israeli newspaper op-ed that Israel’s planned annexing the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank would “upend” Israel’s efforts to improve ties with Arab nations.
The agreement gives Netanyahu a domestic boost at a time when Israel’s shaky coalition government is plagued by infighting and facing the possibility of early elections in the coming months. Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet as the country grapples with a renewed coronavirus outbreak and skyrocketing unemployment as the result of earlier lockdown measures.
Netanyahu also delivered a valuable diplomatic achievement to his good friend, Trump, ahead of U.S. elections.
Still, by dropping the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has made clear that he would oppose any moves by Israel to unilaterally redraw the Mideast map and annex lands sought by the Palestinians.
Netanyahu also risked criticism inside his own hard-line Likud Party, whose members strongly supported annexation. Netanyahu appears to be betting that Likud members — and the small, but influential settler movement — will agree the peace agreement delivers more benefits than unilateral annexation. Opinion polls have shown that annexation is not a high priority for the vast majority of the Israeli public.
Abandoning its annexation plan changes little on the ground. Israel already holds overall control of the West Bank and continues to expand its settlements there, while granting the Palestinians autonomy in a series of disconnected enclaves. Some 500,000 Israelis now live in the rapidly expanding West Bank settlements.
Next year, Israel will take part in the UAE’s delayed Expo 2020, the world’s fair being hosted by Dubai. A secret synagogue also draws practicing Jews in Dubai. The UAE also has announced plans to build the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, which will house a mosque, a church and a synagogue.
Israelis traveling with Western passports routinely enter the UAE without a problem, though one still can’t make a phone call between the two countries. Israelis also work in Dubai’s gold and diamond trade as well.
Emirati officials also have allowed Israeli officials to visit and the Israeli national anthem was played after an athlete won gold in an Abu Dhabi judo tournament. Israel also has a small mission representing its interests at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi.
___
Lee reported from Bled, Slovenia, and Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.