talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-23--Fauci: It’s Been ‘Several Months’ Since Trump Last Showed Up At COVID Task Force Meeting

White House COVID-19 task force member Anthony Fauci said on Friday that it ’ s been a while since President Donald Trump attended a meeting with the team .
“ That was several months ago , Chuck .
Several months ago , ” Fauci told MSNBC host Chuck Todd .
The COVID-19 expert also said that Trump pays less attention to him these days than Scott Atlas , the controversial task force member who pushes scientifically dubious talking points about the virus that appeal to Trump ’ s politically motivated efforts to reopen the country .
“ I definitely don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Scott Atlas right now , ” Fauci said .
The doctor told Todd that Vice President Mike Pence , who chairs the task force , is more attuned to the team ’ s operations .
“ We certainly interact with the vice president at the task force meetings , and the vice president makes our feelings and what we talk about there known to the President , ” Fauci said .
“ But direct involvement with the President in the discussions…I have not done that in a while , ” he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci and publicly questions his political leanings and initial guidance on mask-wearing .

White House COVID-19 task force member Anthony Fauci said on Friday that it’s been a while since President Donald Trump attended a meeting with the team.
“That was several months ago, Chuck. Several months ago,” Fauci told MSNBC host Chuck Todd.
The COVID-19 expert also said that Trump pays less attention to him these days than Scott Atlas, the controversial task force member who pushes scientifically dubious talking points about the virus that appeal to Trump’s politically motivated efforts to reopen the country.
“I definitely don’t have his ear as much as Scott Atlas right now,” Fauci said.
The doctor told Todd that Vice President Mike Pence, who chairs the task force, is more attuned to the team’s operations.
“We certainly interact with the vice president at the task force meetings, and the vice president makes our feelings and what we talk about there known to the President,” Fauci said.
“But direct involvement with the President in the discussions…I have not done that in a while,” he added.
This comes as Trump privately criticizes Fauci and publicly questions his political leanings and initial guidance on mask-wearing.
Watch Fauci below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-23--Boogalooer Accused Of Firing Into MN Police Precinct During George Floyd Protests

A man connected to the so-called “ boogaloo ” movement has been charged federally with crossing state lines to participate in a riot , and is accused of firing rounds from an assault rifle into a Minneapolis police precinct as it burned to the ground .
Charging documents released Friday detail the alleged activities of Ivan Harrison Hunter , 26 , and also quote from alleged internet chats he had with Steven Carrillo .
Carrillo , another alleged boogalooer , is accused of killing two law enforcement officers in California over the summer .
“ Boogaloo ” is an internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by many on the right-wing fringe .
The loosely-defined group that characterize themselves with the term include everyone from explicit white nationalists , those looking to overthrow the government , and Second Amendment fundamentalists who seek to collectively defy firearms restrictions through force .
Soon after the police killing of George Floyd , according to an FBI agent ’ s affidavit released Friday , Hunter began a road trip from Texas to Minneapolis .
His goal , the affidavit alleges , was to incite and participate in a riot as Minneapolis plunged into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Carrillo in March , according to the affidavit .
And , as he traveled to Minnesota , he was allegedly in touch with two other men , Benjamin Ryan Teeter and Michael Solomon .
Both are also allegedly part of the boogaloo movement , and were charged in September for attempting to provide material support for Hamas .
In Facebook posts and messages with Teeter and Solomon , Hunter allegedly said he ’ d be driving up to Minneapolis as part of a “ team of 5 , ” and coordinated a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3rd Police Precinct , which protesters burned to the ground on the night of the 28th in one of the defining moments of the Floyd protests .
That night , according to the affidavit , video shows someone discharging 13 rounds from what appeared to be an AK-47 style semiautomatic rifle into one of the precinct ’ s doors .
A cooperating defendant identified the shooter as Hunter , the affidavit said , and also informed investigators that people were inside the building at the time shots rang out .
( The affidavit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by gunfire . )
A screen capture from the same video allegedly shows the man who fired the shots .
Eventually , in August , a confidential human source started giving information to the FBI .
It was to that CHS , per the affidavit , that Hunted admitted he had fired his AK-47 into the precinct building and had helped set the structure on fire .
And , according to pictures and Facebook posts cited in the affidavit , Hunter bragged about his work .
“ I set fire to that precinct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly said in a Facebook message on May 30 .
The next day , he allegedly messaged someone else , “ My mom would call the fbi if she knew what I do and at the level I ’ m at w [ ith ] it.
” “ I ’ ve burned police stations with black panthers in Minneapolis , ” he allegedly posted on Facebook the following week , adding separately , “ I didn ’ t ’ protest peacefully Dude… Want something to change ?
Start risking felonies for what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the affidavit , Hunter sent a picture of a gun with a floral-patterned magazine — though , a few days later , he would deny that a similar looking magazine and other firepower belonged to him during a traffic stop in Texas .
But it seems the boogalooer couldn ’ t help himself : During the traffic stop , on June 3 , he told police officers “ that he was the leader of the Boogaloo Bois in South Texas and that he was present in Minneapolis when the Third Precinct was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was only after that Texas traffic stop that investigators became aware of Hunter ’ s alleged connection with Carrillo , who is accused of murdering a Federal Protective Service officer in Oakland on May 29 and a sheriff ’ s deputy in Ben Lomond , California on June 6 .
The two exchanged Facebook messages as early as March , according to the affidavit .
Just four hours after Carrillo allegedly murdered FPS Officer Dave Patrick Underwood , Hunter and Carrillo allegedly spoke about the “ boog ” on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the affidavit , Carrillo sent Hunter $ 200 virtually after Hunter asked for money .
Hunter also allegedly told the FBI ’ s confidential source that he and Carrillo were founding members of a group called “ Happy Friends Group , ” which according to Hunter was a “ fire team ” intended to respond if authorities attempted to take any member ’ s guns away .
After Carrillo ’ s eventual arrest , Hunter sent a message about it to Teeter , to which Teeter responded “ Well shit , ” @ @ @ @ @

A man connected to the so-called “boogaloo” movement has been charged federally with crossing state lines to participate in a riot, and is accused of firing rounds from an assault rifle into a Minneapolis police precinct as it burned to the ground.
Charging documents released Friday detail the alleged activities of Ivan Harrison Hunter, 26, and also quote from alleged internet chats he had with Steven Carrillo. Carrillo, another alleged boogalooer, is accused of killing two law enforcement officers in California over the summer.
“Boogaloo” is an internet shorthand for a second civil war anticipated by many on the right-wing fringe. The loosely-defined group that characterize themselves with the term include everyone from explicit white nationalists, those looking to overthrow the government, and Second Amendment fundamentalists who seek to collectively defy firearms restrictions through force.
Bullet Holes In A Police Precinct
Soon after the police killing of George Floyd, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit released Friday, Hunter began a road trip from Texas to Minneapolis. His goal, the affidavit alleges, was to incite and participate in a riot as Minneapolis plunged into chaos.
Hunter had been in touch with Carrillo in March, according to the affidavit. And, as he traveled to Minnesota, he was allegedly in touch with two other men, Benjamin Ryan Teeter and Michael Solomon. Both are also allegedly part of the boogaloo movement, and were charged in September for attempting to provide material support for Hamas.
In Facebook posts and messages with Teeter and Solomon, Hunter allegedly said he’d be driving up to Minneapolis as part of a “team of 5,” and coordinated a meeting location nearby the city’s 3rd Police Precinct, which protesters burned to the ground on the night of the 28th in one of the defining moments of the Floyd protests.
That night, according to the affidavit, video shows someone discharging 13 rounds from what appeared to be an AK-47 style semiautomatic rifle into one of the precinct’s doors.
A cooperating defendant identified the shooter as Hunter, the affidavit said, and also informed investigators that people were inside the building at the time shots rang out. (The affidavit does not say that anyone was injured by gunfire.) A screen capture from the same video allegedly shows the man who fired the shots.
Eventually, in August, a confidential human source started giving information to the FBI. It was to that CHS, per the affidavit, that Hunted admitted he had fired his AK-47 into the precinct building and had helped set the structure on fire.
And, according to pictures and Facebook posts cited in the affidavit, Hunter bragged about his work.
“I set fire to that precinct with the black community,” Hunter allegedly said in a Facebook message on May 30. The next day, he allegedly messaged someone else, “My mom would call the fbi if she knew what I do and at the level I’m at w[ith] it.”
“I’ve burned police stations with black panthers in Minneapolis,” he allegedly posted on Facebook the following week, adding separately, “I didn’t’ protest peacefully Dude… Want something to change? Start risking felonies for what is good.”
(As early as January, Hunter was posting publicly about committing violent acts against the government, according to the affidavit. On January 1, he allegedly told another boogalooer that he would “throw the fist [sic] cocktail if I have to…then we steam roll them” and “do blow in the capital.”)
In one message, per the affidavit, Hunter sent a picture of a gun with a floral-patterned magazine — though, a few days later, he would deny that a similar looking magazine and other firepower belonged to him during a traffic stop in Texas.
But it seems the boogalooer couldn’t help himself: During the traffic stop, on June 3, he told police officers “that he was the leader of the Boogaloo Bois in South Texas and that he was present in Minneapolis when the Third Precinct was set on fire,” the affidavit alleged.
The Steven Carrillo Connection
It was only after that Texas traffic stop that investigators became aware of Hunter’s alleged connection with Carrillo, who is accused of murdering a Federal Protective Service officer in Oakland on May 29 and a sheriff’s deputy in Ben Lomond, California on June 6.
The two exchanged Facebook messages as early as March, according to the affidavit. Just four hours after Carrillo allegedly murdered FPS Officer Dave Patrick Underwood, Hunter and Carrillo allegedly spoke about the “boog” on social media.
“Go for police buildings,” Hunter allegedly told Carrillo.
“I did better lol,” Carrillo allegedly replied.
A couple days later, according to the affidavit, Carrillo sent Hunter $200 virtually after Hunter asked for money. Hunter also allegedly told the FBI’s confidential source that he and Carrillo were founding members of a group called “Happy Friends Group,” which according to Hunter was a “fire team” intended to respond if authorities attempted to take any member’s guns away.
After Carrillo’s eventual arrest, Hunter sent a message about it to Teeter, to which Teeter responded “Well shit,” according to the affidavit.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-23--The White House Is Inexplicably Still Blaming The Debate Commission For Trump’s Woes

Just hours after the final presidential debate , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday was still dragging out President Donald Trump ’ s attack on the debate commission suggesting that it was at fault for voters not getting to hear more from the President on key election issues — even though Trump laid the ground work for that weeks ago .
“ Unfortunately , because the Commission on Presidential Debates , really decided to cancel the second debate , what that meant is that the American people were deprived of a lot of the information that they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The comments come the morning after President Trump took the debate stage in Nashville , Tennessee , for a final face-off with Democratic rival Joe Biden .
McEnany described the post-debate Trump as “ quite happy , quite enthused , ” to reporters outside the White House and said that Trump believed Americans had “ endorsed his performance at the debate.
” “ When you debate on the merits there ’ s a clear victor and that ’ s President Trump , ” McEnany said , even though a number of snap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the President in the final showdown .
The press secretary ’ s comments on Trump ’ s debate performance appeared to preface the scathing attack that followed against the debate commission .
Perhaps at a loss to offer further praise for Trump ’ s performance , she turned on debate organizers , accusing them for depriving Americans the chance to hear from both candidates when last week ’ s debate was cancelled .
McEnany took pains to rewrite the debacle on Friday by attributing a decision by Trump to bow out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested that the American people were robbed of the opportunity to hear more from both candidates ahead of Election Day when the Oct. 15 debate in Miami , Florida , was cancelled after Trump said he would not participate in a virtual contest after announcing he had tested positive for coronavirus .

Just hours after the final presidential debate, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday was still dragging out President Donald Trump’s attack on the debate commission suggesting that it was at fault for voters not getting to hear more from the President on key election issues — even though Trump laid the ground work for that weeks ago.
“Unfortunately, because the Commission on Presidential Debates, really decided to cancel the second debate, what that meant is that the American people were deprived of a lot of the information that they were entitled to,” McEnany told reporters.
The comments come the morning after President Trump took the debate stage in Nashville, Tennessee, for a final face-off with Democratic rival Joe Biden.
McEnany described the post-debate Trump as “quite happy, quite enthused,” to reporters outside the White House and said that Trump believed Americans had “endorsed his performance at the debate.”
“When you debate on the merits there’s a clear victor and that’s President Trump,” McEnany said, even though a number of snap polls have indicated that Biden had out-performed the President in the final showdown.
The press secretary’s comments on Trump’s debate performance appeared to preface the scathing attack that followed against the debate commission. Perhaps at a loss to offer further praise for Trump’s performance, she turned on debate organizers, accusing them for depriving Americans the chance to hear from both candidates when last week’s debate was cancelled.
McEnany took pains to rewrite the debacle on Friday by attributing a decision by Trump to bow out of the second debate to the CPD. She suggested that the American people were robbed of the opportunity to hear more from both candidates ahead of Election Day when the Oct. 15 debate in Miami, Florida, was cancelled after Trump said he would not participate in a virtual contest after announcing he had tested positive for coronavirus.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-23--What To Expect On Election Day In Seven States: AK, HI, NM, OR, UT, WA, And WY

The election is less than two weeks away now .
Millions of Americans have already voted .
And COVID-19 case counts are , once more , climbing .
This week , we have our final installment in our series of state-by-state looks at how election officials are trying to keep voting safe in the pandemic , and the chaos that might ensue in this extremely unusual general election .
Our last tranche of states includes : Alaska , Hawaii , New Mexico , Oregon , Utah , Washington and Wyoming .
In addition to this week ’ s states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve examined .
A state where the huge distances and vast rural areas have already resulted in a unique system of election administration , Alaska can look forward to an election with an expanded absentee voting regime but one likely coupled with delayed results and rejected ballots .
Control of the state ’ s legislature is up for grabs this year , while Sen. Dan Sullivan ( R-AK ) faces a tighter-than-expected re-election battle and the state ’ s support for President Trump has been weaker in polling than anticipated .
To prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the controversial decision to send absentee ballot applications to voters 65 and older amid opposition from state Democrats who wanted the program expanded to all Alaskans .
Challenges to expand that policy to the rest of the state ’ s registered voter population failed in federal court in September .
Alaskans do benefit from an online , no-excuse-required absentee ballot request system that debuted this year .
But the state offers no opportunity to fix mistakes in mail-in ballots , per a recent court decision , though at least one onerous absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been struck down .
The state ’ s primary offers a look at what may take place come November : amid a flood of absentee ballots , the state took more than a week to count the votes , changing the projected results of races across the state .
More than 1,240 votes in the primary were rejected , out of a record 62,000 absentee votes cast .
Lt. Gov .
Kevin Meyer ( R ) , the official overseeing elections in Alaska , has said that the state is having trouble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come November , creating a recipe for what could be long lines and a delayed count .
Last year Hawaii became the last state to institute universal vote-by-mail elections before COVID-19 forced several other states to follow suit .
The state , reports noted at the time , has long struggled with low voter turnout .
In August , in the middle of a pandemic and during its first real test of universal vote-by-mail , Hawaii saw record primary turnout and 99 % of ballots cast by mail : More than half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the state surpassed its previous primary record — set in 1994 — by a nearly 100,000-vote margin , The Honolulu Star-Adviser reported .
Already , more than 26 % of the electorate has cast their ballots for the general election , Hawaii News Now reported this week .
Some aspects of the state ’ s elections laws are more restrictive than in other states : Ballots must reach election officials by Election Day , rather than simply being postmarked in time , leaving late-voting Hawaiians vulnerable to mail delays .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the primaries for that reason , Honolulu Civil Beat reported .
And whereas the state had hundreds of polling places in years past , it now has just eight in-person voter service centers , meaning Hawaiians who want to register to vote on Election Day or otherwise need some sort of in-person assistance will feel the squeeze .
Dozens of “ places of deposit ” — drop boxes — help alleviate some of the pressure for voters who simply want to drop their ballot off .
“ In a perfect world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ box ] every 5 miles , ” Hawaii County Clerk John Henricks said at a county council meeting last month , as quoted by the Civil Beat .
“ But there ’ s so much more that goes into that .
We want to make sure they ’ re secure , and I don ’ t think you ever want to sacrifice security for access.
” Other obstacles , such as those for homeless people and limited English proficient voters on the polyglottal islands , still remain .
Hawaii is expected to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has every year since 1988 , and while incumbent Rep. Ed Case ( D-HI ) seems likely to be reelected , Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ’ s ( D-HI ) impending retirement opens the door to new blood in Congress : State Sen. Kai Kahele ( D ) announced his plans to run for Gabbard ’ s seat before she announced her own exit , and subsequently won the Democratic primary in a landslide .
He ’ ll face off against Republican Joseph Akana for what ’ s considered a safely Democratic seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that New Mexico ’ s legislature was able to salvage this summer a nearly-doomed bill to rework the state ’ s election rules for the pandemic .
The state is in the midst of a troubling surge in COVID-19 transmission , just as ballot-casting is getting underway .
Despite the pandemic , New Mexico is on “ solid ground ” to break turnout records in the general election , Common Cause New Mexico executive director Heather Ferguson said on a press call Wednesday .
New Mexico has long offered no-excuse absentee voting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , during which the number of absentee primary voters more than doubled the number that voted absentee in the 2016 general election .
This summer , the legislature passed a bill that gave county officials the discretion to proactively send out ballot applications , among other election rule tweaks that were mostly geared at addressing the pandemic .
The legislation nearly died in the June special session when some Democrats objected to a non-pandemic provision that would allow voters to switch their parties when they showed up to vote in primaries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ package was dramatically revived .
Its other provisions included : a clean-up of the absentee ballot envelope design to make it more accessible to voters , a new procedure for dealing with mail ballots that are missing certain information from voters , ballot tracking technology for absentee voting , and some additional flexibility for counties that receive more than 10,000 absentee ballots for when they can start taking the preliminary steps in the processing of those ballots .
Additionally , the legislation provided protections for maintaining in-person voting options on tribal lands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native American communities caused many of those sites to be closed during the primary .
Voter advocates wished the bill required — rather than just allowed — the proactive mailing of absentee ballot request forms , but otherwise , the “ legislation definitely helped , ” said Judy Williams , the former president of New Mexico ’ s League of Women voters .
But that doesn ’ t mean there haven ’ t already been some hiccups they ’ re keeping an eye on .
Voters in Sante Fe were confused by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they accidentally applied twice for absentee ballots .
In Albuquerque , there have also been reports of voter intimidation and harassment — but law enforcement dealt with the episodes quickly and effectively , voter advocates said .
The open U.S. Senate seat on the ballot looks like it will be going to Democratic House Rep. Ben Ray Lujan , according to recent polls , which also show Joe Biden as the favorite for winning New Mexico ’ s electoral college votes .
But the GOP is hoping to retake the House seat in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was flipped in 2018 by Democrat Xochitl Torres Small , and Republicans have also unveiled a more moderate agenda in the hope of flipping the New Mexico legislature , where both chambers are controlled by Democrats .
Oregon started off before the pandemic as an all-mail jurisdiction : the state has voted entirely by mail in every Presidential election since 2000 , leaving it in a supposedly superb position to handle voting by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic .
That is to say : the state votes only by mail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s a relatively bipartisan consensus in the state , with Oregon having a Republican secretary of state coupled with both houses of its legislature and the governorship controlled by Democrats .
The state ’ s Democrats do have a chance to secure a big enough majority to prevent the Oregon GOP from walking out of legislative sessions this year – high stakes for a legislature that ’ s been frozen by the practice .
Oregon managed to hold its May primary election on schedule and without significant delays in counting votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to hire a temporary workforce of younger poll workers to replace those 65 and older who were at higher risk of serious complications from the coronavirus .
The state uses signature verification to check the identity of each voter .
It ’ s a fraught and controversial process , but the state offers voters the opportunity for ballot curing if poll workers determine that the signature on the registration application or ballot envelope does not match any previously accepted signature on file .
For November , the state is using new software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used by the banking industry , sparking some concern that the shift could cause problems .
Voters have two weeks to cure any problem with their ballot upon notification , and the state begins counting one week before Election Day .
Few expect serious delays in this year ’ s election , largely because the state has had an infrastructure in place for years that appears suited to the current situation .
Unlike some states seeking to radically expand their vote-by-mail numbers this year , Utah is a practiced veteran of postal service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states — and the most conservative of the bunch , which also includes Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon and Washington — to have instituted universal vote-by-mail way before the COVID-19 pandemic .
Still , like other states around the country , Utah has seen a surge in interest this year .
“ I ’ ve been inundated with questions from voters about where their ballots are , ” Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen told The Salt Lake Tribune recently .
Ballots are sent to every active , registered voter in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million this year , an increase of nearly 300,000 since just two years ago , according to state records .
“ Everything points to a record-breaking turnout , ” Utah Elections Director Justin Lee told The Deseret News last week .
“ We ’ ve seen constant voter registration all year long .
It really hasn ’ t let up.
” Lee said the state ’ s message this year , in light of COVID-19 , was to “ avoid the polls unless you absolutely have to.
” The state ’ s had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listed , some Utah voters have seen ballots without signature lines , primary ballots for the wrong party , and other county-level slip-ups .
There ’ s also a potential time crunch : State law only allows ballots to be sent to voters 21 days before Election Day , and mail-in ballots must be postmarked by the day before Election Day — Nov. 2 this year — or else delivered by hand on Election Day itself .
As in other states , an online ballot tracker should help voters ensure that their ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races in the state aren ’ t terribly close : Most polling has shown Lt. Gov .
Spencer Cox ( R ) well ahead of Democratic challenger Christopher Peterson , a law professor whose campaign one analyst recently diagnosed as “ underfunded and unknown.
” And , as in 2016 , President Donald Trump is expected to carry the state handily .
Utah ’ s Fourth Congressional District offers one close race to watch : Former Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams ( D ) is currently approaching the end of his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Rep. Mia Love ’ s ( R-UT ) reelection bid .
McAdams can stay Utah ’ s only Democratic representative in Congress if he fends off a challenge from Burgess Owens , a former pro football player and , now , a Trump supporter and sometimes-Fox News guest .
One recent poll showed the pair neck-and-neck .
Washington state , where vote by mail is old hat , was well prepared for pandemic conditions .
Most counties in Washington have been conducting their elections entirely by mail since the early 2000s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This year , Washington saw 55 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in the primary , its highest turnout in five decades at .
Kim Wyman , the state ’ s election chief and a Republican who has gained more of a national profile because of her defense of the safety of vote by mail , has told counties to prepare for as high as 90 percent turnout for the general .
That would break the 85 percent record set during the 2012 general election .
It took Washington until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to count its ballots .
As Wyman told cautioned recently , this is to be expected .
“ You may have slower results , ” she said .
“ That ’ s normal .
That ’ s part of the process of making sure we are accurately counting our ballots.
” Washington uses dropboxes and , more recently , postage-free ballots to expand accessibility .
The heavily mail-dependent state led the charge in suing the President and USPS in August for the changes under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that have caused mail delays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ballots .
Washington , and the 13 other states that joined the lawsuit , got a victory last month when a federal judge temporarily blocked the operational changes .
Though it has a red streak in its rural eastern half , Democrats mostly dominate the state , and the races there reflect it .
Gov .
Jay Inslee ( D ) is cruising to reelection , getting over 50 percent of the vote in the primaries despite sharing the stage with a whopping 35 other candidates .
Former Vice President Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a couple of U.S. House races that made Cook Political Report ’ s “ competitive races ” list , including those in the eighth and third districts .
The former is safely in the “ likely Democratic ” column , but the latter was recently reclassified from “ likely Republican ” to “ leans Republican , ” raising at least the possibility that professor Carolyn Long could give incumbent Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler ( R-WA ) a run for her money .
Wyoming saw high turnout for its August primary , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail , a record for the state .
In lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic , the state preemptively sent out absentee ballot applications to registered voters .
The secretary of state also granted an exemption for the primary allowing county clerks to start processing ballots the Thursday before Election Day .
While there are some measures in place that ’ ll help expand access during the general election — no excuse absentee voting and a recently-passed law that allows tribal IDs to count as photo IDs needed to register — there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters from the rolls after they don ’ t vote in a general election .
And to register by mail , the state requires notarization of the registration form , an even bigger hurdle in COVID-19 times .
For the general election , clerks will start processing ballots on October 29 , and tabulate them on Election Day .
Still , not many will be looking to Wyoming for the marquee races of the cycle .
The GOP has a vice-like grip on the state , and the Presidential , Senate and U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to the Republicans .
Republicans also have a supermajority in the state legislature .

The election is less than two weeks away now. Millions of Americans have already voted. And COVID-19 case counts are, once more, climbing.
This week, we have our final installment in our series of state-by-state looks at how election officials are trying to keep voting safe in the pandemic, and the chaos that might ensue in this extremely unusual general election.
Our last tranche of states includes: Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
In addition to this week’s states, check out the other states we’ve examined.
Alaska
A state where the huge distances and vast rural areas have already resulted in a unique system of election administration, Alaska can look forward to an election with an expanded absentee voting regime but one likely coupled with delayed results and rejected ballots.
Control of the state’s legislature is up for grabs this year, while Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) faces a tighter-than-expected re-election battle and the state’s support for President Trump has been weaker in polling than anticipated. To prepare for voting during the pandemic, Alaska made the controversial decision to send absentee ballot applications to voters 65 and older amid opposition from state Democrats who wanted the program expanded to all Alaskans.
Challenges to expand that policy to the rest of the state’s registered voter population failed in federal court in September. Alaskans do benefit from an online, no-excuse-required absentee ballot request system that debuted this year.
But the state offers no opportunity to fix mistakes in mail-in ballots, per a recent court decision, though at least one onerous absentee voting requirement — a witness signature — has been struck down. The state’s primary offers a look at what may take place come November: amid a flood of absentee ballots, the state took more than a week to count the votes, changing the projected results of races across the state. More than 1,240 votes in the primary were rejected, out of a record 62,000 absentee votes cast. Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer (R), the official overseeing elections in Alaska, has said that the state is having trouble signing up poll workers to tally votes come November, creating a recipe for what could be long lines and a delayed count.
Hawaii
Last year Hawaii became the last state to institute universal vote-by-mail elections before COVID-19 forced several other states to follow suit. The state, reports noted at the time, has long struggled with low voter turnout.
In August, in the middle of a pandemic and during its first real test of universal vote-by-mail, Hawaii saw record primary turnout and 99% of ballots cast by mail: More than half of the state’s registered voters participated, and the state surpassed its previous primary record — set in 1994 — by a nearly 100,000-vote margin, The Honolulu Star-Adviser reported.
Already, more than 26% of the electorate has cast their ballots for the general election, Hawaii News Now reported this week.
Some aspects of the state’s elections laws are more restrictive than in other states: Ballots must reach election officials by Election Day, rather than simply being postmarked in time, leaving late-voting Hawaiians vulnerable to mail delays. More than 900 ballots weren’t counted in the primaries for that reason, Honolulu Civil Beat reported.
And whereas the state had hundreds of polling places in years past, it now has just eight in-person voter service centers, meaning Hawaiians who want to register to vote on Election Day or otherwise need some sort of in-person assistance will feel the squeeze. Dozens of “places of deposit” — drop boxes — help alleviate some of the pressure for voters who simply want to drop their ballot off.
“In a perfect world, we’d have one [drop box] every 5 miles,” Hawaii County Clerk John Henricks said at a county council meeting last month, as quoted by the Civil Beat. “But there’s so much more that goes into that. We want to make sure they’re secure, and I don’t think you ever want to sacrifice security for access.”
Other obstacles, such as those for homeless people and limited English proficient voters on the polyglottal islands, still remain.
Hawaii is expected to vote blue in the presidential election, as it has every year since 1988, and while incumbent Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) seems likely to be reelected, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-HI) impending retirement opens the door to new blood in Congress: State Sen. Kai Kahele (D) announced his plans to run for Gabbard’s seat before she announced her own exit, and subsequently won the Democratic primary in a landslide. He’ll face off against Republican Joseph Akana for what’s considered a safely Democratic seat.
New Mexico
It’s a good thing that New Mexico’s legislature was able to salvage this summer a nearly-doomed bill to rework the state’s election rules for the pandemic. The state is in the midst of a troubling surge in COVID-19 transmission, just as ballot-casting is getting underway.
Despite the pandemic, New Mexico is on “solid ground” to break turnout records in the general election, Common Cause New Mexico executive director Heather Ferguson said on a press call Wednesday.
New Mexico has long offered no-excuse absentee voting, but its use exploded in the June election, during which the number of absentee primary voters more than doubled the number that voted absentee in the 2016 general election.
This summer, the legislature passed a bill that gave county officials the discretion to proactively send out ballot applications, among other election rule tweaks that were mostly geared at addressing the pandemic. The legislation nearly died in the June special session when some Democrats objected to a non-pandemic provision that would allow voters to switch their parties when they showed up to vote in primaries. After some arm twisting, the legislative package was dramatically revived. Its other provisions included: a clean-up of the absentee ballot envelope design to make it more accessible to voters, a new procedure for dealing with mail ballots that are missing certain information from voters, ballot tracking technology for absentee voting, and some additional flexibility for counties that receive more than 10,000 absentee ballots for when they can start taking the preliminary steps in the processing of those ballots.
Additionally, the legislation provided protections for maintaining in-person voting options on tribal lands, after the severe impact of COVID-19 on Native American communities caused many of those sites to be closed during the primary.
Voter advocates wished the bill required — rather than just allowed — the proactive mailing of absentee ballot request forms, but otherwise, the “legislation definitely helped,” said Judy Williams, the former president of New Mexico’s League of Women voters.
But that doesn’t mean there haven’t already been some hiccups they’re keeping an eye on. Voters in Sante Fe were confused by the notices they received from election officials if they accidentally applied twice for absentee ballots. In Albuquerque, there have also been reports of voter intimidation and harassment — but law enforcement dealt with the episodes quickly and effectively, voter advocates said.
The open U.S. Senate seat on the ballot looks like it will be going to Democratic House Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, according to recent polls, which also show Joe Biden as the favorite for winning New Mexico’s electoral college votes. But the GOP is hoping to retake the House seat in New Mexico’s most rural district, which was flipped in 2018 by Democrat Xochitl Torres Small, and Republicans have also unveiled a more moderate agenda in the hope of flipping the New Mexico legislature, where both chambers are controlled by Democrats.
Oregon
Oregon started off before the pandemic as an all-mail jurisdiction: the state has voted entirely by mail in every Presidential election since 2000, leaving it in a supposedly superb position to handle voting by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is to say: the state votes only by mail, and has done so for years. It’s a relatively bipartisan consensus in the state, with Oregon having a Republican secretary of state coupled with both houses of its legislature and the governorship controlled by Democrats. The state’s Democrats do have a chance to secure a big enough majority to prevent the Oregon GOP from walking out of legislative sessions this year – high stakes for a legislature that’s been frozen by the practice.
Oregon managed to hold its May primary election on schedule and without significant delays in counting votes, in part thanks to a statewide effort to hire a temporary workforce of younger poll workers to replace those 65 and older who were at higher risk of serious complications from the coronavirus. The state uses signature verification to check the identity of each voter. It’s a fraught and controversial process, but the state offers voters the opportunity for ballot curing if poll workers determine that the signature on the registration application or ballot envelope does not match any previously accepted signature on file.
For November, the state is using new software to verify the signatures that is also used by the banking industry, sparking some concern that the shift could cause problems. Voters have two weeks to cure any problem with their ballot upon notification, and the state begins counting one week before Election Day. Few expect serious delays in this year’s election, largely because the state has had an infrastructure in place for years that appears suited to the current situation.
Utah
Unlike some states seeking to radically expand their vote-by-mail numbers this year, Utah is a practiced veteran of postal service voting: It was one of five states — and the most conservative of the bunch, which also includes Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington — to have instituted universal vote-by-mail way before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Still, like other states around the country, Utah has seen a surge in interest this year. “I’ve been inundated with questions from voters about where their ballots are,” Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen told The Salt Lake Tribune recently.
Ballots are sent to every active, registered voter in the state: That’s more than 1.6 million this year, an increase of nearly 300,000 since just two years ago, according to state records.
“Everything points to a record-breaking turnout,” Utah Elections Director Justin Lee told The Deseret News last week. “We’ve seen constant voter registration all year long. It really hasn’t let up.” Lee said the state’s message this year, in light of COVID-19, was to “avoid the polls unless you absolutely have to.”
The state’s had some mail-in hiccups: As KSL recently listed, some Utah voters have seen ballots without signature lines, primary ballots for the wrong party, and other county-level slip-ups. There’s also a potential time crunch: State law only allows ballots to be sent to voters 21 days before Election Day, and mail-in ballots must be postmarked by the day before Election Day — Nov. 2 this year — or else delivered by hand on Election Day itself. As in other states, an online ballot tracker should help voters ensure that their ballots reach elections officials.
The big ticket races in the state aren’t terribly close: Most polling has shown Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (R) well ahead of Democratic challenger Christopher Peterson, a law professor whose campaign one analyst recently diagnosed as “underfunded and unknown.” And, as in 2016, President Donald Trump is expected to carry the state handily.
Utah’s Fourth Congressional District offers one close race to watch: Former Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams (D) is currently approaching the end of his first term in the seat, having defeated former Rep. Mia Love’s (R-UT) reelection bid. McAdams can stay Utah’s only Democratic representative in Congress if he fends off a challenge from Burgess Owens, a former pro football player and, now, a Trump supporter and sometimes-Fox News guest. One recent poll showed the pair neck-and-neck.
Washington
Washington state, where vote by mail is old hat, was well prepared for pandemic conditions. Most counties in Washington have been conducting their elections entirely by mail since the early 2000s, and it became statewide law in 2011. This year, Washington saw 55 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in the primary, its highest turnout in five decades at. Kim Wyman, the state’s election chief and a Republican who has gained more of a national profile because of her defense of the safety of vote by mail, has told counties to prepare for as high as 90 percent turnout for the general. That would break the 85 percent record set during the 2012 general election.
It took Washington until the Monday after primary election day in August to count its ballots. As Wyman told cautioned recently, this is to be expected. “You may have slower results,” she said. “That’s normal. That’s part of the process of making sure we are accurately counting our ballots.” Washington uses dropboxes and, more recently, postage-free ballots to expand accessibility.
The heavily mail-dependent state led the charge in suing the President and USPS in August for the changes under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that have caused mail delays and prompted questions about the priority treatment of ballots. Washington, and the 13 other states that joined the lawsuit, got a victory last month when a federal judge temporarily blocked the operational changes.
Though it has a red streak in its rural eastern half, Democrats mostly dominate the state, and the races there reflect it. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) is cruising to reelection, getting over 50 percent of the vote in the primaries despite sharing the stage with a whopping 35 other candidates. Former Vice President Joe Biden is a virtual lock here. There are a couple of U.S. House races that made Cook Political Report’s “competitive races” list, including those in the eighth and third districts. The former is safely in the “likely Democratic” column, but the latter was recently reclassified from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican,” raising at least the possibility that professor Carolyn Long could give incumbent Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) a run for her money.
Wyoming
Wyoming saw high turnout for its August primary, in which 45 percent of votes were cast by mail, a record for the state. In lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state preemptively sent out absentee ballot applications to registered voters. The secretary of state also granted an exemption for the primary allowing county clerks to start processing ballots the Thursday before Election Day.
While there are some measures in place that’ll help expand access during the general election — no excuse absentee voting and a recently-passed law that allows tribal IDs to count as photo IDs needed to register — there are many institutional barriers. Wyoming automatically purges voters from the rolls after they don’t vote in a general election. And to register by mail, the state requires notarization of the registration form, an even bigger hurdle in COVID-19 times.
For the general election, clerks will start processing ballots on October 29, and tabulate them on Election Day. Still, not many will be looking to Wyoming for the marquee races of the cycle. The GOP has a vice-like grip on the state, and the Presidential, Senate and U.S. House race in contention will almost certainly go to the Republicans. Republicans also have a supermajority in the state legislature.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-23--Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Sullivan Orders DOJ To Verify Docs In Flynn Case

Federal prosecutors need to provide detailed documentation of allegations of corruption among Obama administration officials , Judge Emmett Sullivan said on Friday .
The move will force prosecutors to attest to the truth of exhibits that they ’ ve filed in the Michael Flynn prosecution , after Judge Sullivan said that a previous document — notes that the government admitted had been altered with post-it notes prior to filing — broke his trust that federal prosecutors would file accurate documents .
Now , Sullivan is demanding that the DOJ produce two declarations attesting to the veracity of exhibits it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented decision to drop charges against the former national security adviser in May .
The judge also wants prosecutors to itemize each exhibit by date , author , and name , and to type up all handwritten documents filed in the matter .
The order creates reams of work for the DOJ in its bid to drop charges against Flynn , and compels federal prosecutors to back up numerous claims they ’ ve made in the case after the DOJ conceded that the document had been altered .
The Trump administration has suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Obama-era federal law enforcement officials set up Flynn in an example of malicious prosecution .
There hasn ’ t been any serious evidence to support that charge .
The development comes after an attorney for former FBI official Peter Strzok disputed the date of a page of notes that government attorneys filed in the case last month , saying that they had been “ altered ” and incorrectly dated in a way that could make it appear that a White House meeting occurred earlier than it did .
The Justice Department made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges against Flynn in the case , causing a shockwave and triggering Judge Sullivan ’ s decision to appoint an amicus in the matter to oppose the government ’ s motion .
The case spent the summer on appeal , before Sullivan heard arguments about whether to accept the government ’ s motion to dismiss last month .
At that hearing , Sullivan told the DOJ that it would need to “ authenticate documents ” that had been filed with the court , after Strzok said that the notes had been altered .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI agent had photocopied documents with sticky notes that had been subsequently attached to them .
The result was that the documents had dates on them , even though they had previously been undated .
Sullivan wrote that this means he can no longer presume that the government ’ s record in the case is accurate .
“ Here , however , the government has acknowledged that altered FBI records have been produced by the government and filed on the record in this case , ” Sullivan wrote .
He then ordered federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attesting to the veracity of the exhibits filed to its initial motion to dismiss the charges , and another attesting to the exhibits that the government produced to Flynn , which he then filed in the docket .
The DOJ has to “ identify each discovery document by name , date , and author ” and “ provide transcriptions of all handwritten notes .
”

Federal prosecutors need to provide detailed documentation of allegations of corruption among Obama administration officials, Judge Emmett Sullivan said on Friday.
The move will force prosecutors to attest to the truth of exhibits that they’ve filed in the Michael Flynn prosecution, after Judge Sullivan said that a previous document — notes that the government admitted had been altered with post-it notes prior to filing — broke his trust that federal prosecutors would file accurate documents.
Now, Sullivan is demanding that the DOJ produce two declarations attesting to the veracity of exhibits it has filed in the case since making the unprecedented decision to drop charges against the former national security adviser in May. The judge also wants prosecutors to itemize each exhibit by date, author, and name, and to type up all handwritten documents filed in the matter.
The order creates reams of work for the DOJ in its bid to drop charges against Flynn, and compels federal prosecutors to back up numerous claims they’ve made in the case after the DOJ conceded that the document had been altered.
The Trump administration has suggested that the filings in question prove allegations that Obama-era federal law enforcement officials set up Flynn in an example of malicious prosecution.
There hasn’t been any serious evidence to support that charge. The development comes after an attorney for former FBI official Peter Strzok disputed the date of a page of notes that government attorneys filed in the case last month, saying that they had been “altered” and incorrectly dated in a way that could make it appear that a White House meeting occurred earlier than it did.
The Justice Department made the unprecedented decision in May to drop charges against Flynn in the case, causing a shockwave and triggering Judge Sullivan’s decision to appoint an amicus in the matter to oppose the government’s motion.
The case spent the summer on appeal, before Sullivan heard arguments about whether to accept the government’s motion to dismiss last month.
At that hearing, Sullivan told the DOJ that it would need to “authenticate documents” that had been filed with the court, after Strzok said that the notes had been altered.
The Justice Department later acknowledged that an FBI agent had photocopied documents with sticky notes that had been subsequently attached to them. The result was that the documents had dates on them, even though they had previously been undated.
Sullivan wrote that this means he can no longer presume that the government’s record in the case is accurate.
“Here, however, the government has acknowledged that altered FBI records have been produced by the government and filed on the record in this case,” Sullivan wrote.
He then ordered federal prosecutors to produce two declarations: one attesting to the veracity of the exhibits filed to its initial motion to dismiss the charges, and another attesting to the exhibits that the government produced to Flynn, which he then filed in the docket.
The DOJ has to “identify each discovery document by name, date, and author” and “provide transcriptions of all handwritten notes.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-23--NC GOPer Tries To Clean Up Racist Attack On Those Who ‘Ruin White Males Running For Office’

Madison Cawthorn , the Republican candidate running for former Rep. Mark Meadows ’ ( R-NC ) old seat , scrambled to put out the fire sparked on Thursday by his racist attack involving Sen. Cory Booker ( D-NJ ) , who is Black , and a journalist who volunteered for Booker ’ s 2020 presidential campaign .
Cawthorn had posted the now-revised broadside on MoeTaxes.com , his website about Democratic opponent Moe Davis .
The post attacked Davis ’ ties to reporter and ex-Boston University dean Tom Fiedler , who “ quit his academia job in Boston to work for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who aims to ruin white males running for office.
” The broken grammar made it unclear whether it was Fiedler or Booker whom Cawthorn was accusing of victimizing white male candidates .
Davis slammed Cawthorn ’ s “ blatantly racist ” remark and stated that the Republican “ has clearly established his poor moral character.
” “ If racism has no place in America , then it surely has no place in Congress , either , ” the Democratic candidate said in a statement .
Cawthorn edited the post after it was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now claims that Fiedler left Boston University to “ become a political operative and is an unapologetic defender of left-wing identity politics.
” The Republican claimed in a statement that the original sentence contained a “ syntax error ” that failed to “ convey my intended meaning.
” “ My intended meaning was , and is , to condemn left-wing identity politics that is dangerous and divisive , ” he said .
Cawthorn also claimed that he was not referring to Booker when he was decrying the supposed victimization of white male candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cory Booker but Tom Fiedler who I believe is more of a political operative than a journalist based on his pattern of biased reporting , ” he said .

Madison Cawthorn, the Republican candidate running for former Rep. Mark Meadows’ (R-NC) old seat, scrambled to put out the fire sparked on Thursday by his racist attack involving Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who is Black, and a journalist who volunteered for Booker’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Cawthorn had posted the now-revised broadside on MoeTaxes.com, his website about Democratic opponent Moe Davis. The post attacked Davis’ ties to reporter and ex-Boston University dean Tom Fiedler, who “quit his academia job in Boston to work for non-white males, like Cory Booker, who aims to ruin white males running for office.” The broken grammar made it unclear whether it was Fiedler or Booker whom Cawthorn was accusing of victimizing white male candidates.
Davis slammed Cawthorn’s “blatantly racist” remark and stated that the Republican “has clearly established his poor moral character.”
“If racism has no place in America, then it surely has no place in Congress, either,” the Democratic candidate said in a statement.
Cawthorn edited the post after it was first flagged by the Bulwark. The post now claims that Fiedler left Boston University to “become a political operative and is an unapologetic defender of left-wing identity politics.”
The Republican claimed in a statement that the original sentence contained a “syntax error” that failed to “convey my intended meaning.”
“My intended meaning was, and is, to condemn left-wing identity politics that is dangerous and divisive,” he said.
Cawthorn also claimed that he was not referring to Booker when he was decrying the supposed victimization of white male candidates.
“My concerns were never with Cory Booker but Tom Fiedler who I believe is more of a political operative than a journalist based on his pattern of biased reporting,” he said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-23--Florida Law Enforcement Will Add Security To Early Voting Sites

Law enforcement deputies will be stationed at five early voting sites in Florida , officials said , after two armed men dressed as security guards who , by some accounts , claimed they had been hired by the Trump campaign to provide security were seen at a campaign tent outside a polling station on Wednesday .
According to local reports earlier this week , Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus that the armed men , who wore blue polo shirts with a security guard insignia to the polling site on Wednesday , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the polling site on behalf of the Trump campaign .
Gualtieri appeared to reverse those statement when he later suggested , according to The New York Times , that he had “ absolutely no confirmation ” that the men who sported gun belts with firearms on their khaki pants , had been hired by Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
A Trump campaign spokeswoman Thea McDonald further distanced the campaign from the men saying in a statement to TPM : “ The campaign did not hire these individuals nor did the campaign direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trei McMullen , the head of Syotos the security company where the armed men work , suggested that the event was a misunderstanding .
“ We had an off-duty employee who was picking up a family member who happened to be in the vicinity of a polling location , ” McMullen told the Times , adding that the employee was “ in no way engaging in poll watching.
” The back-and-forth about the appearance of the armed men at the polling site comes after President Donald Trump has often urged supporters at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting sites and act as “ poll watchers ” to ensure Democrats don ’ t cheat in the election .
“ Be poll watchers when you go there , ” Trump told supporters at a rally in North Carolina last month .
“ Watch all the thieving and stealing and robbing they do .
Because this is important.
” During the first presidential debate in late September , President Trump repeated that call , telling supporter to “ go into the polls and watch very carefully.
” Voting rights advocates have criticized efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Army for Trump ” to watch polls on Election Day , suggesting that those efforts could amount to voter intimidation .
But the county ’ s sheriff appeared to rebuff those claims — suggesting that while their presence may not give some voters “ a great feeling , ” the men hadn ’ t broken any laws by appearing armed at the polling site .
“ Their mere presence does not constitute voter coercion or intimidation , ” the sheriff told the Times .
“ Some people may see these people here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great feeling .
On the other side of the coin , it may give others a good feeling , because they feel protected.
” The comments follow at least one similar incident in the battleground state .
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said on Thursday that her office would be investigating a separate Florida case in which a police officer wore a pro-Trump face mask while in uniform to an early voting site in Miami-Dade County earlier this week .

Law enforcement deputies will be stationed at five early voting sites in Florida, officials said, after two armed men dressed as security guards who, by some accounts, claimed they had been hired by the Trump campaign to provide security were seen at a campaign tent outside a polling station on Wednesday.
According to local reports earlier this week, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus that the armed men, who wore blue polo shirts with a security guard insignia to the polling site on Wednesday, were professional guards and had appeared outside of the polling site on behalf of the Trump campaign.
Gualtieri appeared to reverse those statement when he later suggested, according to The New York Times, that he had “absolutely no confirmation” that the men who sported gun belts with firearms on their khaki pants, had been hired by Trump’s reelection campaign.
A Trump campaign spokeswoman Thea McDonald further distanced the campaign from the men saying in a statement to TPM: “The campaign did not hire these individuals nor did the campaign direct them to go to the voting location.”
Trei McMullen, the head of Syotos the security company where the armed men work, suggested that the event was a misunderstanding.
“We had an off-duty employee who was picking up a family member who happened to be in the vicinity of a polling location,” McMullen told the Times, adding that the employee was “in no way engaging in poll watching.”
The back-and-forth about the appearance of the armed men at the polling site comes after President Donald Trump has often urged supporters at rallies in recent months to go to voting sites and act as “poll watchers” to ensure Democrats don’t cheat in the election.
“Be poll watchers when you go there,” Trump told supporters at a rally in North Carolina last month. “Watch all the thieving and stealing and robbing they do. Because this is important.”
During the first presidential debate in late September, President Trump repeated that call, telling supporter to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.”
Voting rights advocates have criticized efforts by the Trump campaign to solicit an “Army for Trump” to watch polls on Election Day, suggesting that those efforts could amount to voter intimidation.
But the county’s sheriff appeared to rebuff those claims — suggesting that while their presence may not give some voters “a great feeling,” the men hadn’t broken any laws by appearing armed at the polling site.
“Their mere presence does not constitute voter coercion or intimidation,” the sheriff told the Times. “Some people may see these people here and it doesn’t give them a great feeling. On the other side of the coin, it may give others a good feeling, because they feel protected.”
The comments follow at least one similar incident in the battleground state.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said on Thursday that her office would be investigating a separate Florida case in which a police officer wore a pro-Trump face mask while in uniform to an early voting site in Miami-Dade County earlier this week.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-24--Voting Rights Advocates Are Preparing To Protect Against Voter Intimidation At Polls

BOISE , Idaho ( AP ) — Voting rights advocates and state officials are on high alert over fears that U.S. polling stations could attract the same strain of partisan violence and civil unrest that erupted on American streets this year , fueled by a deadly pandemic , outrage over police brutality and one of the most contentious elections ever .
Anti-government extremists and other armed civilians have flocked to protests against racial injustice and COVID-19 lockdowns .
Paramilitary group members are accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan ’ s governor before the election .
President Donald Trump encouraged one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stand by ” and called for an army of “ poll watchers ” to keep tabs on polling places .
While gun rights advocates say fears of violence at the polls are unfounded , the toxic political atmosphere and the prospect of armed poll monitors have some worried it will keep voters from the polls and affect the election .
“ Just as an American , the fact that we ’ re having this conversation is absolutely terrifying to me , ” said American University professor Kurt Braddock , who researches extremist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testament to how far the extreme right has come with getting into this conversation and impacting the way that politics get done here.
” Trump has called for an army of “ poll watchers ” to go to the polls and “ watch carefully.
” Monitoring the votes at polling places is allowed in most states , but rules vary and it ’ s not a free-for-all .
States have established rules , in part , to avoid any hint that observers will harass or intimidate voters .
Some states and groups are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two advocacy groups have sued after a Tennessee-based company placed ads seeking military veterans to provide armed security at polling places and to provide security after the election to protect businesses and residents from “ looting and destruction.
” On Friday , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that a team of hundreds of civilians will spread out across the city to report any instance of voter intimidation .
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner opened a hotline that rings directly to his office ’ s prosecutors , who will send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or intimidation .
In Ohio , the League of Women Voters has been recruiting and training “ peacekeeper teams ” of clergy and social workers to de-escalate any tensions at the polls .
So far , 125 people have signed up .
“ The thought is that when people see ministers with their clergy collars on , or with their stoles , people who are concerned about violence are more apt to be comforted — and the ones who might perpetrate the violence might maybe pull back little bit , ” said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the program trainers .
In Arizona , a coalition of voting rights groups has formed to dispatch volunteers trained to combat voter intimidation and misinformation efforts .
The group , Election Protection Arizona , hopes to train 200 people to deploy to polls on Election Day and 100 more to monitor social media .
“ Our poll volunteers are there to ensure everyone ’ s right to vote is protected regardless of who they are voting for , ” Muna Hijazi , the group ’ s organizing director , said during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal and state law enforcement officials are expanding preparations for the possibility of widespread unrest at the polls .
FBI and local officials in several states have been conducting drills and setting up command centers .
Only six states plus the District of Columbia expressly prohibit carrying a firearm or other deadly weapon to a polling place .
Some other states ban carrying a firearm concealed but have no such restrictions on openly carrying a handgun or long gun .
Federal law bans firearms at schools , so polling places at those are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are particularly pronounced in battleground states .
In Michigan , Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued a directive reminding state elections clerks that firearms can not be openly carried at the polls .
“ Fair , free and secure elections are the foundation of our democracy , ” Benson said .
Authorities say they foiled a plot by members of two anti-government paramilitary groups to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat .
Members of one of the groups , called the Wolverine Watchmen , are accused of planning and training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storming the Michigan Capitol building .
Other self-styled militia groups have shown that they have no qualms about carrying their guns into public spaces , said Braddock , the American University professor .
“ It ’ s one thing for militias to take semi-automatic rifles into the Michigan Statehouse .
It ’ s another thing to take it into a post office where somebody is trying to vote , where there aren ’ t armed guards and people to protect the electorate , ” he said .
During his first debate with Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the neo-fascist Proud Boys , a group known for street brawling with ideological opponents at political rallies .
A day after he told Proud Boys members to “ stand back and stand by , ” the president tried to walk back those words and said the group ’ s members should “ stand down , let law enforcement do their work.
” Gun rights activists say fears of violence at the polls are unfounded and stoked by a leftist agenda .
“ This sounds like a lot of fear-mongering by gun haters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to break out .
But like Chicken Little , they are always wrong , ” said Erich Pratt , senior vice president at Gun Owners of America .
False alarms , like one in Florida , may be inevitable : Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a press briefing on Thursday to knock down rumors of voter intimidation in the county .
After a uniformed security guard stopped at an early polling site after work to pick up a relative , at least one local TV station reported it as an intimidation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t part of any campaign and didn ’ t engage with any voter .
Kunzelman reported from College Park , Maryland .
Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus , Ohio ; Astrid Galvan in Phoenix ; and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report .

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Voting rights advocates and state officials are on high alert over fears that U.S. polling stations could attract the same strain of partisan violence and civil unrest that erupted on American streets this year, fueled by a deadly pandemic, outrage over police brutality and one of the most contentious elections ever.
Anti-government extremists and other armed civilians have flocked to protests against racial injustice and COVID-19 lockdowns. Paramilitary group members are accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan’s governor before the election. President Donald Trump encouraged one far-right extremist group to “stand back and stand by” and called for an army of “poll watchers” to keep tabs on polling places.
While gun rights advocates say fears of violence at the polls are unfounded, the toxic political atmosphere and the prospect of armed poll monitors have some worried it will keep voters from the polls and affect the election.
“Just as an American, the fact that we’re having this conversation is absolutely terrifying to me,” said American University professor Kurt Braddock, who researches extremist groups. “It’s a testament to how far the extreme right has come with getting into this conversation and impacting the way that politics get done here.”
Trump has called for an army of “poll watchers” to go to the polls and “watch carefully.” Monitoring the votes at polling places is allowed in most states, but rules vary and it’s not a free-for-all. States have established rules, in part, to avoid any hint that observers will harass or intimidate voters.
Some states and groups are preparing for that possibility.
In Minnesota, two advocacy groups have sued after a Tennessee-based company placed ads seeking military veterans to provide armed security at polling places and to provide security after the election to protect businesses and residents from “looting and destruction.”
On Friday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that a team of hundreds of civilians will spread out across the city to report any instance of voter intimidation. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner opened a hotline that rings directly to his office’s prosecutors, who will send detectives to investigate reports of voter suppression or intimidation.
In Ohio, the League of Women Voters has been recruiting and training “peacekeeper teams” of clergy and social workers to de-escalate any tensions at the polls. So far, 125 people have signed up.
“The thought is that when people see ministers with their clergy collars on, or with their stoles, people who are concerned about violence are more apt to be comforted — and the ones who might perpetrate the violence might maybe pull back little bit,” said the Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith, one of the program trainers.
In Arizona, a coalition of voting rights groups has formed to dispatch volunteers trained to combat voter intimidation and misinformation efforts. The group, Election Protection Arizona, hopes to train 200 people to deploy to polls on Election Day and 100 more to monitor social media.
“Our poll volunteers are there to ensure everyone’s right to vote is protected regardless of who they are voting for,” Muna Hijazi, the group’s organizing director, said during a call with reporters this month.
Federal and state law enforcement officials are expanding preparations for the possibility of widespread unrest at the polls. FBI and local officials in several states have been conducting drills and setting up command centers.
Only six states plus the District of Columbia expressly prohibit carrying a firearm or other deadly weapon to a polling place. Some other states ban carrying a firearm concealed but have no such restrictions on openly carrying a handgun or long gun. Federal law bans firearms at schools, so polling places at those are off limits.
Concerns about voter intimidation are particularly pronounced in battleground states. In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued a directive reminding state elections clerks that firearms cannot be openly carried at the polls.
“Fair, free and secure elections are the foundation of our democracy,” Benson said.
Authorities say they foiled a plot by members of two anti-government paramilitary groups to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. Members of one of the groups, called the Wolverine Watchmen, are accused of planning and training for other violent crimes, such as storming the Michigan Capitol building.
Other self-styled militia groups have shown that they have no qualms about carrying their guns into public spaces, said Braddock, the American University professor.
“It’s one thing for militias to take semi-automatic rifles into the Michigan Statehouse. It’s another thing to take it into a post office where somebody is trying to vote, where there aren’t armed guards and people to protect the electorate,” he said.
During his first debate with Joe Biden, Trump refused to outright condemn the neo-fascist Proud Boys, a group known for street brawling with ideological opponents at political rallies. A day after he told Proud Boys members to “stand back and stand by,” the president tried to walk back those words and said the group’s members should “stand down, let law enforcement do their work.”
Gun rights activists say fears of violence at the polls are unfounded and stoked by a leftist agenda.
“This sounds like a lot of fear-mongering by gun haters. They are always predicting that violence is going to break out. But like Chicken Little, they are always wrong,” said Erich Pratt, senior vice president at Gun Owners of America.
False alarms, like one in Florida, may be inevitable: Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a press briefing on Thursday to knock down rumors of voter intimidation in the county. After a uniformed security guard stopped at an early polling site after work to pick up a relative, at least one local TV station reported it as an intimidation effort. Gualtieri said the guard wasn’t part of any campaign and didn’t engage with any voter.
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Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland. Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio; Astrid Galvan in Phoenix; and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-24--Trump Votes In-Person After Years Of Casting His Ballot Absentee

President Donald Trump , a repeated absentee voter , broke with tradition on Saturday by appearing at library in Florida ’ s Palm Beach County to cast his ballot in person , a move that comes after repeatedly condemning mail-in voting .
“ It was a very secure vote , much more secure than when you send in a ballot , ” Trump said on Saturday according to NPR , after telling reporters that he had “ voted for a guy named Trump.
” President Trump has repeatedly voted by mail in the past — voting absentee in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March primary .
After months of criticizing vote-by-mail , Trump even requested a mail-in ballot for Florida ’ s primary election that was sent to his Mar-a-Lago residence in August and flip-flopped about the safety of mail-in voting in the battleground state .
President Trump has railed against efforts by Democrats and voting rights advocates to expand mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic — often peddling the false claim that ballots cast by mail will cause a “ rigged ” election overwhelmed by “ fraud.
” After voting , President Trump boasted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — even as he slides in national polls — he said have recently welcomed large crowds , the Associated Press reported .
The President has previously been criticized for hosting large gathering where masks are often not worn and social-distancing guidelines are not followed — the issue becomes particularly critical amid back-to-back record-shattering single day highs for new coronavirus cases on Thursday and Friday .
Meanwhile , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told a drive-in rally outside Philadelphia that he didn ’ t like “ all this distance ” but said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We don ’ t want to become super-spreaders , ” Biden said , according to AP , in an apparent jab at President Trump who hosted a ceremony at the White House last month for his Supreme Court nominee which appeared to result in a number of COVID-19 cases .

President Donald Trump, a repeated absentee voter, broke with tradition on Saturday by appearing at library in Florida’s Palm Beach County to cast his ballot in person, a move that comes after repeatedly condemning mail-in voting.
“It was a very secure vote, much more secure than when you send in a ballot,” Trump said on Saturday according to NPR, after telling reporters that he had “voted for a guy named Trump.”
Vice President Mike Pence also voted early a day earlier in Indianapolis.
President Trump has repeatedly voted by mail in the past — voting absentee in New York in 2018 and in Florida’s March primary. After months of criticizing vote-by-mail, Trump even requested a mail-in ballot for Florida’s primary election that was sent to his Mar-a-Lago residence in August and flip-flopped about the safety of mail-in voting in the battleground state.
President Trump has railed against efforts by Democrats and voting rights advocates to expand mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic — often peddling the false claim that ballots cast by mail will cause a “rigged” election overwhelmed by “fraud.”
After voting, President Trump boasted that he was headed to big rallies which — even as he slides in national polls — he said have recently welcomed large crowds, the Associated Press reported. The President has previously been criticized for hosting large gathering where masks are often not worn and social-distancing guidelines are not followed — the issue becomes particularly critical amid back-to-back record-shattering single day highs for new coronavirus cases on Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told a drive-in rally outside Philadelphia that he didn’t like “all this distance” but said it was necessary amid the coronavirus pandemic.
”We don’t want to become super-spreaders,” Biden said, according to AP, in an apparent jab at President Trump who hosted a ceremony at the White House last month for his Supreme Court nominee which appeared to result in a number of COVID-19 cases.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-24--Fauci: ‘Maybe We Should Be Mandating’ Masks Amid Record High Coronavirus Cases

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday said it might be time to mandate mask-wearing to curb the spread of coronavirus as the nation broke its previous record for the highest daily total of new COVID-19 cases .
“ If people are not wearing masks , then maybe we should be mandating it , ” Fauci told CNN in an interview on Friday .
The remarks come as data compiled by Johns Hopkins University on Friday revealed a record-breaking high of 83,000 new coronavirus cases for a single day .
Fauci who is both the director of the National Institute of Allergy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , has repeatedly implored mask-wearing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 , but has typically shied away from suggesting a widespread national mandate .
“ A national mandate probably would not work , ” he said during a news conference last month with Vermont Gov .
Phil Scott pointing at challenges to enforce mask-wearing .
But on Friday he appeared to take a more urgent stance , suggesting that even amid the difficulties of ensuring the practice is followed it might be time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a difficulty enforcing it , but if everyone agrees that this is something that ’ s important and they mandate it and everybody pulls together and says , you know , we ’ re going to mandate it but let ’ s just do it , I think that would be a great idea to have everybody do it uniformly , ” the public health expert said .
The comments come after Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at a campaign event in Delaware on Friday said that he would implement a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will mandate mask wearing in all federal buildings and all interstate transportation because masks save lives – period , ” Biden said .
“ Wearing masks is not a political statement , it is a scientific imperative.
” In July , the White House opposed legislation to mandate masks for workers and passengers on airlines and public transit , suggesting such a rule would be “ overly restrictive.
” It added at the time that “ such decisions should be left to states , local governments , transportation systems , and public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long record of mocking masks , even recently promoting a misleading anti-mask talking point during a televised NBC town hall event , that falsely claims most people who wear face coverings end up contracting coronavirus .
Fauci on Friday again pressed the importance of wearing masks to clamp down on the spread of COVID-19 , citing it as a key reason surges have reemerged in a number of states across the country as cooler weather sets in .
“ We ’ re not uniformly doing that and that ’ s one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Fauci said .

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday said it might be time to mandate mask-wearing to curb the spread of coronavirus as the nation broke its previous record for the highest daily total of new COVID-19 cases.
“If people are not wearing masks, then maybe we should be mandating it,” Fauci told CNN in an interview on Friday.
The remarks come as data compiled by Johns Hopkins University on Friday revealed a record-breaking high of 83,000 new coronavirus cases for a single day.
Fauci who is both the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a prominent member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, has repeatedly implored mask-wearing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but has typically shied away from suggesting a widespread national mandate.
“A national mandate probably would not work,” he said during a news conference last month with Vermont Gov. Phil Scott pointing at challenges to enforce mask-wearing.
But on Friday he appeared to take a more urgent stance, suggesting that even amid the difficulties of ensuring the practice is followed it might be time to act.
“There’s going to be a difficulty enforcing it, but if everyone agrees that this is something that’s important and they mandate it and everybody pulls together and says, you know, we’re going to mandate it but let’s just do it, I think that would be a great idea to have everybody do it uniformly,” the public health expert said.
The comments come after Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at a campaign event in Delaware on Friday said that he would implement a national mask mandate.
“As president I will mandate mask wearing in all federal buildings and all interstate transportation because masks save lives – period,” Biden said. “Wearing masks is not a political statement, it is a scientific imperative.”
In July, the White House opposed legislation to mandate masks for workers and passengers on airlines and public transit, suggesting such a rule would be “overly restrictive.” It added at the time that “such decisions should be left to states, local governments, transportation systems, and public health leaders.”
President Trump has a long record of mocking masks, even recently promoting a misleading anti-mask talking point during a televised NBC town hall event, that falsely claims most people who wear face coverings end up contracting coronavirus.
Fauci on Friday again pressed the importance of wearing masks to clamp down on the spread of COVID-19, citing it as a key reason surges have reemerged in a number of states across the country as cooler weather sets in.
“We’re not uniformly doing that and that’s one of the reasons we’re seeing these surges,” Fauci said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-24--Ivanka And Jared’s Lawyer Threatens To Sue Over The Lincoln Project’s Times Square Billboards

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner ’ s lawyer is threatening to sue The Lincoln Project for billboards the Republican group installed in Times Square that feature the two White House senior advisers smiling alongside body bags and figures that reflect a staggering coronavirus death toll .
“ I am writing concerning the false , malicious and defamatory ads that the Lincoln Project is displaying on billboards in Times Square , ” Marc Kasowitz — a longtime outside counsel for President Donald Trump from the New York-based law firm Kasowitz , Benson & Torres , wrote in a letter to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not immediately removed , we will sue you for what will doubtless be enormous compensatory and punitive damages , ” he added .
Kasowitz decried the billboard which featured Trump ’ s daughter , Ivanka Trump , smiling and appearing to gesture in the direction of figures that showed over 33,000 New Yorkers and 221,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 .
In a second accompanying billboard , Kushner , President Trump ’ s son-in-law , is positioned next to body bags with the quote “ [ New Yorkers ] are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The letter comes as the the nation reached a new record high in the number of new cases reported in a single day on Thursday — 77,000 — which it broke a day later with 83,000 new cases according to data compiled by John Hopkins University .
Earlier this week , Dr. Jay Butler , deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , warned of a “ distressing trend ” as coronavirus cases are “ increasing in nearly 75 percent of the country.
” The founders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dedicated to electing Republicans , and the group has been a prominent critic of the Trump administration ’ s bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic , which President Trump again falsely said during the final presidential debate in Nashville , Tennessee on Thursday was “ going away.
” “ It will go away and as I say , we ’ re rounding the turn , we ’ re rounding the corner .
It ’ s going away , ” Trump claimed on Thursday .
In a statement late Friday responding to the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to remove the billboards and accused the couple of “ indifference ” to the immense loss of life caused by what they described as mismanagement COVID-19 crisis .
“ The level of indignant outrage Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have shown towards The Lincoln Project for exposing their indifference for the more than 223,000 people who have lost their lives due to their reckless mismanagement of COVID-19 is comical , ” The Lincoln Project wrote .
“ We consider it important that in Times Square the crossroads of the world , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audacity and staggering lack of empathy the Trumps and the Kushners have displayed towards the American people , ” the group added .
Correction : This post originally misstated that The Lincoln Project , as an organization ( rather than the group ’ s founders ) , has been dedicated to electing Republicans .
We regret the error .

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s lawyer is threatening to sue The Lincoln Project for billboards the Republican group installed in Times Square that feature the two White House senior advisers smiling alongside body bags and figures that reflect a staggering coronavirus death toll.
“I am writing concerning the false, malicious and defamatory ads that the Lincoln Project is displaying on billboards in Times Square,” Marc Kasowitz — a longtime outside counsel for President Donald Trump from the New York-based law firm Kasowitz, Benson & Torres, wrote in a letter to the Lincoln Project.
“If these billboards are not immediately removed, we will sue you for what will doubtless be enormous compensatory and punitive damages,” he added.
Kasowitz decried the billboard which featured Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, smiling and appearing to gesture in the direction of figures that showed over 33,000 New Yorkers and 221,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. In a second accompanying billboard, Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, is positioned next to body bags with the quote “[New Yorkers] are going to suffer and that’s their problem.” The Kushner quote originated in Vanity Fair.
The letter comes as the the nation reached a new record high in the number of new cases reported in a single day on Thursday — 77,000 — which it broke a day later with 83,000 new cases according to data compiled by John Hopkins University. Earlier this week, Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned of a “distressing trend” as coronavirus cases are “increasing in nearly 75 percent of the country.”
The founders of The Lincoln Project have long been dedicated to electing Republicans, and the group has been a prominent critic of the Trump administration’s bungled response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which President Trump again falsely said during the final presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday was “going away.”
“It will go away and as I say, we’re rounding the turn, we’re rounding the corner. It’s going away,” Trump claimed on Thursday.
In a statement late Friday responding to the threat of legal action, The Lincoln Project declined to remove the billboards and accused the couple of “indifference” to the immense loss of life caused by what they described as mismanagement COVID-19 crisis.
“The level of indignant outrage Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have shown towards The Lincoln Project for exposing their indifference for the more than 223,000 people who have lost their lives due to their reckless mismanagement of COVID-19 is comical,” The Lincoln Project wrote.
“We consider it important that in Times Square the crossroads of the world, people are continuously reminded of the cruelty, audacity and staggering lack of empathy the Trumps and the Kushners have displayed towards the American people,” the group added.
Correction: This post originally misstated that The Lincoln Project, as an organization (rather than the group’s founders), has been dedicated to electing Republicans. We regret the error.