talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-18--Trump Camp Keeps Bolstering POTUS’ Self-Proclaimed QAnon Ignorance

The Trump campaign on Sunday continued defending the President ’ s refusal to disavow QAnon — a group that has been labeled by the FBI as a domestic terror threat — during an NBC News town hall by rehashing his self-proclaimed ignorance of the group , despite his history of endorsing QAnon-aligned GOP congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene and promoting unfounded claims from QAnon-affiliated accounts on Twitter .
When asked during an NBC town hall on Thursday night whether he can disavow QAnon , which centers around a conspiracy theory that Trump is a savior fighting a cult of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pedophile ring , the President claimed ignorance of the group .
“ I know nothing about QAnon , I know very little , ” Trump said on Thursday night , regurgitating a response he has repeatedly used in the past to suggest that if he issn ’ t aware of someone or something , then he can ’ t be held accountable for it .
The President also appeared to boost QAnon by selectively emphasizing “ that they ’ re very strong against pedophilia , ” which he said he agrees with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed by its supporters .
A few days later , Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel and Trump campaign national press secretary Hogan Gidley echoed the President ’ s self-proclaimed ignorance of QAnon during Sunday morning interviews .
When asked whether she can condemn QAnon as head of the GOP , like her uncle Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) had done in criticizing the President for refusing to do so , McDaniel appeared to blame the media as she reiterated Trump ’ s absurd claim that he doesn ’ t know anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were going to ask me that question .
I knew it because it ’ s something the voters are not even thinking about .
It ’ s a fringe group .
It ’ s not part of our party , ” McDaniel said on ABC News .
“ The vice president said , I dismiss it out of hand .
The President said , you know what , I don ’ t know anything about this group .
But , of course , you ’ re going to ask me about that because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this election.
” Asked again whether she condemns QAnon , McDaniel pivoted to ranting about antifa and stalled COVID relief negotiations ( which the President himself called off ) .
Gidley denied that Trump was “ mixed in his response ” to QAnon and similarly told Fox News on Sunday that Trump was “ pretty clear he didn ’ t know much about the group at all.
” Gidney then deflected to blaming NBC News town hall moderator Savannah Guthrie for asking about QAnon in the first place .
“ When the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions that concerned their futures , not just for them and their families , but for their children , for their friends , they asked serious questions about the economy , they asked serious questions about jobs coming back , questions about COVID , ” Gidley said .
“ Savannah Guthrie takes her time to ask about a crazy conspiracy theory to which the President said , ‘ I don ’ t know what you ’ re talking about .
I hear they ’ re against pedophilia .
Yeah , so am I.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the group , he was clear.
” Gidley continued railing against the “ mainstream media ” for pushing “ nonsensical ” topics .
“ But that ’ s what the mainstream media is trying to push , all the things that are nonsensical that don ’ t really address the issues that face real Americans , because they know the President has the answers for those issues , ” Gidley said .

The Trump campaign on Sunday continued defending the President’s refusal to disavow QAnon — a group that has been labeled by the FBI as a domestic terror threat — during an NBC News town hall by rehashing his self-proclaimed ignorance of the group, despite his history of endorsing QAnon-aligned GOP congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene and promoting unfounded claims from QAnon-affiliated accounts on Twitter.
When asked during an NBC town hall on Thursday night whether he can disavow QAnon, which centers around a conspiracy theory that Trump is a savior fighting a cult of “deep state” Democrats running a satanic pedophile ring, the President claimed ignorance of the group.
“I know nothing about QAnon, I know very little,” Trump said on Thursday night, regurgitating a response he has repeatedly used in the past to suggest that if he issn’t aware of someone or something, then he can’t be held accountable for it.
The President also appeared to boost QAnon by selectively emphasizing “that they’re very strong against pedophilia,” which he said he agrees with, while refusing to acknowledge the unfounded claims pushed by its supporters.
A few days later, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel and Trump campaign national press secretary Hogan Gidley echoed the President’s self-proclaimed ignorance of QAnon during Sunday morning interviews.
RNC chair Ronna McDaniel
When asked whether she can condemn QAnon as head of the GOP, like her uncle Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) had done in criticizing the President for refusing to do so, McDaniel appeared to blame the media as she reiterated Trump’s absurd claim that he doesn’t know anything about it.
“I knew you were going to ask me that question. I knew it because it’s something the voters are not even thinking about. It’s a fringe group. It’s not part of our party,” McDaniel said on ABC News. “The vice president said, I dismiss it out of hand. The President said, you know what, I don’t know anything about this group. But, of course, you’re going to ask me about that because it has absolutely nothing to do with this election.”
Asked again whether she condemns QAnon, McDaniel pivoted to ranting about antifa and stalled COVID relief negotiations (which the President himself called off).
.@GStephanopoulos: As head of the GOP are you prepared to condemn QAnon? McDaniel claims it's “something the voters are not thinking about” and it is a “fringe group.” GS: "So do you condemn it?" McDaniel: “I just told you – dismissed them out of hand.” https://t.co/6d8oN8lBdh pic.twitter.com/TToBLgu8p9 — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 18, 2020
Trump campaign national press secretary Hogan Gidley
Gidley denied that Trump was “mixed in his response” to QAnon and similarly told Fox News on Sunday that Trump was “pretty clear he didn’t know much about the group at all.”
Gidney then deflected to blaming NBC News town hall moderator Savannah Guthrie for asking about QAnon in the first place.
“When the American people got the chance to ask the questions that concerned their futures, not just for them and their families, but for their children, for their friends, they asked serious questions about the economy, they asked serious questions about jobs coming back, questions about COVID,” Gidley said. “Savannah Guthrie takes her time to ask about a crazy conspiracy theory to which the President said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I hear they’re against pedophilia. Yeah, so am I.’ He doesn’t know anything about the group, he was clear.”
Gidley continued railing against the “mainstream media” for pushing “nonsensical” topics.
“But that’s what the mainstream media is trying to push, all the things that are nonsensical that don’t really address the issues that face real Americans, because they know the President has the answers for those issues,” Gidley said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-18--Lara Trump Insists Prez Was Just ‘Having Fun’ As He Fueled ‘Lock Her Up’ Chants At MI Rally

Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump defended her father-in-law on Sunday when grilled on the President ’ s latest attack against Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) during a rally the night before , which involved joining in on chants of “ lock her up ” just days after the FBI foiled an alleged right-wing conspiracy to kidnap and possibly kill her .
During his Michigan rally on Saturday night , Trump repeated his previous gripe that Whitmer should be more appreciative of the FBI for thwarting the alleged right-wing kidnapping plot .
The President also continued railing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly infuriated the 14 charged suspects in the state and federal case .
When supporters chanted “ lock her up , ” Trump joined in on the incendiary chant that is reminiscent of his presidential run against Hillary Clinton in 2016 by snarking : “ Lock her up ?
Lock them all up !
” Pressed on the President ’ s amplification of his supporters ’ “ lock her up ” chants the morning after , Lara Trump piggybacked off of her father-in-law ’ s talking point that his Department of Justice “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan governor .
After saying that the alleged plot against Whitmer is “ awful ” and that “ no one should ever have this thing happen to them , ” Trump echoed the President by arguing that “ people are frustrated around America ” and in Michigan , particularly , when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions .
Asked again about the threats Whitmer has received , Trump hit back that she has gotten threats as well and that “ this is not just on one side.
” CNN ’ s Jake Tapper acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ detestable ” before asking Trump whether the President himself should “ tone it down.
” Trump denied that the President was doing anything to “ provoke ” people to threaten Whitmer and quipped that “ he was having fun at a Trump rally.
” “ And quite frankly , there are bigger issues than this right now for everyday Americans .
People want to get the country reopened .
They want to get back to work , ” Trump said .
“ Not only are we trying to make it through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cancers that have gone unaddressed , think about the kids that aren ’ t in school who use school to get their one meal a day.
” Trump continued deflecting as she reiterated that the President just wanted to have fun at his rally .
“ There are issues at hand here that are bigger than just keeping everybody locked down , ” Trump said .
“ So I think people are frustrated and look — the President was at a rally .
It ’ s a fun , light atmosphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging people to threaten this woman .
”

Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump defended her father-in-law on Sunday when grilled on the President’s latest attack against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) during a rally the night before, which involved joining in on chants of “lock her up” just days after the FBI foiled an alleged right-wing conspiracy to kidnap and possibly kill her.
During his Michigan rally on Saturday night, Trump repeated his previous gripe that Whitmer should be more appreciative of the FBI for thwarting the alleged right-wing kidnapping plot. The President also continued railing against Whitmer for implementing COVID-19 restrictions that allegedly infuriated the 14 charged suspects in the state and federal case.
When supporters chanted “lock her up,” Trump joined in on the incendiary chant that is reminiscent of his presidential run against Hillary Clinton in 2016 by snarking: “Lock her up? Lock them all up!”
Pressed on the President’s amplification of his supporters’ “lock her up” chants the morning after, Lara Trump piggybacked off of her father-in-law’s talking point that his Department of Justice “actually thwarted this attack against” the Michigan governor.
After saying that the alleged plot against Whitmer is “awful” and that “no one should ever have this thing happen to them,” Trump echoed the President by arguing that “people are frustrated around America” and in Michigan, particularly, when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions.
Asked again about the threats Whitmer has received, Trump hit back that she has gotten threats as well and that “this is not just on one side.”
CNN’s Jake Tapper acknowledged that threats against her or her family are “detestable” before asking Trump whether the President himself should “tone it down.”
Trump denied that the President was doing anything to “provoke” people to threaten Whitmer and quipped that “he was having fun at a Trump rally.”
“And quite frankly, there are bigger issues than this right now for everyday Americans. People want to get the country reopened. They want to get back to work,” Trump said. “Not only are we trying to make it through a pandemic, but think about all of the cancers that have gone unaddressed, think about the kids that aren’t in school who use school to get their one meal a day.”
Trump continued deflecting as she reiterated that the President just wanted to have fun at his rally.
“There are issues at hand here that are bigger than just keeping everybody locked down,” Trump said. “So I think people are frustrated and look — the President was at a rally. It’s a fun, light atmosphere. Of course he wasn’t encouraging people to threaten this woman.”
Watch Trump’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-18--Whitmer Urges ‘People Of Good Will On Both Sides’ To Condemn Trump’s ‘Lock Her Up’ Rhetoric

Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) hammered into her condemnation of President Trump ’ s incendiary rhetoric a day after the President blasted her for the COVID-19 restrictions she implemented , which prompted chants of “ lock her up ” from his supporters .
During his Michigan rally on Saturday night , Trump laughed and grinned as he snarked : “ Lock her up ?
Lock them all up !
, ” echoing his supporters ’ chants of “ lock her up.
” The President has recently complained that Whitmer should be more appreciative of the FBI thwarting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibly kill her — a gripe he made as he attacked the Michigan governor in a flurry of tweets earlier this month .
Shortly after Trump delivered his remarks , Whitmer condemned the President for his incendiary remarks to his supporters in a tweet on Saturday night .
The following morning , Whitmer doubled down on her condemnation of Trump ’ s remarks and appeared to echo her previous argument that the President ’ s refusal to condemn hate groups only incentivizes them , during an interview on MSNBC ’ s “ Meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredibly disturbing that the President of the United States , 10 days after a plot to kidnap , put me on trial , and execute me , ” Whitmer said .
“ 10 days after that was uncovered , the President is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism .
It is wrong .
It has got to end.
” Whitmer then reiterated what she tweeted the night before , saying that Trump ’ s rhetoric is “ dangerous ” not only for her and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans.
” Whitmer called on the public to come together to join her in condemning Trump ’ s remarks .
“ People of good will on both sides of the aisle need to step up and call this out and bring the heat down , ” Whitmer said .
“ This is the United States of America .
We do not tolerate actions like he is giving comfort to and that ’ s why we all have to be in @ @ @ @

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) hammered into her condemnation of President Trump’s incendiary rhetoric a day after the President blasted her for the COVID-19 restrictions she implemented, which prompted chants of “lock her up” from his supporters.
During his Michigan rally on Saturday night, Trump laughed and grinned as he snarked: “Lock her up? Lock them all up!,” echoing his supporters’ chants of “lock her up.” The President has recently complained that Whitmer should be more appreciative of the FBI thwarting an alleged right-wing conspiracy to kidnap and possibly kill her — a gripe he made as he attacked the Michigan governor in a flurry of tweets earlier this month.
Shortly after Trump delivered his remarks, Whitmer condemned the President for his incendiary remarks to his supporters in a tweet on Saturday night.
This is exactly the rhetoric that has put me, my family, and other government officials’ lives in danger while we try to save the lives of our fellow Americans. It needs to stop. https://t.co/EWkNQx3Ppx — Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) October 17, 2020
The following morning, Whitmer doubled down on her condemnation of Trump’s remarks and appeared to echo her previous argument that the President’s refusal to condemn hate groups only incentivizes them, during an interview on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“It’s incredibly disturbing that the President of the United States, 10 days after a plot to kidnap, put me on trial, and execute me,” Whitmer said. “10 days after that was uncovered, the President is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism. It is wrong. It has got to end.”
Whitmer then reiterated what she tweeted the night before, saying that Trump’s rhetoric is “dangerous” not only for her and her family, but also “for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans.”
Whitmer called on the public to come together to join her in condemning Trump’s remarks.
“People of good will on both sides of the aisle need to step up and call this out and bring the heat down,” Whitmer said. “This is the United States of America. We do not tolerate actions like he is giving comfort to and that’s why we all have to be in this together.”
Watch Whitmer’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Fauci Says He Was ‘Absolutely Not’ Surprised When Trump Got Infected With COVID-19

Dr. Anthony Fauci , one of the White House ’ s most prominent COVID-19 experts , said on Sunday that President Donald Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis wasn ’ t a surprise given how often the President openly disregards the dangers of holding large gatherings , such as his campaign rallies , and not wearing masks .
“ Absolutely not , ” Fauci said during a pre-taped interview when CBS medical correspondent Jon LaPook asked if he was surprised when Trump got sick , which ultimately landed the President in the hospital earlier this month .
“ I was worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded , no separation between people , and almost nobody wearing a mask , ” the doctor continued .
“ When I saw that on TV , I said , ‘ Oh my goodness .
Nothing good can come outta that , that ’ s got ta be a problem . '
” “ And then sure enough , it turned out to be a superspreader event , ” he added .
However , Fauci also asserted that Trump does believe in science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t , he would not have entrusted his health to the very competent physicians at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center , ” Fauci told LaPook , arguing that the President falsely casting doubt on health experts ’ sobering assessments of the pandemic is more a “ statement of strength ” than actually being anti-science .
Asked if Trump downplaying the importance of wearing masks makes sense , the doctor replied , “ Of course not .
”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the White House’s most prominent COVID-19 experts, said on Sunday that President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis wasn’t a surprise given how often the President openly disregards the dangers of holding large gatherings, such as his campaign rallies, and not wearing masks.
“Absolutely not,” Fauci said during a pre-taped interview when CBS medical correspondent Jon LaPook asked if he was surprised when Trump got sick, which ultimately landed the President in the hospital earlier this month.
“I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask,” the doctor continued. “When I saw that on TV, I said, ‘Oh my goodness. Nothing good can come outta that, that’s gotta be a problem.'”
“And then sure enough, it turned out to be a superspreader event,” he added.
However, Fauci also asserted that Trump does believe in science “deep down.”
“If he didn’t, he would not have entrusted his health to the very competent physicians at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center,” Fauci told LaPook, arguing that the President falsely casting doubt on health experts’ sobering assessments of the pandemic is more a “statement of strength” than actually being anti-science.
Asked if Trump downplaying the importance of wearing masks makes sense, the doctor replied, “Of course not.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--SCOTUS Blocks GOP Effort To Prevent PA From Counting Ballots Received After Election Day

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Supreme Court will allow Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election , rejecting a Republican plea .
The justices divided 4-4 Monday , an outcome that upholds a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed election officials to receive and count ballots until Nov. 6 , even if they don ’ t have a clear postmark .
Republicans , including President Donald Trump ’ s campaign , have opposed such an extension , arguing that it violates federal law that sets Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision constitutionally belongs to lawmakers , not the courts .
Chief Justice John Roberts joined with the three liberal justices to reject Pennsylvania Republicans ’ call for the court to block the state court ruling .
Justices Samuel Alito , Neil Gorsuch , Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas would have required the state to stop accepting absentee ballots when the polls close on Nov. 3 .
There were no opinions accompanying the order , so it is impossible to say what motivated either group of justices .
The conservative justices have been reluctant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to an election .
The court also is weighing a similar issue from Wisconsin .
But in that case , the ruling being challenged comes from a federal appeals court and it ’ s the Democrats who are asking the justices to step in .
In Pennsylvania , the state Democratic Party and its allies had sought an extension of the Election Day deadline to count mailed ballots because Democratic-registered voters are requesting mail ballots at a nearly 3-to-1 ratio over Republicans .
In its Sept. 17 ruling , the divided state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the time polls close and be received by county election boards at 5 p.m. on Nov. 6 , three days after the Nov. 3 election .
It also said that ballots lacking a clear postmark could be counted unless there was evidence that they were mailed after the polls closed .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will allow Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election, rejecting a Republican plea.
The justices divided 4-4 Monday, an outcome that upholds a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed election officials to receive and count ballots until Nov. 6, even if they don’t have a clear postmark.
Republicans, including President Donald Trump’s campaign, have opposed such an extension, arguing that it violates federal law that sets Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and that such a decision constitutionally belongs to lawmakers, not the courts.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined with the three liberal justices to reject Pennsylvania Republicans’ call for the court to block the state court ruling.
Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas would have required the state to stop accepting absentee ballots when the polls close on Nov. 3.
There were no opinions accompanying the order, so it is impossible to say what motivated either group of justices.
The conservative justices have been reluctant to allow court-ordered changes to voting rules close to an election.
The court also is weighing a similar issue from Wisconsin. But in that case, the ruling being challenged comes from a federal appeals court and it’s the Democrats who are asking the justices to step in.
In Pennsylvania, the state Democratic Party and its allies had sought an extension of the Election Day deadline to count mailed ballots because Democratic-registered voters are requesting mail ballots at a nearly 3-to-1 ratio over Republicans.
In its Sept. 17 ruling, the divided state Supreme Court said ballots must be postmarked by the time polls close and be received by county election boards at 5 p.m. on Nov. 6, three days after the Nov. 3 election. It also said that ballots lacking a clear postmark could be counted unless there was evidence that they were mailed after the polls closed.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Fauci Worries About Threats His Family Gets Amid Trump’s Attacks Against Him

Dr. Anthony Fauci , one of the White House ’ s top experts on COVID-19 , declined to directly address President Trump ’ s full-blown smear campaign against him during an interview with KNX 1070 News Radio on Monday , but expressed his concerns over threats that his family has received at times when he ’ s been at odds with the President ’ s agenda .
Earlier Monday , CNN reported on a call Trump had with his campaign staffers in which the President griped about people getting “ tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots ” when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor gatherings such as his largely mask-free rallies that pose serious risk of spreading COVID-19 .
According to CNN , Trump called Fauci a “ nice guy ” who ’ s “ been here for 500 years ” and ripped him for being a “ disaster.
” “ If I listened to him , we ’ d have 500,000 deaths , ” Trump said on the call , according to CNN .
On Monday , Trump continued throwing more punches at Fauci via Twitter as he complained about the nation ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS ’ “ 60 Minutes ” that aired the night before .
The President tweeted that Fauci “ seems to get more airtime than anybody since the late , great , Bob Hope.
” Later Monday , Fauci was asked during an interview on KNX 1070 about his response to Trump ’ s reported campaign conference call when he asserted that people are “ tired of ” Fauci .
Fauci declined to comment directly on Trump ’ s reported remark , calling “ all that other stuff ” a “ distraction ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay away from that.
” Fauci emphasized he did not want to get involved in a “ me against the President ” discussion because it ’ s a distraction amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 215,000 Americans thus far .
“ That ’ s the only thing I really care about .
That other stuff , it ’ s like in ‘ The Godfather : ’ nothing personal , strictly business as far as I ’ m concerned , ” Fauci said .
“ I just want to do my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this country.
” When asked about how he mentioned during his interview with “ 60 Minutes ” on Sunday that he and his family are under protection due to threats , Fauci replied that he ’ s worried less about himself than the harassment that his wife and children face .
“ I have federal agents guarding me , but there are people out that continually harass my family , ” Fauci said .
Fauci added that he finds the threats his family has received to be “ such a shameful reflection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have someone who ’ s trying to get a public health measure and public health messages across and it ’ s met with threats.
” “ Not only on one person , but upon one ’ s family , ” Fauci said .

Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the White House’s top experts on COVID-19, declined to directly address President Trump’s full-blown smear campaign against him during an interview with KNX 1070 News Radio on Monday, but expressed his concerns over threats that his family has received at times when he’s been at odds with the President’s agenda.
Earlier Monday, CNN reported on a call Trump had with his campaign staffers in which the President griped about people getting “tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots” when it comes to raising alarms over large indoor gatherings such as his largely mask-free rallies that pose serious risk of spreading COVID-19.
According to CNN, Trump called Fauci a “nice guy” who’s “been here for 500 years” and ripped him for being a “disaster.”
“If I listened to him, we’d have 500,000 deaths,” Trump said on the call, according to CNN.
On Monday, Trump continued throwing more punches at Fauci via Twitter as he complained about the nation’s top infectious disease expert’s interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that aired the night before. The President tweeted that Fauci “seems to get more airtime than anybody since the late, great, Bob Hope.”
Later Monday, Fauci was asked during an interview on KNX 1070 about his response to Trump’s reported campaign conference call when he asserted that people are “tired of” Fauci.
Fauci declined to comment directly on Trump’s reported remark, calling “all that other stuff” a “distraction” and that he “would really prefer to stay away from that.”
Fauci emphasized he did not want to get involved in a “me against the President” discussion because it’s a distraction amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 215,000 Americans thus far.
“That’s the only thing I really care about. That other stuff, it’s like in ‘The Godfather:’ nothing personal, strictly business as far as I’m concerned,” Fauci said. “I just want to do my job and take care of the people of this country.”
When asked about how he mentioned during his interview with “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he and his family are under protection due to threats, Fauci replied that he’s worried less about himself than the harassment that his wife and children face.
“I have federal agents guarding me, but there are people out that continually harass my family,” Fauci said.
Fauci added that he finds the threats his family has received to be “such a shameful reflection of the divisiveness in our country where you have someone who’s trying to get a public health measure and public health messages across and it’s met with threats.”
“Not only on one person, but upon one’s family,” Fauci said.
Listen to Fauci’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Pompeo Faces Investigation After Teasing Clinton Email Release ‘Before The Election’

Government investigators will look into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo illegally used his office for President Donald Trump ’ s political gain , the Office of Special Counsel said Monday .
The office is in charge of investigating potential Hatch Act violations ; the law bars executive branch employees from using their offices for political ends , and according to a recent complaint , Pompeo did just that when he pledged to release emails from former secretary Hillary Clinton “ before the election.
” “ We ’ ve got the emails , we ’ re getting them out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this information out so the American people can see it , ” Pompeo told Fox News ’ s Dana Perino earlier this month .
“ We ’ re doing it as fast as we can , ” he added .
“ I certainly think there ’ ll be more to see before the election.
” Pompeo was responding to pressure from President Donald Trump himself , who ’ d said of Clinton ’ s emails a day earlier : “ They ’ re in the State Department , but Mike Pompeo has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very sad , actually .
I ’ m not happy about him for that reason .
He was unable to get them out .
I don ’ t know why .
You ’ re running the State Department , you get them out.
” In a letter dated Friday , the watchdog group American Oversight wrote to the Office of Special Counsel that Pompeo ’ s comment “ warrants an investigation of whether Secretary Pompeo has given directives or orders to State employees in violation of the Hatch Act.
” Pompeo has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicized his office , including when he addressed the Republican National Committee during a trip to Jerusalem , and over the lavish taxpayer-funded dinner he ’ s hosted with VIPs , including deep-pocketed Republican donors .
Pompeo told a reporter last week that it was “ ridiculous ” to ask whether his move to release Clinton emails before Election Day illegally politicized his office .
“ Releasing emails for the sake of transparency can ’ t possibly be a violation of the Hatch Act , ” the secretary said .
“ That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @

Government investigators will look into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo illegally used his office for President Donald Trump’s political gain, the Office of Special Counsel said Monday.
The office is in charge of investigating potential Hatch Act violations; the law bars executive branch employees from using their offices for political ends, and according to a recent complaint, Pompeo did just that when he pledged to release emails from former secretary Hillary Clinton “before the election.”
“We’ve got the emails, we’re getting them out. We’re going to get all this information out so the American people can see it,” Pompeo told Fox News’s Dana Perino earlier this month.
“We’re doing it as fast as we can,” he added. “I certainly think there’ll be more to see before the election.”
Pompeo was responding to pressure from President Donald Trump himself, who’d said of Clinton’s emails a day earlier: “They’re in the State Department, but Mike Pompeo has been unable to get them out, which is very sad, actually. I’m not happy about him for that reason. He was unable to get them out. I don’t know why. You’re running the State Department, you get them out.”
In a letter dated Friday, the watchdog group American Oversight wrote to the Office of Special Counsel that Pompeo’s comment “warrants an investigation of whether Secretary Pompeo has given directives or orders to State employees in violation of the Hatch Act.”
Pompeo has faced numerous allegations that he’s politicized his office, including when he addressed the Republican National Committee during a trip to Jerusalem, and over the lavish taxpayer-funded dinner he’s hosted with VIPs, including deep-pocketed Republican donors.
Pompeo told a reporter last week that it was “ridiculous” to ask whether his move to release Clinton emails before Election Day illegally politicized his office.
“Releasing emails for the sake of transparency can’t possibly be a violation of the Hatch Act,” the secretary said. “That’s a ridiculous question.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Trump Camp Accuses CPD Of Enacting ‘Pro-Biden Antics’ Ahead Of Last Debate

President Trump isn ’ t holding back his efforts to work the refs ahead of his last presidential debate against Democratic rival Joe Biden this week .
In a scathing letter issued to the Commission on Presidential Debates on Monday , Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien griped about the absence of foreign policy as one of the six topics selected for the final presidential debate , which were chosen by moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News .
Welker announced earlier Monday that debate topics include : “ Fighting COVID-19 , ” “ American Families , ” “ Race in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ National Security , ” and “ Leadership.
” Stepien wrote that although those topics “ are serious and worthy of discussion , ” he argued that “ only a few of them even touch on foreign policy ” and that each were “ discussed at length ” during the first debate .
Stepien then called on the CPD to “ recalibrate the topics and return to subjects which had already been confirmed , ” before going on to accuse the nonpartisan commission of feeding into “ pro-Biden antics ” for turning “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by officially canceling what was supposed to be the second presidential debate on Oct. 15 .
Trump pulled out of the debate scheduled for Oct. 15 after the CPD announced that it would be virtual , citing concerns over the President ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis and hospitalization earlier this month .
Both Trump and Biden ended up participating in dueling town halls on Thursday night instead .
The cancelation of the originally scheduled second presidential debate for Oct. 15 came after the CPD wrote in a statement on Sept. 30 that the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump hijacked it by frequently interrupting both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News — “ made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.
” In his letter issued Monday , Stepien stated his opposition to debate rule changes , citing reports that each candidate ’ s microphone could be muted if they continued to break the rules .
According to CNN on Monday , the CPD planned to meet in the afternoon to discuss potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance no changes are going to be made .
“ It is completely unacceptable for anyone to wield such power , and a decision to proceed with that change amounts to turning further editorial control of the debate over to the Commission which has already demonstrated its partially to Biden , ” Stepien wrote .
Biden campaign national press secretary TJ Ducklo hit back at Stepien ’ s letter later Monday in a statement , saying that both presidential campaigns and the CPD agreed months ago that the moderator would select topics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign is lying about that now because Donald Trump is afraid to face more questions about his disastrous COVID response , ” Ducklo wrote .
“ As usual , the President is more concerned with the rules of a debate than he is getting a nation in crisis the help it needs.
” The Trump campaign ’ s scathing letter to the CPD comes on the heels of Trump railing against Welker just days before she is set to moderate the final presidential debate this week .
On Saturday , the President ripped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Jr. , who linked to a New York Post article claiming that the White House correspondent has “ deep Democratic ties.
” Trump further tore into Welker while speaking to reporters ahead of his campaign rally in Prescott , Arizona on Monday afternoon by accusing her of being “ a radical left Democrat or whatever she is.
” A spokesperson for Welker told TPM on Monday that Welker is not a registered Democrat and has been a “ registered independent in D.C. since 2012 , almost a decade.
” Trump praised Welker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being named co-anchor of Weekend TODAY show during a news conference .
Trump told Welker that NBC “ made a very wise decision .
”

President Trump isn’t holding back his efforts to work the refs ahead of his last presidential debate against Democratic rival Joe Biden this week.
In a scathing letter issued to the Commission on Presidential Debates on Monday, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien griped about the absence of foreign policy as one of the six topics selected for the final presidential debate, which were chosen by moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News. Welker announced earlier Monday that debate topics include: “Fighting COVID-19,” “American Families,” “Race in America,” “Climate Change,” “National Security,” and “Leadership.”
Stepien wrote that although those topics “are serious and worthy of discussion,” he argued that “only a few of them even touch on foreign policy” and that each were “discussed at length” during the first debate.
Stepien then called on the CPD to “recalibrate the topics and return to subjects which had already been confirmed,” before going on to accuse the nonpartisan commission of feeding into “pro-Biden antics” for turning “the debate season into a fiasco” by officially canceling what was supposed to be the second presidential debate on Oct. 15.
Trump pulled out of the debate scheduled for Oct. 15 after the CPD announced that it would be virtual, citing concerns over the President’s COVID-19 diagnosis and hospitalization earlier this month. Both Trump and Biden ended up participating in dueling town halls on Thursday night instead.
The cancelation of the originally scheduled second presidential debate for Oct. 15 came after the CPD wrote in a statement on Sept. 30 that the first debate — which was widely panned after Trump hijacked it by frequently interrupting both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News — “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”
In his letter issued Monday, Stepien stated his opposition to debate rule changes, citing reports that each candidate’s microphone could be muted if they continued to break the rules. According to CNN on Monday, the CPD planned to meet in the afternoon to discuss potential rule changes, but that there is a chance no changes are going to be made.
“It is completely unacceptable for anyone to wield such power, and a decision to proceed with that change amounts to turning further editorial control of the debate over to the Commission which has already demonstrated its partially to Biden,” Stepien wrote.
Our letter to the BDC (Biden Debate Commission) pic.twitter.com/ZsY5JfMbT7 — BillStepien (@BillStepien) October 19, 2020
Biden campaign national press secretary TJ Ducklo hit back at Stepien’s letter later Monday in a statement, saying that both presidential campaigns and the CPD agreed months ago that the moderator would select topics for the debates.
“The Trump campaign is lying about that now because Donald Trump is afraid to face more questions about his disastrous COVID response,” Ducklo wrote. “As usual, the President is more concerned with the rules of a debate than he is getting a nation in crisis the help it needs.”
The Trump campaign’s scathing letter to the CPD comes on the heels of Trump railing against Welker just days before she is set to moderate the final presidential debate this week. On Saturday, the President ripped Welker while quote-tweeting his son, Donald Trump Jr., who linked to a New York Post article claiming that the White House correspondent has “deep Democratic ties.”
Trump further tore into Welker while speaking to reporters ahead of his campaign rally in Prescott, Arizona on Monday afternoon by accusing her of being “a radical left Democrat or whatever she is.”
A spokesperson for Welker told TPM on Monday that Welker is not a registered Democrat and has been a “registered independent in D.C. since 2012, almost a decade.”
Trump praised Welker in January when he congratulated her for being named co-anchor of Weekend TODAY show during a news conference. Trump told Welker that NBC “made a very wise decision.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--DNI Ratcliffe Scrambles To Boost Laptop Conspiracy Theory, Push For Trump Re-Election

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe did his job on Monday , telling Fox Business ’ s Maria Bartiromo that stories about Hunter Biden ’ s laptop were not part of a Russian disinformation campaign .
Ratcliffe ’ s remarks were oddly worded , but they managed to communicate a message that undercut intelligence community officials who have long maintained that allegations that Joe Biden interfered in Ukrainian politics to protect his son are part of a Russian disinformation campaign .
“ The intelligence community doesn ’ t believe that because there is no intelligence that supports that , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments have been contradicted by multiple outlets reporting that the FBI is investigating the laptop as part of a potential foreign disinformation operation .
Separately , Ratcliffe appeared to suggest that the broader allegations around Biden and Ukraine were also , definitively , not part of any Russian disinformation plot .
That ’ s been contradicted by the Senate Intelligence Committee , which released a report in August describing the narrative that Biden ordered the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor to protect his son as boosted by Russian intelligence .
Counterintelligence Chief William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian government was working to hurt Biden ’ s chances at victory in November .
The New York Post began to publish articles last week based off of emails gathered from a supposed copy of Hunter Biden ’ s laptop , itself of bizarre provenance .
Since then , the GOP infrastructure and its hangers on have jumped into the fray , boosting the story to millions without seriously questioning the origin of the materials or , more broadly , whether they point towards anything resembling evidence that Biden fired a Ukrainian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself strode past those pesky details in his interview with Bartiromo , instead saying that President Trump should be re-elected to prevent Democrats from returning to power .
As director of national intelligence , Ratcliffe has declassified documents that Trumpworld has spun as showing some level of wrongdoing in the Obama administration and which feed into conspiracy theories pushed by the President that Trump was the victim of a coup attempt orchestrated by the Democratic Party .
There ’ s no evidence to support any of this , and the limited documents that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other things , unproven allegations from Russian intelligence that Hillary Clinton was behind allegations that President Trump had ties to the Russian government .
Specifically , the former congressman from Texas argued , there were “ abuses of power within the intelligence community and within law enforcement — some of which has now been proven to be criminal.
” “ Those are the same people that want to return to power , ” Ratcliffe added .
“ They want to have the same opportunity to control the levers of power and , again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ratcliffe went even further in the interview , taking the traditionally apolitical job of director of national intelligence and using the platform to all but ask voters to cast a ballot for President Trump .
“ So , I think that ’ s something the American people should consider as they go in and look at elections and everything that is going on in this country , ” Ratcliffe added .
Former DNI Dan Coats issued a statement in May 2019 that appeared to anticipate much of the politicization that has occurred since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump issued at the time which gave Attorney General William Barr the power to obtain and declassify documents from the intelligence community , Coats said that the intelligence community would “ continue to faithfully execute its mission of providing timely , apolitical intelligence to the President and policymakers .
”

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe did his job on Monday, telling Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo that stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop were not part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Ratcliffe’s remarks were oddly worded, but they managed to communicate a message that undercut intelligence community officials who have long maintained that allegations that Joe Biden interfered in Ukrainian politics to protect his son are part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
“The intelligence community doesn’t believe that because there is no intelligence that supports that,” Ratcliffe said.
DNI John Ratcliffe tells Maria Bartiromo that Hunter Biden's laptop is not part of a Russian disinformation campaign pic.twitter.com/eM2n8pnFaJ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 19, 2020
The DNI’s comments have been contradicted by multiple outlets reporting that the FBI is investigating the laptop as part of a potential foreign disinformation operation.
Separately, Ratcliffe appeared to suggest that the broader allegations around Biden and Ukraine were also, definitively, not part of any Russian disinformation plot.
That’s been contradicted by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which released a report in August describing the narrative that Biden ordered the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor to protect his son as boosted by Russian intelligence. Counterintelligence Chief William Evanina said in a July statement that the Russian government was working to hurt Biden’s chances at victory in November.
The New York Post began to publish articles last week based off of emails gathered from a supposed copy of Hunter Biden’s laptop, itself of bizarre provenance.
Since then, the GOP infrastructure and its hangers on have jumped into the fray, boosting the story to millions without seriously questioning the origin of the materials or, more broadly, whether they point towards anything resembling evidence that Biden fired a Ukrainian prosecutor to protect his son.
Ratcliffe himself strode past those pesky details in his interview with Bartiromo, instead saying that President Trump should be re-elected to prevent Democrats from returning to power.
As director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe has declassified documents that Trumpworld has spun as showing some level of wrongdoing in the Obama administration and which feed into conspiracy theories pushed by the President that Trump was the victim of a coup attempt orchestrated by the Democratic Party.
There’s no evidence to support any of this, and the limited documents that Ratcliffe has declassified have included, among other things, unproven allegations from Russian intelligence that Hillary Clinton was behind allegations that President Trump had ties to the Russian government.
Specifically, the former congressman from Texas argued, there were “abuses of power within the intelligence community and within law enforcement — some of which has now been proven to be criminal.”
“Those are the same people that want to return to power,” Ratcliffe added. “They want to have the same opportunity to control the levers of power and, again, to mislead the American people.”
Ratcliffe went even further in the interview, taking the traditionally apolitical job of director of national intelligence and using the platform to all but ask voters to cast a ballot for President Trump.
“So, I think that’s something the American people should consider as they go in and look at elections and everything that is going on in this country,” Ratcliffe added.
Former DNI Dan Coats issued a statement in May 2019 that appeared to anticipate much of the politicization that has occurred since then. In response to an order that Trump issued at the time which gave Attorney General William Barr the power to obtain and declassify documents from the intelligence community, Coats said that the intelligence community would “continue to faithfully execute its mission of providing timely, apolitical intelligence to the President and policymakers.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Kilmeade Hops On Trump’s Moderator-Bashing Bandwagon Ahead Of Final Debate

“ Fox and Friends ” co-host Brian Kilmeade joined President Trump on Monday in railing against NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker just days before she is set to moderate the final presidential debate this week .
On Saturday , the President ripped Welker while quote-tweeting his son , Donald Trump Jr. , who linked to a New York Post article claiming that the White House correspondent has “ deep Democratic ties.
” The Post reported that Welker ’ s parents have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and close to $ 20,000 to former President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s party registration is not currently listed , the Post reported that she was a registered Democrat in Washington , D.C. , in 2012 and in Rhode Island in 2004 .
The Post also pointed to Welker and her parents celebrating Christmas at the White House with the Obamas in 2012 .
Trump further tore into Welker while speaking to reporters ahead of his campaign rally in Prescott , Arizona on Monday afternoon .
After Trump accused Welker of being “ a radical left Democrat or whatever she is , ” Welker ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donnell stuck up for her by telling the President that his accusation is “ not true.
” The President asked O ’ Donnell why she ’ s defending Welker , who temporarily deactivated her Twitter account last week after C-SPAN host Steve Scully — who was set to moderate a second presidential debate before Trump pulled out — deleted his account after falsely claiming that he was hacked when he reached out to former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci in a tweet .
“ Then ask why are you defending her ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Would you please have her put her account back ?
And it ’ s not going to affect — it ’ s not going to affect me , ” Trump said on Monday .
“ I ’ m going to be there.
” Trump added that he was “ right ” about NBC News ’ Savannah Guthrie , who grilled the President while moderating the network ’ s town hall last week , before going back to attacking Welker .
“ Kristen Welker — she put all of her statements back on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouldn ’ t do that , ” Trump said , despite the reinstatement of Welker ’ s Twitter account .
Kilmeade jumped on the Trumpworld ’ s Welker-bashing bandwagon on Monday morning .
After criticizing topics for the debate that were selected by Welker as the moderator , Kilmeade tore into her for being “ a registered Democrat before.
” “ And this moderator , whose parents are Democratic donators , who was a registered Democrat before , who has the most hostile questions possible to Kayleigh McEnany , or whoever the press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Kilmeade said .
“ How does she get picked to be the moderator at this debate ?
It ’ s incredible.
” A spokesperson for Welker told TPM on Monday that Welker is not a registered Democrat and has been a “ registered independent in D.C. since 2012 , almost a decade.
” Trump ’ s recent attacks against Welker starkly contrast his praise of the NBC News White House correspondent in January when he congratulated her for being named co-anchor of Weekend TODAY during a news conference .
Trump told Welker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision.
” Trump ’ s latest criticism of Welker also contradicts what campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News earlier this month .
“ I have a very high opinion of Kristen Welker .
I think she ’ s going to do an excellent job as the moderator for the third debate , ” Miller told Fox News ’ Martha MacCallum , prior to Trump pulling out of the second presidential debate that was originally scheduled Oct. 15 .
“ I think she ’ s a journalist who is very fair in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll be a very good choice for this third debate.
” Additionally , Trump ’ s attacks against Welker come on the heels of him swiping at NBC “ Today ” show anchor Savannah Guthrie on Friday , who grilled the President as she moderated an NBC News town hall the night before .
Although Trump did not mention Guthrie by name , he told attendees at an event in Fort Myers , Florida the next day that he “ had someone going totally crazy last night .
”

“Fox and Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade joined President Trump on Monday in railing against NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker just days before she is set to moderate the final presidential debate this week.
On Saturday, the President ripped Welker while quote-tweeting his son, Donald Trump Jr., who linked to a New York Post article claiming that the White House correspondent has “deep Democratic ties.” The Post reported that Welker’s parents have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and close to $20,000 to former President Barack Obama alone.
Although Welker’s party registration is not currently listed, the Post reported that she was a registered Democrat in Washington, D.C., in 2012 and in Rhode Island in 2004. The Post also pointed to Welker and her parents celebrating Christmas at the White House with the Obamas in 2012.
She’s always been terrible & unfair, just like most of the Fake News reporters, but I’ll still play the game. The people know! How’s Steve Scully doing? https://t.co/uS3EWzfFPy — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2020
Trump further tore into Welker while speaking to reporters ahead of his campaign rally in Prescott, Arizona on Monday afternoon.
After Trump accused Welker of being “a radical left Democrat or whatever she is,” Welker’s NBC News colleague Kelly O’Donnell stuck up for her by telling the President that his accusation is “not true.”
The President asked O’Donnell why she’s defending Welker, who temporarily deactivated her Twitter account last week after C-SPAN host Steve Scully — who was set to moderate a second presidential debate before Trump pulled out — deleted his account after falsely claiming that he was hacked when he reached out to former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci in a tweet.
“Then ask why are you defending her? Why did she delete her account? Would you please have her put her account back? And it’s not going to affect — it’s not going to affect me,” Trump said on Monday. “I’m going to be there.”
Trump added that he was “right” about NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie, who grilled the President while moderating the network’s town hall last week, before going back to attacking Welker.
“Kristen Welker — she put all of her statements back on. She deleted her entire account, she shouldn’t do that,” Trump said, despite the reinstatement of Welker’s Twitter account.
Trump is out here preemptively attacking Kristen Welker, the moderator of the upcoming presidential debate, as "a radical left Democrat, or whatever she is." pic.twitter.com/pss1wUmeSa — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 19, 2020
Kilmeade jumped on the Trumpworld’s Welker-bashing bandwagon on Monday morning. After criticizing topics for the debate that were selected by Welker as the moderator, Kilmeade tore into her for being “a registered Democrat before.”
“And this moderator, whose parents are Democratic donators, who was a registered Democrat before, who has the most hostile questions possible to Kayleigh McEnany, or whoever the press secretary is, and the President,” Kilmeade said. “How does she get picked to be the moderator at this debate? It’s incredible.”
A spokesperson for Welker told TPM on Monday that Welker is not a registered Democrat and has been a “registered independent in D.C. since 2012, almost a decade.”
Trump’s recent attacks against Welker starkly contrast his praise of the NBC News White House correspondent in January when he congratulated her for being named co-anchor of Weekend TODAY during a news conference. Trump told Welker that NBC “made a very wise decision.”
Trump’s latest criticism of Welker also contradicts what campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News earlier this month.
“I have a very high opinion of Kristen Welker. I think she’s going to do an excellent job as the moderator for the third debate,” Miller told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum, prior to Trump pulling out of the second presidential debate that was originally scheduled Oct. 15. “I think she’s a journalist who is very fair in her approach. And I think she’ll be a very good choice for this third debate.”
Additionally, Trump’s attacks against Welker come on the heels of him swiping at NBC “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie on Friday, who grilled the President as she moderated an NBC News town hall the night before.
Although Trump did not mention Guthrie by name, he told attendees at an event in Fort Myers, Florida the next day that he “had someone going totally crazy last night.”
Watch Kilmeade’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Six Russian Military Officers Charged In Vast Hacking Campaign

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Six current and former Russian military officers sought to disrupt through computer hacking the French election , the Winter Olympics and U.S. hospitals and businesses , according to a Justice Department indictment unsealed Monday that details destructive attacks on a broad range of political , financial and athletic targets .
The indictment accuses the defendants , all alleged officers in the Russian military agency known as the GRU , in destructive attacks on Ukraine ’ s power grid ; in a hack-and-leak effort directed at the political party of French President Emmanuel Macron in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and to impede an investigation into the suspected nerve-agent poisoning of a former spy and his daughter .
The indictment does not charge the defendants in connection with interference in American elections , though the officers are part of the same military intelligence unit that prosecutors say interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election by hacking Democratic email accounts .
The 50-page indictment , filed in federal court in Pittsburgh , focuses instead on attacks that prosecutors said were aimed at promoting Russian ’ s own geopolitical interests .
Those include cyberattacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea , where Russian athletes were banned because of a state-sponsored doping effort .
“ No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia , wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages as fits of spite , ” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers , the Justice Department ’ s top national security official .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Six current and former Russian military officers sought to disrupt through computer hacking the French election, the Winter Olympics and U.S. hospitals and businesses, according to a Justice Department indictment unsealed Monday that details destructive attacks on a broad range of political, financial and athletic targets.
The indictment accuses the defendants, all alleged officers in the Russian military agency known as the GRU, in destructive attacks on Ukraine’s power grid; in a hack-and-leak effort directed at the political party of French President Emmanuel Macron in the days leading up to the 2017 election; and to impede an investigation into the suspected nerve-agent poisoning of a former spy and his daughter.
The indictment does not charge the defendants in connection with interference in American elections, though the officers are part of the same military intelligence unit that prosecutors say interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election by hacking Democratic email accounts.
The 50-page indictment, filed in federal court in Pittsburgh, focuses instead on attacks that prosecutors said were aimed at promoting Russian’s own geopolitical interests. Those include cyberattacks that targeted the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, where Russian athletes were banned because of a state-sponsored doping effort.
“No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages as fits of spite,” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Department’s top national security official.
____
Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Let’s Pause To Appreciate The Highlight Reel Of Buffoonery By Whitmer’s Would-Be Kidnappers

The men accused of plotting the kidnapping of the governor of Michigan appear to have violated the first rule of plotting gubernatorial kidnapping attempts : Don ’ t record everything and share it with an undercover FBI informant .
As new evidence released by federal prosecutors shows , the group of disgruntled Michiganders appears to have basically produced a highlight reel of evidence , preserved for posterity and shared with media outlets late last week .
A magistrate judge ruled Friday that there was enough evidence to keep five out of six men charged federally with the kidnapping plot behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Croft Jr. , was arrested in New Jersey but has not yet appeared in court in Michigan .
Eight more men face state terrorism charges .
While it ’ s sometimes difficult for prosecutors to prove the intent behind alleged criminal conspiracies , such as in the kidnapping plot case in Michigan , the group ’ s willingness to be photographed and filmed — including by an undercover informant — certainly doesn ’ t hurt the government ’ s case .
That ’ s perhaps most evident in photos of the men casing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Western District of Michigan shows an alleged plotter using binoculars to peer across a lake at Whitmer ’ s vacation home .
Authorities say the men discussed escaping with Whitmer by boat and even mulled leaving her in the middle of Lake Michigan .
The men also allegedly documented themselves driving right by the governor ’ s house on two separate occasions , taking photos as they went .
As an FBI agent ’ s affidavit notes , the group allegedly performed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer ’ s vacation home on Aug. 29 — when they allegedly “ took photographs and slow-motion video from their vehicle as they drove by it , and discussed conducting additional surveillance from the water at a later date.
” Those photos and videos ended up in the group ’ s encrypted messaging channel — which are usually pretty secure , unless they ’ ve been infiltrated by a federal informant .
Prosecutors allege that the men relied at times on coded language — such as referring to explosives as “ cupcakes ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors show a new level of buffoonery .
In one instance , in a group chat that involved an FBI source , the alleged conspirators used emojis and .gifs from “ Borat ” and “ Inglorious Basterds ” to illustrate their excitement at stalking the governor and , potentially , blowing up a bridge in order to slow police response .
Defendant Adam Fox , prosecutors allege , even hand-drew a map of Whitmer ’ s vacation home that included estimated police response times .
The FBI ’ s source allegedly captured a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox drawing that map , as well as the map itself .
Fox , the alleged ringleader of the kidnapping plot , lived for much of the past year in the basement of a vacuum cleaner repair shop , sharing the space with his two dogs and plenty of spare vacuum parts .
The store ’ s owner , Briant Titus , told TPM Wednesday that Fox kept the alleged plot hidden from him — “ because he knew he ’ d be homeless ” otherwise .
But Fox appears to have filmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shop basement .
Plenty of armed groups take part in training exercises , often involving target practice , medic training and the like .
But the jabronis accused of plotting the governor ’ s kidnapping managed to make even this look ridiculous , given their alleged choice of vehicle : A gosh darn PT Cruiser .

The men accused of plotting the kidnapping of the governor of Michigan appear to have violated the first rule of plotting gubernatorial kidnapping attempts: Don’t record everything and share it with an undercover FBI informant.
As new evidence released by federal prosecutors shows, the group of disgruntled Michiganders appears to have basically produced a highlight reel of evidence, preserved for posterity and shared with media outlets late last week.
A magistrate judge ruled Friday that there was enough evidence to keep five out of six men charged federally with the kidnapping plot behind bars; the sixth man, Barry Croft Jr., was arrested in New Jersey but has not yet appeared in court in Michigan. Eight more men face state terrorism charges.
Scoping Out The Governor’s House
While it’s sometimes difficult for prosecutors to prove the intent behind alleged criminal conspiracies, such as in the kidnapping plot case in Michigan, the group’s willingness to be photographed and filmed — including by an undercover informant — certainly doesn’t hurt the government’s case.
That’s perhaps most evident in photos of the men casing Whitmer’s house. One picture released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan shows an alleged plotter using binoculars to peer across a lake at Whitmer’s vacation home.
Authorities say the men discussed escaping with Whitmer by boat and even mulled leaving her in the middle of Lake Michigan.
Drive-By Photography
The men also allegedly documented themselves driving right by the governor’s house on two separate occasions, taking photos as they went. As an FBI agent’s affidavit notes, the group allegedly performed the first of two drive-by stake outs of Whitmer’s vacation home on Aug. 29 — when they allegedly “took photographs and slow-motion video from their vehicle as they drove by it, and discussed conducting additional surveillance from the water at a later date.”
Those photos and videos ended up in the group’s encrypted messaging channel — which are usually pretty secure, unless they’ve been infiltrated by a federal informant.
Emojis And GIFs Still Count
Prosecutors allege that the men relied at times on coded language — such as referring to explosives as “cupcakes” — but text message conversations released by prosecutors show a new level of buffoonery.
In one instance, in a group chat that involved an FBI source, the alleged conspirators used emojis and .gifs from “Borat” and “Inglorious Basterds” to illustrate their excitement at stalking the governor and, potentially, blowing up a bridge in order to slow police response.
Cartographic Paper Trail
Defendant Adam Fox, prosecutors allege, even hand-drew a map of Whitmer’s vacation home that included estimated police response times. The FBI’s source allegedly captured a picture of what the government says is Fox drawing that map, as well as the map itself.
Vacuum Shop Shenanigans
Fox, the alleged ringleader of the kidnapping plot, lived for much of the past year in the basement of a vacuum cleaner repair shop, sharing the space with his two dogs and plenty of spare vacuum parts. The store’s owner, Briant Titus, told TPM Wednesday that Fox kept the alleged plot hidden from him — “because he knew he’d be homeless” otherwise.
But Fox appears to have filmed footage of himself training in that same shop basement.
Training Videos From A PT Cruiser
Plenty of armed groups take part in training exercises, often involving target practice, medic training and the like. But the jabronis accused of plotting the governor’s kidnapping managed to make even this look ridiculous, given their alleged choice of vehicle: A gosh darn PT Cruiser.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Trump Attacks Fauci As A ‘Disaster,’ Claims People Are ‘Tired Of Hearing’ Him

President Donald Trump escalated his attacks against Dr. Anthony Fauci , one of the White House ’ s top experts on COVID-19 , into a full-blown smear campaign on Monday .
CNN reported on a call Trump had with his campaign staffers in which the President complained about those who raised alarm over his enormous , largely mask-free rallies that pose serious risk of spreading COVID-19 .
“ People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots , ” he reportedly said .
Trump called the doctor a “ nice guy ” who ’ s “ been here for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster , ” he said , according to CNN .
“ If I listened to him , we ’ d have 500,000 deaths.
” The President welcomed the possibility of his remarks getting leaked to the media , saying that “ if there ’ s a reporter on , you can have it just the way I said it , I couldn ’ t care less.
” Trump ’ s remarks track with Fauci telling CBS News correspondent Jon LaPook on Sunday that he has “ not been allowed to go on many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s been invited .
Minutes before Trump made the comments during the call , White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah told Fox News , “ We ’ re certainly not trying to stifle [ Fauci ] sharing important information with the public.
” Later on Monday , the President threw more punches at Fauci via Twitter .
“ Dr .
Tony Fauci says we don ’ t allow him to do television , and yet I saw him last night on @ 60Minutes , and he seems to get more airtime than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Hope , ” he tweeted .
“ All I ask of Tony is that he make better decisions.
” Trump also bashed the doctor ’ s baseball pitching skills and “ bad arm , ” highlighting once again the President ’ s resentment over Fauci being invited to throw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game in July .
“ Tony should stop wearing the Washington Nationals ’ Mask for two reasons , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Number one , it is not up to the high standards that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it keeps reminding me that Tony threw out perhaps the worst first pitch in the history of Baseball !
” The President took a less aggressive tone while discussing Fauci during a press pool at the airport in Phoenix , Arizona .
“ I don ’ t want to hurt him .
He ’ s been there for about 350 years , ” Trump said , though he also accused the doctor of making “ a lot of bad calls.
” Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) came to Fauci ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of our country ’ s most distinguished public servants.
” “ If more Americans paid attention to his advice , we ’ d have fewer cases of COVID-19 , & it would be safer to go back to school & back to work & out to eat , ” Alexander tweeted .

President Donald Trump escalated his attacks against Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the White House’s top experts on COVID-19, into a full-blown smear campaign on Monday.
CNN reported on a call Trump had with his campaign staffers in which the President complained about those who raised alarm over his enormous, largely mask-free rallies that pose serious risk of spreading COVID-19.
“People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” he reportedly said.
Trump called the doctor a “nice guy” who’s “been here for 500 years.”
“Fauci is a disaster,” he said, according to CNN. “If I listened to him, we’d have 500,000 deaths.”
The President welcomed the possibility of his remarks getting leaked to the media, saying that “if there’s a reporter on, you can have it just the way I said it, I couldn’t care less.”
Trump’s remarks track with Fauci telling CBS News correspondent Jon LaPook on Sunday that he has “not been allowed to go on many, many, many shows” when he’s been invited.
Minutes before Trump made the comments during the call, White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah told Fox News, “We’re certainly not trying to stifle [Fauci] sharing important information with the public.”
Later on Monday, the President threw more punches at Fauci via Twitter.
“Dr. Tony Fauci says we don’t allow him to do television, and yet I saw him last night on @60Minutes, and he seems to get more airtime than anybody since the late, great, Bob Hope,” he tweeted. “All I ask of Tony is that he make better decisions.”
Trump also bashed the doctor’s baseball pitching skills and “bad arm,” highlighting once again the President’s resentment over Fauci being invited to throw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game in July.
“Tony should stop wearing the Washington Nationals’ Mask for two reasons,” Trump tweeted. “Number one, it is not up to the high standards that he should be exposing. Number two, it keeps reminding me that Tony threw out perhaps the worst first pitch in the history of Baseball!”
The President took a less aggressive tone while discussing Fauci during a press pool at the airport in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I don’t want to hurt him. He’s been there for about 350 years,” Trump said, though he also accused the doctor of making “a lot of bad calls.”
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) came to Fauci’s defense, calling the health official “one of our country’s most distinguished public servants.”
“If more Americans paid attention to his advice, we’d have fewer cases of COVID-19, & it would be safer to go back to school & back to work & out to eat,” Alexander tweeted.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-19--Perdue Chicken Falls Prey To Backlash Over Senator’s Racist Mocking Of Harris’ Name

The backlash over Sen. David Perdue ( R-GA ) disdainfully mocking Sen. Kamala Harris ’ ( D-CA ) first name during President Trump ’ s campaign rally on Friday quickly went from the political arena to the world of poultry over the weekend .
The Twitter account of Perdue Chicken — the Maryland-based poultry giant that is unaffiliated with the Georgia senator — spent the weekend , and even Monday morning , responding to angry comments by reminding people that they ’ re just a chicken company .
Sen. Perdue ’ s campaign dismissed the backlash by saying in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had “ simply mispronounced Sen. Harris ’ s name , and he didn ’ t mean anything by it.
” Perdue , who has served in the Senate with Harris for several years , further brushed off the controversy on Saturday by telling reporters that he meant “ absolutely no disrespect ” to Biden ’ s VP pick , according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
By Sunday evening , Perdue ’ s Democratic rival Jon Ossoff raised more than $ 1.8 million from at least 42,000 donors since Perdue ’ s racist gambit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter account for Perdue Chicken spent the weekend responding to users who called for a boycott of the poultry brand over the Georgia senator ’ s effort to otherize Harris — who he referred to as “ Kamala , -mala , -mala , I don ’ t know , whatever ” to jeers of laughter from Trump supporters — by assuring them that the brand has no affiliation with the lawmaker .
“ I can assure you that David Perdue has no affiliation with the Perdue brand , ” read the company ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicken did not immediately respond to TPM ’ s request for comment .
The Twitter account for Perdue Chicken has continued clarifying for users critical of the Georgia senator ’ s mockery of Harris as recently as Monday morning .

The backlash over Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) disdainfully mocking Sen. Kamala Harris’ (D-CA) first name during President Trump’s campaign rally on Friday quickly went from the political arena to the world of poultry over the weekend.
The Twitter account of Perdue Chicken — the Maryland-based poultry giant that is unaffiliated with the Georgia senator — spent the weekend, and even Monday morning, responding to angry comments by reminding people that they’re just a chicken company.
Sen. Perdue’s campaign dismissed the backlash by saying in a statement released on Friday that the lawmaker had “simply mispronounced Sen. Harris’s name, and he didn’t mean anything by it.”
Perdue, who has served in the Senate with Harris for several years, further brushed off the controversy on Saturday by telling reporters that he meant “absolutely no disrespect” to Biden’s VP pick, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
By Sunday evening, Perdue’s Democratic rival Jon Ossoff raised more than $1.8 million from at least 42,000 donors since Perdue’s racist gambit, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Twitter account for Perdue Chicken spent the weekend responding to users who called for a boycott of the poultry brand over the Georgia senator’s effort to otherize Harris — who he referred to as “Kamala, -mala, -mala, I don’t know, whatever” to jeers of laughter from Trump supporters — by assuring them that the brand has no affiliation with the lawmaker.
“I can assure you that David Perdue has no affiliation with the Perdue brand,” read the company’s replies over the weekend.
Perdue Chicken did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for comment.
It's been a busy morning for the good people at @PerdueChicken pic.twitter.com/dNANe7mtKe — Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) October 17, 2020
The Twitter account for Perdue Chicken has continued clarifying for users critical of the Georgia senator’s mockery of Harris as recently as Monday morning.
Hi! We are in no relation to David Perdue here at Perdue Chicken! So glad we could clear that up! ~Alexa — Perdue Chicken (@PerdueChicken) October 19, 2020
Hi There! We are in no relation to David Perdue here at Perdue Chicken! We're a 4th generation, family owned poultry company. Glad we could clear that up. ~Alexa — Perdue Chicken (@PerdueChicken) October 18, 2020
Hi There! We are in no way connected to David Perdue. Thanks! ~Alexa — Perdue Chicken (@PerdueChicken) October 18, 2020


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-20--Ex-RNC Chair Endorses Biden: ‘I Cannot Support The Nominee Of My Party’

Former Republican National Committee ( RNC ) chair Michael Steele announced on Tuesday morning that he would be voting for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden instead of his own party ’ s standard-bearer , President Donald Trump .
Steele , who served as RNC chair from 2009 to 2011 , stated in a NBC News op-ed that he “ can not support the nominee of my party.
” “ Rather than seeking to build on the legacy of the Republican Party ’ s founders , of which Trump is surely ignorant , Trump has posited a single purpose for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Steele asserted .
“ Consequently , America has watched as the Republican Party stopped pursuing its animating principles of freedom and opportunity , ” he continued .
“ It has given up its voice on things that mattered and instead bent the arc of the party towards the baser motives of one man , who is neither a Republican nor a conservative.
” Steele noted that he disagrees with Biden “ on many issues and policies , sometimes vigorously.
” “ But this election is not about those issues or policies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rather , it is about the course of a nation and the character of her people reflected in the leader they choose.
” Steele ’ s announcement follows a string of endorsements from some former GOP officials , including ex-governors and lawmakers , who have broken from their party to endorse Biden .

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Steele announced on Tuesday morning that he would be voting for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden instead of his own party’s standard-bearer, President Donald Trump.
Steele, who served as RNC chair from 2009 to 2011, stated in a NBC News op-ed that he “cannot support the nominee of my party.”
“Rather than seeking to build on the legacy of the Republican Party’s founders, of which Trump is surely ignorant, Trump has posited a single purpose for the GOP — the celebration of him,” Steele asserted.
“Consequently, America has watched as the Republican Party stopped pursuing its animating principles of freedom and opportunity,” he continued. “It has given up its voice on things that mattered and instead bent the arc of the party towards the baser motives of one man, who is neither a Republican nor a conservative.”
Steele noted that he disagrees with Biden “on many issues and policies, sometimes vigorously.”
“But this election is not about those issues or policies,” the ex-RNC chair wrote. “Rather, it is about the course of a nation and the character of her people reflected in the leader they choose.”
Steele’s announcement follows a string of endorsements from some former GOP officials, including ex-governors and lawmakers, who have broken from their party to endorse Biden.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-20--Florida Breaks Opening Day Record For Early Voting

Florida smashed the state ’ s previous records on Monday , with at least 350,000 people casting ballots for in-person early voting , Politico reports .
Some of the voters on Monday reportedly munched on pizza — a treat from pop icon Ariana Grande while they waited to cast what grew to at least 350,000 ballots by the day ’ s end .
The totals — which were still being counted into the late hours of the night — far exceed the number of ballots cast on for the first day of in-person early voting in 2016 which saw 291,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s totals include 52 of Florida ’ s 67 counties .
Remaining counties will start early voting on Saturday .
Democrats appear to have nailed down a strong lead ahead of Election Day in the state which polling experts have said Trump must win in order to secure a win in this year ’ s election .
That lead is built on 450,000 mail-in ballots raked in through Monday , although Republicans contend that Democrats have not gained votes , but have instead shifted from in-person voting to voting by mail amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can ’ t compete with our unrivaled ground game , ” Trump Victory spokesperson Emma Vaughn told Politico .
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris held in-person rallies in Orlando and Jacksonville to drum up excitement in the kick off for early voting .
“ Y ’ all are going to make it happen , ” Harris told an audience in Orlando which is has historically been home to a swath of swing voters .
She added that early voters in the sunshine state would “ be the first to put our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for a Biden victory in a critical battleground state .
Per Politico , Jacksonville was won for the first time in recent political memory by Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections , an outcome they hope to replicate in 2020 .
The Trump campaign has held “ Team Trump On Tour ” bus events to drive up momentum , including stops in Pensacola and Tallahassee that featured Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R ) .
“ Today is really the start of our get out the vote movement , with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or turn their absentee ballots in person at voting locations , ” said Leon County GOP Chair Evan Power , who attended the Trump events .
“ We are confident that our voters will turn out between now and Election Day to support the President and our Republican team .
”

Florida smashed the state’s previous records on Monday, with at least 350,000 people casting ballots for in-person early voting, Politico reports.
Some of the voters on Monday reportedly munched on pizza — a treat from pop icon Ariana Grande while they waited to cast what grew to at least 350,000 ballots by the day’s end. The totals — which were still being counted into the late hours of the night — far exceed the number of ballots cast on for the first day of in-person early voting in 2016 which saw 291,000 ballots cast on opening day. Monday’s totals include 52 of Florida’s 67 counties. Remaining counties will start early voting on Saturday.
Democrats appear to have nailed down a strong lead ahead of Election Day in the state which polling experts have said Trump must win in order to secure a win in this year’s election. That lead is built on 450,000 mail-in ballots raked in through Monday, although Republicans contend that Democrats have not gained votes, but have instead shifted from in-person voting to voting by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Democrats know they can’t compete with our unrivaled ground game,” Trump Victory spokesperson Emma Vaughn told Politico.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris held in-person rallies in Orlando and Jacksonville to drum up excitement in the kick off for early voting.
“Y’all are going to make it happen,” Harris told an audience in Orlando which is has historically been home to a swath of swing voters. She added that early voters in the sunshine state would “be the first to put our country back on the right track,” for a Biden victory in a critical battleground state.
Per Politico, Jacksonville was won for the first time in recent political memory by Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections, an outcome they hope to replicate in 2020.
The Trump campaign has held “Team Trump On Tour” bus events to drive up momentum, including stops in Pensacola and Tallahassee that featured Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R).
“Today is really the start of our get out the vote movement, with our supporters wanting to vote in person, or turn their absentee ballots in person at voting locations,” said Leon County GOP Chair Evan Power, who attended the Trump events. “We are confident that our voters will turn out between now and Election Day to support the President and our Republican team.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-20--Trump Says He’ll Still Participate In Debate After Commission Decides To Mute Mics

President Donald Trump indicated on Monday night that he would not bail on the next and final debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden slated for Thursday , even after the Commission on Presidential Debates ( CPD ) announced that the candidates ’ mics would be muted during certain portions of the event .
“ I will participate , ” Trump told reporters upon returning to the White House from his campaign rally in Arizona .
“ But it ’ s very unfair that they changed the topics and it ’ s very unfair that again we have an anchor who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Bill Stepien said in a statement that the President would be participating in the debate “ regardless of last minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate.
” Earlier in the evening , the CPD announced that in order to enforce its rule on allowing each debate participate to speak uninterrupted for the first two minutes per each 15-minute segment , “ the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ segment will be open discussion , during which both mics will be on , the commission said .
The CPD ’ s announcement seemed to tacitly acknowledge that that the Trump campaign , which has consistently bashed the commission over changes to the debate format , would be upset by the development , particularly after Stepien complained in a letter to the commission earlier in the day that muting candidates ’ mics would be “ completely unacceptable.
” “ We realize , after discussions with both campaigns , that neither campaign may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the commission stated .
“ One may think they go too far , and one may think they do not go far enough .
We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people , for whom these debates are held.
” The rule change came in response to widespread criticism over the first chaotic debate last month , which saw Trump repeatedly interrupting both Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace .

President Donald Trump indicated on Monday night that he would not bail on the next and final debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden slated for Thursday, even after the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced that the candidates’ mics would be muted during certain portions of the event.
“I will participate,” Trump told reporters upon returning to the White House from his campaign rally in Arizona. “But it’s very unfair that they changed the topics and it’s very unfair that again we have an anchor who’s totally biased.”
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a statement that the President would be participating in the debate “regardless of last minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate.”
Earlier in the evening, the CPD announced that in order to enforce its rule on allowing each debate participate to speak uninterrupted for the first two minutes per each 15-minute segment, “the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules.”
The rest of the segment will be open discussion, during which both mics will be on, the commission said.
The CPD’s announcement seemed to tacitly acknowledge that that the Trump campaign, which has consistently bashed the commission over changes to the debate format, would be upset by the development, particularly after Stepien complained in a letter to the commission earlier in the day that muting candidates’ mics would be “completely unacceptable.”
“We realize, after discussions with both campaigns, that neither campaign may be totally satisfied with the measures announced today,” the commission stated. “One may think they go too far, and one may think they do not go far enough. We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people, for whom these debates are held.”
The rule change came in response to widespread criticism over the first chaotic debate last month, which saw Trump repeatedly interrupting both Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-20--Debate Commission Co-Chair Defends Mic Muting Rule: ‘Both Parties Agreed’

The co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates on Tuesday defended the non-partisan organization ’ s decision to mute microphones during certain portions of the final presidential debate this week , which President Trump has deemed as “ very unfair.
” Appearing on MSNBC on Tuesday afternoon , CPD co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf said that the organization made the decision in an effort to enforce rules that both the Trump and Biden campaigns previously agreed to .
On Monday , the CPD announced that it would mute both Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s microphones while their rival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of the six topic questions at the final presidential debate set to take place in Nashville .
The CPD issued its mic muting decision after Trump ’ s disastrous debate performance last month .
On Sept. 30 , the CPD wrote in a statement that the first debate — which was widely panned after Trump hijacked it by frequently interrupting both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News — “ made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday afternoon that “ both parties agreed before the first debate and also agreed again before the second.
” Fahrenkopf then acknowledged that “ it ’ s easy to see those rules were not followed ” during the first presidential debate “ even though they ’ d agreed to.
” Fahrenkopf argued that “ we didn ’ t create a rule ” by implementing the mic muting measure in the final presidential debate .
“ We didn ’ t touch the rules , ” Fahrenkopf said .
“ All we did is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is interrupting , they won ’ t be allowed to interrupt.
” Fahrenkopf pointed out that once the presidential candidates complete their initial two minutes responding to a debate topic , the mics are on during the rest of the time dedicated to that particular topic , which he hopes will play out with “ a little more civility ” compared to last month ’ s presidential debate in Cleveland .
Earlier Tuesday , the CPD refuted the President ’ s complaint that the nonpartisan organization is enacting “ pro-Biden antics ” just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
In a scathing letter issued to the CPD on Monday , Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien griped about the absence of foreign policy as one of the six topics selected for the final presidential debate , which were chosen by moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News .
Trump has waged attacks against Welker in the days leading up to her moderation duties during the final presidential debate .
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel apparently launched her crusade against the non-partisan CPD as well on Tuesday as she derided the organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portions of the debate .

The co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates on Tuesday defended the non-partisan organization’s decision to mute microphones during certain portions of the final presidential debate this week, which President Trump has deemed as “very unfair.”
Appearing on MSNBC on Tuesday afternoon, CPD co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf said that the organization made the decision in an effort to enforce rules that both the Trump and Biden campaigns previously agreed to.
On Monday, the CPD announced that it would mute both Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s microphones while their rival delivers initial and uninterrupted two-minute answers on each of the six topic questions at the final presidential debate set to take place in Nashville.
The CPD issued its mic muting decision after Trump’s disastrous debate performance last month. On Sept. 30, the CPD wrote in a statement that the first debate — which was widely panned after Trump hijacked it by frequently interrupting both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News — “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”
Fahrenkopf told MSNBC on Tuesday afternoon that “both parties agreed before the first debate and also agreed again before the second.”
Fahrenkopf then acknowledged that “it’s easy to see those rules were not followed” during the first presidential debate “even though they’d agreed to.”
Fahrenkopf argued that “we didn’t create a rule” by implementing the mic muting measure in the final presidential debate.
“We didn’t touch the rules,” Fahrenkopf said. “All we did is put in a situation where if someone is interrupting, they won’t be allowed to interrupt.”
Fahrenkopf pointed out that once the presidential candidates complete their initial two minutes responding to a debate topic, the mics are on during the rest of the time dedicated to that particular topic, which he hopes will play out with “a little more civility” compared to last month’s presidential debate in Cleveland.
Earlier Tuesday, the CPD refuted the President’s complaint that the nonpartisan organization is enacting “pro-Biden antics” just days before his final presidential debate against Biden. In a scathing letter issued to the CPD on Monday, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien griped about the absence of foreign policy as one of the six topics selected for the final presidential debate, which were chosen by moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News. Trump has waged attacks against Welker in the days leading up to her moderation duties during the final presidential debate.
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel apparently launched her crusade against the non-partisan CPD as well on Tuesday as she derided the organization for its decision to mute mics during portions of the debate.
Watch Fahrenkopf’s remarks below: