buzzfeed--2020-04-16--A YouTube Video Accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci Of Being Part Of The Deep State Has Been Viewed Over 6 Mi

A YouTube Video Accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci Of Being Part Of The Deep State Has Been Viewed Over 6 Million Times In A Week

A YouTube video full of what experts have called misinformation about the coronavirus went viral this week , accumulating over 6 million views and close to half a million Facebook shares since it was published last Saturday .
The video features an interview with Shiva Ayyadurai , a candidate for the GOP nomination for Senate in Massachusetts , who questionably claimed to have invented email and who briefly dated actor Fran Drescher .
It was conducted by news anchor Christina Aguayo , who hosts America ’ s Daily Report on America ’ s Voice , a right-wing cable TV network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MIT PhD Crushes Dr. Fauci Exposes Birx , Clintons , Bill Gates , And The W.H.O ” is full of misinformation about COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has killed 132,000 around the world and sickened 2 million .
YouTube ’ s “ coronavirus '' search results remain relatively free of misinformation — a search typically returns a CDC warning , a liveblog about the outbreak from a trusted news source , and hundreds of videos from verified channels .
But the platform has had a tougher time — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go viral outside of its walls , including on Facebook and Twitter .
According to YouTube , the video was not recommended by its systems .
The majority of the traffic and views come from external sites .
“ You 're talking about a guy who is embedded in the deep state , ” Ayyadurai said of Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and top-ranking member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force , in the interview .
“ [ Fauci is ] highly embedded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ayyadurai defined COVID-19 as “ an overactive dysfunctional immune system that overreacts and that 's what causes damage to the body '' ( scientists are still trying to understand how the coronavirus interacts with the human immune system ) and claimed that vitamin C could be used to treat it ( USA Today has rated that claim `` false '' ) .
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Ayyadurai for comment .
Ayyadurai has yet to back up what he has said with scientific data , but he continues to amass an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of many who in the last few months has built an online fanbase with hyperpartisan pandemic content , he publishes Periscopes about the outbreak almost every day , attacking anti-Trump media , speculating about the deep state , and railing against the medical establishment .
“ The # FakeNews colludes with # FakeScience to create # FakeProblems , # FakeSolutions and # FakeHistory to drive us into slavery and fascism , ” Ayyadurai tweeted Tuesday .
“ Each day I will be exposing a # FakeJournalist and/or # FakeScientist .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious bitter medicine.
” Dr. Ravina Kullar , an infectious diseases researcher , told BuzzFeed News there is no data to support Ayyadurai ’ s claims that the coronavirus causes an overactive immune system or that vitamin C could treat it .
“ I think that shows you that people are just trying to find some kind of reasoning for this coronavirus , ” she said .
Kullar also said she respects Fauci and feels very lucky that he ’ s leading the country ’ s coronavirus task force : “ He 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been through this many times . ''
Although Aguayo characterizes Ayyadurai as an “ MIT PhD '' and the inventor of email , Ayyadurai is not a medical doctor and in 2016 , a judge ruled that doubting his claim to have invented email , as many journalists have , was not libelous .
In 2018 , he garnered 3.4 % in the general election as an independent candidate for Senate in Massachusetts , placing far behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren , during a race in which he was supported by fake Facebook accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican nomination for the state 's other Senate seat , the primary for which will be held in September .
Having graduated MIT in 1986 with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science , Ayyadurai developed a graphic software that was sold to Lotus Software .
After selling his company he returned to MIT , earning master 's degrees in animation and mechanical engineering and a PhD in computational systems biology .
Most recently , Ayyadurai has cultivated an online following among anti-vaxxers and other pseudoscience communities .
He is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci .
They are falsely claiming that Fauci is working with former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and the deep state to cause an economic collapse and discredit President Donald Trump .
On March 20 , Ayyadurai tweeted , “ Time to expose ‘ Deep State ’ Emperor Fauci & his ‘ illustrious ’ career of # FakeScience imposing ‘ one-size-fits-all ’ Medieval Mandated Medicine to profit his BIG PHARMA minions , [ at ] the expense of crashing our economy.
” Last month , Ayyadurai also tweeted an email Fauci sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several Periscope videos accusing Fauci of being a member of the deep state .
Ayyadurai ’ s video , titled `` How to Kill Coronavirus , '' was removed from YouTube for violating its community standards .
In a petition he hosts on his website , Ayyadurai accuses Fauci of forcing mandatory vaccines on Americans to support Big Pharma .
In his interview with Aguayo , Ayyadurai accused the deep state of orchestrating the coronavirus outbreak to stop Trump ’ s re-election .
`` You have a political motive of the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy like Donald Trump ever getting elected , ” he told Aguayo .
“ I think the deep state 's real effect was to hit [ Trump ] with this coronavirus.
” And in language extremely similar to what ’ s been posted in popular 4chan threads over the last month , Ayyadurai mentioned that Fauci knows singer Elton John .
Anonymous 4chan users have posted dozens of threads about Fauci , using a photo of the doctor and John to accuse Fauci of being part of a global child sexual abuse ring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Fauci has described himself as once having been Roman Catholic , and now a humanist .
John was raised Anglican , but is famously opposed to organized religion . )
`` [ Fauci ] prides himself on connections with Hollywood and Elton John and all this , ” Ayyadurai said .
`` What you 're looking at is a strategic move to destroy the economy [ by ] using it as a vehicle to not only impose vaccine mandates [ ... ] but also as an opportunity to suppress dissent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site CrowdTangle , the biggest referrals for the YouTube video came from the Denver Now community Facebook Page , the QAnon-affiliated X22 Report [ Geopolitical ] Facebook Group , the Facebook Page for the Christian mommy blog Transformed Wife , and the Instagram account for Nashville-based chiropractor Chelsea Axe .
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Facebook for comment .
Since it went viral , Aguayo has used her Twitter account to celebrate her interview with Ayyadurai — going so far as to tweet a graphic of her and Ayyadurai with the words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gold .
Her interview is one of several she ’ s done in the last two weeks that are critical of Fauci , none of which have reached similarly large audiences .
Earlier this month , Twitter announced it would be changing its terms of service to prohibit tweets that deny global or local health authority recommendations , promote treatments or protective measures not immediately harmful but known to be ineffective , deny established scientific facts about transmission , or contain other content relating to the virus that poses a health risk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not impacted Ayyadurai .
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Twitter for comment .

A YouTube video full of what experts have called misinformation about the coronavirus went viral this week, accumulating over 6 million views and close to half a million Facebook shares since it was published last Saturday.
The video features an interview with Shiva Ayyadurai, a candidate for the GOP nomination for Senate in Massachusetts, who questionably claimed to have invented email and who briefly dated actor Fran Drescher. It was conducted by news anchor Christina Aguayo, who hosts America’s Daily Report on America’s Voice, a right-wing cable TV network.
“Dr. SHIVA Ayyadurai, MIT PhD Crushes Dr. Fauci Exposes Birx, Clintons, Bill Gates, And The W.H.O” is full of misinformation about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has killed 132,000 around the world and sickened 2 million.
YouTube’s “coronavirus" search results remain relatively free of misinformation — a search typically returns a CDC warning, a liveblog about the outbreak from a trusted news source, and hundreds of videos from verified channels. But the platform has had a tougher time — particularly in India — combatting videos that go viral outside of its walls, including on Facebook and Twitter.
According to YouTube, the video was not recommended by its systems. The majority of the traffic and views come from external sites.
“You're talking about a guy who is embedded in the deep state,” Ayyadurai said of Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and top-ranking member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, in the interview. “[Fauci is] highly embedded into the Big Pharma medical school education.”
Ayyadurai defined COVID-19 as “an overactive dysfunctional immune system that overreacts and that's what causes damage to the body" (scientists are still trying to understand how the coronavirus interacts with the human immune system) and claimed that vitamin C could be used to treat it (USA Today has rated that claim "false").
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Ayyadurai for comment.
Ayyadurai has yet to back up what he has said with scientific data, but he continues to amass an audience — and court votes. One of many who in the last few months has built an online fanbase with hyperpartisan pandemic content, he publishes Periscopes about the outbreak almost every day, attacking anti-Trump media, speculating about the deep state, and railing against the medical establishment.
“The #FakeNews colludes with #FakeScience to create #FakeProblems, #FakeSolutions and #FakeHistory to drive us into slavery and fascism,” Ayyadurai tweeted Tuesday. “Each day I will be exposing a #FakeJournalist and/or #FakeScientist. It’s time these scumbags and parasites got some serious bitter medicine.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-07--Disinformation For Hire: How A New Breed Of PR Firms Is Selling Lies Online

One firm promised to “ use every tool and take every advantage available in order to change reality according to our client 's wishes.
” This story was reported in partnership with the Reporter , an investigative news site in Taiwan .
Peng Kuan Chin pulled out his phone , eager to show the future of online manipulation .
Unseen servers began crawling the web for Chinese articles and posts .
The system quickly reorganized the words and sentences into new text .
His screen displayed a rapidly increasing tally of the articles generated by his product , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ System . ''
With the articles in hand , a set of websites that Peng controlled published them , and his thousands of fake social media accounts spread them across the internet , instantly sending manipulated content into news feeds , messaging app inboxes , and search results .
`` I developed this for manipulating public opinion , ” Peng told the Reporter , an investigative news site in Taipei , which partnered with BuzzFeed News for this article .
He added that automation and artificial intelligence “ can quickly generate traffic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32-year-old wore Adidas Yeezy sneakers and a gold Rolex as he sat in a two-story office in the industrial part of Taichung that was filled with feng shui items such as a money frog and lucky bamboo .
A riot gun , which uses compressed air to fire nonlethal projectiles , rested on his desk .
Peng said he bought it for “ recreational purposes.
” In the interview , he detailed his path from sending spam emails as a 14-year-old to , being recruited to help with the 2018 reelection campaign of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Malaysia .
Peng ’ s clients are companies , brands , political parties , and candidates in Asia .
“ Customers have money , and I do n't care what they buy , '' he said .
They ’ re purchasing an end-to-end online manipulation system , which can influence people on a massive scale — resulting in votes cast , products sold , and perceptions changed .
Peng ’ s product is modeled on automation software he saw in China , which he believes no one else outside the mainland has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique , his company , Bravo-Idea , is not .
There is now a worldwide industry of PR and marketing firms ready to deploy fake accounts , false narratives , and pseudo news websites for the right price .
If disinformation in 2016 was characterized by Macedonian spammers pushing pro-Trump fake news and Russian trolls running rampant on platforms , 2020 is shaping up to be the year communications pros for hire provide sophisticated online propaganda operations to anyone willing to pay .
Around the globe , politicians , parties , governments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the industry as “ black PR ” firms to spread lies and manipulate online discourse .
A BuzzFeed News review — which looked at account takedowns by platforms that deactivated and investigations by security and research firms — found that since 2011 , at least 27 online information operations have been partially or wholly attributed to PR or marketing firms .
Of those , 19 occurred in 2019 alone .
Most recently , in late December , Twitter announced it removed more than 5,000 accounts that it said were part of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi Arabia carried out by marketing firm Smaat .
The same day , Facebook announced a takedown of hundreds of accounts , pages , and groups that it found were engaged in “ foreign and government interference ” on behalf of the government of Georgia .
It attributed the operation to Panda , an advertising agency in Georgia , and to the country ’ s ruling party .
Nathaniel Gleicher , Facebook ’ s head of cybersecurity policy , told BuzzFeed News “ the professionalization of deception ” is a growing threat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence operations has been around for some time , but over the past several years , we have seen [ ... ] companies grow up that basically build their business model around deception , ” he said .
Although Peng may be one of the most sophisticated black PR practitioners , he is far from the only one .
The Saudi and Georgian revelations followed a drumbeat of similar takedowns of and investigations into marketing and PR firms in countries such as Israel , Egypt , the United Arab Emirates , Ukraine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cindy Otis , a former CIA officer and the author of True or False : A CIA Analyst 's Guide to Spotting Fake News , told BuzzFeed News that information operations by nation-states like Russia and Iran have provided “ a playbook for individuals and groups that are financially motivated to delve into this space.
” The emergence of black PR firms means investigators at platforms , security firms , and within the intelligence community are “ spending increasing amounts of time looking at the disinformation-for-hire services that are out there , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Israeli black PR firm , created networks of hundreds of Facebook pages , accounts , and groups around the world , boasting on its website that it would “ use every tool and take every advantage available in order to change reality according to our client ’ s wishes.
” For an election in Mali , it managed a fake fact-checking page that claimed to be run by local students .
In Tunisia , it ran a page titled “ Stop à la Désinformation et aux Mensonges ” ( “ Stop Disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ran pages advocating for and against the same politician , former vice president Atiku Abubakar .
Researchers postulated that the pro-Abubakar page “ was likely designed to identify his supporters in order to target them with anti-Abubakar content later.
” In Ukraine , the PR firm Pragmatico employed dozens of young , digitally savvy people to pump out positive comments on fake Facebook accounts about clients .
In Poland , Cat @ Net managed networks of fake Twitter accounts operated by staffers with disabilities working from home , whom the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates while they received government subsidies .
Reporting by Investigate Europe also found Cat @ Net performed work for one of Poland ’ s most prominent PR agencies , Art-Media .
( The company denied working with Cat @ Net . )
In Puerto Rico , journalists revealed that former governor Ricardo Rosselló was an administrator of a Telegram group chat where a consultant from marketing firm KOI appeared to plan and direct social media campaigns to push pro-government messages and attack rivals .
In August , Rosselló resigned , in part over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s career is a road map of how online manipulation services evolved from solo operations to agencies that openly advertise their services and employ large staffs .
At 14 years old , he wrote an email spam program to stuff mailboxes of people in Taiwan .
“ Using 30 computers I had in a room , I became a very big player in sending spam , ” Peng said .
“ I think 1 of every 2 people in Taiwan has received junk mails that I was responsible for.
” In high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular internet message boards with offers , labeling the product as an `` Automatic Bulletin Posting Kit.
” One ad asked visitors to porn sites , `` Do you know that excessive masturbation can cause impotence and premature ejaculation ? ''
Peng said the fearmongering ad helped drive sales for male enhancement pills he was promoting .
Peng created thousands of fake accounts on popular Chinese message boards to promote his and his clients ’ products .
He soon began making and selling websites and counseling via Skype on how to make money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I even lost my voice !
I was a high school student then , and my mother was wondering what I was doing speaking on the phone all day , ” he said .
In 2011 , singers from schools across Taiwan competed in a popular TV competition .
Peng ’ s alma mater won ; its performer received more than 41 million online votes , almost twice the Taiwanese population .
A school official confirmed to the Reporter that the school had requested help from Peng in the competition but declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peng has been developing his “ Content Farm Automatic Collection System.
” His clients use his system to overwhelm their chosen corners of the internet with torrents of AI-generated text that influence search results .
Peng perfected the system by buying the services of every social media and SEO manipulation offering he could find on Taobao , a huge Chinese e-commerce site owned by Alibaba .
“ I was scammed a few times in the beginning because I didn ’ t really understand the software , ” he said .
“ Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instructed his six developers to build a system inspired by the best of what he saw .
“ This marketing logic is in response to China ’ s huge population of 1.4 billion people , [ where content ] only gets eyeballs when there is volume , ” he said .
“ In comparison , there are only 23 million people in Taiwan .
Applying this logic , I will create the largest volume in the shortest amount of time , and the information I spread will reach everyone ’ s eyes.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PR firms elsewhere rely on manual labor , using brute force with what he does with code .
For investigative reporter Vasil Bidun , that meant an eight-hour shift in the trendy Podil neighborhood of Kyiv .
He would log on to different fake Facebook accounts to comment in favor of candidates , criticize their opponents , or steer conversations in specific directions .
Ukraine ’ s presidential election was underway , and he said his employer , Pragmatico , seemed to have secured contracts with several people running for office .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have denied involvement . )
“ The aim is to get an emotional reaction from a person , ” Bidun said in an interview .
“ If they read a comment , even [ if they understand ] that it was written by a bot , it could have affected them emotionally and it becomes more difficult for them to control themselves.
” But Bidun wasn ’ t just punching the clock at the agency .
After three months working undercover at the agency , he published an in-depth investigation .
He and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single apartment , rotating in three shifts .
It was mostly students trying to earn extra money , just over $ 300 per month , he said .
No one talked about the ethics of the work — they just did what they were told , promoting the candidacies of both conservative and progressive politicians , including popular musician Svyatoslav Vakarchuk .
“ It was the summer break and it was a method to earn a bit of money , ” he said .
“ Most don ’ t think much about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they just write.
” Following Bidun ’ s investigation , Facebook announced the removal of the company ’ s assets on the platform in September 2019 , which amounted to 168 accounts , 149 pages , and 79 groups .
The social media giant also revealed that that Pragmatico had spent $ 1.6 million on ads , a significant sum for the Ukrainian market .
But black PR continues to flourish on social media in other parts of Eastern Europe .
This year , while reporting for Investigate Europe , Katarzyna Pruszkiewicz spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Net , a Polish company that describes itself as an “ ePR agency comprising specialists who build a positive image of companies , private individuals and public institutions — mostly in social media.
” “ Cat @ Net said it was a PR company , but in reality it was [ a ] troll farm .
They did fake accounts , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
( The company denied it was a troll farm in a statement posted to its website . )
Pruszkiewicz said she and her colleagues used fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the firms ’ clients .
This meant promoting Polish state media , pumping up the left-wing politicians who hired them , or attacking the government ’ s decision to place an order for American F-35 fighter jets .
Cat @ Net ’ s staffers worked remotely , congregating in Slack to receive their assignments .
Sometimes a professional copywriter would provide them content , but many times it was up to employees to come up with messages for the fake accounts .
Team members would celebrate each other ’ s successes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a politician answered a comment from the fake accounts , ” Pruszkiewicz said .
Cat @ Net focused on hiring people with disabilities because they could be paid less and qualified for government subsidies , according to Pruszkiewicz .
“ They are in a wheelchair and have bills to pay .
They are often without professional skills , and Cat @ Net gave them work and got from the state a lot of money for [ employing ] these people , ” she said .
After her reporting was published in October 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened an investigation into the company for the disability benefits it received .
However , Twitter accounts run by Cat @ Net are still online , Pruszkiewicz said .
“ The fake accounts still exist today and are writing on Twitter like nothing happened , and every day I can see what they are writing on Twitter and Facebook .
It ’ s really frustrating , because I spent six months [ investigating ] and the company still exists , ” she said .
Nowhere is the rise of black PR firms more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Philippines .
Many legitimate-seeming agencies here offer black PR services that include fake social media accounts , websites , and coordinated harassment campaigns .
This year , Facebook announced takedowns of properties attributed to Twinmark Media Enterprises , a digital marketing company in the Philippines , and Nic Gabunada , the social media director for Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte ’ s 2016 campaign .
In both cases , Facebook said the operations were engaged in “ coordinated inauthentic activity.
” Gabunada previously insisted in an interview with BuzzFeed News that the Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ organic ” and “ volunteer-driven.
” As previously reported by BuzzFeed News , some politicians who had decried Duterte ’ s use of fake Facebook accounts and trolling in 2016 had used social media manipulation services in their own campaigns .
Black PR services have become so lucrative in the Philippines that many PR firms feel pressured to offer them .
One agency director told BuzzFeed News it ’ s “ tempting ” to offer black PR services because of the potential profit .
It ’ s difficult to compete against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
“ We 've had several campaigns where we were up against other firms that were willing to employ any kind of tactic to combat whatever we were putting out there if we were promoting a candidate and they were promoting an opposing candidate , for instance , ” said the agency director , who asked not to be named in order to speak freely about the industry .
Jonathan Corpus Ong , an associate professor of global digital media at the University of Massachusetts Amherst , has been studying black PR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
“ The Philippines offers a cautionary tale for other countries for what happens when disinformation production within the PR industry has become so financially lucrative that they have moved from shady black market transactions to the professional respectability of the corporate boardroom , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
Ong said PR firms use industry jargon while communicating with clients to help “ neutralize the stigma of the real disinformation work that they do.
” “ For instance , they would use the terms ‘ supplemental pages ’ and ‘ digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise known as ‘ fake news sites ’ or ‘ paid trolls ’ when they pitch their services to prospective clients .
This lends an aura of respectability to the transaction and — crucially — gives politicians a level of plausible deniability , ” he said .
The rise of black PR firms is on the radar of the global PR industry , which has long battled problems of its own making .
In 2017 , the industry took a stand against social media manipulation when the Public Relations and Communications Association expelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm , after investigating its work in South Africa , where the firm stoked racial tensions in service of a billionaire client .
Bell Pottinger previously received a $ 500 million contract from the Pentagon to execute a top secret propaganda program in Iraq , according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism .
Global agencies often look to industry rules .
Jill Tannenbaum , the chief communications and marketing officer for PR giant Weber Shandwick , told BuzzFeed News that the company must “ engage audiences with campaigns that are rooted in truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ s ] in markets where dishonest tactics take place.
” “ We have a process in place to assess any client engagements that might not adhere to our values or include tactics that are not truthful or transparent , so we can counsel our teams and our clients accordingly , ” she said in a statement .
“ Our local leaders – in the Philippines and around the world – are empowered to turn away work that is of concern or that does not adhere to our values.
” In the wake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Communications Consultancy Organisation , an umbrella organization representing PR trade groups around the world , established 10 principles known as the Helsinki Declaration .
They require communication professionals to “ be aware of the power of social media , and use it responsibly ” and to “ never engage in the creation of or knowingly circulate fake news.
” Francis Ingham , director general of the PRCA and chief executive of the ICCO , told BuzzFeed News that black PR firms give ethical practitioners a bad name .
“ Our members are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stain of these people who operate outside of [ the industry 's ] ethical parameters , ” he said .
In spite of the increasing number of information operations being attributed to PR or marketing firms , Ingham said , these firms are the exception .
“ I recognize there will always be a tiny percentage of people who call themselves PR or marketing practitioners who operate in the gray or black area , ” he said .
While the legitimate PR industry works to differentiate itself from these practitioners , platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black PR from their ecosystems .
“ If the company is working on multiple platforms and has a wide range of business interests , we might not be able to completely destroy them , ” said Facebook ’ s Gleicher .
He said Facebook ’ s approach is to remove assets involved in a specific operation and ban the entire organization .
In some cases , Facebook also bans key employees from the platform .
“ The reason we do that is making it very clear that it ’ s not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform , ” Gleicher said .
“ You build a business around this , we will remove you.
” Peng , however , is undeterred .
He said it ’ s easy to evade Facebook ’ s controls , and that demand for his services remains strong .
“ I think cracking Facebook is quite easy .
My software is developed to constantly fight against Facebook , ” he said .
“ This is done because there are markets , customers , and needs , and people have money to pay for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a demand.
” ●

This story was reported in partnership with the Reporter, an investigative news site in Taiwan.
Peng Kuan Chin pulled out his phone, eager to show the future of online manipulation.
Unseen servers began crawling the web for Chinese articles and posts. The system quickly reorganized the words and sentences into new text. His screen displayed a rapidly increasing tally of the articles generated by his product, which he dubs the “Content Farm Automatic Collection System."
With the articles in hand, a set of websites that Peng controlled published them, and his thousands of fake social media accounts spread them across the internet, instantly sending manipulated content into news feeds, messaging app inboxes, and search results.
"I developed this for manipulating public opinion,” Peng told the Reporter, an investigative news site in Taipei, which partnered with BuzzFeed News for this article. He added that automation and artificial intelligence “can quickly generate traffic and publicity much faster than people.”
The 32-year-old wore Adidas Yeezy sneakers and a gold Rolex as he sat in a two-story office in the industrial part of Taichung that was filled with feng shui items such as a money frog and lucky bamboo. A riot gun, which uses compressed air to fire nonlethal projectiles, rested on his desk. Peng said he bought it for “recreational purposes.”
In the interview, he detailed his path from sending spam emails as a 14-year-old to, being recruited to help with the 2018 reelection campaign of Najib Razak, the former prime minister of Malaysia.
Peng’s clients are companies, brands, political parties, and candidates in Asia. “Customers have money, and I don't care what they buy," he said. They’re purchasing an end-to-end online manipulation system, which can influence people on a massive scale — resulting in votes cast, products sold, and perceptions changed.
Peng’s product is modeled on automation software he saw in China, which he believes no one else outside the mainland has. But while his technology may be unique, his company, Bravo-Idea, is not. There is now a worldwide industry of PR and marketing firms ready to deploy fake accounts, false narratives, and pseudo news websites for the right price.
If disinformation in 2016 was characterized by Macedonian spammers pushing pro-Trump fake news and Russian trolls running rampant on platforms, 2020 is shaping up to be the year communications pros for hire provide sophisticated online propaganda operations to anyone willing to pay. Around the globe, politicians, parties, governments, and other clients hire what is known in the industry as “black PR” firms to spread lies and manipulate online discourse.
A BuzzFeed News review — which looked at account takedowns by platforms that deactivated and investigations by security and research firms — found that since 2011, at least 27 online information operations have been partially or wholly attributed to PR or marketing firms. Of those, 19 occurred in 2019 alone.


buzzfeed--2020-01-04--Trump’s Foreign Policy Is All About Looking Tough On The Cheap

There are only two things you need to know about President Donald Trump to figure out his foreign policy at this point : He is a penny-pincher who hates spending money on anyone or anything that does not benefit him directly , and he can not abide by anything that makes it look as though he isn ’ t tough .
Both traits were on vibrant display when the US killed a top Iranian general visiting Iraq early Friday morning local time .
Qassem Soleimani died in a fiery drone strike alongside the commander of a major Shiite militia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s already been deemed a martyr by the Iranian government ; days of mourning lie ahead for the man the regime would have remembered as the hero who beat ISIS .
Many experts have said it was impossible to picture the Middle East ’ s future without Soleimani ; likewise , the repercussions of his loss are impossible to predict .
US officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have insisted that Soleimani was in the process of planning new attacks against Americans .
The general had to die to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense officials have already said that they were aware of only generalized threats . )
And in a background briefing on Friday , a senior State Department official insisted that the targeted killing would prove to be an effective deterrent against Iran and that Tehran would have no major response .
When asked why , the official said it was because the US is “ speaking in a language that the regime understands.
” Much like the reasoning for the strike itself , no evidence was given to support that claim .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a war .
We did not take action to start a war , ” Trump told reporters on Friday afternoon .
Whether he truly believes that is beside the point right now .
Because in every crisis and conflict that he has faced since becoming commander in chief , Trump has defaulted to the bluster that made him both an ever-present figure and perennial laughingstock in New York ’ s elite circles .
For someone who absorbed the cutthroat tactics that both Fred Trump and lawyer-slash-boogeyman Roy Cohn wielded , power has always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you don ’ t have the means to back that force up ?
You wave it off and approach your next target , bullying and pushing and cajoling until your way is the only way .
It was the declaration that he would be tougher than anyone on immigration that helped him net the Republican nomination in 2016 .
It was his willingness to turn on anyone who showed him the slightest disloyalty that made him the GOP ’ s only voice after he won the election , using his Twitter account to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it ’ s that desire to keep everyone and everything off-balance and afraid that has been at the center of his foreign policy .
“ The US is respected again ” has been a constant refrain of his since he became the country ’ s commander in chief .
And that ’ s a stance he ’ s clung to tightly , even as all evidence has shown it to be untrue .
Last week , long-running protests in Iraq expressing anger at the government , including over its close ties with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a backseat to headlines tracking a siege of the US Embassy in Baghdad .
The resulting death of a US contractor at the hands of a militia led by the man who died next to Soleimani was a “ red line ” for Trump , according to Bloomberg News .
For a president who campaigned on drawing down the wars the US has spent decades fighting in the Middle East , he was quick to send more into the breach to help secure the diplomats on the ground .
Comparisons were quickly made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 — however thin and specious , given the vastly different situations .
But that wasn ’ t enough ; a more severe punishment was needed — especially after a Twitter account claiming to be Iran ’ s supreme leader openly mocked Trump .
Bloomberg News reported that a cadre of Trump ’ s aides began planning the operation even as most of them were scattered for the holidays .
In killing Soleimani , Trump was meting out the ultimate payback for making him look weak — and risking the largest escalation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq in 2003 .
It ’ s easy to see how the mission would also appeal to the president ’ s avarice .
In Trump ’ s mind , the entire operation was likely done on the cheap .
One drone , one missile .
Boom .
No more problem .
No costly invasion , no more embassy attacks .
Done .
That tracks with the utter obsession Trump has with money in foreign affairs .
He ’ s berated US allies for not paying their fair share in NATO or Ukraine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an excuse for the scheme that saw Trump impeached in the House , refusing to hand over almost $ 400 million in military aid until it benefited his reelection — at least , before he was caught . )
Trade deals and the pursuit thereof have been his most pressing initiative in dealing with China , the United Kingdom , and others , even as the trade war he launched against Beijing has cost the US jobs .
He ’ s lambasted the idea of spending US treasure overseas at all , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy .
And he remains clearly baffled that everyone can ’ t see things through his almost exclusively economic lens .
The New York Times earlier this week noted as much as it examined Trump ’ s inability to move the needle on either Iran or North Korea as an election year begins .
The latter hasn ’ t been won over by his promises of beautiful condos along the beachside .
His initial instinct toward Kim Jong Un and the young prince ’ s nuclear weapons involved openly antagonizing North Korea .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that after years of former presidents not being taken seriously by Pyongyang , military action was imminent if Kim set one toe out of line .
That gave way to Trump attempting to charm North Korea into behaving and giving up its nuclear arsenal after softening the ground with his threats .
Pyongyang ’ s recent warnings — about how its patience is running thin for the US to provide sanctions relief — will test how long Trump ’ s promises of “ fire and fury ” can be held at bay once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has finally worn off .
Iran likewise hasn ’ t capitulated to US demands in the face of Trump ’ s “ maximum pressure ” campaign of economic sanctions .
Instead , it ’ s only upped its own campaign of retribution for the US abandoning the nuclear deal it signed in 2015 , targeting tankers in the Gulf and attacking Saudi Arabia ’ s largest oil refinery .
In the long run , Trump ’ s fateful decision to kill Soleimani , taken absent of any consultation of Congress , will fulfill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect he craves will be denied him — rather than leaving the Iranians cowed , experts are sure that reprisals against US interests , personnel , and allies will only increase .
Planning for this backlash appears to be minimal from an administration that ’ s lacked any sort of foresight .
And given Trump ’ s inability to take a loss , the retaliation to these perceived slights from Tehran could prove to be massive — and costly .
Both in dollars , as still more money is poured from the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2003 invasion , and in blood .
Just whose blood will pay the toll for Soleimani ’ s death — be it American , Iranian , Iraqi , or other — is still unclear .

There are only two things you need to know about President Donald Trump to figure out his foreign policy at this point: He is a penny-pincher who hates spending money on anyone or anything that does not benefit him directly, and he cannot abide by anything that makes it look as though he isn’t tough. Both traits were on vibrant display when the US killed a top Iranian general visiting Iraq early Friday morning local time.
Qassem Soleimani died in a fiery drone strike alongside the commander of a major Shiite militia, targeted as he left Baghdad International Airport. He’s already been deemed a martyr by the Iranian government; days of mourning lie ahead for the man the regime would have remembered as the hero who beat ISIS. Many experts have said it was impossible to picture the Middle East’s future without Soleimani; likewise, the repercussions of his loss are impossible to predict.
US officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have insisted that Soleimani was in the process of planning new attacks against Americans. The general had to die to save lives — American lives. (Defense officials have already said that they were aware of only generalized threats.) And in a background briefing on Friday, a senior State Department official insisted that the targeted killing would prove to be an effective deterrent against Iran and that Tehran would have no major response. When asked why, the official said it was because the US is “speaking in a language that the regime understands.” Much like the reasoning for the strike itself, no evidence was given to support that claim.
“We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war,” Trump told reporters on Friday afternoon. Whether he truly believes that is beside the point right now.
Because in every crisis and conflict that he has faced since becoming commander in chief, Trump has defaulted to the bluster that made him both an ever-present figure and perennial laughingstock in New York’s elite circles. For someone who absorbed the cutthroat tactics that both Fred Trump and lawyer-slash-boogeyman Roy Cohn wielded, power has always been about brute force. And if you don’t have the means to back that force up? You wave it off and approach your next target, bullying and pushing and cajoling until your way is the only way.
It was the declaration that he would be tougher than anyone on immigration that helped him net the Republican nomination in 2016. It was his willingness to turn on anyone who showed him the slightest disloyalty that made him the GOP’s only voice after he won the election, using his Twitter account to target anyone who would cross him. And it’s that desire to keep everyone and everything off-balance and afraid that has been at the center of his foreign policy.
“The US is respected again” has been a constant refrain of his since he became the country’s commander in chief. And that’s a stance he’s clung to tightly, even as all evidence has shown it to be untrue.
Last week, long-running protests in Iraq expressing anger at the government, including over its close ties with Iranian militias led by Soleimani, took a backseat to headlines tracking a siege of the US Embassy in Baghdad. The resulting death of a US contractor at the hands of a militia led by the man who died next to Soleimani was a “red line” for Trump, according to Bloomberg News. For a president who campaigned on drawing down the wars the US has spent decades fighting in the Middle East, he was quick to send more into the breach to help secure the diplomats on the ground. Comparisons were quickly made between Iraq in 2019 and Benghazi in 2012 — however thin and specious, given the vastly different situations.
But that wasn’t enough; a more severe punishment was needed — especially after a Twitter account claiming to be Iran’s supreme leader openly mocked Trump. Bloomberg News reported that a cadre of Trump’s aides began planning the operation even as most of them were scattered for the holidays. In killing Soleimani, Trump was meting out the ultimate payback for making him look weak — and risking the largest escalation in the region since the US first invaded Iraq in 2003.
It’s easy to see how the mission would also appeal to the president’s avarice. In Trump’s mind, the entire operation was likely done on the cheap. One drone, one missile. Boom. No more problem. No costly invasion, no more embassy attacks. Done.
That tracks with the utter obsession Trump has with money in foreign affairs. He’s berated US allies for not paying their fair share in NATO or Ukraine. (Republicans have used the latter as an excuse for the scheme that saw Trump impeached in the House, refusing to hand over almost $400 million in military aid until it benefited his reelection — at least, before he was caught.) Trade deals and the pursuit thereof have been his most pressing initiative in dealing with China, the United Kingdom, and others, even as the trade war he launched against Beijing has cost the US jobs. He’s lambasted the idea of spending US treasure overseas at all, an offshoot of his “America first” policy. And he remains clearly baffled that everyone can’t see things through his almost exclusively economic lens.
The New York Times earlier this week noted as much as it examined Trump’s inability to move the needle on either Iran or North Korea as an election year begins. The latter hasn’t been won over by his promises of beautiful condos along the beachside. His initial instinct toward Kim Jong Un and the young prince’s nuclear weapons involved openly antagonizing North Korea. In speeches and tweets, he promised that after years of former presidents not being taken seriously by Pyongyang, military action was imminent if Kim set one toe out of line. That gave way to Trump attempting to charm North Korea into behaving and giving up its nuclear arsenal after softening the ground with his threats. Pyongyang’s recent warnings — about how its patience is running thin for the US to provide sanctions relief — will test how long Trump’s promises of “fire and fury” can be held at bay once the glimmer of Kim’s praise has finally worn off.
Iran likewise hasn’t capitulated to US demands in the face of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign of economic sanctions. Instead, it’s only upped its own campaign of retribution for the US abandoning the nuclear deal it signed in 2015, targeting tankers in the Gulf and attacking Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery.
In the long run, Trump’s fateful decision to kill Soleimani, taken absent of any consultation of Congress, will fulfill neither of his base desires. The respect he craves will be denied him — rather than leaving the Iranians cowed, experts are sure that reprisals against US interests, personnel, and allies will only increase. Planning for this backlash appears to be minimal from an administration that’s lacked any sort of foresight. And given Trump’s inability to take a loss, the retaliation to these perceived slights from Tehran could prove to be massive — and costly. Both in dollars, as still more money is poured from the US’s coffers in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, and in blood. Just whose blood will pay the toll for Soleimani’s death — be it American, Iranian, Iraqi, or other — is still unclear.


buzzfeed--2020-01-04--Sen. Tim Kaine Will Force A Vote On War With Iran

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine has introduced a war powers resolution to cease hostilities with Iran until military actions are approved by Congress .
After 10 days , Kaine can force a vote on his motion in the Senate , which can not be blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
Kaine ’ s move comes after President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani Thursday in Iraq , and amid expectations of retaliation by Iran .
“ The question of whether United States forces should be engaged in armed conflict against Iran should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Congress and the American public of the issues at stake , a public debate in Congress , and a congressional vote as contemplated by the Constitution , ” states the resolution .
If passed , Kaine 's resolution would direct Trump to remove US forces “ from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military ” within 30 days , unless Congress acts to authorize military action .
Trump did not brief the congressional leadership “ Gang of Eight ” — the heads of each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as the leaders of each party in the House and Senate Intelligence Committees — about the Soleimani attack in advance .
Trump did , however , brief Sen. Lindsey Graham , who was golfing with the president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in advance of the attack .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was also with Trump at Mar-a-Lago during the attack Thursday .
McConnell said Friday that senators would receive a briefing on the strike next week .
Earlier this year , both the House and the Senate passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States to back away from a Saudi-led proxy war against Iran in Yemen .
Trump vetoed the resolution , and there was not enough support — two-thirds in each chamber — to override the veto .
Congress has repeatedly ceded its authority to authorize wars over to the executive branch .
The open-ended , 60-word Authorization for the Use of Military Force resolution passed by Congress in 2001 was intended to authorize military operations in Afghanistan as a response to 9/11 , but it has been used to justify countless military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two decades .
Another resolution was passed in 2002 to expand the campaign into Iraq .
National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said Friday that the 2002 AUMF provided the legal justification for the Soleimani strike .
He said that the administration became aware that Soleimani was plotting to attack American forces , but O'Brien would not give any details about what those plots entailed .
Kaine and other Democrats have long pushed to allow the previous AUMFs to expire and require presidents to get new authorizations from Congress for new and ongoing conflicts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these previous authorizations allows for war with Iran .
“ [ The previous resolutions ] do not serve as a specific statutory authorization for war against Iran , and neither authorize any such action , ” the resolution states .
The Trump administration has said it killed Soleimani because he was “ actively developing ” future attacks on United States personnel .
Trump briefly spoke publicly Friday and said he took action “ to stop a war .
We did not take action to start a war.
” Last year the House approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authorization Act that would have prohibited offensive strikes against Iran .
But that amendment was taken out by the Senate and ultimately not included in the version passed by Congress .
Amendment sponsor Rep. Ro Khanna said he is still thinking through next steps following the Soleimani killing .
“ Given this Administration 's lawless track record , it was particularly important that Congress include these amendments specifically prohibiting an offensive attack against Iran and repealing the authority Congress previously granted to attack Iraq , ” he said in a statement to BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Affairs Committee said members of the committee are discussing legislative options and will have a clearer path forward when the House returns to Washington next week .

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine has introduced a war powers resolution to cease hostilities with Iran until military actions are approved by Congress.
After 10 days, Kaine can force a vote on his motion in the Senate, which cannot be blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Kaine’s move comes after President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani Thursday in Iraq, and amid expectations of retaliation by Iran.
“The question of whether United States forces should be engaged in armed conflict against Iran should only be made following a full briefing to Congress and the American public of the issues at stake, a public debate in Congress, and a congressional vote as contemplated by the Constitution,” states the resolution.
If passed, Kaine's resolution would direct Trump to remove US forces “from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military” within 30 days, unless Congress acts to authorize military action.
Trump did not brief the congressional leadership “Gang of Eight” — the heads of each party in the House and Senate, as well as the leaders of each party in the House and Senate Intelligence Committees — about the Soleimani attack in advance. Trump did, however, brief Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was golfing with the president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in advance of the attack. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was also with Trump at Mar-a-Lago during the attack Thursday.
McConnell said Friday that senators would receive a briefing on the strike next week.
Earlier this year, both the House and the Senate passed a similar resolution that would have forced the United States to back away from a Saudi-led proxy war against Iran in Yemen. Trump vetoed the resolution, and there was not enough support — two-thirds in each chamber — to override the veto.
Congress has repeatedly ceded its authority to authorize wars over to the executive branch. The open-ended, 60-word Authorization for the Use of Military Force resolution passed by Congress in 2001 was intended to authorize military operations in Afghanistan as a response to 9/11, but it has been used to justify countless military operations around the globe over the past two decades. Another resolution was passed in 2002 to expand the campaign into Iraq.
National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said Friday that the 2002 AUMF provided the legal justification for the Soleimani strike. He said that the administration became aware that Soleimani was plotting to attack American forces, but O'Brien would not give any details about what those plots entailed.
Kaine and other Democrats have long pushed to allow the previous AUMFs to expire and require presidents to get new authorizations from Congress for new and ongoing conflicts. His resolution states that neither of these previous authorizations allows for war with Iran. “[The previous resolutions] do not serve as a specific statutory authorization for war against Iran, and neither authorize any such action,” the resolution states.
The Trump administration has said it killed Soleimani because he was “actively developing” future attacks on United States personnel. Trump briefly spoke publicly Friday and said he took action “to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.”
Last year the House approved a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have prohibited offensive strikes against Iran. But that amendment was taken out by the Senate and ultimately not included in the version passed by Congress.
Amendment sponsor Rep. Ro Khanna said he is still thinking through next steps following the Soleimani killing. “Given this Administration's lawless track record, it was particularly important that Congress include these amendments specifically prohibiting an offensive attack against Iran and repealing the authority Congress previously granted to attack Iraq,” he said in a statement to BuzzFeed News.
A spokesperson for the House Foreign Affairs Committee said members of the committee are discussing legislative options and will have a clearer path forward when the House returns to Washington next week.
Kadia Goba contributed to this story.


buzzfeed--2020-01-04--Trump’s Strike Has Drawn A Sharp Line Between The Democrats Running For President

The Democratic presidential candidates have split into an anti-war camp , led by Sen. Bernie Sanders , and a set of more nuanced responses to the killing of a key Iranian official , a rare and sharp contrast inside the party that begins to choose its nominee in a month .
All the leading Democrats , in varying degrees , criticized President Donald Trump for the potential his drone strike has to destabilize the Middle East .
But while Sen. Elizabeth Warren made the point of calling Qassem Soleimani a “ murderer , ” former mayor Mike Bloomberg called him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans on his hands , ” and former vice president Joe Biden began his statement denouncing Soleimani ’ s “ crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents , ” Sanders took a different tone , one drawn from a wing of the party that has opposed American wars since Vietnam .
“ Trump 's dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars , ” Sanders said in a statement , after noting his opposition to the Iraq war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Trump promised to end endless wars , but this action puts us on the path to another one.
” The campaign ’ s press statement referred to the attack as an “ assassination.
” In tweets on Friday morning , Warren also said Trump `` assassinated '' a senior Iranian official .
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , who has cast herself as the party ’ s leading anti-war voice , spoke about the strike on Fox News ' Fox & Friends on Friday morning , calling it `` very clearly an act of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of authorization or declaration of war from Congress , clearly violating the Constitution . ''
Andrew Yang , like Sanders , immediately denounced the attack and later said he would as president “ restore the historical balance between Congress and the Executive branch concerning military action.
” Most of the Democratic elected officials running for president took more cautious and traditional stances , beginning with condemnations of Soleimani , who has directed Iranian proxy and terror operations around the world for decades , and who the US blames for a recent attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia allied with Iran .
They also warned that Trump could be making a mistake .
“ This reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict .
Our priority must be to avoid another costly war , ” Warren tweeted .
`` Donald Trump ripped up an Iran nuclear deal that was working .
He ’ s repeatedly escalated tensions , '' Warren added In tweets Friday morning .
`` Now he ’ s assassinated a senior foreign military official .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran since his first days in office—but the American people won ’ t stand for it . ''
`` This is a moment for vigilance—for Americans to speak up and speak out .
No more Middle East wars , '' Warren tweeted .
“ The timing , manner , and potential consequences of the Administration ’ s actions raise serious questions and concerns about an escalating conflict , ” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in a statement .
“ Our immediate focus needs to be on ensuring necessary security measures are taken to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and throughout the region.
” `` There are serious questions about how this decision was made and whether we are prepared for the consequences , '' former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said in a statement .
`` As we learn more in the coming days and weeks , one thing is clear : this must not be the start of another endless war .
We must act wisely and deliberately , not capriciously or through Twitter .
The consequences are grave , as anyone who has served in uniform understands all too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Without more information , we can only hope that the president has carefully thought through the national security implications of this attack for our country and the grave risks involved , ” former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement .
“ Given his track record and his history of making reckless and impulsive decisions that undermine U.S. strategic objectives and weaken our allies — most recently in Syria — there is every reason to be deeply concerned.
” During an appearance on MSNBC on Thursday night , Sen. Cory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had blood on his hands , but the approach of the attack lacked a strategic plan .
“ We have a president who has had , really , a failure in his Iranian policy and who ’ s had no larger strategic plan , and who ’ s made that region less stable and less safe not only for Americans but for other countries , ” Booker said .
`` What is important at this moment in time is full coordination between the Administration and Congress to ensure the safety of all Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” former Rep. John Delaney said in a statement .
“ The Administration 's failure to brief Congressional leadership on this action is troubling and raises the risk of reckless actions that could lead to a dangerous escalation . ''
BuzzFeed News has reached out to all of the presidential campaigns on the developing situation and will update as candidates respond .

The Democratic presidential candidates have split into an anti-war camp, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, and a set of more nuanced responses to the killing of a key Iranian official, a rare and sharp contrast inside the party that begins to choose its nominee in a month.
All the leading Democrats, in varying degrees, criticized President Donald Trump for the potential his drone strike has to destabilize the Middle East. But while Sen. Elizabeth Warren made the point of calling Qassem Soleimani a “murderer,” former mayor Mike Bloomberg called him "a murderer with the blood of Americans on his hands,” and former vice president Joe Biden began his statement denouncing Soleimani’s “crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents,” Sanders took a different tone, one drawn from a wing of the party that has opposed American wars since Vietnam.
“Trump's dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars,” Sanders said in a statement, after noting his opposition to the Iraq war and without mentioning Soleimani by name. “Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one.”
The campaign’s press statement referred to the attack as an “assassination.” In tweets on Friday morning, Warren also said Trump "assassinated" a senior Iranian official.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who has cast herself as the party’s leading anti-war voice, spoke about the strike on Fox News' Fox & Friends on Friday morning, calling it "very clearly an act of war by this president, without any kind of authorization or declaration of war from Congress, clearly violating the Constitution."
Andrew Yang, like Sanders, immediately denounced the attack and later said he would as president “restore the historical balance between Congress and the Executive branch concerning military action.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-03--Andrew Yang Could Win This Thing

Andrew Yang Could Win This Thing

“ I tweeted a while ago that this is the simulation where we win — and that ’ s what it feels like now , ” Andrew Yang told me between campaign stops in New Hampshire Thursday night .
He was speaking — as he does in media interviews — with careful space between words , thinking about how they ’ ll look when they ’ re written down .
Yang ’ s stunning fundraising figures Thursday — $ 16.5 million in the last three months of 2019 — are the latest of the boxes he ’ s checked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a serious candidate for president of the United States .
That ’ s not the only box : He regularly occupies the second tier of key polls , behind the four central candidates , Joe Biden , Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren , and Pete Buttigieg , but ahead of any number of well-credentialed politicians , quirky microcelebrities , and well-funded randos — numbers that indicate support beyond the # YangGang faithful .
Now he ’ s spending real money on television in Iowa .
“ I get asked all the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ And the truth is that I did.
” But Yang is also worth treating as more than a curiosity because he has a grip on the thing that actually wins presidential campaigns : a clear message about the future .
“ He ’ s talking about 21st-century challenges rather than reprising old battles , ” David Axelrod , who shaped Obama ’ s 2008 campaign , told me .
The substance of Yang ’ s campaign is shockingly easy to talk about .
He wants to give everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inherent dignity of work , he looks to an automated future where there ’ s dignity in working less .
He marches to his own policy drum and declined to sign on to all the primary ’ s progressive litmus tests , saying that while he agrees in “ spirit ” with Medicare for All , free college , and the Green New Deal , none would work out in practice .
It ’ s the politics that have been harder to figure , and they ’ re the reason that experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tended to write him off .
As in : Come on , how does he actually win this thing ?
Well , first , the Democratic National Committee ’ s rigid rules have , so far , been a gift to him .
Yang and Sanders had no trouble reaching the numbers of small donors required to clear the threshold for debates , which meant they can spend the money they ’ ve raised on advertising and persuasion .
Many of the other candidates — and particularly the ones who washed out — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donors , dropping $ 10 or $ 20 to raise $ 1 .
( The DNC ’ s arbitrary polling rules , however , could keep him out of a key Iowa debate this month . )
And his campaign has brought on some old-line political hacks who speak the language of conventional politics .
In terms insiders can understand , here ’ s the path : Yang has now raised enough money to buy old-school television advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire ( though his main ad is personal and unconventional ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gambling metaphor , “ We ’ ve got to be dealt into the race in the early contests , Iowa and New Hampshire.
” That means a finish that sneaks him in amongst the four frontrunners in Iowa ; then a stronger showing in New Hampshire , where independents and even Republican-leaning independents , who like Yang better than other Democrats , can vote in the semi-open primary .
Then it ’ s off to the races .
“ One of the key things is getting hot at the right time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Sanders in 2016 .
“ Yang is positioned to get hot right at the right time to make a move on this thing.
” “ We ’ re going to grow and grow and peak at the right time , ” said Yang who , like Trump , ignores the old rule that the candidate shouldn ’ t obsess publicly about polling .
That would mean , among other things , winning votes from people who aren ’ t wearing hats that say MATH on them .
( Perhaps from the woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing one backward . )
Yang ’ s aides say the base is broadening .
“ It ’ s a completely new universe that we are speaking to , ” said his campaign chief , a former combat commander and political neophyte named Nick Ryan , who pointed to some 400,000 individual donors .
“ No matter how passionate a small base of support is — they ’ re not going to get you $ 16 million .
These are folks who aren ’ t all on blue-hat twitter.
” The only thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters frequently note , is MSNBC , which keeps leaving him off its graphics — and , really , the rest of us , the media at large .
That ’ s because he ’ s not the kind of establishment candidate — with political , business , or military credentials — who fits easily into the establishment media narratives , and he hasn ’ t ( hadn ’ t ) had a clear story to tell about how he wins the horserace .
And he ’ s not the kind of outsider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( admittedly one with political credentials ) — whom movement outlets like the Intercept and the Nation stan .
At this point , that will probably change : The great mentioner will add him to the MSNBC charts , unleash the attacks from the left , etc .
It ’ s a change that could easily end his rise .
“ In this process , the most joyful ride is the one up the ladder , ” said Axelrod .
“ Once you arrive in the tier of viable contenders , the tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know yet how well he would handle that unique hazing .
He ’ s made a huge leap to get to where he is .
It is an even larger one to get to where he wants to go.
” Yang , for his part , makes the case that the lack of formal attention has made him stronger .
“ The media has not exactly been the fuel behind my ascent , ” he remarked dryly .
That means , he said , that “ the people who support me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” So what will become of Andrew Yang ?
Probably , like most candidates who have a shot — but just a shot — he ’ ll fall short .
But he ’ s got a shot .
One of his senior aides argues that Biden , Warren , and Sanders “ are running like it ’ s 1996.
” Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar , the aide said , “ are running like it ’ s 2008 .
We ’ re running like it ’ s 2030.
” Only Donald Trump , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 2020 .
“ I am , ” Yang told me , “ his perfect nemesis .
”

“I tweeted a while ago that this is the simulation where we win — and that’s what it feels like now,” Andrew Yang told me between campaign stops in New Hampshire Thursday night.
He was speaking — as he does in media interviews — with careful space between words, thinking about how they’ll look when they’re written down.
Yang’s stunning fundraising figures Thursday — $16.5 million in the last three months of 2019 — are the latest of the boxes he’s checked to indicate that, yes, he’s a serious candidate for president of the United States. That’s not the only box: He regularly occupies the second tier of key polls, behind the four central candidates, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg, but ahead of any number of well-credentialed politicians, quirky microcelebrities, and well-funded randos — numbers that indicate support beyond the #YangGang faithful. Now he’s spending real money on television in Iowa.
“I get asked all the time whether I expected to be here,” he said. “And the truth is that I did.”
But Yang is also worth treating as more than a curiosity because he has a grip on the thing that actually wins presidential campaigns: a clear message about the future.
“He’s talking about 21st-century challenges rather than reprising old battles,” David Axelrod, who shaped Obama’s 2008 campaign, told me.
The substance of Yang’s campaign is shockingly easy to talk about. He wants to give everyone $1,000, and instead of preaching the inherent dignity of work, he looks to an automated future where there’s dignity in working less. He marches to his own policy drum and declined to sign on to all the primary’s progressive litmus tests, saying that while he agrees in “spirit” with Medicare for All, free college, and the Green New Deal, none would work out in practice.
It’s the politics that have been harder to figure, and they’re the reason that experienced political reporters (like me) have tended to write him off. As in: Come on, how does he actually win this thing?
Well, first, the Democratic National Committee’s rigid rules have, so far, been a gift to him. Yang and Sanders had no trouble reaching the numbers of small donors required to clear the threshold for debates, which meant they can spend the money they’ve raised on advertising and persuasion. Many of the other candidates — and particularly the ones who washed out — have been spending money to drum up donors, dropping $10 or $20 to raise $1. (The DNC’s arbitrary polling rules, however, could keep him out of a key Iowa debate this month.)
And his campaign has brought on some old-line political hacks who speak the language of conventional politics. In terms insiders can understand, here’s the path: Yang has now raised enough money to buy old-school television advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire (though his main ad is personal and unconventional). In his ad maker Mark Longabaugh’s gambling metaphor, “We’ve got to be dealt into the race in the early contests, Iowa and New Hampshire.”
That means a finish that sneaks him in amongst the four frontrunners in Iowa; then a stronger showing in New Hampshire, where independents and even Republican-leaning independents, who like Yang better than other Democrats, can vote in the semi-open primary. Then it’s off to the races.
“One of the key things is getting hot at the right time,” said Longabaugh, who worked with Sanders in 2016. “Yang is positioned to get hot right at the right time to make a move on this thing.”
“We’re going to grow and grow and peak at the right time,” said Yang who, like Trump, ignores the old rule that the candidate shouldn’t obsess publicly about polling.
That would mean, among other things, winning votes from people who aren’t wearing hats that say MATH on them. (Perhaps from the woman spotted at a Warren event Thursday, wearing one backward.)
Yang’s aides say the base is broadening.
“It’s a completely new universe that we are speaking to,” said his campaign chief, a former combat commander and political neophyte named Nick Ryan, who pointed to some 400,000 individual donors. “No matter how passionate a small base of support is — they’re not going to get you $16 million. These are folks who aren’t all on blue-hat twitter.”
The only thing missing, as Yang’s aggrieved supporters frequently note, is MSNBC, which keeps leaving him off its graphics — and, really, the rest of us, the media at large. That’s because he’s not the kind of establishment candidate — with political, business, or military credentials — who fits easily into the establishment media narratives, and he hasn’t (hadn’t) had a clear story to tell about how he wins the horserace. And he’s not the kind of outsider — that is, the passionate socialist (admittedly one with political credentials) — whom movement outlets like the Intercept and the Nation stan.
At this point, that will probably change: The great mentioner will add him to the MSNBC charts, unleash the attacks from the left, etc. It’s a change that could easily end his rise.
“In this process, the most joyful ride is the one up the ladder,” said Axelrod. “Once you arrive in the tier of viable contenders, the tests get much harder. We just don’t know yet how well he would handle that unique hazing. He’s made a huge leap to get to where he is. It is an even larger one to get to where he wants to go.”
Yang, for his part, makes the case that the lack of formal attention has made him stronger.
“The media has not exactly been the fuel behind my ascent,” he remarked dryly. That means, he said, that “the people who support me have a sense of who I am.”
So what will become of Andrew Yang? Probably, like most candidates who have a shot — but just a shot — he’ll fall short. But he’s got a shot. One of his senior aides argues that Biden, Warren, and Sanders “are running like it’s 1996.” Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, the aide said, “are running like it’s 2008. We’re running like it’s 2030.”
Only Donald Trump, it seems, is running like the year is 2020. “I am,” Yang told me, “his perfect nemesis.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-02--More Than 200 Members Of Congress Asked The Supreme Court To Consider Overturning Roe V. Wade

WASHINGTON — Two-hundred seven members of Congress asked the Supreme Court Thursday to consider overturning Roe v. Wade , the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide .
The members filed an amicus brief with the court on behalf of the defendant in June Medical Services v. Gee , a case considering the legality of a 2014 Louisiana law that requires doctors performing abortions in the state to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital .
Opponents of the law say the requirement proves impossible in rural areas far from hospitals , and in cases where the nearest hospital is Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and if it goes into effect , it will shut down every abortion clinic in Louisiana .
In the brief , the members argue that the national right to an abortion is unworkable .
It was signed by 39 Republican senators and 168 members of the House of Representatives — including two Democrats : Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois , and Collin Peterson of Minnesota .
The Louisiana law is nearly identical to a Texas law the Supreme Court ruled against in the 2016 case Whole Woman ’ s Health v. Hellerstedt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undue burden ” on patients ’ access to abortion and was therefore unconstitutional .
That phrase has been used by the Supreme Court in past rulings like the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey to determine which laws violate Roe v. Wade .
The members also argued in the brief that Casey should be overturned .
Before the Supreme Court took up June Medical Services v. Gee , the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Louisiana law did not violate the Constitution and should be allowed to go into effect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay to prevent the law from taking effect until the high court makes its official ruling .
The justices will hear arguments in the case this spring .
“ The Fifth Circuit ’ s struggle to ... determine what ‘ burden ’ on abortion access is ‘ undue ’ illustrates the unworkability of the ‘ right to abortion ’ found in Roe v. Wade and the need for the Court to again take up the issue of whether Roe and Casey should be reconsidered and , if appropriate , overruled , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As is standard for most cases challenging laws restricting abortion , the Lousiana lawsuit was originally filed by June Medical Services , a Louisiana abortion clinic , on behalf of its patients .
The members argued in the brief that June Medical Services , as well as abortion clinics more generally , should not be allowed to file suits on behalf of their patients for laws regulating abortion providers , as the laws are written to protect the patients from the actions of the clinics .
“ There is an inherent conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients regarding state health and safety regulations , ” the brief reads .
The brief includes a bullet-pointed list of regulation violations committed by June Medical Services since 2005 and documented by the Louisiana Department of Health .
These include paperwork issues , records of “ unsanitary , expired , missing , or improperly stored instruments , medications , and medical supplies , ” the brief reads , and cases of clinic workers not being fully credentialed for each action , including supplying prescriptions and administering IVs .
Abortion advocates argue in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in states with governments that are hostile to abortion is above average and that medical clinics of every kind face similar issues that often go unrecorded .
In statements responding to the brief , both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America called out Lipinski for joining the almost entirely Republican list of members of Congress endorsing the brief .
Lipinski , one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress , nearly lost a primary race against Marie Newman for his Illinois seat last year , and she is running against him again in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignored the other Democrat who signed the brief , Peterson , whose seat is being eyed by the GOP in their statements .
“ Among the list of anti-choice lawmakers who signed onto the amicus brief is Dan Lipinski , an anti-choice Democrat representing Illinois ’ 3rd Congressional District who aligns with [ President Donald ] Trump and refuses to stand up for fundamental values and key priorities such as reproductive freedom , the Affordable Care Act , and economic opportunity for every family , ” NARAL wrote in their emailed statement Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making it very clear — they want the Supreme Court to effectively ban abortion , precedent be damned , ” Samuel Lau , director of federal advocacy media for Planned Parenthood , wrote in his statement .
“ To the members of Congress who signed on to this amicus brief : Brace yourselves for the consequences you will face at the ballot box in November.
” June Medical Services v. Gee will be the first abortion-related case reviewed by the Supreme Court with its newest member appointed by President Donald Trump , Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard on March 4 .

WASHINGTON — Two-hundred seven members of Congress asked the Supreme Court Thursday to consider overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
The members filed an amicus brief with the court on behalf of the defendant in June Medical Services v. Gee, a case considering the legality of a 2014 Louisiana law that requires doctors performing abortions in the state to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Opponents of the law say the requirement proves impossible in rural areas far from hospitals, and in cases where the nearest hospital is Catholic and won’t grant the privileges, and if it goes into effect, it will shut down every abortion clinic in Louisiana.
In the brief, the members argue that the national right to an abortion is unworkable. It was signed by 39 Republican senators and 168 members of the House of Representatives — including two Democrats: Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois, and Collin Peterson of Minnesota.
The Louisiana law is nearly identical to a Texas law the Supreme Court ruled against in the 2016 case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, declaring that it placed an “undue burden” on patients’ access to abortion and was therefore unconstitutional. That phrase has been used by the Supreme Court in past rulings like the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey to determine which laws violate Roe v. Wade. The members also argued in the brief that Casey should be overturned.
Before the Supreme Court took up June Medical Services v. Gee, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Louisiana law did not violate the Constitution and should be allowed to go into effect. The Supreme Court then filed an emergency stay to prevent the law from taking effect until the high court makes its official ruling. The justices will hear arguments in the case this spring.
“The Fifth Circuit’s struggle to ... determine what ‘burden’ on abortion access is ‘undue’ illustrates the unworkability of the ‘right to abortion’ found in Roe v. Wade and the need for the Court to again take up the issue of whether Roe and Casey should be reconsidered and, if appropriate, overruled,” the amicus brief from members of Congress states.
As is standard for most cases challenging laws restricting abortion, the Lousiana lawsuit was originally filed by June Medical Services, a Louisiana abortion clinic, on behalf of its patients. The members argued in the brief that June Medical Services, as well as abortion clinics more generally, should not be allowed to file suits on behalf of their patients for laws regulating abortion providers, as the laws are written to protect the patients from the actions of the clinics.
“There is an inherent conflict of interest between abortion providers and their patients regarding state health and safety regulations,” the brief reads.
The brief includes a bullet-pointed list of regulation violations committed by June Medical Services since 2005 and documented by the Louisiana Department of Health. These include paperwork issues, records of “unsanitary, expired, missing, or improperly stored instruments, medications, and medical supplies,” the brief reads, and cases of clinic workers not being fully credentialed for each action, including supplying prescriptions and administering IVs.
Abortion advocates argue in the case that the scrutiny of abortion clinics in states with governments that are hostile to abortion is above average and that medical clinics of every kind face similar issues that often go unrecorded.
In statements responding to the brief, both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America called out Lipinski for joining the almost entirely Republican list of members of Congress endorsing the brief. Lipinski, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, nearly lost a primary race against Marie Newman for his Illinois seat last year, and she is running against him again in 2020. Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL ignored the other Democrat who signed the brief, Peterson, whose seat is being eyed by the GOP in their statements.
“Among the list of anti-choice lawmakers who signed onto the amicus brief is Dan Lipinski, an anti-choice Democrat representing Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District who aligns with [President Donald] Trump and refuses to stand up for fundamental values and key priorities such as reproductive freedom, the Affordable Care Act, and economic opportunity for every family,” NARAL wrote in their emailed statement Thursday afternoon.
“These anti-abortion politicians are making it very clear — they want the Supreme Court to effectively ban abortion, precedent be damned,” Samuel Lau, director of federal advocacy media for Planned Parenthood, wrote in his statement. “To the members of Congress who signed on to this amicus brief: Brace yourselves for the consequences you will face at the ballot box in November.”
June Medical Services v. Gee will be the first abortion-related case reviewed by the Supreme Court with its newest member appointed by President Donald Trump, Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The case will be heard on March 4.


buzzfeed--2020-01-02--Julián Castro Is Ending His Presidential Campaign

Julián Castro announced Thursday he is dropping out of the Democratic presidential race .
In a video recapping his campaign , Castro thanked his supporters and said that `` it simply is n't our time . ''
`` With only a month until the Iowa caucuses , and given the circumstances of this campaign season , I 've determined that it simply is n't our time .
So today it is with a heavy heart and profound gratitude that I will suspend my campaign for president , '' he says in the video .
Castro , who served as Housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggled to raise money or build support .
`` My presidential campaign is in dire need of financial resources to keep going , '' he said in an October email to supporters .
In the third quarter , Castro 's campaign raised less than it spent — $ 3,495,406 to $ 3,960,971 .
He ended September with just $ 672,333 on hand , below candidates who have not appeared in the last several primary debates .
His campaign announced in October that if he did not raise $ 800,000 by the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid .
He ultimately met that threshold and stayed in the race through the end of the year .
Castro was the only Latino candidate in what was once a sprawling Democratic primary field .
He was openly concerned during his campaign that some voters would discount him over concerns about `` electability . ''
“ The worst thing we can do is to make assumptions or use some cookie-cutter formula about who ought to be the nominee of the party , ” he told BuzzFeed News in May .
When Sen. Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Castro put some of the blame on the media .
“ To me , they held her to a different standard , a double standard , to other campaigns .
And I don ’ t know if it impacted her decision to withdraw from the race or not , but I ’ m sure it didn ’ t help , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
Castro in the December interview also expressed frustration with the Democratic National Committee 's thresholds to qualify for the primary debates , after he missed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates , he said , were able to `` potentially buy their way '' onto a debate stage that had come to lack in diversity .
Castro had his moments in the primary , particularly in pushing progressive immigration policy , like the idea of decriminalizing crossing into the US without documents .
He was the first candidate to introduce an immigration plan and other progressive policies including a police reform plan .
And his willingness to take on opponents during debates — particularly Beto O'Rourke and Joe Biden — got him notice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be enough to push him outside the low single digits of polling .

Julián Castro announced Thursday he is dropping out of the Democratic presidential race.
In a video recapping his campaign, Castro thanked his supporters and said that "it simply isn't our time."
"With only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I've determined that it simply isn't our time. So today it is with a heavy heart and profound gratitude that I will suspend my campaign for president," he says in the video.
Castro, who served as Housing secretary during the Obama administration, has struggled to raise money or build support.
"My presidential campaign is in dire need of financial resources to keep going," he said in an October email to supporters.
In the third quarter, Castro's campaign raised less than it spent — $3,495,406 to $3,960,971. He ended September with just $672,333 on hand, below candidates who have not appeared in the last several primary debates.
His campaign announced in October that if he did not raise $800,000 by the end of the month, he would end his bid. He ultimately met that threshold and stayed in the race through the end of the year.
Castro was the only Latino candidate in what was once a sprawling Democratic primary field. He was openly concerned during his campaign that some voters would discount him over concerns about "electability."
“The worst thing we can do is to make assumptions or use some cookie-cutter formula about who ought to be the nominee of the party,” he told BuzzFeed News in May.
When Sen. Kamala Harris ended her presidential campaign last month, Castro put some of the blame on the media. “To me, they held her to a different standard, a double standard, to other campaigns. And I don’t know if it impacted her decision to withdraw from the race or not, but I’m sure it didn’t help,” he told BuzzFeed News.
Castro in the December interview also expressed frustration with the Democratic National Committee's thresholds to qualify for the primary debates, after he missed the final debates of the year. Some candidates, he said, were able to "potentially buy their way" onto a debate stage that had come to lack in diversity.
Castro had his moments in the primary, particularly in pushing progressive immigration policy, like the idea of decriminalizing crossing into the US without documents. He was the first candidate to introduce an immigration plan and other progressive policies including a police reform plan. And his willingness to take on opponents during debates — particularly Beto O'Rourke and Joe Biden — got him notice. But that did not prove to be enough to push him outside the low single digits of polling.