hotair--2020-09-04--Trump: Biden's campaign is a "fraud," you know

What explains Joe Biden ’ s flip-flops and strategic reversals over the last two weeks , from fracking to Kenosha ?
Donald Trump tells Salena Zito that the answer is simple — that Biden ’ s not making the decisions .
“ It ’ s a fraud campaign , ” Trump says , with Biden as a puppet for the activists who are really running the campaign : Trump ’ s visit to Western Pennsylvania followed Biden ’ s speech here earlier in the week when the former vice president blamed him at a robotics incubator for instigating riots and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for fracking .
“ It ’ s a fraud campaign , ” Trump said of Biden ’ s waffle on his support for fracking .
“ The whole thing is a fraud , and it ’ s not him , it is other people that are writing his scripts .
He has no idea what ’ s happening .
He was totally against fracking , right ?
Then all of a sudden , three days ago , he saw what was happening here.
” Both men also visited Kenosha , Wisconsin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for a tour of businesses that were destroyed or looted for several days after the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer .
The president also met with local law enforcement and pledged federal dollars to local businesses to help rebuild the damaged shops .
Biden visited with his wife Jill Thursday for a campaign event where he declared his opposition to violent protests .
Is that a good explanation for flip-flopping ?
If the activists were truly running Biden ’ s campaign , it seems more likely that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s especially true on fracking , which is a key issue for the activists in the progressive wing of the party .
If Biden was nothing more than a non compos mentis strawman for the hard Left , then he would be doubling down on the Green New Deal rather than running away from it .
The flip-flopping seems more in line with the way Joe Biden usually runs his campaigns .
The one constancy with Biden over five decades is that he tries to be all things to all people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden hewed in that direction ; when it needed to bolster its center , Biden became centrist ; and now that the party has caved to its progressives , Biden ran as progressive ’ s progressive — in the primaries .
Now that he ’ s won the nomination , suddenly Biden ’ s the moderate ’ s moderate .
That ’ s the quintessential Biden — a grinning , gladhanding politician willing to say anything to get himself elected , who only gets angry when challenged on that basis .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s criticism is entirely off base , though .
Biden ’ s been kept to scripted responses , a point made painfully obvious in an interview where he inadvertently read a staff notation during an answer to a reporter ’ s question in a Zoom interview .
When he has to answer extemporaneously , Biden sometimes descends into incoherency , trailing off without completing any sentences or thoughts .
Biden still might be the author of those scripts , but he ’ s not able to keep up any other way — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bigger problem now that Biden ’ s out of the Democratic protective cocoon .
That might already be a problem in Pennsylvania .
Be sure to read Salena ’ s take on the currents in the election season in the Keystone State , and how the electorate there has already started moving away from Biden — and they ’ ve seen the most of him lately .

What explains Joe Biden’s flip-flops and strategic reversals over the last two weeks, from fracking to Kenosha? Donald Trump tells Salena Zito that the answer is simple — that Biden’s not making the decisions. “It’s a fraud campaign,” Trump says, with Biden as a puppet for the activists who are really running the campaign:
Trump’s visit to Western Pennsylvania followed Biden’s speech here earlier in the week when the former vice president blamed him at a robotics incubator for instigating riots and violence and did an about-face on his support for fracking. “It’s a fraud campaign,” Trump said of Biden’s waffle on his support for fracking. “The whole thing is a fraud, and it’s not him, it is other people that are writing his scripts. He has no idea what’s happening. He was totally against fracking, right? Then all of a sudden, three days ago, he saw what was happening here.” Both men also visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, this week. Trump, on Tuesday, for a tour of businesses that were destroyed or looted for several days after the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer. The president also met with local law enforcement and pledged federal dollars to local businesses to help rebuild the damaged shops. Biden visited with his wife Jill Thursday for a campaign event where he declared his opposition to violent protests.
Is that a good explanation for flip-flopping? If the activists were truly running Biden’s campaign, it seems more likely that they wouldn’t have changed course. That’s especially true on fracking, which is a key issue for the activists in the progressive wing of the party. If Biden was nothing more than a non compos mentis strawman for the hard Left, then he would be doubling down on the Green New Deal rather than running away from it.
The flip-flopping seems more in line with the way Joe Biden usually runs his campaigns. The one constancy with Biden over five decades is that he tries to be all things to all people. When the party still had Dixiecrats, Biden hewed in that direction; when it needed to bolster its center, Biden became centrist; and now that the party has caved to its progressives, Biden ran as progressive’s progressive — in the primaries. Now that he’s won the nomination, suddenly Biden’s the moderate’s moderate. That’s the quintessential Biden — a grinning, gladhanding politician willing to say anything to get himself elected, who only gets angry when challenged on that basis.
That’s not to say that Trump’s criticism is entirely off base, though. Biden’s been kept to scripted responses, a point made painfully obvious in an interview where he inadvertently read a staff notation during an answer to a reporter’s question in a Zoom interview. When he has to answer extemporaneously, Biden sometimes descends into incoherency, trailing off without completing any sentences or thoughts. Biden still might be the author of those scripts, but he’s not able to keep up any other way — and that’s going to be a bigger problem now that Biden’s out of the Democratic protective cocoon.
That might already be a problem in Pennsylvania. Be sure to read Salena’s take on the currents in the election season in the Keystone State, and how the electorate there has already started moving away from Biden — and they’ve seen the most of him lately.


hotair--2020-09-04--Black Lives Matter activists shut down the I-5 in Seattle, nine arrested

A group of Black Lives Matter protesters who call themselves Morning March shut down half of the I-5 freeway into Seattle Friday morning .
After lecturing people with a bullhorn for half an hour police arrived and arrested nine people .
At least one driver had to be dragged out of his vehicle .
All of this was captured on video because a reporter from The Stranger was in one of the cars that blocked traffic .
They brought their own horn section : They did let one car through because the person inside was going to be late for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure no one else in the thousands of cars blocked up by this had anything important to do .
They ’ d rather listen to this handful of people telling them to get woke .
Of course , if you ’ re one of the people stuck in this massive traffic jam , odds are you didn ’ t hear any of it because you weren ’ t one of the first five rows of cars .
Most people stuck in this have no idea why the traffic was stopped and didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State police eventually arrived and began arresting protesters .
This guy decided to pretend he couldn ’ t understand why ( top clip ) : His refusal to get out of the car didn ’ t go well for him .
Another protester came up and started shouting at police .
She told one of the black officers at the scene , “ You ’ re a f**king house n***a.
” I ’ ve written before about the way in which black police officers really get the worst abuse from BLM and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race traitors .
And as usual , the racist abuse of police never makes it into the news .
Here ’ s the Seattle Times write up of the story which mentions the videos and the arrests but not the garbage coming from this protester toward the police .
Videos from the scene showed the group , which had been driving south over the Ship Canal Bridge , stop and get out of their vehicles , chant and speak over a megaphone .
About 20 to 25 minutes later , the group had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troopers blocked their way .
Troopers approached one of the vehicles and told the driver he was under arrest and to step out , and when he refused , they pulled him out of the vehicle , according to a live-streamed video filmed by a protester and a video posted by a journalist for The Stranger newspaper , who was inside the vehicle .
You ’ d think reporters might find racist abuse newsworthy but not if police are the target .
Somehow that stuff never makes it into print in major newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create a PR problem for BLM or get an earful from angry activists , so the abuse of police just winds up on the cutting room floor .
Ultimately , nine of the protesters were arrested and the rest were allowed to walk to an off-ramp .
The vehicles they were driving have all been impounded .
I wonder if all of the charges against the group will be dropped immediately .
No one should ever be allowed to hold a gathering on a busy freeway , creating an inconvenience for thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seem to apply to BLM protesters .

A group of Black Lives Matter protesters who call themselves Morning March shut down half of the I-5 freeway into Seattle Friday morning. After lecturing people with a bullhorn for half an hour police arrived and arrested nine people. At least one driver had to be dragged out of his vehicle. All of this was captured on video because a reporter from The Stranger was in one of the cars that blocked traffic.
The Seattle morning march just shut down the southbound I-5 pic.twitter.com/9xEgT99S6u — nathalie graham (@gramsofgnats) September 4, 2020
They brought their own horn section:
They did let one car through because the person inside was going to be late for a radiation treatment. I’m sure no one else in the thousands of cars blocked up by this had anything important to do. They’d rather listen to this handful of people telling them to get woke. Of course, if you’re one of the people stuck in this massive traffic jam, odds are you didn’t hear any of it because you weren’t one of the first five rows of cars. Most people stuck in this have no idea why the traffic was stopped and didn’t get any message at all.
We are still shut down here: pic.twitter.com/rKcBcu8EZ5 — nathalie graham (@gramsofgnats) September 4, 2020
State police eventually arrived and began arresting protesters. This guy decided to pretend he couldn’t understand why (top clip):
Here is the moment right before this: https://t.co/bmDVxUPmtV pic.twitter.com/66khxzkT4E — nathalie graham (@gramsofgnats) September 4, 2020
His refusal to get out of the car didn’t go well for him. Another protester came up and started shouting at police. She told one of the black officers at the scene, “You’re a f**king house n***a.”
More state patrol cars have rolled up even though there are already 8 present. When asked why, officer says “because we’ve got to take care of it.” pic.twitter.com/RJEcTubtTo — nathalie graham (@gramsofgnats) September 4, 2020
I’ve written before about the way in which black police officers really get the worst abuse from BLM and other left-wing protesters. They are treated as race traitors. And as usual, the racist abuse of police never makes it into the news. Here’s the Seattle Times write up of the story which mentions the videos and the arrests but not the garbage coming from this protester toward the police.
Videos from the scene showed the group, which had been driving south over the Ship Canal Bridge, stop and get out of their vehicles, chant and speak over a megaphone. About 20 to 25 minutes later, the group had begun driving again when several State Patrol troopers blocked their way. Troopers approached one of the vehicles and told the driver he was under arrest and to step out, and when he refused, they pulled him out of the vehicle, according to a live-streamed video filmed by a protester and a video posted by a journalist for The Stranger newspaper, who was inside the vehicle.
You’d think reporters might find racist abuse newsworthy but not if police are the target. Somehow that stuff never makes it into print in major newspapers. The journalists don’t want to create a PR problem for BLM or get an earful from angry activists, so the abuse of police just winds up on the cutting room floor.
Ultimately, nine of the protesters were arrested and the rest were allowed to walk to an off-ramp. The vehicles they were driving have all been impounded. I wonder if all of the charges against the group will be dropped immediately. No one should ever be allowed to hold a gathering on a busy freeway, creating an inconvenience for thousands of people, but those rules don’t seem to apply to BLM protesters.


hotair--2020-09-04--Micahel Reinoehl's Vice interview: 'They're trying to make it look like we're all terrorists'

As Jazz pointed out earlier , Michael Reinoehl was shot and killed by police when they went to arrest him yesterday for the murder of Aaron “ Jay ” Danielson in downtown Portland .
Jazz linked to the video interview Reinoehl gave to Vice News just before he was killed .
I wanted to highlight some more of what he said .
Reinoehl openly admitted to being the shooter though he claimed he acted in self-defense , specifically saying that he had to shoot to prevent his friend from being killed .
As for why he wanted to go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ I feel it ’ s important that the world gets at least a little bit of what ’ s really going on because there ’ s been a lot of propaganda out there.
” Reinoehl said he wasn ’ t aware of the planned Trump-supporter cruise around Portland that evening until he saw some of the trucks with flags while he was out with his son .
He got a call later suggesting he might want to head downtown to provide security .
“ I used to really love this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reinoehl said but “ beacause of all this ” he now feels threatened when he sees a big truck with a flag .
“ I immediately feel that they ’ re out to get me , ” he said .
“ It felt like the beginning of a war , ” he added .
As for the shooting itself , he said he was confident he hadn ’ t hit “ anyone innocent ” implying once again that Danielson was not incident even though video seems to show Danielson had pepper spray in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fled the scene .
“ They ’ re trying to make it look like we ’ re all terrorists and they ’ re trying to make me look like a murderer , ” he said , as if that were an absurd description of someone who shot a man dead in the street .
“ They want to paint a picture of Antifa having major involvement , ” he said .
Then clarifying his own previous self-description as “ 100 % ANTIFA.
” “ I am 100 % anti-fascist .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
What does this mean ?
It means Antifa doesn ’ t keep membership lists or collect dues because their whole objective is to carry out illegal acts without consequences .
But it ’ s clear from Reinoehl ’ s own social media that he was involved with Antifa ’ s nightly protests/riots for weeks .
As for the future , Reinoehl said , “ Honestly , I hate to say it but I see a civil war right around the corner…That shot felt like the beginning of a war.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His shot didn ’ t start a war but it did end two lives , that of Aaron Danielson and his own .
As for any lasting impact his death will have , I ’ m sure it will be hard on his children but even his estranged sister April doesn ’ t sound surprised by his death : ‘ I wouldn ’ t say at this point that this counts as bad news .
It ’ s just more news , ’ Reinoehl ’ s sister said… ‘ I wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a situation just like he reacted badly to the situation at the riots , ’ April said .
‘ He always acted impulsively letting the worst emotions guide his actions , and then he ’ d try to rationalize afterwards .
‘ So I ’ m not surprised he got himself killed .
I ’ m surprised a police officer did it.
’ April said someone had contacted her about a “ contract ” out on her brother and she expected he would die that way rather than by a police shooting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a martyr .
She seems to have been correct about that .
The statement from AG Barr was starkly at odds with all of that : “ The streets of our cities are safer with this violent agitator removed , and the actions that led to his location are an unmistakable demonstration that the United States will be governed by law , not violent mobs.
” Here ’ s the interview as presented by Vice .
I ’ ve skipped over the material at the beginning introducing the topic :

As Jazz pointed out earlier, Michael Reinoehl was shot and killed by police when they went to arrest him yesterday for the murder of Aaron “Jay” Danielson in downtown Portland. Jazz linked to the video interview Reinoehl gave to Vice News just before he was killed. I wanted to highlight some more of what he said.
Reinoehl openly admitted to being the shooter though he claimed he acted in self-defense, specifically saying that he had to shoot to prevent his friend from being killed. As for why he wanted to go on camera and admit this, he said, “I feel it’s important that the world gets at least a little bit of what’s really going on because there’s been a lot of propaganda out there.”
Reinoehl said he wasn’t aware of the planned Trump-supporter cruise around Portland that evening until he saw some of the trucks with flags while he was out with his son. He got a call later suggesting he might want to head downtown to provide security.
“I used to really love this country and I respected the flag,” Reinoehl said but “beacause of all this” he now feels threatened when he sees a big truck with a flag. “I immediately feel that they’re out to get me,” he said. “It felt like the beginning of a war,” he added.
As for the shooting itself, he said he was confident he hadn’t hit “anyone innocent” implying once again that Danielson was not incident even though video seems to show Danielson had pepper spray in his hand. After the shooting Reinoehl fled the scene.
“They’re trying to make it look like we’re all terrorists and they’re trying to make me look like a murderer,” he said, as if that were an absurd description of someone who shot a man dead in the street. “They want to paint a picture of Antifa having major involvement,” he said. Then clarifying his own previous self-description as “100% ANTIFA.” “I am 100% anti-fascist. I’m not a member of Antifa,” he said.
What does this mean? It means Antifa doesn’t keep membership lists or collect dues because their whole objective is to carry out illegal acts without consequences. But it’s clear from Reinoehl’s own social media that he was involved with Antifa’s nightly protests/riots for weeks.
As for the future, Reinoehl said, “Honestly, I hate to say it but I see a civil war right around the corner…That shot felt like the beginning of a war.” He’s wrong about that. His shot didn’t start a war but it did end two lives, that of Aaron Danielson and his own. As for any lasting impact his death will have, I’m sure it will be hard on his children but even his estranged sister April doesn’t sound surprised by his death:
‘I wouldn’t say at this point that this counts as bad news. It’s just more news,’ Reinoehl’s sister said… ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he reacted badly to a situation just like he reacted badly to the situation at the riots,’ April said. ‘He always acted impulsively letting the worst emotions guide his actions, and then he’d try to rationalize afterwards. ‘So I’m not surprised he got himself killed. I’m surprised a police officer did it.’
April said someone had contacted her about a “contract” out on her brother and she expected he would die that way rather than by a police shooting. She predicted some would treat her brother as a martyr. She seems to have been correct about that.
Antifa black bloc outside the Kelly Penumbra police building in SE Portland wrote this everywhere on the street: “[Portland Police Bureau] murdered Michael Reinoehl." Reinoehl, the #antifa shooter, was wanted by police for killing Aaron Danielson. He was shot dead last night. pic.twitter.com/EE334rQz8X — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 4, 2020
Leftists are mourning Michael Reinoehl like he’s a hero. Absolutely disgusting. pic.twitter.com/qz5FV6KyBM — Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) September 4, 2020
The statement from AG Barr was starkly at odds with all of that: “The streets of our cities are safer with this violent agitator removed, and the actions that led to his location are an unmistakable demonstration that the United States will be governed by law, not violent mobs.”
Here’s the interview as presented by Vice. I’ve skipped over the material at the beginning introducing the topic:
Update: I’m amazed by this “fact-check” by reporter Andrew Blake.
https://twitter.com/apblake/status/1302030266085511169
That’s an absurd take but I wonder how many reporters will parrot this. I can’t improve on this response.


hotair--2020-09-04--Why did Joe Biden meet with a racist anti-Semite in Kenosha?

Joe Biden and his campaign seem to have a problem with calling out anti-Semites .
Yesterday in Kenosha , Wisconsin , Biden met with the family of Jacob Blake , Jr .
There is only one response to that action that anyone should have – why did he do that ?
Jacob Blake , Sr. , father of the man shot by Kenosha police as he tried to flee from them , has been revealed as racist and anti-Semitic through social media postings .
In 2020 , if everyone is to be canceled over past social media posts , shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this man ’ s thoughts as the media and Democrats turn his son into a victim of police abuse ?
Biden took a knee to the Blake family to appease Black Lives Matter and shore up points with black voters .
The media and anti-police Democrats began making the case for Jacob Blake , Jr. – he ’ s an innocent victim of police violence against black men – as soon as the shooting happened .
Then some truths started coming out of his criminal history and abusive history against women , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police tried to arrest him after he violated a restraining order .
And , Blake , Jr. had three of his six kids in his vehicle as he attempted to flee police .
All of this is to say the 29-year-old man isn ’ t a law-abiding citizen randomly attacked by the police .
At first , the parent that came to the forefront was Jacob Jr. ’ s mother .
She seemed reasonable and calm .
President Trump reached out to her by phone but she missed his call .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and would like to talk to him .
She expressed her respect for the office .
Democrats are desperate for President Trump to be blamed for the violence in the streets so by the time the March on Washington 2020 happened , the rest of the family came forward and let it rip .
They are anti-Trump , anti-conservatives , and prone to make racist statements .
Democrats were silent .
The Blake family ’ s rhetoric has become more harsh and vocal with each day ’ s passing .
This week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he didn ’ t meet with the Blake family .
Instead , he did what he should have done – he met with local business people , and local officials .
He brought good news to the community – financial assistance and support from his administration to help rebuild the city after the violent riots and demonstrations .
He met with law enforcement to thank them for their service .
When Joe Biden went to Kenosha , having been pressured to do so after Trump ’ s visit , he made a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s family , as well as a conversation with the younger Blake by phone .
Jacob Blake , Jr. wasn ’ t killed by the police .
He remains hospitalized .
Biden said he met with the family for about an hour .
No one asked him about the reports about Blake , Sr. ’ s history on social media .
The offensive posts cited aren ’ t from very long ago .
They are from 2018 and 2019 .
Jacob Blake Jr. ’ s uncle Justin Blake ( brother of Jacob , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s family spoke to Biden about “ the desire for better policies regarding social justice in America.
” The family ’ s attorney released a statement after the visit .
The social media posts are anti-Semitic and racist .
Those posts show anti-Semitic comments ( such as saying the Jews control the media ) , repeatedly refer to white people as “ crackers ” and “ pinks ” or “ pink toes , ” trash the Christian church , and refer to some women as “ hoes.
” In one post , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penitentiary I say f*** the white man.
” In 2019 , he captioned a graphic that reads “ white Jesus exposed as the biggest fraud unleashed on the planet , ” with the following : “ Crackers have never told the truth diabolical Liars.
” The posts date to 2019 and 2018 .
His posts often criticized racial disparities in society and the mistreatment of Blacks , from slavery onward , such as when he wrote , “ Not one North American penny should be donated to the rebuilding of Notre Dame until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2018 , he shared a photo of a boy peeing on a Donald Trump sign .
Another post refers to “ young Black coons.
” Blake , Sr .
says it isn ’ t about politics .
Yet , he refers to Trump as the “ orange cracker ” on Facebook .
None of this kind of discourse seems to bother Team Biden .
It is more important to pander for the black vote .
Earlier in the campaign , there was a kerfuffle caused by Linda Sarsour ’ s endorsement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founder of the Women ’ s March .
Sansour is a follower of Farrakhan .
She has since been kicked out of the Women ’ s March leadership because she is too much even for them .
After Biden ’ s campaign distanced him from her endorsement ( only after critics spoke up about it ) more confusion was created as the campaign backtracked on the distancing .
But apparently , Biden ’ s team balked and covered to the Farrakhan lobby , with the Middle East Eye reporting that Ashley Allison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told a group of “ activists ” that she was “ sorry ” for the initial Sarsour statement in an off-the-record call .
“ Historically , Republicans and Democrats have been quick to dismiss Muslim , Arab American , and especially Palestinian American voices , and I want to reiterate on behalf of all of us our support for your communities , ” Biden foreign policy adviser Tony Blinken reportedly said , promising that Biden ’ s administration would be “ genuinely inclusive.
” But when pressed by CNN ’ s Jake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aide Symone Sanders said the campaign “ continue [ s ] to reject the views that Linda Sarsour has expressed.
” Huh ?
Sarsour ’ s endorsement was denounced before it wasn ’ t denounced ?
Is anti-Semitism acceptable or not ?
How many times have Democrats , Never Trumpers , and Biden himself painted Trump as racist ?
They do it on a daily basis .
Surely the Biden campaign should have to answer for their pandering to anti-Semites and racists on their side of the aisle .
During today ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ask such a question , though it was just yesterday that the Biden campaign was boasting about Joey B ’ s compassion as he gave the Blake family more than an hour of his time .
I ’ ll not hold my breath for any questions about the anti-Semitism problem his campaign has in future press conferences .

Joe Biden and his campaign seem to have a problem with calling out anti-Semites. Yesterday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Biden met with the family of Jacob Blake, Jr. There is only one response to that action that anyone should have – why did he do that?
Jacob Blake, Sr., father of the man shot by Kenosha police as he tried to flee from them, has been revealed as racist and anti-Semitic through social media postings. In 2020, if everyone is to be canceled over past social media posts, shouldn’t people be somewhat curious about this man’s thoughts as the media and Democrats turn his son into a victim of police abuse? Biden took a knee to the Blake family to appease Black Lives Matter and shore up points with black voters.
The media and anti-police Democrats began making the case for Jacob Blake, Jr. – he’s an innocent victim of police violence against black men – as soon as the shooting happened. Then some truths started coming out of his criminal history and abusive history against women, including the woman he digitally raped just before police tried to arrest him after he violated a restraining order. And, Blake, Jr. had three of his six kids in his vehicle as he attempted to flee police. All of this is to say the 29-year-old man isn’t a law-abiding citizen randomly attacked by the police.
At first, the parent that came to the forefront was Jacob Jr.’s mother. She seemed reasonable and calm. President Trump reached out to her by phone but she missed his call. She said afterward that she was sorry to miss it and would like to talk to him. She expressed her respect for the office. Democrats are desperate for President Trump to be blamed for the violence in the streets so by the time the March on Washington 2020 happened, the rest of the family came forward and let it rip. They are anti-Trump, anti-conservatives, and prone to make racist statements. Democrats were silent. The Blake family’s rhetoric has become more harsh and vocal with each day’s passing.
This week when President Trump went to Kenosha, he didn’t meet with the Blake family. Instead, he did what he should have done – he met with local business people, and local officials. He brought good news to the community – financial assistance and support from his administration to help rebuild the city after the violent riots and demonstrations. He met with law enforcement to thank them for their service.
When Joe Biden went to Kenosha, having been pressured to do so after Trump’s visit, he made a big deal out of meeting with Blake’s family, as well as a conversation with the younger Blake by phone. Jacob Blake, Jr. wasn’t killed by the police. He remains hospitalized. Biden said he met with the family for about an hour. No one asked him about the reports about Blake, Sr.’s history on social media. The offensive posts cited aren’t from very long ago. They are from 2018 and 2019.
Jacob Blake Jr.’s uncle Justin Blake (brother of Jacob, Sr.) told CNN that Blake’s family spoke to Biden about “the desire for better policies regarding social justice in America.” The family’s attorney released a statement after the visit.
.@AttorneyCrump’s statement on Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden’s visit today with the family of #JacobBlake. pic.twitter.com/II0FvUzfHU — Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) September 3, 2020
The social media posts are anti-Semitic and racist.
Those posts show anti-Semitic comments (such as saying the Jews control the media), repeatedly refer to white people as “crackers” and “pinks” or “pink toes,” trash the Christian church, and refer to some women as “hoes.” In one post, he wrote, “Fresh out of Facebook penitentiary I say f*** the white man.” In 2019, he captioned a graphic that reads “white Jesus exposed as the biggest fraud unleashed on the planet,” with the following: “Crackers have never told the truth diabolical Liars.” The posts date to 2019 and 2018. His posts often criticized racial disparities in society and the mistreatment of Blacks, from slavery onward, such as when he wrote, “Not one North American penny should be donated to the rebuilding of Notre Dame until Flint’s water has been fixed. In 2018, he shared a photo of a boy peeing on a Donald Trump sign. Another post refers to “young Black coons.”
Blake,Sr. says it isn’t about politics. Yet, he refers to Trump as the “orange cracker” on Facebook.
“I’m not getting into politics. It’s all about my son, man. It has nothing to do with a photo op,” Blake said to CNN. His Facebook page is another story; for years, he’s been railing against Trump, referring to him as an “orange cracker.” “I know some dumb crackers but this orange cracker is the dumbest of them all,” Blake wrote. Jacob Blake Jr.’s Facebook page also contained this post but far fewer visible posts than his dad’s page.
None of this kind of discourse seems to bother Team Biden. It is more important to pander for the black vote. Earlier in the campaign, there was a kerfuffle caused by Linda Sarsour’s endorsement of Biden. She is the anti-Semitic co-founder of the Women’s March. Sansour is a follower of Farrakhan. She has since been kicked out of the Women’s March leadership because she is too much even for them. After Biden’s campaign distanced him from her endorsement (only after critics spoke up about it) more confusion was created as the campaign backtracked on the distancing.
But apparently, Biden’s team balked and covered to the Farrakhan lobby, with the Middle East Eye reporting that Ashley Allison, national coalitions director for the Biden campaign, told a group of “activists” that she was “sorry” for the initial Sarsour statement in an off-the-record call. “Historically, Republicans and Democrats have been quick to dismiss Muslim, Arab American, and especially Palestinian American voices, and I want to reiterate on behalf of all of us our support for your communities,” Biden foreign policy adviser Tony Blinken reportedly said, promising that Biden’s administration would be “genuinely inclusive.” But when pressed by CNN’s Jake Tapper about the story, top Biden aide Symone Sanders said the campaign “continue[s] to reject the views that Linda Sarsour has expressed.”
Huh? Sarsour’s endorsement was denounced before it wasn’t denounced? Is anti-Semitism acceptable or not? How many times have Democrats, Never Trumpers, and Biden himself painted Trump as racist? They do it on a daily basis. Surely the Biden campaign should have to answer for their pandering to anti-Semites and racists on their side of the aisle. During today’s press conference, not one journalist dared to ask such a question, though it was just yesterday that the Biden campaign was boasting about Joey B’s compassion as he gave the Blake family more than an hour of his time. I’ll not hold my breath for any questions about the anti-Semitism problem his campaign has in future press conferences.


hotair--2020-09-04--NYPD: No, the car that drove through a BLM protest wasn't ours

Stupidity all the way around , and especially for the driver in what is most assuredly a “ deadly weapon ” in terms of assault .
After a confrontation between Black Lives Matter protesters and counterdemonstrators , police ordered one of the latter to take his car and leave .
The counterdemonstrator did — by driving right through the BLM crowd blocking the road .
Immediately afterward , a rumor started spreading that the black Ford Taurus was actually an unmarked police car , a rumor that the NYPD tried to stamp out ASAP : Dramatic cellphone video captured a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter protesters in New York City ’ s Times Square Thursday night .
No one was seriously injured , and police are searching for the driver .
The demonstrators had gathered to protest the death of Daniel Prude , who died days after a controversial arrest by Rochester police officers .
Prude died in March , but disturbing body camera footage of the incident was released by his family on Wednesday .
The video showed officers placing a “ spit hood ” over Prude ’ s head , then pressing his head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the street naked and handcuffed .
… Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Times Square Thursday night to call for justice in the case .
However , the NYPD tells CBS New York that a standoff occurred between members of the Black Lives Matter march and those of a nearby pro-Trump rally .
As the confrontation grew heated , police say an officer told one of the pro-Trump demonstrators to leave in his car , taking a specific route .
Instead , that demonstrator allegedly drove directly through the Black Lives Matter march .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd and hit the person in front of me and then me and then I believe the person behind me , and we all had bikes so they just came charging through .
It was pretty terrifying , ” Brooklyn resident Lora Gettelfinger told CBS New York .
That ’ s the kind of rumor that could create a lot of destruction .
Just ask police in Minneapolis , where a false rumor two weeks ago about a supposed police shooting ( it was a suicide by a double-homicide suspect ) let to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of several businesses in Nicollet Mall .
The success of the NYPD ’ s rebuttal to that rumor is actually pretty remarkable , under the circumstances .
However , all parties share some blame for the situation seen in this video .
Blocking roads is illegal , even for protests , except for properly permitted parades .
The city should clear roads when demonstrators violate those laws .
The NYPD clearly doesn ’ t want to do that , almost certainly because they know that the city won ’ t support them if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t block roads no matter what their cause is , not just for the safety of others but also for themselves , especially at night .
Still , the driver who actually did this committed assault with a deadly weapon .
The NYPD needs to track him/her down and charge them with that , just as those who riot and loot need to be prosecuted , too .
There ’ s more than enough stupidity going around right now , and the only way to discourage it is to start imposing serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means enforcing it for everyone .

Stupidity all the way around, and especially for the driver in what is most assuredly a “deadly weapon” in terms of assault. After a confrontation between Black Lives Matter protesters and counterdemonstrators, police ordered one of the latter to take his car and leave. The counterdemonstrator did — by driving right through the BLM crowd blocking the road.
Immediately afterward, a rumor started spreading that the black Ford Taurus was actually an unmarked police car, a rumor that the NYPD tried to stamp out ASAP:
Dramatic cellphone video captured a car accelerating into a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in New York City’s Times Square Thursday night. No one was seriously injured, and police are searching for the driver. The demonstrators had gathered to protest the death of Daniel Prude, who died days after a controversial arrest by Rochester police officers. Prude died in March, but disturbing body camera footage of the incident was released by his family on Wednesday. The video showed officers placing a “spit hood” over Prude’s head, then pressing his head into the ground while he lay on the street naked and handcuffed. … Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Times Square Thursday night to call for justice in the case. However, the NYPD tells CBS New York that a standoff occurred between members of the Black Lives Matter march and those of a nearby pro-Trump rally. As the confrontation grew heated, police say an officer told one of the pro-Trump demonstrators to leave in his car, taking a specific route. Instead, that demonstrator allegedly drove directly through the Black Lives Matter march. “A black car came through the crowd and hit the person in front of me and then me and then I believe the person behind me, and we all had bikes so they just came charging through. It was pretty terrifying,” Brooklyn resident Lora Gettelfinger told CBS New York.
There is an ongoing investigation into an incident in Times Square involving a black Taurus sedan. This auto is NOT an NYPD vehicle. pic.twitter.com/kBGuXhFtP1 — NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 4, 2020
That’s the kind of rumor that could create a lot of destruction. Just ask police in Minneapolis, where a false rumor two weeks ago about a supposed police shooting (it was a suicide by a double-homicide suspect) let to rioting, looting, and the destruction of several businesses in Nicollet Mall. The success of the NYPD’s rebuttal to that rumor is actually pretty remarkable, under the circumstances.
However, all parties share some blame for the situation seen in this video. Blocking roads is illegal, even for protests, except for properly permitted parades. The city should clear roads when demonstrators violate those laws. The NYPD clearly doesn’t want to do that, almost certainly because they know that the city won’t support them if the police attempted it. Demonstrators shouldn’t block roads no matter what their cause is, not just for the safety of others but also for themselves, especially at night.
Still, the driver who actually did this committed assault with a deadly weapon. The NYPD needs to track him/her down and charge them with that, just as those who riot and loot need to be prosecuted, too. There’s more than enough stupidity going around right now, and the only way to discourage it is to start imposing serious consequences for it. Law and order means enforcing it for everyone.


hotair--2020-09-04--Democrat's hope to turn Texas blue in 2020 and they're counting on Asian-American voters

Democrats have been talking about trying to turn Texas blue for my entire lifetime .
They ’ re trying again this year and the hope is that an influx of Asian voters will change the balance : The population of Texas has swelled in the past few years , owing mostly to an influx of multi-religious and multiethnic communities , all driven toward its sprawling cities .
The electorate has expanded with over 2.1 million additions since 2016 .
Polls have begun to predict a close race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the state , and Asian Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in swinging the vote .
According to AAPI Data , a group that tracks the community in numbers , eligible Asian American voters in Texas shot up by 50 percent from 2012 to 2018 .
The spike is higher than the overall population growth in Texas — pegged at 12 percent .
It is estimated that Asian Americans are 5.5 percent of Texas ’ voting population today… Harris was recently seen aiding the cause and underlining the importance of flipping the state : “ If we turn Texas blue , we can guarantee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s path back to the White House , ” she wrote in a blog for Texas Democrats , reiterating that she was asking for Texans to turn up not for just the presidential vote , but also for “ Democrats up and down the ballot who will fight on behalf of working people.
” … Involvement is key when it comes to the community .
Part of the problem is that Asian Americans don ’ t turn out to vote , but that is mostly because they aren ’ t reached out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent AAPI Data poll found that 56 percent of Asian American voters nationally said they hadn ’ t been contacted at all by the Democratic Party , while 59 percent said the same of the Republicans .
Again , this is the kind of thing Democrats say every election season and they are continually disappointed .
Remember Beto O ’ Rourke ?
Still , if you look at some of the polling the race for president does look surprisingly close .
FiveThirtyEight currently has an average at +0.5 for Trump .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden held a slim lead .
Biden even launched a SuperPAC called Blue Texas PAC : The new group is backed by senior Texas Democratic political stalwarts and big names like ex-Bernie Sanders surrogate Jim Hightower and former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Michael Bennett .
“ Texas is changing .
We are mobilizing , registering voters , fighting for equality and justice , ” Bennett said in a launch video for the group .
“ Today Republicans hold Texas , but it ’ s time we take it from them right now.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ icons like former Gov .
Ann Richards , Texas has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980 .
So Dems are once again going for it but Texas GOP Chairman Allen West says it ’ s just not going to happen .
“ I think there ’ s a clear-cut choice .
People here in Texas want safety , they want security , they want a strong economy .
They want a strong oil and gas industry .
I don ’ t understand why anyone would vote for someone that says we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” West said… “ I invite them to come down to Texas .
I got some great barbecue places I can recommend , but they ’ re gon na waste a lot of money here , ” West said .
Obviously if Texas did turn blue that would put Biden in blowout territory .
It ’ s not impossible but it doesn ’ t seem likely at this moment .
Biden has a national lead but the race has been getting tighter since the conventions .
But there ’ s still a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in eight weeks .

Democrats have been talking about trying to turn Texas blue for my entire lifetime. They’re trying again this year and the hope is that an influx of Asian voters will change the balance:
The population of Texas has swelled in the past few years, owing mostly to an influx of multi-religious and multiethnic communities, all driven toward its sprawling cities. The electorate has expanded with over 2.1 million additions since 2016. Polls have begun to predict a close race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the state, and Asian Americans might have a big role to play in swinging the vote. According to AAPI Data, a group that tracks the community in numbers, eligible Asian American voters in Texas shot up by 50 percent from 2012 to 2018. The spike is higher than the overall population growth in Texas — pegged at 12 percent. It is estimated that Asian Americans are 5.5 percent of Texas’ voting population today… Harris was recently seen aiding the cause and underlining the importance of flipping the state: “If we turn Texas blue, we can guarantee we’ve blocked Donald Trump’s path back to the White House,” she wrote in a blog for Texas Democrats, reiterating that she was asking for Texans to turn up not for just the presidential vote, but also for “Democrats up and down the ballot who will fight on behalf of working people.”… Involvement is key when it comes to the community. Part of the problem is that Asian Americans don’t turn out to vote, but that is mostly because they aren’t reached out to as much, experts say. A recent AAPI Data poll found that 56 percent of Asian American voters nationally said they hadn’t been contacted at all by the Democratic Party, while 59 percent said the same of the Republicans.
Again, this is the kind of thing Democrats say every election season and they are continually disappointed. Remember Beto O’Rourke? Still, if you look at some of the polling the race for president does look surprisingly close. FiveThirtyEight currently has an average at +0.5 for Trump. There was even a brief stretch last month when Biden held a slim lead. Biden even launched a SuperPAC called Blue Texas PAC:
The new group is backed by senior Texas Democratic political stalwarts and big names like ex-Bernie Sanders surrogate Jim Hightower and former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Michael Bennett. “Texas is changing. We are mobilizing, registering voters, fighting for equality and justice,”Bennett said in a launch video for the group. “Today Republicans hold Texas, but it’s time we take it from them right now.” Though it was once home to liberal icons like former Gov. Ann Richards, Texas has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980.
So Dems are once again going for it but Texas GOP Chairman Allen West says it’s just not going to happen.
“I think there’s a clear-cut choice. People here in Texas want safety, they want security, they want a strong economy. They want a strong oil and gas industry. I don’t understand why anyone would vote for someone that says we’re not going to drill,” West said… “I invite them to come down to Texas. I got some great barbecue places I can recommend, but they’re gonna waste a lot of money here,” West said.
Obviously if Texas did turn blue that would put Biden in blowout territory. It’s not impossible but it doesn’t seem likely at this moment. Biden has a national lead but the race has been getting tighter since the conventions. But there’s still a lot of time left. Anything can happen in eight weeks.


hotair--2020-09-04--Twelve year old Trump supporter beaten by unhinged adult woman in Colorado

As a wise man said to me this morning , “ People are nuts.
” How true , especially in these stressful times of a coronavirus pandemic , economic collapse , and a rapidly approaching presidential election .
To prove the point , there is a story out of Colorado involving a grown woman and a twelve-year-old boy .
When did it become acceptable for adults to attack children over political disagreements ?
Apparently , if Donald Trump is the president , anything goes .
In Boulder , Colorado , a community known for its wokeness , a woman was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boy riding a bike while holding a Trump sign that she physically attacked him .
Then she fled the scene and police have not found her .
What a cowardly and thuggish thing to do .
The attack occurred at 3:00 p.m. in north Boulder .
According to police , the boy was riding his bicycle with the Trump sign when the suspect , described as a white female in her 20s or 30s riding a moped , stopped and made a U-turn .
The woman drove up to confront the boy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something to look at ” and “ began assaulting him because of his political banner , ” police said .
The woman allegedly hit the boy with a closed fist on his arms and the back of his head four or five times and scratched him .
The boy told police the woman attempted unsuccessfully to steal the Trump sign before leaving .
“ I was just shocked about why she did that , ” the boy said .
“ She probably didn ’ t know that I was a 12-year-old .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they shouldn ’ t be doing that.
” The woman was described as having blondish-brown hair , wearing a tan jacket , blue shirt and blue jeans , and riding a blue or gray moped .
That is some “ assault ” , right ?
A twenty to thirty-year-old woman rides a moped by a boy with a Trump sign .
She can ’ t handle that sight so she does a u-turn and tries to snatch the sign away from the twelve-year-old .
As she does so , she punches him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his arms .
Good heavens .
The boy ’ s father is ready to press charges , should the police find her , as you can imagine .
He said his son was carrying the sign because “ My son ’ s a very patriotic person .
He appreciates what the president ’ s doing for our country.
” The boy is clearly living in a Trump-supporting household and his parents encourage political discourse .
In normal times , that would be a good thing .
The boy is being educated about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our government .
He got a hard lesson in reality , though , 2020-style .
Politics is a hot button issue , even during less stressful times .
This is why so many Trump voters remain quiet .
They don ’ t put signs in their yards or bumper stickers on their cars because it can lead to the destruction of personal property , besides just sign theft .
This is why people don ’ t admit for whom they will vote , they just go and do it on Election Day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ came under attack for a MAGA hat .
Young Riley was with his parents outside of the Democrat convention and some Biden voters – also twenty-something women – stole his hat and then physically assaulted Trump supporters .
They were arrested and held accountable .
Riley received a package from the Trump campaign this week .
It was campaign swag from President Trump to thank him for his support .
Riley ’ s mom works for Turning Point USA .
Now Riley has a MAGA hat that is signed by the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Charlie Kirk , the CEO for Turning Point USA , tweeted a photo on Tuesday of assorted items , including a signed “ Make America Great Again ” hat , a mug , a water bottle , and a number of other presidential paraphernalia it said was delivered to the boy , Riley , and his mother , Abbey .
The White House confirmed to the Washington Examiner that it sent the gifts to Riley and that the items were from the president ’ s personal collection .

As a wise man said to me this morning, “People are nuts.” How true, especially in these stressful times of a coronavirus pandemic, economic collapse, and a rapidly approaching presidential election. To prove the point, there is a story out of Colorado involving a grown woman and a twelve-year-old boy.
When did it become acceptable for adults to attack children over political disagreements? Apparently, if Donald Trump is the president, anything goes. In Boulder, Colorado, a community known for its wokeness, a woman was so triggered by the sight of a boy riding a bike while holding a Trump sign that she physically attacked him. Then she fled the scene and police have not found her. What a cowardly and thuggish thing to do. The attack occurred at 3:00 p.m. in north Boulder.
According to police, the boy was riding his bicycle with the Trump sign when the suspect, described as a white female in her 20s or 30s riding a moped, stopped and made a U-turn. The woman drove up to confront the boy, saying something like, “you want something to look at” and “began assaulting him because of his political banner,” police said. The woman allegedly hit the boy with a closed fist on his arms and the back of his head four or five times and scratched him. The boy told police the woman attempted unsuccessfully to steal the Trump sign before leaving. “I was just shocked about why she did that,” the boy said. “She probably didn’t know that I was a 12-year-old. But either way, whatever age I am, they shouldn’t be doing that.” The woman was described as having blondish-brown hair, wearing a tan jacket, blue shirt and blue jeans, and riding a blue or gray moped.
That is some “assault”, right? A twenty to thirty-year-old woman rides a moped by a boy with a Trump sign. She can’t handle that sight so she does a u-turn and tries to snatch the sign away from the twelve-year-old. As she does so, she punches him with her closed fist in the head and his arms. Good heavens.
The boy’s father is ready to press charges, should the police find her, as you can imagine. He said his son was carrying the sign because “My son’s a very patriotic person. He appreciates what the president’s doing for our country.” The boy is clearly living in a Trump-supporting household and his parents encourage political discourse. In normal times, that would be a good thing. The boy is being educated about politics and, I would assume, our government. He got a hard lesson in reality, though, 2020-style. Politics is a hot button issue, even during less stressful times.
This is why so many Trump voters remain quiet. They don’t put signs in their yards or bumper stickers on their cars because it can lead to the destruction of personal property, besides just sign theft. This is why people don’t admit for whom they will vote, they just go and do it on Election Day.
Recently I wrote about a seven-year-old who came under attack for a MAGA hat. Young Riley was with his parents outside of the Democrat convention and some Biden voters – also twenty-something women – stole his hat and then physically assaulted Trump supporters. They were arrested and held accountable.
Riley received a package from the Trump campaign this week. It was campaign swag from President Trump to thank him for his support. Riley’s mom works for Turning Point USA. Now Riley has a MAGA hat that is signed by the president.
Students for Trump, a group led by Charlie Kirk, the CEO for Turning Point USA, tweeted a photo on Tuesday of assorted items, including a signed “Make America Great Again” hat, a mug, a water bottle, and a number of other presidential paraphernalia it said was delivered to the boy, Riley, and his mother, Abbey. The White House confirmed to the Washington Examiner that it sent the gifts to Riley and that the items were from the president’s personal collection.


hotair--2020-09-04--Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Politics of envy, state and local bailouts, jobs and the econ

Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Politics of envy, state and local bailouts, jobs and the economy, and more!

Once again , I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today !
The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air , as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows .
• Cato ’ s Chris Edwards on the need for state and local bailouts over COVID-19 • Dr. Anne Hendershott on the politics of envy • Salena Zito talks about her interview with Trump , as well as Pithole PA and women ’ s rodeos • Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s opponents ?
We ’ ll ask Charles LiMandri • My friend Peter Grandich talks about the latest economic news , and why he no longer works with sports teams and figures • And more to come … stay tuned !
We may add more before the show starts today , plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour .
We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149 .
You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll look forward to talking with you !

Once again, I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today! The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air, as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows.
Today’s Relevant Radio® show includes:
We may add more before the show starts today, plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour. We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149. You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world, so download it now. I’ll look forward to talking with you!


hotair--2020-09-04--Breaking: Trump administration brokers Serb-Kosovo deal -- with normalized

Breaking: Trump administration brokers Serb-Kosovo deal -- with normalized Israel relations

Score another foreign-policy win for the Trump administration , and this one ’ s a surprising two-fer .
More than twenty years after the Balkan Wars concluded , Serbia and Kosovo have settled their differences enough to establish economic ties , although full diplomatic recognition of Kosovo ’ s independence still appears out of reach .
As part of the deal , Kosovo also became the next Muslim-majority nation to recognize Israel : Serbia and Kosovo announced Friday that they have normalized economic ties as part of U.S.-brokered discussions that also include Belgrade moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of meetings with Trump administration officials , Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo ’ s Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti agreed to cooperate on a range of economic fronts to attract investment and create jobs .
The White House announcement provided President Donald Trump with a diplomatic win ahead of the November presidential election and furthers his administration ’ s push to improve Israel ’ s international standing .
“ Truly , it is historic , ” Trump said , standing alongside the two leaders in the Oval Office .
“ I look forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not too distant future.
” Serbia ’ s decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a nod to both Israel and the United States .
The Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel ’ s capital in late 2017 and moved the U.S. embassy there in May 2018 .
Remember when Trump ’ s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem was going to ruin any chances for normalized relations with Muslim nations ?
Good times , good times .
Kosovo isn ’ t an Arabic nation , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely on the basis of their Muslim identity .
That identity matters , especially in this instance when it wasn ’ t exactly high on list of differences between Serbia and Kosovo .
That in itself is an impressive outcome .
Another impressive aspect is the dog that didn ’ t bark here today .
What happened to Russia ?
Vladimir Putin has made the Balkans and its Slavic brethren his personal project , and has made it known for the last twenty years that he sees this as Russia ’ s national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first Russian leader in history to think that , of course . )
If that ’ s the case , why did Serbia work with Trump to make a deal rather than with Putin ?
Presumably , Putin would have favored the Serbs , especially since Russia still refuses to recognize Kosovo .
Serbia could have used that leverage to get a better deal , but instead allowed the US to act as broker .
That raises some serious questions as to Russia ’ s actual status as an influencer in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow will react to that so soon after losing their effort to bully Montenegro from joining NATO .
Putin ’ s writ doesn ’ t run nearly as far in the Balkans as he apparently thought .
And Trump ’ s influence now looks a lot more extensive than his critics — especially those here in the US — estimated .

Score another foreign-policy win for the Trump administration, and this one’s a surprising two-fer. More than twenty years after the Balkan Wars concluded, Serbia and Kosovo have settled their differences enough to establish economic ties, although full diplomatic recognition of Kosovo’s independence still appears out of reach. As part of the deal, Kosovo also became the next Muslim-majority nation to recognize Israel:
Serbia and Kosovo announced Friday that they have normalized economic ties as part of U.S.-brokered discussions that also include Belgrade moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and Pristina recognizing Israel. After two days of meetings with Trump administration officials, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti agreed to cooperate on a range of economic fronts to attract investment and create jobs. The White House announcement provided President Donald Trump with a diplomatic win ahead of the November presidential election and furthers his administration’s push to improve Israel’s international standing. “Truly, it is historic,” Trump said, standing alongside the two leaders in the Oval Office. “I look forward to going to both countries in the not too distant future.” Serbia’s decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a nod to both Israel and the United States. The Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in late 2017 and moved the U.S. embassy there in May 2018.
Remember when Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem was going to ruin any chances for normalized relations with Muslim nations? Good times, good times. Kosovo isn’t an Arabic nation, of course, but they fought for independence largely on the basis of their Muslim identity. That identity matters, especially in this instance when it wasn’t exactly high on list of differences between Serbia and Kosovo. That in itself is an impressive outcome.
Another impressive aspect is the dog that didn’t bark here today. What happened to Russia? Vladimir Putin has made the Balkans and its Slavic brethren his personal project, and has made it known for the last twenty years that he sees this as Russia’s national interest. (Putin isn’t the first Russian leader in history to think that, of course.) If that’s the case, why did Serbia work with Trump to make a deal rather than with Putin? Presumably, Putin would have favored the Serbs, especially since Russia still refuses to recognize Kosovo. Serbia could have used that leverage to get a better deal, but instead allowed the US to act as broker.
That raises some serious questions as to Russia’s actual status as an influencer in that region. One has to wonder how Moscow will react to that so soon after losing their effort to bully Montenegro from joining NATO. Putin’s writ doesn’t run nearly as far in the Balkans as he apparently thought. And Trump’s influence now looks a lot more extensive than his critics — especially those here in the US — estimated.


hotair--2020-09-04--Minority-owned security company hired to watch Seattle park quits on first night after being harasse

Minority-owned security company hired to watch Seattle park quits on first night after being harassed by Antifa

Cal Anderson park in Seattle is a large open space immediately adjacent to the former CHAZ/CHOP zone .
For weeks the park has been a kind of home base for protesters/rioters who would gather there each night before marches .
Some people had set up tents and were sleeping there .
There was even some kind of store full of donated items .
Earlier this week the city finally cleared the park and found a tent serving as a kind of Antifa armory : The Seattle Parks Department began clearing Cal Anderson Park shortly after 10 AM Tuesday to repair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as clean up trash that had been piling up since the park ’ s closure on June 30th .
Workers with the parks department were cleaning out a tent in the area when they found what they believed were weapons .
Officers obtained a warrant to search the tent and recovered a machete , hatchet , homemade spike strips , an unexploded mortar , and multiple makeshift shields .
Here are photos of what they found : Needless to say the people who owned all of this were not happy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throwing away their garbage : The Antifa folks were being their usual charming selves , accusing all of the police of being white supremacists .
“ You ’ re a f**king white supremacist you piece of s**t !
I hope you die tonight , b**ch !
” She goes on to predict that he will end up hopeless and living in the park after she takes his job .
After the park was cleared , the city contracted with a private security firm to keep an eye on things at night .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was here .
I guess it was cheaper to hire private security than to use police officers .
In any case , the first night the private security officers arrived they were immediately hounded out of the park ( 2nd clip below ) : There ’ s a longer clip of this here .
The Seattle Times described what happened from the view of the owner of the private security firm : Reached by phone , a man who identified himself as the owner of Jaguar Security but declined to provide his name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several days ago about providing security at Cal Anderson Park .
He said he has done security work for the city in the past at Magnuson Park and city reservoirs , but would not discuss details of his contract with the city .
The man said he and two other armed guards went into the park Tuesday night .
A group , which included people with “ poles and sticks , ” quickly approached , questioned why they were there , shouted obscenities and shone a light toward them that prevented them from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Worrying for the guards ’ safety , he said they called 911 and walked out of the park to the sidewalk .
“ We didn ’ t issue any directive .
We didn ’ t tell anyone to leave the park .
We didn ’ t get the chance to , ” he said… At Cal Anderson , the city ’ s instructions to Jaguar Security “ were to just tell people we can ’ t have you in the park , ” said the man who identified himself as the owner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 56 years old , carried guns but did not pull them on the group , he said .
“ We didn ’ t go out there with young muscle-headed guys ready to fight , ” he said .
He does not plan to return to the park .
“ They cost a minority-owned company a contract , ” said the man , who is Black .
“ They cost people their jobs.
” More great work from Antifa .
After this , the same group grabbed up whatever trash was left in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precinct where they threw it over a fence .
One Molotov cocktail was also thrown at the building : So Antifa lawlessness continues in Seattle .
Police Chief Carmen Best ’ s last day was Wednesday .
She must be very happy that dealing with these punks isn ’ t her job anymore .

Cal Anderson park in Seattle is a large open space immediately adjacent to the former CHAZ/CHOP zone. For weeks the park has been a kind of home base for protesters/rioters who would gather there each night before marches. Some people had set up tents and were sleeping there. There was even some kind of store full of donated items. Earlier this week the city finally cleared the park and found a tent serving as a kind of Antifa armory:
The Seattle Parks Department began clearing Cal Anderson Park shortly after 10 AM Tuesday to repair damages done to a field house, as well as clean up trash that had been piling up since the park’s closure on June 30th. Workers with the parks department were cleaning out a tent in the area when they found what they believed were weapons. Officers obtained a warrant to search the tent and recovered a machete, hatchet, homemade spike strips, an unexploded mortar, and multiple makeshift shields.
Here are photos of what they found:
Officers recover weapons, shields, and spike strips during park cleanup. https://t.co/5buRUpPQNk pic.twitter.com/ZPPzPuoVJA — Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) September 2, 2020
Needless to say the people who owned all of this were not happy the police were there clearing the park and throwing away their garbage:
The Antifa folks were being their usual charming selves, accusing all of the police of being white supremacists. “You’re a f**king white supremacist you piece of s**t! I hope you die tonight, b**ch!” She goes on to predict that he will end up hopeless and living in the park after she takes his job.
After the park was cleared, the city contracted with a private security firm to keep an eye on things at night. I’m not sure what the thinking was here. I guess it was cheaper to hire private security than to use police officers. In any case, the first night the private security officers arrived they were immediately hounded out of the park (2nd clip below):
https://twitter.com/KittyLists/status/1301013683603009537
There’s a longer clip of this here. The Seattle Times described what happened from the view of the owner of the private security firm:
Reached by phone, a man who identified himself as the owner of Jaguar Security but declined to provide his name said he was contacted by the city several days ago about providing security at Cal Anderson Park. He said he has done security work for the city in the past at Magnuson Park and city reservoirs, but would not discuss details of his contract with the city. The man said he and two other armed guards went into the park Tuesday night. A group, which included people with “poles and sticks,” quickly approached, questioned why they were there, shouted obscenities and shone a light toward them that prevented them from seeing the group, he said. Worrying for the guards’ safety, he said they called 911 and walked out of the park to the sidewalk. “We didn’t issue any directive. We didn’t tell anyone to leave the park. We didn’t get the chance to,” he said… At Cal Anderson, the city’s instructions to Jaguar Security “were to just tell people we can’t have you in the park,” said the man who identified himself as the owner. The guards, who were each over 56 years old, carried guns but did not pull them on the group, he said. “We didn’t go out there with young muscle-headed guys ready to fight,” he said. He does not plan to return to the park. “They cost a minority-owned company a contract,” said the man, who is Black. “They cost people their jobs.”
More great work from Antifa. After this, the same group grabbed up whatever trash was left in the park and marched to the local police precinct where they threw it over a fence. One Molotov cocktail was also thrown at the building:
https://twitter.com/KittyLists/status/1301014197845680129
So Antifa lawlessness continues in Seattle. Police Chief Carmen Best’s last day was Wednesday. She must be very happy that dealing with these punks isn’t her job anymore.


hotair--2020-09-04--Gov. Kristi Noem to San Francisco salon owner: "South Dakota is open for you"

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has a message for the San Francisco salon owner who finds herself under siege from Nancy Pelosi loyalists .
Come to South Dakota .
Salon owner Erica Kious just wants to open her hair salon business and provide for her children .
The single mom is on the wrong side of Pelosi supporters and that ’ s not a good place to be in San Francisco .
Kious rightfully defended herself when security footage from her salon revealed a visit from the Speaker of the House on Monday afternoon .
Pelosi was moving about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later that day she appeared on MSNBC and trashed President Trump for not wearing a face mask during the Republican convention .
She called Trump “ anti-science ” and said he “ slapped science right in the face ” .
After Pelosi was caught in her own hypocrisy and FNC ran the security video footage , she concocted a story that she was set up .
She had the gall to tell her tale of victimization during a press conference as the feckless members of the press lapped it up .
Now Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats .
All of this happened because Pelosi apparently felt perfectly safe in going without a face mask in the salon , even though she is an 80-year-old woman which puts her in the group of the most vulnerable to the coronavirus .
She exposed the inconvenient truth that that is no reason for a hair salon to remain on a California government-mandated shutdown .
California Governor Newsom has kept hair salons closed since March .
Kious rightly asks the question that if Pelosi was comfortable , why can ’ t the salon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Governor Noem apparently was watching the Tucker Carlson show on FNC as he aired the video of Pelosi .
She has extended an invitation to Noem to come and relocate to South Dakota .
Kious said that since she has come under such intimidating threats , she is considering relocating elsewhere , outside of San Francisco .
Noem tweeted that Kious wouldn ’ t have to deal with lockdowns in South Dakota .
Noem is participating in an excellent marketing campaign for South Dakota .
Her commercials run here in Texas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – before the salon story made the news .
She ’ s encouraging tourism but her campaign also works for encouraging businesses to come to South Dakota as she mentions freedom and low taxes .
The salon owner is not backing down .
She ’ s defending herself and her small business .
Her security cameras have been in operation for five years , she told Tucker Carlson in an interview with him .
She spoke about the threats made to her and that Pelosi is wrong that she is the victim of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely have to relocate , which is distressing to her as she has made San Francisco her home for many years .
Conservatives are coming out to support her with financial help .
Former Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian launched a GoFundMe page for Kious .
As I write this on Friday morning , donations are at $ 146,490 to help her relocate elsewhere .
Pelosi is demanding an apology from Erica Kious .
It ’ s not happening .
Pelosi ’ s hairstylist is verifying Pelosi ’ s story .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who set the appointment up and told her about it after he did it .
Seems like he should be the one held responsible .
He should have told Pelosi to wear her mask , too .
We know she has plenty of them , all color coordinated to match her outfits .
Women in the press swoon over her new fashion accessories .
During a video call with reporters Thursday , a visibly shaken and at times tearful Kious read a prepared statement suggesting the idea that the video was a setup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t owe anyone an apology , ” said Kious , who said she was on a plane when the visit occurred and shortly after landing saw the video of Pelosi passing through the salon without a mask .
“ Mrs .
Pelosi owes the entire country an apology.
” Kious said that the reason for releasing the video was that if Pelosi , a woman in a high-risk age group , feels comfortable coming into a San Francisco salon and can be responsible and cautious , other Americans should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That was my point , ” she said .
Pelosi knows this was a huge misstep of her own making .
She could have avoided this whole thing by doing what other wealthy , pampered women do – hire her stylist to come to her house and do her hair there .

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has a message for the San Francisco salon owner who finds herself under siege from Nancy Pelosi loyalists. Come to South Dakota.
Salon owner Erica Kious just wants to open her hair salon business and provide for her children. The single mom is on the wrong side of Pelosi supporters and that’s not a good place to be in San Francisco. Kious rightfully defended herself when security footage from her salon revealed a visit from the Speaker of the House on Monday afternoon. Pelosi was moving about the salon without wearing a face mask. Later that day she appeared on MSNBC and trashed President Trump for not wearing a face mask during the Republican convention. She called Trump “anti-science” and said he “slapped science right in the face”.
After Pelosi was caught in her own hypocrisy and FNC ran the security video footage, she concocted a story that she was set up. She had the gall to tell her tale of victimization during a press conference as the feckless members of the press lapped it up. Now Ms. Kious is being harassed and receiving death threats.
All of this happened because Pelosi apparently felt perfectly safe in going without a face mask in the salon, even though she is an 80-year-old woman which puts her in the group of the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. She exposed the inconvenient truth that that is no reason for a hair salon to remain on a California government-mandated shutdown. California Governor Newsom has kept hair salons closed since March. Kious rightly asks the question that if Pelosi was comfortable, why can’t the salon reopen and allow the public to come?
Governor Noem apparently was watching the Tucker Carlson show on FNC as he aired the video of Pelosi. She has extended an invitation to Noem to come and relocate to South Dakota. Kious said that since she has come under such intimidating threats, she is considering relocating elsewhere, outside of San Francisco. Noem tweeted that Kious wouldn’t have to deal with lockdowns in South Dakota.
My heart goes out to Erika. As a former female small business owner, I can only imagine how crushing these last few months have been. And now THIS!? Erika, if you want to run your salon in a state that respects Freedom and won't shut you down, then South Dakota is open for you. https://t.co/la6CD5LScC — Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) September 3, 2020
Noem is participating in an excellent marketing campaign for South Dakota. Her commercials run here in Texas and I’ve been seeing them daily – before the salon story made the news. She’s encouraging tourism but her campaign also works for encouraging businesses to come to South Dakota as she mentions freedom and low taxes.
South Dakota was one of a handful of states that did not implement lockdown measures. Noem defended her decision, writing that “the mainstream media attack those who push for freedom and for people to be able to make the best decisions for their families. But politicians who take away people’s freedoms and enforce lockdowns are praised — and shielded from real scrutiny.”
The salon owner is not backing down. She’s defending herself and her small business. Her security cameras have been in operation for five years, she told Tucker Carlson in an interview with him. She spoke about the threats made to her and that Pelosi is wrong that she is the victim of a set-up. She said she will likely have to relocate, which is distressing to her as she has made San Francisco her home for many years.
“The hard part of all this is I’ve been in that community for 12 years, and since this happened, I’ve received nothing but hate — text messages, death threats, they’re going to burn my hair salon down. My Yelp page is just unbelievable with bad reviews,” she said in an interview Wednesday night. “It’s sad that my community is pulling this when they’re saying I threw her under the bus when I didn’t. … I think I’m pretty much done there.”
Conservatives are coming out to support her with financial help. Former Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian launched a GoFundMe page for Kious. As I write this on Friday morning, donations are at $146,490 to help her relocate elsewhere.
Pelosi is demanding an apology from Erica Kious. It’s not happening. Pelosi’s hairstylist is verifying Pelosi’s story. According to Kious, he is the one who set the appointment up and told her about it after he did it. Seems like he should be the one held responsible. He should have told Pelosi to wear her mask, too. We know she has plenty of them, all color coordinated to match her outfits. Women in the press swoon over her new fashion accessories.
Kious held a video call with the press Thursday.
During a video call with reporters Thursday, a visibly shaken and at times tearful Kious read a prepared statement suggesting the idea that the video was a setup is “totally false and outrageous.” “I don’t owe anyone an apology,” said Kious, who said she was on a plane when the visit occurred and shortly after landing saw the video of Pelosi passing through the salon without a mask. “Mrs. Pelosi owes the entire country an apology.” Kious said that the reason for releasing the video was that if Pelosi, a woman in a high-risk age group, feels comfortable coming into a San Francisco salon and can be responsible and cautious, other Americans should be able to do the same. “That was my point,” she said.
Pelosi knows this was a huge misstep of her own making. She could have avoided this whole thing by doing what other wealthy, pampered women do – hire her stylist to come to her house and do her hair there.


hotair--2020-09-04--Did Trump refuse to visit war cemeteries because soldiers were "losers" and "suckers"? Not really ..

Did Trump refuse to visit war cemeteries because soldiers were "losers" and "suckers"? Not really ... according to John Bolton; Update: "It was a straight weather call"

This sounds like a parody of media coverage of Donald Trump , but The Atlantic ’ s Jeffrey Goldberg seriously offered this claim as a feature .
Using four anonymous sources , Goldberg claims that the cancellation of Trump ’ s visit to a World War I cemetery for US Marines in France was prompted by his opinion of the war dead as “ losers ” and “ suckers.
” That has enough of the sound of the authentic Trump to make it provocative , but … did it really happen ?
Via Twitchy : When President Donald Trump canceled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near Paris in 2018 , he blamed rain for the last-minute decision , saying that “ the helicopter couldn ’ t fly ” and that the Secret Service wouldn ’ t drive him there .
Neither claim was true .
Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain , and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead , according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day .
In a conversation with senior staff members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump said , “ Why should I go to that cemetery ?
It ’ s filled with losers.
” In a separate conversation on the same trip , Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “ suckers ” for getting killed .
The rest of Goldberg ’ s article goes on in the same vein , offering anecdotes about Trump from anonymous sources about Trump ’ s transactional nature .
Again , some of these appear to have the stamp of the authentic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature and easy resort to name-calling .
But is any of it true ?
Absolutely not , say Trump ’ s staff who were along with him for the 2018 trip to Normandy : Furthermore , Trump visited another war cemetery the next day , which would be an odd thing to do if he objected to a visit to the Belleau Wood dead : Er , doesn ’ t that visit undermine the purported motive supplied by Goldberg ’ s four anonymous sources ?
And a BuzzFeed reporter produces documents that show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the visit .
Jason Leopold had filed a FOIA request in November 2018 for documents related to the visit , and got the e-mails that show nothing other than weather as the reason for stopping Trump from his planned visit : Finally , we have one witness with enough hostility toward Trump to make his testimony seem somewhat independent .
John Bolton wrote about the cancellation of the trip to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in his memoir , in which he spared little vituperation toward Trump .
And yet , Bolton doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and says that the weather prompted the cancellation : In fact , Bolton defends Trump from criticism over the decision in his book .
He described the decision as entirely strategic , reluctantly recommended by John Kelly and adopted by Trump on Kelly ’ s recommendation .
Bolton called the decision “ straightforward , ” and mentions nothing about disparaging remarks about dead soldiers : Trump actually blamed Kelly for the bad press , “ unfairly , ” as Bolton writes , opining that it was probably the decision that cost Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nowhere in this passage does Bolton describe any comments by Trump about refusing to visit military cemeteries for any reason , let alone because he thought they were “ losers ” and “ suckers.
” Given that Bolton ’ s motive for writing this book had little-to-nothing to do with defending Trump , this seems dispositive indeed that Trump didn ’ t drive that decision — and that Bolton and Kelly thought it was the correct call .
Had the truth been anything close to what Goldberg wrote yesterday , does anyone doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his memoirs ?
Come on , man .
With all this in mind , it looks like the only “ sucker ” in this story is Goldberg .
Update : The New York Times contacted Bolton this morning , who stood by his reporting on the decision : He got support from an unlikely source on Friday when John R. Bolton , his former national security adviser who has broken with him and called him unfit for office , said he was on the trip in question and never heard Mr. Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t hear that , ” Mr. Bolton said in an interview .
“ I ’ m not saying he didn ’ t say them later in the day or another time but I was there for that discussion.
” … Mr. Bolton said he was in the room at the ambassador ’ s residence when Mr. Trump arrived and Mr. Kelly told him that the helicopter trip had to be canceled .
A two-hour motorcade would have put him too far away from Air Force One and the most capable communications array @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency , per usual protocol , Mr. Bolton said .
“ It was a straight weather call , ” Mr. Bolton said .
While Mr. Bolton said he did not hear the president disparage troops , he added that Mr. Trump did not protest the decision , as he now says he did .
“ He didn ’ t say , ‘ This is terrible , I have to go out to the veterans , ’ ” Mr. Bolton said .
“ He accepted it and that was pretty much the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolton added , the reported comments were not out of character .
“ I haven ’ t heard anybody yet react to say , ‘ That ’ s not the Donald Trump I know , ’ ” he said .
Notably , the NYT Twitter feed highlighted the last part of Bolton ’ s statement , but they do at least report on Bolton ’ s rebuttal to The Atlantic piece .

This sounds like a parody of media coverage of Donald Trump, but The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg seriously offered this claim as a feature. Using four anonymous sources, Goldberg claims that the cancellation of Trump’s visit to a World War I cemetery for US Marines in France was prompted by his opinion of the war dead as “losers” and “suckers.”
That has enough of the sound of the authentic Trump to make it provocative, but … did it really happen? Via Twitchy:
When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018, he blamed rain for the last-minute decision, saying that “the helicopter couldn’t fly” and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. Neither claim was true. Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day. In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed.
The rest of Goldberg’s article goes on in the same vein, offering anecdotes about Trump from anonymous sources about Trump’s transactional nature. Again, some of these appear to have the stamp of the authentic Trump on it, especially his transactional nature and easy resort to name-calling. But is any of it true?
Absolutely not, says Trump:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1301710819349204992
Absolutely not, say Trump’s staff who were along with him for the 2018 trip to Normandy:
A half-dozen current and former aides to Mr. Trump backed him up with Twitter messages disputing the Atlantic article. “I was actually there and one of the people part of the discussion — this never happened,” wrote Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was then the White House press secretary. “This is not even close to being factually accurate,” added Jordan Karem, the president’s personal aide at the time.
Furthermore, Trump visited another war cemetery the next day, which would be an odd thing to do if he objected to a visit to the Belleau Wood dead:
Aides at the time cited the rain in canceling a helicopter flight, but the president’s absence went over badly in Europe and in the United States. Mr. Trump did pay respects to the war dead the next day at the Suresnes American Cemetery outside Paris.
Er, doesn’t that visit undermine the purported motive supplied by Goldberg’s four anonymous sources? And a BuzzFeed reporter produces documents that show weather really was the reason for canceling the visit. Jason Leopold had filed a FOIA request in November 2018 for documents related to the visit, and got the e-mails that show nothing other than weather as the reason for stopping Trump from his planned visit:
Regarding the lede of this story: I obtained documents from the Navy via #FOIA about Trump's 2018 trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris and the documents say his transport was canceled by the Navy due to rain. https://t.co/oNWsvAPy1z pic.twitter.com/keFtW7QC8b — Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) September 4, 2020
Finally, we have one witness with enough hostility toward Trump to make his testimony seem somewhat independent. John Bolton wrote about the cancellation of the trip to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in his memoir, in which he spared little vituperation toward Trump. And yet, Bolton doesn’t say anything about these purported comments — and says that the weather prompted the cancellation:
Bolton, no fan of Trump’s, on the decision for Trump to skip Belleau Woods pic.twitter.com/OG4hGFwIfQ — Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) September 4, 2020
In fact, Bolton defends Trump from criticism over the decision in his book. He described the decision as entirely strategic, reluctantly recommended by John Kelly and adopted by Trump on Kelly’s recommendation. Bolton called the decision “straightforward,” and mentions nothing about disparaging remarks about dead soldiers:
The press turned canceling the cemetery visit into a story that Trump was afraid of the rain and took glee in pointing out that other world leaders traveled around during the day. Of course, none of them were the President of the United States, but the press didn’t understand that rules for US Presidents are different from the rules for 190 other world leaders who don’t command the world’s greatest military forces.
Trump actually blamed Kelly for the bad press, “unfairly,” as Bolton writes, opining that it was probably the decision that cost Kelly his job as chief of staff. Nowhere in this passage does Bolton describe any comments by Trump about refusing to visit military cemeteries for any reason, let alone because he thought they were “losers” and “suckers.” Given that Bolton’s motive for writing this book had little-to-nothing to do with defending Trump, this seems dispositive indeed that Trump didn’t drive that decision — and that Bolton and Kelly thought it was the correct call. Had the truth been anything close to what Goldberg wrote yesterday, does anyone doubt that Bolton would have gleefully recounted it in his memoirs? Come on, man.
With all this in mind, it looks like the only “sucker” in this story is Goldberg.
Update: The New York Times contacted Bolton this morning, who stood by his reporting on the decision:
He got support from an unlikely source on Friday when John R. Bolton, his former national security adviser who has broken with him and called him unfit for office, said he was on the trip in question and never heard Mr. Trump make those remarks. “I didn’t hear that,” Mr. Bolton said in an interview. “I’m not saying he didn’t say them later in the day or another time but I was there for that discussion.” … Mr. Bolton said he was in the room at the ambassador’s residence when Mr. Trump arrived and Mr. Kelly told him that the helicopter trip had to be canceled. A two-hour motorcade would have put him too far away from Air Force One and the most capable communications array a president needs in case of an emergency, per usual protocol, Mr. Bolton said. “It was a straight weather call,” Mr. Bolton said. While Mr. Bolton said he did not hear the president disparage troops, he added that Mr. Trump did not protest the decision, as he now says he did. “He didn’t say, ‘This is terrible, I have to go out to the veterans,’” Mr. Bolton said. “He accepted it and that was pretty much the end of it.” Having said that, Mr. Bolton added, the reported comments were not out of character. “I haven’t heard anybody yet react to say, ‘That’s not the Donald Trump I know,’” he said.
Notably, the NYT Twitter feed highlighted the last part of Bolton’s statement, but they do at least report on Bolton’s rebuttal to The Atlantic piece.