rawstory--2020-08-31--‘White House cover-up’: COVID-19 task force reports withheld from public reveal Trump knew of threat

‘White House cover-up’: COVID-19 task force reports withheld from public reveal Trump knew of threats as he spread lies

“ Rather than being straight with the American people and creating a national plan to fix the problem , the president and his enablers kept these alarming reports private while publicly downplaying the threat to millions of Americans.
” As President Donald Trump and administration officials have been publicly downplaying the Covid-19 crisis and even predicting its imminent disappearance over the past several months , the White House task force formed to coordinate the federal pandemic response has simultaneously been issuing dire assessments of the nation ’ s fight against the pandemic behind the scenes .
Those assessments were kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis released a trove of task force reports dated between June 23 and August 9 that highlight the extent to which Trump ’ s public proclamations about the Covid-19 crisis have diverged from the findings of experts operating in the White House .
“ Another indication of how Donald Trump could care less how many people die due to his malfeasance on protecting lives from the Covid-19 pandemic.
” —Chuck Idelson , National Nurses United “ The task force reports released today show the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases were surging across the country and many states were becoming dangerous ‘ red zones ’ where the virus was spreading fast , ” said Rep. Jim Clyburn ( D-S.C. ) , chairman of the subcommittee .
“ Rather than being straight with the American people and creating a national plan to fix the problem , ” Clyburn continued , “ the president and his enablers kept these alarming reports private while publicly downplaying the threat to millions of Americans.
” Each of the eight task force reports released by the subcommittee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counter to the recent public statements of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence , the chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force .
The White House sent its reports privately to states but never made them available to the public until the subcommittee requested ( pdf ) that Pence and task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx turn them over late last month .
In a report ( pdf ) dated July 19—the same day Trump confidently predicted that the coronavirus is “ going to disappear ” even as cases surged across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 states were in the “ red zone , ” meaning more than 10 % of new Covid-19 tests were positive .
On June 29 , just days after Pence declared that “ all 50 states are opening up safely and responsibly , ” the task force issued a private assessement ( pdf ) warning that “ Mississippi reported an 117 % increase in new cases in the week ending June 26 , resulting from increased community transmission in multiple counties attributed to reduced social distancing.
” Chuck Idelson , communications senior strategist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newly released task force reports are evidence of a “ White House cover-up ” and yet “ another indication of how Donald Trump could care less how many people die due to his malfeasance on protecting lives from the Covid-19 pandemic.
” In a press release , the House coronavirus subcommittee listed several other examples of the internal reports contradicting Trump ’ s public pronouncements on the Covid-19 pandemic , which has infected more than six million people in the U.S. and killed at least 183,000 : • June 23 Report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed in an op-ed that “ panic ” over a resurgence of coronavirus infections was “ overblown.
” But on June 23 , the White House task force concluded that seven states were in the “ red zone , ” indicating the highest risk of coronavirus spread .
The task force found new cases were up 70 percent in Arizona , 72 percent in Texas , 87 percent in Florida , 93 percent in Oklahoma , and 134 percent in Idaho .
• July 14 Report .
On July 14 , President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like us .
In fact , I could say it ’ s working too much .
It ’ s working too well .
We ’ re doing testing and we ’ re finding thousands and thousands of cases.
” The same day , the task force concluded 19 states were in the “ red zone ” and recommended they increase testing .
The report noted , “ Disease trends are moving in the wrong direction in Georgia with record numbers of new cases occurring in urban , suburban , and rural areas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of tests has increased , but more testing is needed.
” • July 26 Report .
On July 21 , President Trump tweeted : “ You will never hear this on the Fake News concerning the China Virus , but by comparison to most other countries , who are suffering greatly , we are doing very well—and we have done things that few other countries could have done !
” On July 26 , the task force reported 22 states were in the “ red zone , ” and stated : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of improvement .
Improvement will require much more aggressive mitigation efforts to change the trajectory of the pandemic in Georgia.
” • August 2 Report .
In a July 28 interview , President Trump stated : “ They are dying , that ’ s true .
And you have—it is what it is .
But that doesn ’ t mean we aren ’ t doing everything we can .
It ’ s under control as much as you can control it.
” On August 2 , the task force concluded 23 states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The report noted , “ Widespread transmission continues to occur from rural to urban areas ” in Louisiana ; “ Aggressive continuation of mitigation efforts will be required ” in South Carolina due to “ widespread community spread throughout the state in urban , periurban , and rural areas ” ; and , “ The virus is spreading deeper into the rural areas ” of Oklahoma .
• August 9 Report .
On August 3 , President Trump tweeted : “ Cases up because of BIG Testing !
Much of our Country is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” On August 9 , the task force reported that 48 states and the District of Columbia were in either red or yellow zones .
In Indiana , the Task Force warned : “ Cases continue at a high plateau in Indianapolis and mitigation efforts , testing , and contact tracing need to be aggressively implemented .
Covid-19 is widespread throughout the state and mitigation efforts should be statewide.
” The subcommittee went on to warn that despite the continued spread of Covid-19 around the U.S. , the Trump administration has refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at stemming the pandemic .
“ The task force reports released today recommend that state and local governments implement heightened public health measures to combat the spread of the virus—including requiring face masks in public , closing bars and gyms , and strictly limiting gatherings on a statewide basis in certain states , ” the subcommittee said .
“ Yet the Trump administration has failed to publicly support most of the task force ’ s recommendations .
For example , President Trump has refused to call for a nationwide mask mandate.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of the president ’ s failures , more than 58,000 additional Americans have died since the task force first started issuing private warnings.
” “ It is long past time that the administration finally implement a national plan to contain this crisis , which is still killing hundreds of Americans each day , ” Clyburn added .

"Rather than being straight with the American people and creating a national plan to fix the problem, the president and his enablers kept these alarming reports private while publicly downplaying the threat to millions of Americans."
As President Donald Trump and administration officials have been publicly downplaying the Covid-19 crisis and even predicting its imminent disappearance over the past several months, the White House task force formed to coordinate the federal pandemic response has simultaneously been issuing dire assessments of the nation's fight against the pandemic behind the scenes.
Those assessments were kept secret from the public until Monday, when the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis released a trove of task force reports dated between June 23 and August 9 that highlight the extent to which Trump's public proclamations about the Covid-19 crisis have diverged from the findings of experts operating in the White House.
"Another indication of how Donald Trump could care less how many people die due to his malfeasance on protecting lives from the Covid-19 pandemic."
—Chuck Idelson, National Nurses United
"The task force reports released today show the White House has known since June that coronavirus cases were surging across the country and many states were becoming dangerous 'red zones' where the virus was spreading fast," said Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), chairman of the subcommittee.
"Rather than being straight with the American people and creating a national plan to fix the problem," Clyburn continued, "the president and his enablers kept these alarming reports private while publicly downplaying the threat to millions of Americans."
Each of the eight task force reports released by the subcommittee on Monday contain analyses and conclusions that run counter to the recent public statements of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, the chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. The White House sent its reports privately to states but never made them available to the public until the subcommittee requested (pdf) that Pence and task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx turn them over late last month.
In a report (pdf) dated July 19—the same day Trump confidently predicted that the coronavirus is "going to disappear" even as cases surged across the country—the White House task force estimated that 20 states were in the "red zone," meaning more than 10% of new Covid-19 tests were positive.
On June 29, just days after Pence declared that "all 50 states are opening up safely and responsibly," the task force issued a private assessement (pdf) warning that "Mississippi reported an 117% increase in new cases in the week ending June 26, resulting from increased community transmission in multiple counties attributed to reduced social distancing."
Chuck Idelson, communications senior strategist for National Nurses United, tweeted that the newly released task force reports are evidence of a "White House cover-up" and yet "another indication of how Donald Trump could care less how many people die due to his malfeasance on protecting lives from the Covid-19 pandemic."
In a press release, the House coronavirus subcommittee listed several other examples of the internal reports contradicting Trump's public pronouncements on the Covid-19 pandemic, which has infected more than six million people in the U.S. and killed at least 183,000:
June 23 Report . On June 16, Vice President Pence claimed in an op-ed that "panic" over a resurgence of coronavirus infections was "overblown." But on June 23, the White House task force concluded that seven states were in the "red zone," indicating the highest risk of coronavirus spread. The task force found new cases were up 70 percent in Arizona, 72 percent in Texas, 87 percent in Florida, 93 percent in Oklahoma, and 134 percent in Idaho.
. On June 16, Vice President Pence claimed in an op-ed that "panic" over a resurgence of coronavirus infections was "overblown." But on June 23, the White House task force concluded that seven states were in the "red zone," indicating the highest risk of coronavirus spread. The task force found new cases were up 70 percent in Arizona, 72 percent in Texas, 87 percent in Florida, 93 percent in Oklahoma, and 134 percent in Idaho. July 14 Report . On July 14, President Trump stated, "No other country tests like us. In fact, I could say it's working too much. It's working too well. We're doing testing and we’re finding thousands and thousands of cases." The same day, the task force concluded 19 states were in the "red zone" and recommended they increase testing. The report noted, “Disease trends are moving in the wrong direction in Georgia with record numbers of new cases occurring in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Testing positivity continues to increase. The number of tests has increased, but more testing is needed."
. On July 14, President Trump stated, "No other country tests like us. In fact, I could say it's working too much. It's working too well. We're doing testing and we’re finding thousands and thousands of cases." The same day, the task force concluded 19 states were in the "red zone" and recommended they increase testing. The report noted, “Disease trends are moving in the wrong direction in Georgia with record numbers of new cases occurring in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Testing positivity continues to increase. The number of tests has increased, but more testing is needed." July 26 Report . On July 21, President Trump tweeted: "You will never hear this on the Fake News concerning the China Virus, but by comparison to most other countries, who are suffering greatly, we are doing very well—and we have done things that few other countries could have done!" On July 26, the task force reported 22 states were in the "red zone," and stated: "Georgia is experiencing widespread community spread without evidence of improvement. Improvement will require much more aggressive mitigation efforts to change the trajectory of the pandemic in Georgia."
On July 21, President Trump tweeted: "You will never hear this on the Fake News concerning the China Virus, but by comparison to most other countries, who are suffering greatly, we are doing very well—and we have done things that few other countries could have done!" On July 26, the task force reported 22 states were in the "red zone," and stated: "Georgia is experiencing widespread community spread without evidence of improvement. Improvement will require much more aggressive mitigation efforts to change the trajectory of the pandemic in Georgia." August 2 Report . In a July 28 interview, President Trump stated: "They are dying, that's true. And you have—it is what it is. But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it." On August 2, the task force concluded 23 states were in the "red zone." The report noted, "Widespread transmission continues to occur from rural to urban areas" in Louisiana; "Aggressive continuation of mitigation efforts will be required" in South Carolina due to "widespread community spread throughout the state in urban, periurban, and rural areas"; and, "The virus is spreading deeper into the rural areas" of Oklahoma.
In a July 28 interview, President Trump stated: "They are dying, that's true. And you have—it is what it is. But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it." On August 2, the task force concluded 23 states were in the "red zone." The report noted, "Widespread transmission continues to occur from rural to urban areas" in Louisiana; "Aggressive continuation of mitigation efforts will be required" in South Carolina due to "widespread community spread throughout the state in urban, periurban, and rural areas"; and, "The virus is spreading deeper into the rural areas" of Oklahoma. August 9 Report. On August 3, President Trump tweeted: "Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools!" On August 9, the task force reported that 48 states and the District of Columbia were in either red or yellow zones. In Indiana, the Task Force warned: "Cases continue at a high plateau in Indianapolis and mitigation efforts, testing, and contact tracing need to be aggressively implemented. Covid-19 is widespread throughout the state and mitigation efforts should be statewide."
The subcommittee went on to warn that despite the continued spread of Covid-19 around the U.S., the Trump administration has refused to support private task force recommendations aimed at stemming the pandemic.
"The task force reports released today recommend that state and local governments implement heightened public health measures to combat the spread of the virus—including requiring face masks in public, closing bars and gyms, and strictly limiting gatherings on a statewide basis in certain states," the subcommittee said. "Yet the Trump administration has failed to publicly support most of the task force's recommendations. For example, President Trump has refused to call for a nationwide mask mandate."
In a statement, Clyburn said that "as a result of the president's failures, more than 58,000 additional Americans have died since the task force first started issuing private warnings."
"It is long past time that the administration finally implement a national plan to contain this crisis, which is still killing hundreds of Americans each day," Clyburn added.


rawstory--2020-09-03--Bill Barr ‘made it up’: Ex-federal prosecutor says AG invented fake Texas voter fraud case

During a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer Wednesday , Attorney General Bill Barr cited a case in Texas where someone voted 1,700 times by using vote-by-mail ballots .
The segment was part of a conversation about President Donald Trump encouraging his voters to vote twice , once by mail and then again at the polls as a way to “ test the system.
” Barr cited the Texas case , as a justification for vote-by-mail being a magnet for fraud .
“ I do not know what Bill Barr is talking about , ” said ProPublica reporter Jessica Huseman .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ never been anyone in Texas charged with fraudulently casting 1,700 ballots .
I can not even think of a county where such a thing would be possible.
” “ The only mention of that number with alleged voter fraud is a race several years ago where – in a race where it was alleged hundreds of people received *absentee ballot APPLICATIONS* the winning candidate won by 1,700 votes , ” Huseman also explained , citing the Dallas Morning News .
“ The number of absentee ballot requests that were initially considered “ suspicious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NOT BALLOTS.
” Former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega explained that it ’ s because Bill Barr “ just made it up .
”

And former federal prosecutor Elie Honig, during an appearance on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” said other alleged co-conspirators are likely to pursue a similar legal avenue.
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
Meadows “filed to have his case moved from Georgia court to federal court, why?” Tapper asked Honig.
“This is more than just procedural wrangling,” Honig said. “This could be outcome determinative, because if Mark Meadows can show that the charges relate to his performance of his official duties, in this case as White House Chief of Staff, then a couple things happen.
“First, he gets moved across the street to the federal courthouse. Second of all, he's then on the doorstep of a dismissal, because under the law, federal law, if a person can show that they've been criminally charged for something that they did, ‘under color of law,’ meaning in their capacity as a federal official, then the case gets thrown out altogether.
“So there's no question Mark Meadows has a reasonable argument to make here and I look for Donald Trump to make a similar argument. I don't think he has as strong an argument and I look for Jeffrey Clark, who worked at DOJ to make a similar argument. All of these are going to be potentially dispositive motions.”
Added Honig: “Dispositive means they either stay or they go away They live or they die.
“Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump are also expected to make the same request, do they have a strong case do you think?” asked Tapper.
“Donald Trump does not have as good a case as Mark Meadows because Trump will say, ‘Well, this was my effort to sort of regulate and make sure the election was clean as president’, but I think ...the prosecutors are going to respond, ‘No, this was you as a private citizen as a candidate, way overstepping your authority as President,” Honig said.
“As for Rudy Giuliani, he's got nothing, he was not a federal employee at the time.”
Watch the video below or at the link here.
CNN 08 16 2023 16 04 46 www.youtube.com


rawstory--2020-09-05--Republicans disturbed Trump has spent nearly $60 million in donations on legal fees: report

According to a report from the New York Times , some Republican officials are casting a skeptical eye at both the millions of dollars in donations that Donald Trump is spending on legal fees as well as the reasons for some of the expenditures .
The report notes that the president “ … and his affiliated political entities have spent at least $ 58.4 million in donations on legal and compliance work since 2015 , ” which is raising some eyebrows .
For comparison ’ s sake , the Times reports that former President Barack Obama spent $ 10.7 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting in 2007 and that former President George Bush spent even less — which included his legal battle over his election that went all the way to the Supreme Court .
What has some Republicans concerned is funds that should be used for political purposes appear to be going out to pay for some of Trump ’ s personal legal problems .
According to the Times ’ Eric Lipton , it would appear that the president is treating campaign donations and money sent to the Republican National Committee as his personal “ piggy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawing scrutiny is money being spent on the legal woes of Trump associates and family members .
“ In Washington , Mr. Trump and his campaign affiliates hired lawyers to assist members of his staff and family — including a onetime bodyguard , his oldest son and his son-in-law — as they were pulled into investigations related to Russia and Ukraine .
The Republican National Committee has paid at least $ 2.5 million in legal bills to the firms that did this and other legal work , ” the report notes before adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued to block a law that would have forced him to release his taxes if he wanted to run for re-election .
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have paid the law firm handling this case , among others , $ 1.8 million.
” The Times reports that is is difficult to establish how much is being paid for legal services that are specifically Trump ’ s personal problems , with Lipton writing , “ It is impossible to know based on Federal Election Commission filings how much of the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to routine legal work .
Payments from the political committees to lawyers and law firms are not itemized by case , so the filings do not break down how much donor money went to pay for specific legal actions.
” According to one Republican campaign finance expert , the line between Donald Trump ’ s problems and the Republican Party has been demolished .
“ Vindicating President Trump ’ s personal interests is now so intertwined with the interests of the Republican Party they are one and the same — and that includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for now , ” said Matthew T. Sanderson , who worked as campaign finance director for both Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) and the late Sen. John McCain ( R-AZ ) .
Of greater concern is who has contributed money that is helping to pay Trump ’ s legal bills through cut-outs like his campaign or the RNC and what they are getting in return .
“ In Mr. Trump ’ s case , the reliance on high-dollar donations had led to questions about whether contributors from casinos , Wall Street , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return , ” the Times reports.
” Republican donors who have sent large amounts of money since 2019 to this special R.N.C .
legal account include Joseph Craft , who is the chief executive of a coal mining company that has benefited from Mr. Trump ’ s regulatory actions .
They also include Stephen A. Schwarzman , the chief executive of the Blackstone Group , and Thomas J. Barrack Jr. , both private equity investors who have long been close to the president , and members of the Fertitta family of Las Vegas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can read more here .

According to a report from the New York Times, some Republican officials are casting a skeptical eye at both the millions of dollars in donations that Donald Trump is spending on legal fees as well as the reasons for some of the expenditures.
The report notes that the president "... and his affiliated political entities have spent at least $58.4 million in donations on legal and compliance work since 2015," which is raising some eyebrows.
For comparison's sake, the Times reports that former President Barack Obama spent $10.7 million on legal fees during the equivalent period starting in 2007 and that former President George Bush spent even less -- which included his legal battle over his election that went all the way to the Supreme Court.
What has some Republicans concerned is funds that should be used for political purposes appear to be going out to pay for some of Trump's personal legal problems.
According to the Times' Eric Lipton, it would appear that the president is treating campaign donations and money sent to the Republican National Committee as his personal "piggy bank." One of issues that is drawing scrutiny is money being spent on the legal woes of Trump associates and family members.
"In Washington, Mr. Trump and his campaign affiliates hired lawyers to assist members of his staff and family — including a onetime bodyguard, his oldest son and his son-in-law — as they were pulled into investigations related to Russia and Ukraine. The Republican National Committee has paid at least $2.5 million in legal bills to the firms that did this and other legal work," the report notes before adding, "In California, Mr. Trump sued to block a law that would have forced him to release his taxes if he wanted to run for re-election. The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have paid the law firm handling this case, among others, $1.8 million."
The Times reports that is is difficult to establish how much is being paid for legal services that are specifically Trump's personal problems, with Lipton writing, "It is impossible to know based on Federal Election Commission filings how much of the $58.4 million in total legal bills went to routine legal work. Payments from the political committees to lawyers and law firms are not itemized by case, so the filings do not break down how much donor money went to pay for specific legal actions."
According to one Republican campaign finance expert, the line between Donald Trump's problems and the Republican Party has been demolished.
“Vindicating President Trump’s personal interests is now so intertwined with the interests of the Republican Party they are one and the same — and that includes the legal fights the party is paying for now,” said Matthew T. Sanderson, who worked as campaign finance director for both Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
Of greater concern is who has contributed money that is helping to pay Trump's legal bills through cut-outs like his campaign or the RNC and what they are getting in return.
"In Mr. Trump’s case, the reliance on high-dollar donations had led to questions about whether contributors from casinos, Wall Street, coal and other industries expect something in return," the Times reports."Republican donors who have sent large amounts of money since 2019 to this special R.N.C. legal account include Joseph Craft, who is the chief executive of a coal mining company that has benefited from Mr. Trump’s regulatory actions. They also include Stephen A. Schwarzman, the chief executive of the Blackstone Group, and Thomas J. Barrack Jr., both private equity investors who have long been close to the president, and members of the Fertitta family of Las Vegas, who own a casino there."
You can read more here.


rawstory--2020-09-08--Bible signed by Trump after infamous church stunt listed for sale at $37,500

The Bible signed by President Donald Trump after a photo op outside a Washington , D.C. , church has been @ @ @ @ @ memorabilia company Moments in Time is advertising the autographed Bible for $ 37,500 , although @ @ @ @ @ how it ended up on the website , reported TMZ .
The president ordered federal @ @ @ @ @ and rubber bullets at peaceful protesters outside St. John ’ s Episcopal Church on June @ @ @ @ @ outside the church , which had been damaged by a fire at the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ killing of George Floyd .
The Bible that ’ s for sale apparently isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ up for the photo outside the church .

"You mentioned the concept of accountability and how it is not something that Donald Trump is particularly familiar with," said anchor Alex Wagner. "I wonder what you think of the peril that he keeps putting himself in, legally speaking, by lashing out at prosecutors. Targeting judges. Speaking badly about the very people who will determine his fate. And being, effectively, not threatened, but potentially forced to pay a price for that in the form of a trial date that has moved, or a fine, or even the possibility of being incarcerated while he awaits trial. Do you think that there is anything at this point that could force Donald Trump to stop the vitriol and to stop the tweets and the rants? Or is he going to push it as far as he possibly can?"
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"The short answer is no, he is not going to be able to stop himself," said Mary Trump. "There has been a really interesting shift over the last few months or couple of years. the way in which he is presenting himself in social media, the kind of attacking nature, and the aggressiveness, that used to be a strategy for him."
"You know, he used to throw temper tantrums strategically to get his way," she continued. "It is not strategy anymore."
"He is literally doing what he has done in other contexts, which is pushing the envelope to see how much he could get away with, which obviously, until this time, has been everything," she added. "But, the unconscious fear, terror, and especially if you have a fear of humiliation is so strong, that he cannot course correct and realize that what he's always done is, this time, not going to get him what he wants. In fact, quite the opposite."
Watch the video below or at the link.


rawstory--2020-09-08--Bill Barr’s DOJ says Trump was acting as president when he allegedly defamed woman who accused him o

Bill Barr’s DOJ says Trump was acting as president when he allegedly defamed woman who accused him of rape: report

President Donald Trump is seeking to have tax-payer lawyers defend him in a case revolving over whether he lied about @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to take over the defense of President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll , who claims Trump raped her two decades ago @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
Carroll is seeking to depose Trump in the case and have him provide @ @ @ @ @ against the dress she still has from the alleged attack .
“ Because President Trump @ @ @ @ @ of his office or employment at the time of the incident out of which the @ @ @ @ @ , the United States will file a motion to substitute itself for President Trump in @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Department of Justice said in the filing .

President Donald Trump is seeking to have tax-payer lawyers defend him in a case revolving over whether he lied about raping a woman.
"The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to take over the defense of President Donald Trump in a defamation suit brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who claims Trump raped her two decades ago," Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.
Carroll is seeking to depose Trump in the case and have him provide a DNA sample to match against the dress she still has from the alleged attack.
“Because President Trump was acting within the scope of his office or employment at the time of the incident out of which the plaintiff’s claim arose, the United States will file a motion to substitute itself for President Trump in this action” Bill Barr's Department of Justice said in the filing.


rawstory--2020-09-09--Mary Trump among those demanding Congress impeach Attorney General Bill Barr

On Tuesday , Attorney General Bill Barr moved in court for his Department of Justice to intervene in an explosive @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
“ The US Justice Department , in an extraordinary move on Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ defense of President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by E. Jean @ @ @ @ @ has accused Trump of sexual assault , ” CNN reports .
“ While the alleged @ @ @ @ @ Trump became President , the Justice Department argued that it must take over because Trump @ @ @ @ @ defamation lawsuit came while he was in office .
The move — defending Trump at @ @ @ @ @ ongoing criticism that the Justice Department has acted in the President ’ s personal interests.
@ @ @ @ @ and the Department of Justice for what was described as an “ insane ” legal @ @ @ @ @ some of what people were saying on Twitter as the # ImpeachBarr hashtag trended .

And the Monsanto trade was just one of 136 stock and other financial transactions — totaling between $3.05 million and $8.56 million — that Allen failed to properly report, according to an exclusive Raw Story analysis of federal financial disclosures.
"The omissions are so extensive that I'm just in suspense for what the possible explanation could be,” said Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel and senior director of ethics for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. “I haven't seen anything like this before with it going back this far."
ALSO READ: Revealed: Marjorie Taylor Greene's post-divorce finances — from Trump to Disney
The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act requires key government officials, including members of Congress, to publicly report within 45 days most purchases, sales and exchanges of stocks, bonds, commodity futures, securities and cryptocurrencies.
Passed by Congress in 2012, the STOCK Act is designed to stop insider trading, curb conflicts-of-interest and enhance transparency.
But many of the financial trades Allen reported earlier this month were at least three years past the STOCK Act’s reporting deadline. In response to a series of questions from Raw Story, Allen’s congressional office acknowledged in an emailed statement that the congressman experienced “reporting issues” and blamed them on a financial adviser who no longer works for the Georgia lawmaker.
“Congressman Allen’s investment decisions are handled by a financial adviser, who uses investment managers to implement trades at their own discretion, without consulting with or getting input from the Congressman,” said Carlton Norwood Jr., a spokesperson for Allen. “In May of this year, Congressman Allen became aware of some reporting issues and omissions that were caused by a compliance firm he had engaged. At that point, he hired counsel and a new compliance firm to start working with the House Ethics Committee to ensure all trades have been properly reported.”
Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA). Source: U.S. House of Representatives
Members of Congress are required to file what are known as “periodic transaction reports,” or PTRs, each time they make certain financial transactions worth more than $1,000.
The periodic transaction reports are due within 45 days of a trade being executed, whether by a member of Congress personally, or a financial adviser working on the member’s behalf. Lawmakers are only required by law to disclose the value of the trades in broad ranges.
“The [Aug. 10] PTR was filed as part of that process in consultation with House Ethics Committee counsel – who understands that it was the compliance firm, and not Congressman Allen, who was responsible for these errors and that additional action and amendments to his financial disclosure statements may be necessary,” Norwood said in a statement.
However, Payne says it’s ultimately up to the legislator to ensure that such reports are filed in a timely manner.
“It's always been clear that the member has the ultimate responsibility of filing the PTRs, and it cannot be simply blamed on any outside adviser,” Payne said.
The standard fine for violating the STOCK Act is $200. But the House Committee on Ethics and Senate Select Committee on Ethics have historically waived the fees for many violators.
"It's a black hole when it goes to the Ethics Committee, and we don't know if they will assess penalties, or they just don't do anything about it.” Payne said.
Tom Rust, staff director and chief counsel for the House Committee on Ethics, which is tasked with investigating alleged STOCK Act violations, said “no comment” when reached by Raw Story.
Asked by Raw Story whether Allen has paid a fine, Norwood did not respond.
ALSO READ: Sold! Wealthy N.Y. congressman dumps up to $37 million in stocks and bonds amid pressure to divest
Demian Brady, vice president of research for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, said there should be more transparency from the congressional ethics committees “to see how they're enforcing the laws that they're responsible for administering.”
“It shouldn’t be so difficult to figure out whether a member’s getting fined or not for late compliance with these basic, it seems to me, fairly straightforward and simple reporting requirements,” Brady said.
Allen is appointed to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittees on Communications and Technology; Innovation, Data, and Commerce; and Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials. He is also appointed to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and its Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions.
Allen’s stock transactions span dozens of companies including energy companies like Dominion Energy, General Electric, ExxonMobil, NextEra Energy and Phillips 66, technology companies such as Microsoft and Verizon and mining company Freeport-McMo-Ran.
This is at least the third separate time Allen has violated the STOCK Act.
Raw Story reported in June that Allen was late in disclosing his spouse’s March 27 sale — valued between $100,001 to $250,000 — of stock in SouthState Corporation, a financial services company.
In 2021, Insider reported that Allen has several financial filing flubs related to his stock trade activity from 2019 and 2020.
Epidemic of violations
Dozens of members of Congress have failed to comply with the STOCK Act. During the 117th Congress from 2021 to 2022, at least 78 members of Congress — Democrats and Republicans alike — were found to have violated the STOCK Act's disclosure provisions, according to a tally maintained by Insider.
Raw Story has this year identified 19 members of the 118th Congress who have broken the federal conflicts of interest law.
In recent weeks, repeat violators like Allen have broken the federal disclosure law again — Rep. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) violated the STOCK Act for the third time in 14 months, Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) became a two-time offender and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) was several months late disclosing a family stock sale — again.
The ongoing violations come at a time when a bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced several similar bills aimed at banning congressional stock trading.
"We see that the STOCK Act is not complied with the way it's intended to be, and if there are no consequences for the late filings, you continue to see that there probably will be less compliance with the law,” Payne said.
Campaign Legal Center supports legislation that would require members of Congress to divest of any stocks in individual companies, he said.
The most recent legislation introduced is the Ban Stock Trading for Government Officials Act, which would prohibit members of Congress, the president, the vice president, senior executive branch officials, their spouses and children from trading stocks and would require greater transparency with financial disclosures, The Hill reported.
Another two-party bill, the Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act was introduced in May and is co-sponsored in part by political rivals in Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
Other materially similar bills include the Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act, the TRUST in Congress Act and the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act. In the decade since the STOCK Act’s passage, the push for a total ban on lawmakers trading stocks while in office gained but then lost momentum last year when the Democratic-led House, then led by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, decided not to conduct a hearing on any of the stock-ban bills and never brought it to the House floor for a vote.
News organizations including the New York Times, Insider, NPR and Sludge have documented rampant financial conflicts of interests among dozens of members of Congress, such as those who bought and sold defense contractor stock while occupying positions on congressional armed services committees or otherwise voting on measures to send such companies billions of federal dollars. The executive and judicial branches are riddled with similar financial conflict issues, too, as the Wall Street Journal hasreported.
The Wall Street Journal won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for its investigation into financial conflicts among officials who work in federal agencies while Insider won the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sunshine Award for its reporting on congressional financial conflicts.


rawstory--2020-09-09--Legendary Watergate reporter calls new Trump tapes bigger than Nixon and ‘the smoking gun of his neg

Legendary Watergate reporter calls new Trump tapes bigger than Nixon and ‘the smoking gun of his negligence’

In a CNN interview with former Bob Woodward partner Carl Bernstein , the reporter explained that the tapes of President Donald Trump are far worse than anything they captured of Richard Nixon .
“ We are listening to the President of the United States , on tape , deliberately undermining the… national security of the United States… It is the smoking gun of his negligence , ” he said Wednesday .
“ It ’ s stunning , and I think we all need to take a deep breath and understand exactly what it is we have learned , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the president of the United States on tape deliberately undermining the security — national security of the United States , the health and well being of the people of the United States , and he ’ s doing this knowingly , in realtime.
” Bernstein went on to say that the quotes that Woodward got from Gen. Jim Mattis and others are a clear indication that the president is unfit to fulfill the office of the presidency .
“ Instead of leveling with the country , he covers up , ” Bernstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover up this grave national emergency .
This is one of the great presidential felonies of all time , maybe the greatest presidential felony .
And we have the smoking gun tape of the president committing the felony.
” See the video below :

In a CNN interview with former Bob Woodward partner Carl Bernstein, the reporter explained that the tapes of President Donald Trump are far worse than anything they captured of Richard Nixon.
"We are listening to the President of the United States, on tape, deliberately undermining the... national security of the United States... It is the smoking gun of his negligence," he said Wednesday.
"It’s stunning, and I think we all need to take a deep breath and understand exactly what it is we have learned," he went on. "We are listening to the president of the United States on tape deliberately undermining the security — national security of the United States, the health and well being of the people of the United States, and he’s doing this knowingly, in realtime."
Bernstein went on to say that the quotes that Woodward got from Gen. Jim Mattis and others are a clear indication that the president is unfit to fulfill the office of the presidency.
"Instead of leveling with the country, he covers up," Bernstein continued. "We listen to him cover up this grave national emergency. This is one of the great presidential felonies of all time, maybe the greatest presidential felony. And we have the smoking gun tape of the president committing the felony."
See the video below:


rawstory--2020-09-10--‘He’s just stupid’: Former senator says Woodward tapes prove Trump ‘too dumb to be president’

MSNBC ’ s Claire McCaskill shredded President Donald Trump as “ too dumb ” to lead the United States .
The former Democratic senator blasted the president for admitting to Bob Woodward that he ’ d purposefully downplayed the coronavirus pandemic , and the “ Morning Joe ” contributor said that confession was disqualifying in multiple ways .
“ I think what the tapes do in a bold and dramatic fashion , they prove that we have a president who is a liar and is willing to kill Americans , and you can ’ t say it more plainly than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s killing Americans with his lies .
Thousands and thousands of people died because Donald Trump wanted to lie about the dangers of this disease and how it was spread.
” “ Now he ’ s going to spin this , which is unbelievable to me , with a straight face , saying to America , ‘ I didn ’ t want anybody to panic , ' ” she added .
: He ’ s running a campaign based on fear and panic .
His entire campaign is about making Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Black people are going to move in .
It is ridiculous how he ’ s based his presidency on hate , fear and panic , and now he ’ s trying to sell this B.S .
this was just about keeping America calm .
it wasn ’ t .
It was about protecting him politically and trying to protect his economy that he saw as his that was his ticket to re-election.
” The admission was damning enough , McCaskill said — but also proved he lacked the intelligence to be president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dumb to be president of the United States , ” she said .
“ I mean , he ’ s just stupid .
Who does this ?
Who does 18 interviews with Bob Woodward within two months of the election ?
Who does that knowing they ’ re going to come out right before the election ?
Only the most stupid man in America would do that .
He is too dumb to lead the greatest nation on the planet .
”

MSNBC's Claire McCaskill shredded President Donald Trump as "too dumb" to lead the United States.
The former Democratic senator blasted the president for admitting to Bob Woodward that he'd purposefully downplayed the coronavirus pandemic, and the "Morning Joe" contributor said that confession was disqualifying in multiple ways.
"I think what the tapes do in a bold and dramatic fashion, they prove that we have a president who is a liar and is willing to kill Americans, and you can't say it more plainly than that," McCaskill said. "He's killing Americans with his lies. Thousands and thousands of people died because Donald Trump wanted to lie about the dangers of this disease and how it was spread."
"Now he's going to spin this, which is unbelievable to me, with a straight face, saying to America, 'I didn't want anybody to panic,'" she added. :He's running a campaign based on fear and panic. His entire campaign is about making Americans afraid, people in the suburbs afraid that Black people are going to move in. It is ridiculous how he's based his presidency on hate, fear and panic, and now he's trying to sell this B.S. this was just about keeping America calm. it wasn't. It was about protecting him politically and trying to protect his economy that he saw as his that was his ticket to re-election."
The admission was damning enough, McCaskill said -- but also proved he lacked the intelligence to be president.
"This man is way too dumb to be president of the United States," she said. "I mean, he's just stupid. Who does this? Who does 18 interviews with Bob Woodward within two months of the election? Who does that knowing they're going to come out right before the election? Only the most stupid man in America would do that. He is too dumb to lead the greatest nation on the planet."


rawstory--2020-09-11--PTSD expert: Americans are being ‘psychologically abused’ by Trump and will face health crisis for y

PTSD expert: Americans are being ‘psychologically abused’ by Trump and will face health crisis for years

Woodward ’ s newspaper , the Washington Post , reported on the aftermath of these revelations , including Trump ’ s acknowledgment “ that he intentionally played down the deadly nature of the rapidly spreading coronavirus last winter as an attempt to avoid a ‘ frenzy ’ ….
” : None of this should be a surprise given Donald Trump ’ s character , evident mental pathologies and overall pattern of behavior .
Trump ’ s admission is contrary to his public protestations that the pandemic is a “ hoax ” perpetrated or exaggerated by Democrats to damage him in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims the virus is not that dangerous and will go away on its own , people should not wear masks , and that public health experts and medical researchers are sharing “ fake news ” about the lethal nature of the coronavirus .
As psychologist John Gartner cautioned in a recent conversation here at Salon : “ Donald Trump is the most successful bio-terrorist in human history .
This is not an accident.
” Ultimately , Trump ’ s sabotage and willful negligence — to which he has now effectively confessed — is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it approaches de facto genocide ; at best , it could be called negligent homicide on a mass scale .
On Twitter , former CIA Director John Brennan described Donald Trump as a human “ abomination , ” writing , “ If he had a conscience or a soul , he would resign .
Tragically for us , he has neither.
” The American people should know by now that Donald Trump does not care about their safety , health or well-being .
Yet again , Donald Trump has betrayed his presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic to a democracy under siege from his authoritarian movement , a failed economy , an increase in right-wing violence and terrorism , and a public embrace of white supremacy , Trump and his regime are emotionally and physically abusing the American people .
But Trump ’ s lies about the coronavirus pandemic and his personal responsibility for the hundreds of thousands of deaths that have followed will not force his followers to abandon him .
Trumpism is a death cult .
Human sacrifice is one of its central rites and rituals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disciples are willing to both die and kill for him .
Dr. Seth Norrholm is a translational neuroscientist and one of the world ’ s leading experts on post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) and fear .
He is currently the scientific director at the Neuroscience Center for Anxiety , Stress , and Trauma ( NeuroCAST ) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit .
In this conversation , Dr. Norrholm explains how Donald Trump ’ s behavior towards the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also details how Donald Trump and his regime are causing the American people to experience symptoms and behaviors similar to PTSD — and that post-Trump PTSD will impact the country ’ s public health for many years into the future .
Norrholm also offers advice on how the American people can handle the increase in stress and anxiety as Election Day 2020 approaches in the midst of a deadly pandemic and Trump ’ s escalating threats and violence .
There are people on Twitter and social media all day long discussing Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s administration is actively traumatizing the American people to the point where public opinion polls show that Donald Trump makes them feel unsafe .
Other research shows a large increase in emotional and mental health problems which are correlated with Trump ’ s time in office .
What are Trump and his regime doing to the emotional health of the American people ?
The long-term impact is going to be great .
From 2015 forward , it is a constant timeline of one risk or threat or breaking of norms after another from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no real respite .
Looking at this through social media , it is very much like an addiction where some people will log into Twitter in the morning and then you will see them log off at night and they will actually say , “ See you in the morning , folks.
” Twitter and other social media is almost like a running commentary of their day .
The Age of Trump is the story of authoritarianism and how it can damage the mental health of an entire society .
Why has there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainstream American news media to discuss emotional life as connected to politics in this moment ?
Part of the problem with emotions is vagueness .
Therefore , the news media and analysts tend to shy away from discussing emotions .
I also think that part of the challenge is that American society tends to be forgiving .
For example , if the president were to go public and say that , “ Look , I ’ ve battled an addiction to painkillers or alcohol , ” or that he has early stage Alzheimer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news media and public would accept it .
Why ?
Because it is a hard diagnosis .
It is something tangible .
But because with Donald Trump we are talking about behavior which is open to interpretation and involves concepts from psychology that deal with emotions and personality , it is very difficult for the average person to understand .
This is true of the news media as well .
Therefore , emotions in general are much less discussed by the American news media .
This has meant that the American news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump using the existing heuristics which are , “ Here is the president ’ s schedule .
Here ’ s what he did today .
Here ’ s what he said.
” Donald Trump should not have been covered that way .
The assumption that he is somehow “ presidential ” and acts in a normal way should have been discarded .
Then there is the other side , with Fox News and other right-wing news media which Trump ’ s followers listen to .
That side is proceeding with , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our position.
” That is when we see cult psychology , a shared psychosis where the members have to radically defend their positions because the alternative is admitting that they were wrong .
It is as if American society has lost the ability to admit wrong and apologize where whole groups of partisans and Trumpists can ’ t simply say , “ Look , I read the situation wrong and I made a mistake.
” There is a cycle of ups and downs , highs and lows , hopes and disappointments in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems like he will be stopped and then he somehow survives and becomes more powerful .
How does that roller coaster of emotions impact the American people ?
This fits the model of an abusive relationship .
If you think about an abusive relationship , the victim often tells themselves , “ Tomorrow it ’ ll be better because family ’ s coming to town.
” Or they have filed a police report or taken other steps to change the abusive situation .
But what happens when those steps do not work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a compounding negative cumulative impact .
The American people are being psychologically abused by Donald Trump .
Consider all the reports about his criminality from the Russia scandal onward , the whistleblowers , all the cumulative evidence .
The American people , the abuse victim says , “ OK , I ’ ve got some hope .
The authorities are looking into it.
” Then [ Bill ] Barr is brought on and the Mueller report is diluted and misrepresented , and nothing happens in terms of consequences .
So the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then says , “ OK , that didn ’ t work.
” Then there is a period of mourning , dejection and sadness .
Then the American people say , “ OK , what ’ s the next step I can take ?
” Then they see Trump being impeached .
Now the conclusion is , “ OK , this is going to be the mechanism by which I could end this abusive relationship.
” Now we go through the process from December to January , and there is a parade of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump looked like he was done for .
And again , Trump gets away with it all .
Trump ’ s bellicosity and the reminders that he has access to a vast nuclear arsenal is akin to an abuser saying to a partner , “ Remember , I sleep with my revolver.
” So the bottom line is that we as mental health professionals were already looking at a post-Trump era of exacerbated mental illness that has now been compounded with an unchecked pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 and altered millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s abuse victims , then say , “ Damn it , this is another instance where nothing happened.
” Now the hope is that on Election Day something will change , and Trump will be gone .
What does that cycle of emotions do to the human brain ?
There is research on Hurricane Katrina survivors , mass shooting survivors and other examples where the trauma was a distinct event .
With Trump and this national calamity , it is an ongoing event which involves repeated exposure to chronic stress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress response system only knows one way to function , which is essentially the fight or flight response .
So , you recognize that threat , there ’ s a physiological response , your autonomic nervous system kicks in , your heart rate accelerates , cortisol is released .
That is an evolutionary response to acute threats in the environment .
When a person is repeatedly stressed , the human body continues to release cortisol .
The heart rate stays elevated .
This can have long-term effects .
There are a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a number of neuropsychiatric effects .
This includes changing the neuronal structure , which can reduce the number of synaptic contacts that neurons have with one another .
Excessive cortisol can damage different areas of the brain .
That too has a range of consequences , whether it is learning and memory deficits and emotional dysregulation .
Anger and mood disorders can become much more pronounced .
There is definitely going to be post-Trump syndrome — especially for those people who have been more engaged with current events .
They are obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who says , “ You know what ?
This is just politics.
” If you are someone who is genetically more predisposed to be an anxious person , that can be buffered if you are placed in a situation where you have got resources such as a job and a home .
Even with the genetics involved , if those buffers are in place such a person may not ever experience anxiety .
When people start losing their jobs and health care in massive numbers , that is a tipping point for overcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are going to be a host of post-Trump biological and psychological consequences that as a society we are going to be dealing with for a long time .
Stress also impacts people ’ s individual dreams and also the collective subconscious of a society .
There has been research on the dreams the German people experienced under the Nazis .
Likewise , there are mental health professionals who are compiling lists of the types of dreams people are experiencing under the Trump regime .
What do we know about stress and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is especially true of unresolved conflicts .
Viewing the Trump presidency as a type of unresolved conflict reveals quite a few things .
The Trump administration is the daily stressor .
It has all these tentacles and there seems to be no resolution in sight .
The stress from the Trump administration is filling in gaps in our dream state .
With an assault victim , there may be some way of confronting the perpetrator and exacting revenge .
Dreams reflect unresolved conflicts , but they also are a form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the traumatic event are part of the dream content .
This can take several forms .
A soldier who was hit by an IED explosion may have a dream in which they ’ re in the Humvee and the IED does not go off , or it goes off and there is a different consequence .
These events can be replayed or played out in different scenarios in the dream state .
It can be very vivid , to the point where a trauma victim may re-experience the trauma in a dream to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of resolution .
This may be facing the perpetrator or finding happiness and joy again .
But then the person wakes up and has an extreme feeling of being let down because it was all just a dream .
Those types of intrusive re-experiencing thoughts and memories are going to play out in individuals who are particularly susceptible to what is happening today with the Trump administration and what it is doing to the American people .
What are your thoughts about Donald Trump ’ s mind and personality ?
How does Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is causing ?
In the mind of a malignant or severe narcissist , it only takes a small scintilla of possibility that there was some type of “ deep state ” attack against him .
Of course , that is highly unlikely .
But even if there is such a remote possibility , that is all that is needed for a severe narcissist like Trump to build upon .
That is why he has such an affinity for conspiracy theories , because it gives him a psychological out for his apparent crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in this altered reality where there is a type of idealized self .
Trump sees himself as an eternal emperor .
He is a king in his mind who is all-knowing and all-powerful .
But behind that facade Donald Trump is a vulnerable and in many ways a childlike individual .
Trump is fighting so very hard to keep that veneer up in the public .
I was asked some years ago , what is the best course of action when dealing with a severe narcissist ?
It is repeated confrontation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in real time .
It ’ s calling out the hypocrisy .
It is confronting the public veneer .
I know this won ’ t happen , but I would love for a journalist to say , “ Are you wearing makeup , Mr. President ?
Is that self-tanner , or are you wearing makeup ?
Why is your face orange and your ears white ?
” That is how one deals with a narcissist .
Confrontation .
I wish Hillary Clinton had done that to Donald Trump .
She did try , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debates with Trump , she or one of the journalists there should have said to Trump , “ You want to take away women ’ s reproductive rights .
Have any of your lovers ever had an abortion ?
” On national TV before the world Trump should have been asked that question .
But of course , none of the people there had such courage .
That is exactly what needs to happen .
Trump views himself as the most powerful person in the world .
There is no linear or logical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and thinking .
It is all based on emotions .
This is why we see so much flip-flopping from Donald Trump , because he says what feels good and feels right at the time for the audience which is in front of him .
He is just chasing one emotion to the next .
Trump lives moment to moment because of his emotion-based thinking .
That is Trump ’ s way of avoiding any accountability or having to deal with the details of policy and governance .
The lies are of course another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face he likes to present , the illusion of his strength .
Bob Woodward ’ s new book reveals that Donald Trump knew in February that the coronavirus was an especially deadly airborne virus that could potentially kill hundreds of thousands of people .
Trump knew this and publicly lied about it , downplaying the danger and interfering with relief efforts for personal and political gain .
In essence , Trump lied and many tens of thousands of people are now dead , and more will die .
How does that impact the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that their president is actively hurting them ?
People are smart , they pay attention .
Most rational people recognized that no solutions or pathways out of this pandemic went through the Trump administration .
The longstanding guardrails for public safety were torn down or silenced .
The CDC was muzzled , the WHO was belittled , the scientific experts were either shouted down , spoken over or misquoted .
People knew that the answers they were looking for and the practical solutions that they were seeking lay with their state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the mental health community early on : Focus on what is being done in your town by your EMTs , by your health care providers , by your mayors and by your governors .
We as a people had to accept that we couldn ’ t trust the president and those in his orbit and that trust in the office and in our principles must be regained over a long period of time .
What advice would you have for people in terms of managing their emotions in these final weeks leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice in times of high stress and crisis is to maintain routines as best as possible , to keep up with hobbies , maintain friendships and relationships , and take the time to recognize and express your emotions .
It ’ s normal to feel afraid , anxious , on edge and angry , and for that to seep into your daily activities .
One of our strongest drivers of stress and anxiety is unpredictability and lack of control .
This has especially been the case for the past few years , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do things you can control , like your diet , exercise , time with friends and family ( even if at a distance ) , and — if it helps you rather than adds to your stress — be an activist .
Make a plan for voting , encourage others to vote , support your candidates up and down the ticket .
Focus on what you can personally do and not too much on what others are doing .

Woodward's newspaper, the Washington Post, reported on the aftermath of these revelations, including Trump's acknowledgment "that he intentionally played down the deadly nature of the rapidly spreading coronavirus last winter as an attempt to avoid a 'frenzy' ....":
"So the fact is, I'm a cheerleader for this country. I love our country. And I don't want people to be frightened," Trump told reporters at the White House after announcing his potential Supreme Court nominees if he wins reelection. "I don't want to create panic, as you say. And certainly, I'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence. We want to show strength."
None of this should be a surprise given Donald Trump's character, evident mental pathologies and overall pattern of behavior.
Trump's admission is contrary to his public protestations that the pandemic is a "hoax" perpetrated or exaggerated by Democrats to damage him in the election, as well as his claims the virus is not that dangerous and will go away on its own, people should not wear masks, and that public health experts and medical researchers are sharing "fake news" about the lethal nature of the coronavirus.
As psychologist John Gartner cautioned in a recent conversation here at Salon: "Donald Trump is the most successful bio-terrorist in human history. This is not an accident."
Ultimately, Trump's sabotage and willful negligence — to which he has now effectively confessed — is a crime against humanity. At worst, it approaches de facto genocide; at best, it could be called negligent homicide on a mass scale.
On Twitter, former CIA Director John Brennan described Donald Trump as a human "abomination," writing, "If he had a conscience or a soul, he would resign. Tragically for us, he has neither."
The American people should know by now that Donald Trump does not care about their safety, health or well-being. Yet again, Donald Trump has betrayed his presidential oath of office. From his coronavirus pandemic to a democracy under siege from his authoritarian movement, a failed economy, an increase in right-wing violence and terrorism, and a public embrace of white supremacy, Trump and his regime are emotionally and physically abusing the American people.
But Trump's lies about the coronavirus pandemic and his personal responsibility for the hundreds of thousands of deaths that have followed will not force his followers to abandon him. Trumpism is a death cult. Human sacrifice is one of its central rites and rituals. Unfortunately, many of Trump's disciples are willing to both die and kill for him.
Dr. Seth Norrholm is a translational neuroscientist and one of the world's leading experts on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and fear. He is currently the scientific director at the Neuroscience Center for Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma (NeuroCAST) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.
In this conversation, Dr. Norrholm explains how Donald Trump's behavior towards the American people resembles that of a domestic abuser. He also details how Donald Trump and his regime are causing the American people to experience symptoms and behaviors similar to PTSD — and that post-Trump PTSD will impact the country's public health for many years into the future. Norrholm also offers advice on how the American people can handle the increase in stress and anxiety as Election Day 2020 approaches in the midst of a deadly pandemic and Trump's escalating threats and violence.
There are people on Twitter and social media all day long discussing Donald Trump and this moment. Trump's administration is actively traumatizing the American people to the point where public opinion polls show that Donald Trump makes them feel unsafe. Other research shows a large increase in emotional and mental health problems which are correlated with Trump's time in office.
What are Trump and his regime doing to the emotional health of the American people? The long-term impact is going to be great.
From 2015 forward, it is a constant timeline of one risk or threat or breaking of norms after another from the Trump administration. There has been no real respite.
Looking at this through social media, it is very much like an addiction where some people will log into Twitter in the morning and then you will see them log off at night and they will actually say, "See you in the morning, folks." Twitter and other social media is almost like a running commentary of their day.
The Age of Trump is the story of authoritarianism and how it can damage the mental health of an entire society. Why has there been such reluctance by most of the mainstream American news media to discuss emotional life as connected to politics in this moment?
Part of the problem with emotions is vagueness. Therefore, the news media and analysts tend to shy away from discussing emotions. I also think that part of the challenge is that American society tends to be forgiving. For example, if the president were to go public and say that, "Look, I've battled an addiction to painkillers or alcohol," or that he has early stage Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, the news media and public would accept it. Why? Because it is a hard diagnosis. It is something tangible. But because with Donald Trump we are talking about behavior which is open to interpretation and involves concepts from psychology that deal with emotions and personality, it is very difficult for the average person to understand. This is true of the news media as well. Therefore, emotions in general are much less discussed by the American news media.
This has meant that the American news media has for the most part covered Donald Trump using the existing heuristics which are, "Here is the president's schedule. Here's what he did today. Here's what he said." Donald Trump should not have been covered that way. The assumption that he is somehow "presidential" and acts in a normal way should have been discarded.
Then there is the other side, with Fox News and other right-wing news media which Trump's followers listen to. That side is proceeding with, "This is how we have to defend our position." That is when we see cult psychology, a shared psychosis where the members have to radically defend their positions because the alternative is admitting that they were wrong. It is as if American society has lost the ability to admit wrong and apologize where whole groups of partisans and Trumpists can't simply say, "Look, I read the situation wrong and I made a mistake."
There is a cycle of ups and downs, highs and lows, hopes and disappointments in the Age of Trump where at one moment it seems like he will be stopped and then he somehow survives and becomes more powerful. How does that roller coaster of emotions impact the American people?
This fits the model of an abusive relationship. If you think about an abusive relationship, the victim often tells themselves, "Tomorrow it'll be better because family's coming to town." Or they have filed a police report or taken other steps to change the abusive situation. But what happens when those steps do not work to stop the abuse? That cycle has a compounding negative cumulative impact.
The American people are being psychologically abused by Donald Trump. Consider all the reports about his criminality from the Russia scandal onward, the whistleblowers, all the cumulative evidence.
The American people, the abuse victim says, "OK, I've got some hope. The authorities are looking into it." Then [Bill] Barr is brought on and the Mueller report is diluted and misrepresented, and nothing happens in terms of consequences. So the American people, who are the abuse victim, then says, "OK, that didn't work." Then there is a period of mourning, dejection and sadness. Then the American people say, "OK, what's the next step I can take?" Then they see Trump being impeached. Now the conclusion is, "OK, this is going to be the mechanism by which I could end this abusive relationship." Now we go through the process from December to January, and there is a parade of witnesses with all this damning information. Trump looked like he was done for. And again, Trump gets away with it all.
Trump's bellicosity and the reminders that he has access to a vast nuclear arsenal is akin to an abuser saying to a partner, "Remember, I sleep with my revolver." So the bottom line is that we as mental health professionals were already looking at a post-Trump era of exacerbated mental illness that has now been compounded with an unchecked pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 and altered millions of lives.
The American people, as Trump's abuse victims, then say, "Damn it, this is another instance where nothing happened." Now the hope is that on Election Day something will change, and Trump will be gone.
What does that cycle of emotions do to the human brain?
There is research on Hurricane Katrina survivors, mass shooting survivors and other examples where the trauma was a distinct event. With Trump and this national calamity, it is an ongoing event which involves repeated exposure to chronic stress.
From an evolutionary perspective, the human stress response system only knows one way to function, which is essentially the fight or flight response. So, you recognize that threat, there's a physiological response, your autonomic nervous system kicks in, your heart rate accelerates, cortisol is released. That is an evolutionary response to acute threats in the environment.
When a person is repeatedly stressed, the human body continues to release cortisol. The heart rate stays elevated. This can have long-term effects.
There are a number of studies which show that excessive cortisol can have a number of neuropsychiatric effects. This includes changing the neuronal structure, which can reduce the number of synaptic contacts that neurons have with one another. Excessive cortisol can damage different areas of the brain. That too has a range of consequences, whether it is learning and memory deficits and emotional dysregulation. Anger and mood disorders can become much more pronounced.
There is definitely going to be post-Trump syndrome — especially for those people who have been more engaged with current events. They are obviously at much more risk than a person who says, "You know what? This is just politics."
If you are someone who is genetically more predisposed to be an anxious person, that can be buffered if you are placed in a situation where you have got resources such as a job and a home. Even with the genetics involved, if those buffers are in place such a person may not ever experience anxiety. When people start losing their jobs and health care in massive numbers, that is a tipping point for overcoming learned helplessness and resisting.
In total, there are going to be a host of post-Trump biological and psychological consequences that as a society we are going to be dealing with for a long time.
Stress also impacts people's individual dreams and also the collective subconscious of a society. There has been research on the dreams the German people experienced under the Nazis. Likewise, there are mental health professionals who are compiling lists of the types of dreams people are experiencing under the Trump regime. What do we know about stress and dreams?
Conflicts can bleed into dreams. This is especially true of unresolved conflicts. Viewing the Trump presidency as a type of unresolved conflict reveals quite a few things. The Trump administration is the daily stressor. It has all these tentacles and there seems to be no resolution in sight. The stress from the Trump administration is filling in gaps in our dream state.
With an assault victim, there may be some way of confronting the perpetrator and exacting revenge. Dreams reflect unresolved conflicts, but they also are a form of "re-experiencing" where the elements of the traumatic event are part of the dream content. This can take several forms.
A soldier who was hit by an IED explosion may have a dream in which they're in the Humvee and the IED does not go off, or it goes off and there is a different consequence. These events can be replayed or played out in different scenarios in the dream state. It can be very vivid, to the point where a trauma victim may re-experience the trauma in a dream to the point where there is some kind of resolution. This may be facing the perpetrator or finding happiness and joy again. But then the person wakes up and has an extreme feeling of being let down because it was all just a dream.
Those types of intrusive re-experiencing thoughts and memories are going to play out in individuals who are particularly susceptible to what is happening today with the Trump administration and what it is doing to the American people.
What are your thoughts about Donald Trump's mind and personality? How does Trump think about his behavior and the harm he is causing?
In the mind of a malignant or severe narcissist, it only takes a small scintilla of possibility that there was some type of "deep state" attack against him. Of course, that is highly unlikely. But even if there is such a remote possibility, that is all that is needed for a severe narcissist like Trump to build upon. That is why he has such an affinity for conspiracy theories, because it gives him a psychological out for his apparent crimes and other wrongdoing.
The malignant narcissist lives in this altered reality where there is a type of idealized self. Trump sees himself as an eternal emperor. He is a king in his mind who is all-knowing and all-powerful. But behind that facade Donald Trump is a vulnerable and in many ways a childlike individual. Trump is fighting so very hard to keep that veneer up in the public.
I was asked some years ago, what is the best course of action when dealing with a severe narcissist? It is repeated confrontation. It's calling out the lies in real time. It's calling out the hypocrisy. It is confronting the public veneer.
I know this won't happen, but I would love for a journalist to say, "Are you wearing makeup, Mr. President? Is that self-tanner, or are you wearing makeup? Why is your face orange and your ears white?" That is how one deals with a narcissist. Confrontation. I wish Hillary Clinton had done that to Donald Trump. She did try, though.
During Hillary Clinton's debates with Trump, she or one of the journalists there should have said to Trump, "You want to take away women's reproductive rights. Have any of your lovers ever had an abortion?" On national TV before the world Trump should have been asked that question. But of course, none of the people there had such courage.
That is exactly what needs to happen. Trump views himself as the most powerful person in the world. There is no linear or logical flow to Donald Trump's responses and thinking. It is all based on emotions. This is why we see so much flip-flopping from Donald Trump, because he says what feels good and feels right at the time for the audience which is in front of him.
He is just chasing one emotion to the next. Trump lives moment to moment because of his emotion-based thinking. That is Trump's way of avoiding any accountability or having to deal with the details of policy and governance. The lies are of course another way of Trump to maintain the public face he likes to present, the illusion of his strength.
Bob Woodward's new book reveals that Donald Trump knew in February that the coronavirus was an especially deadly airborne virus that could potentially kill hundreds of thousands of people. Trump knew this and publicly lied about it, downplaying the danger and interfering with relief efforts for personal and political gain. In essence, Trump lied and many tens of thousands of people are now dead, and more will die. How does that impact the emotions of the American people, to know that their president is actively hurting them?
People are smart, they pay attention. Most rational people recognized that no solutions or pathways out of this pandemic went through the Trump administration. The longstanding guardrails for public safety were torn down or silenced. The CDC was muzzled, the WHO was belittled, the scientific experts were either shouted down, spoken over or misquoted. People knew that the answers they were looking for and the practical solutions that they were seeking lay with their state and local officials. That was our advice in the mental health community early on: Focus on what is being done in your town by your EMTs, by your health care providers, by your mayors and by your governors. We as a people had to accept that we couldn't trust the president and those in his orbit and that trust in the office and in our principles must be regained over a long period of time.
What advice would you have for people in terms of managing their emotions in these final weeks leading up to Election Day?
The best advice in times of high stress and crisis is to maintain routines as best as possible, to keep up with hobbies, maintain friendships and relationships, and take the time to recognize and express your emotions. It's normal to feel afraid, anxious, on edge and angry, and for that to seep into your daily activities. One of our strongest drivers of stress and anxiety is unpredictability and lack of control. This has especially been the case for the past few years, and certainly for the past six months. Do things you can control, like your diet, exercise, time with friends and family (even if at a distance), and — if it helps you rather than adds to your stress — be an activist. Make a plan for voting, encourage others to vote, support your candidates up and down the ticket. Focus on what you can personally do and not too much on what others are doing.


rawstory--2020-09-11--Trump should be prosecuted for ‘second-degree murder’ for downplaying COVID threat: ex-prosecutor

Speaking on SiriusXM ’ s The Dean Obeidallah Show this Thursday , former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner thinks President Trump @ @ @ @ @ journalist Bob Woodward — where he admitted that he was fully aware of deadly threat @ @ @ @ @ in February — should get him a prison sentence .
“ There are only two @ @ @ @ @ The first is you caused the death of another , ” Kirschner said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ intent element , ” which he said would “ get tricky if we didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ incriminating admissions.
” Kirschner added that in his opinion as a career prosecutor , Trump @ @ @ @ @ ” of the virus ’ threat , thus admitting to “ second-degree murder ” that @ @ @ @ @ accountable ” for .

Speaking on SiriusXM's The Dean Obeidallah Show this Thursday, former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner thinks President Trump's recorded words to journalist Bob Woodward -- where he admitted that he was fully aware of deadly threat posed by corononavirus way back in February -- should get him a prison sentence.
"There are only two elements for second-degree murder. The first is you caused the death of another," Kirschner said.
"The second element is the intent element," which he said would "get tricky if we didn't have Trump's incriminating admissions." Kirschner added that in his opinion as a career prosecutor, Trump admitted to "conscious disregard" of the virus' threat, thus admitting to "second-degree murder" that he "must be held accountable" for.
&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheweek.com%2Fspeedreads%2F937105%2Fformer-federal-prosecutor-trump-admitted-2nd-degree-murder-woodward-interview