motherjones--2020-08-20--Kamala Harris’ Message to the DNC: “I’m a Person, Not Just a Prosecutor”

That was the overriding message of Sen. Kamala Harris ’ speech on Wednesday night to accept the nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention .
It was a historic moment , and one carefully designed to unify the left around Harris ’ biography—instead of focusing strictly on a resume that sowed deep dissension on the progressive left during the democratic primary when she ran for president .
In a video montage , people close to Harris described the side of her the public doesn ’ t see : the always-protective older sister ; the barrier-breaking auntie ; she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris , who earlier this year told the New York Times that she wants “ relevant policy , not a beautiful sonnet , ” delivered her own brand of poetry on Wednesday night .
“ This virus has no eyes , but it knows how we see each other , ” she said .
“ There is no vaccine for racism…we have to do the work.
” It was easily the most important moment of Harris ’ political career to date , and she seized it .
While detailing her history of prosecuting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , “ I know a predator when I see one.
” She called out structural racism and referenced the historic protests against police violence .
“ That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me , ” she began , as she chronicled her experience as the daughter of immigrants who met in college during the civil rights movement in Berkeley , California .
Listen to the latest episode of the Mother Jones Podcast : Subscribe using Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , or your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t Harris ’ first time on the main stage of the Democratic National Convention .
In 2012 , she had a prominent , but not starring , slot in which she talked about how she was leading the state of California out of the foreclosure crisis .
This time around , she made her case not just for how she might lead on a national stage , but what propels her—and why .
It was a departure from Harris ’ usual buttoned-up style—she ’ s more comfortable discussing the finer points of proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
On the world ’ s stage , Harris finally made a compelling case for herself—and her leadership .
“ Years from now , this moment will have passed .
And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us : Where were you when the stakes were so high ?
” she said .
“ And we will tell them .
We will tell them , not just how we felt .
We will tell them what we did .
”

Meet Kamala Harris, the person.
That was the overriding message of Sen. Kamala Harris’ speech on Wednesday night to accept the nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention. It was a historic moment, and one carefully designed to unify the left around Harris’ biography—instead of focusing strictly on a resume that sowed deep dissension on the progressive left during the democratic primary when she ran for president.
In a video montage, people close to Harris described the side of her the public doesn’t see: the always-protective older sister; the barrier-breaking auntie; she spaghetti-making stepmom, nicknamed “Momala.”
Harris, who earlier this year told the New York Times that she wants “relevant policy, not a beautiful sonnet,” delivered her own brand of poetry on Wednesday night. “This virus has no eyes, but it knows how we see each other,” she said. “There is no vaccine for racism…we have to do the work.”
It was easily the most important moment of Harris’ political career to date, and she seized it. While detailing her history of prosecuting sex crimes, she said of Donald Trump, “I know a predator when I see one.” She called out structural racism and referenced the historic protests against police violence.
“That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me,” she began, as she chronicled her experience as the daughter of immigrants who met in college during the civil rights movement in Berkeley, California.
Listen to the latest episode of the Mother Jones Podcast: Subscribe using Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
This wasn’t Harris’ first time on the main stage of the Democratic National Convention. In 2012, she had a prominent, but not starring, slot in which she talked about how she was leading the state of California out of the foreclosure crisis.
This time around, she made her case not just for how she might lead on a national stage, but what propels her—and why. It was a departure from Harris’ usual buttoned-up style—she’s more comfortable discussing the finer points of proposed policy instead of the human side of it. On the world’s stage, Harris finally made a compelling case for herself—and her leadership.
“Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high?” she said. “And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt. We will tell them what we did.”


motherjones--2020-08-20--From a Shuttered Daycare, Elizabeth Warren Makes a Passionate Case for Affordable Childcare

Sen. Elizabeth Warren , the Massachusetts Democrat who was once a favorite to win her party ’ s nomination , used her speech in support of Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday night to highlight a signature issue : childcare .
Noting that families have taken “ one gut punch after another ” as a result of the pandemic , Warren spoke from the Springfield Early Childhood Education Center , a pre-K and kindergarten facility in Springfield , Mass.
, which has been closed since March .
Framed by self-portraits drawn by children , Warren tied economic issues to childcare , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as documented by my colleague Kara Voght last year .
“ Childcare was already hard to find before the pandemic , ” she said .
“ And now , parents are stuck—no idea when schools can safely reopen and even fewer childcare options.
” Warren shared her own story with childcare struggles , saying that she almost had to give up a dream job because she lacked childcare , until a family member stepped in to help .
“ I get to be here tonight because of my Aunt Bee , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental truth : Nobody makes it on their own.
” Warren said Biden and Harris have plans for universal preschool , affordable childcare for all , and higher wages for childcare workers .
And she used the opportunity to liken childcare to what most would consider more traditional forms of infrastructure .
“ We build infrastructure like roads , bridges , and communications systems so that people can work , ” Warren said .
“ That infrastructure helps us all because it keeps our economy going .
It ’ s time to recognize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure of this nation—it ’ s infrastructure for families.
” Her optimism about Biden and Harris stood in stark contrast to her criticism of Trump : His “ ignorance and incompetence have always been a danger to our country , ” and COVID-19 was his biggest test and “ he failed miserably.
” She also slammed the “ Republicans who enable him , ” and implored voters to “ hold them all accountable ” on November 3 .
Warren and Biden haven ’ t always been on the best of terms .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden had accused Warren of harboring an “ angry , unyielding viewpoint , ” and Warren had said Biden was “ naive ” for thinking he could work with Republicans .
She ’ d also criticized him for , as she said , “ repeating Republican talking points and by dusting off the points of view of the giant insurance companies and the giant drug companies who don ’ t want to see any change in the law that will bite into their profits.
” But the two have become more close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward Warren ’ s point of view on economic matters .
The AP noted that Biden has adopted Warren plans on personal bankruptcy , expanding Social Security benefits , and canceling student-loan debt .
She was also on the short list for Biden ’ s vice president and had become a “ fund-raising powerhouse ” for Biden ’ s campaign , according to the Boston Globe .
“ We stay in this fight so that when our children and our grandchildren ask what we did during this dark chapter in our nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ we will be able to look them squarely in the eye and say : We organized , we persisted , and we changed America .
”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat who was once a favorite to win her party’s nomination, used her speech in support of Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday night to highlight a signature issue: childcare.
Noting that families have taken “one gut punch after another” as a result of the pandemic, Warren spoke from the Springfield Early Childhood Education Center, a pre-K and kindergarten facility in Springfield, Mass., which has been closed since March. Framed by self-portraits drawn by children, Warren tied economic issues to childcare, a focus of hers throughout the primary, as documented by my colleague Kara Voght last year.
“Childcare was already hard to find before the pandemic,” she said. “And now, parents are stuck—no idea when schools can safely reopen and even fewer childcare options.” Warren shared her own story with childcare struggles, saying that she almost had to give up a dream job because she lacked childcare, until a family member stepped in to help. “I get to be here tonight because of my Aunt Bee,” she said. “I learned a fundamental truth: Nobody makes it on their own.”
.@ewarren just came out SWINGING! "@realDonaldTrump's ignorance and incompetence have always been a danger to our country… This crisis is on Donald Trump and the Republicans who enabled him." pic.twitter.com/pVLq6eDbfA — Mother Jones (@MotherJones) August 20, 2020
Warren said Biden and Harris have plans for universal preschool, affordable childcare for all, and higher wages for childcare workers. And she used the opportunity to liken childcare to what most would consider more traditional forms of infrastructure.
“We build infrastructure like roads, bridges, and communications systems so that people can work,” Warren said. “That infrastructure helps us all because it keeps our economy going. It’s time to recognize that childcare is part of the basic infrastructure of this nation—it’s infrastructure for families.”
Her optimism about Biden and Harris stood in stark contrast to her criticism of Trump: His “ignorance and incompetence have always been a danger to our country,” and COVID-19 was his biggest test and “he failed miserably.” She also slammed the “Republicans who enable him,” and implored voters to “hold them all accountable” on November 3.
Warren and Biden haven’t always been on the best of terms. As noted by the Associated Press in July, Biden had accused Warren of harboring an “angry, unyielding viewpoint,” and Warren had said Biden was “naive” for thinking he could work with Republicans. She’d also criticized him for, as she said, “repeating Republican talking points and by dusting off the points of view of the giant insurance companies and the giant drug companies who don’t want to see any change in the law that will bite into their profits.”
But the two have become more close of late, with Biden tracking more toward Warren’s point of view on economic matters. The AP noted that Biden has adopted Warren plans on personal bankruptcy, expanding Social Security benefits, and canceling student-loan debt. She was also on the short list for Biden’s vice president and had become a “fund-raising powerhouse” for Biden’s campaign, according to the Boston Globe.
“We stay in this fight so that when our children and our grandchildren ask what we did during this dark chapter in our nation’s history,” she said, “we will be able to look them squarely in the eye and say: We organized, we persisted, and we changed America.”


motherjones--2020-08-20--Watch Sen. Kamala Harris’ Full Acceptance Speech to the 2020 Democratic National Convention

Sen. Kamala Harris accepted her party ’ s nomination for vice president on Wednesday night , in a history-making address during the third night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention .
In doing so , the 55-year-old Californian became the first Black woman , as well as the first woman of Indian descent , to appear on a major party ticket .
“ Right now , we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons , ” Harris said , assailing the current occupant of the White House .
“ Joe [ Biden ] will be a president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her nomination is just the latest in a number of “ firsts ” accumulated by the former prosecutor across her decades in public life , as she rose from San Francisco district attorney , to attorney general of California , and then to become the state ’ s junior senator .
In Washington , she ’ s gained national attention for ruthless interrogations of Trump appointees , exchanges that helped cemented her status as a smart and no-nonsense rising star .
Now , having been tapped by Joe Biden to be his running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run for the White House .
Read the full transcript of Harris ’ s speech , as prepared for delivery , below : It is truly an honor to be speaking with you .
That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me .
Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality , liberty , and justice for all .
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment .
And we celebrate the women who fought for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black women who helped secure that victory were still prohibited from voting , long after its ratification .
But they were undeterred .
Without fanfare or recognition , they organized , testified , rallied , marched , and fought—not just for their vote , but for a seat at the table .
These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in the lives of all of us who followed .
They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton .
And these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ torch , and fight on .
Women like Mary Church Terrell and Mary McCleod Bethune .
Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash .
Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm .
We ’ re not often taught their stories .
But as Americans , we all stand on their shoulders .
There ’ s another woman , whose name isn ’ t known , whose story isn ’ t shared .
Another woman whose shoulders I stand on .
And that ’ s my mother—Shyamala Gopalan Harris .
She came here from India at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curing cancer .
At the University of California Berkeley , she met my father , Donald Harris—who had come from Jamaica to study economics .
They fell in love in that most American way—while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s .
In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley , I got a stroller ’ s-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called “ good trouble.
” When I was 5 , my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked around the clock to make it work—packing lunches before we woke up— and paying bills after we went to bed .
Helping us with homework at the kitchen table—and shuttling us to church for choir practice .
She made it look easy , though I know it never was .
My mother instilled in my sister , Maya , and me the values that would chart the course of our lives .
She raised us to be proud , strong Black women .
And she raised us to know and be proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to put family first—the family you ’ re born into and the family you choose .
Family , is my husband Doug , who I met on a blind date set up by my best friend .
Family is our beautiful children , Cole and Ella , who as you just heard , call me Momala .
Family is my sister .
Family is my best friend , my nieces and my godchildren .
Family is my uncles , my aunts—my chitthis .
Family is Mrs. Shelton—my second mother who lived two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha…our Divine 9…and my HBCU brothers and sisters .
Family is the friends I turned to when my mother—the most important person in my life—passed away from cancer .
And even as she taught us to keep our family at the center of our world , she also pushed us to see a world beyond ourselves .
She taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people .
To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a lawyer , a District Attorney , Attorney General , and a United States Senator .
And at every step of the way , I ’ ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom : Kamala Harris , For the People .
I ’ ve fought for children , and survivors of sexual assault .
I ’ ve fought against transnational gangs .
I took on the biggest banks , and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges .
I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My mother taught me that service to others gives life purpose and meaning .
And oh , how I wish she were here tonight but I know she ’ s looking down on me from above .
I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman—all of five feet tall—who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland , California .
On that day , she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words : I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , committed to the values she taught me .
To the Word that teaches me to walk by faith , and not by sight .
And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares .
A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community—where all are welcome , no matter what we look like , where we come from , or who we love .
A country where we may not agree on every detail , but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compassion , dignity and respect .
A country where we look out for one another , where we rise and fall as one , where we face our challenges , and celebrate our triumphs—together .
Donald Trump ’ s failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods .
If you ’ re a parent struggling with your child ’ s remote learning , or you ’ re a teacher struggling on the other side of that screen , you know that what we ’ re doing right now isn ’ t working .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s grieving .
Grieving the loss of life , the loss of jobs , the loss of opportunities , the loss of normalcy .
And yes , the loss of certainty .
And while this virus touches us all , let ’ s be honest , it is not an equal opportunity offender .
Black , Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately .
This is not a coincidence .
It is the effect of structural racism .
Of inequities in education and technology , health care and housing , job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reproductive and maternal health care .
In the excessive use of force by police .
And in our broader criminal justice system .
This virus has no eyes , and yet it knows exactly how we see each other—and how we treat each other .
And let ’ s be clear—there is no vaccine for racism .
We ’ ve got ta do the work .
For George Floyd .
For Breonna Taylor .
For the lives of too many others to name .
For our children .
For all of us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law .
Because , none of us are free…until all of us are free… The constant chaos leaves us adrift .
The incompetence makes us feel afraid .
The callousness makes us feel alone .
And here ’ s the thing : We can do better and deserve so much more .
We must elect a president who will bring something different , something better , and do the important work .
A president who will bring all of us together—Black , White , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future we collectively want .
I knew Joe as Vice President .
I knew Joe on the campaign trail .
But I first got to know Joe as the father of my friend .
Joe ’ s son , Beau , and I served as Attorneys General of our states , Delaware and California .
During the Great Recession , we spoke on the phone nearly every day , working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people ’ s homes .
And Beau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How , as a single father , Joe would spend 4 hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington .
Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad .
They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories .
And while they endured an unspeakable loss , these two little boys Always knew that they were deeply , unconditionally loved .
And what also moved me about Joe is the work he did , as he went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader who wrote the Violence Against Women Act—and enacted the Assault Weapons Ban .
Who , as Vice President , implemented The Recovery Act , which brought our country back from The Great Recession .
He championed The Affordable Care Act , protecting millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions .
Who spent decades promoting American values and interests around the world , standing up with our allies and standing up to our adversaries .
Right now , we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons .
Joe will be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Joe will bring us together to build an economy that doesn ’ t leave anyone behind .
Where a good-paying job is the floor , not the ceiling .
Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one .
Joe will bring us together to squarely face and dismantle racial injustice , furthering the work of generations .
Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community , one that is strong and decent , just and kind .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves .
That ’ s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for .
The vision that made my own life possible .
The vision that makes the American promise—for all its complexities and imperfections—a promise worth fighting for .
Make no mistake , the road ahead will not be not easy .
We will stumble .
We may fall short .
But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly .
We will speak truths .
And we will act with the same faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in us .
We believe that our country—all of us , will stand together for a better future .
We already are .
We see it in the doctors , the nurses , the home health care workers and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to save people they ’ ve never met .
We see it in the teachers and truck drivers , the factory workers and farmers , the postal workers and the Poll workers , all putting their own safety on the line to help us get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in so many of you who are working , not just to get us through our current crises , but to somewhere better .
There ’ s something happening , all across the country .
It ’ s not about Joe or me .
It ’ s about us .
People of all ages and colors and creeds who are , yes , taking to the streets , and also persuading our family members , rallying our friends , organizing our neighbors , and getting out the vote .
And we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we expand access to health care , expand access to the ballot box , and ensure that more working families can make a decent living .
I ’ m inspired by a new generation of leadership .
You are pushing us to realize the ideals of our nation , pushing us to live the values we share : decency and fairness , justice and love .
You are the patriots who remind us that to love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country .
In this election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of history .
We ’ re all in this fight .
You , me , and Joe—together .
What an awesome responsibility .
What an awesome privilege .
So , let ’ s fight with conviction .
Let ’ s fight with hope .
Let ’ s fight with confidence in ourselves , and a commitment to each other .
To the America we know is possible .
The America , we love .
Years from now , this moment will have passed .
And our children and our grandchildren will look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where were you when the stakes were so high ?
They will ask us , what was it like ?
And we will tell them .
We will tell them , not just how we felt .
We will tell them what we did .
Thank you .
God bless you .
And God bless the United States of America .
Listen to the latest episode of the Mother Jones Podcast : Subscribe using Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , or your favorite podcast app .

Sen. Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination for vice president on Wednesday night, in a history-making address during the third night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In doing so, the 55-year-old Californian became the first Black woman, as well as the first woman of Indian descent, to appear on a major party ticket.
“Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons,” Harris said, assailing the current occupant of the White House. “Joe [Biden] will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose.”
Her nomination is just the latest in a number of “firsts” accumulated by the former prosecutor across her decades in public life, as she rose from San Francisco district attorney, to attorney general of California, and then to become the state’s junior senator. In Washington, she’s gained national attention for ruthless interrogations of Trump appointees, exchanges that helped cemented her status as a smart and no-nonsense rising star. Now, having been tapped by Joe Biden to be his running mate, Harris is undertaking a historic run for the White House.
Read the full transcript of Harris’s speech, as prepared for delivery, below:
Greetings America.
It is truly an honor to be speaking with you.
That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me. Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all.
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. And we celebrate the women who fought for that right.
Yet so many of the Black women who helped secure that victory were still prohibited from voting, long after its ratification.
But they were undeterred.
Without fanfare or recognition, they organized, testified, rallied, marched, and fought—not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table. These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in the lives of all of us who followed.
They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
And these women inspired us to pick up the torch, and fight on.
Women like Mary Church Terrell and Mary McCleod Bethune. Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash. Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm.
We’re not often taught their stories. But as Americans, we all stand on their shoulders.
There’s another woman, whose name isn’t known, whose story isn’t shared. Another woman whose shoulders I stand on. And that’s my mother—Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
She came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer. At the University of California Berkeley, she met my father, Donald Harris—who had come from Jamaica to study economics.
They fell in love in that most American way—while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley, I got a stroller’s-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called “good trouble.”
When I was 5, my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own. Like so many mothers, she worked around the clock to make it work—packing lunches before we woke up— and paying bills after we went to bed. Helping us with homework at the kitchen table—and shuttling us to church for choir practice.
She made it look easy, though I know it never was.
My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives.
She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage.
She taught us to put family first—the family you’re born into and the family you choose.
Family, is my husband Doug, who I met on a blind date set up by my best friend. Family is our beautiful children, Cole and Ella, who as you just heard, call me Momala. Family is my sister. Family is my best friend, my nieces and my godchildren. Family is my uncles, my aunts—my chitthis. Family is Mrs. Shelton—my second mother who lived two doors down and helped raise me. Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha…our Divine 9…and my HBCU brothers and sisters. Family is the friends I turned to when my mother—the most important person in my life—passed away from cancer.
And even as she taught us to keep our family at the center of our world, she also pushed us to see a world beyond ourselves.
She taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people. To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility.
That led me to become a lawyer, a District Attorney, Attorney General, and a United States Senator.
And at every step of the way, I’ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, For the People.
I’ve fought for children, and survivors of sexual assault. I’ve fought against transnational gangs. I took on the biggest banks, and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges.
I know a predator when I see one.
My mother taught me that service to others gives life purpose and meaning. And oh, how I wish she were here tonight but I know she’s looking down on me from above. I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman—all of five feet tall—who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California.
On that day, she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words: I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America.
I do so, committed to the values she taught me. To the Word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight. And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares. A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community—where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love.
A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect.
A country where we look out for one another, where we rise and fall as one, where we face our challenges, and celebrate our triumphs—together.
Today… that country feels distant.
Donald Trump’s failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods.
If you’re a parent struggling with your child’s remote learning, or you’re a teacher struggling on the other side of that screen, you know that what we’re doing right now isn’t working.
And we are a nation that’s grieving. Grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of opportunities, the loss of normalcy. And yes, the loss of certainty.
And while this virus touches us all, let’s be honest, it is not an equal opportunity offender. Black, Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately.
This is not a coincidence. It is the effect of structural racism.
Of inequities in education and technology, health care and housing, job security and transportation.
The injustice in reproductive and maternal health care. In the excessive use of force by police. And in our broader criminal justice system.
This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other—and how we treat each other.
And let’s be clear—there is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work.
For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us.
We’ve gotta do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law. Because, none of us are free…until all of us are free…
We’re at an inflection point.
The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone.
It’s a lot.
And here’s the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more.
We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together—Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want.
We must elect Joe Biden.
I knew Joe as Vice President. I knew Joe on the campaign trail. But I first got to know Joe as the father of my friend.
Joe’s son, Beau, and I served as Attorneys General of our states, Delaware and California. During the Great Recession, we spoke on the phone nearly every day, working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people’s homes.
And Beau and I would talk about his family.
How, as a single father, Joe would spend 4 hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington. Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad. They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories. And while they endured an unspeakable loss, these two little boys Always knew that they were deeply, unconditionally loved.
And what also moved me about Joe is the work he did, as he went back and forth. This is the leader who wrote the Violence Against Women Act—and enacted the Assault Weapons Ban. Who, as Vice President, implemented The Recovery Act, which brought our country back from The Great Recession. He championed The Affordable Care Act, protecting millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. Who spent decades promoting American values and interests around the world, standing up with our allies and standing up to our adversaries.
Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons.
Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose.
Joe will bring us together to build an economy that doesn’t leave anyone behind. Where a good-paying job is the floor, not the ceiling.
Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one.
Joe will bring us together to squarely face and dismantle racial injustice, furthering the work of
generations.
Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community, one that is strong and decent, just and kind. One in which we all can see ourselves.
That’s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for. The vision that made my own life possible. The vision that makes the American promise—for all its complexities and imperfections—a promise worth fighting for.
Make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy. We will stumble. We may fall short. But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us.
We believe that our country—all of us, will stand together for a better future. We already are.
We see it in the doctors, the nurses, the home health care workers and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to save people they’ve never met.
We see it in the teachers and truck drivers, the factory workers and farmers, the postal workers and the Poll workers, all putting their own safety on the line to help us get through this pandemic.
And we see it in so many of you who are working, not just to get us through our current crises, but to somewhere better.
There’s something happening, all across the country.
It’s not about Joe or me.
It’s about you.
It’s about us. People of all ages and colors and creeds who are, yes, taking to the streets, and also persuading our family members, rallying our friends, organizing our neighbors, and getting out the vote.
And we’ve shown that, when we vote, we expand access to health care, expand access to the ballot box, and ensure that more working families can make a decent living.
I’m inspired by a new generation of leadership. You are pushing us to realize the ideals of our nation, pushing us to live the values we share: decency and fairness, justice and love.
You are the patriots who remind us that to love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country.
In this election, we have a chance to change the course of history. We’re all in this fight.
You, me, and Joe—together.
What an awesome responsibility. What an awesome privilege.
So, let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves, and a commitment to each other. To the America we know is possible. The America, we love.
Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high?
They will ask us, what was it like?
And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt.
We will tell them what we did.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.


motherjones--2020-08-20--Watch Gabby Giffords Urge Americans to Fight Against Gun Violence

In an emotional speech Wednesday night , former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords spoke of her ongoing fight to recover from an assassination attempt and encouraged Americans to fight against gun violence and to elect Joe Biden .
Giffords was shot in the head and nearly killed during a 2011 mass shooting in Tucson .
She now heads a nonprofit advocating stronger gun laws .
Her husband , former astronaut Mark Kelly , is running for Senate in Arizona against GOP Sen. Martha McSally .
In a video shown at the convention , Giffords played “ America : My Country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French horn , which she had to relearn how to play after her shooting .
She described her effort to recover from a speech disorder and other disabilities caused by her injuries .
“ I ’ ve known the darkest of days , days of pain and uncertain recovery , ” Giffords said .
“ But confronted by despair , I ’ ve summoned hope .
Confronted by paralysis and aphasia , I responded with grit and determination .
I put one foot in front of the other .
I found one word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came easily , ” Giffords said .
“ Today , I struggle to speak .
But I have not lost my voice .
America needs all of us to speak out even when you have to fight to find the words.
” Giffords noted that Biden supports universal background checks , an assault weapons ban , and other gun control measures .
“ He was there for me .
He ’ ll be there for you too , ” Giffords says in the video .

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In an emotional speech Wednesday night, former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords spoke of her ongoing fight to recover from an assassination attempt and encouraged Americans to fight against gun violence and to elect Joe Biden.
Giffords was shot in the head and nearly killed during a 2011 mass shooting in Tucson. She now heads a nonprofit advocating stronger gun laws. Her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, is running for Senate in Arizona against GOP Sen. Martha McSally.
In a video shown at the convention, Giffords played “America: My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” on a French horn, which she had to relearn how to play after her shooting. She described her effort to recover from a speech disorder and other disabilities caused by her injuries.
“I’ve known the darkest of days, days of pain and uncertain recovery,” Giffords said. “But confronted by despair, I’ve summoned hope. Confronted by paralysis and aphasia, I responded with grit and determination. I put one foot in front of the other. I found one word and then another.”
“Words once came easily,” Giffords said. “Today, I struggle to speak. But I have not lost my voice. America needs all of us to speak out even when you have to fight to find the words.”
Giffords noted that Biden supports universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, and other gun control measures.
“He was there for me. He’ll be there for you too,” Giffords says in the video.


motherjones--2020-08-20--Trump’s Latest Attempt to Punish Iran Is Too Much, Even for Famous Iran Hawk John Bolton

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally invoked a provision of the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday that would install “ snapback ” sanctions on the country through the United Nations .
It ’ s a controversial and legally ambiguous move that has been opposed by most of the deal ’ s other signatories and , believe it or not , by Trump ’ s former national security adviser , John Bolton , who has spent decades trying to kickstart a war with Iran .
The action relies on a provision in the Obama administration ’ s original nuclear agreement to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , which abandoned the deal in 2018 , even has standing to trigger one of its provisions is murky at best .
The State Department argued in a legal brief that it does , but the United Kingdom , France , and Germany certainly don ’ t think so .
That ’ s not exactly a surprise , as the countries have been trying to keep the agreement alive since Trump ’ s exit two years ago and aren ’ t inclined to let the United States use the deal to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was something of a surprise to hear that Bolton , perhaps the most fervent advocate of a hawkish US stance toward Iran , also thinks Trump ’ s move is an error .
To be sure , Bolton doesn ’ t necessarily oppose the sanctions as policy or because of their impact on the country and its citizenry , but rather because of the diplomatic maneuvering the administration has to complete to install them .
Bolton worries the action will undercut the power of the UN Security Council veto , as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion piece : Among the 2015 agreement ’ s many grievous mistakes was setting a 2020 expiration date on a broad Security Council arms embargo against Iran that specifically enumerates several categories of sophisticated and heavy weapons systems , especially ballistic missiles and their components .
There was no reason for Mr. Obama to make this concession except his zeal to make a deal .
On Friday the Trump administration tried to extend the council ’ s embargo , but failed devastatingly ; the vote was 2-2 with 11 abstentions ; both Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine votes and no vetoes .
The administration had threatened , if the extension failed , to invoke the deal ’ s “ snapback ” mechanism and renew all suspended sanctions .
Paragraph 11 of Security Council Resolution 2231 provides that a “ participant state ” in the nuclear deal , asserting “ significant non-performance of commitments ” thereunder , can force a Security Council vote on snapback within 30 days .
That entails a new resolution authorizing the continued suspension of the sanctions , which the U.S. would veto , ensuring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement ’ s backers argue that Washington , having withdrawn from the deal , has no standing to invoke its provisions .
They ’ re right .
It ’ s too cute by half to say we ’ re in the nuclear deal for purposes we want but not for those we don ’ t .
That alone is sufficient reason not to trigger the snapback process .
Why afford any American legitimacy to this misbegotten creature ?
Since leaving the Trump administration , Bolton has joined Trump ’ s Enemies List thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Room Where It Happened , in which he detailed Trump ’ s bizarre deference to foreign dictators , among other lowlights .
Despite Bolton ’ s beef with Trump , he ’ s maintained a public appreciation of the administration ’ s harsh stance toward Iran , making his latest criticism all the more notable .
After Trump ordered the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian general in January , Bolton tweeted “ congratulations ” to “ all involved ” in the killing and added , “ Hope this is the first step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When even John Bolton thinks what you ’ re doing is too far , that really says something , ” Stephen Miles , executive director of the anti-war advocacy group Win Without War , told me .
“ This whole absurd effort proves just once more than maximum pressure is a maximum failure.
” Trump ’ s attempt to trigger the “ snapback ” sanctions is just the latest example of the United States failing to build a coalition for its pressure campaign against Iran .
When the United Nations Security Council shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms embargo against Iran last week , only one country , the Dominican Republic , voted with the United States .
The traditional European allies who usually remain in lockstep with the United States on foreign policy matters have long since given up on Trump .
Within minutes of Pompeo ’ s declaration on Thursday that the US was triggering new sanctions , Germany , France , and the UK had all sharply denounced it in a shared statement that questioned its legality under the nuclear deal .
With no clear mechanism to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely the UN will ever restore the sanctions requested by Pompeo .
The international community ’ s uniform opposition to the “ snapback ” procedure “ says a lot about the world status of the US today , ” Gérard Araud , former French ambassador to the United States , tweeted .
Pompeo , meanwhile , noted that the UN Security Council had “ failed to hold Iran accountable , ” so today , “ America will correct these errors .
”

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally invoked a provision of the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday that would install “snapback” sanctions on the country through the United Nations. It’s a controversial and legally ambiguous move that has been opposed by most of the deal’s other signatories and, believe it or not, by Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, who has spent decades trying to kickstart a war with Iran.
The action relies on a provision in the Obama administration’s original nuclear agreement to restore sanctions, but whether the United States, which abandoned the deal in 2018, even has standing to trigger one of its provisions is murky at best. The State Department argued in a legal brief that it does, but the United Kingdom, France, and Germany certainly don’t think so. That’s not exactly a surprise, as the countries have been trying to keep the agreement alive since Trump’s exit two years ago and aren’t inclined to let the United States use the deal to its advantage after withdrawing from it.
But it was something of a surprise to hear that Bolton, perhaps the most fervent advocate of a hawkish US stance toward Iran, also thinks Trump’s move is an error. To be sure, Bolton doesn’t necessarily oppose the sanctions as policy or because of their impact on the country and its citizenry, but rather because of the diplomatic maneuvering the administration has to complete to install them. Bolton worries the action will undercut the power of the UN Security Council veto, as he argues in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece:
Among the 2015 agreement’s many grievous mistakes was setting a 2020 expiration date on a broad Security Council arms embargo against Iran that specifically enumerates several categories of sophisticated and heavy weapons systems, especially ballistic missiles and their components. There was no reason for Mr. Obama to make this concession except his zeal to make a deal. On Friday the Trump administration tried to extend the council’s embargo, but failed devastatingly; the vote was 2-2 with 11 abstentions; both Russia and China voted no. Approval required nine votes and no vetoes. The administration had threatened, if the extension failed, to invoke the deal’s “snapback” mechanism and renew all suspended sanctions. Paragraph 11 of Security Council Resolution 2231 provides that a “participant state” in the nuclear deal, asserting “significant non-performance of commitments” thereunder, can force a Security Council vote on snapback within 30 days. That entails a new resolution authorizing the continued suspension of the sanctions, which the U.S. would veto, ensuring that they come back into effect. The agreement’s backers argue that Washington, having withdrawn from the deal, has no standing to invoke its provisions. They’re right. It’s too cute by half to say we’re in the nuclear deal for purposes we want but not for those we don’t. That alone is sufficient reason not to trigger the snapback process. Why afford any American legitimacy to this misbegotten creature?
Since leaving the Trump administration, Bolton has joined Trump’s Enemies List thanks to the publication of his memoir, The Room Where It Happened, in which he detailed Trump’s bizarre deference to foreign dictators, among other lowlights. Despite Bolton’s beef with Trump, he’s maintained a public appreciation of the administration’s harsh stance toward Iran, making his latest criticism all the more notable. After Trump ordered the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian general in January, Bolton tweeted “congratulations” to “all involved” in the killing and added, “Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran.”
“When even John Bolton thinks what you’re doing is too far, that really says something,” Stephen Miles, executive director of the anti-war advocacy group Win Without War, told me. “This whole absurd effort proves just once more than maximum pressure is a maximum failure.”
Trump’s attempt to trigger the “snapback” sanctions is just the latest example of the United States failing to build a coalition for its pressure campaign against Iran. When the United Nations Security Council shot down a US attempt to extend an arms embargo against Iran last week, only one country, the Dominican Republic, voted with the United States.
The traditional European allies who usually remain in lockstep with the United States on foreign policy matters have long since given up on Trump. Within minutes of Pompeo’s declaration on Thursday that the US was triggering new sanctions, Germany, France, and the UK had all sharply denounced it in a shared statement that questioned its legality under the nuclear deal. With no clear mechanism to resolve the dispute, it’s unlikely the UN will ever restore the sanctions requested by Pompeo.
The international community’s uniform opposition to the “snapback” procedure “says a lot about the world status of the US today,” Gérard Araud, former French ambassador to the United States, tweeted. Pompeo, meanwhile, noted that the UN Security Council had “failed to hold Iran accountable,” so today, “America will correct these errors.”


motherjones--2020-08-20--The Racism Isn’t a “Distraction.” It’s How We Got Here.

On Wednesday night Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president and became the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated for the position on a major party ’ s ticket .
Her acceptance speech , which was introduced with a video montage of her loved ones and little Black and Brown girls looking towards the future , included a simple line about her mother : She “ gave birth to me at a Kaiser Hospital in Oakland , California.
” Normally , such a line would be easy to ignore , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political biography .
But it was very deliberate and meaningful : As soon as the biracial daughter of immigrants was selected to be Joe Biden ’ s running mate , the same people who frequently malign identity politics returned to their familiar playbook of challenging who can claim American identity .
Birtherism is back .
The practice of questioning if someone is American enough to hold office had an early appearance with President John F. Kennedy ’ s Catholicism , but it really hit the mainstream when Barack Obama was elected president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ color like me , however , will tell you that our legitimacy has been questioned for our entire lives .
Making some part of the population illegitimate is the whole point reinforcing their power and the status quo .
After all , Donald Trump became a mainstream politician only after he championed the racist lie that Barack Obama was secretly born in Kenya and thus could not be president .
After the GOP organized their party around their single-minded hatred of Obama , it opened the door for their most toxic members to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpose of the Republican Party was to undermine at every opportunity this interloper who had the audacity to be president , how could one of the most prominent birthers not become its leader ?
Trump catapulted to the top of the Republican power structure , because of his embrace of the most toxic aspects of the party , not in spite of them .
So now , when birtherism reappears to attack Harris , you ’ d think we ’ d be prepared to stop the vile lie in its tracks .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has delivered us to the Promised Land .
Just look at where we are right now , as a country .
More than 170,000 coronavirus deaths .
Federal troops invading American cities .
An unparalleled economic crisis .
If birtherism ’ s first iteration gave us Donald Trump , what horrors could part two unleash ?
But instead of treating the racist trope like a serious threat , affecting not only Kamala Harris but the millions of us just like her , the media fell back on perhaps the most tiring refrain of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a distraction .
It ’ s infuriating to watch top media figures survey the last four years and conclude that every racist uttering is simply a distraction from what the president is really doing .
The fact that his relentless and direct attacks on Black and Brown people can be seen as a non-issue is the central and defining failure of the American experiment .
Hatred of the other defines nearly everything the Trump administration does .
When the coronavirus came to the United States , Trump chose xenophobia instead of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several derisive terms to refer to the virus and touted closing the borders with China ( which effectively did nothing to stop the spread ) as a win against the pandemic .
Once it became clear that the disease was very much an American problem , Trump doubled down on the racism as his public health strategy .
He favored Republican governors who he believed to be in charge of his white base .
He derided and punished political leaders who he perceived to run cities and states where the wrong people—in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Democrats—live .
If that ’ s not enough to convince you that Trump ’ s racist attacks have real world impact , consider how for so many people , it feels like a personal attack , a way of amplifying the racism that always has been a part of our lives .
My parents are from Haiti .
While they ’ re American citizens now , they were undocumented immigrants decades ago .
I ’ ve heard it all .
A “ friend ” once asked me if my parents even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a white neighbor interrogated me about my father ’ s background .
Was he a diplomat ?
What did he do for a living ?
I didn ’ t understand until years later that she was trying to figure out how a family like ours could live in her middle class neighborhood .
I ’ ve been told to go back to where I came from .
( My mother gave birth to me in a Brooklyn hospital . )
When they debate if the 14th Amendment really means that anyone born in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and when they talk about whether Black immigrants should be considered American , they ’ re talking about me .
They are talking about my family , and my friends .
And the racist lie about Obama and now Harris won ’ t stay contained .
It spreads and infects every aspect of American life .
Every racist comment signals to his supporters—who are cops , and teachers , and nurses , the people who live in our communities—that he understands them and their feelings are valid .
Consider how many police unions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies , and in doing so affirm that they see you as being just a little less worthy .
Maybe your child ’ s teacher doesn ’ t even bother with her anymore , because if America had a sensible immigration policy she wouldn ’ t be enjoying our free public schools .
That doctor thinks your skin color makes you impervious to pain and medically different from others , so why bother with the proper treatment ?
After birtherism made Trump a household name , he chose to stake his candidacy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was simple xenophobia .
He derided Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers and referred to Haiti , El Salvador , and African countries as shitholes .
One of his first acts as president was banning Muslims from entering the country .
Like his Democratic and Republican predecessors before him , Trump used the federal government to deport immigrants , but unlike his predecessors , he did not even bother to soften the rhetoric around American immigration policy .
Building a wall to keep immigrants out became a rallying cry and a physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free of criticism , free of immigrants , and free of The Others .
The only way to achieve his dream is to delegitimize anyone who he decides doesn ’ t fit in .
Strip them of their ability to call themselves Americans .
Question why they ’ re even here .
Because if you ’ re not one of them , what right do you have to housing , or health care , or safety , or peace , much less elected office ?
That ’ s the cost of ignoring birtherism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distraction .
It ’ s everything .

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On Wednesday night Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president and became the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated for the position on a major party’s ticket. Her acceptance speech, which was introduced with a video montage of her loved ones and little Black and Brown girls looking towards the future, included a simple line about her mother: She “gave birth to me at a Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California.”
Normally, such a line would be easy to ignore, just another requisite detail for a garden variety political biography. But it was very deliberate and meaningful: As soon as the biracial daughter of immigrants was selected to be Joe Biden’s running mate, the same people who frequently malign identity politics returned to their familiar playbook of challenging who can claim American identity.
Birtherism is back. The practice of questioning if someone is American enough to hold office had an early appearance with President John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism, but it really hit the mainstream when Barack Obama was elected president. Many children of immigrants and people of color like me, however, will tell you that our legitimacy has been questioned for our entire lives. Making some part of the population illegitimate is the whole point reinforcing their power and the status quo.
After all, Donald Trump became a mainstream politician only after he championed the racist lie that Barack Obama was secretly born in Kenya and thus could not be president. After the GOP organized their party around their single-minded hatred of Obama, it opened the door for their most toxic members to gain control. And if the whole purpose of the Republican Party was to undermine at every opportunity this interloper who had the audacity to be president, how could one of the most prominent birthers not become its leader? Trump catapulted to the top of the Republican power structure, because of his embrace of the most toxic aspects of the party, not in spite of them.
Trump catapulted to the top of the Republican power structure, because of his embrace of the most toxic aspects of the party, not in spite of them.
So now, when birtherism reappears to attack Harris, you’d think we’d be prepared to stop the vile lie in its tracks. It’s not as if the birther-in-chief has delivered us to the Promised Land. Just look at where we are right now, as a country. More than 170,000 coronavirus deaths. Federal troops invading American cities. An unparalleled economic crisis. If birtherism’s first iteration gave us Donald Trump, what horrors could part two unleash? But instead of treating the racist trope like a serious threat, affecting not only Kamala Harris but the millions of us just like her, the media fell back on perhaps the most tiring refrain of the Trump presidency: It’s just a distraction.
DO NOT GET DISTRACTED BY THIS HARRIS ELECTION ELIGIBILITY NONSENSE. PLEASE FOCUS ON USPS TAKING ACTION TO THWART MAIL-IN VOTING. DON’T FEAR THE POSSIBILITY OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE IT’S NOT A POSSIBILITY
IT’S A REALITY — Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) August 14, 2020
There's plenty going on right now. Maybe the media should keep their eyes on stories that are real, not ones that are not. https://t.co/lnXzAC5g29 — Poynter (@Poynter) August 17, 2020
It’s infuriating to watch top media figures survey the last four years and conclude that every racist uttering is simply a distraction from what the president is really doing. The fact that his relentless and direct attacks on Black and Brown people can be seen as a non-issue is the central and defining failure of the American experiment.
The fact that his relentless and direct attacks on Black and Brown people can be seen as a non-issue is the central and defining failure of the American experiment.
Hatred of the other defines nearly everything the Trump administration does. When the coronavirus came to the United States, Trump chose xenophobia instead of public health. He blamed China, using several derisive terms to refer to the virus and touted closing the borders with China (which effectively did nothing to stop the spread) as a win against the pandemic. Once it became clear that the disease was very much an American problem, Trump doubled down on the racism as his public health strategy. He favored Republican governors who he believed to be in charge of his white base. He derided and punished political leaders who he perceived to run cities and states where the wrong people—in other words Black and Brown ones, immigrants, and Democrats—live.
If that’s not enough to convince you that Trump’s racist attacks have real world impact, consider how for so many people, it feels like a personal attack, a way of amplifying the racism that always has been a part of our lives. My parents are from Haiti. While they’re American citizens now, they were undocumented immigrants decades ago. I’ve heard it all. A “friend” once asked me if my parents even paid taxes. As a child, a white neighbor interrogated me about my father’s background. Was he a diplomat? What did he do for a living? I didn’t understand until years later that she was trying to figure out how a family like ours could live in her middle class neighborhood. I’ve been told to go back to where I came from. (My mother gave birth to me in a Brooklyn hospital.) When they debate if the 14th Amendment really means that anyone born in the United States is a citizen, and when they talk about whether Black immigrants should be considered American, they’re talking about me. They are talking about my family, and my friends.
And the racist lie about Obama and now Harris won’t stay contained. It spreads and infects every aspect of American life. Every racist comment signals to his supporters—who are cops, and teachers, and nurses, the people who live in our communities—that he understands them and their feelings are valid. Consider how many police unions have stood behind Trump and championed his policies, and in doing so affirm that they see you as being just a little less worthy. Maybe your child’s teacher doesn’t even bother with her anymore, because if America had a sensible immigration policy she wouldn’t be enjoying our free public schools. That doctor thinks your skin color makes you impervious to pain and medically different from others, so why bother with the proper treatment?
After birtherism made Trump a household name, he chose to stake his candidacy to immigration reform that, in his case, was simple xenophobia. He derided Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers and referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries as shitholes. One of his first acts as president was banning Muslims from entering the country. Like his Democratic and Republican predecessors before him, Trump used the federal government to deport immigrants, but unlike his predecessors, he did not even bother to soften the rhetoric around American immigration policy. Building a wall to keep immigrants out became a rallying cry and a physical fact.
Donald Trump envisions an America free of criticism, free of immigrants, and free of The Others. The only way to achieve his dream is to delegitimize anyone who he decides doesn’t fit in. Strip them of their ability to call themselves Americans. Question why they’re even here. Because if you’re not one of them, what right do you have to housing, or health care, or safety, or peace, much less elected office? That’s the cost of ignoring birtherism. The racism isn’t a distraction. It’s everything.


motherjones--2020-08-20--The Summer QAnon Went Mainstream

The Summer QAnon Went Mainstream

For the last several years , faithful adherents of QAnon have dared reporters to ask President Trump about the conspiracy .
As a journalist who has interviewed Q fans in person and interacted with them on Twitter , I can tell you that this is where most such conservations eventually end .
The anticipated moment where Trump would receive this question has been a longstanding dream of the community whose members believe , without proof or evidence , that President Trump is locked in a battle with deep state government bureaucrats over his attempts to bring down a cabal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question finally came , twice .
The first time , on Friday , Trump ignored it .
The second time , during a Wednesday press briefing , he gave the approving answer that the conspiracy community had eagerly been waiting for : “ Well , I don ’ t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much…which I appreciate it .
But I don ’ t know much about the movement .
I have heard it is gaining popularity , ” Trump said .
“ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s going on in places like Portland and places like Chicago and New York and other cities , and states .
I ’ ve heard these are people who love our country.
” The president ’ s comments were presaged at the end of July , when relatively high-profile Fox News host Jesse Watters praised the sprawling conspiracy theory .
“ Q can do some crazy stuff with the pizza stuff and the Wayfair stuff , but they ’ ve also done a lot of great stuff when it comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , ” Watters claimed , referring to the solidly debunked theories about a pizza restaurant and online furniture store running child trafficking rings .
He later tried to walk his comment back in a media statement saying that he doesn ’ t “ support or believe in ” QAnon and that his “ comments should not be mistaken for giving credence ” to the movement .
Watters ’ on-air endorsement of QAnon was Fox ’ s most explicit endorsement of the conspiracy , yet but its only one in a growing number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Just days earlier , Fox Nation , the cable news channel ’ s internet streaming spin-off , announced a new show staring former Grey ’ s Anatomy cast member Isaiah Washington , who is a QAnon supporter .
Media Matters has documented Washington ’ s regular posts boosting the theory .
That same week , former journalist Timothy Burke noticed Ed Mullins , a New York City police union boss , had appeared on Fox News with a QAnon mug over his shoulder .
Like Watters , Mullins tried to distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the mug on multiple appearances on the network .
Fox News isn ’ t usually the one to get red-pilled .
Over the last several decades , the conspiracy-slinging cable news channel that gives neo-Nazis ’ favorite TV host , Tucker Carlson , five primetime hours each week to speak on whatever he chooses , has usually served to drag its already solidly Republican viewership further to the right .
But lately , that dynamic has been reversed when it comes to QAnon , with the network following receptive viewers .
Together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s two most influential conservative messengers , and their increasing public affiliation with Q is only one piece of a growing body of evidence that the conspiracy theory is now either mainstream or rapidly barreling towards it .
QAnon has made quick but heavy overtures into separate but important and large communities over the past year .
Alex Kaplan at Media Matters has tracked and documented how dozens of candidates across the country who claim to be a part of the Q faithful are running for elected office , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their races .
And evidently , the Republican nominee for president thinks it ’ s okay too .
As recently as March , QAnon was still a mostly fringe phenomenon .
It was well known among the MAGA set , but too hot for anyone in the mainstream to touch .
Gen. Michael Flynn , for example , pulled out of a fundraising event for his legal defense in August 2019 , after Mother Jones reported on the event ’ s links to the conspiracy theory .
Whatever shame Flynn , the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s first national security adviser , felt in August has by now disappeared .
At the end of June , after an appeals court panel ordered a federal judge to drop the Justice Department ’ s case against him , Flynn started boldly aligning himself with the conspiracy theory .
On July 4th , he posted a video online of him leading a small group , reciting an oath of office and finishing with “ Where we go one , we go all , ” a common QAnon motto .
Above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conspiracy ’ s slogans : # TakeTheOath .
Flynn is not alone .
Carter Page , his fellow disgraced Trump foreign policy adviser , joined in posting QAnon mottos this month .
Even the president ’ s son Eric has posted ( and then quickly deleted ) Q content this summer .
In less traditionally influential but still important spaces , Q has made clear inroads .
Over the last several months , anti-vaxxers and wellness and lifestyle influencers on Instagram have started posting QAnon inspired videos of themselves ranting about liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conspiracy theory has taken root beyond Trump-voting suburbanites in red states .
Travis View , an independent conspiracy researcher who has extensively followed QAnon and hosts the podcast QAnon Anonymous , says the movement ’ s growing diversity is proof that it ’ s increasingly trending mainstream .
In late July , he and his podcast cohosts went to a Save the Children rally in Los Angeles , a thinly veiled pro-QAnon event , where they saw a seemingly diverse group of people across age and race backing QAnon .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then after it spilled out of 8chan it went to white boomers , ” View said , referring to the message board that , until it was taken down in August 2019 , hosted cryptic messages from Q , the unidentified poster at the conspiracy ’ s center .
“ Now we see a lot of younger people .
There ’ s not-white people getting into it.
” Internet traffic data backs up the idea that QAnon has crossed into the mainstream .
Since mid-March , around the time coronavirus lockdowns swept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and related subjects , Wikipedia page views for the conspiracy , and related Twitter mentions have not only spiked to all-time highs , but have continued to be higher than at almost any time before the virus hit .
As a rough comparison , since the start of the coronavirus lockdowns in the US .
QAnon has pulled in more Wikipedia pageviews than pages discussing the George Floyd protests or Black Lives Matter .
In July , Wikipedia pages for QAnon and its prequel theory , Pizzagate , were the 14th and 15th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the QAnon community has grown , new members have taken part in massive harassment rampages against local politicians , A-list celebrities , and online furniture retailers .
Such incidents form the backdrop for Facebook ’ s Wednesday announcement of a new crackdown targeting QAnon and other groups ’ ability to organize on the platform .
But the move only came after interest in the conspiracy had exploded on Facebook .
Marc-André Argentino , a PhD candidate at Concordia University who researches extremism , tracked 179 QAnon Facebook groups , finding their membership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 1.4 million as of July .
( Argentino says such groups became far more common across this spring and summer ; when he began the study , he was only able to find 60 . )
The amount of “ likes ” on Q pages across that time jumped from 400,000 to over 900,000 .
Julia Carie Wong at the Guardian has recorded large growth of QAnon on Facebook as well .
Part of the growth is from a newfound audience abroad .
In February , Tobias Rathjen killed nine people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rathjen , among a host of other abhorrent things , believed that there were secret underground military bases in the United States where people “ worship the devil himself , ” and “ abuse , torture and kill little children.
” While he didn ’ t mention QAnon by name , he almost certainly drew from the theory .
If so , Rathjen wasn ’ t an aberration , but was a part of a growing contingent of QAnon supporters in Europe .
New York-based media outlet Coda Story reported that German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conspiracy have seen massive growth since March , as protestors with homemade signs pushing the group ’ s beliefs have made cameos at right-wing rallies .
In some countries , like Romania , rallies solely designed to support QAnon and Trump have taken place .
Vice News reported that around 50 people showed up for a July weekend QAnon festival in Finland .
Exactly why QAnon is going mainstream now is a complicated question with no single answer .
One of the main drivers , as in the Satanic Panic of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely useful right-wing political project that can be used to justify fighting against social progress .
But the main catalyst of its current round of growth is probably the coronavirus .
“ It ’ s always safer to just note caution , but with the pandemic , there ’ s definitely causation , ” Argentino says , citing the growth that occurred after the imposition of lockdowns and sheltering in place .
With people cooped up in their homes using the internet , there ’ s been more time for YouTube and Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down QAnon rabbit holes .
The lockdowns have also been deeply alienating and atomizing for many .
That , in addition to coronavirus-induced anxiety and America ’ s history of real and false conspiracies , help provide fertile conditions for conspiracies , particularly among reactionaries .
QAnon supporters are also taking their own savvy measures to boost their campaign .
Q lingered on the fringes of Republican politics for a long time partially because it ’ s hard to get a lot of people to buy into the idea that famous people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no one has seemed to notice .
In the past month though , QAnoners have taken to coopting the # SaveTheChildren hashtag and catchphrase and jamming it alongside their own Q specific hashtags like # QANON and # WWG1WGA ( short for “ where we go one , we go all ” ) , highlighting aspects of their belief that suggest they are group that just cares about helping vulnerable kids .
“ It ’ s a very sort of low commitment entry point , ” View said of QAnon ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s very subtle .
‘ We ’ re against pedophilia and we ’ re for saving the children.
’ Obviously everyone is against that .
It ’ s all just a front for their more extreme ideas , though.
” After they pass through that first altruistically framed gate , View explained , the curious are brought to the next step : “ ‘ We ’ re saving the children from a liberal elite cabal . '
” It ’ s a harder pill to swallow , but is easier after buying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are on the same page .
Political science professor Joseph Uscinski , who studies conspiracists at the University of Miami , rejects the idea that QAnon has grown during the coronavirus lockdowns .
“ I ’ ve been polling on this for two years .
It hasn ’ t gotten more popular or bigger , ” Uscinski says , citing his most recent poll from June that found no evidence for growing QAnon support .
“ I ’ m reading headlines from reporters on the tech beat , that while are well-intentioned , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To Uscinski , other data points like the growth of Facebook groups , or increased discourse about QAnon on Twitter aren ’ t useful .
“ TikTok and Facebook groups aren ’ t the real world , ” he said , citing the value of traditional public opinion research .
“ If Biden ’ s getting support , we wouldn ’ t know because of Facebook groups .
We ’ d know because there ’ s polling on it.
” Uscinki could be right .
But the conventional tool of polling may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of politics .
Besides the logistical hurdles of getting sincere answers on the phone from paranoid people who believe in a murderous , all-powerful elite , the number of outright adherents doesn ’ t necessarily reflect influence .
Many of the movement ’ s followers who I ’ ve spoken with can ’ t fully agree on what it is .
Some say that they support Q , without believing central tenets like the existence of a liberal pedophile ring .
Others believe in outlandish underground child sex rings , but don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is anyone ’ s guess how the movement ’ s lack of cohesion and coherence could shape polling responses .
While QAnon followership , in its most formal interpretation , might be somewhat limited , the movement has demonstrated real and growing power .
Its followers were able to launch harassment campaigns so big and vitriolic that several high-profile targets—Wayfair , Oprah Winfrey , and Chrissy Teigen—felt the need to publicly respond .
Q ’ s followers have also mobilized to influence political discourse , with dozens of aligned candidates on ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two congressional candidates with real shots at winning and a senatorial candidate .
Q ’ s followers have mobilized to antagonize and harass a state senator in California in a vicious attempt to get him to drop legislation aimed at addressing LGBTQ inequality .
Even if Uscinki ’ s caution about its growth is correct , but QAnon ’ s damage is too big to ignore .

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For the last several years, faithful adherents of QAnon have dared reporters to ask President Trump about the conspiracy. As a journalist who has interviewed Q fans in person and interacted with them on Twitter, I can tell you that this is where most such conservations eventually end. The anticipated moment where Trump would receive this question has been a longstanding dream of the community whose members believe, without proof or evidence, that President Trump is locked in a battle with deep state government bureaucrats over his attempts to bring down a cabal of elite liberal pedophiles.
Trump’s increasing public affiliation with Q is only one piece of a growing body of evidence that the conspiracy theory is now mainstream.
This week, the question finally came, twice. The first time, on Friday, Trump ignored it. The second time, during a Wednesday press briefing, he gave the approving answer that the conspiracy community had eagerly been waiting for:
“Well, I don’t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much…which I appreciate it. But I don’t know much about the movement. I have heard it is gaining popularity,” Trump said. “These are people who don’t like what’s going on in places like Portland and places like Chicago and New York and other cities, and states. I’ve heard these are people who love our country.”
The president’s comments were presaged at the end of July, when relatively high-profile Fox News host Jesse Watters praised the sprawling conspiracy theory. “Q can do some crazy stuff with the pizza stuff and the Wayfair stuff, but they’ve also done a lot of great stuff when it comes to Epstein and it comes to the deep state,” Watters claimed, referring to the solidly debunked theories about a pizza restaurant and online furniture store running child trafficking rings. He later tried to walk his comment back in a media statement saying that he doesn’t “support or believe in” QAnon and that his “comments should not be mistaken for giving credence” to the movement.
Watters’ on-air endorsement of QAnon was Fox’s most explicit endorsement of the conspiracy, yet its only one in a growing number of dalliances the network has had with it. Just days earlier, Fox Nation, the cable news channel’s internet streaming spin-off, announced a new show starring former Grey’s Anatomy cast member Isaiah Washington, who is a QAnon supporter. Media Matters has documented Washington’s regular posts boosting the theory.
That same week, former journalist Timothy Burke noticed Ed Mullins, a New York City police union boss, had appeared on Fox News with a QAnon mug over his shoulder. Like Watters, Mullins tried to distance himself from the theory despite having appeared with the mug on multiple appearances on the network.
New York police union boss just appeared on Fox News with a Qanon mug pic.twitter.com/w3HMHEtVuj — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) July 17, 2020
Fox News isn’t usually the one to get red-pilled. Over the last several decades, the conspiracy-slinging cable news channel that gives neo-Nazis’ favorite TV host, Tucker Carlson, five primetime hours each week to speak on whatever he chooses, has usually served to drag its already solidly Republican viewership further to the right. But lately, that dynamic has been reversed when it comes to QAnon, with the network following receptive viewers.
Together, Trump and Fox News are perhaps the country’s two most influential conservative messengers, and their increasing public affiliation with Q is only one piece of a growing body of evidence that the conspiracy theory is now either mainstream or rapidly barreling towards it. QAnon has made quick but heavy overtures into separate but important and large communities over the past year. Alex Kaplan at Media Matters has tracked and documented how dozens of candidates across the country who claim to be a part of the Q faithful are running for elected office, including some with a legitimate shot at winning their races. And evidently, the Republican nominee for president thinks it’s okay too.
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As recently as March, QAnon was still a mostly fringe phenomenon. It was well known among the MAGA set, but too hot for anyone in the mainstream to touch. Gen. Michael Flynn, for example, pulled out of a fundraising event for his legal defense in August 2019, after Mother Jones reported on the event’s links to the conspiracy theory.
Whatever shame Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and Trump’s first national security adviser, felt in August has by now disappeared. At the end of June, after an appeals court panel ordered a federal judge to drop the Justice Department’s case against him, Flynn started boldly aligning himself with the conspiracy theory. On July 4th, he posted a video online of him leading a small group, reciting an oath of office and finishing with “Where we go one, we go all,” a common QAnon motto. Above the video, Flynn wrote another of the conspiracy’s slogans: #TakeTheOath.
Internet traffic data backs up the idea that QAnon has crossed into the mainstream.
Flynn is not alone. Carter Page, his fellow disgraced Trump foreign policy adviser, joined in posting QAnon mottos this month. Even the president’s son Eric has posted (and then quickly deleted) Q content this summer.
In less traditionally influential but still important spaces, Q has made clear inroads. Over the last several months, anti-vaxxers and wellness and lifestyle influencers on Instagram have started posting QAnon inspired videos of themselves ranting about liberal pedophile rings. That trend shows how the conspiracy theory has taken root beyond Trump-voting suburbanites in red states.
Travis View, an independent conspiracy researcher who has extensively followed QAnon and hosts the podcast QAnon Anonymous, says the movement’s growing diversity is proof that it’s increasingly trending mainstream. In late July, he and his podcast cohosts went to a Save the Children rally in Los Angeles, a thinly veiled pro-QAnon event, where they saw a seemingly diverse group of people across age and race backing QAnon.
“It was constrained to the very online far-right, then after it spilled out of 8chan it went to white boomers,” View said, referring to the message board that, until it was taken down in August 2019, hosted cryptic messages from Q, the unidentified poster at the conspiracy’s center. “Now we see a lot of younger people. There’s not-white people getting into it.”
Internet traffic data backs up the idea that QAnon has crossed into the mainstream. Since mid-March, around the time coronavirus lockdowns swept the US, Google searches for QAnon and related subjects, Wikipedia page views for the conspiracy, and related Twitter mentions have not only spiked to all-time highs, but have continued to be higher than at almost any time before the virus hit. As a rough comparison, since the start of the coronavirus lockdowns in the US. QAnon has pulled in more Wikipedia pageviews than pages discussing the George Floyd protests or Black Lives Matter. In July, Wikipedia pages for QAnon and its prequel theory, Pizzagate, were the 14th and 15th most viewed pages on the site.
As the QAnon community has grown, new members have taken part in massive harassment rampages against local politicians, A-list celebrities, and online furniture retailers. Such incidents form the backdrop for Facebook’s Wednesday announcement of a new crackdown targeting QAnon and other groups’ ability to organize on the platform. But the move only came after interest in the conspiracy had exploded on Facebook. Marc-André Argentino, a PhD candidate at Concordia University who researches extremism, tracked 179 QAnon Facebook groups, finding their membership spiked from 213,000 members in early March to 1.4 million as of July. (Argentino says such groups became far more common across this spring and summer; when he began the study, he was only able to find 60.) The amount of “likes” on Q pages across that time jumped from 400,000 to over 900,000. Julia Carie Wong at the Guardian has recorded large growth of QAnon on Facebook as well.
QAnon Facebook group membership spiked from 213,000 members in March to 1.4 million in July.
Part of the growth is from a newfound audience abroad. In February, Tobias Rathjen killed nine people in a shisha bar in Hanau, Germany. Rathjen, among a host of other abhorrent things, believed that there were secret underground military bases in the United States where people “worship the devil himself,” and “abuse, torture and kill little children.” While he didn’t mention QAnon by name, he almost certainly drew from the theory.
If so, Rathjen wasn’t an aberration, but was a part of a growing contingent of QAnon supporters in Europe. New York-based media outlet Coda Story reported that German YouTube channels and Telegram messaging groups discussing the conspiracy have seen massive growth since March, as protestors with homemade signs pushing the group’s beliefs have made cameos at right-wing rallies. In some countries, like Romania, rallies solely designed to support QAnon and Trump have taken place. Vice News reported that around 50 people showed up for a July weekend QAnon festival in Finland.
Exactly why QAnon is going mainstream now is a complicated question with no single answer. One of the main drivers, as in the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, is that QAnon is an extremely useful right-wing political project that can be used to justify fighting against social progress. But the main catalyst of its current round of growth is probably the coronavirus.
“It’s always safer to just note caution, but with the pandemic, there’s definitely causation,” Argentino says, citing the growth that occurred after the imposition of lockdowns and sheltering in place. With people cooped up in their homes using the internet, there’s been more time for YouTube and Facebook’s recommendation algorithms to lead people down QAnon rabbit holes.
The lockdowns have also been deeply alienating and atomizing for many. That, in addition to coronavirus-induced anxiety and America’s history of real and false conspiracies, help provide fertile conditions for conspiracies, particularly among reactionaries.
QAnon supporters are also taking their own savvy measures to boost their campaign. Q lingered on the fringes of Republican politics for a long time partially because it’s hard to get a lot of people to buy into the idea that famous people are keeping hordes of children in underground tunnels that no one has seemed to notice. In the past month though, QAnoners have taken to coopting the #SaveTheChildren hashtag and catchphrase and jamming it alongside their own Q specific hashtags like #QANON and #WWG1WGA (short for “where we go one, we go all”), highlighting aspects of their belief that suggest they are group that just cares about helping vulnerable kids.
“It’s a very sort of low commitment entry point,” View said of QAnon’s #SaveTheChildren pivot. “It’s very subtle. ‘We’re against pedophilia and we’re for saving the children.’ Obviously everyone is against that. It’s all just a front for their more extreme ideas, though.”
The movement has demonstrated real power, spawning harassment campaigns so vitriolic that high-profile targets publicly responded.
After they pass through that first altruistically framed gate, View explained, the curious are brought to the next step: “‘We’re saving the children from a liberal elite cabal.'” It’s a harder pill to swallow, but is easier after buying the initial child-endangerment premise.
Not all researchers are on the same page. Political science professor Joseph Uscinski, who studies conspiracists at the University of Miami, rejects the idea that QAnon has grown during the coronavirus lockdowns. “I’ve been polling on this for two years. It hasn’t gotten more popular or bigger,” Uscinski says, citing his most recent poll from June that found no evidence for growing QAnon support. “I’m reading headlines from reporters on the tech beat, that while are well-intentioned, aren’t tethered to reality.”
To Uscinski, other data points like the growth of Facebook groups, or increased discourse about QAnon on Twitter aren’t useful. “TikTok and Facebook groups aren’t the real world,” he said, citing the value of traditional public opinion research. “If Biden’s getting support, we wouldn’t know because of Facebook groups. We’d know because there’s polling on it.”
Uscinki could be right. But the conventional tool of polling may be unsuited to measure a firmly unconventional form of politics. Besides the logistical hurdles of getting sincere answers on the phone from paranoid people who believe in a murderous, all-powerful elite, the number of outright adherents doesn’t necessarily reflect influence. Many of the movement’s followers who I’ve spoken with can’t fully agree on what it is. Some say that they support Q, without believing central tenets like the existence of a liberal pedophile ring. Others believe in outlandish underground child sex rings, but don’t specifically align themselves with QAnon. It is anyone’s guess how the movement’s lack of cohesion and coherence could shape polling responses.
While QAnon followership, in its most formal interpretation, might be somewhat limited, the movement has demonstrated real and growing power. Its followers were able to launch harassment campaigns so big and vitriolic that several high-profile targets—Wayfair, Oprah Winfrey, and Chrissy Teigen—felt the need to publicly respond. Q’s followers have also mobilized to influence political discourse, with dozens of aligned candidates on ballots in races across the country, including two congressional candidates with real shots at winning and a senatorial candidate. Q’s followers have mobilized to antagonize and harass a state senator in California in a vicious attempt to get him to drop legislation aimed at addressing LGBTQ inequality. Even if Uscinki’s caution about its growth is correct, QAnon’s damage is too big to ignore.


motherjones--2020-08-20--This Is the Very Expensive Yacht Steve Bannon Got Arrested On

On Thursday morning , federal agents arrested Steve Bannon off the coast of Connecticut on a 150-foot yacht named “ Lady May , ” charging him with defrauding hundreds of thousands of people who donated more than $ 25 million to fund a private wall along the US-Mexico border .
Lady May has been touted has one of the world ’ s most sophisticated superyachts and is currently on sale for $ 27.9 million .
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that it belongs to Guo Wengui , an exiled Chinese businessman .
A listing from Moran Yacht & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every sense of the word ” and boasts that it won “ a succession of Superyacht awards in 2015.
” Boat International reported in 2015 that Neville Crichton , a businessman and yacht racer originally from New Zealand , conceived of Lady May as a slightly bigger version of another yacht named Como .
But , Crichton said , “ it was the height of the global financial crisis and even though Australia came through that pretty well , I just wasn ’ t excited.
” A year later , Dubois Naval Architects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was more than just a stretched-out Como .
That yacht , Lady May , now belongs to Guo .
Bannon has worked for Guo , who sometimes goes by the name Miles Kwok , since shortly after his ouster from the White House three years ago .
Guo , a reported billionaire , is one of China ’ s most-wanted fugitives .
Chinese authorities have charged him with bribery , fraud , and money laundering—similar to the fraud and money laundering charges Bannon now faces .
He denies the allegations , saying they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
Guo has helped bankrolled Bannon ’ s efforts to attack China and paid Bannon $ 1 million for work between 2018 and 2019 , Axios reported last year .
But those efforts are reportedly the subject of an investigation , separate from probe that resulted in Bannon ’ s indictment .
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the FBI , the Securities and Exchange Commission , and the New York state attorney general ’ s office are investigating whether a media company formed by Bannon and Guo , GTV Media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here ’ s Lady May sailing down the Hudson River toward where Bannon is expected to be arraigned in a Manhattan federal courthouse on Thursday :

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On Thursday morning, federal agents arrested Steve Bannon off the coast of Connecticut on a 150-foot yacht named “Lady May,” charging him with defrauding hundreds of thousands of people who donated more than $25 million to fund a private wall along the US-Mexico border.
Lady May has been touted has one of the world’s most sophisticated superyachts and is currently on sale for $27.9 million. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that it belongs to Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese businessman.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Boat International (@boatinternational) on Apr 19, 2020 at 7:53am PDT
A listing from Moran Yacht & Ship calls Lady May “innovative in every sense of the word” and boasts that it won “a succession of Superyacht awards in 2015.” Boat International reported in 2015 that Neville Crichton, a businessman and yacht racer originally from New Zealand, conceived of Lady May as a slightly bigger version of another yacht named Como. But, Crichton said, “it was the height of the global financial crisis and even though Australia came through that pretty well, I just wasn’t excited.” A year later, Dubois Naval Architects came up with a new design that was more than just a stretched-out Como. That yacht, Lady May, now belongs to Guo.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Moran Yacht & Ship (@moranyachts) on Jun 22, 2020 at 11:47am PDT
Bannon has worked for Guo, who sometimes goes by the name Miles Kwok, since shortly after his ouster from the White House three years ago. Guo, a reported billionaire, is one of China’s most-wanted fugitives. Chinese authorities have charged him with bribery, fraud, and money laundering—similar to the fraud and money laundering charges Bannon now faces. He denies the allegations, saying they result from his criticism of the Chinese government.
Guo has helped bankrolled Bannon’s efforts to attack China and paid Bannon $1 million for work between 2018 and 2019, Axios reported last year. But those efforts are reportedly the subject of an investigation, separate from probe that resulted in Bannon’s indictment. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the FBI, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the New York state attorney general’s office are investigating whether a media company formed by Bannon and Guo, GTV Media, violated securities laws and bilked investors.
Here’s Lady May sailing down the Hudson River toward where Bannon is expected to be arraigned in a Manhattan federal courthouse on Thursday:


motherjones--2020-08-20--That Time Steve Bannon Accused the Clintons of Corruption and Money Laundering

Back in the summer of 2016 , Steve Bannon interviewed Peter Schweizer on Bannon ’ s Breitbart News radio show .
The two discussed Clinton Cash , the 2015 book that Schweizer wrote about Bill and Hillary Clinton ’ s foreign financial entanglements .
Bannon ’ s takeaway was simple .
The Clintons , he insisted , are corrupt .
“ The Clinton have sold out their own people for cold cash , ” Bannon said .
“ They are grifters.
” He added , baselessly , that the former first couple was running a “ money laundering operation.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign and briefly serve in the Trump White House . )
Fast forward to 2020 : Bannon , along with three other individuals , has been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to an effort to build a donor-funded wall on the US-Mexico border .
According to US Attorney Audrey Strauss , Bannon and the other defendants “ defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors , capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars , under the false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be spent on construction.
” During the 2016 radio broadcast , Bannon asserted that the Clintons had exploited progressive causes—global warming , environmental issues , human trafficking—and “ monetized it on a global scale.
” Though Bannon ’ s claims were baseless , the hypocrisy is clear .
He ’ s now been charged with exploiting anti-immigrant hysteria in an effort to defraud right-wing donors .

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