Trump Lied for Five Uninterrupted Minutes About Mail-in Voting During Virus Briefing

During Monday’s coronavirus briefing President Trump called on an ally from his favorite propaganda network, OAN, to serve him up a softball question on a topic that the president consistently lies about: mail-in voting.

After Trump specifically pointed towards OAN’s Chanel Rion, making sure he promoted the network that trolls in conspiracy theories by saying its call letters aloud, Rion then asked the president if he would issue an executive order regarding mail-in ballots. What sort of executive order and for what reason, Rion did not say, nor does she likely care. She accomplished what she wanted—teeing-up Trump and allowing him to spew falsities about the non-issue.

“Thank you, Mr. President. And in our nation’s 243-year history, there’s never been a stronger push for mail-in ballots to determine a national election. Are you considering at any point issuing an executive order addressing mail-in ballots? And why do you think some people are pushing it so hard?” Rion asked.

Trump then rambled for more than five uninterrupted minutes, first repeating what he’d just been asked by the questioner, and mistakenly calling her Carolyn.

“Well, there’s never been a push like this for mail-in ballots. And if you look at the New York congressional race, which is a disaster, Carolyn, it’s been a total disaster,” Trump said.

Trump went on and on about local congressional races, claiming that mail-in voting in those states was a “disaster” and a “disgrace.” But mostly the president made very little sense.

“Now, you’re talking about like Nevada, where last two nights ago, they went out in the darkness of night without people, without having any meetings of the public, without having anything,” Trump said.

The president continued, “They approved the ridiculous. You don’t have to look at signatures. You don’t have to approve anything. You can have double mailings. You can have all sorts of things. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it. It’s a disgrace. I mean, honestly, it’s a disgrace.”

“So it’s a very good question. I mean, the mail-in ballots, if you look at just some of the small, the small places, the small races, congressional race in New York should be very easy. Normally, that would have been announced at seven o’clock and it would have been down to the wire and everybody would have loved it. It was, it was at all complex. It would have taken an extra 45 minutes or an hour. They would have announced it a little bit later. They have no clue,” Trump said.

Of course, with his ramblings, Trump proved he is the one without a clue. He then used the story of a postman who was indicted in West Virginia on voter fraud as proof that the system is flawed. Meanwhile, the opposite is true. The mere fact that the worker was caught, as writer Josh Billinson pointed out on Twitter, means that, “The system works!”

Economy Tanks, Trump Muses About Delaying the Election

The Department of Commerce announced Thursday morning that the United States GDP fell by a record 32.9 percent rate in the second quarter of 2020. “It looks like the data are pointing to a slowing in the pace of the recovery,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference on Wednesday, referencing the millions of American who remain unemployed and the millions more who continue to file for unemployment as the nation struggles to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, which has now claimed over 150,000 American lives.

In a tweet totally unrelated to any of the above, President Trump suggested on Thursday that the November election should be delayed.

As has been noted repeatedly since Trump waged his campaign against remote voting, there is absolutely no legitimate evidence that mail-in or absentee voting leads to fraud.

Now, Trump is a world-class troll with a penchant for making ridiculous proposals on Twitter to see how the public will react, but he’s also the president of the United States, which means his shitposting needs to be taken seriously. As has been demonstrated in the past, it’s only a frivolous tweet until he actually tries to make it happen.

Fortunately, it would be a blatant violation of the Constitution, the document Republicans claim to hold so dear, if Trump were to try to delay the election. Congress sets the dates for the election and inauguration, and to change them would require approval from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. As the pandemic was intensifying in March, the Congressional Research Service even released a memo clarifying that Congress and only Congress has the power to change the date of a presidential election.

The election is happening on Tuesday, November 3rd, and no amount of question marks the president tacks onto his suggestion it should be moved is going to change that.

Linkin Park Issues Cease & Desist After Song “In The End” Is Used In Pro-Trump Video

The band Linkin Park has issued a cease and desist letter after their song “In the End” was used in a pro-Trump video. The video was posted on Saturday and then later deleted by both President Donald Trump and the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino.

Linkin Park took to Twitter to make a statement that read, “Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music. A cease and desist has been issued.”

The recording that was used in the video was a cover of the song sung by Jung Youth. The artist also tweeted his response on July 18. He said, “Earlier today I found out that trump illegally used a cover song that I am part of in a propaganda video which he tweeted…anyone who knows me knows I stand firmly against bigotry and racism. Much love to everyone in the twitter community who helped get the video taken down fr!!”

In 2017 after Trump was elected, the former lead singer of Linkin Park Chester Bennington wrote, “I repeat….. Trump is a greater threat to the USA than terrorism!! We have to take back our voices and stand for what we believe in.” Bennington passed away later that year.

Other artists had previously expressed that they did not want their music played in relation to Trump singer Neil Young wrote, “I stand in solidarity with the Lakota Sioux & this is NOT ok with me,” when his song was played at a Trump  rally at Mount Rushmore.

‘So Are White People’: Trump Dismisses Idea That Black People Dying at Hands of Police Is a Problem

It’s been nearly two months since George Floyd was killed. President Trump has had enough of all of this hubbub about racial justice.

When asked on Tuesday why African Americans are still dying at the hands of law enforcement in the United States, a problem that has of course persisted despite the wave of demonstrations that followed Floyd’s death, the president lashed out at Catherine Herridge, who was interviewing him at the White House for CBS Evening News.

“So are white people, so are white people,” Trump said, his face red, his upper lip moist, his demeanor agitated. “What a terrible question to ask. So are white people. More white people, by the way. More white people.”

According to studies cited by CBS News, black men are 3-3.5 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than white men. If “more” white men have been killed by law enforcement, it’s because they make up a substantially larger portion of the population.

Trump’s categorical dismissal of the idea that black Americans dying at the hands of police is a problem that needs addressing shouldn’t come as a surprise. The president has been letting his racist flag fly since Floyd’s death. In the past two months, Trump has posted on social media about how the “THUGS” protesting police brutality should be shot, lamented how cities have painted “BLACK LIVES MATTER” on prominent streets, bashed NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag at races, and refused to in any way acknowledge the systemic racism that has shaped the nation since its outset.

Herridge also asked Trump on Tuesday about his defense of the Confederate flag, to which the president cited freedom of speech. Herridge followed up by asking if understood “why the flag is a painful symbol for many people because it’s a reminder of slavery.” He clearly didn’t.

“Well, people love it,” the president said before again citing freedom of speech.

Trump Campaign Considers Displaying Statues Of ‘Founding Fathers’ At Future Rallies

The Trump campaign is considering a new addition to future rallies: displaying various statues at the events.

Right now, the idea remains in discussion between the White House and President Donald Trump’s campaign aides and so far, no final decision has been made. It is also unclear who the statues would represent, but sources told ABC News that they could resemble “America’s Founding Fathers.”

The idea to bring statues to the president’s future rallies likely came from Trump’s condemnation of those calling for the removal of so many monuments across America. While at first, activists focused on removing Confederate monuments, the discussion has also expanded to other historical figures.

The removal of statues across the U.S. has come after historic protests calling for racial justice after the May death of George Floyd. His brutal death in police custody has led to nationwide conversations about racial injustice and the country’s history of racism.

During Trump’s Friday speech at Mount Rushmore, he said, “Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children. Their goal is not a better America. Their goal is to end America.”

The president also announced an executive order that will establish the “National Garden of American Heroes,” which will feature statues of “the greatest Americans to ever live.”

Following his speech, the White House released a list of over two dozen people who might be included in the garden. The list included names such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony and Antonin Scalia.

In a Tuesday interview with RealClearPolitics, Trump expressed his thought that America is “in a culture war.” “If the Republicans don’t toughen up and get smart and get strong and protect our heritage and protect our country, I think they’re going to have a very tough election.”

If You Weren’t Afraid to Send Your Kids Back to School, DeVos’ Disastrous Interview Might Change That

While the Trump administration continues its full-court press on schools to re-open, they sent out Betsy DeVos to defend an indefensible cause. Either that or the education secretary did not do her homework prior to her appearance on Sunday morning.

CNN’s Dana Bash continuously pressed DeVos on basic questions about students, teachers, and parents’ safety from the virus and whether schools should closely follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines.

Although the interview extended past 20 minutes, it was clear DeVos had only a few talking points in her quiver, and she went to them often.

Bash asked DeVos multiple times if schools should follow CDC guidelines and the secretary repeated her answer using the word “flexible” several times while describing the health recommendations.

“The CDC guidelines are just that, meant to be flexible and meant to be applied as appropriate for the situation,” DeVos said.

The secretary’s focus was on the single message that schools need to re-open. But other than threatening to defund schools that refuse, she provided no answers for how they might deal with a possible outbreak and placed that responsibility on the institutions themselves.

“The key is that kids have to get back to school,” DeVos said, “And we know there are going to be hot spots. And those need to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. But the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall. They have been missing months of learning.”

When DeVos tried to minimize the possibility that children will spread the virus, Bash used two examples that showed the concern is real. The host mentioned a Missouri summer camp that was forced to close after 82 campers and staff tested positive. And Bash also cited a report out of Texas where more than 1,300 children and employees in child care facilities have tested positive.

Bash also reminded the secretary that the CDC itself says the grouping of children “put everyone at risk.”

“Here’s what the CDC guidelines say: ‘If children meet in groups, it can put everyone at risk. Children can pass this virus onto others who have an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.’” Bash added, “That’s your own federal government’s guidelines.”

DeVos again noted that the priority should be for the children to be back in school.

“There’s going to be the exception to the rule, but the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall. And where there are little flare-ups or hot spots, that can be dealt with on a school-by-school or a case-by-case basis,” DeVos said.

Bash tried to pin DeVos down again, asking, “So, I want to be clear from you. As the secretary of education, should schools in the United States follow the CDC recommendations or not?”

DeVos ducked the question by saying that the head of the CDC refers to the guidelines as “recommendations.”

So, Bash asked again: “What I want to know is if the federal government is all on the same page. As the secretary of education, should schools follow the guidelines of the CDC?”

DeVos said yes, the government does agree. But she spun the question into one about only re-opening schools and not whether CDC guidelines should be followed.

The federal government is “very much on the same page,” DeVos continued, saying, “Kids need to get back to school. They need to get back in the classroom. Families need for kids to get back in the classroom. And it can be done safely.”

Trump Wore a Mask. Sadly This Is News

The president of the United States finally decided to act like an adult on Saturday and wore a face mask during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington.

This marks the first time the president has been seen in public wearing a facial covering that his own health officials and departments have for months recommended all citizens use to prevent spreading COVID-19.

“I think when you’re in a hospital, especially in that particular setting, where you’re talking to a lot of soldiers and people that, in some cases, just got off the operating tables, I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask. I’ve never been against masks, but I do believe they have a time and a place,” the president told reporters while he met with wounded service members and medical professionals.

In May, Trump briefly wore a mask while touring a Ford Motor company plant but refused to wear one during the public portion of the factory tour, violating factory policy. The president justified his actions by saying, “I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”

Trump has been dangerously stubborn about not wearing a mask, even with the ubiquitous warnings that doing so not only helps limit the spread of the virus but would also set a good example, especially to the president’s conspiracy-believing supporters.

According to NPR, research shows that widespread mask-wearing “could help prevent between 17,742 and 28,030 deaths across the United States before Oct. 1.”

With more than 130,000 Americans dead from the virus and positive cases on a steady rise in most states, wearing a mask is the least we should expect from our fellow citizens. It is sad that it is actual news that the leader of the nation is picking up the rear on a life or death topic, but here we are.

Eagles’ Chris Long Calls Out Laura Ingraham, ‘Fox News,’ For Telling LeBron To ‘Shut Up And Dribble’

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham told LeBron James and Kevin Durant to stick to sports when they expressed views on politics, including their thoughts that Donald Trump was a disappointment, but will she do the same to Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long, who is calling her out as a hypocrite? Long is taking offense to the idea that Ingraham says that athletes need to stick to sports, and can’t share their views on politics or what’s going on in the country, especially since Fox News routinely brings on athletes and other celebrities to dish the political dirt, but only if they are in line with the Fox News political, right-wing agenda, which Long says, LeBron didn’t. Fox News Laura Ingraham Said That LeBron James Needed To ‘Shut Up And Dribble’ Laura Ingraham took time out of her show on Fox News to tell LeBron James and Kevin Durant to stay in their lane after they were asked about their thoughts on politics and society on an ESPN radio show. “You’re great players but no one voted for you. Millions elected Trump to be their coach. So keep the political commentary to yourself or, as someone once said, shut up and dribble.” Laura Ingraham also called out the grammar and diction of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, calling it “unintelligible and ungrammatical,” and because there were some curse words, “R-rated.” Chris Long says you can’t have it both ways. But Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long, son of NFL legend Howie Long, is not letting Laura Ingraham get by with dismissing LeBron James and Kevin Durant as “dumb jocks” who shouldn’t be able to share their opinions on anything but basketball, says the Washington Post.

Chris Long posted photos of various athletes are other celebrities who have been invited onto Fox News to talk politics, including Caitlyn Jenner, Fabio, Chuck Norris, Jon Voight, Kid Rock, Bobby Knight, Ted Nugent, and Curt Schilling, all of whom share points of view and race that differ from LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Chris Long, who donated his 2017 salary to charity, and has spoken out against police brutality, wrote a response to the way LeBron James and Kevin Durant were dismissed by Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. Long says it’s unacceptable. “The point is, what’s the prerequisite for who can talk politics? So, Fox News folks who agree with Laura … you okay with these segments? And if you reply, ‘stick to sports,’ you should probably tune out of Fox News because they’ve got karate guys talking climate change on there. (Which I’m cool with it’s his right.) Unless it’s just about you needing to feel like you’ve got control of athletes like LeBron.” On Twitter, someone commented that other news networks have agendas, but not Fox News. Long says that everyone has agendas and opinions, but why is the opinion of an actor or a singer ahead of some athletes? “EVERYONE FOLLOWS AN AGENDA. The conversation pertains to shutting down athletes speaking on politics or social issues based on some lack of merit, yet giving Fabio a platform.” Chris Long, who along with teammate Torrey Smith, is skipping the Philadelphia Eagles’ trip to the White House, thought it was out of bounds for Laura Ingraham to dismiss LeBron James’ opinions as ignorant. Supporters shared a photo of Gene Simmons talking about health care reform, Dog the Bounty Hunter talking about the fitness of Marco Rubio as a candidate, Ted Nugent weighing in on the alt-right marches in Charlottesville, Virginia, which happens to be the hometown of Chris Long, and basketball coach Bobby Knight talking about Donald Trump’s intellect, all on the Twitter page of Chris Long, and Long is retweeting like crazy.