Will Americans ever forgive Trump for his heartless lack of compassion?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/05/will-americans-forgive-trump

One’s heart goes out to the reporters who have sifted through the Donald Trump’s press briefings on the current pandemic – hour after hour of bombast, self-promotion, vitriol, lies and recklessly unscientific speculation – for any evidence of sympathy for those who are in pain. It’s hardly a shock to learn that our president’s expressions of care and compassion have occupied a total of less than five minutes, out of all that time.

 

Reporter's Notebook 2020 Time Capsule Carlos Barria / Reuters Sort Notes Newest First Oldest First Show 1 Newer Notes James Fallows 11:24 AM / May 4, 2020 2020 Time Capsule #17: ‘Empathy and Simple Kindness’

https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2020/05/2020-time-capsule-17-empathy-and-simple-kindness/611092/

1) “Empathy and Simple Kindness.” This past Saturday, former President George W. Bush released a brief video whose subtweeted message was unmistakable. It recognized the suffering of those who had lost family members, or economic prospects, or hope itself; it emphasized the all of us rather than the us and them response to national crisis; and it appealed to the generous rather than the resentful in human nature.

 

President Trump’s Big Moment in Front of a Church Shows He Has Missed the Point of the Protests

https://time.com/5846449/trump-church-protests/

As Trump began to speak in the Rose Garden, tear gas canisters could be heard being launched into the crowd across the park, and the sounds of bangs and screams carried over the treetops and punctuated his remarks. Trump began with three sentences about Floyd, the 46-year-old black man who died in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white police officer kept his knee on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. “All Americans were rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd,” Trump said, adding that his Administration “is fully committed that for George and his family justice will be served. He will not have died in vain.” 

For the rest of Trump’s six minute and forty-two second speech, the President did not mention or commit to solve the main grievance of the protestors being noisily gassed outside: the frequency of killings of unarmed black men and women by police officers across the country. Instead, he pivoted to his central point of the night projecting himself as the defender of order. “We cannot allow the righteous cries of peaceful protestors to be drowned out by an angry mob,” he said. “I will fight to protect you. I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protestors.”

Trump responds to protests with a strongman act

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/02/politics/donald-trump-george-floyd-protest-military/index.html

While he mentioned Floyd -- who died a week ago in the latest example of police brutality against black Americans -- in his address, it was only in passing in a speech dedicated to fostering the impression of tough guy leadership. He made no attempt to soothe the anger, fear and alienation stalking the nation. Trump, who has a record of racist rhetoric in and out of office, gave little sign he appreciates that black men and women believe that their country, amid some instances of brutal policing, sees their lives as cheap.

'I can't breathe:' Death of unarmed black man George Floyd leads to firing of white police officers

RODNEY KING BEATING VIDEO Full length footage SCREENER

Trump Can’t Designate Antifa — or Any Movement — Domestic Terrorist Organization

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/06/trump-cant-designate-antifa-or-any-movement-domestic-terrorist-organization/

 

“There’s no legal process or meaning” for what the president said, Patel told us. “He’s reflecting on the process that we use for foreign terrorist organizations.”

The secretary of state has the legal authority to designate groups as foreign terrorist organizations under federal law. The federal government makes those FTO designations through a six-step process involving the State Department and other agencies. The designations enable the federal government to freeze assets, prosecute individuals for aiding those groups and restrict immigration for members of those groups, as the Government Accountability Office explains.

Ann Coulter Turns on ‘Disloyal Actual Retard’ Trump in Twitter Rant

https://www.thewrap.com/ann-coulter-turns-on-disloyal-actual-retard-trump-in-twitter-rant/

 

Ann Coulter went on an early Sunday morning Twitter tear, calling President Donald Trump “the most disloyal actual retard that has ever set foot in the Oval Office.”

The far-right media pundit and former Trump defender was triggered by the president’s Friday tweet in which he called for Alabama voters to “not trust Jeff Sessions” and instead put their support behind Sessions’ Republican Senate seat challenger, football coach Tommy Tuberville.

Trump says he supports the troops. His record suggests otherwise.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/05/05/trump-says-he-supports-troops-his-record-says-otherwise-our-view/4870524002/

Historically, American soldiers have tended to be more conservative and Republican-leaning than the population at large. Yet polls suggest that troops are beginning to sour on this GOP president. Since Trump's election, the percentage of service members disapproving of his performance has gone from a third to half of the nation's fighting force.

Given his record of disrespect toward the military and its values, the surprise is that it isn't higher.

Trump Considers Insurrection Act To Deploy US Troops Domestically | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

What the Insurrection Act of 1807 gives Trump the power to do

Michael Flynn judge defends decision to challenge DOJ request to drop case; no 'rubber stamp'

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/01/michael-flynn-judge-defends-decision-challenge-doj-effort-drop-case/5306884002/

The federal judge overseeing the fraught prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn Monday defended his decision to review the Justice Department's effort to abandon the case, calling such a move "unprecedented."

"It is unusual for a criminal defendant to claim innocence and move to withdraw his guilty plea after repeatedly swearing under oath that he committed the crime," attorneys for U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said in documents filed in a D.C. appellate court. "It is unprecedented for an acting U.S. Attorney to contradict the solemn representations that career prosecutors made time and again, and undermine the district court’s legal and factual findings, in moving on his own to dismiss the charge years after two different federal judges accepted the defendant’s plea."

DOJ urges appeals court to force dismissal of Flynn case trump's pals being defended by DOJ

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/01/judge-questions-unusual-justice-department-filing-in-flynn-case-294330

The DOJ lawyers unveiled a muscular argument in favor of virtually unbridled executive branch discretion in criminal charging decisions. They argued that Sullivan had no business standing in the way of a dismissal favored by both the government and a defendant.

The Justice Department’s new filing represented a major coup for Flynn’s defense. Indeed, in one respect the government went even further than the retired general’s attorneys did: It essentially asked the appeals court to foreclose Sullivan or any other judge from launching contempt proceedings against Flynn over seemingly contradictory statements he made under oath when affirming his plea and later withdrawing it.

Instead Of Leadership, Trump Has 'Only Fanned The Flames Of Hate' | Andrea Mitchell | MSNBC