Wednesday, September 16, 2020

John Bolton: Criminal inquiry opened into explosive memoir

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54171941

 The US Department of Justice launched a criminal case after failing to stop the publication of The Room Where It Happened book.

Mr Bolton denies all the accusations.

His work shows a president ignorant of geopolitical facts and whose decisions are driven by a desire for re-election.

 

DOJ’s Investigation Into Bolton’s Book Far From A Good Faith Effort To Look For Classified Material

Trump Tweets, So Barr Opens Grand Jury Investigation- Not into DeJoy or Wolf but into John Bolton

Trump dismisses voter questions on how he handled coronavirus

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/15/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-abc-town-hall/index.html

 President Donald Trump dismissed questions from Pennsylvania voters about his handling of coronavirus, insisting he did act strongly to fight the pandemic and again denied he downplayed the situation despite saying so on tape.

"Well I didn't downplay it. I actually, in many ways, I up-played it in terms of action," he claimed, responding to a question from an undecided voter at ABC's town hall that aired Tuesday night.

 The President was asked why he hasn't supported a national mask mandate and why he doesn't wear one more often.

Trump said he does wear masks "when I have to." He also blamed Democrats and Joe Biden for not instituting a national mask mandate even though Trump is the President and not Biden.
"They said at the Democrat(ic) National Convention they're going to do a national mandate. They never did it, because they've checked out and they didn't do it. And ... Like Joe Biden. They said, 'We're going to a national mandate on masks.' ... But he didn't do it. He never did it," Trump said.
The President also claimed that "there are a lot of people that think that masks are not good."
Asked by ABC's George Stephanopoulos for a specific example, Trump said waiters.
"They come over, they serve you and they have a mask. And I saw it the other day, where they were serving me and they're playing with the mask. I'm not blaming them ... they're playing with the mask ... they're touching it and then they're touching the plate. That can't be good," Trump said.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

CNN's Jim Sciutto: Vladimir Putin has seduced Trump — now the world sees America as weak

 https://www.salon.com/2020/09/15/cnns-jim-sciutto-vladimir-putin-has-seduced-trump--now-the-world-sees-america-as-weak/

 The president of the United States takes the following oath at his or her inauguration: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Donald Trump has repeatedly betrayed this promise, and should long since have been removed from office for doing so.

 Many of the United States' most senior retired military personnel, members of the intelligence community and diplomats, as well as other elites in the national defense community, have publicly condemned Donald Trump as an extreme threat to the country's safety, security and democracy.

Why Trump Needs To Create A 'False Picture Of Reality' | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Is Donald Trump bouncing back in the polls?

Fact check: Trump makes at least 27 false claims at New Mexico rally

 https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/17/politics/fact-check-trump-makes-at-least-26-false-claims-at-new-mexico-rally/index.html

 President Donald Trump spoke for 95 minutes at a campaign rally in New Mexico on Monday night, among the longest speeches he's given as President.

We're still working through the long transcript, but we know he made at least 27 false claims -- most of them ones he's said before in recent months.

CNN Erases ‘Bay Of Pigs’ Award To Accuse Trump Of Making It Up

Trump repeats claims he received 'Bay of Pigs Award', which doesn't exist – video

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2020/sep/14/trump-repeats-claims-he-received-bay-of-pigs-award-which-doesnt-exist-video

Donald Trump repeats claims he earlier made online, boasting of winning the 'Bay of Pigs Award' – an honour that doesn't exist. Trump twice visited a Bay of Pigs museum in Miami in 2016, where he received 'a hand-painted Brigade 2506 shield', which his campaign insisted was the award in question. Trump made the claims while courting Latino voters in Nevada, a state where he trails rival Joe Biden in polls, and one where the  president failed to overcome Hillary Clinton  during the 2016 campaign

 

Nevada city fines Trump rally venue $3,000 in COVID-19 flap

 https://apnews.com/dbbc1114fde84bb3f839e3ae57b224c7

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada city where President Donald Trump held an indoor campaign rally said Monday the venue owner is being fined $3,000 for violating coronavirus prevention mandates imposed by the state’s Democratic governor.

Henderson officials told Xtreme Manufacturing owner Donald Ahern that the event that drew thousands of people to a warehouse in suburban Las Vegas violated Gov. Steve Sisolak’s coronavirus emergency directives.

State rules prohibit gatherings larger than 50 people, require “social distancing” of 6 feet (1.8 meters), and mandate masks or face coverings in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

 

Trump says he had 'a shot' to take out Syria's Assad, but ex-Defense chief Mattis opposed it

Democrats launch probe into Trump officials' Covid-report tampering

 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/14/democrats-investigate-trump-cdc-414272

 House Democrats are launching an investigation into how Trump appointees have pressured officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change or delay scientific reports on coronavirus, citing POLITICO reporting that found political interference in the publishing process.

"During the pandemic, experts have relied on these reports to determine how the virus spreads and who is at greatest risk," Rep. Jim Clyburn, chair of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, and his Democratic colleagues write in a letter shared first with POLITICO. "Yet HHS officials apparently viewed these scientific reports as opportunities for political manipulation."

 

Trump ad asks people to support the troops. But it uses a picture of Russian jets.

 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/14/trump-ad-asks-people-to-support-the-troops-but-it-uses-a-picture-of-russian-jets-414883

 A digital ad released by a fundraising arm of the Trump campaign on Sept. 11 calling on people to “support our troops” uses a stock photo of Russian-made fighter jets and Russian models dressed as soldiers.

The ad, which was made by the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, features silhouettes of three soldiers walking as a fighter jet flies over them. The ad first appeared on Sept. 8 and ran until Sept. 12.