https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-05-09/ap-fact-check-trump-is-not-credible-on-virus-death-tolls
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Top NYC Prosecutor, Who Led Investigation of Trump Allies, Resigns After Feud With Justice Department
https://time.com/5856478/justice-department-berman-barr-trump-allies-refuses-resign/
The Trump administration on Saturday fired the top federal prosecutor
in Manhattan, escalating tensions with the high-profile office that has
overseen numerous investigations into President Donald Trump’s allies.
Attorney General William Barr said Trump personally issued the order;
the president denied he was involved.
The extraordinary clash between the White House and
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman fueled new accusations of political
interference in the Justice Department, particularly given that Berman’s
office is engaged in an ongoing investigation into Trump’s personal
attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
Barr set off a whirlwind chain events on Friday night with a surprise announcement that Berman was resigning.
Fact check: Trump's Tulsa rally littered with familiar false claims
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/21/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-tulsa-rally/index.html
In his first rally in more than three months,
President Donald Trump repeated a bunch of false claims he has made
before. Trump's return to the rally circuit, in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, arena
that was not full, featured familiar inaccurate accusations about Democratic opponent Joe Biden, about his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, about health care and a variety of other subjects.
In
a speech that lasted for more than an hour and forty minutes, Trump
also called for the burning of the US flag to be illegal, claimed
victory over a recent loss in the Supreme Court, and spent 10 minutes on
a story about walking down a ramp.
Here's a look at what Trump got wrong.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman Fired By Trump, William Barr Says In Letter
https://www.newsweek.com/us-attorney-geoffrey-berman-fired-trump-william-barr-says-letter-1512357
In his letter, Barr told Berman that he was "was surprised and quite
disappointed by the press statement you released last night" and that he
hoped for the attorney's "cooperation to facilitate a smooth
transition" for the new appointee to the post, Jay Clayton, the current
Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Unfortunately,
with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle
over public service. Because you have declared that you have no
intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of
today, and he has done so," Barr stated in his letter, adding that
Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss would become the acting U.S.
Attorney in the Southern District of New York until a permanent
successor is named.
Graham says he won't advance Trump nominee for SDNY prosecutor without Schumer, Gillibrand consent
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/drama-over-ny-us-attorney-heads-to-capitol-hill
Sen. Lindsey Graham said
Saturday he will not take up President Trump's nomination for a new
U.S. attorney for Manhattan unless New York's Democratic senators sign
off.
Graham,
a Republican from South Carolina who chairs the Senate Judiciary
Committee, said he will honor the "blue slip" tradition and require the
consent of home state senators to proceed -- in this case, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
AG Barr says Trump has fired SDNY federal prosecutor who refused to leave; president says he's 'not involved'
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/william-barr-trump-fired-sdny-federal-prosector
Trump, however, distanced himself from Berman's ouster Saturday as he
left the White House for Tulsa, Okla., and said it was Barr's call.
"That's
all up to the Attorney General," Trump said when asked about Berman's
firing. "Attorney General Barr is working on that. That's his
department, not my department."
"We have a very capable Attorney
General so that's really up to him," Trump said before leaving for his
first rally since March. "I'm not involved."
Drain the swamp! - Geoffrey Berman: Trump fires top US prosecutor who refused to quit
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53123847
Geoffrey Berman, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New
York, said on Friday that he had learned he was "stepping down" in a
press release.
Mr Berman insisted he would stay in post and continue his investigations.
On Saturday, Mr Barr told him that he had asked the president to remove him immediately, and that he had done so.
The situation was made more complicated by the fact that Berman was never formally nominated for his position by Trump and instead appointed by a federal court. Berman argued that as a result, federal law allows for him to stay on the job until a presidential nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Earlier Saturday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and chair of the Senate Judiciary committee, suggested he would not rubber-stamp a new nominee.
The situation was made more complicated by the fact that Berman was never formally nominated for his position by Trump and instead appointed by a federal court. Berman argued that as a result, federal law allows for him to stay on the job until a presidential nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Earlier Saturday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and chair of the Senate Judiciary committee, suggested he would not rubber-stamp a new nominee.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
“He’s the Chosen One to Run America”: Inside the Cult of Trump, His Rallies Are Church and He Is the Gospel
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/06/inside-the-cult-of-trump-his-rallies-are-church-and-he-is-the-gospel
In Trump’s case, divine backing is more about smiting than healing.
When Rep. Elijah Cummings died last October shortly after sparring with
Trump about Baltimore, Peterson declared on his radio show, “He
dead”—like Trump enemies John McCain and Charles Krauthammer, Peterson
noted. “That’s what happens when you mess with the Great White Hope.
Don’t mess with God’s children.”
As Justice Department Claims U.S. Attorney Investigating Trump Allies Is 'Stepping Down,' Attorney Refuses to Leave His Post
https://time.com/5856478/justice-department-berman-barr-trump-allies-refuses-resign/
A Republican who contributed to the president’s election campaign,
Berman worked for the same law firm as Giuliani and was put in his job
by the Trump administration. But as U.S. attorney, he won over some
skeptics after he went after Trump allies, and had a direct hand in
other investigations that have angered the president.
Attempt to fire powerful NY prosecutor appears to be latest move to protect Trump
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/berman-barr-trump-rule-of-law/index.html
The Trump administration's attempt to oust one of America's most powerful prosecutors
raises fresh and glaring suspicions about its assault on the
independence of the justice system and its respect for the rule of law
that underpins constitutional governance.
Attorney General William Barr's declaration he replaced Geoffrey Berman
of the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
renewed the debate over the extent to which Barr is acting on President
Donald Trump's interests rather than the nation's. The office of Berman,
who is refusing to quit, is leading a probe into Trump's lawyer Rudolph
Giuliani and associates and has also indicted a Turkish state-owned
firm involved in an Iran sanctions-busting case which Turkey's President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised with Trump.
An already massive confrontation exploded further when Berman, in a stunning move, issued his own late-night statement rebuking
Barr over his decision to oust him and refusing to go, arguing that
since he was technically appointed by a panel of judges on an acting
basis in 2018, Barr has no power to force him out and that he would
continue to serve.
Federal judge denies Trump administration's attempt to block release of Bolton's book
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/judge-john-bolton-book/index.html
A federal judge has denied the Trump administration's attempt to block the upcoming publication of a book by former national security adviser John Bolton.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the DC District Court wrote in a 10-page decision Saturday morning
that the Justice Department's arguments weren't enough to stop the
book's release. He cited how the book, which is scheduled to be released
Tuesday, had already been widely distributed, and could easily be
distributed further on the internet, even if the court said it could not
be.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Fox News Poll: Biden widens lead over Trump; Republicans enthusiastic, but fear motivates Dems
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-biden-widens-lead-over-trump-republicans-enthusiastic-but-fear-motivates-dems
Biden supporters are far more likely to say fear that Trump might win is
behind their vote choice (63 percent) than to say it is enthusiasm for
Biden (31 percent). The opposite is true among those backing Trump, as
almost twice as many of his supporters say enthusiasm is the motivation
(62 percent) rather than fear Biden could win (33 percent).
Sweden, Where No Lockdown Was Ordered, Becomes Second Most-Infected Country
https://www.newsweek.com/sweden-where-no-lockdown-was-ordered-becomes-second-most-infected-country-1511885
Sweden's
total number of coronavirus cases grew by more than 100 overnight
Wednesday, making it the second most-infected country per capita in the
world.
The Scandinavian country known for its light-touch approach
to battling the pandemic reached 54,562 total cases Wednesday,
according to covidgraph.com, which compiles current data from multiple government health agencies and universities across the world.
Father of Toddler in Trump's Fake 'Racist Baby' Video Blasts 'Hate Agenda'
https://www.newsweek.com/cnn-chastises-trump-fake-toddler-video-twitter-1512048
The father of a child featured in a mocked-up CNN report titled "terrified toddler runs from racist baby" posted to Twitter by Donald Trump has criticized the president's use of his video.
Trump
shared an edited version of the footage that went viral last year of a
black and white child running towards each other in the street and
hugging, taken by Michael Cisneros.
Fearing Internal Dissent Ahead of the Election, Trump Expands His War on Washington
https://time.com/5855482/fearing-dissent-trump-expands-war-on-washington/
The top Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Eliot
Engel, was alarmed at the prospect of Pack pushing out career experts at
the agency. The agency’s mission is “‘to inform, engage, and connect
people around the world in support of freedom and democracy’—not to be a
mouthpiece for the President in the run up to an election,” Engel said
in a statement. “Mr. Pack needs to understand that USAGM is not the
Ministry of Information. The law requires that our international
broadcasting be independent, unbiased, and targeted toward audiences
around the world,” Engel said.
Facebook removes Trump ads containing symbol used by Nazis
https://www.timesofisrael.com/facebook-removes-trump-ads-containing-symbol-used-by-nazis/
Anti-Defamation League says inverted red triangle closely resembles badge used to identify political prisoners in concentration camps
Trump calls for ‘new justices’ on Supreme Court, as conservatives rage at Roberts
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-justices-supreme-court-conservatives-roberts
President Trump, in the wake of Thursday's defeat at the Supreme Court in his efforts to repeal the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program,
called for new justices as conservatives took aim at Chief Justice John
Roberts for what they called a “pattern” of siding with the liberal
wing in key decisions.
While Democrats and immigration activists cheered the decision,
conservatives fumed at the ruling, accusing the justices of preventing
Trump from overturning what they have long seen as an illegal executive
order. As the day went on, their ire turned to Roberts -- the Bush
appointee who has a history of deciding outcomes favorable to liberals
by siding with the liberal bloc.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
The Trump presidency is at its absolute lowest point right now
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/18/politics/donald-trump-supreme-court-coronavirus-george-floyd/index.html
Everywhere Donald Trump looks right now, he sees political fires that threaten to engulf his presidency.
The
Supreme Court, with two hand-picked Trump approved justices, has handed
the President two stunning rebukes in the last week -- one on gay, lesbian and transgender rights in the workplace and the other, on Thursday morning, blocking the President from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for children brought to America illegally.
In Congress, Senate Republicans have shown increasing willingness to buck Trump. On Wednesday alone, every GOP senator wore a mask at a press conference
announcing a package of police reforms. Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander
insisted that there will be a second surge of the coronavirus and Iowa
Sen. Chuck Grassley announced he would block future legislation until
the White House explains its recent spate of firings of inspectors general.
Trump's
repeated attempts to suggest that the United States has effectively
beaten the coronavirus are belied daily by reports that almost half the states in the country are experiencing an increase in cases. His push to return to the campaign trail on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is widely regarded as endangering public health.
Trump's
absolutely tone-deaf response to the death of George Floyd while in
police custody in Minneapolis -- most notably a photo-op of Trump
holding a Bible outside of St. John's church in Washington -- has been roundly criticized,
including by many top former White House officials. "Donald Trump is
the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the
American people -- does not even pretend to try," said former Defense Secretary James Mattis earlier this month. "Instead he tries to divide us."
Supreme Court rules against Trump administration bid to end DACA program
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-rules-against-trump-administration-over-move-to-end-daca-program
President Trump quickly reacted to the decision, which came days
after an opinion from his own appointee Justice Neil Gorsuch that said
employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
was prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
"These
horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme
Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call
themselves Republicans or Conservatives," Trump tweeted Thursday
morning, suggesting that the Second Amendment could be at risk if he
does not get elected and have the chance to potentially appoint more
justices.
Supreme Court blocks Trump from ending DACA
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/18/politics/daca-immigration-supreme-court/index.html
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Trump administration's attempt to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the US as children from deportation.
The 5-4 ruling
was written by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by Justices Ruth
Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.
The Unhappy Liberals Inside Trump’s Favorite Network
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/18/oan-liberal-reporters-327915
One America News employees say a majority of the
reporters at its San Diego headquarters are liberals—and they’re chafing
at their own network’s coverage of national protests and the
coronavirus.
Trump bashes 'washed-up' Bolton over forthcoming book, says ex-national security adviser 'broke the law'
https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-bashes-washed-up-bolton-broke-the-law
President Trump lashed out at former national security adviser John Bolton in an exclusive interview on "Hannity" on Wednesday night, saying Bolton "broke the law" by writing a forthcoming book about his time in the Trump administration.
"He
was a washed-up guy," Trump told host Sean Hannity, referring to
Bolton. "He couldn't get Senate-confirmed. So I gave him a
non-Senate-confirmed position. I could just put him there, see how we
worked. And I wasn't very enamored."
John Bolton betrayed his country
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/17/opinions/boltons-staggering-profile-in-cowardice-honig/index.html
John
Bolton has offered the nation a staggering profile in cowardice. He has
left no doubt about his own monumental betrayal of his country.
By
his own belated admission, Bolton directly witnessed not one but
multiple acts that could have been cited in the impeachment of President
Donald Trump. But Bolton did nothing about it while he held a powerful
post in the Trump administration. And he stayed quiet and took cover
when Congress and the nation pleaded with him to speak out during the
impeachment process. Yet now that he has entered book promo mode, Bolton
suddenly has summoned the spine that he was sorely missing back when it
would have made an actual difference.
Bolton had ample opportunity
to speak up throughout the monthslong impeachment of Trump over the
Ukraine scandal. House investigators first asked that he appear to give
voluntary testimony; Bolton was a no-show. Bolton then retained counsel,
who requested a subpoena and promised to go to the courts for
adjudication.
What we learned from John Bolton's eye-popping tale of working with Trump
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/17/politics/bolton-book-what-we-learned/index.html
John Bolton details a troubling and shocking series of allegations
in a new book about his tenure as President Donald Trump's national
security adviser, alleging Trump requested Chinese help to win the 2020
election, that the President argued Venezuela is part of the US, that he
casually offered to intervene in the criminal justice system for
foreign leaders and that his own senior officials mocked him behind his
back.
Conservatives Should Feel No Investment in Confederate Monuments
The Richmond statue of Lee, which
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has said is coming down, has long been a
point of contention. Its unveiling in 1890 was a key moment in the
creation of a cult of Lee, as a man of “moral strength and moral beauty”
as a speaker put it that day.
Frederick Douglass appropriately
scorned this movement. “It would seem,” he wrote sarcastically, “that
the soldier who kills the most men in battle, even in a bad cause, is
the greatest Christian, and entitled to the highest place in heaven.”
Antifa, Big Tech, and abortion: Republicans bring culture war to police brutality debate
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/17/judiciary-color-327023
The House Judiciary Committee late
Wednesday approved a major police reform bill on a party-line vote, the
first step by Congress to address a crisis that has roiled the country
since George Floyd died in police custody on May 25.
Yet for much of the day, the panel was
ensnared in acrimonious cultural and political quarrels that had little
to do with the underlying issue of police brutality, which the
legislation is supposed to address.
The "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,"
in fact, was a recurring theme throughout the proceedings. Rep. Debbie
Lesko (R-Ariz.) at one point offered an amendment to cut off federal
police grants to any municipality that allows an autonomous zone to be
created within its borders.
Rep.
Pramilya Jayapal (D-Wash.), whose district is home to the Seattle zone,
was upset by Republicans’ repeated attempts to raise the issue. She
blamed Fox News and “right-wing media pundits” for what she said was
“misinformation” being spread about her hometown.
“I
don’t know how to keep telling people that what they’re saying are
lies,” Jayapal said, growing exasperated as she again slapped down
Republican accusations of a “law-enforcement-free micro-state” in her
district. “Please stop this nonsense and let’s get back to the bill
that's at hand.”
Bolton says Putin 'thinks' he can play Trump 'like a fiddle' in new claims ahead of book release
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bolton-putin-play-trump-like-fiddle-book
Former national security adviser John Bolton took President Trump to task Wednesday, saying he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin can play Trump “like a fiddle.”
Bolton made the claim during an appearance on ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir,” ahead of his 592-page memoir.
The book is expected to paint a scathing portrait of Trump and his
administration, lending the most vivid first-person account yet of how
Trump conducts himself in office.
“I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle. I think Putin is
smart, tough -- I think he sees that he’s not faced with a serious
adversary here,” Bolton said of the president’s relationship with Putin.
“I don’t think he’s worried about Donald Trump.”
Host Martha
Raddatz asked Bolton why certain deals with other leaders like Putin
have gone awry despite Trump seeing “himself as a dealmaker.”
“Well
the president may well be a superb dealmaker when it comes to Manhattan
real estate. Dealing with arms limitation treaties on strategic
weapons, dealing in many many other international security issues are
things far removed from his life experience,” Bolton said. “When you’re
dealing with somebody like Putin who has made his life understanding
Russia’s strategic position in the world, against Donald Trump, who
doesn’t enjoy reading about these issues or learning about them -- it’s a
very difficult position for America to be in.”
George Floyd protests: Who are Boogaloo Bois, antifa and Proud Boys?
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-53018201
While in many cases peaceful, the protests have also featured scenes of police brutality, looting and violence.
Politicians,
law enforcement and commentators on the left and right have accused a
number of fringe groups of encouraging and participating in acts of
violence.
BBC News has been examining these groups on social media platforms.
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