Floridians Hating President Trump
Democrats across the board in Florida loathe President Donald Trump. Everyone from the squirrely Lincoln Project “Republicans” like Rick Wilson, to members of Congress like Rep. Ted Deutch, and congressional candidates like Pam Keith.
So, what are the Trump-haters saying?
You name it, it is being said.
Disrespect for the office — “We can’t allow the current occupant of the White House to steal taxpayer resources for his campaign & to exploit the People’s House for political gain.”- Rep. Ted Deutch (D)
Killing Trump — “Um, if he’s still alive, yeah.” Trump has crossed ways with a lot of people, not just the American people, mind you. When you get in bed with people, weird things happen.”- Congressional candidate Pam Keith implying that Trump will be killed
Because he’s a racist — “Donald Trump wants to destroy the immigrant heritage that fueled our prosperity.”- Rep. Donna Shalala (D)
Medal of Honor
Even with all this Trump hate going around, Reps. Michael Waltz (R) and Stephanie Murphy (D) came together to push for the medal of honor to be posthumously awarded to U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe for his bravery in combat. IT GOT DONE. READ MORE
Rep. Ted Deutch @RepTedDeutch -Public health experts have been sidelined & silenced throughout this crisis & Americans have paid for it with their lives & their livelihoods. In FL, we became a global hotspot & people waited weeks for test results.More testing is needed to prevent outbreaks. Not less.
Marco Rubio @marcorubio -David Dorn’s widow spoke tonight not just for her late husband but also for the thousands of innocent people who did nothing wrong,yet fell victim to rioters,looters & arsonists and their suffering has been largely minimized or ignored.
Rep Frederica Wilson @RepWilson -The police shooting of an unarmed black man in his back as his children watched is a prime example of why there’s a desperate need for fundamental change, yet Senate Republicans refuse to pass the #JusticeInPolicingAct the House passed 2 months+ ago.
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell @RepDMP -Miami-Dade County still has an average positivity rate around 10% & though cases have stabilized, we still see 800+ cases a day regularly. Testing still takes around 3-7 days on average for results to be reported, & the status of our contact tracing workforce is up in the air.
Rep. Lois Frankel @RepLoisFrankel -The new @CDCgov guidelines on #COVID19 testing are gravely concerning. This pandemic is very real--it's killed +180,000 Americans & we're still struggling to get it under control. Testing for asymptomatic cases is CRUCIAL to tracking its spread.
AG Ashley Moody @AGAshleyMoody -Millions of students are headed back to school—many virtually. That means more time online, making them more vulnerable to online predators. As a mom, I know how scary that is, so I am issuing tips to help parents protect their children.
Rep. Carlos G Smith @CarlosGSmith Trump's Immigration Plan-- more white people. POC not welcome. “Why do we want all these people from AFRICA here? They’re shithole countries ... We should have more people from NORWAY.”
Byron Donalds @ByronDonalds-I'm supporting the guy that will promote economic prosperity, end our reliance on China, cut prescription drug costs, provide school choice, defend our police, and protect our Constitutional rights.That's President @realDonaldTrump #RNC2020 #Trump2020
“3 in 4 Floridians Suffer Financial Stress due to COVID” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – With the continued threat of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting Floridians throughout the state, a new poll issued. By MoneyWise Florida indicates that “nearly three in four Floridians continue too suffer from high levels of stress relating to their personal and family financial situation as they struggle through the ongoing” crisis. The findings were released by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Suncoast Credit Union and MoneyWise Florida, and “a series of videos designed to help Floridians cope financially” have also been released in response to the poll results. In a statement, Patronis expressed that “when. We launched MoneyWise Florida this past Spring, we knew Floridians needed access to reliable resources that could help them weather these unprecedented times.” “These latest survey results underscore the continuing need to provide Floridians with additional financial knowledge, tips, and tools to help them through this prolonged difficult era,” Patronis added. As well, the poll revealed that “during the past three months, 55% of respondents say their worries about finances have increased,” and “more than 1 in 5 have delayed paying bills” even with 71% of those polled saying that they “received some form of federal stimulus payment.” Kevin D. Johnson, the President and CEO of Suncoast Credit Union, also shared his thoughts on the findings, expressing that “COVID-19 has disrupted most Floridian’s lives in many different ways,” noting that “many families are struggling to recover financially after the sudden slowdown of economic activity.”
“Lawmakers Fight to Posthumously Honor Veteran With Medal of Honor” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – A bipartisan effort by Florida Reps. Michael Waltz (R), Stephanie Murphy (D), and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) announced that U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper had agreed to honor U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe with a Medal of Honor, which is the highest award for combat valor in the United States. Esper commented that he will be recommending to President Trump (R) that SFC Cashe should be. Posthumously awarded the Medal and that Congress should make a change to a federal law that requires Medal of Honor recipients be awarded them within five years of the actions for the basis of the award. In response to the announcement, the lawmakers released statements in support of the Pentagon’s endorsement. “Alwyn Cashe’s extraordinary courage on behalf of his fellow soldiers, in the face of danger and death, embodies everything the Medal of Honor represents,” Waltz expressed. He added that “Cashe is a Florida and American hero,” noting that “he without a doubt deserves our nation’s highest honor.” Rep. Murphy echoed in Waltz’s remarks, commenting that “Alwyn was a hero in the purest and most profound sense” and that Alwyn “gave his own life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.”
“Wounded combat veteran Brian Mast confronted by angry BLM mob” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – As he walked off of the White House grounds, Rep. Brian Mast (R) was greeted by an agree mob that insisted he answer their specific question, “What do you think about police killing black people in this country?” Before Rep. Mast was confronted with the question, he was asked if he was asked if he was “afraid” for his safety. Mast responded by asking, “No, should I be?” Mast answer to the question was not enough for them, it’s not what the words that they wanted to hear come out of his mouth. “I don’t think that anyone should be killed wrongfully,” replied Mast, adding,” anyone murdered is wrong.” But the unruly anti-All Lives Matter rioters wanted to hear him utter the words “Black Lives Matter” or agree with their narrative. Mast answered the question.
“Kerry Stumps for Biden on Heels of RNC” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – After losing the 2016 presidential election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) has been supporting Vice President Joe Biden’s (D) candidacy for the presidency in the upcoming 2020 election. Now, another former Democratic candidate who lost his election has entered the political chat, and he’s making his case as to why the upcoming election is critical for the United States. In 2004, former Secretary of State John Kerry (D) lost the presidential election to incumbent President George W. Bush (R). In a statement released to Democrats at the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, Kerry made his case as to why the country needs Vice President Biden, arguing that “we need a leader capable of fixing our broken economy, addressing the natural disasters that will only worsen with climate change, and facing COVID-19 head-on.” “I know Joe as a person and a public servant – from our years in the Senate to our years in the Situation Room,” he shared, adding that Biden is “more than up for the immensity of the job.” However, Kerry stressed that “we only have limited time left to help him and Democrats everywhere win their races – and it’s going to take all of us doing our part in critical moments like this one to ensure they have the resources to do so.”
“Florida women, 19 and 21, charged with sex trafficking minors: FBI” by WFLA – The FBI arrested two young women for their alleged involvement in sex trafficking of minors. The Broward County Human Trafficking Task Force arrested Hollywood resident Kiara Nunez, 21, and Coral Springs resident Alexandra Ramirez, 19, last week. Court documents allege the women were sex trafficking two 15-year-old girls from Oct. 2019 through Jan. 2020. Police recovered one of the young girls during an undercover human trafficking operation at a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan. 29. Police said that an online advertisement from the Ft. Lauderdale area advertising sex in exchange for money tipped them off. The ad reportedly contained nude images of young females, later identified as the victims in the case.
“FEMA approves Florida's application for federal unemployment benefits for extra $300 a week” by 10 Tampa Bay – Florida has been approved by FEMA for a grant under its Lost Wages Assistance program. What does that mean? Now Floridians, unemployed due to COVID-19, will be able to receive an extra $300 a week in federal unemployment benefits on top of the unemployment assistance from the state. Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order making up to $44 billion in FEMA Disaster Relief funds available to pay unemployed Americans an additional $300 per week after the $600 a week federal payments expired in July. The program offers the $300 a week benefit for those eligible for assistance from the state for weeks of unemployment ending on or after Aug. 1. "FEMA looks forward to working with the governors of additional states who agree to administer a lost wages program to bring financial relief to unemployed Americans," FEMA wrote in a release. To be eligible, claimants must be receiving at least $100 in an approved Reemployment Assistance program weekly benefit. And, claimants must certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Florida teachers union and DeSantis administration legal slugfest over Florida schools reopening continues” by NSF’s Dara Kam – In a partial win for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, a Tallahassee-based appeals court on Friday put on hold a Leon County circuit judge’s ruling that said a state mandate for schools to reopen this month amid the coronavirus is unconstitutional. DeSantis and Corcoran have been locked in a legal slugfest with teachers unions over the education commissioner’s July 6 emergency order requiring schools to reopen five days a week in August or risk losing state funding. The 1st District Court of Appeal on Friday agreed to a state request to reinstate a stay on Judge Charles Dodson’s ruling, but it refused to approve another request to fast-track the case to the Florida Supreme Court. Under an order released by the appellate court late Friday afternoon, final briefs in the case aren’t due until Sept. 9, meaning a decision won’t be finalized until nearly all school districts have reopened. The court did not elaborate on its decision to stay Dodson’s ruling but said, “a written order elaborating on this disposition will follow.” The appellate-court fight comes after Dodson twice this week sided with the Florida Education Association and the Orange County teachers union in lawsuits challenging Corcoran’s order requiring schools to reopen for in-person learning. The unions argue that Corcoran’s order violates the Florida Constitution’s guarantee of “safe” and “secure” public schools.
“As Florida's Response Lags, Census Takers Race To Complete Count Door-To-Door” by WJSU’s Tom Flanigan – The COVID-19 pandemic threw off the Census schedule by nearly four months. Now the race is on to complete a count, which is now more critical than ever because of many government services that depend on its accuracy. Time is running out for Americans to be counted in the 2020 Census. Marilyn Stephens is the assistant census manager for the southern region. And she said a near field army's worth of census troops are now going door to door. "In our seven state region, we have maybe 75,000." She explained these are not volunteers, but well-compensated, trained professionals. "In Florida, I believe our hourly rate went up to $22 an hour, so that was pretty attractive to a number of people as well as getting 58 cents a mile for their travel." They are trained to do their job with the proper precautions. "First of all, our staff must wear a mask. They are mandatory when they are on duty. And of course we provide them with hand sanitizer. They must practice social distancing to be 6 feet away from the respondent and all interviews must be conducted outside." Door-to-door scammers often impersonate census takers. So Stephens said real enumerators come loaded with identification so citizens can be confident they're the real deal. "They will have a photo ID and a census bag that will have the census insignia on it and a device that will be used to conduct the interview. It will have the Census Bureau and Department of Commerce insignia on it. If no one responds at the door, we will leave a 'notice of visit' card that will let the household know that a Census enumerator was there to interview them for the 2020 Census."
“Florida Rep. Chris Latvala says he has tested positive for COVID-19” by 10 Tampa Bay’s Jillian Olsen – "I was one of them" -- those are the word's Florida Rep. Chris Latvala used to share he was among the latest group of Floridians to test positive for COVID-19. Latvala said he learned of his positive case on Saturday and is currently under care at Largo Medical Center. "I have been experiencing symptoms for a day or 2 and self-isolating since Wednesday," Latvala wrote in a Facebook post. But, he wanted to let the public know he appreciates their prayers and that he will be fine. The representative also took a moment to remind Floridians that the pandemic is not over and encouraged them to continue wearing masks, practice social distancing and to wash their hands. He also thanked all "the heroes on the front lines" of the coronavirus pandemic, especially those at Largo Medical Center. Latvala said he is in awe of how well they are treating all those under their care. According to the Facebook post, the representative should be heading home soon as he is in the hospital for only a short stay. Latvala represents District 67 in the Florida House of Representatives. District 67 covers parts of Pinellas County.
“Coronavirus: Florida reports lowest death toll since June” by Associated Press – Florida’s health officials reported on Sunday the lowest number of new coronavirus deaths in more than two months. The Florida Department of Health tallied 14 additional COVID-19 deaths as the number of known cases of the coronavirus reported each day also continued to drop. It was the lowest daily death toll since June 22, when officials reported 12 new deaths. One of the deaths reported Sunday was in Northeast Florida: the death of a 73-year-old woman in Putnam County, which has now recorded 37 deaths. Florida’s total number of deaths since the pandemic began is now at 11,263. The average daily toll reported over the past week is 114. Deaths from COVID-19 usually occur two weeks or more after diagnosis, so epidemiologists have said Florida’s fatality rate should shrink in the coming weeks if confirmed infections continue to shrink. The state Department of Health said the number of confirmed cases had risen by 2,583 to a total of 621,586 cases in the state. Meanwhile, the number of patients being treated for COVID-19 remained at about 3,800 Sunday. Florida’s positivity rate in testing has been lower, remaining below 7% for 10 of the last 11 days. The state’s positivity rate was 5.14% for Saturday. Jacksonville on Sunday added 107 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing Duval County’s total to 26,391 cases with 254 deaths. Duval County’s positivity rate was 3.51% for Saturday.
“Border Patrol seized over $1 million worth of cocaine after it washed up on a Florida beach” by CNN’s Dakin Andone – US Border Patrol agents seized over $1 million worth of cocaine last week after it washed up on a Florida beach. Thirty packages were discovered last Monday by a person on the beach in Hollywood, Florida, just south of Fort Lauderdale, according to a statement from US Border Patrol Miami Sector. The beachgoer contacted the Hollywood Police Department, the statement said, who then turned the packages filled with cocaine over to Border Patrol agents. "The 30 packages of cocaine weighed approximately 78 pounds with an estimated street value of over one million dollars," the statement said. Miami Sector Border Patrol has recently responded to "multiple reports of narcotic wash-ups" on the Florida coast, the agency said. Over the course of July and August, Border Patrol Miami Sector has seized over 210 pounds of cocaine, the statement said. Chief Patrol Agent of US Border Patrol Miami Sector John Modlin said the rise in drugs washing ashore indicated the presence of smugglers operating along the Florida coast. "These recent seizures represent hundreds of pounds of narcotics that will not make it into our streets or into our communities," Modlin said in a statement to CNN. "We are grateful for the community's support to our border security mission here in Florida."
“This Week in South Florida: Esteban ‘Steve’ Bovo” by Local 10’s Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg – The candidates for Miami-Dade County mayor racked up endorsements this week and hit the airwaves in what is shaping up to be a very contentious race. Two sitting county commissioners give voters in the county very different choices. Daniella Levina Cava joined This Week in South Florida last week, and now her opponent Steve Bovo joins hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney. Bovo is a former state representative and has been a county commissioner for the past nine years, representing Hialeah and the Northwest part of Miami-Dade County. Their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.
“Wisconsin's Gov. Tony Evers tells Trump not to visit Kenosha” by Fox News’ Frank Miles – President Trump is not welcome in Wisconsin, at least not if you're asking Gov. Tony Evers. Evers, a Democrat who has been critical of Trump, urged the president to reconsider traveling on Tuesday to Kenosha, where recent protests against police brutality have exploded into deadly riots in recent days. “I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state," Evers wrote in a letter to Trump. "I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together,” Evers wrote in the letter, obtained by The Associated Press. Trump announced he would head to Kenosha to inspect the damage caused by riots. Several businesses have been vandalized and some buildings and multiple car lots burned during the unrest. Trump will be meeting with law enforcement officers, White House spokesman Judd Deere announced. "The White House has been humbled by the outreach of individuals from Kenosha who have welcomed the President’s visit and are longing for leadership to support local law enforcement and businesses that have been vandalized," Deere wrote in reply to Evers. "President Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild."
“Top intelligence office informs congressional committees it'll no longer brief in-person on election security” by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Zachary Cohen – The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has informed the House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence that it'll no longer be briefing in-person on election security issues, according to letters obtained by CNN. Instead, ODNI will primarily provide written updates to the congressional panels, a senior administration official said. The official added that other agencies supporting election security, including the Department of Justice, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, intend to continue briefing Congress. Still, the abrupt announcement is a change that runs counter to the pledge of transparency and regular briefings on election threats by the intelligence community. It also comes after the top intelligence official on election security issued a statement earlier this month saying China, Russia and Iran are seeking to interfere in the 2020 US election, a warning that prompted some backlash from Democrats on Capitol Hill who have continued to push for the public release of more information about the nature of those efforts. US officials charged with protecting the 2020 election also said last week that they have "no information or intelligence" foreign countries, including Russia, are attempting to undermine any part of the mail-in voting process, contradicting President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly pushed false claims that foreign adversaries are targeting mail ballots as part of a "rigged" presidential race.
“TikTok Deal Talks Are Slowed Over New China Rules” by WSJ’s Georgia Wells and Cara Lombardo – Plans to quickly complete a deal between the Chinese parent company of TikTok and suitors for the app’s U.S. operations have been thrown off track as the parties huddled over the weekend to weigh new Chinese restrictions that appear designed to affect a potential sale, according to people familiar with the discussions. China late on Friday issued new restrictions on the export of artificial-intelligence technology that forced ByteDance Ltd., TikTok’s parent, to slow down talks with companies including Microsoft Corp., Walmart Inc. and Oracle Corp. for a portion of the social-media app, according to people familiar with the matter. ByteDance, which had received the broad outlines of bids on Friday for the TikTok assets, had been expected to enter into exclusive discussions with one group of suitors over the weekend, the people said. The Trump administration in early August set a mid-September deadline for ByteDance to sell its American operation. Microsoft and Walmart have been working together, and Oracle also has been joined by ByteDance investors General Atlantic, Sequoia Capital and Coatue Management LLC. “We are studying the new regulations that were released Friday,” ByteDance General Counsel Erich Andersen said. “As with any cross-border transaction, we will follow the applicable laws, which in this case include those of the U.S. and China.” The talks are far from being scuttled, but the latest developments do make clear that China plans to keep as close a watch on any potential deal as the Trump administration. President Trump and other U.S. officials have raised the specter of privacy and national-security concerns over TikTok’s data collection in demanding that its U.S. operations be sold or that it face a ban. TikTok has said it hasn’t and won’t share data on U.S. users with the Chinese government.
“Ken Buck doubles down on Rand Paul's call for investigation into funding of violent protests” by Fox News’ Nick Givas – Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., on Sunday called for a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into the funding of recent violent protests that have sprung up across the country, echoing statements made by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who was recently attacked while with his wife during the Republican National Convention. "The Justice Department needs to open an investigation into who is funding these violent riots," Buck tweeted. Buck had first addressed the issue after Paul and his wife Kelley were accosted while returning from the RNC, on the way back to their hotel. "If the Tea Party threatened a Democratic Senator and assaulted police officers like this, it would be leading CNN," the Colorado Republican wrote on Friday. "Every conservative politician would be asked to condemn it. Where is the outrage?" Paul commented on the issue in an opinion piece for Fox News published on Saturday. He revealed some of the protesters were actually staying in the same hotel -- and on the same floor -- as he and his wife. Some were even as close as the next room. "They were talking about their mob activities and even saying they thought we were here on this floor," Paul wrote. "We had to develop a 3 a.m. plan with Capitol Police to get to safety." "My question is: Who are these people?," he continued. "Who paid for their hotel rooms? Who flew them in? Law enforcement needs to look at the funding of violent criminal activity like this. And national Democrats need to confront it. It’s organized. It’s paid for. It’s violent. It’s not about Black lives or any lives; it’s about anarchy and destruction."
“Twitter removes QAnon supporter's false claim about coronavirus death statistics that Trump had retweeted” by CNN’s Daniel Dale and Jamie Gumbrecht – Twitter on Sunday took down a tweet containing a false claim about coronavirus death statistics that was made by a supporter of the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory -- a post that President Donald Trump had retweeted earlier in the day. The tweet -- which has been replaced with a message saying, "This Tweet is no longer available because it violated the Twitter Rules -- from "Mel Q," copied from someone else's Facebook post, claimed that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had "quietly" updated its numbers "to admit that only 6%" of people listed as coronavirus deaths "actually died from Covid," since "the other 94% had 2-3 other serious illnesses."
That's not what the CDC said. As of Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, Twitter had not removed a second tweet, also retweeted by the President on Sunday, that spread the same false claim. The second tweet, by Trump campaign adviser Jenna Ellis, linked to an article on the right-wing website Gateway Pundit that was based on the QAnon supporter's tweet. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on Trump's retweets. The CDC's latest regular update to a public statistics page on the pandemic -- there was nothing especially "quiet" about it -- said that for 6% of the deaths included in its statistics, "Covid-19 was the only cause mentioned" on the deceased person's death certificate. That is not at all the same thing as saying only 6% of reported Covid-19 deaths "actually died" from Covid-19. It simply means that the other 94% were listed as having at least one additional factor contributing to their death.
“Protests Dominate Presidential Race as Candidates Visit Battleground States” by WSJ’s Rebecca Ballhaus and Eliza Collins – Issues of racial justice, protests and urban violence have taken center stage in the presidential campaign as President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden enter the final sprint to Election Day. Amid recent unrest in Wisconsin and Oregon sparked by police shootings of Black people, Mr. Trump has accused Democrats of fostering an environment of lawlessness that has led to recent incidents of violence. He has sought to make the November election a referendum on the question: Who will keep the nation safe? Mr. Biden meanwhile has accused the president and his allies of inflaming tensions, focused on racial injustice and police misconduct that catalyzed the protests and sought to align his campaign with peaceful protesters while condemning violence. The debate intensified after a man was shot and killed late Saturday in another night of violent turmoil in Portland, Ore. City police said a caravan of Trump supporters took to the streets and clashed with protesters. Separately, in Kenosha, Wis., a 17-year-old was charged Thursday with six counts including first-degree intentional homicide after prosecutors said he opened fire on protesters, killing two people and wounding another. That followed the police shooting in Kenosha on Aug. 23 of Jacob Blake—a Black man who remains hospitalized and paralyzed—and several nights of violence and destruction of property in that city.
“'Modern-day minstrel show' insult of RNC speakers draws harsh reaction to MSNBC guest host” by Fox News’ Peter Aitken – An MSNBC guest-host turned heads on Sunday when she labeled the Republican National Convention, which featured several Black speakers, a “modern-day minstrel show.” Subbing in for Joy Reid on her Sunday show “AM Reid,” Tiffany D Cross dedicated a portion of her show to commenting on this past week’s RNC. “That was not a Saturday Night Live sketch,” Cross said to start off her piece. After noting that the RNC hosted at least a dozen African American speakers alone, she went on to say "I watched the Republican convention, and seeing the slew of black speakers that they had, it really did look like a modern-day minstrel show to me." The reference to minstrel shows – in which people wore black-face to imitate African Americans in song and dance numbers and variety acts – provided her statement with an uncomfortable tone. As “Newsbusters” contributing editor Mark Finkelstein noted, Cross effectively labeled Sen. Tim Scott and football great Herschel Walker – among others – as “minstrels,” which would almost imply that they were merely pretending to be African American. “Cross, I assure you that none of the BLACK Patriots that were speaking great about President Trump & his accomplishments were not wearing Black-Face!” one user, John E, tweeted in response to the clip. “Well, clearly “they ain’t black” As if people of different races aren’t allowed to have diverse opinions!” another user, Baroness Mom, tweeted, making reference to former Vice President Joe Biden’s comment in an interview with Charlamagne Tha God.
“Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf defends naturalization ceremony that aired during the RNC” by CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez and Chandelis Duster – Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Sunday defended the naturalization ceremony that took place at the White House and was later aired during the Republican National Convention, calling it a "legitimate role for the department to do." "It was an official event by the White House uploaded to a public YouTube channel. Anyone, any individual, organization, or political party can pull down that video and do with it as they wish," Wolf told ABC's Jonathan Karl on "This Week." Wolf also said he was not aware that footage of the ceremony would be aired during the Republican convention -- an act that flexed the powers of the incumbency during the highest-profile political event of the calendar. "No, what I knew is again participating in a naturalization ceremony -- we had a number of USCIS employees there, as they do every naturalization ceremony making sure that that ceremony goes off without a hitch," he said. "They were giving that oath of allegiance to those individuals there. Again, we'll continue to do that because that's our mission at the department." During the convention, the White House was used as a backdrop for other programming, including the immigration naturalization ceremony. Video of President Donald Trump overseeing the naturalization ceremony for five new US citizens at the White House was shown at the convention and later posted to YouTube. Trump emphasized the achievements of each of the citizens, and congratulated them on coming to the country legally. "You followed the rules, you obeyed the laws, you learned your history, embraced our values and proved yourselves to be men and women of the highest integrity," the President told the participants.
“U.S. to Cut Troop Presence in Iraq by About One-Third, Officials Say” by WSJ’s Gordon Lubold and Michael R. Gordon – The Pentagon is cutting the U.S. force in Iraq to about 3,500 troops, U.S. officials said, a roughly one-third reduction that President Trump is expected to tout as progress toward winding down what he has described as endless wars. The U.S. and Iraq refrained from publicly setting a schedule for reducing the approximately 5,200 American troops now in the country when Iraq’s prime minister visited Washington last week. Several American officials said the Pentagon is cutting troop levels by roughly one-third over the next two to three months. That would bring American force levels roughly back to where they were in 2015 when the U.S. was in the early phase of its campaign against Islamic State. The Pentagon confirmed The Wall Street Journal’s report late Friday. “We are reducing troop levels as the Iraqi capability to defeat ISIS remnants and prevent its resurgence improves, said Navy Commander Jessica McNulty, a Pentagon spokeswoman. “Any reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq will be determined through careful coordination with the Government of Iraq, as well as with our Coalition and NATO partners, and calibrated to our shared security interests and progress in the campaign against ISIS.” The Iraqi Embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment. The Pentagon has long-sought to shrink the U.S. footprint in the Middle East as it focuses its efforts on China, even as some military commanders worry about thinning out a force in the region while at the same time maintaining the administration’s so-called maximum pressure campaign against Iran. The troop reduction also comes as clusters of Islamic State fighters remain active in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump-When is Slow Joe Biden going to criticize the Anarchists, Thugs & Agitators in ANTIFA? When is he going to suggest bringing up the National Guard in BADLY RUN & Crime Infested Democrat Cities & States? Remember, he can’t lose the Crazy Bernie Super Liberal vote!
Nancy Pelosi @SpeakerPelosi -President Trump’s fear tactics have one goal: to convince Americans not to exercise their right to vote. Do not listen to him. Do not let him succeed. @thebeatwithari #DontMessWithUSPS
