Category: News

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60% Of Trump Supporters Say Rioters Hurt Democracy

Trump supporters say the insurrectionists undermined democracy
Donald Trump speaks at the White House (photo: public domain)
A majority of Trump supporters say the individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week were undermining U.S. democracy rather than protecting it. From the Quinnipiac University poll: • 62% of respondents who voted for Trump said the rioters were undermining democracy, 19 % said they were protecting it • 80% said the rioters were undermining democracy, 10% said they were protecting it • 56% of voters say they hold Donald Trump responsible for the storming of the U.S. Capitol, while 42 percent say they do not hold him responsible • 52% of voters say Trump should be removed from office, 45% disagree; 53% also say he should resign as president, 43% disagree • 84% of Trump voters said there was widespread voter fraud, even though there is no evidence to support those claims • 8 in 10 Trump supporters said they approve of how the president is handling his job, 10% said they disapprove, 10% had no opinion • Among registered voters overall, however, 60% disapprove of the job Trump is doing while 33% approve of Trump’s performance (which ties his all-time low) • 45% of voters say Trump is mentally stable, while 48% say he is not mentally stable

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News Round-Up: January 11, 2021

Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. (images via social media)
Some news items you might have missed: • NY Times: Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. (above) was charged with threatening Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, after he traveled to Washington for the pro-Trump rally on Wednesday and sent a text message saying he would put “a bullet in her noggin on Live TV.” Meredith had been staying at a Holiday Inn in Washington and had weapons in his camper-style trailer, including a Glock handgun, a pistol, a Tavor X95 assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. • Instinct Magazine: A reboot of Sex and the City is officially a go on HBO Max. Titled And Just Like That… the show will star Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw), Cynthia Nixon (Miranda Hobbes) and Kristin Davis (Charlotte York Goldenblatt). Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones in the original series, will not be returning.
The stars of the upcoming reboot of Sex and the City
A scene from Sex and the City
• OUT: Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans confirmed that he has split from his art director boyfriend Rafael Olarra. He also opened up about his desire to start a family, and said that maybe the time is right to start a family on his own. • Newsweek: An insurrectionist photographed hanging from the balcony of the Senate Chamber has begged for forgiveness, saying he got “caught up in the moment.” Josiah Colt, from Boise, Idaho, said his actions had been inappropriate and that he had not intended to “stain on our great Country’s Democratic process.” Colt took to social media to brag about his rampage through the Capitol.

• Washington Post: The organizers of the PGA Championship canceled plans to hold the event at President Trump’s Bedminster, N.J., golf club in 2022 in the wake of last week’s Trump-inspired riot at the U.S. Capitol. • CNN: Two Capitol Police officers have been suspended and another person has been arrested for their alleged involvement in the riot on Jan. 6, said Rep. Tim Ryan, who is chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee handling the investigation into the police response to the Capitol attack last week. “One was the selfie officer and another was an officer that put a MAGA hat on that started directing some people around,” the lawmaker said.

A Capitol Police officer takes a selfie with an insurrectionist during the invasion of the U.S. Capitol
Capitol Police officer takes selfie during invasion of U.S. Capitol
• Miami Herald: Adam Christian Johnson, the man captured in viral photo carrying Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern from House chambers during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, has been arrested. He has been charged for numerous offenses including one count of theft of government property. • Fox News: In a rather odd exchange, Trump campaign national press secretary Hogan Gidley was asked by Fox anchor Bill Hemmer if Donald Trump feels “emasculated” after being kicked off social media. Gidley answered: “I wouldn’t say emasculated. The most masculine person I think to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States.” #OhReally?

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Golfer Justin Thomas Apologizes For ‘Fa**ot’ Remark

Justin Thomas apologizes after using word 'faggot' during Tournament of Champions
Justin Thomas apologizes after using word 'faggot' during Tournament of Champions
Pro golfer Justin Thomas (screen capture)

Justin Thomas, currently the #3 pro golfer in the world, was apparently surprised to learn that television cameras caught him using a homophobic slur after missing a putt at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Saturday.

Thomas was attempting a five-foot putt at the fourth hole when his shot went astray. He could clearly be heard saying “faggot” in frustration.

The Golf Channel spoke to a clearly chagrined Thomas about the remark and he expressed his regret for using the word.

“It’s inexcusable – first off I just apologize,” said Thomas. “There’s no excuse. I’m an adult, a grown man. There’s absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It’s terrible. I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am. It’s not the kind of person that I am. Unfortunately I did it and I have to own up to it.”

“I found out when I got done with my round…it’s bad,” he added. “There’s no other way to put it. I need to do better.”

“I deeply apologize to everybody and anybody who I offended and I’ll be better because of it.”

Thomas expanded on those thoughts speaking to NBC Golf after finishing third on Sunday.

“I wish that I could learn to grow a different way than the way that I chose to do it, but unfortunately it’s in the past and there’s nothing I can do about it now,” said the 27-year-old.

“It definitely was a distraction out there today. But now I just get to take time going forward and try to become better because of it.”

Thomas banked a $490,000 payday for his third place finish. Some on social media defended Thomas’s use of the slur:

But others wondered why it was this particular word that Thomas used. It wasn’t f*ck, sh*t, dammit, dang it, or a host of other terms. It was a homophobic slur. That he didn’t even notice he used until it was pointed out.

What do you think, readers? Big deal? Little deal? You may recall longtime sportscaster Thom Brennaman lost his job last September using a similar slur. Thoughts on why a homophobic slur came out of Justin Thomas’s mouth versus a host of other swear words? And why do so many dismiss the use of the word ‘faggot’ as being nothing to get upset about? Would it have been different if he’d used the N-word?

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House Dems Introduce Article Of Impeachment

Donald Trump

House Democrats have introduced an article of impeachment regarding Donald Trump's incitement of violence at the U.S. Capitol building
Donald Trump (photo: White House/public domain)
From the New York Times:

House Democrats on Monday introduced an article of impeachment against President Trump for inciting a mob that attacked the Capitol last week, vowing to press the charge as Republicans blocked a separate move to formally call on Vice President Mike Pence to strip him of power under the 25th Amendment.

The dual actions came as Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her caucus sought to ratchet up pressure on Mr. Pence to intervene and push Mr. Trump to resign. If they did not, the Democrats promised immediate consequences for Mr. Trump’s role in an attack that put the lives of the vice president, members of Congress and thousands of staff working on Capitol Hill at risk as officials met to formalize President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory.

“The president’s threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action,” Ms. Pelosi said on Monday.

The article of impeachment calls out Trump specifically for “incitement of insurrection.” Trump’s own former toadie, Chris Christie, told ABC News on Sunday he believes Trump definitely committed an impeachable offense. You can read the article of impeachment at the New York Times. A House vote on the single article of impeachment could come as early as Wednesday. While most of us watched the events at the Capitol unfold via live news streams, since that time much more video and photographic evidence has been made available which illustrates the breadth of the violent insurrection. Check out this report from NowThis News.

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Insurrectionist Loses It When Informed He’s On No-Fly List

Insurrectionist loses his shit when told he's on 'No-Fly' list and can't board his plane

Insurrection no fly list UPDATE: USA Today has fact-checked this and determined the man in the video was asked to deplane for violating the airline’s mask requirement, not because he was on a no-fly list.

In the aftermath of the insurrectionist violence perpetrated on the U.S. Capitol this past week, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued a statement asking the TSA and FBI add all identified individuals involved in the attack to the federal No-Fly list and keep them off planes. In the video below, it looks like one of the ‘identified individuals’ had just been informed he was not going to flying the friendly skies any time soon. Says the invasion participant: “[Unintelligible] every single one of you! That’s what they do to us! They kicked me off a plane and called me a fucking terrorist! They want to fucking ruin my life!” No doll, you did that yourself. Actions have consequences. As one commenter wrote, it’s amazing that “they thought they could fly to DC, sleep in a hotel, stage a riot/insurrection, go back to the hotel, drink in the bar, sleep overnight, then fly back home – like it was no different than a trip to Comic-Con.” The hashtag #NoFlyList began trending shortly after this hit the Twitterverse. I’ve added a few more of the ‘fine people’ who found themselves banned thanks to their own actions.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger On Trump: ‘I Know Where Such Lies Lead’

Arnold Schwarzenegger compares Trump supporters to Nazis in Twitter message

Arnold Schwarzenegger compares Trump supporters to Nazis in Twitter message
Arnold Schwarzenegger (screen capture)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, movie star and former Republican Governor of California, did not hold back in a recent video message posted to Twitter that compares the recent invasion of the U.S. Capitol to the violent 1938 attack on Jews known as the “Night of Broken Glass” in his native country Austria. “I grew up in a country that suffered from the loss of its democracy,” said Schwarzenegger after noting that the 1938 violence was perpetrated by a “Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys.” The 73-year-old former politician shared that he grew up knowing people who weren’t Nazis or anti-Semites but who “just went along” with the violence. That included his own father who he admitted would come home drunk and beat him and his mother, like other neighborhood men who were “in emotional pain for what they saw or did.” “It all started with lies, lies, lies and intolerance,” he continued. “Being from Europe I’ve seen firsthand how bad things can spin out of control.” “He sought a coup by misleading people with lies,” he said. “I know where such lies lead.” He also declared that Donald Trump would go down as the “worse president” in history.

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Chris Christie: Trump Committed Impeachable Offenses

Former Gov. Chris Christie says he believes Donald Trump's actions on the day of the Capitol invasion constitute an impeachable offense

Former Gov. Chris Christie says he believes Donald Trump's actions on the day of the Capitol invasion constitute an impeachable offenses
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (screen capture)
Impeachable offenses? Chris Christie thinks so. The former Republican governor of New Jersey told ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos that he believes Donald Trump’s actions and statements to his followers prior to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol building constitute “impeachable offenses.” “If inciting to insurrection isn’t, then I don’t really know what is,” said Christie. “What we had was an incitement to riot at the United States Capitol. We have people killed, and to me there’s not a whole lot of question here.” The former Trump supporter also called out the White House for not flying the U.S. flag at half mast in honor of the Capitol Police officer who was killed in the riots.

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News Round-Up: January 9, 2021

Trump supporter accidentally tasered himself in the balls triggering a fatal heart attack during the invasion of the U.S. Capitol

Trump supporter accidentally tasered himself in the balls triggering a fatal heart attack during the invasion of the U.S. Capitol
Kevin Greeson (image via Parler)
Some news items you might have missed: • Snopes: The venerable fact-checking site says there’s no truth to the rumors that a Trump supporter tasered himself in the balls causing a heart attack. Kevin Greeson (above) has been confirmed as one of the five people who died during the invasion of the U.S. Capitol, but his wife said he did not have a taser. • New York Times: House Democrats intend to introduce articles of impeachment against Donald Trump for his role in the insurrection against Congress if he refuses to resign. • Deadline: The final show featuring longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek aired Friday, and a special tribute at the end of it captures everything that audiences loved about the man. In a video montage, Trebek jokes, banters with contestants, and generally delivers the same warm, naturally smooth, humble and reassuring presence that guided his performances through 36 years.

• Wall Street Journal: White House officials pushed Atlanta’s top federal prosecutor to resign before Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoffs because Donald Trump was upset he wasn’t doing enough to investigate the president’s unproven claims of election fraud. A senior Justice Department official, at the behest of the White House, called Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak and told him he needed to step down because he wasn’t pursuing vote-fraud allegations to Mr. Trump’s satisfaction. • Business Insider: Top aides have said Trump has been spiraling out of control for weeks, but now he’s directed much of his ire toward his heretofore loyal vice president. A source told The Wall Street Journal that the president was furious, telling Pence: “I don’t want to be your friend — I want you to be the vice president.” • Billboard: Taylor Swift’s Folklore finishes 2020 as the top-selling album of the year in the U.S., and the only album to sell at least a million copies during the year, according to MRC Data. Plus, the superstar has now claimed the top-selling album of the year five times — becoming the first act to earn the honor.

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West Virginia Lawmaker Resigns Facing Federal Charges For Capitol Invasion

West Virginia lawmaker resigns after taking part in Capitol invasion

West Virginia lawmaker resigns after taking part in Capitol invasion
Derrick Evans (photo: West Virginia legislature)
A West Virginia lawmaker resigns as he faces federal charges for taking part in the invasion of the U.S. Capitol this week. Derrick Evans, who was recently sworn in as a member of West Virginia’s House of Delegates, has resigned in a short statement. “I hereby resign as a member of the House of Delegates, effective immediately,” Evans wrote in a one-page letter. From the Justice Department:

Derrick Evans, 35, of West Virginia, was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds. Evans was taken into custody Friday.

It is alleged that on Jan. 6, 2021, Evans, a recently elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, streamed live to his Facebook page a video of himself joining and encouraging a crowd unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol. In the video, Evans is allegedly seen crossing the threshold of the doorway into the U.S. Capitol and shouting, “We’re in, we’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”

Initially, Evans denied the allegations that he was part of the violent mob that broke into the Capitol building, but his own video footage shows differently. As late as Friday, Evans told the press that would not resign. The House released a lengthier statement from Evans that expressed regret for his actions.

“I take full responsibility for my actions, and deeply regret any hurt, pain or embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends, constituents and fellow West Virginians.

“I hope this action I take today can remove any cloud of distraction from the state Legislature, so my colleagues can get to work in earnest building a brighter future for our state. And more importantly, I hope it helps to begin the healing process, so we can all move forward and come together as ‘One Nation, Under God.’”

Five people died during the riot including a Capitol Police officer. Think about all the time and effort he put into running for office, all the people who worked on his behalf and donated money, all so he could go act like a fool and piss it all away.

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Video: When Blue Lives Stopped Mattering To The Trump Crowd

Police officer crushed in doorway at U.S. Capitol

When blue lives suddenly stopped mattering at U.S. Capitol
(screen capture)
I don’t need to add much commentary here except to remind folks that Trumpers claim to be ‘the party of law and order.’ The footage was taken during the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. In the clip, one Capitol Police officer is being crushed in a doorway amid masses of people. At one point you can see one of the insurrectionists reach up and rip away the officer’s mask while he was wedged in, screaming in pain. When the camera pans back to the officer, he is maskless and bloodied, screaming for help. And suddenly, blue lives stopped mattering.

The video footage was captured by investigative outlet Status Coup.