Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a former presidential opponent of Donald Trump, recently made some television appearances underscoring the very, very narrow win by Republican Troy Balderson in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, whom Donald Trump endorsed.
Pointing to Balderson’s less-than-1-percent advantage over Democrat Danny O’Connor, Kasich made the case that the slim margin was due to Trump’s constant “chaos” which has become a turn-off for moderate suburban women in last Tuesday’s special election.
Trump slapped back at Kasich on Twitter, and Kasich didn’t pause to throw some shade of his own with a laughing Putin gif.
The very unpopular Governor of Ohio (and failed presidential candidate) @JohnKasich hurt Troy Balderson’s recent win by tamping down enthusiasm for an otherwise great candidate. Even Kasich’s Lt. Governor lost Gov. race because of his unpopularity. Credit to Troy on the BIG WIN!
Donald Trump couldn’t resist ranting at NFL players who took a knee during a preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFL players are at it again – taking a knee when they should be standing proudly for the National Anthem. Numerous players, from different teams, wanted to show their “outrage” at something that most of them are unable to define. They make a fortune doing what they love……
…..Be happy, be cool! A football game, that fans are paying soooo much money to watch and enjoy, is no place to protest. Most of that money goes to the players anyway. Find another way to protest. Stand proudly for your National Anthem or be Suspended Without Pay!
The Miami Dolphins’ Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson both knelt during the anthem ahead of their preseason opener game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Miami Herald sports reporter Adam Beasely.
It was a show of solidarity with the ongoing protests against police brutality and racial injustice, launched by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced a ban on the kneeling protests in May, but plans to enforce it were put on hold after the NFL Players Association filed a grievance against the new policy.
Kaepernick applauded the Dolphins players for their protest of “systemic oppression.”
CNN’s Don Lemon clapped back at Donald Trump for the ridiculously racist tweet the Cheeto-in-Chief shared last week about the news anchor and LeBron James.
On August 4, Trump tweeted, “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!”
Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!
LeBron had just opened a school for 240 at-risk kids.
Lemon, who Trump apparently ‘hate watches,’ reacted last night saying:
“Let me not mince words here. This president traffics in racism and is fueled by bullying. President Trump is trying a divide-and-conquer strategy here and here’s how it goes. He divides by race and tries to conquer decency by smearing and besmirching the truth and the people who fight to uphold it. Referring to African-Americans as dumb is one of the oldest canards of America’s racist past and present — that black people are of inferior intelligence.
“Unlike this president who lashes out wildly at anyone who criticizes him, LeBron James — in addition to being a brilliant black man, a superstar in his sport, and a hero to his community — is taking the high road, which is exactly where he belongs.”
“President Trump is trying a divide and conquer strategy. … He divides by race and tries to conquer decency by smearing and besmirching the truth and the people who fight to uphold it.” – CNN’s @DonLemon responds to Trump’s personal attacks on him and LeBron James (@KingJames) pic.twitter.com/fhLrPBjc8S
This is apparently what the President of the United States feels the need to share with the world at what should be long past his bedtime? It’s a disgrace. It’s racist. And it’s the product of petty but dangerous hatreds. I repeat this is the PRESIDENT??!? https://t.co/MA8nZUxFc7
I'd much rather live in a world reflecting the values, philanthropy, and yes intelligence of LeBron James and Don Lemon's intelligent commitment to truth and journalism than the divisive peevishness, lies, and narrow self-interest displayed by the President of the United States.— Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 4, 2018
For Donald Trump, of all people, to insult the intelligence of LeBron James and Don Lemon is as stupid as it is racist. The “stable genius” is a bigoted idiot.
Obama: Kenyan LeBron James: dumb Don Lemon: dumb Maxine Waters: low IQ black countries: shitholes black athletes: SOBs Black workers: lazy Mexicans: rapists Muslims: terrorists Indians: fake Nazis: very fine people
The City Council of very gay West Hollywood has voted unanimously in approving a resolution asking that Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame be removed.
City officials voted on the measure just weeks after Trump’s star, placed in 2007, was obliterated by a vandal wielding a pickax. The tourist site has been vandalized several times since the president took office, and the most recent incident has set off discussions over whether the star should be taken away permanently due to the president’s divisive rhetoric.
The star isn’t in West Hollywood, which has no power over it, but the resolution urges the city of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to take action.
“Getting a star is a privilege; it’s not a right,” West Hollywood’s Mayor Pro Tempore John D’Amico, who jointly put forth the resolution, said at a City Council meeting on Monday. “You have no right to a star on Hollywood [Boulevard] just because you’re famous.”
Don’t hold your breath for the removal, though.
Last month, then-president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Leron Gubler, told The Hollywood Reporter, “Once a star has been added to the walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Because of this, we have never removed a star from the walk.”
You may remember that when the story broke about Don Trump Jr. meeting with a Russian government attorney at Trump Tower during the 2016 elections, Donald Trump described the meeting as a short introductory meeting discussing a program about the adoption of Russian children that was popular with American families years ago but had been stopped by the Russian government.
Trump Jr. said the meeting was not campaign-related in any way.
And then his emails were made public and the world found out he’d lied.
Sunday morning, the president confirmed (seemingly by accident) that Junior’s meeting was, in fact, a confab about getting dirt from Russian agents about Hillary Clinton, which, by the way, is illegal.
Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics – and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!
We are going to be hearing about this tweet a whole lot for a long time. As well as whatever insane nonsense Rudy comes up with to explain it. https://t.co/4UlhnAPYhz
Donald Trump lies about being late to meet the Queen of England
At last night’s rally for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, the Trumpster claimed that the ‘fake news’ erroneously reported he had been 12 minutes late for his meeting with Queen Elizabeth, despite the fact that news cameras captured the monarch waiting for the president to arrive.
“I landed and I’m on the ground and I’m waiting with the king’s and the queen’s guards. I’m waiting. I was about 15 minutes early and I’m waiting with my wife and that’s fine. Hey, it’s the queen, right? We can wait. But I’m a little early.
“So I then go up and meet the queen and she is fantastic. We then go up and we have tea. And I didn’t know this it was supposed to last for 15 minutes but it lasted for like an hour because we got along. We got along!
“So here’s the story by the fake news. ‘The president was 15 minutes late for the Queen!’ Wrong.”
Trying to do his job last night at a Trump rally, the Donald’s followers stood behind the CNN journalist chanting “CNN sucks!” and giving rude gestures.
Childish and idiotic.
And one of these Trumper fools is going to hurt a journalist soon, mark my words.
WATCH: Supporters of President Trump Chant ‘CNN Sucks’ During Jim Acosta’s Live Spot at Florida Rally pic.twitter.com/2fwQQRVsQf
Acosta, who is an absolute pro by the way, responded to the attacks via Twitter writing, “Just a sample of the sad scene we faced at the Trump rally in Tampa. I’m very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy.”
Just a sample of the sad scene we faced at the Trump rally in Tampa. I’m very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy. pic.twitter.com/IhSRw5Ui3R
Mind you, these are the same people who cheered when Donald Trump erroneously told the crowd you have to have an ID to buy groceries (you don’t) in an attempt to justify voter ID laws that target minorities disproportionately.
Donald Trump threatens to shut down federal government over “wall funding”
Remember all during the 2016 presidential campaign Donald Trump’s promises of building a wall along the U.S. southern border and Mexico would pay for it?
Over and over he told his followers how “easy” it would be to get the Mexican government to pay for ‘the wall.’
Not sure whatever happened to that plan because now the Trumpster is threatening to shut down the federal government if Democrats in Congress don’t vote to give him tens of billions of dollars to build ‘the wall.’
This morning, Trump tweeted, “I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!”
I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!
Pro tip on who’s responsible if government shuts down this fall: (a) Republicans control House (b) Republicans control Senate (c) Republican President just told you he wants to shut down the government in the fall
Oh please do shutdown the GOP controlled Congress right before the midterms…Im begging you. Please Please please!!!
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) July 29, 2018
.@SenRonJohnson reacts to @realDonaldTrump threatening government shutdown over border wall funding: I don’t like playing shutdown politics… I don’t think it would be helpful so let’s try to avoid it. pic.twitter.com/Ok9pBledUv
“A shutdown falls on the President’s lack of leadership. He can’t even control his party and get people together in a room. A shutdown means the President is weak”
-Donald Trump 2013— md (@MelissaDonell) July 29, 2018
It was one year ago today that Donald Trump tweeted his intention to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces.
Now, the Trump administration seems to be turning his attention to HIV positive service members.
A February 14 Department of Defense memo announced a new “Deploy or Get Out!” policy which goes into effect on October 1.
The new policy orders the Pentagon to discharge those service members who are unable to be deployed outside the U.S. for more than a year. According to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the point was to ensure “readiness” within the U.S. military.
But an existing DOD policy dating back to the height of the AIDS epidemic prohibits HIV+ service members from being deployed overseas. Therefore, the new guidance would appear to make it impossible to serve their country.
HIV+ folks are prohibited from enlisting in the Armed Forces. Soldiers who are already serving but later seroconvert are allowed to stay in the military, but cannot be deployed in combat or overseas.
Two soldiers have filed separate lawsuits – Doe v. Mattis and Harrison v. Mattis – hoping to stop the new policy from going into effect.
Forty-one-year old Sgt. Nick Harrison is afraid his life would be dramatically affected by the new policy.
Sgt. Harrison hopes to make a difference for other members of the Armed Forces. He isn’t being secretive about his identity, either. Harrison was deployed to both Afghanistan and Kuwait, but was diagnosed with HIV shortly after returning home from Kuwait in 2012. “This case is not just about me,” Harrison said. “This is about every person living with HIV knowing that they can perform any job in the world, including serving in the military. Together, we must stop the Pentagon from closing its doors to successful and talented service members. I look forward to the day that I can serve my country to the full extent of my abilities, based on my performance and unfettered by unfounded fears and misperceptions about HIV.”
Harrison also claims that the military’s policy wrongfully blocked him from ascending to Judge Advocate General officer of the D.C. National Guard, reports Bloomberg, because members living with HIV also cannot achieve officer status.
Scott Schoettes, Counsel and HIV Project Director at Lambda Legal, issued this statement regarding the discriminatory policy:
“Soldiers, sailors, fighter pilots and marines are seeing their promising careers cut short, their dreams of service shattered and their health jeopardized due to antiquated notions about HIV and the stigma that results. This must end. If the court doesn’t intervene, the Trump administration will continue to discharge more promising service members living with HIV, denying them the ability to continue serving their country. Every day, people living with HIV are suffering professional setbacks and losing out on career advancement opportunities, and we are asking this court to put an end to these harmful actions.”
According to HIVPlusMag, approximately 1,200 service members could be affected by the policy change.
As Donald Trump accepted the nomination as the Republican candidate for president in 2016 at the Republican National Convention, he surprised many by including LGBTQ Americans in his speech.
In a halting, awkward cadence which made clear he had never uttered the phrase “L-G-B-T-Q” in his life, Trump promised to “do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens.”
Now, in his new book The Briefing: Politics, The Press, and The President, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer shares how Team Trump was focused on a step-by-step plan to woo anti-Trump delegates – the “Never Trumpers” – who had signed a petition prior to the Republican convention.
People.com, which obtained a copy of Spicer’s book in advance of it’s release, shares the details of how the Trump campaign dismantled the “Never Trumpers” and added that one sentence to Trump’s speech as what People calls “nothing more than empty payback for a political favor.”
Spicer recalls the process saying, “[Trump campaign chairman Paul] Manafort and his lieutenants went one by one down the list of people who had signed the petition and persuaded them to remove their signatures.”
Manafort and his cohorts apparently used all kinds of methods to pick off their targets which Spicer describes as “alternating between carrot and stick and sometimes bat, even, at one point, conveniently making the convention’s parliamentarian unavailable to keep the opposition from formally submitting their petition.”
Finally, there was one last delegate left to convert to Trump Land – Washington, D.C. delegate Robert Sinners. Sinners, it seems, wanted the Trumpster to support LGBT rights.
Senior Trump communications advisor Jason Miller, who would later resign from Team Trump over a sordid sex scandal, was sent to do the deal.
“Jason assured Sinners that Trump would be the most ‘inclusive’ candidate the Republican Party ever had,” Spicer writes.
“This is your moment, Robert,” Miller told Sinners, according to the book. “You can deliver this.”
Sinners then reportedly signed “a form that officially removed his name from the petition,” and the deal was done.
“Jason told Sinners Donald Trump’s acceptance speech would acknowledge the LGBT[Q] community, which no other Republican acceptance speech had done,” Spicer writes. “And it did.”
And so it came to be that in July 2016 at the Republican National Convention, speaking about the 49 victims of the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Donald Trump said, “As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.”
He would go on to say at campaign rallies that he would be “much better for the gays” than Hillary Clinton.
He even tweeted about his loyalty to our community.
Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.
Of course, the sad facts are Trump has been the worst president in modern history in terms of LGBTQ rights.
The Trump administration has, among many things, announced policies that would kick 1,200 HIV+ military service members out just because of their HIV status; deny transgender Americans the ability to serve in the military; has failed to acknowledge Pride Month two years in a row; reversed course on Obama-era guidance that protected transgender people in the workplace; and shown support for anti-gay baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake Shop which discriminated against a gay couple seeking a cake for their wedding celebration.
According to The Hill, the ACLU has called Trump “the most anti-LGBT administration in at least a generation.”
Watch below as People recaps Donald Trump’s faux ‘support’ for the LGBTQ community.
