Tag: Donald Trump

Posted on

Trump Calls On Countries To Ban Twitter And Facebook

Donald Trump

Donald Trump issued a statement today praising the nation of Nigeria (which he once called a ‘shit hole’) for banning Twitter after the social media company banned the country’s president. In the same breath he called on more countries to ban both Twitter and Facebook because he’s still butt hurt over being banned from the platforms. His current bans are a result of his being held accountable for the violent invasion of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6. Apparently still inhabiting Earth 2, Trump ponders if he should have banned the two social media platforms while in the White House – except, of course, he didn’t have that power.

Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their President. More COUNTRIES should ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech—all voices should be heard.

In the meantime, competitors will emerge and take hold. Who are they to dictate good and evil if they themselves are evil?

Perhaps I should have done it while I was President. But Zuckerberg kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was. 2024?

Posted on

News Round-Up: June 3, 2021

Initial unemployment claims dropped below 400K for the first time since pandemic began

Initial unemployment claims dropped below 400K for the first time since pandemic began Some news items you might have missed: • CNBC: The labor market continues to improve as initial jobless claims fell to 385,000 last week. The last time claims were lower was the week of March 14, 2020, with 256,000. The number spiked to nearly 3 million the following week and peaked at more than 6.1 million in early April as governments across the U.S. shut down businesses in an effort to slow the coronavirus spread. • Instinct Magazine: In honor of Pride month, the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will stream for one week only Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City The Musical. The 2011 show will stream at Broadway On Demand’s National Theater Network. • Edge Media: A viral video about a 73-year-old man coming out and being celebrated by his neighbor has taken the internet by storm. “My dad’s neighbour just came out as gay at 73!” reads the video’s caption. “His family aren’t supportive. So Dad did this to show him he is not alone.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CPlDYz8DR0e/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • Washington Post: U.S. prosecutors this week put a price tag for the first time on damage to the U.S. Capitol from the Jan. 6 breach — $1.5 million so far — and are asking defendants to cover some of that in plea offers. Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington are seeking to require restitution of $2,000 in each felony case and $500 in each misdemeanor case. • Delusional: Writing for the National Review, Charles Cooke reports, “Donald Trump does indeed believe quite genuinely that he — along with former senators David Perdue and Martha McSally — will be ‘reinstated’ to office this summer after “audits” of the 2020 elections in Arizona, Georgia, and a handful of other states have been completed. • Twitter: The U.S. Embassy at the Vatican is flying the rainbow flag for Pride Month and a host of Republican politicians, religious right leaders, and far right media figures are losing their minds that the government would promote tolerance.

Posted on

News Round-Up: June 2, 2021

Anthony Varrecchia (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Artist and fitness professional Anthony Varrecchia (above) does the honors in heading up this Hump Day round-up all the way from Key West where he’s enjoying the mood at Island House. Follow him on Instagram here. #woof • HuffPost: On the first day of Pride Month 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill barring transgender females from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes born as girls, plunging the state into the national culture war over transgender rights. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Our veteran NYC-based blogger puts the spotlight on this oh-so-adorbs veterinarian in his ‘Morning Wood’ feature. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNaW43HhWnX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • Yahoo News: Democrat Melanie Stansbury defeated her Republican opponent Mark Moores in the special election to represent New Mexico’s 1st congressional district, a House seat vacated when Deb Haaland was confirmed as President Biden’s Interior secretary. • Politico: The firm that owns the National Enquirer has agreed to pay $187,500 to the Federal Election Commission to settle complaints that it unlawfully aided Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 by suppressing the story of an actress who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump. • The Daily Beast: Donald Trump’s blog – “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump” – was met with a collective shrug from the public, and is being shut down after just 29 days. Senior Trump aide Jason Miller says the blog has been scuttled and “will not be returning.”

Posted on

Giuliani: ‘No Reasonable Listener’ Would Have Taken ‘Trial By Combat’ Speech Literally

Rudy Giuliani at Trump press conference (screen capture)
Responding to a lawsuit filed by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) that alleges the incitement of the riot at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, Rudy Giuliani says his speech to Trump supporters to engage in ‘trial by combat’ was “clearly” hyperbole. From the New York Daily News:

President Trump’s former personal lawyer Thursday asserted his fiery speech was “clearly hyperbolic” and claims that “no reasonable listener” would take it literally, even though that’s exactly what the violent crowd of thousands did.

“The statement was clearly hyperbolic and not literal,” the filing said. “And even if it were to be perceived literally, Giuliani was clearly referring to an event in the future after evidence of election fraud is collected.”

CNBC also reports on a second lawsuit brought by Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and 10 other House Democrats, which accuses Giuliani, Donald Trump, and extremist groups the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys and Warboys, of violating the federal Ku Klux Klan Act on Jan. 6 by firing up the MAGA cultists to stop Congress from confirming President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Separate motions to dismiss the suit on Thursday argued that Trump’s and Giuliani’s remarks at a pre-riot rally near the Capitol were protected under the First Amendment. Trump and Giuliani have asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit saying they were just exercising free speech.

Posted on

Grand Jury Convened To Consider Indictments Against Trump

Donald Trump
The New York City prosecutor overseeing a criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s business practices before he became president has convened a grand jury to consider evidence. From the Washington Post:

Manhattan’s district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself should prosecutors present the panel with criminal charges, according to two people familiar with the development.

The move indicates that District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.’s investigation of the former president and his business has reached an advanced stage after more than two years. It suggests, too, that Vance believes he has found evidence of a crime — if not by Trump then by someone potentially close to him or by his company.

Posted on

Survey: 54% Of Republicans Believe Capitol Invasion Was “Led By Left-Wingers To Make Trump Look Bad”

A new survey from Ipsos Polls shows 54% of Republican respondents believe the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol building was “led by violent left-wing protesters trying to make Trump look bad.” I’m guessing those are the same people who believe the COVID-19 pandemic was all staged to “make Trump look bad.” You have to wonder if those conservatives are genuinely delusional or if they just decided to lie to pollsters? More from the poll: • 59% of all respondents feel Donald Trump should not run for president again, only 31% support his running again • 33% feel Trump was not responsible for the Capitol riot while 58% believe he bears some responsibility • 30% of Republicans feel confident that absentee or mail-in ballots were accurately counted, compared to 86% of Democrats and 55% of independents Check out the full results of the survey here.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

Posted on

News Round-Up: May 5, 2021

LGBTQ streaming platform is launching a new queer-centric news show Culture Q

LGBTQ streaming platform is launching a new queer-centric news show Culture Q
LGBTQ streaming platform Revry is launching a queer-centric news show ‘Culture Q’
Some news items you might have missed: • Revry: On May 6th, global LGBTQ TV network, Revry, will premiere it’s first original weekly news program CULTURE Q, an innovative entertainment, pop culture, lifestyle and politics news series. Emphasizing the queer milieu, CULTURE Q stands to be the leading, weekly forum for boundary-pushing LGBTQ discussions and commentary. • OUT: A gay man in Latvia was reportedly set on fire by a homophobic neighbor and died from the burn wounds that covered over 85% of his body. The man and his roommate had reported the numerous threats they received from their neighbor to police, but to no avail. • Pink News: Patrick O’Connell, a venerable AIDS activist who sought to smash stigma by creating awareness campaigns including the iconic red ribbon, has died. According to his brother, Barry, O’Connell passed away at age 67 of AIDS-related causes. RIP Patrick O’Connell.

• Billboard Music Awards: P!nk will be honored with Billboard’s ICON Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards on May 23. The pop star will join the pantheon of previous honorees Garth Brooks, Cher, Neil Diamond, Céline Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. • New York Daily News: Baseball fans can get free tickets to a Yankees or Mets game if they get vaccinated against COVID at either of the team’s facilities, Gov. Cuomo announced on Wednesday. The doses available outside Citi Field and Yankee Stadium will be the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. • Fox News: After months of being banned from social media services like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, ‘former guy’ Donald Trump has launched a “communications platform,” which will eventually give him the ability to communicate directly with his followers. The platform, “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump” is part of Trump’s official website. Folks, it’s a blog.

Posted on

Facebook Oversight Board Says Trump Ban Will Remain (For Now)

Donald Trump

Donald Trump (image: public domain)
The Facebook Oversight Board (made up of lawyers, activists and journalists) announced its decision this morning to uphold the ban of ‘former guy’ Donald Trump from the social media platform. From the New York Times:

Facebook’s Oversight Board, which acts as a quasi-court over the company’s content decisions, said the social network was right to bar Mr. Trump after the insurrection in Washington in January, saying he “created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible.” The panel said the ongoing risk of violence “justified” the move.

But the board also said that an indefinite suspension was “not appropriate,” and that the company should apply a “defined penalty.” The board gave Facebook six months to make its final decision on Mr. Trump’s account status.

Sifting through Twitter, it seems most folks were very surprised Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the decision. Trump released a statement calling the decision a “total disgrace.” “What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our Country,” read Trump’s statement. “Free Speech has been taken away from the President of the United States because the Radical Left Lunatics are afraid of the truth, but the truth will come out anyway, bigger and stronger than ever before.”

Posted on

News Round-Up: March 30, 2021

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) speaks to reporters (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • New York Times: GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida (above) is being investigated by the Justice Department over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him. Investigators are examining whether Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws. Gaetz told Axios today that he has been “generous as a partner.” • Kenneth-in-the-212: The ‘Morning Wood’ series on KIT212 is always worth the click. Eye-candy is good for the soul 🙂 • American Greatness: The right wing site calls out Donald Trump’s post-election fund raising which continues to rake in huge piles of cash, but very little of that money has gone toward the causes for which donors believe they are giving. • Instagram: BMX pro Corey Walsh has become one of the few professional bikers to come out as gay. In a touching post, he shared how he’s struggled for years with his sexuality. p.s. his family and friends have apparently been awesome.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CNAkMW2hw0a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • CNN: Major Biden, the first rescue dog to live in the White House, has had another small ‘nipping’ incident while out on the White House South Lawn. #PoorDoggie • BroadwayWorld: The Drama League has announced the 2021 Nominees for The 87th Annual Drama League Awards. This year the organization has established five unique categories to honor the extraordinary achievements of artists across the nation who created digital and socially-distanced theatrical productions during this challenging year of suspension for live arts. • Logo: Emmy-winning actor and activist Billy Porter has returned for the third year in a row to deliver Logo’s 2021 LGBTQ State of the Union, a rousing speech assessing the status of LGBTQ acceptance and equality in the United States. Needless to say, a lot has changed in the past year. Between the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the nation’s new presidential administration, Porter had plenty of ground to cover.

Posted on

Televangelist: God Says Trump Won & We’ll Find Out In April

Televangelist Nathan French

Televangelist Nathan French
Televangelist Nathan French (image via official FB)
Televangelist Nathan French announced on Elijah Steam’s YouTube show Friday that he’s certain Donald Trump really won ‘in a landslide’ and we’re all going to know it soon because ‘God’s about to lay it bare. Via Right Wing Watch:

“I said he was gonna win big, and he didn’t win, and the Lord says, ‘Yes, he did.’ He actually won with a landslide victory, and a lot of people don’t get that. They tried to steal the election, and it’s not gonna work. God’s about to lay it bare.

“I think we’re gonna find out in April. I think everything’s gonna change. I see a shift coming. People are waiting to see when is the God of justice gonna step in.

“You’re already seeing some of the things on the news, and I don’t want to get into too much of that because there’s certain things I can’t really say. There’s a lot of stuff that I know that certain things are timed, but I do know that there’s a lot more to come. I’m really excited because I know not only is Trump coming back, but it’s gonna be incredible how God finishes what he began.”