LGBTQ news and entertainment
Donald Trump speaks at the White House (photo: public domain)
74% of voters say democracy in the U.S. is under threat; 52% say #PresidentTrump should be removed from office https://t.co/GDPaQFhNvx
— Quinnipiac University Poll (@QuinnipiacPoll) January 11, 2021
Donald Trump (photo: White House/public domain)
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.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (screen capture)
Chris Christie tells @GStephanopoulos Trump’s incitement of Capitol siege is an impeachable offense: “If inciting to insurrection isn’t, then I don’t really know what is.” https://t.co/FnD9YSf2TE pic.twitter.com/rONPP8C0x3
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 10, 2021
A case of ‘a little too late,’ but Twitter just announced it has permanently suspended Donald Trump’s Twitter account.
After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.
In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action. Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly. It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open.
However, we made it clear going back years that these accounts are not above our rules entirely and cannot use Twitter to incite violence, among other things. We will continue to be transparent around our policies and their enforcement. Twitter locked Trump’s account for 12 hours over inflammatory tweets on Wednesday evening, but gave him back the keys. Earlier today, Axios reported that Twitter had suspended the accounts of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and President Trump’s lawyer Sidney Powell on Friday for breaking the platform’s “Coordinated Harmful Activity” policy.
Donald Trump (image via public domain/White House)
The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise in that he took 61 days to barely concede he lost the election. Vice President Mike Pence has indicated he will attend the swearing-in ceremony but an administration official told the New York Times he hasn’t received an official invitation yet. The Times also notes that only 3 presidents have declined to attend their successor’s inauguration: “John Adams in 1801, his son John Quincy Adams in 1829 and Andrew Johnson, a Democrat who sat out the 1869 inauguration after he was replaced in favor of fellow Republican Ulysses S. Grant.”
Donald Trump (screen capture)
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021
This is Trump’s “please don’t impeach me (again)” speech! Obviously he didn’t write it and doesn’t believe anything that he just said, but at least he said this election is OVER and that he will be leaving office. Thanks to whoever wrote the speech!
— MURRAY🧢🇺🇸 (@murray_nyc) January 8, 2021
You should have said this yesterday instead of telling the mob of rioters carrying Confederate and Trump flags that you love them.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) January 8, 2021
Pence deployed the National Guard — not you. You refused. You wanted this.. You planned this.
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) January 8, 2021
Trump in new WH produced video calls for “healing” and offers to help with transition to next admin, adding “tempers must be cooled.” (Trump had weeks to send this message but instead incited a riot Wednesday. He doesn’t take responsibility or apologize for his action in video)
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 8, 2021
Donald Trump (image: public domain)
We believe the risks of allowing President Trump to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great, so we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks. pic.twitter.com/JkyGOTYB1Z
— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) January 7, 2021
After hours of violent insurrection by mobs of MAGA cultists, Donald Trump asked his cultists who violently breached the U.S. Capitol to go home while still pushing his baseless claims of election fraud.
I know your pain. I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election. And everyone knows it. Especially the other side.
But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt.
It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this, where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us. From me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election. But we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace.
So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace.
As you can see, Twitter tagged the video for its “disputed claim of voter fraud.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
BREAKING: President-elect Joe Biden: “At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault.”
“I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward.” https://t.co/EzJJ0Rqggf pic.twitter.com/JvOTEiRWmw — ABC News (@ABC) January 6, 2021
L-R Donald Trump, VP Mike Pence (image: public domain/Flickr)
The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2021
"And I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you. I hope that our great Vice President comes through for us, he's a great guy. Of course, if he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him quite as much…"
Who wants to tell him?#LincolnProjectEffect pic.twitter.com/6kidjrl63C
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) January 5, 2021
Terri Nunn of Berlin (photo via Facebook)
I am truly sorry I performed at Mar-a-Lago and would not have done so if I’d known what I learned while I was there. My goal in performing was not to support a political party. I see now that that’s not the way it appeared and I am apologetic for that as well.
The contract stated it was a small Covid-safe event for the members of Mar-a-Lago. Unfortunately it was not Covid-safe anywhere in Florida. I had no idea masks and social distancing were not required. I thought I was current on all Covid news everywhere, but clearly I was not.
I was shocked by Florida and Mar-a-Lago’s lack of regard for the pandemic and if I’d known I would never have gone. Once I fulfilled my contractual obligation, I left the event as quickly as I could. It is a mistake I regret. I took a Covid 19 test yesterday and tested negative. My apologies to those in the LGBTQ community who thought my performance was a statement against them. I have been and always will be fully supportive.
I’m not sure how you could perform at Trump’s own party and not see how it could be considered some kind of stamp of approval for him and his woeful policies. But the apology was direct and without qualifications, so I give her that. 