Donald Trump and Joe Biden (screen capture)NowThis News serves up the “Top Moments” from the final presidential debate of the 2020 election cycle:
From Donald Trump comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln to Joe Biden blasting the president’s COVID-19 response, here are some of the biggest moments of the final 2020 presidential debate.
The last presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was a lot less chaotic than the first.
Still, there were some big standout moments throughout the night, such as Donald Trump saying he was the ‘least racist person’ in the room and Joe Biden talking about the government’s coronavirus response.
Three quick real-time polls all showed most folks felt Joe Biden, as with the first presidential debate, came out on top. From the NY Times: This time, the instant polls had a consistent and clear story: Mr. Biden won the debate by a double-digit margin.If the results in the chart look familiar, that’s because they’re reminiscent of many national survey results we’ve seen over the last month. You could interpret that to mean that the debate was more or less a draw on the merits, with most Biden supporters concluding that Mr. Biden won, and vice versa for the Trump supporters.Indeed, the CNN/SSRS poll didn’t find that either candidate improved his favorability rating compared with interviews conducted before the debate.
Donald Trump on 60 Minutes (screen capture) Donald Trump followed through on his threat to release the “full video” of his interview with CBS News journalist Leslie Stahl prior to airing on “60 Minutes” on Sunday night. From the Washington Post:
Trump was interviewed by Stahl at the White House on Tuesday but abruptly ended the interview after declining to participate in a scheduled walk-and-talk that would have included Pence.
Later that day, the president said on Twitter that he was “considering” posting the White House’s copy of the video, “so that everybody can get a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about.”
Then, on Thursday morning, after he again teased a release of the video (“the vicious attempted ‘takeout” interview of me”), a 37-minute-clip of the interview appeared on the president’s Facebook page.
As with numerous business agreements in his past, Trump violates the agreement with CBS News in releasing the video. The White House had previously claimed their camera was “for archival purposes only,” according to a network official with knowledge of the interview.
Donald Trump stormed out of his 60 Minutes interview because Lesley Stahl asked him tough questions.
And he admitted that.
And then he posted the footage thinking it made him look good.
Grilled by Stahl about the irresponsibility of holding huge rallies that make a mockery of public health precautions during a pandemic, Trump has no defense other than insulting her and lying pic.twitter.com/UowM4rRrjE
Trump's 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl ended with him whining about her asking him tough questions and storming out in a huff pic.twitter.com/zuiwYpKnFb
Tony Award winner and proud Texas Democrat Betty Buckley (photo: John Boal) Do not mess with Broadway legend Betty Buckley. She. Will. Call. You. Out. Buckley, a proud Texas Democrat, became aware that the Trump campaign has been playing the recording of her Tony Award-winning performance of “Memory” from CATS at the Donald’s rallies. Months ago, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign asking that his music not be played at the events, but was clearly ignored. And so, the mighty Ms. Buckley has now fired off an open letter to the Trump/Pence campaign demanding they cease and desist using her music. “We must insist that you stop this misappropriation of music and performance that has nothing to do with the representation of your regime. Your presidency, completely devoid of empathy or humanity, is the very antithesis of art.” She goes on to note his “disastrous mishandling of the pandemic” which is responsible for closing down Broadway and theaters across the country as well as his “super spreader events” which are “undoubtedly exacerbating the problem.” Buckley also underscores the many artists who, like her, have asked that their music not be associated with Trump’s “deplorable mendacity and ill behavior.” Among those musicians are Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins and many more. The star closes her epic takedown writing, “The good news is that we, the voters, have the ultimate say. We will reject you at the polls, and by January the utter hell of your presidency, your criminal enablers and regime will be nothing more than a (wait for it) memory.” Buckley recently produced a new music video in which she sings a beautiful medley of “For the Beauty of the Earth / Jesus Loves the Little Children” with the School of Arts & Enterprise Virtual Choir in a gorgeous arrangement by longtime collaborator Christian Jacob. The video was created to promote social justice, turn out voters in her home state, and encourage donations for the American Civil Liberties Union, Save The Children, Black Lives Matter, and Voto Latino. In a statement, Buckley shared:
“I grew up as a military brat on Air Force bases around the World. My Father Ernest Buckley was a Major turned Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force. Kids of every race and color were my classmates and our neighbors.
“When I was in the fifth grade my father retired from the military, and we settled in Fort Worth, Texas. Every Sunday morning we went to the Methodist Church. I sang in the Youth Choir on Sunday evenings. ‘For The Beauty Of The Earth’ is one of my favorite, most beloved hymns. I learned ‘Jesus Loves The Little Children’ when I was very young at Vacation Bible School.
“It is my hope that via the remembrance of the simple truths contained in the beautiful music and lyrics of these two traditional hymns some persons will feel a call to a soul remembrance of Truth. And it is my hope that the gorgeous faces and voices of the Children of the School of Arts and Enterprise will touch hearts and minds to remember our connected humanity.
“These children, their teachers and families did these recordings from their homes. Over 200 people have participated in creating this project. If this music and the images in this video touch one person, ten or one hundred, it will have been worth it.”
Watch and listen to Buckley’s hymns for humanity below. #Bravo
L-R Former President Barack Obama, Donald Trump Trump and his followers often tout the stock market and unemployment under Trump as “the best economy in the history of the world.” But crunching the numbers from the final three years of the Obama administration and the first three years of Trump’s time in office – which leaves out the devastation of the current pandemic on the US economy – the data shows Trump is not better on economic issues than his predecessor. I recently came across a report from USA Today comparing the economic records of Donald Trump and Barack Obama. From USA Today:
• Employment: According to the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the economy created 6,979,000 jobs during Obama’s final three years in office. In Trump’s first three years through this past January, the economy added 6,585,000 jobs to a total of 158,714,000. That’s 394,000 fewer under Trump than under Obama during a similar time span.
• Economic growth: During Obama’s final three years, the economy (inflation-adjusted gross domestic product) grew 2.5% in 2014, 3.1% in 2015 and 1.7% in 2016, or an average of 2.43%, according to figures from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. Under Trump, the economy grew 2.3% in 2017, 3.0% in 2018 and 2.2% in 2019, for an average of 2.5% a year – just below one-tenth of a percent per year under Trump, who came into office promising to produce an economy that would sprint ahead at a 4% annual pace or even higher.
• Wage growth: During Obama’s final three years in office through January 2017, hourly earnings adjusted for inflation grew 3.3%, according to BLS figures. During Trump’s first three years, inflation-adjusted hourly earnings grew an identical 3.2%. • Stock market: During Trump’s presidency, the S&P 500 climbed 50.4%, from a close of 2,271.31 on Jan. 20, 2017, when he was inaugurated, to 3,4433.12 today. Under Obama, the S&P 500, which was 805.22 on Jan. 20, 2009, grew 182% during his presidency. During his second term, it grew 52% (from 1,492.56 on Jan. 22, 2013).
Donald Trump is D-O-N-E done with the coronavirus pandemic. During a conference call with campaign staffers, Trump expressed frustration with infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health officials calling them ‘idiots.’ From Politico:
“People are tired of Covid. People are saying, ‘Whatever, just leave us alone.’ People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” Trump said on the call, which included press.
“He’s been here for, like, 500 years. He’s like this wonderful sage telling us how — Fauci, if we listened to him, we’d have 700,000 [or] 800,000 deaths.”
Trump described Fauci as a “disaster” and added that “every time he goes on television, there’s always a bomb. But there’s a bigger bomb if you fire him.”
Trump also commented on the call that he “couldn’t care less” if the media reported the remarks. “If there’s a reporter on, you can have it just the way I said it. I couldn’t care less.” Trump’s statement was probably in response to an interview Fauci gave CBS’s 60 Minutes where he told the venerable news magazine that Trump’s reluctance to wear a face mask in public is because he “equates wearing a mask with weakness.” “You know, a statement of strength,” Fauci said. “Like, ‘We’re strong. We don’t need a mask.’ That kind of thing.” Asked if that makes sense from a scientific stand point when facing a pandemic, Fauci answered, “No, it doesn’t. Of course not.”
“I think deep down, [the president] believes in science. If he didn’t, he would not have entrusted his health to the very competent physicians at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center,” says Dr. Fauci. https://t.co/JSDtvPknpOpic.twitter.com/pRBp8xrxvg
On call with campaign staff, President Trump says people are tired of hearing about coronavirus. “People are saying whatever. Just leave us alone. They’re tired of it. People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots…Fauci is a nice guy. He’s been here for 500 years.”
Trump’s message two weeks out, based on call with staff: -Dr. Fauci is a “disaster” who is a “bomb” every time he’s on TV -Other health officials are “idiots” -Americans no longer care about the pandemic and just think “whatever” -News reports are “fake”
Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly (screen capture) A new report set to air Sunday night says former White House chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, has told friends that President Donald Trump “is the most flawed person” he’s ever known. From CNN:
“The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it’s more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life,” the retired Marine general has told friends, CNN has learned.
The reporting comes from a new CNN special to air Sunday night, “The Insiders: A Warning from Former Trump Officials,” in which former senior administration officials — including former national security adviser John Bolton, former Health and Human Services scientist Rick Bright and former Department of Homeland Security general counsel John Mitnick — explain why they think the President is unfit for office.
Kelly’s sentiments about the President’s transactional nature and dishonesty have been shared by other former members of the Trump administration who also appear in the special.
Olivia Troye, a former top adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, has said the President knew about the impact the coronavirus pandemic would have on the US by mid-February, but that “he didn’t want to hear it, because his biggest concern was that we were in an election year.”
Miles Taylor, a former DHS chief of staff who now serves as a CNN contributor, has asserted Trump essentially calls individuals within the federal government who disagree with him “deep state.”
L-R Former Vice President Joe Biden, Donald Trump It was a tale of two Town Halls last night as Donald Trump and Joe Biden took questions in separate events from likely voters. As many on social media noted, the tone and tenor of the events couldn’t have been more different. Donald Trump was being combative with his host, NBC News’s Savannah Guthrie when she would ask follow-up questions to many of his vague responses. Over on ABC, Biden was calm and collected as he looked each person in the eye as he answered their questions. At one point, his answer was so lengthy and detailed, host George Stephanopoulos interrupted to ask the questioner if they’d gotten the response they needed. Another clear difference between the two events was Trump’s town hall was only an hour (low-energy) and Biden’s was 90 minutes. But even after those 90 minutes, Biden stayed in the TV studio and answered follow-up questions from folks in the venue.
This awesome mom Mieke Haeck asked Joe Biden about how he’d protect her trans daughter, cited the Trump-Pence administration’s rollback of trans rights pic.twitter.com/k23GTQkAKA
The Biden town hall marked one of the few times LGBTQ issues came up in a broadcast election event as Joe Biden clearly and with no equivocation vowed to protect the rights of LGBTQ Americans. When Mieke Haeck, a mother of two including an 8-year-old transgender daughter, asked how he would reverse Trump’s anti-LGBTQ actions, “The Trump administration has attacked the rights of transgender people,” asked Haeck, “banning them from military service, weakening non-discrimination protections, and even removing the word ‘transgender from some government websites. How will you, as president, reverse this dangerous and discriminatory agenda and ensure that the lives and rights of LGBTQ people are protected under U.S. law?” Biden was direct and unwavering in his response. “I will flat-out just change the law,” he told Haeck, adding that he would reverse Trump’s anti-LGBTQ executive orders. Biden also recounted an anecdote from his youth when he and his father witnessed two men sharing a kiss in public. Upon seeing the kiss, Biden turned to his father who said simply, “Joey, it’s simple. They love each other.” Circling back around to the beginning of the issue, Biden was clear: “There should be zero discrimination.”
Asked what he would say to LGBTQ Americans and others who are worried “about erosions of their rights,” former VP Biden says “I think there’s great reason to be concerned for the LGBTQ community, something I fought very hard for.” https://t.co/JEyTOkB6qk#BidenTownHallpic.twitter.com/BnZ8XSOJSA
Biden also took a question from a gentleman who asked Biden what he would say to LGBTQ Americans and others who are worried about erosions of their rights. Biden said, “I think there’s great reason to be concerned for the LGBTQ community, something I fought very hard for.” At the Trump Town Hall, things were a little bit more contentious. When Savannah Guthrie asked Trump about retweeting misinformation and conspiracy theories, he blew the question off. One such retweet contained a conspiracy theory that Biden and President Barack Obama orchestrated a cover-up regarding Navy SEAL Team Six faking the death of terrorist Osama bin Laden. “That was a retweet,” defended Trump. “That was an opinion of somebody and that was a retweet. I’ll put it out there. People can decide for themselves. I don’t take a position.” “You’re the president,” Guthrie responded. “You’re not someone’s crazy uncle who can retweet whatever.”
Pres. Trump: “That was a retweet, I’ll put it out there. People can decide for themselves.” @SavannahGuthrie: “I don’t get that. You’re the president. You’re not, like, someone’s crazy uncle who can just retweet whatever.” #TrumpTownHallpic.twitter.com/Im0QFy7VOU
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg saw his tweet go viral (shared over 47K times, Liked over 350K times) when he shared, “Just imagine turning on the TV, seeing your president, and feeling your blood pressure go down instead of up.” And Donald Trump’s own niece, Mary Trump, scored with a single word tweet when someone playfully took issue with Savannah Guthrie referring to Trump as “someone’s crazy uncle.” #Actually By the way, Biden’s town hall on ABC News reportedly drew 2.3 million more viewers than the Trump town hall on NBC News. Variety reports Biden drew 12.7 million total viewers on the Disney-owned network, while Trump drew 10.4 million in the same 9-10 p.m. time slot on NBC.
SIREN! The Biden Town Hall on ABC drew 2.3 million more viewers than the Trump town hall on NBC. There is nothing @realDonaldTrump cares about more than ratings. https://t.co/03OMGhEVLM
The event is over, the commentators are moving on, the studio crew closing up… and yet @JoeBiden stands and continues to take questions from the voters in the room. This is a man that truly cares about people. pic.twitter.com/r2ciq9ABVW
After an hour the candidates appear… wait…Trump is done?!! Left the building already.? @JoeBiden is still holding his town hall? Talking to voters? Answering questions? Sorry @realDonaldTrump you may call him Sleepy Joe, but we know who’s got the stamina! #TownHalls
Gay Republicans, choosing to ignore Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ record, are instead organizing so-called ‘Trump Pride’ events in battleground states. The first of the events, held Tuesday evening in Newton Square, Pennsylvania, featured homocon Richard Grenell (former U.S. Ambassador To Germany) who has led the late-in-the-game LGBTQ outreach for the Trump campaign, and Trump’s daughter in law, Lara Trump. Queer folks, including activist/author Michelangelo Signorile, made note of the fact that the announcement didn’t use “LGBTQ” or “gay” in the announcement, so we’re not sure how much ‘pride’ was involved there.
Look at this closeted event, in which neither “gay” nor “LGBTQ” is mentioned, Trump himself is not involved, and the whole thing is in code: “Pride” in rainbow letters. pic.twitter.com/AnXXO8M8lh
— Michelangelo Signorile, subscribe to my newsletter (@MSignorile) October 11, 2020
Charles Moran, a co-chair for the ‘Trump Pride’ coalition, told the Washington Blade a second event is scheduled for Wednesday night in Phoenix, Arizona. Out conservative journalist, Chadwick Moore, currently the editor for the Log Cabin Republican’s Outspoken project, is scheduled to attend. Additional gatherings are reportedly planned for Tampa, Florida, and more. Prior to the ’Trump Pride’ events, a group calling itself OUTspoken held a gathering in Nashville which attracted an estimated 75 gay conservatives. You’ll note not a trace of social distancing or face masks…
Moran told the Blade that the Nashville event was intended “to create a space to convene some of our major influencers and movement leaders in the center-right LGBTQ community.” Trump and virulently anti-LGBTQ Vice President Mike Pence phoned in during the event to address the group and “express their appreciation.”
Brandon Straka, who hosted a “Walk Away” rally in Nashville the same weekend, said he hopes the Trump events will lead to “freeing LGBT people from the clutches of the destructive Democrat (sic) party.” But not all Log Cabin Republicans are all the same page. As Instinct reported last fall, the organization’s endorsement of Trump for reelection led to several prominent members resigning from the group. As has been widely reported by media outlets, the Trump administration has been a disaster for LGBTQ people with attacks on queer rights in the workplace, in health care, in public accommodations, adoptions and more. (source: Washington Blade)
Donald Trump Donald Trump has been retweeting a conspiracy theory that Osama Bin Laden was not assassinated in 2011 but it was his ‘body double’ that was killed. From The Daily Beast:
President Donald Trump backed a budding conspiracy theory on Tuesday that four Americans were killed in the 2012 Benghazi attack to cover up the blood-sacrifice of Navy SEALs and the “fact” that Osama Bin Laden is still alive, marking what is perhaps the president’s strangest brush yet with far-right conspiracy theories.
Trump’s promotion of the new Benghazi conspiracy theory, which is fast gaining traction on the far right, came in the form of a retweet of a QAnon believer pushing the claim.
The president’s backing helped push the tweet about Benghazi above 14,000 retweets. Trump retweeted another video about the conspiracy theory later on Tuesday night, marking the second time he had promoted the Benghazi claims on Twitter.
The bizarre theory, which is outre even by the standards of the right’s usual Benghazi claims, also alleges that Osama Bin Laden’s body-double, rather than the terrorist mastermind himself, was killed in 2011.
(screen capture) One of the Navy SEALS who actually went on the mission to kill Bin Laden responded:
Very brave men said goodby to their kids to go kill Osama bin Laden. We were given the order by President Obama. It was not a body double. Thank you Mr. President. Happy birthday @USNavy
L-R Donald Trump, Joe Biden It’ll be dueling town hall events on Thursday instead of a debate. After refusing to participate in the scheduled second presidential debate of the 2020 cycle, Donald Trump has agreed to take part in an NBC News town hall event on Thursday at the same time former Vice President Joe Biden will take questions in an ABC News town hall to be hosted by George Stephanopoulos.
From NBC News: The town hall, moderated by “TODAY” anchor Savannah Guthrie, will take place on the same evening — and at the same time — that Joe Biden is doing his own town hall event in Philadelphia on ABC News at 8 p.m. ET.
Trump and Biden were supposed to hold their second debate on Thursday night, but Trump pulled out after organizers announced it was going to be conducted virtually. The last presidential debate is scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 22.
During the one-hour town hall with Trump on Thursday, Guthrie will moderate a conversation between Trump and a group of Florida voters.
I know Trump loves to hear about his ratings. Because his NBC News town hall will be simulcast on CNBC and MSNBC, I’ll go ahead and predict he’ll probably get more viewers given the wider reach of three networks. But in the end, I doubt these events will change any voter’s mind.
Buckley recently produced a new music video in which she sings a beautiful medley of “For the Beauty of the Earth / Jesus Loves the Little Children” with the School of Arts & Enterprise Virtual Choir in a gorgeous arrangement by longtime collaborator Christian Jacob. The video was created to promote social justice, turn out voters in her home state, and encourage donations for the 
