Tag: Trump campaign

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Study: Trump Campaign Rallies Led To 30K Coronavirus Cases, 700+ Deaths

(screen capture)
According to a new Stanford University study, 30,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and more than 700 deaths can be traced to attendees of 18 recent Trump campaign rallies. From the Washington Post:

The study, released Friday by Stanford economics professor B. Douglas Bernheim and three doctoral students, examined rallies staged by Trump between June 20 and Sept. 30 and looked at the trajectory of cases in the counties in which they were held.

“Our analysis strongly supports the warnings and recommendations of public health officials concerning the risk of COVID-19 transmission at large group gatherings, particularly when the degree of compliance with guidelines concerning the use of masks and social distancing is low,” the authors said.

“The communities in which Trump rallies took place paid a high price in terms of disease and death.”

The Trump campaign told the Washington Post that the idea that social distancing practices at its rallies are low was ridiculous.

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Former Trump Campaign Manager Hospitalized After Suicide Threat

Brad Parscale (cropped photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr – CC License)
Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, was removed from his home on Sunday afternoon after his wife called the police saying Parscale was armed and threatening to harm himself. From the Sun-Sentinel:

They made contact, “developed a rapport” and negotiated his exit from the house, the police said in a statement. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center under the Baker Act, which provides for temporary involuntary commitment.

Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Karen Dietrich said the encounter at the house was brief. “We went out and it was very short. We went and got him help.”

Dietrich said he didn’t threaten police and he went willingly under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows police to detain a person who is potentially a threat to himself or others.

The Trump campaign issued a statement to Axios which read, “Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible.” Parscale was demoted from his position on the Trump campaign after the disastrous Tulsa rally on June 20 this summer which was poorly attended. He also recieved criticism for overspending on behalf of the campaign including millions in payments to his own companies.   The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for anyone in distress, in addition to prevention and crisis resources. Also available for online chat.

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Tom Petty Estate Demands Trump Stop Using “Won’t Back Down” At Rallies

(screen capture from ‘I Won’t Back Down’ music video)
The family of late rocker Tom Petty has formally asked Donald Trump’s campaign to stop using Petty’s song, “I Won’t Back Down” after the track was played at Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa on Saturday. Petty’s estate said in a cease and desist statement the Trump campaign was “in no way” authorized to use the song. According to the estate, Petty wrote the song for the common man and would not have approved of its use by Trump’s campaign. “We believe in America and we believe in democracy. Donald Trump is not representing the noble ideals of either. We would hate for fans that are marginalised by this administration to think we were complicit in this usage”.

The Petty estate isn’t the first to publicly denounce Trump’s use of their music at his rallies. Neil Young, Rihanna, Elton John, REM, The Village People, Adele, Guns N Roses, the Rolling Stones, Pharrell, Queen, Prince, Aerosmith, and Earth Wind and Fire have called BS on the Donald’s use of their music. Petty died at the age of 66 in 2017 of an accidental overdose.