The political news thread

[Rewind]

Today in a series of nasty, hateful, racist tweets, Emperor Trump called Elijah Cummings' a "brutal bully" and called Cummings' Congressional district "dangerous and filthy" and "the worst in the USA," adding that "no human being would want to live there." In response, Baltimore Mayor Bernard "Jack" Young issued this statement:

"It is unacceptable for the political leader of our country to denigrate a vibrant American city like Baltimore and to viciously attack U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, a patriot and a hero. Mr. Trump's rhetoric is hurtful and dangerous to the people he's sworn to represent. As the Mayor of Baltimore, I won't stand for anyone, not even the alleged leader of the free world, attacking our great city or our representative to Congress. Mr. Trump, you are a disappointment to the people of Baltimore, to our country and to the world."

"Disappointment"? That's putting it mildly. "Disgrace" is more accurate!

[Rewind]

CNN yesterday pointed out how Trump uses the word "infested" as an attack on black people and brown people: Africa is "Ebola-infested," California is "crime-infested," non-white Congresswomen should "go back to their crime-infested countries," Baltimore is "rat-infested." In an editorial defending the city of Baltimore and Representative Elijah Cummings, the Baltimore Sun denounced Trump for his racism, his dishonesty, his incompetence, his lack of integrity, his mocking of war heroes, his "gleeful grabbing" of women's private parts, his praise for neo-Nazis and his being "the useful idiot of Vladimir Putin." The editorial's title sums it up nicely:

Better to have a few rats than to be one

https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion...ada-story.html

[Rewind]

This letter from David Gooler of Pasadena in today's Los Angeles Times attempts to explain the rationale behind Donald Trump's "Make America Hate Again" and "Make America White Again" campaigns:

"The campaign of hate against people born outside the United States did not originate with our current President. His opportunistic latching onto this issue needs to be seen as what it is: a cynical way to motivate a portion of the electorate to vote their fear and hate. Trump is just smart enough to recognize an issue that will gain him support and he has jumped on this, beginning with his 'birther' attacks on President Obama. While he has a history of using low-paid immigrants at his businesses, the President has joined with that dark segment of our country where people blame all their problems on foreign-born residents. In this effort he has been joined enthusiastically with most of the GOP, who have used this to make themselves almost invisible in California. As this country always has been and is becoming more and more a country of immigrants, it is clear that while Trump and his cohorts are riding high now, they are sliding down the wrong end of history."

[Rewind]

With very few exceptions, Republicans refuse to denounce Trump's nasty, hateful, divisive, racist rhetoric. Some, including Rick Scott and Mick Mulvaney, go so far as to justify it. An (R) after a Congressman's name used to mean "Republican." Now it means "Racist."

On the attack: Trump targets Cummings for second straight day
The President's scathing and scolding words spark condemnation, as well as increased debate over his divisive rhetoric.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/...mmings-1438132

[Rewind]

The President is becoming increasingly unhappy with Fox News, a.k.a. the Trump Cheerleading Channel. Some of their hosts don't worship him as much as they used to and they dare to report on polls showing Trump would lose to Biden in 2020. Trump, the most pompous, narcissistic, egotistical person who has ever lived, demands blind loyalty and unquestioning devotion. I predict he will start his own news channel. He can call it the Legislation, Information & Education Station (LIES).

'I promise you, you're wrong': Fox News' Chris Wallace shuts down Mick Mulvaney's claim that Mueller vindicated Trump

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ump/ar-AAEZ4xV

[Rewind]

Donald Trump's hateful, racist, divisive comments about Elijah Cummings and his "rodent-infested" Congressional district where "no one would want to live" are disgraceful and appalling. Bernie Sanders said today, "It's unbelievable that we have a President who attacks American cities and attacks Americans." But enough about Trump. Let's check in on his son-in-law:

Jared Kushner owns 17 apartment complexes in the Baltimore area. Some were infested with mice.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ice/ar-AAEZ5xY

[Rewind]

Our racist, bigoted, white nationalist President has attacked Mexicans, Muslims, four non-white Democratic Congresswomen and Elijah Cummings (among many others) while praising neo-Nazis as "very fine people." Today he found another black man to attack, calling Al Sharpton a "con man" who "hates whites and cops." Sharpton had the perfect comeback: "If he really thought I was a con man, he would want me in his Cabinet."

Trump attacks Al Sharpton hours before planned news conference in Baltimore

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ore/ar-AAF1c5a

[Rewind]

Our racist President attacked a black Congressman and called his district in Baltimore "dangerous and filthy" and a "rodent infested mess." Let's step outside of Trumpworld, the Land of Delusions, for a few minutes and look at the real world, shall we?

Jared Kushner's troubled Baltimore housing projects could be the 'disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess' Trump tweeted about

https://www.businessinsider.com/jare...rojects-2019-7

Jared Kushner-owned company fined as negligent property owner in Baltimore County
Company cited with more than 200 code violations.

https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Ne...ltimore-county

[Rewind]

Hogan said Trump should stop the name-calling and work on solving problems – but that would require maturity, integrity, dignity, honesty, empathy, compassion, tolerance and fairmindedness. Trump has none of those qualities.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, calls Trump's Baltimore attacks 'outrageous and inappropriate''
"Washington is completely consumed with angry and divisive politics, divisiveness and dysfunction," Hogan said.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/29/polit...ore/index.html

[Rewind]

By the Washington Post's count, Trump has told more than 10,000 lies and false statements since he's been in office. Claiming he is not a racist, despite all evidence to the contrary, is just another lie. Not surprisingly, most Republicans, for whom Trump and the Republican party come first, say he isn't racist. A majority of Democrats, women, blacks and Hispanics say he is. (Spoiler alert: He is.)

Trump tells reporters he isn't racist. A poll shows most Americans disagree.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...l-14255410.php