Category: Unpresidential

Rose Montoya exposes breasts during White House Pride party after meeting Biden

News Metro Page Six Sports NFL MLB NBA NHL College Football College Basketball Post Sports+ Sports Betting Business Personal Finance Opinion Entertainment TV Movies Music Celebrities Awards Theater Shopping Lifestyle Weird But True Health Fitness Health Care Medicine Men’s Health Women’s Health Mental Health Nutrition Sex & Relationships Viral Trends Human Interest Parenting Fashion & Beauty Food & Drink Travel Real Estate Media Tech Astrology Video Photos Visual Stories Sub Menu 1 Today’s Paper Covers Columnists Horoscopes Crosswords & Games Sports Odds Podcasts Careers Sub menu 2 Email Newsletters Official Store Home Delivery Tips Menu Facebook Twitter Flipboard WhatsApp Email trending now Skip to main content Megyn Kelly reveals what Chris Christie told her during heated… Melania Trump wants husband Donald to tap Tucker Carlson for VP:… Internet sleuths connecting Shohei Ohtani to one team News Trans model Rose Montoya goes topless during White House Pride party after meeting Biden By Richard Pollina and Jesse O’Neill Published June 13, 2023 Updated June 13, 2023, 3:51 p.m. ET More On: transgender Republican debate splits over transgender kid surgeries: ‘Mutilating these minors’ Parents claim daughter, 11, was forced to sleep in bed with transgender student on school trip Riley Gaines fires back at ‘misogynist’ ‘Squad’ Dem who wanted swimmer’s ‘transphobic’ remarks stricken from Title IX hearing record AOC claims ‘all’ underage women will face ‘genital examinations’ if biological men barred from female sports A transgender model and activist is under fire for popping off her top at the White House and cupping her breasts moments after shaking hands with President Biden — with critics blasting it as an “international embarrassment.” Advertisement Rose Montoya, 27, who was among the lengthy list of guests invited to celebrate Pride at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Saturday, was recorded pulling down her dress and cupping her exposed breasts in front of the Truman Balcony with the Pride flag hanging in the background. “No, this isn’t another hookers-n-blow photo from Hunter’s laptop, it was the Pride party on the White House lawn two days ago hosted by Joe,” radio host Dana Loesch tweeted. Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was convicted of tax fraud and lying to White House officials and served four years in prison before being pardoned by former President Trump, slammed Biden aides for allowing the stunt to happen on White House grounds. Advertisement “OK, so who is running the f***ing White House and allowing this deviant garbage to go on right outside the oval office?” Kerik said. 7 Rose Montoya, a transgender woman, is seen with her top down, covering her breasts with her hands in front of the White House. Instagram/@therosemontoya “We know it’s not @JoeBiden- this dude has no idea where he is. So who is it? Who is the cause of this international embarrassment?” the city’s former top cop asked. Advertisement Montoya shared the racy footage Monday to Instagram along with a spliced-together video of the event, where the president and first lady Jill Biden delivered speeches to the hundreds of invitees in attendance. “Are we topless at the White House?” the person recording said in the video. 7 Before pulling down her top, the activist shook hands with Biden. Instagram/@therosemontoya 7 Biden called some of the members he met in the LGBTQ+ community some of the “bravest” citizens during his speech. Instagram/@therosemontoya Advertisement see also Who is Rose Montoya, the trans influencer who went topless at the White House? Also in the clips, the Idaho-born model was seen getting the opportunity to meet the president and first lady. “It is an honor. Trans rights are human rights,” Montoya said to Biden as they shook hands. Advertisement Footage also showed the speech delivered by the 80-year-old president, who said the members of the LGBTQ+ community were “some of the bravest and most inspiring people” he has “ever known.” Following uproar from conservatives, who Montoya says are trying to use her clip as an example that the transgender community “grooms” young people, the model made a response video, pointing out that being topless is not against the law in Washington, DC. 7 First lady Jill Biden also briefly met with the transgender model. Instagram/@therosemontoya 7 Montoya made a response video to call out the critics trying to label her a “groomer” for pulling down her top at the White House. Instagram/@therosemontoya Advertisement 7 Biden is seen mistakenly taking a video of Montoya and others which was meant to be a photo. Instagram/@therosemontoya “Going topless in DC is legal, and I fully support the movement to free the nipples,” she said. “Why is my chest now deemed inappropriate or illegal when I show it off? However, before coming out as trans, it was not.” “All you’re doing is affirming I’m a woman,” she clapped back at the haters. Advertisement Montoya — who began her transition in 2015 — says she purposely covered her nipples to “play it safe” with “zero intention of trying to be vulgar” and that she was “simply living in joy. Living my truth and existing in my body.” “Happy Pride. Free the nipple,” she says as she concludes her response video. 7 A Pride flag hangs in between two American flags from the balcony of the White House during a Pride celebration on the South Lawn, hosted by President Biden, on June 10, 2023. REUTERS Advertisement To be considered public nudity, one must expose the female breast below the top of the nipple without full “opaque coverage,” according to the law on obscenity in the District of Columbia. Montoya wasn’t the only one to face criticism over the Pride celebration. Prominent military veterans have accused the Biden administration of diminishing the American flag by placing a Pride banner at the center of a display. Advertisement “No flag should be flown at equal level to the American flag,” said Army veteran and US Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who called the placement of the flag “shameful.” “The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs,” according to the U.S. flag code. “You would think the White House knows this,” Chad Robichaux, a Marine veteran, told The Post in a statement. “They do, they just don’t care.” Advertisement The stunt ultimately got Montoya rebuked by and banned from the White House. “This behavior is inappropriate and disrespectful for any event at the White House,” a White House spokesperson told The Post. “It is not reflective of the event we hosted to celebrate LGBTQI+ families or the other hundreds of guests who were in attendance. Individuals in the video will not be invited to future events.” Share this: Filed under jill biden , joe biden , pride , transgender , washington dc , white house , 6/13/23 trending now Megyn Kelly reveals what Chris Christie told her during heated off-air confrontation at GOP debate: ‘He was pissed’ ‘One down’: UPenn reportedly asking president to step down Friday over outrage at antisemitism testimony Nine-year-old sends dad to prison after catching six-minute bloody beating of mom on video Internet sleuths connecting Shohei Ohtani to one team Melania Trump wants husband Donald to tap Tucker Carlson for VP: report Georgia high school baseball star brain-dead after teammate accidentally hits him with bat during practice https://nypost.com/2023/06/13/rose-montoya-exposes-breasts-during-white-house-pride-party-after-meeting-biden/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons Copy the URL to share Post Sports+ Email Newsletters Mobile Apps Contact Us Tips Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Email YouTube © 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Terms of Use | Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information/Opt-Out Exit mobile version

CONSERVATIVES: I just watched @[100044171722408:2048:Matt Walsh]’s documentary “What Is A Woman” and now I will argue until I am red in the face that’s a dude!!!

ALSO CONSERVATIVES: Oh no that woman just showed her breasts!!!!

[https://nypost.com/2023/06/13/rose-montoya-exposes-breasts-during-white-house-pride-party-after-meeting-biden/amp/]

Trump lawyers quit classified documents case

Two lawyers who represented Donald Trump in the months before the former president was indicted on federal charges over his handling of classified documents quit working for him Friday morning.

The attorneys, Jim Trusty and John Rowley, did not explain in detail why they had resigned, other than to say in a joint statement that “this is a logical moment” to do so given his indictment Thursday in U.S. District Court in Miami.

Trusty and Rowley also said they will no longer represent Trump in a pending federal criminal probe into his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.

Trusty had made multiple appearances on television news shows Thursday evening and Friday morning to discuss the indictment of Trump in his capacity as his lawyer.

Follow our live coverage of Donald Trump’s indictment in the classified documents case.

Trump first announced the two lawyers were leaving his cases in a post on his Truth Social platform.

He said he would now be represented by Todd Blanche, a New York lawyer who is representing him in another criminal case in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Trump is charged there in a state grand jury indictment with falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

“We will be announcing additional lawyers in the coming days,” wrote Trump, who is due to appear Tuesday in Miami court on the indictment charging him with several crimes.

Blanche did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Trump is charged over his retention of hundreds of classified government documents at his residence at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, after he left the White House, as well as with obstruction for his failure to return those records in the face of demands from U.S. officials.

In a joint statement, Trusty and Rowley wrote: “This morning we tendered our resignations as counsel to President Trump, and we will no longer represent him on either the indicted case or the January 6 investigation.”

“It has been an honor to have spent the last year defending him, and we know he will be vindicated in his battle against the Biden Administration’s partisan weaponization of the American justice system,” the attorneys said.

“Now that the case has been filed in Miami, this is a logical moment for us to step aside and let others carry the cases through to completion,” they wrote. “We have no plans to hold media appearances that address our withdrawals or any other confidential communications we’ve had with the President or his legal team.

Donald Trump needs to find new lawyers after his quit after being indicted.

[https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/06/09/trump-lawyers-quit-classified-documents-case.html]

Exclusive: Donald Trump admits on tape he didn’t declassify ‘secret information’ | CNN Politics

Former President Donald Trump acknowledged on tape in a 2021 meeting that he had retained “secret” military information that he had not declassified, according to a transcript of the audio recording obtained by CNN.

“As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t,” Trump says, according to the transcript.

CNN obtained the transcript of a portion of the meeting where Trump is discussing a classified Pentagon document about attacking Iran. In the audio recording, which CNN previously reported was obtained by prosecutors, Trump says that he did not declassify the document he’s referencing, according to the transcript.

Trump was indicted Thursday on seven counts in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the mishandling of classified documents. Details from the indictment have not been made public, so it unknown whether any of the seven counts refer to the recorded 2021 meeting. Still, the tape is significant because it shows that Trump had an understanding the records he had with him at Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House remained classified.

Publicly, Trump has claimed that all the documents he brought with him to his Florida residence are declassified, while he’s railed against the special counsel’s investigation as a political witch hunt attempting to interfere with his 2024 presidential campaign.

CNN first reported last week that prosecutors had obtained the audio recording of Trump’s 2021 meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey, resort, with two people working on the autobiography of Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows as well as aides employed by the former president, including communications specialist Margo Martin.

The transcript of the audio recording suggests that Trump is showing the document he’s discussing to those in the room. Several sources have told CNN the recording captures the sound of paper rustling, as if Trump was waving the document around, though is not clear if it was the actual Iran document.

“Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this,” Trump says at one point, according to the transcript. “This was done by the military and given to me.”

Trump was complaining in the meeting about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. The meeting occurred shortly after The New Yorker published a story by Susan Glasser detailing how, in the final days of Trump’s presidency, Milley instructed the Joint Chiefs to ensure Trump issued no illegal orders and that he be informed if there was any concern.

“Well, with Milley – uh, let me see that, I’ll show you an example. He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isn’t that amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him,” Trump says, according to the transcript. “They presented me this – this is off the record, but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him. We looked at some. This was him. This wasn’t done by me, this was him.”

Trump continues: “All sorts of stuff – pages long, look. Wait a minute, let’s see here. I just found, isn’t that amazing? This totally wins my case, you know. Except it is like, highly confidential. Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this.”

“Secret” and “confidential” are two levels of classification for sensitive government documents.

In March, prosecutors subpoenaed Trump for the document referenced in the 2021 recording. Trump’s lawyers provided some documents related to Iran and Milley in response to the subpoena, but they could not find the document itself.

Federal prosecutors have been investigating Trump over the mishandling of classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago and obstruction of the investigation. Trump’s lawyer said the former president was given a summons by the Justice Department to appear in court Tuesday in southern Florida.

The Mar-a-Lago investigation is one of two being led by Smith, who was appointed special counsel in November by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election is still ongoing.

CNN obtained the transcript of Donald Trump admitting to having classified documents. Here is the transcript:

“Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this,” Trump says at one point, according to the transcript. “This was done by the military and given to me.”

Trump was complaining in the meeting about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. The meeting occurred shortly after The New Yorker published a story by Susan Glasser detailing how, in the final days of Trump’s presidency, Milley instructed the Joint Chiefs to ensure Trump issued no illegal orders and that he be informed if there was any concern.

“Well, with Milley – uh, let me see that, I’ll show you an example. He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isn’t that amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him,” Trump says, according to the transcript. “They presented me this – this is off the record, but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him. We looked at some. This was him. This wasn’t done by me, this was him.”

Trump continues: “All sorts of stuff – pages long, look. Wait a minute, let’s see here. I just found, isn’t that amazing? This totally wins my case, you know. Except it is like, highly confidential. Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this.”

[https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/09/politics/trump-tape-didnt-declassify-secret-information/index.html]

Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, initially assigned to oversee his case: Sources – ABC News

Cannon faced scrutiny for her prior role in the investigation.

The summons sent to former President Donald Trump and his legal team late Thursday indicates that U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon will be assigned to oversee his case, at least initially, according to sources briefed on the matter.

Cannon’s apparent assignment would add yet another unprecedented wrinkle to a case involving the first federal charges against a former president: Trump appointed Cannon to the federal bench in 2020, meaning that, if Trump is ultimately convicted, she would be responsible for determining the sentence – which may include prison time – for the man who elevated her to the role.

A federal grand jury voted to indict Trump on at least seven federal charges late Thursday as part of an investigation into his handling of classified documents, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The indictment comes after more than 100 documents with classified markings were found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in August 2022.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and claimed again late Thursday that he was innocent.

Cannon is no stranger to the case. The 42-year-old judge appointed a “special master” last year to review those materials seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Legal experts accused Cannon of handing Trump a series of head-scratching victories over the course of those proceedings.

ABC News left a voicemail with Judge Cannon’s chambers Friday morning seeking comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

In one instance, Cannon restricted the FBI from using the seized classified documents as part of their ongoing probe until she completed her review. Cannon’s order was ultimately thrown out in its entirety by an 11th Circuit Court of appeals panel, which found she overstepped in exercising her jurisdiction in the probe.

In addition to Cannon, Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart’s name also appeared on the summons sent to Trump on Thursday, the sources said.

Reinhart, who was sworn in as a magistrate judge in 2018, is also familiar with the proceedings against Trump: he signed off on the initial search warrant of Mar-a-Lago last year and later ruled to unseal the search affidavit – decisions that made him the target of antisemitic jabs on the internet.

Judges in most federal cases are assigned at random. But the apparent nods to Cannon and Reinhart on the summons for Trump might actually reflect the fact that both have already played roles in the proceedings, experts said.

“If the case is being overseen by the same district and magistrate judges, that means the court likely considered the indictment to be ‘related’ to the search warrant and intentionally assigned it to those judges,” former senior Justice Department national security official Brandon Van Grack told ABC News.

ABC News was provided a case number that was part of the written summons and according to the federal court filing system PACER, that case number matches a docket under “Judge AMC.” Cannon’s full name is Aileen Mercedes Cannon.

Apart from her own previous involvement in the investigation of Trump, Cannon’s assignment would put her at the center of one of what is likely to be one of the most consequential and scrutinized criminal cases in American history.

Her rulings on everything from procedural motions to Trump’s planned efforts to have the case thrown out before trial will have vast implications for the course of the case leading into an election year where Trump currently holds the status of the Republican party’s front runner.

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

DON’T CELEBRATE TOO SOON. Trump has a man on the inside.

Judge Aileen Cannon, a MAGA mole, has been appointed the judge overseeing his indictment. Cannon can throw out the entire case before it goes to trial, and if it does she would be responsible for determining sentencing.

If you recall, Judge Cannon ran interference for Trump during the entire classified documents investigation, appointing a special master and halted the investigation until she personally reviewed the classified documents, and got body slammed by the 11th Circuit who lashed her for overstepping her bounds.

[https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-aileen-cannon-trump-appointee-initially-assigned-oversee/story?id=99956910]

Trump indicted in classified documents case

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on seven federal criminal charges in connection with hundreds of classified government documents he retained at his Florida home after leaving the White House.

Trump himself disclosed the indictment in a series of posts on his Truth Social social media site on Thursday evening. He also said he has been summoned to appear in court in Miami on Tuesday.

NBC News soon after confirmed the indictment, which is the second time in recent months that Trump has been criminally charged. He remains under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice and a Georgia state prosecutor for his efforts to reverse his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Follow our live coverage of Donald Trump’s indictment in the classified documents case.

Trump’s attorney, James Trusty, in an interview with CNN, said the charges include false statements, conspiracy to obstruct and willfully retaining documents in violation of the Espionage Act. Those charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if Trump is convicted, though the actual sentence would likely be lower because of federal sentencing guidelines.

Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is the only U.S. president, former or otherwise, ever to be criminally charged. A Trump political action committee immediately began fundraising off news about the latest indictment.

He was first indicted by a New York state grand jury in March on charges of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to a porn star in 2016.

In a video statement Thursday, Trump called the new charges “election interference at the highest level.”

On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States.”

“I AM AN INNOCENT MAN! This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America,” he wrote.

A U.S. Secret Service official told NBC News that agency brass will meet with Trump’s staff on Friday and begin security and logistics planning for his appearance in a Miami court Tuesday.

Trump has been the focus of a federal criminal investigation since last year over his stonewalling of requests to return government records, including classified documents, after ending his term as president. By law, such records must be returned when a president leaves office.

Last August, FBI agents raided Trump’s home at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, searching for records they believed would be there.

Agents found hundreds of documents marked classified, along with many more government records that he had been obligated to return.

A spokesman for special counsel Jack Smith, who has been leading the investigation for the Department of Justice, declined to comment to NBC News on Thursday.

Trump, who most recently has been living at his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey, in his social media posts wrote, “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax.”

He griped that Biden had not been charged despite the fact that a number of government documents, some of which were classified, had been found at locations where Biden lived or worked as a private citizen.

Biden is the subject of an inquiry by another special counsel over those documents. But legal analysts have said his situation is different from that of Trump because of Trump’s failure to return government records despite repeated requests that he do so by U.S. officials.

A White House spokesman declined to comment to NBC News. He referred that query to the Department of Justice, “which conducts its criminal investigations independently.” 

Until this week, it was publicly known only that a grand jury in federal court in Washington, D.C., was hearing testimony and reviewing evidence related to the documents investigation of Trump, while a separate grand jury in the same courthouse investigated his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

But earlier this week it was revealed that another grand jury in U.S. District Court in Miami also had been collecting evidence in the documents probe. That disclosure raised the prospect that Trump would be criminally charged in Florida, not in Washington.

Trump has long maintained a home in Florida, which in recent election cycles has been won by him and by Republican candidates for governor and senator.

The state’s current governor, Ron DeSantis, is running against Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

Trump’s lawyers met with DOJ officials, including Smith, in Washington on Monday, reportedly to argue that Trump should not be indicted.

On Wednesday, a top Trump aide, Taylor Budowich, testified before the grand jury in Miami. Later that same day, NBC News and other media outlets reported that Trump had been formally notified that he was a target of the criminal probe, a step typically taken shortly before a person is indicted.

@[100044274887410:2048:Donald J. Trump] indicted with seven counts over his stolen classified documents case.

[https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/06/08/trump-says-hes-been-indicted-summoned-to-federal-court-in-miami-next-week.html]

Trump’s Baseless Election Contest in Georgia Undermines Democracy

Donald Trump’s campaign has filed an election contest in Georgia, seeking to undermine the results of the November 3, 2020 presidential election. This legal maneuver comes despite the absence of credible evidence supporting his claims of widespread voter fraud. In a troubling display of defiance against democratic norms, Trump’s campaign alleges that tens of thousands of illegal votes were counted, a claim that has been repeatedly debunked by numerous sources.

Ray S. Smith III, the lead counsel for the Trump campaign, echoed the unfounded narrative of election irregularities, stating that the Georgia Secretary of State orchestrated an ineffective election process. This rhetoric not only seeks to delegitimize the election but also stirs public distrust in the electoral system, a dangerous precedent for American democracy.

Accompanying the lawsuit are affidavits from Georgia residents, which Trump’s team claims support their allegations. However, many of these affidavits lack the necessary scrutiny and verification required to substantiate such serious accusations. Claims of voter fraud, including those involving underage voters and individuals casting ballots from out-of-state addresses, have been thoroughly examined and dismissed by election officials.

In the face of overwhelming evidence confirming the legitimacy of the election results, Trump’s insistence on pursuing this course of action has raised alarms about his commitment to democratic principles. Instead of accepting the will of the voters, he continues to rally his supporters around baseless conspiracies that threaten to erode trust in future elections.

This latest move is part of a broader strategy by Trump and his allies to overturn a free and fair election. The implications of this lawsuit extend beyond Georgia, as it reflects a national trend among some Republicans to challenge the integrity of the electoral process. Such actions not only undermine the democratic foundation of the United States but also set a troubling precedent for future political contests.

(h/t: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/trump-campaign-press-release-trump-campaign-files-election-contest-georgia)

William Barr’s Misleading Claims on Voter Fraud Undermine Democracy

Attorney General William Barr has recently echoed the baseless claims of voter fraud and mail-in voting irregularities that have been propagated by President Donald Trump. His misleading assertions have alarmed civil rights advocates who are concerned about the potential erosion of public confidence in the electoral process. Barr’s statements, which include unfounded fears about widespread fraud and foreign interference in mail-in voting, have been thoroughly debunked by election experts. The rhetoric not only mirrors Trump’s unfounded allegations but also jeopardizes the integrity of the Justice Department’s role in protecting voting rights.

In a disconcerting interview, Barr claimed that mail-in voting would lead to the loss of a ‘secret vote’ and suggested that postal workers could be bribed to commit election fraud. This assertion is fundamentally flawed; mail-in ballots are secured through identity verification processes that prevent such misconduct. Experts have pointed out that ballots are tracked and audited to ensure their legitimacy, thus nullifying Barr’s claims of rampant fraud.

Furthermore, Barr’s suggestion that foreign entities could counterfeit mail ballots is equally unfounded. Numerous safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of American elections, including specific paper stock for ballots and signature verification processes. Experts have overwhelmingly dismissed the idea that foreign powers could easily infiltrate the voting system, emphasizing that such operations would be complex and easily detectable.

Additionally, Barr’s claim that the U.S. has not previously engaged in widespread mail voting ignores the reality that several states have successfully conducted elections primarily through mail for years without significant issues. Misleading statements about the reliability of voter rolls and the prevalence of fraud undermine the progress made in expanding voting access, particularly during a pandemic.

The damage done by Barr’s rhetoric is compounded by the fact that it aligns with disinformation campaigns previously launched by foreign adversaries aimed at destabilizing U.S. democracy. As civil rights advocates rally against these baseless claims, they stress the importance of maintaining public trust in the electoral system, which is currently threatened by the Attorney General’s unfounded assertions.

(h/t: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1240144)

Trump’s Dangerous Misinformation About Election Fraud Continues Unchecked on Twitter

In a recent display of his refusal to accept the 2020 election results, former President Donald Trump took to Twitter to falsely proclaim that he had won the election against Joe Biden, despite widespread media confirmation of Biden’s victory. This latest episode is just one in a long line of Trump’s baseless claims regarding election fraud, which he has continuously propagated since the election ended.

Twitter responded to Trump’s misleading tweet by labeling it as ‘disputed,’ but failed to take significant action to restrict its spread among his vast follower base. This inaction raises serious concerns about the platform’s responsibility in combating misinformation, especially from a figure who has repeatedly disseminated falsehoods regarding election integrity.

By asserting that he won despite the official results, Trump is laying the groundwork for future unfounded allegations against any election outcome that does not favor him. This tactic mirrors his comments made at a rally in Michigan, where he suggested that his potential defeat would be the result of widespread cheating, further entrenching his narrative of a rigged electoral system.

Trump’s relentless pursuit of this false narrative not only undermines public trust in democratic institutions but also poses a threat to the political landscape as he continues to promote division and misinformation. His rhetoric has incited both support and backlash, leading to an increasingly polarized environment.

The implications of Trump’s actions are severe, especially as he hints at military action against political adversaries and calls them ‘the enemy within’, suggesting an alarming view of dissent in a democratic society. This dangerous mindset, coupled with the spread of disinformation, threatens the very fabric of American democracy.

(h/t: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/11/07/trump-election-outcome-tweet-label/)

Trump’s ’12 More Years’ Rallying Cry Threatens Democracy and Normalizes Authoritarianism

Donald Trump is openly priming his supporters about circumventing the two-term limit on the presidency, rallying his supporters at a recent event in Wisconsin to chant “12 more years.” This repeated rhetoric during campaign events raises alarms about the democratic principles he is undermining. Trump’s comments prompt a cheer from his followers, reflecting a troubling trend of normalizing an authoritarian mindset within the Republican Party.

At a rally in Muskegon, Michigan, Trump transitioned from the standard “four more years” chant to suggesting his supporters embrace the unthinkable “12 more years,” an idea he found amusing. He remarked, “You really drive them crazy if you say ’12 more years,'” revealing a disturbing glee in challenging democratic norms. The crowd responded eagerly, which underscores the concerning shift in his base’s acceptance of anti-democratic sentiments and their call for a leader who disregards constitutional limitations.

Trump further speculated about remaining in power by saying, “We’ll be here for four years, and then if we decide to go for an extra four or eight or something.” This statement insinuates a casual disregard for the democratic process. Rather than affirming his commitment to respect electoral outcomes, Trump instead deflects criticism by labeling it as media exaggeration, thereby fostering a culture where loyalty to the man supersedes loyalty to democratic values.

His implicit threats to remain beyond terms add weight to a history steeped in authoritarian rhetoric. Trump has repeatedly flirted with the idea of not accepting the election results, often proclaiming that a fair election is contingent on his perspective of its honesty. His skepticism of electoral integrity feeds into a broader narrative of disinformation that defines his tenure, fueling further distrust among the electorate.

As Trump gains momentum within the Republican Party, the ramifications of his statements arm those who wish to undermine democratic principles. The normalization of fascist ideologies and rhetoric in his campaign reflects a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism, requiring vigilance from those committed to preserving democracy against such blatant assaults.

(h/t: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/10/trump-stay-in-power-term-limits-chant-12-more-years.html)

Trump’s Fraud Claims Refuted by Pennsylvania Election Chief

During the recent presidential debate, Donald Trump falsely claimed that nine mail-in ballots from Pennsylvania were evidence of election fraud, alleging they were discarded. However, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, Kathy Boockvar, clarified that the discarded ballots were the result of a mistake made by an election worker, not intentional fraud. She emphasized that an investigation is ongoing, led by U.S. Attorney Dave Freed, but initial findings indicate this was simply a procedural error.

Boockvar explained that the incident occurred in Luzerne County, where military and overseas ballots were found in unmarked envelopes. In this case, an unnamed election worker failed to follow proper procedures and did not consult with the elections office before disposing of the ballots. The worker has since been terminated, and the state’s Department of State is implementing further training to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The Department of Justice has confirmed that the discarded ballots were not evidence of fraud. Seven of the discarded ballots were completed and all were cast for Trump, according to Freed. The FBI also retrieved additional empty absentee ballot envelopes during their investigation. It remains unclear whether those nine votes will be counted.

Critics have pointed out that Trump’s claims serve to further his narrative of widespread voter fraud, a tactic that undermines public confidence in the electoral process. Kristen Clarke, Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, criticized the investigation as a politicization of the Justice Department in the midst of an active election.

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding mail-in voting procedures, particularly as the 2020 presidential election approaches. Election experts continue to stress the security of mail-in voting, countering Trump’s unfounded assertions that such voting methods lead to systemic fraud.

(h/t: https://www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2020/09/30/pennsylvania-election-chief-refutes-trumps-claim-that-nine-discarded-ballots-were-election-fraud/)

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