Author: Stop the Donald Trump

Trump vs. the First Amendment

During a rally in Fort Worth, Texas, Trump began his usual tirade against newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, saying they’re “losing money” and are “dishonest.” The Republican presidential candidate then took a different turn, suggesting that when he’s president they’ll “have problems.”

One of the things I’m going to do if I win, and I hope we do and we’re certainly leading. I’m going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money. We’re going to open up those libel laws. So when The New York Times writes a hit piece which is a total disgrace or when The Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they’re totally protected,

(h/t Politico, National Review)

Reality

Freedom of the press in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. This clause is generally understood as prohibiting the government from interfering with the printing and distribution of information or opinions.

If a President Donald Trump does attempt to go after journalists and media outlets it would be a clear violation of the constitution and highly anti-American.

Media

Rubio Claims Trump Hired Illegal Workers From Poland

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio charged Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump with hypocrisy for hiring undocumented immigrants for his real estate projects instead of American citizens.

“He hired from Poland, and he had to pay a million dollars or so in a judgment,” Rubio said. “That’s a fact. People can look it up. I’m sure people are Googling it right now, ‘Trump Polish workers.’ You’ll see $1 million for hiring illegal workers on one of his projects. He did.”

Politifact did some Googling and also reached out to the Rubio campaign, which referred them to media reports about a protracted class-action lawsuit involving his hiring of Polish aliens 36 years ago.

Sometime between 1979 and 1980, Trump hired a contractor to demolish an old building in midtown Manhattan to make way for Trump Tower. The contractor signed on workers from a local union and, to meet Trump’s tight deadline, also brought on 200 undocumented laborers from Poland dubbed the “Polish Brigade.”

The Polish employees were off-the-books, working 12-hour shifts seven days a week for $4 to $5 an hour, with no overtime. Some workers were never paid what they were owed.

In 1983, union members sued a union boss, Trump and his contractor for cheating the union out of pension and welfare funds by hiring the Polish Brigade. Trump owed the union pension fund $1 million, the plaintiffs said.

Appearing in court in 1990, Trump blamed the violations on the contractor and denied knowing that the Polish workers were undocumented.

The case dragged on until 1999 when Trump quietly settled, according to the New York Daily News, but the agreement was placed under seal.

Media

Links

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/25/marco-rubio/marco-rubio-says-donald-trump-had-pay-1-million-hi/

CNN Republican Debate Implodes

GOP candidates acting like children

The CNN Republican debate in Houston, Texas devolved into a shouting match of children at one point. This happens at every debate prior but this was by far the worst display of immaturity by all candidates.

Please, someone, after watching the clip below I want you to make a case for the whiner, the robot, or the fascist, or any of them as looking presidential.

Media

Links

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSMTZSAPEC2P3ODAT9

Trump Talks About Judges ‘Signing Bills’

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump made a bizarre assertion about judges “signing bills” during the February 25th Republican CNN debate.

Trump made the comments while defending his sister Maryanne Trump Barry, who is a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She is also pro-choice.

Trump said:

“Excuse me, she’s a brilliant judge. He’s been criticizing — he’s been criticizing my sister for signing a certain bill. You know who else signed that bill? Justice Samuel Alito, a very conservative member of the Supreme Court, with my sister, signed that bill. So I think that maybe we should get a little bit of an apology from Ted. What do you think?”

(h/t Daily Caller)

Reality

Judges don’t sign bills. That’s not how our democracy works.

The many statements by Trump like this highlight his complete lack of knowledge and understanding of the United States Constitution and our laws.

Media

Trump Threatens Ads Against Ricketts Family, Chicago Cubs ‘Not Properly Run’

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump elaborated on a cryptic warning he issued to the Ricketts family in February, suggesting he would take ads out saying they’re doing a “rotten job” with the Chicago Cubs.

“I’ll start doing ads about their baseball team. That it’s not properly run or that they haven’t done a good job in the brokerage business lately,” Trump said in an interview with the Washington Post editorial board.

Asked if he would launch those attack ads as the president, Trump responded, “No, not while I am president.”

In February, Trump via Twitter denounced a super political action committee opposing his campaign that is primarily funded by Marlene Ricketts, whose family owns the Cubs.

Asked by the Post what he meant, Trump first said, “I don’t know these people. Those Ricketts.”

“I actually said they ought to focus on the Chicago Cubs and, you know, stop playing around. They spent millions of dollars fighting me in Florida,” Trump said.

“I’ll start spending on them. I’ll start taking ads telling them all what a rotten job they’re doing with the Chicago Cubs. I mean, they are spending on me. I mean, so am I allowed to say that?”

Trump’s initial Twitter post apparently was in response to a story noting that Ricketts, the family matriarch who lives in Nebraska, had put $3 million into the Our Principles PAC in January. The PAC had spent about $3.5 million in ads, mailings and other efforts to oppose Trump, federal records showed in February.

Asked to respond to Trump’s latest comments, a spokesman for the family referred to team Chairman Tom Ricketts’ response last month.

“We stand up for what we believe in,” Ricketts said then. “We support the causes we think are important. That is what America should be.”

Marlene Ricketts is married to Joe Ricketts, the billionaire T.D. Ameritrade founder. In October 2009, the couple formed a trust on behalf of their family that acquired a 95 percent controlling interest in the Cubs and Wrigley Field. Both Marlene and Joe Ricketts are conservatives, and son Pete is governor of Nebraska.

(h/t Chicago Tribune)

Reality

It is very concerned when a candidate who is running for the President of the United States of America is willing to throw his weight at people who oppose him politically. Todd Ricketts summed it up best, “It’s a little surreal when Donald Trump threatens your mom.”

While Trump said he’s ready to criticize the family over how the Cubs are run, the team made it to the National League championship series last year and is considered by many as a World Series contender this year.

Forbes magazine valued the Cubs at $1.8 billion in 2015, ranking them 17th out of all sports franchises in the world, and the fifth highest in all Major League Baseball. The Cubs attendance for the 2015 regular season was 2,959,812, up over 300,000 from the previous year.

As of June, the Chicago Cubs are 1st place in National League Central.

Not the definition of “rotten.”

 

Trump Declares His Love of the Uneducated

Trump victory speech in Nevada

Presidential candidate Donald Trump easily won the Republican Nevada primary with over 44% of the votes in early counting, in a election marked by complaints of fraud and chaos. He made a victory speech in front of a rowdy crowd dressed in “Make America Great Again” hats and t-shirts at his Las Vegas hotel, and expressed his love for everyone from casino mogul Steve Wynn to the “poorly educated.” He also offered up some more information about his plans should he be elected president, including keeping the Guantanamo Bay detention facility open and loading it up with “bad dudes.”

Quartz has transcribed his entire victory speech. You can also view it here (speech starts at the 1:49:22 mark).

We won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated. We’re the smartest people, we’re the most loyal people, and you know what I’m happy about? Because I’ve been saying it for a long time. 46% were the Hispanics—46%, No. 1 one with Hispanics. I’m really happy about that.

Reality

Trump literally called a bunch of his supporters stupid.

Media

Links

http://qz.com/623640/i-love-the-poorly-educated-read-donald-trumps-full-nevada-victory-speech/

Trump Wishes to Punch Protester In the Face

On the eve before the Nevada caucuses Trump publicly wished he could commit physical harm to a protester being escorted out of his rally.

I’d like to punch him in the face,” Trump said, remarking that a man disrupting his rally was escorted out with a smile on his face. “He’s smiling, having a good time.

Trump claimed the protester was “nasty as hell” and accused the man of trying to punch the security officers forcing him out of the rally, though the man did not appear to be fighting off those officers.

In the old days, protesters would be carried out on stretchers. We’re not allowed to push back anymore.

Reality

Comments like these add to the growing evidence that Donald Trump supports and condones violence against people with different ideas.

Media

Links

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/donald-trump-nevada-rally-punch/

Hot Mic Captures Trump Chatting With Morning Joe Hosts

A newly released audio recording of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s off-air conversations with Donald Trump has reignited concerns that the MSNBC co-hosts are too cozy with the Republican frontrunner.

The conversations, which took place during the commercial breaks at last week’s MSNBC “Trump Town Hall” event, feature the three talking jovially about the success of Trump’s campaign, his likelihood of winning South Carolina and Nevada, and the ineffectiveness of his opponents’ attack ads.

At one point, Brzezinski tells Trump that she had “a wow moment” when he brought two men up on stage after they had removed a protester from a rally. Trump responds: “I saw it, I watched your show this morning. You had me almost as a legendary figure.”

The audio, which was obtained by comedian and radio show host Harry Shearer, offered the latest evidence that the “Morning Joe” co-hosts are too friendly toward Trump, which has become a source of discomfort at NBC. Network insiders have chafed at what they described as Scarborough’s “over the top” and “unseemly” admiration for the real estate magnate who is leading the GOP field.

Shearer played the recording on his show to let listeners decide whether or not Scarborough and Brzezinski were “in the tank” for Trump. His own take, upon the conclusion of the recording: “You can cut the adversarial tension there with a knife,” he quipped. “A butter knife, but still.”

Throughout the tape, Trump asks Scarborough and Brzezinski to weigh in on his campaign tactics, his poll numbers and the effectiveness of his opponents.

“They’re spending $75 million on negative ads against me over the last two weeks. Are they catching on at all?” Trump asks at one point.

“No, doesn’t look that way,” Scarborough says.

“What do you think?” Trump asks Brzezinski.

“No,” Brzezinski says.

Trump says, “Just make us all look good,” and Scarborough responds, “Exactly.” Later, Trump says, “Nothing too hard, Mika,” referring to upcoming questions, and Brzezinski replies, “Okay.”

Reality

We’ve listened to the audio many times and remain undecided. This could very well just be harmless ice-breaking banter between the hosts, or it could be coaching. There is not enough evidence for this incident to come to an objective conclusion.

It is fair to point out that Donald Trump and Joe Scarborough have a friendly relationship and that his show MSNBC has been soft or in the corner of Trump quite often. Some examples include:

Media

Links

http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/22/media/donald-trump-joe-scarborough-hot-mic/

Trump asks if Obama would have attended Scalia’s funeral were it held at a mosque

Twitter

Donald Trump on Saturday suggested President Barack Obama would have attended the funeral of Antonin Scalia had the late Supreme Court justice’s service been held in a mosque.

“I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go.”

(h/t CNN)

Reality

Trump inferred an old baseless conservative political smear from 2007 that Obama is a covert Muslim extremist hellbent on destroying democracy.

For those who may be too young or have forgotten, Fox News was famous for their political smears against the then-Senator Obama saying things like:

  • Obama had attended a radical Islamic madrassa when he was a child in Indonesia.
  • Obama supported the release of the “Lockerbie Bomber” Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.
  • When Obama was a community organizer he was training for a radical overthrow of the government.

None of these hand any kernel of truth.

Trump Security Removed Veterans’ Group From South Carolina Event

"Mr. Trump, Veterans Are Not Props for Hate"

Ten veterans from Veterans Challenge Islamophobia unfurled a 10-foot banner during Trump’s speech in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina today. The banner read:

“Mr. Trump: Veterans are not props for hate. We stand with our Muslim sisters and brothers.”

The U.S. veterans who launched the effort have served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam. Many were also decorated for their valor. The veterans, some of whom hail from the organization Iraq Veterans Against the War, were forcibly escorted outside after Trump supporters waved signs while chanting Trump’s name. But the group’s actions will not be deterred.

Veterans Challenge Islamophobia plans to take its campaign to other primary states and will fly a similar banner in Las Vegas on Monday evening at Trump’s event there. They say they will continue until Trump and other Republican candidates cease their discriminatory attacks on Muslims.

“Mr. Trump’s hateful rhetoric insults both my Islamic faith and my military service. As a U.S. Marine who served in Iraq, I find it shameful that a major presidential candidate would impugn my patriotism, or that of other Muslims, because of our faith,” said Ramon Mejia, who served with the U.S. Marines in Iraq (2001-04).

“As an Army veteran, I deeply resent being used as a prop for intolerance by Mr. Trump. I enlisted in order to serve everyone in my country, including my Muslim sisters and brothers, and to protect constitutional freedoms like religious liberty,” said Maggie Martin, who served three tours in Iraq and Kuwait with the U.S. Army (2001-06).

“As a medic in Afghanistan, I worked closely with Muslim interpreters who risked their lives to support our mission. I’m disgusted when I see candidates like Mr. Trump — who never served in the military — try to demonize Muslims for his own political gain. We need to make it very clear: Islam is not a national security threat,” said Perry O’Brien, who served with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan (2001-04).

During his speech, Donald Trump did not respond directly to the protesters, but did make note of people who challenge him as security folded up the group’s banner.

“We’re going to make the wall 10 feet taller,” Trump said. “And every time they protest, it’s going to go up a little bit higher.”

(h/t Alternet)

Reality

Donald Trump has made many comments discriminating Muslims. Let’s let Veterans For Peace explain why that is bad:

Bigotry and racism violate all of the values we believed we were defending during our military service. The ideals contained in the Constitution, to the degree they have been manifested in America, have been a beacon to much of the world because of the diversity, openness, and respect for people of all faiths that most Americans live by. It will be a great calamity if we let fear give rise to hatred.

Fear-mongering endangers our national security and gives rise to hatred and racism that play into the hands of an enemy that wants to convince Muslims around the world that the West, led by the U.S., hates them, and that joining ISIL or similar organizations is the only way to truly observe and defend their religion. We can never defend ourselves effectively by playing into our adversary’s strategy, giving credibility to their recruitment propaganda. We endanger ourselves whenever we make that mistake.

Media

Links

San Francisco Chronicle

Veterans For Peace

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