And for his finale -- THREATS

Yssup Rider's Avatar
So was there any question that Trump would close the campaign by making threats against states?

He's been actively working to suppress votes in a number of battleground states -- and yes, Texas may be a battleground state if it isn't a Blue Rout -- through the courts, through his speech and even by encouraging violence on the streets.

As you might imagine, he really shouldn't be doing anything to jeopardize the state of Pennsylvania, a state he barely won in 2016.

So of course, he's threatening to withhold funding from the state if they don't cut short counting the votes.

What a douchebag!

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pe...-20201030.html

Trump threatened to withhold aid from Pa. as the coronavirus surges. Here’s what you need to know
by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG — In a precarious position in the polls and with his focus fixed on the swing state of Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump has had no shortage of criticisms — many of them rooted in falsehoods — for Gov. Tom Wolf.

Most recently, at a campaign rally, Trump criticized Wolf for his coronavirus restrictions and implied he might withhold federal disaster aid in the future.

“I’ll remember it, Tom. I’m going to remember it, Tom,” Trump said before doing an impersonation of Wolf, holding his hand to his ear like a phone. “'Hello, Mr. President, this is Gov. Wolf. I need help. I need help.' You know what, these people are bad.”

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, (D-Pa.), called the president’s comments outrageous. The governor’s press secretary said Trump was threatening everyone in the state. Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers largely kept quiet.

So how worried should Pennsylvania residents be about possible retribution?

The president’s statements aimed at Wolf are part of a pattern that politicizes the government’s disaster response, said Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

Earlier this month, shortly after the president wrote on Twitter that “California is going to hell. Vote Trump!”, his administration rejected a disaster declaration for the state’s wildfires. Less than two days later and facing criticism, Trump reversed course and approved California’s request, even before the state could go through the appeals process.

“This kind of signaling from the administration, whether or not it plays out in the actual implementation of assistance, erodes trust in the very systems that are designed to be there when people need it most,” Schlegelmilch said.

Pennsylvania receives tens of billions of dollars each year in federal funding, but most of that is driven by formulas and reimbursements set in law. But when disaster strikes, states often appeal to the federal government for more money, and the president has the power to approve or deny those requests.

If approved, the Federal Emergency Management Agency picks up at least 75% of the cost for disaster response like restoring roads, removing debris, providing shelter, and supplying food, water, and medical supplies.

“The president isn’t threatening the governor, he is threatening all citizens of the commonwealth by withholding federal aid,” said Lyndsay Kensinger, the governor’s spokesperson. “This type of behavior is amoral and unethical.”

Wolf is still waiting to hear whether Trump will approve another disaster declaration, which he requested on Oct. 5, in response to more than $27.6 million in estimated damage that Tropical Storm Isaias caused in Philadelphia, its suburbs, and a few other counties in the eastern part of the state.

Such requests can take weeks or even months to process.

The clash is the latest between the Democratic governor who won the state by 17 percentage points two years ago, and the Republican president whose odds of reelection greatly rely on another victory in Pennsylvania.

Trump’s comments came three days after Pennsylvania set a new daily record for confirmed coronavirus cases, a record that was broken again on Tuesday. Hospitalizations in the state are also rising at their fastest pace in months, and officials are increasingly concerned about the extent of a “fall resurgence.”

“The president isn’t threatening the governor, he is threatening all citizens of the commonwealth by withholding federal aid,” a spokesperson for Gov. Tom Wolf said.
“The president isn’t threatening the governor, he is threatening all citizens of the commonwealth by withholding federal aid,” a spokesperson for Gov. Tom Wolf said.
In the early months of the pandemic, Wolf largely avoided criticizing the president, even as Trump wrote on Twitter that the “great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now.” But in September, Wolf said the president was putting people’s lives at risk by hosting campaign rallies that violate the state’s guidance for gathering limits, mask orders, and social distancing.

During a Lehigh Valley rally Monday, the president went after Wolf, blaming the governor for shutting the campaign out of a venue on short notice — which the Wolf administration disputes, and the president and his campaign offered no evidence to support.

Trump accused Wolf of keeping the “whole commonwealth shut down” to hurt the president’s reelection, which is untrue. Wolf has lifted the stay-at-home orders and many of the business restrictions he put in place this spring in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Other restrictions remain for indoor and outdoor events, as well as bars and restaurants, though Wolf has loosened them over time.

The president also questioned the voting process in Pennsylvania and referred to Wolf “as the governor that counts the ballots” and said he would watch him “very closely.” Wolf later noted that each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties are responsible for counting ballots.

Casey, the state’s Democratic senator, said it was “outrageous for President Trump to threaten to withhold funding from Pennsylvanians during a global pandemic.” Spokespeople for Democrats in the state House and Senate blasted the president’s comments, as well.


Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did a spokesperson for the House Republican caucus in Harrisburg. A spokesperson for Senate Republicans said they “aren’t interested in getting into hypotheticals.”

Nathan Benefield, vice president and chief operating officer of the conservative Commonwealth Foundation, criticized Wolf when the governor withheld federal money from a county earlier this year. But he dismissed concerns over Trump’s comments, saying the president appeared to be “riffing” at a rally.

Schlegelmilch, of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, said some people have had suspicions during past administrations about the role of politics and whether swing states and swing counties were more likely to receive federal disaster aid.

But he said that hasn’t been a mainstream concern until the Trump administration.


A 2019 study from University of Michigan researchers found “the federal government responded on a larger scale and much more quickly” to hurricanes in Texas and Florida, compared to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

For the coronavirus, Schlegelmilch said the Trump administration hasn’t done enough to help states. But he thought FEMA and other agencies have taken an objective approach to distribute aid that is available.

The Trump administration approved a disaster declaration for Pennsylvania in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The state expects to receive about $29.7 million in disaster relief through FEMA’s Public Assistance program.

That’s a small fraction of the billions Congress and the Trump administration have sent to Pennsylvania through the CARES Act and enhanced unemployment payments. Wolf and the bipartisan National Governors Association have urged Congress and the president to pass another massive relief package.

During an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, Wolf defended the state’s approach to the coronavirus — and took a shot at Trump’s reelection chances.

“He really has to take Pennsylvania and evidently doesn’t feel very good about it,” Wolf said. “So he has been here numerous times and is picking on a couple people here, including me.”
Yssup Rider's Avatar
And predictions ... of violence

This asshole does blow that dog whistle, doesn't he?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-...ally-dangerous

Trump: Supreme Court Vote-Counting Extensions Could Be ‘Physically Dangerous’
‘VERY BAD THING’

Lachlan Markay
Reporter
Published Nov. 02, 2020 3:19PM ET

Brian Blanco/Getty

A Supreme Court decision extending timeframes for states to count mail-in votes may result in physical violence, President Donald Trump predicted on Monday. “They made a very dangerous situation, and I mean physically dangerous,” Trump said at a rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

He was referring to Supreme Court decisions allowing officials in Pennsylvania and North Carolina to continue accepting and counting mail-in ballots in the days after Election Day. “They did a very bad thing for this state.

They did a bad thing for this nation,” Trump said of the decision. “The danger that could be caused by that extension, and especially when you know what goes on in Philadelphia,” he added. Trump and his allies have described mail-in votes tallied after election day as tantamount to election fraud, and insisted that a winner of the presidential contest should be declared on Tuesday.

In fact, no state has ever reported its final vote tallies on Election Night, and winner declarations are generally just informed projections by news organizations analyzing early return data.
winn dixie's Avatar
OMG! Trump is doing his best to not have this election stolen from him!
lipdims are doing everything they can to steal the election!

And its all unfolding right before out eyes!
Lucas McCain's Avatar
Trump's not going to go away quietly. Children hate it when they are told to take a bath and then go to bed. His behavior is predictable. He acts like a petulant child so I would expect nothing less from him.
matchingmole's Avatar
OMG! Trump is doing his best to not have this election stolen from him!
lipdims are doing everything they can to steal the election!

And its all unfolding right before out eyes! Originally Posted by winn dixie

The best from Trump is a very low bar....he did his best to contain Covid19 too
winn dixie's Avatar
The best from Trump is a very low bar....he did his best to contain Covid19 too Originally Posted by matchingmole
uhhh? mcfly? The whole World has not done much better! Everyone has suffered. Everyone has had 2cd and now third waves! No one has the answer!
winn dixie's Avatar
not a 5 star thread any longer!

bahahahahahhahahahhahahahhahah ah
I saw a voter on the news today. They interviewed her (pretty female age 30s) while she was standing in line to vote. She said, "I'm voting for Biden because he has a plan to get us over the virus." Hard to believe humans can be this naive. I think Biden voters are misinformed, lack judgement, have a sick affection for control, and largely ignore American values. To be this stupid, you must be in the minority. Trump should win by a landslide and anything close should be viewed very skeptically.
I saw a voter on the news today. They interviewed her (pretty female age 30s) while she was standing in line to vote. She said, "I'm voting for Biden because he has a plan to get us over the virus." Hard to believe humans can be this naive. I think Biden voters are misinformed, lack judgement, have a sick affection for control, and largely ignore American values. To be this stupid, you must be in the minority. Trump should win by a landslide and anything close should be viewed very skeptically. Originally Posted by DTickler
You sure it wasn't HoseHummer in drag (except the pretty part)...
I was envisioning more along the lines of an old bald headed fat chicken fucker
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
not a 5 star thread any longer!

bahahahahahhahahahhahahahhahah ah Originally Posted by winn dixie

2 star thread!
SpeedRacerXXX's Avatar
I saw a voter on the news today. They interviewed her (pretty female age 30s) while she was standing in line to vote. She said, "I'm voting for Biden because he has a plan to get us over the virus." Hard to believe humans can be this naive. I think Biden voters are misinformed, lack judgement, have a sick affection for control, and largely ignore American values. To be this stupid, you must be in the minority. Trump should win by a landslide and anything close should be viewed very skeptically. Originally Posted by DTickler
That's quite a stereotype of Biden voters.

The betting parlors favor Biden.
Polls favor Biden to a certain degree.
Massive early voting would tend to favor Biden.

Why do you think Trump should win in a landslide? I've predicted for about 2 years Trump would get less EVs in 2020 than he did in 2016 and I stand by that prediction.There will be no Trump "landslide" although there might be a Trump victory.

Why so skeptical of Biden actually winning? The system has to be rigged in order for him to win?

I'm sure if Trump loses he will blame everyone else for his loss. He never takes blame when shit hits the fan.
Frankly, I'm becoming somewhat concerned that the prediction by some our extremist right friends that the US will become another Banana Republic if the election doesn't go their way could come true. The real threat hits at the very foundation of democracy and has never been successfully achieved in the US, but has been in other countries, and is not from the left as they fear.

For those that don't speak French, Google the words coup d'etat.
  • oeb11
  • 11-03-2020, 09:17 AM
DPST destruction of the rule of law and Constitution is clearly evident in the west coast Seattle and Portland, as well as chicago, Minnneapolis, and Baltimore - all DPST strongholds and Riot Centers for OBLM and antifa terrorists.
DPST's across America are doing everything to pervert the election with fake votes and fraud



red puppy - DPST's are about gaining permanent power and control of America - You have no allegiance to representative democracy

KumHoeLa - along with Bernie and AOC and the rest of the DPST radicals will give you your desire - and an American Venezuela.



red puppy is , as usual, deluded.
HoeHummer's Avatar
And yous will be there with your pop guns, eh, oebsy???

These last few weeks has been comical as yous WSNDs have slipped deeper and deeper into despair.

I am so glad most Yanks aren’t Wankers.