Trump’s unpaid security bills are finally catching up with him as Florida sheriff reveals he can’t secure RNC convention

AlterNet logoRepublicans have one month to pull off their convention in Florida, where the coronavirus has gotten so bad that some municipalities are starting to talk about shutting down again.

Politico reported Monday that the sheriff of Jacksonville, Florida is in a particularly difficult spot as the convention day approaches. He explained that the “lack of clear plans, adequate funding and enough law enforcement officers” means he can no longer provide security for the event.

“As we’re talking today, we are still not close to having some kind of plan that we can work with that makes me comfortable that we’re going to keep that event and the community safe,” said Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams. “It’s not my event to plan, but I can just tell you that what has been proposed in my opinion is not achievable right now … from a law enforcement standpoint, from a security standpoint.” Continue reading.

‘Gee, that’s too bad’ is an encapsulation of Trump’s approach to the pandemic — and politics

Washington Post logoWe see again where Trump’s empathy comes up short

For a second, a brief second, it seemed as if maybe President Trump thought better of the line.

He was asked Sunday about the ability of Senate Republicans to win votes with so many members now in isolation to prevent spreading the novel coronavirus. After inquiring about the senators who were included in that group, Trump was told that one was Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the sole Republican to vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges last month.

The president has a history of continuing to bash those who take key votes against him — like former Arizona senator John McCain — but one would be forgiven for assuming that Romney’s decision to follow government recommendations to isolate to avoid spreading the dangerous virus would not be a jumping-off point for a presidential attack.Continue reading.

Trump is already back to attacking his political opponents over the recent mass shootings

Trump’s plea for bipartisanship following mass shootings didn’t even last two days.

President Donald Trump said in formal remarks Monday that, in the wake of this weekend’s deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, “now is the time to set destructive partisanship aside.”

That window of bipartisanship lasted less than two days. By Wednesday morning, the president had begun lashing out at his Democratic opponents, including trying to blame them for some of the recent tragedies.

Trump tweeted a quote early on Wednesday from conservative news site One America News suggesting that the Dayton, Ohio, shooter was motivated by his support for liberal candidates and causes, including Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

>View the complete August 7 article by Zack Ford on the ThinkProgress website here.

At Meeting With Ireland’s Taoiseach, Trump Promotes His Irish Golf Course

Trump on Wednesday turned a photo-op with the prime minister of Ireland into an infomercial for one of his money-losing golf properties.

It was yet another brazen attempt by Trump to try to profit off his presidency.

“I’ll be leaving from Doonbeg,” Trump told reporters in Ireland of his plans to travel to Normandy, France, on Thursday morning to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

View the complete June 5 article by Emily Singer on the National Memo website here.

Trump’s Split-Screen Persona on Blaring Display in U.K. Visit

LONDON — He quoted Roosevelt and gently greeted frail veterans at a D-Day commemoration, hours after proclaiming Bette Midler a “psycho” and Chuck Schumer a “creep.” He exalted soldiers’ bravery while dismissing his avoidance of service in Vietnam, calling it a country “nobody heard of.” He toasted Britain’s queen at a Buckingham Palace banquet, after calling London’s mayor a loser.

For President Trump, reconciling his impulses with the expectations for an American president has often posed a hurdle. And when he had idle time during his three-day trip to Britain, the gap between the two — which has come to define his presidency — was jarring.

Mr. Trump’s trip to Britain ended Wednesday much as it had begun: as a split screen of a president embracing regal respectability on one side and settling scores on the other.

View the complete June 5 article by Maggie Haberman and Mark Landler on The New York Times website here.