The post Defiant former Navy Seal speaks out in new Lincoln Project attack ad: ‘Trump is not conservative’ appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>A “Never Trump” Republican group has released a new attack ad featuring a former Navy Seal saying Donald Trump is weak, not a conservative, and the most easily fixable problem in the country.
The Founder of Veterans for Responsible Leadership, Dan Barkhuff, says in the most recent 2020 election campaign video from the Lincoln Project that the president has no respect for the Constitution.
“Protecting our freedom and the rules of the game is a fundamentally conservative act,” Mr Barkhuff says in the video. “President Trump shows no such respect for the constitution, he and his cronies disrespect freedom of assembly, due process, and states’ rights.”
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The video is narrated over images of Black Lives Matter protests, federal police making arrests during riots in Portland, and the president posing with a Bible in front of St John’s Church.
It is the latest in a series of videos from the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, which have compared the president to Biff Tannen from Back to the Future, dubbed his Fox News interview with a Seinfield-style laugh track, and questioned what Ghislaine Maxwell has on the president.
Since its formation in December, the Lincoln Project has raised $20 million from donors including Walmart heiress Christy Walton, Silicon Valley angel investor Ron Conway, hedge fund billionaire Andy Redleaf, and oil executive Sidney Jansma Jr.
The super-PAC was created by prominent GOP operatives including George Conway, husband to presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway, and Steve Schmidt, who worked on John McCain’s 2008 campaign.
Mr Schmidt responded on Twitter on Monday to reports in The New York Post that he tried and failed to join the Trump campaign in 2016, saying he was offered a role three times but turned it down.
“I’d rather be dead than disgrace myself and my children’s name by working for Trump,” Mr Schmidt said.
In a launch manifesto published in The New York Times, the Lincoln Project’s founders declared: “We are republicans, and we want Trump defeated.”
“The 2020 general election, by every indication, will be about persuasion,” they wrote. “Our efforts are aimed at persuading….disaffected conservatives, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in swing states and districts.”
In its effort to persuade disaffected Republicans, the group has engaged in practices similar to other pro-Trump Republican PACs, according to a report by campaign-finance watchdog Centre for Responsive Politics released in May.
“The Republican super PAC has amassed a substantial war chest, but it has come under scrutiny for funnelling money to its advisory board members and spending relatively little airing political ads to influence voters,” the report said.
“The group also hides some of its vendors by stealthily paying subcontractors, making it difficult to follow the money. The Lincoln Project reported spending nearly $1.4m through March. Almost all of that money went to the group’s board members and firms run by them.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Erin Perrine, dismissed The Lincoln Project’s latest attack ad.
“This is the swamp – yet again – trying to take down the duly elected president of the United States,” Ms Perrine said in a statement shared with The Hill.
“President Trump is the leader of a united Republican Party where he has earned 94 per cent of Republican votes during the primaries – something any former president of any party could only dream of.”
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]]>The post Defiant Portland mayor tells feds to ‘stay inside’ or ‘leave’ city, asks DHS to clean up graffiti appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler lashed out at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Twitter Tuesday, urging federal agents to “stay inside” or “leave” as the city faces its sixth-straight week of protests and unrest.
“I told the Acting Secretary that my biggest immediate concern is the violence federal officers brought to our streets in recent days, and the life-threatening tactics his agents use,” Wheeler wrote Tuesday evening. “We do not need or want their help.”
PORTLAND’S UNREST CONTINUES FOR SIX STRAIGHT WEEKS WITH NO APPARENT END IN SIGHT
DHS deployed officers from multiple federal law enforcement agencies this month to protect government installations that include a courthouse and another building.
Demonstrations have taken place around the country hafter the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Four officers were fired and charged, including Derek Chauvin, who appeared in a video holding his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
Meanwhile, city businesses have reported $23 million in losses due to looters and rioters – amid a coronavirus pandemic that is already causing massive economic damage.
Chaos has broken out in the city’s streets, frequently aimed at federal property as activists and some local leaders have objected to the presence of federal officers.
Over the weekend, a 23-year-old demonstrator allegedly struck a federal officer in the head with a hammer outside a courthouse. The demonstrator is accused of beating a hole into the building’s door with the hammer before officers came outside. Then he struck the officer in the head and shoulder with the hammer before being taken into custody, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
“The best thing they can do is stay inside their building,” Wheeler wrote Tuesday. “Or leave Portland altogether.”
He also criticized DHS for not cleaning graffiti off of its buildings.
PORTLAND EYES POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD, COMMISSION AS PART OF REFORM
“While we’re busy cleaning out streets and buildings, the two federal buildings are covered with graffiti that has been there for weeks on end,” he wrote.
Portland police have been struggling to contain the unrest as well. The department’s official Twitter account shows images and videos of the demonstrations stretching back for weeks.
The bureau has publicly shared images of projectiles hurled at police, crowds refusing to clear out, and weapons seized from protesters.
And police have said officers have been injured in a number of incidents – on multiple occasions due to protesters throwing fireworks at them.
“Our officers are tired, but they are resilient,” Chief Chuck Lovell said in a statement announcing more than a dozen arrests on the Fourth of July. “Our community deserves better than nightly criminal activity that destroys the value and fabric of our community.”
Meanwhile, other city leaders are exploring ways to reform the city’s police with proposals like establishing a civilian board of commissioners or a community-controlled oversight board.
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The city auditor held a virtual town hall on police reform Monday.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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]]>The post Defiant New Jersey pastors plan to reopen churches: Gov. Murphy’s order ‘doesn’t trump … Constitution’ appeared first on Virus Reports.
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A handful of New Jersey pastors say they are reopening in defiance of Gov. Phil Murphy‘s stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of the coronavirus, because of their religious convictions and constitutional rights.
Charles Clark Jr., co-pastor of Solid Rock Baptist Church in Berlin who has been preaching for 45 years, made the announcement Wednesday at the South Jersey house of worship.
BALTIMORE PASTOR RIPS UP CEASE-AND-DESIST LETTER MID-SERMON: ‘WE’RE GONNA DO IT GOD’S WAY!’
“We’re not breaking the law by going to church,” Clark Jr. said. “The people telling us we can’t go to church are breaking the Constitution of the United States. It’s illegal…It’s just ridiculous in this country.”
Pastor Charles Clark, Jr. of Solid Rock Baptist Church in Berlin, N.J.
(Solid Rock Baptist Church)
His son, Charles Clark III, doubled down on his father’s comments.
“The liquor store has been open the entire time. The grocery store has been open. Walmart is open, the pet store is open, the bicycle repair shop is open, and all are considered essential, but the church has been closed,” Clark III said at the press conference. “And the church has been considered non-essential. We strongly disagree with that.”
CHICAGO FINES CHURCHES FOR HOLDING SERVICES IN VIOLATION OF STATEWIDE LOCKDOWN ORDER
Clark’s attorney sent a letter to the Democratic governor demanding the status of churches in the Garden State be switched to essential given the First Amendment.
“Governor Murphy’s executive order does not control the rights of the church,” he said, “We understand the executive order has the power that it does for the time period necessary but it doesn’t trump the power of the Constitution and it cannot go on indefinitely.”
Pastor Charles Clark III, co-pastor of Solid Rock Baptist Church in Berlin, New Jersey, speaking at a press conference Wednesday saying his church and others are going to open with or without permission from the governor.
(Solid Rock Baptist Church)
The pastor said they will take all health and safety precautions above and beyond what businesses already open are doing, including social distancing, deep cleaning, and temperature checks at the door.
NEW YORK PASTOR THREATENED WITH $1,000 FINE FOR HOLDING DRIVE-IN CHURCH SERVICE
Andy Reese, pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Clementon, already reopened last Sunday and said he realizes he may face legal backlash holding a service Wednesday night as well.
“We’re prepared to stand for what is right, for what is true, and we’re prepared to face whatever consequences these are,” Reese said. “If necessary, go to court.”
RAVI ZACHARIAS TRIBUTES POUR IN FROM PENCE, CHRISTIAN LEADERS
Murphy has made it clear that until there’s a vaccine or a treatment, mass gatherings, including worship services, will remain restricted, ABC 6 reports.
Andy Reese, pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Clementon, New Jersey.
(Solid Rock Baptist Church)
“Inside, no ventilation, close contact, it’s a hard nut to crack,” Murphy said. “We’re just not there yet.”
A month after issuing the original order, Murphy amended it to allow drive-in services after being sued by a North Caldwell Catholic priest in federal court. The pastors are asking for another change in the order.
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“I ain’t afraid to go to jail. I don’t want to go to church, but I ain’t backing down, our church ain’t backing down, and there’s churches all over this country that aren’t backing down,” Clark Jr. said.
It is unclear if the churches will face any push back from law enforcement or fines as churches have in Chicago and elsewhere.
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]]>The post Defiant Whitmer slams anti-lockdown protests, questions political motives behind demonstrations appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Five things to know about Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has called Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer one of the most talented people in the country and is on his list of potential running mates. Here are five things to know about one of the contenders in the 2020 veepstakes.
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EXCLUSIVE: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is going on offense against mounting protests rocking Lansing over her strict stay-at-home orders – saying she will not apologize for protecting people’s health during the coronavirus pandemic and alleging there are political undercurrents rippling through the demonstrations.
Whitmer, a Democrat who earlier this month extended her austere stay-at-home order until at least May 28, said in an interview with Fox News that while people have a right to protest, she believes the demonstrations have now morphed from protests against the lockdown into something more partisan.
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“There is a lot of politics at play here, unfortunately,” Whitmer told Fox News. “The protests are very political in nature instead of being focused on the stay-at-home order.”
She added: “But I’ve been focused on doing my job, and I’m going to keep doing that and I’m not going to apologize about that. I’m not changing the way I run this state because of some protests.”
‘I’m not changing the way I run this state because of some protests.’
— Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, to Fox News
Whitmer announced in April an expansion to her state’s stay-at-home orders, which, among other things, prohibit residents from visiting family or friends with exceptions for providing care, ban public and private gatherings regardless of size or family ties, and place restrictions on what types of businesses may operate and in what capacity.
She has since eased some of the restrictions — including now opening retail businesses, some restaurants and bars and some offices in the state’s Upper Peninsula and Traverse City regions. But she has also extended her order until the end of May and vetoed a bill that would have limited her powers – leading two GOP state lawmakers to file a lawsuit to compel her to reopen the state’s economy and prompting a number of law enforcement agencies across the state to announce they would not impose Whitmer’s orders.
“We’ve attempted to partner with our governor, but she’s rejected,” Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, tweeted. “We offered cooperation, but instead she chose court. This was avoidable, but today we filed a lawsuit in our state to challenge her unconstitutional actions. The law in Michigan is clear, and nobody is above it.”
The protests against Whitmer’s orders began in mid-April when thousands of cars and trucks descended on Lansing to cause traffic jams around the Capitol – as drivers voiced their anger at the economic chaos being wreaked on the state as businesses were forced to shutter from the start of the pandemic.
Since then the protests have become a near-weekly occurrence in Lansing and caused state lawmakers from both parties to voice their concerns about both the public health issues of mass gatherings during the pandemic and the threat of violence that has accompanied some rallies.
MICHIGAN STAY-AT-HOME ORDER NOW BANS VISITS TO FRIENDS, RELATIVES, GOVERNOR SAYS
While the protests have gone off generally without incident, Whitmer – and some state lawmakers from both parties – have raised concern about some of the demonstrators carrying assault weapons. A 32-year-old Detroit man was also recently arrested for allegedly making death threats against Whitmer and state Attorney General Dana Nessel over the COVID-19-related restrictions.
“The threats of violence are very real and no one in public life should be subject to that,” Whitmer said. “With everyone from local leaders to my calls with the White House, I’ve asked if we can all please do whatever we can to bring down the heat.”
Any help “to bring down the heat” from the White House, however, seems unlikely as President Trump has given his tacit support to the demonstrators – tweeting “Liberate Michigan” as the protests kicked off in April before a more diplomatic social media post earlier this month where he called on Whitmer to “make a deal” with her constituents.
“The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire,” Trump tweeted. “These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”
Whitmer said that while she has had support from the White House in terms of receiving personal protective equipment and supplies that health care workers need to combat the contagion, she has not had the same support when it comes to easing the unrest in her state. She insisted, however, that despite what the protesters think, Michigan is in the midst of reopening.
“We in the third phase of a six-phase process to bring life back to normal,” she said. “But we have to be careful as we’ve had a really bad experience with COVID-19.”
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As of Monday, more than 51,000 confirmed cases of the disease had been reported in the state with almost 4,900 deaths. Wayne County, which is home to Detroit, has over 2,200 deaths – making it the fifth-biggest county in the U.S. in terms of deaths, behind only some in New York and Illinois’ Cook County, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
There have been persistent rumors that the protests, which have been organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, are less in response to the stay-at-home orders and more meant to sully Whitmer’s reputation as her name gets thrown around as a possible running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Whitmer, however, brushed off both the rumors and the speculation that she could join Biden’s ticket – saying that her main focus at the moment is keeping Michiganders safe amid the public health crisis.
“I’m not focused on 2020 politics,” she said. “I’m focused on 2020 in this state and fighting this virus.”
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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