Thursday Reads: Grim Reaper Trump
Posted: July 16, 2020 Filed under: morning reads, U.S. Politics | Tags: #BridgeGate, anti-semitism, Bill Stepian, Brad Parscale, coronavirus pandemic, Covid-19, Donald Trump, dysfunctional families, Jared Kushner, Joe Biden, Mary Trump, presidential polls, Racism, Republican National Convention, Russia 43 CommentsGood Morning!!
The Grim Reaper
Mary Trump’s book was released on Tuesday, and the court affirmed her right to freedom of speech, so she is now speaking out about her the horrific family that produced Donald Trump. She’ll be interviewed tonight by Rachel Maddow–that should be interesting. She gave an interview to The Washington Post’s Ashley Parker yesterday: Mary Trump says the U.S. has devolved into a version of her ‘incredibly dysfunctional family.
Mary L. Trump, President’s Trump’s niece, said that watching the country’s leadership devolve into “a macro version of my incredibly dysfunctional family” was one of the factors that compelled her to write her book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
In an interview Wednesday with The Washington Post, Mary Trump said she blames “almost 100 percent” her grandfather, Fred Trump — the family patriarch whom she describes as a “sociopath” in her 214-page memoir of sorts — for creating the conditions that led to Trump’s rise and, ultimately, what she views as his dangerous presidency.
Much like in her extended family, Mary Trump said, a similar dynamic is now playing out on the national stage, with Trump simultaneously possessing “an unerring instinct for finding people who are weaker than he is,” while also being “eminently usable by people who are stronger and savvier than he is” and eager to exploit him.
Cemetery Gates, Marc Chagall
Assessing the current moment, in which Trump has amplified racism and stoked the flames of white grievance and resentment, Mary Trump said that the president is “clearly racist,” but that his behavior stems from a combination of upbringing and political cynicism.
“It comes easily to him and he thinks it’s going to score him points with the only people who are continuing to support him,” she said.
Mary Trump said that growing up in her family, her experience was one of “a knee-jerk anti-Semitism, a knee-jerk racism.”
“Growing up, it was sort of normal to hear them use the n-word or use anti-Semitic expressions,” she said.
Read the rest at the WaPo.
It seems that the majority of Americans are finally waking up to the truth about Trump. After what happened in 2016, I won’t feel confident until after the election, but things are looking very bad for a second Trump term. Here’s the latest:
NBC News: Biden opens up 11-point national lead over Trump in NBC News/WSJ poll.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden holds a double-digit lead nationally over President Donald Trump, with 7 in 10 voters saying the country is on the wrong track and majorities disapproving of the president’s handling of the coronavirus and race relations.
Those are the major findings of a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that comes 3½ months before the presidential election, amid a pandemic that has killed about 140,000 people in the U.S. and during protests and debates over race across the country.
Colonial Graveyard at Lexington, MA, Frederick Childe Hassam
The poll shows Biden ahead of Trump by 11 points among registered voters, 51 percent to 40 percent, which is well outside the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Biden’s lead in last month’s poll was 7 points, 49 percent to 42 percent.
In addition, the poll shows Democrats enjoying an intensity advantage heading into November, and it has Trump’s job rating declining to 42 percent — its lowest level in two years.
“The atmosphere and the attitudes toward Donald Trump are the most challenging an incumbent president has faced since Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Lyndon Johnson in 1968,” said Democratic pollster Peter Hart, whose firm conducted the survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.
Nate Cohn at The New York Times: Even if the Polls Are Really Off, Trump Is Still in Trouble.
With Joe Biden claiming almost a double-digit lead in national polls, one question still seems to loom over the race: Can we trust the polls after 2016?
It’s a good question. But for now, it’s not as important as you might guess. If the election were held today, Mr. Biden would win the presidency, even if the polls were exactly as wrong as they were four years ago.
Edouard Manet, The Funeral
The reason is simple: His lead is far wider than Hillary Clinton’s was in the final polls, and large enough to withstand another 2016 polling meltdown.
This is not to say that President Trump can’t win. There are still nearly four months to go until the election — more than enough time for the race and the polls to change. The race changed on several occasions over the final months in 2016. And this race has already changed significantly in the last four months. According to FiveThirtyEight, three months ago Mr. Biden held a lead of only about four points.
Read more at the NYT link.
Yesterday, Trump demoted campaign manager Brad Parscale and replaced him with Bill Stepian, the guy who helped Chris Christie with Bridgegate. The Daily Beast: Trump Campaign Chief Was Edged Out ‘Weeks Ago.’ Now He’s Officially Demoted.
President Donald Trump has removed Brad Parscale as his campaign manager, installing instead Bill Stepien, his former second-in-command, in the role. Parscale had held the position since February 2018.
Parscale will remain a part of the campaign as a senior adviser overseeing digital operations, per a Facebook post from the commander-in-chief….
Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, delivered the news, according to ABC.
Graveyard, Ernest Lawson
The move was the culmination of multiple elevations and additions to Team Trump earlier this year that amounted to alleviating Parscale of certain key responsibilities, even if he remained at the time as a campaign manager in title. For instance, Stepien and Jason Miller, another top Trump 2020 official who previously worked as a senior aide on the 2016 team and Trump presidential transition, had for weeks largely taken the helm on strategy, with Parscale generally focusing on duties that the president tweeted on Wednesday evening would remain in his portfolio after the demotion, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
In substance and assignments, “this ‘shakeup’ happened weeks ago,” one of these individuals said. “Difference [tonight] is that it’s now official in everyone’s titles.”
Of course Jared is really the one in charge of the campaign.
Trump’s planned convention in Florida keeps shrinking. Axios: RNC to restrict attendance at Florida convention amid coronavirus surge.
The Republican National Committee will move to significantly limit attendance at its nominating convention events in Jacksonville, Fla., next month, party chairwoman Ronna McDaniel wrote in a Thursday letter to members, Politico reports.
What’s happening: Only delegates will be able to attend the convention on the first three nights. On the fourth night, when President Trump will give his acceptance speech — which may take place outdoors — delegates will be able to bring a guest, while alternate delegates will also be permitted to attend.
— “Adjustments must be made to comply with state and local health guidelines,” McDaniel wrote. “I want to make clear that we still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville.”
— Florida’s coronavirus outbreak has continued to worsen in recent weeks. The state reported 15,299 new coronavirus cases on Sunday — a single-day record for any state</blockquote
By Diana Salina-Sandoval
The coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen, while Trump refuses to do anything to help states where the virus is raging out of control. The latest alarming coronavirus stories:
NBC News: Russia is attempting to steal coronavirus vaccine research, U.S., U.K. and Canada claim.
Hackers from Russia’s intelligence services have attempted to steal information related to COVID-19 vaccine development from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, British officials said Thursday.
A group called “APT29, also known as “the Dukes” or “Cozy Bear” has been using malware to target various groups across the three countries, the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre said in a statement.
It said the United States’ National Security Agency agrees with the assessment.
This is a breaking news report. Please check back for updates.
There is no mystery in the number of Americans dying from COVID-19.
Despite political leaders trivializing the pandemic, deaths are rising again: The seven-day average for deaths per day has now jumped by more than 200 since July 6, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic. By our count, states reported 855 deaths today, in line with the recent elevated numbers in mid-July.
By William Bell Scott
The deaths are not happening in unpredictable places. Rather, people are dying at higher rates where there are lots of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations: in Florida, Arizona, Texas, and California, as well as a host of smaller southern states that all rushed to open up.
The deaths are also not happening in an unpredictable amount of time after the new outbreaks emerged. Simply look at the curves yourself. Cases began to rise on June 16; a week later, hospitalizations began to rise. Two weeks after that—21 days after cases rose—states began to report more deaths. That’s the exact number of days that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated from the onset of symptoms to the reporting of a death.
Many people who don’t want COVID-19 to be the terrible crisis that it is have clung to the idea that more cases won’t mean more deaths. Some Americans have been perplexed by a downward trend of national deaths, even as cases exploded in the Sun Belt region. But given the policy choices that state and federal officials have made, the virus has done exactly what public-health experts expected. When states reopened in late April and May with plenty of infected people within their borders, cases began to grow. COVID-19 is highly transmissible, makes a large subset of people who catch it seriously ill, and kills many more people than the flu or any other infectious disease circulating in the country.
CNN: As Trump refuses to lead, America tries to save itself.
President Donald Trump isn’t leading America much as its pandemic worsens. But that’s not stopping Walmart — along with Kroger, Kohl’s, and city and state leaders and officials — from making the tough decisions that the President has shirked.
The Graveyard, by Uko Post
Given Trump’s approach, if the country is to exit the building disaster without many more thousands dead, it will fall to governors, mayors, college presidents and school principals, teachers and grocery store managers to execute plans balancing public health with the need for life to go on.
There were growing indications Wednesday that such centers of authority across the country are no longer waiting for cues from an indifferent President whose aggressive opening strategy has been discredited by a tsunami of infections and whose poll numbers are crashing as a result.
More school districts — in Houston and San Francisco, for example — are defying the President’s demand for all kids to go back to class in the fall.
Head over to CNN to read more examples of state and local leaders acting on their own.
It’s just another sad and frustrating day in an American held hostage by Trump’s dysfunctional “presidency.” Hang in there, Sky Dancers! We will survive this somehow.
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
NW Luna
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
More stories to check out:
The Washington Post: Michael Cohen asked to sign stay-out-of-jail agreement that may violate his First Amendment rights, lawyers say.
The New York Times: Footage of Police Body Cameras Offers Devastating Account of Floyd Killing
Politico: Trump team launches a sweeping loyalty test to shore up its defenses
The Daily Beast: Team Trump Frantically Plots New Ways to Make Him Feel Good About Himself
The Atlantic: Fauci: ‘Bizarre’ White House Behavior Only Hurts the President
The Hill: Public’s disconnect from COVID-19 reality worries experts
Hey Boomer. Stopping by to say hi. I don’t spend time on blogs much anymore but didn’t forget. I usually tie myself up ranting on twitter, where I run into you and Daki now and then. Hope everybody here is able to maintain some semblence of sanity in the face the the sadistic lunatic in the WH. If you are able to do this, please let me know how, because I feel we are perpetually in the presence of Raw Evil.
Mary Trump is a lot easier to look at than the rest of the Trumps, that’s for sure. And it does appear she acquired most of the IQ points in the family as well. Her father must have been the smarter kid, smart enough to know he was trapped in a horrible family. Who wouldn’t drink themselves to death while being demeaned every day of your life for being an actual, you know, human being.
We don’t hear Donnie Dolt saying much about Mary’s book, which means he’s freaked out beyond words. As horrific as her anecdotes are, every one of them is believable. Trump is one seriously damaged freak who derives pleasure from the pain and suffering of others. Genocide excites him. We should be very afraid knowing that he will do almost anything to win again, especially considering his future with SDNY. Also, four more years of the Looting Of America. Here’s hoping we do not suffer the Unthinkable again.
Hi Uppity,
Thanks for stopping by. Mary’s book is riveting. My god, that family was horrific. And Fred Sr didn’t even have the excuse of being an alcoholic. Compared to him, the mother was an angel. She was cold as ice but had some semblance of humanity.
Glad you paid us a visit!!! Like I said, stuff is hard to read and write about during these wretched times!!!
Pence is bizarre. Even in the face of facts he still maintains “there is nothing to see here, go about your business”. A true case of spinelessness coming from the Vice President of the US.
Lies, lies and more lies is all one can expect from this tribe of weasels. All in service to the worst Human Being on earth. Sickening.
The “best” they can do is smear the experts. Insane. We are stuck with this virus until an adequate vaccine is developed and who knows when that will occur. Until then we should be staying cautious with our interactions and abide by the rules laid out to protect us as best we can expect.
Historians will have a field day eventually in determining how and why this happened and how it was handled.
Meanwhile we are stuck with Trump and his sick, twisted mind. November cannot get here fast enough.
I know several people who went to high school with Pence in Columbus. He has always been full of himself but he is basically a very weak character. He cares about Mike and listens to Mother but would probably throw her under the bus if she would give him permission.
Beata, how are you? I’m thrilled to see you!
Good to see you too, BB. I am still alive. I check the local obits every morning just to be sure. Staying sane by reading lots of English mysteries. Hope you and your loved ones are okay.
Hi Beata! So happy to see you!!! We kept wondering how you were doing!!!
I’m so glad you’re still doing well.
My mom is in an assisted living place in Fishers now. She’s 95 and still doing pretty well. They still don’t allow anyone to come in to visit, but they are allowing her to have a woman caregiver visit with her two days a week and take her outside, etc.
Hi Beata! (waves) Good to hear from you. I understand the lots of reading coping mechanism, and am doing that too! Do you have suggestions of some of your favorite writers?
BB, it sounds like your mother’s facility is doing the right things to keep her safe. It must be extremely difficult for you and your siblings to be unable to see her during this time. At least she has someone visiting her regularly and she is able to get outside.
May this whole nightmare be over as soon as possible! So many people are suffering.
My mother would have been 95 this year. I miss her every day.
Waving to Dak and Luna!
Luna, I have been doing so much reading. Lots of good mystery writers. I will try to come up with a list of suggestions.
Good to see you again!
“Check the obits every morning to make sure”
I’m feeling the same way myself most mornings!
I’ve been reading constantly too. It helps me stay sane. I also love mysteries.
Pence is the Chairman of the Lying For Jesus Committee.
That Nate Cohn annoys me. He’s a professional. He’s got to know that the kind of discrepancy the US had between exit polls and election results lead to investigations of electoral fraud in less powerful countries. But he’s always carrying on as if ‘gee whiz, somehow the pollsters just got it so wrong, it’s different this time.’
I remember seeing somewhere that the Dems need to be around 8 pts ahead to compensate for all the legal and illegal vote shenanigans. Since not much is being done about those, the best news is that the Dump is 11 pts behind. That means there really is hope, if we can also get the Senate turned around (otherwise Biden just gets to be a figurehead) as well as enough governorships and state legislatures to de-rig post-Census gerrymandering.
Here’s hoping.
Yep. Crickets here. Also Reality Winner is still in prison for trying to inform us.
that too!
Don’t know why I was surprised to see the bit about the Russkies trying to steal vaccine research.
Jesus. What a world.
I’d be surprised if they weren’t.
Yeah. After the reflexive, “What the –?” it was “Well, duh!”
Where are the lawyers and lawsuits?? The public’s right to know, freedom of information, etc.
WTAF?
the full-fledged dictatorship is coming at us fast, isn’t it?
I wonder whether Nov 3 gets here first, or it does? Actually, I should say Jan 17 or whatever it is. Those two+ months will see democracy dismantling on hyperspeed.
I wonder if Biden has what it takes to reverse that shit? I would have guessed ‘no,’ but he has been making unusually sensible noises about fighting climate change so who knows. Maybe he’ll realize now is not the time for Good Ole Boys.
https://www.propublica.org/article/out-of-view-after-public-outcry-cdc-adds-hospital-data-back-to-its-website-for-now/amp?__twitter_impression=true
Good. But it’s horrifying that the info was wiped out to begin with.
Read the article and the data was not restored. Their headline is misleading.
I cannot wait to read the Mary Trump book!
It’s really interesting!
brain bleach! STAT!
(Although Parscale is fairly hideous too)
Oh, he’s very hideous!
Thrillig to know that a bunch of teens outsmarted him in Tulsa.
Hi Upps!
Hope, please start dating Stephen Miller too!
I have a really hard time believing anyone can be that dumb. I’m betting he thought he could just spout garbage, but now he feels like it’s attracting the evil eye. I bet it’s queasy superstition more than straight-up doesn’t-understand-germ-theory-of-disease.
Then there’s that governor of Georgia who’s made it illegal for cities and counties in Georgia to mandate masking. Yeah, he’s Republican; how could you guess? /s
Yes, and now the governor is suing the mayor of Atlanta over the city’s mask mandate! Unbelievable! She’s just trying to protect us!