Letter to the editor: Donald Trump & his adversaries – TribLIVE

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Letter to the editor: Donald Trump & his adversaries - TribLIVE

Donald Trump Will Rescue the Stock Market Just in Time for His Re-Election Campaign – CCN.com

Eight months away from the presidential elections, Donald Trump issued a dire warning that the stock market will crash like nobody has seen before should voters choose to kick him out of the White House.

It appears that voters dont have to wait for the presidential elections to witness the stock market cratering. The Dow Jones just printed its worst two-day percentage plunge in two years while the S&P 500 is down 7.8% from its all-time high. The stock market is tanking so it can serve Trumps reelection campaign in November.

One of Trumps greatest achievements as president is the record-setting stock market. Under Trumps presidency, equities have consistently printed fresh all-time highs. The S&P 500 climbed by as much 62.9% since Trump took office in November 2016. The Dow skyrocketed more than 65% over the same time period.

According to Bespoke Investment Group, the gains of the S&P 500 since Trump was elected are more than double the returns of his predecessors three years into their term dating back to 1928.

Theres no doubt that Trump will leverage this achievement to get reelected, but not in a way that most people think. Trump can take advantage of the current stock market selloff to get further rate reductions from the Federal Reserve. The rate cuts can resuscitate a crashing stock market before the presidential elections.

Will Meade, a billion-dollar hedge fund manager, echoes this sentiment. He believes that the rate cut will boost the economy and the stock market right in time for the election.

While Im not sure that Trump is really behind the selloff, he can definitely use the stock market crash as an opportunity to boost his candidacy.

In October 2019, the Federal Reserve said it plans to keep rates stable unless the economy faltered. In other words, the Fed is not ruling out further rate reductions in the future.

This gives Trump and his team the window to strong-arm the Fed to get a big rate cut in March. With the stock market cratering, Trump can weaponize Twitter to achieve his goal. A study has shown that the Fed is likely to succumb to Trumps tweets. It appears that the stars are aligning for a massive rate cut in March.

The question now is whether rate cuts can actually drive the stock market higher. Historical data show that the S&P 500 rose by an average 11% after six months when the Fed cut rates during an economic expansion.

JM Vala of LayupTrades.com thinks that rate cuts will help stabilize the stock market. He told CCN.com,

I think that yes, the Fed rate cut will help stabilize the market. Also, we were expecting zero rate cuts and we are now looking at up to three this year.

Other analysts are not so optimistic about the impact of more rate reductions.

Mati Greenspan, founder of Quantum Economics said,

At this point a rate cut would be a waste of a policy tool and I think the Fed knows that.

Jason Harris of StockHunterTrading.com shares Greenspans view. When asked if rate cuts would help prop up the stock market, he answered,

Not really. I think low interest rates are going to be the new norm for a few years if not decades.

For now, Trump can blame the coronavirus for the cratering stock market. I imagine it would do his campaign wonders if he becomes the hero that resuscitates stocks in the coming months. Given this context, it appears that Trump will once again come out on top of this situation.

The above should not be considered trading advice from CCN.com. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.

This article was edited by Sam Bourgi.

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Donald Trump Will Rescue the Stock Market Just in Time for His Re-Election Campaign - CCN.com

Donald Trump has launched a 2020 campaign disinformation juggernaut and its gaining speed – Raw Story

You may be forgiven if you are under the impression that the Trump administrations response to the coronavirus outbreak is just one more example of his incompetence, aggressive ignorance, contempt for science and outright abuse of government. But its worse than that. For the White House, and especially for Donald Trumps re-election campaign, its an opportunity to put into play the massive disinformation apparatus they have built for the 2020 presidential race.

This article first appeared in Salon.

Just look at what theyve done so far. They unleashed their platoon of poodles in the right- wing media to pound the drum for the proposition that the Democrats have weaponized the coronavirus outbreak to bring down Donald Trump, a line of outright horseshit pushed aggressively by Trumpazoid spokesbots Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity on their shows. Their evidence? Well, that terrible, nasty, mean Chuck Schumer has been critical of the Trump administrations initial request for only $2.5 billion to fight the virus, proposing instead that more than $8 billion will be needed. Trump himself doubled down against Democrats at his press conference on Thursday, unleashing a new attack on Nancy Pelosi. I think Speaker Pelosis incompetent. Shes trying to create a panic. I think shes not thinking about the country, he added. She should be saying we have to work together. As if thats not what Pelosi has been saying.But perhaps the most egregious thing theyve done was to announce a rule that all statements coming from administration officials must be cleared through the office of Vice President Mike Pence. For the White House and the Trump campaign, saddled with an out-of-control narrative about a disaster they are singularly unequipped to handle, disinformation is no information at all.

The Trump campaigns disinformation Death Star, as one campaign operative described it to McKay Coppins of the Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-2020-disinformation-war/605530/ is located in an office building in Roslyn, Virginia, just across the Potomac from Washington. Heavily funded, technologically sophisticated, and staffed with dozens of experienced operatives, the Trump campaign plans to spend more than $1 billion on the most extensive disinformation campaign in U.S. history, according to Coppins article.

The Trump disinformation juggernaut is overseen by campaign manager Brad Parscale, who was digital director of the Trump 2016 campaign. The Trump campaign ran 5.9 million ads on Facebook in that campaign, according to Bloomberg News,while the Democrats ran only 66,000 Facebook ads. This years campaign will make even more sophisticated use of the kind of micro-targeting they used in 2016. A political analyst on MSNBC recently pointed out that micro-targeting has become so effective that as few as 800 women in a mid-size city in Wisconsin could be sent a single anti-abortion ad on Facebook, thus eliminating the cost of broadcasting political content more widely.

Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has already spent hundreds of millions on conventional TV advertising in his campaign for the Democratic nomination, and has promised to keep spending to defeat Trump even if he doesnt win. But Democrats who still think that politics is a game that can be won by pouring vast sums of money into 15- and 30-second ads on television should recall that the Trump campaign spent very little on conventional TV advertising in 2016, and doesnt show signs of changing that strategy this year.

Perhaps the biggest target of the Trump disinformation effort will be the media itself cable news, newspapers and local TV news operations especially. Trumps disinformation effort used the impeachment battle as a practice round to test out tactics for the election. Using Republicans on the House impeachment committee followed by defense lawyers during the Senate trial, they put forth a blizzard of conspiracy theories, rumors and outright fabrications to distract everyones attention from Trumps crimes in the Ukraine scandal. By the end of that Senate trial, it seemed that the truth about what Trump did or didnt do had ceased to matter.

The issue for many people isnt exactly a denial of truth as such, explained a recent story by Sean Illing of Vox (a former Salon reporter).Its more a growing weariness over the process of finding the truth at all. And that weariness leads more and more people to abandon the idea that the truth is knowable. Illing quoted Trumps 2016 campaign manager Steve Bannon on the campaigns strategy for 2020. The Democrats dont matter, Bannon explained in an interview in 2018. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.

Were getting a taste of the shit they plan to shovel during the presidential campaign in the way the Trump administration is handling the coronavirus story. Trumps blame-the-media strategy was perfectly illustrated in a Wednesday tweet: Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & @CNN are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus [sic] look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape!

If youre like me, youve given up on keeping track of the Washington Posts running count of Trumps lies. The last time I looked, the number was somewhere north of 15,000. That the total has ceased to matter is an illustration of the effectiveness of the campaigns disinformation strategy.

Trumps disinformation strategy depends on a central paradox. Even as Trump tells so many lies we cant keep up with him about everything from the weather to the size of the crowds at his rallies - his campaign counts on the media to keep emphasizing the lies he tells about his opponents. You want an example? Look how successful he was in tarring Joe Biden with the brush of corruption in Ukraine. There wasnt a scintilla of truth in anything Trump or any of his minions said about the Bidens and Ukraine, yet thats all we heard about for six fucking months.

The man who held a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and lied through his teeth about his attempts to build a Moscow Trump Tower is running a campaign thats been all over Bernie Sanders for honeymooning in Moscow. The man with the most garbled syntax in American political history is campaigning against Joe Biden for his occasional verbal miscues, unfinished sentences and gaffes. And the man who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by more than 20 women, and sued by several of them, is never going to let you forget that Bloomberg has had several non-disclosure agreements with women he employed. And all this has been regularly reported by mainstream media, and will continue to be.

Trump had Hillary Clintons emails to bellow about in 2016, and this year hes already leading chants of lock her up at his rallies. Im not a betting man, but if I was, Id lay money on Trump ordering his attack dog William Barr to find someone, preferably a female someone, and perp-walk her into jail by the fall.

On Friday night at a rally in South Carolina, Trump called the coronavirus the Democrats latest hoax, proving that every day, in every way, you just cant make this shit up.

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Donald Trump has launched a 2020 campaign disinformation juggernaut and its gaining speed - Raw Story

Donald Trump ally Boris Johnson says the president is ‘failing to lead’ – Business Insider – Business Insider

Donald Trump's previously close relationship with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks close to collapse, with the president reportedly accusing him "betrayal" after a furious phone call between the two leaders.

Trump's behaviour during the call was described by officials as "apoplectic," with the president reportedly slamming the phone down to end the call.

Johnson has now cancelled his plans for a visit to the White House next month.

The prime minister had been one of Trump's few close international allies, with the president labelling Johnson "fantastic," a "good man" and "Britain Trump."

However, relations broke down following a series of high-profile threats from Trump and a series of pointed interventions against Trump by Johnson and senior members of his government.

Here's how Trump is losing the support of the leader of the United States' closest international ally.

Getty President Donald Trump reportedly slammed the phone down on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month after what officials described as an "apoplectic" call.

The call was ended by Trump "slamming the phone down" on Johnson.

The call, which one source described to the Financial Times as "very difficult," came after Johnson defied Trump and allowed Chinese telecoms company Huawei the rights to develop the UK's 5G network.

Trump's fury was triggered by Johnson backing Huawei despite multiple threats by Trump and his allies that the United States would withdraw security co-operation with the UK if the deal went ahead.

Trump's threats reportedly "irritated" the UK government, with Johnson frustrated at the president's failure to suggest any alternatives to the deal.

Following the call, US Vice President Mike Pence said that the Trump administration had made its disappointment at the UK "very clear to them".

The official UK account of the call gives a hint of the disagreement, stating that "the Prime Minister underlined the importance of like-minded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies."

Johnson has cancelled his planned trip to Washington, which was due to take place next month.

Getty Trump has threatened a new trade war with European countries over their continued support for the Iran nuclear deal.

The threats were met with a stark response from Johnson earlier this month.

The prime minister used his first major speech on Brexit since the general election to hit back at the president's threats, launching a barely coded attack on President Trump and his "protectionist" economic strategy.

"Free trade is being choked," Johnson told an event in London on Monday, referencing ongoing trade battles between Washington and China.

"And that is no fault of the people, that's no fault of individual consumers. I am afraid it is the politicians who are failing to lead."

In a clear barb at Trump and his threats to launch a new trade war with Europe, Johnson added that "from Brussels to China to Washington, tariffs are being waved around like cudgels, even in debates on foreign policy where frankly they have no place."

Boris Johnson and Donald Trump Getty Trump's decision to assassinate Qassem Soleimani last month was quickly criticised by Johnson's administration, with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warning that further conflict with Iran is "in none of our interests."

Raab subsequently warned that terrorists "would be the only winners" of any conflict with the West.

Trump's threats to target Iranian cultural sites were also criticised by Johnson, with his spokesperson telling reporters in London that any attempt to do so would be a war crime.

Getty Johnson's administration's most outspoken criticism of Trump came last month from the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

Wallace said that Trump's isolationist foreign policy meant that the UK would have to consider ending its continued support for US-led interventions.

"I worry if the United States withdraws from its leadership around the world," hetold The Sunday Times.

He added: "The assumptions of 2010 that we were always going to be part of a US coalition is really just not where we are going to be."

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Donald Trump ally Boris Johnson says the president is 'failing to lead' - Business Insider - Business Insider

Donald Trump Wants Billions for Missile Defense. Is That a Bad Idea? – The National Interest Online

TheWhite Houses fiscal year 2021 budget requestreleased earlier this month asks Congress for $20.3 billion for missile defense and defeat programs. Nearly half of the request($9.2 billion) is for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The rest of the money will go toward amix of missile defense programs outside of MDA ($7.9 billion) and left of launch activities that attempt to disrupt or destroy enemy missiles before they can be fired ($3.2 billion). These request figures are more or less in line with requests from the past two years and should not be regarded as amajor increase.

What makes the FY 21 missile defense budget request noteworthy isnt the amount of money being asked for but the priorities it reveals. Namely, the MDA is focused on erasing the distinction between regional and homeland missile defense systems.

This is not anew line of effort. Greater integration among various missile defense systems is alongstanding policy goal that can now be realized thanks to technical improvements. However, if the MDA is successful the United States will have to wrestle with thorny questions about nuclear stability and the future of arms control.

Missile defense systems can be categorized according to which operational role they play. Regional or theater missile defense systems protect military units, installations, and civil infrastructure. The capabilities that the United States has traditionally used for this mission tend to be mobile and very reliable in testing. Homeland missile defense systems protect the continental United States from intercontinentalrange ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Currently there is only one option for homeland defense, the Groundbased Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, which is bothvery expensiveandnotoriously unreliable.

Improvements in interceptor and sensor technology allow for new mission types that have started to blur the lines between this regional vs. homeland distinction. New interceptors can engage awider range of threats than their predecessors. The most notable example of this is the SM3 IIA,the latest generation of the Standard Missile family, that MDA plans to test against an ICBMrange target in 2020.

Advances in sensors (e.g. radars) and the ability to rapidly share data across different systems further erase the regional/homeland distinction by giving interceptors abigger engagement window.

Without the ability to share data, interceptors are limited by the range of their associated sensors. Alongrange interceptor might be able to outfly its associated radar, essentially reducing the effective range of the interceptor to less than the associated sensor. But if adifferent, remote sensor can share its data then an interceptor could make more use of its maximum range. This allows an interceptor to be launched on data provide from aremote source, also known aslaunchonremote or LOR.

Another benefit of improved sensors and data fusion isengageonremote or EOR, which is essentially an improved version of LOR. In EOR, remote sensors provide all necessary data to an interceptor, detecting launch, and tracking the target. The interceptors associated radar does not have to track the threat in an EOR scenario.

Taken together, new interceptors and sensors will allow capabilities previously used only for regional defense to contribute to homeland defense. The MDAs FY 21 budget request calls for the SM3 IIA and THAAD systems to serve as an additional layer for homeland defense in case the GMD misses its mark. If these efforts are successful, the United States would be able to deploy many more interceptors capable of destroying ICBMrange warheads than it currently fields.

This natural evolution of missile defense technology will create some longterm strategic headaches. China and Russia wont view alayered homeland missile shield that has amuch larger inventory of interceptors in avacuum. Taken alongside recent U.S. investments inlowyield nuclear weaponsand conventional hypersonic strike systems that can destroy time sensitive targets (e.g.mobile, second strike nuclear missiles), the FY 21 missile defense budget seems like America rejecting mutual nuclear vulnerability.

This could prompt offensive nuclear buildups to overwhelm athicker U.S. homeland defense or early attacks against U.S. missile defense sensors that also provideearly warning of nuclear strikesagainst the homeland. China and Russia already have astrong incentive to blind U.S. missile defense sensors in aconventional conflict. Stronger integration of regional and homeland missile defense capabilities will reinforce this incentive.Neither nuclear buildups nor blinding strikes are beneficial for Americas longterm interests.

Greater integration of regional and homeland missile defense capabilities will also make it harder for the United States touse missile defense limitations as abargaining chipin arms control negotiations. Any future U.S.-Russia arms control agreement that reduces offensive weapons, regardless of whether New START is extended, is unlikely to succeed unless the United States is willing to put missile defense on the table. Yet deeper integration of capabilities makes it harder to limit any one system without negatively affecting others.

An expansion of defensive capabilities could make it easier for the United States to reduce its offensive nuclear forces in future arms control agreements. Stronger defenses would allow for U.S. offensive reductions without increasing vulnerability or risk. Alower requirement for offensive capabilities would also take some pressure off the U.S. nuclear enterprise, which is being stretched thin by the demands of the modernization program. However, such an outcome seems highly unlikely.

This article by Eric Gomez first appeared at CATO.

Image:Israel's U.S.-backed Arrow-3 ballisticmissileshield is seen during a series of live interception tests over Alaska, U.S., in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on July 28, 2019. Courtesy Israel Ministry ofDefensevia REUTERS

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Donald Trump Wants Billions for Missile Defense. Is That a Bad Idea? - The National Interest Online

India rolls out the MAGA carpet for Trump – POLITICO

Namaste Trump! Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shouted to the crowd, which repeated it back to a beaming Trump.

Standing alongside Modi, Trump on Monday inaugurated the brand-new Motera Stadium, lined with 110,000 orange, yellow and blue seats all filled. Trump is ostensibly in India to help mitigate a long-standing trade dispute while tightening U.S.-Indian relations, but Monday's mega-rally was also designed to appeal to Indian-American voters as Trump heads into his reelection campaign.

The First Lady and I have just traveled 8,000 miles around the globe to deliver a message to every citizen across this nation: America loves India America respects India and Americans will always be true and loyal friends to the Indian people, Trump said in a speech that was translated into Hindi on a large video screen in the stadium, which sits along the Sabarmati River in Modi's home state of Gujarat.

It was a political-style rally like no other. Even Trumps popular MAGA rallies couldnt compare to the size and scope of the Namaste Trump rally.

Attendees, some wearing matching shirts from schools, companies or groups and others visiting from the United States, gradually streamed into the heavily secured stadium starting at 8 a.m., hours ahead of the rallys start time. Traditional, folk and patriotic songs blasted from the loudspeakers, keeping things upbeat under the unrelenting sun. A pair of jumbo video screens showed Trumps motorcade moving through the city.

Nearly everyone was wearing white baseball caps provided by organizers that featured a Namaste Trump logo across the front and both countries' flags on the brim. Even if the crowd started streaming out before the speeches were over because of the intense heat, the stadium was consistently filled with adulation for the U.S. president.

Trump is my favorite, gushed Gautam Patel, wearing a Trump, Make India Great Again baseball cap. I like Trump. Hes straightforward, outspoken. Hes got the verbal diarrhea but thats okay. He tells how it is. I love him.

Patel, a businessman who grew up in India but now lives outside Chicago and planned his vacation to India around the rally, said he supports Trump because he helped push through the 2017 tax cuts and his opposition to illegal immigration. I elected him and I will elect him again, he said.

The event was more than twice the size of the Howdy Modi rally both leaders headlined in 2019 at a cavernous football stadium in Houston, billed as the largest event in the U.S. for a leader of a foreign nation.

My friends, my family, maybe every Patel likes Trump, quipped Suresh Patel, 67, who splits his time between Jersey City, N.J., and Anand, India. A green card holder, he isnt able to vote but his wife and three adult children are all U.S. citizens and voted for Trump.

Im feeling proud, he said in Hindi. Its the meeting of the worlds oldest democrat and the worlds biggest democracy.

Hundreds of police officers in beige uniforms and black berets surrounded the stadium. Construction materials from the newly built stadium sat in piles outside. Near the VIP entrance was a huge sign that read Welcome to India Donald and Melania Trump.

As Trumps motorcade slowly made its way to the stadium, the Indian music gave way to Trumps rally playlist, including Macho Man and Tiny Dancer.

People over here think hes very powerful, said Rashi Sharma, 20, a college student from Ahmedabad studying marketing and entrepreneurship. Ive always heard of him. Hes a strong leader. Im following him on Twitter. She said watching him live and listening to his speech is an honor for us.

At times, it felt a little like one of Trumps MAGA rallies in the U.S. Some attendees went out of their way to criticize journalists, blast the mainstream media and praise Fox News. Trump and Modi even exited the stage to The Rolling Stones You Cant Always Get What You Want, Trumps closing song at rallies since his 2016 campaign.

We are registered Democrats but we have changed our views lately, said Daksha Dalal, 66, a federal government retiree from Kansas City, Kan., who was spending the winter in India and attending the rally with her husband. The couple volunteered they used to watch CNN but switched to Fox News after a negative report on Modi. We thought we could never watch Fox because we are Democrats.

By the time the two leaders arrived after 2 p.m. local time, temperatures had soared and attendees were desperately fanning themselves with anything they could find. In their speeches, Trump and Modi, who both rode to office on a wave of populist rhetoric, heaped praise on one another in their speeches.

"Trump's visit is a new chapter in the relationship between the U.S. and India, a chapter that will document the progress and prosperity of Americans and Indians," Modi said in Hindi.

Trump talked about the economy his usual topic but this time he spoke about Indias economy. And he mentioned a landslide election another usual topic but this time he was describing Modis 2019 victory and ascendance from humble roots as a tea sellers son.

You are proof that Indians can accomplish at all, anything they want, he said in his 27-minute remarks in which he mispronounced several Indian names and cities but name-checked well-known cricket players and Bollywood stars.

Modi began his political career in Gujarat, where he served as chief minister. As prime minister, he has enjoyed widespread popularity at home, though his reputation has taken a hit recently over over a new citizenship law that favors all religions over Islam. The move has sparked widespread protests around the country.

In his speech, Trump notably praised all religions.

Before appearing at the rally, Trump made a stop at the Sabarmati Ashram, the humble home where Mahatma Gandhi lived for a dozen years as he helped push India to gain independence from Britain. At one point, Modi could be seen explaining to Trump how to use a charkha, a traditional spinning wheel used by Gandhi. A makeshift VIP building had been hastily constructed for Trump and Modi in recent days, and the White House had been quiet about the visit ahead of time.

Another 100,000 people, largely hand-picked, spent hours in the sun waiting to wave small U.S. and Indian flags and cheer as the presidential motorcade drove passed. Some waved or gave a thumbs up. Along the route, artists from all 28 states performed at pop-up stages.

The leaders of China, Japan and Israel have all visited Ahmedabad since Modi became prime minister. But Trump is the first U.S. president and most high-profile visitor to date even if hes staying for less than two days.

Ahmedabad, a largely industrial city that bills itself as the land of Gandhi, features large swaths of crowded, low-income neighborhoods and more than its share of litter and cows roaming the streets. It has been furiously preparing for Trumps visit for days sprucing up the city, repairing roads, erecting flags and building a wall to hide a poor area along the route of the presidential motorcade.

Hundreds of signs some in English, some in Hindi have popped up, featuring photos of Trump and Modi with phrases that read two dynamic personalities, one momentous occasion, the worlds largest democracy meets the worlds oldest democracy and a historic milestone for a historic friendship.

The signs lined the lighted bridge across the Sabarmati River, where larger-than-life photos of Trump and Modi were also erected Trump in his trademark dark suit tie, flashing a thumbs up.

Before Trump left Washington, he spoke about the crowds he expected to see in India, telling reporters that Modi promised him five to seven million people would line the streets between the airport and stadium. By Thursday, in Trumps recalling of his conversation with Modi, the number had ballooned to 10 million.

Its not unusual for the former reality TV star to be ever mindful of the optics. He often boasts about the size of his audiences and mocks his opponents, Republicans or Democrats, for what he deems lackluster support at events.

But in the days before Trumps arrival, Ahmedabad officials announced 100,000 Indians had been selected and registered to stand along the motorcade route. While it was nowhere close to the 10 million people the president had predicted, the crowds were undoubtedly enthusiastic.

Trump posted on Twitter Saturday that he was looking "so forward to being with my great friends in INDIA! while retweeting a clip from the popular movie Baahubali showing himself as the lead character and savior, riding on a chariot with the first lady.

He will leave for the capital city of New Delhi Monday night after first taking a detour for a private tour of the Taj Mahal.

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India rolls out the MAGA carpet for Trump - POLITICO

AP FACT CHECK: Donald Trump and the audacity of hype – Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) In their boisterous presidential debate, several Democrats sold short the health care plans of rivals or glossed over aspects of their own record. In an audacious league of his own, President Donald Trump celebrated the elimination of a tax that still exists and went deep and wide in distorting what hes done in office.

A sampling from the past week:

TAXES

TRUMP: We got rid of it. No more death tax, no more inheritance tax. Colorado rally Thursday.

THE FACTS: False. The death tax is still alive.

Hes referring to the estate tax, also known as the inheritance tax. He didnt get rid of it.

The 2017 tax overhaul doubled the threshold at which the estate tax gets levied. A couple worth less than $22.4 million would avoid the tax. But the increase of the threshold isnt permanent. Its set to expire in 2026.

___

TRUMP, on the effects of the estate tax on people inheriting family farms: You know what? They go out and they would borrow a lot of money and they would lose the farms. The number is staggering. Colorado rally.

THE FACTS: Hes inflating the peril to family farms from the estate tax, which is aimed at the hugely wealthy. After his 2017 tax cuts, the Agriculture Department published estimates that 38,106 farm estates would be created in 2018. Of those, only 230 would have to file an estate tax return and only 133 would have any estate tax liability.

___

TRADE

TRUMP: If our formally targeted farmers need additional aid until such time as the trade deals with China, Mexico, Canada and others fully kick in, that aid will be provided by the federal government, paid for out of the massive tariff money coming into the USA! tweet Friday in all capital letters.

THE FACTS: Thats a flatly false account of where the money for the farm subsidies comes from. It comes from U.S. taxpayers. There is no massive tariff money coming into the country, from which the subsidies could be drawn.

Since the start of his trade war with China, Trump has been consistently deceptive about who is paying for it. Tariffs are principally paid by U.S. importers and those costs are usually passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices for goods. China and other exporters are not cutting the U.S. a check. The money to help farmers hurt by the trade war comes from the U.S. treasury at the expense of other federal programs and the debt.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says household income takes a hit from the tariffs. It estimated last year that the tariffs then in play would bring down average inflation-adjusted household income by $580 from 2018 to 2020.

___

STOP AND FRISK

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MIKE BLOOMBERG, on the stop-and-frisk policing policy when he was New York mayor: What happened, however, was it got out of control and when we discovered I discovered that we were doing many, many, too many stop and frisks, we cut 95% of them out. Democratic debate Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Hes misrepresenting how stop and frisk declined. That happened because of a court order, not because Bloomberg learned that it was being overused.

In Bloombergs first 10 years in office, the number of stop-and-frisk actions increased nearly 600% from when he took office in 2002, reaching a peak of nearly 686,000 stops in 2011. That declined to about 192,000 documented stops in 2013, his final year as mayor.

Bloomberg achieved his claim of a 95% cut by cherry-picking the quarterly high point of 203,500 stops in the first quarter of 2012 and comparing that with the 12,485 stops in the last quarter of 2013.

The former mayor defended the practice even after leaving office at the end of 2013 and only apologized for it a few weeks before declaring his candidacy for presidency.

___

COAL

BLOOMBERG, citing his philanthropys work with the Sierra Club: Already weve closed 304 out of the 530 coal fire plants in the United States, and weve closed 80 out of the 200 or 300 that are in Europe. Democratic debate.

THE FACTS: Hes wrongly taking credit for driving the U.S. coal industry to its knees.

The U.S. coal industrys plunge is largely due to market forces, above all drops in prices of natural gas and renewable energy that have made costlier coal-fired power plants much less competitive for electric utilities. Bloomberg has indeed contributed huge sums to efforts to close coal plants and fight climate change, but against the backdrop of an industry besieged on other fronts.

U.S. coal production peaked in 2008, but since then has fallen steadily. Thats due largely to a boom in oil and gas production from U.S. shale, begun under the Obama administration, that made natural gas far more abundant and cheaper, and falling prices for wind and solar energy, partly because of improving technology in the renewable sector.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reaffirmed in a report in December the extent to which the market has turned away from coal.

___

HEALTH CARE

TRUMP, on Sanders Medicare for All plan: Think of this: 180 million Americans are going to lose health care coverage under this plan. But if you dont mind, Im not going to criticize it tonight. Let them keep going and Ill start talking about it about two weeks out from the election. Arizona rally Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Thats a thorough misrepresentation of the Sanders plan as well as similar plans by Democrats in Congress. People wouldnt lose coverage. Under Sanders, they would be covered by a new and universal government plan that replaces private and job-based insurance. Democrats who stop short of proposing to replace private and job-based insurance would offer an option for people to take a Medicare-like plan, also toward the goal of ensuring universal coverage.

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WARREN on Klobuchars health plan: It is like a Post-it note, insert plan here. ... Amy, I looked online at your plan. Its two paragraphs. Democratic debate.

THE FACTS: Thats not true. Klobuchars health care policies run thousands of words online, addressing coverage, substance abuse and mental health, prescription drugs and the elderly. Some of her material lacks specifics found in the plans of several of her rivals. Yet aspects of her agenda are grounded in detailed legislation led or supported by the senator from Minnesota.

Its true that Klochuchars main health policy page devotes two paragraphs to summarizing her way of achieving universal coverage. But thats not the extent of her plan.

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SANDERS, to Buttigieg: Lets level, Pete. Under your plan, which is a maintenance continuation of the status quo. ... Democratic debate.

WARREN: Buttigiegs health care plan is not a plan. Its a PowerPoint.

THE FACTS: Its more than the status quo and more than a PowerPoint presentation. Buttigiegs plan would cover almost all U.S. citizens and legal residents, even if its not as far reaching as the proposals of Sanders and Warren.

An analysis of health care overhaul plans by the Urban Institute and the Commonwealth Fund found that an approach like the one advocated by Buttigieg would reduce the number of uninsured people from more than 32 million to less than 7 million. Those 7 million or so would mainly be people who are in the country illegally.

The proposal from Buttigieg features a new government-sponsored public option plan that even people with employer-sponsored coverage could join voluntarily.

Warrens put-down of Buttigiegs plan comes after she reconsidered her own approach to Medicare for All, deciding to proceed in stages. She would first expand coverage by building on existing programs and postpone the push for a system fully run by the government until the third year of her presidency.

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TRUMP: We are now offering plans that are up to 60% less expensive than they were, and it is better health care. Arizona rally.

THE FACTS: Cheaper, yes. But not cheaper and better.

The bargain health insurance plans Trump talks about are cheaper because they skimp on benefits such as maternity or prescription drug coverage and do not guarantee coverage of preexisting conditions.

The short-term plans the Trump administration is promoting as an alternative to the Affordable Care Act provide up to 12 months of coverage and can be renewed for up to 36 months.

Premiums for the plans are about one-third the cost of fuller insurance coverage. Theyre intended for people who want an individual health insurance policy but make too much money to qualify for Obamacare subsides.

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TRUMP: We are protecting people with preexisting conditions ... we are trying to get rid of Obamacare ... we are trying to get rid, so we can give you a great health-care plan and protect preexisting conditions. Arizona rally.

THE FACTS: Not really. People with preexisting medical problems have health insurance protections because of Obamas health care law. As Trump notes, he is trying to dismantle it.

One of Trumps major alternatives to Obamas law short-term health insurance doesnt have to cover preexisting conditions. Meanwhile, his administration has been pressing in court for full repeal of the Obama-era law, including provisions that protect people with preexisting conditions from health insurance discrimination.

He and congressional Republicans say they would put new protections in place, but they have not spelled them out.

With Obamas law still in place, preexisting conditions continue to be covered by regular individual health insurance plans. Insurers must take all applicants, regardless of medical history, and charge the same standard premiums to healthy people and those who had medical problems before or when they signed up.

Before the Affordable Care Act, any insurer could deny coverage or charge more to anyone with a preexisting condition who was seeking to buy an individual policy.

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PRESIDENTIAL POWERS

TRUMP, on one of the people who benefited from his round of pardons and sentence commutations: Rod Blagojevich did not sell the Senate seat. He served 8 years in prison, with many remaining. He paid a big price. Another Comey and gang deal! tweet Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Thats misleading at best. The FBI closed in on Blagojevich when he was trying to make the sale. He was convicted of trying to sell an appointment to President Barack Obamas former Senate seat as well as trying to shake down a childrens hospital. Trump commuted the sentence of the former Illinois governor on Tuesday.

James Comey, the FBI director fired by Trump, had nothing to do with the case. Comey was working in the private sector when Blagojevich was indicted, tried and convicted. As for Comeys gang, Patrick Fitzgerald, the federal prosecutor who brought the case against Blagojevich, is a Comey friend and one of his lawyers.

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TRUMP: Im actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country. remarks Tuesday to reporters.

THE FACTS: Thats disputed.

Several veterans of Obamas administration described Trumps assertion as simply wrong on the law, while conservative legal minds say they think Trump is right.

While the president is in charge constitutionally, as a matter of good policy, presidents have kept law enforcement at arms length, said John Yoo, a University of California at Berkeley law school professor and Justice Department lawyer during President George W. Bushs Republican administration. Neutrality in law enforcement is important if the government is to have the credibility and integrity to convince judges and juries, who are the ones who ultimately render the verdict.

Trumps push for leniency for convicted confidant Roger Stone drew condemnation from more than 2,400 former Justice Department officials who served in Democratic and Republican administrations.

Martin Lederman, a Georgetown law professor and former Obama Justice Department official, said on Twitter that Congress, not the president, gives the authority to prosecute to the attorney general. Its also the attorney generals responsibility, Lederman said, to stand up to a president who charts an unlawful course, knowing that it might ... lead to removal.

Chris Lu, who managed Obamas Cabinet in his first term, said the Obama White House followed its predecessors in adhering to strict rules on who could communicate with the Justice Department and on what topics.

What Trump is suggesting is at odds with this longstanding precedent and dangerous to the principle of impartial justice, Lu said.

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Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Jonathan Lemire, Ellen Knickmeyer, Eric Tucker, Mark Sherman and Paul Wiseman in Washington and Amanda Seitz in Chicago contributed to this report.

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EDITORS NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.

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Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd

Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

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AP FACT CHECK: Donald Trump and the audacity of hype - Associated Press

What Would Happen if Trump Refused to Leave Office? – The Atlantic

That a president would defy the results of an election has long been unthinkable; it is now, if not an actual possibility, at the very least something Trumps supporters joke about. As the former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee tweeted, President Trump will be eligible for a 3rd term due to the illegal attempts by Comey, Dems, and media , et al attempting to oust him as @POTUS so thats why I was named to head up the 2024 re-election. A good troll though it may have been, Huckabee is not the first person to suggest that Trump might not leave when his presidency ends.

In May, the faith leader Jerry Falwell Jr. tweeted an apparent reference to the completed investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian election interference. I now support reparations, he wrote. Trump should have 2 yrs added to his 1st term as pay back for time stolen by this corrupt failed coup. Trump retweeted Falwells post.

One of Trumps former confidants, Michael Cohen, has suggested that Trump wont leave. In his congressional testimony before heading to prison, Trumps former attorney said, Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power.

Trump himself has joked about staying in office beyond his term, and even for life. In December, Trump told a crowd at a Pennsylvania rally that he will leave office in five years, nine years, 13 years, 17 years, 21 years, 25 years, 29 years He added that he was joking to drive the media totally crazy. Just a few days earlier, Trump had alluded to his critics in a speech, A lot of them say, You know hes not leaving So now we have to start thinking about that because its not a bad idea. This is how propaganda works. Say something outrageous often enough and soon it no longer sounds shocking.

Refusal to leave office is rare, but not unheard of. In the past decade, presidents in democracies such as Moldova, Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gambia have refused to leave office, sometimes leading to bloodshed. In 2016, Joseph Kabila decided not to step down after three five-year terms as the president of Congo, announcing that he would delay the election for two years so that a census could be conducted. His decision was met with mass protests in which 50 people were killed by government security forces. Still, he followed through and an election took place in 2018. He left office thereafter.

Elected officials in the U.S. have also refused to step down, albeit from lower offices than the presidency. In 1874, a Texas governor locked himself in the basement of the state capitol building after losing his reelection bid. The saga began when Republican Governor Edmund J. Davis lost the 1873 election by a resounding 2-to-1 ratio to his Democratic challenger, Richard Coke, and claimed that the election had been tainted with fraud and intimidation. A court case made its way to the states supreme court. All three justices, each of whom had been appointed by the incumbent Davis, ruled that the election was unconstitutional and invalid. Democrats called upon the public to disregard the courts decision, and proceeded with plans for Cokes inauguration. On January 15, 1874, Coke arrived at the state capitol with a sheriffs posse, and was sworn in to office while Davis barricaded himself downstairs with state troopers. The next day, Davis requested federal troops from President Ulysses S. Grant. Grant refused, and Davis finally stepped down three days later.

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What Would Happen if Trump Refused to Leave Office? - The Atlantic

What Is There For Republicans to Dislike About Donald Trump? – Mother Jones

Suppose youre talking to someone who says, sure, they hate Trump personally (the tweets, the rallies, etc.) but they like his policies. So theyre going to vote for Trump unless someone can convince them that his policies are bad or that Democratic policies are better. Lets think about this. What are Trumps major policies?

Its worth noting that almost all of these are just bog standard Republican policies. The two exceptions are the border wall and the tariffs. However, the wall is popular among the Republican base and the tariffs, judging from how theyve been received, were always opposed more in word than deed.

Bottom line: if youve already decided that (a) Trumps bluster isnt enough to turn you off and (b) his corruption is mostly just a bunch of bogus partisan hysterics from Democrats, what is there for an ordinary Republican voter to dislike?

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What Is There For Republicans to Dislike About Donald Trump? - Mother Jones

Imagine That Donald Trump Has Almost No Control Over Justice – The New York Times

The department can also show leniency to a presidents political friends. The Roger Stone case is an example. Indeed, the very possibility that it will do so can create a strong incentive to become the presidents political friend.

The presidents power over the Justice Department is potentially even more dangerous than that. The department helps to oversee the antitrust laws, and in allowing or forbidding mergers, it can play political favorites. Civil actions, and not merely criminal ones, can be polluted by the presidents electoral interest (or spite).

The Office of Legal Counsel, which sits within the department, is supposed to provide the president and the rest of the executive branch with objective legal advice. But at least some of the time, that offices judgment is anything but objective. To an uncomfortable degree, its assessment of what the president is entitled to do, as a matter of law, often fits with the presidents wishes.

In the post-Watergate era, a reasonable balance has been struck. As a matter of established norms, both Republican and Democratic presidents have usually given the attorney general a great deal of room to maneuver, especially when it comes to criminal prosecutions and ongoing litigation. In other words, norms have done the work of law.

Under President Trump, those norms have come under severe pressure. If they collapse, there would be incalculable damage to both liberty and self-government.

In light of that risk, Congress should seriously consider making the Justice Department an independent agency. Sure, a Republican-dominated Senate is unlikely to allow that to happen in the near future.

But wouldnt it be better? There are two objections.

The first involves accountability. Theres a reasonable argument that the priorities of the department, which oversees so many important questions of law and policy, should reflect the views of the American people and so the president, whom they elected.

Excerpt from:

Imagine That Donald Trump Has Almost No Control Over Justice - The New York Times

Donald Trump has poisoned American culture but the toxin was here all along – Salon

Here is a good, truth-in-advertising political slogan: "How much money will it bring in?" That is also the question that Alexis de Tocqueville argued Americans use to ascertain the "value of everything in this world."

The almighty profit motive reins so steadfastly supreme in the world's wealthiest nation that children suffer brain damage from drinking water contaminated with high levels of lead, prison has become the leading institution for the mentally ill, and hundreds of thousands of Americans declare bankruptcy every year because they can't afford to pay theirmedical bills. Caring for the sick and nurturing children cannot compete with the twin gods of enrichment and consumption in what historian Walter McDougall called "a nation of hustlers." In the words of President Calvin Coolidge, "The business of America is business."

Even if life, libertyand the pursuit of hucksterism always formed the core of American culture, there has also existed an alternative America. It is the America we can discern in the speeches of Martin Luther King, the songs of Woody Guthrie and the social movements that have pressured the government to move toward the actualization of "liberty and justice for all."

For almost all of American history, even the most cutthroat politicians acted as participants in a national masquerade, disguising their corporate servility with a cloak of sentimental rhetoric. Ronald Reagan likened America to a "shining city on a hill." George W. Bush promised to "restore integrity" to the country after Bill Clinton's sex scandal, and John McCain insisted that "character counts," even in the gladiatorial arena of political trickery, slanderand brinkmanship.

It is only Donald Trump who has instructed Americans that civic virtue, concern for the public interestand personal ethics are, at best, delusions of the weak. One of Trump's more frightening political triumphs is thatfirst as a candidate and then with the authority and influence of thepresidency, he has exposed the idea of "American values" as a thin, easily penetrable veneer. What lies beneath that is exactly what Trump represents and advances with his every utterance and executive order fidelity to the ancient maxim, "might makes right."

When Trump boasted that he forcefully gropes unsuspecting women by the genitals, he was not only displaying his misogyny, but also delineating an entire worldview. "When you're a star" meaning when you have wealth and power "you can do whatever you want." The pesky voice of conscience should forever remain on mute when there's money to make, deals to cut, and women to grab.

In only five years, Trump has enabled Republicans in Congress, in the mediaand in attendance at his pro wrestling-meets-Mussolini ralliesto overcomewhat the late David Foster Wallace called, "the shame hobble." They not only accept Trump's behavior,no matter how vulgar or mean-spirited, theyact as if morality does not even exist.

John McCain, according to Fox News commentators and right wing bloviators, did not really oppose Donald Trump, or have concerns about the elimination of protections for people suffering from pre-existing conditions in the Republican repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Rather, he was "weak" and riddled with envy over not having become president himself.

Similarly, Sen. Mitt Romney's invocation of his religious faith, his beliefs about the U.S.Constitutionand his concern for the legacy he is leaving his children when explaining his vote to remove Trump from office was "phony." It was nothing more than cover for his own weakness and jealousy.

In order to support Trump, it is as if one has to assume that everyone is as petty, selfishand egocentric as Trump. The right wing exposes its own cynical views when conservativesdelight in accusing progressives of "virtue-signaling." When the popular social media term originated, it referred to the real and irritating practice some people have of presenting themselves as saintly in their adherence to popular moral values. It no longer has any meaning, because the righthas now bastardized it, applying it to anyone who expresses even the slightest concern for the downtrodden. The sad, Trump-like notion is that no activist, journalistor celebrity actually cares about families separated at the southern border, poor people who suffer for lack of social services, or endangered species. No one, in fact, cares about anything. They're all"virtue-signaling" to court favor with followers and customers.

Trump has taken advantage of his bully pulpit, along with his immense skills as a showman, to persuade many Americans that they should no longer even pretend to believe in values higher than profit maximization, victory against one's adversariesand the enhancement of one's social status. This is one reason many of his supporters are so rabid. He gives them comfort in the exercise of their base instincts, and offers them a reason to reject anything that might challenge them to improve.

The contenders for the Democratic nomination to the presidency disagree on the minutiae of health care policy, how bestto combat climate changeand how to manage the ongoing conflict between capital and social welfare in a large, industrial market economy. But despite thesepolicy differences none of which will matter if Republicans hold control of the Senate they do all agree, at least in articulation, on the urgency of reviving the alternative America.

Joe Biden promises to "restore the soul of America," juxtaposing his potential presidency with footage of the Charlottesville hate crimeand Trump's defense of its neo-Nazi participants. Pete Buttigieg refers to more than his relative youth when he boasts that he represents a "new generation of American leadership," and routinely recites words like "unity," "compassion" and "dignity."

Bernie Sanders, the current frontrunner, signals the alternative America most succinctly with his official campaign slogan, "Not Me. Us."

The problem is that America is a society constructed around the notion of an all-pervading self-interest, making the Democratic campaign, regardless of the candidate, more challenging than most observers would assume.

Cable news pundits, most especially the few sane Republicans who oppose Trump, often talk about how the president's policies and beliefs are "un-American." There is a major contradiction withinthat conclusion: Donald Trump is president of the United States of America. He also has ahigherapproval rating among Republicans than either of theBushes or RonaldReagan enjoyed at this stage of their respective presidencies. Before entering politics, Trump was an American icon a fixture of tabloid television who, despite his repeated business failures, was seen as a marketing genius a perception he would milk as host of the NBC program, "The Apprentice."

Democrats too often act as if it is a foregone conclusion that decency and civic-mindedness will prevail over Trump's malignant narcissism, and the antisocial ethos of power worship it represents.

The most crucial question of the 2020 race is whether or not virtue has any role left in political debate. Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg seems to thinkit does not, and is counting on voters to overlook his record of racist policies and sexual harassment in the elevation of their own "might makes right" mentality. In this case, the might is a multibillion-dollar fortune, of whichBloomberg is willing to spend achunkblitzing the American public with undeniably effective television advertisements.

For Trump's part, he will use his power to subvert the rule of law, undermine American agencies and institutions of government, and enact his "how much money will it bring in" agenda by cutting environmental protections, health and safety standards for workers and consumers, and funding for anything that implies a common good,from libraries to student loan forgiveness programs.

Those among uswho still pledge some allegiance to the alternative America can watch in horror as we inch closer to the realization that Donald Trump, the personification of kitsch, ignoranceand barbarism, is not un-American at all. He is as American as fireworks on the Fourth of July.

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Donald Trump has poisoned American culture but the toxin was here all along - Salon

A look at the Coloradans supporting Donald Trump and why they adore the president – The Colorado Sun

COLORADO SPRINGS President Donald Trump and his reelection campaign see Colorado as a top 2020 target, dismissing polls suggesting he has a big hill to climb if he wants to reverse his 2016 fortunes in the state.

Trump lost Colorado to Democrat Hillary Clinton four years ago by 5 percentage points.

We think Colorado will go red, Kayleigh McEnany, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, said Thursday as the president held a rally in Colorado Springs. We dont believe the president is under water.

To win in Colorado, however, the Trump campaign will need all the support it can get.

The Colorado Sun spoke with Republican voters at Thursdays rally, which drew thousands to the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, to learn about why they support the president. Heres what they said:

MORE: Cory Gardner goes all-in with Donald Trump, says the results for Colorado are simply astounding

Morgan didnt support Trump in 2016. He didnt even vote that year.

I didnt know about Trump and how I felt about him then, he said. Hes definitely grown on me.

Among the things he likes about the president? His aggressive stance toward China on trade.

Morgan showed up at the Broadmoor World Arena at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, more than 12 hours ahead of Trumps speech, because he was so eager to see the president. He and his friend Paul Overstreet ran into Brad Parscale, Trumps campaign manager, in the stadium as they were buying some food.

They posed for a photo with Parscale, who paid for their meal.

Lewis, who was at his first Trump rally, said he supported the president when he first ran in 2016. He thinks Trump is doing a fantastic job.

We want to show him good energy, Lewis said.

Whats his favorite thing about Trump? Its hard to say, Lewis said.

Hes done everything he said he was going to do. He takes on the deep state and keeps on fighting. Its very exciting. You can name off about 10 of them. Its not a single issue. How he does everything, he said.

Paulson wasnt going to let a broken foot stop her from attending her first Trump rally. She and her husband rented a wheelchair so that they could see the president on Thursday.

Ive always wanted to go, she said of Trumps rallies.

Paulson supported Trump in 2016 bid and plans to back him this year as well. She said initially liked him because of his business background, but her support has broadened.

I think hes done so much for the country, she said. One of the things Im surprised about is hes done more for Christians than anyone has done in a long, long time. Its really been impressive to me.

The Parks are from California and flew in for the rally. They are independents, or not affiliated with the Democratic or Republican party.

Their daughter, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, serves in the military.

His biggest accomplishment is continuing to produce what a good president does, despite all of the (for the) lack of a better word horse manure thats been shoveled his way, George Park said.

Geralyn Park says she appreciates Trumps commitment to the military.

Nobody wants war. Nobody wants killing, she said. But you have to be strong. And I think he understands that, thats why I like him.

Want exclusive political news and insights first? Subscribe to The Unaffiliated, the political newsletter from The Colorado Sun. Join now or upgrade your membership.

Cogburn said he likes Trump because the president does what he says hes going to do.

Unlike the last eight years, Cogburn said. Thats what were witnessing right now.

His biggest takeaway from the rally Thursday night was the enthusiasm. Cogburn said he doesnt think the GOP has seen so much excitement in years, if ever.

Cogburn was at the rally with his girlfriend, Darcy Alexander, 48, a schoolteacher and registered Democrat. She said Trump was highly entertaining and keeps your attention.

She also thinks hes been great for the economy.

Isabel Hicks and Sam Seymour are journalism students at Colorado College.

This reporting is made possible by our members. You can directly support independent watchdog journalism in Colorado for as little as $5 a month. Start here: coloradosun.com/join

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A look at the Coloradans supporting Donald Trump and why they adore the president - The Colorado Sun

‘Namaste Trump’: US president delights India with praise and tough talk on terror and trade – Sky News

Donald Trump has delighted his hosts on his visit to India by praising the country and promising to boost trade and curb terrorism.

Addressing a crowd of more than 100,000, the biggest political rally of his career, in Ahmedabad, the US president reaffirmed his commitment to India and lavished compliments on his host, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Trump's speech at the rally, named 'Namaste Trump' (Welcome Trump), largely consisted of a rundown of their greatest hits, as he listed Mr Modi's economic achievements and called him a "very tough" negotiator.

He was full of praise for India's spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship and won applause when he promised to help curb terrorism on the Pakistan border.

Basking in the adoration of the huge crowd at a new cricket stadium in the city, Mr Trump said: "America loves India, America respects India and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people."

The two men are friends and Mr Trump had clearly prepared, throwing in plenty of Indian references, although his pronunciation left a little to be desired.

He called the Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar "soo-chin" and told the crowd Mr Modi started life as a tea-seller, or "chee-wallah", when the word is chai-wallah.

Mr Modi was similarly complimentary and said India and the US have a "far greater and closer relationship than ever before".

Hundreds of thousands of people, many wearing 'Namaste Trump' hats, lined the streets of the city to catch a glimpse of Mr Trump's motorcade as it left the airport.

The president is very popular in India, but sometimes faces demonstrations when he travels abroad, so the positive optics of being greeted like a returning hero overseas in an election year will not have been lost on him.

Earlier, Mr Modi greeted his guest with his trademark warm hug ahead of a visit aimed at cementing ties between the long-time political allies that have been damaged by arguments over trade.

At issue is Washington's demand for greater access to India's poultry and dairy markets and a loosening of India's pharmaceutical price controls.

Mr Modi's government, in turn, wants to restore the trade concessions that Mr Trump withdrew last year and greater access to US markets for its pharmaceutical and farm products.

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The conflict led to retaliatory tariffs being placed on each other's goods and officials from both countries have said talks are unlikely to make progress until after November's US presidential election.

His first stop was the former home of Mahatma Gandhi, where Mr Trump and his host placed garlands on a picture of the architect of Indian independence.

Before Air Force One landed, Mr Trump tweeted in Hindi: "We are ready to come to India, we are on our way, we will be meeting everyone in a few hours", while Mr Modi responded: "The guest is God".

From Ahmedabad, the US president heads to Agra for a sunset visit to the Taj Mahal, before a summit with Indian officials and business leaders in Delhi.

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'Namaste Trump': US president delights India with praise and tough talk on terror and trade - Sky News

Here are 5 reasons you have Donald Trump to thank if you get the coronavirus – Raw Story

The notorious coronavirus, or covid-19, is edging closer to a global pandemic, according to the Washington Post.

There are outbreaks. There are epidemics. And there arepandemics, where epidemics become rampant in multiple countries and continents simultaneously. The novelcoronavirusthat causes the disease named covid-19 is on the verge of reaching that third, globe-shaking stage.

President Donald Trump is only making it worse for Americans as the deadly diseases increase across the world. Even his campaign recognizes hes bungling the response, and theyre now recognizing that if Trump doesnt start serving as a real president, lives will be lost.

Here are the five reasons that things are going to get far worse than they needed to, all thanks to Trumps foolish decisions.

1. Bringing infected people into the U.S. against the Center for Disease Controls objections.

This week, the world learned that the Trump administration forced a plane full of healthy people to sit with 14 infected people with the coronavirus, and didnt even tell them.

It was like the worst nightmare, said one senior U.S. official who was involved with the decision. Quite frankly, the alternative could have been pulling grandma out in the pouring rain, and that would have been bad, too.

Its unknown why the U.S. didnt arrange for a private plane to transport the Americans. They have many available, including through the State Department. They could be decontaminated after the fact. The Trump administration didnt use any of the alternatives that would have made Americans safer.

2. Trump refuses to listen to science over his buddy, Xi Jinping.

Reporter Helen Branswell wrote for STAT that U.S. health officials have been signaling for weeks that a pandemic was approaching.

While stressing that the virus presents only a low risk to Americans right now, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, acknowledged Tuesday that that might not remain the case for long, she wrote.

But the Washington Post revealed Trumps own advisers were concerned that hes putting too much faith in Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has diminished the seriousness of the virus.

Trump has repeatedly told advisers that pushing for a harder line against China could backfire because Xi controls the government totally and will not work with the United States if it says anything negative about the country, said one of these senior administration officials, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private talks, reported the Post.

3. Trump lies about the facts of the coronavirus.

President Donald Trump told the world that by April, the coronavirus would be gone. Its unknown who told him that or where he got the information, but its absolutely false.

Now, the virus that were talking about having to do you know, a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat as the heat comes in. Typically, that will go away in April. Were in great shape, though. We have 12 cases 11 cases, and many of them are in good shape now, Trump said Feb. 10.

It makes no sense because, in the southern hemisphere, it is already summer while the northern hemisphere is dealing with a mild winter. Australia is in its summer, for example, and there are more cases than in the United States, where its winter.

The CDC director, Dr. Robert Redfield, disagreed with the presidents assessment, saying we dont know a lot about this virus. This virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold, and we will get community-based transmission.

4. Trump and the GOP seriously cut public health funding.

One of the greatest allies in a disease outbreak can be public health funding. However, the budget passed in 2018 killed over $1 billion from the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF).

When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law on December 22, 2018, it cut $750 million from the PPHF, diverting the money to cover costs of CHIP, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, The Scientist reported. CDC relies on PPHF for 12 percent of its budget, with much of that money going toward state and community programs.

The PPHF acts as the core of public health programs in the U.S., according to former director Tom Frieden. When Obamacare was passed in 2010, it financed the PPHF, but Republicans have worked to undermine the law.

It was established in 2010 and financed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), The goal was to improve health outcomes and enhance the quality of care. The first initial investment form Obamacare was $500 million, and it grew to over $2 billion by 2015. It was supposed to be protected from Republicans eager to cut funding to anything affiliated with the Democrats healthcare law.

During the 2017-2018 government shutdown, sequestration took $69 million from the fund, PPHF was left with $931 million annually to support public health, wellness, and prevention activities, in the entire country.

In the same fiscal year, the CDC received more than $891 million from PPHF to support vaccine coverage, respond to outbreaks of foodborne infections and waterborne diseases, develop programs to counter the leading causes of death and disability, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, and eliminate childhood lead poisoning, among other initiatives, the report said.

5. Trump slashed resources form the Center for Disease Control.

While the reduction in funding to the PPHF has been drastic, it doesnt mean the CDC has gone without its own budget cuts.

The Trump administration in 2018 further diverted millions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the Scientist.

CDCs mission is to keep Americans safe, said Frieden. But without funding, the CDC wont be able to protect us.

As the president presents his new budget for 2020, the cuts to public health and the CDC are even more drastic. Thankfully, that budget isnt likely to pass either chamber of congress.

Ultimately, as the coronavirus begins to take over the world, its not surprising that Trumps campaign is worried that the presidents bumbling response could cost him votes in November.

Trumps budget to the World Health Organization that hes proposed would leave everyone at risk. While he complains that other countries arent paying their fair share into NATO, when it comes to the WHO, Trump wants to gut the U.S. contribution. Diseases arent like wars; they dont stay contained in borders; everyone is at risk. Trumps budget proves that the president doesnt understand this important fact.

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Here are 5 reasons you have Donald Trump to thank if you get the coronavirus - Raw Story

Donald Trump Jr granted permit to hunt Alaska grizzly bear – The Guardian

Donald Trump Jr has been granted the right to hunt a grizzly bear in north-western Alaska near the Bering Sea town of Nome, a state official says.

The son of US president Donald Trump was one of three people who applied for 27 spots for non-resident hunters targeting grizzlies in a designated region of north-western Alaskas Seward Peninsula, said Eddie Grasser, the wildlife conservation director for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The state conducts periodic drawings for permits to hunt bears, caribou, moose and other animals in various regions. Winners are chosen by a lottery, and there are typically many more applications than hunting tags awarded.

We get thousands of applications, Grasser said on Friday. Whether anyone won came down to pure chance, luck of the draw.

But in the case of the bear-hunt permit the presidents son won, there was little competition. Twenty-four tags for hunting bears in that region went unclaimed, Grasser said.

Winners of the states latest hunting-permit drawings were announced on Friday.

To follow through with the Nome-area bear hunt, Trump had to pay a $1,000 non-resident tag fee and buy a $160 non-resident hunting license, Grasser said.

The presidents eldest son is an avid hunter and has made several trips to hunt in Alaska and Canada. He is scheduled to go to Alaska later this year to hunt deer and ducks.

The Safari Club this month raffled off a $150,000 seven-day dream hunt expedition with Trump Jr. The raffle winner got the right to accompany the presidents son on a yacht traveling in November along coastal areas of the Tongass National Forest.

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Donald Trump Jr granted permit to hunt Alaska grizzly bear - The Guardian

Donald Trump is ending endless war | TheHill – The Hill

President TrumpDonald John TrumpSchiff blasts Trump for making 'false claims' about Russia intel: 'You've betrayed America. Again.' Poll: Sanders leads 2020 Democratic field with 28 percent, followed by Warren and Biden More than 6 in 10 expect Trump to be reelected: poll MORE promised to end the reckless foreign intervention of the United States over the past two decades, and he is keeping that promise. Reports indicate that he is closer than ever to fulfilling this by bringing a satisfactory end to the longest war in American history. After years of negotiations, the Taliban appears on the verge of signing an accord that would pave the way for a reduction of hostilities, a settlement on the future of Afghanistan, and a withdrawal of American troops.

If and when the deal is signed, about 5,000 troops will leave Afghanistan. If conditions continue to improve after that, the remaining 8,000 soldiers could eventually be brought home as well, ending an military presence of 18 years that has long since fallen off the radar of most Americans who do not have friends or loved ones in danger. As I wrote a decade ago in Operation Dark Heart, a negotiated settlement would be a necessary solution to end the Afghanistan conflict. Trump has taken the path to victory and is bringing an effective conclusion to the war.

After our country was attacked on 9/11, the United States had to retaliate against the monsters who killed more than 3,000 innocent civilians. Our superb military proved its valor and worth, enduring deployment after deployment and years of bloody conflict around the world to deliver that righteous retribution. Osama Bin Laden and his successor as the most prominent leader of Islamist terror, Abu Bakr Baghdadi, are both dead, brought to justice by the powerful might of American arms.

Nevertheless, on the campaign trail, Trump struck a chord with Americans by promising to avoid endless wars, which is exactly what our involvement in Afghanistan had become over the years. By the 2016 election, however, Americans finally came to recognize an ugly truth that the global war on terror had long since transformed into an open commitment of American troops to hostile war zones with no obvious conditions for victory.

Nowhere has this been more clear than in Afghanistan. Our presence there is now officially older than some of the American soldiers fighting there. Our troops were originally tasked with rooting out those people responsible for 9/11 and establishing a legitimate government in Kabul, but today their mission and the definition of victory are unclear.

For far too many years, Americans have fought and died to create the conditions for peace to flourish and for the democratic government in Kabul to establish its own legitimate authority. Just last week, two more American families joined the roughly 2,400 others who have received the tragic news that their loved one will never leave Afghanistan.

But the war in Afghanistan is no longer crucial to the core of our national security, leaving our troops with no obvious mission. Our Afghan partners need our support, but the exact conditions that would constitute a victory are unclear. Even if we had clear victory conditions, we do not even have accurate metrics to judge whether we have achieved them.

Given these realities, Trump and his advisers have now charted the best possible path forward. We have to set a clear and easily verified condition of a reduction in violence and aggression from the Taliban. American troops and negotiators meeting with Taliban and Afghan government representatives in Qatar appear to be on the cusp of achieving that.

Trump gave a lot of American families a great deal of renewed hope when he promised to stop the endless wars that have taken so many American lives over the past two decades. By fulfilling that promise, he is finally turning that hope into gratitude and relief across the country.

Tony Shaffer is a retired senior intelligence operations officer who served with the United States Army. He is now the president of the London Center for Policy Research and an adviser to the 2020 campaign of Donald Trump.

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Donald Trump is ending endless war | TheHill - The Hill

Ex-Fox News Reporter Nails What Donald Trump Is Really Doing To The Swamp – HuffPost

Donald Trumps recent clemency blitzcame under fire Wednesday from former Fox News reporterCarl Cameron, who said it proved the president wasnt fulfilling his promise to drain the swamp of corruption in Washington.

Cameron, in an interview with CNNs Brianna Keilar, noted how hollow Trumps 2016 campaign vow now sounded, following his pardons and sentence commutations this week for individuals who have done damage to the American public.

So, theyre swamp monsters, right? asked Keilar, of some of the people that Trump granted clemency to, including former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Yeah, replied Cameron Hes not draining it, hes deepening it.

Elsewhere in the segment, Cameron analyzed the link between those who had been pardoned and how their appeals to Trump were previously reported by Fox News, the widely watched conservative network he left in 2017.

It could be a two-way street, he explained. These may be people that Trump had seen on the list and decided he wanted them publicized on Fox News, and it may have been people who went to Fox News in order to use the venue in order to get to the president.

As you saw, the president himself said, I saw it on the news, I saw it on television, and it was, of course, a Fox News interview that that happened, Cameron added.

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Ex-Fox News Reporter Nails What Donald Trump Is Really Doing To The Swamp - HuffPost

Will Donald Trump Serve Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Burger King to the Super Bowl Winners, the Kansas City Chiefs? – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Love it or hate it, fast food is an American tradition and custom. When Clemson won the national championship in football, thats exactly what they were served at the White House and it has some football fans wondering will President Donald Trump serve Wendys, McDonalds, and Burger King to the Super Bowl winners, the Kansas City Chiefs?

Heres what we know about this football team and their impending trip to the White House.

It was a meal of champions, to say to least. When the Clemson football team arrived at the White House to celebrate their 2018 victory, they were greeted by piles of Wendys, McDonalds, and Burger King. White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said Trump was personally paying for the event to be catered.

I think we are going to serve McDonalds, Wendys and Burger Kings with some pizza. I really mean it, Trump had said earlier in the day. It will be interesting. I would think thats their favorite food. So well see what happens.

This wasnt entirely a choice made by President Trump. The team visited the White House during the partial government shutdown, meaning that most of the staff that handed catering were on furlough.

We have Big Macs, we have Quarter Pounders with cheese. We have everything that I like, that you like, Trump continued, according to an article from The Washington Post. And I know no matter what we did, theres nothing you could have thats better than that, right?

As the winners of the most recent Super Bowl Championship, some football fans are wondering whether or not the Kansas City Chiefs got the invitation to the White House. Despite a tweet with an error from President Trump, the team has been invited and is expected to give a reply within the coming weeks.

By the way, your Super Bowl champions are coming, I think next week, Trump said, according to Chiefs Wire. Soon. Very soon. And every one of them wants to be here. And the coach loves us. The coach is great. Andy Reid.

Andy Reid responded to the invitation at the postgame press conference, saying, I mean, Ill be there. Ill be there. If theyre inviting us, Ill be there. Its quite an honor, I think.

President Donald Trump served fast food as a result of the partial government shutdown. Its pretty safe to say he wouldnt repeat this with the Kansas City Chiefs if they were to make an appearance.

However, President Trump has since canceled some teams visit to the White House, in lieu of controversy and comments from players. That includes the 2018 Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2017 NBA championship winners, the Golden State Warriors, declined their invitation from the President.

The Kansas City Chiefs have yet to make an official statement regarding if, or when, they will visit the White House.

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Will Donald Trump Serve Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King to the Super Bowl Winners, the Kansas City Chiefs? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Investors ‘are really excited about the Donald Trump presidency continuing’: top strategist – Yahoo Finance

A big week of wins for President Trump could mean a big win for investors, one top strategist thinks.

Donald Trump is helping the economy, he has helped the economy. Individuals who are really concerned about their investments are really excited about the Donald Trump presidency continuing, Hercules Investment CEO James McDonald said on Yahoo Finances The First Trade. Donald Trump is continuing to keep the market up. I think Donald Trump has something up his sleeves, and has a plan for keeping markets elevated.

Traders pause to watch a televised speech by President Donald Trump as they work the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Trumps latest win following ones earlier this week in being acquitted of impeachment charges and the Iowa Democratic caucus debacle came on Friday via the latest read on the U.S. job market. Not only did the January jobs report blow past the high-end of Wall Streets estimates, but there were solid upward revisions to prior months.

Some top stats:

Change in nonfarm payrolls:+225,000 vs. +165,000 expected and +147,000 in December

Unemployment rate:3.6%vs. 3.5% expected and 3.5% in December

Average hourly earnings month on month:+0.2%vs. +0.3% expected and +0.1% in December

Average hourly earnings year on year:+3.1%vs. +3.0% expected and +3.0% in December

While the market sold off on the jobs numbers amid fears it reduces the chances of another rate from the Federal Reserve, there is no denying the strength of the labor market entering Trumps re-election bid. The jobs momentum suggests employment could bounce back sharply later this year once the effects of the coronavirus fade into the background.

Its a very good jobs number, and it really tells you the economy has momentum, former JPMorgan Chase Chief economist Anthony Chan told Yahoo Finance.

Added McDonald, Any risk of Trump losing is a risk to the market. Anyone who has bet against Trump strictly speaking economically has lost. They have lost big-time. This is not just the longest running bull market, but the acceleration of gains since November 2016 has been unprecedented.

Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and co-anchor of The First Trade at Yahoo Finance. Watch The First Trade each day here at 9:00 a.m. ET or on Verizon FIOS channel 604. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.

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Investors 'are really excited about the Donald Trump presidency continuing': top strategist - Yahoo Finance

Donald Trump’s Bright Orange Face Unsurprisingly Inspired All These Memes – ELLE.com

Sarah SilbigerGetty Images

On Friday, William Moon, who posts photos of Donald Trump on the account @photowhitehouse, added a photo of the president that captured peoples' attention pretty fast. The photo, of the president walking across the South Lawn after he returned from Charlotte, North Carolina, shows his face looking very...orange. It didn't take long for this simple photo to become a trending meme all over Twitter.

Just scroll through the replies to Moon's initial tweet, and you'll find some real winners.

Since he became president more than three years ago, Trump has fueled the meme community with countless opportunities. There was the "covfefe" meme of May 2017when the president clearly meant to write "negative press coverage" and instead made up a new word in a tweet. This one wasn't necessarily a meme, but Hillary Clinton trolled Trump hard with her response to "covfefe."

In October 2018, Trump boarded Air Force One with what appeared to be toilet paper stuck to his shoe. BuzzFeed reporter Claudia Koerner originally tweeted the shot, and the responses took off.

Sometimes, you don't even need a meme to get a point across.

Oh, and just in case you think there is one version of the bright-orange-face photo, it also comes in black and white.

Somehow, that doesn't make the effects any more subtle.

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Donald Trump's Bright Orange Face Unsurprisingly Inspired All These Memes - ELLE.com