Politicians & Pundits: Donald Trump

New Video Overlays Trump’s Words with Charlottesville Violence 

Video is accompanied by 45-page report detailing Trump Administration’s ties to white supremacists

A new 30-second video entitled “Both Sides” from Bridge Project pairs President Donald Trump’s own words and record with images of the violence and hate he defended this week.  As video of the neo-Nazis, KKK, and other violent white supremacists who rioted in Charlottesville over the weekend plays across the screen, Trump is heard defending them as “very fine people.”

The video is accompanied by a new, 45-page report, “Uniting the Right: The Trump Administration & White Supremacists,” that outlines how Trump has stacked his administration with extremists who have similar ties and support for white supremacists. Starting with his comments at Trump Tower this week, it works backward towards his inauguration in January, chronicling actions like his administration shifting funding away from anti-white supremacists organizations and appointing officials with their own record of bigotry.

Watch “Both Sides,” here.
Read […]

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Trump and Pence Obamacare sabotage leads to 57% premium hike in Iowa

​”Make no mistake: this 57% spike in premiums is a direct result of Donald Trump and Mike Pence sabotaging the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Now Iowa families are going to suffer the consequences,” said American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates. “America’s doctors, healthcare providers, health insurers, business leaders, and patient advocates have urged the Trump Administration to end the needless financial distress that this chaos is causing for middle class Americans – but every day Donald Trump and Mike Pence show nothing but indifference to this suffering.”

Des Moines Register: Iowa’s only remaining Obamacare insurer seeks another big rate hike
Jason Clayworth, jclayworth@dmreg.com

Iowans who buy their own health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange would see their rates increase nearly 57 percent next year under a revised rate proposed Wednesday.

The proposal is 13 percentage points higher than previously was estimated by Medica, the one remaining carrier selling individual policies in Iowa […]

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Trump Stands With White Supremacists

All across the country, Americans woke up this morning to the front page news that President Trump once again defended white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK and their violent march in Charlottesville, VA. Again, President Trump blamed violence on “both sides,” remarks that earned him the thanks and praise of white supremacist leaders like David Duke and Richard Spencer. 

Here’s a sampling of today’s front pages: 

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Editorial Boards Across The Country Condemn Trump Response To White Supremacists

All across the country, editorial boards have been slamming President Trump’s failed response to the events in Charlottesville, VA — and that was BEFORE his Trump Tower press conference today, where he doubled down on his support for white supremacists, KKK members, and neo-Nazis marching in protest of removing a Confederate statue. First, Trump claimed violence occurred on “many sides,” then he briefly corrected under intense pressure, but he today again reverted back to his disgusting defense of those who brought violence to the city, leaving Heather Heyer and two Virginia State Troopers dead and many others injured.

It is clear when it comes to white supremacists whose side President Trump is really on and Americans everywhere are watching.

San Francisco Chronicle: Trump’s resounding silence on bigotry

On Monday, at long last, President Trump named “the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists” and other tiki-torch-brandishing dead-enders whose Robert E. […]

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Trump Takes “Many Sides” To A New Low

American Bridge Vice President Shripal Shah released the following statement on Donald Trump defending white supremacists:

“Donald Trump has repeatedly shown us who he is, and no one should be surprised that he is again using his office to defend white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Trump’s behavior is beneath the dignity of the Presidency and at odds with our American values, and until Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan do something about it, they are complicit.”

 

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CBO confirms Obamacare will only “fail” if Trump rigs it to

For his entire presidency, Trump has perpetrated a malicious sabotage campaign against the Affordable Care Act, increasing health insurance prices for the American people and forcing insurance companies to withdraw from some marketplaces.

Now, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has indicated that, if Trump follows through on his most egregious threat to Obamacare customers, premiums for benchmark plans in the marketplaces would spike by up to 25% in coming years, 1 million Americans would lose their health coverage in 2018, and in total the federal deficit would increase by $194 billion.

“This new report confirms it: if Donald Trump continues sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, innocent people will suffer from higher premiums and lost their coverage,” said American Bridge President Jessica Mackler. “Make no mistake – voters are paying attention and will hold Republicans fully accountable if they don’t act to stop Trump’s sabotage immediately.  The country can’t afford the consequences of inaction.” 

America’s […]

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Donald Trump’s inaction on China and trade shows working Americans are on their own

Donald Trump made trade the bedrock of his appeal to the American people, promising that “he alone” could fundamentally remake American trade policy and deliver new economic opportunities for struggling working and middle class families.

However, 205 days into his presidency, Trump still hasn’t produced a jobs plan – the top priority of the American public – and his incompetent, bickering administration’s only “accomplishments” continue to be glorified press releases.

Today, Donald Trump’s announced that he is requesting that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative determine if there should be an investigation into China’s relentless, systematic theft of American trade secrets – which worsens job loss and the overall economic pain felt by working people as the global economy rapidly changes under their feet.

Both parties have known for years that this hacking done by China is a rampant economic drain on the United States, and requesting a possible investigation into whether this […]

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Too Little, Too Late For Donald Trump

American Bridge Vice President Shripal Shah released the following statement after Donald Trump’s statement this afternoon:

“It’s shocking that in the year 2017, it took nearly three full days and mounting political pressure for the President of the United States to directly denounce racist acts committed on American soil by Nazi sympathizers. That’s not leadership, that’s cowardice, and it’s too late for Donald Trump.  He’s shown where his allegiances lie, and sadly, it’s with the fringe group of racists who have been emboldened by his days of silence.” 

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John Kelly is not a “Beacon of Discipline”

Remember when then-newly minted White House Chief John Kelly was imagined to be a “beacon of discipline” who’d suddenly make Trump presidential, and bring order to Trump’s right-wing, self-cannibalizing, and wildly incompetent administration? That was two weeks ago.

Here’s a list of things that have happened since Kelly shifted from overseeing brutal and exploitative ICE raids as Homeland Security secretary, to trying to keep Donald from too loudly verbalizing his racist dog-whistle urges.

Over the past two weeks, Trump has…

Refused to disavow and denounce white supremacists

Los Angeles Times: Three dead, dozens hurt after Virginia white nationalist rally is dispersed; Trump blames ‘many sides’

Washington Post: One group loved Trump’s remarks about Charlottesville: White supremacists

TPM: David Duke: Charlottesville Rally ‘Fulfills The Promises Of Donald Trump’

And declined to address a Minnesota mosque bombing,

HuffPost: Trump’s Silence On Minnesota Mosque Attack Speaks Volumes

After allowing a top White […]

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Trump Hikes Rates As He Sells Access, Invites Bribes At DC Hotel

After projecting $2.1 million in losses at the Trump International Hotel DC over the first four months of 2017, the Trump Organization instead beat expectations by a whopping $4,700,000, turning a $1.97 million profit, according to the Washington Post.

Trump’s DC hotel’s success is no coincidence. President Donald Trump is selling access to himself, his family and cabinet; welcoming cash transfers from lobbyists, donors, corporate special interests, and foreign governments; and otherwise abusing his presidential influence, all to up-charge guests 131% versus DC hotels in his competitive set. It’s a pay-to-play scam.

“Trump’s pay-to-play scam isn’t a victimless crime: as President Trump sells access to the highest bidder and welcomes millions in bribes from donors and foreign governments, he’s putting his wallet over the best interests of the American people and compromising our economic and national security.” –Brad Bainum, American Bridge spokesperson

Other examples of Trump exploiting the presidency for personal profit:

Trump  Read more after the jump.