Trump supporters and conspiracy theory - Part 2

[Rick Plant]

Trump real estate firm hit with $10,000 a day fine by New York judge

New York Justice Arthur F. Engoron has imposed a daily $10,000 fine on real estate giant Cushman and Wakefield for failing to turn over documents to state investigators examining in Donald Trump inflated the value of his real estate holdings.

"On Tuesday afternoon, a clearly irked Justice Arthur F. Engoron signed an order ripping into the real estate behemoth for missing a deadline to turn over documents—after having two months to meet it," The Daily Beast reported. "He criticized the company, which routinely helped Trump value properties in ways that benefited him directly, for dragging its feet."

In April, the same judge ruled that Cushman & Wakefield lied and broke its own internal policies to help the Trump Organization.

"The massive, national real estate firm was supposed to deliver documents related to its valuations of all kinds of properties—so that state investigators could compare how the company treated other projects compared to Trump developments," The Beast reported. "The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James issued subpoenas between September 2021 and February 2022 that the firm still hadn’t complied with, so the judge ordered the company to play ball in April. But the firm fought that in appellate court—and lost."

The company had failed to comply with a June 29 deadline set by the judge.

"Time is of the essence. State investigators are set to interview former President Donald Trump and two of his children—Don Jr. and Ivanka—in closed-door depositions the week of July 18. And investigators have said they need to review the evidence from Cushman and Wakefield before those interviews," The Beast noted.

Read the full report:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-holds-real-estate-giant-in-contempt-over-trump-case

[Rick Plant]

The fascist Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claims his state is all about "freedom" but he is now forcing University students and professors to register their political views with the state of Florida. 

I keep warning people that these right wing radical Republicans are taking away your freedoms and privacy every chance they get. And here is another perfect example of rights and freedoms being taken away by Republicans. 

State officials have no business knowing which political party you belong to because you have the right to your privacy.

Some people might say, "I don't care if the state knows what my political party preference is". Well, you would care if state officials use your political preference against you. There should be no reason for them to know what your politics are, unless they have an agenda to use against politics they don't like.

These state officials could easily target professors at Universities if they don't like their political views. The state could basically refuse funding to the school unless the university hires professors that align with their politics.

Students could be affected as well if the state disagrees with their political views. The state could force Universities to accept students of their preferred political party or they would refuse to fund the school if they didn't.

It's written right there in the law that schools would lose funding if the state feels "students' beliefs do not satisfy Florida's GOP-run legislature". So, if the majority of students are Democrats, the Republican legislature could cut funding to the school and demand professors who register Democrat be fired since it doesn't "satisfy" Republicans.

Basically, the state of Florida wants to promote their radical right wing political agenda in Universities and this "law" gives them the authority to do it.

With the hostile political climate we have today, you can bet your last dollar that Republicans in Florida would use this unconstitutional law of gathering political information against Democrats at Universities.

This is just another way for Republicans in Florida to push their radical laws and to continue to discriminate against people they don't like.

And this could open the door for the state to force people at other places of employment to divulge their political party preference, and even your medical records or religious beliefs. And if they don't agree with your religious beliefs, you could be targeted by them.

Forcing students and professors to declare their political views is not "freedom", that is fascism. And especially when the opposition party can cut funding to the school or have professors fired if they don't like their political views.

You can bet that other right wing Governors will be doing the same as Florida. And if Republicans ever control Congress again, they could make a federal law forcing you to divulge your political party preference or any other personal information, and it could be used against you.

How is that "freedom"? It's not freedom, and the GOP is doing everything possible to oppress the people and the groups they don't like. And when they have your personal information, don't think for a minute that they won't use it against you because they will.

The only way for this oppression to stop is if you vote all these right wingers out of office.                     


DeSantis signs bill requiring Florida students, professors to register political views with state

Universities may lose funding if staff and students' beliefs do not satisfy Florida's GOP-run legislature



Public universities in Florida will be required to survey both faculty and students on their political beliefs and viewpoints, with the institutions at risk of losing their funding if the responses are not satisfactory to the state's Republican-led legislature.

The unprecedented project, which was tucked into a law signed Tuesday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, is part of a long-running, nationwide right-wing push to promote "intellectual diversity" on campuses — though worries over a lack of details on the survey's privacy protections, and questions over what the results may ultimately be used for, hover over the venture.

Based on the bill's language, survey responses will not necessarily be anonymous — sparking worries among many professors and other university staff that they may be targeted, held back in their careers or even fired for their beliefs.

According to the bill's sponsor, state Sen. Ray Rodrigues, faculty will not be promoted or fired based on their responses, but, as The Tampa Bay Times reported Tuesday, the bill itself does not back up those claims.

The only details on the survey come via a passage over its purpose, to discover "the extent to which competing ideas and perspectives are presented" at public universities, and whether students "feel free to express beliefs and viewpoints on campus and in the classroom."

"It used to be thought that a university campus was a place where you'd be exposed to a lot of different ideas," DeSantis said at a press conference following the bill signing. "Unfortunately, now the norm is, these are more intellectually repressive environments. You have orthodoxies that are promoted, and other viewpoints are shunned or even suppressed."

Republicans have long held that universities promote left-wing ideologies and discriminate against conservative students and staff.

Though the bill does not specify what the survey results will be used for, both DeSantis and Rodrigues suggested that the state could institute budget cuts if university students and staff do not respond in a satisfactory manner.

"That's not worth tax dollars and that's not something that we're going to be supporting moving forward," DeSantis said.

When pressed by reporters, the governor did not offer any specific examples of repression and discrimination faced by conservative students, simply saying that he knows "a lot of parents" who worry about their children being "indoctrinated" on campus.

Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson was more pointed in his criticism Tuesday at a meeting of the state university system's Board of Governors, calling the institutions "socialism factories" — again without much detail on what makes the schools so left-wing.

"We always hear about the liberal parts of the university system, and we don't hear so much of that from the college system," he said, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

In addition to the survey, the bill also prevents officials from limiting campus speech that "may be uncomfortable, disagreeable or offensive" — a measure that, as Democrats in the state Legislature pointed out, will also make it easier for groups like the KKK or the Proud Boys to hold events on campus.

In a conversation with the Miami Herald this April, Barney Bishop, one of the top lobbyists pushing the bill in Florida's state legislature over the past year, shone a light on the justifications behind such measures — which he said were less about "intellectual diversity" and more concerned with maintaining the country's conservative Christian identity in the face of younger, more diverse generations that share a dimmer view of religious right-wing orthodoxy.

Bishop also told the paper he "certainly hopes" the effort will expand into the K-12 system over time.

"I think the problem isn't just in higher ed. The truth of the matter is that kids are being indoctrinated from an early age," he said.

"I think that those of us who have diverse thinking and look at both sides of the issue, see that the way the cards are stacked in the education system, is toward the left and toward the liberal ideology and also secularism — and those were not the values that our country was founded on. Those are the values that we need to get our country back to."

https://www.salon.com/2021/06/23/desantis-signs-bill-requiring-florida-students-professors-to-register-political-views-with-state/

[Rick Plant]

Lindsey Graham may not be able to use Senate immunity to avoid Georgia subpoena in Trump case: legal experts



Reacting to a report that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) along with several other supporters of former President Donald Trump have been served with subpoenas in Georgia over efforts to interfere with the 2020 presidential election results, two legal experts on CNN explained that the South Carolina Republican likely won't be able to fall back on congressional protections to avoid testifying.

On Tuesday it was reported that Fulton Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney signed off on the grand jury subpoenas for Graham, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Cleta Mitchell, Kenneth Chesbro and Jenna Ellis over their efforts to dispute the election results that showed Joe Biden won Georgia's Electoral College votes.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that "the 23-person special grand jury has heard testimony in recent weeks from a parade of witnesses, including some who had direct contact with Trump and his associates in late 2020 and early 2021. But Tuesday’s subpoenas are the closest jurors have gotten to the Trump campaign or inner circle of the former president."

On Wednesday morning CNN "New Day" hosts John Berman and Brianna Keillar sat down with legal analyst Elie Honig and NYU Law Professor Rebecca Roiphe to discuss Graham's options should he choose to fight testifying.

"Let's talk about the Lindsey Graham part of this," host Keilar said. "You have a sitting senator who has been subpoenaed in this case. I mean, how big of a deal is that?"

"I think it's extraordinary," Roiphe replied. "I mean, this is not usual case of course, but in this particular situation to subpoena somebody who is a sitting congressperson, you know, it's significant and it shows how far-reaching this investigation is at this point."

"Does that speech and debate clause protect him? Is that going to hold water?" the CNN host pressed.

"You know, I don't think so," Roiphe explained. "I think it's certainly an issue that will get litigated but I think at this point this is a criminal grand jury that is looking for evidence and I don't think that will protect him from giving this particular testimony."

"It's going to be a professor's dream come true because it's the kind of thing we talk about but it never happens," Honig chimed in. "The speech and debate clause essentially says a member of Congress cannot be questioned in some other body, meaning outside of Congress, but it has to relate to their legislative duties. Lindsey Graham is going to have to convince a court that his phone call to [Georgia Secretary of State] Brad Raffensperger made a couple of weeks before Trump's phone call was somehow within the scope of his legislative duties."

Watch the video below:

[Rick Plant]

'Shameful': GOP colluding with autocratic Orban government



News that GOP members of Congress are coordinating with the far-right Hungarian government in an attempt to block a proposed global minimum tax on multinational companies is drawing outrage from watchdog groups and Democratic lawmakers, with one U.S. senator accusing Republicans of doing "anything it takes to help their dark money corporate backers dodge taxes."

Just ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend, the Washington Post reported that "senior Hungarian officials say they are working with Republican lawmakers in the United States to defeat a global minimum tax backed by the Biden administration, as European and American leaders struggle to enact a groundbreaking international accord targeting multinational corporations."

"These are no patriots. They've betrayed their oaths of office, their constituents, and their country."

The deal's framework, agreed to by nearly 140 countries in October after years of negotiations, includes a 15% global minimum tax rate designed to stop companies from stashing profits overseas to dodge their tax obligations, a key driver of what's been dubbed the "race to the bottom" on corporate taxation. The Tax Foundation notes that the average statutory corporate tax rate worldwide was 40.11% in 1980; in 2020, it was 23.85%.

In recent weeks, Hungary—led by autocratic Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—has raised objections to the European Union's implementation of the minimum tax on corporations, holding up progress on the accord and prompting applause from Republican lawmakers in the U.S., which has also yet to enact the agreement. Each member of the European bloc has veto power over tax deals.

In a statement last month praising the Hungarian government's obstruction, retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) declared that the U.S. "should be leading" the race to the bottom on corporate taxes, "not trying to prevent it."

As the Post reported Friday, "GOP Reps. Adrian Smith (Neb.) and Mike Kelly (Pa.), top members of the House Ways and Means Committee, sent a letter to the ambassador of Hungary last week commending that country for rejecting the global tax deal" and extending "an offer for a direct dialogue with congressional Republicans as you consider Hungary's position on the global tax agreement."

"The letter was released by Hungarian media and later confirmed by spokespeople for the lawmakers, who did not post it to their congressional websites or social media pages," the Post noted. "Spokespeople for both lawmakers said they were not in contact with Hungarian officials beyond the letter."

Morris Pearl, the chair of the Patriotic Millionaires—a progressive advocacy group that supports higher taxes on the rich and large corporations—said Tuesday that in their efforts to undercut the global minimum tax deal, "Republican lawmakers are siding with billionaire donors and corrupt foreign autocrats like Viktor Orbán over the American people."

"By choosing to sabotage the United States' ability to tax corporations effectively and conspire with foreign governments, the lawmakers working with Hungary have revealed how little they actually care about their own country," said Pearl. "These lawmakers have chosen to do whatever it takes to keep the rich from paying their fair share, even if protecting foreign corporate wealth means undermining the wellbeing of the United States."

"It's fitting that news of this anti-American behavior broke on Independence Day weekend," Pearl continued. "These are no patriots. They've betrayed their oaths of office, their constituents, and their country."

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) tweeted Sunday that "siding with a right-wing autocrat is shameful, but that won’t stop them."

"Money talks louder than morals," the senator added.

Sheldon Whitehouse @SenWhitehouse

Republicans will do anything it takes to help their dark money corporate backers dodge taxes. Siding with a right-wing autocrat is shameful, but that won’t stop them. Money talks louder than morals.



GOP officials back Hungary’s resistance to Biden global tax deal
Viktor Orban’s foreign minister says he is ‘constantly’ consulting Republican lawmakers on opposition to plan to tax multinational firms

https://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse/status/1543629332647649282

While popular with the U.S. public, the Biden administration's push to implement a minimum tax on the foreign profits of U.S.-based corporations faces long odds in Congress amid Republican obstruction and likely pushback from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), right-wing lawmakers who have objected to corporate tax hikes.

Given the present composition of Congress, the only plausible way for Democrats to advance the global minimum tax would be through budget reconciliation, an arcane process that's exempt from the Senate's 60-vote legislative filibuster. Such an avenue would be blocked entirely if Republicans retake the House or the Senate in November.

“I am not surprised the Republicans are doing whatever they can to defend large multinational corporations, even if it means working against the interests of the U.S. government to work with a foreign government," Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, told the Post. "Their patriotism evaporates when it comes to protecting tax loopholes for multinational corporations."

Read More Here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/07/01/hungary-gop-tax-deal/

[Rick Plant]

Republicans do not care how many mass shootings there are because of their gun laws that makes it easy to own a military assault weapon. Red states allow anyone to go in and buy a military assault weapon with no background checks whatsoever. So, any violent criminal can just walk in and purchase a weapon designed to mow down dozens of people. Republicans find that perfectly acceptable because they continue to argue for people to have that right to commit mass shootings. So, it's fair to say the Republican party is the party of mass shootings and mass shooters. The last mass shooter in Highiand Park, Illinois was an indoctrinated MAGA Trump supporter who had a history of violent behavior.       

If Republicans cared about the lives and safety of the American people, they would have done something a long time ago to help stop gun violence. All they do is make lame excuses for mass shootings and attack Democrats instead of passing gun reform legislation that the overwhelming majority of Americans want. Republicans are useless and have zero interest in protecting you and your family from going out in public to enjoy an event in peace without getting shot by a deranged 20 something Trump supporter with a military assault weapon that he has no business even owning.   

You have to go through more hoops just to obtain a driver's license than to purchase a military assault weapon that can take out dozens of people. When you go into the Marines, you go through strict training for weeks to learn how to use these same assault weapons properly. But Republicans allow anyone to use these same weapons with no training at all every day in America. Just show up at the gun shop, make the purchase, and the person has their assault weapon. 

There is absolutely no reason for an average American to own a weapon that is designed for the battlefield. A weapon that can fire off hundreds of rounds per minute which mutilates and decapitates a person who is hit by these flesh destroying bullets has no business being in the hands of average citizens. These weapons are purchased by mass shooters for one reason only, which is to take out as many people as possible in a short amount of time.               

Republicans lie claiming they "back the blue" and "love our police". Republicans are putting our law enforcement officers at a clear disadvantage when the mass shooter has a more powerful weapon than the police. We saw that in Uvalde, Texas when the police were afraid of going inside the classroom to confront the shooter. The police were scared of getting shot because they knew they were overpowered by an AR-15. So, as a result, the police did not go inside and more children were murdered because of it. Republicans are giving the shooters and criminals a clear advantage over the police who are supposed to be protecting us. If the police can't help us during an active shooting incident, who will? I guess we will have to wait for the imaginary "good guy with the gun" to jump out of the shadows and save us from the carnage. The same right wing myth that Republicans peddle in order to claim we need assault weapons in the hands of Americans. In all of these mass shootings, there was never "a good guy with a gun" to stop the shooting. And there never will be, because it's just a myth that Republicans use to condone the selling of these mass murder machines.   

Mass shootings are becoming more frequent and are an every day occurrence. Most of these shootings don't get national coverage so people are unaware when 3 people are shot at the local mini market in towns across America. Mass shootings are occurring in every region in America and in big cities, suburbs, and the smallest towns. No place is safe as long as these weapons can be so easily obtained. We are all at risk, but Republicans do not care as they continue to keep this carnage going each day.

Democrats have the solutions to keep Americans safe from gun violence, but as usual, we have the same obstruction from Republicans to keep these life saving laws from being passed.

Just recently, Democrats in the House, put a bill on the floor to combat Domestic Terrorism in the United States. This bill would help prevent these mass shootings, combat white supremacists hate groups, and help our law enforcement officers to deal with the increased violence we are facing due to Republican inaction.                   

Just like with the "Big Oil and Gas Price Gouging Bill" to stop Big Oil from gouging consumers at the pump, Republicans voted against a bill to help prevent mass shootings in America. EVERY single Republican in the House, except for Adam Kinzinger, voted "NO" to keep you and your family safe from these right wing MAGA Trump supporter mass shooters.

The only reason this bill passed was because Democrats control the House and it passed.

The bill moved over to the Senate, and as usual, Mitch McConnell is blocking this bill from being voted on because of the filibuster rule that Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema refuse to end. So, unless 10 Republicans join the Democrats to vote "yes" to bring the bill up for a vote Mitch McConnell can block the bill from having a straight vote in the Senate.

McConnell is doing this to EVERY single bill the House passes. He is purposely blocking bills from becoming law because he believes this obstruction will help Republicans in the November midterm election. McConnell blocks these bills and then right wing Republicans go on Twitter and tv attacking Biden and Democrats for "not doing anything" when it's McConnell who is preventing these laws from being passed due to the outdated filibuster rule. Corrupt Democrats Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema refuse end the filibuster so they are helping Republicans block all this crucial legislation the American people want. The only way to end this Republican obstruction is to vote for more Senate Democrats so they have a clear Senate majority to pass these laws that Americans want.                 



Here is the screenshot of the Official House vote on the "Domestic Terrorism Bill".

1 Republican voted to keep Americans safe from mass shooters. So, when I say Republicans do not care to keep you or your family safe, you have the proof right there on your screen staring you right in the face.

When a Representative takes an oath, they swear to "defend and protect America". Republican Representatives are not defending or protecting America by voting "NO" to protect their constituents from domestic terrorism. They are putting the lives of their constituents at risk. Republicans should have unanimously voted "YES" to help prevent mass shootings but they voted "NO" instead to protect the white supremacists that vote for them.

Instead of voting on bills to keep Americans safe, Republicans vote and pass laws to go after people and groups they don't like. They discriminate against women, gays and transgenders by passing laws against them. They force women to give birth. They go after teachers by passing laws that prohibit them from teaching slavery which right wingers call "CRT" to anger their voting base. Republicans pass laws making it more difficult for people to vote. And in Florida, students and professors have to register which political party they belong to as invasion of your privacy. All of these bogus laws passed by Republicans to oppress and discriminate against people, but no laws are being passed by them to help Americans with the issues they truly care about. So, why in the hell would anybody give these right wingers control of the U.S. government to oppress and discriminate the entire country and allow more mass shootings to happen?

After these Republicans vote "NO" against a bill to help prevent mass shootings, they go on Twitter and tv to cry crocodile tears about increasing crime and violence as they attack Joe Biden for it. How is this Biden's fault? House Republicans voted AGAINST Biden's Domestic Terrorism Bill and McConnell is blocking the bill from becoming law. That is Republican sabotage. And red states passed gun laws making it easier for more crime and violence to occur. How is that Biden's fault? Those are Republican laws that they defend. Biden has the legislation that will help prevent crime and violence but McConnell is blocking this bill from becoming law. That's why people need to vote Democratic to keep the House and to expand the Democrats Senate majority. A 50/50 Senate is not working when two corrupt Democrats named Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema are helping Republicans to block and obstruct Biden's agenda that the overwhelming majority of Americans want passed.                       

Republicans keep talking about "freedom". We no longer have "freedom" under these radical Republicans. People in Highland Park, Illinois didn't have the freedom to watch a 4th of July parade in peace and safety. They were shot to death. People in Buffalo, New York didn't have the freedom to shop safely at their grocery store. They were shot to death. Children in Uvalde, Texas didn't have the freedom to watch a cartoon in the safety of their own classroom. They were maimed and mutilated by a military assault weapon. And this will happen again somewhere in America and Republicans will still continue to do absolutely nothing. How is people being murdered at places we all attend "freedom"? Republicans are giving mass shooters the freedom to kill innocent Americans each day.           

Republicans deflect to "mental health" each time there is a mass shooting. A person can be as mentally ill as possible, but if they don't have a military assault weapon in their hands, they can't mow dozens of people down. The problem is not "mental health", it's the hate, racism, and conspiracies coming from the right wing media, Trump, and Republican politicians. Both shooters in Buffalo and Highland Park were white supremacists that pushed Republican racist conspiracies. It has nothing to do with "mental health" when young men 18-25 are being indoctrinated with these racist conspiracies being pushed by the right.

So, these right wingers attack Biden and Democrats for "not doing anything about mental health". President Biden established "The American Rescue Plan" that put money towards mental health. Every single Republican voted against the bill. Fortunately it passed in the Senate and it wasn't blocked. But President Biden's "Build Back Better" bill which addresses mental health is currently being blocked by Republicans in the Senate. So, these Republican frauds vote "No", and block the bill, and then publicly attack Biden when it's Republicans blocking money for mental health. This is all GOP political theatre. They feign outrage but block bills they claim to support. It's all an act to turn public opinion against Biden and the Democrats.

Here's a quote from QAnon gun nut Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

"Gun control won't stop this epidemic of evil," Greene tweeted on Tuesday. Fellow freshman Republican flamethrower Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., similarly dismissed the need for gun control.

She lies about gun reform not stopping mass shootings. She wants us to pray instead hoping the violence will all go away. We had an assault weapons ban in the 90's under Bill Clinton and mass shootings were prevented because of that law. After George W Bush let it expire after 2004, mass have increased every year. 40 years ago, people never thought once about being at a public event worrying if a mass shooter would start opening fire on them. Republicans are robbing us of our freedoms and our "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" every day.

And here's another idiotic quote from the lying and deranged Marjorie Taylor Greene. Notice how she laced her quote with red meat for her rabid right wing base.

Passing red flag laws was not a solution by Democrats to stop mass shootings," Greene tweeted. "It will be a tool to disarm any gun owner that wants to stop abortion, the trans agenda on kids, mass illegal migration, & big government oppression suffocating our families, faith, & freedoms."

At the end of her quote she says "big government oppression suffocating our families, faith, & freedoms."

"Now check out the beginning of her quote: "It will be a tool to disarm any gun owner that wants to stop abortion, the trans agenda on kids, mass illegal migration".

This blatant hypocrite says gun owners can "stop abortion"? Then she deflects to more "trans agenda" and migrants.

How many transgenders and migrants are purchasing military assault weapons to murder Americans in our towns and cities? 0.

It's white supremacists 18-25 years old involved in mass shootings. Instead of addressing white supremacists in their
voting base, the Republicans attack transgenders and migrants as deflection to push right wing talking points.

The government oppression is coming from the radical right wing Republicans who declared war on women, gays, transgenders, teachers, African Americans, and University students. Republicans are forcing women to give birth and are oppressing groups they don"t like with their radical oppression laws. Greene is just one of the many lying projectionists in the Republican cult who welcomes mass shootings.               


Republicans react to another mass shooting with another round of deflection



Following the mass shooting that took place at the Fourth of July Parade in Highland Park, Ill, which left seven people dead, far-right figures are reaching for their grab-bag of different things to blame the latest massacre on anything but guns.

MAGA politician Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., suggested that the attack was part of Democrats' plans to push forward gun reform. Along with blaming Democrats, Greene argued that recent mass shootings have been caused by mental health medications themselves, such as the commonly used anti-depressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).

In a video posted on her Facebook Live series, Greene espoused a wholly unfounded theory that Democrats were involved in the planning of the Highland Park shooting.

"Two shootings on July 4th, one in a rich, white neighborhood and another at a fireworks display. It almost sounds like it's designed to persuade Republicans to go along with more gun control," Greene said. "We didn't see that happen at all the Pride parades in the month of June, but as soon as we hit MAGA month, as soon as we hit the month that we're all celebrating, loving our country, we have shootings."

Greene's conspiracy theory works in conjunction with the repeated right-wing trope that mental illness is the cause for mass shootings, not the guns themselves.

"Gun control won't stop this epidemic of evil," Greene tweeted on Tuesday. Fellow freshman Republican flamethrower Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., similarly dismissed the need for gun control.

The AR-15 that 21-year-old shooter Robert Crimo III used in the shooting was legally purchased despite previous police reports that he displayed signs of "clear and present danger." Crimo has since been arrested and charged with seven counts of murder.

Instead of blaming the lack of gun regulations, Greene took to blaming Crimo's mental health medication for the shooting. Reposting a clearly photoshopped image of Crimo in a jail cell, Greene tweeted "Is he in jail or rehab or a psychiatric center in this photo?...What drugs or psychiatric drugs or both does he use?" She has called on the Highland Park police to "Release his records."

Fox News' Tucker Carlson sang a similar tune hours later on his hit primetime show.

Showing a graph of mass shootings since 1991, Carlson claimed that prescriptions for anti-depressants had increased 3,000 percent since, making no mention that the actual jump begins after the expiration of the federal ban on assault weapons.

The shooting came days after President Joe Biden signed into law the first major gun safety regulation passed by Congress in 30 years.

The bill focuses on enacting incentives for states to pass "red flag" laws that allow courts to take guns away from individuals deemed a threat. Additionally, the bill pours more federal money into mental health resources.

But instead of commending President Biden on allocating money towards mental health, Greene accused the bill of targeting right-wing gun owners.

"Passing red flag laws was not a solution by Democrats to stop mass shootings," Greene tweeted. "It will be a tool to disarm any gun owner that wants to stop abortion, the trans agenda on kids, mass illegal migration, & big government oppression suffocating our families, faith, & freedoms."

https://www.rawstory.com/republicans-react-to-another-mass-shooting-with-another-round-of-deflection-from-guns/

[Rick Plant]

Lindsey Graham gets blasted by a legal expert for fighting subpoena in Georgia Trump investigation



On Wednesday's edition of MSNBC's "Deadline: White House," former Solicitor General Neal Katyal tore into Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for his efforts to block a subpoena from Georgia state prosecutor Fani Willis

The subpoena is part of a probe into former President Donald Trump's effort to force the secretary of state to "find" extra votes for him — something legal experts believe could present the greatest criminal liability to Trump of any of the investigations into him.

"What Fani Willis is to the rule of law in Georgia, certainly everyone watching this show is hoping Merrick Garland is to the rule of law in America," said anchor Nicolle Wallace. "Do you see how she sort of makes him look like he's not applying the rule of law to everyone and anyone?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Nicolle," said Katyal. "She's a little further ahead and Merrick Garland has a number of other competing concerns, including this investigation in Congress which he looks like he's waiting for the fruits of that before before taking substantive steps before taking a criminal indictment of Donald Trump or others around him. I don't think that's surprising. I think that's part of the genius of our system, our founders have criminal prosecutions at the state level and at the federal level and it looks like this Georgia DA is looking at racketeering and conspiracy against Donald Trump and his allies. Only Donald Trump could be at the center of an alleged racketeering scheme that never made anyone any money and that failed. That's Trump's M.O. But she certainly seems tough and making a convincing case already, this is possibly fraud against Georgia."

"When Lindsey Graham talks, as usual, out of both sides of his mouth, he makes no sense," continued Katyal. "He says this is all politics. Well, if it is all politics and you know so much about the situation, Senator Graham, and you're so confident there's nothing of substance, then I'm sure you're eager to go and testify before the grand jury and comply with the subpoena, but of course he's not. He wants to try to block the subpoena. He's claiming it's some sort of separation of powers problem, which I guess is convincing if Lindsey Graham is trying to prove he has no business being on the Senate Judiciary Committee."

"This is Louie Gohmert misunderstanding of the separation of powers," added Katyal. "I don't think his attempt to block the subpoena will go anywhere and leave a lot of investigative paths open for from what Graham says and the other six individuals who have been subpoenaed by this district attorney."

Watch video below:

[Rick Plant]

Trump Subpoena ‘Possible’ in Georgia Election Meddling Probe, DA Says

“Anything’s possible,” Fani Willis said of potentially calling the former president to testify. Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham is challenging his subpoena in court, calling the probe a “fishing expedition”

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis revealed on Wednesday that she would not rule out subpoenaing former President Donald Trump in her office’s investigation into 2020 election meddling in Georgia, NBC News reported on Wednesday. Willis also told NBC that she expects to issue additional subpoenas to other allies to the former president.

“We’ll just have to see where the investigation leads us,” Willis said. “I think that people thought that we came into this as some kind of game. This is not a game at all. What I am doing is very serious. It’s very important work. And we’re going to do our due diligence and making sure that we look at all aspects of the case.”

The news comes a day after a Fulton County grand jury issued subpoenas to Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Jenna Ellis, as well as other members of Trump’s legal team. When asked by NBC News if investigators were open to subpoenaing the former president, Willis replied that “anything is possible” and stated her intention to continue the investigation beyond the November midterms if need be.

Sen. Graham has already stated his intention to challenge the grand jury summons. A statement from Graham’s lawyers indicated that the South Carolina senator plans to “go to court, challenge the subpoena, and expects to prevail.” Graham’s legal council also accused Fulton County of “engaging in a fishing expedition and working in concert with the January 6 Committee in Washington."

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/georgia-meddling-investigation-trump-subpoena-1378815/