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Trump’s Shameless Pandering to – and Ignoring of – LGBT and Hispanic Communities Reaches New Heights

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Donald Trump Opens Campaign Office Across the Street From Pulse Nightclub – Scene of Nation’s Deadliest Anti-LGBT Hate Crime, Mass Shooting, Terror Attack

Two months to the day that 49 people were shot and killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Donald Trump stood before hundreds of evangelical Christians and delivered a speech at an anti-gay conference organized by a political operative who has called for a “war to restore a Christian America.” David Lane, who runs the American Renewal Project, which is funded by the anti-gay hate group American Family Association, invited Trump to speak to 700 evangelicals on Friday at an event he called “Rediscovering God in America.”

That event was literally 10 miles from the Pulse nightclub, which has since grown into a makeshift memorial covered with flowers and posters, decorated with candles, and held together with memories and tears. 

Donald Trump, literally a few hours after the 49 mostly Hispanic and LGBT people were gunned down, did as he always does. He took to Twitter, patted himself on the back by claiming he’s been right about “Islamic extremism,” and then for weeks used the LGBT community to further his political aspirations. 

The falsehoods spread by the media and groups like the Log Cabin Republicans, claiming that Donald Trump is the most pro-gay Republican to run for president dissolve when anyone looks at his actual stance on LGBT civil rights, and civil rights in general. But even Trump used that narrative to try to woo LGBT voters in the weeks after the Pulse attack, claiming, “I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.”

He also falsely, embarrassingly claimed: “The LGBT community, the gay community, the lesbian community, they are so much in favor of what I’ve been saying over the last three or four days.” And, stunningly, “you know what, LGBT is starting to like Donald Trump very much lately. Starting to like Donald Trump very, very much lately.”

So Donald Trump was 10 miles from the scene of the deadliest anti-gay hate crime in U.S. history, 10 miles from the scene of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, and 10 miles from the scene of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. 

And he ignored it.

He ignored the lives of the people who were lost, and the lives of their families and friends on Friday.

Instead, he addressed a conference of some of the nation’s most anti-LGBT evangelicals. People like David Lane, and Tony Perkins, and David Barton were there. And he just didn’t have time to drive ten miles to honor those people who were gunned down by a religious fanatic because they were LGBT.

Trump has several times mentioned them, when it suited his narrative, but on Friday he couldn’t even summon the moral courage to look those evangelical leaders in the eye and say, “homophobia kills, homophobia hurts, and you, as a community, need to do better, because people are literally dying because of the polices you promote, the hate you spread, the lies you tell.”

Even Republican Senator Marco Rubio, still as anti-gay as ever, in that same room to that same audience, just 24 hours earlier, told them it’s time to stop attacking LGBT people. It was the very least he could do, but it was something.

So what did Donald Trump do, instead of paying homage to the victims of the terror attack on the Pulse nightclub, instead of meeting with the families and friends of the 49 victims who were slaughtered – as Hillary Clinton did quietly in a visit several weeks ago that was not advertised to the press. As House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi did Thursday. As President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden did days after the massacre.

No. On Friday, the same day he tried to woo anti-LGBT evangelical leaders, Donald Trump – or, at least, his campaign – set up a campaign office across the street from Pulse.

Signs reading, “Hispanos con Trump,” “The Train Trump,” and “The Silent Majority Stands with Trump” now line the window of an office building across the street from the Pulse nightclub.

The Orlando Sentinel, reporting the news, graciously notes, the location “could be seen as problematic for a campaign struggling so far with Hispanics and the LGBT community.”

Some may see Trump opening an office across the street from Pulse as pandering, a way to attract LGBT and Hispanic voters, others may see it as a chilling reminder that his hate speech and policies are what nurture, foster, and give sustenance to people who treat minorities like garbage. (Any doubts? See this.)

Because Donald Trump doesn’t care about anyone except Donald Trump, he won’t respect the families and loved ones of the dead, but he sure as heck will invest in real estate right across the street.

 

Image by Jennifer Jacobs, @mmcnarney via Twitter

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Another Georgia Republican Bails as Mike Johnson’s House Sees Even More Exits

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February 4, 2026

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Another prominent House Republican from Georgia will retire, adding to the mass exodus Speaker Mike Johnson is seeing under his leadership.

U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election. Loudermilk was first elected to Congress in 2014. He is the fourth Georgia Republican not seeking re-election, and joins (former) U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA).

Loudermilk become the thirtieth House Republican to retire or seek a different office, according to the U.S. House Casualty List.

Last week, Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman reported: “Today, we only see 18 out of 435 races as toss-ups, but Republicans would need to win two-thirds of the toss-up column to hold their House majority.”

He suggested that Democrats are “modest favorites” to regain the House majority.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s margin over House Democrats is so thin that he directed Republican lawmakers to “take vitamins” in January.

According to Politico, “Republicans will expect to retain Loudermilk’s seat in suburban Atlanta in November, which he won by 34 points in 2024.”

Image via Reuters

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White House Shuts Down Melania Trump Event After Epstein Questions

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February 4, 2026

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A rare White House event turned awkward and was ultimately shut down after First Lady Melania Trump faced pointed questions about using the White House to promote her documentary, “Melania,” and about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s partner and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The first lady was meeting with the freed American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, and his wife, Aviva Siegel.

According to The Daily Beast, “things took an unfortunate turn when reporters took the opportunity to ask questions, setting their sights on the first lady’s box office debut and Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted for abusing young girls.”

Asked whether she felt it was appropriate to use the White House to promote her film, the first lady dismissed the question.

“It is not promotion,” she said. “We are here celebrating the release of the hostage; of Aviva and Keith. They were in Washington, D.C., and they said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs. There’s nothing to do with promotion.”

A reporter then waded into the Epstein controversy.

“There’s a call from Epstein survivors to have Ghislaine Maxwell moved to a high security prison. What do you want to happen,” they asked, which prompted her staff to try to end the press conference immediately.

“Thank you, press,” a staffer said, as the First Lady responded, “We are here celebrating the release and the life of those two incredible people, so let’s honor that.”

According to The Daily Beast, Melania Trump appears in the Epstein files, including in a “chummy” 2002 email to Maxwell, signed “Love, Melania.”

“Dear G! How are you?” it says. “Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great in the picture.”

Image via Reuters

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‘Did You Lie?’: Bessent Backtracks Under Fire Over Prior Testimony

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February 4, 2026

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faced a heated confrontation with a Democratic lawmaker and acknowledged that his earlier congressional testimony may have been mistaken.

His error, Bessent insisted — despite the view of many economists — was his claim that he had not said “tariffs are inflationary.”

“Earlier,” The New York Times reported, “he had denied having written to his hedge fund investors in 2024 that tariffs are inflationary. Presented with his exact words, however, he said that he was wrong to deny making those comments and that he had been wrong at the time about tariffs and inflation.”

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) read from a letter Bessent wrote in 2024 — before Trump won the White House.

“I want to read you a quote,” Casten began. “‘Trump will pursue a weak dollar policy rather than implementing tariffs. Tariffs are inflationary and would strengthen the dollar.’ Do you recognize that quote?”

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“I believe you’re referring to a letter that I wrote, and tariffs could be inflationary,” Bessent replied.

“No, no,” Casten insisted. “It says ‘tariffs are inflationary.'”

Casten then asked, “Do you want to correct what you said to the ranking member when you specifically said that you did not say tariffs are inflationary?”

“You said tariffs are inflationary,” Casten continued, after having to repeat himself.

“Do you want to correct what you said to the ranking member? Or did you lie?” Casten then pressed.

“If I was mistaken, I want to correct it,” Bessent said. “And I was also mistaken when I said the tariffs could be inflationary, because — we’ve seen inflation drop to 2.1 percent.”

Many economists say that tariffs are inflationary because they function as a tax, in this case, largely on American firms and consumers.

According to HuffPost, Trump’s $181 billion tariff increase “ranks as the 13th biggest tax hike since before World War II.”

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