Connect with us

News

Trump’s Harris Rally Size Attack ‘Precisely’ Mirrors Fraud Case Conviction: Legal Expert

Published

on

The former head of the U.S. Dept. of Justice’s fraud division says Donald Trump’s false claim Vice President Kamala Harris used artificial intelligence to create the false impression there were thousands of supporters at her rally inside a hanger at the Detroit Metro airport last week is “precisely” the type of action Trump was convicted for in the New York business fraud/hush money case. Multiple media outlets have documented there were thousands in attendance at the rally, despite the ex-president’s claim his Democratic presidential opponent “cheated.”

“Taking the stage before a rollicking crowd gathered at a hot Detroit Metro Airport hangar on Wednesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris made her first appearance as the Democratic presidential nominee in Michigan,” the Pulitzer-prize winning Detroit Free Press reported that night.

MLive.com, a consortium of Michigan news outlets, published 64 images from the Harris-Walz Detroit airport hanger rally, clearly showing thousands of supporters inside and outside the rally.

READ MORE: ‘Especially a Woman!’: Fox Host Furious Kamala Harris Loves to Cook

Numerous videos and photos on social media sites including TikTok and X, including the ones below, also show thousands of supporters.

The Harris campaign also posted this video:

NYU professor of law Andrew Weissmann, the MSNBC legal analyst who served as FBI General Counsel, the lead prosecutor under Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as well as the chief of DOJ’s Criminal Fraud Section, on Sunday blasted Trump’s AI claims, writing, “it is precisely what Trump was convicted of in NY re the 2016 campaign–generating fake news and killing true adverse news.”

READ MORE: ‘Something Is Afoot’: Joe Rogan Joins Pro-MAGA Influencers in Ditching Trump Campaign

Spectrum News/NY1 on Sunday reported, “Trump baselessly charges Harris Michigan rally crowd ‘didn’t exist,’ was generated with AI.”

CNN called the criminally-convicted ex-president’s post a “false conspiracy theory.”

Weissmann had been responding to a post on X by NBC News/MSNBC’s Vaughn Hillyard, who posted both Trump’s remarks and a photo of the Detroit hanger event. Hillyard wrote: “Right-wing social media on Saturday was promoting conspiracy theories that images of Kamala Harris’s campaign rallies were AI generated to explain her big crowds,” before pointing out that Trump was spreading those same false claims.

Trump was convicted by a New York jury on 34 criminal felony counts of business fraud in a scheme to cover up “hush money” payments to two women, a adult film actress and a Playboy bunny. District Attorney Alvin Bragg “argued that Trump had falsified the records with the intent to violate a New York state law that says it is illegal for ‘any two or more persons who conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means,'” The Guardian reported in May.

Trump on Saturday posted to his Truth Social platform: “Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it, and showed a massive ‘crowd’ of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST!”

He went on to claim a “maintenance worker at the airport…noticed the fake crowd picture, but there was nobody there,” and promoted another false claim that a “reflection of the mirror like finish on the Vice Presidential Plane” validated the allegation.

“She’s a CHEATER. She had NOBODY waiting, and the ‘crowd’ looked like 10,000 people!” Trump, again falsely, claimed. “Same thing is happening with her fake ‘crowds’ at her speeches. This is the way the Democrats win Elections, by CHEATING – And they’re even worse at the Ballot Box. She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!”

Former Obama campaign manager and White House senior advisor David Plouffe, who recently joined the Kamala Harris for President campaign as a senior advisor  posted a screenshot of Trump’s remarks and warned: “These are not conspiratorial rantings from the deepest recesses of the internet. The author could have the nuclear codes and be responsible for decisions that will affect us all for decades.”

Watch the videos and see the social media posts above or at this link.

READ MORE: Is Donald Trump ‘Quiet Quitting’? Here’s What His ‘Meltdown at Mar-a-Lago’ Reveals

Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

NCRM

‘Parade of Incompetence’: Trump Security Adviser Set Up Numerous Signal Chats on Key Crises

Published

on

Less than two weeks ago there was SignalGate, the Trump administration’s national security scandal that potentially endangered the lives of U.S. service members, and risked exposing military plans, by using an insecure channel to discuss, map out, and announce progress of an attack in Yemen. Then there was the Trump administration’s passwords scandal, where passwords, email addresses, and phone numbers of top Trump national security officials were easily found online. And just yesterday, GmailGate, the Trump administration’s use of the even less-secure commercial email app, to conduct government business.

All three crises involved President Donald Trump’s national security team, including White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, who admitted to setting up the insecure Signal chat.

On Wednesday afternoon, Politico reported that Waltz’s team actually had set up 20 or more different Signal group chats, for national security crises.

“National security adviser Mike Waltz’s team regularly set up chats on Signal to coordinate official work on issues including Ukraine, China, Gaza, Middle East policy, Africa and Europe, according to four people who have been personally added to Signal chats,” according to Politico. “Two of the people said they were in or have direct knowledge of at least 20 such chats. All four said they saw instances of sensitive information being discussed.”

READ MORE: ‘Significant Political Rift’: Trump Faces Possible Defeat in First Tariff Test

“Waltz built the entire NSC communications process on Signal,” said one of the four sources.

Experts have warned that the use of Signal in certain circumstances may violate national security regulations, as well as federal law surrounding retention of government communications.

The use of Signal on personal cell phones is also problematic because those mobile devices can easily be compromised, experts say. CISA, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has recommended the use of Signal instead of less secure platforms, but not for classified or sensitive communications.

“None of the four individuals said they were aware of whether any classified information was shared, but all said that posts in group chats did include sensitive details of national security work,” Politico noted.

Additionally, on Sunday, The Wall Street Journal reported more concerning national security lapses.

“Two U.S. officials also said that Waltz has created and hosted multiple other sensitive national-security conversations on Signal with cabinet members, including separate threads on how to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine as well as military operations. They declined to address if any classified information was posted in those chats,” the Journal reported. It was not clear if these were among the 20 or more chats Politico reported on Wednesday.

RELATED: ‘Just Plain Dumb’: Trump’s Smuggled Fentanyl Tariff Mocked

“In under 10 days, we’ve heard about journalists added to unclassified chats and sensitive data being shot around on personal emails,” lamented U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “And now we’re hearing there’s dozens more chats. It’s a never-ending parade of sloppy, reckless incompetence.”

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), also responding to the latest news from Politico, wrote: “President Trump must put our troops and national security first. Waltz must step down. If he won’t, President Trump should fire him.”

Democratic congressional candidate Cait Conley is a former National Security Council official who “spent nearly 20 years in the military, including a stint working on counterterrorism for the National Security Council under former President Biden,” The New York Times has reported. She also worked at CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

“This is not an Administration that’s serious about protecting America. Every person on those (20!) group chats should have known better,” Conley observed.

“The national security advisor continues to put our country at risk by using chats to discuss sensitive issues, allowing our adversaries to potentially intercept these messages,” commented former Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary and former Special Assistant to the President Sabrina Singh. “This is not putting America First – it’s the opposite.”

U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), a former Air Force JAG officer, wrote: “National Security Adviser Waltz should resign for repeatedly playing fast and loose with OpSec. Signal should not be used to discuss sensitive information. The Pentagon warned against using Signal even for unclassified information.”

MSNBC host Symone Sanders Townsend snarked, “Amateur hour at the OK Corral and that’s even offensive to the amateurs.”

“This is Trump’s CLOWN CAR CABINET!,” charged CNN commentator Maria Cardona. “Incompetent, unqualified, unserious. AND these massive national security blunders, put US all is SERIOUS danger! They need to go!!”

READ MORE: ‘Paralyzed’: Johnson Mocked for Shutting House Down After ‘Brutal’ Defeat

Image via Reuters 

Continue Reading

News

‘Significant Political Rift’: Trump Faces Possible Defeat in First Tariff Test

Published

on

President Donald Trump’s midnight rant attacking four top Republican Senators appeared to reveal the President’s first big tariff test—on “Liberation Day” Wednesday, the day he is unveiling what is expected to be a highly unpopular global tariffs package—is off course, and may ultimately fail.

Democrats have proposed legislation to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada, one of America’s largest and oldest trading and military partners, by declaring Trump’s stated “national emergency” to have ended.

It appears Trump may lose this battle, at least in the Senate.

In his overnight tirade, Trump attacked four GOP Senators by name: Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, who, reports suggest, will join with Democrats to support the legislation to block his Canadian tariffs.

RELATED: ‘Just Plain Dumb’: Trump’s Smuggled Fentanyl Tariff Mocked

Last year, even before Trump won the election, McConnell was a staunch “no” on tariffs.

“I’m not a fan of tariffs. They raise prices for American consumers. I’m more of a free trade kind of Republican that remembers how many jobs were created by the exports that we engage in,” the then-Senate Minority Leader told reporters.

McConnell is again a staunch no on tariffs, at least for Canada.

“I’m with you,” McConnell reportedly told U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who is sponsoring the legislation, CNN’s Haley Talbot reported.

“Kaine says rock solid GOP with him are Collins Murkowski Rand Paul and McConnell,” she added — the four Trump targeted.

It gets worse for Trump.

On Monday afternoon, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) warned that Trump’s tariffs could cause farmers in his state “irreparable” harm.

“Anyone who says there may be a little bit of pain before we get things right need[s] to talk to my farmers who are one crop away from bankruptcy,” Tillis told CNN’s Manu Raju, as HuffPost reported.

READ MORE: ‘Paralyzed’: Johnson Mocked for Shutting House Down After ‘Brutal’ Defeat

“They don’t have time. So we’ve got to be crisp on this implementation,” he added. “Otherwise, we could do damage that is irreparable to farmers.”

While Tillis has not yet indicated how he will vote, there may be other Republicans supporting the Democrats’ legislation.

“At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Kaine said other Republicans are also reaching out to him to get information on the resolution, indicating the number of GOP supporters may grow,” Politico reports. “Kaine also said Trump’s announcement about a new wave of tariffs, which is expected to take place prior to the Senate resolution vote, ‘could increase pressure for more [Republicans] to join.'”

Politico earlier on Wednesday reported that GOP Senators “Chuck Grassley — one of many farm-state Republicans concerned about the Canadian tariffs — and John Cornyn were noncommittal Tuesday about how they might vote.”

Should things go south for Trump, Vice President JD Vance will be on hand to cast a vote if the resolution is a tie.

Importantly, Politico observes, “the GOP dissent on the Hill represents a significant political rift in the party about the sweeping economic consequences of his sometimes-unpredictable trade policies.”

House Democrats are also launching a concurrent resolution to declare that the national emergency with Canada is over, Punchbowl News reports. That version is believed to face stiffer odds. Should both pass, Trump has said he will not sign them into law.

Some are also mocking Trump, after the White House moved the announcement event time of his global tariff package from 3 PM to 4 PM — just after the stock markets close.

See the social media post above or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Trying to Understand’: Senator Who Backed RFK Jr. Now on Defense After Massive HHS Firing

 

Image via Reuters 

 

Continue Reading

News

‘Humiliation’: Musk to Step Back From White House Role, Trump Reportedly Tells Aides

Published

on

Just months ago, a Trump White House advisor suggested that Elon Musk—a special government employee bound by law to step down after a limited tenure—was likely to overstay his term. Now, after a resounding defeat in Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race, where voters overwhelmingly chose a Democrat—despite Musk injecting millions of dollars, his outsized persona, and million-dollar checks to voters—it seems the Tesla billionaire may have overstayed his welcome.

“President Donald Trump has told his inner circle, including members of his Cabinet, that Elon Musk will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role as governing partner, ubiquitous cheerleader and Washington hatchet man,” Politico reports in an exclusive. “The president remains pleased with Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency initiative but both men have decided in recent days that it will soon be time for Musk to return to his businesses and take on a supporting role, according to three Trump insiders who were granted anonymity to describe the evolving relationship.”

Politico also reports that “Musk’s looming retreat” comes as Trump’s allies — insiders and outsiders — increasingly are squawking at his “unpredictability, and increasingly view the billionaire as a political liability.”

READ MORE: ‘Just Plain Dumb’: Trump’s Smuggled Fentanyl Tariff Mocked

That “dynamic that was thrown into stark relief Tuesday when a conservative judge Musk vocally supported lost his bid for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat by 10 points.”

The Politico report comes on “Liberation Day,” as Trump is calling Wednesday — the day he will announce his highly-controversial and some say, harmful, global tariffs.

Last week, Trump had already begun setting the stage for a smooth and face-saving exit, and on Monday he told reporters that “at some point Elon’s going to want to go back to his company.” (See video below.)

But Musk is unlikely to vanish from the scene entirely, according to Politico.

“They’re feeling the pressure,” U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) commented, in response to the Politico report. “Keep up the fight to Fire Elon Musk.”

Iconic tech and business journalist Kara Swisher remarked, “Trump does not like a loser. The cheesehead antic was repellent to voters, and now to Elon’s BFF.”

READ MORE: ‘Paralyzed’: Johnson Mocked for Shutting House Down After ‘Brutal’ Defeat

Eoin Higgins, author of the book, “Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left,” noted that “the dismantling of the agencies is in motion and will continue, but this is still a humiliation—all that money and power only to find out that people just don’t like you and you’re so unpopular you’re dragging everyone else down with you.”

Attorney, academic, and author Alberto Alemanno writes that “Musk’s political adventure is over (for now). He’s become a political liability and we can now ALL stop amplifying his omniscient takes.”

Chris Griswold, policy director at the conservative think tank American Compass, snarked, “When they do Liberation Day, they really do Liberation Day.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Trying to Understand’: Senator Who Backed RFK Jr. Now on Defense After Massive HHS Firing

 

Image via Reuters

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.