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Furious, Many Accuse Kevin Spacey of Coming Out as Gay to Deflect From Accusation of Underage Sexual Assault by Anthony Rapp

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Rapp Says He Was 14 Years Old When 26-Year Old Spacey Made Sexual Advance

At midnight Sunday actor Kevin Spacey responded to an accusation by fellow actor Anthony Rapp made in a Buzzfeed article published two-and-a-half hours earlier. Rapp said Spacey made a sexual advance toward him when he was just 14 years old. Spacey at the time, 1986, would have been just 26. Spacey says he does not remember but says he was drunk, and apologizes “if I did behave then as he describes.” Spacey also for the first time acknowledged he is gay, and many are angered he is using this moment to deflect from the allegation, while appearing to conflate being gay with pedophilia or sexual assault.

Rapp is publicly alleging for the first time that in 1986, Spacey befriended Rapp while they both performed on Broadway shows, invited Rapp over to his apartment for a party, and, at the end of the night, picked Rapp up, placed him on his bed, and climbed on top of him, making a sexual advance,” Buzzfeed reports.

“My stomach churns,” Rapp told Buzzfeed. “I still to this day can’t wrap my head around so many aspects of it. It’s just deeply confusing to me.”

“At some point, Rapp said he turned to see Spacey standing at the bedroom door. And that’s when he first realized that everyone else had left the party. They were alone.”

“My memory was that I thought, Oh, everybody’s gone. Well, yeah, I should probably go home,” Rapp said. Spacey, he recalled, “sort of stood in the doorway, kind of swaying. My impression when he came in the room was that he was drunk.” Rapp doesn’t remember Spacey saying anything to him. Instead, Rapp said, “He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. But I don’t, like, squirm away initially, because I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he lays down on top of me.”

“He was trying to seduce me,” Rapp said. “I don’t know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.”

Rapp recalled this all happening — Spacey appearing at the door, coming into the room, picking him up, and putting him on the bed — in one clumsy action, with Spacey landing at a slight angle on top of him. He said Spacey “was, like, pressing into me,” and that he remembers Spacey “tightening his arms.” But while he can’t recall exactly how long Spacey remained on top of him, Rapp said he was able to “squirm” away after a short period.

Via Twitter, Spacey posted this statement:

“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor,” Spacey said. “I am beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.

“This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life,” he continued. “I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy. As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I chose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.”

Some are pointing to headlines that seem to focus on Spacey coming out rather than the accusation of a sexual advance made on a minor. Others, like The Daily Beast‘s Ira Madison III, say the timing of Spacey’s coming out “couldn’t have been worse.”

Spacey choosing now to come out, in order to spin Rapp’s sexual assault allegation, is underhanded behavior worthy of his character Frank Underwood on House of Cards.

Spacey has changed the narrative of him allegedly assaulting a 14-year-old boy, put on Jamie Foxx’s “Blame it on the Alcohol,” and ended it with, “oh, by the way, I’m gay!” There’s never truly a wrong time to come out and I’d never begrudge anyone for accepting their sexuality. But the seediness of using your coming out to deflect from a sexual assault allegation is something else entirely. Already, headlines have ignored Rapp’s allegations for claptrap like ABC News’ since-edited story that at first read: “Kevin Spacey comes out in emotional tweet.” Several other outlets also led with the fact that Spacey has come out of the closet, rather than the fact that he came out in response to Rapp’s disturbing allegation. Beyond altering the narrative, Spacey’s statement grossly conflates pedophilia and homosexuality.

For Spacey to say that he now chooses to be gay also insinuates that it’s a decision someone can switch on and off. For him to speak up about it now, amidst these allegations, implies that being gay is a shameful secret you must keep hidden. Furthermore, the decision to switch it on now after vehemently refusing to come out for years makes the decision all the more cold and calculated. It will absolutely overshadow Rapp’s story, which is exactly what Spacey was counting on. At least now we know why Spacey has fiercely guarded his “private life,” as he calls it. He was merely safeguarding his most powerful weapon until he could use it on Rapp and the gay community he now claims he has chosen to be a part of.

On Twitter, others offered similar statements:

Author, activist, Dan Savage:

Vanity Fair Film Critic Richard Lawson:

Actor Billy Eichner:

Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe:

Former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama Valerie Jarrett:

Comedian Cameron Esposito:

Others:

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‘Surrounded by Sharks’: After Touring ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Trump Vows to Renovate Original

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President Donald Trump toured “Alligator Alcatraz” on Tuesday, the federal immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades that boasts alligators as part of a natural escape barrier. Now, Trump is vowing to renovate the original Alcatraz, just off the coast of California, a former federal maximum security prison that he claims is, or will be, “surrounded by sharks.”

Before jetting off to Florida, Trump joked with reporters (video below) about detainees facing deportation who would have to navigate around the alligators in the Everglades should they try to escape.

Later in the day, Trump posted to his social media website about his new inspiration.

“Because of the Violence and Criminality I have seen due to the Open Border Policy of Sleepy Joe Biden, in particular allowing millions of people into our Country who shouldn’t be here, I wanted something representative to show how we fight back, and then, it happened,” the President wrote.

READ MORE: ‘This Is Fascism’: Trump Sparks Fury After Calling to Deport U.S. Citizens

“I saw a picture of ALCATRAZ looking so foreboding, and I said, ‘We’re going to look into renovating and rebuilding the famous ALCATRAZ Prison sitting high on the Bay, surrounded by sharks. What a symbol it is, and will be!’ Conceptual work started six months ago, and various prison development firms are looking at doing it with us. Still a little early, but lots of promise!”

CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere remarked, “the president says he’s looking into spending federal money, in part, to put sharks into the San Francisco Bay.”

If Trump actually wants Alcatraz to be surrounded by truly dangerous sharks, as Dovere notes he may have to bring them there. The ones currently surrounding the tiny island reportedly may not be especially dangerous, according to the Pacific Open Water Swim Co.

Other critics blasted Trump’s remarks.

Investment banker Evaristus Odinikaeze remarked, “So we’re rebuilding Alcatraz based on… a vibe?”

“Trump saw a moody picture of a defunct prison and decided that’s the future of immigration policy, locking up desperate families on a shark-surrounded island like a Bond villain with zoning permits,” he added. “This cruel and reckless governance is nothing but a cinematic cosplay with real human lives at stake.”

READ MORE: Trump Pushes Census Do-Over to Exclude Non-Citizens — and to Immediately Redistrict House

Another social media user wrote: “Trump wants to bring back Alcatraz. Not to house mob bosses or war criminals, but to make a ‘symbol’ out of locking up desperate migrants. Sharks and spectacle. This isn’t immigration policy. It’s a twisted cruelty straight out of a 1930s Germany. You don’t rebuild a prison for the camera unless cruelty is the point. That’s not ‘fighting back’, that’s feeding fear and hatred to your base and calling it leadership. History already wrote this playbook, and it ends in concentration camps, not justice. We are better than this, no?”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Panic Button’: JD Vance Blasted After Calling $1T in Medicaid Cuts ‘Minutiae’

 

Image via Reuters

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‘This Is Fascism’: Trump Sparks Fury After Calling to Deport U.S. Citizens

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President Donald Trump ignited outrage after touring a new federal migrant mass detention site in the Florida Everglades—denounced by some as a modern-day concentration camp—and calling for the deportation of some U.S. citizens who commit crimes.

“I’d like to say it, you know, it’s a little controversial, but I couldn’t care less,” the President began. “We have a lot of bad criminals that came into the, into this country, and they came in stupidly—it was an unforced error, it was an incompetent president that allowed it to happen. It was an autopen, maybe, that allowed it to happen.”

“And it did happen,” he continued, “but we also have a lot of bad people that have been here for a long time, people that whacked people over the head with a baseball bat from behind when they’re not looking and killed them. People that knife you when you’re walking down the street. They’re not new to our country. They’re old to our country. Many of them are born in our country.”

“I think we ought to get them the hell out of here, too, you want to know the truth,” Trump declared.

READ MORE: Trump Pushes Census Do-Over to Exclude Non-Citizens — and to Immediately Redistrict House

The President’s remarks weren’t idle speculation or musings—they reflect a deliberate and dangerous shift in policy.

“The Justice Department is aggressively prioritizing efforts to strip some Americans of their U.S. citizenship,” NPR reported on Monday. “Department leadership is directing its attorneys to prioritize denaturalization in cases involving naturalized citizens who commit certain crimes — and giving U.S. attorneys wider discretion on when to pursue this tactic, according to a June 11 memo published online.”

Critics were aghast at Trump’s remarks.

“Citizens. I’m going to say it again. This is fascism. MAGA can cry all you want but this is exactly what every f—— dictator in history wanted. Wake the f— up,” wrote Fred Wellman, a graduate of West Point and the Harvard Kennedy School who is now the host of the podcast “On Democracy.”

“Trump claimed he’d focus on deporting immigrants with criminal records,” noted U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). “Now, he’s indiscriminately targeting all immigrants. So when he says American citizens are next, we should take it seriously.”

“Someone, anyone, please tell me how this isn’t straight up fascist,” urged former U.S. Ambassador Luis Moreno.

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“The American experiment is predicated on the notion that we’re a place where people can disagree & live peacefully together,” wrote Oklahoma Democratic state Representative Forrest Bennett. “He thinks people who disagree with him are ‘bad.’ He’s counting on his supporters to value short term satisfaction over longterm preservation of rights.”

Referring to remarks Trump made in April, Professor of history and scholar of fascism Ruth Ben-Ghiat issued this warning: “‘The Homegrowns Will Be Next,’ is one of the more chilling authoritarian phrases I have heard. This is also why they want to increase ICE’s budget so much.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘If It Is the Last Thing I Do’: Musk Vows to Unseat Lawmakers Voting for Budget Bill

 

Image via Reuters

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Trump Pushes Census Do-Over to Exclude Non-Citizens — and to Immediately Redistrict House

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President Donald Trump says he is aware of and supports proposed legislation that would require the federal government to perform a new U.S. Census, by excluding non-citizens. The revised count would be used to immediately reapportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, presumably also for the 2026 election, despite constitutional decennial requirements and the constitutional mandate that all “persons” be counted.

During his first term, Trump tried to add a citizenship question to the U.S. Census, but courts struck down that effort. The Constitution is clear: it states the “whole number of persons in each state” must be counted. Courts have ruled this includes non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants.

Standing with his former presidential primary opponent, Governor Ron DeSantis, in Florida, Trump was told about the “Make American Elections Great Again” bill, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

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A reporter described the bill to Trump, saying it would force “the U.S. Census Bureau to redo the census to actually get an account of how many Americans with proof of citizenship are in our country, redistricting some of the House districts.”

“I love it,” the President told reporters.

According to Greene, her legislation “will save America’s elections from ever being stolen again!” She added it will count U.S. citizens only, then “direct states to immediately begin a redistricting of all U.S. House seats … using only the population of United States citizens,” despite constitutional parameters that the census must count every person, and be conducted every ten years. Constitutionally, a new census is not scheduled until 2030.

“We want to bring our elections back,” Trump told reporters. “The election in 2020 was rigged—millions and millions of votes,” he baselessly claimed.

READ MORE: ‘If It Is the Last Thing I Do’: Musk Vows to Unseat Lawmakers Voting for Budget Bill

“It had to do with COVID and a lot of things, but it really had to do with the crooked people. The Democrats are very good at cheating in elections,” Trump also alleged.

Governor DeSantis claimed that Florida was “gypped” in 2020 because the census added only one congressional district to his state.

Although the census was conducted when Trump was in office in 2020, DeSantis called it the “Biden census.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Stunning Incoherence’: Fox Host Mocked for Spinning Trump’s Work Visa Flip-Flop

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