Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Benggaul]

Friday's report:

49,491 new cases, roughly 10k fewer than last Friday. Another decent drop to close out the week.

Top 6:

Fuck Florida.
Michigan: 3,367 new cases; 30 deaths
Illinois: 3,321 new cases; 41 deaths
New York: 2,701 new cases; 33 deaths
Pennsylvania: 2,647 new cases; 50 deaths
Texas: 2,600 new cases; 59 deaths

Not much more for me to say that I haven't already said the past few days. Most of the same trends are holding. Florida continues being Florida. Illinois had a slight increase over their previous Friday total, but their positivity remains below 5% with nearly half the population having received at least one dose of the vaccine, so I'm not expecting a sudden huge outbreak there. We're heading into the weekend with most states looking decent, all things considered.

777 deaths is slightly fewer than last Friday and brings the total to 594,911. As I've said a few times the death total has more or less plateaued over the past few weeks, but I expect it to dip further in another week or so given the sharp decline in cases. Hopefully. We'll see.

Related news:

CDC may roll out seasonal Covid-19 boosters to protect against variants--We've known for a while that these vaccines were likely to become annual or bi-annual affairs, but I'm frankly glad that there are people looking ahead for other rocks in the shallows. We've come a long way from "it's only one person coming in from China", after all.

Stay safe, folks.

[Gorsameth]

It’s time for guess the speaker!



https://mobile.twitter.com/Acyn/stat...82019738521600

Lady G admitting the GOP is committed to fascism and their one true leader. Video in link, but when your political movement is entirely tied to someone like Trump you may as well just openly admit you desire the death of democracy.

Someone earlier linked a poll that showed that half of the Republicans are loyal to Trump over the GoP.
The notion that the GoP can't exist without Trump may well be factually accurate.

[Breccia]

Someone earlier linked a poll that showed that half of the Republicans are loyal to Trump over the GoP.

Only half? I thought it would be higher.

Now to be fair, even if it was 10% this is a problem for the GOP. We've already seen they the Republican Party does not represent the majority of America. We know this to be the case, when they bent their moral values to contain the gun nuts and the Religious Right, who you'd think wouldn't get along considering what Jesus said about killing people. (Spoiler alert: it was "don't") But there have been some close elections that a 10% loss of Republican votes would have cost them. We'd be in Clinton's second term by now. They need to bow and scrape, since they're already at the limits of gerrymandering and are now going with flat-out voter suppression efforts.

Honestly, the best thing that could happen for the remaining classic Republicans is for Trump to get caught doing something so vile, even his own rabid fanbase would turn on him. There's not a lot of options, we've already seen him cheat on every wife he had, hire illegal immigrants, refuse to pay literally hundreds of people, run a mafia from inside the WH and start a violent rebellion. It's down to "Melania has abortion" or "Trump goes on the stand and asked about Epstein flights" at this point. Failing that, they need him silenced. That means an effective lifetime prison sentence, or death. Until then, since every waking breath Trump takes is exhaled as conspiracy theories about the election and tearing the GOP in...whatever two parts by labeling everyone who does not side with Trump as the enemy, the GOP will slowly lose members who were loyal to the party over Trump, replace them with loyaltists (like Gaetz!) who have less experience and no clear direction of their own, and cause permanent damage to their party during Harris' next eight years. Or, worse for everyone, somehow turn the country into a Trump-led dictatorship just before he dies of acute fatass.

- - - Updated - - -

A new report shows that Barr and Trump's DoJ tried to get phone numbers of WaPo journalists, and also tried to access their email records without their consent.

Basically, Biden's DoJ ratted out Trump's DoJ. They were also kind enough to say "by the way, it didn't work".

[D Luniz]

*snip*
- - - Updated - - -

A new report shows that Barr and Trump's DoJ tried to get phone numbers of WaPo journalists, and also tried to access their email records without their consent.

Basically, Biden's DoJ ratted out Trump's DoJ. They were also kind enough to say "by the way, it didn't work".

and the comments of the 2 sites I saw that on were flooded with "But Obama" deflectors

but Im here for something else

Im sure you all heard about
Cybersecurity Attack Shuts Down A Top U.S. Gasoline Pipeline

well, Im just gonna drop a reminder of what Trump did 3 years ago, and go get dinner. Cause I felt like kicking his presidency in the gut while filling my own.


Trump eliminates job of national cybersecurity coordinator May 15, 2018

Trump fires DHS cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs Nov 17, 2020

[Stormspark]

and the comments of the 2 sites I saw that on were flooded with "But Obama" deflectors

but Im here for something else

Im sure you all heard about
Cybersecurity Attack Shuts Down A Top U.S. Gasoline Pipeline

well, Im just gonna drop a reminder of what Trump did 3 years ago, and go get dinner. Cause I felt like kicking his presidency in the gut while filling my own.


Trump eliminates job of national cybersecurity coordinator May 15, 2018

Trump fires DHS cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs Nov 17, 2020

Gas prices are probably going to go through the roof. Fortunately, I am working from home for the next 2 months before we go back into the office. My work is right across the street so I can walk. I currently drive 5 miles/week (grocery shopping only), my current car is a 2014 Prius (I get gas about 4 times/year). I'm trading it in, it has very low mileage and is still worth 10k, so I am not doing any nonessential driving. In 2 weeks, I am getting a Tesla Model 3, basically just waiting on the car to be delivered. I have a feeling the new car is going to pay for itself once gas prices skyrocket.

[Felya]

I have a feeling the new car is going to pay for itself once gas prices skyrocket.

Not at 5 miles per week... neither you nor the car will last that long, unless gas prices go triple digit.

Don’t mean to discourage... was just a flippant comment. Sounds like a good plan. Enjoy your new car!!!

[Benggaul]

Saturday's quick report:

35,755 new cases; 648 deaths, bringing the total to 595,588. 14 states not reporting.

Fauci: 'Unlikely' US will see COVID-19 surge in fall, winter--Dr. Fauci is more optimistic than I am, frankly, but I bow to his superior knowledge on the matter. He says we should hit 70% vaccinated (1 or more dose) by July 4th and the widespread availability of the vaccines will help keep numbers low, but I think he's underestimating the stupidity of 74 million Americans.

Stay safe, folks.

[fwc577]

Remember the time Cucker Tarlson said people should call child protective services if they see a kid in a mask? Legal Eagle remembers.

It's been a while since I've watched a LegalEagle video and I don't recall this back when I watched his channel more. But he looks like he's got on a facial prosthetics to make him look like Abraham Lincoln without a beard.

[Edge-]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/maric...b0ae3c687ffc44

The AZ farce continues, and now they're demanding access to county routers/passwords that they have no need for. I seriously don't know how the Feds haven't rolled in and collected the ballots already, they're supposed to remain secure for 22 months following the election and these absolute chucklefucks are sitting there with blue pens (NOT THE COLOR YOU USE AS IT COULD ALTER BALLOTS) and ultraviolet lights lookin for fuckin bamboo because some racist on a conspiracy theory board said something about bamboo ballots and the other racists running this shit, including Cyber Ninjas and the AZ Republican Senate, thought that was a hot tip.

[Endus]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/maric...b0ae3c687ffc44

The AZ farce continues, and now they're demanding access to county routers/passwords that they have no need for. I seriously don't know how the Feds haven't rolled in and collected the ballots already, they're supposed to remain secure for 22 months following the election and these absolute chucklefucks are sitting there with blue pens (NOT THE COLOR YOU USE AS IT COULD ALTER BALLOTS) and ultraviolet lights lookin for fuckin bamboo because some racist on a conspiracy theory board said something about bamboo ballots and the other racists running this shit, including Cyber Ninjas and the AZ Republican Senate, thought that was a hot tip.

Honestly, the whole thing stinks. Why do these people even have access? Why is vote validation not a federal purview? Surely, if the concern is bias or corruption within the State, you'd want an outside viewpoint, no?

Everyone involved in that shit should be facing 10-20 in federal prisons. None of this is happening by accident; they're actively seeking a way to subvert the lawful vote.

[Breccia]

I seriously don't know how the Feds haven't rolled in and collected the ballots already

They're probably not allowed to, and more importantly, they don't have to. The second this eggy farce ends, they can simply watch and see if the AZ legisilature tries to move on this, and then immediately sue and say "AZ law was broken, therefore, these results are invalid".

If there are any federal laws being broken by this "recount" they can move on those too I guess, but as we've all seen, AZ law was broken so that should be the end of that.

Honestly, the whole thing stinks.

Most farce stink, except to the ones who dealt it.

[Benggaul]

Sunday's quick report:

22,200 new cases; 241 deaths, bringing the total to 595,812. 15 states not reporting. Even on days when Florida has the tiniest excuse to cook their numbers they're topping the chart.

Related news:

New U.S. COVID weekly cases fall to lowest since September--Great news...but still nowhere near as low as they were at the start of the whole shebang. We've got a long way to go still.

Stay safe, folks.

[Edge-]

Even on days when Florida has the tiniest excuse to cook their numbers they're topping the chart.

I'm worried about spring break variants that appear to be doing the rounds escaping to other states. Still desperately hoping we don't have a "Florida Virus" that the vaccines aren't as protective against.

[Felya]

It's been a while since I've watched a LegalEagle video and I don't recall this back when I watched his channel more. But he looks like he's got on a facial prosthetics to make him look like Abraham Lincoln without a beard.

It’s a look... it received a lot of attention when Lyle Lovett was dating Julia Roberts... this is going to sound bad... but, people just look like that and as hard as it was to believe when it came Lyle, some people find it attractive.

[Benggaul]

I'm worried about spring break variants that appear to be doing the rounds escaping to other states. Still desperately hoping we don't have a "Florida Virus" that the vaccines aren't as protective against.

I have so many jokes that I could make about a "Florida Virus" but they already have their own threads.

It's a race between vaccinations and new mutations and has been for a while. Dr. Fauci seems pretty happy with the progress, so I'm trying to latch on to those positive vibes. With varying degrees of success.

[cubby]

I have so many jokes that I could make about a "Florida Virus" but they already have their own threads.

It's a race between vaccinations and new mutations and has been for a while. Dr. Fauci seems pretty happy with the progress, so I'm trying to latch on to those positive vibes. With varying degrees of success.

It's good that progress in the U.S. is getting better. Have you seen anything coming out of India that doesn't terrify you?

[cubby]

Yes, but only things that aren’t covid news related.

I mean, are they on full melt down at this point? The last I saw was their COVID rate count was vertical and they were running out of oxygen.

[Benggaul]

Monday's quick report:

30,152 new cases; 370 deaths, bringing the total to 596,179. Both totals down quite a bit from the previous Monday. Florida topped both lists.

Related news:

'Ill-informed and cruel': Growing number of GOP-led states move to end Covid unemployment benefits--The GOP have always been bastards, but it seems ever since Trump slumped his way to the top of the shit pile they've been unmitigated cunts. That doesn't look to be letting up anytime soon.

Stay safe, folks.

[Darththeo]

They're probably not allowed to, and more importantly, they don't have to. The second this eggy farce ends, they can simply watch and see if the AZ legisilature tries to move on this, and then immediately sue and say "AZ law was broken, therefore, these results are invalid".

If there are any federal laws being broken by this "recount" they can move on those too I guess, but as we've all seen, AZ law was broken so that should be the end of that.



Most farce stink, except to the ones who dealt it.

A person on Twitter told me the evidence of Fraud was being released yesterday, I ask him "Where is the proof?" and he said it is coming. News then reported the audit won't be finished for months. So, these rolling evidence dates are getting ridiculous.

What annoys me the most is these people even if they prove fraud happened don't understand that doesn't mean Trump gets back into the White House. He literally cannot until after 2024 and that is only if he runs and wins then. Because you have to prove fraud happened, but since the election results have been certified and Biden sworn in, you have to impeach Biden. In order to do that, you have to have a crime in which to impeach him. Then he has to be found guilty by the Senate and removed. You would have to do this for Harris as well, otherwise she becomes President.

These Trump supporters are literally pushing for Pelosi to become president under the false ideal that if they prove fraud happened, Trump becomes reclaims the Presidency, he cannot. Just like if we proved, impeached, and removed Trump for the Russian Interference in 2016, Clinton would not have become president. That's not how our laws work.

[Breccia]

News then reported the audit won't be finished for months.

This is both true, false, and ridiculous.

Extending Arizona ballot recount past May 14 is 'not feasible', state fair official says

May 14, you say? Why, that's this coming Friday, isn'it it?

A state official said Wednesday it is "not feasible" to extend the Arizona Senate’s lease on the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where its contractors appear still early in the process of recounting all 2.1 million ballots that Maricopa County voters cast in last year’s general election.

Though tallying began April 23, the Senate’s liaison estimated that only about 200,000 ballots were counted as of Wednesday and that the effort likely would extend beyond the May 14 end date of the Senate’s lease on the facility.

The Republican-controlled Senate faces a hard deadline, however. When the Senate moved in, the coliseum was already booked for Phoenix Union High School District graduation ceremonies scheduled for several days later in May.

Ken Bennett, a former secretary of state acting as the Senate’s liaison, has said the Senate’s contractors could move the 2.1 million ballots off the coliseum floor but store the ballots on site and continue counting later.

“Nothing says we can’t take a break,” he said Friday.

Bennett told reporters Tuesday the Senate was working on extending the agreement so it would not have to vacate the premises entirely.

But Jen Yee, assistant executive director of the Arizona Exposition and State Fair, said Wednesday she had not heard about any extension past May 14.

“An extension is not feasible due to Phoenix Union High School graduations,” she said in an email.

Under its agreement with the Exposition and State Fair, the Senate is required to remove all materials no later than the final date of the agreement on May 14. And transporting the ballots from the county's facilities to the coliseum took an entire day.

The CEO of Cyber Ninjas, the Florida-based firm the Senate hired to lead the process, said on April 22 that he was planning for counting to last about 16 days. And Bennett previously said the process was on track for completion in the time available.

The pace so far is well short of that goal.

The Senate's contractors have created room at the coliseum to accommodate more workers for the recount but the companies are still recruiting for those jobs.

The Senate is not paying rent for the facility, which is owned by the state, but it is required to pay the costs of utilities and other services. Bennett has estimated those costs at about $1,000 a day.

Other, more recent sources, like this one and this one and this one, continue to give similiar numbers: 300,000 or fewer votes counted, about 15% of the total at the most generous. They only have half the staff needed, which makes a lot of sense because they're only bringing in members of the GOP-on-the-bed to do the recount.

Now as a reminder:
1) We do know how much the AZ taxpayers will spend for this. It's $150,000. We don't know how much it will actually cost. One would assume it's a lot, since they're paying $15/hr and are on track to take ten times longer than promised.
2) But we do know a judge told Democrats they would have to pay $1 million to pause the recount, which they refused. Therefore, it's logical to assume AZ recount's hidden backers are primed, ready, and eager to pay that same $1 million, if not more, for Cyber Ninjas to pack things up, wait for a week for the high school graduation, then one would assume continue.
3) The recount is being done further in secret than the state laws seemed to suggest was okay. We already know about the UV lights and the pens, for example. Moving the ballots an extra two times (once out, once more back in) is yet more opportunity to flat-out manufacture evidence.

"Hey! That sounds like a conspiracy theory!"

No. First of all, I said "opportunity", I didn't say they would do it. I merely implied it whilst winking and sipping coffee. Second of all, more recent reports from actual elected officials backing away from this dumpster tire diaper fire sounds less and less "we'll conspire to commit mass election fraud" and more "Your Honor, I swear, I didn't know a group called Cyber Ninjas wouldn't be trustworthy". Third of all, even if I did go full-on frothing at the mouth -- no, cappuccino doesn't count -- I'd be so fashionably late to the party that I'd need my own runway.

When the recount started, the ballots were viewed under ultraviolet light to check for watermarks. A theory popular with QAnon followers is that Trump secretly watermarked mail ballots to catch cheating.

There are no watermarks on ballots in Maricopa County. The effort has since been abandoned.

Read that bolded part back.

No, really.

I SAID FUCKING READ IT BACK.

(sip)

The theory was, Trump was marking ballots. Just going to throw it out there: pretty sure marking someone else's ballot with identifying features without their consent is a felony. Votes are supposed to be sealed.

Math guy here: the highest number I saw was 300,000 votes out of 2.1 million. I'm just going to assume they've been working weekends because I'm too lazy to look it up. Yesterday was 17 days. If that pace continues, and I have 10% or lower confidence it will because amateurs can't sprint a marathon and the money will dry up, but if it did, that means they'd be done...Oct 28th.

Oh, and there's no current law in state or federal writ that will overturn shit. Trick or treat, motherfuckers.

Granted, the point is still to manufacture enough false outrage to create election laws, which based on that timeline, will almost certainly need to be passed by Oct 27th before the smoke fades and mirrors tarnish.

So
a) it's true because, by every measurable metric they're cripplingly behind schedule
b) it's false because, they might not be able to start back up -- they might have no money, no venue, and/or no interest
c) it's ridiculous because, at this point, we're in Plan 9 from Outer Space levels of "so incompetent it's funny to watch".

And yes, I am saying the GOP are going to metaphorically prepare for alien invasion...and this recount is the probe.