Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸
@MaxBoot
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CFR fellow, WaPo columnist. Pulitzer finalist for biography. REAGAN: HIS LIFE AND LEGEND. NYT bestseller & NYT 10 best books of 2024. Mainly on Bluesky.
New York
Joined April 2009
I am frightened by the impact on society and politics if Elon Musk acquires Twitter. He seems to believe that on social media anything goes. For democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.
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I honestly did not think that any “conservatives” would stoop so low as to defend a pedophile. Wrong. There is no limit to how far they will go to win elections, no line they will not cross, no norms they will not transgress. There is a sickness in the land.
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The entire Republican Party is now attacking a war hero battling leukemia. Have you no shame.
Worth noting after recent comments: Retired Adm. William McRaven was reportedly on Hillary Clinton’s short list for Vice President in 2016. He’s been critical of President @realDonaldTrump— even dating back to the 2016 campaign. He’s hardly a non-political figure.
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Will I ever rejoin the GOP? No. Trump will leave office some day (I hope!), but he will leave behind a quasi-authoritarian party that is as corrupt as he is. The failure to call witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial revealed the GOP’s moral failure.
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Trump a lot tougher on Colin Kaepernick than on Vladimir Putin. Protesting American anthem: bad. Subverting American democracy: no big deal.
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Jim Jordan seems to think that shouting VERY LOUDLY and talking VERY FAST makes his ridiculous arguments more credible. He is wrong.
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I never want to hear a word of criticism of @MittRomney again. He stood and delivered. He showed what integrity and courage in politics look like. His example shames the cowards of the GOP.
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All you need to know about @realDonaldTrump is that he's tougher on Adm. Bill McRaven than he is on Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Or Vladimir Putin. Or Kim Jong-un.
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I will vote for any Democratic nominee, even Warren or Sanders, despite my profound disagreement with their far-left agenda. Saving American democracy from a mad king matters more than the specific policies of his successor. My @PostOpinions column:
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I’m not a praying man, but if I were, I would be on my hands and knees thanking the Almighty that during the worst crisis in Europe since 1945, the United States is led by Joe Biden, not Donald Trump.
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I opposed Obama. Now I would take him back in a nanosecond. His presidency appears to be a lost golden age when reason and morality reigned. My latest in @PostOpinions:
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Trump condemns Hillary, NYT, WP, Schwarzenegger, McConnell, McCain, Sessions, Comey, Mueller etc. But won't condemn Putin or Alt Right.
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I am ashamed to have spent most of my life as a Republican. I have significant differences with AOC and her Squad--perhaps even greater differences on the issues than I have with the president--but they are better Americans than Trump. My column:
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You almost can’t blame Trump for epic incompetence: He is who he is. He didn’t deceive anyone. I blame the voters who elected him—and the senators who refused to impeach him. They should have known better. Because they didn’t, we will pay a fearful price.
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We will find out soon who in Congress believes in the Republican Party and who believes in the Republic.
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I disagree with @AOC on a lot of issues but she is vastly smarter, more articulate, and simply a better person than most of her Republican critics like @RepTedYoho.
Watch Rep. @AOC’s moving floor speech in response to Rep. Ted Yoho’s sexist attack and non-apology in full
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How does Trump still have 41% approval?!?.
BREAKING: New CNN poll has Biden leading Trump by 16 points nationally
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Both Barr and Mnuchin should be impeached.
Mnuchin informs Neal that he wont comply with a Congressional subpoena for President Trump's tax returns. 🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥
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Previously I called Trump the worst president in modern times—not of all time. But in the past month we have seen enough to take away the qualifier. With his mishandling of the coronavirus, Trump has established himself as the worst president in US history.
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Can someone explain to me why the OMB director needs Senate confirmation but the national security adviser doesn’t?.
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I’ve never criticized Robert Mueller before. I have the highest respect for his integrity. His report is a meticulous chronicle of presidential criminality & misconduct. But he will fail in his duty to the American people if he fails to testify about his findings in open session.
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I join other principled conservatives in rooting for a Democratic takeover of both houses in November. Like postwar Germany and Japan, the Republican Party must first be destroyed before it can be rebuilt. Me in @PostOpinions:
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The leader of the Free World speaks the truth.
Angela Merkel said she doesn’t accept Saudi Arabia’s explanation on the death of Jamal Khashoggi, as European leaders pressed the kingdom to come clean on how he was killed.
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Win or lose, Never Trumpers can hold their heads high. We made our best case, wrote our most cogent columns, produced our most convincing commercials. I know that I left it all out on the field. We all did. The rest is up to the voters.
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If Ron Johnson cannot substantiate this deranged charge he should be censured by the Senate like Joe McCarthy was.
Ron Johnson is on Fox News suggesting there's child pornography on the computer that purportedly belongs to Hunter Biden
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I have tremendous respect for @RepAdamSchiff. Watching him in action over the past 2 years, I have found him to be smart, principled, and dogged. He is fighting for the country. Plus he’s never sued a cow.
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If Fox won’t stop peddling sedition, then large cable companies such as Comcast and Charter Spectrum, which carry Fox and provide much of its revenues in the form of user fees, need to step in and kick Fox off. @PostOpinions .
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Hong Kong, with 7.5 million residents, is one of the most densely populated places on earth, but recorded only six deaths from Covid-19 despite having no lockdown. The mask compliance rate during morning rush hour is 97%.
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What kind of people would think this video is an argument against @BetoORourke? People who approve of police brutality against African Americans. In other words, racists. That’s who @tedcruz is appealing to here.
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From former chairman of Washington State Republican Party ==>.
Sign finally arrived! Ann and I will proudly be voting for Joe Biden, the first Democrat I have ever supported for President. I think a lot of Rs and former Rs will be joining me. @JoeBiden @ricredman @ProjectLincoln @ForTheRuleOfLaw @jwgop @reedgalen @SykesCharlie
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And it’s all the fault of the president you support.
Shameful disaster unfolding in Syria.
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Please, Democrats, do the smart thing and coalesce quickly around one of the three moderates—Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, or Michael Bloomberg—who are still standing after the first two contests. The future of our democracy may depend on it.
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So Trump’s position is that his tax returns should be kept private but the CIA’s “sources and methods” should be made public.
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We have a president who can barely speak English and Mayor Pete is getting criticized for not speaking Norwegian perfectly. 🤣.
Mayor Pete was asked to say “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” in Norwegian. What he actually said (with a terrible accent) was “Det som skjedde på Vegas, ligge der". Translated: “That which happened on Vegas, lay there”. This dude cannot speak Norwegian.
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I weep in anger and frustration imagining what might have been if Hillary Clinton had won. We couldn’t have avoided the coronavirus, but we could have ameliorated its effects. We could be South Korea (102 deaths) rather than Italy (4,825+ deaths).
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The latest reason I can’t be a Republican anymore: I’m against pedophilia.
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If Republicans weren’t in the tank, we would not have to wait until Nov 2020 to get rid of Trump. His utterances in the past few days make clear that, for the safety of the country, he should be removed immediately by impeachment or the 25th Amendment.
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Bernie’s speech offered hate (of the rich, the corporations, the political establishment, and of his chief rival, Biden, although he didn’t name him). Biden’s offered hope—a hope of healing the nation. The voters tonight are opting for hope. #SuperTuesday.
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Jim Mattis is gone. Stephen Miller remains. God help America. And the world.
Stephen Miller talking right now on CNN about how ISIS is the enemy of “other countries.” This would be news to the Pentagon.
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It’s frustrating to read news accounts which say Russia accuses Ukraine of killing 53 of its own POWs while Ukraine accuses Russia of killing them—as if the two claims were equally plausible and the two sides equally credible. Reminder: the Russians are war criminals and liars.
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So the official Trump transition emails, sent on government servers, should remain private but the texts of FBI agents and the emails of Hillary are properly public? Got it. Consistency is not the hobgoblin of this White House.
BREAKING NEWS: Trump transition team sends letter to lawmakers; claims Mueller team inappropriately obtained private documents.
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The White House said that bad weather grounded Trump’s helicopters. Yet bad weather did not stop Macron or Merkel from attending ceremonies. And it did not stop Dunford or Kelly from attending the very ceremony to honor the war dead that Trump skipped. Me:
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Michael Cohen, a convicted felon, sounds more credible and convincing than the president of the United States.
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I can't stop thinking about this interview. Unless I'm missing something, these are the most hostile comments any US official has made about any US ally, ever. This is tougher than the way US presidents talk about leaders like Saddam Hussein and Bashar Assad before we bomb them.
Peter Navarro: "There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door. that’s what bad faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference."
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“I am with him.” US president stands with a vicious dictator who murdered Otto Warmbier, keeps more than 100,000 political prisoners in his gulags, and builds nuclear weapons. Imagine how Republicans would react if Obama or Clinton were saying this.
Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!.
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Rubio has decided that Trump is the future of the Republican Party. He’s probably right. That’s why I’m not a Republican anymore—and why I couldn’t imagine supporting Rubio for any office ever again. I’m sorry I supported him in 2016. My column:
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I would love for anyone--anyone!--from the administration to explain why it's ok for Trump and his kids to get loans and trademark protections from China while he's in office.
"Ivanka Trump abruptly left a conference call on Tuesday about a coming fitness event after receiving questions about her company’s trademarks in China and her father’s exercise regimen." @maggienyt
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I was a lifelong Republican, but I now agree with @benjaminwittes & @jon_rauch when they call for voters to support Democrats because “the Republican Party, as an institution, has become a danger to the rule of law and the integrity of our democracy.” Me:
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Bill Barr claims to be a principled defender of the presidency. But when Bill Clinton was under attack by Ken Starr, Barr sided with Starr. He only defends Republican presidents.
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I’m sick & tired of “thoughts and prayers” for mass shooting victims. What we need: legislation & regulation. Start with assault-weapon ban.
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Any foreign intel service that doesn't have an agent as a member or employee of Mar-a-Lago is guilty of rank incompetence.
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I’m sick and tired of Trump. And I’m sick and tired of Republicans who go along with Trump—defending, abetting and imitating his egregious excesses. If you’re sick and tired too, here is what you can do. Vote for Democrats. For every office. My latest:
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I bet John McCain wouldn't have.
I stand firmly behind President @realDonaldTrump’s decision to use executive powers to build the wall-barriers we desperately need.
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Biden may have committed a gaffe when he said “This man cannot remain in power.” Certainly the walk-back from the White House suggests this was the case. But I would rather have a president who isn’t afraid to call out Putin for his war crimes than one who toadies up to him.
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It is ridiculous that the West hesitates to comply with Zelensky’s requests for weapons like tanks, airplanes, and S-300s. The Russian warmonger is on his heels. The Ukrainians are winning. We just need to give them the tools to finish the job.
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Kim's uncle and half-brother were not available for comment.
Trump told Kim Jong Un that he's known plenty of rich kids who ended up messed up, but that the young North Korean dictator was not among them -- via @kylieatwood & @Kevinliptakcnn
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As I look back with the clarity of hindsight, I am convinced that coded racial appeals had at least as much, if not more, to do with the electoral success of the modern GOP than all of the policy proposals crafted by well-intentioned analysts like me.
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And Congress has complete power to impeach, especially if president admits guilt by pardoning himself and/or his family and staff.
While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS.
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"Trump was so distracted by impeachment that he couldn't focus on the coronavirus.". Then maybe he shouldn't have committed impeachable conduct?. Just spitballing here.
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Now do gun deaths, Hugh.
70K OD deaths in U.S. last year. Say 1/2 were using drugs from Mexico. Say 1/10 of those drugs entered via non port-of-entry illegal shipment over the border. That’s 3500 dead Americans on low ball numbers. What body count is it going to take to make this a non-political issue?.
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The sound you hear is a million conspiracy theories exploding.
Asked if he was "entrapped by the FBI," Flynn's lawyer says, "No, your honor." Via @kpolantz.
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Very disappointing to see @MittRomney did not vote to maintain sanctions on a Russian oligarch close to Paul Manafort.
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If Murdoch and his sons won’t rein in its extremist propaganda, advertisers should flee Fox, and investors should flee its parent company, News Corp. Its stock should become as toxic as shares of mining companies that produce “blood diamonds.” Me:
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I too will crawl over broken glass. To vote for Democrats who will act as a check on Trump’s unrestrained and unprecedented abuse of power.
From a conservative who has been disgusted by the Trumpified GOP: “I didn’t think I could drag myself to the polls. But after the Left’s performance in the Kavanaugh affair, I would crawl across broken glass.” I believe this sentiment is common.
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Experts who examined the Kremlin campaign—which included stealing Democratic emails, spreading propaganda online and hacking voter rolls—concluded that it did affect an extremely close election decided by fewer than 80,000 votes in three states. Me:
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Devastating indictment of Kushner from an ex-employee: “When I knew him, he seemed constitutionally incapable of considering the humanity of other people as a starting point.”
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I’ve defended Mattis before for not speaking out but I can’t defend this.
.@MarthaRaddatz: "Should a president be asking foreign leaders to investigate political opponents?". Former Trump Defense Sec. Gen. James Mattis: "This is is not something I have any background on . I really prefer to talk about things I know more about"
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“Conservatives” who have spent a lifetime preaching personal responsibility always find some excuse for Trump’s misconduct.
Brit Hume calls the President’s authoritarian behavior “bluster” and suggests the actions by Trump on the phone call with Ukraine was due to inexperience in foreign affairs
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I can think of one. Fox News.
Tucker Carlson just now: "It's hard to think of a company that's hurt this country more than Twitter. Maybe there are some. I can't think of one. If you look at the hate & the division & the cruelty that's now common, it wasn't common 10 years ago, Twitter is a huge part of that".
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Trump has declared war on the FBI. It is a war he will lose.
Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!.
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Last weekend Trump was attacking African-American NFL players. This weekend he is attacking Puerto Rican hurricane victims. See a pattern?.
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Even though I’m not a Democrat, I’m voting straight-ticket Democratic on Nov. 3 — and for as long as necessary to make Republicans come to their senses. The GOP needs to be detoxified and de-Trumpified. @PostOpinions
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Really big issue is how Trump survived financially after 1994. Where did he get the cash to stay afloat? That’s what is hidden in more recent tax returns.
“Numbers show that in ‘85, Mr. Trump reported losses of $46.1 million from his core businesses — largely casinos, hotels and retail space in apartment buildings. They continued to lose money every year, totaling $1.17 billion in losses for the decade.”.
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Trump is deathly afraid of being laughed at. News flash, Mr President: The world is laughing at you. This is the silliest spin ever!
BREAKING: President Trump claims he misspoke while discussing election meddling during news conference with Putin: "In a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't.' . The sentence should've been: 'I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia'"
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This is obscene. Trump is bragging about getting Otto Warmbier “out.” He came home in a coma and died six days later. The only reason Kim released him was because he knew that Otto was about to die.
I never like being misinterpreted, but especially when it comes to Otto Warmbier and his great family. Remember, I got Otto out along with three others. The previous Administration did nothing, and he was taken on their watch. Of course I hold North Korea responsible. .
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I once scoffed at claims of “white male privilege,” dismissing such criticisms as mere “political correctness.” But in the Trump era I have had my consciousness raised. Seriously. Me in @ForeignPolicy:
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Entire day has gone by without any comment from Trump on expulsion of US diplomats from Russia. He'd never turn cheek if Rosie insulted him.
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In case anyone is in any doubt that Trump is retaliating against witnesses who testified against him.
Allow me a moment to thank—and this may be a bit of a surprise—Adam Schiff. Were it not for his crack investigation skills, @realDonaldTrump might have had a tougher time unearthing who all needed to be fired. Thanks, Adam! 🤣 #FullOfSchiff.
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Trump this week: It’s wrong to spy on Kim Jong Un but OK to spy on Joe Biden.
EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Trump tells @GStephanopoulos he wouldn't necessarily alert the FBI if approached by foreign figures with information on his 2020 opponent: "It’s not an interference. They have information. I think I’d take it."
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So it appears the Port Authority terrorist was from Bangladesh, a country not on Trump’s travel ban, and had been here 7 years. In other words, he was radicalized in US. This is the real risk we face—and Trump’s anti-Muslim talk increases the danger.
Akayed Ullah has been identified as the suspected bomber of a Manhattan transit terminal on Monday morning
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Behold the dangerous criminals and terrorists who threaten America.
A migrant family, part of a caravan of thousands traveling from Central America to the U.S., run from tear gas in front of the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico at Tijuana on Sunday - @Reuters
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You have taken a courageous and principled stand, @RepSwalwell. There is no reason why any civilian should own an assault weapon. And gun prohibition and buyback much more effective than ban on further sale.
America’s gun debate in one thread. 1) I propose a buy-back of assault weapons. 2) Gun owner says he’ll go to war with USA if that happens . 3) I sarcastically point out USA isn’t losing to his assault weapon (it’s not the 18th Century). 4) I’m called a tyrant. 5) 0 progress.
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Most of the time, the costs of Trump presidency are inchoate —laws broken, norms transgressed. But with immigrant children in cages or Kurds in line of fire, the costs are all too human & horrifying. Are you happy now, Trump fans? Is this worth a tax cut?
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The success of the Biden presidency is said to hinge on the outcome of the massive spending bills now before Congress. That may be true, but their fate won’t affect how I vote. I’m a single-issue voter. My issue is the fate of democracy in America.
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So it turns out that FBI agents, like the rest of us, have opinions. These 2 criticized Bernie Sanders, Eric Holder, Chelsea Clinton, Donald Trump. So what? Real news is their privacy is being violated & their texts used to undermine Mueller.
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By the way I realize we are all used to it by now but . it’s not normal for a president to walk around wearing a hat with his campaign slogan on it. Esp when he is not campaigning but doing deadly serious business on behalf of the whole nation.
"First I want to thank you, for your decisive leadership . I also want to thank you for coming here today . I think that's the most important thing I want to say" --CDC Director Redfield slathers Dear Leader-style praise on Trump during his tour of CDC headquarters
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You mean the generals he didn't consult before abandoning the Kurds?.
“I served under Obama and there’s a big difference. [President @realDonaldTrump] has given the power back to the generals on the battlefield!”. Via @AbateMedia
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Democrats are more fiscally conservative now than Republicans.
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As far as I can tell, Trudeau was a gracious host and tried to get along with Trump. Trump then blasted the other G-7 members to the press. Trudeau replied in his own press conference, saying Canada won't be pushed around. And for this Trudeau will burn "in hell"? Deranged!
Peter Navarro: "There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door. that’s what bad faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference."
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Earth to Barr: Trump does not treat his critics as “the loyal opposition." He calls them “human scum,” “traitors,” & “the enemy of the people.” And it is Trump and toadies—not his opponents—who are “willing to use any means necessary to gain . advantage.”
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Former FBI agent: “There’s some reluctance among agents to bring forth an investigation that targets what the president perceives as his base. It’s a no-win situation for the FBI agent or supervisor.”
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I don’t know if I qualify as a “prominent conservative” but I voted for Clinton in 2016, urged a vote for the entire Democratic ticket in 2018, and will renew that call in 2020. The GOP is a menace to democracy.
I’m curious about how many of the prominent conservatives who have been continually tweet raging about @realDonaldTrump are prepared to call on fellow Republicans to support, endorse, and vote for the Democratic nominee in 2020.
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The percentage of Republicans who view Russia as an ally has nearly doubled since Trump took office. The party’s transformation into a Russian lickspittle makes me sick; “GOP” might as well stand for “Gang of Putin.”
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Bill Barr is the second most dangerous man in America.
New write-thru. Exclusive: Barr thinks FBI may have acted in bad faith in probing Trump campaign via @nbcnews.
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