Tag: liar

Protesters Force Cancellation of Trump Chicago Rally

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Protesters force Trump to cancel rally in Chicago

With thousands of people already packed into stands and music blaring to warm up the crowd, Donald J. Trump’s campaign abruptly canceled his rally here on Friday night over security concerns as protesters clashed with his supporters inside an arena where he was to speak.

Minutes after Mr. Trump was to have taken to a podium on the campus of a large, diverse public university just west of downtown, an announcer suddenly pronounced the event over before it had begun. Hundreds of protesters, who had promised to be a visible presence here and filled several sections of the arena, let out an elated, unstopping cheer. Mr. Trump’s supporters, many of whom had waited hours to see the Republican front-runner, seemed stunned and slowly filed out in anger.

The canceled rally came on a day that Mr. Trump sought to move past the primary fight, saying that the party needed to come together behind him.

Elsewhere, Mr. Trump’s security has tried to identify and exclude potential demonstrators before they enter his events, but large groups of protesters had waited in line for seats here, and engaged in tense disputes with Trump supporters even as the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion was still filling up. For more than an hour before the event was to begin, security teams led protesters out, one by one, but many more remained, sparring with Trump supporters.

In a statement, Mr. Trump’s campaign said:

“Mr. Trump just arrived in Chicago, and after meeting law enforcement, has determined that for the safety of all the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena tonight’s rally will be postponed until another date,” the man said from a podium. “Thank you very much for your attendance, and please go in peace.”

Several fistfights between Trump supporters and protesters could be seen after the announcement, as a large contingent of Chicago police officers moved in to restore order.

Supporters of Trump still inside chanted “We want Trump” after the event was canceled. Protesters, meanwhile, shouted “We shut shit down” and “We stumped Trump.” Others chanted “Bernie” as supporters whipped out Bernie Sanders campaign signs.

On MSNBC, Mr. Trump said that after meeting with the law enforcement authorities, “I felt it was just safer. I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.” and again during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity after the event cancellation, Trump stood by his campaign’s statement that they chose to cancel a Chicago rally Friday night at the recommendation of the Chicago Police Department:

We met with security and the law enforcement, who I think did a terrific job, and they told me it’d be best not to go in and do the speech.

Reality

Unfortunately for Trump the Chicago police spokesperson says there were no meetings between police and the Trump campaign about security:

CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press that police never told the Trump campaign there was a security threat at the venue. He said the department had sufficient manpower on the scene to handle any situation. Guglielmi said the university’s police department also did not recommend that Trump call off the event. The decision was made “independently” by the campaign, according to Guglielmi.

Trump also accused Bernie Sanders’ supporters of sowing unrest at the event. Fox News and other right-wing media jumped on this and blamed Sanders for the protest. Watching the video it is obvious there was a handful of protesters on the first floor that started chanting “Bernie” but there is zero evidence Sanders orchestrated the protest. The more likely scenario was the racist and xenophobic Trump had his first rally at a liberally leaning city which resulted in a semi-organized pushback.

Moveon.org claimed partial responsibility for mobilizing protesters.

Media

Links

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/11/politics/donald-trump-chicago-protests/

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/us/trump-rally-in-chicago-canceled-after-violent-scuffles.html

http://www.redstate.com/california_yankee/2016/03/12/trump-try-falsely-blame-decision-cancel-protest-plagued-rally-police-advice/

Trump Campaign Manager Manhandles Breibart Reporter

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In an article in Breibart, reporter Michelle Fields explains how Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski grabbed her by the arm and threw her towards the ground.

When [Trump] approached me, I asked him about his view on an aspect of affirmative action. 

Trump acknowledged the question, but before he could answer I was jolted backwards. Someone had grabbed me tightly by the arm and yanked me down. I almost fell to the ground, but was able to maintain my balance. Nonetheless, I was shaken. 

The event was corroborated by eye-witness and fellow journalist Ben Terris in his Washington Post article. Not surprising, Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks claimed the accusation is “entirely false” and said:

As one of dozens of individuals present as Mr. Trump exited the press conference, I did not witness any encounter. In addition to our staff, which had no knowledge of said situation, not a single camera or reporter of more than 100 in attendance capture the alleged incident.

When asked about the incident directly, Donald Trump claimed Fields “made it up.” Then, in a strange twist, the right-wing rage-factory breitbart.com, publicly threw their own reporter under the bus and published an article “debunking” Fields’ claims, going so far to show video just before the incident occurring as evidence that nothing happened. What was most interesting was in the same day Politico published the audio recording of the event.

Fields: “Mr. Trump, you went after the late Scalia for affirmative action, do you — are you still against affirmative action?”

 

Voice (allegedly Corey Lewandowski): “Excuse me, thank you.”

A few moments later (noise of the room can be heard)…

 

Terris: “You OK?”

 

Fields: “Holy sh*t.”

 

Terris: “Yea he just threw you.”

 

Fields: “I can’t believe he just did that that was so hard. Was that Corey?”

 

Terris: “Yeah, like, what threat were you?”

 

Fields: “That was insane. You should have felt how hard he grabbed me. That’s insane. I’ve never had anyone do that to me from a campaign.”

Reality

Also this video showing Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski grabbing reporter Michelle Fields by the arm.

Links

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/14/opinions/breitbart-trump-coverage-bardella/index.html

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/10/breitbart-news-ceo-president-responds-to-donald-trump-campaigns-attack-on-breitbart-news-reporter-michelle-fields/

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/03/transcript-corey-lewandowski-breitbart-reporter-attack-220589

www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/03/breitbart-michelle-fields-trump-220579

https://twitter.com/MichelleFields/status/708005032839548929

Donald Trump’s Victory Infomercial

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Trump steaks, Trump wine, and Trump water

This is so strange. After rightfully being attacked by Mitt Romney on his failed business, The Donald took the opportunity during his victory speech for his projected primary win in Michigan and Mississippi to sell products that no longer exist.

Reality

Media

Links

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-romney-successful-companies–2

http://time.com/3988970/donald-trump-business/

 

Donald Trump Received a Tax Break For People Who Make Less Than $500,000 a Year

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Trump waves off questions from car

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has never been shy about claiming a flair for moneymaking.

But his tax returns, which he has refused to release, may tell a different story.

Crain’s New York reports that the New York real estate developer and self-described deca-billionaire claimed a a New York state property-tax benefit reserved for individuals and couples earning $500,000 a year or less. The New York State School Tax Relief program, otherwise known as STAR, was first instituted in 1997, and offers a mere $300 annual tax break to those who qualify.

According to Crain’s, records filed with New York City’s Department of Finance indicate that Trump received a $302 STAR benefit on his latest property-tax bill for his penthouse unit at Trump Tower. “That means whatever his annual income is, it’s less than $500,000,” Crain’s reported. “And Trump would have to have declared his New York apartment as his primary residence and sent the state a copy of his federal income-tax return in order to quality for the $302 tax break.”

Trump’s campaign claims the benefit was “an error on the party of the city of New York,” and that the candidate has been receiving the benefit since 2012, even though he hadn’t filed for it since 2009. The Department of Finance denies this, saying it confirms recipients’ income with New York state tax authorities every year to ensure STAR applicants continue to qualify.

Links

http://qz.com/634479/donald-trump-received-a-tax-break-for-people-who-make-less-than-500000-a-year/

Trump Suggests That Obama Doesn’t Want to Get Rid of Terrorism

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Michael Savage

Trump told radio host Michael Savage that Obama refuses to say the magic words “radical Islamic terrorism” because maybe he doesn’t want to stop the terrorists.

We have a president that won’t even use the words and if you don’t use the words, you’re never going to get rid of the problem. We have a — maybe he doesn’t want to get rid of the problem. I don’t know exactly what’s going on.

Savage seemed to know exactly what Trump meant.

“Ah ha. Now you’re going as close to the board as a hockey player can go without hitting the puck into the stands. I get it,” he said.

(h/t Right Wing Watch)

Reality

Sending a dog whistle to the GOP’s anti-Obama base, Donald Trump has taken to saying that “there’s something we don’t know about” the president when it comes to issues like terrorism and the resettlement of Syrian refugees.

While Trump has never come out and said what that he thinks that “something” is, the GOP presidential frontrunner told conservative radio host Michael Savage that he believes Obama may actually be a terrorist sympathizer.

Donald Trump continues to propagate an old baseless conservative political smear from 2007 that Obama is a covert Muslim extremist hellbent on destroying democracy.

For those who may be too young or have forgotten, Fox News was famous for their political smears against the then-Senator Obama saying things like:

Media

Trump Won’t Release Tax Returns, Citing IRS Audit

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After weeks of GOP presidential debates without any real tax talk (you can read about the last one here), the candidates finally got around to talking about tax. Only this time, instead of focusing on tax proposals, the candidates focused on tax returns. Specifically, tax returns belonging to Donald Trump: Trump has resisted calls to release his returns.

Prior to the debate, previous GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney called for Trump to release his returns, hinting there might be a “bombshell” in those returns, telling Fox News:

I think there’s something there. Either he’s not anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is or he hasn’t been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to pay, or perhaps he hasn’t been giving money to the vets or to the disabled like he’s been telling us he’s doing.

In the hours before the debate, Romney renewed his call for Trump to release his returns , tweeting:

You might think that Trump – who will clearly have a tax return at least as complicated as Mitt Romney’s 203 page return – has a similar excuse.

He does not.

Trump claims that he wants to release his tax returns but he cannot – because he is being audited. Trump said, about the return, “As far as my return, I want to file it. I will absolutely give my return but I’m being audited now.” He went on to add that “everybody” would agree that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should complete its audit of the returns before Trump releases the returns.

Trump also suggested that the agency has audited him repeatedly because of his faith.

“Well, maybe [it’s] because of the fact that I’m a strong Christian, and I feel strongly about it and maybe there’s a bias,” Trump said in an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo after the debate.

The IRS denied that taxpayers are audited because of their religion.

“The IRS stresses that audits of tax returns are based on the information contained on the taxpayer’s return and the underlying tax law — nothing else. Politics and religion do not factor into this,” its statement said. “The audit process is handled by career, non-partisan civil servants, and we have processes in place to safeguard the exam process.”

In May 2016, Donald Trump met with the Associated Press where he explained despite pressure, the billionaire said he doesn’t believe he has an obligation to release his tax returns and won’t release them before November unless an ongoing audit of his finances is completed before Election Day. He said he wouldn’t overrule his lawyers and instruct them to release his returns if the audit hasn’t concluded by then.

“Now, I hope it gets finished soon. And if it gets finished soon, I put it out immediately because there’s nothing there. But until you get finished, you won’t,” he said.

(h/t Forbes, Associated Press)

Reality

While there is no legal requirement for a presidential candidate to release their tax returns, there is 40 years of unbroken precedent.

Despite telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in February 2015, Trump could absolutely release those returns now – even in the middle of an audit.

The IRS has corrected this false claim: “Federal privacy rules prohibit the IRS from discussing individual tax matters. Nothing prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information.”

While an audit could result in a change (or two) to his returns, it does not change what Trump filed, signing “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this return and accompanying schedules and statements, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, they are true, correct, and complete.” In other words, no matter how what happens as a result of the audit, what Trump submitted, he did so claiming that it was true at the time. If the IRS makes an adjustment (which happens, even with the best prepared returns), it shouldn’t substantially change the nature of the returns. And if the IRS makes no adjustment, then there was no harm, no foul, in releasing those returns. Trump could release those returns at any time.

Trump Threatens Ads Against Ricketts Family, Chicago Cubs ‘Not Properly Run’

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Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump elaborated on a cryptic warning he issued to the Ricketts family in February, suggesting he would take ads out saying they’re doing a “rotten job” with the Chicago Cubs.

“I’ll start doing ads about their baseball team. That it’s not properly run or that they haven’t done a good job in the brokerage business lately,” Trump said in an interview with the Washington Post editorial board.

Asked if he would launch those attack ads as the president, Trump responded, “No, not while I am president.”

In February, Trump via Twitter denounced a super political action committee opposing his campaign that is primarily funded by Marlene Ricketts, whose family owns the Cubs.

Asked by the Post what he meant, Trump first said, “I don’t know these people. Those Ricketts.”

“I actually said they ought to focus on the Chicago Cubs and, you know, stop playing around. They spent millions of dollars fighting me in Florida,” Trump said.

“I’ll start spending on them. I’ll start taking ads telling them all what a rotten job they’re doing with the Chicago Cubs. I mean, they are spending on me. I mean, so am I allowed to say that?”

Trump’s initial Twitter post apparently was in response to a story noting that Ricketts, the family matriarch who lives in Nebraska, had put $3 million into the Our Principles PAC in January. The PAC had spent about $3.5 million in ads, mailings and other efforts to oppose Trump, federal records showed in February.

Asked to respond to Trump’s latest comments, a spokesman for the family referred to team Chairman Tom Ricketts’ response last month.

“We stand up for what we believe in,” Ricketts said then. “We support the causes we think are important. That is what America should be.”

Marlene Ricketts is married to Joe Ricketts, the billionaire T.D. Ameritrade founder. In October 2009, the couple formed a trust on behalf of their family that acquired a 95 percent controlling interest in the Cubs and Wrigley Field. Both Marlene and Joe Ricketts are conservatives, and son Pete is governor of Nebraska.

(h/t Chicago Tribune)

Reality

It is very concerned when a candidate who is running for the President of the United States of America is willing to throw his weight at people who oppose him politically. Todd Ricketts summed it up best, “It’s a little surreal when Donald Trump threatens your mom.”

While Trump said he’s ready to criticize the family over how the Cubs are run, the team made it to the National League championship series last year and is considered by many as a World Series contender this year.

Forbes magazine valued the Cubs at $1.8 billion in 2015, ranking them 17th out of all sports franchises in the world, and the fifth highest in all Major League Baseball. The Cubs attendance for the 2015 regular season was 2,959,812, up over 300,000 from the previous year.

As of June, the Chicago Cubs are 1st place in National League Central.

Not the definition of “rotten.”

 

Trump asks if Obama would have attended Scalia’s funeral were it held at a mosque

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Twitter

Donald Trump on Saturday suggested President Barack Obama would have attended the funeral of Antonin Scalia had the late Supreme Court justice’s service been held in a mosque.

“I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go.”

(h/t CNN)

Reality

Trump inferred an old baseless conservative political smear from 2007 that Obama is a covert Muslim extremist hellbent on destroying democracy.

For those who may be too young or have forgotten, Fox News was famous for their political smears against the then-Senator Obama saying things like:

  • Obama had attended a radical Islamic madrassa when he was a child in Indonesia.
  • Obama supported the release of the “Lockerbie Bomber” Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.
  • When Obama was a community organizer he was training for a radical overthrow of the government.

None of these hand any kernel of truth.

Trump Accuses Cruz of Stealing Iowa Caucuses

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Twitter

Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Sen. Ted Cruz of stealing the Iowa caucuses, calling for either new voting there or the results to be nullified.

Cruz, the conservative senator from Texas, defeated Trump in Iowa Monday night.

“Ted Cruz didn’t win Iowa, he stole it,” Trump tweeted. “That is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got far more votes than anticipated.”

“Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified,” Donald Trump wrote a Twitter, one of a series of Tweets attacking Cruz and questioning the outcome of the Iowa caucuses.

Trump slammed Cruz for sending out deceitful mailers that shared voter’s caucus attendance records with their neighbors and warning voters of “VOTER VIOLATION.”

(h/t CNN)

Reality

Outside of conspiracy theories from neo-nazi’s and 8chan, Cruz won Iowa.

Trump later admitted he didn’t have a good ground-game in Iowa. In fact he didn’t even know what that term was.

Trump Claims He Never Asked Megyn Kelly Removed As Moderator

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If you read the news, Donald Trump’s boycott of the Fox News/Google debate is the result of his ongoing war with anchor Megyn Kelly.

Trump, however, says that’s not true. He says a biting Fox News release is why he pulled the plug.

“Well, I’m not a person that respects Megyn Kelly very much. I think she’s highly overrated. Other than that, I don’t care,” he told CNN an hour before the debate. “I never once asked that she be removed. I don’t care about her being removed. What I didn’t like was that public relations statement where they were sort of taunting. I didn’t think it was appropriate. I didn’t think it was nice.”

(h/t Politifact)

Reality

Donald Trump many times publicly demanded removal of Megyn Kelly as a moderator as a condition to attend the Fox News debate in Iowa.

Media

Full video:

 

 

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