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'Way past time for the straitjacket': Trump ridiculed for RNC fundraiser speech meltdown
April 11, 2021
According to reports from both Politico and the Daily Beast, former president Donald Trump went far off his prepared remarks at an RNC fundraiser on Saturday, spewing obscenities and attacking members of his own party while continuing to complain about the 2020 election having been stolen from him.
As the Daily Beast reported, "Predictably, Trump at times veered wildly off-script from his prewritten speech, the text of which was reviewed by The Daily Beast earlier in the day. While at the private event, he inveighed against Republican, Democratic, and celebrity enemies, and again denounced the 2020 presidential election outcome as 'bullshit,' according to those in the audience."
Additionally, Trump lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) -- calling him a "son of a bitch" -- and complained about former Vice President Mike Pence.
Commenters on Twitter were quick to point out that the former president is back to his habit of giving rambling and incoherent speeches.
You can see some responses below:
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a60616556f110ffe798a81e17cd4d4a9" id="92919"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381095858612092931"><div style="margin:1em 0">@ShaneGoldmacher There are times you honestly have to wonder if the GOP will ever figure out that Trump does NOT ca… https://t.co/qgR69axuRo</div> — Michael Swartz (@Michael Swartz)<a href="https://twitter.com/Maswartz226/statuses/1381095858612092931">1618113886.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b155b42b4e15ca6e447f97d626cee3ae" id="b9625"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381075550786228224"><div style="margin:1em 0">@ShaneGoldmacher @maggieNYT And on Sunday he’ll be speaking at a wedding or calling out Bingo numbers. He’s a sad p… https://t.co/JuXfc1bjtD</div> — anguillaman2 (@anguillaman2)<a href="https://twitter.com/anguillaman2/statuses/1381075550786228224">1618109045.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="81f8bcdc70dfa865d3bb0ca05a698432" id="c96a7"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381112340116955139"><div style="margin:1em 0">@teddunne @ShaneGoldmacher Dementia birds flock together. Particularly when called by a noisy demented bird like Trump.</div> — KHB (@KHB)<a href="https://twitter.com/Whereistruthnow/statuses/1381112340116955139">1618117816.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4a4cbad6b8391af4043992cd23b8f7c2" id="109bb"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381075069930250241"><div style="margin:1em 0">@ShaneGoldmacher 🤡45 has the nerve to question someone else’s intellect.</div> — Indi Montgomery (@Indi Montgomery)<a href="https://twitter.com/indimontgomery/statuses/1381075069930250241">1618108930.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5c03a58cc6b6884c6b0df7e4776ae721" id="e0f30"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381201689366167552"><div style="margin:1em 0">@ShaneGoldmacher Had the RCN discussed what political parties usually discussed, would you have reported that ?
Th… https://t.co/cnFTGjXvFF</div> — Pierre J Beauchemin (@Pierre J Beauchemin)<a href="https://twitter.com/PJBNo56/statuses/1381201689366167552">1618139118.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="409f918cf7af05fbcc880977fc83f1c4" id="e3989"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381212206747025414"><div style="margin:1em 0">@marianaa_alfaro @jdawsey1 A little pre-indictment noise from Mar-a-Lago.</div> — Geoffrey Randall (@Geoffrey Randall)<a href="https://twitter.com/RandallGeoffrey/statuses/1381212206747025414">1618141626.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="53bd50685ff2ecf49a185e3a862bac35" id="f4e4c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381201080541868035"><div style="margin:1em 0">@marianaa_alfaro @jdawsey1 Oldies but goodies. And the suckers keep paying to hear this BS.</div> — Charley S. (@Charley S.)<a href="https://twitter.com/charley047/statuses/1381201080541868035">1618138973.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d1b4ac0f250644fd7ff9c2694ca8d4dd" id="8a473"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381113068462039044"><div style="margin:1em 0">@marianaa_alfaro @jdawsey1 Way past time for the straight jacket.....</div> — EVER (@EVER)<a href="https://twitter.com/EVER4027/statuses/1381113068462039044">1618117990.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="47ba0473a4cb341d3db245ad063aa5f5" id="47ac2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381114366196658177"><div style="margin:1em 0">@marianaa_alfaro @jdawsey1 Saturday Night Live is getting weird.</div> — tim a (@tim a)<a href="https://twitter.com/babbles/statuses/1381114366196658177">1618118299.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="00f8c6eb5c6acf065d2505a15ae7d1d1" id="09496"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381073480670646279"><div style="margin:1em 0">@jdawsey1 Sounds as if he’s mellowing in his sunset years 🤣🤣🤣</div> — In The Dolomites (@In The Dolomites)<a href="https://twitter.com/QEDmostly/statuses/1381073480670646279">1618108551.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5fd89ed30827e2a6c036afe4709153af" id="bf845"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381072560247431169"><div style="margin:1em 0">@jdawsey1 He is a nonstop grievance machine. I wonder how long people will keep inviting him to speak if this is wh… https://t.co/WBvHLDLBEZ</div> — AlabamaNana (@AlabamaNana)<a href="https://twitter.com/alabamanana256/statuses/1381072560247431169">1618108332.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f0454b3b8637493d91e2f44ab22b7035" id="ed82d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381081464184406019"><div style="margin:1em 0">@jdawsey1 Old Florida man melts down during dinner. No one cares.</div> — Saxon Walker - New & Improved (@Saxon Walker - New & Improved)<a href="https://twitter.com/walker_saxon/statuses/1381081464184406019">1618110454.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p>
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Trump rips McConnell as a 'total stone cold loser' and SOB during Mar-a-Lago speech: reports
April 11, 2021
Former President Donald Trump reportedly went off on Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during a speech to major Republican donors in Florida Saturday night.
While the event was closed to the press, multiple reporters are hearing from sources inside the room.
<p>Here's what Washington Post correspondent Josh Dawsey reported:</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5167dd9ed172de5dc947fbcf4fdcf679" id="81063"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381073145097027586"><div style="margin:1em 0">“If we had a real leader instead of Mitch, who is a total stone cold loser, if we had a real leader, he would have… https://t.co/qEAZow1wLj</div> — Josh Dawsey (@Josh Dawsey)<a href="https://twitter.com/jdawsey1/statuses/1381073145097027586">1618108471.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Here's what <em>New York Times</em> correspondent Shane Goldmacher reported:<br/></p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8b5f9549d089dc1a33801428da530f66" id="ab6ac"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381080272016392192"><div style="margin:1em 0">Trump also said he wished that Mike Pence “had the courage" regarding not supporting certifying the election and th… https://t.co/MlsX7F1tmU</div> — Shane Goldmacher (@Shane Goldmacher)<a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneGoldmacher/statuses/1381080272016392192">1618110170.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>Trump also complained that McConnell never said thanks for hiring his wife, according to Maggie Haberman of <em>The New York Times</em>.</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1ece5797c696cf38db9bef284293c9e2" id="65941"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381070919259545607"><div style="margin:1em 0">Trump rant on McConnell at RNC was brutal, per attendee. He took credit for Mr. McConnell's margin of win. "Did he… https://t.co/jmSwBfBXnw</div> — Maggie Haberman (@Maggie Haberman)<a href="https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/statuses/1381070919259545607">1618107940.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Trump also gave a speech against immigration that sounded like the speech he gave when he officially kicked off his 2016 presidential campaign.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ae1abc4eb75aad07eec3b7fa356c3ed3" id="ac607"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381075514664833024"><div style="margin:1em 0">“They’re coming in from the Middle East. They’re not sending their best people. You have murderers, you have rapist… https://t.co/0IXvhnChQB</div> — Josh Dawsey (@Josh Dawsey)<a href="https://twitter.com/jdawsey1/statuses/1381075514664833024">1618109036.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Trump also told a "sir" story, which are widely viewed as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/sir-trump-telltale-word-false" target="_blank">a tell he's being dishonest</a>, that the coronavirus vaccine should be called a "Trumpcine."</p><p><br/></p>
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'Retire Breyer': Progressive group joins growing call for SCOTUS justice to step down
April 11, 2021
A left-leaning advocacy group on Friday joined the growing chorus of calls for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer to retire so that President Joe Biden can nominate a liberal replacement while Democrats control the Senate.
Demand Justice published a statement Friday urging Breyer "to retire so that President Biden can appoint the first-ever Black woman Supreme Court justice."
<p>The group—founded in 2018 by former Obama administration staffers amid then-President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/25/these-are-not-normal-nominees-trump-stacks-courts-far-right-judges-dems-urged" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">successful effort</a> to pack federal courts with far-right judges—launched an <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/breyer-retire/?source=press&link_id=1&can_id=d01c0252d7496c1d862cc84da98d0450&email_referrer=email_1137478&email_subject=demand-justice-launches-breyer-retire-push-on-anniversary-of-stevens-retirement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">online petition</a> declaring that "it's time for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to announce his retirement."</p><p>The petition states that Breyer "has been a distinguished justice, but now is risking the Senate falling into Republican hands before Democrats can confirm Biden's nominee."</p><p>"We have waited long enough for a Black woman Supreme Court justice," the petition asserts. "And with a 50-50 Senate, there is no time to waste. We need to start the process of confirming a Black woman justice now. Tell Justice Breyer: Put the country first. Don't risk your legacy to an uncertain political future. Retire now."</p><p>Demand Justice also hired a billboard truck that was spotted circling the Supreme Court with the "Breyer, Retire" message. </p> <p>"We are now firmly in the window when past justices have announced their retirement, so it's officially worrisome that Justice Breyer has not said yet that he will step down," said Demand Justice executive director Brian Fallon. "The only responsible choice for Justice Breyer is to immediately announce his retirement."</p><p>"We cannot afford to risk Democrats losing control of the Senate before a Biden nominee can be confirmed," Fallon added. "Justice Breyer is not entitled to the benefit of the doubt at this point. Those worried about the court's future should speak up to ensure he understands the need for him to time his retirement wisely."</p><p>While campaigning for president, Biden repeatedly said he would nominate a Black woman to the nation's highest court if he had the opportunity—a step he <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-04-02/biden-says-he-will-put-a-black-woman-on-supreme-court-this-california-justice-is-a-leading-candidate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">called</a> "long overdue."</p><p>"I'm looking forward to making sure there's a Black woman on the Supreme Court," the former vice president <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/problem-biden-s-pledge-black-woman-justice-n1200826" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a> days before the 2020 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary. </p><p>The risk of Democrats losing control over the Senate—which confirms Supreme Court nominees—is not limited to the outcome of the 2022 midterm elections.<em> The Hill</em> <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/547355-progressive-group-ramps-up-pressure-on-justice-breyer-to-retire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">notes</a> that if any member of the Senate Democratic caucus from a state with a GOP governor leaves office for any reason, their replacement would most likely be a Republican. </p><p>The Senate is currently evenly split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting a tie-breaking vote in the case deadlock. </p> <p>According to <em>The Hill</em>:</p> <blockquote>Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia appointed by former President Obama, is considered a top candidate to make history on the high court. Biden recently nominated her to fill Merrick Garland's open seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.<br/> </blockquote> <p>While Demand Justice is the latest group to urge Breyer's retirement, there have been calls for the 82-year-old to retire since Biden's election. In January, University of California, Berkeley constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/stephen-breyer-biden-supreme-court/2021/01/08/a3a49cf2-504f-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told</a> <em>The Washington Post</em> that "stepping down when there is a Democratic president and a Democratic Senate to replace him... is his best way of ensuring that someone with his values and his views takes his place."</p><p>In 2014, Chemerinsky published an<a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-chemerinsky-ginsburg-should-resign-20140316-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> op-ed</a> urging the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to retire while Obama was in office. She did not, and since she was still serving on the bench when she <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/18/us-supreme-court-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-advocate-equality-and-reason-dead-87" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">died</a> last September, Trump was able to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/26/partisan-power-grab-republican-senators-confirm-third-trump-nominee-amy-coney" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">replace</a> her with far-right nominee Amy Coney Barrett—his third successful appointment to the high court. </p><p>The Demand Justice campaign launched on the same day that Biden <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/04/09/biden-creates-commission-study-supreme-court-expansion-other-reforms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">signed</a> an<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/09/executive-order-on-the-establishment-of-the-presidential-commission-on-the-supreme-court-of-the-united-states/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> executive order</a> establishing a commission to explore possible Supreme Court reforms—including increasing the number of justices as allowed by the Constitution. Breyer's <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/04/in-harvard-speech-breyer-speaks-out-against-court-packing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">opposition</a> to "court-packing" has been <a href="https://twitter.com/RossBarkan/status/1380487516697071616" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cited</a> by some of those who are calling on him to retire. </p>
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