Remember when Trump…

said that four Congresswomen should “go back” from where they came?

The four freshman Congresswomen, known as the Squad, include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), are all American citizens, and only one was born outside of the United States. Regardless, Trump said of their criticism that they should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” He continued to attack them using prepared talking points, and demanded an apology from Ilhan-Omar after saying she was “incapable” of loving America.

Trump doubled down on his remarks, saying that the Congresswomen should “love it or leave it.” Some pundits pointed out that the phrase was a slogan employed by various xenophobic groups, including the KKK. Trump also failed to explain how the four Congresswomen’s criticisms on the state of America were insulting to the country, when his own campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” presupposes that America was no longer great.

The New York Times – Trump Tells Congresswomen to ‘Go Back’ to the Countries They Came From
The Boston Globe – A painful history of Trump’s ‘love it or leave it’ argument
SBS News – How Trump invoked KKK slogan ‘love it or leave it’ at North Carolina rally

demanded an apology from a Congresswoman he said was “incapable of loving America”?

Trump had tweeted, “I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country,” saying that they should go back to their own countries. All four were US citizens, with three having been born in the US. After lying about having prepared talking points to attack the Congresswomen, he then demanded an apology from Ilhan-Omar of Minnesota. She had remarked about Republican Congressmen only supporting Israel because they were paid to do so from Israeli lobby groups. When she walked back the remark, Trump called her apology “lame.”

The New York Times – Trump Tells Congresswomen to ‘Go Back’ to the Countries They Came From
Associated Press – Trump calls Rep. Omar apology about Israel remark ‘lame’
Independent – Trump demands congresswomen he subjected to racist tweets apologise to US and Israel

praised Greg Gianforte for body-slamming a reporter?

Greg Gianforte, candidate for Montana’s US House of Representatives seat, had assaulted a reporter from The Guardian. The reported had asked about his healthcare policy at his campaign headquarters on the eve of the election. Gianforte then body slammed the reporter to the ground, which was caught on audio recording.

Gianforte later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. He was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management and a $300 fine along with a $85 court fee.

At a subsequent rally, Trump praised Gianforte, describing him as “my kind of guy.”

ABC News – Trump: No regrets for praising Greg Gianforte for body-slamming reporter
CNN – pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault Monday morning.
The Guardian – Greg Gianforte misled police after assault of Guardian journalist, incident report shows

said it was “too inconvenient” to use a secure phone?

There have been multiple reports on how Trump communicates via unsecured lines, especially among his inner circle, because using secure methods is too great an inconvenience. Intelligence analysts believe Russia or other foreign powers could use these conversations against both America’s foreign policy and Trump individually, and have detected signs of such spying.

Particular concern has been raised about the Kremlin listening in on conversations between Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani regarding communications to the Ukrainian President over military aid for defense from Russia. White House officials have stated that Trump makes such calls regularly.

Politico – ‘Too inconvenient’: Trump goes rogue on phone security
The New York Times – When Trump Phones Friends, the Chinese and the Russians Listen and Learn
The Washington Post – Signs of sophisticated cellphone spying found near White House, U.S. officials say
Independent – Trump ‘routinely’ made sensitive calls on lines open to Russian surveillance, White House officials say
The Washington Post – Phone logs in impeachment report renew concern about security of Trump communications

saluted a North Korean military officer?

The salute came during a historic 2018 summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un held in Singapore.

The North Korean officer saluted Trump and offered his hand for a shake. Trump returned the salute before shaking hands.

The scene was circulated by North Korean state media. The subsequent photo appeared especially egregious, as it implied that Trump’s salute was unprompted.

Image result for trump salutes korean officer

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in Trump’s defense,

It’s a common courtesy when a military official from another government salutes that you return that.

Trump said of the historic meeting that he didn’t need preparation or notes, due to it being all about “attitude” and his having “one of the greatest memories.” He also asked the press to ensure that he and Kim looked “nice and thin and perfect.”

The Hill – North Korea state TV airs footage of Trump saluting North Korean military officer
Business Insider – Vladimir Putin refused a salute from a North Korean general, which Trump controversially accepted
Politico – Trump faces backlash after saluting North Korean general
The New York Times – White House Defends Trump’s Salute to a North Korean Military Officer
NBC News – North Korean state media footage shows Trump saluting NK general

said windmills cause cancer?

In an April 3, 2019 speech to the National Republican Congressional Committee, Trump said, “If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75 percent in value. And they say the noise causes cancer.” He didn’t elaborate on who “they” are or offer evidence.

His speech came the same day he repeatedly mispronounced the word “origins.”

Trump repeatedly tried to fight the construction of wind farms, especially near his properties, which in one instance left him as the target of laughter by Scottish parliament. He also referred to climate change as a “Chinese hoax.”

The Hill – Trump claims wind turbine ‘noise causes cancer’
Independent – Trump repeatedly fails in attempt to say ‘origins’ then claims noise from wind farms causes cancer

More assuredly to come soon

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