President Trump Is So Upset About This Ad Showing His Failed Handling Of COVID-19 That He's Demanding It Be Taken Down

from the good-luck-with-that dept

Has no one explained to Donald Trump how the Streisand Effect works yet? His campaign has apparently been sending laughably ridiculous threat letters to various TV stations that have been airing an advertisement put together by a group called Priorities USA, criticizing the President's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The ad highlights Trump's repeated statements playing down the virus and insisting that he had things under control, even as the numbers of infected started to rise exponentially. It's a pretty effective ad. You can see it here.

Priorities also posted the ad to Twitter, and according to a Fox News article, the campaign has also asked Twitter to "flag a nearly identical ad... but the social media giant refused."

The letter is amazing in three separate, but equally dumb ways. First, it focuses solely on just one of the lines that the ad quotes Trump saying: "this is their new hoax." He did say that -- as the letter from his campaign readily admits. Their complaint is that the statement is out of context, and that what Trump was calling a hoax was actually the politicization of the virus response efforts. As the letter notes, here's the statement in full context, that Trump made on February 28th:

Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. You know that, right? Coronavirus. They’re politicizing it. We did one of the great jobs, you say, “How’s President Trump doing?”, “Oh, nothing, nothing.” They have no clue, they don’t have any clue. They can’t even count their votes in Iowa, they can’t even count. No, they can’t. They can’t count their votes. One of my people came up to me and said, “Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia.” That didn’t work out too well. They couldn’t do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything, they tried it over and over, they’ve been doing it since he got in. It’s all turning, they lost. It’s all turning, think of it, think of it. And this is their new hoax. But you know we did something that’s been pretty amazing. We have 15 people in this massive country and because of the fact that we went early, we went early, we could have had a lot more than that.

So, here's the problem. He absolutely said that "this is their new hoax" which he is quoted as saying. The fact that he's referring to the politicization rather than the virus itself is not nearly enough for the ad to violate any possible law. Even in context, it's a problematic statement, as what he's complaining about is the fact that many people were raising alarm bells and he was trying to play down that the whole issue was a problem. As such, it's still pretty damning.

But the fact that the letter literally spends three pages whining about just the "hoax" line, while not mentioning any of the rest of the ad is them totally conceding all of the other moronic stuff the President has said. Indeed, one of the lines -- the "15 people" line -- is also in the ad, and the Trump campaign apparently has no problem with you knowing that he completely downplayed how many people were going to be impacted by COVID-19.

The second dumb thing about the letter, of course, is that the campaign just called a shit ton of attention to it. The ad got some attention, but now it's getting way way way more attention. And even if you took out the hoax line, it's a pretty damning account of a President who refuses to take responsibility or to recognize the seriousness of what has happened under his watch.

The third dumb thing about it is that this is the Trump campaign. They're famous for posting and highlighting selectively edited videos of people they dislike. Hell, at around the same time they were apparently sending this letter, the campaign's Twitter feed posted a heavily edited video of Joe Biden, presenting his recent TV appearances much more out of context than anything in the Priorities ad. Hilariously, the letter cites a bunch of fact checking sites -- including The Washington Post, a company that the campaign itself is currently suing, and which Trump himself regularly accuses of publishing fake news about him. And, yet, if we were to look through the fact check sites quoted in the letter, we'd find that they regularly claim that Trump himself is spewing false information -- and that's never ever stopped Trump, so why should it stop his opponents?

And that's not even getting into why the threat is legally nonsensical -- claiming that failing to take down this add "could put your station's license in jeopardy." This is just silly. Airing political ads that contain false information has been controversial, but is mostly legally protected. Attempts to put in place legal requirements for "truth" in political advertising have been regularly struck down. Notably, the letter from the Trump campaign ignores that, and focuses entirely on cases regarding truth in commercial advertising. But not political advertising.

Also, threatening a TV station that you will have its license to broadcast removed for airing a political opponent's ad is just, in general, a really bad look. It seems likely that most TV stations will dump this letter in the garbage bin where it belongs, but in the meantime, the Trump Campaign has just Streisanded this ad into a ton more views.

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Filed Under: covid-19, donald trump, political ads, streisand effect, trump campaign
Companies: priorities usa


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  1. icon
    Samuel Abram (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 8:15am

    Trump wishes he were a dictator, like Xi Jinping or Mohammad Bin Salman…

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:18am

    Trump wishes he were a dictator, like Xi Jinping

    until he get's accused of deploying technology made by companies in his country of spying on citizens everywhere! what am i saying? it's happening already!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    genghis_uk (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:25am

    Pre Election

    If Trump wants to take down every ad that he does not like, what will happen when the election gets into full swing? His lawyers must be rubbing their hands in anticipation!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:31am

    Trump is the ONLY human being...

    At least, that's the way he sees the world.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    MGoodson (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:40am

    An appropriate response: "We refer you to the reply given in the case of Arkell v. Pressdram"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:42am

    In general I agree with everything you've said here. However, Trump's campaign has a point: If their "we can only reelect Trump" Biden ad is "misleading" according to Twitter, then this coronavirus ad is "misleading" as well and should be flagged as such. They're totally justified in being upset with Twitter for not doing so.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:52am

    Re:

    Yes, that is why he put a potato in his pants.
    He is a dick tator.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:52am

    Re:

    However, Trump's campaign has a point: If their "we can only reelect Trump" Biden ad is "misleading" according to Twitter, then this coronavirus ad is "misleading" as well and should be flagged as such.

    Because fair and balanced? Here's the thing - just because the Biden ad is bullshit and was taken down, doesn't imply that the Trump ad is equally bullshit.

    Trump said all those things - I know he doesn't like being pointed to what he actually said, but I'm not interested in trying to morph what he said into what someone else thinks he means just for the fuck of it.

    He said he's got the best words. If he's incapable of using them properly, then frankly that's just another shortcoming with his ability to articulate a coherent thought.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:56am

    What are people trying to say when they protest "politicization"?

    Are we not to talk about any of the bad things going on .. as if lying about it will in any way change our reality.

    What's next ... we all need to be educated on how to thank dear leader for all he has done for us?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. icon
    DebbyS (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 10:58am

    Re: Pre Election

    Here's an interesting video thanks to The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah... Fox News Is Very Concerned About This Presidential Candidate's Brain | The Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iks184i9FOI Perhaps Bloomberg[sp?] will run with this!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:08am

    Re: Re:

    Because fair and balanced? Here's the thing - just because the Biden ad is bullshit and was taken down, doesn't imply that the Trump ad is equally bullshit.

    Except that it is. It is statements taken out of context and implies a meaning that is incorrect. Just like the Biden ad. It might even be worse because it deliberately leaves out intervening words.

    Trump said all those things - I know he doesn't like being pointed to what he actually said, but I'm not interested in trying to morph what he said into what someone else thinks he means just for the fuck of it.

    Trump said "This is their new hoax." Biden said "We can only reelect President Trump." Each ad took the statement out of context to suggest the person meant something they didn't, and it's obvious in both cases when you look at the entire statement.

    I'm no fan of Trump, but in this case his complaint (against Twitter) is valid. His campaign is still dumb for making legal threats about it though.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Rico R. (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:19am

    Hail to the chief, who is acting like a baby!

    Trump’s mentality is that of an undisciplined, out-of-control child. He’s literally saying, “It’s only wrong when someone else does it!” Even painting this in a light most favorable to the President, if this video is doctored by taking things out of context, then all of Trump’s doctored ads are even more egregious!

    Even if he’s talking about the politicization of COVID-19, his base certainly didn’t see it that way! One of my Facebook friends who’s a major Trump supporter shared another Trump supporter’s post, literally positing how interesting it was that the coronavirus popped up right after impeachment failed... Not even true as the first case in China popped up in late November, well before the House even drafted the articles of impeachment.

    According to Trump, if he does something wrong, either it’s not wrong at all or someone else is at fault. But if someone else even suggests doing something wrong in Trump’s eyes, they’re completely evil and must pay with their immortal soul for all they’ve done to him. What’s next? Is he going to blame Obama for the problems with our COVID-19 response? Oh, wait...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:25am

    In other news, the Emperor still isn't wearing clothes.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:26am

    Re:

    First come the education camps, then the re-education camps. I just can't wait. I hear they bake bread in the giant ovens... or something like that.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:35am

    Re: Re: Re:

    I'm no fan of Trump, but in this case his complaint (against Twitter) is valid.

    One just has to wonder why he doesn't shut down his account, fuck off, and take his business elsewhere?

    He doesn't pay for Twitter - if he's so displeased he should really show them by going somewhere else, instead of whining like a bitch over a free service.

    Leave it to a "millionaire stable genius" to piss & moan over something he gets for nothing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:35am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Which context makes Trump's hoax conspiracy not incredibly stupid?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:39am

    How ironic that he refers to the fake news Washington Post, Snopes, etc as sources of reliable information in the legal filing.

    I guess it's fake news right up until the point where it isn't?

    Or is this just more evidence of cognitive decline, where he can't remember what's what anymore?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:44am

    He's given his opponents plenty of usable quotes that need little context. "I don't a take responsibility" any one?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:46am

    Re: Re: Re:

    "It is statements taken out of context and implies a meaning that is incorrect "

    What is the context from which it was taken?
    What is the correct meaning?
    What could he do to ensure his future ramblings are better understood and so that he would not be forced into claiming they were taken out of context?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 11:48am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    What could he do to ensure his future ramblings are better understood and so that he would not be forced into claiming they were taken out of context?

    Have someone else write them and speak for him.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:10pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    What is the context from which it was taken?
    What is the correct meaning?

    He was claiming the "hoax" was Democrat politicization of the virus. It's explained in the complaint embedded in the article.

    What could he do to ensure his future ramblings are better understood and so that he would not be forced into claiming they were taken out of context?

    Nothing, because you can't prevent people from taking things out of context to change their meaning. Suppose Trump (or any candidate really) at some point said the phrase, "I don't believe..." and someone inserts that phrase into an ad designed to imply that the candidate doesn't believe in God. What could the candidate have possibly done to stop that?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:12pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Which context makes Trump's hoax conspiracy not incredibly stupid?

    Irrelevant. His claim that the Dems are politicizing the virus could be entirely unfounded. That doesn't change the fact that the quote was taken out of context.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:19pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    One just has to wonder why he doesn't shut down his account, fuck off, and take his business elsewhere?
    He doesn't pay for Twitter - if he's so displeased he should really show them by going somewhere else, instead of whining like a bitch over a free service.
    Leave it to a "millionaire stable genius" to piss & moan over something he gets for nothing.

    He's whining because he claims the policy that Twitter claims is being fairly applied, isn't. And in this one particular case, he's right. His campaign posted manipulated media and it was correctly judged as such. This ad is posted, it's manipulated media, and it hasn't been judged as such even though it is.

    That he's a hypocrite doesn't make him wrong, nor does it invalidate his argument.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:30pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    He was claiming the "hoax" was Democrat politicization of the virus.

    That sound more like an after the fact excuse, and a politicization of the pandemic, especially as he keeps on playing down the seriousness of the situation. Back to normal by Easter is another bit of wishful thinking by Trump.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:40pm

    I have done my part to further the Streisand Effect by sharing the link to the fun (in a completely scary kind of way) video. Please, everyone, do the same!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. icon
    ECA (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:40pm

    recently..

    I noticed he is Quieter.
    I think someone in the background suggested if he DONT SHUT UP, the republicans wont back him, anymore.
    And even Fox news is having problems with him

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iks184i9FOI

    Then I love the idea that he wants the RURAL areas to go back to work..
    but I think someone Told Trump how much its going to cost if we Dont go back to work. And sending the rural areas back means they dont have to give the lower income any money.
    What are the odds, that the corps will get the money to Pay the employees, and they get Good money and WE only get the Avg salary. and the corp keeps the extra $1000

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:41pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    The virus was politicized as soon as it hit the US. I don't think we'll be back to normal by Easter either, and a premature end to the shutdown could be disastrous.

    But that doesn't change the fact that Trump was taken out of context. This ad should have been flagged by Twitter as manipulated.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:48pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Give an honest answer to the question: are there any political ads that are not manipulated in one way or another?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:54pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Unlikely. That doesn't make it OK though. None of them should be manipulated.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 12:55pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    He's whining because he claims the policy that Twitter claims is being fairly applied, isn't.

    Tough shit. If he was in a protected class he might have a lawsuit. As of right now, right-wing nutjob isn't a protected class. So discrimination isn't something he can argue.

    This ad is posted, it's manipulated media, and it hasn't been judged as such even though it is.

    Tough shit. Life isn't fair sometimes. And it's a judgement call as to whether it's manipulated or not - someone disagreed with him. I'd like to hear their side of the story as to why it isn't. They also deserve to be able to shout out their reasoning from the rooftops, and I'll withhold judgement that it is manipulated until I hear from them also.

    Fair and balanced - got to hear both sides.

    That he's a hypocrite doesn't make him wrong, nor does it invalidate his argument.

    That he will lose the argument makes it futile.
    That he will spend his sucker donors' money trying makes it wrong, but frankly fuck those people because they deserve it.

    That the most powerful man in the world is essentially impotent to do anything about it is amusing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. identicon
    Pixelation, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:06pm

    All I want to say about it...

    Hahahahaha!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. icon
    DannyB (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:06pm

    Three pages whining

    but the fact that the letter literally spends three pages whining about just the "hoax" line

    We're going to whine so much. You're going to get tired of whining. you’re going to say, ‘Please Mr. President, I have a headache. Please, don't whine so much. This is getting terrible.’ And I'm going to say, ‘No, we have to make America great again.’ You're gonna say, ‘Please.’ I said, ‘Nope, nope. We're gonna keep whining.’

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:14pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "politicizing the virus"

    What exactly does this mean?

    . requesting more resources to combat the disease?
    . contradicting bad medical advice?
    . telling the truth?

    What exactly is political about addressing the potential for mass illness and death?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:15pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "It's explained in the complaint"

    That's part of the problem, it is not a very good explanation.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:18pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "But that doesn't change the fact that Trump was taken out of context."

    How?
    What was it that he was trying to say but was unfortunately 'taken out of context' ? How might he have said the exact thing he wanted to say but using different words?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:22pm

    Re: Re:

    Funny how education is sometimes important to our leaders.

    'Gratitude education': Wuhan boss faces backlash over calls to thank leaders

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:28pm

    Re:

    That is pretty funny, fake news in a legal filing.

    I think we need a return of the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:43pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Tough shit. Life isn't fair sometimes.

    I get it, you don't like Trump. I don't either. But, I suspect your opinion on such matters will differ when something like this happens to someone that you do support. Mine won't. It's wrong either way.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. identicon
    Lawrence D’Oliveiro, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:48pm

    The One I Like ...

    ... was when he addressed the NRA convention during the 2016 campaign, and promised them he would abolish gun-free zones.

    If you’ve never seen an NRA convention, they have big signs all around saying “NO WEAPONS ALLOWED”.

    That’s right—the NRA convention itself is a gun-free zone!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. identicon
    Rekrul, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:50pm

    Saying the virus was under control is the real hoax.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:53pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    But, I suspect your opinion on such matters will differ when something like this happens to someone that you do support.

    You mean like when an LGBTQ couple go for a wedding cake and some baker can invoke religious bullshit to avoid baking it? And the collective response from the right is: fuck off and go somewhere else?

    My opinion is what it is because I've already seen what happens to people I support.

    He can take his orange-tinted ass, fuck off, and create an account somewhere else as far as I'm concerned.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  42. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:56pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    And in this one particular case, he's right.

    And what exactly proves he's right?

    The citations by Snopes, Washington Post, Politifact, etc. that he's referred to as fake news for the last 5 years? Those sources are somehow NOT fake news all of a sudden?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  43. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 1:59pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Trump thinks that people complaining about his mishandling of the pandemic situation is "politicizing the virus". He himself politicized the virus when he attacked democrats for their complaints about his mishandling. The "man" is an idiot.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  44. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:00pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    To some extent I wish he would lift the restrictions. The aftermath will doom him in the polls.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  45. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:03pm

    Re:

    I beg to differ. Trump is the real hoax.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  46. icon
    Uriel-238 (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:06pm

    Deplorables

    If we're lucky the White Houses effort to suppress the ad will only amplify its message and drive more people to view it.

    The Democrats were criticizing Trump's👑 dismissal of the growing epidemic as a threat to the US economy and national security. He was wrong. It was a threat. But Trump👑 was condemning as a hoax the criticism, not the virus. Still, a lot of people, including his own supports believed he was saying the virus was the new hoax from the Democrats.

    Funny thing, though. Clinton's deplorables comment was used in the same way to disparage her, to great effect, and while we can argue that people should be criticized for what they said or meant, they're often criticized for what others heard.

    So as this is a sword Trump👑 and his supporters have been happy to wield, I am going to enjoy the poetry in the same weapon being used against them.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  47. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:18pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Let's try again.

    The virus is real.
    Trump is not taking the virus seriously.
    Democrats say Trump is not taking the virus seriously.
    Trump says Democrats saying Trump is not taking the virus seriously is a hoax.

    There is nothing "out of context" here and your "both sides" nonsense is dumb.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  48. icon
    DeComposer (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:20pm

    This is the missing context?

    If this stream-of-consciousness word salad of misdirection, insults, bullshit, and lies is the "context" they want to wrap around "hoax," well,... I don't think they're really bolstering their case.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  49. identicon
    CyberKender, 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:43pm

    Quick! Dial Whine-1-1!

    The President needs a Waaaaaambulance, stat!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  50. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:49pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    How?
    What was it that he was trying to say but was unfortunately 'taken out of context' ?

    The ad quotes him as saying "Coronavirus. This is their new hoax." The implication of the ad is that Trump thinks the pandemic is a hoax and it's not as bad as "they" make it seem. However, what he actually said (it's in the embed, I'm not going to copy/paste it here) was a rant over how he feels that his handling of the virus was just fine, but it's being used as another in a long line of things to attempt to discredit him. Thus, it's the "coronavirus hoax" just like it was the "impeachment hoax."

    Since the words in the ad are being used in a manner inconsistent with their intended meaning as originally stated, Trump's words are being taken out of context, and the ad should be considered manipulated media.

    I hope that explanation makes more sense. And again, I'm not agreeing with him, I'm not saying he's right. All I'm saying is that his statements were taken out of context.

    How might he have said the exact thing he wanted to say but using different words?

    Why does that matter? If you're going to do manipulative editing to achieve your ends, you'll figure out a way to do it, no matter which words were used.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  51. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:51pm

    Re: This is the missing context?

    Which to me makes the manipulation even more ridiculous. The actual statement is wide open to criticism. Manipulating it wasn't necessary.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  52. icon
    DannyB (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 2:57pm

    The unforgiveable sin

    OMG!!! They used the president's own words!!

    That's the same thing the evil media has done!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  53. icon
    Ceyarrecks (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 3:17pm

    and we have LAUNCH!

    in the time it took me to read the TechDirt article, views went from 557k to 563k... sooo, ~6,000 views in <5m. Yes, we definitely have Launch!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  54. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 3:30pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Wow, ok. It appears he is again denying what he said, only this time context is to blame.

    It mattered to me because it made no sense, but you are right - it does not have to make sense to him.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  55. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 3:33pm

    Re: The One I Like ...

    "That’s right—the NRA convention itself is a gun-free zone!"

    Wait ... wasn't Moscow Mitch at an NRA convention when he was mishandling a fire arm while on stage smiling like a lunatic?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  56. icon
    Samuel Abram (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 4:08pm

    Re: Re:

    I literally LOL'd at that. As in, I laughed out loud at that.

    Well done, Anonymous Coward!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  57. identicon
    David, 26 Mar 2020 @ 5:19pm

    Re:

    Only defense against a bad guy with a virus is a good guy with a virus.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  58. identicon
    David, 26 Mar 2020 @ 5:24pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    It is statements taken out of context and implies a meaning that is incorrect.

    Frankly, most meanings of Trump remain incorrect if you put them back into context. Unless, of course, they become so incoherent in the process that attempting to judge their correctness would be an insult to logic.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  59. identicon
    David, 26 Mar 2020 @ 5:27pm

    Re: Hail to the chief, who is acting like a baby!

    Even painting this in a light most favorable to the President,

    Ok, which joker switched the light off?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  60. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 5:31pm

    Hey Hamilton - suck it, asshole!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  61. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 6:23pm

    Starting to Raid homes

    link to this | view in thread ]

  62. icon
    BernardoVerda (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 7:00pm

    It seems likely that most TV stations will dump this letter in the garbage bin where it belongs...

    If they have any sense of pride in their journalistic standards, or any sense of history, they'll save it, frame it, and give it an honourable spot on their brag wall.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  63. icon
    DocRobot (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 8:08pm

    If you think he is slow to respond, try Canada...

    Until this week, Canada not testing returning international flight passengers into Canada. We just started mandatory Home Self Isolation on the same returning passengers.

    We were also not testing illegal border crossers as they come north from the US.

    It also very seems petty to still play politics during this health crisis.

    I would seem prudent to save your breath for afterwards; this is a respiratory virus after all...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  64. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Mar 2020 @ 8:29pm

    I don't see how any of the problem is trump's fault but I can tell you what I know about what the coronavirus is.

    There is some live virus somewhere that someone has named the coronavirus.

    The novel "coronavirus" is a novel if you can find a place to buy it.

    The cyber attack "coronavirus" means they're torturing or killing someone with diplomatic immunity or a royal title with their cyber/laser garbage.

    The coronavirus is also something that is referred to when someone is violating state secrets laws and privacy laws in court rooms with impunity sometimes with the consent of the judge, often concerning medical information of a protected person. They have the king's illness or the crown's illness or whatever. It was illegal to expose the information but they did because the judge didn't care.

    I had SARS. It caused months of painful burning and coughing through my chest. My doctor told me there is no real treatment for it and implied it wasn't really caused by a virus. After about 1 month of extraordinarily painful coughing. I was given a bunch of vicodin to try to reduce the inflammation in my chest that was causing all the painful coughing and breathing.

    I am sure it was caused by a laser inflaming nerves in my chest.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  65. icon
    wshuff (profile), 26 Mar 2020 @ 9:53pm

    Re: Re:

    Unfortunately he used a rotten potato. And stuck it down the back of his pants.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  66. icon
    mhajicek (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 1:49am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Everything he ever says is out of context. He just takes random words and strings them together, then acts like it meant something.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  67. identicon
    bob, 27 Mar 2020 @ 1:52am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Maybe we saw different ads but from what I saw Trump's words weren't taken out of context.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  68. icon
    mhajicek (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 1:54am

    Re: The One I Like ...

    The NRA is not pro 2A. Fortunately gun owners are beginning to figure this out.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  69. icon
    Stephen T. Stone (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 3:56am

    what the actual fuck

    link to this | view in thread ]

  70. icon
    genghis_uk (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 5:23am

    Re:

    Absolutely, and thanks for the Private Eye reference.
    For those not aware of 'the Eye', this may help: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2013/08/arkell-v-pressdram.html

    link to this | view in thread ]

  71. icon
    Narcissus (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 5:55am

    Re: recently..

    I just want to point you to the source of that clip, the Daily Show, not a great friend of Fox, nor of the current President. Now, if you look really carefully (and quickly) you'll see that the text below the Fox clips seems to indicate that the quotes from Fox were about Joe Biden. So the Daily Show cleverly edited this together.

    So, the video still makes a fair point. Fox is anything but "fair and balanced". However, rumors of the Chipito in Charge's fall from grace are greatly exaggerated.

    Just thought I'd point that out for those that need a reminder to look carefully at source and content.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  72. identicon
    David, 27 Mar 2020 @ 6:18am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Democrats say Trump is not taking the virus seriously.

    That's their mistake. Trump is a businessmen. Hand him lemons, and he'll make lemonade.

    In this case, he intends to order business back to normal. What will happen? Pandemic catastrophe in the big cities (which vote primarily Democrat), hitting those hardest who cannot afford to skip going to work (and don't have their own offices). Ventilator shortage will kill much more people in the cities than in rural and better-off areas where the epidemic peak will be flattened more and hospital capacities are not as closely tailored to average demand.

    He (with MacConnell's help) has been loading the courts with rightwingers, and now he is aiming for culling the working class.

    It should be good for future elections, but at some point of time, someone actually has to do the work. Unless he plans conquering foreign countries and letting them do it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  73. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 6:32am

    FREE SPEECH*

    *conditions apply

    And his sheep-minded followers go along with it. Hypocrites, the lot of 'em.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  74. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 6:53am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    You'd think the stable genius that uses the best words would be able to communicate without so much ambiguity.

    And that's really the problem here. He's a rambling idiot who can't put together a coherent thought without someone coming back to explain what he really meant after having it pointed out to him.

    Dunning-Kruger shouldn't be grounds for legal threats..

    link to this | view in thread ]

  75. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 7:12am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Interesting prediction, I wonder who in the hell is going to flip the asshole's burgers after they have killed us all.

    Supersize that one commander in chief

    link to this | view in thread ]

  76. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 7:21am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    So all of them should be banned?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  77. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 7:34am

    Re:

    "I don't see how any of the problem is trump's fault "

    Of the many things that point out it is indeed his (among others) fault ..... the one that first came to mind is the dismantling of the pandemic response team. How does one twist this pretzel so that it comes out supporting the ill fated move?

    "I had SARS"
    I was unaware of this effect that the disease has upon the brain. Sorry to hear about it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  78. identicon
    Todd, 27 Mar 2020 @ 8:13am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Or you can look at it this way. People in the cities will get it but it's the older generations that will die from it. That is his demographic.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  79. icon
    Toom1275 (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 8:47am

    Re: The One I Like ...

    Lawrence proves his dementia is progressing steadily.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  80. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:06am

    Yes, because removing context doesn't matter, amirite?

    I mean, it's not like Trump said that the Democrats attempts at politicizing the virus is "their new hoax" or anything like that.

    Oh wait, he did.

    This was taken CLEARLY out of context.

    Oh, and failed handling of the Coronavirus? You mean how Trump ordered pharma companies to move manufacturing back to the US in SEPTEMBER of 2019? Or how, while he was impeached and going through trial, he brings up the Coronavirus in the State of the Union address, the SAME address Nancy tore up? Or how he created the Coronavirus Task Force to deal with the potential outbreak and was lambasted for it by the media? The same media that pushed the "The Flu is worse than Coronavirus" for weeks? Or how Trump suspended travel from China and was called a "XENOPHOBE!" and even Biden was dismissive of Trump?

    Yeah, I get it, you hate Trump, but you REALLY need to not let your hatred of him cloud your judgement.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  81. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:08am

    I mean, it's not like Trump said that the Democrats attempts at politicizing the virus is "their new hoax" or anything like that.

    Oh wait, he did.

    This was taken CLEARLY out of context.

    Oh, and failed handling of the Coronavirus? You mean how Trump ordered pharma companies to move manufacturing back to the US in SEPTEMBER of 2019? Or how, while he was impeached and going through trial, he brings up the Coronavirus in the State of the Union address, the SAME address Nancy tore up? Or how he created the Coronavirus Task Force to deal with the potential outbreak and was lambasted for it by the media? The same media that pushed the "The Flu is worse than Coronavirus" for weeks? Or how Trump suspended travel from China and was called a "XENOPHOBE!" and even Biden was dismissive of Trump?

    Yeah, I get it, you hate Trump, but you REALLY need to not let your hatred of him cloud your judgement.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  82. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:37am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    The closest I ever got to a "both sides" claim was holding the opinion that both this ad and the Biden ad contain manipulated media and Twitter should have flagged both ads as such, and that Trump's campaign is justified in calling Twitter out for not doing so.

    I do not understand why you seem to think that holding all political ads to the same standard is "both sides nonsense."

    link to this | view in thread ]

  83. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:40am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    You can still be taken out of context even if you are unambiguous. For example, your meaning is pretty clear, but I can also quote you as calling Trump "the stable genius that uses the best words."

    link to this | view in thread ]

  84. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:43am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Have we heard the reasoning behind why one was pulled and not the other?

    I heard about due process over and over again during the impeachment hearings so I kinda have it on the brain. Shouldn't we wait for Twitter to chime in on their reasoning before deciding it's unfair?

    Because due process 'n shit

    link to this | view in thread ]

  85. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:48am

    Hope

    I'd been a-prayin' that COVID-19 would take him out directly, but, since he's generally only about one Big Mac away from a major cerebrovascular accident, let's hope something like this strokes him out.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  86. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:56am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    He said he's a stable genius that uses the best words. Who am I to disagree?

    I'm just saying that I take what he said at face value that "Coronavirus. It's the new Democratic hoax". Is it wrong to agree wholeheartedly with Dear Leader? He probably said it to own the libs.

    I don't see trump walking the comment back...I suspect his campaign is part of the deep state. trying to undermine his election with this nonsense.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  87. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 9:57am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    For a long time I've been of the opinion that deliberately misleading political ads should have a legal consequence.

    However, I have never been able to come up with an implementation of that idea that doesn't create First Amendment questions.

    There's a lot going on in the world that a person would need to be aware of and reasonably educated on so that they could make a truly well-informed vote. It's hard enough as it is to try to gather the information you need for that without people (media, politicians, religions, other so-called "leaders") screwing with things to manipulate people and advance their own agendas.

    I just want people in positions of power and influence to be honest and trustworthy. Sadly it seems that's too much to ask because I don't think any of them are.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  88. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 10:02am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Have we heard the reasoning behind why one was pulled and not the other?

    As far as I am aware, Twitter has been asked for this, and has chosen not to comment. Should they disclose more information, I am open to the possibility that my opinion may change.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  89. icon
    crade (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 10:06am

    I don't get how the "new hoax" line is supposed to be out of context.. Obviously everyone knows it's not the virus itself that is a hoax.. put it in context with the rest of the add and it's clear just as it was when trump made the statement that the hoax he is referring to is the dems claim that the virus is "a big deal" and that people shouldn't just ignore it and it will go away like trump said they should.. (what trump called "politicizing" the virus).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  90. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 10:49am

    Re: Yes, because removing context doesn't matter, amirite?

    Oh, and failed handling of the Coronavirus? You mean how Trump ordered pharma companies to move manufacturing back to the US in SEPTEMBER of 2019? Or how, while he was impeached and going through trial, he brings up the Coronavirus in the State of the Union address, the SAME address Nancy tore up? Or how he created the Coronavirus Task Force to deal with the potential outbreak and was lambasted for it by the media? The same media that pushed the "The Flu is worse than Coronavirus" for weeks? Or how Trump suspended travel from China and was called a "XENOPHOBE!" and even Biden was dismissive of Trump?

    Wow. With all that, you'd think the stock market wouldn't have lost nearly 9,000 points, the number of cases wouldn't be rising exponentially, we'd have plenty of drugs to combat the virus, the death toll as a percentage of those infected would be less than the flu, and there wouldn't be 3.3 million unemployment claims filed.

    Perhaps you should tell the virus to get with the program.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  91. icon
    Stephen T. Stone (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 10:50am

    Donald Trump disbanded the U.S. Pandemic Response Team in 2018, at least a year and a half before COVID-19 became a thing. He spent two months downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus until he could no longer ignore the number of people infected with (and the number of people who died from) the virus. His current ”plan” is to loosen stay-at-home restrictions, possibly by overriding governors, so the U.S. can “restart the economy” — because nothing, not even the health of the nation, matters more to him right now than having a strong economy he can use as a campaign talking point.

    A more competent crisis manager — which is what the president is — would have done more in the initial outbreak to “flatten the curve” and help prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. A more competent crisis manager would have foreseen this possible crisis and put (or kept) in place experts who could have formulated a proper response. But we’re stuck with a paranoid, narcissistic sociopath who thinks his presidency is a reality show, his daily briefings on the coronavirus response are a campaign rally, and anyone who dares question his “expertise” in any way is out to get him. Hell, I’m surprised Dr. Anthony Fauci is still in his job, given how he keeps contradicting and correcting Trump.

    Whatever amount of good the federal government is doing for Americans right now, it could be doing more — and could have done more before now. The responsibility for that (lack of) response falls upon the shoulders of whoever is leading the federal government. Right now, that person is Donald Trump.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  92. icon
    nasch (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 10:58am

    Re:

    It's fake news when they criticize him, and a reliable source when they write anything favorable towards him. Under normal circumstances this could be marked with /s, but unfortunately that is literally how he views the world.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  93. icon
    nasch (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 10:59am

    Re:

    "I don't a take responsibility" any one?

    I think that's much more damning than the hoax comment.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  94. icon
    nasch (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 11:01am

    Re: Re: recently..

    I think that's the point. They intend for you to understand that the Fox people were talking about Biden, while showing examples of Trump doing exactly what they're criticizing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  95. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 11:33am

    Re:

    It's almost as if they are working to a plan, but hanlon's razor says otherwise.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  96. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 11:35am

    Re: Yes, because removing context doesn't matter, amirite?

    From where do you obtain all this interesting knowledge and information?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  97. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2020 @ 11:36am

    Re:

    This is not your echo chamber.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  98. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 12:20pm

    'I wasn't terrible in that way, I was terrible this way!'

    That does rather seem to be the main weakness in that defense, yes, in that neither of the two ways to read it, 'the coronavirus is a hoax' or 'claiming that Trump botched his response to it is a hoax/fake news' leave him looking good or the ad untrue, since both false.

    No matter how you read it the argument that context magically makes that line not terrible seems to fall flat on it's face.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  99. icon
    Uriel-238 (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 12:51pm

    It appears we just need to keep letting him speak

    His Excellency phoned in to Hannity last night to dismiss New York's need for tens of thousands of respirator pumps because he had a feeling New York didn't need that many.

    Whether or not the hoax quote taken out of context implies he's not taking the epidemic seriously, there are plenty of other points in which he's been pretty explicit about not taking it seriously.

    I think it doesn't really damn the Democrats to use a quote out of context (yet in the context everyone heard) to verify a sentiment Trump👑 has routinely expressed.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  100. identicon
    David, 27 Mar 2020 @ 1:14pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    You might not have gotten the memo, but in the U.S. it's way not focused on the older generation like it has been in China and Italy. And Germany has a much lower fatality rate.

    Here is my completely random pet theory of the day: lung complications may be caused/acerbated by (acid?) reflux, and the Mediterranian countries eat dinner a lot later and tend to drink considerably more wine. Germany has its main meal at lunch time.

    So what about the U.S.? The kind of dinner there is just better for reflux, more starchy (white burger buns) and with carbonated drinks galore. And California is wine country.

    The problem is, life styles are so fundamentally different that you can come up with new theories by the dozen. Until you find something holding water, the pandemic has progressed a whole lot more.

    But to come full circle: in the U.S., the pandemic does not similarly focus almost exclusively on the elderly as in other countries. Nobody really knows why, but it won't rejuvenate the age demographics similar to other countries, and thus is not as bad for Trump votes as one would at first imagine.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  101. icon
    nasch (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 1:23pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    I would guess the fact that a lot more people smoke in Italy than in the US is much more likely to be a factor than acid reflux.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  102. icon
    crade (profile), 27 Mar 2020 @ 2:38pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Is that this memo:
    X we have it totally under control
    X it's 15 cases today, soon it will go away
    X democrat hoax that this is serious
    X one day it will just vanish
    X new york doesn't need a bunch of ventilators
    X cure would be worse than the disease
    X Chloroquine is a gamechanger
    It's not hard on elderly in the U.S. like everywhere else

    link to this | view in thread ]

  103. identicon
    TRK, 27 Mar 2020 @ 6:26pm

    Re: Re:

    He needs the ability to have a coherent thought in order to articulate one.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  104. icon
    Keith (profile), 28 Mar 2020 @ 3:03am

    Moron

    Dump Trump

    link to this | view in thread ]

  105. identicon
    David, 28 Mar 2020 @ 3:22am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Well, there is correlation between the two. Which makes it tricky to tell apart cause and effect and, more likely, coincidence or hogwash. Things are just moving too fast to make dependable studies and analyses. Maybe there will be some hindsight of the "if we only knew earlier" kind, maybe not.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  106. identicon
    David, 28 Mar 2020 @ 3:24am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    It's not hard on elderly in the U.S. like everywhere else

    You wish. It's more "it's not exclusive to the elderly to the degree seen elsewhere". Basically, that is an "it's even worse in the U.S." observation rather than a "it's better in the U.S." one.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  107. icon
    restless94110 (profile), 28 Mar 2020 @ 8:31am

    Fraud Incarnate

    So, I caught at least 2 quotes taken totally out of context in order to pretend Trump said something that he didn't.

    The latest hoax quote was Trump commenting on the Democrat's attempts to paint Trump and His Administration as not up to the task. He was not referring to the virus.

    How fitting that this ad, which is part of the hoax to get Trump, uses Trump saying they are doing another of the many hoaxes is re-cut to perpetuate their hoax.

    The ad is slanderous and a lie and should be taken down and the makers sued and prosecuted.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  108. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Mar 2020 @ 9:21am

    Re: Fraud Incarnate

    "the Democrat's attempts to paint Trump and His Administration as not up to the task."

    The Democrats do not need to do much in this area as donny is doing a fine job all by himself.

    "the hoax to get Trump"
    Is it a hoax that people think donny is unfit for the job and should be removed? It don't think so Tim. Perhaps the word hoax is being misused?

    "The ad is slanderous and a lie "
    I think it has to be not true in order to be slanderous - right? Because when it is true, then by definition, it is not slander.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  109. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Mar 2020 @ 11:41pm

    You guys are a bunch of idiots. Do you really not have a mind of your own. You just follow all these jews that write all the media. Such idiots. How about you actually listen to what he says instead of taking every single edited cut out manipulative word they write as a fact

    link to this | view in thread ]

  110. icon
    Uriel-238 (profile), 29 Mar 2020 @ 2:33am

    "Jews that write all the media"

    Wow. I've never seen one's credibility as a rational person go up in flames that fast. Like flashpaper.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  111. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Mar 2020 @ 4:51am

    Re: "Jews that write all the media"

    I think it makes more sense if a cat played on someones keyboard,while they had a very aggressive auto-correct installed, than a thinking being actually wrote that.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  112. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 30 Mar 2020 @ 1:26am

    Re: Starting to Raid homes

    I'll see your "may?" and raise you "will, most definitely".

    The real danger of a pandemic isn't the disease itself, almost no matter how deadly.

    Our entire society, however, relies on the continued function of economy, social services, infrastructure and government functions. All of which are, even in the best of places, usually operating on a no-margin policy.
    Similarly the economy is geared towards either going full tilt or collapsing completely. Markets WILL crash all over the world and require enormous subsidies to keep running, some of which we've started to see already within a few short weeks.

    Once a sufficient number of people start feeling threatened over layoffs and starvation the first riots will hit and the death toll will spike rapidly.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  113. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 30 Mar 2020 @ 1:33am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "Well, there is correlation between the two. Which makes it tricky to tell apart cause and effect and, more likely, coincidence or hogwash."

    For all we know at this stage, a certain kind of health hazard might actually mitigate covid-19. Similar to sickle-cell anemia making people immune to malaria as a side effect.

    Right now it's pretty unclear why Italy and the US have been so specifically hard hit, and why the demographic fatality rates are so skewed between countries. "Lifestyle" is the obvious answer, but which part of it?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  114. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 30 Mar 2020 @ 1:37am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "Nothing, because you can't prevent people from taking things out of context to change their meaning."

    As a politician it's a core part of his job to speak clearly and unambiguously. If it's that easy to quote him out of context then he needs to up his game.

    Mind you, nothing will help someone who is so hopeless as a speaker that he will outright contradict himself five times in as many minutes. How can you even claim Trump was quoted out of context when so many of his ramblings look as if someone let his iPhone autocorrect write his entire speech?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  115. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 30 Mar 2020 @ 2:09am

    Re: This is the missing context?

    "I don't think they're really bolstering their case."

    No, saying "They quoted us out of the REAL context - which was that we were trying to bullshit everyone about something completely different..." isn't helping them much.

    I'd actually like to see a ruling, by a judge, stating that Trump was lying his ass off about something other than the ad claimed. That ad might get dropped but I'd expect such a ruling to remain online indefinitely.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  116. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 30 Mar 2020 @ 2:17am

    Re: Re:

    "It's almost as if they are working to a plan, but hanlon's razor says otherwise."

    Gray's Law: "Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from actual malice".

    Human panic responses are predictable, especially so when it comes to politicians. That makes it easy to perceive a pattern. It's just that said pattern has nothing to do with any plan more advanced than that of a thousand politicians, used to dodging responsibility, all moving their hands to cover their asses simultaneously. Looks wonderfully coordinated and choreographed.

    Depressingly we could probably predict Trump's likely response to ANY crisis which would put him on the spot. It would be identical to the one we're currently seeing, where he frantically dodges every responsibility, blaming the piss-poor decisions on "someone, I dunno who" in the white house, tries to bullshit his way through every intervew while the token expert gets to have a continuous nervous breakdown in the background over the steaming pile of inaccuracies served up by the commander-in-chief.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  117. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 30 Mar 2020 @ 2:24am

    Re: "Jews that write all the media"

    "Wow. I've never seen one's credibility as a rational person go up in flames that fast. Like flashpaper."

    Well, in their defense the neo-nazis and the KKK have many years of experience condensing their message, since so many impatient people just can't be arsed to listen to them taking a desperate fifteen-minute dump in public. They can now bring all the important information from "Mein Kampf" down to "The jews did it!".

    Of course it also means saner minds get to flag and ignore them faster, without having to wade through wordwall sewage.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  118. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2020 @ 4:56am

    Re:

    Again, show us on the doll where the Jew touched you.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  119. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2020 @ 4:57am

    Re: Fraud Incarnate

    So, I caught at least 2 quotes taken totally out of context in order to pretend Trump said something that he didn't.

    Perhaps that's an indicator that when he says "he's a stable genius that uses the best words" he's really full of shit.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  120. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 1 Apr 2020 @ 7:07pm

    Anyone believing this shit needs to seek help. You must have an organic issue that challenges your abilities.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  121. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2020 @ 6:15am

    Not that anyone will care to read this, but...

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/16/no-white-house-didnt-dissolve-its-pandemic-respon se-office/

    Hmm... Whoops! Looks like that lie about Trump dissolving the Pandemic Response Office is just that, a lie.

    I'll trust someone who was actually there over the "fact checkers", thank you very much.

    https://apnews.com/d36d6c4de29f4d04beda3db00cb46104 - Even the Associated Press is pushing back on it.

    But, whatever, you can all suffer your TDS and believe what you want.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  122. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2020 @ 4:07pm

    DeBlasio was downplaying it even while people were dying in his own city. “Get out there and go about your normal lives!” he said. What an idiot! Irresponsible and stupid dem -leaning media.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  123. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2020 @ 4:18pm

    Re: It appears we just need to keep letting him speak

    There have been plenty of instances where he has shown his sincerity and concern and explained what’s being done through the government point by point to mitigate the virus.But - you are watching CNN etc.., so you won’t see it. You are in the dark.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  124. icon
    Uriel-238 (profile), 5 Apr 2020 @ 5:00pm

    "sincerity and concern"

    I'm pretty sure what he says on a hot mic is consistent across all news channels. That he pretends to be sincere and concerned occasional doesn't change his dismissals and contempt all the other times.

    Our peerless leader does us the favor of being unable to keep his inside voice inside for very long. Sooner or later he has to express his resentment of those who fail to adulate him.

    PS: I don't watch CNN. I just happen to also not watch FOX news.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  125. identicon
    Joyaunna Knabe, 10 Apr 2020 @ 9:13pm

    Totall not fair, show some RESPECT!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  126. identicon
    Lida, 10 Apr 2020 @ 9:33pm

    Trump

    Stop with the fake news about Mr. Trump
    We will re-elect him again in November, the Democratic Party has nothing but losers. It is a shame that they do not have anybody intelligent and capable to guide this beautiful country.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  127. identicon
    Carrabba, 10 Apr 2020 @ 11:22pm

    This is great.

    Everytime he says "fake news" I immediately know it has to be true. I'm just glad I figured out his language.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  128. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2020 @ 5:34am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Why are you so mad. Trump lies 7days a week 365 days a year. And the add is very true......

    link to this | view in thread ]

  129. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2020 @ 8:30am

    Re: Re:

    link to this | view in thread ]

  130. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2020 @ 8:41am

    Re:

    Fake News

    link to this | view in thread ]

  131. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2020 @ 9:06am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Someone else always writes the speeches for the President Of The United States. If they wrote it themselves why would they constantly have to look down at what they are reading. I mean think about it if you wrote a speech or a message about something would you have to constantly look at it in order to read it and or deliver it. What I’m sayin here is if the person speaking and delivering the message actually wrote it they should know what it says and be able to deliver a message without hardly looking down at it. A person might have to glance at it occasionally just to make sure they are staying on track. A good speaker and message deliver makes good eye contact with their audience. Plus it makes the people watching and listening believe in and trust the one speaking. You can tell a lot by a persons eye contact I would even go as far as saying you can see the sincerity and heart of the person speaking. Eyes are the window to the soul you can see love care truth sincerity light and darkness. I can go on but that should be enough.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  132. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Apr 2020 @ 9:11am

    Trump would never have an ad o TV ,Radio,internet and or anywhere ,if it had to be the truth only .I think this ad totally used the truth.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  133. identicon
    Ann marie Scholz, 11 Apr 2020 @ 9:51am

    trump

    The WORST president ever, nothing but lies, only interested in getting re elected. Hope people wake up he is not helping our country. Stop those press conferences, just I one big rally, says nothing but lies

    link to this | view in thread ]

  134. icon
    Uriel-238 (profile), 11 Apr 2020 @ 11:58am

    Looking down at speech notes

    Since the Reagan era (earlier, actually) we've had teleprompters so that the President / Newscaster can look at (or close to) the camera while cold reading.

    Clinton and Obama had speechwriters but also wrote a lot of their own copy. One of Clinton's writers was perpetually trying to rise up to Clinton's quality of prose.

    Reagan required all his speeches written for him. George H. W. Bush was smart but too opinionated, and needed handlers to tone down his rhetoric. George W desperately needed better speechwriters.

    And His Excellency seems to believe speeches are for stream-of-conscience processing, except to an audience rather than a therapist.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  135. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 25 Apr 2020 @ 8:03am

    don trump

    so he does have Syphilis huh of the brain Syphilis symptoms
    Syphilis is a bacterial infection. The disease affects your genitals, skin and mucous membranes, but it can also involve many other parts of your body, including your brain and your heart.

    The signs and symptoms of syphilis may occur in four stages — primary, secondary, latent and tertiary. There's also a condition known as congenital syphilis, which occurs when a pregnant woman with syphilis passes the disease to her unborn infant. Congenital syphilis can be disabling, even life-threatening, so it's important for a pregnant woman with syphilis to be treated. probably why dt paid so much money for his last lady of the night when he entered the white house.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  136. identicon
    jayasekharan komerath@aol.com, 3 Jul 2020 @ 11:41am

    President Rump

    Our president ,Mr Rump,is not just an idiot,but (an IDIOT) 10. In fact he is out illgeitimate president,who want to the white House with questionable means.He knows nothing about anything,forget statecraft,diplomacy,politics,common sense,or even logical thinking.

    HE IS A TRUE MORON, a traitor,now betraying the country, and we MUST KICK THIS FELLOW OUT OF THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE

    link to this | view in thread ]

  137. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2020 @ 12:15am

    fuck trump he is a ass hole just like pootan both of you go eat shit

    link to this | view in thread ]

  138. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2020 @ 3:55am

    take all your god damn masks commercials-advertisements and shove them all up your asses! fuck you! die! go to hell!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  139. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2020 @ 3:59am

    take all your god damn masks commercials-advertisements-pop ups and shove them all up all your asses! fuck you! ass holes!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  140. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2020 @ 4:02am

    take all your god damn masks commercials-advertisements-pop ups and shove them all up all your asses!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  141. identicon
    Fuck Trump, 23 Sep 2020 @ 6:01pm

    Trump is a God Damn STUPID Motherfucker as his former professor at Wharton had said.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  142. identicon
    honor, 7 Oct 2020 @ 2:39pm

    conspiresy

    any thing for a vote eh trump!! I feel these people died in vain and is so close to like being murdered !!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  143. identicon
    I hate ads, 7 Jan 2021 @ 5:19am

    Google create such dump ads

    link to this | view in thread ]

  144. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2021 @ 12:30pm

    Re: trump is great.com

    Fuck you I’ll find you

    link to this | view in thread ]

  145. identicon
    Delete the above comments re: trump is great want , 7 Feb 2021 @ 12:39pm

    Delete any comment I made don’t want any part of this site

    link to this | view in thread ]

  146. icon
    Uriel-238 (profile), 7 Feb 2021 @ 2:24pm

    "I'll find you."

    The moment you kill someone for offending your Trumpian sensibilities, you will demonstrate the toxicity of the MAGA narrative and show that Trump supporters are getting radicalized exactly like Islamist terrorists.

    And you will justify institutions being formed with the purpose of detecting the MAGA movement, monitoring them, thwarting their efforts and if necessary, bringing to justice both the radicals and the operatives who incited them, much the way Nazis have been hunted down to (nearly) the last.

    Is that what you want?

    If not, maybe post like an adult?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  147. icon
    Uriel-238 (profile), 7 Feb 2021 @ 2:25pm

    "Delete my comments"

    The internet remembers.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  148. identicon
    ma, 12 Mar 2021 @ 10:27am

    Re: Fraud Incarnate

    I agree people love to make up lies. But Remember people with low IQ<s dont understand a person with a high iQ. Why print lies try the truth God bless all.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  149. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Jan 2022 @ 3:55pm

    Re: Re: trump is great.com

    You're an idiot.com so is trump

    link to this | view in thread ]


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