September 2020 – Page 10

A secret report by the Israeli military police—obtained by The Intercept‘s Robert Mackey—reveals that a week into Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in 2014, “air force, naval, and intelligence officers” mistook four 10- and 11-year-old boys who were playing on a beach in Gaza for Hamas militants and killed them by firing missiles from an armed drone.

While “hacked Israeli surveillance images provided to The Intercept by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden showed an Israeli drone armed with missiles in 2010,” Mackey notes that “the Israeli government maintains an official stance of secrecy around its use of drones to carry out airstrikes”—meaning this report provides perhaps “the most direct evidence to date that Israel has used armed drones to launch attacks in Gaza.”

The 2014 attack on the four boys, which occurred in the middle of the afternoon, provoked outrage the world over after it was documented by several international journalists staying in the area, who captured photographs of the dead children on the beach. It was initially suspected that Israel had launched the missiles from naval boats.

The four boys—Ismail Bakr, 10; Ahed Bakr, 10; Zakaria Bakr, 10; and Mohammed Bakr, 11—were cousins, the sons of Gazan fisherman. Their families, with support from the Israel-based Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights, or Adalah, are still fighting in court to hold accountable the members of the military directly involved with the airstrikes that killed the children.

Armed drones “alter the process of human decision-making,” and “[expand] the circle of people responsible for the actual killing of the Bakr children,” Suhad Bishara, one of the attorneys representing the families, told The Intercept. Israel’s use of the technology to kill Palestinians, Bishara added, raises “many questions concerning human judgment, ethics, and compliance with international humanitarian law.”

As Mackey outlines:

Hagai El-Ad, director of the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, told The Intercept that the Israeli government’s use of armed drones is an “open secret,” and emphasized the responsibility of the military figures who order such attacks. In 2016, his group released a report titled “Whitewash Protocol: The So-Called Investigation of Operation Protective Edge,” which criticizes the Israel for inadequately reviewing the killings of Gazan civilians.

“The various specific delays, gaps, failures in the so-called investigation are all part of that broad systematic way to eventually close the files, while producing all this paper trail which may look from the outside as a sincere effort,” El-Ad told The Intercept. “It’s all totally routine.”

The Intercept‘s reporting, published Saturday, came after Israel conducted a bombing campaign in Gaza on Thursday, killing a pregnant woman and her 18-month-old daughter. As Common Dreams reported, Israel’s attack “was characterized as the largest escalation since 2014.”

After giving himself an “A-plus” performance grade for his first two years in office and expressing his disbelief that anyone could want to impeach someone who “has done a great job,” President Donald Trump warned in a “Fox & Friends” interview on Thursday that if was removed from office, the “market would crash” and “everybody would be very poor.”

Asked by Fox News‘ Ainsley Earhardt if he thinks Democrats will move to impeach him if they take control of Congress, Trump said: “You know, I guess it says something like high crimes and all—I don’t know how you can impeach somebody who has done a great job.”

Trump proceeded to point to his head and declare, “Without this thinking, you would see numbers that you wouldn’t believe—in reverse.”

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Super Typhoon Mangkhut, which struck the Philippines early Saturday as “the planet’s strongest storm in 2018” before heading for China, has killed at least 69 people, and the death toll expected to rise in the worst hit portions of the Philippines as rescue workers search for dozens feared dead.

A landslide in Itogon, a town in the Phillipines’ Benguet province, covered a former miners’ bunkhouse converted into a chapel, where an estimated 40 to 50 people sought shelter despite warnings from police that it was unsafe, according to The Associated Press.

Mayor Victorio Palangdan said 11 bodies have been recovered, and there is a “99 percent” chance those who remain missing—mostly poor miners and their families—were killed.

“Hundreds of rescuers armed with shovels and picks, including police and soldiers, searched for the missing in the muddy avalanche along a mountainside as grief-stricken relatives waited nearby, many of them quietly praying. Bodies in black bags were laid side by side,” the AP reported. “Those identified were carried away by relatives, some using crude bamboo slings.”

After striking the Philippines, the storm moved to Hong Kong, where it caused “extenstive” damage—but so far, no reported deaths. “Wind gusts as strong as 120 miles an hour swept through the city,” the New York Times reported, “rocking tall buildings and fueling storm swells that threatened the coastline with waves as high as 40 feet.”

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu called the damage “serious and extensive,” according to the South China Morning Post. “The Hong Kong Observatory said the intensity of the storm, which required a typhoon signal No 10 to stay in place for 10 hours, was the most powerful since records began in 1946.”

On Sunday evening, Mangkhut made landfall in Guangdong, China’s most populous province, where it killed at least four people. CNN reported that more than three million were evacuated for safety reasons. Rain and powerful winds are forecast to continue through Tuesday along China’s coast and the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan.

Mangkhut struck Southeast Asia just as Hurricane Florence battered the Southeastern United States this weekend. As recovery efforts are only beginning in both regions, experts and environmental activists continue to issue reminders that the human-caused climate crisis is exacerbating extreme weather—including tropical cyclones—and warnings that it will only get worse.

With his deeply unpopular U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, facing outraged protests at his confirmation hearing and veteran journalist Bob Woodward’s book about the inner workings of the White House making waves, President Donald Trump launched his latest attacks on the First Amendment on Wednesday.

According to reports from the Daily Beast and Hill Reporter, Trump took aim at protesters like the dozens who were dragged away in handcuffs from Kavanaugh’s hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday. In an Oval Office interview with the conservative Daily Caller on Tuesday, the president was quoted as saying:

The reports did not indicate what Trump, whose only political position has been as President of the United States, was referring to by “the old days” when “we used to throw them out,” but as a presidential candidate in 2016, he made a habit of ordering the removal of protesters from his rallies—as well as encouraging his supporters to violently attack them.

Demonstrators have already faced consequences for exercising their First Amendment rights at Kavanaugh’s hearing. CNN reported that a total of 70 protesters were arrested for protesting on the first day of the proceedings.

On Wednesday morning, the protesters returned to the hearing room to find no apparent allies on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is overseeing the confirmation hearings. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) apologized to Kavanaugh for “the circumstances” after several demonstrators were removed for vocally opposing the anti-choice extremist, while Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) warned against “insolence” in the chamber.

After a few protests early in the hearing, Lisa Desjardins, a correspondent for the PBS “Newshour” tweeted that the public had been barred from the room.

Organizers with the Women’s March later tweeted that they and other protesters were back in the room and ready to continue demonstrating.

Not content to attempt to curb legal protests, the president also raged against Woodward’s book, “Fear: Trump in the White House.” The book portrays Trump as a serial liar who officials have privately worried possesses the knowledge of “a fifth or sixth grader” regarding issues like relations with North Korea—and wondered why lawmakers wouldn’t “change libel laws” to protect someone such as himself from such accounts.

Trump has frequently railed against journalists for writing negative stories about him, and this is just the latest time he has made a public call for Congress to amend libel laws to protect him.

Last winter, following the release of another White House exposé, Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury,” Trump warned that he would “be taking a look at our nation’s libel laws.”

As MSNBC reporter Ari Melber noted on “Morning Joe,” the president suggestion served to chill free press rights—and was not based in an understanding of U.S. laws regarding libel and defamation.

“Libel laws are state laws,” Melber said. “That tweet, beyond being a potential abuse of the president’s role in trying to bully the free press given the federal First Amendment, also shows a stunning lack of knowledge and total ignorance about how libel laws work.”

BURLINGTON, VT — On the third and final day of The Sanders Institute Gathering on Saturday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) led a panel of experts and advocates to discuss the crisis of, the solutions to, he says, “that gets far too little discussion”: the nation’s housing crisis.

In an era of unaffordable housing, gentrification, and discriminatory housing policies, the panel conversation explored the “innovative initiatives including land trusts, non-profit landlord ownership and the progress towards fairer housing policies in America.”

“I hope everyone here remembers that we are the wealthiest country in the world,” Sanders said as he introduced the talk.

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Rent the Runway announced new membership options to offer more
customization. An open letter from the company’s CEO and co-founder
Jenn Hyman explains that under the new rental structure, “the majority
of our members will pay less for their membership.”

Previously, the company’s rental subscriptions allowed customers to
either opt for an Unlimited plan that let them swap out clothes
whenever they wanted, or a Swap plan that allowed renters to exchange
styles either once or twice per month.

The company seems to be learning that new lifestyle changes brought
on by social distancing has led to consumers wanting different options
from their clothing rentals.

“The goal of our new membership structure is to provide customers
with a flexible plan that can adapt seamlessly to their changing
lifestyles, needs and budgets – with price points that reflect the
number of styles received per month,” Hyman wrote.

Rent the Runway is phasing out its Unlimited plan. It will no
longer accept new members to Unlimited starting next week, and by the
beginning of 2021 it hopes to transition all Unlimited members to a
new plan.

There will now be three rental plan options, each offering a
different amount of items per month. Each can be customized with extra
items as needed. The four-item plan, which was previously called 1
Swap, will continue to offer users one shipment per month for 89
dollars. The eight-item plan, previously called 2 Swaps, allows
subscribers two shipments per month for 135 dollars. The newest plan
offers 16 items per month across four shipments for 199 dollars.

This new structure will be rolled out next week.

Image: Rent the Runway

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Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum raised more than $1 million the day after he notched a stunning win in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The lucrative day of fundraising also came as his opponent, Rep. Ron DeSantisRonald Dion DeSantisGOP tentatively decides on Jacksonville for site of convention DeSantis pushing to host Republican National Convention in Florida Florida bars and theaters to reopen starting Friday, DeSantis says MORE (R), came under fire after saying in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday that voters should not “monkey this up” by electing Gillum, who would become Florida’s first black governor if elected in November.

Gillum, a progressive who has aligned himself with Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.), also faced attacks from President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE.

The $1 million cash infusion signals that donors, large and small, may be prepared to rally behind Gillum as the Democratic nominee to replace Gov. Rick Scott (R), who is currently seeking the Senate seat held by Sen. Bill NelsonClarence (Bill) William NelsonNASA, SpaceX and the private-public partnership that caused the flight of the Crew Dragon Lobbying world The most expensive congressional races of the last decade MORE (D).

Gillum routinely trailed his primary opponents, including two millionaires and a billionaire, in fundraising ahead of Tuesday’s contest. Until Wednesday, his best fundraising stretch came earlier this month when he brought in $509,391 between Aug. 4 and Aug. 10.

The 39-year-old Tallahassee mayor is likely to face a bitter and expensive general election bid against DeSantis, a three-term congressman who has the backing of Trump and has cast himself as a defender of the president’s agenda.

The “monkey this up” comment prompted accusations that DeSantis was using a racist dog whistle to attack his opponent. In a second interview on Fox News Wednesday night, DeSantis insisted that his comment had “zero to do with race.”

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Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s public standing sags after Floyd protests GOP senators introduce resolution opposing calls to defund the police MORE (R-Texas) was the most disliked member of the Senate Republican Conference for much of his first six years in Congress, but colleagues are rallying to his side in the face of a serious reelection challenge from Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D).

Polls show a tight race between Cruz and the photogenic O’Rourke, who would make history if he could pull off what would be a huge upset in the Lone Star State.

A Cruz loss would also put GOP control of the Senate very much at risk, which has senators who have sometimes been at odds with the tough-talking Texan coming to his aid.

The entire Senate Republican leadership hosted a fundraiser for Cruz at the end of June, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote GOP senator to try to reverse requirement that Pentagon remove Confederate names from bases No, ‘blue states’ do not bail out ‘red states’ MORE (R-Ky.), whom Cruz once famously called a liar on the Senate floor, has made the maximum donation to Cruz’s campaign through his leadership PAC, the Bluegrass Committee.

Cruz has also received $5,000 from Senate GOP Whip John CornynJohn CornynSenate headed for late night vote amid standoff over lands bill Koch-backed group launches ad campaign to support four vulnerable GOP senators Tim Scott to introduce GOP police reform bill next week MORE’s (Texas) leadership PAC, $10,000 from Sen. Roy BluntRoy Dean BluntSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Hillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Senate headed for late night vote amid standoff over lands bill | Trump administration seeks to use global aid for nuclear projects | EPA faces lawsuit alleging failure to update flaring requirements MORE’s (R-Mo.) Rely on Your Beliefs Fund and $10,000 from Sen. John BarrassoJohn Anthony BarrassoGOP senators urge Trump to back off Murkowski threat House Democrats roll out 0B green transportation infrastructure bill IRS proposes guidance for expanded carbon capture tax credit MORE (Wyo.), chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.

The open wallets aren’t surprising, but they are notable given Cruz’s past clashes with colleagues.

Cruz infuriated GOP leaders in the fall of 2013 by rallying House conservatives to oppose any government funding bill that didn’t block the implementation of ObamaCare — a political fight that resulted in a 16-day government shutdown that hurt the GOP’s brand right before a midterm election year.

Sen. John McCainJohn Sidney McCainThe Hill’s Campaign Report: Bad polling data is piling up for Trump Cindy McCain ‘disappointed’ McGrath used image of John McCain in ad attacking McConnell Report that Bush won’t support Trump reelection ‘completely made up,’ spokesman says MORE (R-Ariz.) at the time called the shutdown a “fool’s errand,” while Sen. Bob CorkerRobert (Bob) Phillips CorkerGOP lawmakers stick to Trump amid new criticism Trump asserts his power over Republicans Romney is only GOP senator not on new White House coronavirus task force MORE (R-Tenn.) repeatedly criticized Cruz for leading the party into a “box canyon” from which there would be no easy escape.

McConnell later likened the painful ordeal to the “kick of a mule.”

The animosity went both ways.

Cruz once accused McConnell on the Senate of lying about a secret deal with Democrats to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.

“We know now that when the majority leader looks us in the eyes and makes an explicit commitment, that he is willing to say things that he knows are false,” Cruz fumed.

Cruz even refused to endorse Cornyn, his home-state colleague, in the 2014 Texas Senate GOP primary. Cornyn returned the gesture this year when he declined to publicly back Cruz in his primary race in March.

Things grew so acrimonious between Cruz and many of his Senate GOP colleagues that Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op MORE (R-S.C.) joked at the 2016 Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional Dinner, “If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you.”

But GOP leaders and rank-and-file Republicans alike are putting aside those differences in the face of an existential threat to Cruz’s Senate career in the form of O’Rourke, the skateboarding ex-punk rocker who has amassed a stunning $23.6 million campaign fund. The latest fundraising reports show O’Rourke with more cash on hand, $13.9 million, than Cruz, at $9.3 million.

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A Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss feelings about Cruz within the GOP caucus said his past conflicts with the party won’t hurt support from colleagues when he needs it most.

“Elections tend to bring parties together. For the most part, everyone in the caucus will want to help the party remain in power,” the lawmaker said. “Already you’ve seen some national money be directed to Texas. I imagine that the whole party will be behind Cruz in the election.”

Recent polls shows Cruz in a neck-and-neck race.

An Emerson College poll published at the end of last month showed Cruz ahead by only a point, while an NBC News–Marist poll showed him up 4 points, right around the margin of error.

Cruz has stepped up his campaigning, crisscrossing the state to meet voters and match O’Rourke’s pace.

“I’m focusing my time and energy on campaigning across the state last week. I did 17 townhalls all over the state of Texas and that’s where the time and energy is best spent,” he told The Hill.

Asked how much money the National Republican Senatorial Committee would allocate to help Cruz in Texas, Sen. Cory GardnerCory Scott GardnerSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Interior faces legal scrutiny for keeping controversial acting leaders in office | White House faces suit on order lifting endangered species protections | Lawmakers seek investigation of Park Police after clearing of protesters The Hill’s Campaign Report: Republicans go on attack over calls to ‘defund the police’ MORE (R-Colo.), the committee’s chairman, said he isn’t worried about the race.

“Ted Cruz is going to win, so I’m not concerned about Texas,” he said Thursday.

O’Rourke has spent $2.8 million on ads in the general campaign, while Republicans had spent only $226,000 in the state as of Aug. 29, according to a tally by NBC News.

While colleagues have contributed to Cruz’s campaign, he doesn’t expect any of them to visit Texas in the next two months to help him on the stump.

“I don’t think Texans are likely to make a decision in this campaign based on the views of senators representing different states,” he said, noting that Cornyn has endorsed him in the general election.

Cruz campaigned for several colleagues in the 2014 midterm elections: Sens. Pat RobertsCharles (Pat) Patrick RobertsTrump tweets spark fresh headache for Republicans Trump’s tweet on protester sparks GOP backlash GOP lawmakers stick to Trump amid new criticism MORE (R-Kan.), David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Dan SullivanDaniel Scott SullivanUS security starts in the Arctic Senate confirms nation’s first African American service chief GOP senators urge Trump not to restrict guest worker visas MORE (R-Alaska).

Cruz’s unpopularity probably hit a high point during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, when he pointedly declined to endorse President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE during a prime-time speaking slot. Angry delegates booed Cruz off the stage as Trump stood at the back of the convention, pumping his fist and egging the crowd on.

Since then, knowing his reelection would be exponentially tougher if Trump — who won the state by 9 points — opposed him, Cruz has remade himself as more of a team player.

And he has mended his relationship with Trump, often defending the president and his policies to reporters on Capitol Hill.

Trump has vowed to repay Cruz for his loyalty by holding a major rally for him in Texas this October in the “biggest stadium” he can find.

“Ted has my complete and total endorsement,” the president declared before the Labor Day weekend.

Other Republicans who have donated to Cruz include include Sens. Lamar AlexanderAndrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderState, city education officials press Congress for more COVID-19 funds Hillicon Valley: Senators raise concerns over government surveillance of protests | Amazon pauses police use of its facial recognition tech | FBI warns hackers are targeting mobile banking apps Republicans prepare to punt on next COVID-19 relief bill MORE (Tenn.), $10,000; Orrin HatchOrrin Grant HatchBottom line Bottom line Bottom line MORE (Utah), Mike CrapoMichael (Mike) Dean CrapoOn The Money: US tops 100,000 coronavirus deaths with no end in sight | How lawmaker ties helped shape Fed chairman’s COVID-19 response | Tenants fear mass evictions GOP senators urge Trump not to restrict guest worker visas How lawmaker ties helped shape Fed chairman’s COVID-19 response MORE (Idaho), Mike EnziMichael (Mike) Bradley EnziGOP senators dodge on treatment of White House protesters House GOP lawmakers urge Senate to confirm Vought The Hill’s Morning Report – Can Sanders be stopped? MORE (Wyo.), Richard BurrRichard Mauze BurrExclusive investigation on the coronavirus pandemic: Where was Congress? Trump asserts his power over Republicans FISA ‘reform’: Groundhog Day edition MORE (N.C.), James InhofeJames (Jim) Mountain InhofeOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill MORE (Okla.) and Sullivan, who have all given him $10,000; Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyGOP senators push for quick, partial reopening of economy NSA improperly collected US phone records in October, new documents show Overnight Defense: Pick for South Korean envoy splits with Trump on nuclear threat | McCain blasts move to suspend Korean military exercises | White House defends Trump salute of North Korean general MORE (Pa.), Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanSenate subcommittee: IRS should increase oversight of tax-prep companies in Free File program Senate report: Chinese telecom firms operated in US without proper oversight for decades GOP’s Obama-era probes fuel Senate angst MORE (Ohio), Roger WickerRoger Frederick WickerPrivate lawsuits are a necessary expedient in privacy legislation Bottom line GOP faces internal conflicts on fifth coronavirus bill MORE (Miss.) and Ben SasseBenjamin (Ben) Eric SasseTim Scott to introduce GOP police reform bill next week GOP votes to give Graham broad subpoena power in Obama-era probe Senate GOP shifts on police reform MORE (Neb.), who all gave $5,000; and Tim ScottTimothy (Tim) Eugene ScottHouse Republicans hopeful about bipartisan path forward on police reform legislation Rand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill MORE (S.C.), who donated $2,000, according to campaign finance records verified by the Cruz campaign.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE has been privately criticizing Florida GOP gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantisRonald Dion DeSantisGOP tentatively decides on Jacksonville for site of convention DeSantis pushing to host Republican National Convention in Florida Florida bars and theaters to reopen starting Friday, DeSantis says MORE and accusing him of disloyalty, Politico reported Tuesday, after the former congressman publicly broke with him over the official death toll in Puerto Rico.

The president has been a staunch supporter of DeSantis since he launched his gubernatorial run, campaigning with him in Florida and repeatedly praising him on Twitter. Citing “people familiar with the president’s thinking,” Politico reported that Trump views DeSantis as “politically indebted to him.”

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DeSantis, who stepped down from his congressional seat earlier this month to focus on the campaign, closely aligned his campaign with Trump. But after the president publicly disputed the death toll from 2017’s Puerto Rico hurricanes — which has risen to nearly 3,000 — and accused Democrats of falsely inflating the numbers, DeSantis joined a number of other lawmakers in taking a stand against Trump’s comments.

“Ron DeSantis is committed to standing with the Puerto Rican community, especially after such a tragic loss of life,” his campaign said in a statement. “He doesn’t believe any loss of life has been inflated.”

“3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico,” Trump tweeted at the time. “When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000.”

“This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico,” he added. “If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list.”

Trump has reportedly privately lashed out about DeSantis since the comments, with one Politico source describing the situation as a “divorce.”

DeSantis is locked in a tight race to succeed term-limited Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R). Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) leads DeSantis by less than 4 points, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls.

DeSantis’s campaign issued a statement to Politico that did not address whether his comments created tension between him and the president.

“Ron DeSantis knows first-hand that President Trump honored all requests for Hurricane Maria relief and it is sad, though predictable, that Democrats are wrongly politicizing this issue and that the media is constantly trying to drive a wedge between the president and members of his own party,” the campaign said. “As governor, Ron will continue to work with the president through his reelection and second term to accomplish great things for Florida.”

A White House spokesman did not return Politico’s request for comment.

As Dr. Christine Blasey Ford detailed her sexual assault accusation against Trump Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, a photo taken by New Yorker staff writer Osita Nwanevu shows that Ford was positioned directly in front of seven male GOP senators who have worked to ram through Kavanaugh’s confirmation as quickly as possible without an FBI investigation.

“This is what Christine Blasey Ford is looking at as she describes her sexual assault,” Nwanevu noted. “I mean this literally. The Dems are there of course, but from her angle at the table, the GOP side of the semicircle is right in front of her.”

Month: September 2020

As Victims' Families Fight for Justice, Secret Report Details How Israel Used Armed Drone to Kill Gazan Children

As Impeachment Momentum Grows, Trump Warns 'Everybody Would Be Very Poor' If He Gets Ousted

Scores Feared Dead in Philippines After Massive Landslide Triggered by Typhoon Mangkhut

As Civil Disobedience Dominates Kavanaugh Hearing, Trump Says "It's Embarrassing for Country to Allow Protesters"

US Housing Crisis Inexcusable, Says Bernie Sanders, When Wall Street Bailed Out After Financial Crisis

Rent the Runway changes membership options, phases out Unlimited

Gillum's campaign raises over $1 million the day after winning Democratic nominee

Cruz gets help from Senate GOP in face of serious challenge from O’Rourke

Trump privately bashing DeSantis as 'disloyal' after breaking with him on Puerto Rico death toll: report

As Christine Blasey Ford Details Sexual Assault Allegation Against Kavanaugh, This Is What She's Looking At