Most Republican senators support Trump’s terrible actions and words

Some don’t even have the guts to offer an opinion.

Analysis | No surprise here: Republican senators largely stand by Trump after his church photo op https://t.co/GGrPqCA7TE
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 2, 2020

Kasie Hunt asks Republican senators what they thought of the President having peaceful protestors gassed and dispersed for a photo op pic.twitter.com/MGy60CFvLV
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) June 2, 2020

Pathetic

Top GOP senators defending move to clear out peaceful protestors near WH for Trump church photo-op, with Cornyn disputing the notion they were being peaceful bc "they refused to move.” “So obviously, it was a necessary security measure.” https://t.co/p3kqcphG1o
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 2, 2020

At least 2 Republicans in Congress — Senators Ben Sasse and Tim Scott — are criticizing President Trump's response to protests after peaceful demonstrators were gassed in front of the White House so he could pose for a photograph with a Bible https://t.co/h152ev6N0E
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 2, 2020

Rebukes aren't strong. Actions are strong. Until Susan Collins *does something* to stop this, she's just as complicit as Trump himself. https://t.co/CEZOJmaDct
— Max Burns (@themaxburns) June 2, 2020

“I'm not going to critique other people's performances.”https://t.co/kFsmqf3kev
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) June 2, 2020

What an eff-you to America. Thanks, GOP. It was clear you didn't have the guts to challenge Trump. But you can't even talk about this crisis. A badge of shame. https://t.co/MJzOFTKuaq
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) June 2, 2020

White supremacists pose as Antifa

Twitter says it suspended several hundred accounts and is investigating the viral spread of the hashtag, which it says was boosted by "hundreds of spammy accounts." https://t.co/9CvRni4wmt
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 2, 2020

White supremacists are now engaging in what Russians call active measures, posing as Antifa and inciting violence. https://t.co/dJBHBkh5JV
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) June 2, 2020

After falling for multiple hoaxes about antifa, Fox Nation host @laralogan now promotes a joke tweet claiming antifa calls their members “juggalos”. pic.twitter.com/OBKgivL4w2
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) June 5, 2020

Trump threatens the use of military force; peaceful protesters are tear gassed

I don’t watch Trump speak but it sounds like he said nothing about the basis of the protests – police murders of African-Americans. There’s no reason for the protesters to stop until something is being done.

I don’t support vandalism and looting. I totally support the peaceful protests. You can make an argument that peaceful protests don’t work. Look where they got Colin Kaepernick – unemployed. Kaepernick was right then and Trump’s talk and actions have only validated his concerns.

So Trump just essentially said he was going to use the military to suppress the first amendment while encouraging his supporters to exercise the second amendment. Terrifying. This is the moment I’ve expected since J20 2017.
— baynardwoods (@baynardwoods) June 1, 2020

Police used tear gas and flash bangs to clear out peaceful protesters so Trump could have a photo op at St. John’s Church. Just amazing.
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 1, 2020

There is absolutely no doubt that what the @POTUS just said, and the images of the military police in moving on a peaceful crowd, will further inflame an already dangerous situation.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) June 1, 2020

This was a peaceful protest. And they are using tear gas. In the United States. In front of the White House.
— Jackie Kucinich (@JFKucinich) June 1, 2020

Were thousands of peaceful protestors just tear gassed so Trump could have a photo op? https://t.co/YZVC5oXXYM
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 1, 2020

Wtf. Fucktard is on tv spouting bullshit in the rose garden while he deploys federal police and military on a peaceful crowd! Made for tv moment. No questions for the law and order instigater in chief. He is declaring war on protest. This is going to be bad!#WarOnProtesters
— DreadMD (@originaldreadmd) June 1, 2020

Every fucking Democrat who voted to give Trump a humongous military budget, while claiming that he’s dangerous for the photo ops, bears some responsibility https://t.co/uirmYbW4uI
— Sarah Lazare (@sarahlazare) June 1, 2020

Newspaper editors have a choice: They don't have to use the photo that President used tear gas on his citizens to generate.
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 1, 2020

.@Acosta is reporting that the massive show of force (tear gas, etc.) against peaceful protestors across from the White House was to allow Trump to have a photo op at historic St. John’s church. Astonishing provocation – all for a photo op.
— Paul Begala (@PaulBegala) June 1, 2020

The President had peaceful protesters shot with tear gas and rubber bullets so he could get his picture taken.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) June 1, 2020

The right wing always blames George Soros

.@RealCandaceO claimed that George Soros and his Open Society Foundations paid to organize “chaos” in Minneapolis. The foundation says it opposes violence and has never paid protesters. https://t.co/OQSoKtcnOo
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) June 1, 2020

Soros didn’t kneel on George Floyd’s neck until he died. https://t.co/pDcxOaR4aP
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) June 1, 2020

Police shootings of African-Americans lead to worse mental health for the community

“We found that every police shooting of an unarmed African American led to worse mental health, not just for the family, but for the entire African American community in the state” says David Williams, co-author of a study which shows the impact of police killings on communities. pic.twitter.com/9wpOBK2pYp
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) June 1, 2020

Trump’s attacks on the press have resulted in physical attacks by police

U.S. police have attacked journalists at least 100 times in the past four days https://t.co/H3UP37TXUp
— Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) June 1, 2020

I researched countless protests for my first book. I’ve written about many since. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve never seen the widespread, deliberate targeting of journalists by police that we’ve seen over the last few days. Something has changed.
— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) June 1, 2020

Detroit News reporter handcuffed, other journalists report conflicts with police https://t.co/yBzO9ffTZU via ⁦@detroitnews⁩
— ChristineFerretti_DN (@cferretti_dn) June 1, 2020

@tylergabriel_ is a reporter with @WSJ. He is also a young black man and he was assaulted despite having done everything he was supposed to: Had his press badge out, hands up. @NYCMayor @NYPDShea why are officers attacking reporters? He was doing his damn job. https://t.co/xg2cea8i89
— Jan Ransom (@Jan_Ransom) June 1, 2020

US Press Freedom Tracker says that they have so far documented at least 100 different “incidents of aggression” against the media over the weekend, but more from today have yet to be counted. There have been more than 60 assaults of journalists, per the group.
— Ted Johnson (@tedstew) June 1, 2020

I’ve never seen so many incidents with police and reporters simultaneously in different cities. Tension between cops and reporters is nothing new. Aggression on reporters in multiple locations nationally at same time is something different. https://t.co/SA5s1Wy3DP
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020

Per @MarquardtA, a CNN photojournalist shooting the chaotic scene near the WH was hit in the leg by a police officer with a baton even after showing his press credentials
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 1, 2020

"The norms have broken down": Shock as journalists are arrested, injured by police while trying to cover protests https://t.co/U3kRtwiF6G
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 31, 2020

What Trump has done "the last four years of encouraging people to hate the press, 'enemy of the people,' 'scum of the earth,' using those rallies… it's a large factor in the attacks on press that we're seeing on the streets today," @DavidZurawik asserts https://t.co/M6WGhWxsWa
— Reliable Sources (@ReliableSources) June 1, 2020

The Trump factor, with its vicious enemy-of-the-people name calling, must not be ignored in understanding rising tide of attacks on members of press covering protests. https://t.co/KRMS4TguG0
— David Zurawik (@davidzurawik) June 1, 2020

Unable to cover #Minneapolis story after ⁦@latimes ⁦@mollyhf⁩ & I + other #journalists attacked by #MinnesotaStatePolice ⁦@GovTimWalz⁩ apologizes during press conference. pic.twitter.com/gOFJUkIuNg
— Carolyn Cole (@Carolyn_Cole) May 31, 2020

The moment Minneapolis police and state troopers stormed the Stop-N-Shop and trained their weapons on property owners and #journalists, pepper spraying @vicenews correspondent @MichaelAdams317 while he’s lying on the ground, Press ID above his head. pic.twitter.com/ZBcrASSn9U
— Roberto Daza (@rsdaza) May 31, 2020

My timeline is full of reporters who were assaulted by police after properly identifying themselves yesterday. Hard to think this unprecedented behavior is unrelated to Trump’s consistent attacks on the press. https://t.co/ExxD2cGgUi
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) May 31, 2020

Shock as journalists are arrested, injured by police while trying to cover the story https://t.co/FBWmbuBvkf
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 1, 2020

Trump’s terrible call with governors

He abdicates responsibility

He says nothing (as far as I read) about the real issue of police brutality against African-Americans that caused the protest

He blames the governors

His law and order pitch sounds like Nixon which is not a compliment

Trump should just shut up

Trump’s words to America’s Governor’s are not the words of an American President. They are the words of a thug and autocrat who despises our countries most sacred ideas and ideals. Trump is the author of unprecedented American weakness. Chaos, disease, death and economic collapse
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) June 1, 2020

President Trump, who has pardoned a number of his political allies, suggests that those protesting racial injustice in America get put in jail for 10 years. https://t.co/EsmEfOa5el
— Matt Viser (@mviser) June 1, 2020

Trump is quick to rule out that white supremacist groups have played any role in the violent demonstrations https://t.co/oSSFsWTvR5
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 1, 2020

Trump has no basis to say this

Here is transcript of a testy exchange between the president and @GovPritzker of Illinois, per person on call. pic.twitter.com/fNYW8BXkMs
— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) June 1, 2020

A sign of how tense this moment is.@GovJanetMills tells the sitting president his trip to Maine this week may “cause security problems for our state”

Trump fires back that he expects "a tremendous crowd of people showing up”

"They like their president," Trump says of Mainers
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) June 1, 2020

Trump is only the president of his cult.

The president who has spent the last few weeks condemning the overreach of FISA wants government to track people arrested during the protests. https://t.co/wCSKkYiOBT
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020

Gov Pritzker confronting Trump on call per source: “I have been extraordinarily concerned with the rhetoric coming out of the WH making it worse. People are feeling real pain out there. We have to have national leadership in calling for calm.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 1, 2020

In addition to Tiananmen Square, Trump comments to governors recall these remarks suggesting cops get rougher on detainees during a Long Island speech in 2017 https://t.co/SzZIoxxQXK
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020

Telling that the president feels compelled, yet again, to defend the honor of white supremacists. https://t.co/EDkysPof4T
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) June 1, 2020

They’re a major part of his base

As with COVID, potus seems at the moment to be trying outsource response to the unrest to governors. https://t.co/sQlDClBzCd
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 1, 2020

Here's the audio of that remarkable call where Trump lashes out at governors and says they need to crack down on protesters. pic.twitter.com/ANSsniYItN
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) June 1, 2020

22% of Republicans say race was not a factor in George Floyd’s death

What the hell did they watch?

Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Most Americans say race was a ‘major factor’ in George Floyd’s death, but opinions on protests are split

Trump retweets QAnon slogans

Trump has done nothing helpful during this crisis. He’s just riling up his cult members. It would be pointless for him to make a speech. Even if he said the right things, he would not be able to say them in a sincere, believable way.

Earlier today, a number of advisers spent time telling the president not to tweet and going over why it was making things worse. Now, he’s tweeting folks using QANon slogans. https://t.co/FHBvuAsPvt
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 31, 2020

For those still curious as to why his staff isn’t pushing harder for him to give a formal speech.

Does anyone have any further questions? pic.twitter.com/xqrUDEZ3Bv
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) May 31, 2020

The account Trump quote-tweeted is even nuttier than he is. https://t.co/VlRxO6AGBd
— Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) May 31, 2020

Trump doesn’t vet the accounts he retweets anymore than he vets the people he hires.

Trump just retweeted a QAnon post from an account that has QAnon all over their bio pic.twitter.com/LKyM7h0499
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 31, 2020

Twitter suspended the loony Qanon conspiracy account @realDonaldTrump retweeted. pic.twitter.com/YBcwqmjtip
— Morten Øverbye (@morten) May 31, 2020

Time to re-read the FBI’s assessment from last year that QAnon and other conspiracy theories constitute a domestic terrorism threat likely to increase during the 2020 presidential cycle. https://t.co/LJIWvuQeM3 https://t.co/CucqO4xQu0
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 31, 2020

Trump tweets QAnon conspiracy theory message amid unrest https://t.co/Ar73zdh9de
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 31, 2020

What good would a presidential address be if almost everyone believes the President doesn't believe what he is saying and will contradict what he would say within hours of saying it?
— Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) May 31, 2020

Trump makes baseless attack on Antifa

Trump and O’Brien have presented no evidence of Antifa involvement. I am waiting for them to say George Soros funded the protestors. They are distracting from any focus on right-wing extremists. I think Trump will try the Nixon racist “law and order” strategy.

Opinion: Trump’s bluster about "Antifa" and the protests takes another hit https://t.co/wGmJzPy0hx
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 11, 2020

“[Antifa] doesn’t exist as a group in the way the president imagines, it would make it difficult to associate somebody with a group that doesn’t exist as an organization. They’re imagining something that isn’t real,” a retired FBI agent said https://t.co/bmm2ZCtvKK
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) June 5, 2020

Why did this Talk Radio Militia think some campers were “antifa,” as though there were an actual organization by that name? Because the president* told them so. https://t.co/vwdImqnACU
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) June 5, 2020

Why is the president so determined to ignore the white nationalist right? https://t.co/heXl0r9d52
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) June 1, 2020

Because they vote for him

i can't really summarize years' worth of research & experience on here but a few quick notes about "ANTIFA":
1. it stands for antifascist
2. it traces its origins to street-fighting armies who confronted the fascist forces of mussolini, the nazi party, & fascists across europe
— Talia Lavin (@chick_in_kiev) May 30, 2020

Waste no brain cells on this. Antifa is a vaguely defined movement of people who like direct-action protest tactics, not an actual organization. Even if it were a real group, the law that lets the government deem entities as terrorists only applies to foreign orgs. https://t.co/zXYjI16ymB
— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) May 31, 2020

It is extremely common for authoritarian states to broadly expand the definition of an activist group so that anyone they oppose can be accused of being a member, and thus be arrested and surveiled according to their invented pretext. That is what they will try to do with antifa.
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) May 31, 2020

Context: For years federal law enforcement has been hesitant to label/treat white supremacists groups as terrorist orgs — it would infringe on rights of Americans if cops monitored them the way they do foreign terrorist groups, they've argued. Apparently that's fine for Antifa https://t.co/RlNtD5r1hX
— Wesley (@WesleyLowery) May 31, 2020

The United States of America has no legal authority to designate *any* domestic entities as “terrorist organizations.” https://t.co/NniZjEwaJl
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) May 31, 2020

President Trump tweeted that the US will designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, even though the US government has no existing legal authority to label a wholly domestic group in the manner it currently designates foreign terrorist organizations. https://t.co/IZp6IVSkc5
— CNN (@CNN) May 31, 2020

When even Andrew McCarthy calls Barr’s designation of Antifa as a terrorist organization illegal and a “pointless political gesture,” that’s really saying something. https://t.co/TejsLjSeqW
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) May 31, 2020

Regarding the President, politics, law enforcement & Antifa – we have a problem. Here’s my story – for last 15 yrs been involved or teaching terrorism/counterterrorism courses to law enforcement around the country, last 3 years, it’s gotten weird.
— Clint Watts (@selectedwisdom) May 31, 2020

President Trump said the U.S. would designate antifa as a terrorist organization. But the laws that permit such an action are limited to foreign groups — and antifa is a vaguely defined movement of left-wing and anti-fascist activists, not an organization.https://t.co/UxkrLPe65T
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 31, 2020

For all of you presidents out there confused about what Antifa is, we defined it AND interviewed someone about it last season on the #NotAllWhitePeople episode of #UnitedShades. You can watch it here on @hbomax. #IAmAntifa https://t.co/H16kDL7UiC pic.twitter.com/XKrPbrkNCC
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) May 31, 2020

NEW: A suspended Twitter account is the source of a viral conspiracy theory about antifa and the George Floyd protests. There is no evidence that activists are targeting white residential areas. https://t.co/utYhCjPBrA pic.twitter.com/zXciNAmg66
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) June 1, 2020

Barr was quick to conflate peaceful demonstrators with dangerous looters, and to claim it was all the work of Antifa.

This has now become Trump’s mantra as it was once an article of faith for LBJ and Nixon that communists were behind all protests.https://t.co/9hJXFMxksZ
— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) June 3, 2020