Trump or Barr – who’s lying about the SDNY firing?

Berman backed Barr into appointing a replacement who is far more of a DOJ lifer than he was.

Barr just threw the SDNY investigations out of the frying pan and into the fire.

And now Berman is free to speak. https://t.co/6AlCwooXOx
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) June 20, 2020

Will Barr now interpret this to be a “resignation” by Berman and use this opportunity to replace Strauss with someone of his choice in the near future? https://t.co/HhJ0jdpMLY
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) June 20, 2020

Geoff Berman has agreed to leave. Thank you for your service to the country. Despite challenges, the fine people at SDNY will continue the long tradition of integrity and independence under Audrey Strauss. Let’s all wish her well. 🙏 https://t.co/9KRgUOeObn
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 20, 2020

Then it should be easier to get Berman to testify since he’s no longer working for the administration. I don’t see how Trump could block it.

BREAKING: Geoffrey Berman says he will step down as U.S. attorney in Manhattan, in light of Attorney General William Barr's decision to name Berman's deputy, Audrey Strauss, as acting U.S. attorney. [More] https://t.co/vNi4numDkv
— Benjamin Weiser (@BenWeiserNYT) June 20, 2020

Geoff Berman says he’s leaving: pic.twitter.com/nY5rdCnaRQ
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) June 20, 2020

.@RepJerryNadler announces the House Judiciary Committee will open an investigation into the Berman/SDNY firing: pic.twitter.com/mVNfe8aZoR
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) June 20, 2020

Barr says Trump has now fired Berman. This, Barr says, is authorized by 241(c). Notably, however, Barr has shifted, and is allowing the Deputy US Attorney to serve as the Acting US Attorney — and not, as per last night’s release, the NJ US Attorney. https://t.co/I73mOZtFAZ
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 20, 2020

Yes, Trump is saying he's not involved, and that's the only way Berman can be removed. Barr is a wannabe President, but he's not the President. As I read the law, Berman is still the US Attorney for SDNY. https://t.co/FAJpSZNGmc
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) June 20, 2020

Barr CAN’T legally remove Berman as SDNY US Attorney because Berman was installed by federal judges in NY when Trump failed to nominate & have confirmed a US Attorney for SDNY. Let’s see if Trump now tries to fire Berman. If he does, it’s a sign of extreme desperation & coverup.
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) June 20, 2020

Many things about this Barr letter

1. It says Berman must vacate today
2. It retreats from bizarre appointment of the NJ US attorney to lead both DNJ & SDNY https://t.co/jDAiPzJEpx
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 20, 2020

Now: Trump just said that "I am not involved" in firing of US Attorney Berman SDNY – saying it's up to AG Barr not him. This plays right into Berman's hands if Berman wants to contest Barr's authority.
— Shanlon Wu (@shanlonwu) June 20, 2020

As we ask why Trump and Barr want to fire Geoffrey Berman from SDNY, we should consider this: It’s possible that there’s an entirely new investigation that we don’t know about yet. That Trump and Barr don’t want to go forward.
— Anne Milgram (@AnneMilgram) June 20, 2020

Given Senator Schumer’s call for Jay Clayton to withdraw from SDNY consideration, this announcement by Senator Graham means Clayton’s nomination is dead on arrival https://t.co/7fCnZF7gsw
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 20, 2020

Tulsa pre-rally update

Six Trump campaign workers have tested positive for the coronavirus. A protester was arrested but it’s hard to figure out why.

but not upset that people got sick? https://t.co/dfZ77e0XRY
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) June 20, 2020

Not a mask in sight, just people living for the moment. https://t.co/1eemGo35hR
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) June 20, 2020

Donald Trump is so eager to get back to his campaign rallies that he’s willing to put people at risk and violate CDC guidelines — as long as they sign a waiver promising not to hold his campaign liable.

Unbelievable.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 20, 2020

This is what overflow looks like at the Trump rally in Tulsa right now. Pence is scheduled to speak out here in about 10 minutes. People still streaming in but not nearly the number the campaign said they were expecting. pic.twitter.com/hbypfviOxv
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 20, 2020

This is inside the Trump rally now. This will be the biggest single COVID spreading event of the pandemic.

pic.twitter.com/GpmkYTd4YZ
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) June 20, 2020

What possible grounds is there for arresting this woman? https://t.co/uK44zoIMT7
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) June 20, 2020

“Mr. Trump, who was made aware of the sick campaign aides before departing for the rally, was incensed that the news was made public, according to two people familiar with his reaction.” ⁦@shearm⁩ and me on tonight’s rally in Tulsa https://t.co/89htgIxBCE
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 20, 2020

I think the people going to the rally have a right to know this happened even though the sick staff members won’t be there.

Where we're at five hours before Trump takes the stage in Tulsa:
-Six campaign staff tested positive for covid
-Tulsa recorded highest case count yet
-Most police, vendors and Trump fans gathered outside arena without masks
-Confederate flag was spottedhttps://t.co/fGBsZQYjiC
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) June 20, 2020

The reporting is that the woman who was just arrested outside the Trump rally was told she could not attend the political rally (she had a ticket) because she was wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt! Hey First Amendment, if you’re listening . . .
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) June 20, 2020

Guess what, Tulsa police? The First Amendment freedoms of speech, petition, and peaceful assembly are binding on YOU too! And yes, even when Trump is in town!! https://t.co/vmkuSw3WMB
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) June 20, 2020

At this point, all I can say to folks like this is … go with God. https://t.co/GPTpC8HYs0
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 20, 2020

Tulsa resident Sue Williams, 72, picked her place in line Thursday afternoon.

“I’ve been praying, and I don’t believe I’m going to get the coronavirus,” Williams said.

She signed a waiver on her ticket application about the risks involved in going inside https://t.co/9UKscxb13G
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) June 20, 2020

At the Trump rally, Brian Clothier, 61, is wearing an adult diaper over his pants that reads “Scientists say [farts] spread the virus. I COVID my ass to stop the spread.” pic.twitter.com/2Ljok0vKKe
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) June 20, 2020

There are a lot of jokes already about how these Trump supporters are going to infect each other because they aren’t wearing masks. But I feel sorry for the overstressed medical workers who are going to have to clean up this mess. https://t.co/8byvTEtEh5
— MZS (@mattzollerseitz) June 20, 2020

Only been at the Trump rally since 9, but something I’ve noticed: No anti-Biden merch. This shirt is for sale, but the anti-Dem stuff has been anti-Hillary or generically about liberals being losers. pic.twitter.com/dWASK8DLDe
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 20, 2020

President Trump threatens protesters ahead of his Tulsa rally https://t.co/BJrtP3AGdF pic.twitter.com/WOLowlIkto
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 20, 2020

He’s just a bully

President Trump's Tulsa rally violates virtually every one of the CDC's guidelines for gatherings, says CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta https://t.co/tkqGhuACjW pic.twitter.com/FZF34RRESb
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 20, 2020

Trump’s visit to Tulsa opens up the raw wounds of so many descendants of the survivors of the Tulsa massacre.pic.twitter.com/f8MddhjZ5l
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 20, 2020

honestly surprised more people not taking abt this looming disaster—journalists covering indoor Tulsa rally are absolutely going to be put at risk; https://t.co/DDrJOGV61D
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) June 19, 2020

I wrote tweets as replies to tweets on the rally to ask if reporters have to work a mask but nobody answered. In the past, Trump has incited his cult members against the media and they have verbally attacked them which puts the media members at risk now because of the virus.

TULSA —

“If Trump felt comfortable having it here, then I’m comfortable," said one supporter.

Said another, of the coronavirus risk: "If today is the day I die, today is the day I die."https://t.co/gKfMlfT8f7
— Lauren Egan (@Lauren_V_Egan) June 19, 2020

"Baby Trump" balloon appears in Tulsa ahead of rally, raises more than $10,000 to restore historic church https://t.co/rub8JRJcY6 pic.twitter.com/FKuJcz50u2
— The Hill (@thehill) June 20, 2020

Black leaders in Tulsa are outraged by Trump’s planned rally during a pandemic https://t.co/n9sKmhCtdG
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 20, 2020

Apologies Tulsa. When the White House sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have problems & they’re bringing those problems. They’re bringing racism. They’re bringing homophobia & bigotry. They’re bringing corruption. They’re criminals. pic.twitter.com/E4vKd3AOPs
— Emily Brandwin (@CIAspygirl) June 20, 2020

Tulsa update 6/19/20

Trump told the WSJ on Wednesday that Oklahoma's coronavirus spike "has already ended."

On Thursday, Oklahoma reported another record increase in new cases. pic.twitter.com/pL14X5JmNM
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 19, 2020

Trump on Oklahoma: "The spike [in Covid-19 cases] ends, has already ended. And I think they're in great shape."

7-day rolling average of new cases in OK: pic.twitter.com/viBxPMxGPF
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) June 19, 2020

How can this help him? "Oklahoma cases of COVID-19 rose by 450 on Thursday, blowing past the record 259 daily cases reported on Wed, as the surge of infections continued ahead of a massive rally for Trump & demonstrations set for this weekend in Tulsa." https://t.co/aON26oYNIZ
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) June 19, 2020

Trump continues to attack mail-in voting

Republicans are big on voter suppression.

That's the thing about democracy, Mr. President: People get a choice.

And when your response to a deadly pandemic is tragically incompetent, you abuse the power of your office, and you strive to divide Americans,

You may not like the choice they make. https://t.co/lcy1M10PeB
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 19, 2020

President Trump says the "biggest risk" to his reelection is not stopping increased mail-in voting. https://t.co/gJNFZi0eA5
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 19, 2020

California to send every voter mail-in ballot for November https://t.co/HjJyCAW9Z3
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 19, 2020

Florida's House Dem. Leader Kionne McGhee tells NBC that party leaders are very concerned Trump will try and jam up mail-in ballots — Seniors are turning sharply against Trump in the state and many are expected to mail in their ballots.https://t.co/ZekpYBOzqN
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 12, 2020

A judge is threatening to hold Tennessee officials in contempt for not allowing coronavirus fears as a valid excuse for mail-in voting.https://t.co/5POtGd6CL5
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 12, 2020

"The president is out there all the time spreading conspiracy theories about the outcome, about voting and mail-in ballots," Nick Confessore says. "It's really an insurance policy … If he loses he can say, 'well I didn't really lose.'" https://t.co/OUtcEa1HGa
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 15, 2020

In @realDonaldTrump’s telling, there are only two possible scenarios this fall: He wins or the election was stolen.
(Remember, he still claims to have won the popular vote he lost by 3 million in ‘16, arguing “massive fraud” which no one could ever find.)https://t.co/AHaQ26ym8a
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) June 19, 2020

Gov. Roy Cooper has signed into law legislation providing money to help run North Carolina elections safely and securely during the COVID-19 pandemic and making it easier to cast mail-in absentee ballots this fall. https://t.co/yJxekwrFat
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 14, 2020

Trump’s grudge against the US Postal Service is a threat to the US election

The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy advocacy group based in New York, last week argued that a mail-in option for the presidential elections is critical. https://t.co/oGJ1bytNxR
— Dennis S Brotman 🇺🇸 #DemCast #DemCastNJ (@DenbrotS) June 17, 2020

Funny how often “activists with an axe to grind” turn out to be right. Maybe if the energy spent on snark were applied to system engineering we’d all be better off. “Activists cite tabulation flaw in mail-in ballots in Georgia” https://t.co/OkkIuLsakb
— Richard DeMillo (@rad_atl) June 13, 2020

Without reliable mail service, we cannot have a functioning democratic election this November. https://t.co/BkM839GLWN
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) June 15, 2020

Trump threatens Tulsa protesters

He’s inciting his cult to commit violence.

He doesn’t get it. This is exactly why he is sinking. https://t.co/dsEPq4odTg
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) June 19, 2020

By the way, if your headline says "Trump appeared to threaten" or "Seemed to threaten" over his Tulsa tweet, get better writers.,

It was a threat. Full stop.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 19, 2020

The 1st amendment rights of protesters are the same in Tulsa as elsewhere in the US. So are the 1A rights of Trump supporters. It's up to OK and Tulsa authorities to follow the law and protect all citizens. But what Trump's doing is inciting his followers to extra-legal action. https://t.co/JUnWxHnZ2Z
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 19, 2020

Trump attacks the Buffalo protester who was injured by police

The man who was pushed to the ground by police has a brain injury.

Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester who was pushed by two Buffalo, New York, police officers earlier this month, has a fractured skull and is not able to walk, his lawyer said in a statement provided to CNN https://t.co/5anz3qUqZM
— CNN (@CNN) June 16, 2020

The WSJ told Trump that the 75-year-old protester shoved by police in Buffalo, Martin Gugino, has a brain injury and can't walk. Trump called him a "professional agitator," made some additional baseless insinuations about him, and said this. https://t.co/mSijb32Dwu pic.twitter.com/NG3E1bqNjX
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 19, 2020

While debunking OAN's false claims about the 75-year-old protester injured by Buffalo police, I stumbled across Facebook video shot by an activist which suggests that the protest might have been infiltrated by an undercover officer disguised as a protester https://t.co/rvZUXNSIQy
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) June 17, 2020

.@kwelkernbc: Is it incumbent upon the president to have facts before he tweets out a conspiracy theory about a 75-year-old man?

McENANY: The president did have facts

WELKER: It's a baseless conspiracy theory

McENANY: It's not [it is] pic.twitter.com/c3lzx6niBz
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 10, 2020

More right-wing nonsense about Antifa

If you want facts, check out What is Antifa?

Huntsville, Alabama police "identified elements of 10 of 13 antifa roles" from a BLM protest on June 3rd.

Their source is… a chart made by Hong Kong protesters. https://t.co/gEhAJE5xmW pic.twitter.com/r0Hq9ad60r
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) June 19, 2020

I decided to do my new column when I heard that a small, remote logging town on the Oregon coast had been panicked about an antifa invasion, with 200 armed men turning out to fight of the invaders. Similar hysteria has hit towns across the country. https://t.co/6X8zLD612P
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) June 18, 2020

Why isn't it a bigger story that Trump and many of his top law enforcement and national security officials continue to wholly *invent* a "domestic terror" threat without offering the slightest justification for the claim? https://t.co/xsiBVp0xvE https://t.co/udxU6FZ25W
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) June 15, 2020

Authorities have arrested a Colorado man who they say held two roofing-company salesmen at gunpoint. They were knocking on doors in shirts with the company logo, but the man told police he thought they were antifa. https://t.co/8TteG5vzp1
— AP West Region (@APWestRegion) June 14, 2020

NEW None of 400 arrested in Washington during George Floyd protests show ties to Antifa or extremist groups, D.C. officials said. By @keithlalexander and @MerylKornfield https://t.co/usAG76mi7E
— Spencer Hsu (@hsu_spencer) June 14, 2020

Oh boy https://t.co/T00NtMpg0U
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 14, 2020

Scant evidence of “antifa” shows how sweeping the protests for racial justice have become https://t.co/G074ZFyyCL
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 13, 2020

Rather than repeating work Daily Beast, AP, and NPR already did showing Billy Barr lied when he blamed the violence on Antifa, maybe it's time to report on WHY Barr lied about the culprits?

Why would an authoritarian AG frame those opposed to right wing authoritarianism?

🤔 https://t.co/MOnIWaauji
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) June 13, 2020

New York Times: "None of those charged with serious federal crimes amid the unrest have been linked so far to the loose collective of anti-fascist activists known as antifa." https://t.co/A1oHMjfY12
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) June 12, 2020

If you've been getting your news from right-wing media, you probably think armed militant Antifa activists have seized a section of Seattle.

But the mayor's office tells me, "City officials have not interacted with 'armed antifa militants' at this site."https://t.co/ctZiwNNCx6
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) June 11, 2020

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

I spent the last week tracking rumors of roaming bandits of Antifa coming to destroy small towns — and talking to experts about how, and why, this is happening (it's not just the president tweeting) https://t.co/A3tFlPAK3H
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) June 9, 2020

All week, as I was reporting on the antifa panic throughout the country, I kept thinking about the 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, and the '80s Satanic Panic — residents convinced an invisible enemy was coming to their town, no matter how tiny.https://t.co/lybZJCDbd6
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) June 7, 2020

President Trump branded protesters clashing with police after George Floyd’s death as radical-left thugs. Democrats blamed the far-right. But AP finds most of those arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and D.C. were locals. Few were affiliated with groups. https://t.co/7nzO4DMroJ
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 6, 2020

New from @BrandyZadrozny + me:

Armed residents in small towns all across America, warned by social media and local police, have been gathering to fight off "busloads of antifa," coming to loot their towns.

They never show up.

So what happens next?https://t.co/lybZJCDbd6
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) June 6, 2020

First the Daily Beast and now the AP have looked and looked and looked without finding Antifa behind the protests. https://t.co/hwIFqMKqZm https://t.co/9HFzcWN9OT
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) June 6, 2020

New splash page on Trump campaign site pic.twitter.com/56yxLrGA1X
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 6, 2020

conspiracy theory addled conservatives are destroying this country and social media is the poison swamp they get radicalized in https://t.co/ad1MlUcJqQ
— Daniel Gilmore (@gilmored85) June 6, 2020

The day three suspected boogaloo guys were charged with threatening a protest, Barr talked about the threat of "antifa-like" tactics.

The next day, Barr warned about antifa again. An FBI report that day saw no link to antifa in the day's protests in DC.https://t.co/C6fMwG6XJ4
— Philip Bump (@pbump) June 5, 2020

Barr keeps squealing about 'Antifa.' But Antifa is not referenced — not once — in any of the first 22 federal criminal cases from the protests. https://t.co/3EQJT4NMEc
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) June 5, 2020

Coronavirus stats update 6/18/20

The whole world is asking why the US has given up on fighting covid. We have the largest economy on the planet. pic.twitter.com/dk7Wf3T4Y7
— Michael Carpenter (@mikercarpenter) June 19, 2020

Two things about where we are:
– that worrisome uptick in cases over the past week or so, and
– that mortality is declining, suggesting a lot of cases that went undetected in April and May. https://t.co/RSR2NylWVc pic.twitter.com/XujYZ0jDNm
— Philip Bump (@pbump) June 19, 2020

The US death toll is now over 117,000 and rising; on April 20, Trump said death toll would reach 50,000-60,000. On Feb. 26, Trump said the cases in US would soon be “close to zero.” Tonight, Trump says the numbers are “minuscule” compare to before and the virus is now “dying out” https://t.co/KQAmshVcXl
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 18, 2020

REPORTER: Coronavirus cases are rising in 22 states, including Oklahoma, where you plan to hold a big rally this week. Aren't you worried about people getting sick?

TRUMP: No, because if you look, the numbers are very minuscule compared to what it was. It's dying out. pic.twitter.com/xWIOO3ja2c
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) June 18, 2020

Sad day: ARIZONA has crossed the rubicon… its epidemic now exceeds Brazil and Peru to be one of the hardest hit regions in the world. Exceeding all European countries as well.

Today: Record cases, record positivity %, record ER, record hospitalizations, record ICU. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/czTCaSeOJ4
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) June 17, 2020

I know I’m not alone in saying that I’m worried. pic.twitter.com/zqcUbo5ogl
— Natalie E. Dean, PhD (@nataliexdean) June 19, 2020

Another fake video

This is ugly. Trump has no bottom. It’s good that Twitter labeled it but they should take it down.

Twitter has added a label to President Trump's tweet tonight saying it violates the company's policy against "manipulated media." https://t.co/4VP4vHar36
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) June 19, 2020

Trump is now campaigning for reelection with fictional propaganda videos that include fake footage meant to demean his perceived enemies in the media https://t.co/38f3sMjPKq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 19, 2020

Imagine living through the last month in America, then turning around and trying to turn racism into a punchline.

You'd cringe if your drunk uncle posted this, let alone the president. https://t.co/cqNBpdkRA5
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 19, 2020

Trump's case against CNN is so strong that he needs to invent evidence to make it https://t.co/odsw8zpDgE
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) June 19, 2020

President tweets out more faked-up @cnn “clips.” https://t.co/QxBGAxNNqe
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) June 19, 2020

Coronavirus outbreaks

If you’re not careful……

Teens test positive for coronavirus during senior week stay in Dewey Beach; may have exposed 100 partygoers https://t.co/WJRtllVtAw
— Baltimore Sun Health (@BaltSunHealth) June 22, 2020

Wow. 236 people infected at one Oregon church that was holding services in defiance of a stay-at-home order. https://t.co/dGhjiQ9p2H
— Nick Riccardi (@NickRiccardi) June 18, 2020

“Erika Crisp was excited to go out with 15 of her friends to a newly reopened bar in Jacksonville, Florida. But she now regrets the decision after all 16 of them tested positive for COVID-19 — along with seven of the bar’s employees.” https://t.co/jPBnXs8GkC
— DeMarcus 🛹 (@semperdiced) June 17, 2020