Category: Politics

Bizarre, Media, Politics

From Nuking Hurricanes to Friending Kim Jong Un, A Credibility Bill Comes Due For Trump

At the G7 meeting, President Donald Trump enlisted First Lady Melania Trump to vouch for his view that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is a person with “tremendous potential” after spending time with him. The problem is that the First Lady has never met Kim Jong Un, as the White House later embarrassingly admitted. It was a signature moment for the President who has been struggling to convince people that he never suggested nuking hurricanes despite multiple alleged sources saying that he raised the idea repeatedly. The problem is really not the importance of the First Lady vouching for Kim Jong Un or even nuking hurricanes, the problem is that Trump has made so many false statements (including statements contradicted on videotape) that it is no longer possible to simply take his word for it that he never raised the truly insane idea of nuking hurricanes. It is amazing how Trump’s denial did not seem to have any real impact on the coverage. The credibility bill has come due for the President.

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Academia, Politics

De Blasio Panel Recommends Total Elimination of Gifted and Talented Programs

Most school systems have gifted and talented programs for students who are substantially advanced in courses and need more challenging material. The programs allow teachers on both levels to offer a more holistic curriculum and it also has served to keep advanced students in the public school system after years of “white flight.” The programs however have a majority of white and asian students. A panel appointed by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has now come up with a recommendation to solve that de facto “segregation.” It wants to simply eliminate the gifted and talented program. Problem solved.

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Criminal law, Politics

Portland Man Assaulted For Wearing MAGA Hat

We previously discussed the media coverage of politically motivated violence. A new such case has raised in Portland after Luke Lenzner was attacked by a man and a woman simply because he was wearing a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat. Leopold A. Hauser and Adebisi A. Okuneye were arrested after the attack.

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Columns, Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics

Ginsburg’s Recurring Cancer Exposes Vulnerability On The Court

Below is my Hill column on the news that Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had additional cancer treatment. I have previously written about “Ginsburg’s gamble” in refusing to resign during the Obama Administration. Already over 80, some encouraged her to leave the Court to allow Obama to pick her successor — and to safeguard dozens of cases impacting the lives of millions. The recurrence of her cancer treatment exposes not only the risks of that decision but also the absence of any way for the Court to deal with potential incapacities.

Notably, Justice Thomas could face the same questions. Long rumored to be considering retirement, a defeat by Donald Trump could hand his seat to a liberal justice and endanger a number of conservative holdings.

Here is the column:

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Courts, Media, Politics, Supreme Court, Torts

HuffPost and Senior Reporter Sued Over Kavanaugh Story

There is an interesting defamation case out of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. Professor Derrick Evans is suing Huffington Post for a September 2018 story on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and partying at Georgetown Prep school. The article alleged that Evans committed drug offenses in scoring drugs for friends, particularly cocaine. The most extraordinary — and potentially defamatory — claim was that Evans and his friend Douglas Kennedy not only regularly bought and distributed cocaine but supplied the cocaine in April 1984 that killed Douglas’ brother, David.

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Academia, Columns, Congress, Constitutional Law, Politics

No, It Is Not Racist To Oppose Birthright Citizenship

Below is my column in The Hill on the recent controversy over President Donald Trump’s comments on ending birthright citizenship. The most notable criticism came from Professor Lawrence Tribe who accused Trump of pursuing a racist agenda to “reverse the outcome of the Civil War.” Others have also labeled the effort as racist including media coverage. It isn’t and the underlying constitutional question is unresolved.

Here is the column:

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Media, Politics

Poll: 62 Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of President Trump

President Donald Trump has been facing an array of polls showing rising disapproval of voters. A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows just how much ground has been lost with over 6 out 10 voters now disapproving of his overall performance. What is notable is that much of the disapproval registered in polls concern Trump combative and unpredictable public statements on Twitter and the media. As with his recent controversy over retweeting references to himself as the “chosen one” and statements about “disloyal” Jews who vote Democratic, Trump has been driving wedges with Suburban women voters and other voting groups as the GOP struggles to retain control of the Senate.

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Free Speech, Politics

New Jersey Event Canceled After Threats From Anti-Free Speech Groups

We have been discussing the rising attacks on free speech across the country, including students and faculty who support the silencing of speakers who hold opposing views. What is most concerning is that these attacks are working. The latest example can be found in New Jersey where the Broadway Theater in Pitman cancelled an event because anti-free speech organizations and individuals threatened protests and some even threatened to burn down the theater. Among the speakers was journalist Andy Ngo, who suffered a brain hemorrhage after being beaten by Antifa supporters at an event in Oregon. My concern is not with planned protests but the coordinated effort to have the event cancelled to prevent others from hearing opposing views.

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International, Politics, Society

Trump Cancels Denmark Visit After Prime Minister Rejects His Offer To Buy Greenland

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen would be justified to be a tad confused. An official visit was planned to Denmark with President Donald Trump who made headlines by suddenly saying that he might buy Greenland. The response from Denmark was as predictable as if Frederiksen suddenly announced an interest in buying Rhode Island. She declined the offer. The response from Trump was to cancel the visit since they will not sell him part of their country. Trump later added insult to injury by calling Frederiksen “nasty” and “not very nice” in swatting back a sudden public offer to buy a huge amount of territory from Denmark.

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International, Politics, Religion

Trump: Any Jewish Person Who Votes Democratic “Shows Either A Total Lack of Knowledge or Great Disloyalty”

In a disturbing statement to the media, President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that “any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat – I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” American Jews have long fought against the common trope that they vote solely on Israel and put the interests of that country above their own. Weirdly, Trump appears to be adopting the trope with this comment. It is a deeply insulting suggestion for Jewish Americans who vote their consciences on the future of this country. Trump seemed to suggest that they are expected to be one issue voters.

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Columns, Media, Politics

“Myside Bias”: How The Democrats Are Becoming More Trump-Like And Why No One Seems To Notice

Below is my column in the Hill Newspaper on the Trump-like rhetoric coming from Democratic leaders as the 2020 election season ramps up. While correctly criticizing President Trump for many of his comments, the Democrats have been engaging in almost identical commentary with little coverage. What is now missing is a high ground in an election season that seems to be getting more and more irresponsible and hyperbolic.

Here is the column:

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Criminal law, Politics

California Woman Convicted For Assault On Trump Supporters
Prosecutors said Jessica Aguilar’s jail sentence will be dropped if she completes community service.

I recently wrote about the limited coverage of violence by anti-Trump individuals and groups. A number of such cases are pending in Orange County where Trump supporters were attacked while trying to attend a rally. One conviction was recently handed down again for Jessica Aguilar, 23, of Sacramento. She slapped a man twice across the face during the March 25, 2017 rally at Bolsa Chica State Beach and was found guilty Wednesday of one misdemeanor count of battery. This is clearly a problem on both sides and it is continuing to spread, including 13 arrests in Oregon at the rallies this weekend with the seizure of various weapons.

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Bizarre, Politics

Trump Makes Fun Of Protester’s Weight . . . Who Turns Out To Be One Of His Supporters

Like many, I was appalled to see the President of the United States mocking the weight of a protester on Thursday night. The type of juvenile taunting was degrading more for the office of Donald Trump than the protester. It turns out however that it was not even degrading for the protester at all, but a Trump supporter who was wrongly insulted by the President. The man is Frank Dawson who had taken away a sign from a protester. He was actually wearing a “Trump 2020” teeshirt.

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Constitutional Law, Media, Politics

Beto O’Rourke Accuses Fox News of Spreading The “Seeds of Terror”

As the Democratic presidential race gets more crowded and frantic, the rhetoric is rising. As with some of President Trump’s comments, one can dismiss much of these comments as irresponsible efforts to trigger a base of voters. However, some comments raises more troubling issues. That was the case with Beto O’Rourke’s comments on the media. O’Rourke accused conservative media of being the mouthpieces of terrrorism — an attack every bit as chilling as Trump’s calling the media the “enemy of the people.”

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Politics, Torts

Warren And Harris Accuse Cleared Ferguson Officer Of Murder

Facts are often strangers to politicians who want to trigger emotive responses in targeted groups. The problem is when good politics make for bad law. That seems to be the case with Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren who have declared that Michael Brown was murdered five years ago in Ferguson, Missouri. The problem is that their statements would mean that Officer Darren Wilson is a murderer. However, Wilson was cleared in the shooting, including an exoneration by the Obama Administration. Wilson could conceivably claim defamation but the standard is quite high for a public figure.

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