Donald trump

“It is totally his decision and it’s of no personal consequence to me but I do think it is for the country,” he said, returning to a previous theme of deeming Trump’s concession to a Biden victory as being important to the nation as a whole: … [Read more...] about Joe Biden Instructs Donald Trump: Inaugural Presence Important to U.S.

It's important to remember that electors are human beings who are chosen at state party conventions or by state party committees, often as a reward for their work on behalf of the party (the Constitution states that "no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States" should be appointed). Electors are expected to be loyal to the party's ticket, and while there is no federal law requiring them to follow the will of the people in their state, 33 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring pledges from their electors and 14 states provide a means to replace an elector who attempts to vote contrary to expectations. The Supreme Court upheld these laws earlier this year in an attempt to reduce some uncertainty prior to this year's meeting of the Electoral College. And while so-called "faithless electors" are still possible, having studied electors for two decades, I expect we will see few, if any, appear when the Electoral … [Read more...] about Mike Pence is going to put the seal on Donald Trump’s defeat

To assess Trump's political prowess, let's look at his electoral results. In the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Trump took advantage of a divided field and won it narrowly: he ended up with 45% of the overall popular vote. This is the lowest percent of the vote for any Republican primary winner in the last two decades: Mitt Romney won 52% of the primary vote in 2012; McCain won 47% in 2008; Bush won 62% in his only contested primary in 2000. … [Read more...] about Donald Trump is not a political genius

But as someone less identified with MAGA than her brothers, and less involved in serious policymaking than her husband Jared Kushner, Ivanka would have to tread carefully and trade heavily on her perceived glamour and (compared to the rest of the clan) geniality. And that may be the Trump quality in which she is best suited to succeed the patriarch: simply being a mega-celebrity. As Natalie Gontcharova suggests, a media career will certainly be offered to her: “This is one possible future we see for Ivanka: doing the foxtrot on Dancing with the Stars, a big book deal, and perhaps a talk show, all as politically milquetoast as can be so that she can put some distance between herself and the extremism of the Trump administration in the coming years. That way, she can rebrand as a ‘moderate’ voice once again, the erstwhile lifestyle and career ‘expert’ she tried to be years ago.” … [Read more...] about What Will the Trump Kids Do After Daddy Leaves the White House?

Meanwhile, Assange faces a sentence of up to 175 years in prison if convicted of charges of conspiring to hack government computers and for violating the 1917 Espionage Act for “unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified documents related to the national defence.”  … [Read more...] about Snowden urges Trump to grant Assange clemency