Cops Behaving Badly
Texas Cop Actually Charged Immediately With Crime For Killing Black Man
Unfortunately, Jonathan Price is still dead.
October 06, 2020 11:36 AM
Monday, Texas Rangers arrested Wolfe City police officer Shaun Lucas for the shooting death of Jonathan Price. This was pretty quick, as Lucas killed Price on Saturday after a series of unfortunate, but predictable, events.
According to civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who's representing Price's family (every Black family has an “in case cops kill my kid" lawyer on retainer), Price had intervened when he saw a man assaulting a woman at a gas station. The police arrived and because they are men with guns, the situation only got worse. Price put his hands up and tried to explain what was happening, but the police tried to detain him. What else are they going to do with a Black guy?
The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement that Price "resisted in a non-threatening posture and began walking away." They have their own dehumanizing language over there. “Resistance" here could've meant, “I've done nothing wrong so I'm free to leave without an ass-cheek-spreading examination."
Lucas responded violently, as he was trained: He tasered Price, as the man walked away, and then shot him because Price was flinching too much after being tased.
"When police arrived, I'm told, he raised his hands and attempted to explain what was going on," Merritt wrote on Facebook. "Police fired tasers at him and when his body convulsed from the electrical current, they 'perceived a threat' and shot him to death."
<div id="6d67b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dd42fe252e6c14e0af42d597fdd4cae0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1312722919257182208" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This one hurts... for so many reasons. https://t.co/Z1gTYJFXuX</div> — Will Middlebrooks (@Will Middlebrooks)<a href="https://twitter.com/middlebrooks/statuses/1312722919257182208">1601812507.0</a></blockquote></div><p>
Oh well, we shouldn't expect the police to understand how tasers work. Getting tased does not make someone feel better than they have in 20 years. The shit hurts.
</p><p>
When Price's mother, Marcella Louis, was notified of her son's shooting, she left her bed and rushed to the gas station, but the police wouldn't let her near her dying son for reasons that we all hope are more than just monstrous. <br>
</p><blockquote>
"And they wouldn't let me get close to my baby. I just wanted to hold his hand and they wouldn't let me do that," Louis said. "I just wanted to crawl over there to him."
</blockquote><p>
The police had already robbed Louis of the chance to dance with her son at his wedding, but they wouldn't even let her comfort him after he was shot for no reason. Price was taken to Hunt Regional Hospital, where he died.
</p><p>
Cops will usually defend any grotesque act someone with a badge commits, but even the Texas Rangers, who investigated the incident, said the officer's actions "were not objectionably reasonable" or, in layman's terms, were cold-blooded murder. Lucas was booked on Monday and was transferred to the Rockwall County jail, where he's held on $1 million bond.
</p><p>
The swift response is appreciated and promotes the notion that Black people don't deserve to be summarily executed. However, while Merritt is cautiously optimistic, he understand the “uphill battle to a conviction."
</p><p>
Price worked as a city employee in Wolfe City, which is an hour northeast of Dallas. The 31-year-old was reportedly well-known in the small community for his friendliness.
</p><blockquote>
"Everybody loved Jonathan. Everybody," said his sister, April Louis. "Black, white, Mexican, it doesn't matter. He loved everybody. Everybody loved him."
</blockquote><p>
Except the police. </p><p>Price was also a fitness trainer, but I doubt it was his muscular frame alone that spooked Lucas so much he gunned him down like a rabid dog.
</p><p>
Will Middlebrooks, a former Boston Red Sox player, grew up with Price. He
<a href="https://people.com/sports/will-middlebrooks-raises-55k-for-family-of-jonathan-price-who-was-killed-by-police-in-texas/" target="_blank">shared photos of Price on Facebook</a> with the following message.
</p><blockquote>
See this face? This is the face of one of my childhood friends. The face of my first ever favorite teammate. The face of a good man. But unfortunately it's the face of a man whose life was taken away from him last night with his hands in the air, while a small town East Texas cop shot him dead. Why? Bc he was trying to break up a fight at a gas station... for some reason he was singled out. I'll let you do the math.
<br>
<br>
There's no excuses this time ... "He was a criminal" ... Nope, not this time. "He resisted arrest, just comply with the cops" ... Nope that one doesn't work this time either. This was purely an act of racism. Period. So, for all of you that think this is all bullshit, you need to check yourselves.
<br>
<br>
I'm sick. I'm heartbroken ... and I'm furious. Love you, JP. See you when I see you bro.
</blockquote><p>Middlebrooks has helped raised more than $56,000 for Price's family. Meanwhile, we'll mourn another young Black person whose dreams were permanently deferred. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="97a85dcf9657579f490c7dbfb431c387"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nbjg96WYEQ0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit..."><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=Nbjg96WYEQ0&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank"> </a></small>
</p><p>
[<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/06/jonathan-price-texas-police-killing/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1601962052&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">Texas Tribune</a> / <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/jonathan-price-31-fatally-shot-150231421.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvL2ZsS1hUUVdseTI_YW1wPTE&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFKRNu574DHcVjxlmqdo7oCkA-LuGIaUpamIPhj_IPRa6mEZGRtDoT0LByIUk9iMUBqeXUSQkv65KdeJIlb7oUip2zH21RknEmjsyt1wfg0VDsfElr643oWW6CI-5CWESTqkBl4QQ2SefUyLGI_wPmCYQ6j57OBU79Pvy-0V_XOF" target="_blank">Yahoo!</a> / <a href="https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/officer-arrested-murder-charge-shooting-death-of-jonathan-price/287-5d17de99-0bfd-444b-b670-045f31063d0d" target="_blank">KGW</a> /<a href="https://people.com/sports/will-middlebrooks-raises-55k-for-family-of-jonathan-price-who-was-killed-by-police-in-texas/" target="_blank">People</a>]<br>
</p><p>
<em>Follow Stephen Robinson on </em><em><a href="https://twitter.com/SER1897" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter.</a></em>
</p><p>
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White House
DHS Officials Advised To Be Nice When Talking About Kenosha Shooter, Who Had A Rough Day
Kids make mistakes, you know?
October 02, 2020 09:30 AM
Young people have a hard time making sense of this crazy old world, so it's only reasonable that the Department of Homeland Security would distribute talking points to officials that emphasized the sympathetic side of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with murdering two people during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. NBC News says it obtained briefing documents that instructed officials speaking to the media to put an understanding spin on the young man who traveled from his home in Illinois with a semiautomatic rifle across state lines to Kenosha to play vigilante.
Or as the talking points put it, Rittenhouse "took his rifle to the scene of the rioting to help defend small business owners." What a public-spirited fellow! NBC News is careful to note that it's "unclear whether any of the talking points originated at the White House or within Homeland Security's own press office."
<p>NBC News ran the documents past former DHS officials, who said it sure was "unusual for law enforcement officials to be instructed to weigh in on a case involving a particular group or individual before investigations had concluded." But this is the Trump administration, where it's never too soon to decide who the good guys are and why it's OK they shot some damn antifa terror commies. </p><blockquote>"It is as unprecedented as it is wrong," said Peter Boogaard, who was a spokesperson for Homeland Security during the Obama administration.<br><br>"What strikes me about the talking points is that they didn't call for calm among the public," said Elizabeth Neumann, who served as DHS's assistant secretary for threat prevention and security policy in the Trump administration. </blockquote><p>The article notes that Neumann left her job in April and has endorsed Joe Biden (and, we'd add, she even appeared in a <a href="https://www.wonkette.com/hey-check-out-this-totally-real-democrat-voters-against-biden-group" target="_blank">"Republicans against Trump" ad</a>), so clearly she can't be objective about what a brave little guy Rittenhouse was. </p><p>The talking points also advise that "Kyle was seen being chased and attacked by rioters before allegedly shooting three of them, killing two," and that "Subsequent video has emerged reportedly showing that there were 'multiple gunmen' involved, which would lend more credence to the self-defense claims."</p><p>The document also advises officials, when asked by the media to comment on Rittenhouse, to say they won't comment on an ongoing investigation, but to add the completely neutral observation, </p><blockquote>What I will say is that Rittenhouse, just like everyone else in America, is innocent until proven guilty and deserves a fair trial based on all the facts, not just the ones that support a certain narrative. This is why we try the accused in the court of law, not the star chamber of public opinion.</blockquote><p>And then they should also underline the administration's love of Law 'n' Order: </p><blockquote>This is also why we need to stop the violence in our cities. Chaotic and violent situations lead to chaotic, violent and tragic outcomes. Everyone needs law and order.</blockquote><p>We'll also note that the article generated a little pushback from inside DHS; two "high-ranking DHS officials" <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/01/dhs-officials-nbc-news-misconstrues-kyle-rittenhouse-background-information-with-talking-points/" target="_blank">told the Federalist</a> that NBC News got it all wrong, apparently because the officials wanted to talk to the most credible outlet they could think of. In their spinning of the story, the only "talking points" in the documents were the instructions to refuse comment on an ongoing investigation, and to push law and order, while the other exculpatory-sounding points in the memo were merely "background" that DHS folks should be aware of, but not points to make to the press, heavens no!<br></p><blockquote>According to these officials, the allegations raised by NBC are referring to a section of the briefing document purposefully labeled "situation" and designed to grant background information to the federal law enforcement officers involved in the case. The second section of the document labeled "response" outlines the talking points intended for use by officers.</blockquote><p>That actually seems plausible, since the advice for speaking to the media emphasizes the "no comment but let's not judge the boy in the media" bit. Without seeing the actual documents, we don't know how the "situation" bit was framed. </p><p>But hilariously, the Federalist wants us to believe that it's somehow <em>no big deal</em> that DHS delivered law enforcement officials a propagandistic bunch of bullet points slanted in Rittenhouse's favor, as long as they're merely "background" information. Sure, it's pushing a very sympathetic view of the accused murderer, but it's not for public consumption, so here's how we think of Our Boy Kyle. </p><p>For that matter, the Federalist even shares one far more damning bit of spin than what the NBC News piece included, explaining, </p><blockquote>The situational background outlines how media and Democrats "are trying to craft the narrative of a police-obsessed lone-wolf" and a "white supremacist" using "zero evidence." </blockquote><p>But you see, that's not a "talking point," it's just objective background propaganda to make sure DHS employees are all on the same page about how Democrats and the media cannot be trusted, those filthy liars. </p><p>Heck of a self-own, Federalist! Who funds you, anyway?</p><p>Gee, NBC News sure was dumb to suggest there's anything odd about these perfectly normal documents. What a bunch of amateurs.</p><p>[<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/internal-document-shows-trump-officials-were-told-make-comments-sympathetic-n1241581" target="_blank">NBC News</a> / <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/01/dhs-officials-nbc-news-misconstrues-kyle-rittenhouse-background-information-with-talking-points/" target="_blank">Federalist</a>]</p><p>Yr Wonkette is entirely supported by reader donations. Please help us keep you informed on all the very objective facts the administration thinks we should have. </p><p></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/33mKzZe" target="_blank">Do your Amazon shopping through this link, because reasons</a>.</p><p></p><p></p><form name="donation" method="post" class="donation-form"><p class="subheadline">How often would you like to donate?</p><div class="form-row row--plan"><label class="plan-type__label"><input type="radio" name="plan_type" value="once" class="plan-type" required="" checked> Just once
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Cops Behaving Badly
Colorado Police Holding Political Prisoners Like Common Third-World Autocracy, Totally Normal
This is how things are in America now.
September 29, 2020 09:42 AM
In yet another scene from a dystopian human rights horror show, six anti-racist protesters have been charged with an assortment of felonies, arrested in spectacular fashion, and kept in inhumane conditions in local jails.
The charges against the protesters are absolutely nuts and include things like felony theft charges for allegedly taking some racist counter-protesters' racist signs and felony kidnapping charges because some cops were inside of the police building and couldn't leave during a protest outside.
Ah, America 2020.
<p>Denver and Aurora have been the sites of a number of anti-racist protests since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd. They increased after more information was released about the death of 23 year-old <a href="https://www.wonkette.com/cops-killed-elijah-mcclain-busted-up-vigil-in-his-honor-took-photos-mocking-his-death" target="_blank">Elijah McClain</a>, who Aurora officers killed in August 2019. McClain begged for his life as police officers tackled him and held him down while he vomited and said he couldn't breathe. After he was already handcuffed, restrained, and face down on the pavement, McClain was injected with 500 mg of ketamine, more than 1.5 times the dose for his height and weight. He went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced braindead at the hospital.</p><p>Like cops <a href="https://www.wonkette.com/trump-vs-america" target="_blank">all across the country</a>, Denver and Aurora police officers have reacted to protests about police violence with ... more police violence. <br></p><p>They also, apparently, hold quite a grudge. For months, they have been conducting surveillance on the protesters, seeking to charge them with crimes. Now, Lillian House, Joel Northam, Terrance Roberts, Whitney Lucero, Trey Quinn, and John Ruch have been charged with a wide variety of felonies and misdemeanors that could keep them imprisoned for decades if convicted.</p><p>As is often the case with political prisoners, most of the protesters are members of subversive political parties. House and Northam are organizers for the Party for Socialism and Liberation (<a href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/2020/09/18/party-for-socialism-and-liberation-denounces-arrests-of-anti-racist-organizers-in-denver/" target="_blank">PSL</a>), which has organized massive police brutality protests in Aurora and Denver this year. Roberts is a well-known local activist and co-founder of the Front Line Party for Revolutionary Action. </p><p>As PSL said on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=357535028714126&extid=hSeBqNMtOdz9AJsI" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>:</p><blockquote>Police agencies in the Denver area arrested anti-war organizers in a coordinated assault today. People were arrested in a Home Depot parking lot, at their homes, and after they were pulled over while driving. Those arrested were the leaders to demand justice for Elijah McClain, who was brutally murdered by the Aurora Police Department. They are still in jail, with the exception of one person. They are facing multiple felony charges and years in prison in an obvious frame-up aimed at stopping the movement for justice for Elijah McClain. Drop the charges!</blockquote><p>Here are all of the charges, compiled by the <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/09/17/aurora-denver-police-protesters-arrested-riot/" target="_blank">Denver Post</a> (names bolded to make it easier to read):<br></p><blockquote><strong>House: </strong>inciting a riot, conspiracy to incite a riot, theft of a sign, conspiracy to commit theft, engaging in a riot, conspiracy to engage in a riot, obstructing a highway or passageway, conspiracy to obstruct a highway or passageway, attempted first-degree kidnapping, attempt to influence a public servant, obstructing government operations<br><br><strong>Northam:</strong> inciting a riot, conspiracy to incite a riot, theft, conspiracy to commit theft, engaging in a riot, conspiracy to engage in a riot, obstructing a highway or passageway, conspiracy to obstruct highway or passageway, attempted first-degree kidnapping, obstructing government operations<br><br><strong>Ruch:</strong> theft, conspiracy to commit theft<br><br><strong>Roberts: </strong>engaging in a riot, conspiracy to engage in a riot, obstructing a highway or passageway, conspiracy to obstruct a highway or passageway, inciting a riot, obstructing government operations<br><br> <strong>Lucero: </strong>attempted first-degree kidnapping, inciting a riot, engaging in a riot, obstructing government operations<br><br><strong>Quinn: </strong>Inciting a riot, engaging in a riot, false imprisonment, obstructing government operations</blockquote><p>That adds up to to 33 felony charges and 34 misdemeanor charges for the six protesters. </p><p>It also looks like the Aurora and Denver Police Departments have been doing some pretty serious recon on the protesters, <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/09/17/aurora-denver-police-protesters-arrested-riot/" target="_blank">submitting</a> </p><blockquote>more than 30 pages long for those arrested [which] explain how Aurora police used recordings of livestreams, a transcript of a call between House and Aurora police Chief Vanessa Wilson and social media posts by protesters to build a case against those arrested.</blockquote><p>As if all of that weren't enough, the conditions of their confinement were fucking atrocious. According to PSL members and leaders, they were unconstitutionally kept from seeing a judge and kept in barbaric conditions. </p><p>Denver PSL activist Alexis Isabel detailed the six being arrested by a militarized police force (SWAT team and tanks!) that refused to show arrest warrants. They were then held in jail for eight days without a bond hearing, despite how the US Constitution requires the government to bring a person who has been arrested before a judge within 48 hours.</p><p>The jail conditions also sound incredibly constitutional. Alexis <a href="https://twitter.com/lexi4prez/status/1310277834225709058" target="_blank">details</a> House and Lucero being locked in a cell for 23 hours per day, with only one mask, surrounded by unmasked guards, and with no hand sanitizer or personal hygiene items. <a href="https://twitter.com/lexi4prez/status/1310277874918846464" target="_blank">Northam</a>, in a men's jail, experienced <a href="https://twitter.com/lexi4prez/status/1310277874918846464" target="_blank">similar</a> unsanitary conditions. The Eighth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendments, of course, require the government to bring a criminal defendant before a judge "without delay," which again means within 48 hours of arrest.</p><p>But, as we have learned time and time again, the law doesn't apply to cops.</p><p>Absolutely all of this is a civil rights nightmare. Time and time again, police departments around the country have reacted to protests over police violence with more police violence. Cops remain above the law, free to kill without consequences, but GOD FORBID anyone try to bring attention to that injustice.</p><p>These are trumped-up charges that seek to punish a political enemy.</p><p>PSL has set up a <a href="https://www.pslweb.org/dropthecharges" target="_blank">petition</a> demanding the charges be dropped and a <a href="https://www.pslweb.org/donate4denver?utm_campaign=drop_the_charges_on_denver&utm_medium=email&utm_source=psl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">legal aid</a> and political support campaign fund.</p><p>[ <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/09/17/aurora-denver-police-protesters-arrested-riot/" target="_blank">Denver Post</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=357535028714126&extid=hSeBqNMtOdz9AJsI" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/lexi4prez/status/1310277770497359873" target="_blank">Alexis Isabel</a> ]<br></p><p><em>Follow Jamie on <a href="https://twitter.com/jamielynncrofts" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!</em><br></p><p><strong>Wonkette is fully funded by readers like you! 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Trump
Trump Just Gonna Keep Having His Free-Range COVID-19 Fests Until Everyone’s Dead
There are 36 days until the next election.
September 28, 2020 09:01 AM
Donald Trump held yet another one of his maskless moron conventions in Pennsylvania this weekend. It was a packed crowd of thousands eager to watch Trump gloat after he nominated a Supreme Court justice who'll take away their health care during a pandemic. They'll probably be the first in line at the new Soylent Green plants.
There was a funny exchange on CNN Saturday night where anchor Ana Cabrera and correspondent Ryan Nobles tried to make sense of the president's casual disregard for human life.
CABRERA: What are you seeing out there in the crowd, because clearly, there isn't any social distancing.
NOBLES: You know, Ana, this is like every single one of these campaign events for President Trump. There is little to almost no regard for the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. There are thousands and thousands of people here. They are packed in shoulder to shoulder. There are hardly any masks being worn.
Yes, it is just like one of those live performance events you'd love to attend but can't anymore because of how everyone might die. Trump likes to call his hate rallies “peaceful protests," but they are usually just glorified standup routines with a massive spread of COVID-19 as the punchline.
"Turn on the television. Turn it on, darling" -- Trump tells his now-familiar story about how he and Melania watche… https://t.co/nndoNF1zQ7— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar)1601167357.0
More than 200,000 Americans are dead. I don't recall George W. Bush regaling crowds with knock-knock jokes shortly after 9/11. It was somewhat of a somber time.
<p>
The few people wearing coverings were conveniently placed behind Trump, like public health props who might live to see 2021.
</p><blockquote>
<em><strong>NOBLES:</strong> </em>You're right to make note of the fact that all of the people sitting behind Trump are wearing masks. They're basically the only ones, aside from those of us on the press riser, wearing masks and that's a strategic ploy for the most part that's put on by the Trump campaign. They hand out those masks, they ask the people sitting behind the president to wear them. It does not reflect the rest of the crowd. <strong>So it shows that the campaign realizes that there's a problem in terms of the optics of these crowds taking place.</strong>
<br><br>
<em><strong>CABRERA</strong>: </em>It's like they're trying to have it both ways.
</blockquote><p>The man is a monster. The people who work for him are monsters. Anyone even considering voting for him is a monster.</p><p>But they had fun! It started in the morning and lasted through the evening. It was an old <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BECwNurBbEQ" target="_blank">Carnival Cruise Lines commercial.</a> Just check out some horrifying pictures from Corona-stock.<br></p><div id="6e5a3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e307f31de7c9621d3e13da6acf29e3df"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1309968728998764546" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Some political apparel on display in Middletown, including a homemade “Fill That Seat!” shirt and a mask that claim… https://t.co/vXS9fIEaA8</div> — DJ Judd (@DJ Judd)<a href="https://twitter.com/DJJudd/statuses/1309968728998764546">1601155857.0</a></blockquote></div><div id="281f9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f0e069a400394f1534d517fe8549aaff"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1309982277372346380" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The audience here at Trump's PA rally is getting rowdy ahead of the president's arrival-- doors opened at 4pm, and… https://t.co/WNBQUXZDh3</div> — DJ Judd (@DJ Judd)<a href="https://twitter.com/DJJudd/statuses/1309982277372346380">1601159087.0</a></blockquote></div><p>
CNN's DJ Judd <a href="https://twitter.com/DJJudd/status/1309968728998764546?s=20" target="_blank">reported</a> that “no more than 30 percent of the people at Trump's very packed outdoor rally" wore masks. Unfortunately, 30 percent mask compliance doesn't get you <a href="https://www.wonkette.com/we-need-to-talk-about-how-trump-is-trying-to-kill-us-with-herd-mentality" target="_blank">“herd mentality."</a> It just gets you dead like <a href="https://www.wonkette.com/herman-cain-speaks-from-beyond-the-grave-says-thing-that-killed-him-not-so-bad-after-all" target="_blank">Herman Cain,</a> although his Twitter account has no complaints.<br>
</p><p>
Trump held a rally in another swing state he's losing, Michigan, a couple weeks ago. He talked up GOP Senate candidate John James, who's <a href="https://www.wonkette.com/trump-crowns-himself-the-new-winston-churchill-at-michigan-superspreader-jamboree" target="_blank">getting his ass beat</a> by Democratic incumbent Gary Peters. Oh well, the big superspreader event didn't help Trump politically but it might've gotten someone really sick. At least one person at the rally <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/at-least-one-person-from-trumps-michigan-rally-now-has-covid-19?source=twitter&via=mobile" target="_blank">has tested positive</a> for COVID-19.
</p><p>
The Michigan Health Department is <a href="https://twitter.com/HeidiNBC/status/1308849353059168258?s=20" target="_blank">reportedly</a> "unable to say whether this person already had COVID-19 prior to attending the rally or whether the individual contracted COVID-19 at the rally."
</p><p>
What we do know is that COVID-19 was at the rally, pressing flesh, probably giving autographs and posing for selfies when asked. COVID-19 is very generous with its time at these events.
</p><p>
Bob Wheaton, the public information officer at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, released the following <a href="https://twitter.com/HeidiNBC/status/1308849713467273218?s=20" target="_blank">statement to NBC News:</a>
</p><blockquote>
The department is unaware at this time of any outbreak associated with the rally, however, there is always a risk for COVID-19 to be spread at gatherings. This is why it's so important for people to wear masks and socially distance.
</blockquote><p>
If the Constitution wasn't broken and in the shop, Trump would've been impeached ... <em>again</em> for repeatedly and willfully risking the lives of not just stupid people but everyone who has to interact with them. Yet Trump is still on track for more electoral votes than poor Walter Mondale, who never held unsafe sex rallies where he mocked people who used condoms.
</p><p>[<a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnn-reports-on-lack-of-masks-at-trump-rally-except-behind-the-president-campaign-realizes-theres-a-problem-in-terms-of-the-optics/" target="_blank">Mediaite </a> /<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/at-least-one-person-from-trumps-michigan-rally-now-has-covid-19?source=twitter&via=mobile" target="_blank"> The Daily Beast</a>]<br></p><p>
<em><span></span>Follow Stephen Robinson on </em><em><a href="https://twitter.com/SER1897" target="_blank">Twitter.</a></em>
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