Ken Buck doubles down on Rand Paul's call for investigation into funding of violent protests

 

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., on Sunday called for a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into the funding of recent violent protests that have sprung up across the country, echoing statements made by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who was recently attacked while with his wife during the Republican National Convention.

"The Justice Department needs to open an investigation into who is funding these violent riots," Buck tweeted.

Buck had first addressed the issue after Paul and his wife Kelley were accosted while returning from the RNC, on the way back to their hotel.

"If the Tea Party threatened a Democratic Senator and assaulted police officers like this, it would be leading CNN," the Colorado Republican wrote on Friday. "Every conservative politician would be asked to condemn it. Where is the outrage?"

Paul commented on the issue in an opinion piece for Fox News published on Saturday.

He revealed some of the protesters were actually staying in the same hotel -- and on the same floor -- as he and his wife. Some were even as close as the next room.

"They were talking about their mob activities and even saying they thought we were here on this floor," Paul wrote. "We had to develop a 3 a.m. plan with Capitol Police to get to safety."

"My question is: Who are these people?," he continued. "Who paid for their hotel rooms? Who flew them in? Law enforcement needs to look at the funding of violent criminal activity like this. And national Democrats need to confront it. It’s organized. It’s paid for. It’s violent. It’s not about Black lives or any lives; it’s about anarchy and destruction."

The GOP senator added, "The American people are starting to catch on and grow tired of it. So I ask Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris this: Will you stand up finally and denounce this violence and destruction? Will you quit inciting it and urge other leaders to do the same?"

Paul's wife also penned an op-ed -- for the Washington Examiner -- describing the events as the basis for "a terrifying dystopian novel."

"The mob swarmed me and my husband, Sen. Rand Paul, in a tight circle, screaming expletives, threats, and shouting, 'Say her name,'" Kelley wrote. "We rushed up to two police officers, and I believe that is the only thing that kept us from being knocked to the ground. Even pressed against the officers, we were greatly outnumbered."

She then accused The Associated Press of misrepresenting her husband's account of the attack and said it was absurd of the media outlet to say Paul lacked evidence or proof, to back up his story.

"The Associated Press is reporting that Rand used the word 'attack' to describe our ordeal 'without evidence,'" Kelley added, "This is disgusting and utter proof of their bias. When you are surrounded by throngs of people screaming in your face and preventing you from getting away, that is an attack."

Wisconsin's Gov. Tony Evers tells Trump not to visit Kenosha

  

President Trump is not welcome in Wisconsin, at least not if you're asking Gov. Tony Evers.

Evers, a Democrat who has been critical of Trump, urged the president to reconsider traveling on Tuesday to Kenosha, where recent protests against police brutality have exploded into deadly riots in recent days.

“I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state," Evers wrote in a letter to Trump. "I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together,” Evers wrote in the letter, obtained by The Associated Press.

Trump announced he would head to Kenosha to inspect the damage caused by riots. Several businesses have been vandalized and some buildings and multiple car lots burned during the unrest.

Trump will be meeting with law enforcement officers, White House spokesman Judd Deere announced.

"The White House has been humbled by the outreach of individuals from Kenosha who have welcomed the President’s visit and are longing for leadership to support local law enforcement and businesses that have been vandalized," Deere wrote in reply to Evers. "President Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild."

The protests in Kenosha, which followed several in bigger cities around the nation, started this week after 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times on Aug. 23, allegedly by Kenosha police Officer Rusten Sheskey. Video seen on social media shows Sheskey shooting at Blake as he reached into his car, where Wisconsin officials later said a knife was found. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down.

“Well, I’m looking into it very strongly. I’ll be getting reports,” the president said in an interview in New Hampshire Friday. “It was not a good sight. I didn’t like the sight of it, certainly, and I think most people would agree with that.”

The shooting of Blake sparked days of demonstrations and riots that resulted in the deaths of two protesters last Tuesday. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, is accused of fatally shooting two men with an AR-15-style rifle.

Earlier Sunday, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, also expressed concerns about Trump’s visit. “I don’t know how, given any of the previous statements that the president made, that he intends to come here to be helpful. And we absolutely don’t need that right now,” Barnes said in an interview with CNN.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, asked President Trump to reconsider traveling on Tuesday to Kenosha, Wis., the scene of recent protests against police brutality, in a letter Sunday. (AP)

Trump, who has denounced protesters as “thugs” while sharply defending police, has throughout the summer cast American cities under liberal leadership as under siege by violent and lawless anarchy. Protesters have rallied against police brutality and racial injustice in a series of events that began after the May 25 death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police.  While many of the demonstrations have been peaceful, rioting and looting has broken out in Chicago, Seattle, Portland, New York and other cities, including Kenosha.

With about nine weeks until Election Day, conservatives see an aggressive “law and order” message as the best way for the president to turn voters against his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, and regain the support of suburban voters, particularly women.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Riots Protest Cartoons

 

2nd Iowa judge backs GOP, rules ballot requests invalid

 

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A second Iowa judge has ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s campaign and ordered a county to invalidate at least 14,000 absentee ballot requests.

In his ruling issued Friday evening, Judge Patrick Tott found that Woodbury County elections commissioner Patrick Gill acted improperly when he sent absentee ballot request forms to 57,000 registered voters that had their personal information filled in. About 14,000 have been returned so far.

The Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, the Iowa Republican Party and other GOP groups filed lawsuits against three Iowa counties, arguing they were trying to enhance voting security. Democrats have said Republicans want to limit mail-in voting, noting Trump has repeatedly said without proof that such voting was open to fraud.

Gill added the information to make it easier for voters to apply for absentee ballots, but the judge ruled it violated a directive from Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, who ordered that forms be left blank when mailed to voters to ensure statewide uniformity.

The decision came a day after another judge ruled that Linn County officials also had violated the secretary of state’s directive, voiding about 50,000 requests that had been returned.

County officials now must tell voters their ballot applications won’t be processed, so they can either resubmit forms or vote in-person on Nov. 3.

A hearing over a similar lawsuit is planned next week in Johnson County.

 

Trump supporters, rioters clash in Portland; 1 killed

 

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — One person was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland, Oregon, as a large caravan of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter rioters clashed in the streets, police said.

It wasn’t clear if the shooting was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by counter-demonstrators in the city’s downtown.

Police said the caravan had left the area around 8:30 p.m., and officers heard gunshots at about 8:46 p.m., according to a statement. Officers arrived at the shooting scene “within a minute,” police said, but the man who was shot did not survive.

An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then observed police medics working on the body of the victim, who appeared to be a white man. The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past.

Police said the man was shot in the chest. He was not immediately identified. It’s unclear who shot him.

Homicide detectives were looking for more evidence, acknowledging that several images and videos had been posted on social media.

“It is important for detectives get a full and accurate picture of what happened before, during, and after the shooting,” a police statement said. “If anyone was a witness, has video, or has information about the homicide, they’re asked to contact the primary detectives.”

“This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible,” Chief Chuck Lovell said.

Portland has been the site of nightly riots for more than three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many of them end in vandalism and violence, and hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested by local and federal law enforcement since late May.

In the two hours following the shooting, rioters gathered downtown and there was sporadic fighting and vandalism, police stated. Some gave speeches in Lownsdale Square Park before the protest petered out. Ten people were arrested, police said.

The caravan had arrived downtown just as a riot planned for Saturday was getting underway. The chaotic scene came two days after Trump invoked Portland as a liberal city overrun with violence in a speech at the Republican National Convention as part of his “law and order” re-election campaign theme. The caravan marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have rallied in the city.

Trump and other speakers at last week’s convention evoked a violent, dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans.

The pro-Trump rally’s organizer, who recently coordinated a similar caravan in Boise, Idaho, said in a video posted on Twitter Saturday afternoon that attendees should only carry concealed weapons and the route was being kept secret for safety reasons.

The caravan had gathered earlier in the day at a suburban mall and drove as a group to the heart of Portland. As they arrived in the city, rioters attempted to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges.

Videos from the scene showed sporadic fighting, as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan.

The Black Lives Matter riots usually target police buildings and federal buildings. Some rioters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city’s mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence, saying it’s counterproductive.

Early Saturday morning, fires set outside a police union building that is a frequent site for riots prompted police to declare a riot.

An accelerant was used to ignite a mattress and other debris that was laid against the door of the Portland Police Association building, police said in a statement. At least one dumpster had also been set on fire in the street nearby.

The commotion followed a sit-in in the lobby of the Portland mayor’s condominium building Friday night.

______

Associated Press freelancer Paula Bronstein contributed to this report.

Chicago shootings leave at least 5 dead; 2 city cops among the wounded

 

A deadly weekend of Chicago gun violence left two police officers wounded early Sunday, a police department spokesman confirmed.

Both officers were hospitalized but their medical conditions were not immediately known, the spokesman wrote on Twitter.

Between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon at least 5 people were killed and more than a dozen hurt in city shootings.

A 19-year-old man was fatally shot around 7 p.m. Friday by a man who got out of an SUV and hit him in the chest and stomach. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, WMAQ-TV of Chicago reported.

Within 20 minutes, a 39-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting while he sat on a porch with two others. He was hit multiple times in the legs and pronounced dead at a hospital.

A 66-year-old woman who was also on the porch was in critical condition after being hit in a shoulder.

About an hour later, a 21-year-old was killed in a separate drive-by shooting as he walked out of a gas station mini-mart. He was pronounced dead at a hospital after being hit multiple times.

Minutes later, a woman was shot in the stomach and killed by an unknown suspect while walking on a sidewalk with a 31-year-old woman. The 31-year-old was taken to a hospital in fair condition after being hit in a thigh.

A 40-year-old man was also found fatally shot after 3 p.m. Saturday, according to WLS-TV in Chicago.

No arrests have been made, according to WMAQ.

Four others were fatally shot in the city on Thursday, FOX 32 reported.

“People … are in despair there,” Fox Nation host Lawrence Jones said earlier this month, adding that it seems like no one cares about the rampant violence that has also left multiple young children dead recently.

“A lot of these shootings are done by kids. 17, 18, 19 years old and the community keeps saying, ‘Well, there is a broken education system. There is poverty in these communities.’ Any criminologist will tell you that is a breeding fest for crime, so how do we tackle that?”

Portland shooting leaves 1 dead as pro-Trump group clashes with BLM

 

Violent clashes between a massive pro-Trump caravan that drove through Portland, Ore., and Black Lives Matter rioters left at least one person dead in a shooting Saturday evening, according to reports.

Video posted on social media showed a person suddenly dropping to the ground, and others rushing to assist, after what appears to be gunfire near an intersection as vehicles and pedestrians pass by.

Portland police said they were investigating a homicide in the area where the pro-Trump group and counter-rioters clashed but did not say whether the gunfire was directly related to the protests.

Police said Saturday evening no suspect information would be immediately released.

An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then observed police medics working on the body of the victim, who appeared to be a white man. The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with rioters in Portland in the past.

A man is treated by medics after being shot during a confrontation on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Fights broke out in downtown Portland as a large caravan of supporters of President Donald Trump drove through the city, clashing with counter-rioters. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)

Police haven't confirmed any details about the victim.“Portland Police officers heard sounds of gunfire from the area of Southeast 3rd Avenue and Southwest Alder Street. They responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. Medical responded and determined that the victim was deceased,” the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.

Several arrests were made before the shooting and police advised people to avoid the area as the caravan arrived downtown while a protest was underway.

The pro-Trump rally's organizer, who coordinated a similar caravan in Boise, Idaho, earlier in the week, said in a video posted on Twitter Saturday afternoon that attendees should only carry concealed weapons and the route was being kept secret for safety reasons.

Tensions began escalating to violence earlier in the day when rioters confronted the pro-Trump caravan as it drove through the city following a rally at the Clackamas Town Center.

Rioters attempted to stop caravaners by standing in the street and videos from the scene showed sporadic fighting, as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan.The shooting happened after most of the caravaners had left the downtown area, OregonLive reported.Portland has seen more than 90 nights of continued protests and rioting in the downtown area and other parts of the city since May 25, when George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rioters On Unemployment Benefits Cartoons ( It must be nice to sleep all day and riot all night )