Podesta Blasts Trump’s Distortion of Reality in Op-Ed

WASHINGTON, DC -- NOVEMBER 9: Former Clinton White House Chief of Staff, John Podesta, being interviewed for Discovery Channel's, "The President's Gatekeepers," November 9, 2012, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

John Podesta, the former chairman of Hillary for America, published an op-ed in The Washington Post attacking President Donald Trump for his continued distortion of the facts and attacks on the media. In the piece, Podesta calls out Trump for calling anything that does not portray him in the best light “fake news.” He has said this about poll numbers, his businesses, his connections to Russia, and any of his nominees. Podesta calls Trump’s attacks on the media “dangerous” as he is trying to turn people against the media and the political system. “He’s not just trying to spin the bad news of the day; all politicians do that. He seeks nothing less than to undermine the public’s belief that any news can be trusted, that any news is true, that there is any fixed reality,” he says. Read the full op-ed HERE.

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News Source: The Washington Post

Hillary Clinton Attends Inauguration to “Honor our Democracy”

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Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton attended the inauguration of Donald Trump today. After losing the electoral college vote to Trump in the general election, Clinton posted on Twitter this morning that she was attending the inauguration to “honor our democracy & its enduring values.” She and Bill were joined by two other former presidents and their wives: George W. and Laura Bush and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

Later, the Clintons attended the inaugural luncheon where Trump recognized them saying, “There is something that I wanted to say: Because I was very honored – very very honored – when I heard that President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton was coming today. And I think it’s appropriate to say… I’d like you to stand up. Honestly, there’s nothing more I can because I have a lot of respect for those two people.” Everyone in the room gave the Clintons a standing ovation before Trump continued his brief remarks.

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News Source: The Washington Post, CNN

Podesta Pens Op-Ed about the FBI

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The chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, John Podesta, published an op-ed in The Washington Post criticizing the FBI for its handling of Clinton’s email investigation and the hacking of his emails as well as the emails of the Democratic National Committee. Read Podesta’s full op-ed below:

Something is deeply broken at the FBI
By: John Podesta
December 15, 2016

The more we learn about the Russian plot to sabotage Hillary Clinton’s campaign and elect Donald Trump, and the failure of the FBI to adequately respond, the more shocking it gets. The former acting director of the CIA has called the Russian cyberattack “the political equivalent of 9/11.” Just as after the real 9/11, we need a robust, independent investigation into what went wrong inside the government and how to better protect our country in the future.

As the former chair of the Clinton campaign and a direct target of Russian hacking, I understand just how serious this is. So I was surprised to read in the New York Times that when the FBI discovered the Russian attack in September 2015, it failed to send even a single agent to warn senior Democratic National Committee officials. Instead, messages were left with the DNC IT “help desk.” As a former head of the FBI cyber division told the Times, this is a baffling decision: “We are not talking about an office that is in the middle of the woods of Montana.”

What takes this from baffling to downright infuriating is that at nearly the exact same time that no one at the FBI could be bothered to drive 10 minutes to raise the alarm at DNC headquarters, two agents accompanied by attorneys from the Justice Department were in Denver visiting a tech firm that had helped maintain Clinton’s email server.

This trip was part of what FBI Director James B. Comey described as a “painstaking” investigation of Clinton’s emails, “requiring thousands of hours of effort” from dozens of agents who conducted at least 80 interviews and reviewed thousands of pages of documents. Of course, as Comey himself concluded, in the end, there was no case; it was not even a close call.

Comparing the FBI’s massive response to the overblown email scandal with the seemingly lackadaisical response to the very real Russian plot to subvert a national election shows that something is deeply broken at the FBI.

Comey justified his handling of the email case by citing “intense public interest.” He felt so strongly that he broke long-established precedent and disregarded strong guidance from the Justice Department with his infamous letter just 11 days before the election. Yet he refused to join the rest of the intelligence community in a statement about the Russian cyberattack because he reportedly didn’t want to appear “political.” And both before and after the election, the FBI has refused to say whether it is investigating Trump’s ties to Russia.

There are now reports that Vladimir Putin personally directed the covert campaign to elect Trump. So are teams of FBI agents busy looking into the reported meeting in Moscow this summer between Carter Page, a Trump foreign policy adviser, and the Putin aide in charge of Russian intelligence on the U.S. election? What about evidence that Roger Stone was in contact with WikiLeaks and knew in advance that my hacked emails were about to be leaked? Are thousands of FBI person-hours being devoted to uncovering Trump’s tangled web of debts and business deals with foreign entities in Russia and elsewhere?

Meanwhile, House Republicans who had an insatiable appetite for investigating Clinton have been resistant to probing deeply into Russia’s efforts to swing the election to Trump. The media, by gleefully publishing the gossipy fruits of Russian hacks, became what the Times itself calls “a de facto instrument of Russian intelligence.”

But the FBI’s role is particularly troubling because of its power and responsibility — and because this is part of a trend. The Justice Department’s Inspector General issued a damning report this summer about the FBI’s failure to prioritize cyberthreats more broadly.

The election is over and the damage is done, but the threat from Russia and other potential aggressors remains urgent and demands a serious and sustained response.

First, the Obama administration should quickly declassify as much as possible concerning what is known about the Russian hack, as requested by seven Democratic members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Second, the administration should brief members of the electoral college on the extent and manner of Russia’s interference in our election before they vote on Dec. 19, as requested by a bipartisan group of electors.

Third, Congress should authorize a far-reaching, bipartisan independent investigation modeled on the 9/11 Commission. The public deserves to know exactly what happened, why and what can be done to prevent future attacks. Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) have introduced legislation to authorize such an investigation.

Finally, Congress should more vigorously exercise its oversight to determine why the FBI responded overzealously in the Clinton case and insufficiently in the Russian case. The FBI should also clarify whether there is an ongoing investigation into Trump, his associates and their ties to Russia. If ever there were a case of “intense public interest,” this is it. What’s broken in the FBI must be fixed and quickly.

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News Source: The Washington Post

Clinton Campaign to Participate in Wisconsin Vote Recount

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On Saturday, Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced that it will take part in a vote recount in Wisconsin. The recount was initiated on by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. The recount comes in light of fears that voting technology may have been tampered with in the state. In a post on Medium, Clinton lawyer Marc Elias wrote that, while their internal investigations did not reveal an evidence of vote tampering, the campaign will take part in the recount.

A number of prominent politicians and Clinton supporters have called upon the Clinton campaign to challenge the results in battleground states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. There is a building frustration among Clinton’s supporters for a lack of comment from the former presidential candidate’s campaign, especially as Clinton’s lead in the popular vote count remains close to 2 million. Elias says that the campaign appreciates the support, but they have not felt the need to push for expensive recounts. He wrote, “The campaign is grateful to all those who have expended time and effort to investigate various claims of abnormalities and irregularities. While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported.” Read Elias’s full post below:

Listening and Responding To Calls for an Audit and Recount

Over the last few days, officials in the Clinton campaign have received hundreds of messages, emails, and calls urging us to do something, anything, to investigate claims that the election results were hacked and altered in a way to disadvantage Secretary Clinton. The concerns have arisen, in particular, with respect to Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — three states that together proved decisive in this presidential election and where the combined margin of victory for Donald Trump was merely 107,000 votes.

It should go without saying that we take these concerns extremely seriously. We certainly understand the heartbreak felt by so many who worked so hard to elect Hillary Clinton, and it is a fundamental principle of our democracy to ensure that every vote is properly counted.

Moreover, this election cycle was unique in the degree of foreign interference witnessed throughout the campaign: the U.S. government concluded that Russian state actors were behind the hacks of the Democratic National Committee and the personal email accounts of Hillary for America campaign officials, and just yesterday, the Washington Post reported that the Russian government was behind much of the “fake news” propaganda that circulated online in the closing weeks of the election.

For all these reasons, we have quietly taken a number of steps in the last two weeks to rule in or out any possibility of outside interference in the vote tally in these critical battleground states.

First, since the day after the election we have had lawyers and data scientists and analysts combing over the results to spot anomalies that would suggest a hacked result. These have included analysts both from within the campaign and outside, with backgrounds in politics, technology and academia.

Second, we have had numerous meetings and calls with various outside experts to hear their concerns and to discuss and review their data and findings. As a part of this, we have also shared out data and findings with them. Most of those discussions have remained private, while at least one has unfortunately been the subject of leaks.

Third, we have attempted to systematically catalogue and investigate every theory that has been presented to us within our ability to do so.

Fourth, we have examined the laws and practices as they pertain to recounts, contests and audits.

Fifth, and most importantly, we have monitored and staffed the post-election canvasses — where voting machine tapes are compared to poll-books, provisional ballots are resolved, and all of the math is double checked from election night. During that process, we have seen Secretary Clinton’s vote total grow, so that, today, her national popular vote lead now exceeds more than 2 million votes.

In the coming days, we will continue to perform our due diligence and actively follow all further activities that are to occur prior to the certification of any election results. For instance, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania conduct post-election audits using a sampling of precincts. Michigan and many other states still do not. This is unfortunate; it is our strong belief that, in addition to an election canvass, every state should do this basic audit to ensure accuracy and public confidence in the election.

Beyond the post-election audit, Green Party candidate Jill Stein announced Friday that she will exercise her right as a candidate to pursue a recount in the state of Wisconsin. She has indicated plans to also seek recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves, but now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides. If Jill Stein follows through as she has promised and pursues recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will take the same approach in those states as well. We do so fully aware that the number of votes separating Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the closest of these states — Michigan — well exceeds the largest margin ever overcome in a recount. But regardless of the potential to change the outcome in any of the states, we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself.

The campaign is grateful to all those who have expended time and effort to investigate various claims of abnormalities and irregularities. While that effort has not, in our view, resulted in evidence of manipulation of results, now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported.

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News Source: The Washington Post, CNN, Medium

NEW REPORT: Trump’s False Philanthropy Exposed

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The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold published yet another explosive report revealing Trump’s lack of charitable giving, despite his history of making dramatic public promises of donations, and detailing Trump’s misuse of his foundation. Hillary Clinton highlighted the new report in her remarks today at Wilton Manors, saying it was “truly stunning.”

Washington Post: “For as long as he has been rich and famous, Donald Trump has also wanted people to believe he is generous … It was, in large part, a facade. A months-long investigation by The Washington Post has not been able to verify many of Trump’s boasts about his philanthropy.”

Slate:The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold has spent months going through records and talking to people to try to figure out whether Donald Trump is really as charitable as he claims to be. At this point in the campaign, it should surprise no one that the answer is no... Although Trump, particularly through his foundation, did give some money to charity over the years, much of it was self-serving and the dollar amounts of his contributions were often much less than what he made it seem.”

Today in Wilton Manors, Hillary Clinton highlights Trump’s “charitable giving, or lack thereof.”

“But yesterday the Washington Post published a report that was truly stunning. It starts with the story of a ribbon-cutting back in 1996 for a nursery school serving children living with HIV and AIDS in New York. Now, let me say, this is important in part to remember. This is a story about children with HIV and AIDS. So there was a big celebration honoring the donors who had supported the nursery school, and all the kids and their families, for whom this was the most important thing you can imagine. Because you know, back in the ‘90s, some of you remember.  Right? Children weren’t welcomed in school.

And then, unannounced and uninvited, guess who barges in? Donald Trump. He walks right up to the stage. He sat down in the seat that was being saved for a local developer who had made a generous donation. None of the people working for the charity knew why he was there. He wasn’t a donor at all. He had never given a single dollar to help build the school. He just wanted people to think he had. So he sat on the stage through the program, even posed for photographs, and when it was over, he got up and walked out. No explanation. No donation. Now really, who does that? What kind of person does that?  Really? I mean, who pretends to help kids with HIV and AIDS in order to make themselves look good? Well, I’ll tell you: The same kind of person who would pull a bait and switch on a high school chess team.

Back in 1997, he was principal for a day at a public school. That was a program we used to have in New York. The chess team was holding a bake sale to raise money to travel to a tournament. They were $5,000 short. He walked up to them and handed them a fake million dollar bill.  At first the kids and their parents were excited. Then they were devastated to learn it was a joke. So he gave them 200 bucks and drove away in his limousine. Now, this story does have a happy ending because a woman read the story about Donald Trump’s behavior, called the school, and donated the $5,000.  And the coach remembers this woman saying, “I am ashamed to be the same species as this man.”

Just this morning, Kellyanne Conway was pressed on Trump’s false philanthropy and was unable to provide any evidence that Fahrenthold’s reporting was anything other than spot-on.

WATCH: Kellyanne Conway Talks Tax Returns, Charity

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Tim Kaine mentioned a big story in the Washington Post that found Donald Trump’s personal giving has disappeared entirely in recent years after calling 420 plus charities with connection to trump. The post found one personal gift between 2008 and the spring of 2009. They call into question all of the promises he’s made about giving to charity. Will Trump release his tax returns and show what he’s given?

KELLYANNE CONWAY: Not until our accountants and lawyers say we should.

[…]

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Any contributions to charity over the last several years from the foundation? The Post couldn’t find any and you wouldn’t respond.

KELLYANNE CONWAY: I’m told by those in charge of the Clinton Foundation —

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump Foundation.

KELLYANNE CONWAY: Excuse me, yes, George. He’s been incredibly generous with his time and money over the years. He started that foundation with just his money and the only contributor for a number of years.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But nothing over the last five years.

KELLYANNE CONWAY: I don’t know that.

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FBI Announces it is Reopening Clinton Email Investigation

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Scroll down for updates.

On Friday, FBI Director James Comey sent a letter to a Congressional Judiciary Committee explaining that the FBI had decided to reopen the case investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State. The three page letter did not go into much detail which lead the Clinton campaign to respond. Campaign Chair John Podesta released a statement calling on Comey and the FBI to release more information surrounding their reasoning considering the election is less than two weeks away. The statement from Podesta is below.

“Upon completing this investigation more than three months ago, FBI Director Comey declared no reasonable prosecutor would move forward with a case like this and added that it was not even a close call. In the months since, Donald Trump and his Republican allies have been baselessly second-guessing the FBI and, in both public and private, browbeating the career officials there to revisit their conclusion in a desperate attempt to harm Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

FBI Director Comey should immediately provide the American public more information than is contained in the letter he sent to eight Republican committee chairmen. Already, we have seen characterizations that the FBI is ‘reopening’ an investigation but Comey’s words do not match that characterization. Director Comey’s letter refers to emails that have come to light in an unrelated case, but we have no idea what those emails are and the Director himself notes they may not even be significant.

It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election.

The Director owes it to the American people to immediately provide the full details of what he is now examining. We are confident this will not produce any conclusions different from the one the FBI reached in July.”

The FBI did elaborate later in the day saying that additional evidence related to the Clinton investigation was discovered on a laptop seized during the investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner. FBI officials said that the bureau will investigate the newly discovered emails on the laptop and that it is possible that the emails could be duplicates of ones previously turned over by the Clinton camp. State Department officials said they have not been made aware of the FBI’s new evidence. More details are likely to be released in the coming weeks, but the news of a reopened investigation could affect Clinton at the polls.

Read the letter from Comey to Congress below (download the letter HERE).

UPDATE (10/28): Following an event in Des Moines, Iowa, Hillary Clinton spoke at a press event and addressed the issues of the FBI reopening its investigation. Clinton said that the FBI needs to release additional details regarding its investigation with the election being less than two weeks away. “Voting is underway, so the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately,” she said. She said that she was confident that nothing new would be found and that she did not know what new evidence the FBI might be referring to adding, “Right now, your guess is as good as mine, and I don’t think that’s good enough.” A video of Clinton’s statement is below.

UPDATE (10/29): The Washington Post obtained a copy of an internal memo sent by FBI director James Comey to FBI employees. In the letter, he briefly explains his reasoning for taking the early details of an investigation to Congress. Read the letter below:

To all:

This morning I sent a letter to Congress in connection with the Secretary Clinton email investigation.  Yesterday, the investigative team briefed me on their recommendation with respect to seeking access to emails that have recently been found in an unrelated case.  Because those emails appear to be pertinent to our investigation, I agreed that we should take appropriate steps to obtain and review them.

Of course, we don’t ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record.  At the same time, however, given that we don’t know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails, I don’t want to create a misleading impression.  In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood, but I wanted you to hear directly from me about it.

Jim Comey

UPDATE (10/29): Hillary for America responded to the news with several press releases and a post on Medium from campaign chair John Podesta.

UPDATE (10/30): The FBI announced that it obtained a warrant to search the emails found on a laptop belonging to former Congressman Anthony Weiner. While it is unclear how many emails on the laptop, if any, are relevant to the Hillary Clinton email investigation, an official revealed that there are over 650,000 emails on the computer. It is likely that the majority belong to the former Congressman, but his wife, Clinton aide Huma Abedin, also used the laptop. FBI officials also revealed today that several lower level investigators knew the emails existed weeks ago, but only recently brought them to the attend of Director James Comey. It is also unclear why a warrant was received after Comey briefed Congress of the investigation on Friday.

Hillary for America campaign chair John Podesta and campaign manager Robby Mook have been on the defensive since the revelations were announced. The campaign released a video about the facts of the case and calling for more details to be released considering the timing. The video released by The Briefing is below.

UPDATE (10/31): Former Attorney General Eric Holder wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in which he called FBI director James Comey “a good man,” but said that he made a mistake by telling Congress about evidence that may have nothing to do with the Hillary Clinton email case. In the editorial, Holder says, “The department has a practice of not commenting on ongoing investigations. Indeed, except in exceptional circumstances, the department will not even acknowledge the existence of an investigation. The department also has a policy of not taking unnecessary action close in time to Election Day that might influence an election’s outcome. These rules have been followed during Republican and Democratic administrations. They aren’t designed to help any particular individual or to serve any political interest. Instead, they are intended to ensure that every investigation proceeds fairly and judiciously; to maintain the public trust in the department’s ability to do its job free of political influence; and to prevent investigations from unfairly or unintentionally casting public suspicion on public officials who have done nothing wrong.” Read the full editorial HERE.

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News Source: The Washington Post, The New York Times, ABC News, Politico, CNN, MSNBC, Medium, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Washington Post

Republicans to Trump: American Elections Are Not Rigged

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The following was released by Hillary for America:

At last night’s debate, and again today at his rally, Donald Trump declared his unwillingness to respect the electoral process that is the foundation of American democracy by refusing to accept the outcome of the election. American elections are not rigged. Peaceful transfers of power are a hallmark of our republic – and the envy of the world.

The backlash from fellow Republicans has been swift, leaving Trump increasingly isolated after members of his own party repudiated his position in forceful terms:

Reactions to Trump’s Comments at Debate and Post-Debate Rally:

Elected Officials

Senator Bob Corker (TN), 10/19/16: “It is imperative that Donald Trump clearly state that he will accept the results of the election when complete.”

Senator Jeff Flake (AZ), 10/19/16: “.@realDonaldTrump saying that he might not accept election results is beyond the pale”

Senator Lindsey Graham (SC), 10/19/16: “Like most Americans I have confidence in our democracy and election system… If he loses, it will not be because the system is ‘rigged’ but because he failed as a candidate.

Senator Ben Sasse (NE), 10/20/16: “Talking about rigged elections with zero evidence is dangerous because it erodes trust without justification and kindles cynicism that undermines self-government… Likewise, every America — Republican, Democrat, or Independent — should absolutely condemn voter intimidation or acts of violence.”

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, 10/20/16: “Gov. Scott Walker says Republican presidential nominee has to accept results of the election, even though Trump hasn’t said whether he will if Hillary Clinton wins. WLUK-TV reports Thursday that Walker said following an event in Green Bay that ‘The bottom line is whether he does or doesn’t, there’s going to be a new president.’”

Other Notable Republicans

Conservative Radio Host Laura Ingraham, 10/19/16: “He should have said he would accept the results of the election. There is no other option unless we’re in a recount again.”

Former McCain Strategist Steve Schmidt, 10/20/16: “It’s absolutely unprecedented for any presidential candidate in the history of the country.”

Former Counsel to Bush/Cheney Campaign Ben Ginsberg, 10/20/16: “I think you’ve seen many leaders of the [Republican] party say our elections are not rigged in the past few days. Of the 15 closest states right now, more or less, 11 of them have Republican secretaries of state so that the responsibility for counting the votes – while there’s a check and balance system in every state – really rests with republican elected officials.” [MSNBC All In, 10/20/16]

Reactions to Trump’s “Rigged Elections” Comments Prior to Final Debate:

Elected Officials (Current and Former)

Senator Jeff Flake (AZ) 10/16/16: “States, backed by tens of thousands of GOP and DEM volunteers, ensure integrity of electoral process. Elections are not rigged.”

Senator Lindsey Graham (SC), 10/6/16: “I don’t think it’s good for democracy to have a major candidate for president doubt the outcome,’ Graham told CNN’s Kate Bolduan and John Berman on ‘At This Hour.’ ‘But being rigged means it’s rigged against you and I think Mr. Trump’s fate is in his own hands.

Senator John Kasich (OH), 10/19/16: “No!” Kasich said emphatically when asked on “CBS This Morning” if the election is rigged. “Look, to say that elections are rigged and all these votes are stolen, that’s like saying we never landed on the moon, frankly. That’s how silly it is,” added Kasich, who noted that his first statewide election was “extremely close.”

Senator Rand Paul (KY), 10/17/16: “The Courier Journal reports, Paul spoke to a Republican student group at St. Xavier High School in Louisville Monday stating concerns of rebellion that some Trump supporters have called for are “overstated” and the elections are accurately recorded.”

Representative Doug Collins (GA-9), 10/17/16: “When Trump says it’s fixed or rigged, my hope is that it’s taken in the vein that the media is against me – not that the voting process is… We can argue the edges, but let’s not cut into the exoskeleton.”

Representative Peter King (NY-2), 10/17/16: “Is it legally rigged? No it’s not. Whoever wins, wins.”

Former Arizona Governor and Former Secretary of State Jan Brewer, 10/17/16: “Even former Gov. Jan Brewer (R, Arizona’s former secretary of state and a top Trump supporter, said: ‘I don’t think there’s a lot of fraud going on.’  Asked whether Arizona’s election results would be rigged, Brewer told The Arizona Republic: ‘Absolutely not in Arizona.’”

Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, 10/17/16: “First of all, I can assure Donald Trump I am in charge of elections in Ohio, and they’re not going to be rigged… Times have gotten tougher for a lot of people who’ve seen their incomes drop during a period where many people have gotten very wealthy. So they’re frustrated by those kinds of things. But our institutions like our election system is one of the bedrocks of American democracy. We should not question it. Or the legitimacy of it.” [Newsroom, CNN, 10/17/16]

  • Husted on Trump’s comments: “Well, it’s irresponsible. He should focus on issues that matter to people… Give them some hope. Don’t create hopelessness in our country. Don’t make people feel despair.”

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, 10/17/16: “Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said Monday she has ‘full confidence’ in the state’s decentralized election system, despite broad claims by Republican Donald Trump that the presidential election will be ‘rigged.’

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, 10/17/16: “Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp on Monday joined the tide of Republicans and elections officials who pushed back on Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that a ‘rigged election’ would help Hillary Clinton win in November. Kemp said Georgia’s ‘battle-tested voting equipment and the election officials who manage the system have earned voters’ confidence’ with more than 45 million votes cast and tabulated. ‘As Georgia’s chief elections official,’ he added, ‘I have worked tirelessly to ensure Georgians have safe, accessible, and fair elections in our state.’”

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, 9/8/16: “I hate the fact that people are questioning whether the outcome of an election could be rigged.”

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, 10/17/16: “‘Iowa has got one of the cleanest, best election systems in the country and I guarantee every eligible Iowa voter will be able to cast their ballot for the Nov. 8 election,’ added Pate, who said he wanted to clear away any ‘smoke’ over rigged elections by noting the many checks and balances Iowa has to maintain integrity and ferret out fraud.”

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargrett, 10/18/16: “I believe Secretary Clinton and Gov. Pence both talked about, we’re going to accept the results of the election. And in this country, we have a transfer of power that, in my mind, works better than any other country in the world.”

Office of the Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, 10/17/16: “‘Donald Trump has been tweeting about elections being rigged, but he offers no evidence of such,’ Secretary of State Communications Director Lynn Bartels said in a statement to Denver7. ‘I can say on Twitter I’m a super model, but that doesn’t make it so.’”

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, 10/17/16: “[It’s] irresponsible for a candidate to be casting doubt on the election process and just making these sweeping statements that the election is rigged already and that the outcome is predetermined.”

Philadelphia GOP City Commissioner Al Schmidt, 10/17/16: “The real threat to the integrity of elections in Philadelphia isn’t voter fraud… The real threat to the integrity of elections is irresponsible accusations that undermine confidence in the electoral process.”

Other Notable Republicans

Former Romney Policy Adviser Lanhee Chen, 10/11/16: “Credible Republicans have to be a note of sobriety, and we do have to respect the outcome of the election.”

Former George W. Bush White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, 10/16/16: “[If] Donald Trump loses and fights the outcome, it will make many of his followers, which means millions of people, question the legitimacy of our American government. That’s destructive and corrosive.”

Former George W. Bush Aide Tony Fratto, 10/16/16: “You hate to have to fight something like this, but it is very corrosive, so you do have to fight it. You don’t want it to even pick up with a small segment of the population. Reince and Ryan and McConnell will have to concede for him, for the party. They just have to take things out of his hands.”

Former McCain Strategist Steve Schmidt, 10/16/16: “What this would be is an assault on the foundations of the long-established traditions of the country, an assault on democracy, vandalizing it.”

Robert Kelner, an attorney that has represented the RNC, NRCC and NRSC: “Donald Trump’s effort to stir up trouble at polling places and to question, without any factual foundation, the fairness of the general election is a dangerous and unprecedented attack on our democratic institutions.”

Bill Kristol, 10/17/16: “The only ‘large scale voter fraud’ going on this year is the Donald J. Trump presidential campaign.”

Update (10/21): Republicans Continue to Denounce Trump’s Refusal to Accept Election Outcome

Donald Trump continues to shock the world with his unwillingness to accept the legitimacy of the U.S. presidential election. Trump is only increasing his isolation from the Republican Party – and from reality – as leaders in his own party continue to denounce their nominee.

Today, additional Republicans join the growing list of GOP leaders repudiating Trump’s position:

NEW Reactions to Trump’s Comments at Debate and Post-Debate Rally:

Elected Officials

Senator Lamar Alexander (TN), 10/20/16: “‘The most conspicuous and enduring symbol of the American democracy is the freedom to vote for our leaders and the restraint to respect the results,’ U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said in a statement. ‘When you run for public office, you accept the verdict of the voters.’”

Senator Mike Lee (UT), 10/20/16: “It’s frightening beyond my ability to describe,” Lee, R-Utah, told The Daily Universe, the student newspaper at Brigham Young University. “It’s almost an anticipated repudiation of the outcome of the election. … It delegitimizes the entire process in a way that is really dangerous.”

Senator John Thune (SD), 10/20/16: “The American electoral process is the cornerstone of our democracy. Suggesting otherwise undermines an electoral system that is a model for nations around the world.”

Representative Jason Chaffetz (UT-3), 10/20/16: “And Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said he has faith in the elections. ‘Vigilance is wise, but to suggest it is rigged, I see no evidence of that. I have confidence in the integrity of the vote,’ he said. ‘Our nation has a rich history of integrity in elections, and I would expect that to be the same here again.’”

 Representative Diane Black (UT-6), 10/20/16: “But regardless of the outcome, both candidates should honor the results once they are certified and accept the legitimacy of the process.”

Representative Mike Kelly (PA-3), 10/20/16: “The office of U.S. Rep Mike Kelly, R-Butler, said he would ‘accept the legitimately determined results of the election… America’s faith in the democratic process is more durable than any candidate’s campaign rhetoric,’ it added.”

Maine Governor Paul LePage, 10/20/16: “LePage advised Trump to ‘take your licks and let’s move on four years.’ ‘Not accepting the results, I think, is a stupid comment. I mean, c’mon. Get over yourself,’ LePage said.”

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, 10/20/16: “‘This election is not rigged, and it’s irresponsible to say that it is,’ Gov. Nikki Haley said in a statement provided to The Post and Courier. ‘Faith in the democratic process is one of America’s greatest strengths, and it’s more important than the outcome of any election.’”

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, 10/20/16: “Gov. Bill Haslam, who has said he does not support Trump’s candidacy, told reporters on Thursday that the United States is ‘predicated on a peaceful transfer of power and I think one of the basics of that is the acceptance of election results.’ He pointed to the outcome of the 2000 presidential election between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush that went weeks past Election Day because of a close contest in Florida. ‘Now it’s one thing if an election is — we had the election in 2000 that was obviously too close to call and had to be played out but we had a process for playing that out,’ Haslam said. ‘But again the whole system is based on a peaceful transfer of power and part of that includes you know accepting election results.’”

Other Notable Republicans

Former Oklahoma Secretary of State Tom Cole, 10/18/16: “I just don’t believe there is any risk of massive voter fraud in the elections . . . It does concern me, because you’ve got a national platform running for president, and you delegitimize the process by which presidents are chosen when you raise doubts.”

NCGOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse, 10/20/16: “We at the North Carolina Republican Party are not aware of election results being optional.”

Update (10/21): Battleground Editorials Rebuke Trump’s Attempt to Undermine the Election

Voting is easy and we’re seeing record turnout this election cycle.  That’s one of the reasons battleground state editorial boards are rejecting Trump’s attempts to undermine our democratic process by refusing to commit to accepting the election results if he loses.

Here’s what voters are reading in their hometown papers:

REGIONAL AND LOCAL EDITORIAL BOARDS

 Akron Beacon Journal: “What Trump Doesn’t Know About Elections And Other Presidential Things.” On Sunday, Donald Trump tweeted: “The election is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted media pushing Crooked Hillary — but also at many polling places — SAD.” The Republican presidential candidate has persisted with this theme though he offers no supporting evidence. Sad isn’t the word that comes first to mind in weighing his claim. Try pathetic, outrageous or ridiculous.”

Boston Globe: Trump’s Attempt To Delegitimize The Election. “Trump’s claims that the election is “rigged” against him have no basis in fact. Election fraud in the United States is so rare as to be nearly nonexistent. All 50 states and countless local boards control their own elections, and rigging the vote on a nationwide basis would be nearly impossible. The actual counting of votes is closely watched by observers from both parties. Early voting is underway across the nation, and no credible allegations of fraud have emerged.”

Buffalo News: “GOP Must Disavow Trump’s Attempt To Undermine Confidence In The Election.” In a campaign overflowing with accusations from the Republican presidential nominee, perhaps the worst yet is just now infecting the country. Donald Trump is working, purposefully and relentlessly, to convince people that the election, itself, is rigged against him. He is doing this without a shred of evidence beyond his own collapse in the public’s estimation.”

Charlotte Gazette-Mail: Trump’s Claim “Ridiculous” And “Laughable” “On some level, Trump’s answer wasn’t a surprise. It’s become apparent that he’s likely to lose this election, and he’s spent the past several weeks whipping his supporters into a frenzy by claiming the Nov. 8 vote will be rigged against him. It is a ridiculous claim. It should be laughable. A conspiracy to rig votes across the country would, by definition, involve thousands of people of all political leanings, starting with local poll workers and observers. But Trump, never one to concern himself with facts, has continued to fan the flames. It was still shocking to hear him refuse, when asked point-blank, to accept the upcoming election results.”

Chicago Sun-Times: Shameful Trump Declines To Accept Elections Results. “Trump took every opportunity to undermine the confidence of the American people in the integrity of our national elections. It’s an outrageously irresponsible game. Without the public’s confidence — a confidence that is fully warranted, we should add — our democratic system cannot work.”

Chicago Tribune: Trump, You Think Illinois Elections Are Rigged? Here’s What You Don’t Know. “Did you giggle when you heard the Republican nominee for president say that America’s election process is “rigged”? And when he warned about insiders stealing the election process, did you convulse with laughter? Of course, you did. You’re from Illinois. You know that what’s corrupt often is perfectly legal. That’s the real outrage. Many of Trump’s allegations are fantastic, impossible. He’s wrong — although Trump never minds being wrong.”

Cincinnat!: Trump Is Over The Top And Out Of Bounds. “Donald Trump’s claims of a rigged presidential election aren’t only unprecedented and irresponsible. They are dangerous….”

Concord Monitor: This is Trump – now lets vote “The bottom fell out of Republican Donald Trump’s sagging campaign at Wednesday night’s presidential debate when he refused to say – twice – whether he would accept the results of the Nov. 8 election. It is wrong for any candidate for president to toy with our nation’s confidence in fundamental tenets of our democracy – free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power. We believe Trump has cemented what should be obvious by now – that he is totally unfit to be president of the United States. He is not even fit to lose the presidential race.”

Daily Record: “To Trump, Any Loss Will Be ‘Rigged.” So Donald Trump finally went too far. Or maybe not. Either way, the third and – mercifully – last presidential debate of the season largely boiled down to one singular and unprecedented moment, when Trump refused to say he will accept the results of the election. “I will look at it at the time,” Trump said in responding to a direct question on the issue from debate moderator Chris Wallace.

Daily Progress: Trump should take cue from Adams, Jefferson race “Donald Trump at the third presidential debate, on the other hand, wouldn’t commit to honoring the results on Election Day and told America he would “keep you in suspense … We have never seen in a modern election — even the narrowest, nastiest of campaigns — a candidate so openly question the integrity of the democratic process that he might not even accept defeat.”

Las Vegas Sun Editorial: Refusing to concede would be disrespectful Trump’s final insult “Voters should reject Trump. And then he can sulk all he wants — as he did when his TV show didn’t win an Emmy — and retreat to his gilded lifestyle. But if he refuses to respect the peaceful electoral ritual that distinguishes our nation, shame on him, and he will have revealed himself as fools gold, a phony who came to the end of his run.”

Miami Herald: At Final Debate, Trump Shocks By Saying He May Not Accept Election Results. “His unwillingness to say whether he would accept the decision by voters served once again to remind Americans tuning in for the third and final debate of this topsy-turvy electoral season that Mr. Trump does not respect American political traditions — and actually seems to hold them in contempt. He compounded his failure by again raising the issue of rigged elections without providing anything in the way of evidence.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Donald Trump’s Reckless End Game “Will Trump ever concede if he loses? Or will he encourage his ardent supporters to reject the legitimacy of the election — attacking the very cornerstone of our democratic republic? Trump must realize he is losing. He is trailing in every credible national poll and in most battleground states.But after pinning the “loser” label on everyone from his Republican primary opponents to past prisoners of war to troops who suffer from battle fatigue, this pampered prince of privilege cannot imagine a graceful exit. And so he claims without evidence to be the victim of a massive conspiracy that no reasonable observer believes is real ”

Roanoke Times: Republicans must disavow Trump on not accepting election results “Before we say anything about the third and final presidential debate, we must say this: Republicans must condemn Donald Trump’s declaration that he might not accept the election results.We usually like to be able to see things in many shades of gray but there is only one way to see this: Trump just made a brazen assault on one of the basic tenets of American democracy — that we abide by election results and peacefully transfer power. What, exactly, is Trump proposing when he says he will keep the nation “in suspense” until he announces whether he will accept the results”

Sacramento Bee: Talk Of ‘Rigged’ Election Is Slippery Slope To Violence. “Imagine voting on Nov. 8 under the watchful gaze of, say, a posse of poll watchers, assault-style rifles slung over their shoulders, “Make America Great Again” hats perched on their heads. Sounds farfetched? Voter fraud is exceedingly rare, as researchers have found over and over.”

San Diego Union-Tribune: “Donald Trump Makes Joe McCarthy Look Good With ‘Rigged Election’ Talk. “Republican nominee Donald Trump’s unhinged behavior in the last week will go down in American history as among the most wide-ranging assaults on fundamentals of democracy and civility this nation has seen from a leading politician.”

Seattle Times: Donald Trump Has Invented A Conspiracy That Could Do Serious Damage. “DONALD Trump is preparing a crash-landing pad for the likelihood of his resounding defeat in the Nov. 8 election. His claims about “large-scale voter fraud” and a “rigged election” are self-serving and, worse, damaging to the American electoral process. Like so many other claims from Trump’s demagogic campaign, his claims take a gossamer thread of fact and weave them into conspiracy.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Trump’s Worst Offense: The Vile Attempt To Discredit The Election.  “Of all the reckless assertions uttered by Donald Trump over the past two years, the most dangerous and despicable are those charging that the Nov. 8 election will be rigged. Unity and democracy do not concern Trump. Since the primary season, he has been casting doubt — with no evidence whatsoever — on the legitimacy of the democratic process.”

Star Tribune: Disgraceful defiance from Donald Trump “Unwilling to accept his backslide in the polls, Trump has been malevolently cultivating the notion that the American system of elections, whose heart is a peaceful, orderly transition of power every four years that is the envy of many nations, is so manipulated, so corrupt, that it cannot be trusted, nor its results necessarily accepted. Not only does Trump bring no evidence for such astounding assertions, he has made his claims in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”

Philadelphia Inquirer: Trump’s rigged election claim is a danger “His belligerent comments at Wednesday’s final presidential debate strike at the very structure of American democracy, where elections are used to transfer power peacefully from one administration to the next. Trump’s remarks are rooted in an alternate reality. He believes dead citizens and undocumented immigrants will vote in the Nov. 8 election. He claims the upcoming election is rigged against him, without offering a speck of proof.”

Philly Daily News: DN editorial: Trump’s claims of a rigged election are racist in nature “YOU DON’T HAVE to dig too deeply to hit the roots of the allegations over voter fraud in Philadelphia. It’s racism. Donald Trump may have used dog-whistle phrases in speeches in Altoona and Wilkes-Barre while claiming the election could be stolen because of widespread voter fraud in Philadelphia.”

Post And Courier: No, The Election’s Not Rigged. “As for Mr. Trump’s reckless contention that polling places will be rigged against him, that goes far beyond an early alibi for what many analysts now foresee as his defeat three weeks from today.That baseless accusation feeds the dangerous myth that Mrs. Clinton will win the presidential election outcome via a fraudulent process.And that sets the stage for even more widespread distrust by the electorate in our self-governing system.”

Tampa Bay Times: Republicans Should Defend Elections, Not Trump. “That follows his constant warnings that the election could be rigged, and it threatens the underpinnings of our peaceful democracy. There is no basis for Trump’s fearmongering, and Republicans such as Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi should stand up for the electoral process now before their presidential candidate fuels more public distrust. Trump’s harping about rigged elections is a fact-free, pre-emptive strike to blunt the sting of his failing campaign.”

Union Leader: Loser’s Lament: Trump Conspiracies Are Nonsense. “ It’s fairly clear Donald Trump now believes he will not win the presidential election. Trump says the media is “rigging” the election by focusing on his myriad flaws … Trump can whine about the press all he wants, though he wouldn’t be the Republican nominee without the wall-to-wall coverage he received over the past year. He goes too far in suggesting the election could be stolen at polling places.”

Virginian-Pilot: Trump’s Dangerous Indictment Of Democracy “His attack on the foundations of democracy is unhinged, especially since the apparatus of American elections is controlled by the states, most of which are run by Republican executives. Such is the state of the 2016 campaign that Republican luminaries across the nation, and even Trump’s own advisers, immediately began trying to undo the damage that his reckless rhetoric unleashed. That’s likely to be a futile effort. Wednesday was another example in a long campaign of Trump being Trump.”

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HFA Statement on Putin’s Comments on U.S. Election

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Hillary for America Senior Policy Adviser Jake Sullivan released the following statement today in reaction to Vladimir Putin’s new comments on the U.S. election:

“Vladimir Putin just confirmed that Donald Trump is carrying Russia’s water with his pro-Putin wish list of policies, and the only question left is whether he will follow through for the Kremlin. Putin is trying to put his thumb on the scale through cyber-attacks aimed at influencing the election because he knows that Hillary Clinton will stand up to him.

“It is baffling that his campaign finds cyberattacks on America ‘refreshing’ and ‘diligent’ while continuing to coddle Russia and its leader. Given the alarming set of facts, it’s time for Donald Trump to condemn this modern day Watergate and disclose all of his campaign’s connections to Russia and WikiLeaks.”

Hillary for America released a Medium post yesterday on the Russian hack that Donald Trump refuses to admit or condemn laying out an important question that voters deserve to know – “What did Trump know, and when did he know it?” Read it here.

The campaign also released a new video cataloguing Trump’s disturbing connections to Russia and why they are so concerning. Watch it here.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on TwitterFacebookYouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

Hillary Clinton Endorsed by The Washington Post

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On Thursday, Hillary Clinton earned the endorsement of The Washington Post. The paper’s editorial board said that they did not reach their decision to back Clinton simply because Donald Trump should not be president, but because she has the experience and knowledge to be president. It is that experience that led the board to conclude, “That presages what Americans might reasonably expect of a Clinton presidency: seriousness of purpose and relentless commitment, even in the face of great obstacles, to achievements in the public interest. We believe that Ms. Clinton will prove a worthy example to girls who celebrate the election of America’s first female president. We believe, too, that anyone who votes for her will be able to look back, four years from now, with pride in that decision.” Read the paper’s full endorsement HERE.

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News Source: The Washington Post

Review: Newspapers Endorsing Hillary Clinton

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Hillary for America released the following rundown of all the newspapers from across the country that have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.

As Republicans abandon Donald Trump in an act of self-preservation – coming to the long overdue conclusion they could have made months ago – newspapers across the country continue to show near-unanimous agreement in endorsing Hillary Clinton for President. One newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch, is endorsing a Democrat for the first time in 100 years.

From Florida and Pennsylvania to Colorado and Ohio, editorial boards continued to weigh in this week to make the affirmative case that Hillary Clinton is, by far, the best choice for President.

A selection of this week’s endorsements include:

FLORIDA

Tampa Bay Times: Times Recommends: Hillary Clinton for President

October 6, 2016

Excerpt: Hillary Clinton is the only candidate for president with the values, experience and knowledge to meet the challenges at home and abroad. Donald Trump is stunningly unprepared and temperamentally unfit for the presidency, and he has played upon our deepest fears and worst impulses with reckless rhetoric, wild promises and flagrant disregard for the truth. His bombast makes for entertaining television, but it is not suited for the Oval Office.

Sun Sentinel: Sun Sentinel Editorial Board Endorses Hillary Clinton for President

September 30, 2016

Excerpt: The very bottom line? Trump is not qualified. Hillary is fully qualified to serve as president of the United States. Use your vote to swing this swing state to Hillary.

IOWA

The Hawk Eye: Our Endorsement – Hillary Clinton

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: Hillary Clinton should be — and we believe will be — the next president of the United States. It will be as historic an election — the first woman to be elected president — as it was in 2008 when Barack Obama became the first black American to win the presidency.

Clinton Herald: Why Hillary Clinton is Best Choice for President

October 8, 2016

Excerpt: Hillary Clinton’s record of public service and detailed knowledge of the complex and imposing issues the nation will confront in the next four years make her the superior choice to become the next president.

OHIO

The Columbus Dispatch: For President | Trump unfit, Clinton is qualified

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: For us, the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is not pleasant, but it isn’t difficult. Republican candidate Donald Trump is unfit to be president of the United States. Democrat Hillary Clinton, despite her flaws, is well-equipped for the job.

Cleveland Plain Dealer: In the Matter of Our Endorsement for the President of the United States of America…

October 9, 2016

  • Elizabeth Sullivan: “In a head-to-head, it’s evident despite her flaws that she understands diplomacy, she knows how to work the room on Capitol Hill, she understands the power of words and how to use them and – most important of all – she will not be reckless. Let me repeat that: Hillary Clinton will not be reckless. Trump will, it’s guaranteed. There is only one choice this year to keep Donald Trump out of the White House and to ensure a rational, non catastrophic next four years. That is a vote for Hillary.”
  • Sharon Broussard: “If you could stomach it, Trump would be great entertainment on a political reality show. But the Oval Office is the real deal and he should be nowhere near it. Vote for Clinton.”
  • Thomas Suddes: “You don’t have to like Hillary Clinton or for that matter to loathe Donald Trump to consider Clinton the better presidential prospect. She is. Demonstrably.”
  • Mark Vosburgh: “But the words he has used during the campaign are what mark him as unfit for public office, or even a stool at a respectable tavern. His utterances are the most reckless, untruthful and hateful of any major-party presidential candidate in the 44 years that I have been of voting age. […] So, by default, I voted to endorse Clinton and will mark by ballot accordingly.”

PENNSYLVANIA

The Tribune Democrat: Hillary Clinton the Only Choice for President

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: For all his rhetoric and brash statements, Trump has provided no specific plans for making America “great again” – his campaign pledge – nothing to generate confidence in how he would operate in the White House. […] The job of president requires resolve, refinement, vision and a dose of humility – none of which Trump has displayed during the campaign. The Democratic nominee is the only viable candidate for president.

Penn Live: For President, the Only Choice is Hillary Clinton

October 6, 2016

Excerpt: Our endorsement here, then, is based on an examination of the challenges facing the nation and the candidate best-suited to address them. That candidate, hands down, is Hillary Clinton.

NEVADA

Las Vegas Sun: We Endorse Clinton for President and Implore Voters to be Responsible

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: With absolute confidence in her abilities and our nation’s bright future, we enthusiastically endorse Hillary Clinton for president.

NORTH CAROLINA

Raleigh News & Observer: For President: Hillary Clinton

October 8, 2016

Excerpt: As a candidate, Clinton will not win by dividing and offering hollow promises of huge tax cuts and restoring some mythical former America. She will win on knowledge, competence and grit. On the campaign trail, she connects with crowds by acknowledging their needs and raising their hopes. Trump says America is in decline. Clinton sees it rising into the promise of a new century. No candidate has ever been more qualified. She will be an excellent president. Vote for Hillary Clinton.

The Charlotte Observer: For president: A Flawed, But Capable, Clinton

October 1, 2016

Excerpt: But the sum of Clinton’s flaws adds up to far less than the danger of Donald Trump. The Republican nominee is a man unfit for the presidency, and one who would steer our country toward peril. For that reason alone – although there are others – we endorse Hillary Clinton for president.

ALABAMA

AL.com: Endorsement: We’re with Hillary Clinton. Frankly, Donald Trump’s dangerous.

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: Donald Trump must not be president.

The Cullman Times: Clinton Only Choice for President

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: Trump shows little understanding of the complexities of domestic and international challenges. His thin skin, impulsiveness and temperament make him a high risk in tense situations. He of- fers no ideas on how to address increasing racial unrest in urban cities. He cavalierly promises to destroy ISIS with military power and illegal torture. He talks of abandoning NATO and terminating longstanding defense agreements with Japan and South Korea. If elected, there is a strong possibility he might isolate the United States from the world no matter the dire consequences.

CALIFORNIA

The Fresno Bee: Clinton Will Give More Americans an Opportunity to Succeed

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: Based on her positions on the big issues of our time – the economy, taxes, immigration, the global war on terrorism, policing, gun control and climate change – and her huge edge in public service experience and temperament over her chief rival, we recommend Hillary Clinton as the strong, steady and compassionate leader America needs in the White House.

Ventura County Star: Hillary Clinton Should Be Our Next President

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: When you vote for president, the Ventura County Star Editorial Board strongly urges you to select Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump does not have the personal qualities, experience, temperament or values to be president of the United States. More than that, we believe a Trump presidency could be dangerous for the future of this nation, domestically and particularly in our relations with the world.

COLORADO

The Denver Post: It’s an Easy Call: Hillary Clinton for President

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: Democrat Hillary Clinton, the first woman ever to win a major-party nomination, is without question the most qualified candidate in the race for president and an easy call to make when considering the challenges confronting the nation. Her nearly 40 years in public life have instilled in her the temperament she needs to face the many challenges that await.

CONNECTICUT

The Day: Hillary Clinton is the Candidate Ready to Lead

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: Americans must reject promises that industrial jobs can suddenly be restored by renegotiating trade deals, a tactic that instead invites economically damaging trade wars. They must reject a huckster who says he can quickly dispatch of our enemies with a secret plan. They must reject the un-American notions of rounding up millions of people for mass deportation or banning, because of irrational fears, members of a specific religious group from entering our country.  They must reject a candidate who ignores the scientific evidence of man-made climate change and who would roll back hard-won reproductive rights for women. Instead they should elect the candidate who has demonstrated she is ready for the job. The Day endorses Hillary Clinton for president.

The Hartford Courant: The Courant Endorses Hillary Clinton

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: America needs a president who will lead with reason, not instinct; who will unite, not divide. Mrs. Clinton has, as President Barack Obama said, the compassion and the heart for the job.

GEORGIA

The Daily Citizen: Hillary Clinton is Our Choice for President

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: We believe Democrat Hillary Clinton’s policies, plans and ambitions offer more balance and reliability for the nation than gambling on the risky promises of Republican Donald Trump. She has the political leadership competencies to steer a steady course in a time of increasing turmoil at home and around the world.

ILLINOIS

Effingham Daily News: Our View: Effingham Daily News Endorses Clinton

October 6, 2016

Excerpt: Trump is not qualified to lead and should not be elected. Agreeing are high-ranking members of the party he has usurped with bombastic appeals to fear and intolerance. We question his competence to lead anything, much less this nation. He is a man so full of insecurities, paranoia and outright bigotry that his only accomplishment during an unlikely run for the presidency has been to divide this country even more than it already was – something we thought impossible a year ago.

INDIANA

Tribune Star: For presidency, Clinton the Clear Choice

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: Hillary Clinton is clearly the better choice to serve as America’s 45th president in a complex world. Her skill set and experience match the deep and broad demands of that difficult office. Trump, through his immature actions and statements, has conclusively proven that he represents a threat to the republic and the values upon which its foundation was built.

Kokomo Tribune: Hillary Clinton for President

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: He has a disturbing self-heralded history of womanizing. He battled with one of our nation’s Gold Star families. He boasts he was “smart” to avoid paying federal income taxes and uses business debt for self-enrichment. He doesn’t share the values important to Hoosiers: generosity, humility and servanthood. We know who we are. We know Hillary Clinton’s record of public service and intricate knowledge of domestic and foreign policy make her the best choice for president.

MAINE

Bangor Daily News: Hillary Clinton Has the Vision, Experience and Temperament to Serve as Our Next President

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: For us, the choice isn’t between the proverbial lesser of two evils. The choice is between voting for someone committed to a life of public service who has the experience, the intelligence and the temperament to lead the nation versus someone who is committed only to himself, who lies constantly and who regularly displays a lack of self-control.

MASSACHUSETTS

The Boston Globe: Hillary Clinton for President

October 8, 2016

Excerpt: This election isn’t a close call. Only one candidate on the ballot Nov. 8 belongs anywhere near the White House, and it’s Hillary Clinton. The Globe enthusiastically endorses her candidacy, and urges voters to run, not walk, to their nearest polling place when early voting begins in Massachusetts on Oct. 24.

MISSOURI

The Joplin Globe: Our View: A Nation at Risk

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: When it comes to the future security of America — the most important issue of our time — Clinton is the candidate who makes the most sense.

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Hillary Clinton for President

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: The presidency is the most revered office in the land and America’s most precious possession. In Donald Trump’s hands, it would be a plaything. Clinton understands what an awesome responsibility it is to lead a nation because she has spent the bulk of her adult life participating in that very endeavor. That’s why she remains: America’s only choice.

NEW YORK

Press Republican: Why We Support Clinton for President

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: Clinton is a smart, strong woman who has the experience, wisdom, restraint and intricate knowledge needed to deal with war, terrorism, nuclear threats and the many other challenges America faces in dangerous times.

Niagara Gazette: We Endorse Hillary Clinton for President

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: In this year’s presidential race, only one candidate has any idea what it means to serve something greater than self or the proven ability to do so, and that candidate is Hillary Clinton. Clinton has significant experience as a public servant, including eight years as First Lady, eight as a U.S. Senator and four as Secretary of State. She is smart, diplomatic, poised and worldly. She has a clear-eyed take on the universe and her place in it. She is an adult.

OKLAHOMA

McAlester News-Capital: MC-C Endorses Hillary Clinton

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: Simply put, Clinton is the one candidate who presents the opportunity for steady, reliable leadership abroad and here at home. Trump’s policies, meanwhile, represent a dark, dangerous direction for the nation if implemented. As America struggles with political and racial division, the president of this country needs to have a calm, reasoned approach and be a unifier — not a divider. Trump’s comments and positions on immigration are inflammatory and insulting to a huge swath of Americans.

Enid News & Eagle: Hillary Clinton is Our Choice for Commander in Chief

October 8, 2016

Excerpt: Realistically, we have only two candidates for president, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, though other names will appear on the ballot. As has been demonstrated time and again in recent months, Trump does not have the skills, experience or temperament to hold office. For voters, Clinton is the only reasonable choice.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Myrtle Beach Sun News: Clinton By Far the Better Choice for President

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: Clinton is the better choice for president because of her knowledge and command of critical issues and policy, domestic and foreign, her experience and long service to people, and her temperament. She has served as secretary of state, U.S. senator and First Lady. We understand that many people do not trust Clinton; we do not fully understand why so many who resent or fear her simply accept Trump’s many shortcomings as a potential president.

WASHINGTON

The Olympian: Clinton for President? In a heartbeat

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: This election needs to be over. Our country needs Hillary Clinton. It’s time.

The Seattle Times: The Times Recommends: Hillary Clinton, the Only for President

October 7, 2016

Excerpt: Clinton has demonstrated courage, strength and resilience — the traits we especially value in a president. She does this not by tweets and talking tough but through unflagging public service through personal and political crises that would crumble an ordinary person.

WEST VIRGINIA

The Register Herald: Trump Video is the Final Straw: We Are With Her

October 9, 2016

Excerpt: She has the temperament, the ability and the experience to lead this nation.

Trump does not. At the end of the day, this is an easy call. Hillary Clinton is the candidate better positioned by a country mile to lead our country.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph: Endorsement: Hillary Clinton is Best Prepared for the Presidency

October 8, 2016

Excerpt: Hillary Clinton has the credentials, political knowledge and battle-tested competence to deal with the consequential issues the nation will confront in the next four years. She is qualified to become our 45th president.

Other recent endorsements include:

The Atlantic: Against Donald Trump

October 5, 2016

Excerpt: In its founding statement, The Atlantic promised that it would be “the organ of no party or clique,” and our interest here is not to advance the prospects of the Democratic Party, nor to damage those of the Republican Party. If Hillary Clinton were facing Mitt Romney, or John McCain, or George W. Bush, or, for that matter, any of the leading candidates Trump vanquished in the Republican primaries, we would not have contemplated making this endorsement. We believe in American democracy, in which individuals from various parties of different ideological stripes can advance their ideas and compete for the affection of voters. But Trump is not a man of ideas. He is a demagogue, a xenophobe, a sexist, a know-nothing, and a liar. He is spectacularly unfit for office, and voters—the statesmen and thinkers of the ballot box—should act in defense of American democracy and elect his opponent.

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