But what should also be noted is that in addition to harming the livelihoods of the farmworkers who feed America, the rule stands to financially benefit the Trump family. Because of course. “One operation that could benefit directly from the new policy is the Trump family’s vineyard in Charlottesville, Virginia, which has employed foreign workers on H-2A visas in the past,” HuffPost reports. “The president’s second-eldest son, Eric Trump, owns Trump Winery.”
“Under the new regulation, employers will be able to hire guestworkers in unlimited numbers at the frozen wage rates during 2021 and 2022,” Farmworker Justice said. “Under the H-2A program, if a U.S. farmworker applies for the job, he or she can be rejected for demanding a higher wage than the required minimum.” But the group said that when the freeze is scheduled to end in 2023, workers will not see the higher wages they would have been entitled to.
“DOL selected a formula that is intentionally likely to result in lower wage rate increases than if the current system were in place,” the group continued. Bruce Goldstein, the organization’s president, said “[f]armworkers are among the lowest-paid workers in the nation, generally earning poverty-level wages, but this policy will stop the modest progress that many farmworkers have experienced recently.”
And of course it’ll stand to personally benefit the Trump family through its Virginia vineyard. “If the new regulation goes into effect, employers like Trump Winery may not have to increase their pay rates for H-2A workers over the next two growing seasons, even though they likely would have under the status quo,” HuffPost reported. The outlet “asked the Labor Department if it was concerned about the conflict of interest such a rule creates for the White House. A spokesperson had not commented as of Tuesday afternoon.”
I think we know the answer to that one. The Trump Organization has also hired and exploited undocumented immigrants at the winery as Trump has spent years shamelessly attacking them for political gain. “Univision News interviewed seven undocumented employees who claim to have worked producing Trump wine in the state of Virginia, putting in long hours from sunrise to sunset, without overtime pay,” the outlet reported last year.
The Trump Organization last year also fired a number of undocumented workers at the winery—but not until after the harvest was over, The Washington Postreported. Some of the workers had been employed there for years. “They didn’t make this decision in the summer because they needed us a lot then,” tractor driver Omar Miranda told the Post. “I think they wanted to get their product out well, the grapes, to make sure that was taken care of, and once things were slow, they could fire us all,” said a second worker.
“The government has designated farmworkers as essential workers; they’re expected to work during a pandemic,” Goldstein told HuffPost. “The federal government refused to mandate safety standards to protect farmworkers and others against COVID-19. Now the administration is punishing farmworkers by effectively cutting their wage rates. It’s just cruel and unreasonable.”
It's been 181 days since the House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, and 42 days since the House passed a compromise $2.2 trillion bill, both of which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to take up for a vote. The White House has gone AWOL, with the squatter in the Oval Office refusing to do anything beyond tweeting conspiracy theories about a rigged election, while his staff tries to figure out how to cover their asses and find new jobs. The lame duck administration has withdrawn entirely from negotiations.
With new infections and deaths from coronavirus reaching crisis levels in every single state in the country, McConnell is still insisting that $500 billion is his absolute limit, and sent Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley out to tell reporters that he "is not going to rely on Mnuchin any more to do the dealing. […] I think he is intending to take it over and to try to get something going and get it done." McConnell himself told reporters this week that "The level at which the economy is improving further underscores that we need to do something at about the amount that we put on the floor in September and October." The Democrats are "still are looking at something dramatically larger. That's not a place I think we're willing to go," he said. Saving the country is not something he is willing to do. Still. We’re nearly nine months into this pandemic, and it’s taking us closer to economic collapse every day.
Control of the U.S. Senate is at stake. We need you to phonebank, textbank and do other crucial work necessary for Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock to win. Click to find the activity that’s best for you.
That economic crisis is far too real for millions of Americans out of work, who are facing food insecurity and homelessness. It's far too real for the small business owners who employ millions around the country. So far, something like 100,000 small businesses have been forced to close around the country. The Paycheck Protection Program loans some got in the spring have run out and there are no other options for them right now, because Republicans want to continue to pretend that this crisis is over.
"Many small businesses are drowning right now," Sung Won Sohn, an economist at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, told NBC. "They have very little financial cushion to begin with, many of them have hand-to-mouth operations, and they have no place to turn to except the government." NBC profiled businesses, like an antique store in Nebraska, an oyster bar in North Carolina, music venues and bars and restaurants and delis in New Orleans and Denver and from all over the country that have had to shut down, probably for good. According to a Yelp analysis, 60% of the stores that have shut down since March are closed for good. Owners have had to go bankrupt, making it much harder for them to reopen again. "I think that permanent damage has already been done and more damage will be done unless we do something," Sohn said. "Unfortunately, Washington is gridlocked."
There's a slim possibility that with the deal that has to be struck by Dec. 11 (the deadline when government funding under the current continuing resolution runs out), something could be done on COVID-19 assistance. But Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby said it's not going to be much. "[W]e're not going to do a big big big deal. So, mainly targeted at small business, and you know some people are hurting." A big, big deal isn't even what Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are demanding: $2.4 trillion. At this point, it's going to take more along the lines of $10 trillion to really rescue the country. That has a greater chance of happening in January or February, but how many more businesses will be lost by then? Not to mention lives.
That will also only happen if Democrats take the Senate with the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock runoff elections in Georgia. We need a breakthrough, and it’s just not going to happen with McConnell controlling the Senate. There's no way he's going to let a Biden administration save the economy.
The late-night hosts deserve kudos for stepping up their game as truthtellers and mockers of Trump and his evil band of incompetent control freaks. This week they were as relieved as the rest of us...
"Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Biden did it! Finally, after four years, Americans can exhale—unless you're near other people, then please don't because of the pandemic. … [It's] never a good sign when a majority of Americans react to you losing your job the way they did to us getting Bin Laden. It feels like America is—what's the word?—great again." —Stephen Colbert
"I know it’s hard to believe, but after all this time it seems like reality has finally caught up with Donald Trump. … I bet as we speak he’s ripping out the copper wiring from the White House walls.” —Trevor Noah
Continued…
"You can tell things are already getting back to normal. This morning on my way to work I saw two New Yorkers giving each other the finger and it had nothing to do with politics. Isn't that great?" —Jimmy Fallon
"Even Mother Nature got in on the fun. After the announcement there was actually a double rainbow over L.A. The Trump campaign is already trying to overturn at least one of those rainbows in court." —James Corden
“So NOW Trump wants to quarantine in the White House.” —Conan O’Brien
“While it'll be nice to see the Secret Service drag Trump out of office, the president is leaving behind a wave of white resentment and disinformation. Plus, out of spite, Trump is probably going to upperdeck all the toilets in the West Wing.” —Samantha Bee
"Defense Secretary Mark Esper was fired yesterday by President Trump, which is 75-million fewer people than Trump was fired by.” —Seth Meyers
"Trump's run for president began on a golden escalator and ended in an alley next to a dildo store. … Please don't hang [Trump's] portrait in the White House. Just smash a mango on the wall instead and put his name under it." —Jimmy Kimmel
And now, our feature presentation…
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Cheers and Jeers forFriday, November 13, 2020
Note: Today is Friday the 13th. If you suddenly get the sense this evening that your life is in danger, just press the cloaking device on the latest version of the Apple Watch, which will be available for download next Wednesday. —Mgt.
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By the Numbers:
4 days!!!
Days 'til Volume 1 of Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land comes out: 4
Percent, so far, of eligible voting-age Americans who cast a ballot in the 2020 elections, an increase of 0.4% over 2008: 62%
Percent of Americans polled by Gallup who say they understand that the coronavirus pandemic is getting worse: 61%
Minimum number of environmental protections the Trump administration worked to get rid of so the wall could be built, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center: 100
Number of the 16 Medals of Freedom President Trump has awarded during his presidency that went to men: 15 Amount that the one female recipient, along with her husband, donated to Trump's 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns with money they made off of gambling addicts: $100 million
CHEERS to cool science. Back in April, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley became the first astronauts since 2011 to launch their hineys into space from American soil. That flight was technically a test run. Six months later, the gravity-defiance professionals at NASA and SpaceX will send four more—Americans Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Mike Hopkins, along with Japan's Soichi Noguchi—up yonder on an official NASA-certified regular trip to deliver freshly-baked cookies and good cheer to the International Space Station. Thankfully Hurricane Eta is long gone and the green light is lit, though a bit later than originally planned:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule were slated to launch the astronauts to the International Space Station on Saturday (Nov. 14) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That mission, called Crew 1, will no launch no earlier than Sunday at 7:27 p.m. EST due to unacceptable weather for rocket recovery operations, despite a 70% chance of good launch weather.
The Crew-1 Dragon capsule comes with DVD player and cup holders standard.
"For the next 15 months, we will fly seven crew and cargo Dragon missions for NASA. That means that, starting with Crew-1, there will be a continuous presence of SpaceX Dragons on orbit," Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight at SpaceX, said in the post-FRR news conference. "We are honored to be the nation's launch provider for crew missions and take seriously the responsibility that NASA has entrusted to us to carry American astronauts to and from the space station.”
JEERS to the nattering nabobs of Nazism. Speaking of weekend events: tomorrow a gaggle of brainwashed cultists—aka "Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Infowars fanatics, Groypers, Proud Boys, white nationalists, neo-Nazis and the people who would simply call themselves die-hard MAGA"—are planning to camo-up and take their wacky cosplay antics to Washington D.C. for a permit-less event called "The Million MAGA March," aka "Stop the Steal," aka "March for Trump."
Have fun, MAGA marchers. Don’t forget to hydrate.
In their minds a million patriots will show up and change history by making Joe Biden quake in his boots so hard that he flees the country after agreeing to give Trump his second term.
The reality will be slightly different: a thousand bedraggled goofballs will show up, mill around and be harmlessly obnoxious, and then go home. If you're interested, you can watch live coverage on the Watching Paint Dry Channel.
JEERS to stupid damn wars. On this date in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—a vee shape which points at the State Department—was dedicated. Our suggestion for the shape of the future Iraq War Memorial: a "W" on a spindle that points accusingly in the direction of wherever George W. Bush is at any given moment.
CHEERS to Mary Had A Little Lamb. Back in the day, you could play that tune with the buttons on your touch-tone phone, which was invented on this date in 1963. It was almost as awesome as being able to spell out BOOBIES with your calculator by punching in 5318008 and turning it upside down. Man, we were wild back then. You kids have no idea.
CHEERS to home vegetation. There's one single leaf still hangin' on for dear life in the backyard, and I refuse to start raking until it drops. So until then, it's weekend boob-tubage.
Final round preview of this weekend’s Masters Tournament.
As always, MSNBC is the place to go for details of any Friday night news dumps. There's an interesting-looking episode of Undercover Boss tonight (9pm, CBS), in which Shreveport, Louisiana Mayor Adrian Perkins goes incognito and gets training from city officials in various departments. The most popular home videos, new and old, are all reviewed here at Rotten Tomatoes. The NFL schedule is here. And if you thought you saw news about the Masters golf tournament this week, do not adjust your set—it's going on now after being re-scheduled (coverage starts tomorrow at 1on CBS) from its usual April slot.
Sunday on 60 Minutes, President Barack Obama gives his first post-election interview and, among other things, reacts to Trump’s bogus voter fraud claims. Anchorman Kent Brockman questions his career on The Simpsons, and Peter's arms are replaced with tiny hands on Family Guy. (If there's not a Trump joke in it somewhere, I’m calling comedy malpractice.) And, sadly, John Oliver takes off on a long vacation after airing the season finale of HBO's Last Week Tonight Sunday at 11.
Now here's your Sunday morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Joe Biden’s—‘scuse me—President-elect Joe Biden’s chief of staff Ron Klain; Michael Osterholm of Biden’s Covid-19 task force; Gov. Asa Hutchison (R-AR).
Ron Klain says it plain Sunday morning on NBC.
This Week: HHS’s Adm. Brett Giroir; President-elect Biden Covid-19 Advisory Board member Dr. Atul Gawande; John Bolton; U.S. Senate candidate from Georgia Jon Osoff; former Obama Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson.
Face the Nation: Preempted by the Masters tournament.
CNN's State of theUnion: U.S. Senate candidate from Georgia Rev. Raphael Warnock; Dr. Anthony Fauci; Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH).
Fox GOP Talking Points Sunday: Respected legal expert Lawrence Tribe; disgraced legal hack Ken Starr.
Happy viewing!
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Ten years ago in C&J:November 13, 2010
CHEERS to the Traveler-in-Chief. On day six of his Asian tour, President Obama is stumping in South Korea, seeing the sights and working on a trade deal. He's coming off of a mostly nostalgic and successful stop in Indonesia. I say "mostly" because some conspiracy theorists there were skeptical, accusing him of being a secret Christian capitalist who was born in the United States. Man, sometimes ya just can’t win.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to Gandalf the Grey of Blogger Land. Happy anniversary to one of the longest-running blogs on the internet: Josh Marshall's Polk Award-winning Talking Points Memo, which turns 20 today.
Happy #20 blogiversary, Josh & crew!
You can re-live the birth of this progressive supernova in his early posts during the Florida 2000 recount, although it might cause your blood pressure to spike, especially given how Republicans are still trying to steal elections. Josh provided the blueprint for how to do political blogging. His now-supersized crew and expanded site continue providing no-frills original reporting with just enough analysis and snark to help us make sense of politics, and nothing the righty blogs offer comes close to TPM's objectivity, accuracy and speed. During election seasons TPM is a daily must-click destination, and it's been great seeing the site buck the “blogging is just a fad” naysayers for 20 trips around the sun. Of course, they're no Great Orange Satan...but then again, no one's perfect.
Have a great weekend. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
Daily Kos Elections is pleased to once again begin calculating the results of the most recent presidential election for every congressional district in all 50 states, starting with our first set of data from Oklahoma!
You can check out our detailed spreadsheet that includes county-level results, and you can also find the top-line numbers in this chart, which will ultimately include figures for all 435 districts. That’s the page you’ll want to bookmark since we’ll be updating it continuously. We’ll also be parking all of our spreadsheets in our giant data repository.
We’ll be pushing out new data on a rolling basis as 2020's results are officially certified and the precinct-level election results we need for our calculations become available. You can find out more about the process we use to calculate these numbers, as well as why it’s important to wait for final election results for each state, in our accompanying explainer post.
This is the fourth presidential election for our "pres-by-CD project," as we informally call it, but there’s one key difference this time: A new round of redistricting is about to begin, meaning new congressional districts will be used in 2022. We’re crunching numbers for the current districts, though, so that we can measure how much the new boundaries do, or don’t, change the partisan makeup of each district, which is a very useful tool for evaluating gerrymandering. We're also certain to see some special elections over the next two years that will be held using the existing district lines, so our data will help determine early on which races could be competitive.
Now, to the numbers! Oklahoma's top-lines barely budged over the last four years: In 2016 it voted 65-29 for Trump, while this year it gave Trump a similar 65-33 victory, a shift that can be attributed to weaker showings by third-party candidates. For the fifth presidential election in a row, the GOP nominee for president carried every single one of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, and Trump, unsurprisingly, also won each of the Sooner State’s five congressional districts.
While his statewide numbers didn’t shift much, Trump did see a larger collapse in the Oklahoma City-based 5th District, where his winning margin shrunk from 53-40 to 52-46—his weakest showing in the state. Democrats scored a major upset in the 5th District in 2018 when Democrat Kendra Horn unseated Republican Steve Russell, but Trump’s decline at the top of the ticket wasn't enough to save Horn, who lost her first bid for reelection to Republican Stephanie Bice 52-48. Democrats could conceivably win back a seat like this one in the future, but Republicans, who will have unfettered control over redistricting next year, may simply divide the blue island of Oklahoma City between multiple districts.
Meanwhile, Trump once again took at least 60% of the vote in Oklahoma’s other four congressional districts. Trump’s strongest margin of victory came in Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin’s 2nd District in the eastern part of the state, which he took 76-22. This region, nicknamed “Little Dixie,” was relatively friendly turf for Democrats up until a decade ago: A previous version of the 2nd District decisively elected Democratic Rep. Dan Boren to a fourth term as late as 2010. Boren retired in 2012, though, and Mullin has had no trouble holding it against all Democratic comers during any of his five campaigns.
P.S. — After we’ve released the presidential results for all 435 House districts, Daily Kos Elections will circle back and continue our project to calculate the presidential election results for every legislative district in the country.
Thirty-five Republican senators and more than 100 representatives are on the roster of the congressional climate science deniers brigade. A bunch of others tend to join them and vote as if the climate crisis is, at best, a low priority for action. During his four years in office, the squatter now short-timing it in the White House has commanded tendentious redactions of government reports and other documents that even mention climate change and appointed deniers to environmentally related positions. The latest is David Legates, whom Donald Trump has chosen to head up the U.S. Global Change Research Program, according to unnamed sources cited by The Washington Post, andnow confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where Legates has been since September. While many deniers have at least partially modulated their climate views—retreating from claims that temperatures haven’t been climbing—Legates remains hardcore.
President-elect Joe Biden, on the other hand, has packed his transition team with climate experts, a precursor to doing the same when he puts his administration together. The research program falls under the supervision of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Legates presumably won’t be around long. But he could cause some damage before the moving vans pull out of the White House driveway in January. That’s because the research program produces the National Climate Assessment Program. That assessment is mandated by Congress to be presented every four years by scientists at 13 federal agencies.
The fifth such assessment is now in the works. The two volumes of the Fourth National Climate Assessment were released in 2017 and 2018. As I reported then, the assessment noted that climate change isn’t some far-in-the-future problem, but is already happening, inflicting “substantial damages” on communities, and it’s going to get worse. Denier-in-Chief Trump didn’t like the assessment, and claimed he didn’t believe it. The only surprise is that he didn’t move sooner to screw things up with the next assessment. The Post notes:
The move [to appoint Legates] has rattled rank-and-file scientists at NOAA, the lead agency working on the climate assessment, according to people inside and outside the organization. For much of Trump’s tenure, there has been little political interference at NOAA, the notable exception being Trump’s hand-drawn alteration of an official hurricane forecast, an incident known as “Sharpiegate.”
“I think [Legates] can make messes that the Biden people are going to have to clean up, especially with respect to personnel appointments and author nominations and assignments,” said a former scientist with the research program, who stressed that new leadership could reverse any changes implemented by Legates.
Said Jane Lubchenco, a professor of marine biology at Oregon State University and head of NOAA under President Barack Obama: “He's not just in left field—he's not even near the ballpark.” And Michael Mann, climate scientist at State University, emailed to National Public Radio to say that Legates has, throughout his career “misrepresented the science of climate change, serving as an advocate for polluting interests as he dismisses and downplays the impacts of climate change.”
Legates has signed the Oregon Petition, which caught a lot of well-deserved flak for trying to pretend it was something it was not—a peer-reviewed study. The petition states:
“There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.”
In testimony to Congress last year, Legates said, “Climate has always changed and weather is always variable, due to complex, powerful natural forces. No efforts to stabilize the climate can possibly be successful. […] The current emphasis on climate change abatement will do far more harm than good.”
Legates is one of the many Trump appointments who ought to be out the door before the sun goes down Jan. 20.
The Republican Party is made up of two parts con artists and three parts grifters. Occasionally they add a sprinkle of charlatanism, but for the most part it’s just one big scam. Case in point: as the now defunct Trump administration continues to take swipes at destroying the Democratic process in our country, his political party scrambles to fill up their pockets by squeezing what’s left of small dollar donations from the poor schlubs who haven’t realized they’ve been had.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has let her entire state and constituents down. She has fought against doing any work to protect her state during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, her greatest claim to fame at this point is that in having Mount Rushmore in her state, she’s was able to host Donald Trump’s virus spectacular on July 4 of this year. Gov. Noem has been such a big supporter of Trump it is no surprise that she is sending out fundraising emails that ask for donations to “help us bring it home for the president.” Gov. Noem has been such a big supporter of Donald Trump it is no surprise that these money asks are not for Donald Trump’s fake election fraud campaign but … for her own.
NBC News reports that Noem launched her “fundraising campaign” shortly after the election had been called for president-elect Joe Biden on Saturday.
The site allows contributors to check the amount of their donation and includes a box to cover a processing “so 100% of my donation goes to Kristi for Governor.”
Vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause Paul S. Ryan told NBC that the chances Gov. Noem is even considering sharing the money with the Trump campaign is somewhere between zero and zero times zero. “If she were actually interested in raising money for Donald Trump’s own legal efforts, she would use a joint-fundraising committee.”
Gov. Kristi Noem is overseeing the largest outbreak in the country of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. Between her state and neighboring Republican-led North Dakota, the two states have become the first two states to “surpass 100 cases per 100,000 people.” One week after Election Day, South Dakota is looking at a 35% increase in cases, an uptick in deaths due to the virus, as well as a 46% increase in hospitalizations. That’s what electing a Republican gets you these days. Oh, and no health care, so sorry you’re sick. Gov. Kristi Noem has tried nothing and nothing has worked.
This Veterans Day, I’m grateful that we can look forward to having a new president who will not dishonor and disparage the memory of those who have served our nation, and who will not disrespect the contributions to our military made by this country’s Black citizens. With that in mind, I decided to revisit a story I wrote back in 2009.
Military service to this country has been a tradition on both sides of my family. My dad was a Tuskegee Airman in World War II, and his white forebears on his mother’s side fought in the Civil War on the side of the Union, in the Mexican-American War, and the American War of Independence. My dad’s grandfather, John Oliver, served in the 17th Regiment of the United States Colored Infantry, and fought at the Battle of Nashville.
I am named for my mom's childless great uncle, who left his land in the hills of Loudoun County, Virginia, to the women of the family; it has since been passed down to the oldest daughters to maintain. His name was Dennis Weaver; my grandfather was named Dennis for him, and in his honor, I was named Denise. He was enslaved, and after being emancipated in Washington, D.C., went off to fight for the Union as "a colored soldier." My great-grand Uncle Dennis’ owner, Hugh W. Throckmorton, was compensated by the federal government for the loss of his labor. Reading the document—in which Dennis is labeled “my property” by Throckmorton—still makes me shudder.
That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said Negroes in manner following:(2) Partly by inheritance and partly by Purchase. having formerly Belonged to his father Mordicai Throckmorton. Who died in Loudon Co. State of Virginia. Leaving Said Negroes, as aforesaid, he the said Hugh, Paying the debts due by his said father, thereby partly receiving them by inheritance and partly by Purchase as aforesaid
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said Negroes was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of Seven thousand three hundred fifty Dollars dollars in money.(3) as follow to Wit. Lewis 1200$ Solomon 1400$. Henry 400$ Dennis 1150$ Joseph 1000$ Patsy 1000$ John 100$ and Winney 1100$. They all Being healthy, Young and Good Workers and no defect except Henry, as aforesaid, and that to the Best of My Knowledge and Belief they have no moral mental or bodily infirmities or defects except in the case as stated in Henry.
As you can see, Dennis Weaver was valued at $1,150 ($23,755.71 in today’s money). Ask yourself, what would you have been worth? How can a price be set on a human life? Yet, it was, and we were bought and sold. I’m very aware of the conditions of enslavement he lived under, along with other members of my family, since I have been doing genealogical and historical research on slavery for many years. I have never questioned his burning desire to go off and join the Union Army to fight, and perhaps die, as so many did, for that precious thing called liberty, for himself and his family and friends.
That man who was once “property” was a patriot, in the truest sense of the word. Loudoun County historian Kevin D. Grigsby discussed my Uncle Dennis, and other Black men who fought for the Union, writing for TheWashington Post in 2013.
The fighting southeast of Richmond was especially bloody, and 14 African Americans received the Medal of Honor for their actions in the battle.
A few county natives made it back to Loudoun after the war and, like Weaver, made a mark on the local African American community. Of the 250 or so black Loudoun soldiers Grigsby found, fewer than 20 returned.
“I don’t want to say they lived an anonymous life,” he said. “But they just kind of settled back in. There weren’t parades or statues or monuments; they came back as victors.”
“I can’t even imagine what it was like for an African American . . . to have had that moment,” Grigsby said. “In some cases, you went from a slave to a liberator . . . to a protector and then, within so many years, you begin to see that freedom slowly peeled back and you have the rise of Jim Crow.”
My story about great-grand uncle Dennis deals with his struggle to get a pension after he returned home, to the county where he was once enslaved. It reminds me that Black veterans have historically faced obstacles; just look at the history of the G.I Bill after WWII, and see how our Black service members were treated.
I was able to obtain Dennis’ pension files from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). I received a stack of documents—over 200 pages. His battle to get a pension involved legal wrangling for years. The amount of paperwork, bureaucracy, and persistent denials he had to face was enough to discourage anyone, but he persevered. He finally wound up with initially six dollars a month, which was later increased to 12 dollars. Dennis was luckier than many, for he could read and write.
I have documented his history, in his own words and handwriting, on my website, including the surprise information that he played a cornet in the military band. He wrote,"my music teacher said to me, 'Weaver I'm going to give you a piece of music to play that will either kill you or cure you."
The pension struggle with the government continued after Dennis died on June 27, 1911. Delia Fields Weaver, his wife, had to then prove she was married to Dennis in order to get a widow’s pension. The case was closed in 1935, when a check sent to Delia was returned, for she had died.
I am more fortunate than most Black folks attempting to do research on their families, because Dennis was mentioned in “A History of Snickersville” (now Bluemont), by Jean Herron Smith. It tells the story of how Dennis obtained the land that is his legacy.
"On This mountain side, James Fields, a free negro, already had bought land . Now It was to become a haven for those negroes who were just becoming aware of the privilege of home ownership. One of the first to buy was Benjamin Franklin Young, who bought 17 acres from Dr. Plaster in 1871. Later that year, Dr. Plaster sold Dennis Weaver 6 acres. Dennis Weaver built a house on this mountainside, on the narrow road that bounds the Carrington house, winds past the old school, and twists up behind the breastworks of the war that brought freedom. Dennis and his wife Delia cleared the woods for lawn and garden and from This house went back and forth to the village - Dennis to help the farmers bring the scorched earth back to productivity and Delia to care for countless of the households and children. One of these children remembers today her spankings.
Aunt Delia cared for others until about 1923, when she herself needed care. It was hard to persuade someone to live up in the woods, so Delia, in return for her services which she had agreed to render me in waiting upon me and nursing me during my last illness I willed Winifred Scott all her household and kitchen furniture and all her money, except $100 which she bequeathed to Christopher Scipio. Aunt Delia was healthier than she anticipated and by 1931 Winifred Scott felt she could no longer render those final services (probably got married) and the will was changed to name Glovia Scott as the nurse. Delia Weaver lived until 1935 and now lies buried beside Dennis, not on the mountain, but only a few miles away, looking back to the village in which they lived in slavery and the home which they built in freedom. "
Along with many of Loudoun’s Black citizens, Dennis and Delia are buried in Rock Hill Cemetery; Black people were segregated even in death. There is currently a movement to preserve those Black cemeteries that still exist.
Inside the fight to preserve America’s historic Black cemeteries: Proposed legislation could create a national-park network of overlooked gravesites, but it’s up to communities to save them from development and neglect. (via @AustynGaffney for @NatGeo) https://t.co/GixPGg9S8Wpic.twitter.com/kAqztNAoBM
Fieldstones. Yucca plants. Seashells. The last object a loved one touched. For centuries, these items, cultivated from lives and landscapes, marked many graves at burial places for Black people in America.
Racism continues to haunt these final resting places. Unlike many predominantly white cemeteries, which were designed as garden spaces to honor both the dead and the living, Black cemeteries—like the communities they represented—were relegated to the periphery. In the generations since enslavement, many Black burial sites have been neglected by local officials or re-buried by development, leaving descendants unable to locate or visit their ancestors’ resting places. Now, in a moment of racial reckoning, the long-running efforts by communities to preserve these historic Black sites could gain new momentum.
Because no official database exists, it’s impossible to track how many historic Black gravesites dot the American landscape. But proposed legislation could change this: the African American Burial Grounds Network Act would create a network of Black cemeteries and a formal database of historic Black burial sites—including grant funding for research and restoration—under the purview of the National Park Service.
Cemeteries are not the only issue. Monuments to white supremacy, honoring the losers, have been in the news. However, even when Black soldiers are acknowledged, their contributions could be separated, like this example from Loudoun County last summer.
White and Black soldiers are segregated on Loudoun County's World War I memorial -- white on top, Black on bottom. Now one supervisor wants to change that. https://t.co/tHO2cqm3sa via @LTMnews
The separating line on the World War I monument hits home for Marilyn Thornton, a Washington, D.C.-based author and the granddaughter of war veteran James Edgar Thornton, about whom she wrote a book. Marilyn Thornton is a relative of one of the Black Loudoun County deceased, Samuel C. Thornton. She supports replacing the plaque.
“Can’t you just see people sitting around in a meeting saying, ‘Oh, let’s put the white boys at the top?’” she said in an interview with the Times-Mirror. “It’s just incredible to me that anybody would think to do that.”
Thornton said she saw the plaque for the first time when researching her 2016 book, “Letters From Edgar’s Trunk,” based on accounts from her grandfather in the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I. The group was commonly known as the Harlem Hellfighters. The author dedicated the book to the Black soldiers listed on the plaque — Ernest Gilbert, Valentine B. Johnson and Samuel C. Thornton.
My great-grand Uncle Dennis was not "African American," or “Black” at the time of his birth: He was simply property. A Negro slave. Our family took the surname Weaver from the occupation of his grandmother—a weaver for the family who owned her.
A polite term to use for Black folks back then was "colored." So as I write today of this young “colored” soldier, I am reminded of the classic poem by Black poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, in which he honored “The Colored Soldiers.” It’s performed here by storyteller and poet Mitch Capel, who is also known as “Gran’daddy Junebug.”
Those of you who are fans of classical music may or may not be aware of the work of William Grant Still, who was known as the "Dean of African-American Composers."
William Grant Still's career was comprised of many "firsts". He was the first African-American composer to have a symphony performed by a professional orchestra in the U.S., the Symphony no. 1 "Afro-American" (1930). It was premiered by Howard Hanson and the Rochester Philharmonic. The piece's New York premiere was given by the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in 1935. He also became the first African-American to conduct a major symphony orchestra in the United States when he led the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1936. In the world of opera, his TroubledIsland was the first by an African-American to be performed by a major opera company (New York City Opera, 1949) and that same opera was the first by an African-American to be nationally televised.
The work was commissioned by the League of Composers, and was premiered on Jan. 5, 1944 by the New York Philharmonic under Artur Rodzinski. David Ciucevich writes in the liner notes: “TheNew York Times critic Olin Downes remarked on its powerful 'simplicity and feeling, without affectation or attitudinizing'. The wording of the title does carry an ironic aspect, reflecting the fact that African-Americans were fighting for world freedom and civilization abroad while being denied those very freedoms at home.”
Enjoy this performance from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
In honor of these American soldiers who fought for freedom during the American Civil War, the Spirit of Freedom: African American Civil War Memorial sculpture and its Wall of Honor, was situated in the heart of the historic “U” Street district, and serves as a reminder of the courageous story of the USCT. The sculpture portrays uniformed soldiers and a sailor at a height of ten feet with a family depicted on the back of the sculpture, and is situated in the center of a granite-paved plaza, encircled on three sides by the Wall of Honor. The wall lists the names of 209,145 USCT drawn from the official records of the Bureau of United States Colored Troops at the National Archives, on 166 burnished stainless steel plaques arranged by regiment.
Soon-to-be former Trump official and noted white supremacist Stephen Miller waited his entire life to make life miserable for brown people everywhere, and once in the White House used the full force of the federal government to do just that. Roll Call’s Tanvi Misra reports that the outgoing Trump administration took “over 400 executive and regulatory actions on immigration,” some of the most harsh ones of course led by Miller.
The incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden now faces a daunting task in beginning to reverse this anti-immigrant and anti-asylum agenda, the report says. While there’s indications that actions like reinstating the full Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program can be accomplished very quickly, “immigration analysts say unraveling many others won't be so easy,” Misra continued.
The Washington Postreported last weekend that believed to be among President-elect Biden’s day one priorities is putting DACA back in place, an action that “would likely only require a memo,” Migration Policy Institute analyst Sarah Pierce said according to The Texas Tribune’s Julián Aguilar. “And it would mean opening [the program]up to more than 400,000 young foreign nationals who are immediately eligible for DACA benefits but unable to apply,” she continued.
But as both The Texas Tribune andRoll Call reported, immigration policy experts said there’ll be other Trump-era actions that can’t be so quickly undone.
“Regulatory changes instituted by Trump, such as the public charge rule that denies green cards to immigrants deemed ‘likely’ to rely on public benefits, would have to go through a longer rulemaking process, even if they were enacted without public comment,” Roll Call reported. So, a delay because a Biden administration will do what the previous administration didn’t do: follow the rules.
However, the report continued, one thing to consider is that “because many of these rules are subject to litigation, it’s possible the future administration may be able to circumvent the regulatory process and revise them through the court process.”
Then-candidate Biden’s immigration plan also indicated that the cruel and illegal policy forcing asylum-seekers to wait for their U.S. immigration court dates in Mexico would be the first of the last administration anti-asylum policies to go. However, Migrant Protection Protocols, or Remain in Mexico, “might not be as easy to eliminate,” Aguilar reports.
“Procedurally that would likely require little more than a policy memo—that is actually how it was created,” Pierce said according to his report. “But there will be a lot of questions about what to do with the … individuals who are currently or were previously enrolled in MPP. Those questions will present a lot of political and logistical difficulties for the new administration.” But many likely have relatives already in the U.S. they can be paroled to, and some community based organizations would likely be able to assist with support from a new administration.
Following news this past weekend that impeached president Donald Trump had been defeated, some of nearly 70,000 asylum-seekers forced to wait in Mexico since the policy’s implementation in 2019 wept with tears of joy, BuzzFeed News’ Adolfo Flores reported. Jose Lopez, an asylum-seeker from Nicaragua, told BuzzFeed News that the mood at the Matamoros border camp was jubilant.
“[P]eople shouted and cried,” the report said. “Others, he said, prayed when the race was called on Saturday.” Asylum-seekers said Biden’s victory was also their victory. "We thanked God because he heard our cries," Lopez said according to the report. "We were victims of a project that was truly harmful to people’s humanity ... We thought we were invisible to the world, but we weren’t to God. We’re overjoyed right now."
Donald Trump has already formed a political action committee in an attempt to retain control of the Republican party even after losing the election.
The leadership PAC is heavily geared toward squeezing donations from low-dollar donors, accepting no more than $5,000 per donor annually but from an unlimited number of people, according to the New York Times. It can also accept transfers from other PACs.
The Trump campaign's fundraising asks now note that 60% of the donations raised will go to his new Save America PAC.
“The president always planned to do this, win or lose so he can support candidates and issues he cares about, such as combating voter fraud," campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh told the Times.
And no one cares more about helping other candidates than Trump, as he recently proved when he threatened Georgia's two Republican senators unless they threw a GOP state election official under the bus.
As Republican strategist Matt Gorman said: “President Trump is not going anywhere anytime soon. . . . He’s going to insert himself in the national debate in a way that’s unlike any of his predecessors.”
Great news for Democrats—Trump plans to haunt Republicans for as along as possible, as long as his cultists will foot the bill. And priority No. 1 for him is Trump first, last, and always. That 2024 announcement could be coming sooner rather than later.
Trump's personal attorney general, the one American taxpayers are paying to pursue whatever legal actions are necessary to Not Make Donald Sad, is finally making his presence known after keeping a low, low profile in the days both before and after the election. The Associated Press reports William Barr has sent a memo to federal prosecutors "authorizing" them to pursue "substantial allegations" of voting irregularities—of which there are currently, nationwide, exactly zero.
Sounds ominous, yes? In fact, the actual memo obtained by the AP tells a less dramatic story. Barr tells prosecutors that investigations "may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State." In other words, Barr is reiterating a power prosecutors already have to investigate "if" credible allegations were to surface. Since Trump's collection of dildo-adjacent landscaping fetishists have, time and time again, made allegations about irregularities that they have been completely unable to find evidence of and which they cannot explain to federal judges, resulting in each would-be case getting laughed out of their still Zoom-based courtrooms, the statement is meaningless.
What it does mean is that William Barr is willing to put the weight of his crooked office behind Trump's anti-democratic, autocratic blabberings about supposed vote fraud against him. He's willing to put out a memo to please Dear Leader, using Dear Leader's terminology to create a news cycle in which the Department of Justice is investigating nothing, for no larger apparent purpose than making sure Trump doesn't fire him for not doing it.
There are no fraud claims. None. Trump's quasi-legal teams have been able to produce no evidence of election-bending fraud, or even of election-inconveniencing fraud. The claims are entirely based on Trump's unwillingness to face reality, his sycophants' unwillingness to force him to do so, and the rampaging fascist tendencies of a Republican Party willing to delegitimize American democracy itself rather than accept election losses.
It's not surprising William Barr is willing use the powers of his office to add to that din of propaganda. That's why Trump hired him.
Donald Trump and some of his more frothy allies repeatedly suggested that the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic would simply "go away" after Election Day came and went. Didn't happen. Now, the White House itself seems to be the source of another superspreader event, this one centered around Trump's election night party inside the building.
On Friday, Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was disclosed to have tested positive, though "pains were taken" to keep it a secret. Four other unnamed White House aides also tested positive.
COVID-19 cases in the United States are once again surging, spurred as expected by cold weather forcing Americans indoors and by a gleeful contempt for masks and social distancing by a sizable portion of the population. The news of a promising vaccine provides hope, but it will take months to produce any significant quantity of a vaccine. In the meantime, holding indoor parties continues to be an extremely bad idea even if (especially if?) you are yourself a member of the "White House coronavirus task force"—as Ben Carson is.
President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 elections means a lot of things. Some of those things are contained in the many cruel executive orders he has signed. But some of those things will potentially be felt almost instantaneously, after Jan. 20, 2021, when Trump is officially not the president of the United States any longer.
For example the Donald will no longer be president after Jan. 20, 2021. In fact, he’ll be just the Donald and possibly even “indicted” Donald. This means that social media giant Twitter will no longer retain Trump’s “world leader” privileges on their platform. This means, that Trump will not enjoy many of the immunities that has allowed him to spew misinformation and hate when others have been suspended. This means that no matter what Trump does, he’s probably going to get himself suspended from Twitter at some point in 2021.
Twitter has explained that their approach to world leaders on their platform is different than it is for most users, “if a Tweet from a world leader does violate the Twitter Rules but there is a clear public interest value to keeping the Tweet on the service, we may place it behind a notice that provides context about the violation and allows people to click through should they wish to see the content.”
But as Twitter explained to The Verge, “Twitter’s approach to world leaders, candidates, and public officials is based on the principle that people should be able to choose to see what their leaders are saying with clear context. This means that we may apply warnings and labels, and limit engagement to certain tweets. This policy framework applies to current world leaders and candidates for office, and not private citizens when they no longer hold these positions.”
Might just stay up, but Tweets like Trump’s May 28, one saying “....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” might just get him fired from Twitter.
It is going to take approximately half of forever to sort out the corruption of the Trump years—presuming we eventually get to that point. A new scandal of the sort that would in past years result in weeks of televised outrage seems to crop up every few days.
The Associated Press brings us yet another. A "well-connected" Republican donor managed to score up to $65 million in government investment for a new method of processing blood plasma, including plasma to be used for treating patients in the COVID-19 pandemic. That seems unsurprising on its face: Of course the government is interested in investing in technologies that could help fight the pandemic. But AP reporters dug a little deeper and, as with everything in this new era of Republican cronyism, things are not quite that clear-cut.
The blood plasma company in line to get $65 million, Plasma Technologies, does not have any physical facilities. It is registered at the South Carolina home address of "connected" Republican donor Eugene Zurlo, a man who has been attempting to sell his technology for some time with no success. It looks like it has never produced plasma.
And, most curiously, the one-person shadow company appears to have gained the attention of the government solely due to the connections of its most prominent outside investor, ex-senator turned CNN pundit Rick Santorum. Santorum, it turns out, was one of the prime beneficiaries of Zurlo's Republican donations, and Zurlo previously "entertained Santorum and his family" at his now-sold South Carolina mansion, reports AP.
Santorum later invested his own money in Zurlo's struggling company, and it was Santorum who pitched the company to the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Santorum isn't shy about acknowledging that he'll be getting some coin, either, if government dollars happen to jump-start this tiny, unknown company headed by one of his prior funders.
All of that is beginning to sound a bit familiar at this point. Prominent conservative TV voice pitches the administration on a new, unproven medical technology mirroring one of Donald Trump's own most talked-about potential miracle cures. Though even a cursory look at the company shows that it barely exists, and though government scientists are themselves dubious as to its value, the government is eager to latch on. It turns out the conservative who pushed the product is himself an investor, and could profit enormously if the contracts go through.
It's not the My Pillow guy trying to sell Trump new anti-coronavirus nutritional supplements, mind you, but it's still a bit sketchy looking, eh?
In this case, although the AP reports that HHS scientists were not particularly impressed with the company's pitch, the government is "latching on" with $750,000 in funding for a proof of concept, with tens of millions for building a company facility from scratch if it works out. If it does, CNN talking head Santorum will see his sunk investment explode in value; if it doesn't, the government will have devoted another nontrivial bit of COVID-19 management and brainpower to a miracle that wasn't.
Still, as far as future scandals go, this one is comfortably familiar. We can take solace in the fact that even if this does turn out to be another case of government money being handed out solely because an administration ally is pushing the effort, it's a bit of old school American institutional corruption, not one of Trump's own crazy new inventions like "extort the president of Ukraine" or "invite Russian assets to give you a private sales pitch on how to damage your election opponent."
Any other year, Santorum would be getting a hard side-eye on this one, but now? Right now the swamp is so full-up you can barely see his nose peeking up out of the water. The actions of Trump’s cabinet alone will take the combined attention of every last inspector general and federal investigator during any upcoming Biden term; they won’t have a moment to even think about such embarrassingly normal political sketchiness.
Joe Biden is the 46th president! Kamala Harris is the first woman and person of color (she’s the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants) to be vice president! Holy crap! War is (almost) over, even if Donald Trump—the impeached, two-time popular vote loser who will be the first single-term president in 28 years—is pretending that it isn’t true. Let’s check in on some of the celebrations! I’ve never seen anything like it.
My yard is full of signs that make clear EXACTLY where I stand, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when, almost as soon as the election was finally called for Biden and Harris Saturday morning, my neighbors—even those I’d never met—descended for some celebratory bubbles. Once I stopped sobbing with joy, a neighbor took the best photo of me ever taken.
Yes, my shirt does say “Anyone but Trump 2020.” I bought it just before Trump’s poorly-attended inauguration.
Of course, not all of my neighbors were happy. Mysteriously, the “Make Liberals Cry Again” flag has vanished from the house five doors down. And then this happened.
Here’s an impromptu march, marked by the former reality TV star’s catchphrase.
To have had the pleasure of walking around New York today during this historical moment, as the news hit, and seeing New Yorkers smiling, singing, waving, dancing and playing songs on their pots and pans from their balconies has been PURE magic. I felt like I was in a movie. 🇺🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/YVhHZnvCUP
After months of being force-fed footage of Trump Super Spreaders, folks were happy to sing Trump’s signature rally song to him once he was home.
The crowd outside the White House celebrating Joe Biden’s projected victory is blaring YMCA — the song President Trump closed out his latest rallies with. pic.twitter.com/UkrsBq8l5M
The woman who should have been the nation’s first woman president only had kind words on offer.
The voters have spoken, and they have chosen @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris to be our next president and vice president. It's a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Onward, together. pic.twitter.com/YlDY9TJONs
Cher is known for being quite vocal—often in all-caps—on Twitter, but she held back … “for Joe.”
Can’t Believe It ,IM SO SO, SO,SO HAPPY😭. It Would Be Easy To Post Horrible Pictures & Cartoons Of trump,but Knowing Joe,He Really Means What He Says About Being The President For EVERY🇺🇸,& As Tempting as it WOULD BE,OUT OF RESPECT FOR JOE I WONT POST HORRIBLE PICS OF trump🙄
Another famous Brit, while celebrating the Biden-Harris victory, reminded us how much Trump has hurt perceptions of the U.S. around the world.
I’m so looking forward to coming back to an America free of harsh words and name calling and be amongst people who I know have common ground and harmony. It’s a challenge but it can be done!
West London, November 7th, 2020: Fireworks celebrating the announcement of Biden-Harris as seen from my window. My neighbours are cheering. What a day to be alive. #bidenharis2020pic.twitter.com/LkHWmRBMF0
The silence truly was deafening from the right ...
Here's what Mitch McConnell & his team have tweeted about since the presidential race was called in Joe Biden's favor: MCCONNELL: No tweets THUNE: Ditto BARRASSO: Same BLUNT: Same ERNST: Same YOUNG: List of restaurants that are open in Indy
In fact, we deserve two. My dearly departed hero made a promise we helped prove true.
“Be kind. Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Never get down. It’s all gonna be okay...We’re one people. We’re one family. We all live in the same house.” - John Lewis pic.twitter.com/Bbhc3xsysw
Dammit. Who’s cutting onions? Nobody, actually. I’m crying. Rep. Lewis was right. It is gonna be okay. It is gonna be alright. But before we put the Kleenex away, let’s check in with another American hero.
Seriously, though, let’s give credit where it’s due.
It’s also really important to mention this: non-white voters saved this democracy. GA would not have flipped, and overall Democratic turnout would’ve been insufficient w/o Black and Latino voters
Hooray for Black voters! I worked at a 100% Black precinct that got drowned out by racist white voters for Trump. I cried on Election Night, but then ...
Let’s go!!!!! Black voters came through...again. Be proud as hell but do not stop! We must stay organized and keep working. We just tipping off. I promise you I’m here for y’all throughout! ✊🏾💪🏾🖤 @Morethanavotepic.twitter.com/Zi1NInJeOd
And the Navaho Nation! : 1. of the 85,000 registered voters on Navajo 76,000 voted. 89% turn out 2. Of those 76,000 voters 74,000 voted for Biden & 2,000 for Trump 3. Biden’s current lead in Arizona sits at about 40,000 ♥️♥️♥️Ya’ah’teeh MFs
Indigenous people made a HUGE difference in this election.
With a lot of talk about Native voting in Arizona. I thought I would share 2 maps. The left is a map showcasing all 22 tribes in the state. The right an updated 2020 voting results maps by precinct. This give you an idea of how Indigenous communities voted in the 2020 election. pic.twitter.com/scrWENDVO2
The Biden-Harris win at the hand of Americans of color certainly doesn’t fix what Trump’s done to this country, though—or the hatred that ushered him into power in the first place.
Victory is not enough. It must be followed by de-Nazification.
Just look at the popular vote, and how close it was. Roughly 70 million voters were just fine with four more years of Trump. Chances are, you know some of them.
can’t believe we have to skip the one thanksgiving where WE get to be annoying as fuck about the election
President-elect Biden’s victory video was very moving, too.
America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country. The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me. pic.twitter.com/moA9qhmjn8
Look. I know I missed a TON of great celebrations in most of the cities who helped make this win happen, but I have a deadline and I’ve been working on this all day. So drop YOUR favorite scenes from Victory Day (are we calling it that?) below, and let’s have a victory party of our own in the comments!
