In a packed morning of presidential tweeting Monday, Donald Trump boosted a QAnon believer, said that multiple states were going “to hell,” and urged congressional Republicans to hurry up and finish the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett just hours after it started.
Between 7:30 a.m. and noon, the President had tweeted and retweeted 71 times; the spree followed several days of fast-paced posts from POTUS.
When Trump boosted an account called @KittyList’s footage of protesters in Portland — instructing the FBI to “get them now!” — it was hardly the first time he’d elevated a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory. (The theory holds that a cabal of satanic pedophiles secretly controls the world.)
These are Biden fools. ANTIFA RADICALS. Get them FBI, and get them now! https://t.co/RI9fH6sC1g
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
@KittyLists, as Media Matters’ Alex Kaplan pointed out, has promoted some far-out stuff characteristic of the theory, such as the idea that John Bolton had been replaced by a body double.
Trump this morning amplified a QAnon account 4 times. pic.twitter.com/eTLcLiFVof
— Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) October 12, 2020
Then, Trump flagged an increase in COVID-19 cases in Europe but baselessly said the virus will “run its course.”
Big spike in the China Plague in Europe and other places that the Fake News used to hold up as examples of places that are doing well, in order to make the U.S look bad. Be strong and vigilant, it will run its course. Vaccines and cures are coming fast!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
A little while later came the tweets proclaiming that some of the largest states in the union had gone, or were going, to “hell” during his tenure.
California is going to hell. Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
New York has gone to hell. Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
Illinois has no place to go. Sad, isn’t it? Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
Trump did tweet a bit about Amy Coney Barrett, his Supreme Court nominee who appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time on Monday morning. But midway through the proceedings, he let some frustration out, urging Republicans to cut Democrats off and get the whole thing over with.
The Republicans are giving the Democrats a great deal of time, which is not mandated, to make their self serving statements relative to our great new future Supreme Court Justice. Personally, I would pull back, approve, and go for STIMULUS for the people!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
Much of the President’s tweets Monday actually concerned long-shot congressional candidates running against his favorite Democratic bogeymen and -women.
Over dozens of retweets, Trump promoted the campaigns of the Republicans running against Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA) and Kweisi Mfume (D-MD).
Trump was still going at it at press time, claiming that Republicans supported a health care plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions — even though he has supported a Republican lawsuit against Obamacare and has not put forward his own plan with such legal protections at any point during his presidency.
We will have Healthcare which is FAR BETTER than ObamaCare, at a FAR LOWER COST – BIG PREMIUM REDUCTION. PEOPLE WITH PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS WILL BE PROTECTED AT AN EVEN HIGHER LEVEL THAN NOW. HIGHLY UNPOPULAR AND UNFAIR INDIVIDUAL MANDATE ALREADY TERMINATED. YOU’RE WELCOME!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
