‘You are asked to step up and be the backbone of our democracy.’
Countless women and girls of color have been inspired by Sen. Kamala Harris’ history making vice president election.
On Saturday, Joe Biden was elected to be the 46th president of the United States. He and running mate, Sen. Harris garnered the most votes ever from a presidential ticket with over 70 million ballots cast, theGRIO reported.
Biden thanked his Black supporters during his victory speech, telling them, “You’ve always had my back, and I’ll have yours.”
I want to speak directly to the Black women in our country. Thank you. You are too often overlooked, and yet are asked time and again to step up and be the backbone of our democracy. We could not have done this without you.
Harris singled out Black women in her first post-election address to the nation on Saturday, calling them “the backbone of our democracy.”
“Tonight I reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been,” Harris said.
“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” she added. Harris is the first woman in a president or vice presidential role.
In a tweet on Monday, she praised Black women while acknowledging that they are too often overlooked in this county.
“I want to speak directly to the Black women in our country. Thank you,” Harris wrote. “You are too often overlooked, and yet are asked time and again to step up and be the backbone of our democracy. We could not have done this without you,” she added.
The Biden/Harris election win represents hope for many Americans, most especially the youth.
“Young girls are feeling like they are able to do more than they thought they were able to,” said 13-year-old Leilah from Fairbanks, Alaska, who watched Harris’ speech with her mother. “I felt amazing because it made me feel like I had a chance to do things that mostly men have done,” she added.
“She’s literally the blueprint to women’s political possibility and now she is stepping literally into the Oval Office and she’s going to put an intersectional lens on everything this administration does from a gender or race lens,” said Glynda Carr, president and CEO of Higher Heights, which supports electing and elevating Black women into political offices.
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The lawsuit stems from a 2018 violent encounter with police over an alleged parking violation
Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown has reached a $750,000 settlement in his civil rights lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee.
The lawsuit stems from a 2018 violent encounter with police over an alleged parking violation. Body cam footage filmed in January of that year supported Brown’s claim that excessive force was used against him, theGRIO previously reported. The video showed an officer stepping on Brown’s ankle as he lay helpless on the ground.
Brown sued the police department, claiming officers targeted him because he’s Black. The Associated Press reported that a group of officers swarmed on him at a Walgreens parking lot because he didn’t immediately remove his hands from his pockets. Brown was standing with the officers waiting for a citation for parking in a disabled spot early on Jan. 26, but never appeared to threaten police before or during his arrest.
During last week’s NBPA B.I.G Town Hall Series, Sterling Brown joined @BaronDavis and Chloe Cheyenne to talk about police reform and the importance of voting the right legislation into office to help push for change. pic.twitter.com/raEtRqzz99
According to Brown’s lawsuit, one of the (now former) officer’s involved, Erik Andrade, later took to Twitter to mock the athlete, saying, “Nice meeting Sterling Brown of the Milwaukee Bucks at work this morning! Lol#FearTheDeer”.
Andrade was ultimately fired because of the social media posts.
Brown’s attorney initially ejected a $400,000 settlement offer in October 2019.
“I’ve got plenty of people going through the same thing in Chicago and back at home,” Brown told ESPN in December. “So I know it’s happening in Milwaukee, so I’m pretty much being that voice for those who don’t have the platform that I have to make this national news.”
In addition to the $750,000 settlement, Brown wants the City of Milwaukee to admit officers violated his civil rights. He has also called for procedural changes within the Milwaukee Police Department that must go into effect within 180 days of the agreement.
“We are pleased that Sterling’s lawsuit has been mutually resolved and that there’s been an important commitment by the City of Milwaukee and its Police Department to make changes to the MPD’s standard operating procedures,” the Milwaukee Bucks issued a statement on Monday. “No one should ever have to go through the horrifying abuse and injustice that Sterling experienced. We commend Sterling for his courageous response to this terrible situation by repeatedly sharing his story and working tirelessly with countless local groups and organizations to help make change in our community. And we also commend the City’s leadership for its commitment to implement these important changes to better Milwaukee.”
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‘These judges are going to be ruling for decades to come.’
President Donald Trump has already appointed nearly 200 federal judges to lower courts, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intends to resume efforts to fill outstanding vacancies with conservative nominees.
The Kentucky Republican has not yet commented on Joe Biden’s election win, but as reported by Raw Story, McConnell has vowed to confirm U.S. circuit and district court nominees until the 116th Congress adjourns Jan. 3.
“We’re going to run through the tape. We go through the end of the year, and so does the president,” McConnell said Friday during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “We’re going to fill the 7th Circuit. And I’m hoping we have time to fill the 1st Circuit as well.”
After Amy Coney Barrett was elevated to the Supreme Court last month, the seat on the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opened up. The seat on the 1st Circuit was vacated after the death of Juan R. Torruella at age 87.
The Senate returns this week amid a divided country following Biden’s election victory. Monday kicked off the start the lame-duck session, with the Senate reportedly voting on Trump nominee James Ray Knepp II to be a judge for the Northern District of Ohio.
More than two dozen nominations for lifetime appointments remain pending.
“Let’s leave no vacancy behind,” McConnell has said.
“We’re going to clean the plate, clean all the district judges off as well,” he said on Hewitt’s radio show last week.
“McConnell confirmed the fewest judges since President Truman during Obama’s last two years in office,” saidChristopher Kang, who vetted judicial nominees during Obama’s presidency, per NPR. “So the reason President Trump had 200 judgeships to fill in the first place is because McConnell obstructed.”
“Even if Donald Trump is gone from office in January, these judges are going to be ruling for decades to come,” Kang added.
McConnell was reelected to a seventh term in Kentucky on Election Day.
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The singer/actress TV personality was accused of glossing over the real issue of food insecurity
Keke Palmer is getting major side eye from her fans.
The actress and singer generated a lot of backlash for recent comments she made about EBT food benefits and healthy eating.
“Imagine if your EBT card could only work on healthy items,” Palmer tweeted on Monday morning.
It didn’t take long for critics to accuse her of being out of touch and say the issue surrounding the availability of healthy food is more complex than her tweet indicated.
One user commented, “Where is the money for new fresh food stores, urban farms & Uber credits coming from?? I really think you’re outta touch because it’s deeper than just making all healthy foods free. There are people who don’t even get enough ebt to buy the basics.”
Where is the money for new fresh food stores, urban farms & Uber credits coming from?? I really think you’re outta touch because it’s deeper than just making all healthy foods free. There are people who don’t even get enough ebt to buy the basics. https://t.co/9AFAok8Lsb
EBT cards, once known as food stamps, are supplemental benefits for the millions of Americans who are challenged with food insecurity. According to Hunger + Health a partner of Feeding America, food insecurity is “the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” Already a significant problem, the economic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has just made it worse, something Palmer’s critics referenced.
A Twitter user commented that simply giving EBT holders free “healthy food,” doesn’t solve the larger issue.
Imagine if food deserts didn’t exist in communities with high use of ebt…..
Palmer may have believed that her tweet might improve health disparities that disproportionally impact African Americans. But if one in nine Americans are food insecure, according to Hunger and Health, and given the wealth of food deserts in poor communities, even if the “healthy” food becomes free for EBT users, many may still not have access to it.
But Palmer doubled down on her comments. She responded to some critics one by one and even took the initial tweet to Instagram to clarify her comments.
Added for context: I have been eating extremely healthy lately and I have been sad about my debit card balance because of it.
Healthy food is more expensive for a reason. It’s fresh, good for you and gives you energy. Bad foods are bad for a reason. They last long they taste good because of tons of sodium and they aren’t expensive because they’re honestly not food. Mostly likely they are food-LIKE products.
In any event imagine if you could get whatever healthy foods you wanted on your EBT card. Like all the healthy foods could swipe for free. Pretty much a reward for being healthy but even more so giving homes a break that want to eat healthy but can’t afford it!”
This is the second time recently that Palmer has found herself as a trending topic on social media. She made headlines after a post showing her kissing her boyfriend, Dutch rapper Styn, according to Madame Noire.
Wendy Williams asked that President Trump not hold up the process too much in doing so
While many citizens were pleased about the outcome of the election with Joe Biden declared as the president-elect, some agree that President Donald Trump has every right to investigate if he chooses.
Wendy Williams suggested Trump’s request to investigate the election process was fair after he accused the process of involving fraud. Many are simply chalking it up to the president being a sore loser, but she felt he was within his rights.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
“Donald Trump our president has every right to investigate,” says Williams while hosting her daytime series, The Wendy Williams Show, on Monday. “If he feels like this election was stolen from him then, he has the right…”
The presidential election was called for former Vice President Biden over the weekend after days of uncertainty. However, Trump has been claiming voter fraud without evidence and says he is the actual winner of the 2020 election.
“I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!,” Trump claimed in the flagged tweet.
Pennsylvania prevented us from watching much of the Ballot count. Unthinkable and illegal in this country.
The President continued to tweet and repost articles that supported his claims from Breitbart News Network, a far right news and opinion website claiming there were multiple issues during the ballot count.
“Pennsylvania prevented us from watching much of the Ballot count. Unthinkable and illegal in this country,” Trump tweeted today.
Pennsylvania prevented us from watching much of the Ballot count. Unthinkable and illegal in this country.
Judges in two states rejected his campaign’s lawsuits, per The Washington Post. In Michigan a Court of Claims judge said she would deny Trump’s request to stop counting votes as Biden was already up by 150,000 when the request was made. In Georgia, a local judge in Chatham County denied Trump’s requests to disqualify 50 ballots that may have arrived after the 7 p.m. deadline.
But despite Trump’s claims even his allies say there is no evidence of fraud in the election process and his claims are baseless.
“There’s just no basis to make that argument tonight. There just isn’t,” said the former governor of New Jersey Chris Christie while on CNN. “All these votes have to be counted that are in now. Tonight, this was not the time to make this argument.” Christie is a Republican and has worked closely with Trump and even advised him on his presidential debates.
Williams says if Trump decides to move forward with pursuing an investigation, she only asked one thing.
“Just Mr. President if I could just ask one favor of you,” she said, looking directly into the camera, “on behalf of all of us, don’t hold the process up to much. We must move on with our lives.”
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Barr’s action comes days after Democrat Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump and raises the prospect that Trump will use the DOJ to try to challenge the outcome
Attorney General William Barr has authorized federal prosecutors across the U.S. to pursue “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities before the 2020 presidential election is certified, despite little evidence of fraud.
Barr’s action comes days after Democrat Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump and raises the prospect that Trump will use the Justice Department to try to challenge the outcome. It gives prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election is formally certified.
Experts allege that by allowing armed agents into vote centers, the Department of Justice, headed by Attorney General William Barr (above), could intimidate ballot counters, amounting to interference in the 2020 election process. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Trump has not conceded the election and is instead claiming without evidence that there has been a widespread, multi-state conspiracy by Democrats to skew the vote tally in Biden’s favor.
Biden holds a sizable lead in multiple battleground states and there has been no indication of enough improperly counted or illegally cast votes that would shift the outcome. In fact, election officials from both political parties have publicly stated the election went well, though there have been minor issues that are typical in elections, including voting machines breaking and ballots that were miscast and lost.
In a memo to U.S. attorneys, obtained by The Associated Press, Barr wrote 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.”
States have until Dec. 8 to resolve election disputes, including recounts and court contests over the results. Members of the Electoral College meet Dec. 14 to finalize the outcome.
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Lawyers who have been tasked with finding the parents of migrant children told a judge last month that the number was 545
Lawyers are now of the belief that 666 parents of migrant children separated from their children at the border cannot be located, a figure much larger than originally suspected.
Steven Herzog, the attorney leading efforts to reunite the separated migrant children with their families, made the declaration in an email obtained by NBC News. The outlet reported on Monday that sources who had viewed data claimed that 20% of the children separated were five and under when taken from their parents.
Herzog reportedly wrote in an email that the discrepancy was related to “for whom the government did not provide any phone number.”
This December 2019 photo shows Honduran asylum seeker, Christopher, 6, standing with his father on the international bridge from Mexico to the United States in the border town of Matamoros, Mexico. They were waiting to be taken by U.S. officials to an immigration court hearing in Brownsville, Texas. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Just last month, theGrioreported that attorneys appointed by a federal judge to locate these children believed they were unable to find 545 of the parents who were separated from their children. Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union claimed two-thirds of those parents had been deported to Central America and there was no subsequent trace of their current location. Others may have returned to their home countries.
“What has happened is horrific,” Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, told NPR in October. “Some of these children were just babies when they were separated. Some of these children may now have been separated for more than half of their lives. Almost their whole life, they have not been with their parents.”
In 2017, the Trump administration adopted a zero-tolerance policy in which immigrants found crossing the U.S.-Mexico border would be prosecuted, even those who had underage children. Data from the Customs and Border Protection between May and June 2018 shows that almost 3,000 children were separated from their parents. Stephen Miller, a senior policy advisor to President Donald Trump, who crafted his immigration policy, wanted more separations to deter illegal immigration, according to multiple reports.
Hoisting paper dolls representing children in detention, protesters rally in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters, demanding the release of immigrants in ICE detention due to the dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic July 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“If we don’t enforce this, it is the end of our country as we know it,” Miller allegedly said.
“Miller was tired of hearing about logistical problems,” one of the officials said. “It was just ‘Let’s move forward and staff will figure this out.'”
U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabrawrescinded the policy last April and ordered the children to be reunited with their families. Sabraw gave the government six months to account for the missing migrant families.
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OPINION: Trump lost his re-election bid, but gained more votes than last time thanks largely to white voters — proof that there’s more work to be done in defeating racism in this country.
This was supposed to be a fairytale ending: Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in a race that could easily be summed up as a battle between good vs. evil.
“It’s a history-making ticket,” 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted after Biden clinched the electoral votes from Pennsylvania to win the election. “A repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America.”
Biden impressively achieved the most popular votes than any presidential candidate in modern American history. But such high voter turn-out also gave Trump huge numbers as well. While Biden outperformed Trump across the board, the now one-term incumbent improved in certain rural areas and major cities. Even in Philly, a city that helped secure Biden’s lock on Pennsylvania, Trump performed better there than he did in 2016.
Trump didn’t take a massive loss in voters compared to his first run, he just got outpaced by another candidate. Had another Democratic candidate from the previous line-up that wasn’t Biden ran against him, I have no doubt now that Trump would have won. And for that undesirable truth alone, to call Biden’s victory a repudiation of Trump is to ignore reality.
A repudiation of Trump would have looked like him doing extremely worse compared to 2016. Despite his poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic and reckless leadership, Trump still kept his predominately white majority of voters at around the same percentages as he did last time. The percentage pie of white voters didn’t get redistributed, they just increased in other demographics in certain key states.
In other words, 57% of the white vote doesn’t carry the same amount of power when there’s an increase of Black voters across different states showing up to the polls more. This is why, as a Black voter, I have doubts that much will change under a Biden-Harris administration in terms of confronting racism.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
For starters, Trumpism is white supremacy by another name. For four years, Trump emboldened hate groups, struggled to denounce white supremacy, pushed xenophobic policies, and unapologetically aligned himself with bigots. To the millions of Americans (mostly white) who still decided to vote for him again — that was a resounding co-sign that they wanted such racism to continue.
It was devastating to see the exit polls that showed how many non-Black voters still desired to keep Trump in power. Even though I currently reside in a Democratic city like Philly, knowing that more people showed up to vote for him in my own town after four years of his incompetence gives me a level of unease. Trumpism has proven itself to be more popular now than when the president first campaigned on it.
Biden’s victory was less of a repudiation — but more of a reprimand — of Trumpism. That reprimand came largely from Black voters who sent America a notice that we cannot and will not allow ourselves to be governed by leaders who seek to further marginalize us. But this shouldn’t have fallen on the shoulders of mostly Black voters alone.
Self-proclaimed white allies who often present themselves as valiantly against racism dropped the ball this election cycle. Where were they in engaging their white peers and family members on changing their racist behavior and voting patterns? These disappointing exit polls would suggest that no real work was done between November 2016 and now.
Pro-Trump supporters gather at the Georgia State Capitol after major media outlets predicted a win for Joe Biden on November 7, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
Instead, it appears that Black voters, especially Black women, mobilized their communities more to actively defeat Trump more than any other group did. Which is why we should all prepare ourselves for how Trumpism will continue to linger for many years to come.
Until white people proactively confront the racism within the institutions they lead and the social networks they affiliate themselves with, Trumpism isn’t going anywhere. Black people alone can only put a band-aid on the matter through the power of the vote, but there’s a true reckoning that needs to take place outside of the ballot box.
Right now, as political pundits and analysts speak of a divided nation that’s between red and blue states, I’m reminded that it’s actually a country that’s still torn between Black and white.
Ernest Owens is the Editor at Large of Philadelphia magazine and CEO of Ernest Media Empire, LLC. The award-winning journalist has written for The New York Times, NBC News, USA Today and several other major publications. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and ernestowens.com.
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On Twitter, Cherry shared the link to listen to the 4-minute read on Audible. Audiences can also preview a sample of the eight-year-old reading the book. illustrated by Vashti Harrison, “Hair Love” follows the main character Zuri as her father attempts to style her big, kinky, curly hair. The story doesn’t just empower little Black girls to embrace their natural texture but also encourages their fathers to lend their hand to hairstyling.
Blue Ivy, daughter of superstar musicians Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter has already earned a BET Her Award, an NAACP Image Award and has landed on the Billboard charts. Despite her young age, she has faced public criticism and rude comments about her natural hair and looks, making her a perfect talent to read the book to the world.
Jay-Z and Blue Ivy Carter smile during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers at Staples Center on March 08, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
In 2014, actress and model Karrueche Tran faced backlash for making fun of Blue Ivy’s hair. As theGrio reported, as a guest-host on the music video countdown show 106th & Park she joked: “I really did wake up like this, because my parents never comb my hair!” about the then 2-year-old. (Tran later apologized saying the joke was written for her and that she didn’t like it either.)
At the beginning of the year, theGrio‘s Blue Telusma questioned why Blue Ivy triggers anti-Black remarks after a Vanity Fair writer tweeted how that he felt sorry for Blue because of her undeniably African American features. In her opinion piece, Telusma highlighted the long history of public figures coming for the eldest Carter child and her appearance.
“Blue Ivy’s biggest sin in the court of public opinion, was never about her parents “not combing” her hair. The only thing that child has ever really done to offend her “haters” is have the nerve to look so unapologetically Black,” Telusma wrote.
“Hair Love” is based on Cherry’s Oscar-winning short film of the same name.
As theGrio reported, HBO Max ordered Young Love, an animated series based on the short. According to the report on the 12-episode series, Cherry will serve as showrunner alongside Carl Jones, known for his work on The Boondocks. The characters from Hair Love will be featured in the series.
Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver, winners of the Animated Short Film award for “Hair Love,” pose in the press room during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rachel Luna/Getty Images)
“I am beyond excited to continue telling the story of Stephen, Angela, and Zuri and further explore the family dynamics of a young Black millennial family we established in our short film Hair Love as an animated series,” Cherry said in a statement, according to theGrio. “Couldn’t ask for better partners in Sony Pictures Animation and HBO Max in helping us get Young Love out to the world.”
“Hair Love struck a chord that is still resonating deeply with audiences of all ages,” Billy Wee, SVP, original animation, HBO Max, said in a statement.
Other celebrity parents tweeted in appreciation of Blue Ivy’s involvement.
Gabrielle Union tweeted “Being able to hear Blue Ivy give voice to this masterful story is so awesome. They try to bury us, not knowing we are seeds of strength and beauty.”
This is the gift that just keeps on giving!! Being able to hear Blue Ivy give voice to this masterful story is so awesome. They try to bury us, not knowing we are seeds of strength and beauty. LOVE! 🖤🖤🖤🖤 #Hairlovehttps://t.co/ldS5I7OrQ3
According to Insider, the couple faced backlash from Piers Morgan after publicly sharing a private visit to the Los Angeles National Cemetery. The Good Morning Britain host called the occurrence a “distasteful PR stunt,” during an on-air rant. He claimed the move was on Prince Harry to respond to the palace after he was denied a request to lay a wreath on his behalf at the British royal family’s official Remembrance service on Sunday.
(Credit: Lee Morgan)
Were Harry and Meghan looking for publicity for their Remembrance Day pictures or just paying their respects to the fallen?@Piersmorgan says it was a ‘distasteful PR stunt’… @Susannareid100 disagrees saying he has to show he’s paid respects.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex faced similar comments from Richard Palmer, the royal correspondent of the Daily Express in London. He wrote on Twitter, “The rift between the palace and Harry and Meghan is likely to deepen again. Why the need to take a PR photographer and publicise your “private” act of remembrance?”
The rift between the palace and Harry and Meghan is likely to deepen again. Why the need to take a PR photographer and publicise your “private” act of remembrance? https://t.co/XM8fBCcb6E
Still, supporters of the couple defended the photos and used their own social media platforms to justify the act. Dionne Grant tweeted “If they didn’t post pictures of them marking Remembrance Day, the media would’ve turned that into a story. Now they have, it’s a publicity stunt? Just say you hate Meghan and go.”
The Royal Family didn’t lay a wreath on Harry’s behalf. He and Meghan laid one in LA. If they didn’t post pictures of them marking Remembrance Day, the media would’ve turned that into a story. Now they have, it’s a publicity stunt? Just say you hate Meghan and go. pic.twitter.com/np65yNXDoR
According to PEOPLE, Prince Harry was upset his request was denied. The outlet reported there was a wreath ready and waiting for him and set it aside however palace officials decided that his wreath would not be added to those from other members of the royal family because he and his wife are no longer working members of the institution.
He “understands that he doesn’t have the same formal role in the family as he used to,” a source informed PEOPLE. “But he was saddened and disappointed by the decision.”
Photos from the private Remembrance Service ceremony were uploaded to Instagram on the official Royal Family account.
Since their relationship became public, Meghan and Harry have faced unfair criticism and coverage from tabloids and fans of the royal family. theGrio reported in October that the former actress opened up about the weight of the bullying she experienced at the hands of the internet and various media. As a guest on the Teenage Therapy podcast, she shared how comments had a toll on her mental health.
“I’m told that in 2019, I was the most trolled person in the entire world ― male or female,” she said.
“Even though our experience is unique to us and obviously can seem very different to what people can experience on the day-to-day, it’s still a human experience ― and that’s universal,” she said, adding, “We all know what it feels like to have our feelings hurt, we all know what it feels like to be isolated or othered.”
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TikTok users are tying up the hotline that Trump has set up to allege voter fraud
Donald Trump has long since gained notoriety for using social media to bully his opponents. Now he appears to be getting a taste of his own medicine thanks to tenacious TikTok users who have made it their mission to get under the president’s skin.
According to NBC News, the young people in question have started a campaign of calling into a hotline for voter fraud started by Trump’s team and using it to make outlandish false claims that tie up the phone system and therefore prevent actual MAGA supporters from using it.
President Donald Trump is getting some pushback from social media giants Facebook and Twitter, who are labeling and obscuring his false election-related posts. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
In an attempt to undermine what has been widely accepted as a projected win for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, POTUS created a voter fraud hotline for people to report any suspicious activities they noticed at their voting stations.
Critics say this is a blatant and thinly veiled attempt to normalize racial profiling and voter suppression but this move should come as no surprise given Trump had made false claims about voter fraud even before the ballot counting began.
I’m don’t want to tell anyone what to do, but if you felt like calling this number and, say, reporting the Hamburglar, I can confirm from personal experience that it would be very funny https://t.co/GIRoHn6jAa
“Help stop voter suppression, irregularities and fraud,” read a Twitter post by Trump’s son Eric promoting the hotline. “Tell us what you’re seeing.”
Unfortunately for Trump, TikTokers like Alex Hirsch, creator of the Disney Channel series Gravity Falls, saw the hotline more as an opportunity to mess with the campaign than anything else.
“I’m don’t want to tell anyone what to do, but if you felt like calling this number and, say, reporting the Hamburglar, I can confirm from personal experience that it would be very funny,” Hirsch coyly tweeted on Friday.
In subsequent tweets he posted videos of himself trolling the line as characters from his show, confessing in one, “I went in there and I had a big ol’ sack and I just started taking ballots out of the box, and, you know, I didn’t even try to hide it.”
Hirsch’s tweets have garnered over 500,000 views and sparked several others to follow in his footsteps.
