Trump Takes Shots At Obama Over Ad Showing Sit-down With Biden
President Donald Trump attacked an ad released by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden featuring former President Barack Obama sitting down with Biden.
According to The Hill, in the ad, Obama sits down with his former vice president and tells him the U.S. is not dealing with the coronavirus pandemic as “smartly” as other countries with similar resources. Trump did not take the ad well.
“Obama, who wouldn’t even endorse Biden until everyone else was out of the primaries (and even then waited a long time!), is now making a commercial of support,” Trump tweeted, referring to Obama’s relative silence during the Democratic primary.
“Remember, I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for them. I wouldn’t be President. They did a terrible job!”
In the ad, in which the two sat down for a conversation, Obama said he was confident that if Biden is the next president, he will react to the crisis effectively.
“You and I had experience dealing with health crises, public health crises, and in each instance what you and I understood, and why I have so much confidence that you’re going to be able to deal with COVID in the way that other countries with our kinds of resources are dealing with it right now, which is smartly—I have confidence you’re going to actually listen to the experts,” Obama said to Biden.
In recent months, Obama has come back into the public spotlight after spending the majority of Trump’s first term largely out of the media focus. Obama has attacked Trump for his coronavirus response comparing it to climate change deniers and saying the U.S. needs a nationwide testing and surveillance program.
Obama has also taken shots at Republicans including Mitch McConnell, saying Republicans need to make better policy decisions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has tried to shoot back, blaming Obama for both the coronavirus pandemic and the lack of testing in the U.S. However, many were quick to point out the coronavirus didn’t appear until three years after Obama left office.
Former NBA All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O’Neal Launching Sports Agency
Two former NBA All-Star players are launching a sports agency later this year, according to The Daily Press.
NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady and six-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal will be representing players through a sports agency they will be launching together called Seven1 Sports Group and Entertainment. The name combines the jersey numbers McGrady and O’Neal wore during their professional careers. McGrady wore No. 1 and O’Neal wore No. 7.
“We think it’s needed, and we have a passion for it,” McGrady said. “We’re around kids every single day because we have youth programs. It just makes sense. We see the lack of information that these kids are getting, so we would be doing a disservice to our people if we don’t lend our expertise of what we know and help guide them. This is a calling that we have.”
“There’s no magic wand for this,” O’Neal said. “We’re not trying to say we’re the magic wand. But we’re going to be different. You can’t name another pair of people who have had the level of success and the ups and downs that we’ve had in our careers.”
There were several links between the players. They both were drafted straight out of high school and they shared the same agent and sneaker brand back in January 1998.
O’Neal was the 17th pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and McGrady was the ninth overall pick in 1997 by the Toronto Raptors.
As for the challenges they will face while running a new player rep agency and going against other agencies that represent sports players, McGrady said, “At the end of the day, they can’t get all the players. Obviously, it’s going to take us some time to get our feet wet and really understand how this thing works. But we’re not intimidated by anybody. We know there’s going to be a lot of people trying to poke holes into this.”
NY Jets Owner Woody Johnson Investigated For Alleged Racist Comments Made While Doing Business as Trump’s UK Ambassador
Billionaire and NFL owner, Woody Johnson, is being investigated by the State Department watchdog after he allegedly made racist and sexist comments to staff and attempted to use his government position to try to benefit President Donald Trump‘s personal business in the United Kingdom, as reported by CNN.
The New York Jets owner serves as President Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was also accused of pushing to move the British Open golf tournament to a Trump resort in Scotland.
Back in 2018, before an event for Black History Month, Johnson was reported to appear agitated and inquired if the audience would be “a whole bunch of Black people,” according to a source. Three other sources stated that Johnson questioned why the Black community would want a separate month to celebrate Black history and that Black fathers didn’t remain with their families and that was the “real challenge.” An official who heard the remarks was “stunned” and the incident was documented and made known to both the Office of Inspector General inspectors and a supervisor.
Johnson posted a statement on his Twitter ambassador account refuting the accusations.
I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times. These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values.
The White House did not have a comment on the allegations against Johnson and referred CNN to the State Department. A State Department spokesperson called Johnson “a valued member of the team who has led Mission UK honorably and professionally.”
“We stand by Ambassador Johnson and look forward to him continuing to ensure our special relationship with the UK is strong.”
During a White House press briefing earlier this week, Trump was asked if he had spoken to Johnson about bringing the British Open to Turnberry, Trump denied it happened and said he “never spoke to Woody Johnson about doing that.”
Charlamagne Tha God: ‘I Really Wish Joe Biden Would Shut the Eff Up Forever’ After the Former VP Calls Trump ‘First’ Racist President
“No sitting president has ever done this… No Republican president has done this. No Democratic president. We’ve had racists and they’ve existed and they’ve tried to get elected president. He’s the first one that has,” Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden said earlier this week during a virtual town hall organized by the Service Employees International Union. In response to that statement, The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne Tha God took a moment on the radio show Thursday to chastise Biden and give him the infamous “Donkey of the Day” title, according to Fox News.
“I really wish Joe Biden would shut the eff up forever and continue to act like he’s starring in the movie A Quiet Place because as soon as he opens his mouth and makes noise, he gets us all killed, OK?” Charlamagne said. “There’s already so many people who are reluctantly only voting for Joe Biden because he’s the only option and because Donald J. Trump is that trash.”
Charlamagne goes on to state that the enthusiasm to vote for Biden isn’t particularly high and that Biden needs to watch what he says and how he comes across. He also emphatically states that racism is a staple in this country.
“Racism is the American way! OK, Donald Trump is not the first and sadly, he won’t be the last. Alright. He’s just more overt with his racism than most presidents we’ve had in recent times.”
He then gives advice to Biden.
“Joe, you got to hurry up and announce your Black woman VP so I can be enthused about voting for her because I will never be enthused about voting for you, and you know America is a terrible place when Kanye West seems like a viable option,” Charlamagne stated.
This comes two months after Charlamagne did a virtual interview with Biden for the radio show that caused its own controversy. After discussing several topics, Biden remarked to Charlamange that, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” Biden apologized hours later, according to Politico, saying he had been “much too cavalier.”
White Couple Arrested and Charged For Racist Attack on Black Hotel Worker in Connecticut
A white couple who is accused of assaulting a 59-year-old Black hotel worker and yelling racial epithets at her in Mystic, Connecticut, was arrested earlier this month in Brooklyn, New York, according to NBC Connecticut.
Suspects Philip Sarner, 39, and Emily Orbay, 28, of Long Island, New York, were extradited to Connecticut after being tracked down by the New York Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. Sarner was charged with second-degree assault, third-degree assault, and intimidation based on bigotry and bias, according to police. His bond was set at $75,000. Meanwhile, Orbay was charged with two counts of third-degree assault and intimidation based on bigotry and bias. Her bond was set at $50,000.
According to the hotel worker, Crystal Caldwell, the incident began after the couple complained about hot water. She told NBC Connecticut that Sarner and Orbay were rude on the phone and she hung up on them. Caldwell then states that the next thing she can remember is being attacked by them.
“Over the past two weeks, many people have been diligently working to better understand the events that took place on June 26, 2020, when the appalling assault of a Mystic hotel employee occurred. We thank many of you in Stonington, as well as our neighboring communities, for your outreach, input, and assistance while this work has been occurring, as well as the kindness displayed by many to the woman attacked.
“In the interest of transparency, we wanted to share that Chief Darren Stewart, with support from the Police Commission, requested an external review of the investigation. I have since retained through the law director’s office an independent firm to conduct an external review specifically about this event and the Stonington Police Department Policies and Procedures. This investigator will soon be providing a confidential dedicated email address seeking input from the public. The decision to conduct an external review was made in partnership in order to ensure that our community retains the confidence in our officers that they need to carry out the important work they do every day. Findings from the review will be shared with the public.”
Rabbi Says He Warned Nick Cannon That Apologizing for Antisemitism Would Lead to Backlash
Rabbi Abraham Cooper says he warned Nick Cannon about the backlash he would receive for apologizing for his use of anti-Semitic rhetoric — which cost him his job at ViacombCBS.
The 39-year-old entertainer came under fire last week for repeating anti-Semitic tropes during an interview with controversial hip hop figure Prof. Griff on his podcast “Cannon’s Class.” The host of The Masked Singer amplified Griff’s views that Jewish people controlled the media and perpetuated other anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Cannon also claimed that Black people are the “true Hebrews,” saying, “it’s never hate speech. You can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people.” He also added, “When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright,” reports BBC News.
After the podcast went viral, ViacomCBS ended its decades-long relationship with Nick and ousted him from his popular comedy franchise Wild ‘N Out on Vh1. Cannon initially responded by doubling down on his stance on Twitter and Facebook, writing “Viacom’s goal to keep me from providing for my family and lineage will be foiled,” reports The Washington Post. He went on to say the network cannot “kick me while I’m down or force me to kiss the master’s feet in public” and that it was trying to “hang me out to dry and make an example of anyone who says something they don’t agree with.”
Then, less than 24 hours later, the actor and comedian made a sharp pivot. After speaking with Rabbi Cooper, the associate dean and director of Global Social Action Agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Cannon issued a statement saying that he “feel[s] ashamed of the uninformed and naïve place his anti-Semitic comments came from.” He went on saying he extends his “deepest and most sincere apologies to my Jewish sisters and brothers for the hurtful and divisive words that came out of my mouth.” The statement came as a response to an announcement from Fox that he would not be fired from The Masked Singer.
The apology triggered a firestorm of criticism from people on social media who accused him of selling out. The Howard University grad, in response, shared cryptic posts on social media and later revealed that he was having suicidal thoughts due to the backlash.
I hurt an entire community and it pained me to my core, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then I watched my own community turn on me and call me a sell-out for apologizing. Goodnight. Enjoy Earth🙏🏾💙
When asked about their one-on-one discussion, which was later shared on the latest episode of “Cannon’s Class,” Cooper said the TV host showed no signs of despair. “The person I met is quite vital. He’s highly motivated,” Cooper told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
The clergy leader also revealed that Cannon reached out to his organization after he saw his tweet condemning Cannon’s discussion with Prof. Griff. “I sent out a tweet after watching the program,” he said. “My tweet was just real quick: ‘if you want a Ph.D. in hate, watch this YouTube (video).”
Before meeting with the Hollywood star, Cooper sent him a list of quotes from controversial leader the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. “We sent him in advance something we’d actually released about three weeks ago, quotes from Minister Farrakhan going back to the 1980s, about Jews, about gays, about Hollywood, etc. because I wanted the conversation to be substantive.”
Cooper says he also didn’t mince words about the pain he and may Jewish people felt after listening to the podcast.
“I said when I watched you say to me, ‘I’m not a Jew. I’m not the real Jew.’ I mean, that’s a trope that’s been around, unfortunately, for a very long time, often pushed by extremists in the Muslim world. That’s sort of the ultimate put down. Imagine if someone came to you and denied your blackness,” he recalled.
“By the end of the conversation, he said, “you know, I want to apologize to you.’ And I said, ‘honestly, don’t apologize to me. Every Jew feels that way. You put it out on the platform. Your job is to apologize to them.'”
Cooper also revealed that he forewarned Cannon of the recoil he would experience for apologizing, noting that NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar was called a “Judas” and an “Uncle Tom” after he published an op-ed about antisemitism within the African American community.
“We forewarned him. I think he understood that whatever he was going to say, that it would go sideways,” he said. “That is the culture that about a million people around the world, most of the younger generations, have embraced.” He added, “the price tag for that is you almost never have time to reflect, to take a deep breath.”
Watch Rabbi Cooper’s full interview about his conversation with Cannon, the cultural tensions between the black and Jewish communities, and the intersectionality between Anti-Semitism and racism.
Despite Ivanka’s Bad Advice, You Actually Can ‘Find Something New’
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our lives through job losses, business shutdowns, lockdowns, quarantines, hospitalizations, and unfortunately, even death. It has forced us to make tough decisions. Over 50 million Americans have been laid off and the unemployment rate has been in double digits each of the past three months. Although White House adviser Ivanka Trump was swiftly criticized for her tone-deaf advice urging out-of-work Americans to simply find something new, the reality is that many Americans will have to make a career change due to the pandemic.
If you’ve found yourself wanting—or needing—to make a career transition, here are five keys to successfully find something new:
Assess your skills. Everyone should take time to make a list of their skills. If you have a resume, break down what you do. Then, look at your interests, awards and achievements and the skills needed to attain them. You’ll probably be surprised to learn about skills you didn’t know you had. Then, ask someone who knows you well to make a list of your skills. Then, combine the two lists. This is your starting point.
See which skills are transferable. Success leaves clues. Whether we realize it or not the career we want to enter is usually not totally unrelated to our current career. For example, a speechwriter can be a great marketer because both require the ability to sway opinion. However, some skills are very specific to a particular profession. Finding this out will determine how you can make your shift.
Identify your strength. From your list of skills pick ONE strength. Not two, not three or four, but one strength. Choosing more than one strength divides your focus and often paralyzes you and you change nothing. Many get stuck here because they don’t identify one course of action. When you answer the question, “What is your strength?,” you’re also answering the question, “Where do I start?” This begins the movement in your journey.
Ask yourself how far you are willing to go back. Some transitions require additional schooling and/or training. Depending on the profession you may have to start further down the totem pole. However, if you have transferable skills you don’t have to start at square one. How far you have to go back, if you have to, depends on your transferable skills.
Ask yourself if you’re ready to be an entrepreneur. Events like the Great Recession and the coronavirus outbreak make entrepreneurship a more attractive alternative. You don’t have to do it full-time but the skills are almost imperative. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone but for those frustrated by their job or lack of one, this is an alternative. It can be risky but for those looking for independence and more income, this is a viable option.
This is a very tumultuous time for millions of people in the United States and around the world. It was this way before the coronavirus and even more so now. Technology, outsourcing and layoffs have changed the world as we know it and the coronavirus has accelerated that change. The decisions and the thinking behind these decisions will have a big impact on our future. The only thing that is constant is change and how quickly we can find something new will steer the direction of our careers and our futures.
Black Twitter Slams Joe Biden For Calling Trump ‘First’ Racist President
Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden put his foot in his mouth Wednesday, calling President Donald Trump the “first” racist president of the United States.
According to NewsOne, Biden made the comment at a virtual town hall organized by the Service Employees International Union after a healthcare worker expressed their concern that Trump continues to blame China for the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden responded saying Trump often refers to the pandemic as the “China virus,” and added, “the way he deals with people based on the color of their skin, their national origin, where they’re from, is absolutely sickening.”
“No sitting president has ever done this. Never, never, never. No Republican president has done this. No Democratic president. We’ve had racists, and they’ve existed, they’ve tried to get elected president. He’s the first one that has.”
While some understood what Biden was trying to say, many pointed out that throughout American history there have been a number of presidents who were openly racist or carried out racist policies and agendas.
According to History.com, 12 presidents enslaved people in their lifetimes and eight of them enslaved Black men and women while in office. The list includes George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, and Andrew Jackson.
Additionally, enslaved Black men and women built the White House.
Even in modern times, while presidents did not own slaves, they instituted racist policies and agendas. President Franklin Roosevelt established interment camps during World War II. When running for Governor of California in 1966, future President Ronald Reagan denounced the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and even ran radio ads referring to urban areas as “jungles.”
Biden’s campaign advisor, Symone Sanders, attempted to clean up his words, acknowledging that although Trump isn’t the first racist president, he’s unique to modern history.
When asked about Biden’s comments at a White House press briefing earlier this week, Trump doubled down on his stance that he has “done more for Black Americans than anybody with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln. Nobody has even been close.”
On social media, many were quick to label Biden‘s comments as wrong and shortsighted. Many pointed out the number of presidents who owned slaves and that Trump is just another racist president in a long line of racist presidents.
Harriet Tubman’s Descendant Responds to Kanye’s Attack on the Historic Abolitionist (Video)
A descendant of Harriet Tubman is speaking out after Kanye West attacked the iconic abolitionist at his presidential campaign rally on Sunday.
During the South Carolina rally, the 43-year-old rap star took a swipe at Tubman, saying she “never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people.” The comments drew sounds of opposition from some in the crowd, but the hip hop billionaire quickly changed the topic without giving further context to clarify what he meant.
In response, Tubman’s great-great-great niece Tina Wyatt told TMZ that West would be a slave were it not for Tubman and other abolitionists.
“If it hadn’t been for people like her, he would still be on that plantation. He would not be able to be out there saying the things he says and he wouldn’t have the money he has because they would have it all,” said Wyatt Tuesday.
Wyatt went on to say that Tubman, who escaped slavery, risked her life to help other enslaved men and women travel north to freedom through the Underground Railroad, which is why she finds West’s remarks offensive. Tubman also fought for the Union during the Civil War.
“I don’t even understand what he meant when he said that ‘she did what she did so they could go work for white people,’ ” Wyatt continued. “I don’t understand what that meant.”
Wyatt went on to say that once freed, African Americans built their own businesses and won elected positions until Jim Crow laws, “black codes,” and racist policies were enacted to disenfranchise Black people.
In addition, she encouraged West to use his massive wealth to “uplift” the black community.
“I don’t know if he’s doing it or not, I don’t know where he’s putting his money,” Wyatt told TMZ. “Put your money into something that will uplift other people,” she said. “Him … running to be president is not one of them.”
At another point during the rally, West had an emotional breakdown, revealing that he and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, almost aborted their daughter, North West, and that his own father wanted to abort him.
PR Pro Gilda Squire Is Exactly Where Destiny—And God—Intended Her To Be
Featuring a broad cross-section of women who have distinguished themselves across a rich variety of careers, our Portraits of Power series is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Black Enterprise, and of Black women. It’s a place for today’s businesswomen to share their own favorite images and their own stories, in their own words. Today’s portrait is public relations and brand marketing veteran Gilda Squire.
My first job was, believe it or not, a cashier at the amusement park Kings Dominion near my home in Caroline County, Virginia. I enjoyed it so much because we got to meet and work with kids from neighboring counties and we got to enjoy the park for free!
I feel like there have been so many big breaks throughout my life and career. My first big break was moving to New York City and stumbling into a job on Wall Street at a major investment banking firm. I would have never dreamed that I’d have a job on Wall Street, but it was the most exciting, lesson-filled six years I could have ever asked for. I traveled internationally for the first time and worked with people all over the world. I also met friends who remain a big part of my life today.
I’ve had to work hardest at remembering that everything I’ve had the honor and privilege of doing in my life, I’ve earned it. It didn’t happen by accident. I’ve had to remind myself that although my path has not been the norm, I have worked hard to arrive at this place in my life.
I never imagined I would work with such amazing people like Misty Copeland, Angela Bassett, Alek Wek, Courtney B. Vance, Walter Moseley, Tina Lifford, Michaela DePrince, Calvin Royal III, and so many more. It’s not just about their celebrity, it’s about the fact that they’ve each, in their own way, broken down barriers, paved a path for others to follow, and created bodies of work as African American artists that will be remembered for decades to come. I’m honored that they’ve trusted me to be their representative and confidante.
I wish I would have learned that with patience comes rewards and blessings. I’ve always wanted things to happen when I was ready for them to happen. But I’ve since learned that everything happens when—and if—it’s supposed to.
The risk I regret not taking is… You may not believe it, but I truly have no regrets. There is not one thing I wish I would have or could have done differently. I believe that I am exactly where destiny—and God—intended me to be.
If I could design my fantasy self-care day, it would be spent getting a really long, exhaustive massage, an intense cleansing facial, and a mani/pedi (man, how I miss those!), topped off with a good book and home-cooked meal.
Worrying about my elderly father and making sure that I’m doing all I can, as his daughter, to surround him with as much support and care as I can keeps me up at night.
When I’m struggling, I say to myself, This too shall pass. Stay the course.
I am unapologetically honest and generous.
Portraits of Power is a yearlong series of candid insights from exceptional women leaders. It is brought to you by ADP.
