ENDORSE TRUMP
John Lydon Doubles Down on Supporting Trump: ‘I’d Be Daft as a Brush Not to’
John Lydon Doubles Down on Supporting Trump: ‘I’d Be Daft as a Brush Not to’
THE NEW AXIS OF EVIL;
JOHNNY ROTTEN, TALIBAN, TRUMP
Katrina Nattress, SPIN•October 11, 2020
Click here to read the full article on SPIN.
John Lydon is known for unapologetically championing Trump, and during a recent interview with the Observer he doubled down on his support of the president.
The Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd frontman cited the economy as the reason why he’ll be voting to re-elect Trump. “I’d be daft as a brush not to,” he said. “He’s the only sensible choice now that Biden is up — he’s incapable of being the man at the helm.”
More from SPIN:
John Lydon Talks Shit to Henry Rollins and Marky Ramone at Punk Doc Event
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Lydon went on to explain that his support began after the president was accused of being racist. “I’ve been accused of the very same thing, so I’m offended for anybody who’s called that,” he divulged.
For those who need a refresher, the singer and his crew were involved in an altercation with Kele Okereke at 2008’s Summercase festival. The Bloc Party vocalist asked Lydon if he’d consider getting Public Image Ltd back together, and he allegedly responded by going on a racist tirade that included the statement “your problem is your black attitude” and physically assaulting Okereke.
Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite witnessed the attack and called out Lydon via Twitter after the interview was published. “John Lydon’s entourage attacked @keleokereke and used racist language,” he wrote. “We were there. That he uses that incident as his reason to support Trump is extremely telling. What a disappointing man.”
John Lydon’s entourage attacked @keleokereke and used racist language. We were there. That he uses that incident as his reason to support Trump is extremely telling. What a disappointing man. https://t.co/P1g7U9tiph
— stuart braithwaite (@plasmatron) October 11, 2020
Lydon denied the allegations at the time, and told the Observer he was “shocked” to be called racist.
When asked about George Floyd’s death, the punk legend said “There’s not anyone I know anywhere that wouldn’t say that wasn’t ghastly.”
“It doesn’t mean all police are nasty or all white folk are racist. Because all lives matter,” he added.
When it was pointed out to him that some consider the “all lives matter” motto to diminish Black Lives Matter, Lydon reiterated his stance. “Of course I’m anti-racism,” he said before adding that he won’t be controlled by political groups or movements.
The Taliban on Trump: "We hope he will win the election"
Sami Yousafzai, CBS News•October 10, 2020
Editor's Note: A statement in this article was incorrectly attributed to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. It was told to CBS News by another senior Taliban leader. CBS News has corrected that attribution and added additional statements from the interview with Mujahid.
President Trump's reelection bid received a vote of support Friday from an entity most in his party would reject: the Taliban.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in a phone interview, "We believe that Trump is going to win the upcoming election because he has proved himself a politician who accomplished all the major promises he had made to American people, although he might have missed some small things, but did accomplish the bigger promises, so it is possible that the U.S. people who experienced deceptions in the past will once again trust Trump for his decisive actions."
Mujahid added, "We think the majority of the American population is tired of instability, economic failures and politicians' lies and will trust again on Trump because Trump is decisive, could control the situation inside the country. Other politicians, including Biden, chant unrealistic slogans. Some other groups, which are smaller in size but are involved in the military business including weapons manufacturing companies' owners and others who somehow get the benefit of war extension, they might be against Trump and support Biden, but their numbers among voters is low."
Another senior Taliban leader told CBS News, "We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan."
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said Saturday that they "reject" the Taliban support. "The Taliban should know that the president will always protect American interests by any means necessary," Murtaugh said.
The Taliban's enthusiasm for Mr. Trump is grounded in the goal they share of getting U.S. troops out of Afghanistan after 19 years of war — a longtime promise of the president.
There are now fewer than 5,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and national security adviser Robert O'Brien has said that number would drop to 2,500 by early next year.
The Trump administration signed a historic pact with the Taliban in February in which the U.S. and its allies set a timetable for U.S. troops to withdraw by the spring of 2021. The pact requires the Taliban to break from al Qaeda and negotiate a power-sharing deal with Afghan government rivals.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated last month, after meeting with Taliban co-founder and political deputy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Doha, that the U.S. was set for a full withdrawal from Afghanistan by April or May of 2021.
The Obama administration was unsuccessful in its attempts to broker a similar diplomatic deal. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told "Face the Nation" in February that the U.S. should draw down but also keep a residual force of "several thousand people to make sure we have a place from which we can operate" should al Qaeda or ISIS gain capacity to strike the U.S.
This week, President Trump said all troops should be "home by Christmas," although it is unclear if that is actually expected to happen or if he was simply reiterating his position on wanting to bring troops home.
"We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas," he tweeted.
That timeline is at odds with the advice of U.S. military commanders, who do not believe it is safe to reduce troop levels below 4,500 unless the Taliban breaks with al Qaeda and reduces the level of violence. It is also unclear how it will affect peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators in Qatar.
Civilians continue to be caught up in ongoing violence in Afghanistan, many in Taliban attacks. From January 1 to June 30 this year, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 2,176 civilian injuries and 1,282 civilian deaths due to the conflict.
The Taliban also noted it thinks highly of Mr. Trump's "America first" creed.
"It is the slogan of Trump from the start that they are not cops for the world and don't want a single flag and anthem for the globe, but their priority is America," Mujahid said. "When there is no interference by U.S. in other countries, we believe they are facing fewer threats compared to their aggressive position. Trump has a concrete policy in this regard and it is better for America."
The senior member of the Taliban praised the president's honesty. "Honestly, Trump was much more honest with us than we thought, even we were stunned with his offer to meet Taliban in Camp David."
In 2019, President Trump disclosed that he had invited the Taliban for peace talks at Camp David — days before the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He said he canceled the plans after the Taliban killed a U.S. soldier.
The senior Taliban member told CBS News, "Trump might be ridiculous for the rest of the world, but he is sane and wise man for the Taliban."
The senior leader also expressed concern about Mr. Trump's bout with the coronavirus: "When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better."
Contributing: Margaret Brennan, David Martin, Haley Ott and Nicole Sganga
'We reject their support': Trump campaign strongly declines Taliban endorsement for his 2020 reelection
David Choi, Business Insider•October 10, 2020
Click here to read the full article on SPIN.
John Lydon is known for unapologetically championing Trump, and during a recent interview with the Observer he doubled down on his support of the president.
The Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd frontman cited the economy as the reason why he’ll be voting to re-elect Trump. “I’d be daft as a brush not to,” he said. “He’s the only sensible choice now that Biden is up — he’s incapable of being the man at the helm.”
More from SPIN:
John Lydon Talks Shit to Henry Rollins and Marky Ramone at Punk Doc Event
John Lydon to Voice Mutant Pig in New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series
Lydon went on to explain that his support began after the president was accused of being racist. “I’ve been accused of the very same thing, so I’m offended for anybody who’s called that,” he divulged.
For those who need a refresher, the singer and his crew were involved in an altercation with Kele Okereke at 2008’s Summercase festival. The Bloc Party vocalist asked Lydon if he’d consider getting Public Image Ltd back together, and he allegedly responded by going on a racist tirade that included the statement “your problem is your black attitude” and physically assaulting Okereke.
Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite witnessed the attack and called out Lydon via Twitter after the interview was published. “John Lydon’s entourage attacked @keleokereke and used racist language,” he wrote. “We were there. That he uses that incident as his reason to support Trump is extremely telling. What a disappointing man.”
John Lydon’s entourage attacked @keleokereke and used racist language. We were there. That he uses that incident as his reason to support Trump is extremely telling. What a disappointing man. https://t.co/P1g7U9tiph
— stuart braithwaite (@plasmatron) October 11, 2020
Lydon denied the allegations at the time, and told the Observer he was “shocked” to be called racist.
When asked about George Floyd’s death, the punk legend said “There’s not anyone I know anywhere that wouldn’t say that wasn’t ghastly.”
“It doesn’t mean all police are nasty or all white folk are racist. Because all lives matter,” he added.
When it was pointed out to him that some consider the “all lives matter” motto to diminish Black Lives Matter, Lydon reiterated his stance. “Of course I’m anti-racism,” he said before adding that he won’t be controlled by political groups or movements.
The Taliban on Trump: "We hope he will win the election"
Sami Yousafzai, CBS News•October 10, 2020
Editor's Note: A statement in this article was incorrectly attributed to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. It was told to CBS News by another senior Taliban leader. CBS News has corrected that attribution and added additional statements from the interview with Mujahid.
President Trump's reelection bid received a vote of support Friday from an entity most in his party would reject: the Taliban.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in a phone interview, "We believe that Trump is going to win the upcoming election because he has proved himself a politician who accomplished all the major promises he had made to American people, although he might have missed some small things, but did accomplish the bigger promises, so it is possible that the U.S. people who experienced deceptions in the past will once again trust Trump for his decisive actions."
Mujahid added, "We think the majority of the American population is tired of instability, economic failures and politicians' lies and will trust again on Trump because Trump is decisive, could control the situation inside the country. Other politicians, including Biden, chant unrealistic slogans. Some other groups, which are smaller in size but are involved in the military business including weapons manufacturing companies' owners and others who somehow get the benefit of war extension, they might be against Trump and support Biden, but their numbers among voters is low."
Another senior Taliban leader told CBS News, "We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan."
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said Saturday that they "reject" the Taliban support. "The Taliban should know that the president will always protect American interests by any means necessary," Murtaugh said.
The Taliban's enthusiasm for Mr. Trump is grounded in the goal they share of getting U.S. troops out of Afghanistan after 19 years of war — a longtime promise of the president.
There are now fewer than 5,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and national security adviser Robert O'Brien has said that number would drop to 2,500 by early next year.
The Trump administration signed a historic pact with the Taliban in February in which the U.S. and its allies set a timetable for U.S. troops to withdraw by the spring of 2021. The pact requires the Taliban to break from al Qaeda and negotiate a power-sharing deal with Afghan government rivals.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated last month, after meeting with Taliban co-founder and political deputy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Doha, that the U.S. was set for a full withdrawal from Afghanistan by April or May of 2021.
The Obama administration was unsuccessful in its attempts to broker a similar diplomatic deal. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told "Face the Nation" in February that the U.S. should draw down but also keep a residual force of "several thousand people to make sure we have a place from which we can operate" should al Qaeda or ISIS gain capacity to strike the U.S.
This week, President Trump said all troops should be "home by Christmas," although it is unclear if that is actually expected to happen or if he was simply reiterating his position on wanting to bring troops home.
"We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas," he tweeted.
That timeline is at odds with the advice of U.S. military commanders, who do not believe it is safe to reduce troop levels below 4,500 unless the Taliban breaks with al Qaeda and reduces the level of violence. It is also unclear how it will affect peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators in Qatar.
Civilians continue to be caught up in ongoing violence in Afghanistan, many in Taliban attacks. From January 1 to June 30 this year, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 2,176 civilian injuries and 1,282 civilian deaths due to the conflict.
The Taliban also noted it thinks highly of Mr. Trump's "America first" creed.
"It is the slogan of Trump from the start that they are not cops for the world and don't want a single flag and anthem for the globe, but their priority is America," Mujahid said. "When there is no interference by U.S. in other countries, we believe they are facing fewer threats compared to their aggressive position. Trump has a concrete policy in this regard and it is better for America."
The senior member of the Taliban praised the president's honesty. "Honestly, Trump was much more honest with us than we thought, even we were stunned with his offer to meet Taliban in Camp David."
In 2019, President Trump disclosed that he had invited the Taliban for peace talks at Camp David — days before the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He said he canceled the plans after the Taliban killed a U.S. soldier.
The senior Taliban member told CBS News, "Trump might be ridiculous for the rest of the world, but he is sane and wise man for the Taliban."
The senior leader also expressed concern about Mr. Trump's bout with the coronavirus: "When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better."
Contributing: Margaret Brennan, David Martin, Haley Ott and Nicole Sganga
'We reject their support': Trump campaign strongly declines Taliban endorsement for his 2020 reelection
David Choi, Business Insider•October 10, 2020
President Donald Trump. Getty
A representative of the Taliban said the group supports President Donald Trump's reelection on Friday, according to CBS News.
"When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better," a senior leader reportedly said.
Tim Murtaugh, the campaign director for Trump's reelection, told Insider he rejected the group's endorsement.
A representative of the Taliban said the group supports President Donald Trump's reelection on Friday, according to CBS News.
"We hope he will win the election and wind up US military presence in Afghanistan," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told the news organization.
Mujahid reportedly added that it approved of the Trump campaign's "America first" slogan. Trump has mentioned the phrase in numerous speeches throughout his presidency and campaign.
"It is the slogan of Trump from the start that they are not cops for the world and don't want a single flag and anthem for the globe, but their priority is America," Mujahid said to CBS News.
Another senior leader from the group said he grew concerned after the US president tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month.
"When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better," the senior leader told CBS News.
A senior Taliban member also reportedly added: "Trump might be ridiculous for the rest of the world, but he is sane and wise man for the Taliban."
A representative of the Taliban said the group supports President Donald Trump's reelection on Friday, according to CBS News.
"When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better," a senior leader reportedly said.
Tim Murtaugh, the campaign director for Trump's reelection, told Insider he rejected the group's endorsement.
A representative of the Taliban said the group supports President Donald Trump's reelection on Friday, according to CBS News.
"We hope he will win the election and wind up US military presence in Afghanistan," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told the news organization.
Mujahid reportedly added that it approved of the Trump campaign's "America first" slogan. Trump has mentioned the phrase in numerous speeches throughout his presidency and campaign.
"It is the slogan of Trump from the start that they are not cops for the world and don't want a single flag and anthem for the globe, but their priority is America," Mujahid said to CBS News.
Another senior leader from the group said he grew concerned after the US president tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month.
"When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better," the senior leader told CBS News.
A senior Taliban member also reportedly added: "Trump might be ridiculous for the rest of the world, but he is sane and wise man for the Taliban."
Afghan Taliban fighters. AP Photo
Tim Murtaugh, the communications director of Trump's reelection, vehemently rejected the group's statements and ribbed former Vice President Joe Biden's tenure.
"We reject their support and the Taliban should know that the President will always protect American interests by any means necessary, unlike Joe Biden who opposed taking out Osama bin Laden and Qassem Soleimani," Murtaugh said in a statement to Insider.
The statements from the terrorist organization comes as Trump announced on Wednesday that he wanted to completely pull all US troops from Afghanistan by the holiday season.
"We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas," Trump tweeted.
It is unclear exactly how many US forces remain in the country; however, US Central Command, the military command responsible for the region, previously said it expected around 4,500 troops in Afghanistan by November.
Following Trump's tweet, Mujahid described the move as "a very positive step," according to The Washington Post.
US military officials were caught off-guard by Trump's Twitter announcement, which has been a prevailing sentiment throughout his presidency. Republican lawmakers and former military leaders have also expressed frustration at the timeframe of the withdrawal, leading many to speculate that the terrorist group would surge once the US withdraws.
Meanwhile, peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban remain ongoing. In February, the US signed a peace deal that included steps for it to withdraw all forces from the country in exchange for security assurances. But the efficacy of the peace agreement has been called into question, due to continued violence against Afghan forces by the Taliban.
Taliban denies endorsing Donald Trump
Emily Goddard, The Independent•October 11, 2020
Tim Murtaugh, the communications director of Trump's reelection, vehemently rejected the group's statements and ribbed former Vice President Joe Biden's tenure.
"We reject their support and the Taliban should know that the President will always protect American interests by any means necessary, unlike Joe Biden who opposed taking out Osama bin Laden and Qassem Soleimani," Murtaugh said in a statement to Insider.
The statements from the terrorist organization comes as Trump announced on Wednesday that he wanted to completely pull all US troops from Afghanistan by the holiday season.
"We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas," Trump tweeted.
It is unclear exactly how many US forces remain in the country; however, US Central Command, the military command responsible for the region, previously said it expected around 4,500 troops in Afghanistan by November.
Following Trump's tweet, Mujahid described the move as "a very positive step," according to The Washington Post.
US military officials were caught off-guard by Trump's Twitter announcement, which has been a prevailing sentiment throughout his presidency. Republican lawmakers and former military leaders have also expressed frustration at the timeframe of the withdrawal, leading many to speculate that the terrorist group would surge once the US withdraws.
Meanwhile, peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban remain ongoing. In February, the US signed a peace deal that included steps for it to withdraw all forces from the country in exchange for security assurances. But the efficacy of the peace agreement has been called into question, due to continued violence against Afghan forces by the Taliban.
Taliban denies endorsing Donald Trump
Emily Goddard, The Independent•October 11, 2020
Donald Trump takes his mask off before speaking from the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC during a rally on 10 October (AFP via Getty Images)
The Taliban has denied endorsing Donald Trump after reports emerged claiming the Afghan militant group had said it hoped the US president would be re-elected.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, was reported to have supported Mr Trump’s bid to remain in the White House and expressed concern over his health.
CBS News quoted Zabihullah Mujahid to have said during a phone interview: “We hope he will win the election and wind up US military presence in Afghanistan.”
The American news outlet also said another Taliban senior leader told them: “When we heard about Trump being Covid-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better.”-
In response, Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said they “reject” the Taliban support, adding: “The Taliban should know that the president will always protect American interests by any means necessary.”
But the Taliban also appeared to reject the comments as Mr Mujahid published a “clarification” on Sunday, saying CBS “misinterpreted and misrepresented my words”.
“US news outlet @CBSNews has interpreted and published my remarks incorrectly. Nothing of the sort has been communicated as publicised by them,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Trump announced in a tweet on Thursday that he wants to bring US troops serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas.
Such a move to withdraw the remaining 5,000 troops and ending 19 years of US military presence in the country would likely be claimed as a victory by the Taliban.
The US deal with the Taliban had scheduled the withdrawal of troops by May 2021, subject to certain security guarantees.
Mr Trump said the US was “dealing very well with the Taliban” after Taliban and Afghan government peace negotiators held their first formal meeting to end two decades of war in September.
Read more
Taliban expands influence in Afghanistan as US troops withdraw
Taliban welcome Trump tweet promising early troop withdrawal
US troops in Afghanistan to be 'home by Christmas,' Trump tweets
The Taliban has denied endorsing Donald Trump after reports emerged claiming the Afghan militant group had said it hoped the US president would be re-elected.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, was reported to have supported Mr Trump’s bid to remain in the White House and expressed concern over his health.
CBS News quoted Zabihullah Mujahid to have said during a phone interview: “We hope he will win the election and wind up US military presence in Afghanistan.”
The American news outlet also said another Taliban senior leader told them: “When we heard about Trump being Covid-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better.”-
In response, Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said they “reject” the Taliban support, adding: “The Taliban should know that the president will always protect American interests by any means necessary.”
But the Taliban also appeared to reject the comments as Mr Mujahid published a “clarification” on Sunday, saying CBS “misinterpreted and misrepresented my words”.
“US news outlet @CBSNews has interpreted and published my remarks incorrectly. Nothing of the sort has been communicated as publicised by them,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Trump announced in a tweet on Thursday that he wants to bring US troops serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas.
Such a move to withdraw the remaining 5,000 troops and ending 19 years of US military presence in the country would likely be claimed as a victory by the Taliban.
The US deal with the Taliban had scheduled the withdrawal of troops by May 2021, subject to certain security guarantees.
Mr Trump said the US was “dealing very well with the Taliban” after Taliban and Afghan government peace negotiators held their first formal meeting to end two decades of war in September.
Read more
Taliban expands influence in Afghanistan as US troops withdraw
Taliban welcome Trump tweet promising early troop withdrawal
US troops in Afghanistan to be 'home by Christmas,' Trump tweets
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