ET Williams

The Doctor of Common Sense

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Bernie Bro In New Hampshire Accused Of Slapping Teen Trump Supporter On Primary Day

A New Hampshire man accused of slapping a 15-year-old Trump supporter on the day of the state’s primary election day has been arrested, Windham police said.

Patrick Bradley, 34, slapped the teen after he left a polling place at Windham High School around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, police said in a statement.

Bradley is accused of slapping the 15-year-old and assaulting two adults who tried to intervene while passing by a campaign tent for President Donald Trump. He also was accused of throwing Trump signs and trying to knock over the tent, according to police.

A woman who said she was the boy’s mother told Fox News that her Republican family supports Trump and that her son was volunteering outside the school, holding up Trump signs and said “have a nice night” before he was slapped.

Her son wore a “Make America Great Again” hat Tuesday, she said. “It sickens me that people would be angry at a kid for wearing a stupid hat,” she told Fox News, adding that the teen has been getting a lot of support.

Bradley was arrested Thursday and charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of disorderly conduct, police said.

He was being held in lieu of $5,000 cash bail and an administrative hold for a probation violation Thursday, police said.

He was being held in jail Thursday night and is expected to be arraigned Friday, police said. No one picked up the phone at a number that may belong to him, and it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney Thursday night.

The police statement does not explicitly list a motive in the alleged assault. It’s the second alleged assault case involving Trump supporters or Republicans this month across the country.

The other was in Florida, where Gregory William Loel Timm, 27, is accused of driving his van through a tent where a local GOP group was registering voters in the Jacksonville neighborhood of Sandalwood. No one was hurt.

A deputy communications director for the Trump campaign on Thursday highlighted both incidents.

Donald Trump Jr. tweeted that he met the 15-year-old before the alleged assault and has called the teen and his mother.

Erin Perrine tweeted that the New Hampshire incident was “another senseless attack on @realDonaldTrump supporters.” “This kind of violence must stop IMMEDIATELY,” Perrine added.

Windham is a town of around 13,000 in the southeast part of New Hampshire, near the Massachusetts border.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-hampshire-man-accused-slapping-teen-trump-supporter-primary-day-n1136836

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Alexander Vindman Fired And Liberals Go Crazy

  • Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was on Friday fired from the National Security Council and escorted from the White House.
  • He was a key witness in the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, which upset the president.
  • During his opening statement, Vindman compared his situation to the Soviet Union of his youth, where whistleblowers were harshly punished.
  • Directly addressing his father, he said: “Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.”
  • After Trump was acquitted he quickly moved against Vindman. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham suggested “maybe people should pay” for crossing Trump.

Former National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was fired from the White House on Friday — two days after President Donald Trump’s acquittal in his bitter impeachment trial.

Vindman was a central witness, testifying publicly on November 19 before the House Intelligence Committee that Trump’s behavior towards the president of Ukraine had troubled him deeply.

As the top Ukraine expert at the NSC, Vindman listened in on the now-infamous July 25 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, where Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate his political rivals, the Biden family.

Vindman told Congress he was “concerned,” and found the call “inappropriate” given its partisan political character, and the conspiracy theory which underpinned it.

During his opening statement, Vindman drew a contrast between how somebody in his position might be treated in Russia, and how he believed he would be treated in the US.

He moved to address his father, who left the Soviet Union with Vindman, then aged three, for a new life in America:

“In Russia, my act of expressing my concerns to the chain of command in an official and private channel would have severe personal and professional repercussions and offering public testimony involving the President would surely cost me my life.

…

“Dad, my sitting here today, in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to United States of America in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.”

Political reality proved Vindman too optimistic. Vindman was the first and most prominent figure to be punished Friday by a newly-emboldened Trump.

The President fired Vindman, his twin brother, as well as Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador the the EU, in the space of a few hours.

Unlike the Russia in his comparison, Vindman came to no physical harm. But he — and a family member who had no role in the impeachment hearings — were ejected from prestigious jobs in a way which may tarnish their future prospects in the US military.

Vindman has only ever worked for the US military, and he and was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Only the most capable officers are recommended for work with the NSC, usually the sign of a sparkling career to come.

While he was only on loan to the White House and was transferred to the Pentagon, his highly political dismissal could now feature in Vindman’s personnel files. As Command-in-Chief, Trump is Vindman’s ultimate boss, and the boss of all his superiors. He has made abundantly clear that he doesn’t like him.

When competing for promotions with equally skilled offices without this political shadow over them, Vindman could well find himself passed over.

In a statement Vindman’s lawyer, David Pressman, said, “LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth. His honor, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/vindman-opening-statement-punished-truth-trump-proved-wrong-2020-2

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Nancy Pelosi Acts Like A Child, But The White House Response Is Perfect

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi showed her contempt for President Trump in the starkest of terms Tuesday night when she promptly ripped up his speech the moment he finished—and as the cameras were still focused on the dais.  

While social media users roasted Pelosi for the move, saying it was a disgrace, petty, and disgusting, the White House took to Twitter to point out that it is “her legacy”:

“Speaker Pelosi just ripped up:
 
“One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen.
 
“The survival of a child born at 21 weeks.
 
“The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller.
 
“A service member’s reunion with his family.”

Sara Cook✔@saraecook

The WH reacts to @SpeakerPelosi ripping up the President’s speech.

White House officials tell @finnygo they found it “petty,” “surprising,” and “classless” https://twitter.com/whitehouse/status/1224902083209502721 …The White House✔@WhiteHouseSpeaker Pelosi just ripped up:

One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen.

The survival of a child born at 21 weeks.

The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller.

A service member’s reunion with his family.

That’s her legacy.2811:00 PM – Feb 4, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacySee Sara Cook’s other Tweets

In explaining her decision to reporters afterward, Pelosi said “It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative.”

Tim Graham@TimJGraham

“And what were the other alternatives? A flamethrower?” https://twitter.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1224901426234777605 …John Roberts✔@johnrobertsFoxExchange between @FoxNews producer Jason Donner and @SpeakerPelosi
Question: Why did you rip up the speech madam speaker?
Speaker Pelosi: “Because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.”376:47 AM – Feb 5, 2020 · Virginia, USATwitter Ads info and privacySee Tim Graham’s other Tweets

The Speaker called Trump’s speech a “manifesto of mistruths” in a statement afterward, saying it “should be a call to action for everyone who expects truth from the President and policies worthy of his office and the American people.”

While her decision to shred the speech may have gone over well among the Democratic base, not all members of the party were applauding.

Shanice Brown@ShaniceBrown86

I was a democrat 6 hours ago. @SpeakerPelosi, not @realDonaldTrump, changed my mind tonight. #SOTU43.1K3:31 AM – Feb 5, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy15.7K people are talking about this

Maggie VandenBerghe @FogCityMidge

😮

WOW! After the State Of The Union DEMOCRAT callers into C-SPAN completely destroyed Pelosi, saying they will NEVER vote for the Democrat Party again! @realDonaldTrump #sotu #StateOfTheUnion #NancyPelosi13.4K8:10 AM – Feb 5, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy7,630 people are talking about this

At the time of writing President Trump hasn’t commented on Pelosi’s move but he has retweeted a number of posts criticizing it.

Below is Pelosi’s statement in full:

“We are always hopeful when a President makes a State of the Union address.  We welcome any opportunity to extend the hand of friendship to find common ground on behalf of the American people.  The issue of major concern to most Americans is health care.  Tonight, House Democrats brought scores of guests to the State of the Union who have powerful health care stories, whether it is families with pre-existing conditions, families struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need, or families relying on Medicaid even though they have private insurance.  We had been told the President would have a positive message on health care.

“However, President Trump’s address tonight gave no comfort to the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions or the families struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need.  Once again, President Trump was not truthful about his actions in court to destroy pre-existing condition protections.  Once again, President Trump pulled his punch on his promise to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, which House Democrats delivered with the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, H.R.3. 

“Next week, when the President presents his budget, the American people will see the stark reality of his agenda.  A federal budget should be a statement of our national values, and the President has sadly shown that he does not value the good health of the American people.  Democrats continue to urge the President to abandon his assault on seniors and families and to join us to deliver real progress in lowering the price of prescription drugs and making the bold investments needed to rebuild America’s infrastructure in a green and modern way.

“The manifesto of mistruths presented in page after page of the address tonight should be a call to action for everyone who expects truth from the President and policies worthy of his office and the American people.  The American people expect and deserve a President to have integrity and respect for the aspirations for their children.

“Americans were uplifted by the positive message and vision for progress for all communicated by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas.  In the election, Democrats ran and won on a pledge For The People: lower health care costs, bigger paychecks, clean up corruption in government.  And we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of progress for hard-working families across America, For The People.”

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2020/02/05/white-house-reacts-to-pelosi-ripping-up-trumps-speech-n2560774

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TRANSGENDER (Man) MMA FIGHTER THAT FRACTURED WOMAN’S SKULL NAMED ‘BRAVEST ATHLETE IN HISTORY’

Outsports, a news outlet that focuses on LGBT issues in sports, has named transgender MMA fighter, Fallon Fox, the “bravest athlete in history.”

According to Outsports, the athlete deserves the title because “she was the target of a torrent of hatred I have literally never seen targeting an LGBTQ athlete.”

The Post Millenial posted a commentary on Fox and the women he was in the ring with:

Fox, a male to female transgender athlete, destroyed Erika Newsome in a Coral Gables, FL, MMA fight during which she “secured a grip on Newsome’s head… With her hands gripping the back of Newsome’s skull, she delivered a massive knee, bringing her leg up while pulling her opponent’s head down. The blow landed on Newsome’s chin and dropped her, unconscious, face-first on the mat.” That was Newsome’s last pro fight.

But to Outsports, a male-bodied person beating a female-bodied person unconscious constitutes bravery. Not only has Fox beat up women in the ring and won every match but one, but has weathered online attacks from the likes of Joe Rogan. I think we can all agree that getting back online after Joe Rogan has knocked you down is far braver than facing another male-bodied of your own muscle mass and size in a fight.

Fox also beat Tamikka Brents, giving her a concussion and breaking 7 orbital bones. But that’s super-brave, too – taking an unfair, male-bodied advantage and using it to give female-bodied opponents brain injuries.

Vice defended Fox beating women in a statement saying: “Fallon was born with a peen. No one’s perfect. I throw away too much salad. She was raised as a dude, as I am told is traditional in Ohio for babies born with outwardly expressive genitalia. But that peen never did sit right with her and, since 2008, she has been a woman in mind, body, and soul.”  480p low geselecteerd als afspeelkwaliteit

Tammika Brents, the woman Fox gave a concussion and broke 7 orbital bones, was reportedly not told that Fox was transgender before she entered the ring with him.

“I’ve fought a lot of women and have never felt the strength that I felt in a fight as I did that night,” Brents said, recounting her experience fighting Fox. “I can’t answer whether it’s because she was born a man or not because I’m not a doctor. I can only say, I’ve never felt so overpowered ever in my life and I am an abnormally strong female in my own right… I still disagree with Fox fighting. Any other job or career I say have a go at it, but when it comes to a combat sport I think it just isn’t fair.”

Instead of honoring female athletes that have their heads smashed in by men, society offers awards and titles to the men that beat them.
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Today we ask you to defend Pulpit & Pen’s independence.

We’re a non-profit that depends on donations to stay online and thriving.

Transgender MMA Fighter That Fractured Woman’s Skull Named ‘Bravest Athlete In History’

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NBA Legend Kobe Bryant Is Dead In Helicopter Crash

Celebrities took to social media to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant after reports surfaced that the basketball legend died Sunday.

Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among those killed when a helicopter slammed into a hillside near Malibu in Los Angeles County, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

News of Bryant’s tragic death came as stars were gearing up for music’s biggest night: the Grammys. 

The Grammy Awards are being held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, where Bryant played many home games for the Lakers.

Lizzo opened the awards show announcing “Tonight is for Kobe” before launching into her hits “Cuz I Love You” and “Truth Hurts.” 

Grammys host Alicia Keys also acknowledged Bryant in a touching performance of  “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” with Boyz II Men.

“To be honest with you, we’re all feeling crazy sadness right now. Because earlier today, Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero,” Keys said. “We’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built. … We’re gonna love together and we’re gonna make sure we celebrate the most powerful energy … the one thing that has the power to bring us all together: And that’s music. It’s the most healing thing in the world.”

A somber Ryan Seacrest opened E!’s Grammys red carpet with a tribute to Bryant. “His loss will be felt even more deeply tonight at a place he considered home,” Seacrest told the camera. 

“It’s unthinkable,” Seacrest said. “This is a man and a family that we’ve gotten to know over the years. We’ve seen him play here before. He was on the phone with me a few months ago, talking about the love of being a father, talking about his daughters so pridefully, and I think so many artist here tonight will be thinking about this, and wanting to share their stories.” 

The news came as a shock to celebrities.

Kevin Hart noted he just saw the NBA legend recently and couldn’t believe the news.

“This honestly doesn’t make sense….I just saw you man. This hurts my heart. God please place your hands on his family and help guide them thru this unbearable time. We love you forever man…Legends never die!!!!” Hart captioned a photo of Bryant. “#MambaMentality #RIP…. RIP to the other passengers as well as sending prayers to their families.”

In another Instagram post, Hart added, “I have no words…All I have is real tears….This is beyond heartbreaking… #prayingforthebryantfamily  #RIPGianna  #RIPKobe.”

“I cannot believe this is real. My god. Oh my god,” Chrissy Teigen wrote on Twitter. She later followed up with a tweet referencing the Grammys. “Downtown right now and nothing feels more unimportant than what we are doing today. This is absolutely terrible. Everyone is numb,” Teigen wrote.

Teigen’s husband, John Legend, shared the same sentiment, noting that one superstar died while the Grammys were getting prepared to honored another.

“I’m so sad and stunned right now. In Staples Arena, where Kobe created so many memories for all of us, preparing to pay tribute to another brilliant man we lost too soon, Nipsey Hussle. Life can be so brutal and senseless sometimes. Hold on to your loved ones. We miss you, Kobe,” Legend wrote. 

A speechless Will Smith simply shared a throwback photo of himself and Bryant. 

“Kobe, We love you brother,” Kanye West tweeted alongside a throwback picture of himself, Bryant, record producer Swizz Beatz and rapper Mos Def all smiles.

West added, “We’re praying for your family and appreciate the life you’ve lived and all the inspiration you gave.”

His wife, Kim Kardashian West said on Instagram, “I cry just thinking about it.”

“My heart is so heavy. No one should ever experience what the families involved are going through,” she wrote. “This has affected us all so much but I cannot begin to imagine what Vanessa is feeling losing her husband and her baby girl… . Rest In Peace Legend.”

Former President Barack Obama sent his condolences to Bryant’s family and his wife, Vanessa, in a touching tweet.

“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents,” wrote Obama. “Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.”

Barack Obama✔@BarackObama

Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.3.91M4:56 PM – Jan 26, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy681K people are talking about this

Jennifer Lopez reflected on the importance of family in a lengthy tribute. 

“As I scrolled through Kobe’s feed, and Alex and I talk memories and moments we remember about him … this is the truth that rings out the loudest … family is what matters most,” she wrote on Instagram. “We are all feeling sadness from this loss, but all I can think of is that it is a grain of sand compared to what Vanessa must going through right now.”

Leonardo DiCaprio said “LA will never be the same.”

“Kobe was truly larger than life, a legend,” he tweeted. “May he and all those who lost their lives today rest in peace. Love and condolences to his family.” 

Mariah Carey tweeted, “In shock right now. RIP Kobe.”

Julia Roberts added a broken-heart emoji on Instagram. 

Paula Abdul, a former cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers who went on to become the choreographer for the famed Laker Girls, paid respects to her “dear friend” on Twitter. 

“I am completely speechless and devastated at the unexpected passing of my dear friend, @kobebryant,” Abdul tweeted. “Kobe had a big heart and an even bigger love for the community of Los Angeles. Through his foundation, he changed the lives of so many people and families with his wife, Vanessa.”

Paula Abdul✔@PaulaAbdul

I am completely speechless and devastated at the unexpected passing of my dear friend, @kobebryant. Kobe had a big heart and an even bigger love for the community of Los Angeles. Through his foundation, he changed the lives of so many people and families with his wife, Vanessa.

View image on Twitter

29.8K3:18 PM – Jan 26, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy2,716 people are talking about this

“Dreams and Nightmares” rapper Meek Mill was also stunned by the news. “It’s not no telling what you gone wake up to nowadays,” he tweeted.

“My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can’t fathom what the families are going through,” Taylor Swift wrote on Twitter. “Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.”

Justin Bieber shared an old photo of him and Bryant to Instagram and expressed his disbelief.

“It can’t be. You always encouraged me mamba. Gave me some of the best quotes that we smile about to this day.! Love you man!” Bieber captioned the photo.

“This can’t be real there’s no way!!! My heart hurts,” Khloe Kardashian tweeted out.

Ellen DeGeneres said Bryant’s death left her “stunned and saddened.” She added, “Like everyone…My heart is broken for his wife and family.”

Mark Wahlberg shared an Instagram picture of Bryant playfully pinching his son’s cheek while they sat courtside at a Lakers game. He captioned the photo, “RIP.”

Rapper Lil Wayne tweeted, “We lost a King. 824,” referring to both jersey numbers that Bryant wore for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Drake also shared a photo to Instagram of a leather jacket with the words “Farewell Mamba” stitched on the back. He wore the custom jacket in honor of Bryant’s final NBA All-Star game in 2016.

“It can’t be,” he captioned the post.

Pharrell Williams said the “world lost a giant today.”

“Rest In Peace Kobe Bryant,” Williams tweeted. “Also praying for the other passengers that we lost and their families.”

Nick Jonas tweeted, “This is heartbreaking. Rest In Peace Kobe.” Kevin Jonas added on Instagram, “Absolutely heartbreaking. Praying for strength for the entire Bryant family and sending all of you love. Rest In Peace Kobe and Gianna.”

Chris Brown wrote that he’s “DEVASTATED,” sharing a throwback photo of himself giving Kobe a handshake while watching a game. He added, “RIP KING.”

Gigi Hadid, a Los Angeles native, reflected on the impact Bryant had on her childhood, adding that the news is “too much.”  

“Growing up a Kobe fan brought so much joy to my life, like so many, and we were all so excited to see sweet Gigi play someday,” she wrote on Instagram. 

The supermodel continued, “Rest In Peace and love together, legends. Sending strength and my deepest condolences to Vanessa, the Bryant family, and all the families affected by this tragedy.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is just reeling from the loss of his own father, shared a photo of the Mamba and his daughter to Instagram.

“Love is forever,” he wrote.”

Whoopi Goldberg sent her “deepest condolences to his family” on Twitter. She added, “RIP Kobe, hero to many including my grandson, extraordinary athlete and always kind to me & my family.” 

Demi Lovato, who is taking the stage at the Grammys for her first live performance in almost two years, shared a touching tribute. 

“This makes me so sad. Kobe you were always so sweet to me. Known you over 10 years.. not super well but we always joked about you coming over and playing that game of horse! You will (be) so missed by so many,” she captioned a photo of her and Bryant. “You’re a legend with wings now. RIP Kobe.”

Cher said her heart “Goes Out To Kobe’s Family, Friends, Fans.” She added, “It’s SO HARD To Deal With The Death Of a GREAT STAR, Because We Feel As If We Knew Them Personally. Kobe Bryant Was a GREAT ATHLETE,& All Of America Will Feel His Loss. The (World) Has Lost a Bright Light.”

“Sadly, i never personally knew you, but knowing i’m capable of all these emotions for someone i only knew from a far makes me feel more human than ever,” Kendall Jenner added on Instagram. “You had the magical ability of bringing people together, through sports and through your soul. we feel you so heavily today.”

Kris Jenner shared a photo of the former LA Laker and sent her condolences to his family.

“Devastated by the news of losing our precious Kobe Bryant. Words cannot express our sadness. All my deepest love and prayers are with Vanessa and Kobe’s family at this time.”

Reese Witherspoon tweeted out her condolences to Bryant’s family.

“Just devastated to hear about #KobeBryant. An extraordinary athlete, and a genuinely kind, wonderful man. Sending love, prayers & compassion to his family. To his entire @NBA family as well,” the “Legally Blonde” actress wrote.

Jada Pinkett Smith wrote a reflective message to her Instagram page alongside a photo of Bryant and his daughter. She encouraged everyone to embrace their loved ones.

“Life is so fragile. This is the kind of loss that makes you deeply reflective. My prayers to Vanessa, her children and all of those who love Kobe and Gigi,” she wrote. “This is a hard one. My heart is broken and bleeding everywhere today.”

In an early-morning tweet Monday, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker remembered Bryant’s “passion on and off the court” and how he “inspired millions of people who watched him soar and defy gravity to reach his goals. I send my love and support to Vanessa and the Bryant family. May they be held in God’s Arms.”

Jimmy Kimmel also wrote a tear-jerking message to Bryant.

“He was great, charismatic & among the hardest-working athletes ever, but what impressed me most was how deeply-involved Kobe was with his 4 daughters. Pray for them, Vanessa, his parents & his fellow passengers’ families on this sad and shocking day,” Kimmel tweeted. “We will never forget you Kobe.”

Kimmel added, “So far 2020, you suck.”

Fellow late-night host Trevor Noah expressed his grief on Twitter.

“Jesus this is heartbreaking,” he wrote.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-dead-chrissy-teigen-meek-mill-more-celebrities-react/4582095002/

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Reports Say Obama May Rebuke Bernie Sanders Because He IS Unfit To Battle Trump

Former President Barack Obama has remained mostly silent through the early stages of the Democratic race to unseat Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election but that may soon change, friends and associates tell FOX Business, as avowed socialist Bernie Sanders gains in national polls and seems poised to obtain front-runner status.

The people who spoke on the condition of anonymity say Obama’s preference had always been to lay low through the primaries aside from making some broad comments as he did in November of last year when, according to a report in The New York Times, the former two-term president, best known for expanding the size of government and his eponymous health care mandate, appeared genuinely worried about some of the increasingly leftist proposals being touted on the campaign trail from Sanders, the US senator from Vermont, and to some extent, Elizabeth Warren, the US senator from Massachusetts.

“The average American doesn’t think we have to completely tear down the system to remake it,” the Times quoted Obama, who was speaking at a gathering of Democratic donors.

People close to Obama point out that he has always said that he will support the Democratic nominee, whoever that may be. They also point out that Obama’s opinion of Warren has softened since November, and he is said to be growing comfortable with endorsing her fully if she should win the nomination.

But, these people add, he has recently grown even more wary of Sanders as the Vermont senator appears to be gaining momentum in polls and the Democratic primaries begin to heat up with the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary both in February.

Obama has told people in private that Sanders is both temperamentally and politically unfit to beat Trump in the 2020 general election, these people say. Among his concerns are Sanders’ strident form of politics and confrontational manners where he was known not to seek compromise during his long years in the US senate. Meanwhile, Obama is said to worry that Sanders’ far-left policies, which include massive tax increases, free college tuition and massive student debt forgiveness, would alienate even traditional Democratic voters. And may alienate them enough to re-elect Trump, who is seeking a second term despite historically low favorability ratings given his own bombastic style, these people tell FOX Business.

With that, Obama is weighing a more forceful rebuke of Sanders as the candidate to lead the Democrats in 2020, according to people who have spoken to the former president. It’s unclear if Obama will name Sanders specifically if he does indeed decide to make a statement or if he will address the matter in more general terms as he did in November. Obama may also decide to remain silent, particularly if Joe Biden, his former vice president, or Warren begin to overtake Sanders in the early primaries and in polling.

A spokeswoman for Obama declined to comment but would not deny his concerns. When asked to comment on the story, Sanders’ spokesman Mike Casca replied tersely, “Nope.”

Obama, despite his liberal credentials, often angered the far left of his party during his two terms as president for seeking compromise in policymaking. He took over as president amid the financial crisis, but refrained from nationalizing the ailing banks, choosing instead to continue the bail-out policies of the Bush administration. His signature piece of legislation — Obamacare — fell short of socialized medicine and was instead a mandate to provide health insurance for every American.

And he isn’t the only establishment Democrat scrambling to counter the Sanders surge in which recent national polling shows him pulling ahead of Biden, the nominal front-runner, and Warren, who has vacillated in the polling of top candidates. In recent weeks, some polling shows that not only is Sanders doing well nationally, but that he could also win the first primary contest, the Iowa caucuses, and snap up the New Hampshire primary later that month.

Earlier in the week, former first lady, Secretary of State and the party’s 2016 nominee, Hillary Clinton, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, attacked Sanders’ style, though she stopped short of saying she wouldn’t endorse him if he emerged as the Democratic nominee. “He was in Congress for years…Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done,” she said. “He was a career politician. It’s all baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.”

Clinton, of course, was mired in a brutal primary challenge with Sanders in 2016 and has never forgiven him for his late endorsement of her candidacy — a factor she believes contributed to her loss to Trump in that year’s general election. Obama, meanwhile, is close with Biden as the two have remained friends since their days serving in the White House.

But Democratic Party insiders say the concern among party elders with Sanders’ recent ascendance goes beyond rivalries and friendship. Both Obama and Clinton believe it would be a mistake for the party to openly embrace socialism as opposed to more progressive policies on taxes, government assistance and even addressing environmental issues that could appeal to a broader swath of the electorate.

That said, some Democratic political advisers are wary of any direct confrontation with Sanders, who has tapped into the changing demographics of the party. The coalition that got Obama elected two terms – African Americans, women and working-class whites — has been disrupted by the emergence of young, white progressives who are attracted to Sanders’ far-left agenda. Working-class whites have largely defected to Trump, who has campaigned on nationalist issues, such as immigration control, and against free trade.

By attacking Sanders, Obama may alienate this growing block of Democratic base voters causing them to sit out what could be a close contest with Trump, who despite his low approval ratings, will run in 2020 on a strong economy. “It would be surprising if Obama did anything upfront because Dems would splinter between Sanders’ faction and Obama’s faction,” said veteran Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf. “Don’t underestimate the Bernie faction; otherwise he wouldn’t be surging in polls.”

Others say by allowing Sanders to continue to gain momentum, the Democratic Party might be doomed at a time when it faces a vulnerable incumbent in Trump. “Sanders is widely disliked by Democrats over 30,” said David Brand, a long-time Democratic strategist based in Atlanta, who is supporting Biden. “He doesn’t work well with others, has no significant legislative records, and only a few people support him other than his die-hard following. He can’t win a general election.”

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/obama-feels-sanders-is-unfit-to-battle-trump-and-he-has-told-people-he-might-say-so-publicly