Claims that Trump outlefted the Democrats on pandemic relief checks are false
Reactionary and some progressive media are pushing a false talking point that President Donald Trump is outlefting the Democrats on COVID-19 relief, after he posted a video to Twitter that dubiously claimed to offer $2,000 stimulus checks.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) responded an hour later, highlighting that “Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!”
Trump hasn’t responded.
Senator Bernie Sanders replied to Pelosi, tweeting “I first introduced a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment with @SenKamalaHarris & @EdMarkey 7 months ago,” declaring “now, Mr. President, get Mitch McConnell and your Republican friends to stop opposing it, and we can provide working class Americans with $2,000. Let’s do it.”
It should be noted that the Senate Republicans blocked the historic multi-trillion dollar Democratic House bill The HEROES Act in May, and it’s been on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) desk ever since.
Media Matters’ Eric Kleefeld wrote in a December 7 article that “Republicans have blocked additional pandemic relief checks for months,” and that Fox News spun it as Pelosi supposedly holding up additional coronavirus aid.
In addition, the article detailed that “McConnell reportedly told Trump to not pass a bill before the election.”
Media Matters’ Casey Wexler reported in a December 15 article that a major gridlock was “Republicans’ insistence on including liability protections that would essentially prevent people from filing pandemic-related lawsuits.”
NBC News reported on Trump’s flip-flopping on COVID-19 relief on October 6, 2020: President Donald Trump urged Congress Tuesday night to approve piecemeal coronavirus relief measures he would sign, including a new round of $1,200 stimulus checks for Americans.
That turn came after just hours after he effectively killed discussions on a broader stimulus package until “after I win” the election. Both moves by the president, who was released Monday from the hospital where he was being treated for Covid-19, were made on Twitter.
Here are examples of how not to respond to Nancy Pelosi calling Trump’s likely bluff.
Podcaster and activist Marianne Williamson:
Daily morning show talk show host of JackAM:
“Divisive” Twitter personality and MASS HYSTERIA podcast host Diana:
The Insurgents’ Podcast host Jordan Uhl:
Some More News YouTube host Cody Johnson:
Twitter troll Comrade Misty is Putin’s Buddy:
She tweeted later:
Peter Daou:
Jordan Chariton:
USSR apologist and ‘Move Left Idiots’ podcast host Anthony Monterulo:
Twitch livestreamer Hasanabi:
Margaret Kimberley:
Here are the correct examples of how to respond to Pelosi’s tweet:
Senator Bernie Sanders:
Representative Barbara Lee:
The Squad’s Rashida Tlaib:
NBC News’ National Political Reporter Sahil Kapur:
Majority Report’s Emma Vigeland:
NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and anchor Andrea Mitchell:
The Hoarse Whisperer:
Libertarian-socialist YouTuber Vaush:
Representative Ilhan Omar:
Media Matters’ Parker Molloy:
Dumdumleft commentator Kyle Kulinski:
MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid:
Rep. Mark Pocan: