Former Republican Congressman Once Claimed That Trump Was Overheard Saying He “Loved” That Our Nation Is So Divided, Many Mississippi lawmakers opted not to wear masks at the Capitol. Now, 26 have COVID-19.

"....“Garry Kasparov, the Russian freedom activist, has said the point of disinformation isn’t to manipulate the truth, it’s to exhaust your critical thinking,” Jolly said. “To exhaust your critical thinking, that’s what we’re experiencing as voters.”

Indeed, disinformation is also a tool to divide, and it is employed by Trump’s propaganda outlet Fox News.

“I had a colleague that was in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room and he said he heard Trump say, ‘Have you ever seen the nation so divided?’” Jolly continued. “My colleagues and others said, ‘No, we haven’t.’ Trump said, ‘I love it that way.’ This is the currency that he’s peddling as political strategy, but it’s not one we have to accept. We don’t have to accept the anxiety that comes with Trump’s disinformation and division.”...."

President Donald Trump often complains that our nation is divided, but the reality is that he has sown the division and revels in it, even going so far as to reportedly say he “loves” how divided the country is, according to a former Republican congressman. 

It’s really no secret that Trump enjoys stoking division and hatred. Any look at his Twitter feed instantly reveals multiple vitriolic attacks on Democrats and anyone who criticizes or challenges him. He has called the press the “enemy of the people” and demonizes people of color and immigrants. He has repeatedly rejected science during the coronavirus pandemic while calling on his supporters to lash out at Democratic governors in opposition to social distancing. Trump had peaceful protesters teargassed and shot with rubber bullets so he could stage a photo-op and threatened to use the military against American citizens. And he has retweeted a supporter who said that the “only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.” There is no one more divisive than Trump, and that’s a fact.

Former Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) confirmed that fact by pointing out that “Donald Trump has intentionally tried to create the anxiety” in our country, and proceeded to tell the story of a former colleague who overheard Trump say that he “loved” that America is so divided.

“Garry Kasparov, the Russian freedom activist, has said the point of disinformation isn’t to manipulate the truth, it’s to exhaust your critical thinking,” Jolly said. “To exhaust your critical thinking, that’s what we’re experiencing as voters.”

Indeed, disinformation is also a tool to divide, and it is employed by Trump’s propaganda outlet Fox News.

“I had a colleague that was in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room and he said he heard Trump say, ‘Have you ever seen the nation so divided?’” Jolly continued. “My colleagues and others said, ‘No, we haven’t.’ Trump said, ‘I love it that way.’ This is the currency that he’s peddling as political strategy, but it’s not one we have to accept. We don’t have to accept the anxiety that comes with Trump’s disinformation and division.”

Make no mistake: Trump’s playbook is to divide this country as much as possible. Division will only help him in November, especially if he can sow it among Democrats and get them to fight among themselves or cause mass civil strife that could result in violence. Trump loves division. But the only way to defeat his divisiveness is to deny him a second term.

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USATODAY.COM

Many Mississippi lawmakers opted not to wear masks at the Capitol. Now, 26 have COVID-19.

JACKSON, Miss. – Gov. Tate Reeves is warning the public to get tested for coronavirus if they have been in contact with a state lawmaker.

The number of coronavirus cases linked to an outbreak at the Capitol has grown to 36, which includes 26 legislators, according to the state's top health official.

Many politicians flouted recommendations to wear a mask inside the Capitol in recent weeks. Now, about one in six of Mississippi state lawmakers have tested positive for the coronavirus.

State Health Officer  Dr. Thomas Dobbs said the Mississippi Department of Health is monitoring the situation and that about 290 people were tested at the Capitol this week.

The leaders of both chambers — Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann — have tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, the Enterprise Journal reported that Rep. Sam Mims, R-McComb, had tested positive for coronavirus. Mims chairs the House Public Health Committee.

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