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Pope Francis Questions Trump’s Christianity; ‘The Donald’ Fires Back

By BBC. The Pope has questioned US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Christianity over his call to build a border wall with Mexico.

Pope Francis said “a person who thinks only about building walls… and not of building bridges, is not Christian”.

The New York businessman supports deporting nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants . . .

Pope Francis made the comments at the end of a six-day trip to Mexico.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not of building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel,” he said. (Read more from “Pope Francis Questions Trump’s Christianity, Causing ‘The Donald’ to Fire Back” HERE)

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Donald Trump Fires Back at Sharp Rebuke by Pope Francis

By Patrick Healy. In his most audacious attack yet on a revered public figure, Donald J. Trump veered into risky political territory on Thursday as he denounced Pope Francis, seeking to galvanize Republicans who worry about border security and appeal to evangelical voters who regard Francis as too liberal.

After the pontiff’s remarkable contention that Mr. Trump “is not Christian” in proposing deportations and a wall with Mexico, the candidate said Francis’ criticisms were “disgraceful” and “unbelievable,” and he contended that the Mexican government had hoodwinked the pope into criticizing him.

Politicians rarely rebuke the Vatican so forcefully for fear of alienating Catholic voters, but Mr. Trump has been increasingly aggressive ahead of Saturday’s primary in South Carolina, where polls show a tightening race and the popular Republican governor, Nikki R. Haley, just endorsed Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

Mr. Trump’s attack on Francis reflected a political calculation that criticizing the pope would not hurt him with conservatives and might even improve his standing in South Carolina and in the Southern-dominated Super Tuesday contests on March 1. Some evangelical denominations in the South and elsewhere take a dim view of the Catholic Church, and many other social conservatives have been critical of Francis over his relatively measured statements about gays, birth control and divorce. (Read more from “Donald Trump Fires Back at Sharp Rebuke by Pope Francis” HERE)

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THE DOCUMENTARY THEY TRIED TO CENSOR: Trump — What’s the Deal?

By Doug Ross. A commenter alerted me to a documentary on Donald Trump — recently uploaded to YouTube — that appears to have been produced in the late 1980s. Rumor has it that one of Mr. Trump’s legendary lawsuits suppressed its distribution.

It’s very — very — interesting.

The vid features NYC icons Jimmy Breslin and Ed Koch as well as some New York Times punks, along with a range of typical, workaday jamokes like you and me.

It seems to get to the heart of who Donald Trump really is.

There’s stuff to admire — and condemn.

Watch it here:

(For more from the author of “THE DOCUMENTARY THEY TRIED TO CENSOR: Trump — What’s the Deal?” please click HERE)

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Donald Trump Is a Bigger Frontrunner to Be the Republican Nominee Than You Think

By Chris Cillizza. Barring some sort of cataclysm, Donald Trump is going to easily win Saturday’s Republican presidential primary in South Carolina. It would be his second straight large victory out of three contests so far in the presidential contest. In the other — the Iowa caucuses — Trump got the second most votes of any Republican candidate ever, but he finished second behind the guy who got the most votes in the history of the caucuses: Ted Cruz. Three days after the South Carolina vote, the race will move to Nevada where a poll released on Wednesday showed Trump ahead by almost 30 points. Then comes the March 1 “SEC” primary, when voters in 13 states across the country — including six Southern states — vote. Polling puts Trump first in most, if not all, of those states.

All of which raises a simple but profound question: Why isn’t Trump being covered as the overwhelming favorite to be the Republican nominee?

Substitute any other Republican in the race into Trump’s current position. There is a 100 percent chance that that person would be touted as the prohibitive favorite or the odds-on nominee. Imagine Marco Rubio — he of the third-place finish in Iowa and fifth-place finish in New Hampshire — with the same poll numbers as Trump in South Carolina, Nevada and beyond. The coronation would be on. Hell, Rubio is now seen as a likely third-place finisher in South Carolina — behind Trump and Cruz — and laurels are virtually being thrown at his feet. (Read more from “Donald Trump Is a Bigger Frontrunner to Be the Republican Nominee Than You Think” HERE)

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Watch: Even Trump Doesn’t Know Difference Between Bernie Sanders… and Trump

Look, we here at LWC have always been fair to Trump. Sure, I’m not a huge fan, but I’ve praised him when warranted. I like that he’s bulldozing political correctness. But there has been growing evidence that – if conservatism is important to you – The Donald isn’t your guy (see Worried Yet? Donald Trump Sounds more like Michael Moore than Hillary… and Obama Voters Are Voting for…Donald Trump?).

For example, this video where even he can’t tell the difference between his own platform and that of… Bernie Sanders.

You know, the guy who admits he’s socialist . . .

While he still crushes in most of the primary polls, if it comes down to Trump vs. Rubio or Trump vs. Cruz one-on-one, he loses. Which is interesting. If it comes down to a national poll, any GOP candidate currently running beats Hillary…. except for Donald Trump or Jeb Bush. Rubio wins by the largest margin, Cruz by a thinner one. Kasich too, though there really isn’t as much polling data so it can’t be considered accurate as of yet. As seen by the most complete analysis of all polling data available from RealClearPolitics. (Read more from “Even Trump Doesn’t Know Difference Between Bernie Sanders… and Trump” HERE)

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Dozens of Pro-Family Groups Challenge Trump in Open Letter to Answer Tough Questions

Mr. Trump:

We, the undersigned, represent millions of pro-family Americans who are dedicated to a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished. As a national alliance with nearly 40 state-based organizations, we have invited you to participate in our Presidential Teleconference Series to share your views on the issues important to values voters. We have interviewed most of the leading candidates, but after several attempts, we have not yet been able to schedule such a call with you. Therefore, we direct the following questions to you on policy issues important to our constituents:

1. After years of describing yourself as “pro-choice in every respect” — even supporting partial-birth abortion — you now say that you are pro-life. Your explanation for this change of position – that a baby who was nearly aborted ended up being a “superstar” – is confusing, particularly since you acknowledged that if the child had been “a loser,” your pro-abortion position probably wouldn’t have changed. Please explain this utilitarian view of the sanctity of human life. Do you consider life only worth protecting if it meets certain criteria, and, if so, what are those criteria?

2. How do you square your new position on life with your statements in 2015 supporting continued taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion seller?

3. The next president is expected to nominate two to four U.S. Supreme Court justices, beginning immediately with the vacancy caused by the passing of Justice Scalia. These nominations will likely decide critical issues such as abortion. You’ve recommended your sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, for the High Court. Yet, as a federal judge, she overturned the New Jersey Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, writing that it “burdened a woman’s constitutional right to obtain an abortion.” How can we trust you to nominate judges who will respect the constitutional limits on judicial power and uphold the sanctity of human life?

4. You claim to support religious freedom, yet a leading gay-activist organization calls you “one of the best, if not the best, pro-gay Republican candidates to ever run for the presidency” – particularly because of your “standout position” when it comes to legislation that forces Christian business owners – and others of faith – to either betray their conscience or lose their business. How do you reconcile these contradictory positions?

5. You have built your campaign on lifting the economic outlook of lower-income Americans, yet you built your fortune in part on gambling, which preys on those very people. How will you make America great when you’ve run businesses associated with increased crime, bankruptcies, broken marriages and suicides?

6. The first casino in the nation to add a strip club was Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, which boasts of “36,000 square feet of adult entertainment.” What would you say to young girls and women who are concerned about a president who is directly connected with the exploitation of women?

7. As someone who claims to be a fiscal conservative, how do you justify your statements in support of a huge tax increase and government bailouts. Regarding the bank bailouts, you even stated: “I do agree with what they’re doing with the banks. Whether they fund them or nationalize them, it doesn’t matter, but you have to keep the banks going.” Perhaps most concerning of all is your continued admiration for single-payer, government-run healthcare systems. Please explain how this is consistent with the party of limited government?

8. One of your favorite campaign themes is that you are going to “run America” if elected. Considering our system of checks and balances, and especially in light of the last seven years of government by fiat, how will you demonstrate your respect for the U.S. Constitution and the limited power the Founding Fathers intended for the federal government in general, and the executive branch in particular?

Mr. Trump, we look forward to your response to these, and many other questions, affecting the lives of American families nationwide.

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Trump Invites Supporters on Stage for Handling Protester — See What Happens When One of Them Says He’s a Veteran

By Tré Goins-Phillips. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is known for his raucous rallies, and one he held Tuesday night in Augusta, South Carolina, was no exception.

During his speech Tuesday night, Trump, who is leading in South Carolina with 38 percent of the vote, was interrupted by a protester who was allegedly yelling profanities and raising his middle finger to the large crowd.

“They should be ashamed of themselves. It’s disgraceful,” Trump said of the protester, who he described as a “rough cookie,” before inviting the two men who “took action” against the demonstrator onto the stage.

“Do not let them intimidate you,” the older of the two men said when he took the stage. “You back this man right here to the hilt. They will say anything, they will do anything to keep in power.”

He went on to say he’s supporting “my man Donald Trump” because the U.S. needs “some new thinking” and “some fresh blood” in the White House. (Read more from “Trump Invites Supporters on Stage for Handling Protester — See What Happens When One of Them Says He’s a Veteran” HERE)

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Unharmed by Rowdy Debate, Donald Trump Still Tops GOP Field in S.C.

By Greg Bluestein, Jim Galloway and Tamar Hallerman. The first statewide poll since last Saturday’s bitter debate shows Donald Trump still leading the Republican presidential field in South Carolina, and a narrowing race for second. From Public Policy Polling via The State newspaper in Columbia:

Behind Trump, who has 35 percent support in a new poll, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas are tied for second place — at 18 percent each….

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is in fourth at 10 percent support, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, tied with 7 percent support each.

(Read more from “Unharmed by Rowdy Debate, Donald Trump Still Tops GOP Field in S.C.” HERE)

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Ted Cruz’s Campaign Had a Snappy Response to Donald Trump’s Lawsuit Threat

By Pamela Engel. The presidential campaign of US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) fired back on Tuesday after Donald Trump called him “unstable” and threatened to sue him.

Cruz’s communications director, Rick Tyler, used a pun to dismiss Trump’s attacks.

“There is reason ‘Trumped up’ means phony,” Tyler told Business Insider in an email. “He should look hard in the mirror.”

The day before, Trump released a statement raging about Cruz’s supposedly “fraudulent” campaign actions.

He has accused Cruz of running robocalls saying that Trump was not going to run in the upcoming South Carolina primary. (Read more from “Ted Cruz’s Campaign Had a Snappy Response to Donald Trump’s Lawsuit Threat” HERE)

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Gowdy Calls for Cruz to Denounce ‘Underhanded Tactics’

By Al Weaver. Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina congressman who supports Marco Rubio, called for Ted Cruz to repudiate the most recent bit of “underhanded tactics” ahead of the South Carolina primary.

“In the last week, we have seen a systematic effort by Sen. Cruz and his allies to spread false information and outright lies in the hopes of winning votes by appealing to our lowest common denominator,” Gowdy said. “Now, Its been reported that a fake Facebook page has been used to fool South Carolinians into thinking that I no longer support Marco Rubio and that I’m instead supporting Ted Cruz.

“Nothing could be further from the truth and I’m demanding that Sen. Cruz and his campaign repudiate these dishonest and underhanded tactics,” Gowdy continued. “We can have a debate about the future of our party and our country. But we need not leave our integrity behind.”

In the Facebook post at hand by a page titled “Trey Gowdy Prayers,” it says that the most recent debate “revealed [Rubio’s] total lack of integrity, intillect and foresight,” before switching the faux endorsement to Cruz.

It is official, I have changed my mind. My previous endorsement of Marco Rubio was a grave mistake. The recent South Carolina debate revealed his total lack of integrity, intillect and foresight,” the post reads. “To all my Christian and Conservative friends in South Carolina, I hereby formally endorse Ted Cruz for President of the United States.” (Read more from “Gowdy Calls for Cruz to Denounce ‘Underhanded Tactics'” HERE)

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Obama: Trump Won’t Make It to White House

President Obama said today that he does not believe GOP frontrunner Donald Trump will make it to the White House, but the real estate mogul took the remark as a compliment, saying Obama has done a “lousy job.”

“I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president,” Obama said while speaking at a press conference in Rancho Mirage, California. “And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people” . . .

“It’s not hosting a talk show, or a reality show. It’s not promotion, it’s not marketing,” Obama said. “It’s hard and a lot of people count on us getting it right” . . .

The president also took a shot at the rest of the GOP field, saying “foreign observers are troubled” by the GOP’s rhetoric, specifically the doubting of climate change and proposals to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. (Read more from “Obama: Trump Won’t Make It to White House” HERE)

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Trump Is Threatening Cruz With This Major Lawsuit If Ted Doesn’t Remove ‘False Ads’

By Reuters. U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump blasted close rival Ted Cruz on Monday, threatening to file a lawsuit challenging his eligibility for the White House if the Texas senator does not take down his “false ads.”

The New York billionaire, whose campaign has long been littered with insults, called Cruz “totally unstable” and said he is “the single biggest liar I’ve ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them.”

Speaking at a news conference in South Carolina, Trump said he could “fight back” by bringing a lawsuit against Cruz over the fact that he was born in Canada, which Trump argues makes him ineligible to become president.

“If he doesn’t take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately,” he said. (Read more from “Trump Is Threatening Cruz With This Major Lawsuit If Ted Doesn’t Remove ‘False Ads'” HERE)

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Donald Trump: Ted Cruz Is ‘Unstable’

By Jeremy Diamond and Tom LoBianco. Donald Trump escalated his battle with Ted Cruz on Monday, calling the Texas senator “unstable,” threatening a lawsuit and urging the Republican National Committee to “intervene.”

“One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President,” Donald Trump said in a statement. “If he doesn’t take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately. Additionally, the RNC should intervene and if they don’t they are in default of their pledge to me. ”

The billionaire businessman later held a press conference in which he said he “never ever met a person that lies more than Ted Cruz.”

Trump continued to heap criticism on Cruz in an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto Monday afternoon on “The Lead,” saying that with “guys like Ted Cruz — it’s all talk and no action.” (Read more from “Donald Trump: Ted Cruz Is ‘Unstable'” HERE)

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Father of Child Murdered by Illegal Alien: Trump ‘Sent From God’ [+video]

A new ad released Friday by Donald Trump’s campaign team tells the story of Jamiel Shaw, a Los Angeles man who lost his teenage son in 2008 when a man in the U.S. illegally randomly shot and killed 17-year-old Jas.

In his first interview since the ad debuted, Shaw, an African-American man, told the Washington Examiner why he chose to support the Republican Manhattan billionaire who has been criticized by some as a racist and a phony.

It started on March 2, 2008, in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles were Jas had been walking home, talking with his girlfriend on a cellphone. He was three doors down from his house when a car pulled up by him. Two Hispanic men in the vehicle asked Jas which gang he belonged to. Police reports indicate Jas did not respond, which frustrated one of the men who pulled out a gun and shot the teen . . .

The journey for Shaw in the eight years since his son’s death still takes a toll on him, he said. But now he has some hope, that in helping to change the policies that abetted his son’s murder, he can find a way to go on.

“This was the first time I thought everything’s really gonna be all right. To me, he was sent from God,” said Shaw. (Read more from “Father of Child Murdered by Illegal Alien: Trump ‘Sent From God'” HERE)

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Video From ’88 Shows Media Calling Trump Conservative… But Then You Have to Look At The Video From ’99

By WND. Donald Trump has had his finger in the political pie for a long time. Democrats and Republicans alike, in desperate efforts to discredit him, like to point out Trump is not a suitable candidate because he’s not conservative, highlighting his various activities and contributions involving the Clintons and other liberals.

But in a 1988 interview with Larry King, Trump is introduced by Mary Alice Williams, then part of CNN’s political anchor team, as: “He’s young, he has Robert Redford good looks, he’s conservative and he’s rich. I’m not talking about Dan Quayle; I’m talking about Larry King’s guest, Donald Trump.”

Even as far back as 28 years ago, the question of Trump’s run for the White House was being discussed . . .

“Let’s give America a different look at you,” said King. “You’re the author of a best-seller and everyone knows you as the owner of buildings and hotels. But you might be classified as an eastern Republican. Fair?”

“I guess you could say that, yes,” Trump answered. (Read more from “Video From ’88 Shows Media Calling Trump Conservative… But Comments From ’99 Prove Otherwise – so Who Is Donald Trump?” HERE)

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Donald Trump: I’m Very Pro Choice

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