Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said at a recent town hall that lawmakers should discuss fixing Social Security “behind closed doors,” prompting a wave of criticism from liberal and advocacy groups.

Ernst, who is running for reelection in 2020, made the remarks Saturday, according to a video posted by the Democratic super PAC American Bridge. The comments began to receive broader attention after they were reported Wednesday by the liberal news website Iowa Starting Line.

Ernst told the audience in Estherville that “there is a point in time when we as Congress will have to address the situation. And I think it’s better done sooner rather than later, to make sure that we’ve shored up that system.”

“So it’s, you know, a broader discussion for another day,” she added. “But I do think, as various parties and members of Congress, we need to sit down behind closed doors so we’re not being scrutinized by this group or the other, and just have an open and honest conversation about what are some of the ideas that we have for maintaining Social Security in the future.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-ernst-says-lawmakers-should-discuss-fixing-social-security-behind-closed-doors/2019/09/05/b678c428-cfec-11e9-b29b-a528dc82154a_story.html

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/trump-octuples-down-on-hurricane-trutherism-with-another-deranged-tweet-four-days-of-corrupt-reporting/

In an angry Friday morning tweet, the president octupled down on his bogus claim that the hurricane was on track to slam into Alabama as recently as this past Sunday.

“The Fake News Media was fixated on the fact that I properly said, at the beginnings of Hurricane Dorian, that in addition to Florida & other states, Alabama may also be grazed or hit,” the president wrote. “They went Crazy, hoping against hope that I made a mistake (which I didn’t).”

The president then proceeded to accuse media outlets who accurately reported on his incorrect statements of being “corrupt.”

“This nonsense has never happened to another President,” the president complained. “Four days of corrupt reporting, still without an apology.”

Trump die-hards follow president from rally to rally to hear him deliver news: ‘How else would I know what’s going on?’

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/trump-die-hards-follow-president-from-rally-to-rally-to-hear-him-deliver-news-how-else-would-i-know-whats-going-on/

The Wall Street Journal has published a lengthy profile of hardcore Trump supporters who follow him around the country to attend every one of his rallies — and it’s filled with horrifying quotes from people who believe every word the president says.

One such Trump supporter is Libby DePiero, a 64-year-old retiree who tells the Journal that she only believes things the president says and attends his rallies so he can personally tell her the news.

“How else would I know what’s going on?” she asked.

And April Owens, a 49-year-old financial manager, tells the Journal that she actually feels addicted to attending the president’s rallies.

“Once you start going, it’s kind of like an addiction, honestly,” she said. “I love the energy. I wouldn’t stand in line for 26 hours to see any rock band. He’s the only person I would do this for, and I’ll be here as many times as I can.”

It was Trump who used a black Sharpie to mark up an official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration map, which he displayed during an Oval Office briefing on Wednesday, according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

“No one else writes like that on a map with a black Sharpie,” the official said of the map, which added Alabama into the hurricane’s potential pathway inside the loop of the marker.

Several White House officials argued that media coverage of the Alabama issue has been unfair to Trump, but one senior administration official said that “as long as it’s in the news, he is not going to drop it.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-i-said-was-accurate-trump-stays-fixated-on-his-alabama-error-as-hurricane-pounds-the-carolinas/2019/09/05/32597606-cfe7-11e9-8c1c-7c8ee785b855_story.html

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

Looking forward to watching @SarahHuckabee Sanders tomorrow morning on @FoxandFriends, by far the #1 rated show on MorningCable at 8:30am. Sarah will be an incredible addition to @FoxNews!

9:21 PM · Sep 5, 2019·Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1169782689257447424

Jesse IFB/SDV quickly
@Irishyrock

Joy Behar
@JoyVBehar

So Trump is a meteorologist now? Sorry, but just sleeping with someone named “Stormy” doesn’t make you a weather expert.

https://twitter.com/JoyVBehar/status/1169708594301943808

Alice Blum
@AliceBlumm

Jermaine Bell has been saving his money to go to Disney World, but with Dorian closing in, he decided use his money to buy hot dogs and other snacks to hand out to hurricane evacuees in South Caroline.❤️

https://twitter.com/AliceBlumm/status/1169680721109245953

Josh Marshall
@joshtpm

Trump's new Middle East coordinator is Jared's assistant Avi Berkowitz. He's 28. He graduated from law school in 2016.

https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1169665471525920773

Trump drags Alabama scandal past 100-hour mark with latest deranged Twitter rant



https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/trump-drags-alabama-scandal-past-100-hour-mark-with-latest-deranged-twitter-rant/

Trump kept at it on Thursday, more than 101 hours after his own government fact-checked his lie.

Just as I said, Alabama was originally projected to be hit. The Fake News denies it! pic.twitter.com/elJ7ROfm2p

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2019