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Mercedes Allen

@mercedesallen.bsky.social
1K followers 1.1K following 2.7K posts

Intersectional. Canadian, US, UK & global politics; trans, LGBTQ+, human rights, economic, social, racial & reproductive justice. She/her. I block fascists on sight.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Mercedes Allen
mcc @dryad.technology · 23h
Hey so how many times does this have to happen before I can say (without sounding like a "conspiracy theorist") that Donald Trump likes Vladimir Putin, will help Putin whenever an easy opportunity presents itself, and would prefer that Putinist Russia win the war in Ukraine
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 21h
... And that was when corporations realized they could save more money by replacing their CEO's and Directors' salaries with an AI chatbot.
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Anthropic banning “abusive or cruel behavior” toward Claude in its new usage policies is proof to me that tech companies are going to moderate violence against AI before they ever moderate violence against women and minorities
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"My whole life, my whole identity, was taken away from me…" www.advocate.com/politics/imm...
advocate.com
Trump deported a transgender woman to Central Africa. She says she has to hide to survive
A Cuban immigrant who worked in Miami as a hairstylist and drag performer says her deportation has left her afraid to express who she is.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"So it can’t hurt the important cause of keeping our country together for folks to understand that the people most likely to profit from turning Alberta into a dumping ground for AI data centres… also think Alberta would be just copacetic as a landlocked petro-statelet…" rabble.ca/politics/can...
rabble.ca
Elon Musk wants to see Canada dismantled
Still, it’s helpful to know that someone as widely despised by normal humans as Elon Musk thinks ill of Confederation.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"So, even if Trump and other MAGA Republicans can’t make Canada their scapegoat for a GOP midterm collapse, the country may still need to brace itself…" nationalpost.com/news/trump-m...
nationalpost.com
Trump may be gearing up to blame Canada for GOP midterm losses
The U.S. president may come out swinging if Republicans lose both chambers of Congress.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"In the fall of 2025, another paper entitled 'Our Canadian Problem' directly calls for the dismemberment of the country to ensure US security. 'Rather than allowing it to continue down a path of anti-American antagonism, the US could support the… separatist movements'… " thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...
thetyee.ca
Why the US Licks Its Chops at a ‘Free’ Alberta | The Tyee
The aptly named DARC papers lay out Trumpists’ anti-Canada aims. Is Premier Smith a student?
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
ᚔᚅᚄᚓᚏᚈ ᚄᚉᚐᚏᚍ ᚅᚐᚋᚓ @ciara2001.eurosky.social · 07/10/2026
I know I've said before that gender critter weirdness could just as easily be a rogue AI, I genuinely did not think that Prosecco Stormfront would actually go and do that
theguardian.com
Mumsnet denies using AI for content after prompt appears on message board
Users reject site’s explanations after detailed instructions for writing response to post on popular forum were published
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Let the games begin: "So if you think your ballot may not have been counted, folks, just remember that it’s probably your fault, nothing to do with the complicated and confusing process or the inaccurate instructions sent out in some cases by Elections Alberta…" albertapolitics.ca/2026/10/less...
albertapolitics.ca
Less than 2 weeks to Danielle Smith’s separation referendum and the gong show continues - Alberta Politics
We’re less than two weeks out from the Oct. 19 separation vote that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was determined to put us all through come hell or high water and the election gong show continues una...
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Dems: we're throwing you under the bus, but we're still the best option you've got, so you still need to vote for us and make sure that everyone who cares about you does the same. Oh yeah, and you should give us all your money, or fascism wins. www.advocate.com/opinion/demo...
advocate.com
Democrats keep asking trans people for money. We’re asking for a backbone
Before sending another fundraising text, Democrats who voted against trans rights should try saying they were wrong, writes retired Space Force Colonel Bree Fram.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
This: "The political timing isn’t accidental. We need imagination to envision a better world that we’ll fight for."
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
String Bass Theory @stringbasstheory.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Important read…
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
AJ Thomas @zzypt.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Amazing that Meta can suddenly find the ability to moderate posts when it wants to.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The TE*F / GC thinker behind most conspiracy theories in that sphere has set her sights on openly combatting feminism: "… aspects of feminist ideology are part of the problem. Feminism precedes the popularization of dismantling the sex binary and the social roles… expressive of… reproduction…"
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"Some LGBTQ + migrants who sought safety in the United States have instead been deported to countries they’ve never visited, sometimes places they’d never heard of, where they say they must hide their identities to survive…" www.advocate.com/politics/imm...
advocate.com
LGBTQ+ migrants sought safety in the U.S. Trump sent them to dangerous countries they’d never known
Court orders protecting migrants from returning to their homelands have not prevented deportations to other countries hostile to LGBTQ+ people.
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 06/10/2026
We're live now with @kissphoria.bsky.social to talk about her recent story about Meta banning queer bars from their platforms: www.chron.com/culture/arti...
chron.com
How Meta's new content moderation upended a Texas gay bar
At least one LGBTQ establishment in Texas says the social media giant has incorrectly disabled its social media account, potentially hurting business.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"… G-rated photos of smiling drag queens are being marked inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. According to Meta, using these photos will reduce our profile visibility… We see G-rated cartoon promos with the word ‘Trans’ in text marked as inappropriate…" www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/10/meta...
lgbtqnation.com
Meta censors Austin gay bars after flagging "trans" posts & pics of drag queens: "They don't care" - LGBTQ Nation
AI's fingerprints are all over a wave of account deactivations.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Upcoming UCP AGM will include debate on trans bathroom ban policy. "It’s possible that none of these proposals will make it to the AGM floor in November, or that some will be amended before being approved…" www.readtheorchard.org/p/scoop-ucp-...
readtheorchard.org
SCOOP: UCP mulls trans bathroom ban, abortion, secession debates at 2026 AGM
These policy resolutions were proposed by party members. Not all of them will necessarily make it to the convention floor in November.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"Regardless of what numbers you use… joblessness is a big problem for the trans community. In addition to unemployment, it is estimated that 40% of trans people are underemployed, & those who do manage to find full-time work still must contend with discrimination…" assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
assignedmedia.org
Journal Club: Study Shows the Toll of Hiring Discrimination on Trans Women - Assigned Media
A 2026 study looks at the rate of employment for trans people versus for cis people. Assigned Media digs into that study's results.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"The fact that we weren’t on that joint statement should not be taken at all as a sign that we do not stand with the LGBTQ2S+ community," said Anand before loudly not condemning anything Turkey did. To PM Carney, trade is more important than pesky human rights. xtramagazine.com/power/politi...
xtramagazine.com
The Canadian government’s curious silence on the crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in Türkiye | Xtra Magazine
Several European countries and numerous organizations have spoken up, but Canada has neither joined in nor issued a statement of their own
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"It doesn’t matter if a woman screams, tries to laugh it off, plays along, cries, smiles, says stop, or fawns in order to stay alive, the outcome is the same. The woman is vilified by society, the media, law enforcement and the courts…" ricochet.media/justice/from...
ricochet.media
From Cornell to Canadian Hockey: How men learn to dehumanize women
The Cornell 7 case is not an isolated horror story. Elite fraternities, hockey teams, and other cultures of male entitlement teach men to treat women as objects — while powerful institutions shield th...
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
On the panopticon created by data collection and mass spying: "These men understand completely that scrutiny is antithetical to living as your authentic self. They want to live as their authentic selves, and they want to stop us from living as our authentic selves…" pluralistic.net/2026/10/05/p...
pluralistic.net
Pluralistic: Scrutinized (05 Oct 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"Cornell filed disciplinary charges against an accused student or employee in 162 of the more than 1,200 reported incidents between 2018 and 2024… "… The number of cases that led to suspension was 14, while those that led to expulsion or dismissal was seven…" m.economictimes.com/world/us/cor...
m.economictimes.com
Cornell University gang rape case reveals 1200 sexual assaults reported between 2018-24, only 7 expulsion even as over 51 people were found responsible; trend follows in NYU, Coloumbia and major NewYo...
Between 2018 and 2024, Cornell University documented 1,200 instances of sexual misconduct, yet only a handful of disciplinary measures were taken. Merely seven students faced expulsion, and 14 others ...
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"The strategy to take down Canada from the inside has been there for all to see. "While Canadian leaders focus on massively building up our military capabilities… United States planners have been thinking of a whole other kind of warfare…" charlieangus.substack.com/p/this-is-ho...
charlieangus.substack.com
This Is How the City Falls
The fabled ancient cities were not destroyed by the power of the siege engines, but by trickery and traitors on the inside.
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
Frances Larina @franceslarina.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Remember, they don't care if their claims are true - they just want an excuse.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
There's been a major push in right wing media again on debunked claims of chemical pollutants in drinking water, both to go after estrogen-based HRT and Mifepristone. The articles are often featuring a demand that HHS head RFK jr implement a ban. www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/10/cand...
lgbtqnation.com
MAGA candidate claims frogs are "changing sexes" because of chemicals in the water - LGBTQ Nation
The claim is often used in conspiracy theories about transgender people.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
"… when Alberta separatist leaders went… to meet with the U.S. State Department, they offered up key assets from the province’s resource portfolio, including access to fresh water & royalties on crude oil, in exchange for help transitioning to independence…" www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
The elephant in the room
Alberta separatists have gone to D.C. offering fresh water and oil in exchange for American support – and Republican operatives have provided tactical assistance inside the province
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Some things never change
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
🇨🇦Joe Vipond🇨🇦 @jvipondmd.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"The threat against Mr. Lewis goes far beyond the bounds of any justifiable rhetoric. It is hate speech, and it is dangerously threatening. As citizens in a democratic and secular society, we are all duty-bound to call out extremism and threats." charlieangus.substack.com/p/national-p...
charlieangus.substack.com
NATIONAL POST CROSSES LINE ON THREAT AGAINST LEWIS
A recent editorial on New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis crossed the line into an extremist hate threat. It needs to be called out.
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
Stéphanie says… 🏴‍☠️🦈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @stephaniejane.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
How Gender Criticalism has moved on from “We just have legitimate concerns” to cheering on those who killed a trans person.
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Carney tells us that among the criteria for a project being designated in the national interest, the major projects office considers whether the project “contributes to Canadas clean growth and climate goals.” And a BITUMEN PIPELINE PASSED THIS TEST? Then the test is bullshit.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
If they hire a band whose members are all openly trans, and then are standing outside the washroom to enforce a trans-exclusionary policy, then clearly they wanted a conflict because they thought it would bring the venue some publicity. Sue their asses off.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"A Vancouver punk band that was set to play in Charlottetown this past weekend cancelled its show after a transgender band member was stopped from using the women's washroom at the venue…" www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Vancouver band cancels Charlottetown show after venue denied transgender member washroom access | CBC News
A Vancouver punk band that was set to play in Charlottetown this past weekend cancelled its show after a transgender band member was stopped from using the women's washroom at the venue.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Wait. Who TF is The Needle?
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"Beyond the schools, Indigenous communities were also subjected to measures such as forced relocation, the Sixties Scoop, segregated Indian hospitals, & other forms of state intervention that extended colonial control into areas such as land, child welfare, & health care…" rabble.ca/indigenous/c...
rabble.ca
Commemoration is not Reconciliation
The symbolism of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation does not translate into a deeper and broader understanding of settler colonialism.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"This demonstration is a part of the escalating and harrowing attacks from residential school denialists, seeking attention and monetization from the promotion of hate. I join the Assembly of First Nations’ calls for a full investigation, and… to take urgent action…" rabble.ca/indigenous/c...
rabble.ca
Calls grow for action on Residential School denialism after white nationalist gathering at Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation
The white nationalist event happened days the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and was called an act of Residential School Denialism.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Nothing says all the tech giants are spineless, snivelling MAGA toadies like a signed agreement by all of them to rename AI as "super intelliegence."
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"No, it’s really quite simple: When people are strapped for resources and emotionally invested in the work they do, infighting ensues… It’s easy to see that what gives this particular case study sticking power is the opportunity it offers to dunk on 'woke' queer people…" www.them.us/culture/lesb...
them.us
We Don’t Need a Movie About the Viral Lesbian Bar
​We don’t need to ravenously transform every bit of drama into multi-format IP.
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
October the 31st be with you @lapsedcanadian.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"You're just not capable enough to have the right to your own body, so the state must expropriate it" reminds me of the logic behind the Nordic Model
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I would go further: by framing trans people as 'mentally ill,' they are asserting that we are not capable of making sensible decisions in our own lives and that the state must intervene.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"If government officials can successfully convince the public that queer people do not have the mental capacities to control their own lives, it makes it much easier for the government to enact policies that restrict the decisions queer people can make for themselves…" www.them.us/politics/tom...
them.us
Why Republicans Calling Trans People “Mentally Ill” Is More Than Just Rhetoric
When people in power define queerness or transness as mental illnesses, it acts as a justification for rolling back the hard-won autonomy of LGBTQ+ people to be in control of their own lives.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"… other sports included where trans people are supposedly dominating are bowling, disc golf, Irish dance, and competitive oyster shucking. This is all separate from their non-athletic section, which includes prom queens, best actress nominations, and Jeopardy! performances…"
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"… entries on the dataset go back as far as 1927 (doing a lovely job of emphasizing something we always say: trans people have always been here). If anything, with such a huge dataset, if trans people were dominating sports, you’d expect significantly more wins…" www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/anti...
lgbtqnation.com
Anti-trans activists are addicted to misinformation as their latest "report" shows - LGBTQ Nation
They're now claiming that trans women "stole" over 2000 gold medals from cis women. But if you look closer, that number should be much... higher?
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"There isn’t a single local solidarity movement in Canada that would welcome a far right racist into its ranks. Not one. No movement would even accept any violent rhetoric suggesting shooting at a synagogue as a tactic to put pressure on Israel…" noraloreto.substack.com/p/turning-a-...
noraloreto.substack.com
Turning a peaceful movement violent
Canadian elites blame Palestinian solidarity for Belleville synagogue shooting
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Reposted by Mercedes Allen
Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Definitely click through on this story for the quotes from the Third Way spokesperson, who AGREED Democratic candidates should NOT adopt Republican language on trans issues. I was floored - even tried to get Billie to put it in the headline. This is not just analysis, these quotes are news.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"In particular, the Democrats’ participation in this needless scapegoating should act as a warning…: if you let the other side set the terms of the conversation about queer and trans issues, you risk slipping into transphobia yourself…" xtramagazine.com/power/politi...
xtramagazine.com
The Democrat turn on trans rights should be a warning to Canadian progressives | Xtra Magazine
In elections across Canada, centre and left-wing politicians can’t let anti-trans arguments set the terms of the conversation
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"The group will hold a news conference Monday in Ottawa, calling on the House of Commons to undertake an inquiry into the impact of provincial laws affecting transgender and gender-diverse youth…" www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/arti...
ctvnews.ca
Transgender advocates call for federal inquiry into Alberta, Saskatchewan laws
Transgender and gender-diverse advocates from Alberta and Saskatchewan are calling on the federal government to investigate what they describe as a suspension of Charter rights for transgender people ...
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Anyone else would be facing decades in prison, but oh, our hacking machine just 'went rogue' and chose to do this by itself... www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
cbc.ca
OpenAI pauses training of latest models after AI agents probed U.S. government sites in unexpected ways | CBC News
OpenAI said it has paused training of its latest artificial intelligence models as reports of AI agents going rogue mount.
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"Computer scientists… call it a 'dark pattern.' Critics say this is a key way that apps essentially trick you into subscribing to or purchasing things you don’t want or need with just one click. "And boy, was I getting fed opportunities to click…" www.propublica.org/article/draf...
propublica.org
I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.
Amid growing public health concerns, operators like DraftKings have touted “responsible gaming” tools and prompts. But as I went off the deep end, I found they were no match for the incentives and pro...
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Mercedes Allen @mercedesallen.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
If this were a work of fiction, the editor would berate the author for writing something so wildly unrealistic and unbelievable. "… while a choir repeatedly sings 'love me' in the background…" www.salon.com/2026/09/25/p...
salon.com
Pro-Trump “love me” ads paid for by taxpayers - Salon.com
The controversial ads have invited bipartisan criticism. The White House said it was “educational" and "patriotic"
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