POLITICUSUSA
This unfortunate and hopefully soon-expiring moment in U.S. history, Donald Trump’s presidency, has been anything but subtle in summoning the worst energies, impulses, and dimensions embedded in the nation’s history and still animating contemporary culture and politics.
The Trump campaign discourages staff from wearing masks at the office, according to individuals who spoke on condition of anonymity to Politico. While staff have been instructed to wear masks outside in the event they’re spotted by reporters, they’ve been told it’s acceptable not to wear them while on the clock. These actions have contributed to an internal culture wherein staff members make light of the pandemic and its severity.
“You get made fun of, if you wear a mask,” according to one individual. “There’s social pressure not to do it.”
Higher-ups have also instructed staff members not to tell their colleagues whether they were exposed to the virus, particularly after a slew of bad press. The most recent member of the Trump campaign to become infected was top fundraiser Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has said the military will look again at bases named after Confederates. General Mark Milley is weighing into a debate that has animated the President.
Gen. Milley spoke to the House Armed Services committee about the bases still named for Confederates and he conceded that it was time to look at the issue and discuss possible changes to how the military approaches the subject.
There are currently 10 bases with names associated with the Confederacy. He said they would have “to take a hard look at the symbology” around the Civil War itself.
“The American Civil War … was an act of treason at the time against the Union, against the Stars and Stripes, against the U.S. Constitution — and those officers turned their backs on their oath,” Milley said.
“Now, some have a different view of that. Some think it’s heritage. Others think it’s hate.”
“The way we should do it matters as much as that we should do it.”
“So we need to have, I’ve recommended, a commission of folks to take a hard look at the bases, the statues, the names, all of this stuff, to see if we can have a rational, mature discussion,” he said.
Milley’s position differs from President Donald Trump’s. The commander-in-chief has loudly supported keeping the names of bases as they are and slammed those calling for statues to be removed.
“[M]y Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations,” Trump has said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responded to President Donald Trump’s claim that 99 percent of coronavirus cases are “harmless,” telling The Financial Times, “Obviously not.”
“I’m trying to figure out where the president got that number,” Fauci told the outlet. “What I think happened is that someone told him that the general mortality is about 1 percent. And he interpreted, therefore, that 99 percent is not a problem, when that’s obviously not the case.”
Experts agree that Trump’s claim that most coronavirus cases are harmless is not backed by evidence. Although 80 percent of coronavirus cases do not require hospitalization, 20 percent do, and there is concern about the number of cases that remain undetected.
The death toll in the United States is nearing 136,000 since the first death of the coronavirus in the country was reported in February.
In an interview with Fox News personality Sean Hannity, Trump said Fauci has “made a lot of mistakes,” adding: “A lot of them said don’t wear a mask, don’t wear a mask. Now they are saying wear a mask. A lot of mistakes were made, a lot of mistakes.”
“We have cases all over the place. Most of the cases immediately get better, they are people, young people, they have sniffles and two days later they are fine and they are not sick to start,” Trump added.
President Donald Trump said in several interviews that he is considering pardoning his former political adviser Roger Stone, who in January 2019 was convicted on seven counts of obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and lying to federal investigators and later sentenced to 40 months in federal prison.
“I am always thinking. You’ll be watching like everyone else in this case,” Trump told Fox News personality Sean Hannity when asked if he was considering a pardon or commutation for Stone.
The remarks Trump made to Hannity can be heard in the video below.
President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is unpopular with the majority of Americans, according to the latest ABC/Ipsos poll. The poll found that 67 percent of respondents disapprove of the way the president has handled the pandemic. 33 percent said otherwise: That’s an eight percent drop from the last time the poll was conducted on June 17-18. Support among Republicans also dipped from 90 percent to 78 percent.
The poll was released the same week as the new NBC News/SurveyMonkey Weekly Tracking Poll, which shows Americans have more confidence in their respective state governors than they do in Trump on matters related to the novel coronavirus.
7 out of 10 Americans say they trust their governors over the president to decide when to reopen businesses. 25 percent say they trust the president over their own governors. Among Republics, slightly more than half––53 percent––say they trust the president more than their state leadership.
Sixty-three percent of Americans said they feared that businesses were opening ‘too quickly,’ while just a third said businesses were reopening ‘too slowly,’” NBC reports. “But the split nearly flips when the question is asked of Republicans. Just 37 percent of Republicans believed businesses were opening too quickly, while 61 percent said reopenings were too slow.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will not bow to pressure from President Donald Trump, who has pushed for schools to reopen despite concerns that doing so could intensify the coronavirus pandemic. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said additional reference documents will be provided instead.
“Our guidelines are our guidelines, but we are going to provide additional reference documents to aid basically communities in trying to open K-through-12s,” Redfield said. “It’s not a revision of the guidelines; it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance we put forward.”
Redfield added: “Right now, we’re continuing to work with the local jurisdictions to how they want to take the portfolio of guidance that we’ve given to make them practical for their schools to reopen.”
Redfield’s comments come after the president said he disagrees with CDC guidelines on reopening schools, calling them “tough and expensive.”
“I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools,” he wrote in a tweet yesterday morning, adding: “While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!”
I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!
President Donald Trump claimed he’s the victim of “presidential harassment” and alleged that former president Barack Obama and former vice president Joe Biden spied on his campaign.
PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
He later quoted Fox Business personality Maria Bartiromo, writing, without evidence, that Obama and Biden spied on his campaign “AND GOT CAUGHT…BUT NOTHING!”
“We know what took place. We have already seen criminality. What is happening? Biggest political scandal of our time.” @MariaBartiromo You are 100% correct, Maria, it is a disgrace that nothing happens. Obama and Biden spied on my campaign, AND GOT CAUGHT…BUT NOTHING!
Bruce Dart, the director of the Tulsa City–County Health Department, has confirmed that the rally President Donald Trump held in the city last month contributed to a surge of coronavirus cases. On Monday, there were 261 cases, the highest the county has seen since the crisis began.
“Right now we do have the highest number of cases [in Oklahoma],” Dart said. “We’ve had some significant events in the past few weeks that more than likely contributed to that.”
Of the Trump rally, Dart said, “The past two days we’ve had almost 500 cases, and we knew we had several large events a little over two weeks ago, which is about right. So I guess we just connect the dots.”
The Trump rally responded soon after, though it blamed protesters who in recent weeks have marched against racial injustice and police brutality for the spike in cases of the virus. Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for the Trump campaign, falsely claimed that Black Lives Matter protesters of taking “literally no health precautions” though evidence from those on the ground has shown that the majority of protesters have worn masks during demonstrations.
“There were literally no health precautions to speak of as thousands looted, rioted, and protested in the streets and the media reported that it did not lead to a rise in coronavirus cases,” Murtaugh said. “Meanwhile, the President’s rally was 18 days ago, all attendees had their temperature checked, everyone was provided a mask, and there was plenty of hand sanitizer available for all. It’s obvious that the media’s concern about large gatherings begins and ends with Trump rallies.”
The rally went against the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which notes that “Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area” pose the highest risk for transmitting infections.
President Trump has scheduled a rally in New Hampshire for this Saturday.
In an open letter posted to his website, musician Neil Young updated his 2006 song “Lookin’ for a Leader” to mock President Donald Trump and endorse his Democratic opponent, former vice president Joe Biden.
Young did so because he was tired of asking the president to stop playing his music during rallies.
“Although I have repeatedly asked you to please not use my music because it indicates that I support your agenda, you have always played my songs anyway at your gatherings, with no regard for my rights, even calling me names on twitter,” the singer wrote.
Young sarcastically added that he would not sue the president for copyright infringement to avoid “potentially distracting” him from his coronavirus response.
“I believe it would be an interesting addition to your next rally,” he said of the song.
You can listen to the song below.
The 2020 election could so a landslide victory for the Democrats, according to analyst the Cook Political Report. In a new article published on Wednesday, the organization’s editor offered good news for Joe Biden.
Political analyst Amy Walter pointed to the trend in key battleground states where President Donald Trump is well behind the former Vice President in poll after poll.
“This election is looking more like a Democratic tsunami than simply a Blue wave,” Walter wrote.
The former ABC News political director explained that polling in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin was negative for Trump. These three states were essential to his victory in 2016.
“He’s even running behind Biden in his firewall states of Florida and North Carolina,” Walter writes.
Cook Political Report now believes Biden is on track for 279 electoral college votes – nine more than he needs to secure election and end Trump’s tenure in the White House.
Walter even claimed that some GOP strategists are wondering “if Trump had reached his ‘Katrina’ moment: a permanent loss of trust and faith of the majority of voters.”
However, Walter warned that things could change between now and November, despite polls currently trending in Biden’s favor.
“Moreover, if voters start to sense that the race for president is a blow-out, will they be more willing to split their tickets to ensure a ‘check and balance’ in Washington next fall?” she asked.
Joe Biden has condemned attacks on Senator Tammy Duckworth as “sickening” and “disgusting” during a virtual fundraiser with the Democratic war veteran.
The former Vice President said recent comments about Duckworth were connected to the “depravity of what’s going on in the White House right now.”
Duckworth was deployed to Iraq as a pilot in 2004. Her helicopter was shot down and she lost both legs. She received a Purple Heart but has been the subject of sustained attacks from the right in recent days.
“While in fact [President Trump is] coddling Putin — Putin carries him around like a puppy in one of those little puppy cages,” Biden said.
“While that’s going on he attacks, he attacks the senator from Illinois who is a literal hero, combat veteran, lost both legs fighting for her country, and he says she’s not a patriot.”
“Folks we cannot let this stand,” he said.
Duckworth slammed Fox News personality Tucker Carlson this week for claiming she didn’t love her country. Biden didn’t name Carlson but the implication was clear.
“Most people just ignore her. But when Duckworth does speak in public, you’re reminded what a deeply silly and unimpressive person she is,” Carlson had told his prime time audience.
“These people actually hate America, there’s no longer a question about that,” he said.
Duckworth responded on Twitter, challenging Carlson to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America”.
President Donald Trump says he disagrees with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines for reopening schools, calling them “tough and expensive.”
“I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools,” he wrote in a tweet this morning, adding: “While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!”
I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!
Writing on Twitter earlier this morning, President Donald Trump accused Democrats of orchestrating a political ploy in advocating for schools to remain shuttered because of coronavirus risks.
“In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS,” he wrote. “The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!
In an interview, President Donald Trump said the decision of whether or not to fly the Confederate flag is a matter of “freedom of speech.”
“My stance is very simple: It’s freedom of speech,” he said in an interview. “You do what you do. It’s freedom of speech. NASCAR can do whatever they want, and they’ve chosen to go a certain way, other people choose to go a different route.”
The president also defended a Twitter post he made earlier this week in which he falsely accused NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace of a “hoax” after a noose was found in Wallace’s garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway.
“I was just talking about the fact that NASCAR chose to go a certain way and that’s going to be up to them. That is up to them,” Trump said.
Last month, an investigation by the FBI concluded that Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime, though photographs showed what was clearly a noose. The FBI’s determination led to criticism for Wallace, who was accused of orchestrating the incident. NASCAR defended Wallace, saying he “and the 43 team had nothing to do with this.” The controversy took place just after NASCAR announced it would ban the display of the Confederate flag at its events.
Wallace was never formally suspected of staging the incident.
Trump claimed governors make keep schools closed to benefit themselves politically by hurting his reelection campaign.
The Department of Defense may ban the display of the Confederate flag at its properties. The press obtained a proposed Pentagon policy about the matter on Monday.
The DOD’s Undersecretary for Personnel Matthew Donovan wrote a memo on banning the Confederate battle flag. He highlighted the importance of the U.S. flag and minority members of the military.
According to the policy, the DOD “must cultivate an environment in which we trust one another completely and treat each other with dignity and respect. Unlike the United States flag, the Confederate battle flag tends to promote division not unity, among our people.”
It states that the U.S. flag is “the flag that we wear on our sleeves today, the flag we drape on the coffins of our people who have given their lives for our nation.”
A ban on the Confederate flag would help “the morale of our personnel, good order and discipline within the military ranks and unit cohesion” because many military personnel “take grave offense at such a display.”
“The public display of the Confederate battle flag on military installations sends a divisive message and risks discouraging enlistment,” Donovan wrote.
The ban would apply in Defense Department workplaces and public areas and would cover displays by military and civilian personnel.
The U.S. Marines have already banned the flag’s display at their bases.
Any attempt to ban the Confederate battle flag could run into trouble, however. President Donald Trump
has repeatedly defended Confederate monuments
According to the latest NBC News/SurveyMonkey Weekly Tracking Poll, Americans have more confidence in their respective state governors than they do in President Donald Trump on matters related to the novel coronavirus.
7 out of 10 Americans say they trust their governors over the president to decide when to reopen businesses. 25 percent say they trust the president over their own governors. Among Republics, slightly more than half––53 percent––say they trust the president more than their state leadership.
The table below shows how confidence in the president is split along political lines.
Sixty-three percent of Americans said they feared that businesses were opening ‘too quickly,’ while just a third said businesses were reopening ‘too slowly,'” NBC reports. “But the split nearly flips when the question is asked of Republicans. Just 37 percent of Republicans believed businesses were opening too quickly, while 61 percent said reopenings were too slow.”
The outlet goes on to note that just “16 percent said they ate at bars or restaurants, and 22 percent said they left home to exercise” in the last 24 hours, a sign that most Americans are avoiding reopened businesses. Additionally, “Forty-four percent said they left home to go for walks or to get fresh air, and 55 percent said they left home to buy groceries.”
Overall, 43 percent of the survey’s respondents say they approve of the way the president has handled the pandemic. 55 percent said they disapprove.
President Donald Trump claimed the United States has the “lowest mortality rate in the world” in a tweet this morning, even as the nationwide death toll from the novel coronavirus tops 133,000.
“We have the lowest Mortality Rate in the World. The Fake News should be reporting these most important of facts, but they don’t!” the president wrote in his latest jab against the media.
“COVID-19 (China Virus) Death Rate PLUNGES From Peak In U.S.” A Tenfold Decrease In Mortality. The Washington Times @WashTimes Valerie Richardson. We have the lowest Mortality Rate in the World. The Fake News should be reporting these most important of facts, but they don’t!
President Donald Trump railed against NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace earlier this morning, falsely accusing him of a “hoax” after a noose was found in Wallace’s garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway.
“Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?”
The president also defended the display of Confederate flags at NASCAR events, saying: “That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!”
Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX? That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!