Category: 2020 Election

What virus? At GOP’s convention, pandemic is largely ignored

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was a stunning scene in a country where parents and children have been laid to rest without their loved ones present, schools have gone to online-only learning and businesses have shut their doors to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

On Thursday night, about 1,500 people gathered on the South Lawn of the White House so President Donald Trump could accept his party’s nomination for reelection in front of a roaring crowd. Masks were not required and chairs were placed inches apart from one another, with no room for social distancing, in violation of endless public health recommendations.

Only those the White House expected to be in “close proximity” to the president and vice president had been tested for COVID-19. Continue reading.

‘That’s pretty offensive’: Kellyanne Conway snaps at reporter who called Kenosha vigilante a Trump ‘supporter’

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White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Thursday lashed out at a CNN reporter who asked why President Donald Trump has not condemned a supporter who allegedly killed two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Conway, who is leaving her job to spend more time with her family, was asked by reporters about the shooting of Jacob Blake at the hands of police.

“We’re generously resourcing and we’re deeply respecting those whose job it is to keep us all safe,” Conway explained, “who run toward the gunfire, who run into the burning buildings when we’re told to run out of them and run away from them. And I pray for the Blake family.” Continue reading.

Dull, Demagogic, And Far Too Long: Trump Delivers Closing Convention Speech

He’s been on the job for almost four years, but President Donald Trump still hasn’t figured out how to read properly from a teleprompter.

On Thursday night, Trump delivered the final speech of the Republican National Convention, officially accepting his party’s nomination to face off against Democratic opponent Joe Biden. But while Biden’s closing speech the week before surprised viewers by portraying the candidate as a dynamic, thoughtful, and expressive speaker — arguably even outshining the star power brought by the Obamas in previous nights — Trump’s performance was just another half-hearted and labored effort at getting through a text someone else wrote.

Trump is known for his extemporaneous speaking style. He’s often longwinded and meandering, jumping from topic to topic without finishing a whole arguments, sentences, and thoughts. But when he speaks like this, he’s almost always animated and passionate. The exception is when he’s reading from a script. Teleprompter Trump has none of the manic charisma that his freewheeling alter-ego displays. Instead, the president falls into a dull monotone and a repetitious speaking pattern that suggests he knows little about what he’s actually saying and cares even less. Continue reading.

Hundreds gather at White House for Trump speech despite COVID-19 guidelines

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Hundreds of people packed the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday for President Trump‘s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, flouting federal and local health guidance on the coronavirus pandemic.

Roughly 1,500 guests are expected to attend, a Trump campaign official said, with lawmakers, congressional candidates, administration officials and first responders among them. Seats were mere inches apart, and few guests were spotted wearing masks in the hours before Trump took the stage.

Trump administration officials have urged Americans to wear masks when it is not possible to maintain six feet of distance in order to avoid spreading COVID-19. Continue reading.

Robocall targets battleground states with falsehoods about mail-in voting

NOTE: While these calls haven’t happened in Minnesota yet, we wanted to alert people to the possibility of this type of dirty trick prior to early voting for the general election.

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Officials launched an investigation Thursday into what they said was an erroneous, racist robocall aimed at discouraging voters in battleground states from casting their ballots by mail.

The recorded message features a woman who says she works for “Project 1599,” founded by the right-wing operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, and falsely warns that personal information of those who vote by mail will be shared with police tracking down warrants and credit card companies collecting outstanding debt, according to recordings of the call reviewed by The Washington Post. Wohl and Burkman denied their involvement in the call, blaming “leftist pranksters.”

“Don’t be finessed into giving your private information to the man,” the recording says. “Stay safe and beware of vote-by-mail.” Continue reading.

New documentary raises alarms about Trump’s mental health and exposes his ‘all-consuming narcissism’

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Whatever the outcome in November — whether voters elect former Vice President Joe Biden and vote President Donald Trump out of office or give him four more years in the White House — a long list of pundits, journalists and political insiders will no doubt continue to dissect and analyze Trump’s presidency for years to come. Much of the analysis of Trump will take place from a policy standpoint, but the documentary “#Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump” mostly analyzes him from a mental health standpoint. And long-time Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper, in an article published this week, explains why he is recommending “#Unfit.”

Roeper, despite his high opinion of the film, acknowledges that “#Unfit” is unlikely to turn Trump’s hardcore MAGA base against him.

“Some might even sit through all the arguments and watch the presentations making the case Trump is unfit and react by saying, ‘And that’s exactly why you’re all so scared of him and he’s the greatest president of all time!” Roeper writes. “Nevertheless, we are recommending ‘#Unfit’ not for any political reason — in fact, the film is not about Trump’s policies, but about his personality — but because it offers some valuable insights into Trump’s behavior.” Continue reading.

The GOP’s Alternate Convention Reality

As protests for racial justice continue, the coronavirus rages and a hurricane looms, Republicans present President Trump as the protector-in-chief.

WITH AMERICA ON EDGE Wednesday night over a looming, powerful hurricane, unrest over the shooting of African American Jacob Blake by Wisconsin police and the coronavirus pandemic, Republicans at their national convention Wednesday night presented an alternate reality, downplaying those crises and casting President Donald Trump as the protector-in-chief.

The theme of the third night of the Republican National Conventions was “Land of Heroes,” and the speakers – including several veterans – underscored the planned message. Headliner Vice President Mike Pence made his speech from Ft. McHenry, site of the 1814 battle that inspired the national anthem.

Barely mentioned was Hurricane Laura, which was headed toward the Gulf Coast as the convention (much of it taped) continued. Pence called for prayers, and a promise that the federal government would respond, but other speakers largely ignored the looming disaster. Continue reading.

New Subpoena Will Demand Trump Tax Returns (Including Ivanka, Eric, And Don Jr.)

Following a Supreme Court ruling on the matter, the House Intelligence Committee has narrowed a subpoena request to focus more specifically on Donald Trump and the immediate members of his family: Eric Trump, Don Jr., and Ivanka Trump.

The subpoena, which was originally broader and issued to Trump’s longtime lender Deutsche Bank, “no longer seeks financial records for any other members of President Trump’s family,” according to a memo released by the House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff. Schiff added that the panel had taken action voluntarily in order to “accelerate resolution” of the matter.

According to TPM, the move came after the Supreme Court laid out a new test last month instructing courts to weigh congressional subpoenas targeting a sitting president against whether the information can be obtained elsewhere, how broad the subpoena is, its legislative purpose, and how burdensome complying would be for a president. Continue reading.

‘It’s not supposed to be about him’: Harris scorches Trump in prebuttal of acceptance speech

The Democratic vice presidential nominee accused the president of deadly incompetence and “a reckless disregard for the well-being of the American people.”

Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a devastating rebuke of Donald Trump, hammering the president for his sluggish response to the coronavirus pandemicand spiraling racial unrest — and what she said was a lack of meaningful attention paid to both at the Republican National Convention.

The Democratic vice presidential nominee began her speech by addressing the “pain, hurt and destruction” caused by wildfires raging in California and Colorado and Hurricane Laura in the Gulf of Mexico, and also by this week’s police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., which has prompted at-times-violent protests.

Harris spoke emotionally about Blake, who she emphasized was “shot seven times in the back in broad daylight in front of his three young sons.”The California senator painted a contrast between Trump and the Democratic ticket of herself and Joe Biden, expressing support for peaceful protesters and the Blake family, and calling their experience “tragically common in our country.” Continue reading.

Shifting CDC testing guidance sparks backlash

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Public health experts warn that the Trump administration’s change to testing guidance is a step backward in the COVID-19 response that could lead to more cases, outbreaks and deaths.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) altered its guidance this week to say people who have been exposed to COVID-19 “don’t necessarily need a test” if they don’t have symptoms, threatening contact tracing efforts which seek to stop lines of transmission. 

The change alarmed public health officials and experts, who note that about 40 percent of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, meaning they will never show symptoms of the virus and won’t know they have it without testing, but can spread it to others who may become seriously ill or die.  Continue reading.