Tag: Trump putting his re-election over American lives

Trump sidesteps grim coronavirus surge to sell a happier message

The president is focused on reopening the economy, while many of his aides see the latest surge of coronavirus cases as media fearmongering.

Top political officials in Florida, Arizona, Texas and numerous other states are grappling with a rapid surge in coronavirus cases, facing the threat of an out-of-control outbreak that washes over their citizens and overwhelms their health care systems.

Top political officials in the White House say it’s business as usual from their perspective.

President Donald Trump and his top aides sought Thursday to minimize the threat of the coronavirus to the public’s health and the U.S. economy despite alarms blaring across two dozen states — including many overseen by Trump-friendly leaders. Continue reading.

Dozens of Secret Service officers and agents told to self-quarantine after Trump’s Tulsa rally

Washington Post logoDozens of Secret Service officers and agents who were on site for President Trump’s rally in Tulsa last week were ordered to self-quarantine after two of their colleagues tested positive for the novel coronavirus, part of the fallout from Trump’s insistence on holding the mass gathering over the objections of public health officials.

The Secret Service instructed employees who worked the Tulsa event to stay at home for 14 days when they returned from the weekend trip, according to two people familiar with the agency’s decision.

The order came in the wake of the discovery — hours before the president’s Saturday evening rally — that at least six advance staffers who helped organize the trip had tested positive for the virus, including two Secret Service employees. Another two advance staffers tested positive after Trump returned to Washington on Sunday. Continue reading.

Trump visits border barrier in push of immigration message amid pandemic and civil unrest

Washington Post logoSAN LUIS, ARIZONA — President Trump toured a border barrier along the U.S.-Mexico line here Tuesday, seeking to tout what he views as a key reelection accomplishment in a critical state as his bid for a second term has been upended by a resurgent pandemic, an economic crisis and racial unrest.

Trump, who has increasingly focused on immigration during the novel coronavirus crisis, said he was marking the 200th mile of border wall erected since his election and reviving one of the most contentious issues of a first term now defined by more pressing challenges.

“It’s never mentioned anymore — the wall is never mentioned anymore,” Trump said during a roundtable in Yuma. “The reason it’s not mentioned — it’s not that we won the battle. It’s that it’s such a compelling thing to have done. Because you see the number, and where that wall is going, as you’re seeing, it’s like magic.” Continue reading.

GOP warns against ramping down coronavirus testing

The Hill logoSenate Republicans are warning that it’s too soon to scale back testing amid an increase in coronavirus cases.

President Trump sparked days of confusion when he said over the weekend that he had asked staff to “slow down the testing, please.” On Tuesday, he muddied the water further by arguing fewer tests would result in recording fewer cases.

But GOP senators say there’s no evidence the United States is ready to ease up on the number of daily tests, which they think should be increased until there is a vaccine. Continue reading.

Trump Riffs on Coronavirus and Calls It ‘Kung Flu’ Again in Arizona Speech

President Donald Trump once again riffed on the names for the coronavirus during his Tuesday event in Arizona, once again referring to it as the “kung flu.”

The president first said that during his Tulsa rally this past Saturday, and on Monday Kayleigh McEnany repeatedly defended the president as reporters confronted her with questions like “Why does he use racist phrases like ‘kung flu?’”

One reporter even noted that a few months ago Kellyanne Conway made a point of saying that this particular phrase was “highly offensive.” Continue reading.

Fauci gives Congress COVID-19 warning

The Hill logoAnthony Fauci, the administration’s top infectious disease doctor, told a House panel on Tuesday that rising U.S. cases of COVID-19 are “disturbing” as new signs emerged of the United States falling further behind other countries in containing the novel coronavirus.

The coronavirus is surging in more than half the country, and states like Florida, Texas and Arizona are setting records of new cases almost daily.

Yet states are continuing to push forward with reopening businesses and lifting restrictions, and Fauci warned that without the ability to fully identify, isolate and trace the contacts of the infected individuals, the situation could worsen. Continue reading.

‘I Don’t Kid’: Trump Denies He Joked About Slowing Virus Tests

Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was not kidding when he said he wanted to slow down COVID-19 testing because too many tests were coming back positive.

“I don’t kid, let me just tell you, let me make it clear,” Trump said before leaving the White House on a trip to Arizona.

Trump made the original comments on Saturday during a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Continue reading.

Fauci: US seeing ‘disturbing’ new surge of infections

The Hill logoAnthony Fauci, the administration’s top infectious disease doctor, told a House panel on Tuesday that the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a “mixed bag,” adding that a new increase in cases is “disturbing.”

“In some respects, we’ve done very well,” Fauci said during an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, specifically praising the way New York has been containing the worst outbreak in the country to date.

“However, in other areas of the country, we are now seeing a disturbing surge of infections that looks like it’s a combination, but one of the things is an increase in community spread. And that’s something I’m really quite concerned about,” Fauci said.  Continue reading.

Trump makes defiant return to campaign stage amid controversies

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Saturday made a defiant return to the campaign stage under a number of dark clouds looming over his presidency, seeking a reset in his reelection campaign even as the event itself was overshadowed by controversy.

Trump’s 90-minute speech was heavy on the same grievances and boasts that have been a hallmark of his campaign style for years. But Saturday’s rally came after a three-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is still widespread around the country.

“I stand before you today to declare the silent majority is stronger than ever before,” Trump told a boisterous crowd in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Continue reading.