Tag: Trump White House

New White House press secretary vows never to lie at inaugural briefing

The Hill logoWhite House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany in her first formal briefing said Friday that she would never lie to the press.

“I will never lie to you. You have my word on that,” McEnany said when asked by a reporter if she would pledge to never lie to the White House press corps from the podium.

McEnany took the podium in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room for the first time on Friday, just weeks after assuming the role as press secretary. Friday’s briefing marked the first briefing from the press secretary in over a year. Continue reading.

House panel: White House blocks Fauci testimony on coronavirus

Axios logoThe Trump administration has blocked Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, from testifying on the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: Fauci has often given Americans a reality check on the administration’s response to the coronavirus and has garnered bipartisan credibility for his straight-forward approach to the crisis.

  • The Washington Post first reported that the administration rejected the House committee’s request for Fauci’s testimony, quoting a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee.

Flashback: Fauci testified in March that America’s system of making coronavirus tests available is not set up in a way it needs to be.

  • Fauci and Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, are set to “take a back seat” to the White House messaging on coronavirus, a White House official told Axios’ Jonathan Swan this week.

Fauci warns states rushing to reopen: ‘You’re making a really significant risk’

Washington Post logoWith the White House’s social distancing guidelines expiring Thursday, leaving states largely in charge of deciding how to move forward, Anthony S. Fauci warned local leaders to avoid “leapfrogging” critical milestones in an effort to reopen their economies amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Obviously you could get away with that, but you’re making a really significant risk,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Thursday evening on CNN.

Fauci, who has repeatedly cautioned against prematurely easing restrictions, said he already noticed that some states and cities are not adhering to the steps laid out in the White House’s recently issued guidance on reopening — a plan that administration officials say will now replace the expired federal social distancing measures. Continue reading.

Pence staff threatens action against reporter who tweeted about visit to clinic without surgical mask

Washington Post logoVice President Pence’s office has threatened to retaliate against a reporter who revealed that Pence’s office had told journalists they would need masks for Pence’s visit to the Mayo Clinic — a requirement Pence himself did not follow.

Pence’s trip to the clinic Tuesday generated criticism after he was photographed without a surgical mask — the only person in the room not wearing one. The Minnesota clinic requires visitors to wear masks as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus.

Pence’s wife, Karen Pence, said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday that he was unaware of the mask policy until his visit was over. Continue reading.

Kushner ‘de facto president’ during COVID-19 crisis, WH sources said to claim

Vanity Fair report paints Trump’s son-in-law as go-to deputy making the critical calls over country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and beyond

Earlier this month, after Bernie Sanders dropped out of the presidential race, JTA made a list of 10 others who could one day become the nation’s first Jewish president. But according to a new report in Vanity Fair, Jared Kushner has already beat them all to it.

“Jared is running everything. He’s the de facto president of the United States,” a former White House official told Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman, a political reporter who wrote a bestselling biography of the late Fox News president Roger Ailes.

The article, full of anonymous insider accounts about US President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, paints a picture of Kushner as Trump’s go-to deputy on every big issue — the pandemic included. According to the story, Kushner warned his father-in-law against taking steps that could chill the stock market, and even after Vice President Mike Pence was named the head of the coronavirus task force, Kushner formed his own team to tackle the disease’s spread. Continue reading.

White House risks backlash with coronavirus optimism

The Hill logoWhite House officials are taking an optimistic view of the country’s progress in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, a risky bet that could backfire if cases flare up again as more states begin lifting social distancing measures.

Top administration officials in recent days have started laying out specific timetables for when they believe the pandemic will be in the rearview mirror. The sunny declarations come as the White House pushes to revive the economy that has been central to President Trump’s reelection bid.

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that “a lot of the country should be back to normal” by June and “really rocking again” by July, calling the federal response to the virus a “great success story.” Continue reading.

Democrats aim to rein in White House on use of appropriated funds

House Budget chairman prepares measure that would limit president’s use of funds appropriated for other purposes

House Budget Chairman John Yarmuth introduced his long-awaited bill intended to reclaim congressional power over how taxpayer dollars are spent, which he said will “add teeth to budget law and further empower Congress to take a stand against Administrations that disregard our Constitution.”

The legislation, introduced Wednesday, follows the House’s impeachment of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his temporary hold on foreign aid to Ukraine.

Democrats charged the withholding was to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the former vice president, and his son Hunter. Trump denied he blocked the aid to pressure Ukraine, and on Feb. 5 the GOP-controlled Senate acquitted him on both impeachment charges. Continue reading.

Mike Pence refuses to wear mask at health clinic

AlterNet logoVice President Mike Pence visited the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Tuesday as it works on expanding the state’s capacity to test for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But in an apparently brazen act of defiance, Pence didn’t wear a mask during his visit to the facility, despite the clinic’s own rules.

“Beginning today (Monday, April 13), Mayo Clinic is requiring all patients and visitors to wear a face covering or mask to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” the facility explained in a recent news bulletin. “Patients and visitors are asked to bring their own face covering or mask to wear. If a patient or visitor does not have a mask, Mayo Clinic will provide one. This updated masking guidance is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Mayo Clinic experts. Mayo Clinic continues to assess and prioritize personal protective equipment needs to ensure the safety of its staff, patients and visitors.”

During the visit, Pence met with officials and subjects at the facility. In video clips, everyone but the vice president could be seen wearing a mask: Continue reading.

Minnesota DFL Party Responds to Pence’s Refusal to Wear a Mask to Mayo Clinic

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, Vice President Mike Pence refused to wear a cloth face mask during his tour of the Mayo Clinic, despite the CDC’s recommendations that every American wear a cloth mask in public and despite the Mayo Clinic’s own policy requiring all those on campus wear masks.

Ken Martin, Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party released the following statement:

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend wearing a cloth mask to protect others, not oneself. Though extremely ill-advised, if Vice President Pence wants to gamble with his own health, he’s welcome to do that. However, Mike Pence’s failure to wear a mask during his tour of the Mayo Clinic jeopardizes the health and well-being of those around him and encourages others to engage in the same selfish and irresponsible behavior.

“The least we can do to thank the essential workers who risk infection to keep us fed, healthy, and safe during this crisis is to take the proper precautions to keep them safe as well. By refusing to lead by example and help protect essential workers, Vice President Pence is telling the American people that his public image matters more than the lives of those on the frontlines of this pandemic.”

 

White House issues coronavirus testing guidance that leaves states in charge

Washington Post logoPressure mounted Monday on the White House and Congress to develop a national strategy to test Americans for exposure to the novel coronavirus, as health and economic experts said the current patchwork of testing efforts is insufficient to allow the economy to reopen safely.

Governors, congressional leaders and public health officials have pressed for a robust testing plan from the federal government, insisting that frequent and widespread testing is crucial to ending the stay-at-home orders that have idled businesses across much of the country.

President Trump responded Monday by announcing what the White House called a “blueprint” for increasing testing capacity. But it leaves the onus on states to develop their own plans and rapid-response programs. A White House document said the federal role would include “strategic direction and technical assistance,” as well as the ability to “align laboratory testing supplies and capacity with existing and anticipated laboratory needs.” Continue reading.