Trump has time to golf as states report more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths for fifth day straight

AlterNet logoThe United States’ coronavirus death toll exceeded 1,000 for five days straight last week, but who could possibly expect President Donald Trump to sacrifice a day of golfing because of a deadly pandemic? No one who’s been paying attention to the commander-in-chief’s priorities, which seem to align with bashing liberal state leaders, tweeting about his competitor in the 2020 election, and the heavy-hitter, getting re-elected.

Fittingly, Trump spent his Saturday at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. with NFL Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre. “Brett LOVES Wisconsin, Mississippi and Minnesota. A good golfer – hits it LONG!” the president tweeted Sunday of the former quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Jets.

Brian Morgenstern, White House deputy press secretary, told WTMJ-TV Favre and Trump “discussed the importance of sports as a critical unifying and uplifting part of the safe reopening of America.” The NFL Players Association announced an agreement with players on Friday to move on with training camp, giving “high-risk candidates” an option to opt-out and instead receive a $350,000 stipend. The decision fails to follow the advice of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day — it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” Fauci told CNN in June. Continue reading.