bipartisanreport--2020-05-07--Trump Irate After Personal Valet Tests Positive For COVID-19

This Thursday , the news emerged that a member of the Navy who serves as a personal valet to President Donald Trump had tested positive for the Coronavirus .
It ’ s not the first time that someone with whom Trump has closely interacted has tested positive , but CNN is now reporting that Trump , who has described himself as a “ germaphobe , ” was left “ upset ” by the news of a valet ’ s positive Coronavirus test , which followed them apparently beginning to show symptoms on Wednesday morning .
After the positive test results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were again tested for the Coronavirus , and both of their test results came back negative .
‘ Trump was upset when he was informed Wednesday that the valet had tested positive , a source told CNN , and the President was subsequently tested again by the White House physician… A White House source said the valet , a man who has not been identified , exhibited “ symptoms ” Wednesday morning , and said the news that someone close to Trump had tested positive for coronavirus was “ hitting the fan ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is a self-described germophobe , has chastised aides before who coughed or sneezed in his presence .
He has claimed to rarely get sick himself.
’ Over 75,000 Americans are dead because of the Coronavirus , but it seems like personal discomfort that manages to actually make the president “ upset.
” He has consistently sought to downplay the overall severity of the virus , insisting in the early days that concern about the disease was a “ hoax ” and claiming more recently that calls for strengthening the U.S. response capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump has even downplayed his personal risk of the virus , although this incident involving his personal valet is not the first in which someone in his inner circle has tested positive .
He told reporters recently , describing why he supposedly didn ’ t have a reason to be concerned : CNN notes that presidential valets like the individual who tested positive this week for the Coronavirus often end up as “ confidants ” of the president and first family through the course of their work , which includes personal assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the president while traveling .
The newly Coronavirus-infected individual has not been publicly identified .
The White House has been utilizing a 15-minute test developed by Abbott Labs , which the administration recently offered to Congress upon their return to D.C. Congressional leaders , including both Democrats and Republicans , initially rejected the offer , insisting that the most up-to-date infrastructure should be kept for the front lines of the fight against the Coronavirus .
Meanwhile , Trump , Pence , and top staffers around them have reportedly been getting tested weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demands in an attempt to stop the spread have been instituted places like the White House press briefing room .

This Thursday, the news emerged that a member of the Navy who serves as a personal valet to President Donald Trump had tested positive for the Coronavirus. It’s not the first time that someone with whom Trump has closely interacted has tested positive, but CNN is now reporting that Trump, who has described himself as a “germaphobe,” was left “upset” by the news of a valet’s positive Coronavirus test, which followed them apparently beginning to show symptoms on Wednesday morning. After the positive test results, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were again tested for the Coronavirus, and both of their test results came back negative.
CNN reports:
‘Trump was upset when he was informed Wednesday that the valet had tested positive, a source told CNN, and the President was subsequently tested again by the White House physician… A White House source said the valet, a man who has not been identified, exhibited “symptoms” Wednesday morning, and said the news that someone close to Trump had tested positive for coronavirus was “hitting the fan” in the West Wing. Trump, who is a self-described germophobe, has chastised aides before who coughed or sneezed in his presence. He has claimed to rarely get sick himself.’
Over 75,000 Americans are dead because of the Coronavirus, but it seems like personal discomfort that manages to actually make the president “upset.” He has consistently sought to downplay the overall severity of the virus, insisting in the early days that concern about the disease was a “hoax” and claiming more recently that calls for strengthening the U.S. response capacity were just a “false talking point.”
Trump has even downplayed his personal risk of the virus, although this incident involving his personal valet is not the first in which someone in his inner circle has tested positive.
He told reporters recently, describing why he supposedly didn’t have a reason to be concerned:
‘The test result comes back in five minutes, and we have great testing. Or they wouldn’t be allowed to travel with me. It’s not my choice; it’s a very strong group of people that want to make sure they are tested, including Secret Service.’
CNN notes that presidential valets like the individual who tested positive this week for the Coronavirus often end up as “confidants” of the president and first family through the course of their work, which includes personal assistance while in the White House and accompaniment for the president while traveling. The newly Coronavirus-infected individual has not been publicly identified.
The White House has been utilizing a 15-minute test developed by Abbott Labs, which the administration recently offered to Congress upon their return to D.C. Congressional leaders, including both Democrats and Republicans, initially rejected the offer, insisting that the most up-to-date infrastructure should be kept for the front lines of the fight against the Coronavirus. Meanwhile, Trump, Pence, and top staffers around them have reportedly been getting tested weekly for the Coronavirus, and social distancing demands in an attempt to stop the spread have been instituted places like the White House press briefing room.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-07--Trump Official Blames Workers For Their Own COVID Infections

The Trump administration continues to come up desperately short in their handling of the Coronavirus .
Now , reporting has emerged indicating that Alex Azar , who works as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration , offered the staggering suggestion during a recent conference call with members of Congress that meatpacking plant workers may somehow be to blame for their own Coronavirus infections .
Azar cited the “ home and social ” aspects of workers ’ lives as possibly to blame for dramatic infection rates among meatpacking plant workers , some 6,500 of whom have contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Azar ’ s suggestion that the living conditions and social behavior are behind the high Coronavirus infection rates among meatpacking plant workers seems , quite simply , ludicrous .
Azar sounds willfully ignorant of the fact that these workers ’ occupation require them to work in close proximity for extended periods of time , and that issue — not some vague notion that maybe people live too close together — is how the Coronavirus spreads .
Azar ’ s reported idea for a solution to his notion that meatpacking workers ’ living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ to send more law enforcement to those communities to better enforce social distancing rules.
” So , he seemingly wants to send police to harass poor and otherwise marginalized people .
What could go wrong ?
( A lot , obviously . )
Rep. Ann Kuster ( D-N.H. ) , who was apparently among those on the call , told POLITICO : ‘ He was essentially turning it around , blaming the victim and implying that their lifestyle was the problem .
Their theory of the case is that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant , they ’ re becoming infected because of the way they live in their home… Law enforcement is not going to solve the problem .
It was so far off base.
’ Without offering any specifics , a spokesperson for Azar ’ s department called the reporting an “ inaccurate representation ” of his remarks , but that ’ s not exactly credible .
If Azar is mulling over the idea that perhaps workers themselves are the ones at least partially responsible for their own Coronavirus infections , then how on earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective plans to keep meatpacking plant workers safe ?
Trump just recently signed an executive order designating these plants as essential infrastructure and demanding that they stay open , but conditions there are precarious .
A meatpacking worker in Pennsylvania named Rafael Benjamin who ’ d previously been instructed by a supervisor to take off a face mask he was wearing was among the state ’ s most recent Coronavirus deaths .
While Azar wheels out these apparent conspiracy theories , meatpacking plant workers are suffering .
POLITICO reports that around “ 44 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent are African American , according to an analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research , ” adding that the “ League of United Latin American Citizens estimates 80 percent of those working in meat processing plants are undocumented or refugees.
” Thanks to their systematic exclusion from comprehensive and effective health care , many of these very same communities have been hit especially hard by the Coronavirus outbreak .
Repeatedly , marginalized communities ’ portions of Coronavirus cases and deaths have far exceeded their portions of their general population .

The Trump administration continues to come up desperately short in their handling of the Coronavirus. Now, reporting has emerged indicating that Alex Azar, who works as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, offered the staggering suggestion during a recent conference call with members of Congress that meatpacking plant workers may somehow be to blame for their own Coronavirus infections. Azar cited the “home and social” aspects of workers’ lives as possibly to blame for dramatic infection rates among meatpacking plant workers, some 6,500 of whom have contracted the virus in the U.S. so far.
Azar’s suggestion that the living conditions and social behavior are behind the high Coronavirus infection rates among meatpacking plant workers seems, quite simply, ludicrous. Azar sounds willfully ignorant of the fact that these workers’ occupation require them to work in close proximity for extended periods of time, and that issue — not some vague notion that maybe people live too close together — is how the Coronavirus spreads.
Azar’s reported idea for a solution to his notion that meatpacking workers’ living conditions were to blame for their infections was “to send more law enforcement to those communities to better enforce social distancing rules.” So, he seemingly wants to send police to harass poor and otherwise marginalized people. What could go wrong? (A lot, obviously.)
Rep. Ann Kuster (D-N.H.), who was apparently among those on the call, told POLITICO:
‘He was essentially turning it around, blaming the victim and implying that their lifestyle was the problem. Their theory of the case is that they are not becoming infected in the meat processing plant, they’re becoming infected because of the way they live in their home… Law enforcement is not going to solve the problem. It was so far off base.’
Without offering any specifics, a spokesperson for Azar’s department called the reporting an “inaccurate representation” of his remarks, but that’s not exactly credible. If Azar is mulling over the idea that perhaps workers themselves are the ones at least partially responsible for their own Coronavirus infections, then how on earth can the administration be trusted to develop effective plans to keep meatpacking plant workers safe? Trump just recently signed an executive order designating these plants as essential infrastructure and demanding that they stay open, but conditions there are precarious. A meatpacking worker in Pennsylvania named Rafael Benjamin who’d previously been instructed by a supervisor to take off a face mask he was wearing was among the state’s most recent Coronavirus deaths.
While Azar wheels out these apparent conspiracy theories, meatpacking plant workers are suffering. POLITICO reports that around “44 percent of meatpackers are Latino and 25 percent are African American, according to an analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research,” adding that the “League of United Latin American Citizens estimates 80 percent of those working in meat processing plants are undocumented or refugees.” Thanks to their systematic exclusion from comprehensive and effective health care, many of these very same communities have been hit especially hard by the Coronavirus outbreak. Repeatedly, marginalized communities’ portions of Coronavirus cases and deaths have far exceeded their portions of their general population.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-07--Dems Reveal Plans For Bold New Coronavirus Relief

Frequently , President Donald Trump and other national Republican leaders have insisted upon restraint in developing Coronavirus relief funding .
There ’ s even been reporting that Republicans have been plotting to essentially extort states into reopening their economies via withholding additional federal financial aid as long as social distancing demands remain in place .
In stark contrast , this Thursday during an appearance on MSNBC , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) said that he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) were collaborating on a new Coronavirus relief funding package that would be “ Rooseveltian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the needs of the people on the front lines .
Congress has already designated some half a trillion dollars in support for a Federal Reserve-orchestrated loan fund to keep financial markets afloat , but many marginalized individual Americans are still struggling amidst the staggering economic tolls of the pandemic .
Last week , a staggering 3.2 million people newly filed for unemployment benefits , marking the seventh straight week of seven-digit levels of unemployment claims and bringing the total number of people newly out of work amidst the crisis to the stunning level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big , bold action .
[ Democrats ] are working very closely together on putting together a very strong plan , which you will hear shortly .
We need Franklin Rooseveltian-type action and we hope to take that in the House and Senate in a very big and bold way .
The people like McConnell and McCarthy and even Trump who say , ‘ Let ’ s wait and do nothing , ’ well , they remind me of the old Herbert Hoovers .
We had the Great Depression — Hoover said let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It got worse and worse.
’ Acting like the president who led the United States into the Great Depression isn ’ t exactly great .
Trump and his allies have tried to focus on the potential for economic growth after the setbacks of the social distancing demands amidst the Coronavirus pandemic , but if thousands of Americans keep dying each and every day due to the virus , there ’ s not going to be some kind of chance for a magic reset of the economy .
As for his solution , Schumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same focus , even a stronger focus on the people — the working people , the average people who are suffering as well .
We need the same kind of big , bold , tough action .
We need action here to help average folks .
We ’ ve done some in the House and Senate , we need to do a lot more.
’ Those additional benefits that Democrats want for hardworking Americans include hundreds of billions of dollars in support for struggling state and local governments who have been hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican and the chair of the National Governors Association , has called on Congress to appropriate an additional half a trillion dollars for the support of these local governments .
It ’ s unclear what kind of support for these plans that Democrats might be able to accumulate from Republicans .
Trump consistently sounds like he wants to simply wish the problems of the Coronavirus out of existence .

Frequently, President Donald Trump and other national Republican leaders have insisted upon restraint in developing Coronavirus relief funding. There’s even been reporting that Republicans have been plotting to essentially extort states into reopening their economies via withholding additional federal financial aid as long as social distancing demands remain in place. In stark contrast, this Thursday during an appearance on MSNBC, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) were collaborating on a new Coronavirus relief funding package that would be “Rooseveltian” in scope and include attention to the needs of the people on the front lines.
Congress has already designated some half a trillion dollars in support for a Federal Reserve-orchestrated loan fund to keep financial markets afloat, but many marginalized individual Americans are still struggling amidst the staggering economic tolls of the pandemic. Last week, a staggering 3.2 million people newly filed for unemployment benefits, marking the seventh straight week of seven-digit levels of unemployment claims and bringing the total number of people newly out of work amidst the crisis to the stunning level of 33.5 million.
Another 3.2 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week, a shocking seventh straight week of seven-digit claims.https://t.co/7eFhD5FM9G pic.twitter.com/rQB7EXWeOa — Ben Casselman (@bencasselman) May 7, 2020
Schumer told MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle:
‘We need big, bold action. [Democrats] are working very closely together on putting together a very strong plan, which you will hear shortly. We need Franklin Rooseveltian-type action and we hope to take that in the House and Senate in a very big and bold way. The people like McConnell and McCarthy and even Trump who say, ‘Let’s wait and do nothing,’ well, they remind me of the old Herbert Hoovers. We had the Great Depression — Hoover said let’s just wait it out. It got worse and worse.’
Acting like the president who led the United States into the Great Depression isn’t exactly great. Trump and his allies have tried to focus on the potential for economic growth after the setbacks of the social distancing demands amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, but if thousands of Americans keep dying each and every day due to the virus, there’s not going to be some kind of chance for a magic reset of the economy.
As for his solution, Schumer explained:
‘We got to have the same focus, even a stronger focus on the people — the working people, the average people who are suffering as well. We need the same kind of big, bold, tough action. We need action here to help average folks. We’ve done some in the House and Senate, we need to do a lot more.’
Those additional benefits that Democrats want for hardworking Americans include hundreds of billions of dollars in support for struggling state and local governments who have been hard hit. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican and the chair of the National Governors Association, has called on Congress to appropriate an additional half a trillion dollars for the support of these local governments.
It’s unclear what kind of support for these plans that Democrats might be able to accumulate from Republicans. Trump consistently sounds like he wants to simply wish the problems of the Coronavirus out of existence.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--JFK’s Nephew Skyrockets Past Opponent In New Poll

This November , another Kennedy may continue to move up the ranks of political power in the U.S. Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Joe Kennedy III , who is the grandson of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy , has enjoyed positive results in a pair of recent polls measuring support in the Democratic Senate primary race that he jumped into , in which he ’ s squaring off with incumbent Democrat Ed Markey .
Just this Wednesday , although the race remains in definite flux ahead of the primary election voting planned for September , an Emerson College poll found Kennedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to just 42 percent for Markey .
A University of Massachusetts-Lowell poll released on Thursday also had Kennedy in the lead , but by a narrower margin , with 44 percent of the support compared to 42 percent for Markey .
Markey is a prominent progressive , and his recent accomplishments include the introduction of a version of the so-called Green New Deal in the Senate at the same time that House interests including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) introduced a version in the House .
The Green New Deal includes bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greenhouse gas-producing energy sources .
There is one important caveat in the Emerson College polling : a full 60 percent of respondents said they that may change their preference prior to voting .
That obviously gives plenty of room for the race to shift dramatically .
Kennedy has cast himself as a fresh voice for D.C .
Recently , he commented : He has focused on spotlighting his perspective on some of the pressing issues of the national political conversation throughout recent weeks .
For instance , upon the news of the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ 14.7 % unemployment only tells half of the story .
It doesn ’ t show those getting less business .
Students not able to get summmer jobs .
Those not seeking work .
We need a real relief package straight into the hands of Americans .
Now .
Where can we start ?
By passing a meaningful direct cash payment bill to put money directly into the hands of every single American.
’ Whoever does end up winning the Massachusetts Senate Democratic primary seems likely to be able to count on victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College polling data , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden secured a full 60 percent of the support compared to just 30 percent for Trump .
The last time that a Republican presidential candidate won the state , it was Ronald Reagan on the ballot .
Across the country , Republican Senate incumbents have their work cut out for them heading into November .
At least four are facing races that the Cook Political Report calls toss-ups .

This November, another Kennedy may continue to move up the ranks of political power in the U.S. Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Joe Kennedy III, who is the grandson of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, has enjoyed positive results in a pair of recent polls measuring support in the Democratic Senate primary race that he jumped into, in which he’s squaring off with incumbent Democrat Ed Markey. Just this Wednesday, although the race remains in definite flux ahead of the primary election voting planned for September, an Emerson College poll found Kennedy with 58 percent of the support compared to just 42 percent for Markey. A University of Massachusetts-Lowell poll released on Thursday also had Kennedy in the lead, but by a narrower margin, with 44 percent of the support compared to 42 percent for Markey.
Markey is a prominent progressive, and his recent accomplishments include the introduction of a version of the so-called Green New Deal in the Senate at the same time that House interests including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) introduced a version in the House. The Green New Deal includes bold ambitions to move the U.S. away from greenhouse gas-producing energy sources.
Spencer Kimball, Director of Emerson College Polling, commented:
‘Markey has a lot of work to do this summer, especially in the Boston area where Kennedy holds a 30 point lead. With Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley declining to endorse either candidate, Markey appears limited at this time for a game-changer.’
There is one important caveat in the Emerson College polling: a full 60 percent of respondents said they that may change their preference prior to voting. That obviously gives plenty of room for the race to shift dramatically.
Kennedy has cast himself as a fresh voice for D.C. Recently, he commented:
‘It’s going to take progressive will power to fix the damage done by President Trump during this crisis. We need relief. We need health care for all.’
It’s going to take progressive will power to fix the damage done by President Trump during this crisis. We need relief. We need health care for all. Watch our first TV ad, then join our fight: https://t.co/7zwvI9s5aY pic.twitter.com/eTI1jZqOcu — Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) May 6, 2020
He has focused on spotlighting his perspective on some of the pressing issues of the national political conversation throughout recent weeks. For instance, upon the news of the latest dismal unemployment numbers, he commented:
‘14.7% unemployment only tells half of the story. It doesn’t show those getting less business. Students not able to get summmer jobs. Those not seeking work. We need a real relief package straight into the hands of Americans. Now. Where can we start? By passing a meaningful direct cash payment bill to put money directly into the hands of every single American.’
Where can we start? By passing a meaningful direct cash payment bill to put money directly into the hands of every single American. $1.2k is not nearly enough. We need real relief. https://t.co/zJe2XFIkVg https://t.co/hAhdOy1lll — Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) May 8, 2020
Whoever does end up winning the Massachusetts Senate Democratic primary seems likely to be able to count on victory in November. In the same Emerson College polling data, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden secured a full 60 percent of the support compared to just 30 percent for Trump. The last time that a Republican presidential candidate won the state, it was Ronald Reagan on the ballot.
Across the country, Republican Senate incumbents have their work cut out for them heading into November. At least four are facing races that the Cook Political Report calls toss-ups.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--Pence Trip Delayed After Positive COVID Test Rocks Team

Some 1.3 million Americans have tested positive for the Coronavirus — including another member of the staff for Vice President Mike Pence .
The new positive diagnosis among Pence ’ s staff members emerged on Friday and reportedly led to the temporary delay of a planned trip by the vice president to Iowa , where he was slated to meet with faith leaders and food industry executives , both of whom have figured prominently in discussions about protecting U.S. infrastructure from the economic toll of the pandemic .
The new Coronavirus diagnosis comes , notably , shortly after Pence broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without wearing a mask .
Apparently , the staffer who tested positive was Katie Miller , Pence ’ s press secretary and the wife of Stephen Miller .
Pence and President Donald Trump have both been repeatedly tested for the Coronavirus , and according to Reuters , they will now be tested daily , going forward .
The White House has tests that deliver results within about 15 minutes .
The delay in Pence ’ s travel plans sparked by the new diagnosis lasted nearly an hour , CNBC explains , adding : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffers disembarked from Air Force Two just before takeoff .
Those staffers left the plane because they had been in contact with the staffer who tested positive , NBC News reported .
In response to the positive test , the White House medical office has embarked on a program of contact tracing for the individual , an official told NBC .
Some of these staffers have already been retested.
’ The new positive Coronavirus diagnosis among Pence ’ s staff emerged the day after a personal valet for the president himself tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the U.S. Navy , “ reportedly had very close contact with the president , including serving meals and helping him with his clothes and other personal needs , ” according to CNBC .
Separately , CNN reported that Trump was left “ upset ” by the news of his personal valet ’ s Coronavirus diagnosis , noting that the president has described himself as a “ germaphobe.
” Trump has frequently declined to take the Coronavirus crisis seriously , flippantly insisting time and time again that the virus outbreak would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has repeatedly declined to wear a mask .
Masks are recommended to help keep the virus from spreading , but at a ceremony that Trump attended on Friday to mark the anniversary of a key point in the end of World War II , neither he nor First Lady Melania Trump wore a mask .
In contrast , during an interview this week , Trump reported that certain members of the White House staff had begun wearing face masks .
The president has consistently taken a hands-off approach to dealing with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lifting social distancing demands and reopening the economy , he has punted the question to states — and amid the ensuing potential for continued spread , the University of Washington has revised their projection for the total Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. up to over 134,000 .

Some 1.3 million Americans have tested positive for the Coronavirus — including another member of the staff for Vice President Mike Pence. The new positive diagnosis among Pence’s staff members emerged on Friday and reportedly led to the temporary delay of a planned trip by the vice president to Iowa, where he was slated to meet with faith leaders and food industry executives, both of whom have figured prominently in discussions about protecting U.S. infrastructure from the economic toll of the pandemic. The new Coronavirus diagnosis comes, notably, shortly after Pence broke Mayo Clinic policy and visited the facility without wearing a mask.
An aide to Mike Pence has tested positive for coronavirus. Pence was scheduled to travel to Iowa this morning, but his departure was delayed by nearly an hour as staff dealt with news of the diagnosis. https://t.co/Wm7jQsTh6J — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 8, 2020
Apparently, the staffer who tested positive was Katie Miller, Pence’s press secretary and the wife of Stephen Miller. Pence and President Donald Trump have both been repeatedly tested for the Coronavirus, and according to Reuters, they will now be tested daily, going forward. The White House has tests that deliver results within about 15 minutes.
BRK: A staffer for Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for coronavirus, the second White House aide in a week to contract the virus. https://t.co/OPUnrUH6ui — Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 8, 2020
Reuters explains:
‘According to a White House official, a Pence staffer tested positive for the virus prompting officials to deplane Air Force 2 on Friday morning and briefly delay the planned takeoff. It was not immediately clear whether the staffer with the virus had been on board the plane.’
Pence recently visited the a Mayo Clinic without a mask and said he didn’t need to because he was totally confident neither he nor his staff had the virus https://t.co/23VShWij9b — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) May 8, 2020
The delay in Pence’s travel plans sparked by the new diagnosis lasted nearly an hour, CNBC explains, adding:
‘Reporters traveling with Pence said several staffers disembarked from Air Force Two just before takeoff. Those staffers left the plane because they had been in contact with the staffer who tested positive, NBC News reported. In response to the positive test, the White House medical office has embarked on a program of contact tracing for the individual, an official told NBC. Some of these staffers have already been retested.’
NEWS: Pence flight to Iowa delayed an hour after a staffer tested positive for coronavirus, I’m told. Some aides disembarked AF2. Wheels up now for Iowa. — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 8, 2020
The new positive Coronavirus diagnosis among Pence’s staff emerged the day after a personal valet for the president himself tested positive for the Coronavirus. That valet, a member of the U.S. Navy, “reportedly had very close contact with the president, including serving meals and helping him with his clothes and other personal needs,” according to CNBC. Separately, CNN reported that Trump was left “upset” by the news of his personal valet’s Coronavirus diagnosis, noting that the president has described himself as a “germaphobe.”
Trump has frequently declined to take the Coronavirus crisis seriously, flippantly insisting time and time again that the virus outbreak would dissipate, and, like Pence, he has repeatedly declined to wear a mask. Masks are recommended to help keep the virus from spreading, but at a ceremony that Trump attended on Friday to mark the anniversary of a key point in the end of World War II, neither he nor First Lady Melania Trump wore a mask. In contrast, during an interview this week, Trump reported that certain members of the White House staff had begun wearing face masks.
The president has consistently taken a hands-off approach to dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic. As for the question of lifting social distancing demands and reopening the economy, he has punted the question to states — and amid the ensuing potential for continued spread, the University of Washington has revised their projection for the total Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. up to over 134,000.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--New Swing State Poll Delivers Great Blue Wave News

According to new polling released by Hart Research Associates , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden has a resounding lead over Donald Trump among voters in states across the country that have politically vulnerable incumbent Republican Senators up for re-election this year .
That list of states includes Arizona , Colorado , Iowa , Maine , Montana , and North Carolina , and in that group of states , Biden nabbed the support of 50 percent of voters , while Trump secured the support of a meager 41 percent of voters .
That margin for Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against any influx of undecided voters to the Trump side .
If the great results for Biden carry over into great electoral results for the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate seats in each of those states , Democrats could retake control of the Senate , where they need to flip at least three seats to become the majority party .
In the new Hart polling , Democratic Senate candidates led their incumbent Republican opponents by an about five percent margin , with 46 percent of the support for the Dems and just 41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notably , won four out of six of the swing states in question in 2016 , suggesting that his political chances have taken a truly huge hit since that election cycle .
He appears to be dragging the rest of the GOP down with him .
In national level polling , Biden leads Trump by an average of 4.4 percent , and one recent poll , from Monmouth University , had Biden up nationally by a full nine percent .
At this point in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election , Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margin , but her poll numbers dropped off precipitously very soon after .
By May 22 , 2016 , Trump actually led in the RealClearPolitics average of national level polling by 0.2 percent .
By the time of the general election , Hillary ’ s average lead was 3.2 percent .
Trump ’ s declining political chances could drag the political prospects down for Republicans across the board .
The Cook Political Report currently calls a full four currently GOP-held seats toss-ups heading into November .
The toss-ups include races in Maine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In each one of those states , likely Democratic nominees for the general election raised more than their incumbent Republican opponents in the first quarter of 2020 .
‘ Here ’ s the simple truth : The United States of America has never been defeated when we ’ re together — and we ’ re not going to be defeated now .
We can and will overcome this .
Donald Trump loves to crow about what a great economy he built .
This crisis has revealed what a failure Trumponomics has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying the price.
’ He , like other political candidates , has had to adapt to a web-focused campaign environment amidst the social distancing demands of the Coronavirus pandemic .
When the pandemic began , he stepped back from plans for in-person rallies , and rallies have been on hold across the board for months .
Lots of fundraising also hinges on in-person events , so there ’ s been lost ground to make up for on that front as well .

According to new polling released by Hart Research Associates, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden has a resounding lead over Donald Trump among voters in states across the country that have politically vulnerable incumbent Republican Senators up for re-election this year. That list of states includes Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina, and in that group of states, Biden nabbed the support of 50 percent of voters, while Trump secured the support of a meager 41 percent of voters. That margin for Biden is almost large enough to secure him against any influx of undecided voters to the Trump side.
If the great results for Biden carry over into great electoral results for the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate seats in each of those states, Democrats could retake control of the Senate, where they need to flip at least three seats to become the majority party. In the new Hart polling, Democratic Senate candidates led their incumbent Republican opponents by an about five percent margin, with 46 percent of the support for the Dems and just 41 percent for the GOP.
Trump, notably, won four out of six of the swing states in question in 2016, suggesting that his political chances have taken a truly huge hit since that election cycle. He appears to be dragging the rest of the GOP down with him. In national level polling, Biden leads Trump by an average of 4.4 percent, and one recent poll, from Monmouth University, had Biden up nationally by a full nine percent. At this point in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton also led nationally by a large margin, but her poll numbers dropped off precipitously very soon after. By May 22, 2016, Trump actually led in the RealClearPolitics average of national level polling by 0.2 percent. By the time of the general election, Hillary’s average lead was 3.2 percent.
Trump’s declining political chances could drag the political prospects down for Republicans across the board. The Cook Political Report currently calls a full four currently GOP-held seats toss-ups heading into November. The toss-ups include races in Maine, Arizona, North Carolina, and Colorado. In each one of those states, likely Democratic nominees for the general election raised more than their incumbent Republican opponents in the first quarter of 2020.
Biden has commented:
‘Here’s the simple truth: The United States of America has never been defeated when we’re together — and we’re not going to be defeated now. We can and will overcome this. Donald Trump loves to crow about what a great economy he built. This crisis has revealed what a failure Trumponomics has been. And American workers and families are paying the price.’
Here's the simple truth: The United States of America has never been defeated when we're together — and we're not going to be defeated now. We can and will overcome this. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 8, 2020
Donald Trump loves to crow about what a great economy he built. This crisis has revealed what a failure Trumponomics has been. And American workers and families are paying the price. Tune in for my remarks live on @nowthisnews at 12 PM EDT. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 8, 2020
He, like other political candidates, has had to adapt to a web-focused campaign environment amidst the social distancing demands of the Coronavirus pandemic. When the pandemic began, he stepped back from plans for in-person rallies, and rallies have been on hold across the board for months. Lots of fundraising also hinges on in-person events, so there’s been lost ground to make up for on that front as well.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--WH Press Sec. Stumbles Big Time During Friday Press Conference

As a grim culmination to an ideological journey that began with her proclaiming her supposed deeply rooted opposition to Donald Trump during the early stages of his presidential candidacy , Republican operative Kayleigh McEnany has assumed her role as new White House press secretary amidst the Coronavirus pandemic , and she ’ s proudly shilling for the president ’ s most fervent nonsense .
This Friday , the day after well over 2,000 Americans died from the Coronavirus in a single day , McEnany kicked off the latest White House press conference with a rant about the supposed mistreatment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who , in fact , admitted to lying to the FBI about his communications with the then-Russian Ambassador to the U.S .
The Trump appointee-led Justice Department dropped their case against Flynn this week with the excuse that the case was supposedly out of place from the start .
However , that doesn ’ t change the fact of Flynn ’ s brazen violation of the law .
And neither does it change the fact that while the president and his allies wind themselves up into a rage over investigators daring to investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each and every day from the Coronavirus .
Other economic tolls have racked the U.S. as well .
In April , according to new numbers released by authorities , unemployment hit the staggering level of 14.7 percent .
At this Friday ’ s press briefing , CNN reporter Jim Acosta asked : ‘ Yeah , you know , this president is the jobs president .
This president got us to a place where we had the lowest unemployment rate in the history of this country — historic lows for black Americans , Hispanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president has noted , and I think this is right , we had to put a stop to the economy .
It was a pause .
This wasn ’ t some economic catastrophe that organically happened .
It was decided upon by the president of the United States to stop the United States economy , because we had to save 2.2 million lives… because American lives , that ’ s what mattered most.
’ Donald Trump is not prioritizing American lives .
He has explicitly insisted that economic concerns should be prioritized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who have called for the social distancing measures necessary to save lives to remain in place longer than Trump has advocated for .
But , concurrently , the notion from McEnany and Trump that there is some kind of chance to flip a switch and get the economy going again is simply not reflective of reality .
If thousands of Americans keep dying each and every day due to the Coronavirus , then there ’ s not exactly going to be some kind of grand economic recovery .
As the Friday press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignored a question scrutinizing the White House ’ s focus on political vendettas amidst the Coronavirus crisis .
The U.S. continues to experience a grave dearth of leadership .

As a grim culmination to an ideological journey that began with her proclaiming her supposed deeply rooted opposition to Donald Trump during the early stages of his presidential candidacy, Republican operative Kayleigh McEnany has assumed her role as new White House press secretary amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, and she’s proudly shilling for the president’s most fervent nonsense. This Friday, the day after well over 2,000 Americans died from the Coronavirus in a single day, McEnany kicked off the latest White House press conference with a rant about the supposed mistreatment of disgraced former Trump staffer Michael Flynn, who, in fact, admitted to lying to the FBI about his communications with the then-Russian Ambassador to the U.S.
The Trump appointee-led Justice Department dropped their case against Flynn this week with the excuse that the case was supposedly out of place from the start. However, that doesn’t change the fact of Flynn’s brazen violation of the law. And neither does it change the fact that while the president and his allies wind themselves up into a rage over investigators daring to investigate crimes, thousands of Americans keep dying each and every day from the Coronavirus.
Other economic tolls have racked the U.S. as well. In April, according to new numbers released by authorities, unemployment hit the staggering level of 14.7 percent. At this Friday’s press briefing, CNN reporter Jim Acosta asked:
‘Putting aside the situation with Michael Flynn, today, the unemployment rate hit the highest point since the Great Depression. What is the president’s plan to get the country out of this ditch?’
McEnany dubiously replied:
‘Yeah, you know, this president is the jobs president. This president got us to a place where we had the lowest unemployment rate in the history of this country — historic lows for black Americans, Hispanic Americans, disabled, veterans. As the president has noted, and I think this is right, we had to put a stop to the economy. It was a pause. This wasn’t some economic catastrophe that organically happened. It was decided upon by the president of the United States to stop the United States economy, because we had to save 2.2 million lives… because American lives, that’s what mattered most.’
Watch below:
.@Acosta: Putting aside Flynn, today the unemployment level hit the highest level since the Great Depression. What's Trump's plan? McENANY: "Yeah, you know, this president is the jobs president … it was decided upon by POTUS to stop the economy, b/c we had to save 2.2m lives." pic.twitter.com/90JY7Qc21p — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 8, 2020
Donald Trump is not prioritizing American lives. He has explicitly insisted that economic concerns should be prioritized higher than they’ve been by those who have called for the social distancing measures necessary to save lives to remain in place longer than Trump has advocated for.
But, concurrently, the notion from McEnany and Trump that there is some kind of chance to flip a switch and get the economy going again is simply not reflective of reality. If thousands of Americans keep dying each and every day due to the Coronavirus, then there’s not exactly going to be some kind of grand economic recovery.
It's remarkable that even as we approach 100,000 American deaths and unemployment rates not seen since the Great Depression, some still want to give Trump a pass despite his obvious incompetence throughout this crisis. It's as though we have a Stockholm syndrome pandemic as well. — Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) May 8, 2020
As the Friday press conference drew to a close, McEnany ignored a question scrutinizing the White House’s focus on political vendettas amidst the Coronavirus crisis. The U.S. continues to experience a grave dearth of leadership.
McEnany ends the briefing & walks away while ignoring a question about "why did you spend the first part of this briefing talking about Flynn when both POTUS & VP were exposed to coronavirus & we have historic unemployment. Is that really what's top of mind today for the WH?" pic.twitter.com/6y19QNVsLs — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 8, 2020


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--Trump Says He ‘Learned’ From Fellow Crook Richard Nixon

During a phone interview that aired this Friday on Fox & Friends , President Donald Trump claimed to have “ learned a lot ” from disgraced former President Richard Nixon , who resigned after evidence came to light indicating that his team had been working to spy on Democrats , among other egregious abuses of power .
Nixon is not exactly the individual that an average observer might expect to become a touted teacher of the latest U.S. president , but here we are , with Trump insisting upon reaching into the darkest corners of American history and doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have taken from Nixon ’ s case is that Trump shouldn ’ t “ fire people.
” When Nixon dismissed a slew of top justice officials , it only heightened the scrutiny on his administration ’ s belligerence .
The bizarre thing about Trump claiming to have taken that perhaps unanticipated result to heart is that Trump has himself repeatedly kicked out top justice officials .
He ’ s fired or overseen the firing of officials ranging from FBI Director James Comey to Attorney General Jeff Sessions .
Yet , Trump wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned the problems inherent in firing people anyway .
‘ I learned a lot from Richard Nixon .
Don ’ t fire people .
I learned a lot .
I study history .
And the firing of everybody — I should ’ ve in one way , but I ’ m glad I didn ’ t , because look at the way it turned out .
They ’ re all a bunch of crooks and they got caught .
Of course there was one difference , one big difference .
Number one , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number two , he had tapes all over the place .
I wasn ’ t guilty .
I did nothing wrong , and there are no tapes .
But I wish there were tapes in my case.
’ Nixon “ may have been guilty ” ?
Is Trump seriously trying to come to the defense of Richard Nixon ?
If he wasn ’ t as guilty as all of the rest of the indicted individuals , then why did he resign ?
Why did the following president , Gerald Ford , feel the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
If Trump is as much of a student of history as he dubiously claims , then he could have anticipated these questions rather than laughably suggesting that maybe Nixon wasn ’ t so guilty after all .
Trump has wrapped himself into the delusion that he himself did nothing wrong .
Is that why numerous members of his inner circle have faced criminal charges and jail time stemming from the Russia investigation ?
Whether behind-the-scenes or publicly , it ’ s “ wrong ” for Trump to have called for and de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 presidential race .
Trump can ’ t just wish that fact out of existence .
Trump ’ s team is still trying to sweep the Russia investigation under the rug .
In recent days , the Trump appointee-led Justice Department dropped charges against admitted liar Michael Flynn .
House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) insisted in response that “ the Justice Dept lost 50 years worth of ground in maintaining its independence post-Watergate… And once again , Barr has undermined the legitimacy of our justice system and the rule @ @ @ @

During a phone interview that aired this Friday on Fox & Friends, President Donald Trump claimed to have “learned a lot” from disgraced former President Richard Nixon, who resigned after evidence came to light indicating that his team had been working to spy on Democrats, among other egregious abuses of power. Nixon is not exactly the individual that an average observer might expect to become a touted teacher of the latest U.S. president, but here we are, with Trump insisting upon reaching into the darkest corners of American history and doing so proudly.
Trump saying he learned from Nixon's mistakes how not to get caught. https://t.co/Nn92RPCvL4 — Kate Brannen (@K8brannen) May 8, 2020
The direction that he claims to have taken from Nixon’s case is that Trump shouldn’t “fire people.” When Nixon dismissed a slew of top justice officials, it only heightened the scrutiny on his administration’s belligerence. The bizarre thing about Trump claiming to have taken that perhaps unanticipated result to heart is that Trump has himself repeatedly kicked out top justice officials. He’s fired or overseen the firing of officials ranging from FBI Director James Comey to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Yet, Trump wants us to believe that he’s learned the problems inherent in firing people anyway.
A quote that will be much talked about. President Trump said on Fox News moments ago: “I learned a lot from Richard Nixon, don’t fire people. I learned a lot by watching Richard Nixon.” He added, “I did nothing wrong and there are no tapes in my case.” — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 8, 2020
He told the Fox & Friends hosts:
‘I learned a lot from Richard Nixon. Don’t fire people. I learned a lot. I study history. And the firing of everybody — I should’ve in one way, but I’m glad I didn’t, because look at the way it turned out. They’re all a bunch of crooks and they got caught. Of course there was one difference, one big difference. Number one, he may have been guilty. And number two, he had tapes all over the place. I wasn’t guilty. I did nothing wrong, and there are no tapes. But I wish there were tapes in my case.’
Nixon’s attorney general went to prison and Harding’s only avoided the same fate after two hung juries, and yet Trump’s attorney general is still in the running to be the worst person ever to hold that office. — Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) May 7, 2020
Nixon “may have been guilty”? Is Trump seriously trying to come to the defense of Richard Nixon? If he wasn’t as guilty as all of the rest of the indicted individuals, then why did he resign? Why did the following president, Gerald Ford, feel the need to grant Nixon an unconditional pardon? If Trump is as much of a student of history as he dubiously claims, then he could have anticipated these questions rather than laughably suggesting that maybe Nixon wasn’t so guilty after all.
Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his illicit Russian contacts. His lies do not now become truths. This dismissal does not exonerate him. But it does incriminate Bill Barr. In the worst politicization of the Justice Department in its history. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 7, 2020
Trump has wrapped himself into the delusion that he himself did nothing wrong. Is that why numerous members of his inner circle have faced criminal charges and jail time stemming from the Russia investigation? Whether behind-the-scenes or publicly, it’s “wrong” for Trump to have called for and de facto accepted help from the Russians during the 2016 presidential race. Trump can’t just wish that fact out of existence.
Trump’s campaign invited Russian help, made full use of it, then covered it up. Then, Trump sought more illicit help from Ukraine, leading to his impeachment and a bipartisan vote to convict. Read just released transcripts from our Russia investigation:https://t.co/NdE68xDBCW — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 7, 2020
Trump’s team is still trying to sweep the Russia investigation under the rug. In recent days, the Trump appointee-led Justice Department dropped charges against admitted liar Michael Flynn. House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) insisted in response that “the Justice Dept lost 50 years worth of ground in maintaining its independence post-Watergate… And once again, Barr has undermined the legitimacy of our justice system and the rule of law.”
By dropping the case against Flynn, the Justice Dept lost 50 years worth of ground in maintaining its independence post-Watergate. Once again, Bill Barr is doing Trump's dirty work. And once again, Barr has undermined the legitimacy of our justice system and the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/lUuRoqFqeD — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 8, 2020


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--Trump Tweets Anarchist Threats Against Rule Of Law

This week , amidst the Coronavirus pandemic , the Trump team carried out yet another affront against the rule of law via dropping the charges against disgraced former Trump adviser Michael Flynn , who had admitted to lying to federal investigators about his communications with the then-Russian Ambassador to the United States .
Attorney General Bill Barr , who is a Trump appointee ( of course ) , insisted that the case against Flynn had been out of place from the start .
Amidst fierce criticism of that sharp politicization of the Justice Department , Trump himself glibly tweeted this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line with Barr ’ s favor to Flynn might be coming soon .
Throughout the Russia scandal and subsequent lengthy investigations , Trump has painted himself as some kind of innocent victim who ’ s been targeted by nefarious players in the “ deep state ” who ’ ve tried to topple his presidency on the basis of made-up accusations of collusion with the Russians .
That is a ludicrous assessment of the situation .
Trump literally stood on camera and proclaimed at one point that Russia should hack into Hillary Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willful ignorance , Trump tweeted this Friday morning : The president is , quite simply , completely self-deluded .
Flynn admitted to lying to authorities .
Yet , Barr seems to have decided to drop the case against him out of some kind of sense of personal offense at its existence .
Barr has responded to criticism with increasingly unhinged assertions about the supposedly broadly sweeping power of authorities like himself .
For example , during a CBS interview , he suggested that his place in history for dropping the charges against Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might makes right ” and the victors get to write the history .

This week, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, the Trump team carried out yet another affront against the rule of law via dropping the charges against disgraced former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, who had admitted to lying to federal investigators about his communications with the then-Russian Ambassador to the United States. Attorney General Bill Barr, who is a Trump appointee (of course), insisted that the case against Flynn had been out of place from the start. Amidst fierce criticism of that sharp politicization of the Justice Department, Trump himself glibly tweeted this Friday morning that “MUCH more” in line with Barr’s favor to Flynn might be coming soon.
I want to live in a country that works as hard for justice for Ahmaud Arbery as it worked to cover up for Mike Flynn’s crimes and betrayals. But this is who we actually are. And it’s not a pretty picture. — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) May 7, 2020
Throughout the Russia scandal and subsequent lengthy investigations, Trump has painted himself as some kind of innocent victim who’s been targeted by nefarious players in the “deep state” who’ve tried to topple his presidency on the basis of made-up accusations of collusion with the Russians. That is a ludicrous assessment of the situation. Trump literally stood on camera and proclaimed at one point that Russia should hack into Hillary Clinton’s emails. Yet, in willful ignorance, Trump tweeted this Friday morning:
‘Yesterday was a BIG day for Justice in the USA. Congratulations to General Flynn, and many others. I do believe there is MUCH more to come! Dirty Cops and Crooked Politicians do not go well together!’
Yesterday was a BIG day for Justice in the USA. Congratulations to General Flynn, and many others. I do believe there is MUCH more to come! Dirty Cops and Crooked Politicians do not go well together! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2020
The president is, quite simply, completely self-deluded. Flynn admitted to lying to authorities. Yet, Barr seems to have decided to drop the case against him out of some kind of sense of personal offense at its existence.
REPORTER: How will history look back on your decision to drop charges against Flynn? BILL BARR: “Well, history is written by the winners. So it largely depends on who’s writing the history.” pic.twitter.com/GVr2bIaavc — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 7, 2020
Barr has responded to criticism with increasingly unhinged assertions about the supposedly broadly sweeping power of authorities like himself. For example, during a CBS interview, he suggested that his place in history for dropping the charges against Flynn didn’t really matter because “might makes right” and the victors get to write the history.
Bill Barr has consistently done Donald Trump's bidding and corrupted our justice system. I called for it last year and I'll say it again: he must resign. pic.twitter.com/atbmMMQRLw — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 7, 2020
Check out Twitter’s response to Trump below…
You fired Flynn for lying to you. Now you congratulate him. Yeah….that makes sense. https://t.co/MttNuH1yMX — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 8, 2020
Project much, moron? Big day for justice? As in, getting rid of it? https://t.co/shvvRyRzXK pic.twitter.com/upNEJiE1ja — JR Horsting (@JRHorsting) May 8, 2020
Dirty cops & crooked politicians? … so really he means himself & his – what is basically – regime! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HE'S BOTH STUPID & CORRUPT! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS SHIT?! #Biden2020 (I can't believe anyone is stupider than @realDonaldTrump but his supporters are!) https://t.co/kBYjMbYRqm — Jennifer Halligan💛⚾🐘💚🌊 (@Baseball_Jen) May 8, 2020
@realDonaldTrump Coming soon. The Trial of the Century. The United States vs Donald Trump and enablers for crimes against America and humanity. #TrumpTrial2021 #IndictTrump https://t.co/QGtCDZzWMI — David Mc (@DavidMc64338277) May 8, 2020
With coronavirus deaths rising and the unemployment hitting the highest level since the Great Depression, President Trump is focused on undermining the rule of law to protect his political allies. https://t.co/aloaRTfto2 — American Oversight (@weareoversight) May 8, 2020
Another knife to the heart of the Rule of Law and another step towards a Corrupt Autocracy. https://t.co/h6cbjKD3p5 — Proud Navy Veteran 🌊⚓🇺🇸 (@naretevduorp) May 8, 2020
I would love to hear what his explanation of "justice" means. Flynn pleaded guilty to helping rig the 2016 election, but somehow that's a victory? You're completely unhinged. Karma's a bitch, Don. https://t.co/SrSqXKa0Wc — Noble Prize Vice Chairman (@PaulHoferer) May 8, 2020


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--MSNBC Hits Trump With Montage Of COVID Failures

By just about all available metrics , President Donald Trump ’ s response to the Coronavirus pandemic has failed .
Over 77,000 Americans have died , and almost 1.3 million Americans have been infected by the Coronavirus as of mid-Friday morning , following weeks and months of Trump spiraling into his delusional self-congratulations for a supposed job well done .
This week , MSNBC aired a devastating montage outlining the president ’ s abject failures .
In the footage , Trump ’ s repeated dismissals of the significance of the pandemic are paired with grim data showing the gradually increasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Trump has blamed everyone from Barack Obama to the World Health Organization to China for the outbreak ’ s devastating U.S. effects , but he ’ s the one who has stood in front of the U.S. and insisted over and over that there ’ s nothing to be concerned about .
Check it out below : The examples in which Trump has wheeled out utter nonsense in an attempt to stem concern about the Coronavirus in the name of salvaging his public image are numerous .
On February 26 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press conference : Later that month , on February 28 , Trump insisted at a rally in South Carolina that Coronavirus concern was the Democrats ’ “ new hoax.
” The next day , the White House announced the first confirmed death from Coronavirus in the United States .
The case was the tip of the iceberg , since while Trump golfed and mocked those who were concerned about the virus spreading , his administration wasted the time in which they could have worked to clamp down on the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first confirmed cases on about the same day .
South Korea is now at about 211 Coronavirus cases per million residents .
The U.S. is at a full 3,913 cases per million residents , and the numbers are quickly rising .
On every single day since March 31 , the U.S. has reported an average of 20,000 cases or more a day , and sometimes , the figures have been much higher .
Trump ’ s excuses for his behavior have been widely variable .
For instance , as documented in the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his administration inherited defective Coronavirus testing equipment from the Obama administration .
That ’ s impossible , because no Coronavirus tests existed during Obama ’ s tenure , because the disease had not been identified .
Trump ’ s own administration is the one that dropped the ball and squandered the opportunity to implement the widespread early testing that could have given authorities the chance to stem the spread of the disease .
Next up is the question of safely reopening the economy via lifting the social distancing measures that have been implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Trump ’ s reopening plans — or lack thereof — have taken their toll .
The University of Washington now estimates more than 134,000 total Coronavirus deaths in the U.S .

By just about all available metrics, President Donald Trump’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic has failed. Over 77,000 Americans have died, and almost 1.3 million Americans have been infected by the Coronavirus as of mid-Friday morning, following weeks and months of Trump spiraling into his delusional self-congratulations for a supposed job well done. This week, MSNBC aired a devastating montage outlining the president’s abject failures. In the footage, Trump’s repeated dismissals of the significance of the pandemic are paired with grim data showing the gradually increasing numbers of Coronavirus cases and deaths in the U.S.
Trump has blamed everyone from Barack Obama to the World Health Organization to China for the outbreak’s devastating U.S. effects, but he’s the one who has stood in front of the U.S. and insisted over and over that there’s nothing to be concerned about.
As the video opens, a caption reads:
‘Over 70,000 Americans lost; over 1 million Americans infected, as a result of Donald Trump’s leadership.’
Check it out below:
The examples in which Trump has wheeled out utter nonsense in an attempt to stem concern about the Coronavirus in the name of salvaging his public image are numerous. On February 26, for instance, Trump commented at a White House press conference:
‘When you have fifteen people, and the fifteen, within a couple of days, it’s going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done… I don’t think [growth] is inevitable. I don’t think it’s inevitable.’
Later that month, on February 28, Trump insisted at a rally in South Carolina that Coronavirus concern was the Democrats’ “new hoax.” The next day, the White House announced the first confirmed death from Coronavirus in the United States.
The case was the tip of the iceberg, since while Trump golfed and mocked those who were concerned about the virus spreading, his administration wasted the time in which they could have worked to clamp down on the virus. The U.S. and South Korea reported their first confirmed cases on about the same day. South Korea is now at about 211 Coronavirus cases per million residents. The U.S. is at a full 3,913 cases per million residents, and the numbers are quickly rising. On every single day since March 31, the U.S. has reported an average of 20,000 cases or more a day, and sometimes, the figures have been much higher.
Trump’s excuses for his behavior have been widely variable. For instance, as documented in the new MSNBC montage, Trump has claimed that his administration inherited defective Coronavirus testing equipment from the Obama administration. That’s impossible, because no Coronavirus tests existed during Obama’s tenure, because the disease had not been identified. Trump’s own administration is the one that dropped the ball and squandered the opportunity to implement the widespread early testing that could have given authorities the chance to stem the spread of the disease.
Next up is the question of safely reopening the economy via lifting the social distancing measures that have been implemented in attempts to stem the spread of the virus. Trump’s reopening plans — or lack thereof — have taken their toll. The University of Washington now estimates more than 134,000 total Coronavirus deaths in the U.S.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-08--Senator Publicly Shames Barr For Dropping Flynn Charges

In recent days , the Justice Department dropped its case against disgraced former Trump adviser Michael Flynn , who had been caught lying to federal investigators about his communications with the then-Russian Ambassador to the United States .
Trump-appointed Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s team at the Justice Department insisted that the case against Flynn had supposedly been out of place since the start , and pressed about the broader implications of his actions during a recently aired interview , Barr quipped that it doesn ’ t really matter because history is written by the winners .
Sen. Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many aghast at the attorney general ’ s behavior , since upholding some rule of law that outlasts the ebbs and flows of power struggles is supposed to be Barr ’ s job .
‘ My god .
The entire idea of the rule of law – that thing the Attorney General is supposed to be in charge of upholding – is predicated on the outcome of elections NOT mattering when it comes to the operation of the legal system.
’ There was no shortage of fierce criticism for Barr from many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stein , for instance , noted : Is he aware of who he works for ?
Does he really expect us to listen to this bemoaning of a supposed loss of a sense of justice from a top official in the administration of wannabe dictator Trump and not take it as absolutely ridiculous ?
Asked how history would look back on his decision to drop the case against Flynn , Barr commented : For the top law enforcement official to insist that , basically , “ might makes right ” is not exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the rule of law in the United States .
Check out more Twitter reactions below :

In recent days, the Justice Department dropped its case against disgraced former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, who had been caught lying to federal investigators about his communications with the then-Russian Ambassador to the United States. Trump-appointed Attorney General Bill Barr’s team at the Justice Department insisted that the case against Flynn had supposedly been out of place since the start, and pressed about the broader implications of his actions during a recently aired interview, Barr quipped that it doesn’t really matter because history is written by the winners. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) was among the many aghast at the attorney general’s behavior, since upholding some rule of law that outlasts the ebbs and flows of power struggles is supposed to be Barr’s job.
Wow. So #BillBarr has gone full 1984. Hensatid winners write history in response to being asked how history will look at him dropping Flynn's case. #VoteBlueToEndThisNightmare #VoteBlueNoMatterWho #VoteBlue https://t.co/gVOZFabYJv — Julien Demassey (@frubanoid) May 8, 2020
Murphy commented on Twitter:
‘My god. The entire idea of the rule of law – that thing the Attorney General is supposed to be in charge of upholding – is predicated on the outcome of elections NOT mattering when it comes to the operation of the legal system.’
My god. The entire idea of the rule of law – that thing the Attorney General is supposed to be in charge of upholding – is predicated on the outcome of elections NOT mattering when it comes to the operation of the legal system https://t.co/nFxz0Nf49G — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 8, 2020
There was no shortage of fierce criticism for Barr from many other public figures as well. Writer Adam Stein, for instance, noted:
‘The head of the American justice system now saying publicly that there is no good or bad except what the strongest want. The definition of autocracy.’
Barr, originally, had laughably commented:
‘I think it’s sad that nowadays, these partisan feelings are so strong that people have lost any sense of justice.’
Is he aware of who he works for? Does he really expect us to listen to this bemoaning of a supposed loss of a sense of justice from a top official in the administration of wannabe dictator Trump and not take it as absolutely ridiculous?
The head of the American justice system now saying publicly that there is no good or bad except what the strongest want. The definition of autocracy. https://t.co/7bgdzw0rEb — Adam Stein (@adamstein) May 8, 2020
Asked how history would look back on his decision to drop the case against Flynn, Barr commented:
‘Well, history is written by the winners. So it largely depends on who’s writing the history.’
For the top law enforcement official to insist that, basically, “might makes right” is not exactly reassuring when it comes to the future of the rule of law in the United States.
REPORTER: How will history look back on your decision to drop charges against Flynn? BILL BARR: “Well, history is written by the winners. So it largely depends on who’s writing the history.” pic.twitter.com/GVr2bIaavc — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 7, 2020
Check out more Twitter reactions below:


bipartisanreport--2020-05-10--Republican Says We Should Let COVID Kill People

A city official in Antioch , California , which has a population of over 100,000 people , has been removed from his position after comments surfaced in which he suggested that the Coronavirus should be essentially welcomed because it could kill people , like the homeless and immunocompromised elderly individuals , who he called a “ drain on society.
” The person behind these nasty sentiments is Ken Turnage II , who led the city planning commission until the City Council voted to remove him from his post recently .
Turnage made the comments on Facebook , and , stunningly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back down from his murderous position following predictable backlash .
He ’ d written on Facebook that “ [ if ] we were to live our lives , let nature run its course , yes we will all feel hardship , we will all feel loss , ” but , he added , “ the deaths would alleviate strain on the country ’ s healthcare and Social Security systems and free up jobs and housing , ” as the Los Angeles Times summarizes .
So , instead of seeking to simply improve social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to kill off large swaths of the population so that competition for the meager provisions that are already available supposedly gets a little bit easier .
He wrote on Facebook that when it comes to “ our homeless and other people who just defile themselves by either choice or mental issues , ” the Coronavirus could “ fix what is a significant burden on our society.
” Turnage appears , in short , to be living in some white knight fantasy in which he and those willing to entertain his ideas hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salvation .
In truth , he is delusional .
Viruses don ’ t pick and choose who they infect .
If homeless people and elderly individuals get infected with the virus , then other people are going to get infected too , and other people are going to die as well .
Does Turnage want to be the one to tell these people ’ s families that their loved ones were supposed “ drains on society ” who he thought the world was better off without ?
Or does he want to ensnare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have someone else do that “ dirty work ” ?
In an angry video posted in response to criticism , Turnage suggested that people offended at his remarks needed to go back to their “ safe space.
” He ranted : ‘ Yes , I do understand some of the analogies I made could ’ ve been done differently… .
And for that , I wish I would have done something different , but I didn ’ t .
Reality does not fit our moral compass… and sometimes it makes us uncomfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You and I both have the constitutional right to an opinion .
Doesn ’ t matter if people like it… .
I really wish people that were sensitive and needed their safe space would have stayed away from my space.
’ What a tool .
The issue at hand does not revolve around safe spaces .
Turnage is literally proposing mass murder , and yet , he suggests that anyone who dares to challenge him is just a snowflake who needs to accept that there ’ s a difference of opinion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively respond to the pandemic , the University of Washington has revised their forecast for the eventual total death toll in the United States up to over 134,000 .

A city official in Antioch, California, which has a population of over 100,000 people, has been removed from his position after comments surfaced in which he suggested that the Coronavirus should be essentially welcomed because it could kill people, like the homeless and immunocompromised elderly individuals, who he called a “drain on society.” The person behind these nasty sentiments is Ken Turnage II, who led the city planning commission until the City Council voted to remove him from his post recently. Turnage made the comments on Facebook, and, stunningly, he’s mostly refused to back down from his murderous position following predictable backlash.
He’d written on Facebook that “[if] we were to live our lives, let nature run its course, yes we will all feel hardship, we will all feel loss,” but, he added, “the deaths would alleviate strain on the country’s healthcare and Social Security systems and free up jobs and housing,” as the Los Angeles Times summarizes. So, instead of seeking to simply improve social support systems, Turnage’s idea is to kill off large swaths of the population so that competition for the meager provisions that are already available supposedly gets a little bit easier. He wrote on Facebook that when it comes to “our homeless and other people who just defile themselves by either choice or mental issues,” the Coronavirus could “fix what is a significant burden on our society.”
Turnage appears, in short, to be living in some white knight fantasy in which he and those willing to entertain his ideas hold the key to some kind of societal salvation. In truth, he is delusional. Viruses don’t pick and choose who they infect. If homeless people and elderly individuals get infected with the virus, then other people are going to get infected too, and other people are going to die as well. Does Turnage want to be the one to tell these people’s families that their loved ones were supposed “drains on society” who he thought the world was better off without? Or does he want to ensnare someone else in his mass murder plan and have someone else do that “dirty work”?
In an angry video posted in response to criticism, Turnage suggested that people offended at his remarks needed to go back to their “safe space.” He ranted:
‘Yes, I do understand some of the analogies I made could’ve been done differently…. And for that, I wish I would have done something different, but I didn’t. Reality does not fit our moral compass… and sometimes it makes us uncomfortable, even other people’s opinions…. You and I both have the constitutional right to an opinion. Doesn’t matter if people like it…. I really wish people that were sensitive and needed their safe space would have stayed away from my space.’
What a tool. The issue at hand does not revolve around safe spaces. Turnage is literally proposing mass murder, and yet, he suggests that anyone who dares to challenge him is just a snowflake who needs to accept that there’s a difference of opinion in the world.
Amidst the struggles to effectively respond to the pandemic, the University of Washington has revised their forecast for the eventual total death toll in the United States up to over 134,000.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-09--GOP Gov. Threatens Native Tribes Over COVID Checkpoints

South Dakota ’ s Republican Governor Kristi Noem , who has resisted calls for aggressive action against the Coronavirus outbreak even as state after state have implemented social distancing demands , is now threatening two Native American tribes in her state with legal action over checkpoints that they have set up around their reservations .
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe are “ using checkpoints to monitor highway traffic into the reservation , ” the local SDPB radio station reports .
The Oglala Sioux Tribe promptly closed their reservation ’ s borders upon the detection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders have still been allowing for commercial and essential travel .
The tribes do not appear interested in abiding by Noem ’ s demand .
A spokesperson for the Oglala Sioux Tribe added that Noem ’ s demand supposedly “ lacks legal merit , ” according to local media , although that same outlet notes that “ last month , the Bureau of Indian Affairs said the tribes can not set up checkpoints without consulting with the state.
” Republican leaders like Noem have largely helped exacerbate the scope of that “ sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States .
The U.S. is passing the point of 80,000 deaths from the Coronavirus this weekend , and as states have rushed to reopen their economies via lifting social distancing demands , the University of Washington has projected that as many as 134,000 people or more could end up dying in the U.S. due to the virus .
President Donald Trump himself has encouraged those dangerous reopening efforts , insisting , for instance , that his followers should “ liberate ” certain states that have stay-at-home orders in place .
Noem has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circles .
And on the flip side of that , conservative leaders like Trump have lashed out endlessly against figures who dare to break with the Noem style .
His claims are , quite simply , nonsense .
Opening a polling place in a high population area that didn ’ t have one is not some kind of anti-Republican scheme .
It simply constitutes protecting access to the ballot box for people who have been impacted by the Coronavirus epidemic , which Trump has preferred to ignore .

South Dakota’s Republican Governor Kristi Noem, who has resisted calls for aggressive action against the Coronavirus outbreak even as state after state have implemented social distancing demands, is now threatening two Native American tribes in her state with legal action over checkpoints that they have set up around their reservations. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe are “using checkpoints to monitor highway traffic into the reservation,” the local SDPB radio station reports. The Oglala Sioux Tribe promptly closed their reservation’s borders upon the detection of Coronavirus in the state, although local leaders have still been allowing for commercial and essential travel.
Noem countered:
‘We are strongest when we work together; this includes our battle against COVID-19. I request that the tribes immediately cease interfering with or regulating traffic on US and State Highways and remove all travel checkpoints.’
Two NA tribes in South Dakota set up checkpoints to screen people coming in and out of their reservations for COVID-19. Governor Kristi Noem, who never signed a stay-at-home order, is threatening to sue if they don’t remove them. https://t.co/uaiaWYx95K — Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) May 9, 2020
The tribes do not appear interested in abiding by Noem’s demand.
SDPB poignantly reports:
‘Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Harold Fraizer says they’re declining the governor’s request. He says the tribe will not apologize for being an island of safety in a sea of uncertainty and death.’
Today’s a good day to be indigenous 🙌🏽 I can’t believe our tribe is making history & news about closing the borders onto our reservation. Our Chairman’s response to Kristi Noem is badass. “We will not apologize for being an island of safety in a sea of uncertainty and death” ♥ pic.twitter.com/PX1xhDT5Rm — mclovin 🌵 (@jaydakolee) May 8, 2020
A spokesperson for the Oglala Sioux Tribe added that Noem’s demand supposedly “lacks legal merit,” according to local media, although that same outlet notes that “last month, the Bureau of Indian Affairs said the tribes cannot set up checkpoints without consulting with the state.”
@govkristinoem you are putting people at risk and embarrassing yourself by implying tribes are in the wrong. If you won’t protect them, they will do it themselves. Shame on you. https://t.co/aezz5axBI4 — Samantha (@slj_nyc) May 9, 2020
Republican leaders like Noem have largely helped exacerbate the scope of that “sea of uncertainty and death” within the United States. The U.S. is passing the point of 80,000 deaths from the Coronavirus this weekend, and as states have rushed to reopen their economies via lifting social distancing demands, the University of Washington has projected that as many as 134,000 people or more could end up dying in the U.S. due to the virus. President Donald Trump himself has encouraged those dangerous reopening efforts, insisting, for instance, that his followers should “liberate” certain states that have stay-at-home orders in place.
Meanwhile, one Twitter user posted, addressing Noem directly:
‘You need to respect the sovereignty of Tribal Leadership whose only recourse during this time of pandemic is restricting access. Native communities have the least access to healthcare. Elders can’t be replaced.’
You need to respect the sovereignty of Tribal Leadership whose only recourse during this time of pandemic is restricting access. Native communities have the least access to healthcare. Elders can’t be replaced. — Skye Howell (@RestorativeEDUC) May 9, 2020
Noem has a lot of supporters in right-wing political circles. And on the flip side of that, conservative leaders like Trump have lashed out endlessly against figures who dare to break with the Noem style.
This Saturday, he tweeted angrily:
‘Governor @GavinNewsom of California won’t let restaurants, beaches and stores open, but he installs a voting booth system in a highly Democrat area (supposed to be mail in ballots only) because our great candidate, @MikeGarcia2020 , is winning by a lot. CA25 Rigged Election!’
Governor @GavinNewsom of California won’t let restaurants, beaches and stores open, but he installs a voting booth system in a highly Democrat area (supposed to be mail in ballots only) because our great candidate, @MikeGarcia2020, is winning by a lot. CA25 Rigged Election! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2020
His claims are, quite simply, nonsense. Opening a polling place in a high population area that didn’t have one is not some kind of anti-Republican scheme. It simply constitutes protecting access to the ballot box for people who have been impacted by the Coronavirus epidemic, which Trump has preferred to ignore.


bipartisanreport--2020-05-09--New 2020 Presidential Poll Shows Trump Slipping Big Time

Heading into November , President Donald Trump can definitely not count on cruising to re-election .
Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic , polls indicate that Trump ’ s support among senior voters has been shrinking dramatically .
One recent set of polling data from Morning Consult indicated that voters 65 years and older disapproved of Trump ’ s handling of the Coronavirus outbreak at a sharper rate than almost every other age group , excluding only individuals who are 18 through 29 years old .
In that data , senior citizens ’ approval of Trump plummeted by a stunning 20 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The New York Times outlines in a new report how lastingly that Trump has jeopardized his standing among seniors .
‘ In critical states like Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Florida , all of which have large older populations , Mr. Trump ’ s advantage with older voters has been essential to his political success ; in 2016 , he won voters over the age of 65 by seven percentage points , according to national exit poll data .
But seniors are also the most vulnerable to the global pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people familiar with the numbers said , show Mr. Trump ’ s support among voters over the age of 65 softening to a concerning degree , as he pushes to reopen the country ’ s economy at the expense of stopping a virus that puts them at the greatest risk.
’ In that same Morning Consult polling , “ By a nearly 6-to-1 margin , people 65 years old and older say it ’ s more important for the government to address the spread of coronavirus than it is to focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports .
News reports throughout the spread of the virus have indicated the unique threat that the disease seems to pose to older Americans , and the U.S. death toll is fast approaching 80,000 .
The toll will seemingly reach that point within days — and throughout the crisis , Trump has positioned himself to the exact opposite of many seniors , clearly prioritizing economic concerns right alongside if not higher than public health concerns .
Trump is consistently losing to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in polls on the national level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically older voters .
As the Times notes , “ in recent polls [ Biden ] held a 10-point advantage over Mr. Trump among voters who are 65 and older , ” and that ’ s not exactly an insignificant margin .
These older voters ’ support for Biden could be crucial to pushing the Democratic contender over the edge .
Democratic strategist Geoff Garin noted to the Times that “ a durable change with older voters… could well cost Trump the election.
” Trump has consistently declined to take concerning aspects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public commentary suggests that he thinks that he is doing great and that there ’ s nothing to be concerned about .
He has routinely touted numbers like the television ratings for his Coronavirus-related press conferences and polls showing a significant number of Americans in support of his Coronavirus response , although those polls have dropped off significantly since the earlier stages of the pandemic as confirmed cases and deaths in the U.S. have continued to rise .

Heading into November, President Donald Trump can definitely not count on cruising to re-election. Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, polls indicate that Trump’s support among senior voters has been shrinking dramatically. One recent set of polling data from Morning Consult indicated that voters 65 years and older disapproved of Trump’s handling of the Coronavirus outbreak at a sharper rate than almost every other age group, excluding only individuals who are 18 through 29 years old. In that data, senior citizens’ approval of Trump plummeted by a stunning 20 percent from the previous edition of the polling. The New York Times outlines in a new report how lastingly that Trump has jeopardized his standing among seniors.
The publication notes:
‘In critical states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida, all of which have large older populations, Mr. Trump’s advantage with older voters has been essential to his political success; in 2016, he won voters over the age of 65 by seven percentage points, according to national exit poll data. But seniors are also the most vulnerable to the global pandemic, and the campaign’s internal polls, people familiar with the numbers said, show Mr. Trump’s support among voters over the age of 65 softening to a concerning degree, as he pushes to reopen the country’s economy at the expense of stopping a virus that puts them at the greatest risk.’
In that same Morning Consult polling, “By a nearly 6-to-1 margin, people 65 years old and older say it’s more important for the government to address the spread of coronavirus than it is to focus on the economy,” the polling organization reports. News reports throughout the spread of the virus have indicated the unique threat that the disease seems to pose to older Americans, and the U.S. death toll is fast approaching 80,000. The toll will seemingly reach that point within days — and throughout the crisis, Trump has positioned himself to the exact opposite of many seniors, clearly prioritizing economic concerns right alongside if not higher than public health concerns.
Trump is consistently losing to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in polls on the national level, in swing states, and among specifically older voters. As the Times notes, “in recent polls [Biden] held a 10-point advantage over Mr. Trump among voters who are 65 and older,” and that’s not exactly an insignificant margin.
These older voters’ support for Biden could be crucial to pushing the Democratic contender over the edge. Democratic strategist Geoff Garin noted to the Times that “a durable change with older voters… could well cost Trump the election.”
Trump has consistently declined to take concerning aspects of the road ahead seriously. His incessant public commentary suggests that he thinks that he is doing great and that there’s nothing to be concerned about. He has routinely touted numbers like the television ratings for his Coronavirus-related press conferences and polls showing a significant number of Americans in support of his Coronavirus response, although those polls have dropped off significantly since the earlier stages of the pandemic as confirmed cases and deaths in the U.S. have continued to rise.