bipartisanreport--2020-03-19--Pelosi Makes Thursday Trump/War Powers Statement

Pretend General Donald J. Trump has reported for not-duty , dressed for battle .
Unfortunately , he has no idea how to handle a crisis of this magnitude .
His dislike for strong women is well-known , especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) .
Yet , the Speaker is not one to give up in the face of adversity .
She called on POTUS to implement the Defense Production Act .
This act works like car manufacturers geared up to build fighter planes during World War II ( WWII ) This act mobilizes private industry to ramp up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Private businesses could start moving to provide medical providers what they direly need right now .
Some providers are down to their last face masks , and they can not get tests to see whether they have and are carrying coronavirus .
Pelosi released a statement urging Trump to deal with the cascading toolbox of materials he had at his disposal and that would address widespread national shortages .
Medical providers urgently need masks , test supplies , ventilators , protective equipment , and more .
He has balked for fantasy reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) inexplicably gave the Senate a long weekend and five full days before dealing with the House ’ s coronavirus legislation .
The House could have handed off their bill to McConnell on Saturday .
Last week , 57 House Democrats wrote a letter to Trump urging him to implement the Defense Production Act .
POTUS noted that he had signed the act , but he just did not feel like implementing it yet .
Pelosi released an urgent statement : The most powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is not a day to lose : ” ‘ The President must immediately use the powers of the Defense Production Act to mass produce and coordinate distribution of these critical supplies , before the need worsens and the shortages become even more dire .
There is not a day to lose .
We must put more testing , more protective equipment and more ventilators into the hands of our frontline workers immediately .
On Wednesday , Trump addressed the issue , according to NBC News : Why would the president sign the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what he said : Pelosi warned him against waiting .
Any delay would be a huge blunder .
She noted that he should : Twitter world blew up when Pelosi had to tell Trump how to do his job .
He likes to dress up and play general with all of his soldiers to move around .
This is how America responded : The Mueller Report Adventures : In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page .
These quick , two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people .
Mueller Bite-Sizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mystery .
Interestingly enough , Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order .

Pretend General Donald J. Trump has reported for not-duty, dressed for battle. Unfortunately, he has no idea how to handle a crisis of this magnitude. His dislike for strong women is well-known, especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Yet, the Speaker is not one to give up in the face of adversity. She called on POTUS to implement the Defense Production Act.
This act works like car manufacturers geared up to build fighter planes during World War II (WWII) This act mobilizes private industry to ramp up production in the name of national security. Private businesses could start moving to provide medical providers what they direly need right now. Some providers are down to their last face masks, and they cannot get tests to see whether they have and are carrying coronavirus.
Pelosi released a statement urging Trump to deal with the cascading toolbox of materials he had at his disposal and that would address widespread national shortages. Medical providers urgently need masks, test supplies, ventilators, protective equipment, and more. He has balked for fantasy reasons, and then he tweeted:
‘I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER!’
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) inexplicably gave the Senate a long weekend and five full days before dealing with the House’s coronavirus legislation. The House could have handed off their bill to McConnell on Saturday. Last week, 57 House Democrats wrote a letter to Trump urging him to implement the Defense Production Act.
POTUS noted that he had signed the act, but he just did not feel like implementing it yet. Pelosi released an urgent statement:
‘Right now, shortages of critical medical and personal protective equipment are harming our ability to fight the coronavirus epidemic, endangering frontline workers and making it harder to care for those who fall ill.’
The most powerful woman in the United States continued “There is not a day to lose:”
‘The President must immediately use the powers of the Defense Production Act to mass produce and coordinate distribution of these critical supplies, before the need worsens and the shortages become even more dire. There is not a day to lose. We must put more testing, more protective equipment and more ventilators into the hands of our frontline workers immediately.
On Wednesday, Trump addressed the issue, according to NBC News:
‘I view it as, in a sense, a wartime president. I mean, that’s what we’re fighting. It’s a war It spread violently. It’s a very, very contagious virus.’
Why would the president sign the act but not implement it? This is what he said:
‘I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER!’
Pelosi warned him against waiting. Any delay would be a huge blunder. She noted that he should:
‘[I]mmediately [begin] mass produce and coordinate distribution of these critical supplies, before the need worsens and the shortages become even more dire.’ There is not a day to lose. We must put more testing, more protective equipment and more ventilators into the hands of our frontline workers immediately.’
Twitter world blew up when Pelosi had to tell Trump how to do his job. He likes to dress up and play general with all of his soldiers to move around. This is how America responded:
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Trump Abandons Plans To Cut CDC Funding Amid Pandemic

After weeks in which the Coronavirus outbreak has raged in the United States and around the world , the Trump administration has finally undone its request for Congress to cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) by a substantial amount .
As recently as last week , White House Budget Chief Russ Vought insisted — smack dab in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic — that there ’ d be no new budget proposal from the White House , but this Tuesday , it dropped .
Previously , the president ’ s team had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget at the CDC , along with $ 451 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) , which prominent Coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Anthony Fauci leads .
In the new budget proposal for the upcoming 2021 fiscal year , the president ’ s team wants to increase overall CDC funding to $ 8.3 billion , which works out to about $ 100 million more than current levels .
Vought ’ s new budget proposal also increases proposed NIAID funding by $ 440 million , which is slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his budget proposal update , Vought seemed to acknowledge the changing situation — meaning the Coronavirus .
He wrote : The budget request reversal only begins to scratch the surface of the rollbacks that the Trump administration has inflicted across the federal public health infrastructure .
The pandemic response team at the National Security Council , for instance , remains dissolved .
The Trump administration ’ s budget proposals , in any form , have always seemed well-poised to be simply completely ignored by Congress .
A wide array of draconian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health and Human Services have consistently made appearances in the proposals , and concerned observers have consistently denounced the plans .
In the wake of the original most recent budget proposal from the White House , Congressional Democrats had already spoken out .
The Democrat-led House Budget Committee insisted that the president ’ s latest Department of Health and Human Services budget “ jeopardizes the health care security of millions of Americans and their families ” because “ [ instead ] of investing in protecting public health and improving the health care programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget calls for massive funding cuts and extreme policy changes.
” Those hoped-for cuts included more than $ 900 billion slashed from Medicaid , around half a trillion dollars swiped from Medicare , and more , which flies in the face of the president ’ s repeated past insistence that he would protect those valuable social safety net programs .
Meanwhile , over in the Senate , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has just unveiled a new Coronavirus relief funding package , which Axios describes as “ one of the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history.
” It includes “ direct payments of $ 1,200 to individual Americans making less than $ 75,000 annually ” and large sums for a swath of industries that have been extremely hard-hit by Coronavirus response measures , ranging from small businesses to airlines .
Negotiations between the Republicans and Democrats are getting underway , but McConnell has insisted that the “ Senate is not going anywhere until we take action .
”

After weeks in which the Coronavirus outbreak has raged in the United States and around the world, the Trump administration has finally undone its request for Congress to cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by a substantial amount. As recently as last week, White House Budget Chief Russ Vought insisted — smack dab in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic — that there’d be no new budget proposal from the White House, but this Tuesday, it dropped.
Previously, the president’s team had proposed slashing $1.2 billion from the budget at the CDC, along with $451 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which prominent Coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Anthony Fauci leads. In the new budget proposal for the upcoming 2021 fiscal year, the president’s team wants to increase overall CDC funding to $8.3 billion, which works out to about $100 million more than current levels. Vought’s new budget proposal also increases proposed NIAID funding by $440 million, which is slightly below the office’s current budget.
In his budget proposal update, Vought seemed to acknowledge the changing situation — meaning the Coronavirus. He wrote:
‘This FY 2021 Budget amendment increases funding for CDC to ensure that the Agency has the resources beginning October 1, 2020, to continue its critical public health mission.’
The budget request reversal only begins to scratch the surface of the rollbacks that the Trump administration has inflicted across the federal public health infrastructure. The pandemic response team at the National Security Council, for instance, remains dissolved.
The Trump administration’s budget proposals, in any form, have always seemed well-poised to be simply completely ignored by Congress. A wide array of draconian cuts to departments ranging from State to Health and Human Services have consistently made appearances in the proposals, and concerned observers have consistently denounced the plans.
In the wake of the original most recent budget proposal from the White House, Congressional Democrats had already spoken out. The Democrat-led House Budget Committee insisted that the president’s latest Department of Health and Human Services budget “jeopardizes the health care security of millions of Americans and their families” because “[instead] of investing in protecting public health and improving the health care programs millions of Americans rely on, the budget calls for massive funding cuts and extreme policy changes.” Those hoped-for cuts included more than $900 billion slashed from Medicaid, around half a trillion dollars swiped from Medicare, and more, which flies in the face of the president’s repeated past insistence that he would protect those valuable social safety net programs.
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has just unveiled a new Coronavirus relief funding package, which Axios describes as “one of the largest and most expensive stimulus packages in American history.” It includes “direct payments of $1,200 to individual Americans making less than $75,000 annually” and large sums for a swath of industries that have been extremely hard-hit by Coronavirus response measures, ranging from small businesses to airlines. Negotiations between the Republicans and Democrats are getting underway, but McConnell has insisted that the “Senate is not going anywhere until we take action.”
Chuck Schumer today championed a number of Warren's proposals here, saying any bailout of business must be paired with conditions against firing employees, cutting salaries/benefits, rewarding execs, stock buybacks. "We cannot repeat the mistake that was made in 2008," he said. https://t.co/LbeiVF2K4h — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) March 19, 2020


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--WHO Official Speaks Out Against Usage Of ‘Chinese Virus’

Coronavirus cases and deaths are continuing to spike in the U.S. — and other hard-hit countries like Italy , where confirmed deaths from the virus have now surpassed those in China , which experienced the first major outbreak — but President Donald Trump is sticking to his racism , even as Americans suffer .
Despite the virus ’ s presence in countries around the globe and the ongoing global cooperation in an attempt to clamp down upon it , he ’ s now repeatedly and pettily publicly referred to the illness as the “ Chinese virus.
” On Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization ’ s Emergencies Program , joined those condemning the behavior .
At a press conference , a South China Morning Post reporter asked him about the “ Chinese virus ” phrase usage , and he replied : ‘ Viruses know no borders and they don ’ t care about your ethnicity , the color of your skin or how much money you have in the bank… anyone would regret profiling a virus along those lines .
This is a time for solidarity , this is a time for facts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together , to fight this virus together .
There is no blame in this .
All we need now is to identify the things we need to do to move forward quickly , with speed and to avoid any indication of ethnic or other associations with this virus.
’ Others , including at the WHO , have issued similar proclamations .
Trump has been persistent with his reference to the Coronavirus as the “ Chinese virus.
” A photo even circulated on the internet this Thursday of some of Trump ’ s notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the printed reference to the “ Coronavirus ” and scrawled “ Chinese ” in its place .
None of these racist monikers have any relevance to stopping the spread of the virus in the U.S. — what , does Trump think that if he calls the Coronavirus the “ Chinese virus ” enough times , it ’ ll get spooked and vaporize ?
Obviously not , but that ’ s the level of outlandishness to which he ’ s sunk .
He has been repeatedly confronted over his insistence on the term , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ not racist at all.
” The problem with that argument is that he spent weeks calling it the “ Coronavirus ” like everybody else , but when it burst into a more inescapable political issue , he switched into his racist antagonism mode and started with the “ Chinese virus ” phrase .
It ’ s far from the only issue with the Coronavirus response from the president and his team , although he might like it as a distraction .
Trump has claimed recently that he ’ s always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he even insisted that he knew it was or would be a pandemic before the declaration to that effect from the World Health Organization — but in reality , in past weeks , he ’ s repeatedly veered between calling concern over the virus a “ hoax ” and insisting , in contrast to the evidence , that it would soon be gone from the U.S. Now , the U.S. has reached the point of over 2,300 newly reported cases within just the last 12-18 hours or so , which brings the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting .
The Trump administration has proposed a stimulus package valued at around $ 1 trillion to help offset the economic upheaval from attempts to stem the virus ’ s spread .

Coronavirus cases and deaths are continuing to spike in the U.S. — and other hard-hit countries like Italy, where confirmed deaths from the virus have now surpassed those in China, which experienced the first major outbreak — but President Donald Trump is sticking to his racism, even as Americans suffer. Despite the virus’s presence in countries around the globe and the ongoing global cooperation in an attempt to clamp down upon it, he’s now repeatedly and pettily publicly referred to the illness as the “Chinese virus.” On Wednesday, Mike Ryan, the executive director of World Health Organization’s Emergencies Program, joined those condemning the behavior.
At a press conference, a South China Morning Post reporter asked him about the “Chinese virus” phrase usage, and he replied:
‘Viruses know no borders and they don’t care about your ethnicity, the color of your skin or how much money you have in the bank… anyone would regret profiling a virus along those lines. This is a time for solidarity, this is a time for facts, this is a time to move forward together, to fight this virus together. There is no blame in this. All we need now is to identify the things we need to do to move forward quickly, with speed and to avoid any indication of ethnic or other associations with this virus.’
Others, including at the WHO, have issued similar proclamations.
When talking about #COVID19, certain words & language may have a negative meaning for people and fuel stigmatizing attitudes https://t.co/yShiCMfYF3 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/d54qL4LY2H — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 2, 2020
Trump has been persistent with his reference to the Coronavirus as the “Chinese virus.” A photo even circulated on the internet this Thursday of some of Trump’s notes on which he’d crossed out the printed reference to the “Coronavirus” and scrawled “Chinese” in its place. None of these racist monikers have any relevance to stopping the spread of the virus in the U.S. — what, does Trump think that if he calls the Coronavirus the “Chinese virus” enough times, it’ll get spooked and vaporize? Obviously not, but that’s the level of outlandishness to which he’s sunk.
Close up of President @realDonaldTrump notes is seen where he crossed out "Corona" and replaced it with "Chinese" Virus as he speaks with his coronavirus task force today at the White House. #trump #trumpnotes pic.twitter.com/kVw9yrPPeJ — Jabin Botsford (@jabinbotsford) March 19, 2020
He has been repeatedly confronted over his insistence on the term, but he’s insisted that it’s “not racist at all.” The problem with that argument is that he spent weeks calling it the “Coronavirus” like everybody else, but when it burst into a more inescapable political issue, he switched into his racist antagonism mode and started with the “Chinese virus” phrase.
Q: "Why do you keep calling this the Chinese Virus?" President Trump: "It comes from China…it's not racist." Full video here: https://t.co/GwQnJ0pwmo pic.twitter.com/L1dD05z4RK — CSPAN (@cspan) March 18, 2020
It’s far from the only issue with the Coronavirus response from the president and his team, although he might like it as a distraction. Trump has claimed recently that he’s always taken the Coronavirus outbreak seriously, and he even insisted that he knew it was or would be a pandemic before the declaration to that effect from the World Health Organization — but in reality, in past weeks, he’s repeatedly veered between calling concern over the virus a “hoax” and insisting, in contrast to the evidence, that it would soon be gone from the U.S.
Now, the U.S. has reached the point of over 2,300 newly reported cases within just the last 12-18 hours or so, which brings the country’s total to over 11,500 and counting. The Trump administration has proposed a stimulus package valued at around $1 trillion to help offset the economic upheaval from attempts to stem the virus’s spread.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Top Counterterrorism Official Abruptly Fired By Trump New Hire

The president and his allies are continuing their apparent campaign to shape the federal government into a vehicle for Donald Trump ’ s wishes .
This Thursday , it emerged that the acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center had been fired the day before by Trump ’ s recently appointed acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell , whose “ qualifications ” included that he ’ s a Trump loyalist and that ’ s pretty much it .
At the Counterterrorism center , Russell E. Travers had been leading since last August after some four decades of public service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the name of apparent political expedience .
The Washington Post reports that “ insiders fear… a purge by the Trump administration of career professionals ” at the center , and “ Travers ’ s colleagues… are upset at the treatment of someone so well-regarded.
” Trump and his allies have long established their penchant for carrying out those kinds of purges .
Officials perceived as disloyal to Trump for whatever reason , from Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to FBI official Andrew McCabe , have been unceremoniously booted .
In Yovanovitch ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of harboring animosity towards Trump , while in McCabe ’ s case , his firing may have been based on animosity towards him and his colleagues for starting the Russia investigation .
In this case , Travers “ has been resistant to pressure to make personnel cuts at the center , which has been undergoing a review of its mission and effectiveness , ” according to The Post , which may have underlined his firing .
Travers ’ s acting deputy , Peter W. Hall , was fired at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has already announced his planned nominee to fill Travers ’ s old post in a more permanent capacity : Pentagon special operations and counterterrorism official Christopher Miller .
The downsizing that Travers apparently wasn ’ t entirely onboard with has been a priority for the president and his allies across the administration .
They ’ re the ones who completely eliminated the pandemic response unit from the National Security Council in the years prior to the Coronavirus emergence in recent weeks and months .
Other examples include the pressuring out of career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just Yovanovitch .
In this case , The Post reports : Trump has often bungled national security and counterterrorism issues .
He and his allies proclaimed that ISIS was “ defeated ” while the group still carried out terrorist attacks .
Trump then abruptly announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Syrian region where they ’ d been fighting against ISIS alongside local Kurds , which provided the opening both for some reported escapes of ISIS-related prisoners and brutal attacks from the Turkish military against local Kurds .
None of these stumbles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recall that Trump did not have a single second of national security experience prior to stepping foot in the White House .
Yet , we ’ re expected to trust him , lies and all , anyway .

The president and his allies are continuing their apparent campaign to shape the federal government into a vehicle for Donald Trump’s wishes. This Thursday, it emerged that the acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center had been fired the day before by Trump’s recently appointed acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, whose “qualifications” included that he’s a Trump loyalist and that’s pretty much it. At the Counterterrorism center, Russell E. Travers had been leading since last August after some four decades of public service — but now he’s out in the name of apparent political expedience.
Trump continues to fire intelligence professionals, this time at NCTC. Remember, dismantling the NSC pandemics office hurt our ability to manage #COVIDー19. We could be equally unprepared for the next crisis if Trump keeps going after professionals. https://t.co/v32QagbgCQ — Colin Kahl (@ColinKahl) March 19, 2020
The Washington Post reports that “insiders fear… a purge by the Trump administration of career professionals” at the center, and “Travers’s colleagues… are upset at the treatment of someone so well-regarded.” Trump and his allies have long established their penchant for carrying out those kinds of purges. Officials perceived as disloyal to Trump for whatever reason, from Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to FBI official Andrew McCabe, have been unceremoniously booted.
What Trump does while our attentions are diverted is as scary as the virus. Thank you for your excellent reporting — Joanne Gibbs (@jeg0657) March 19, 2020
In Yovanovitch’s case, she’d been baselessly accused of harboring animosity towards Trump, while in McCabe’s case, his firing may have been based on animosity towards him and his colleagues for starting the Russia investigation. In this case, Travers “has been resistant to pressure to make personnel cuts at the center, which has been undergoing a review of its mission and effectiveness,” according to The Post, which may have underlined his firing. Travers’s acting deputy, Peter W. Hall, was fired at the same time as his now former boss, and Trump has already announced his planned nominee to fill Travers’s old post in a more permanent capacity: Pentagon special operations and counterterrorism official Christopher Miller.
The downsizing that Travers apparently wasn’t entirely onboard with has been a priority for the president and his allies across the administration. They’re the ones who completely eliminated the pandemic response unit from the National Security Council in the years prior to the Coronavirus emergence in recent weeks and months. Other examples include the pressuring out of career officials across the State Department — not just Yovanovitch.
In this case, The Post reports:
‘As the threat from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State has diminished in recent years, intelligence community officials have been debating whether the NCTC, which is the largest component of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, needs to be as large as it is.’
Trump has often bungled national security and counterterrorism issues. He and his allies proclaimed that ISIS was “defeated” while the group still carried out terrorist attacks. Trump then abruptly announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Syrian region where they’d been fighting against ISIS alongside local Kurds, which provided the opening both for some reported escapes of ISIS-related prisoners and brutal attacks from the Turkish military against local Kurds.
None of these stumbles should be too surprising to those who recall that Trump did not have a single second of national security experience prior to stepping foot in the White House. Yet, we’re expected to trust him, lies and all, anyway.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--AOC Makes Daring Proclamation After Insider Trading Scandal

This week , the news broke that North Carolina ’ s Republican Senator Richard Burr seemed to have engaged in insider trading around the time that he received briefings about what became the Coronavirus pandemic .
Besides issuing private warnings to business leaders , he himself also apparently sold off some $ 1.5 million worth of stock in industries like hotels , which were poised to get hit hard by the then-incoming Coronavirus outbreak .
As outrage over Burr ’ s prioritization of his personal financial portfolio grew , prominent progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) — whose state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus outbreak — spoke out on Twitter , where she insisted that members of Congress should not own stock at all .
‘ Members of Congress should not be allowed to own individual stock .
We are here to serve the public , not to profiteer .
It ’ s shocking that it ’ s even been allowed up to this point.
’ Issues like those surrounding Burr ’ s case have raged before .
Ironically , he himself was one of only a few Senators to vote against the STOCK Act at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation specifically bans insider trading among members of Congress who may wish to shift their stock portfolio in response to private information .
In this case , Burr ’ s team initially completely dismissed the allegations against him .
A spokesperson told one outlet that Burr had conducted his stock sell-offs before the market volatility in the U.S. connected to the Coronavirus began , but that ’ s the point !
He ’ d been tipped off that volatility would be on the way , so , by all appearances , he rushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information .
Now , Burr — perhaps cognizant of the inescapable criticism for his behavior — has made a show of calling on the Senate Ethics Committee to open an investigation into his own case .
Burr asked for “ full transparency ” in that investigation , in an apparent attempt to get out ahead of the curve .
He ’ s not the only Senator who ’ s been under scrutiny .
Sens .
Kelly Loeffler ( R-Ga. ) , James Inhofe ( R-Okla. ) , and Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of Congressional briefings about the Coronavirus .
However , Inhofe and Feinstein claim that they weren ’ t even at the briefing in question , and Loeffler has claimed that she doesn ’ t actually directly control her investment portfolio .
Nevertheless , each one of them may have still become privy to private information and passed it along .
Check out Twitter ’ s response to Ocasio-Cortez below :

This week, the news broke that North Carolina’s Republican Senator Richard Burr seemed to have engaged in insider trading around the time that he received briefings about what became the Coronavirus pandemic. Besides issuing private warnings to business leaders, he himself also apparently sold off some $1.5 million worth of stock in industries like hotels, which were poised to get hit hard by the then-incoming Coronavirus outbreak. As outrage over Burr’s prioritization of his personal financial portfolio grew, prominent progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — whose state has been hit especially hard by the Coronavirus outbreak — spoke out on Twitter, where she insisted that members of Congress should not own stock at all.
The STOCK Act passed in 2012 with strong bipartisan support after 60 Minutes uncovered that lawmakers were using official information to profit in the markets. It was amended a year later to weaken those restrictions. Burr voted AGAINST the STOCK Act. The final vote was 96-3. https://t.co/709uMH6Avq — Megan Pratz (@meganpratz) March 19, 2020
She shared:
‘Members of Congress should not be allowed to own individual stock. We are here to serve the public, not to profiteer. It’s shocking that it’s even been allowed up to this point.’
Members of Congress should not be allowed to own individual stock. We are here to serve the public, not to profiteer. It’s shocking that it’s even been allowed up to this point. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 20, 2020
Issues like those surrounding Burr’s case have raged before. Ironically, he himself was one of only a few Senators to vote against the STOCK Act at the time of its passage. The legislation specifically bans insider trading among members of Congress who may wish to shift their stock portfolio in response to private information.
New: @CREWcrew calls for a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into Sens. Burr and Loeffler. "The well-timed stock sales of Sens. Burr and Loeffler warrant an investigation into whether they violated the STOCK Act, insider trading laws, and ethics rules." pic.twitter.com/9af8WMwq7c — Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) March 20, 2020
In this case, Burr’s team initially completely dismissed the allegations against him. A spokesperson told one outlet that Burr had conducted his stock sell-offs before the market volatility in the U.S. connected to the Coronavirus began, but that’s the point! He’d been tipped off that volatility would be on the way, so, by all appearances, he rushed to protect his finances based off non-public information.
Now, Burr — perhaps cognizant of the inescapable criticism for his behavior — has made a show of calling on the Senate Ethics Committee to open an investigation into his own case. Burr asked for “full transparency” in that investigation, in an apparent attempt to get out ahead of the curve.
My statement in response to reports about recent financial disclosures: pic.twitter.com/J4kye5a4ok — Richard Burr (@SenatorBurr) March 20, 2020
He’s not the only Senator who’s been under scrutiny. Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) all sold off large quantities of stock in the wake of Congressional briefings about the Coronavirus. However, Inhofe and Feinstein claim that they weren’t even at the briefing in question, and Loeffler has claimed that she doesn’t actually directly control her investment portfolio. Nevertheless, each one of them may have still become privy to private information and passed it along.
Check out Twitter’s response to Ocasio-Cortez below:


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Ivanka Shamed After Returning To White House Work

Another Trump apparently got tested for the Coronavirus and was cleared this week .
After spending some time in self-isolation thanks to her interaction about two weeks ago with Australian home minister Peter Dutton , who has tested positive for the Coronavirus , the president ’ s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump got test results back this Friday that confirmed she did not have the disease .
Subsequently , she has returned to working at the White House , where she ’ s already stood in on an afternoon press conference about the administration ’ s virus response .
Ivanka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week .
Now , a senior administration official says : ‘ Over the last week , Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump has followed social distancing best practices at her home .
At the advisement of her doctors , due to lack of symptoms and consistently healthy physician checks , Advisor Trump will be working from the White House today .
As is done with every employee at the White House , she will undergo the same health/temperature checks to maintain the safety of herself , her children and those in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even been conducted on some White House reporters before they ’ ve entered the briefing rooms for the now repeated , almost-daily press conferences about the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak and the government ’ s response .
After his own repeated interactions with individuals like an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who tested positive for the Coronavirus , President Trump himself finally got tested recently , and he too tested negative .
Others in his orbit haven ’ t been so lucky — Francis Suarez , the mayor of Miami , Florida , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that same Brazilian delegation , who stopped at Trump ’ s Mar-a-Lago resort during their time in the U.S .
Senators including Rick Scott ( R-Fl . )
and Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) isolated themselves out of an abundance of caution after similar interactions .
Others who isolated themselves include Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar ( R ) following interaction with an individual at this year ’ s Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) who eventually tested positive for the Coronavirus .
At least two members of Congress have already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Florida Republican Mario Diaz-Balart and Utah Democrat Ben McAdams .
The virus is continuing to spread more rapidly across the U.S. in general — the country ’ s overall total stands at over 16,500 cases and 225 deaths and counting .
As a potential harbinger of things to come , Italy — where the virus progression started slightly ahead of the U.S. — has yet to see any significant slowdown in cases .
The opposite has been happening : this Friday , they reported their largest single-day increase in deaths at any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has suffered more than 4,000 deaths from the virus , and they ’ ve faced more than 47,000 cases overall .
Jurisdictions across the U.S. have been gearing up for similarly wide outbreaks .
In the New York City area alone , thousands of cases have been reported , and the health care system is threatened to be overwhelmed , and this Friday , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ( D ) has ordered 100 percent of the state ’ s non-essential workforce to stay home .

Another Trump apparently got tested for the Coronavirus and was cleared this week. After spending some time in self-isolation thanks to her interaction about two weeks ago with Australian home minister Peter Dutton, who has tested positive for the Coronavirus, the president’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump got test results back this Friday that confirmed she did not have the disease. Subsequently, she has returned to working at the White House, where she’s already stood in on an afternoon press conference about the administration’s virus response.
Ivanka Trump, who has spent the last several days at home, was tested for coronavirus last week and got a negative result. She's now back at work and will attend Trump's meeting with small business owners. (She met with a senior Australian official who later tested positive.) — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 20, 2020
Ivanka had been working from home for about a week. Now, a senior administration official says:
‘Over the last week, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump has followed social distancing best practices at her home. At the advisement of her doctors, due to lack of symptoms and consistently healthy physician checks, Advisor Trump will be working from the White House today. As is done with every employee at the White House, she will undergo the same health/temperature checks to maintain the safety of herself, her children and those in the White House.’
Paid leave was objected to by some business leaders, but with Ivanka Trump working on it, the White House dug in, per people briefed. Dems, meanwhile, preferred that outcome. https://t.co/VThD2F2DhM — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 20, 2020
Those health checks have even been conducted on some White House reporters before they’ve entered the briefing rooms for the now repeated, almost-daily press conferences about the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak and the government’s response.
After his own repeated interactions with individuals like an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who tested positive for the Coronavirus, President Trump himself finally got tested recently, and he too tested negative. Others in his orbit haven’t been so lucky — Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami, Florida, tested positive for the virus after interacting with that same Brazilian delegation, who stopped at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort during their time in the U.S. Senators including Rick Scott (R-Fl.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) isolated themselves out of an abundance of caution after similar interactions.
Others who isolated themselves include Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R) following interaction with an individual at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) who eventually tested positive for the Coronavirus. At least two members of Congress have already been confirmed to have contracted the Coronavirus, including Florida Republican Mario Diaz-Balart and Utah Democrat Ben McAdams. The virus is continuing to spread more rapidly across the U.S. in general — the country’s overall total stands at over 16,500 cases and 225 deaths and counting.
What's happening in Italy right now is kinda freaking me out. Hoping hoping hoping this is all lagging indicators and they're get over the hump soon, but my god. — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) March 20, 2020
As a potential harbinger of things to come, Italy — where the virus progression started slightly ahead of the U.S. — has yet to see any significant slowdown in cases. The opposite has been happening: this Friday, they reported their largest single-day increase in deaths at any point during this crisis. The country has suffered more than 4,000 deaths from the virus, and they’ve faced more than 47,000 cases overall. Jurisdictions across the U.S. have been gearing up for similarly wide outbreaks. In the New York City area alone, thousands of cases have been reported, and the health care system is threatened to be overwhelmed, and this Friday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) has ordered 100 percent of the state’s non-essential workforce to stay home.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Trump Jr. Launches Gross Twitter Rant As COVID-19 Rages

Amidst the ongoing , economically crippling Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. , Donald Trump Jr. ’ s priorities apparently lie with dunking on critics of his dad .
Besides a boatload of retweets lavishing praise on the Trump administration ’ s Coronavirus response , he shared a thread on Twitter this Friday chronicling an array of instances in which public health professionals and members of the media criticized President Trump ’ s restrictions on travel from China as the Coronavirus got underway .
The president ’ s son probably intended the thread as a “ gotcha !
” moment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ gotchas ” !
We need Coronavirus tests and decisive action from the federal government .
‘ f you read and RT one thread this year it should be this .
Afterwards I think you ’ ll want to thank @ realDonaldTrump for taking such decisive action against Wuhan despite nonstop hate and nonsense from the media who ran with the Dem talking points.
’ Recently , President Trump and some of his allies have been insisting on referring to the Coronavirus as the “ Chinese virus ” or something of the sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason to use that moniker — the virus itself obviously does not have Chinese ethnicity , and it ’ s spread across the globe .
More people have been infected and died outside of China than in the country , where the first outbreak emerged .
But Trump Jr. and others are still focusing on the president ’ s antagonism of China anyway , in apparent willful ignorance of the major gaps in domestic action .
Across the country , medical professionals need crucial supplies like respirators , ventilators , and Coronavirus tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is where the Trumps are focusing .
The country doesn ’ t need more travel bans , which Trump has also imposed upon travel to and from most countries in Europe , like it needs comprehensive pandemic response work , which Trump has so far struggled to come up with , at best .
The virus is already here .

Amidst the ongoing, economically crippling Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., Donald Trump Jr.’s priorities apparently lie with dunking on critics of his dad. Besides a boatload of retweets lavishing praise on the Trump administration’s Coronavirus response, he shared a thread on Twitter this Friday chronicling an array of instances in which public health professionals and members of the media criticized President Trump’s restrictions on travel from China as the Coronavirus got underway. The president’s son probably intended the thread as a “gotcha!” moment, but we don’t need racist “gotchas”! We need Coronavirus tests and decisive action from the federal government.
Trump Jr. commented:
‘f you read and RT one thread this year it should be this. Afterwards I think you’ll want to thank @realDonaldTrump for taking such decisive action against Wuhan despite nonstop hate and nonsense from the media who ran with the Dem talking points.’
If you read and RT one thread this year it should be this. Afterwards I think you’ll want to thank @realDonaldTrump for taking such decisive action against Wuhan despite nonstop hate and nonsense from the media who ran with the Dem talking points. RT https://t.co/ojLEgYbqqQ — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 20, 2020
Recently, President Trump and some of his allies have been insisting on referring to the Coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” or something of the sort. There’s not a single reason to use that moniker — the virus itself obviously does not have Chinese ethnicity, and it’s spread across the globe. More people have been infected and died outside of China than in the country, where the first outbreak emerged. But Trump Jr. and others are still focusing on the president’s antagonism of China anyway, in apparent willful ignorance of the major gaps in domestic action.
Across the country, medical professionals need crucial supplies like respirators, ventilators, and Coronavirus tests, but this gross display of ego is where the Trumps are focusing. The country doesn’t need more travel bans, which Trump has also imposed upon travel to and from most countries in Europe, like it needs comprehensive pandemic response work, which Trump has so far struggled to come up with, at best. The virus is already here.
Check out Twitter’s response below…


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Trump Freaks Out On Reporter After Question About Scared Americans

This Friday , President Donald Trump again appeared at a press conference to discuss the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. — and it did not exactly go well .
At one point , he wildly freaked out on NBC reporter Peter Alexander , who was trying to discuss the fear that many Americans feel .
When asked for his response to that fear , Trump flipped out and called Alexander a “ terrible reporter ” who should be “ ashamed.
” The reality is that Trump has consistently dismissed this crisis , and his claim that he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not that long ago , he called Coronavirus concern a “ hoax.
” It ’ s worth noting that just this Friday , NBC announced that one of their own staffers — longtime employee Larry Edgeworth — had died from the Coronavirus .
Just on this Friday , the U.S. has reported some 2,700 new cases of the virus as of the early afternoon , and overall , at least 223 people have died from the disease .
Alexander pointed to the gravity of the situation in his question , but Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sand and lash out .
And without missing a beat , Trump flipped .
He insisted in a rambling response : ‘ I say that you ’ re a terrible reporter ; that ’ s what I say .
I think it ’ s a very nasty question , and I think it ’ s a very bad signal that you ’ re putting out to the American people .
The American people are looking for answers , and they ’ re looking for hope .
And you ’ re doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Comcast .
I don ’ t call it Comcast ; I call it Concast .
Let me just say something : that ’ s really bad reporting .
And you want to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism .
Let ’ s see if it works .
It might , and it might not .
I happen to feel good about it , but who knows : I ’ ve been right a lot .
Let ’ s see what happens .
You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
’ So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what ’ s the president got ?
An insistence that he ’ s been “ right a lot ” so — in his perception — everyone should just be quiet and sit down , apparently .
Meanwhile , officials are trying to plug the gaps in the federal government ’ s Coronavirus response .
This Friday , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ( D ) ordered “ 100 percent of non-essential work forces ” in the state to stay home , which mirrors an order from California Governor Gavin Newsom ( D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the state ’ s tens of millions of residents to stay at home , except for essential trips .
New York City has been hammered ; Cuomo “ said the rate of infection spread is double hospitals ’ capacity and triple ICU units ’ capacity , ” meaning crucial supplies like ventilators and respirators are poised to simply run out .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ( D ) has called on the president to mobilize the military to help his area .

This Friday, President Donald Trump again appeared at a press conference to discuss the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. — and it did not exactly go well. At one point, he wildly freaked out on NBC reporter Peter Alexander, who was trying to discuss the fear that many Americans feel. When asked for his response to that fear, Trump flipped out and called Alexander a “terrible reporter” who should be “ashamed.” The reality is that Trump has consistently dismissed this crisis, and his claim that he’s always taken it seriously is a lie. Not that long ago, he called Coronavirus concern a “hoax.”
It’s worth noting that just this Friday, NBC announced that one of their own staffers — longtime employee Larry Edgeworth — had died from the Coronavirus. Just on this Friday, the U.S. has reported some 2,700 new cases of the virus as of the early afternoon, and overall, at least 223 people have died from the disease. Alexander pointed to the gravity of the situation in his question, but Trump seemed to prefer to stick his head in the sand and lash out.
Larry Edgeworth, a beloved NBC News colleague and "the guy you wanted by your side no matter where you were," has died after testing positive for coronavirus. https://t.co/eOghkAHeNb — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 20, 2020
Alexander asked:
‘When you say Americans were scared, though, I guess nearly 200 dead, 14,000 who are sick, millions, as you witnessed, who are scared right now. What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?’
And without missing a beat, Trump flipped. He insisted in a rambling response:
‘I say that you’re a terrible reporter; that’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question, and I think it’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people. The American people are looking for answers, and they’re looking for hope. And you’re doing sensationalism, and the same with NBC and Comcast. I don’t call it Comcast; I call it Concast. Let me just say something: that’s really bad reporting. And you want to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism. Let’s see if it works. It might, and it might not. I happen to feel good about it, but who knows: I’ve been right a lot. Let’s see what happens. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.’
Watch:
Trump has an epic meltdown and goes on a screed about the media when he is asked what he would tell people who are scared. Trump called NBC's Peter Alexander a terrible reporter and started yelling and ranting. pic.twitter.com/dko6pIHrUt — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 20, 2020
So Americans are struggling across the U.S., and what’s the president got? An insistence that he’s been “right a lot” so — in his perception — everyone should just be quiet and sit down, apparently.
Meanwhile, officials are trying to plug the gaps in the federal government’s Coronavirus response. This Friday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) ordered “100 percent of non-essential work forces” in the state to stay home, which mirrors an order from California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) from just the day before for all of the state’s tens of millions of residents to stay at home, except for essential trips.
New York City has been hammered; Cuomo “said the rate of infection spread is double hospitals’ capacity and triple ICU units’ capacity,” meaning crucial supplies like ventilators and respirators are poised to simply run out. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has called on the president to mobilize the military to help his area.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--NYC Official Says WH Not Returning Calls For Pandemic Help

New York City is one of the hardest hit locales in the United States as the Coronavirus pandemic rages , but according to Mayor Bill de Blasio , the federal government is failing to seemingly take their situation seriously .
During an MSNBC appearance this Friday , he revealed that after an initial positive conversation about city needs with Labor Secretary Alex Azar , the White House is simply “ not calling back ” and “ not responding.
” This revelation follows the New York Times report that Trump told governors to pursue crucial supplies like respirators on their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that New York City is after includes military mobilization — California ’ s Governor Gavin Newsom ( D ) has also asked the federal government for the usage of a military hospital ship — and other supplies , like those respirators .
A continued surge in Coronavirus cases threatens to max out the New York City hospital system , as has occurred in other hotspots during the Coronavirus pandemic , like Lombardy in Italy and Wuhan in China .
‘ The federal government doesn ’ t even exist at this moment… We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s act self-reliant as Americans and every city , every city , produce what you can and share it with those in greatest need because until we have some evidence that our federal government is awake and conscious of the crisis , we really are on our own at this point.
’ The crisis is raging across the country via a shortage of not just the infamously elusive Coronavirus tests but also personal protective equipment .
Trump recently revealed an order for some 500 million respirators , but according to details that emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to actually emerge .
De Blasio says that New York City is in “ dire need ” of supplies including 3 million N95 masks , 50 million surgical masks , 15,000 ventilators , and 25 million protective gown — and all of this is needed now , not a year and a half down the road .
As De Blasio put it in the meantime : Currently , New York City has some 4,000 cases of the Coronavirus and counting , and 554 people had already been hospitalized because of the illness in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some 169 of those patients were in intensive care units — and obviously as these numbers increase , so does the strain on the healthcare system that de Blasio is attempting to alleviate .
He is “ demanding the federal government mobilize the military to help in the response efforts , and stressed the city does not have enough medical supplies to last past March as cases balloon , ” as local media put it .
He ’ s repeatedly suggested that a shelter-in-place order could be issued for the city , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would come from them , and it ’ s unclear what timetable for that may be .
California issued a “ stay-at-home order ” on Thursday , forcing the closure of non-essential businesses across the state .

New York City is one of the hardest hit locales in the United States as the Coronavirus pandemic rages, but according to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the federal government is failing to seemingly take their situation seriously. During an MSNBC appearance this Friday, he revealed that after an initial positive conversation about city needs with Labor Secretary Alex Azar, the White House is simply “not calling back” and “not responding.” This revelation follows the New York Times report that Trump told governors to pursue crucial supplies like respirators on their own during a conference call.
The assistance that New York City is after includes military mobilization — California’s Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has also asked the federal government for the usage of a military hospital ship — and other supplies, like those respirators. A continued surge in Coronavirus cases threatens to max out the New York City hospital system, as has occurred in other hotspots during the Coronavirus pandemic, like Lombardy in Italy and Wuhan in China.
De Blasio insisted:
‘The federal government doesn’t even exist at this moment… We’re on our own so let’s act self-reliant as Americans and every city, every city, produce what you can and share it with those in greatest need because until we have some evidence that our federal government is awake and conscious of the crisis, we really are on our own at this point.’
Here is what @NYCMayor says the city is in dire need of:
3 million N95 masks
50 million surgical masks
15,000 ventilators
25 million protective gowns — Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) March 19, 2020
The crisis is raging across the country via a shortage of not just the infamously elusive Coronavirus tests but also personal protective equipment. Trump recently revealed an order for some 500 million respirators, but according to details that emerged, those supplies could take 18 months to actually emerge. De Blasio says that New York City is in “dire need” of supplies including 3 million N95 masks, 50 million surgical masks, 15,000 ventilators, and 25 million protective gown — and all of this is needed now, not a year and a half down the road.
BREAKING: The 500 million N95 air-filtering respirator masks President Trump said the federal government ordered could take up to 18 months to be delivered. https://t.co/ZAS5HIByzs — Bloomberg Law (@BLaw) March 19, 2020
As De Blasio put it in the meantime:
‘They’re not calling back. they’re not responding. Most important… there are no supplies moving. There’s no military mobilization. We would know, I assure you, if we were receiving supplies. We have not gotten the calls.’
Watch below:
Currently, New York City has some 4,000 cases of the Coronavirus and counting, and 554 people had already been hospitalized because of the illness in the city as of Thursday night. Some 169 of those patients were in intensive care units — and obviously as these numbers increase, so does the strain on the healthcare system that de Blasio is attempting to alleviate. He is “demanding the federal government mobilize the military to help in the response efforts, and stressed the city does not have enough medical supplies to last past March as cases balloon,” as local media put it.
He’s repeatedly suggested that a shelter-in-place order could be issued for the city, although the governor’s office insisted that would come from them, and it’s unclear what timetable for that may be. California issued a “stay-at-home order” on Thursday, forcing the closure of non-essential businesses across the state.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--GOP Group Hits Trump With COVID-19 Ad On Fox & Friends

If President Donald Trump tuned into Fox & Friends this Friday morning , he may have faced an unpleasant ( for him ) surprise .
On Thursday , the anti-Trump group Republicans for the Rule of Law unveiled a video ad hammering Trump over his flailing Coronavirus response , which they announced would air during Fox & Friends the following morning , on Friday .
The ad features a procession of clips of Trump himself and some of his allies and advisers insisting that the Coronavirus was nothing to be concerned about and would soon be under control .
Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the U.S. is fast-approaching 15,000 confirmed cases , with well over 200 deaths .
The ad features moments like Trump insisting at the World Economic Forum in January that there was no indication of an incoming pandemic .
Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow , Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson , and Vice President Mike Pence all eventually make an appearance , delivering what in retrospect are terribly off-base pronouncements .
For example , on February 25 , Kudlow told reporters : Could he have been more wrong ?
The stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharply that at least for a time , the entirety of the gains seen while Trump was in office were completely wiped out .
A voiceover in the Republicans for the Rule of Law ad insists : In an accompanying statement , the group ’ s spokesperson Chris Truax insisted : ‘ Accurate and timely information is America ’ s most potent defense against the pandemic we now face .
Republicans who have been misled by the president ’ s self-serving coronavirus lies are our families , our friends , and our neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , to get their coronavirus information from the CDC and other reliable sources .
This isn ’ t about politics .
It ’ s about saving hundreds of thousands of American lives.
’ Trump , mind-bogglingly , has insisted that he ’ s always taken the Coronavirus pandemic seriously right from the very beginning .
That ’ s not true .
At one rally , he infamously even called concern over the situation a “ hoax , ” and it took him weeks to formally declare a national emergency over the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but reportedly , Trump delayed it in this situation because of fear about the potential impact on the public image of his administration .
On other occasions , he ’ s explicitly countered counsel from public health professionals around the world .
During one Sean Hannity interview , he said that he had a “ hunch ” that the World Health Organization ’ s reported Coronavirus fatality rate was wrong , and during that same appearance , he suggested that it would be okay for people to go into work right on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not true !
All sick people should stay home , and many businesses have been forced to close as authorities have tried to stem the spread of the virus .
Next up , the Senate is deliberating over a relief plan that includes bailouts for hard-hit businesses and relief checks for individual Americans .

If President Donald Trump tuned into Fox & Friends this Friday morning, he may have faced an unpleasant (for him) surprise. On Thursday, the anti-Trump group Republicans for the Rule of Law unveiled a video ad hammering Trump over his flailing Coronavirus response, which they announced would air during Fox & Friends the following morning, on Friday. The ad features a procession of clips of Trump himself and some of his allies and advisers insisting that the Coronavirus was nothing to be concerned about and would soon be under control. Well, neither of those claims are true — the U.S. is fast-approaching 15,000 confirmed cases, with well over 200 deaths.
The ad features moments like Trump insisting at the World Economic Forum in January that there was no indication of an incoming pandemic. Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, and Vice President Mike Pence all eventually make an appearance, delivering what in retrospect are terribly off-base pronouncements. For example, on February 25, Kudlow told reporters:
‘We have contained this, I won’t say airtight, but pretty close to airtight.’
Could he have been more wrong? The stock market alone has plummeted in value so sharply that at least for a time, the entirety of the gains seen while Trump was in office were completely wiped out.
A voiceover in the Republicans for the Rule of Law ad insists:
‘America needs a President who tells the truth. Our lives depend on it.’
Check out the ad:
In an accompanying statement, the group’s spokesperson Chris Truax insisted:
‘Accurate and timely information is America’s most potent defense against the pandemic we now face. Republicans who have been misled by the president’s self-serving coronavirus lies are our families, our friends, and our neighbors. We urge them, and all Americans, to get their coronavirus information from the CDC and other reliable sources. This isn’t about politics. It’s about saving hundreds of thousands of American lives.’
Trump, mind-bogglingly, has insisted that he’s always taken the Coronavirus pandemic seriously right from the very beginning. That’s not true. At one rally, he infamously even called concern over the situation a “hoax,” and it took him weeks to formally declare a national emergency over the outbreak. Those declarations free up additional resources, but reportedly, Trump delayed it in this situation because of fear about the potential impact on the public image of his administration.
On other occasions, he’s explicitly countered counsel from public health professionals around the world. During one Sean Hannity interview, he said that he had a “hunch” that the World Health Organization’s reported Coronavirus fatality rate was wrong, and during that same appearance, he suggested that it would be okay for people to go into work right on through the pandemic — but that’s not true! All sick people should stay home, and many businesses have been forced to close as authorities have tried to stem the spread of the virus.
Next up, the Senate is deliberating over a relief plan that includes bailouts for hard-hit businesses and relief checks for individual Americans.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--NYC Mayor Hammers Trump During Live TV Appearance

President Donald Trump hasn ’ t exactly won a lot of new fans during his attempts to respond to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ( D ) has insisted upon military assistance for locales like his city that are getting hit hard by the virus , but mostly , military assistance has been hard to come by at best , although Trump did apparently order the deployment of a hospital ship to the NYC area .
During an MSNBC appearance this Friday , de Blasio hammered Trump and insisted that he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has reached the point of around 4,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and counting , and the mayor has called for additional military assistance before .
Local media noted that he has been “ demanding the federal government mobilize the military to help in the response efforts.
” During his MSNBC appearance , he commented : ‘ It ’ s driving me crazy .
I know the quality and the devotion of the United States military .
If they got the order this hour to mobilize and get resources to the places in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give it their all .
And they have the best logistical capacity of any organization in America .
They have extraordinary medical personnel.
’ Cities like New York City , Seattle , and others could definitely use the assistance .
As cases balloon , medical systems get only more strained .
As of Thursday night , the Coronavirus outbreak in New York City alone had already driven 554 hospitalizations and 169 admissions to intensive care units , and the number of cases — and hospitalizations — are expected to increase “ exponentially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York state as a whole , the hospitalization rate has hit around 19 percent , meaning almost one in five people who contracted the disease had to be admitted .
And de Blasio wants the military to help with the concurrent issues .
He insisted this Friday , in reference to Trump : Other leaders have also requested military assistance .
California Governor Gavin Newsom ( D ) requested a hospital ship for the Los Angeles area .
In his request , he noted that projections suggested that as many as 56 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doing the math quickly suggests the astronomical strain that infection rate could put on already stressed healthcare systems there and around the state and country .
In an attempt to stem the spread of the virus , leaders like Newsom have already been taking drastic measures .
On Thursday , he issued a “ stay-at-home ” order for all tens of millions of Californians , which had effects like the forced closure of non-essential businesses .
De Blasio has suggested that a similar order could be on the way for his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when exactly that may emerge .
Cases there , notably enough , are higher than the total in California , at least according to official tallies .
NYC has some 4,000 , while California had just over 1,000 as of late Friday morning .

President Donald Trump hasn’t exactly won a lot of new fans during his attempts to respond to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has insisted upon military assistance for locales like his city that are getting hit hard by the virus, but mostly, military assistance has been hard to come by at best, although Trump did apparently order the deployment of a hospital ship to the NYC area. During an MSNBC appearance this Friday, de Blasio hammered Trump and insisted that he’s failing.
De Blasio’s city has reached the point of around 4,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and counting, and the mayor has called for additional military assistance before. Local media noted that he has been “demanding the federal government mobilize the military to help in the response efforts.” During his MSNBC appearance, he commented:
‘It’s driving me crazy. I know the quality and the devotion of the United States military. If they got the order this hour to mobilize and get resources to the places in this country that are suffering, they would give it their all. And they have the best logistical capacity of any organization in America. They have extraordinary medical personnel.’
Cities like New York City, Seattle, and others could definitely use the assistance. As cases balloon, medical systems get only more strained. As of Thursday night, the Coronavirus outbreak in New York City alone had already driven 554 hospitalizations and 169 admissions to intensive care units, and the number of cases — and hospitalizations — are expected to increase “exponentially,” local media noted. Across New York state as a whole, the hospitalization rate has hit around 19 percent, meaning almost one in five people who contracted the disease had to be admitted.
And de Blasio wants the military to help with the concurrent issues. He insisted this Friday, in reference to Trump:
‘The order has not been given by the commander-in-chief because he’s not acting like a commander-in-chief. He doesn’t know how, and he should get the hell out of the way and let the military do its job.’
Watch below:
NYC Mayor de Blasio calls for military action amid coronavirus pandemic: "The order has not been given by the commander-in-chief because he's not acting like a commander-in-chief. He doesn't know how, and he should get the hell out of the way and let the military do its job." pic.twitter.com/HDFtCNXETU — MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 20, 2020
Other leaders have also requested military assistance. California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) requested a hospital ship for the Los Angeles area. In his request, he noted that projections suggested that as many as 56 percent of Californians could contract the Coronavirus, and doing the math quickly suggests the astronomical strain that infection rate could put on already stressed healthcare systems there and around the state and country.
In an attempt to stem the spread of the virus, leaders like Newsom have already been taking drastic measures. On Thursday, he issued a “stay-at-home” order for all tens of millions of Californians, which had effects like the forced closure of non-essential businesses. De Blasio has suggested that a similar order could be on the way for his own city, although it’s unclear when exactly that may emerge. Cases there, notably enough, are higher than the total in California, at least according to official tallies. NYC has some 4,000, while California had just over 1,000 as of late Friday morning.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Trump Tells States To Keep Unemployment Numbers Secret

The Coronavirus outbreak has hit the economy hard , as restaurants , hotels , and other hospitality industries — among many others — have either mostly or entirely shuttered in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus .
Schools , live events — they ’ re all closed or closing , in many cases at the orders of authorities .
The New York Times now reports that the Trump administration ’ s Labor Department has asked states to withhold their unemployment claims figures from the general public , at least until the next national update next Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the already plummeting stock market .
Although precise national figures aren ’ t currently available , it ’ s clear that the unemployment situation is dire .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , for instance , recently “ told lawmakers that unemployment could reach 20 percent this year , ” The Times notes .
That ’ s obviously an astronomical projection .
The Labor Department ’ s Gay Gilbert , who works as the administrator of the Office of Employment Insurance , insisted that states should only “ provide information using generalities to describe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase ) ” for the time being .
She added , more bluntly : She noted , as mentioned , that “ the reports were monitored closely by financial markets and should therefore remain embargoed , ” as The Times summarizes .
The publication obtained a copy of her email from a concerned governor ’ s office , which they do not identify .
That same office reportedly sought input from their state ’ s attorney general on whether or not Gilbert ’ s demand to withhold unemployment figures had legal force .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is reportedly a career official at the Labor Department rather than a political Trump appointee , suggesting that perhaps the email was not sent under direct political pressure , although she certainly didn ’ t send it in a vacuum .
The Times adds that Trump “ has privately expressed irritation at the dire predictions of some of his advisers , ” including the dismal numbers that Mnuchin shared with members of Congress .
Numbers that have already emerged are pretty terrible .
In Pennsylvania , for instance , the state had received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days alone , which state official Robert O ’ Brien shared was “ far more ” than the ordinary tally of state claims across an entire month .
Meanwhile , in Washington , after a 150 percent increase in unemployment claims the week before , officials did not release exact numbers but they said they ’ re experiencing an “ even more dramatic increase this week ” in unemployment claims .
Federally , “ 281,000 people nationwide applied for unemployment insurance last week , up from 211,000 the previous week , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to be only further increasing .
The Senate is currently negotiating over a plan to help offset the effects of that economic upheaval via direct payments to many Americans .
An initial Republican version of the plan features $ 1,200 payments to individual Americans who earn less than $ 75,000 annually , as measured by 2018 tax returns .
That initial plan also includes bailout money for hard-hit business sectors like airlines and small businesses , and it also includes provisions like deferring requirements for student loan payments and an extension of @ @ @ @ @

The Coronavirus outbreak has hit the economy hard, as restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality industries — among many others — have either mostly or entirely shuttered in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus. Schools, live events — they’re all closed or closing, in many cases at the orders of authorities. The New York Times now reports that the Trump administration’s Labor Department has asked states to withhold their unemployment claims figures from the general public, at least until the next national update next Thursday. Fears include a potential further impact on the already plummeting stock market.
Although precise national figures aren’t currently available, it’s clear that the unemployment situation is dire. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, for instance, recently “told lawmakers that unemployment could reach 20 percent this year,” The Times notes. That’s obviously an astronomical projection.
The Labor Department’s Gay Gilbert, who works as the administrator of the Office of Employment Insurance, insisted that states should only “provide information using generalities to describe claims levels (very high, large increase)” for the time being. She added, more bluntly:
‘States should not provide numeric values to the public.’
She noted, as mentioned, that “the reports were monitored closely by financial markets and should therefore remain embargoed,” as The Times summarizes.
The publication obtained a copy of her email from a concerned governor’s office, which they do not identify. That same office reportedly sought input from their state’s attorney general on whether or not Gilbert’s demand to withhold unemployment figures had legal force. Gilbert, for what its worth, is reportedly a career official at the Labor Department rather than a political Trump appointee, suggesting that perhaps the email was not sent under direct political pressure, although she certainly didn’t send it in a vacuum. The Times adds that Trump “has privately expressed irritation at the dire predictions of some of his advisers,” including the dismal numbers that Mnuchin shared with members of Congress.
Numbers that have already emerged are pretty terrible. In Pennsylvania, for instance, the state had received 180,000 unemployment insurance claims in the last few days alone, which state official Robert O’Brien shared was “far more” than the ordinary tally of state claims across an entire month. Meanwhile, in Washington, after a 150 percent increase in unemployment claims the week before, officials did not release exact numbers but they said they’re experiencing an “even more dramatic increase this week” in unemployment claims. Federally, “281,000 people nationwide applied for unemployment insurance last week, up from 211,000 the previous week,” The Times reports, and the numbers appear to be only further increasing.
The Senate is currently negotiating over a plan to help offset the effects of that economic upheaval via direct payments to many Americans. An initial Republican version of the plan features $1,200 payments to individual Americans who earn less than $75,000 annually, as measured by 2018 tax returns. That initial plan also includes bailout money for hard-hit business sectors like airlines and small businesses, and it also includes provisions like deferring requirements for student loan payments and an extension of the tax filing deadline.


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Senators Caught Dumping Stocks After Coronavirus Briefing

As the U.S. prepared for the Coronavirus outbreak , some Senators acted to protect their financial portfolios , apparently .
Shortly after NPR revealed that Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr ( R-N.C. ) had issued a private warning about the then-incoming Coronavirus weeks before the public knew , reports came out that he and at least three other Senators dumped large amounts of stocks in close connection to both Coronavirus briefings for members of Congress and initial outbreaks of cases , which those briefings could have tipped them off would be the start of major upheaval to come .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which is , of course , illegal .
There ’ s even a specific piece of legislation prohibiting insider trading among members of Congress .
The STOCK Act bans members of Congress from making stock sale decisions based on non-public information , although based on the circumstances and timing , that ’ s exactly what seems to have happened here .
Notably , Burr is one of just a few Senators who voted against the STOCK Act when it initially passed .
Burr , for his part , sold off between $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in conjunction to classified Coronavirus briefings .
That stock was in industries like hotels , which obviously would be poised to get hard hit in the event of a Coronavirus outbreak that sharply curtailed travel across the U.S. and world .
The Marriott corporation alone recently announced plans to furlough tens of thousands of workers .
A Burr spokesperson tried to defend the Senator by insisting that Burr ’ s stock sales were made before market volatility related to the Coronavirus began — but that ’ s the point .
Burr knew that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him reason to sell .
As CNN White House correspondent John Harwood put it in reply : Burr isn ’ t the only one who tried to financially benefit from the advance information that they got about the Coronavirus .
Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler ( R ) and her husband — who works as the chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange itself — sold at least $ 1.2 million in stock in two spurts , first after a pair of Congressional briefings and then after initial Coronavirus cases were confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before community spread was also confirmed .
The other Senators under scrutiny for suspiciously timed stock sales include Jim Inhofe ( R-Okla. ) and Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) .
Notably , Fox News ’ s Tucker Carlson insisted that if Burr engaged in the insider trading he ’ s accused of , he needs to resign .
There ’ s no indication that he ’ ll actually do that .
Loeffler , for her part , insisted that she doesn ’ t actually personally control her stock portfolio .
But did she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control it ?
These questions need answered .

As the U.S. prepared for the Coronavirus outbreak, some Senators acted to protect their financial portfolios, apparently. Shortly after NPR revealed that Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) had issued a private warning about the then-incoming Coronavirus weeks before the public knew, reports came out that he and at least three other Senators dumped large amounts of stocks in close connection to both Coronavirus briefings for members of Congress and initial outbreaks of cases, which those briefings could have tipped them off would be the start of major upheaval to come. The abrupt stock sales suggest insider trading — which is, of course, illegal.
Senators making money off insider information is always wrong (& illegal). Doing it while warning your donors of the economic impact of a pandemic, but publicly downplaying the virus that would kill Americans & upend our country is a whole new level. https://t.co/zhzwoie8mt — Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerVA07) March 20, 2020
There’s even a specific piece of legislation prohibiting insider trading among members of Congress. The STOCK Act bans members of Congress from making stock sale decisions based on non-public information, although based on the circumstances and timing, that’s exactly what seems to have happened here. Notably, Burr is one of just a few Senators who voted against the STOCK Act when it initially passed.
At least four Senators sold stock before the stock market crashes, including Dianne Feinstein (the Inhofe and Feinstein trades don't look quite as suspicious as Loeffler and Burr, but should still be looked into) https://t.co/uXK3wKIkAi pic.twitter.com/jzYIxmm9LO — Adam Serwer🍝 (@AdamSerwer) March 20, 2020
Burr, for his part, sold off between $628,000 and $1.72 million in stock in conjunction to classified Coronavirus briefings. That stock was in industries like hotels, which obviously would be poised to get hard hit in the event of a Coronavirus outbreak that sharply curtailed travel across the U.S. and world. The Marriott corporation alone recently announced plans to furlough tens of thousands of workers.
1/ Trump wasn't "urging" anything in Feb, other than "this will go away." 2/ Burr is the INTELLIGENCE CHAIR. He knew damn well what was going on. 3/ Rather than warning Americans about COVID, Burr quietly sold stock in things he knew would tank, like hotels/resorts.#traitor https://t.co/h0DZiqxt3p — Greg Olear (@gregolear) March 19, 2020
A Burr spokesperson tried to defend the Senator by insisting that Burr’s stock sales were made before market volatility related to the Coronavirus began — but that’s the point. Burr knew that the volatility was coming, which gave him reason to sell.
As Burr’s spokesperson insisted:
‘Senator Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak. As the situation continues to evolve daily, he has been deeply concerned by the steep and sudden toll this pandemic is taking on our economy.’
As CNN White House correspondent John Harwood put it in reply:
‘The fact that Burr sold the stock “before market volatility began” is not a rebuttal. It’s precisely the issue.’
the fact that Burr sold the stock “before market volatility began” is not a rebuttal it’s precisely the issue https://t.co/Q9WQiiQMaO — John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) March 20, 2020
Burr isn’t the only one who tried to financially benefit from the advance information that they got about the Coronavirus. Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler (R) and her husband — who works as the chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange itself — sold at least $1.2 million in stock in two spurts, first after a pair of Congressional briefings and then after initial Coronavirus cases were confirmed in the U.S., which was weeks before community spread was also confirmed. The other Senators under scrutiny for suspiciously timed stock sales include Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
This is a ridiculous and baseless attack. I do not make investment decisions for my portfolio. Investment decisions are made by multiple third-party advisors without my or my husband's knowledge or involvement. — Senator Kelly Loeffler (@SenatorLoeffler) March 20, 2020
Notably, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson insisted that if Burr engaged in the insider trading he’s accused of, he needs to resign. There’s no indication that he’ll actually do that. Loeffler, for her part, insisted that she doesn’t actually personally control her stock portfolio. But did she hand off information to those who do control it? These questions need answered.
It is a sign of where things are at that a Fox News personality who has spent 3 years spewing racist bile on TV can merely say that crimes are bad and be applauded for doing so https://t.co/G1r1gHXWWL — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 20, 2020


bipartisanreport--2020-03-21--Trump Attempts Clean-Up Friday Twitter Spree

The effects of the Coronavirus outbreak in terms of both public health and the economy are only just beginning to reverberate , but President Donald Trump is already resorting to his angry ranting .
At a Friday press conference , he flipped out when one reporter , NBC ’ s Peter Alexander , asked him the simple question of what message he had for Americans who were scared .
Apparently , the mere notion of Americans feeling fear felt like a threat to his greatness or whatever because he railed in response that Alexander was a “ terrible ” reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ clean-up ” Twitter spree with info updates — but it ’ s not like it erased what he ’ d just done .
His posts included a re-up of a video message admonishing viewers to avoid crowds of ten or more people , frequently and thoroughly wash their hands , and take other similar steps to help curtail the spread of the Coronavirus .
He also retweeted a slew of video clips including one featuring the announcement of a closure of “ non-essential ” travel between the U.S. and Mexico and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese travel that Trump implemented towards the start of the outbreak — although there ’ s a whole list of other steps that Trump has failed to take , no matter how many times he climbs up on the travel ban soapbox to spout his xenophobia .
Across the country , some of the latest steps to combat the spread of the Coronavirus have included orders for Californians to stay at home apart from “ essential ” trips out and a demand for all of New York ’ s “ non-essential ” workforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials have been bracing for health care systems to be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of Coronavirus cases .

The effects of the Coronavirus outbreak in terms of both public health and the economy are only just beginning to reverberate, but President Donald Trump is already resorting to his angry ranting. At a Friday press conference, he flipped out when one reporter, NBC’s Peter Alexander, asked him the simple question of what message he had for Americans who were scared. Apparently, the mere notion of Americans feeling fear felt like a threat to his greatness or whatever because he railed in response that Alexander was a “terrible” reporter. That same afternoon, Trump attempted a “clean-up” Twitter spree with info updates — but it’s not like it erased what he’d just done.
Peter Alexander's colleague just died of Covid-19 and he asked the president about his message to Americans who are worried about their loved ones. Trump responded by viciously attacking him. Not really sure where "tone" factors in to that equation. https://t.co/zchz0wGFFo — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 20, 2020
His posts included a re-up of a video message admonishing viewers to avoid crowds of ten or more people, frequently and thoroughly wash their hands, and take other similar steps to help curtail the spread of the Coronavirus.
He also retweeted a slew of video clips including one featuring the announcement of a closure of “non-essential” travel between the U.S. and Mexico and another featuring praise for the restrictions on Chinese travel that Trump implemented towards the start of the outbreak — although there’s a whole list of other steps that Trump has failed to take, no matter how many times he climbs up on the travel ban soapbox to spout his xenophobia.
.@SecPompeo announces that the United States and Mexico have agreed to restrict non-essential travel across the U.S.-Mexico border. pic.twitter.com/kqlHcoJwq6 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 20, 2020
President @realDonaldTrump's early, decisive travel restrictions slowed the Coronavirus' spread to our shores—and we are doing more. pic.twitter.com/SVGavJ15e5 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 20, 2020
Across the country, some of the latest steps to combat the spread of the Coronavirus have included orders for Californians to stay at home apart from “essential” trips out and a demand for all of New York’s “non-essential” workforce to, similarly, stay home. Officials have been bracing for health care systems to be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of Coronavirus cases.
Check out Twitter’s response to Trump…


bipartisanreport--2020-03-20--Trump Refused To Return Calls From States That Won’t Bow To Him


bipartisanreport--2020-03-21--Trump Freaks Out Over Washington Post During Rant

Even in the midst of a global pandemic , President Donald Trump is refusing to give up his penchant for angry ranting against his political opponents .
At a Saturday afternoon press conference that was supposed to be about the administration ’ s Coronavirus response , he freaked out over a report that The Washington Post had published the day before outlining internal administration warnings about the then-potential Coronavirus pandemic that had been , apparently , ignored .
He ’ s consistently claimed that he and his team have , supposedly , actually always taken the Coronavirus seriously — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re doing !
Trump didn ’ t even name a response task force until about a month following the beginning of public news about the virus .
This Saturday , a reporter with the far-right One America News asked Trump : At that point , a reporter — not the original one — tried to chime in with a follow-up question , and Trump pointed at them and pompously asserted that they needed to be quiet .
‘ From many people , I get a lot of credit for closing our country very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — China , unfortunately .
I wish China would have told us more about what was going on in China long prior to us reading about it , even though the news isn ’ t exactly disseminated .
As you know , China kicked The Washington Post out of China , and they kicked The New York Times out.
’ To be clear , China kicked out the publications that Trump mentions just days ago .
The move was the latest step in a lengthy back-and-forth between the two countries over contingents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the respective locales .
Earlier this year , the U.S. State Department slapped five Chinese news outlets with the designation of official government entities , which placed them under stricter scrutiny , and helped spark the hassle .
The point of the timing is that Trump can not point to the recent journalist expulsions as an excuse for why his administration did not act more comprehensively long ago .
The Trump administration had the information ; classified briefings among various high-level officials unfolded long before mass public concern .
Trump keeps returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from China during the early days of the outbreak , but one perhaps helpful step doesn ’ t erase the long list of other spots in which his team has failed .
It ’ s been months since the virus first emerged in the U.S. , and testing and supply issues are still a problem , buried under the delays enacted while Trump was trying to convince observers that concern over the virus was a Democratic “ hoax.
” As one official put it to The Washington Post :

Even in the midst of a global pandemic, President Donald Trump is refusing to give up his penchant for angry ranting against his political opponents. At a Saturday afternoon press conference that was supposed to be about the administration’s Coronavirus response, he freaked out over a report that The Washington Post had published the day before outlining internal administration warnings about the then-potential Coronavirus pandemic that had been, apparently, ignored. He’s consistently claimed that he and his team have, supposedly, actually always taken the Coronavirus seriously — but we can all see what they’re doing! Trump didn’t even name a response task force until about a month following the beginning of public news about the virus.
This Saturday, a reporter with the far-right One America News asked Trump:
‘What do you say to The Washington Post?’
Trump glibly replied:
‘Well I love whoever you’re with, cause that’s such a nice question. I think the Washington Post covers us very inaccurately, covers me very inaccurately. I saw the story. I think it’s a disgrace, but it’s the Washington Post, and I guess we have to live with it. It’s a very inaccurate story.’
At that point, a reporter — not the original one — tried to chime in with a follow-up question, and Trump pointed at them and pompously asserted that they needed to be quiet.
He continued:
‘From many people, I get a lot of credit for closing our country very early to a very heavily infected country — China, unfortunately. I wish China would have told us more about what was going on in China long prior to us reading about it, even though the news isn’t exactly disseminated. As you know, China kicked The Washington Post out of China, and they kicked The New York Times out.’
Watch:
Trump takes a loaded question from far-right OANN goading him into bashing the Washington Post and does so while also praising OANN pic.twitter.com/iTVQbCLrOL — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 21, 2020
To be clear, China kicked out the publications that Trump mentions just days ago. The move was the latest step in a lengthy back-and-forth between the two countries over contingents of journalists from the “other side” in the respective locales. Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department slapped five Chinese news outlets with the designation of official government entities, which placed them under stricter scrutiny, and helped spark the hassle.
The point of the timing is that Trump can not point to the recent journalist expulsions as an excuse for why his administration did not act more comprehensively long ago. The Trump administration had the information; classified briefings among various high-level officials unfolded long before mass public concern.
Trump keeps returning to the point that he restricted travel from China during the early days of the outbreak, but one perhaps helpful step doesn’t erase the long list of other spots in which his team has failed. It’s been months since the virus first emerged in the U.S., and testing and supply issues are still a problem, buried under the delays enacted while Trump was trying to convince observers that concern over the virus was a Democratic “hoax.”
As one official put it to The Washington Post:
‘Donald Trump may not have been expecting this, but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn’t get him to do anything about it. The system was blinking red.’
And here it is. No surprise. “Donald Trump may not have been expecting this, but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn't get him to do anything about it,” this official said. ‘The system was blinking red.’” https://t.co/RgflWwERYZ — George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 21, 2020