thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Cavalier White House Approach To COVID Catches Up To Trump

With ready access to testing and the best public health minds at his disposal , President Donald Trump should have been the American safest from COVID-19 .
Instead , he flouted his own government ’ s guidelines and helped create a false sense of invulnerability in the White House , an approach that has now failed him as it did a nation where more than 200,000 people have died .
Marine One , the presidential helicopter , lifted off Friday to take Trump to a military hospital from the same White House lawn that less than a week earlier had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a new Supreme Court justice as he charged toward the November election .
At least six people at the event — two U.S. senators , former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway , University of Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins , as well as Trump and first lady Melania Trump — have since tested positive for the coronavirus .
Trump is now ensconced at Walter Reed medical center after running a fever and feeling fatigued following his early-morning revelation that he had tested positive for the virus .
“ He let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ignoring federal guidelines and acting like he was Superman , ” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley .
“ He did not just downplay the virus , he paraded around like a peacock , making fun of those who took it seriously.
” From the pandemic ’ s early days , Trump , by his own admission , played down the severity of the virus .
He repeatedly suggested it would “ disappear ” and for a while was pushing for the American economy to fully reopen by Easter , just a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And he soon began resisting the advice of public health experts on his own coronavirus task force , including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx .
He publicly clashed with the heads of the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over everything from the risks associated with opening schools to the timetable for a potential COVID-19 vaccine .
Those on the White House staff dared not break with the president , who wanted to embody a nation on the way back , not one fixated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nervous public about the virus rather than an economic resurgence .
Experts urged the widespread use of masks , including CDC Director Robert Redfield , who testified before Congress last month that face coverings could be a more effective safeguard than a vaccine .
Trump has eschewed their use , telling aides that he didn ’ t like how he looked in them and that it sent a message to the public that he was worried about his health .
He has worn masks only sporadically and politicized their use , saying he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was tested and most people he saw were kept six feet away .
He mocked Democrat Joe Biden for consistently wearing a face covering , while many of the president ’ s supporters followed his example and skipped them , even at crowded events .
And their use , while technically required , wasn ’ t enforced in the White House either .
Most senior aides rarely wore masks , even in tight quarters in the West Wing or on Air Force One .
A belief took hold that because those who came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 test every day , they were safe in their bubble .
But the rapid tests were far from foolproof and were sometimes foiled by the virus ’ lengthy incubation period .
Staff members , including the national security adviser and the president ’ s personal valet , contracted the virus while one of the president ’ s closest aides , Hope Hicks , tested positive just hours before Trump and first lady Melania Trump did .
“ He mocked the medical experts and their advice .
He mocked it all right up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on that stage , ” said Michael Steele , former head of the Republican Party .
“ He had the best information possible and didn ’ t take it.
” The White House , for its part , has brushed off criticism of spotty mask-wearing by Trump and his staff by citing the frequent testing regimen .
Trump styles his large campaign gatherings as “ peaceful protests ” exempt from limits on crowd size .
And as for Trump ’ s undercutting of public health officials , officials are quick to point to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wound down , and Trump lagged behind Biden in polls for an election seen as a referendum on White House handling of the pandemic , the president ’ s campaign aimed to project normalcy in an effort to convince voters that the president had the virus under control .
The rallies got bigger and bigger as the months marched on , with little social distancing and masks recommended but not required .
And crowds became part of the messaging for two of the president ’ s recent signature events : Hundreds of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention , and the Rose Garden was packed for the nomination of his Supreme Court pick , Judge Amy Coney Barrett , a week ago .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Masks were rarely spotted in the West Wing. Crowds of people gathered shoulder to shoulder on the White House South Lawn. And Air Force One streaked across the sky from one massive campaign rally to another.
With ready access to testing and the best public health minds at his disposal, President Donald Trump should have been the American safest from COVID-19. Instead, he flouted his own government’s guidelines and helped create a false sense of invulnerability in the White House, an approach that has now failed him as it did a nation where more than 200,000 people have died.
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Marine One, the presidential helicopter, lifted off Friday to take Trump to a military hospital from the same White House lawn that less than a week earlier had been the site of his celebratory nomination of a new Supreme Court justice as he charged toward the November election.
At least six people at the event — two U.S. senators, former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, University of Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins, as well as Trump and first lady Melania Trump — have since tested positive for the coronavirus. Trump is now ensconced at Walter Reed medical center after running a fever and feeling fatigued following his early-morning revelation that he had tested positive for the virus.
The six attendees of last weekend's nomination event for Amy Coney Barrett who have since tested positive for the coronavirus. From left: Sen. Thom Tillis, Sen. Mike Lee, President Donald Trump, former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, first lady Melania Trump and University of Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins. AP
“He let the country down by disregarding the CDC, ignoring federal guidelines and acting like he was Superman,” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. “He did not just downplay the virus, he paraded around like a peacock, making fun of those who took it seriously.”
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From the pandemic’s early days, Trump, by his own admission, played down the severity of the virus. He repeatedly suggested it would “disappear” and for a while was pushing for the American economy to fully reopen by Easter, just a month after the pandemic fully engulfed the nation.
And he soon began resisting the advice of public health experts on his own coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx. He publicly clashed with the heads of the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over everything from the risks associated with opening schools to the timetable for a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
Those on the White House staff dared not break with the president, who wanted to embody a nation on the way back, not one fixated with health guidelines that would remind a nervous public about the virus rather than an economic resurgence.
Experts urged the widespread use of masks, including CDC Director Robert Redfield, who testified before Congress last month that face coverings could be a more effective safeguard than a vaccine. Trump has eschewed their use, telling aides that he didn’t like how he looked in them and that it sent a message to the public that he was worried about his health.
He has worn masks only sporadically and politicized their use, saying he didn’t need them because he was tested and most people he saw were kept six feet away. He mocked Democrat Joe Biden for consistently wearing a face covering, while many of the president’s supporters followed his example and skipped them, even at crowded events.
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And their use, while technically required, wasn’t enforced in the White House either. Most senior aides rarely wore masks, even in tight quarters in the West Wing or on Air Force One. A belief took hold that because those who came in contact with president received a rapid COVID-19 test every day, they were safe in their bubble.
But the rapid tests were far from foolproof and were sometimes foiled by the virus’ lengthy incubation period. Staff members, including the national security adviser and the president’s personal valet, contracted the virus while one of the president’s closest aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive just hours before Trump and first lady Melania Trump did.
“He mocked the medical experts and their advice. He mocked it all right up until the presidential debate when he stood on that stage,” said Michael Steele, former head of the Republican Party. “He had the best information possible and didn’t take it.”
The White House, for its part, has brushed off criticism of spotty mask-wearing by Trump and his staff by citing the frequent testing regimen. Trump styles his large campaign gatherings as “peaceful protests” exempt from limits on crowd size. And as for Trump’s undercutting of public health officials, officials are quick to point to contrary medical opinions.
Journalist Bob Woodward recorded Trump early in the year admitting to downplaying the threat of the virus. The president always pushed forward, insisting the nation was nearly over the pandemic even as cases surged throughout the country.
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Even in the hours after the president’s diagnosis, senior White House staff, including chief of staff Mark Meadows and economic adviser Larry Kudlow, walked around the White House complex without wearing masks. The White House, even now, says the face coverings are a matter of “personal choice” for most staffers.
In a belated shift, National Security Council staffers were required to start wearing them as of Friday. Secret Service agents are mandated to wear them when social distancing is not possible.
And it wasn’t just about masks.
As the summer wound down, and Trump lagged behind Biden in polls for an election seen as a referendum on White House handling of the pandemic, the president’s campaign aimed to project normalcy in an effort to convince voters that the president had the virus under control.
After a botched attempt to restart Trump’s trademark rallies in Tulsa in June, the campaign began slowly organizing smaller gatherings of supporters, usually outdoors at airports. Though the CDC recommended against large crowds and unnecessary travel, the president began crisscrossing the country, even while Biden largely remained at home, conducting virtual evets.
The rallies got bigger and bigger as the months marched on, with little social distancing and masks recommended but not required. And crowds became part of the messaging for two of the president’s recent signature events: Hundreds of people packed the White House South Lawn for his acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention, and the Rose Garden was packed for the nomination of his Supreme Court pick, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a week ago.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Tucker Carlson Compares Trump To A Sexual Assault Victim

Fox News host Tucker Carlson dropped a crass comparison Friday as he insisted that “ the left ” criticizing Donald Trump ’ s behavior in contracting COVID-19 is the same as blaming the victim of a sexual assault .
Critics have pointed out that the president could have vastly reduced his chances of getting the coronavirus by following the strongly recommended guidelines of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , such as avoiding crowds , wearing a mask and maintaining appropriate social distancing .
Instead , he has hosted crowded campaign rallies — against the advice of several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the president , have worn masks or maintained a safe distance .
Carlson falsely insisted that CNN said Trump “ deserved the sickness that he got.
” He played a clip of CNN ’ s John Harwood , for example , who said that the president ’ s behavior has put a “ lot of people ” in “ jeopardy , ” including the “ president himself.
” “ Imagine , ” said a disgusted Carlson .
Trump “ just announced he was infected ... he deserved it , ” the Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagined the “ left ” had said .
“ They didn ’ t wait long.
” Carlson summed up his view of the media ’ s — and the Democrats ’ — perspective on Trump as : “ He asked for it .
He was dressed provocatively.
” Critics on Twitter couldn ’ t quite believe it .
Watching Tucker Carlson right now and it is , as expected , mind bending .
He ’ s arguing that saying Trump was irresponsible for not wearing a mask is like saying a woman deserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dressed provocatively .
— Jordan Weissmann ( @ JHWeissmann ) October 3 , 2020 Would n't it be more like refusing to wear a condom and making fun of others for wearing condoms and then participating a condomless weekend orgy and everyone ending up with VD ?
[ While still blaming the whole thing on what the ladies were wearing , of course ] — Jacie B ( @ jacieb ) October 3 , 2020 Ridiculous and offensive comparison by Tucker Carlson .
If you ’ re badly injured in an auto accident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seatbelt , I *will* blame you for not taking a basic safety precaution .
— Esther ( @ GratuitousV ) October 3 , 2020 Bad take , Tucker .
The enemy is n't human nature , it 's the environment .
If you walk around naked in winter , you 're gon na catch a cold .
If you walk around maskless during a pandemic , you 're gon na catch covid .
— RoseDuelist ( @ RDuelist ) October 3 , 2020

Fox News host Tucker Carlson dropped a crass comparison Friday as he insisted that “the left” criticizing Donald Trump’s behavior in contracting COVID-19 is the same as blaming the victim of a sexual assault.
Critics have pointed out that the president could have vastly reduced his chances of getting the coronavirus by following the strongly recommended guidelines of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as avoiding crowds, wearing a mask and maintaining appropriate social distancing.
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Instead, he has hosted crowded campaign rallies — against the advice of several local officials — where few people, including the president, have worn masks or maintained a safe distance.
Carlson falsely insisted that CNN said Trump “deserved the sickness that he got.” He played a clip of CNN’s John Harwood, for example, who said that the president’s behavior has put a “lot of people” in “jeopardy,” including the “president himself.”
“Imagine,” said a disgusted Carlson. Trump “just announced he was infected ... he deserved it,” the Fox News host added, repeating what he imagined the “left” had said. “They didn’t wait long.”
Carlson summed up his view of the media’s — and the Democrats’ — perspective on Trump as: “He asked for it. He was dressed provocatively.”
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Critics on Twitter couldn’t quite believe it.
Watching Tucker Carlson right now and it is, as expected, mind bending. He’s arguing that saying Trump was irresponsible for not wearing a mask is like saying a woman deserved to be sexually assaulted because she was dressed provocatively. — Jordan Weissmann (@JHWeissmann) October 3, 2020
Tucker Carlson compares people pointing out Trump's flouting of COVID safety guidelines to victim blaming assault survivors for what they were wearing. pic.twitter.com/ntbQ3JzDLL — nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) October 3, 2020
Wouldn't it be more like refusing to wear a condom and making fun of others for wearing condoms and then participating a condomless weekend orgy and everyone ending up with VD?
[While still blaming the whole thing on what the ladies were wearing, of course] — Jacie B (@jacieb) October 3, 2020
so he’s saying that men are like a disease that attacks women? — dog from sinope (@adogfromsinope) October 3, 2020
Ridiculous and offensive comparison by Tucker Carlson. If you’re badly injured in an auto accident and you weren’t wearing a seatbelt, I *will* blame you for not taking a basic safety precaution. — Esther (@GratuitousV) October 3, 2020
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Bad take, Tucker. The enemy isn't human nature, it's the environment. If you walk around naked in winter, you're gonna catch a cold. If you walk around maskless during a pandemic, you're gonna catch covid. — RoseDuelist (@RDuelist) October 3, 2020
Um no, that’s not an equivalence at all. — Trish Clough (@trishola2) October 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-02--Kellyanne Conway Tests Positive For COVID-19

Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway announced late Friday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus .
Conway is the latest in a cascade of people linked to the White House who have contracted COVID-19 .
“ My symptoms are mild ( light cough ) and I ’ m feeling fine , ” she tweeted .
“ I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians.
” She added : “ As always , my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic.
” Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19 .
My symptoms are mild ( light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine .
I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians .
As always , my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic .
❤ — Kellyanne Conway ( @ KellyannePolls ) October 3 , 2020 Conway is at least the seventh person to test positive who attended a White House event last Saturday announcing the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court .
Barrett had had COVID-19 earlier this year .
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump ; Sens .
Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are both on the Senate Judiciary Committee ; and the president of the University of Notre Dame attended the event and have since tested positive for the virus .
A journalist covering the event has also tested positive , according to the White House Correspondents ’ Association .
The journalist has not been named .
Few of the dozens of people who attended the Rose Garden celebration wore masks , and many shook hands .
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding , an epidemiologist and a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists , deemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will test positive for COVID-19 because of their links to the Barrett event .
6 ) These 3 people at the # SCOTUS nomination event have tested positive for # COVID19 in the last 24 hours .
📌Senator Mike Lee 📌Notre Dame President Jenkins 📌Melania Trump Who else will ?
It is inevitable there will be more .
pic.twitter.com/6eiuyriVF4 — Eric Feigl-Ding ( @ DrEricDing ) October 2 , 2020 Conway left the White House at the end of August , saying she needed time to focus on her family .

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Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway announced late Friday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Conway is the latest in a cascade of people linked to the White House who have contracted COVID-19.
“My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine,” she tweeted. “I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians.”
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She added: “As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic.”
Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians.
As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic. ❤ — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 3, 2020
Conway is at least the seventh person to test positive who attended a White House event last Saturday announcing the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court. Barrett had had COVID-19 earlier this year.
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump; Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who are both on the Senate Judiciary Committee; and the president of the University of Notre Dame attended the event and have since tested positive for the virus.
A journalist covering the event has also tested positive, according to the White House Correspondents’ Association. The journalist has not been named.
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Few of the dozens of people who attended the Rose Garden celebration wore masks, and many shook hands.
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, deemed it “inevitable” that more people will test positive for COVID-19 because of their links to the Barrett event.
6) These 3 people at the #SCOTUS nomination event have tested positive for #COVID19 in the last 24 hours.
📌Senator Mike Lee
📌Notre Dame President Jenkins
📌Melania Trump
Who else will? It is inevitable there will be more. pic.twitter.com/6eiuyriVF4 — Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Trump Campaign Manager Latest To Join Burgeoning COVID Cluster In President's Circle

That makes at least six in Trump ’ s circle , including the president and first lady Melania Trump , who have tested positive in the last few days .
Stepien was diagnosed Friday and was experiencing what one source told Politico were “ mild flu-like symptoms.
” He reportedly plans to self-quarantine until he recovers and will continue to be in charge of Trump ’ s campaign .
The growing list of infected people connected to the White House appears to be largely linked to the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , where few people wore face masks .
Attendees sat side by side , and many shook hands .
Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has tested positive , along with Sen. Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) and Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-N.C. ) — both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee .
All three attended the event .
Rev .
John I. Jenkins , president of the University of Notre Dame and a member of the Commission on Presidential Debates , also contracted COVID-19 after attending the ceremony , as did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 earlier this year .
But epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding , a senior fellow of the Federation of American Scientists , warned that her previous bout with COVID-19 does not preclude reinfection .
Lee and others also met with Barrett inside the White House later in the day .
Lee tested positive Friday , but on Thursday attended a nearly 90-minute Senate Judiciary Committee hearing without a mask for at least part of the time .
Tonight my COVID-19 test came back positive .
I ’ m following the recommendations of my doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and feel well .
COVID is a very contagious virus .
If you were exposed or start to display symptoms , please call your doctor , self-isolate , and get tested .
pic.twitter.com/fwc826dkvQ — Senator Thom Tillis ( @ SenThomTillis ) October 3 , 2020 Senior White House aide Hope Hicks did not attend the Rose Garden event , but tested positive after traveling with the president , it was announced Thursday .
Ronna McDaniel , chair of the Republican National Committee , also tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family member , according to an RNC spokesperson .
She has been home in Michigan since last Saturday , Politico reported .
An unidentified journalist covering the Barrett announcement also tested positive .
Two other White House reporters , who didn ’ t attend the Rose Garden event , contracted the coronavirus in what may be a second stage of infections from the nomination event .
“ The White House Medical Unit is beginning the process of contact tracing for these cases , ” said a statement Saturday to members from the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these positive cases , the president ’ s diagnosis and positive cases among other members of the White House staff , a number of White House journalists are self-isolating pending diagnostic testing , ” the statement said .
“ Due to cases linked to the pools last weekend and the large number of press credentialed for the 9/26 Rose Garden event , we ask that if you were on the White House grounds or in the pools those days , that you pay extra attention to any changes in your health.
” An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alarm Friday about what he characterized as a troubling White House “ cluster ” — and criticized the government for its failure to effectively deal with the pandemic .

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President Donald Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien — who traveled with Trump to his debate with Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden — has tested positive for COVID-19.
Stepien’s diagnosis means at least six in Trump’s circle, including the president and first lady Melania Trump, have tested positive in the last few days.
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Stepien was diagnosed Friday and was experiencing what one source told Politico were “mild flu-like symptoms.” He reportedly plans to self-quarantine until he recovers and will continue to be in charge of Trump’s campaign.
The growing list of infected people connected to the White House appears to be largely linked to the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court at an event in the Rose Garden last Saturday, where few people wore face masks. Attendees sat side by side, and many shook hands.
(On Saturday, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin became the third Republican senator in the past day to test positive. He was not at the Rose Garden event or at Trump’s debate preparations.)
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Barrett recovered from COVID-19 earlier this year. But epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, a senior fellow of the Federation of American Scientists, warned that her previous bout with COVID-19 does not preclude reinfection.
Lee and others also met with Barrett inside the White House later in the day. Lee tested positive Friday, but on Thursday attended a nearly 90-minute Senate Judiciary Committee hearing without a mask for at least part of the time.
Tonight my COVID-19 test came back positive. I’m following the recommendations of my doctor. Thankfully, I have no symptoms and feel well. COVID is a very contagious virus. If you were exposed or start to display symptoms, please call your doctor, self-isolate, and get tested. pic.twitter.com/fwc826dkvQ — Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) October 3, 2020
Senior White House aide Hope Hicks did not attend the Rose Garden event, but tested positive after traveling with the president, it was announced Thursday.
Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, also tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, but that was after suspected exposure to an ill family member, according to an RNC spokesperson. She has been home in Michigan since last Saturday, Politico reported.
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An unidentified journalist covering the Barrett announcement also tested positive. Two other White House reporters, who didn’t attend the Rose Garden event, contracted the coronavirus in what may be a second stage of infections from the nomination event.
“The White House Medical Unit is beginning the process of contact tracing for these cases,” said a statement Saturday to members from the White House Correspondents’ Association.
“Given these positive cases, the president’s diagnosis and positive cases among other members of the White House staff, a number of White House journalists are self-isolating pending diagnostic testing,” the statement said. “Due to cases linked to the pools last weekend and the large number of press credentialed for the 9/26 Rose Garden event, we ask that if you were on the White House grounds or in the pools those days, that you pay extra attention to any changes in your health.”
An official of the World Health Organization sounded the alarm Friday about what he characterized as a troubling White House “cluster” — and criticized the government for its failure to effectively deal with the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Trump Administration Plan Would Cut Pay For Essential Farm Workers

The pay rate comes from a survey known as the adverse effect wage rate , or AEWR .
It varies by region , and is meant to reflect the prevailing wage farms are offering .
In most situations , H-2A employers have to pay workers according to the AEWR , the state minimum wage or the federal minimum wage ― whichever is highest .
The idea is to keep farmers from paying guestworkers lower rates than they would pay Americans to do the same job .
AEWRs range from $ 11 to $ 16 this year , whereas the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per hour .
The AEWR is usually the highest of the possible rates , except in areas with robust local minimum wages , like California .
That may help explain why growers aren ’ t huge fans of it .
A recent analysis by the libertarian Cato Institute found that the difference between the AEWR rate and the minimum wage in each state averages 57 % .
Labor groups are warning that such a move would depress income for foreign workers and U.S. citizens alike .
Farms that use the H-2A program are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wages not just to the visa holders , but to U.S. workers employed in similar roles .
Bruce Goldstein , president of the advocacy group Farmworker Justice , said poor guestworkers from Mexico and other countries are paid so little back home that they will accept any wage in the U.S. By pushing the legally required minimum wages lower , he said the Agriculture Department could end up displacing U.S. workers .
“ We ’ re talking about a couple hundred thousand farm workers potentially affected by this , both U.S.-born and guestworkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are already low and this would allow them to be even lower .
It undermines the whole point of the protections in the law.
” The National Council of Agricultural Employers tried to sue to prevent wage hikes under the AEWR from happening in 2019 .
A lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau Federation penned an op-ed earlier this year arguing that the wage rates grow too fast and and the methodology behind them is faulty : “ The real adverse effect to consider is the American farmers ’ ability to stay open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries with lower labor costs.
” Daniel Costa , an immigration law expert at the Economic Policy Institute , said that scrapping the survey would let the Agriculture Department use a different data source starting next year , and that it is almost certain to produce lower wage rates than the AEWR .
Most workers would see their pay go down , particularly in the Southeastern states where the weak federal minimum wage prevails , he said .
Costa said the maneuvering by the Agriculture Department is consistent with Trump ’ s other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House has said it wants to limit such programs to help U.S. workers , but in reality the number of visas for low-wage workers has grown under Trump ’ s watch , providing a pipeline of cheaper labor .
Lowering pay could make the programs even more enticing .
“ The wages should be fair , ” Costa said .
“ If you set the wages so low that no [ U.S. worker ] will ever apply for these jobs , then yeah , you ’ re creating a labor shortage that leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HuffPost asked the USDA if it has a plan to replace the AEWR with another wage metric but did not receive a response on Friday .
The Labor Department announced in July 2019 that it planned to overhaul the H-2A program rules to use a different survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics , but no such rule has been finalized .
According to the USDA , the average wage of a farmworker in the U.S. last year was $ 13.99 , well below the $ 23.51 average outside of agriculture .
Fifty-seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although they are less likely to be U.S.-born than workers in other fields , more than half were U.S. citizens .
It ’ s possible that the Trump administration will let the 2020 wage rates produced by earlier surveys carry over into next year .
In that case , many workers would not see a wage increase , but their earnings at least would not go down .
But the United Farm Workers Foundation fears that if the survey disappears then the wage rates in most regions will default to the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some workers a few dollars an hour , amounting to a huge drop in income over the course of a year .

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The low-wage farm workers who’ve put food on America’s dinner tables throughout the coronavirus pandemic could soon see a pay cut courtesy of the Trump administration.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is moving to phase out a quarterly survey that helps determine wage rates on farms that use the H-2A guestworker program.
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The pay rate comes from a survey known as the adverse effect wage rate, or AEWR. It varies by region, and is meant to reflect the prevailing wage farms are offering. In most situations, H-2A employers have to pay workers according to the AEWR, the state minimum wage or the federal minimum wage ― whichever is highest. The idea is to keep farmers from paying guestworkers lower rates than they would pay Americans to do the same job.
AEWRs range from $11 to $16 this year, whereas the federal minimum wage is still just $7.25 per hour. The AEWR is usually the highest of the possible rates, except in areas with robust local minimum wages, like California. That may help explain why growers aren’t huge fans of it. A recent analysis by the libertarian Cato Institute found that the difference between the AEWR rate and the minimum wage in each state averages 57%.
If the administration suspends collecting data for the AEWR without another plan in place, many farms would be allowed to pay lower wages to field workers as early as next year.
Labor groups are warning that such a move would depress income for foreign workers and U.S. citizens alike. Farms that use the H-2A program are required to pay at or above those wages not just to the visa holders, but to U.S. workers employed in similar roles.
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Bruce Goldstein, president of the advocacy group Farmworker Justice, said poor guestworkers from Mexico and other countries are paid so little back home that they will accept any wage in the U.S. By pushing the legally required minimum wages lower, he said the Agriculture Department could end up displacing U.S. workers.
“We’re talking about a couple hundred thousand farm workers potentially affected by this, both U.S.-born and guestworkers,” Goldstein said. “Wages are already low and this would allow them to be even lower. It undermines the whole point of the protections in the law.”
The Agriculture Department’s intention to suspend the survey was listed in the federal register this week and first reported by Business Insider.
The National Council of Agricultural Employers tried to sue to prevent wage hikes under the AEWR from happening in 2019. A lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau Federation penned an op-ed earlier this year arguing that the wage rates grow too fast and and the methodology behind them is faulty: “The real adverse effect to consider is the American farmers’ ability to stay open for business and compete against imports from countries with lower labor costs.”
Early in the pandemic, NPR reported that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue were exploring ways to help farmers by lowering the wages of H-2A workers.
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By ending the farm labor survey, the Trump administration could reduce pay for hundreds of thousands of farm workers. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images
Daniel Costa, an immigration law expert at the Economic Policy Institute, said that scrapping the survey could let the government use a different data source starting next year, and that it is almost certain to produce lower wage rates than the AEWR. Most workers would see their pay go down, particularly in the Southeastern states where the weak federal minimum wage prevails, he said.
Costa said the maneuvering by the Agriculture Department is consistent with Trump’s other policies on guestworker programs. The White House has said it wants to limit such programs to help U.S. workers, but in reality the number of visas for low-wage workers has grown under Trump’s watch, providing a pipeline of cheaper labor. Lowering pay could make the programs even more enticing.
“The wages should be fair,” Costa said. “If you set the wages so low that no [U.S. worker] will ever apply for these jobs, then yeah, you’re creating a labor shortage that leads to a justification for more guestworkers.”
HuffPost asked the USDA if it has a plan to replace the AEWR with another wage metric but did not receive a response on Friday. The Labor Department announced in July 2019 that it planned to overhaul the H-2A program rules to use a different survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but no such rule has been finalized.
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According to the USDA, the average wage of a farmworker in the U.S. last year was $13.99, well below the $23.51 average outside of agriculture. Fifty-seven percent of farmworkers were of Mexican origin. Although they are less likely to be U.S.-born than workers in other fields, more than half were U.S. citizens.
It’s possible that the Trump administration will let the 2020 wage rates produced by earlier surveys carry over into next year. In that case, many workers would not see a wage increase, but their earnings at least would not go down.
But the United Farm Workers Foundation fears that if the survey disappears then the wage rates in most regions will default to the state or federal minimum. That could cost some workers a few dollars an hour, amounting to a huge drop in income over the course of a year.
Leydy Rangel, a spokesperson for the group, said cutting pay would be an awful way to reward field workers who’ve risked contracting coronavirus for months in order to maintain the food supply.
“Really what the Trump administration here is doing is they are slashing farmworker wages in the middle of a global pandemic,” Rangel said. “This is the same federal government that declared them ‘essential.’”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Presidential Memorabilia Is, Of Course, Really Weird This Year

Sure , a lot of people might look at this mask and say , `` Nope , '' but hear @ @ @ @ @ one face mask that Trump supporters might actually wear .
There 's a trick : @ @ @ @ @ be offended so they will think they are sticking it to the libs when , @ @ @ @ @ actually protecting the people around them .
You do n't have to tell them that @ @ @ @ @ little secret ) .

Trump "This Is Huge" Face Mask
Sure, a lot of people might look at this mask and say, "Nope," but hear me out: This is one face mask that Trump supporters might actually wear . There's a trick: You have to pretend to be offended so they will think they are sticking it to the libs when, in reality, they're actually protecting the people around them. You don't have to tell them that (it will be our little secret).


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Sen. Ron Johnson Took COVID Test En Route To Wisconsin Fundraising Dinner. It Was Positive.

Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson attended a Republican fundraising dinner as he awaited the results of a COVID test he had taken on the way to the event .
It was positive .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people isolate until they find out the results of COVID tests .
Johnson was the third Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to test positive in 24 hours and would have likely suspected he had a solid chance of testing positive .
Johnson took the test on his way to the Ozaukee County Republican Party Oktoberfest Dinner in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his decision to attend the function , where he was one of the featured speakers , knowing he had been exposed to COVID and could have infected others at the crowded event .
He told the Wisconsin Capital Times that he wore a mask until he spoke , and stayed “ at least 12 feet from anybody ” during his speech .
Johnson announced the following morning that he had tested positive — too late for anyone at the dinner to opt out of interacting with him and risk contracting a potentially deadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick , ” Johnson insisted to the newspaper .
“ I have no symptoms .
I certainly didn ’ t anticipate testing positive , so there was no reason to quarantine.
” Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he learned of the test results on his drive home from the event .
Earlier that Friday , Judiciary Committee members Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina had both tested positive .
Johnson said he decided to get tested when he learned about Lee .
Senate Majority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the full Senate will not return until Oct. 19 — two weeks later than planned — because the three GOP senators have COVID .
Johnson appeared completely unconcerned about where he might have contracted COVID .
“ We have a pandemic with a contagious disease , ” he told the Capital Times , adding later : “ To me , I don ’ t care where I might have got it from.
” Johnson remains opposed to mandates requiring people to wear masks , saying the public should rely on “ individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he exhibited with his constituents .
Johnson ’ s office said that he ’ s now planning to remain in isolation until his doctor clears him .

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Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson attended a Republican fundraising dinner as he awaited the results of a COVID test he had taken on the way to the event. It was positive.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people isolate until they find out the results of COVID tests. Johnson was the third Republican senator to test positive in 24 hours and would have likely suspected he had a chance of testing positive.
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Johnson took the test on his way to the Ozaukee County Republican Party Oktoberfest Dinner in Mequon on Friday night. He defended his decision to attend the function, where he was one of the featured speakers, knowing he had been exposed to COVID and could have infected others at the crowded event.
He told the Wisconsin Capital Times that he wore a mask until he spoke, and stayed “at least 12 feet from anybody” during his speech.
Johnson announced the following morning that he had tested positive — too late for anyone at the dinner to opt out of interacting with him and risk contracting a potentially deadly virus.
“I’m not sick,” Johnson insisted to the newspaper. “I have no symptoms. I certainly didn’t anticipate testing positive, so there was no reason to quarantine.” COVID “can be transmitted by individuals who are infected but do not have symptoms,” the CDC has repeatedly noted.
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Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he learned of the test results on his drive home from the event.
Earlier that Friday, Judiciary Committee members Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina had both tested positive. Johnson said he decided to get tested when he learned about Lee.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Saturday that the full Senate will not return until Oct. 19 — two weeks later than planned — because the three GOP senators have COVID.
Johnson appeared completely unconcerned about where he might have contracted COVID. “We have a pandemic with a contagious disease,” he told the Capital Times, adding later: “To me, I don’t care where I might have got it from.”
Johnson remains opposed to mandates requiring people to wear masks, saying the public should rely on “individual responsibility,” apparently like the kind he exhibited with his constituents.
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Johnson’s office said that he’s now planning to remain in isolation until his doctor clears him.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Trump Shares First Video Message From Hospital: 'I Think I'll Be Back Soon'

President Donald Trump gave an update on his health Saturday in a speech from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , saying he feels “ much better now , ” and thanking the public for an “ outpouring of love.
” The video was the first significant message from Trump since he announced on Twitter early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 .
But it failed to address the controversy that erupted in the wake of his illness .
“ I came here , wasn ’ t feeling so well , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital .
“ I feel much better now .
We ’ re working hard to get me all the way back.
” Trump ’ s announcement that he had contracted COVID-19 almost immediately triggered criticism over conflicting reports of exactly how sick he quickly became , the actual timeline of when he was diagnosed with COVID , and how many people he may have placed in seriously jeopardy of COVID-19 contagion as the president continued his campaign events .
Trump has long been chastised for brazenly defying safety precautions to stem the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoiding crowds and maintaining social distance .
He has also been identified as the “ largest driver ” of COVID misinformation and conspiracy theories .
In the most troubling development Saturday , White House physician Sean Conley referred to Trump as being “ just 72 hours into the diagnosis now , ” which would indicate the president was diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday .
That would mean Trump knew he had COVID and a risk of spreading it the day before he attended a fundraising event at his Bedminster golf resort in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask at the event .
The White House contradicted Conley , and the physician later issued a statement that he had misspoken .
Trump addressed none of those issues in his four-minute speech from the hospital .
Instead , he focused on his optimism on fighting the disease , the “ therapeutics ... coming down from God , ” and support from Americans .
Trump called his illness “ something that happened , and it ’ s happened to millions of people all over the world .
And I ’ m fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to beat this coronavirus or whatever you want to call it , and we ’ re going to beat it soundly.
” But he conceded he ’ s not out of the woods .
“ Over the next period of a few days , I guess that ’ s the real test , so we ’ ll be seeing what happens over those next few days , ” Trump said .
The president said he was “ so thankful for all the support I ’ ve seen ... almost a bipartisan consensus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a beautiful thing to see , and I very much appreciate it , and I won ’ t forget it.
” The president said he “ had no choice ” about coming to the hospital , and that he “ just didn ’ t want to stay in the White House.
” Sources say he did want to stay , however .
The growing list of infected people connected to the White House may be linked to an event last Saturday at the Rose Garden announcement of Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wore face masks , they sat side by side , and many shook hands and hugged .

President Donald Trump gave an update on his health Saturday in a speech from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, saying he feels “much better now,” and thanking the public for an “outpouring of love.”
The video was the first significant message from Trump since he announced on Twitter early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. But it failed to address the controversy that erupted in the wake of his illness.
Trump was transported to the hospital Friday with symptoms including a fever, congestion and a cough.
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“I came here, wasn’t feeling so well,” Trump said from behind a desk at the hospital. “I feel much better now. We’re working hard to get me all the way back.”
He added, “I think I’ll be back soon. I look forward to finishing up the campaign.”
Trump’s announcement that he had contracted COVID-19 almost immediately triggered criticism over conflicting reports of exactly how sick he quickly became, the actual timeline of when he was diagnosed with COVID, and how many people he may have placed in seriously jeopardy of COVID-19 contagion as the president continued his campaign events.
Trump has long been chastised for brazenly defying safety precautions to stem the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, avoiding crowds and maintaining social distance. He has also been identified as the “largest driver” of COVID misinformation and conspiracy theories.
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In the most troubling development Saturday, White House physician Sean Conley referred to Trump as being “just 72 hours into the diagnosis now,” which would indicate the president was diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday. That would mean Trump knew he had COVID and a risk of spreading it the day before he attended a fundraising event at his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey. Trump did not wear a mask at the event. The White House contradicted Conley, and the physician later issued a statement that he had misspoken.
Trump addressed none of those issues in his four-minute speech from the hospital. Instead, he focused on his optimism on fighting the disease, the “therapeutics ... coming down from God,” and support from Americans.
Trump called his illness “something that happened, and it’s happened to millions of people all over the world. And I’m fighting for them. ... We’re going to beat this coronavirus or whatever you want to call it, and we’re going to beat it soundly.”
He praised the “therapeutics” being developed to fight COVID, including those he’s taking, as “miracles coming down from God.”
But he conceded he’s not out of the woods. “Over the next period of a few days, I guess that’s the real test, so we’ll be seeing what happens over those next few days,” Trump said.
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The president said he was “so thankful for all the support I’ve seen ... almost a bipartisan consensus of American people. It’s a beautiful thing to see, and I very much appreciate it, and I won’t forget it.”
Trump also thanked world leaders for their “condolences.”
The president said he “had no choice” about coming to the hospital, and that he “just didn’t want to stay in the White House.” Sources say he did want to stay, however.
“I think we’re going to have a very good result,” he concluded. “The outpouring of love has been incredible.”
The growing list of infected people connected to the White House may be linked to an event last Saturday at the Rose Garden announcement of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Few people wore face masks, they sat side by side, and many shook hands and hugged.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Joe Biden Sends Well Wishes To Trump: 'I Genuinely Feel Badly For The President'

Democratic nominee Joe Biden put politics aside to express well wishes to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in an interview with local Michigan media Saturday as he campaigned in Grand Rapids .
“ I genuinely feel badly for the president , ” Biden said , according to WOOD TV .
“ I hope to God that this is something that he and his wife will be able to tolerate and get through without any lasting impact on them.
” Biden added that he learned of Trump ’ s condition “ like everyone else did , on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he stood across a stage from Trump on Tuesday , only a couple of days before Trump declared that he tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Democratic nominee — who announced that he tested negative for the coronavirus on Friday — said that both he and his wife had taken two COVID-19 tests prior to heading to Michigan .
Biden ’ s campaign also announced that it would pull its advertising attacking the president after Trump announced that he would be transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
“ Be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grand Rapids , emphasizing that Trump ’ s catching COVID-19 was a sign that the virus needed to be taken seriously .
“ It ’ s not about being a tough guy .
It ’ s about doing your part .
Wearing a mask is not only going to protect you ; it also protects those around you .
... Don ’ t just do it for yourself .
Do it for the people you love , the people you work with .
”

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Democratic nominee Joe Biden put politics aside to express well wishes to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in an interview with local Michigan media Saturday as he campaigned in Grand Rapids.
“I genuinely feel badly for the president,” Biden said, according to WOOD TV. “I hope to God that this is something that he and his wife will be able to tolerate and get through without any lasting impact on them.”
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Biden added that he learned of Trump’s condition “like everyone else did, on the news,” and reflected on how he stood across a stage from Trump on Tuesday, only a couple of days before Trump declared that he tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Democratic nominee — who announced that he tested negative for the coronavirus on Friday — said that both he and his wife had taken two COVID-19 tests prior to heading to Michigan.
“Thank God both my wife and I are negative,” Biden said.
Biden previously extended his sympathies to Trump shortly after the president revealed his positive test result early Friday morning.
Biden’s campaign also announced that it would pull its advertising attacking the president after Trump announced that he would be transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
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“Be patriotic,” Biden told reporters in Grand Rapids, emphasizing that Trump’s catching COVID-19 was a sign that the virus needed to be taken seriously. “It’s not about being a tough guy. It’s about doing your part. Wearing a mask is not only going to protect you; it also protects those around you. ... Don’t just do it for yourself. Do it for the people you love, the people you work with.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Catholics Shouldn't Only Care About Abortion While Voting, Texas Bishop Says

Many Catholics feel “ politically homeless ” during election season , the bishop said .
He said he believes it ’ s possible for faithful members of the church to arrive at different conclusions about whom to vote for after weighing the issues facing the nation .
While President Donald Trump has supported the anti-abortion movement and taken steps to protect religious liberties , he has ultimately “ tainted the pro-life cause with the individualism and cult of wealth , greed and celebrity that very quickly erode solidarity and cheapen life , ” Seitz said .
The Trump administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies like his travel bans that targeted Muslims , the bishop said .
Seitz decried the Democratic Party ’ s position on abortion and religious liberty issues important to the church .
But he commended its presidential candidate , former Vice President Joe Biden , for the respect the Catholic politician has shown to Pope Francis , his historic selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate , and his “ working-class ethos.
” Addressing racism also appears to be a top priority for the bishop .
As the leader of Catholics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diocese located on the U.S.-Mexico border , Seitz said he ’ s seen firsthand the ways racism harms people .
He pointed to a shooting in an El Paso Walmart , which reportedly targeted Mexicans and left 22 people dead .
After the death of George Floyd this spring , Seitz became the first Catholic bishop to take a knee in support of Black lives .
“ For far too long , in pursuit of ‘ single-issue ’ strategies to end abortion , many Christians have scandalously turned a blind eye to real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including crackdowns on worker rights and voting rights , the slashing of social support for the poor and sick , racism and the exploitation of immigrants and the environment , ” he wrote .
Abortion wasn ’ t always treated as a litmus test for faithful voting .
Evangelical Protestants were largely ambivalent on abortion before the 1970s , seeing it as a Catholic issue .
But during the 1972 presidential election , Richard Nixon made abortion a key part of his campaign , seeking to draw Catholics away from the Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics helped cement relationships between conservative Catholics and evangelicals , forming a strong coalition on the religious right .
In a 2019 voting guide , U.S. bishops called abortion a “ preeminent ” issue for Catholic voters to consider .
At the same time , studies show that American Catholics are divided on the issue .
About 56 % of Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases , according to a 2019 survey from the Pew Research Center .
The church ’ s strong anti-abortion stance has compelled some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to different conclusions on the issue .
In 2019 , a South Carolina priest banned Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , a Catholic , from receiving communion because of the former vice president ’ s support for abortion rights .
An Illinois bishop decreed last year that Catholic lawmakers who supported a state abortion rights legislation would be banned from communion .
Yet Seitz isn ’ t completely alone in his insistence that other issues should be given equal importance in the voting booth .
Bishop John Stowe of Lexington , Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this year for the president ’ s approach to health care , immigration and the pandemic .
Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark , New Jersey , has said that he would personally have difficulty voting for Trump .
Natalia Imperatori-Lee , a scholar of Catholic ecclesiology and sexuality at Manhattan College , told HuffPost bishops ’ approach to this subject often depends on what they count as “ life ” issues ― some bishops think being “ pro-life ” only means the criminalization of abortion , while for others , the issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the day-to-day unsustainability of life in this crisis , along with the real questions of police reform and accountability for non-white Catholics , of family separation and refusal of entry to refugees are the moral issues that Catholic women are thinking about between now and Nov. 3 , ” she said .

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Abortion shouldn’t be the only issue that Roman Catholics care about when they decide how to cast their votes in the 2020 elections, a Texas bishop has said.
El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz lamented the fact that some Christians are “single-issue” voters when it comes to abortion ― while ignoring issues such as racism, workers’ rights, climate change, and restoring protections for asylum seekers.
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Prioritizing abortion over other moral issues has “harmed the credibility of the commitment of Christians to the common good and compromised the integrity of our Gospel witness,” Seitz wrote in a reflection published Wednesday by the Jesuit magazine America.
“Our concern and advocacy for life must embrace all of the marginalized and excluded, or it will ring hollow,” the bishop wrote.
El Paso's Roman Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz escorts Celsia Palma, 9, of Honduras, and her family across a point of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border so the family could be processed into the U.S. on June 27, 2019, in Juarez, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rudy Gutierrez)
Many Catholics feel “politically homeless” during election season, the bishop said. He said he believes it’s possible for faithful members of the church to arrive at different conclusions about whom to vote for after weighing the issues facing the nation.
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While President Donald Trump has supported the anti-abortion movement and taken steps to protect religious liberties, he has ultimately “tainted the pro-life cause with the individualism and cult of wealth, greed and celebrity that very quickly erode solidarity and cheapen life,” Seitz said. The Trump administration has encouraged nativism and undermined religious liberty with policies like his travel bans that targeted Muslims, the bishop said.
Seitz decried the Democratic Party’s position on abortion and religious liberty issues important to the church. But he commended its presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, for the respect the Catholic politician has shown to Pope Francis, his historic selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, and his “working-class ethos.”
“As a bishop on the border, I am also encouraged by the Biden campaign’s promises to address climate change, create a path to citizenship for the undocumented, restore protections for asylum seekers and never repeat the criminal practice of separating families at the border,” Seitz wrote.
Addressing racism also appears to be a top priority for the bishop. As the leader of Catholics in El Paso, a primarily Latino diocese located on the U.S.-Mexico border, Seitz said he’s seen firsthand the ways racism harms people. He pointed to a shooting in an El Paso Walmart, which reportedly targeted Mexicans and left 22 people dead. After the death of George Floyd this spring, Seitz became the first Catholic bishop to take a knee in support of Black lives.
Catholics need to recognize that abortion’s status as a wedge issue is actually the result of a “misbegotten” alliance between political and religious leaders on the right, the bishop said.
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“For far too long, in pursuit of ‘single-issue’ strategies to end abortion, many Christians have scandalously turned a blind eye to real breakdowns in solidarity and dehumanizing policies, including crackdowns on worker rights and voting rights, the slashing of social support for the poor and sick, racism and the exploitation of immigrants and the environment,” he wrote.
Bishop Mark Seitz participates in a Mass attended by hundreds at the U.S.-Mexico border, held in memory of migrants killed by crossing the Rio Bravo in their attempt to reach the United States, on Nov. 4, 2017. HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images
Abortion wasn’t always treated as a litmus test for faithful voting. Evangelical Protestants were largely ambivalent on abortion before the 1970s, seeing it as a Catholic issue. But during the 1972 presidential election, Richard Nixon made abortion a key part of his campaign, seeking to draw Catholics away from the Democratic Party. In the ensuing decades, abortion politics helped cement relationships between conservative Catholics and evangelicals, forming a strong coalition on the religious right.
In a 2019 voting guide, U.S. bishops called abortion a “preeminent” issue for Catholic voters to consider. At the same time, studies show that American Catholics are divided on the issue. About 56% of Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a 2019 survey from the Pew Research Center.
The church’s strong anti-abortion stance has compelled some clergy to condemn Catholic politicians who have come to different conclusions on the issue. In 2019, a South Carolina priest banned Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, a Catholic, from receiving communion because of the former vice president’s support for abortion rights. An Illinois bishop decreed last year that Catholic lawmakers who supported a state abortion rights legislation would be banned from communion.
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Yet Seitz isn’t completely alone in his insistence that other issues should be given equal importance in the voting booth. Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, criticized Trump as “anti-life” earlier this year for the president’s approach to health care, immigration and the pandemic. Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, has said that he would personally have difficulty voting for Trump.
All three of these bishops were appointed to their current positions by Pope Francis.
Seitz pointed to how Pope Francis has challenged Catholics to treat their concern for the lives of the poor, sick, and marginalized as “equally sacred” as the “unborn.”
Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a scholar of Catholic ecclesiology and sexuality at Manhattan College, told HuffPost bishops’ approach to this subject often depends on what they count as “life” issues ― some bishops think being “pro-life” only means the criminalization of abortion, while for others, the issues are more wide-ranging.
For Catholic women, abortion does not seem to be a priority when deciding how to cast their ballots, Imperatori-Lee said.
“Even the most anti-abortion Catholics are realizing that overturning Roe and the disappearance of abortion are two different goals,” Imperatori-Lee said. “Democratic administrations with robust social safety net provisions lead to fewer abortions. The legal questions are far from most people’s concerns.”
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Instead, she said many Catholic women seem to be worried about the economy and the pandemic, particularly its effect on working mothers who are teaching their children from home.
“I think that the day-to-day unsustainability of life in this crisis, along with the real questions of police reform and accountability for non-white Catholics, of family separation and refusal of entry to refugees are the moral issues that Catholic women are thinking about between now and Nov. 3,” she said.
Given the challenges facing the country today, America needs leaders “with character and experience” who can bring people together, Seitz wrote in his essay.
Ultimately, the bishop said, “God will judge us by the authenticity of our commitment to continuing to stand with all those forced to the margins of our society, even after Election Day.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--Anthony Scaramucci Calls Trump A 'Bully,' Hopes COVID-19 Diagnosis Is A 'Wake-Up Call'

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci told CNN Friday that he hoped Donald Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis would be a “ wake-up call ” and compared the president to a “ bully at the middle school lunch table ” who disregarded coronavirus social distancing precautions and influenced fellow Republicans to do the same .
“ Look at how the Republican Congress acts , or the Republican Senate acts around the president , ” Scaramucci , who resigned from Donald Trump ’ s administration after working for only 10 days in 2017 , told CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over these people .
It ’ s like literally being the bully at the middle school lunch table ; everybody wants to sit with the bully and the bully is giving you rules that are going to go against your self-interest , but you ’ re going to abide to them anyway.
” Scaramucci speculated that COVID-19 would possibly spread throughout the president ’ s inner circle and Congress , resulting in a situation “ where the West Wing and the members of Congress are going to have more COVID-19 than the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laxity.
” New Zealand has had just one confirmed COVID-19 case and three recovered cases in the last 24 hours , according to the country ’ s Ministry of Health .
In contrast , at least 11 people connected to Trump ― including first lady Melania Trump and former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway ― announced positive coronavirus test results since Thursday .
“ It ’ s sad for me , because a lot of these people are my friends , ” Scaramucci said , pointing to White House senior adviser Hope Hicks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus on Thursday .
“ I wish her well ; I want her to get better , ” he said .
“ But it ’ s also sad for the country , because we put the country now in this dilemma where we ’ ve politicized the science , politicized the masks , politicized the health and well-being of the people in the country .
And so I ’ m hoping that this will be a wake-up call for the president and his staff.
” Scaramucci ― sometimes known by his nickname , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized Trump since leaving the White House .
In August , after giving a Fox News interview where he said that the Republican Party was likely to become “ a minority party for a generation , ” Trump and Scaramucci butted heads on Twitter , with the president calling his former communications director a “ loser .
”

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Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci told CNN Friday that he hoped Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis would be a “wake-up call” and compared the president to a “bully at the middle school lunch table” who disregarded coronavirus social distancing precautions and influenced fellow Republicans to do the same.
“Look at how the Republican Congress acts, or the Republican Senate acts around the president,” Scaramucci, who resigned from Donald Trump’s administration after working for only 10 days in 2017, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “He has this amazing control over these people. It’s like literally being the bully at the middle school lunch table; everybody wants to sit with the bully and the bully is giving you rules that are going to go against your self-interest, but you’re going to abide to them anyway.”
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Scaramucci speculated that COVID-19 would possibly spread throughout the president’s inner circle and Congress, resulting in a situation “where the West Wing and the members of Congress are going to have more COVID-19 than the entire country of New Zealand due to this laxity.”
New Zealand has had just one confirmed COVID-19 case and three recovered cases in the last 24 hours, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. In contrast, at least 11 people connected to Trump ― including first lady Melania Trump and former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway ― announced positive coronavirus test results since Thursday.
“It’s sad for me, because a lot of these people are my friends,” Scaramucci said, pointing to White House senior adviser Hope Hicks, who also tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday.
“I wish her well; I want her to get better,” he said. “But it’s also sad for the country, because we put the country now in this dilemma where we’ve politicized the science, politicized the masks, politicized the health and well-being of the people in the country. And so I’m hoping that this will be a wake-up call for the president and his staff.”
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Scaramucci ― sometimes known by his nickname, “the Mooch,” has openly criticized Trump since leaving the White House. In August, after giving a Fox News interview where he said that the Republican Party was likely to become “a minority party for a generation,” Trump and Scaramucci butted heads on Twitter, with the president calling his former communications director a “loser.”


Donald Trump, Superspreader

And for all of those confirmed cases , countless more may have been infected without willingly putting themselves at risk : people working the events , such as waiters , cleaners , support staff , Secret Service agents , military personnel and others who had little choice in attending .
Those people run the risk of affecting their families and communities without the guarantee of medical care that the president , his family and high-ranking lawmakers can expect .
When Trump became infected is essential for contact tracing and informing those whom he may have exposed to the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear answer means the public is in the dark about whom the president may have knowingly put in danger .
Also unclear is when first lady Melania Trump first showed symptoms .
The Virus Creeps Through The GOP ’ s Top Ranks The genesis of the spread among high-ranking GOP officials is also unclear .
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel found out Wednesday that she tested positive for COVID-19 .
The last time she interacted with Trump was Sept. 15 , sources told The New York Times , and the RNC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since .
On Tuesday , Trump showed up to the first presidential debate too late to be tested , moderator Chris Wallace said .
Organizers relied on self-reporting symptoms and test results .
As of Friday , at least 11 cases were tied to the debate , which host city Cleveland said were tied to “ pre-debate planning and setup.
” Trump ’ s family declined to wear masks despite pleas from organizers to do so .
Little Indication Of Change At The White House Vice President Mike Pence , who has twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with others who tested positive , is holding an in-person campaign event on Thursday in Peoria , Arizona .
The event listing on the campaign site makes no mention of masks but does include the campaign ’ s standard language : “ In attending the event , you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 , and waive , release , and discharge Donald J. Trump for President ... from any and all liability.
” Three Republican senators have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sens .
Mike Lee ( Utah ) and Thom Tillis ( N.C. ) — sit on the Judiciary Committee and may have already infected others .
Both have said they intend to isolate for just 10 days , which is short of the 14 days the CDC recommends but would allow them to attend the hearing .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump knew he may have been exposed to COVID-19, was experiencing mild symptoms and was tested Thursday, his doctor said at a news conference Saturday.
Trump traveled to a fundraiser in New Jersey anyway, possibly exposing attendees, staff and others to the deadly virus that has killed more than 208,000 Americans.
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The timeline Trump physician Sean Conley outlined offered the clearest evidence yet that Trump had, at the very least, serious reason to suspect he had COVID-19 yet continued behaving as if he did not.
Conley said Trump was tested Thursday afternoon after a positive test result from a close contact he declined to identify but is likely aide Hope Hicks. She received a result Thursday morning, though senior officials tried to keep it from the public, Bloomberg News reported.
Trump had a fever “Thursday into Friday,” Conley said, as well as a “mild cough and some nasal congestion and fatigue.” He received the test result Thursday evening, Conley said. The president went through a “very concerning” period Friday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Saturday.
Still, the timeline Trump’s medical team put forward is extremely muddled. Conley told the news conference that Trump was “72 hours” into his diagnosis, which would mean he knew as early as Wednesday, when he attended another fundraiser in Shorewood, Minnesota.
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Trump began receiving antibody therapy about 48 hours ago, another member of the medical team said, which suggested it started on Thursday — even before Trump attended the New Jersey fundraiser and had a confirmed positive test.
About two hours later, Conley issued a memo saying that was incorrect and that the doctors meant to say he was diagnosed Thursday evening and began treatment on Friday.
Conley declined to tell the news conference when and where Trump likely became infected: “We’re not going to go into that. As far as his care, it’s irrelevant.”
But it’s not irrelevant to the countless others who may have been infected. Trump’s lax response to the virus, politicization of masks and insistence on reopening businesses and public spaces has been a major factor in the U.S death toll.
The latest news implicates Trump as a superspreader in an even more direct way: At least eight people who gathered at the White House on Sept. 26 to celebrate Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court have tested positive after foregoing masks, hugging and shaking hands.
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Multiple other members of Trump’s inner circle tested positive this week, possibly because of exposure during preparations for Tuesday night’s debate or at other events.
And for all of those confirmed cases, countless more may have been infected without willingly putting themselves at risk: people working the events, such as waiters, cleaners, support staff, Secret Service agents, military personnel and others who had little choice in attending. Those people run the risk of affecting their families and communities without the guarantee of medical care that the president, his family and high-ranking lawmakers can expect.
President Donald Trump heads to New Jersey for a fundraiser Thursday. Susan Walsh/Associated Press
The White House medical unit and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently doing contact tracing, Conley said. But as HuffPost reported Friday night, contact tracers in New Jersey were still trying to get a full list of those potentially infected at Trump’s fundraiser.
When Trump became infected is essential for contact tracing and informing those whom he may have exposed to the virus. That his medical team refused to provide a clear answer means the public is in the dark about whom the president may have knowingly put in danger. Also unclear is when first lady Melania Trump first showed symptoms.
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The Virus Creeps Through The GOP’s Top Ranks
The genesis of the spread among high-ranking GOP officials is also unclear. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel found out Wednesday that she tested positive for COVID-19. The last time she interacted with Trump was Sept. 15, sources told The New York Times, and the RNC said she has been isolating at home since.
On Tuesday, Trump showed up to the first presidential debate too late to be tested, moderator Chris Wallace said. Organizers relied on self-reporting symptoms and test results. As of Friday, at least 11 cases were tied to the debate, which host city Cleveland said were tied to “pre-debate planning and setup.” Trump’s family declined to wear masks despite pleas from organizers to do so.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped Trump prepare for the debate and attended the Supreme Court nomination event, has since tested positive for COVID-19.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tested positive for COVID-19 less than a week after attending a ceremony at the White House. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Trump has spent months downplaying and spreading misinformation about COVID-19, repeatedly insisting that the nation has “turned the corner.” At Tuesday’s debate, he mocked Biden for wearing a mask too much and insisted that Trump’s large, sometimes indoor campaign events have “had no negative effect.”
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A Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June was the “likely” source of a surge in coronavirus cases in the area, according to the Tulsa City-County Health Department. Former 2012 presidential candidate Hermain Cain and six of Trump’s campaign staffers tested positive for the virus after the event; Cain died a month later.
But apparenty as long as it doesn’t affect Trump, he seems to be OK with it. “I’m on a stage, and it’s very far away,” Trump told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in mid-September. “And so I’m not at all concerned.”
Little Indication Of Change At The White House
It appears that the White House and Republicans haven’t learned a lesson. Masks are still not mandatory at the White House and are considered a “personal choice,” a senior White House official told The Associated Press.
Vice President Mike Pence, who has twice tested negative for COVID-19 but has been in contact with others who tested positive, is holding an in-person campaign event on Thursday in Peoria, Arizona. The event listing on the campaign site makes no mention of masks but does include the campaign’s standard language: “In attending the event, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, and waive, release, and discharge Donald J. Trump for President ... from any and all liability.”
Trump's event to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Sept. 26 was a social-distancing-free affair. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Attorney General Bill Barr, who has also tested negative, is reportedly declining to self-isolate even though he was in close contact with people who tested positive, and results can often change days after exposure.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Saturday that he would push back other Senate business until after Oct. 19 but that the Judiciary Committee would nevertheless begin confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Oct. 12.
Three Republican senators have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past few days. Two of them — Sens. Mike Lee (Utah) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) — sit on the Judiciary Committee and may have already infected others. Both have said they intend to isolate for just 10 days, which is short of the 14 days the CDC recommends but would allow them to attend the hearing.
Trump has spent months trying to ignore and downplay the virus. A Cornell University analysis this week concluded Trump is “likely the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation.” That much does not seem to be changing.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-03--All The Republicans In Trump's Orbit Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus So Far

Trump and first lady Melania Trump revealed their positive diagnoses just a few hours after Hope Hicks , a close aide to the president , announced that she had the virus Thursday evening .
Since then , a number of other frequent contacts of the president ’ s have tested positive .
Many were linked to Trump ’ s packed White House Rose Garden event on Sept. 26 , when Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Here are the positive cases we know so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure for a person to test positive for the virus , and some do not show symptoms for up to two weeks .
Trump is currently receiving treatment for COVID-19 symptoms at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland .
He tweeted an update on his condition Saturday : “ Going welI , I think !
Thank you to all .
LOVE !
!
!
” White House physician Sean Conley said late Friday that Trump has not required supplemental oxygen and is doing well after receiving his first dose of Remdesivir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms .
He traveled to several cities before and after the Rose Garden event , participated in several events including three rallies and was reportedly in enclosed rooms with other maskless individuals as he prepared for his debate with Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden .
( Biden and his wife have tested negative . )
The first lady attended Barrett ’ s nomination in the Rose Garden , where she was seen sitting near the judge ’ s family .
( Barrett herself had the virus earlier in the year and recovered .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are sending our way , ” she said in a tweet .
“ I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good .
I am looking forward to a speedy recovery.
” Hicks traveled with the president several times in the days leading up to her diagnosis , including a Wednesday trip aboard Air Force One to Minnesota , where Trump held a campaign rally .
Hicks began exhibiting symptoms before the rally , The New York Times reported , and she was then isolated on the return flight and exited out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent hours cooped up with Trump and other staffers in preparation for the debate , without masks .
She also attended Barrett ’ s nomination event .
She revealed her diagnosis late Friday .
He announced his positive diagnosis Friday .
Lee said he began feeling symptoms Thursday morning , around the time he attended a 90-minute Senate Judiciary Committee meeting , where he could have infected colleagues .
He was seen without a mask at least part of the time .
Tillis attended the Rose Garden event and was seen in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent Republicans were seen indoors with Barrett afterward .
He tested positive Friday .
McDaniel received her diagnosis Wednesday and announced Friday that she tested positive .
She last saw the president in person on Sept. 25 , according to The New York Times .
The chairwoman was tested after “ a member of her family ” tested positive , a spokesman said in a statement , noting that McDaniel “ has been at her home in Michigan ” since Saturday , Sept. 26 .
Johnson announced his diagnosis Saturday .
He quarantined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with someone earlier in the month who had the virus .
He only returned to Washington on Tuesday , when he was “ exposed to an individual who has since tested positive , ” his office said .
The individual was not named .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A busy week of travel, public events and private meetings led a shocking number of people around President Donald Trump to contract the coronavirus ― including the president himself.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump revealed their positive diagnoses just a few hours after Hope Hicks, a close aide to the president, announced that she had the virus the evening of Oct. 1.
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Since then, over a dozen other frequent contacts of the president’s have tested positive. Many were linked to Trump’s packed White House Rose Garden event on Sept. 26, when Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Here are the positive cases we know so far. It can take several days after exposure for a person to test positive for the virus, and some do not show symptoms for up to two weeks.
President Donald Trump
Trump was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on Oct. 2, hours after revealing he tested positive for the virus. He tweeted an update on his condition the next day: “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!”
Trump’s blood oxygen level dipped below 95% ― an important threshold ― at least twice since being diagnosed with COVID-19, White House physician Sean Conley announced Oct. 4. Despite these incidents, Trump’s medical team said the president is doing “very well.”
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It remains unclear precisely how the president picked up the virus, but he seldom wore a mask before his diagnosis.
He traveled to several cities before and after the Rose Garden event, participated in several events including three rallies and was reportedly in enclosed rooms with other maskless individuals as he prepared for his debate with Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden. (Biden and his wife have tested negative.)
First Lady Melania Trump
The first lady attended Barrett’s nomination in the Rose Garden, where she was seen sitting near the judge’s family. (Barrett herself had the virus earlier in the year and recovered.)
“Thank you for the love you are sending our way,” she said in a tweet. “I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good. I am looking forward to a speedy recovery.”
White House Adviser Hope Hicks
Hicks traveled with the president several times in the days leading up to her diagnosis, including a Sept. 30 trip aboard Air Force One to Minnesota, where Trump held a campaign rally.
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Hicks began exhibiting symptoms before the rally, The New York Times reported, and she was then isolated on the return flight and exited out the back of the plane.
She did not attend the Rose Garden event.
Former White House Adviser Kellyanne Conway
Conway reportedly spent hours cooped up with Trump and other staffers in preparation for the debate, without masks. She also attended Barrett’s nomination event. She revealed her diagnosis late on Oct. 2.
Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien
Stepien was diagnosed Oct. 2 and is experiencing “mild flu-like symptoms,” according to Politico.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)
Lee attended the Rose Garden event, where he was seen talking to and hugging other attendees without a mask.
He announced his positive diagnosis Oct. 2. Lee said he began feeling symptoms the morning of Oct. 1, around the time he attended a 90-minute Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, where he could have infected colleagues. He was seen without a mask at least part of the time.
The Rev. John Jenkins
Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame ― where Barrett attended law school ― was seen at her Supreme Court nomination event without a mask. He tested positive on Oct. 2.
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Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
Tillis attended the Rose Garden event and was seen in a mask during the main announcement, although prominent Republicans were seen indoors with Barrett afterward. He tested positive on Oct. 2.
GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
McDaniel received her diagnosis Sept. 30 and announced Oct. 2 that she tested positive. She last saw the president in person on Sept. 25, according to The New York Times.
The chairwoman was tested after “a member of her family” tested positive, a spokesman said in a statement, noting that McDaniel “has been at her home in Michigan” since Sept. 26.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)
Johnson announced his diagnosis Oct. 3. He quarantined for two weeks after coming into contact with someone earlier in the month who had the virus.
He only returned to Washington on Sept. 29, when he was “exposed to an individual who has since tested positive,” his office said. The individual was not named.
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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Christie, a frequent contact of the president’s, announced Oct. 3 that he “just received word” of his positive diagnosis. He was seen without a mask at Barrett’s nomination ceremony in the Rose Garden.
White House Aide Nicholas Luna
Luna, one of the president’s “body men,” has tested positive, according to multiple reports.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
McEnany reported testing positive for the virus on Oct. 5. She held a press briefing Oct. 1 and spoke to reporters on Oct. 4, opting not to wear a mask in both situations.
McEnany was in attendance at Barrett’s Rose Garden ceremony.
At least three more of her aides in the White House press office have also tested positive.
Pastor Greg Laurie
Laurie, the senior pastor for Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, reportedly told church officials on Oct. 4 that he tested positive for the virus.
Laurie attended Barrett’s nomination ceremony after participating in the National Prayer March earlier that day with Vice President Mike Pence.
White House Communications Aide Chad Gilmartin
Chad Gilmartin, who is a mid-level staffer on the White House communications team, tested positive for coronavirus, ABC News reported. He is assistant press secretary under McEnany, who reported testing positive for the virus on Oct. 5.
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White House Communications Aide Karoline Leavitt
Karoline Leavitt, also an aide on McEnany’s White House communications team, reportedly tested positive for the virus.
White House Communications Aide Jalen Drummond
Jalen Drummond, an assistant press secretary on McEnany’s White House communications team, also reportedly tested positive for the virus. Drummond was at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event for Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination. He was also at an Oct. 1 press briefing. Just a few days later, McEnany reported testing positive for the virus.
White House Senior Adviser Stephen Miller
Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser and the driving force behind Trump’s anti-immigration policies, said on Oct. 6 he had tested positive for the virus. Miller attended debate preparations on Sep. 28 with Trump, Christie, Hicks and others, none of whom wore masks at the time.